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Have you ever imagined living in a world where another dimension different from our own existed? A world where the monsters you hear from scary stories told as a child and the bogyman hiding in various parts of your room are real?

Have you ever imagined a world where you may never grow up?

If you’re thinking about a certain J.M. Berrie children’s book with pirates, fairies and a boy who flies when looking at the title, you’re far from wrong. This is no fairy tale. The Promised Neverland you are thinking of is far from the truth.

Which is what makes this manga interesting. ...

Story:

At first glance, the story seems very uplifting and bright. There is laughter, smiles, cheerful children. There are children everywhere which is what makes the reader realize this is not a normal manga.

The story is broken in arcs, which follows three certain characters around. The start of the story has a very original plot to start and really hooks the reader well. The pacing and the excitement are there since we know the genre “mystery and thriller” is part of it all. The reader is at once wondering first chapter what is going to happen. Once it picks up and things start to happen, we are left following a group of children running around like chickens with their heads cut off.

Things really do start heading downhill from there. A familiar trope is used in the plot to some disappointment at which most of the story is now based around. Not only are the characters trying to find this “new world”, but they are also trying to find what happened to their friend, and in the meantime trying to dodge and fight every single demon that attack them.

That’s pretty much it.

The world building is okay. The author did place some good political stands and religious values on what the culture seems to be like in the demon world. There are some good descriptions on what the place looks like and the setting that brings their adventure together.

The pace at first is good but it soon does become a mess. The author puts events in which can reflect the modern world and affect what happens to the characters, and it just becomes…a bit too predictable. I felt, myself, it lost that excitement and thrill it had beginning to mid plot and became a repeating action.
It leaves us wondering if anything would ever change.

Art:

This art style takes a bit getting used to. It’s a bit wild for my taste. The character design has some strange ways to create large heads and hair on the kids. Emma’s hair is just a massive cow lick that just doesn’t want to stay down. Ray’s design looks rather familiar too if you see what I mean. The faces of the characters also seem like someone stepped on their faces and their facial features got all scrunched up. It makes them look kind of funny and too silly to take seriously in some fighting scenes.

The demon designs are spectacular and what makes this story really eye popping. They’re so original! It seems like they used more inspiration from children’s picture books about monsters and original design then the demons/youkai you’d find in Japanese folklore.

The background art too is very detailed and shows how much the author has placed in the world building. Honestly, they put more effort into the background than the actual characters in my opinion.

Characters:

Children! Children everywhere!

The main characters are children. So if you’re thinking “well, they’re going to grow up maybe?” Well, no. And that’s where that “Neverland” and the Berrie inspiration of never-growing-up comes from. But however much you may think, “oh man, were going to suffer the immature acts of children this entire 181 chapters, then?” well, perhaps not. These kids aren’t too bad as characters at the start. They all do seem determined children! They have their own personality (although seem familiar in ways), but there are some things…

Yeah, there wasn’t a lot of growth in the characters. They do grow – but…how can I say…they just stay the same it seems. There just wasn’t any change from when the first major event happens to the last. Emma still has that determined (and annoying) personality to keep everyone safe no matter what, Ray is still the same “emo-ish” main character who slowly moves into the background, and Norm…well, I think he’s the only one who has a bit of character development I think.

There are also the monsters but they just do what they’re supposed to: eat and kill without care. The same with the adults, but there is one who does a switch near the end thankfully. Yay, character development and things happening!
But I do have to point out there are a lot of characters. And I mean a lot of character you will forget and then they’ll come back after a few dozen chapters for readers to be like “who are you?” and they’ll start doing something important. I had a few of those moments.

Enjoyment:

At first, I really enjoyed going through the chapters and seeing all this mystery and suspense. I kept turning to pages and realizing that I had more questions I wanted answered. Plus, considering I was going through a phase where I was reading every single horror like manga out there, this one really fit my mood. But over time as I finally caught up around chapter 110, I felt like my excitement levels just went down. Maybe it’s because I was waiting for the next chapter weekly that I didn’t get the thrill rush I usually got or maybe it was because, for me, the manga just went down hill after the first few arcs, but reading through the last few dozen chapters weren’t enough to satisfy my horror hunger.

Overall:

It wasn’t too bad overall. It has its ups and down of course. There were times where I was like “OMG WHHHHAAAAAAT!” and other times I was like “Hmmm…okaaayyy? But why?”. I know my decision to read the manga before watching the anime was more due to the fact I wanted to know what was happening as it happened than watch the anime and wait almost a year to know. Therefore, if you really want to know what is happening, I do recommend reading this now, as it has ended, then from waiting for each chapter to be released weekly or waiting for the anime to continue. Then you can go at your own pace than the pace the manga is set at.

I give this manga a 47.5% on the children's scale.

A blade touches the ice, gliding along, scratching the white, cold surface as it moves. The skater jumps in the air on one foot, spinning once, twice, and once more as they land on the opposite foot, landing a triple axel. The crowd cheers loudly as the skater’s arms fly out in happiness. Whoa, let’s rewind…this is no 1991 competition. This is an anime about a simple Japanese 23-year-old male, trying to find who he is in this completive world of ice skating. Back up now…or better yet, let’s flash forward.

Now forget about history for once, or the fact Olympics exists for now, because in ... this anime it isn’t even about that.

Story:

Starting off solid with a competition, a norm in the sports anime currently, and as a sports anime, the breakdown of the plot should be simple enough. It’s one word: competition, competition, completion. Yes, this anime is filled with men going at it in a better wardrobe than anyone, and with pretty much the same routine, over and over and over and over again. Getting bored yet? Good. That’s what I like to hear! Keep spinning around just like they do in the anime when they finish they’re routine. Oh man, I’m getting dizzy. Let’s move on.

