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Following up on such a well loved series is no simple task. Whether they're big fans of the original or never liked the series in the first place there's always going to be skeptics who throw around generic phrases like 'milking the cash cow' when an anime studio so much as thinks of continuing a popular series. Sometimes you can win them over, but most of the time they like to stubbornly stick by their viewpoints even it goes against all logical thinking. But regardless of how baffling I find the point of view that these people have, I'm not here to talk about them ... or the fan reaction to this series. I'm not here to make comparisons to the original series either. I'm here to talk about the series.

Love Live Sunshine is a continuation of the original series which I loved very much. But I think Sunshine has its own set of unique strengths. Some have even argued that these strengths make it a better series than the original. But what I find great about Sunshine is that its good points don't detract from what made the original series great. It's a fantastic series that stands out on its own merits. I feel like slovenly comparing the two in that way doesn't do either series justice. As such, I will refrain from making comparisons to the original unless I feel it's absolutely necessary.

Chika Takami is a normal girl wasting away her days going through the motions like any other high school girl. But she's no longer content with living that kind of life. When she sees µ's on the big screen of the UTX building in Akihabara (Which I've just recently found out is called the 'UDX' building in real life. Pretty cool huh?) something in her mind clicks. She's finally found a way to break the mould and escape her normal everyday life. That's the basic setup at least. Obviously their journey isn't as easy as it initially seems, but what makes Sunshine uniquely interesting is the nature of the potholes on their road to success. Pretty much everyone who heard µ's was on their side. It was just a matter of getting people to hear them out. As is natural for a series of that nature there are complications along the way but they're mostly irrelevant to how the people react to their music. The problems they faced were mostly either internal conflict or getting people to notice them. But when µ's put in their best effort and succeeded nearly every time. Sunshine does deal with those very same themes in its own way, but it also deals with heavily a theme that the original series never really touched upon. Rejection. People who heard what they had to say, considered where they were coming from and just said 'no'.

I'm honestly not sure if a theme like that would be a good fit in the original series. But this is a completely new series and Sunrise have taken this as an opportunity to try something completely new. While the show also deals with many of the same themes as the original, it does so in a very different way. The show initially lures you into believing that the impact µ's has had means their journey is gonna be a walk in the park. Right? Right? Wrong! Not only are they outright rejected on a number of occasions, but they have an even harder time getting people to hear them out. School idols are everywhere in this day and age so standing out from the crowd is a lot more difficult. Even their flashy Babymetal-esque rivals Saint Snow have difficulty getting people on their side. Plus unlike µ's, Aqours don't live in the heart of Tokyo and getting people to notice them out in the middle of nowhere is a very difficult task.

To put it simply, they're being brought down by circumstances completely out of their control. You can understand their frustration over being in this situation because these are all problems that everyone has to face at some point in their life. These themes aren't some super complex analysis of the human condition, but they're a perfect fit for the type of series that Love Live Sunshine is trying to be. Not only are the themes relatable to a lot of people regardless of cirmustance, but they're executed really well... at least for the most part. If I had to make a criticism (And I kinda do since this a review and not just a discussion of why I love the show) it's that it takes a while to get really stuck into the themes. The show is very deliberately paced and every episode is filled with great moments, but it's not until the final few episodes where the show really flourishes. That's not to say what comes before it is a waste of time. But even though I thoroughly enjoyed the series from start to finish its finest moments are definitely during the latter episodes. That being said this is admittedly a very weak criticism. I found the show as a whole to be fantastic and I can't imagine those last few episodes being anywhere near as impactful had it not been for everything that came before it.

A new series brings with it a new set of characters and I was really impressed with what they brought to the table this time around. They've all got their cute little quirks and catchphrases as expected but there's a little bit more to them once you get past all that. In terms of comedy the 9 girls all have a great dynamic and bounce off of each other really well when the show wants to make the viewer laugh. But they've also got a wide range of emotions as well as a number of flaws. It's nothing ultra complicated but there's enough to them so that they feel more human and believable than what some would argue (Looking at you Yamakan) is necessary in this kind of series.

When I read the character descriptions I was particularly worried about Yohane since Chuunibyou's are a very stale trope in anime. But the show does a fantastic job of justifying her reasons for being that way and her love of the occult. Ruby is often shy and scared but when the going gets tough she isn't afraid to get assertive. Hanamaru is kind and pleasant to a fault but she's also a goofball and an antisocial bookworm who has trouble making friends. I could go on to describe what makes each and every character great and how they evolve over the course of the series but I'm rambling enough as it is. Though I think what's most important in creating a strong show is a strong lead character and Chika certainly delivers. Chika always wants to do the best she can by her friends but she isn't without her flaws. As much as she tries she's not always capable of making a difference. But over the course of the series she becomes more understanding of her own limitations and more reliant on the people around her. Not only does this make her a likeable character, but a believable one too. And the same goes for the rest of the cast too.

Though there is an elephant in the room that I think is worth discussing. Kanan. All things considered she did get a good amount of attention in the later episodes and the buildup to that point was handled very well. But when you're watching the show weekly you just can't help but wonder 'Where's Kanan?'. Fortunately, the resolution to the conflict between the third years is probably one of the best moments in the entire show. Conflict between characters can make or break a series depending on how it's handled. In Love Live's Sunshine's case, it brings about some of the show's very best moments. The show's world is definitely an exaggerated version of reality but every problem they face arises naturally. They're problems that one can reasonably expect to occur in their situation and they're always solved in an emotionally satisfying way. Simply put, the characters and their interactions are probably Love Live Sunshine's greatest strength.

