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Jan 23, 2019
A heartwarming end to a fantastic series; what more could we have asked for? A lot of you who end up reading this review will probably have already watched the original 13-episode run of ReLIFE and understand the plot and characters. Our main protagonist, Arata Kaizaki, was a 27-year-old who had nothing going for him, until he was made an offer by a mysterious company called ReLife; consume a pill that will make him appear 10 years younger and be sent back to high school. Live out a year of high school and try to make positive changes in your life; the friends you make
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won't remember you when the experiment ends, but Kaizaki will remember everything.
That premise laid the groundwork for one of the most heartwarming and enjoyable anime I've watched in a good while. Kaizaki tries not to repeat the mistakes he made as an adult and form real relationships with his peers, but he always has that thought in the back of his head; none of these people will remember me. At times the show makes use of that knowledge to tug on your heartstrings, but I promise you it's all well worth it in the end.
The show is still gorgeous; solid animation and well-detailed character models. That hasn't changed since the first season and it didn't need to.
I can't say much without spoiling some key events of the previous season, because while most of you will have watched it there's the chance that some oddballs will read this review without knowing anything about the previous season. I'll say this, though; Kaizaki's story, as well as the story of someone else in our cast, ends on an extremely heartwarming note. It didn't make me want to cry, instead I cheered with a huge smile on my face. I'm not exaggerating when I say that this series ends perfectly.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Jan 17, 2019
This show was something else. It could have used better world building and lore development and I would have liked to see more secondary characters get more time to grow. At times it can be fairly confusing and attempts to be overly complex without bothering to explain itself. But for all its faults, I really loved this show.
The story centers on one Willem Kmetsch, the last human being alive in a world that was brought to ruin by enigmatic monsters called "beasts." What remains of the world is now populated by humanoid animal people and mythical creatures like goblins (there's a troll involved but she
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looks like a normal person). Willem's life takes a dramatic turn when he's assigned as caretaker to a group of "leprechauns", young girls who wield weapons capable of killing the beasts. He comes to love and care for these girls like they were his own daughters, and he forms a very intimate relationship with one of the older girls, Chtholly.
Let me tell you something, this show is sad. It's about girls who are seemingly fated to die in battle finding something to live for, pursuing their own ideals of happiness despite their tragic lot in life. The love that forms between Willem and Chtholly is both heartwarming and heartbreaking to witness and by the story's end you might find yourself cursing this godforsaken world they inhabit. That's not to say that the plot is entirely sad, as there's also a lot of hope here and the promise that we can leave this world better than we found it.
As far as animation goes, the show is pretty adequate. The character models are fairly well realized, especially the animal people and the leprechauns. The show's world is also interesting to behold, from medieval-esque cities in the sky to esoteric spiritual realms. There's also some cool visual effects as the leprechauns tap into their true power. There's a touch of CGI in the show and it's not very good, but it's not there very often so it's tolerable.
I really enjoyed the show's score; it ranges from playful and charming to haunting and mournful. Since the events of the plot will make you run the gauntlet emotionally, it would only make sense that the soundtrack also does. Let me just say one song in particular stood out to me; a rendition of "Scarborough Fair" by Yamada Tamaru. Simply beautiful. Even if you don't watch the show, look up her performing it; mesmerizing.
So, why does this show lose some points with me? It doesn't explain itself all that well. There are some plot points that I felt came out of left field or just weren't conveyed properly. What's worse is that the show sometimes acts as if we should somehow magically know this stuff; I didn't read the light novel and I don't plan to, so help me out here! I think there's a fascinating and deep lore worth exploring here, but the problem is that us anime viewers are only given a very small window to observe it through.
When all it said and done, this show has several flaws that might alienate some potential viewers. It's far from perfect but I very much enjoyed it despite its imperfections. It's a bittersweet story of love, fate and loss that will tug on your heartstrings (the last shot of the show in particular got me). If you're willing to overlook some flaws, I think you'll find WorldEnd/SukaSuka to be a show that will leave a mark on your heart.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Oct 9, 2018
Ben-To is a very odd show; there aren't very many anime that center on teenagers and young adults doing battle in order to buy discounted food at the local corner store. Yeah, this is one of those over-the-top, nonsensical shows that sells you a premise that many would understandably scoff at. However, this show, through its wacky yet consistent execution manages to be very entertaining.
Our hero is Yō Satō, a high school kid who inadvertently finds himself pulled into the crazy world of bento brawls. For those of you not in the know, bento boxes are basically Japanese TV dinners; you buy them, take the
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top off and eat them, quick and easy. You might think it'd be impossible to build a 12 episode show off that premise, but it works (for the most part).
There's an entire etiquette and order in how bento brawls unfold, and anyone who steps outside those rules is cast out; there's a Geneva Convention for fights on half-priced food. The fights themselves are frequently entertaining; they're well animated and characters get a chance to shine in them. Where the show kind of loses me is that it could have used the brawls to deepen character development; the characters perhaps could have become more ruthless or implemented more strategy in the fights which in turn impacts who they are in everyday life. Sadly, the brawls are self-contained with no far reaching implications.
I really appreciated how colorful this show is; from the character designs to the animations during fights, there's a lot of vividness going on. The character designs themselves are nothing particularly inventive, but they're serviceable.