Now, now, it isn’t just about the fact these guys can spin like ballerinas on ice better then ballerinas can on normal flooring. These guys are Olympic worthy, but that’s not the point. The point is the coming to age story of the 23-year-old man returning home after college and a hard defeat in the skating world. He’s just figuring him-self out! The 23-year-old is still young, and anyone can make mistakes, change their course, and twirl into a different direction. Through this, the atmosphere of the work is fantastic. My heart is leaping after each episode, reaching for more and more. I feel my fangirl coming alive. The comedy, oh lord, the comedy! I laughed after each hilarious moment! However, something is missing. Something big!! Something more I crave after each and every single episode.

Where is my drama?? Yes, drama! There was a need for so much more drama! This anime would’ve been amazing if there was a touch of drama in the plotline more than there was. There was only positive outlook, and although the meaning of it was well reached, I did need that drama for balance… to be able to reach out for that positivity. How could there be positivity without dark dramatic inspiration? Things that should’ve been shown were not shown at all. Competitive sports needs drama for it to flow, for it to move freely. There needed to be that negative backstory for a positive comeback to happen! There was limited drama in this, not enough to label it as the genre it deserved.

Art:

Okay, I’m defeated. The art wasn’t that bad. Perhaps I was too enhanced on how well designed these men’s bodies were, but honestly, the flow of the animation was really well laid. The speed of when the character’s routines were in play, I would’ve thought there would be some mistakes, but it was pretty smooth. But not all can be sparkles and glitter. There were a few tweaks and bloopers that humans made, which is normal. No problems.

The character design…okay, guys, I love this design. It was great! This is the design. Although, I would’ve liked better designs surrounding a few characters since this anime featured many multicultural characters. I’m not flailing my arms like a madwoman, but I do wish a few of the characters were tweaked.

Sounds:

So…please rise for the opening sequence. Holy cheese on a stick! Can I get anymore hyped about this opening? I was legit dancing. The opening for this anime is fun, exciting, and enough to get you on your feet to dance to. In addition, it doesn’t show boring slideshows, but a splatter of skating dance moves of all three main characters. Beautifully well done!

For voice acting, the Japanese is really well done even though each character is speaking Japanese regardless of their nation. But it would’ve been fun to have each nation to have their own language when spoken to each other. I did have a listen to the English dubbed, and I would like to give some good kudos to the English voice actors for trying to corporate the accents their characters were from. Although spoken all in English, the accents were fine enough to listen too.
Characters:

Ah the characters. Let’s start off with the youngest shall we? Yuri Plisetsky, a 15-year-old Russian who is trying to be older than he really is. He’s supposed to be a main character, and we don’t get much. Oh how I wish we could’ve seen more of him. Honestly, there can be a whole spin-off made from him. There is hardly no backstory on him, no history on why he acts the way he acts (although harsh coaching and parenting when he was younger could be the answer). There is a soft side to the boy, which was nice to see for five minutes, which is seen from his grandfather briefly. He’s extremely lacking…however, he is a main character for a reason. He’s the antagonist obviously…duh! But that’s not just it…he is the youngest person in the show who is competing with guys twice his age. He’s inspirational, harsh for the others competing, and proves that anyone at that age doesn’t matter. Well rounded character overall, but needs to be completed.

Victor Nikiforov…ah…this handsome fellow. Oh how I wish you were real. I need a Victor in my life. One that holds pom poms and cheers for me when I do exams…actually, no that would be distracting…and for all the wrong reasons. He is what puts comedy in this show. He’s a positive outlook on competitive sports and has a spirit that puts motivational speakers to shame. He inspires people to do their best after he knows he might’ve not done so himself. He doesn’t have a selfish bone in his body! And that’s the problem. He’s a bit too perfect. Not only is he a bit too positive, hilarious, and handsome, but he has no backstory, no weakness. How can a guy like this not have a reason to be who he is? I want to know his inspiration. What? Or better yet, who does he look up to? Before he met Yuri! That is the question. In addition, he needs a weakness. There is a sort of secret that he’s keeping. One that will add the drama to the story. Oh, how I will dream of the day!

Yuuri Katsuki, the main man of the story, the story it is based around, the 23-year-old man I was speaking about at the beginning of this review. Our protagonist is a normal Japanese man just trying to figure himself out. He goes back and forth between struggling to find himself, fighting depression, finding love and happiness, and going through a journey that changes his life. He has great character development, one that really fits this story well. He is the coming-to-age character we want to see in the anime. But there he needs to start acting his age and not act so awkward like a 15 year old teenager.
The rest of the characters really match up towards completive spirit. Shout out to the Canadian character! Good to see that! But I would love to see a tougher performance and competition in the anime. It’s no Olympic games, but I do need some action.

Enjoyment:

So I’ve figured out I have this thing for sports anime that makes me watch them at a really fast pace regardless how good they are in terms of content. I watched this show in less than 12 hours…yes, you heard me right folks! 12 hours! This show had some really good moments were I screamed like a fangirl, and moments where I sat staring at the screen wondering if I should wait a few days until the watching the next episode. I found myself captivated in the way these men moved; although anime, felt like I was watching real life skaters. And in occasion of the Pyeongyang 2018 Olympic Winter Games, I felt it was right to watch.
In short, I was inspired. As a retired completive athlete, I enjoyed watching these characters go at it, sharing their “short” story, trying to reach the top of the world. I felt the nostalgia of competing. Although not in the same sport, I know the same anxiety of going out there, being under pressure, and seeing the disappointing look in the coach’s eyes. I get it all.