The animation in Love Live Sunshine is a definite strong point of the series but I wouldn't call it mind blowing. It's a very good looking show that definitely blows the vast majority of anime out of the water. That being said the production quality isn't on the same level as something like Madoka Magica, Fate/Zero or a KyoAni production. Just like the original series the show mixes 2D and 3D animation for its performance scenes and they're an absolute visual treat with a lot of great effects and some very memorable choreography. I've come to accept that the CG animation is an intentional design choice so I'm not going to criticise the show just because they use that style. However it definitely does look a bit wonky on occasions and even at its best it never looks as good as the 2D animation. But overall, when it comes to the visuals the positive far outweigh the positives.

Of course another important aspect in a show like this is the sound. I mean, it is an idol show right? The voice acting, the songs, the sound design, the background music, all of this is very important. The show isn't flawless in every regard but the way the show uses sound is definitely one of its strengths. The songs themselves are plentiful, diverse and very easy on the ears to say the least. The fast paced energy of the opening theme that gets you hyped for the episode, the infectious bouncy melody of Kimeta yo Hand in Hand, the pounding bass drum and soaring vocals in Mijuku Dreamer. Even if you were to detach the songs from the flashy choreography in the performance scenes there's a lot to talk about. Not every song is as awesome as Mijuku Dreamer, but they're all great for their own reasons and not one of them is a dud.

On the topic of sound, voice acting! While there are quite a few well known seiyuu playing side characters every single one of the 9 girls is played by a newbie. That being said, they've obviously been trained very well. The girls all sound distinctive and their acting is on point nailing both the light hearted comedy scenes and the more dramatic moments of the series. There are a few missed lip flaps and awkward line reads, but in the grand scheme of things these are relatively minor flaws. The seiyuu performances are a key aspect of any show like this and Love Live Sunshine does not disappoint. Just like its predecessor, Sunshine does indeed have an English dub. While NIS America handled the first series in conjunction with Bang Zoom, Love Live Sunshine is entirely a Funimation effort. Moving from Texas to LA means there's a whole new talent pool to work with and the dub uses this to its advantage with a good mix of newbies and veterans from the area. In an effort to remain consistent with the original series the English dub is directed by Caitlin Glass who played Maki in the original series. However, just like the Japanese version, there are no returning cast members. There's definitely some awkward line reads and questionable translation choices here and there but all things considered it's a very solid dub handled by a team of people who evidently enjoy working on the show. However in this case I have to say my preference is with the original Japanese version.

Overall, Love Live Sunshine was an unexpectedly great series that follows up on the original in a very big way. Rather than relying on what made the original series great, Sunshine (And Aqours) establishes itself as something uniquely amazing. I could go on forever talking about everything this show does right yet my issues with the show are relatively minor. It's obligatory that I mention the things that bothered me in a review, but honestly I could spend way longer talking about why I loved the show. It's very rare that a show elicits that kind of positive response out of me so obviously they've done something right. Love Live Sunshine is undeniably something special and I would be very surprised if anything else can take its place as my favourite anime of 2016.

Being the brainchild of famed director Hiroyuki Imaishi, the first full length anime series by Imaishi's recently founded but well loved animation studio Trigger and being hailed as the possible spiritual successor to Imaishi's previous critically acclaimed work Gurren Lagann; Kill la Kill had some very big shoes to fill in right from the start. But all of this is completely irrelevant. You won't hear me talking about how anime is saved or rambling on about #BASEDTRIGGER. But what you will get from me is my honest to God opinion on Studio Trigger's Kill la Kill

It's hard to describe the overall plot without going into ... spoiler territory but the basic set-up that's presented at the very beginning is of 17 year old Ryuko Matoi's plight to avenge the death of her father Isshin Matoi. Ryuko seeks out and enrolls at Honnouji Academy intending to face his suspected killer Satsuki Kiryuuin who rules over the school with an iron fist. At the instruction of his father she intends to carry it out with the Scissor Blade; a weapon crafted by him and the very same weapon which led to his eventual untimely death. Satsuki then offers Ryuko a challenge. If she defeats her minions (All of which are students at Honnouji Academy) armed with the Goku uniforms and various other resources only then can she face her in one on one combat. After failing to defeat her first enemy with the scissor blade alone, Ryuko runs into a mysterious being known as Senketsu. Designed with the appearance of a sailor uniform, Senketsu is a living creature that feeds of the blood of its wearer and grants them great power in return. Armed with the the scissor blade and this new found power Ryuko Matoi intends to take down Satsuki Kiryuuin to avenge her father's death and end her rule over Honnouji Academy in the process... or at least that's what you'd expect from episode 1.

However ridiculous it gets Kill la Kill's plot fairly easy to follow for the most part. That isn't to say that the suffers from that fact. The way the show handles its plot is actually one of its greatest virtues. This is not a super serious work ruined by its reliance on plot twists but rather an intentionally ridiculous and over the top series that sticks to its guns by providing mind blowing entertainment for the entirety of its 24 episodes. With all the shows being produced that have no idea what they're doing and constantly switch directions like its going out of style simply because the writers aren't confident enough in their abilities Kill la Kill is nothing short of an anomaly. Not only for anime in our current time but for anime in general too. The show has some pacing issues and a handful of pointless scenes that don't quite entertain or contribute anything meaningful to the overall storyline but they're barely even worth mentioning in a show that has so much going for it

The cast of the show is quite large but needless to say some get more screentime than others. Fortunately the best characters tend to get the most screentime. Ryuko is a strong lead character with a likable personality and her fair share of character development. Her indecisiveness in certain scenes is a bit irritating but it's all part of the aforementioned character development so I don't mind it too much in the grand scheme of things. Although arguably the best character development in the show would be that of Satsuki. Once again it's hard to go into detail without spoilers but to summarise it I will say that I saw her in a completely different light by the end of the series than I did at the start. Mako Makanshoku acts as Ryuko's comic relief sidekick who does a fantastic job of reminding the viewer exactly how serious the show should be taken with her humourous monologues while also having some strong character development. And of course I can't go without mention Ragyou Kiryuuin and Nui Harime who are probably among the best villain characters I've seen in recent years. Nui did an especially good job of getting under my skin with her cutesy voice and nonchalant attitude while doing her evil deeds. The supporting cast is great including Mako's scumbag family, the sexy voiced Nonon, Gamagoori the manly giant with a heart of gold and the ever suave Aikurou among others.