Yō Satō is a likable enough protagonist, but a lot of side characters I found to be either underdeveloped or just plain unnecessary. One character who is obsessed with yaoi frequently came off as annoying and overly exaggerated; she's sometimes endearing but often irritating. There are also side characters who I would have liked to see more of but they never really get their shot.
Another reason this show loses points with me is because of a certain interaction that occurs close to the end of the series between two female characters. If you've watched it you may remember what I'm referring to; it's uncomfortable and it feels wrong watching it. It's not often that I'm unnerved by an anime, but this particular interaction made me feel kind of dirty; nothing wrong with physical intimacy, but when it comes off as unwanted, there's something not right. It's like the tone went completely off in another direction for one brief scene.
Ultimately, this show is dumb in all the right ways. Young men and women beat each other up in pursuit of half-priced TV dinners and for some of them it's more about the battle than the reward. I have some issues with this show, but for the most part it is very enjoyable and quick to get through. Just don't use that thing between your ears too much when watching; it's best to give critical thinking a rest to enjoy this show.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Oct 9, 2018
I wasn't entirely sure what I was getting into when I first started watching Blood Blockade Battlefront (Kekkai Sensen), but I fell in love with this very unique and charming series almost instantaneously. This show has just about everything; a genuinely likable and sympathetic protagonist, a diverse cast of lovable oddballs, a beautifully detailed and colorful world and an over-the-top antagonist who doesn't pull any punches. It's an urban fantasy well worth your time.
The show centers on Leo Watch, a 19 year old kid who moves to Hellsalem's Lot; HL used to be New York City until a strange cataclysm known as the "Beyond" completely
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altered it. Now, ordinary human beings live alongside demons, aliens and all manner of other dimensional entities. Imagine the comic book "Fables" but with a great deal more chaos going on. Leo joins Libra, a group of superhumans who keep Hellsalem's Lot safe from threats both human and supernatural.
The reason why I fell in love with this show largely falls on its world. As great as the characters are, the world they live in feels genuine and developed in a way that many anime settings simply aren't. Hellsalem's Lot used to be NYC, and as someone who has visited NYC many times (I've practically lived there) it really nails the feeling of being a very small fish in a massive pond. You'll see all kinds of inventive character designs on the streets of this fantastical metropolis; mere bystanders look like they could be the protagonist of an entirely different story (pretty true to life if you ask me).
Leo and his allies in Libra are all enjoyable to watch interact with one another. They're a gang of lovable weirdos charged with defending a city that is constantly tearing itself apart in one way or another. Picture the X-Men or the Avengers but with way more comedic infighting and awkwardness going on.
I won't talk about the main storyline, but it's rather deep considering how much of the show is over-the-top insanity most of the time. This show tugged on my heartstrings and I'll bet it will do the same to you.
Also, this show features one of my favorite ending themes in any anime ever; "Sugar Song to Bitter Step" by Unison Square Garden. Insanely catchy and enjoyable, I've had people who couldn't care less about anime listen to it and they almost all agree; it's a damn entertaining tune. The opening "Hello, World!" by Bump of Chicken is more emotional; there's a sweetness there that becomes more tragic in hindsight.
I could go on for hours talking about why I love this show and why you should watch it if you haven't. Honestly, though, it's down to you; if you're looking for a beautifully animated, inventive show that's a feast for the eyes, you'll like it. If you're looking for an enjoyable cast of characters trying to keep order in an anarchic alien NYC, you'll like it. If you want a show that will make you smile from ear to ear and weep within a relatively short time, you'll like it. I'll see you in Hellsalem's Lot.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Aug 12, 2018
As much as a I love the anime that give us over-the-top thrills and bombastic insanity, sometimes I want to watch something more grounded, real and human. What initially drew me to Beck was how simplistic its premise and presentation was; a high school kid starts playing guitar, joins a band and attempts to find fortune and fame in the process. From there, I dove in and slowly but surely fell in love with this show.
Our main protagonist, Koyuki, is incredibly likable and (for me at least) relatable; he's a somewhat shy high school kid looking for a way to define himself, make friends
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and fall in love. It is through music that he begins to do these things. I've always had an affinity for coming-of-age stories, and Beck does an incredible job of showing us how Koyuki matures and deepens his relationships. Moreover, I love how many of the characters, especially the ones we're supposed to root for, come off as flawed and imperfect; Koyuki doesn't always see eye to eye with his friends/band mates, but this reinforces the realism of the plot. We've all had disagreements with our closest friends, no relationship is completely free of strife.
I also really like the visual presentation of the show. Everything looks grounded and at times even gritty, and that perfectly suits the amateur rock scene. If you've ever hung around bands and/or music clubs, you know that these sorts of environments are far from clean; they tend to be grungy and a little dirty, and this show captures that feeling.
This is a story about music, and I have to say it doesn't disappoint on that front. I watched it dubbed and was pleasantly surprised by the singing voices of Greg Ayres, Brina Palencia, etc. Every now and again, I'll find myself beginning to hum or even sing some of the songs from the show when I'm by myself. It's been several years since I've watched this show and the music still stays with me.
All in all, this show struck and emotional chord with me (no, that's not a pun). In my mind, this show portrayed the coming-of-age story of our hero sympathetically yet realistically. At times I felt as though I were watching a documentary about an existing band, kind of like those old "Behind the Music" specials on VH1 (for those of you that remember what VH1 is). Koyuki's story is one of ups and downs, of friendships made and rivalries forged, and of that age-old desire to get on stage and rock the world.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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