Which is maybe why I have such a connection to these types of show.

Yuri on Ice is a whirlwind of excitement. It shows the themes of love, support, and inspiration while mentioning that it’s okay to have fun at what you love to do regardless of the outcome. Passion comes first when dancing the night away on thin blades. It’s a slippery road, but as long as the path is clear what the hell, right?

I give this anime a 65% on the skating scale.

*THIS REVIEW DOES CONTAIN SPOILERS*

Like a flutter of a butterfly’s wing, Kubo has created the dynamic of a life after death scenario, twisting people’s minds and imaginations throughout its journey with surprises, questions, and a bold statement of what happens after we leave this world. Invisible forces play into the scenes, grasping a hold of reality and raining out a massive event that not even humans can comprehend. Sparks fly as metal swords clash. Tears fall down pale cheeks. Romances bloom like a soft flower petal in the spring. People think there is nothing after life, but they are wrong. Death is only the beginning.

Story: ...

Taking place in modern Japan and broken into five major arcs, Bleach is unique between the “Big 3” and Shounen itself. It shaped itself in the first few chapters as a typical run of the mill high school themed manga with the characters having special powers. Over that period, the scenes and chapters just repeat itself. Nothing special happens. However, things change, and it was this that made Bleach become over the top famous.

The next arc is what made Bleach what it is. Surprises and twists make the plot shake. The only way to read this is to think about it being opposite day. The many characters introduced help shape this manga and create the new world it was made to be in. There are no cheats into reading this. Every word, every panel of this arc is crucial. Like the stairway to heaven to introduce what will happen in the coming chapters. Expect the unexpected or nobody will figure out what will happen. Pay attention to detail closely in the words spoken, the plot can be easily lost. Easter eggs are a bonus and can lead to mysteries in future chapters.

Now onto the serious bit. Bleach’s plot isn’t the best plot out there. It’s filled with plot holes and unanswered questions that probably will never get answered. The way it was shaped was anti-climactic and it was very, very unorganized. Seriously, pay attention. I found myself getting lost during the mess of the arcs following after the Soul Society. Although it was suspenseful and I found myself excited about what would happen next, I would often find myself disappointed in the result. The symbolism used, like the Hell Butterfly, weren’t explained as fully as I wanted it to be. Chapters also became a repetitive thing. Unnecessary events slowed the pace exponentially. And when something awesome happened, the pace moved quickly, almost as if someone was embarrassed about a performance and needed to get off the stage.

It wasn’t good.

Art:

One thing Bleach was very famous for was the artwork. Between the first chapter and the last, the improvements of the drawings were incredible. It was surprising how far Kubo has gone since starting out in this manga. The art is what I would like to call adorable, but not too over the top with the crazy, stereotypical eyes or Japanese character design. The character’s designs seem to make their own form of uniqueness never seen before. Kubo had made it his own and has even inspired many new artists around the world. The detail placed into the characters and the way he brought the fight scenes to life is what saved this manga into going into the trash bin at the beginning. With each panel drawn, there is always a story in them. Some panels are left blank or black to create the atmosphere and effect of the scene drawn ahead. Some are simple and build to what is happening in the chapter. Then there are those with great intense detail and quite strange designs that make the reader question what is happening in the Kubo’s mind during the process of drawing it. Plus, the colour pages that sometimes appear, come out simple with pastel-like colours placed into the page, making the tone of the chapter pop more. Take a moment and just admire the work placed into these pages. It’s something totally rare to find.

Characters:

Three words: Too many characters!

First, long-running manga, I get it. But there is a limit to how many should be placed into a story. One rule is that characters that have a role in the story should have a backstory on how they got there. They need a purpose and need to be figured out once it ends. One problem with Bleach is that Kubo created these characters without realizing what he would have to do near the end. Many of these characters don’t seem to have a proper fight scene and when they do, it’s either very rushed or off-screened. Plus, many don’t get a backstory and are left under the rubble. Literally. Don’t be surprised if you wonder where someone is for over one hundred chapters. Chances are they are either lying unconscious somewhere or dead. Remember though, Kubo doesn’t forget characters even though it seems that he does.

Second, not enough character deaths. Oh my word, yes, I said it. I wish there were more deaths than there were. Even though I am deeply upset about the loss of my favourite fictional character, Ukitake-taicho, it made sense for his passing. It made the plot move on. There are characters that were supposed to die, ie. Byakuya, that didn’t end up happen due to popularity issues. No! There needs to be a balance. If a character doesn’t die when they’re supposed to, their role in the rest of the plot becomes useless and also can change the original plot drastically.

Lastly, the main cast wasn’t very good. Yup, I said it too, I disliked the main characters. Why? They were useless, over-powered, and plain annoying. Rukia seemed to be the only one I was content with, but the other’s…honestly, I could really do without Orihime and Chad. They were a waste of time. Orihime’s powers weren’t explained and she landed in the typical damsel in destress, and Chad’s were just not over-powered enough to keep up with the other characters. And Ichigo and Ishida…I got strange Naruto vibes from those two. There needed to be a development in these characters and there wasn’t enough of it.