Being the first full length series produced by Studio Trigger; Kill la Kill is not an expensive looking show but its stylised animation is most certainly distinctive. Even with a minuscule budget Kill la Kill still manages to pull of some truly jaw dropping action set pieces. I've seen shows with big budgets and shows that make the most of their big budgets with a lot of blood sweat and tears but Kill la Kill may be the first show I've found visually appealing solely because of the passion that the animators have for their work. Although when the entire show is fueled by passion I guess it isn't as amazing a spectacle as it should be. But while it never truly holds the show back the low budget is noticeable. Corners are cut, frames are skipped and there's the occasional static frame or cheap animation effect used here and there. But this usually occurs during dialogue scenes and thanks to the stylised animation the show even manages to get away with it for the most part. So overall, the animation in this show still comes out as a high point even if it's not as strong as other things at play in the show.

It would be a massive disservice to the show if I went the entire review without mentioning the soundtrack but I doubt there's much I can say about it that hasn't already been said. But, I digress. Scored by Hiroyuki Sawano of Guilty Crown, Blue Exorcist and Attack on Titan fame the score of Kill la Kill is suitably... well, amazing. Whether it be choirs, orchestras, the standard rock band set up or a mixture of two or more the score never fails to enhance the on-screen action. And since it is a necessity when reviewing this show I will agree with the widely agreed notion that 'Before my Body is Dry' is the next step on the path to evolution.

The OP and ED themes of the show are not quite as noteworthy but all of them provide a visual treat with some good music. Both OPs serve to get the viewer excited for whatever will happen in the episode while the ED seem to be made with putting the viewer at ease. But out of the two OP and ED themes I found the second to be stronger in both cases.

In terms of voice work this show has some of of the best performances I've likely ever heard in anime. While she has had a number of notable roles I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Ami Koshimizu's performance as Ryuko is a career high point. I know you're all thinking something along the lines of 'What about her performance as Hibiki in Suite Precure?' Or perhaps even mentioning her performance as Holo from that obscure little show about economics and stuff (I think it was called Salt and Fox or something). But I'm serious in saying that it is most certainly a very notably good performance. Special mentions go to Aya Suzuki who is indescribably perfect as Mako, Yukari Tamura for making me want to rip Nui's head off whenever she was on screen (Don't worry, you're supposed to hate her), Romi Paku's delightfully insane performance as Ragyou, Toshihiko Seki for his performance as Senketsu and of course Ryouka Yuzuki as Satsuki. As of yet an English dub has not been made.

Overall, Kill la Kill is nothing short of a fun ride. If you're looking for a complex story with hard hitting mature themes you likely won't find it in Kill la Kill. But when you consider the fact that the show never intended to do anything of the sort you can't really fault it. However if balls to the wall insanity, over the top action set pieces, a grand story line with a massive scope and a great cast of characters appeals to you then by all means go ahead on watch it. But just know that under no circumstances should you ever lose your way in the process of watching the show.

Once upon a time when the topic of the worst Precure Season was brought up, I'd have no idea what to say. Even putting aside my lack of experience with the franchise, I had no idea what would drive me to think so negatively about a light hearted kid's show with healthy morals. Even when I went and watched past seasons that were looked upon unfavourably I still enjoyed them for what they were despite their flaws. And now we come to the present day. While I've still yet to make my way through every past season of the show, I can now confidently answer ... the previous question of what the worst Precure season is. And despite what people would have said before Doki aired, it isn't Suite or Smile.

Despite the fact that I enjoy the Precure franchise in general, I will freely admit that the basic plot structure of each season is somewhat predictable. But when it comes down to it you can't really criticise the franchise for being predictable when you consider the target audience. So by that logic does that make DokiDoki bulletproof? Well, not quite. When it comes down to it the execution is what matters the most. Despite being aimed at a younger audience it hasn't stopped Precure from excelling in different areas and it doesn't stop DokiDoki from being great either. What stops DokiDoki from being great is DokiDoki itself.

With the initial character introductions the main cast comes off as likeable. However despite a good chunk of the show supposedly being devoted to character development the fruits of their labour are never really felt. While they gain a multitude of new powers and save the Earth from certain doom they're pretty much the exact same people they were 48 episodes before. Especially when it comes to Mana, Rikka and Alice who, while not particularly unlikeable, are privileged and flawless and about as far removed from relatable as you can get. Even when it comes to the characters that initially had a lot of potential they suffer greatly due to the lack of focus

When such flawed characters this leads to a lot of other problems. Monster of the week episodes which previous seasons used for character development are just mindless filler and nothing more. Whether the plot developments are hits or misses doesn't really matter because the characters will remain stagnant regardless. No matter how substantial, the moral lessons contained in each episode all feel hollow considering they rarely contribute to the character's development or the overall plot. Even putting aside the characters and plot the action scenes which take up at least half of each episode mainly consist of the characters spamming their bland magic attacks. No fisticuffs, no surprises, just repeated animation.

The animation budget seems to significantly lower than previous seasons with a plethora of QUALITY moments. The art isn't offensively bad but the animation is very sub par by modern standards. The transformation sequences are an integral part of magical girl anime and often quite well done but the ones in Doki had me clicking the fast forward button almost every time.

