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- LocationLondon, England
- JoinedFeb 17, 2023
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Sep 6, 2024
A friend of mine once old me: watch Hunter x Hunter! It's THE shonen - the pinnacle of it. A while later, I was on holiday in Greece, where I typically go to visit my grandparents, and whilst browsing Netflix I discovered they had this very show. Curious and encouraged by my friend's love of the show, I decided to give it a go. I reached episode 50, and a year later, returned with two goals in mind. Firstly, I needed to have a great holiday and enjoy my break from work. Secondly, I had to finish Hunter x Hunter.
I commited to the show,
...
calculating how many episodes I would need to watch daily and excluding any days I was too busy. Now, on the final day of my Summer, the day before I return to my boring grind, I have finally watched all 148 episodes. Was it worth it, and was my friend right? Read on.
STORY: 8 (Very Good)/10
The story of Hunter x Hunter, being a 100+ episode show, is comprised of multiple arcs that are not of the same level of writing. Therefore, I would like to review them individually. Since this will obviously contain spoilers, skip to the bottom paragraph of this section if you wish to avoid them.
ARC 1 - Hunter Exam - 7 (Good)/10
This served as a solid introduction to the series, and introduced some of its best characters - as the first arc typically does. It had some very simplistic parts, as the exam also comprises of multiple phases, but it captured the ‘adventure’ part of the show well.
ARC 2 - Zoldyck Family - 7 (Good)/10
As much as I enjoyed the Zoldycks as characters, their arc wasn’t too exciting, but it had some decent parts. To me, it seemed filled with a lot of filler sections and unneeded parts, but it did manage to show the extremities of the family.
ARC 3 - Heaven’s Arena - 7 (Good)/10
This arc received an extra point for the introduction of possibly my favourite power system yet – Nen. This vastly varying power is similar to the quirks of My Hero Academia in the aspect that it allows for nearly any ability to exist. This makes the fights of this arc exciting and different, but it was overall a standard tournament arc with almost no stakes and only three previously introduced characters.
ARC 4 - Yorknew City - 7 (Good)/10
Yorknew City is the earliest arc that I have heard praise for in the story, and I was excited to see what would happen in it. The premise didn’t seem too interesting, but I loved Kurapika’s part in this arc – unfortunately the last time he is part of the remaning story covered by the anime. The Phantom Troupe were also a great villain group, and it is a shame they are not mainstay antagonists.
ARC 5 - Greed Island - 6 (Fine)/10
During Greed Island, Gon goes on a video game styled adventure that excited me as a premise, but in reality, added almost nothing to the story except the fact that it was a gateway into the next arc, and was definitely the worst in my opinion. It wasn’t by any means bad, and it was exciting to see Gon and Killua’s new signature techniques, but it featured by far the most forgettable and last-minute villain of the show. The best parts of this arc for me were Gon, Killua and Hisoka’s team up and the newly intoduced character Bisky.
ARC 6 - Chimera Ant - 8 (Very Good)/10
By far the longest arc in the show, the Chimera Ant arc also featured an almost entirely new cast of characters, many of which I enjoyed, and a darker tone that earned this arc a higher age rating than all the rest. It featured most of the show’s exciting fights and though-provoking antagonists. It only dissapoints me that all but one of the high-ranking villains were defeated by essentially being bombed, but they all had their own fights anyway. The remaing antagonist had the best demise in the show in my opinion, with the only transformation the show has. Kite’s death was also well-written: all of Gon’s struggles were for nothing and Kite had already been dead. Another excellent ending was that of the main antagonist Meruem. I only wonder if he won that last game of Gungi…
ARC 7 - 13th Chairman Election - 9 (Great)/10
Despite being one of the shortest arcs, this one was defnititely my favourite. From the carefully planned chairman elections where Leorio becomes a surprise top candiate to Killua’s stuggle for his sister’s (sisters’?) freedom against Illumi’s cruelty, and Gon finally finding his father, this arc never dissapointed. I loved seeing Alluka’s history and her frightening power. This arc spectacularly managed to give a great ending to a story that hasn’t even ended yet. In fact, the ending feels more like a beginning, and makes the entire series so far feel like a prologue, like Luffy’s now dwarfed journey to the Grand Line. Each of the final three episodes could have been the last and left me content.
Overall, Hunter x Hunter’s story, with the exception of the Greed Island arc, only gets better and better. Although the first five are a slow build up of the action yet to come, especially the first three, it is only in terms of episodes half the show. By continuing to beat itself and keep improving, it makes the story of Hunter x Hunter a very rewarding one.
ART: 7 (Good)/10
The animation of Hunter x Hunter was not bad at all - but not amazing either. However, it is a more action and story focused show and does not need incredible animation to make it a worthwhile watch. I am sure it would have been closer to the best in 2011, when it first aired.