Enjoyment:

There are things out there that take me awhile to give my opinion. A dark moment in a life where light just doesn’t shine even after a bottle of wine been finished. After Bleach ended, I really didn’t know what to do. I was like a child after all their Halloween candy was gone. I couldn’t grasp the reality that after fifteen years, this huge manga was over. I was waiting, as if some being would come down and say “HAPPY APRIL FOOLS IN AUGUST!” or something. But no.

No.

It was never meant to be.

Even after all of this, I did enjoy Bleach exponentially and it is considered one of my most favourite enjoyed manga, but I needed more. It was a buzz I got every Thursday morning when I woke up. I would freak out in my room whenever something major occurred. But now…that morning will be empty and will be filled with memories of what it used to. Just kidding…I’ve got other things to read now. But all seriousness, this manga was one of the firsts I picked up and will always be special in my heart.

Bleach is an epic journey. Filled with action, suspense and several possible romances, it a roller coaster ride of emotions and amazing fights. Nothing compares to this manga.

Nothing.

I give this manga 50% on the soul cleansing scale.

I wish we were allowed to place gifs in these reviews because it would be filled with gifs of people's surprised or otherwise 'WTF-just-happened" faces from How You Met Your Mother, The Office and Two and a Half Men.

A mind fuckery at it's finest. The first moment this show started on the first episode I knew I would be in for a hell of a ride. Although I do have to give a bit of credit to ZephSilver for suggesting this anime on account of us both being huge fans of Monster and anything mind blowing. I was curious to see what Ergo Proxy ... would make me feel.

Story:

My high hopes for this was immortal throughout this entire show. After the first episode I was hooked on a rod. The suspense and thrilling rush it gave me, made my nights almost sleepless. The dark, looming atmosphere gave the show it's own unique quality and pulled in the psychological theme and horrific genre into play. Although a few episodes threw up fillers, it didn't leave my vision for this show to be on of the best. These 'fillers' did tie into the plot more than I thought, and even brought in a bit of comedic relief we all love once and a while. The setting was toxic to the point where the geographer in me came out, wondering if our world would ever turn into this. It may not be a perfect 10, but in my eyes, this anime was too beautiful and inspiring not to give the story a 100%.

Art:

Dark and otherwise eerie, the animators didn't hold back to make this gothic anime one of the best. The background style doesn't do justice to mix in with the plot to make the anime even more mind-blowing. The soft, dark tones of the scenes with a hint of a steam-punk sub-genre style really was a cherry on the top. The character designs were absolutely beautiful. Never have I seen such gorgeous styles. Why anime can't be more like this, I will never know.

Sound:

Not only does MONORAL's Kiri set up the anime with an ENGLISH SONG from an ENGLISH BAND, but it creates the uniqueness to the whole thing. I don't think I've ever seen an anime ending and starting with an English song. In fact I was very surprised when I heard Radiohead at the end. Man, was that ever a great thing to hear. But these two songs just set up everything. It gave the watcher an exciting and anxious rush at the beginning and chilling feeling at the end. I never skipped them and fell in love with them both. The voice acting rolls (and yes I watched in dubbed) were prefect! Not only did my favourite VA play the roll of one of my favourite characters, but the other voice were just a barrel in the hole. Absolutely beautiful sounds.

Enjoyment/Overall:

At the end of this show I was sitting on the ground contemplating life for around...an hour or so. If I wasn't rescued by my friend, I would've sat there longer wondering why they didn't make more of this! I can easily say I went through a heavy withdrawal and had to be resolved by a bottle of wine and a medium pepperoni pizza, watching My Sister's Keeper with Cameron Diaz. I needed to cry. As much as I was content with the ending of the anime, the sense of loss was clearly visible. I love shows like these that play with your mind so much that make you bang it against your wall wondering what the difference is between imaginary and reality. This was incredible and I would watch it over and over again.

I give this anime a brilliant 100% on the Proxy scale.

“It has been said that something as small as the flutter of a butterfly’s wing can ultimately cause a typhoon halfway around the world.” –Chaos Theory

There’s something about this show that made me go “hmm….” Perhaps it’s the concept that time travel, although very popular and becoming slowly overused, and the fact it can make the brain think even more, that made is so irresistible. Physicists have studied it for centuries, trying to figure out every possible detail about its mysteries and about how to control it, its weakness, and what is the difference between reality and imaginary. Take several other popular cultural, such ... as Doctor Who, The Butterfly Effect, and heck, even Inception has the reality/imaginary line of Time in it, and try and solve the ways of a paradox or a dream in that matter. The answer….?

….there isn’t one.

Story: 10/10

A reason why this anime/manga is so popular and highly rated in the first place is because of the theme: Time. It’s a curiosity bug that distributes thoughts and ideas via signal into the brain. We are interested in this subject. We can be from a totally different perspective and find a way to seep into the idea of time. It’s an interesting topic, I have to agree! Time is now, yesterday, and tomorrow. Time controls our life span and the world around us. But mess with time and karma bits you in the ass. You cannot fight it (aka Fate), and when messed with, the Chaos Theory comes into play bring forth the cause and effect concept.

So perhaps it is why this anime is so popular because of the idea of the Chaos Theory is popular. Play with time paradoxes and you wind up in the same scenario. It’s really a pick and choose plot. Or a “Choose your own Adventure” plot. It twists and turns in different scenarios, playing over and over, ending just the same. It’s an incredible idea that keeps being used in different ways. Makes our brains think and then make us want more. That’s why time/time travel/chaos theory is full of suspense, because it’s too interesting not to know more.

It’s a rush of exhilaration.