On the topic of sound, the OST isn't obnoxiously bad and has some nice songs but is often times repetitive and forgettable. The OP sequence used for the show is also somewhat forgettable but catchy enough to fulfil its purpose. And if it wasn't the boredom that made me want to see the end of an episode, it was the one of the two glorious CG ED themes by now series regular Hitomi Yoshida. The voice acting was also of a high standard with famous VAs such as Rie Kugimiya (Except this time not a tsundere), Mayumi Tanaka (Luffy from One Piece), Minako Kotobuki (Mugi from K-ON and member of idol group Sphere) among others.

I will say that I enjoyed DokiDoki for the basic reasons I enjoy the mahou shoujo genre in general. But that's about it. While I was somewhat entertained by the beginning and the ending a large portion of the show had me wishing I was watching something else. So overall, I guess I didn't really enjoy my time with DokiDoki even though it has the sentimental value of being the first Precure Season I watched as it aired. In fact, I'd go as far as saying the show is noticeably quite boring.

If you want a good magical girl series, DokiDoki doesn't deliver. If you want a nice kid's show that teaches healthy moral lessons about eating vitamins and saying prayers, you won't get that either. If you were expecting quality entertainment, then boy have you ever come to the wrong place. DokiDoki Precure is your typical mediocre and completely forgettable kid's show from a franchise that is anything but mediocre and forgettable. But hey, if this is the worst thing to happen to Precure than we can only hope it's all uphill from here.

I know, I'm a bit late on reviewing this one. But I had intended to write this review for quite a while. Sword Art Online was undoubtedly the most popular anime of 2012. It was one of those shows that took the anime world by storm and forced every anime fan to pick a side. No one cared about your opinion on if you're on the fence. So I refrained from talking about it too much in the forums. I kept switching sides as it was airing but neither bandwagon appealed to me in the end. So here is a review of Sword Art Online ... from the perspective of someone who remained indecisive until the bitter end.

Sword Art Online is set in the near future where the first ever VRMMORPG (Virtual Reality Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) named 'Sword Art Online' has been released. Through a device called 'Nerve Gear', people can control their avatars with their minds. Lead character Kirito is a hardcore gamer and beta tester for the game 'Sword Art Online'. After buying the game, he starts it up and is transported into the game fantasy world. Moments after starting, the creator of the game announces to all the players that the log out button has been disabled and they are trapped in that world. The only way to get out is to beat the game.

However, there is a catch. If you die in the game, you die in real life. This catch adds a sense of danger which I welcomed at first. However, while it is emphasised a lot in the first few episodes, it soon fades into the background along with many other interesting ideas as the story twists and turns. Many of these twists and turns are what drags the show down. The story makes pretty much all the wrong choices when it comes to plot twists. Some of them I actually enjoyed like the romance element. But even they ended up becoming stale after just a few episodes. There's also a heavy use of other plot devices most notably being the use of deus ex machina. The lead characters are rarely in any real danger but pretty much every time they are, the battle almost always ends with some nonsensical plot device that turns the tables and gives them the victory. In the end, there wasn't much I liked about the story. While it had potential, it was ruined by the writers' insistence on on plot devices and big twists in an attempt to spice up the story even when it's completely unnecessary.

However, not everything in the show is sub-par. A1 Pictures still brought their A-Game even when the source material wasn't so crash hot. Make no mistake, this is one very pretty show. From the imaginative fantasy themed backdrop to the highly detailed character designs to the proportions of a certain female character. The art never misses a beat. The animation is also very notable. One thing about this show I cannot fault is the amazing fight scenes. While quite rare, A1 proves that they can handle themselves even when tackling large scale fight scenes. They do a surprisingly good job given the small amount of action centric anime they make. But of course the animation is not without its faults. There are a few corners cut here and there and some weird facial expressions. But despite that, the visuals are solid. Probably much better than a show of this quality should have deserved.

As for the sound, Sword Art Online's score is handled by none other than Yuki Kajiura of Madoka Magica and Fate/Zero fame. While it's still a great score that definitely deserves a mention, it's not particularly memorable. I wouldn't listen to the OST on its own like with Madoka Magica. That being said, it still works very well in the context of the show. There were times where the score was so emotional that I was almost tricked into believing something amazing was going on screen and not some cheesy Twilight esque romance. With my extremely limited knowledge of the Japanese language I'd say that the voice work is solid. Although sometimes the characters overract to the point where their forced emotion transcends language barriers. But all in all, I'd say the voice acting is very much above the norm. Same with the amazing music. Especially 'Crossing Field'.

Although wish I could say the same for the characters. While I found the lead character Kirito interesting at first, I soon started to realise a pattern. Pretty much every time he was in a fight, he won. It's rare to find overpowered characters outside of shonen action. Especially in the modern age. It's even more out of place in a show like this which is meant to be aimed at a much older audience. But at the start of the show, Kirito is already an experienced player who can take on pretty much everyone without breaking a sweat. If his high skill level benefited the story, I would forgive it. However, it only works to hinder the sense of danger which originally drew me into this show.

Female lead Asuna is also a victim of bad storytelling going from mysterious badass to bland love interest to damsel in distress and back to bland love interest in the end. The villains don't fair very well either. Kayaba Akihiko's intentions are or his reasoning behind his actions are never explained. Even worse is Sugou Noboyuki. The show tries way too hard to drive in just how evil the guy is. He's so evil that the other villain seems like a nice guy in comparison. At least, that's the reaction they wanted you to have. But he's so over the top and ridiculous looking that I ended up liking him more than the main cast for all the wrong reasons. Overall, the characters had a lot of potential but the poor storytelling let them down and turned even the most likeable characters into walking stereotypes.