SOUND: 7 (Good)/10
Hunter x Hunter only has one opening theme for all 148 epsiodes (though the animation and verses of the song at the beginning of each episode change from arc to arc), and this theme also is played as an instrumental throughout, especially during the first few arcs. I see a large majority deem the best song from it to be the ending theme of the Yorknew City arc, a statement I also agree with. The voice acting is also good - fitting for each character, and the emotional scenes were done well.
CHARACTER: 8 (Very Good)/10
Alongside the power system and the final arc, this was one of my favourite parts of the show. Hunter x Hunter features a wide variety of diverse allies and foes, with many new ones coming and going from arc to arc making for an exciting change and a large cast. The last two arcs add a great amount of new characters which became some people’s favourites, and many of them almost introduce an entirely new cast, bar the main characters Gon and Killua and a familiar face here and there. There is almost certainly a character for you in this show.
ENJOYMENT: 8 (Very Good)/10
As stated at the beginning, I watched Hunter x Hunter with a one year gap in between episode 50 and 51, so what I say does not apply to the first third of the show.
Hunter x Hunter offers almost everyone something – for me it was the excitement of the adventure and the large cast of characters to learn about. I definitely enjoyed this show more and more as I progressed through it.
Now, to answer the questions I opened at the beginning of my review. Was it worth it, and was my friend right?
I can instantly say that it was worth it. This was a great anime to spend my last two Summers watching, and the story only gets more rewarding as you progress. However, saying it was ‘THE shonen’ – not for me. Hunter x Hunter was certainly above average, and it could be the one for you, but it hasn’t topped my current favourites. If you’ve got 2960 minutes to spare, no matter how long you spread it out over, I definitely recommend you give this show a go - join the hunt!
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jun 13, 2024
Dungeon Meshi. Ah, Dungeon Meshi. One of the first season one shows I planned to watch before they aired, but not because it was seasonal. A fantasy (check) story about delicious food (check), learning about monsters (check) and exploring developed ecosystems was something that greatly appealed to me, and here's what I think about it now, after watching it weekly since it began.
STORY: 7 (Good)/10
Whilst I did enjoy the story of this show, it wasn't much higher than the seven I am giving it. I did really enjoy the perfect blend between it being fun and dark, but the substance of it wasn't too special
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or notable - just a vehicle to connect what really makes this show good. I would have given this an 8 if some of it had just been a little bit better, but nevertheless, I cannot say the story is bad in any aspects (from what I can think of). I don't exactly know if the cooking belongs in here, but I can say the fantasy recipes were certainly a cooking marvel. I love the sense of realism they still maintained.
ART: 8 (Very Good)/10
The animation of this show, being produced by Trigger, was above standard, what what I really liked about the art in the show were the designs of the monsters. Not mechanically, as that would go into character, but visually, they match that of Western fantasy franchises with acclaimed creature design. None of the creature designs (apart from the Undine, but it cannot really be improved seeing as it is essentially sentient water) were lazy or leaning too far into tropes. This doesn't exactly apply to the Red Dragon either, but I could not have asked anything more of it - it is a design that fantasy has already built that would feel odd if they deviated too far from the standard. Even the fight scenes were great. The food also looked absolutely delicious.
SOUND: 7 (Good)/10
I often skim through this section quickly, so here are some rapid fire points. Firstly, the (at least Japanese) voice acting was fine, but I did particularly like the performance from Senshi's Seiyuu, Hiroshi Naka (who also plays One Piece's Garp!). The openings were both enjoyable, and I particularly enjoyed the medieval vibes used in the first one (but preferred the second overall)
CHARACTER: 8 (Very Good) or 6 (Fine)/10
I can't decide where to talk about how mechanically interesting the monsters are in this show, so I decided to put them here. The score depends on if you agree with me on if they belong here, 8 being for yes. I loved the different interpretations of monsters in this show, as previously stated, but more so the ideas behind them than the aforementioned good design. Some lesser ones stood out to me more, like the treasure bugs, and I loved the take on the living armour. Each monster that received it's own segment appears to me to be carefully thought out in many aspects, like how it would live in the dungeon's ecosystem, eat and survive. This was definitely my favourite part of the show. On the other hand, the human (or tall-man, dwarf, or elf, or gnome, or half-foot, or... cat?) characters were all OK, no particularly great things stood out to me. Whilst I did like the realism in them, it made the show also less interesting, as whilst realistic characters are good in some stories, high fantasy like this one needs something more. Whilst the monsters were all carefully adjusted to fit, the characters were all the standard races and quite a few of them can be directly assigned to certain RPG classes in almost every way. They did fit the rest of the story though.