The symbolism was greatly used in here too. Of course, one is the butterfly—the symbol of the Chaos Theory itself. Although, not seen often except briefly in the OP, it does have the leap of the time paradox and the consequences of it used in the plot, such as the many time leaps. We can see from Okabe’s dozens and dozens attempts with using these leaps, it all leads to the same ending and same scenario. Time has paths, and whatever these paths take will probably end with the same conclusion: Death. I found the pocket watch as a symbol for Death since it was sort of a trigger for Okabe to get is butt into gear. Death was coming, and no matter what he did, he would not be able to stop it. It was inevitable. Plus the pocket watch could be the symbol for Time as well, since well…it’s obvious. It was like the sand hourglass running out, or a bomb reaching the number zero, that pocket watch was the climax of his feudal attempts.

I found the conflict use very well done. Man vs. Time as it states as obvious in the present theme of the story. Time is the antagonist in the story. It may seem, when you watch, that yes there are bad guys incorporated, but we must look at the bigger picture here. The antagonist is first seen in the first episode/ chapter. That is really what writers need to portray. There needs to always be a constant conflict involved when Okabe is trying to get to his goal, and Time is that conflict. It gets in his way either by having it run out or making him have difficult decisions. It’s clear Time tries to portray a message to him through these different paradoxes, and whether it gets through to him or not, it’s up to you to find out.

I loved the setting. Using different scenes of times, almost making us have an idea of being in different worlds throughout this entire series. Plus the fact its set in the modern world and not in some place one hundred years from now with flying cars and robots, makes it even more realistic and easier to understand the normal lives of these people. And the use of emotion mixing perfectly into the setting was so brilliantly used I kept hitting my fist on my pillow with frustration on what kept happening.

Art: 9/10

The one thing about anime that many people look at is the animation itself. The style of the artist, the way they design the characters and background, the amount of effort put into each and every single scene, and seeing the detail placed into it. We’re really looking into a person’s head and seeing what they saw before it was actually created. We see their thoughts, the emotions, and even the amount of time placed into it.

The one thing that stood out for me was the softness and tone of this style of animation. The light colours blended well with the theme and expression of the anime, making it pop even more. And the way the animation hitched when they did a paradox jump really created an intense moment for the watcher.

Although the background was beautifully well done, I did find the character style a bit…strange. Yes, they were different in the fact that I think Daru was the first ‘obese’ anime character I’ve seen, but they did have a strange say of drawing the eyes without a pupil. Now I’m not overly that picky, but I did find it a bit creepy the characters didn’t possess a pupil. Instead they had some kind of swirling white thing around the iris that look just a little…odd. They also don’t seem to change their outfits at all, making me question if they have ever washed their clothes. I think the only one who changed clothes was Mayuri, and she only did it about three times.

Sound: 10/10

With the opening of Kanako Ito’s Hacking to the Gate, how can you not get hyped for this anime? The OP really just draws everyone in with the show’s theme, idea, characters, and animation. And, of course, the song itself mixes perfecting into the scenario of this show. The title: Hacking to the Gate, really just tells you more than you need to know what this anime is about. It makes another sci-fi time travel show even more interesting. And for once, it makes you not skip the OP because the song is so addicting and so beautifully written that you just want to download it onto your iPod or mp3 and play it on repeat all day!

Don’t worry, I’ve already done it.

The VA’s both Japanese and English were just the cherry on top (yes, I watched both). The Japanese voices made the character’s come to life, using humour and their tones to express the emotions on their faces. It was perfectly done to match every second of what was happening in this anime. The English VAs was different to the point they had J. Michael Tatum as their writer. What he did with Okabe just blew me away. He almost made Okabe more of an interesting and hilarious character by using his ever strong voice and comedic speech. He created a very strong voice into the character and other characters as well when he wrote the script. I think it’s what made the English more different than the dub was the fact he wasn’t trying to copy the Japanese at all, he was trying to make it more different and create a whole new TV show all together. I think it brought more fans into the whole series frankly.

Character: 8/10

Now characters can be super hard to explain in anime because they always seem to carry a distinct stereotypical personality that drives us bananas. Literally. I find that every anime I watch, there is always a stereotypical character existing in the universe.

One example of a stereotypical character is Daru. The typical hacker/ computer nerd that every mad scientist should have in any sci-fi story. He loves food, video games, technology…sound familiar? Because it has been used so many times over the years it’s created a stereotypical, cliché character all publishers would push into the trash if they came face to face with one. As funny and awesome as Daru is, and he’s an absolute sweetheart and teddy bear, his character is way too much overdone.

Let’s go to stoic characters. And these characters might not just mean they are ‘stoic’ as in they don’t have any emotion, but they have little to no development in the story. I picked out a few in this anime that were clearly a ‘stoic’ type characters. Pretty disappointing.

One character I can say did in fact impress me and actually became one of my favourites was Hououin Kyouma himself! He is a very well defined dynamic character! As the main character and protagonist in this story is was a joy to watch his character come face to face with all these conflicts and resolve them with a touch of a button. I love his admiration and caring personality for his friends, even though he never shows it. He’s a mad scientist with a comedic personality! He’s smart! A go getter! And he’s pretty good looking too! I actually had no idea this guy was 18 until they said so. He looks so much older than he looks! His ability was somewhat the same as Evan Treborn in The Butterfly Effect. Either way, I love him.