While this show had a lot of flaws, I will once again say something nice about the show. It was a fun ride and I don't regret it one bit. Watching the show every week, seeing people complaining about the latest asspull, reading stupid Internet articles praising the show at the halfway point, seeing another article from the same guy about how bland the show was in retrospect, the Internet memes, the forum threads (Suguha's boobies), the Twilight comparisons, the new fans who praised the show, the new fans who jumped on the hate bandwagon, the Naruto comparisons and the glopping noises. Even though I never truly picked a side, it was very entertaining watching both sides fighting it out. Thank you anime community. You made this otherwise disappointing show fun for all of us.

Unrelated extreme subjectivity aside, the show wasn't a total disaster. But it wasn't very good either. It had it's moments but they were all balanced out by the flaws. I sat on the fence the entire time and stayed there no matter how tempting both sides were. There were things I liked about the show which made me want to be part of the fanbase, but there were things so bad that I wanted to hop on the hate bandwagon. Overall, the show is extremely mediocre. If this is the future of anime, I don't want to watch anime any more. It was a fun ride but not a very good show. You can count me in for Season 2 but I'm still sceptical about the show's future.

Note: This is a review for both part one and two.

Airing in the Winter 2010 Season (Starting in January of 2011), Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica was met with critical acclaim and gained a lot of popularity in the west and Japan due to its ambitious and thought provoking storyline hidden behind its frilly pink dresses. Shaft were a very popular studio before hand with hits like Bakemonogatari and Hidamari Sketch. But Madoka Magica's popularity exceeded even them. Because of it's success, Shaft decided to expand upon it by creating a trilogy of movies based on the series. The first two movies (Which I'm reviewing) are ... a recap of the series with new animation, re recorded dialogue and some new scenes. I've already reviewed the series so this review will be about the differences between both versions.

The basic story remains the same between the two versions. Madoka Kaname and Sayaka Miki meet Mami Tomoe, a magical girl. Along with her is a cat like companion named Kyubey. Kyubey says that he wants them to make contracts to become magical girls. As the story progresses, it becomes very clear that there is something different about Madoka Magica. And then the tone drastically changes turning it from slice of life with a little bit of supernatural into psychological horror with a very unique take on supernatural powers.

The movie does suffer a little plot wise compared to the TV version. The pacing doesn't work quite as well with the movie format. Some scenes move too quickly and some move too slowly. Although I have to give Shaft credit for not removing any major plot details. The reason this movie works as an alternative to watching the show is because it makes perfect sense on its own. Not many recap movies can do that. Death Note's recap movies tried to condense 37 episodes into 2 movies. Needles to say, they cut out a lot of important plot details and it made no sense on its own. 'Death and Rebirth of Evangelion' fairs even worse with 24 episodes condensed into just an hour. Even with the show that movie made no sense. Madoka on the other hand is a perfect alternative to the show. While the pacing is better in the show, everything is covered in the movie. If you have limited time or you just don't feel like watching the show, you won't lose too much if watch the movies first.

Now onto the art. Ume Aoki's Hidamari Sketch esque art style helps to hide its dark side in the early parts while not being entirely ill fitting when it becomes darker in the later parts. The animation has also had a big step up in quality to fit the higher budget for the movies. You won't find any 'Meduka' animation or extra fingers in this. This movie's art and animation is absolutely flawless. Yes that's right. I just called the animation in a Shaft production flawless. The character models in general also have some extra detail put into them. Sayaka's hair pins have had some minor changes but it's nothing to write home about. There are also some minor changes in the design of the city and the witches Labyrinths. A few scenes also have some minor cosmetic changes but once again, it's nothing to write home about. But the new transformation sequences need to be mentioned. Visually, they were already stunning in the show. But the movie turns in up a notch with some very elaborate sequences. Mami's in particular was jaw dropping. The new animation is one of the biggest draws and rightfully so. While it's not the best I've seen with a movie budget, it still looks amazing. Easily the best looking Shaft animation has ever looked.

Another one of the big draws is the new soundtrack. Madoka Magica is what I consider to be Yuki Kajiura's best work. It's mix of choirs singing gibberish, ominous strings, hard rock, Jpop and classical music worked perfectly in every scene. The movies improve on the soundtrack by using more fitting music in some scenes and adding new music into parts that were previously silent. Hearing the score booming through the cinema speakers is a thrilling experience to say the least. The opening is 'Luminous' by the Jpop duo ClariS who also performed the opening for the show. This has to be the only time I've ever gotten goosebumps by just watching the opening sequence. Hell, I got goosebumps again at the start of the second movie when they played it again. Also scattered throughout the two movies are new songs from the group Kalafina who performed the show's ending theme. A remix of Credens Justitiam (Or 'Mami's theme) with Japanese lyrics, A remix of 'Magia' with some added instrumentation as the ending them for the first movie and 'Hikari Furu' the ending theme for Movie 2. Overall an amazing soundtrack that improves even further on the already superb score for the show.

Since I've already discussed it in my actual review, there's not much point in talking about the characters since there aren't many differences. However, the movies have some flaws compared to the TV show. Mami's backstory has been removed completely. Her importance in the show was questionable as it was but the removal of her backstory highlights this flaw even more. The reason this is a flaw is because it became even more apparent that she didn't matter all that much in the grand scheme of things. Sure, she triggers the change in tone but the fact that she's so insignificant in the movies is problem. Overall, the characters are the same as the show. However, the change in pacing means that some characters are focussed upon a bit more than in the show. I felt a bit more attached to Madoka than in the show. The characters in the show are great and they remain mostly the same in the movies. Not much else needs to be said.