ENJOYMENT: 7 (Good)/10
Whilst I'd like to put an 8 here, I wasn't particularly excited during this show. I still love all of the unique monsters and ecosystems, but that's definitely what makes this show interesting for me. Other than that, the adventure aspects of this show were good, but not much better than what else you can find, especially now that this is done releasing and not weekly anymore.
However, despite my previous statements, I still HIGHLY recommend this show to fans of high fantasy, world building, food and cooking, biology or just magical creatures, particularly the last two. If you like more than two of those, I think you'll agree with me on what was great about this show. Whilst when I usually write a review for a show, I give it the rating at the end after the full evaluation by calculating the average, Dungeon Meshi recieved a 7.4. Despite that, I will go out of my way to up it to an 8.
Dungeon Meshi. Ah Dungeon Meshi. Delicious. (in Dungeon, heh)
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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May 26, 2024
One Punch man is a show that is generally well known in this day and age - a popular seinen with a relatively large fan base. It is a parody anime that jokes around with a typical superhero anime (for example, My Hero Academia), where instead of the main character building up their strengths over seasons to face the ultimate evil - Saitama is there from the get-go. Below is my standard MAL ranking system for the show:
STORY: 6 (Fine)/10
The story format reminds me of Dragon Ball (I'm about to make some fans very upset) - random enemies come from various different places, and after
...
they are defeated the next one simply takes its place, with a loose plot driven by fights. One Punch Man, like Dragon Ball, has a very basic narrative to it - not to say that it has none - but, at least in Season 1, it isn't really there. The story to me is less interesting than Dragon Ball, but for One Punch Man, it is much (much) shorter, so it very much should be. However, due to the nature of this show, I never expected a good story out of it - I have no problem with the quality.
ART: 9 (Great)/10
This was one of the much better parts of the show. If you take into account that this show was produced before more recent heavy-hitters in the animation department, like Demon Slayer, it is spectacular. Whilst I wasn't an avid anime watcher at the time this aired, from the anime I have watched around the time period, and the vague memories of those I saw then, it is definitely excellent in quality with rapid, flowing animation. I would have been taken aback by the animation if the episodes aired today - although it is less uncommon nowadays. The character designs were also very varied, but, although I do not usually pay attention to this sort of thing, I can see stigma around the design of the sole black S-Class hero - who was genuinely a near-naked, very buff character with sausage lips. I did like the variety between the rest of them, though.
SOUND: 7 (Good)/10
Another OK part of the show was the sound. I didn't have any problems with it, and I did enjoy the (sub) voice acting (which is most of the 7 - without it, I would have given this part another 6), but the music was mediocre and effects basic. It was fine - nothing special. However, I have seen big fans of the opening so this is partially my taste. I cannot see it being that much higher though.
CHARACTER: 7 (Good)/10
As previously stated - I did enjoy the designs of the characters. Whilst essentially all of them had very flat personalities, I often enjoy cutout-characters in a show, as long as they aren't taken seriously. Actually, I think this show could have been funnier if the characters had been even more flat! In a show like this, it is often enjoyable for me to see typical tropes and archetypes interact together in certain situations. It would obviously also have been more interesting if they were more built as well - but it is a 12 episode show, so I can't expect to see much of the characters (unless this was a slice-of-life or romance) and the only one I could see being very built out are the main characters, and Saitama was pretty much the main focus for the whole show. I believe his character would be ruined by complexity, so this is fine. In addition, there was another character who I am sure was controversial, and, like I said before, I don't usually comment on things like this. I am not black, nor do I identify as gay, but when the only homosexual character in the entire show is sent TO PRISON for, and I quote (according to my subs, at least), 'I see a handsome man, and I take him', it is certainly much.
ENJOYMENT: 6 (Fine)/10
I was essentially planning to drop this show after the end of the season until the very end, as I wasn't too interested in the eventually repetitive humour. However, after seeing the final fight, and Saitama's greatly memed 'Ok' scene, I was more interested. Since it is quite short, I may give the second season a watch after all - but this was essentially a 5 (which is, by the way, the lowest score I have ever given in a review to date, though I am quite selective with what anime I watch) until the very end. Luckily, it was a quick watch, so I recommend you still give it a go if you like the premise (if you haven't yet).
Instead of concluding this with what will essentially be a repeat of my last statement (see the end of the previous section), I will just
finish by saying that by finding the average of all my scores, I have (just read to the bottom) found my perfect
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Apr 25, 2024
Released in 2012, One Piece Film: Z is also One Piece's 12th film, and, despite not having watched all 11 precursors, it would come in around 2nd place were I to rank them. One of the (currently, and I believe) 5 films to have Oda work on it, I was excited to watch it, especially after seeing the build-up presentation of four episodes in the anime, which was set just before the film. My opinions after watching it? See below, in my first movie review.