Enjoyment/Overall: 9/10

The anime is definitely a rush and an adventure to watch. You really have to pay attention to what is going on since Time can really get to you. Look away for a moment and it can be a whole other situation. The Chaos Theory is really looked into in this anime and as joined the many other popular culture that has done so. And from someone who loved The Butterfly Effect (2004), this anime was the perfect thing to watch. Although, I did expect a different ending from the way the plot was being paced, but it still ended pretty solid. However, this anime is not over yet. Steins;Gate 0 is coming, and will probably conclude what the mistake was tampering with time paradoxes. Just trying to fix Time will not fix what Okabe has done, and everything shall come together in the sequel.

The beginning of the end is coming.

I give this a 92% on the Chaos Theory scale.

Let me tell you all a little tale about a girl who wanted to save the boy she loved from a game of kill or be killed. 12 go in but only one comes out alive. Sound familiar? Yup, because it has been done before. Behold, Mirai Nikki also known as The Future Diary, The Hunger Games of the anime world.

Now now, I know that is isn't the same as The Hunger Games since a) it came out before The Hunger Games, b) it isn't set in a apocalyptic world with a dome and crazy people with weird hair, and c) if you win ... the game you become God and not a infamous person everyone hates. Plus, only one can win. Not two. So let us begin this review with a question, hm?

Why?

Story: 5/10

Easily becoming a overused plotline, this anime is twisted together with different themes, styles, and many many plot holes. I became confused fast on what was going on because well...there was no building of the plot. They literally just threw us into the cage with the lion saying "good luck!" and away we went with an up and down and up and down plot structure. I got sick fast with the roller coaster movement. Now, why cell phones? I get it, it's the 21st century, but did they really have to use cell phones to create a message of "this can be you if you continue to stare at your cell phone instead of going outside and doing whatever"? It's different, but the message of them using it wasn't necessary at the slightest. Plus adding the twist of "guess what, your cell phone was selected out of a million others to go into a killing battle to the death," kind of made me jump back and feel sorry for the characters. The romance part was a little overdone. It was strange the see a woman protecting her man though, its usually the other way around. So that was a nice change for once. But the emotion being used in contrast to everything else didn't fit. And this will be explained in the "art".

Art: 5/10

Another example of a style of art I wasn't particularly fond of. Different colour hair, eyes, school girl uniforms, the typical anime art. Like who designed these characters? To fit the story I felt like they could've gone a darker direction with the design of the characters and background. They seemed to bright of a shade. I get they were trying to mix things up and confuse us with a plot twist, but those plot twist still should match what is happening. Still, for a bright coloured anime, they did use the blood and gore well. I was happy to see this anime live up to the rating's reputation.

Sound: 6/10

"Is it wrong, to love popcorn and tea. Tea. Biscuits, biscuits, fuck this tea.....Steak Fries." This is the first thing I hear every time I watch the first OP. *slow clap* great choice in song. Great choice. Yeah...no. The beginning song used a psychotic beat to get us 'hyped' for the episode. Yes, they did well to established this. They used perfect amounts of darkness in the animation and song to lead up to...yeah, nothing what I was expected. Why doesn't these openings match with the episodes! They probably should've put in a less darker opening so they wouldn't lead us into something disappointing.

The voice acting wasn't all too bad. Even the english dubbed was pretty alright. They did match the character's personality well, even Yuno's VA was very well done. I am impressed!

Character: 3/10

Yuno...the Queen of the Yandere. I think this character inspired the Yandere video game simulator. Either way this girl has serious mental issues. You can tell from the beginning this girl is messed and at first glance you'll think "oh she has multiple personality disorder" but...does she really? She's a big mystery and an overachiever at that. I would feel sorry for the guy who has to date her. Talk about getting no sleep at all.


Which brings us to contestant number one: Yukiteru Amano! Also known as the guy who got thrown into a cage with a lion thanks to his 'imaginary friends'. More like having schizophrenia. This guy is living on the boarders of reality and imaginary. But still I feel sorry for him being thrown into a battle he probably never wanted to become a part of.

Minene Uryuu: the only character I actually liked in this entire show. You want to know who's the bad ass in this show, it's her. She's probably the only one who shows that yes, this show is gory and dark and will become a living hell. She's not afraid of anything. She's not afraid of death. She's not afraid of killing. She's not afraid of nothing...except loosing. Yes...I think she's the only sane person in the entire anime.

Enjoyment/Overall: 3/10

Decent anime, but yeah...up to you if you want to watch it or not. This was a strange anime for me. But am I going to stop you...probably not. I got bored from this anime...but it was a short one so I just fought my way through it I guess. Everyone has their own opinion on it though. Heck, this is one of my best friend's favourites, and here I am giving it a low ranking. Sorry, but this anime was just...not enough and too much at the same time.

This is a Dead End for this anime. I give it a 47% on the kill scale.

I wonder what would happen if I watched this high?

Story: 8/10

Formed around four separate stories with two acts, Mononoke sets up an epic, twisted tale in each of them. Each them very different in their own way, but very much the same, holding a similar type of theme: secrets. We all have them. Some secrets are small. Some are massive and can hold us hostage in our minds, whether the case this anime makes us bring out those dark secrets and makes a nightmare a reality. Illusions. It's all in the head. This is true horror and it absolutely terrified me. I loved ... the cinematography and the way the camera captured the mood of the anime. It gave the every single scene strong emotion. Everyone things that horror is a scary serial killer coming after them with a mask or a dead girl dressed in white with blood all over her face haunting a house, but no. This is true horror. It's more historic too with using Mononoke (monsters) as the antagonist. There are so many legends, myths, and stories about these monsters. Many going back hundreds and hundreds of years! Goes to show that Japan can be one scary place.