Overall, these movies are a solid retelling of one of the best anime series in the past few years. If you liked the show, watch it. The new animation and music are a real treat and not just a gimmick. If you haven't seen the show, watch the show then watch the movies. Or you could just watch one or the other. What you take from this movie boils down to personal preference. Maybe you prefer the quicker pace of the movies. Or, like me, you could prefer the slower pacing of the show. While I think the movie is slightly inferior to the TV series, it's a great recap of one of my all time favourites with some interesting improvements which make it stick out from the TV show. If you like Madoka, watch it. If you don't like it, don't watch it. If you like the series (Or haven't seen it yet) and you're lucky enough for this movie to be screened in your neck of the woods, I highly recommend you go see it.

Note: This is a review for both part one and two.

Airing in the Winter 2010 Season (Starting in January of 2011), Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica was met with critical acclaim and gained a lot of popularity in the west and Japan due to its ambitious and thought provoking storyline hidden behind its frilly pink dresses. Shaft were a very popular studio before hand with hits like Bakemonogatari and Hidamari Sketch. But Madoka Magica's popularity exceeded even them. Because of it's success, Shaft decided to expand upon it by creating a trilogy of movies based on the series. The first two movies (Which I'm reviewing) are ... a recap of the series with new animation, re recorded dialogue and some new scenes. I've already reviewed the series so this review will be about the differences between both versions.

The basic story remains the same between the two versions. Madoka Kaname and Sayaka Miki meet Mami Tomoe, a magical girl. Along with her is a cat like companion named Kyubey. Kyubey says that he wants them to make contracts to become magical girls. As the story progresses, it becomes very clear that there is something different about Madoka Magica. And then the tone drastically changes turning it from slice of life with a little bit of supernatural into psychological horror with a very unique take on supernatural powers.

The movie does suffer a little plot wise compared to the TV version. The pacing doesn't work quite as well with the movie format. Some scenes move too quickly and some move too slowly. Although I have to give Shaft credit for not removing any major plot details. The reason this movie works as an alternative to watching the show is because it makes perfect sense on its own. Not many recap movies can do that. Death Note's recap movies tried to condense 37 episodes into 2 movies. Needles to say, they cut out a lot of important plot details and it made no sense on its own. 'Death and Rebirth of Evangelion' fairs even worse with 24 episodes condensed into just an hour. Even with the show that movie made no sense. Madoka on the other hand is a perfect alternative to the show. While the pacing is better in the show, everything is covered in the movie. If you have limited time or you just don't feel like watching the show, you won't lose too much if watch the movies first.

Now onto the art. Ume Aoki's Hidamari Sketch esque art style helps to hide its dark side in the early parts while not being entirely ill fitting when it becomes darker in the later parts. The animation has also had a big step up in quality to fit the higher budget for the movies. You won't find any 'Meduka' animation or extra fingers in this. This movie's art and animation is absolutely flawless. Yes that's right. I just called the animation in a Shaft production flawless. The character models in general also have some extra detail put into them. Sayaka's hair pins have had some minor changes but it's nothing to write home about. There are also some minor changes in the design of the city and the witches Labyrinths. A few scenes also have some minor cosmetic changes but once again, it's nothing to write home about. But the new transformation sequences need to be mentioned. Visually, they were already stunning in the show. But the movie turns in up a notch with some very elaborate sequences. Mami's in particular was jaw dropping. The new animation is one of the biggest draws and rightfully so. While it's not the best I've seen with a movie budget, it still looks amazing. Easily the best looking Shaft animation has ever looked.

Another one of the big draws is the new soundtrack. Madoka Magica is what I consider to be Yuki Kajiura's best work. It's mix of choirs singing gibberish, ominous strings, hard rock, Jpop and classical music worked perfectly in every scene. The movies improve on the soundtrack by using more fitting music in some scenes and adding new music into parts that were previously silent. Hearing the score booming through the cinema speakers is a thrilling experience to say the least. The opening is 'Luminous' by the Jpop duo ClariS who also performed the opening for the show. This has to be the only time I've ever gotten goosebumps by just watching the opening sequence. Hell, I got goosebumps again at the start of the second movie when they played it again. Also scattered throughout the two movies are new songs from the group Kalafina who performed the show's ending theme. A remix of Credens Justitiam (Or 'Mami's theme) with Japanese lyrics, A remix of 'Magia' with some added instrumentation as the ending them for the first movie and 'Hikari Furu' the ending theme for Movie 2. Overall an amazing soundtrack that improves even further on the already superb score for the show.

Since I've already discussed it in my actual review, there's not much point in talking about the characters since there aren't many differences. However, the movies have some flaws compared to the TV show. Mami's backstory has been removed completely. Her importance in the show was questionable as it was but the removal of her backstory highlights this flaw even more. The reason this is a flaw is because it became even more apparent that she didn't matter all that much in the grand scheme of things. Sure, she triggers the change in tone but the fact that she's so insignificant in the movies is problem. Overall, the characters are the same as the show. However, the change in pacing means that some characters are focussed upon a bit more than in the show. I felt a bit more attached to Madoka than in the show. The characters in the show are great and they remain mostly the same in the movies. Not much else needs to be said.

Overall, these movies are a solid retelling of one of the best anime series in the past few years. If you liked the show, watch it. The new animation and music are a real treat and not just a gimmick. If you haven't seen the show, watch the show then watch the movies. Or you could just watch one or the other. What you take from this movie boils down to personal preference. Maybe you prefer the quicker pace of the movies. Or, like me, you could prefer the slower pacing of the show. While I think the movie is slightly inferior to the TV series, it's a great recap of one of my all time favourites with some interesting improvements which make it stick out from the TV show. If you like Madoka, watch it. If you don't like it, don't watch it. If you like the series (Or haven't seen it yet) and you're lucky enough for this movie to be screened in your neck of the woods, I highly recommend you go see it.