STORY: 6 (Fine)/10
There wasn't anything too interesting to the story, and seeing as it could be summarised within two minutes (including
...
every scene), it is difficult to understand how it managed to last so long. There was nothing special about it at all, and I don't like the idea of the End Points, mostly because two of them were destroyed, meaning the New World now (luckily non-canonically) depends on a single island's safety. However, story is my main problem with One Piece movies. Of the movies I have watched, Dead End Adventure had my favourite and even that is about a 7 in terms of story.
ART: 8 (Very Good)/10
I greatly enjoyed the new character designs from this movie, but I was disappointed that Z wasn't designed after a famous Japanese actor, as the other admirals are. The black and red (and various other colours for some) Straw Hat designs that appear later in the film were very aesthetically pleasing, but the Hanami (Cherry Blossom) season designs, particularly Franky, seemed a bit much for me, although Franky, as a character often over the top, was quite humorous. I also enjoyed the island the Straw Hats visited after hearing Z was there, where they met Aokiji again. In terms of animation, around the 91 minute mark, Toei's movie team really showed us what they could do. Although this is a lot more common nowadays, it is important to note this movie dates back to 2012, and that the dynamic, fast-paced and many-angled animation is something I am sure served as a great testament to how great One Piece could look, before the regular anime was able to reach the same level.
SOUND: 7 (Good)/10
I often run through this section quickly, but I have some things to say here. I didn't properly listen to the opening, but the ending, which was two songs played one after the other, I definitely did not enjoy as they were both English songs I didn't like. The music played throughout was good, but I can't exactly recall it. Z sings a song that appears multiple times in the movie, and I did like this. The voice acting was great, being One Piece.
CHARACTER: 7 (Good)/10
My favourite part of the cast was seeing Aokiji as someone other than an antagonist for the first time in a while. When he was introduced, this did happen, but he did not do much. After that, he, as a marine admiral, fought against Luffy, and later, he allies himself with a certain someone... (that I'd not like to spoil for people who are only caught up to when this movie is set). I liked Z as an antagonist, especially in the last five minutes of the movie, although I did think his idea of killing everyone in the New World just to exterminate some, not even all, of the pirates, was rather weak. After all, we know Blackbeard came to Drum Island and Whitebeard and Shanks both arrived at Marineford, so it's not so hard to figure out that powerful pirates don't always stay in the later parts of the Grand Line. I'd like to see Z become canon - not this movie, but him as a former admiral that left the Marines for the same reasons. He is definitely a memorable protagonist, one of the at least top two of the films I've seen so far.
ENJOYMENT: 6 (Fine)/10
I watched this film in three sittings and over two days, so that would have affected my enjoyment, but the story didn't seem very exciting, and while it had it's moments that I liked, especially the end, it wasn't anything special. My favourite part was definitely the fight animations and new character designs. Despite my relatively negative feedback, I think most One Piece fans will enjoy this, particularly if you have a lot of time and don't have to make an effort to finish it.
If you're a One Piece fan with a spare two hours, I definitely recommend a One Piece film. With friends, watch the later movies first, like Stampede, Gold and Red (probably in that order, unless one seems particularly interesting to you), but if you have time to kill, this is worth a watch - especially if you're near when this film is chronologically set - in that case, getting to see the elevated animation is great! So, if you enjoy One Piece, don't miss this film!
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Apr 4, 2024
As I write this review, Sengoku Youko has over 8,000 ratings - and yet the score is exactly 7.00. Does it deserve this figure of widespread agreement? Should it be higher or lower? In my opinion, it's exactly right.
STORY: 6 (Fine)/10
I was about to put a higher rating - but the story is quite basic until the end. My main problem with this show, something that holds it back from an 8 or even a 9, is the first few episodes. I almost dropped the show - twice - because of it's incredibly dull start. The progress is very slow and nothing very interesting
...
happens until around episode seven. The reason my rating is 6 is because it's quite a simplistic story, and lots of it is setup. However, I think that the second season (and I believe third, which will come out if the next season does well enough) will be much better, getting that 8 or 9 I mentioned.
ART: 8 (Very Good)/10
The artstyle of this show is my favourite - with lines and borders of various thickness and great shading, so it might just be my opinion, but I thought it was great. The choreography was pretty good but the moves themselves were not half bad, and the transformations were beautiful. It definitely adds to the vibe of the show and fits the setting.