Art: 10/10

Look at all the pretty colours! Terrifying, but pretty! I loved how they did a rendition of Japanese historic artwork. The style was just breathtakingly beautiful! And man did it ever tie in well with the horrific and suspenseful mood of the stories. The art...it was what gave the anime the genre we call Horro. I'm going to let you all know this is probably the most beautiful Japanese animation I've ever seen. The camera angles they used were unique and mind messing. And not only that, the style of these characters designs are just so unique and fancy! It's creepy yet inspiring. This animation almost made me feel like I was high. lol

Sound: 9/10

As someone who doesn't do subbed, I really loved the VA that were used. The one who voiced Kururiuri held a strong tone who brought the character to life. The beginning and opening songs held a great beat that made the episodes even more exciting! And the music in the episodes really made the scene more eye catching, more eerie.

Character: 9/10

Kururiuri, the medicine vendor, plays with people's mind on making them confess to their deepest darkest secrets while hunting and slaying monsters around the country side. He's like a drug dealer. He puts thoughts into peoples heads, messes with them to hunt down the Mononoke hidden either inside of them or around him. He's a perfect character who can show he is not to be messed with.

Through the many other characters throughout the four mini stories, each one brought on a creepy aspect of the story. They might've not been the ones who gave the anime a horror theme, but they did give out dark and anticipating parts of their stories that were absolutely addicting to witness.

Enjoyment/Overall: 8/10

I could not stop watching this. I actually ended up jumping a few time! Blood is the colour of orange. Up is down. Right is left. It's a huge mind fuck that will leave you wanting more. I think the only reason why it isn't one of my favourites was because the lack of plot. This could've gone so much farther with just ONE mini story they used. At least twenty episodes per mini story. But never the less, this anime is totally worth the watch. Just don't watch it high. Or if you do...let me know what it's like. I'm curious.

I give this anime 90% on the Monster level.

What do you get when you combine the Chinese zodiac with a cute idea for an anime? Fruits Basket. And trust me; it’s not as good as you think.

Story: 3/10

Sure you got your cute animals and cute characters, but let’s look at the bigger picture here. Yes…the idea of how bloody slow….this….anime….is……. I was very close to dropping it if it wasn’t for the humour hidden in each episode. But what the heck is with the creators making such a big fuss about a part in the plot then brush it off as…nothing. NOTHING HAPPENS UNTIL THE END! Annoying? You got it. The pace ... was slow going, unnecessary, and characters that should’ve and could’ve done so much more…just didn’t. There was nothing special about this plot. It was overused like every other high school romance story. The only difference is they put characters as zodiac members. The theme was cheesy, the atmosphere was dull and boring; it wasn’t a good story. It gave no purpose or message. It was just plain boring.

Art: 5/10

Not bad, but still kind of strange. I wasn’t a fan of how they designed the characters. I’m not the biggest fan of big eyed anime characters to begin with but there is a limit on how big the eyes can be. If there was a contest for what anime character had the biggest eyes, Tooru Honda would win hands down! The male characters were perfect example on how they should’ve been in this anime, and Tooru just…no. Just no.

And the zodiac characters….okay, they aren’t fuzzy little plush toys you can cuddle. I think the dog and cat was the only normal design. The dragon is not….BLAHHH! A dragon is a dragon! And I was so disappointed on how they designed the dragon as so….soft! What ever happened to the old days when the zodiac animals weren’t…a cartoon?

Sound: 3/10

Word of advice…watch this in subbed. I feel like I probably would’ve enjoyed it….you know what…it wouldn’t have changed either way for me. But I watched it in dubbed, meaning I had to live through the squeaky and high voice of Tooru Honda. I love Laura Baily, but this character wasn’t for her. Every time I heard that Tooru speak made my head hurt. I’m disappointed in the dub cast of this anime. I regret not watching this in subbed.

The opening song was a good choice! Until the episode started. When you watch an anime, the opening is a crucial element to the whole story. It’s what sets the watcher up, prepares them for an epic journey, gets them pumped and makes them feel what the anime is all about. The opening song gave a clear message: This anime has a tragic/ angst type story. The slow beats and the melancholy feeling it gave me was promising, but it didn’t tie into the genre, style, or atmosphere of the story. I mean sure it might’ve in the ending episodes, but through the first twenty, when they showed happy scenes with happy characters, it just made me shake my head. I skipped the opening since I had no interest in it.

Character: 2/10

One character: Tooru Honda. I think from reading the last part of my review will tell you all how I feel about this character. She’s whiny. She’s annoying. She’s someone who pretends that nothing is wrong. Okay…the world is not all sunshine and rainbows and this girl tries way too much to try and make it so. Can I please shake her to her senses? Does she not have an angry bone in her body? I don’t think she shows more emotion than just joy until the climax. She’s probably one of my least favourite characters.

Through the zodiac members, the only one I really liked was Shigure Souma and Kyou Souma. They should the humour in the anime and made me keep watching. Perhaps it was Kyou’s past that made me want to know more about him. These two characters were the only interesting part of the anime. End of story.

Enjoyment/Overall: 3/10

In short, or to summarize what I just said, this anime was a basket full of rotten fruit. And when your fruit gets rotten, you throw it out. I just didn’t throw it out in time. This anime may be well known, but don’t waste your time. If you do want to watch it…watch in subbed.

I give this a 32% on the Rotten Fruits Basket scale.

First off….what the hell did I just watch?