Mars of Destruction is the lowest rated anime on this website. People are constantly talking about how terrible it was so I had to check it out. I thought that it couldn't be as bad as they were saying. Now that I've finally seen it, I was pleasantly surprised. I now know that it is exactly as bad as they say. Make no mistake, this is hands down the worst anime I have ever seen. But at the same time, I recommend it highly. Why you ask? Let's go in and find out.

The story is about aliens attacking. And then a some guy tries to ... fight off said aliens in a robotic power suit known as MARS that he is forced to fight in by his faceless Dad. This guy is joined by a group of women. They stop the aliens. Then there's a big twist where they find that the aliens are humans and the humans are aliens. That's pretty much the entire movie in a nutshell. The story is like if you tried to cram the entirety of Evangelion into 20 minutes. Only worse than that. It's badly paced, incredibly disjointed and highly unoriginal. There isn't really much else to say. It's bad.

The girls are kind of cute. I'll give them that. That's why I give the art a 2 instead of a 1. Everything else sucks. The animation is constantly reused, the art is uninspired and the character designs are bland as hell. Tell me that the brown haired one doesn't look like Asuka. Come on. I dare you. The lead guy looks like a pussy, I guess. It's hard to form proper opinions on something so short. It was bad, okay.

The soundtrack consists of a bunch of classical music. HOW WONDERFULLY ORIGINAL! Beethoven is timeless but the way the music is integrated is laughable. Actually it's not just laughable. It's hilarious. The funniest part is that the music always gets cut off abruptly. You can kind of tell that the only reason why they used it was so they didn't have to create their own music. I don't speak Japanese but from what I could gather, the voice acting sounded pretty awful the whole way through. Even Minori Chihara can't save it. Sound is bad. Moving on.

Character development? What's that? No one in this movie has any personality. They aren't annoying at all. But they are the most bland group of characters you will ever see. I think they're based off of character types. The main character might be a Shinji rip off. I really don't know. They don't do much in the 20 minutes. There's nothing else I can really say. There's nothing to comment on. I don't remember a single character from the movie for positive or negative reasons.

It's because of these flaws that Mars of Destruction is one of the most entertaining anime out there. I was struggling with the score. It was either a 1 or a 10. I went with a 1 because that felt right. I usually rate anime based on how much I enjoy the show but with this I just can't. Even so, this is the epitome of 'so bad it's good'. It's really fun to point out all the flaws because there's so many. It's the sort of thing people use for drinking games. Drink every time Beethoven gets cut off, drink every time they copy Evangelion, the list goes on. It's like the movie was made for drinking games. It's bad fun. I highly recommend it. It's only 20 minutes so it won't take much time out of your day. It's about as long as an episode without credits. If you haven't seen it, watch it now. If you have, watch it again. This film is a masterpiece in suck and it deserves to be seen by everyone. So what are you waiting for?

Among Kyoto Animation's many shows, K-On seems to be one of the most divisive. The first Season was a fun but ultimately very empty and unrewarding experience which led to the attracting a lot of hate. Those who stuck by it, however, where treated with a wonderful coming of age story and a bittersweet conclusion in the Second Season. Although Season 2 was a huge improvement it was not without its flaws. For a slice of life show, some thought thought that 26 episodes was too much. But for the fans, its long length was able to satisfy their craving for more K-On. But ... this movie is where they finally perfect the formula.

The movie is still plotless but it still tells a story. The coming of age themes from season 2 are in and are more prevalent than ever. It's done in such a way that a younger person can understand while an older person would be able to get deeper meaning out of it. Kind of like a Disney movie. The movie hypes that it's set in London but that's actually only the middle third of the movie. The first third is the preparations for the trip and plays out like an extended episode of the show. This is probably the funniest part of the movie but people who don't like the style of humour present in K-On may not enjoy this part. Stick with it though as the next third is the actual trip. This is the most creative part of the trip as well as the best looking part. The movie does a really good job of showing you what London is like from their perspective. The final third is a retelling of the final few episodes of Season 2. This may sound like just a rehash but it's anything but that. Everything in this part is new material. I think that this was the most emotionally powerful part of the movie and concludes the series just as well if not better than season 2. So the first third is the funniest, the second third is the most creative and the final third is the most powerful

The art is a step up from the TV show but not as big a step up in visual quality as The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya was to The Melancholy. The first part of the movie doesn't really take advantage of the high budget but once they're in London everything looks a lot better. The backdrop of London is superbly drawn and very faithful to the actual city. The concert performances make really good use of camera techniques that really adds to the experience. I really like how they designed the people of London. People sometimes complain that anime characters look to white but this movie does a really good job of differentiating them. As it turns out, British people aren't allowed to be moe. Everyone's eyes are small and their features are realistic. They also happen to all be way taller than the girls. I also like how they don't resort to stereotypes when they go to London. If anything they discriminating against Japanese people. The girls display a lot of stereotypical Japanese school girl traits but the English people don't display any stereotypical behaviours.

The sound is really well done. While the girls are in London, the OST becomes very Beatles esque. The opening theme 'Ichiban Ippai' sounds almost exactly like Penny Lane. You can definitely see their influence in the movie's soundtrack. But it's very subtle so only Beatlemaniacs such as myself will probably spot some of them. The songs the band perform are re recorded in order to achieve a very realistic 'live performance' sound. They sound a lot more like a live performance than anything in the show. Hardcore K-On! fans will be happy to see them perform a few album exclusive songs such as 'Curry Nochi Rice' and 'Samidare 20 Love'. The movie is packed with live performances and often finds excuses just so the girls can rock their hearts out. Which is a bit odd considering that in the show they constantly tried to find excuses so they don't perform. I was just so wrapped up in how great the concerts were that I couldn't care less that the circumstances that led to it are completely unrealistic.