SOUND: 6 (Fine)/10
I might go back and change most of my 7s on sound to 6, because I am yet to see a cast that sticks out as particularly bad, let alone below average. For the original sound track, I enjoyed the music played during the show, but as for the OP and ED, I think they were just average, but I have seen a handful of reviews describing each as a masterpiece, particularly the opening.
CHARACTER: 7 (Good)/10
The characters were like the story, but slightly better - they start out appearing quite basic, but they get more interesting and complex as the show progresses. Once again, my rating is held back by the slow start - so I'm definitely hoping for a good season 2. The character development was definitely good, especially with two characters in particular. I also enjoyed the antagonist because most modern shonen nowadays that I see have antagonists like Shigaraki and Sukuna, forces of chaos and destruction. In Sengoku Youko, the characters remind me of the World Government in One Piece or the (if you've watched, you'll know, this is a twist so I won't say it) of FMA - they appear to the public as heroes and allies, and many of them believe they are, but there is darkness in their core.
ENJOYMENT: 7 (Good)/10
Here, I will use the expression 'high highs and low lows' because that's pretty much sums up this show. To mentally illustrate it, if it was a graph, it would rise slowly, shoot up a bit around episode 7 and then rise slowly again. I did enjoy this show a lot, particularly the fights and episodes 7-10, but I also think the first 6 episodes really drag this down.
I recommend this show, especially since you no longer have to watch the boring start over 6 weeks, and can breeze past it in a day or two. But, I don't really recommend it for the show itself, but so you have context for future seasons that I can imagine will be great.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Mar 29, 2024
Was this show amazing? No. Was it worth a watch? I think so.
The Wrong Way To Use Healing Magic is one of the new more common types of shows that air nowadays, with a small amount of weekly episodes. If you didn't watch it while it was releasing like I did, I can see this being something you'd watch on the weekend or even a single day. If you're going to breeze through this, I think it will make it even more enjoyable.
I'm going to use the MAL ranking system to make my reviews easier to look back on for myself, so here we go.
STORY:
...
7 (Good)/10
The story of this show was quite basic with a few interesting but not unheard of concepts. However, for 13 episodes it was reasonable and didn't need to keep me hooked - the progression was basic, as it only covers about 1 chapter an episode, but there was no problem with it. What makes this show good for me is that it was rewarding for what you put into it. Longer shows, unless you watch them weekly, often have the problem of being weighed down by slow pacing and occasional filler. This show has a clear place to cut it - a perfect place to start Season 2, if they make it, so they probably didn't want to pass this point, and they did a good job of reaching it without dragging things out in One Piece fashion, which, despite it's brilliant story, makes it infuriatingly slow at times, with less than a chapter an episode (honestly, why would you even do this? You'd never need less than 1 chapter per weekly episode for a weekly manga) and very drawn out scenes - things go at a steady pace.
ART: 6 (Fine)/10
I want to make this section quick - all fine, not subpar and reaches 2024 standards. There's no problem here, so unless you were looking for some fabulous fantasy eye-candy, this should be good. I looked at the manga and I notice they've made the style less unique, but it's a positive change in my opinion as I wasn't really a fan of the manga's style.
SOUND: 6 (Fine)/10
I don't want to put another 6 but this show was average in a good way, so it'll keep coming up. I can see someone putting 6 for every category. The music was enjoyable - I liked the opening but I'll probably never hear it again - no scratch that, it can go on my playlist - meaning I might hear it next December, if my shuffle play is kind to the song. My problem with it is that the OST was quite limited - I assume it had a reasonable amount of songs which I know were almost all good - but the number was a bit too small, so some scenes just didn't really go with the music. This doesn't happen in any very important scenes, though, and when it does you can just pay attention to the voices. On the topic of voices, I did actually try the English dub out of curiosity (though I watched the show in Japanese) just for a minute - it was mortifying. However, as a sub watcher, I liked the voices. They all fit the characters but there were no outstanding performances - just like the rest of the show.
CHARACTER: 6 (Fine)/10
It's a shame I can't be kinder to this show - but the characters were fine and no more than that. There was not really any character development, only minor things to the MC - but for 13 episodes it was fine. I didn't expect something special. Fine, just fine. One of the things I did like was the realism of the scenarios. The three 'isekaid' high-schooler characters were talking just like high-schoolers and there was only a very minor aspect of unneeded romance (which still fit by the way, but it wasn't really a plot point so they could have just left it) or exaggeration.
ENJOYMENT: 7 (Good)/10
Another average score, huh? I think this is the kind of show anyone can like, as there's nothing major. In fact, the only people who won't like it are people who are looking for something major. I don't really reccommend it so somebody who doesn't like shonen (I say this because I know some isekais aren't really designed like shonen) but it's good for how I started this review - something to watch over one or two days, maybe while doing a particularly mind-numbing task. If that sounds relevant to you, I highly reccommend this show. But if you don't really want to use time unneccesarily, don't watch this. This is just fluff - it's something minor you don't need to spend much time on.