Story: 8/10

The most messed up thing I’ve ever seen. I mean the plot was brilliant and so creepy that it can end up being a real life situation. It’s plots like these that I wonder if the writer or creator of this had some sort of dark past or a similar experience when they were growing up. It’s depressing, it’s dark, it’s absolutely an inspirational plot. For a writer like me, and a literature student, I can go very, VERY deep into this plot that I can end up writing a three to five page essay. But ... I won’t do that. I can say that this story held some psychological aspect of betrayal, depression, OCD, Post-traumatic stress, and other mental issues these characters do carry. This story really dwelled deep into real life situations. The book that was mentioned: Flowers of Evil is a gateway or symbol of the whole story. Like The Nameless Monster was in Naoki’s Monster. It symbolized forbidden thoughts, lost childhood, and of course, Death.

Art: 8/10

It seems as though it was probably originally filmed in the outside world, then animated over the layer. It’s very realistic. The background is too detailed to be a normal drawing, but otherwise beautiful. The characters…not so much. If the background can hold that much detail, so can the characters. Meaning the design should be clear from far away the same it is close up. I don’t want to see a no face character far away. It’s sloppy, lazy, and just plain creepy. Come on guys, you can do so much better than that!

Sound: 7/10

No…just no. The opening song will change btw. It’ll seem kind of off at first but will soon slowly start sounding like a normal person and not a screaming kid. The closing song…just plain no. I got chills when I heard it and went straight to the next episode. It really did set the dark tone of the theme of the anime though so I do give them credit for coming up with a great and scary song.

The voices are subbed and I doubt will be dubbed. Now as someone who doesn’t watch subbed very often I loved this. I really do hope they don’t dub it because it can ruin the voice of the characters and the mood of the story itself. It’s so realistic that English speaking characters will just throw it all away.

Character: 8/10

This is where the whole anime comes together. The characters in this were not only so realistic, you can find them just walking in your town, they were showing a side of an anime character that is rare to find. No, there is no death; there is only death of the mind almost. With a perverted school boy obsessed with the girl of his dreams and a stalker blackmailer who will do anything to make the school boy pervert’s life a living hell, you got the best OTP ever. Just kidding. But the Stalker, Sawa Nakamura, does have some personal issues that we do learn about. The same goes for Takao Kasuga, the school boy pervert. These two characters might seem just plain stupid and probably very hateful…trust me, I’m not a fan of them, but the way they were represented and characterized, man they are a pure masterpiece.

Enjoyment/Overall: 7/10

This was a weird anime, not going to lie. I hope they make a second season to tie up some loose ends. The character’s situations and they conflict in the plot was so real it was scary. It makes you think: can this happen, is this happening right now; do I know anybody that is in this situation? It can give you complete chills thinking about it. Keep in mind guys; this is not about black flowers with eyes that can kill you. Those flowers really just represent the theme of the story. Someone is always watching….and you can never get away with anything without a price.

I give this a 77% on the evil flower scale.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Enough said.

Just kidding.

Story: 7/10

GTO is probably the most popular classic comedy in animation ever. This anime inspired so many other plots for Christ sake! And the definition for “anime” or “Japanese cartoon” should include GTO in the description. This anime made me laugh. The humour in the story was not only memorable but gave the story the proper structure. Although, the plot itself wasn’t very organized. It gave the audience some entertainment sure, but it was choppy. The pace went up and down like a roller coaster. Side stories and fillers made it less interesting. It had so much potential but fell ... short. However, I am going to admit, the plot, as slow as it might’ve been, did give an excellent ending. I’ll reassure you all; it ends on a solid note.

Art: 9/10

No doubt about it, this is what anime should look like. I love, love, LOVE the animation in this, especially the facial features. I couldn’t stop laughing whenever Onizuka showed a funny expression or other character for that matter. It’s really what made the anime unique! The background art even impressed me! The style of the 90’s really showed clearly. And the style is definitely the old fashioned style that is rarely used anymore.

Sound: 9/10

As a dubbed watcher I have to say, this was very well done. The voice actors did well to keep the character’s voice in check. It matched well with who they were and brought on the comedy in the tone and mood of the voice. The funny noises the characters made, the emotion set through, it was all great!

The opening songs were both equally great! It set the tone of this guy will do anything for women he loves, even though he’s incredibly silly when he looks cool. It’s a dream he’s in and boom! At the end he’s found in his room, smoking a cig. It’s a fairy tale dream and really does well to keep up with what the anime might be about.

Character: 8/10

No doubt, Onizuka is the funniest character I’ve come across. He’s also seems like a pretty rad teacher too! I wouldn’t mind him as my professor. Lol On top of that, he’s a past gang leader, has mad ninja skills, and seems to be almost invincible. Puts a bit of a twist on the whole thing. But what I like most about him is he seems like he has a fear of woman even though he’s wildly obsessed with them.

The only character I question is Urumi Kanazaki. She seems too smart. I mean there is smart, and then there is too smart. She’s the latter. It’s interesting that she has heterochromia iridium which I’ve never seen on an anime character before, and I’m curious to know if that is tied into something more. I might’ve forgotten about a few parts too, so I might’ve missed something about her. But keep a close eye on her when she appears in the plot. She’s a very important character.

The character development in this is absolutely amazing. The best I’ve seen in any anime. From episode one to the finale, there are so many changes made to the characters that they don’t even seem the same. Even the bitchy mean girls seem to change!

Enjoyment/Overall: 6/10

As much as this anime was awesome, I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would. I guess because I’m not into this kind of genre. But when my friend told me about it, I had to check it out. It was a great past time to watch and deemed entertaining at some parts for me. I’m very picky with anime I really like….but this was a great anime that anyone should check out!

I give this an 82% on the teacher scale.