One of the greatest things about K-On! is it's character interactions and this movie certainly does not disappoint. Seeing how each of the characters deal with all of the cultural differences is very amusing to watch but the movie doesn't rely on that alone. After watching this movie I actually liked Yui a lot more than I did before. Sure I liked her before because her stupidity was amusing to watch but I actually realised after watching this movie that there's more to her than meets the eye. She's not an idiot, it's just that her way of thinking is different to most people. She's actually a kind and sweet girl who cares for her friends. In fact after watching this movie I'm thinking that Yui might actually be a genius. She always knows what the right thing to do in any given situation. It's not that she's stupid, it's just that her innocence gets in the way of what's rational. If you're a Yui fan than this movie is definitely for you. The final third is told from the perspective of Yui rather than Azusa. And it's good because you learn more about Yui in the process.Other than that all the characters are the same characters than you know and love (or loathe). It's not that they don't get enough exposure, it's just that the focus is on Yui for the majority of the movie.

But the one thing that this movie relies on more than anything else is the enjoyment factor. The movie wants you to sit back and enjoy and is constantly trying to please you. And you know what? It works. Even the harshest of critics can't fault that this movie is an enjoyable, fun filled rollercoaster ride of enjoyment. It was so good that I was smiling for the entire movie. There was always something happening that made me smile. The comic timing is absolutely perfect, the music is unbelievably catchy, the camera work was really well done and it just felt happy. It's hard to describe but if you watch the movie you'll see what I mean. I have not enjoyed anything more than this movie. It's the quintessence of enjoy-ability. It's enjoyable to the point that it actually becomes genuinely better than a lot of things.

Overall, this movie is magnificent. Everything is just so well executed that you probably won't even care about that lack of plot. It doesn't have plot but it has substance in the form of likeability. I've never seen anything like this before and I probably never will. It's not as good as The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya but they probably shouldn't even be compared in the first place. Both movies are wonderful but they're good for completely different reasons. If this is goodbye to the girls of K-On, then this was a more than fitting way of saying it. I know that it continues in the manga but that's mostly just to exploit the popularity of the show. I love this movie but Season 3 will just not work at all. If they keep going they'll just write themselves into a corner and screw it all up. Whatever the case I consider this movie to be the conclusion of K-On. I couldn't think up of a better way to end it if I tried. So goodbye Ritsu, Mugi, Mio, Yui and Azusa. Goodbye Nodoka, Ui and Jun. Goodbye Miss Yamanaka. You gave us some of the best moments in anime history and you will not be forgotten.

Clannad is undoubtedly very popular amongst the anime community. Based off of a visual novel by Key (NOT A HENTAI), Clannad is a 2007 anime series from Kyoto Animation who are known for their adaptations of previous Key works such as Air and Kanon among other popular shows. Out of the three, Clannad is arguably the most popular.

The story is one of the weak points of the show. It's based off the tried and tested visual novel formula that people probably should have been sick of but aren't. The lead character befriends a group of girls that all just happen to have pasts filled with ... misfortune and decides to help out these girls because a) He has also has a checkered past b) He wants to get in their pants or c) all of the above. Tomoya falls into category A due to the fact that it's based off of an all ages visual novel. Just like most of Key's work, it provides an interesting spin on the formula but not enough to make it feel natural. Everything still feels very processed, The tear jerking moments are sad at first but when when I re watched the show I found myself cringing rather than crying.

The dramatic effect is heavily reliant on the visuals. Although it makes it feel even more processed, they were definitely right on focussing on this to enhance the effect. The animation is fluid and natural while the artstyle is detailed and cutesy. This is probably the best looking show I've ever seen. But I'd expect no less from Kyoani. After all, they are the studio behind Haruhi Suzumiya. The eyes are big, the noses are non existent and everything is shiny. Say what you will about the show's quality, but there's no denying that they put a lot of work into the art.

The music in the show fits every scene perfectly. Knowing just the right heartstrings to tug at. Once again, it's just another method of manipulating you but still nice to listen to regardless. The thing about the music I like the most, however, is the use of songs from the series as background music. There's even foreshadowing of songs that don't get introduced until Afterstory. The English dub is for the most part not very good. Luci Christian is wonderful as Nagisa but pretty much everyone else is miscast. Sunohara sounds like a nerd rather than a delinquent, Kyou sounds like a middle age woman and Tomoya sounds too bland. They do a very good job with the comedy scenes of the show (Some of them are even funnier) but the drama really suffers. The inconsistency of the script is also to blame which means some scenes are lost in translation . It's not an awful dub but I would only recommend the dub to newbies and those who really oppose subs (If sub haters exist). The original language track is the only way to go otherwise.

The characters are a slightly stronger point with varied personalities and fun quirks and traits. There is, however, a familiar feeling with a majority of these characters. They're all based off of characters from other works of Key. FOr one, the protaginist Tomoya bares a striking resemblence to Yuichi and Yukito from Kanon and air respectively. In both appearance and personality, they're basically the same. The girls are no better based off of character types commonly seen in Visual Novels and anime of similar genres. Ryou is clumsy and awkward, Kyou is a tsundere, Mei Sunohara is the token loli, the list goes on. But despite the fact that they're based off of character types, they're quite an enteratining bunch. And even though their back stories are woven together in a less than fluid fashion, they still have some interesting stories to tell.

Overall, I liked Clannad a lot more than I thought I would. At the start I still hated it but as the show progressed it got better and better. Even when I rewatched it and the drama showed its manipulative side, I still thought it was a fun and funny highschool comedy drama. A good show (As indicated by the 7) that's definitely worth a look. I also recommend watching it just to see the sequel, After Story. But that's something for later.