Weekend watch? Yes. Otherwise? Ignore this show.
Was this show about the Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic. Not to be rough, as I did actually like this show to an extent, but it taught me about the Wrong Way to Use Time. This was a good weekly watch, but it's like a friend you have in a job or school that you leave or finish and then never talk with again. Goodbye, The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Dec 30, 2023
Gege Akutami's villain arc has just begun in the eyes of 'anime-only' watchers, and the reason - Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2. The second installment of this tale of trauma is certainly highly rated - but what would I say?
STORY: 9/10
I'm going to start out by saying that my reviews of Jujutsu Kaisen have almost been entirely flipped. When rating Season 1, I found the story to be a simple amalgam of fights and battles. Yet now, I have seen those battles link an intricate story of death and destruction, where it seems to only get more hopeless as time goes on. Watched your favourite character
...
die? Your next one probably will too. So much thought went into the story this time, and everything has built up Season 3, where we finally get to see the villain's plan in full fruition. The story is one that is not necessary to be understood in order to enjoy the fights that are placed everywhere in the story, but it does greatly enhance the experience.
ART: 9/10
One of the things that is still true from my last review: the fight choreography is spectacular. Not only is the animation flowing, but each character truly embodies their personality in how they fight. The construction of each conflict, every punch, every dodge, is put wonderfully together. The art style many say has dropped, and I'm fully aware this is because of the tight schedule of the MAPPA animators. And I am on the team that enjoyed what I believe was an artistic masterpiece - the Mahoraga fight. Jujutsu Kaisen remains a show you CAN watch with your eyes alone - it's as if Demon Slayer was more exaggerated in every way (apart from the actual animation as opposed to the movement, which I say nothing produced so far can top)
SOUND: 8/10
My flaw with Season 1 is gone, far less background music with lyrics. This means the spectacular OST is allowed to thrive along with new additions. This time, both openings are incredible, and each fits the mood of the current arc. The voice acting is brilliant - it shows pain, lust and fear wonderfully. One of the best voices in the show is, in my opinion, the voice of Mahito - Nobunaga Shimaziki - also the voice of Shun Kaidou from The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. , one of my favourite animes - showed an incredible amount of emotion in his voice. Another incredible part of this show.
CHARACTER: 7/10
A few great characters were in this show, but apart from that, I find the cast to be quite boring. Despite the amount of character development, especially for MC Yuji, and new backstories, they still couldn't cover the (understandably) large cast of characters for a 50 episode show. Most of the new characters introduced I felt the same about - and so, gaining some extra credit for the stars, I still give it a 7 for average characters.
ENJOYMENT: 8/10
The show was good, yes, but since the delicate story was only revealed in the final act, and I am one for story over intense fights, I still had the 'oasis in a barren desert' feeling I described in my Season 1 review, albeit with larger oases and a less barren desert.
In the end, despite quite a few nines appearing in this review, my total rating is still 8 because the best parts were not always there. However, I think anyone can and most will enjoy Jujutsu Kaisen - so despite my own feelings, knowing most people, I definitely recommend this. If I were to ever rewatch this show, I feel the only reason I would is if the entire story was finished in anime format and I wanted to go back to older episodes before 'the return of the golden age of sorcery' or whatever this show has in store.
And so, this was Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2, a rollercoaster of feelings that makes me forget what I disliked about Season 1. Do you want to continue and increase your level of trauma and keep watching this tragedy. Because if you are OK with mild depression - it only gets worse from here, so be prepared! This show is not to be missed!
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Oct 2, 2023
When one thinks of 'new gen' anime, Demon Slayer generally is one that soon comes to mind. This new arc of Demon slayer, commonly referred to as the 4th or 3rd season is a perfect representative of what the show has to offer.
When one, in turn, thinks of Demon Slayer, the animation is usually the first thought. One might state that the show is 'carried by its animation', and while I fundamentally agree, I don't think that's all this show has to offer.
I'm a fan of MAL's category system so that's what I'll be using to describe how I feel about this show.
Story
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- 7/10
Demon Slayer's story feels quite interesting and yet so simplistic. I've enjoyed comparing this show to an older one, 'Seraph of the End' in the past, because, while I did not enjoy 'SotE' nearly as much, I find the premise is an interesting parallel. However, Demon Slayer's setting and atmosphere is by far my favourite. The Story of this show can feel quite repetitive, and it feels like a repeat of the Entertainment District arc with new elements, just as Entertainment District was an evolution of Mugen Train. The fundamental structure of this arc and the last has been the same, but it is an enjoyable one.
1. The location is introduced
2. We see a deeper dive of some minor characters that we have seen before (ex. Uzui, Genya, Mitsuri)
3. The demons finally attack and there is a long final battle that lasts half of the show
4. The Hashira finish what the others started (not the case for Muichiro this time)
5. Tanjiro takes a leaf out of Deku's book and cries on the floor
However, I can't say I don't like this structure. I could add the backstories here but I'll save them for the Characters section
Art - 10/10
Do I even have to explain? Whether it's vibrant attacks, high-speed swords, spectacular lighting or simply a zoomed out shot, Demon Slayer may indeed be 'carried by its animation' to extent. Ufotable's work on this adaptation has earned it the top spot on the anime animation tier list. Finally, though they are from the manga, the characters' official art is also striking. I'll cut this short because, frankly, whoever calls themselves an anime fan simply must at least be aware of this show's impeccable animation.
Sound - 9/10
This arc's opening, 'Kizuna no Kiseki' is, as far as I'm aware, the first OP that has not been created by LiSA, who I have generally associated with Demon Slayer as she created the OPs 1-3, Gurenge, Akeboshi and Zankyou Sanka. I am a fan of these and they are all on my playlist. However, although Man With A Mission's new OP is, in my opinion, only third best of the four openings, it's still great. Additionally, I've always liked this shows music in general, especially the motif of 'Kamado Tanjiro no Uta'. Overall, I would say this Show's music, the voice acting, sound effects and background themes which traditional Japanese instruments, which are very appeasing to me, together mean this incredible visual experience is backed up by an incredible audible experience. Because really, what is any show, game or piece of media without its music. If you're a big fan of Demon Slayer, I suggest you now take a moment to play 'Kamado Tanjiro no Uta'. While I doubt it will increase your evidently high view of the show, it might get you into the mood of the show which will allow you to understand my criticisms - here comes my lowest score.
Characters - 6/10
Gee.
A typical protagonist, comic relief, the hothead and the necessary female deuteragonist. Wow, Gotouge. The best part of this show is, honestly, whatever ufotable has done to make this into the success it is today, these being the previous two categories. If Demon Slayer looked like early One Piece and sounded like Pokemon Journeys, it would not be nearly as big. The designs of the characters carry their uninteresting concepts. Every background manages to be different enough to not look like a template but similar enough that, now that the formula has been found, it does not deviate from what Gotouge had recieved poistive reception to. There are a few characters that break the mold in such uncreative ways it makes it feel like there is a mold for breaking the mold. But, in the end, most people don't watch Demon Slayer for it's sad backstories. For example, take a look at Genya and Tanjiro's backstory.
1. There is no father in their big family with many siblings (At least four brothers and exactly two sisters)
2. An important member of the household leaves for work
3. Demons are attacking the main home!
4. Only two siblings are left alive
I realise that, when you take into account that neither of the brothers are demons, and their mother was their attacker, it's not too similar. But it still fits the 'Demon Slayer Tragic Backstory' mold - my family was slaughtered and there was a demon attack, I want revenge. The only exceptions I can think of to this rule are easily explainable. Rengoku was raised to be a hashira, Inosuke's backstory(I know from the manga does in fact fit the mold, Zenitsu has no apparent backstory as far as I am aware and Mitsuri's backstory is 'My last husband rejected me! I want a husband', which is absolutely ridiculous.
In the end, this section was simply a huge rant about the whole franchise. I feel like those more educated in this show might be able to give a good argument. Also, keep in mind, as someone who wants to be an author, I am keeping in mind that so far, Gotouge has done much better than I have.
Enjoyment 9/10
I didn't watch Demon Slayer for more than raw entertainment. It has action, an OK story and good animation. One might think me a hypocrite if they read my review for Jujutsu Kaisen, but keep in mind I did not enjoy the otherwise generally well-reviewed animation of that show. Demon Slayer is a show where you don't need to follow much story, and you can just watch it and enjoy the sights and sounds. I watched this show within a 24 hour period (I watched the first episode a night before the rest) and I did enjoy all of it. In general, Demon Slayer is a good franchise - even the manga, which I might have come off as disliking.
As always, please don't let my review of the show change how you feel about it. After all, stories are subjective. Please, enjoy this brilliant tale.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Aug 12, 2023
So, Jujutsu Kaisen, a rising anime that is gaining popularity. The show is classed a shonen anime, and much like other notable shonen, it adheres to the 'fight stuff and rise up the in-universe ranking system' method. However, Jujutsu Kaisen doesn't like to make this clear. The show feels like a different take on this method. Here's my review on it.
1. Story:
For me, the story is filled with good and bad parts. Often, I found myself sitting through the episodes for no reason, feeling no emotion. At other times, such as when watching Yuuji confront Junpei, I was a roaring flame. Junpei's death was
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an episode that got a 10/10 for me. So, whilst the story can be boring at some points, it is also frequently compelling. However, there are a few major criticisms. However, at the end of the day, Jujutsu Kaisen isn't a show to go to if you want a compelling story. If you want action, madness and fast-paced fights, then you've come to the right place.
Rating: 7
2. Art:
Jujutsu Kaisen's art is a tough one. So, to break it down, here are the pros and cons. For pros, the fight scenes are incredible. Fast-paced action, flashy moves, clever strategies and the ability to make you disoriented. Another thing I noticed was how impressive the angles can be at points. For cons, I'd say the show's appearance is very basic for this day and age. If compared with other shows, and no, my standards aren't Demon Slayer, the art has nothing on it's own. It's the movement of the show that makes the animation good, not the thing that is moving.
Rating: 7
3. Sound
Jujutsu Kaisen's OST is quite different to other anime because a large part of it is in English! Even in the sub version of the show, English lyrics often accompany the background music. However, I am not the biggest fan of this, not because it is in English, but because it has lyrics in general! In most forms of media, including anime, you will notice that music with lyrics is mostly only played when the characters are silent or singing the lyrics themselves. I am also not a fan of the story's openings/endings, with the exception of Kaikai Kitan. However, on the other side of the sound department is voice acting. This is one of the pros of the show. Being one of the 'big' anime of the 2020s and generally standing at around #15 on the leaderboard as of recent, the show is expected to have good voice acting, and I can simply stay that does not disappoint.
Rating: 7
4. Character:
I will just say it flatly, I don't like the majority of characters in this show. Firstly, Yuuji's motivations make sense, but makes him feel like a character that is not similar enough to the viewer. Often, viewers love to see themselves in the main character's shoes, but Jujutsu Kaisen makes that hard. He's the typical stupid, energetic, powerful and goofy trope. While I'm sure some viewers may feel like this describes them to an extent, I am yet to meet a single member of the anime community to match with all of these. Secondly, many of the side characters with a few notable exceptions feel very similar, especially Mai, Kugisaki and Maki. They all feel like the same character with an added defining trait added onto each of them to make them seem different. When a character I liked quite a lot was introduced, they were killed off within a few episdoes! However, this being Junpei and, in my opinion, the best part of the show, is easily forgivable.
Rating: 6
5. Enjoyment:
As my rating shows, I have mixed feelings about the show. I would say that I enjoyed this show, but I often felt nothing at all while watching. I wan't bored, but I cannot say I was interested in what was happening on screen, apart from during the fights. However, it's not the show's fault. While for me, I gave the show a seven, which is below average in my standards, I can see this show getting much higher scores as shown by the total average. It is important to note that I love to watch compelling stories, and that is not what Jujutsu Kaisen is about.
Enjoyment: 7
In conclusion, whether or not you enjoy this show seems a simple assessment for me. Do you like compelling stories or fast-paced action? Please, don't let my review change your opinion on the show, just take it as another perspective.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Apr 16, 2023
Isekai Ojisan, or Uncle from Another World, is an anime available only on Netflix, and this show is not publicised enough.
The premise of the show is, in simple terms, a 'reverse-isekai' where someone goes to another world and then comes back. In this case, the MAL ranking system is perfect to describe this:
Story - 9
The story is quite typical of an isekai, however, it is presented to the viewer in a far better way. Firstly, we do not see the hero build up power, instead, he somehow is an extremely powerful magic-user from the start of the show. The best thing I have to
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say about this is that the show refrains from using romance as a plot point despite there being three main girls in the series who could serve as a love interest, including the typical tsundere. The story is not particularly compelling, but it is well-written and having the reactions of the other main characters watching the memories through 'icuras elran', the show's memory projection spell. However, the story was not boring and rather entertaining, using humour not as a way to spice it up but rather as the base foundation. The show had no filler, and the pacing was perfectly on point, not too fast like the start of FMAB or slow like One Piece. Each scene or short arc went into plenty detail, but nothing took too long. The ending was also plenty satisfying (the rest of this sentence contains minor spoilers), finally giving us the isekai battle we could expect from a finale. Honestly, it left me expecting a season two, but the show had no plot points at the very least. His first few days in the other world are also surprisingly dark. However, a flaw I have with this show is how not enough time is spent in the actual world. From episode one or two, the titular character becomes a YouTuber, showing off his magic and passing it as effects, which could have had more focus apart from one or two scenes.
Art - 7
This show's style is not bad but neither is it exceptional. It gets an extra point, however, for the greatly entertaining 3D animation that is shown in the intro - truly a masterpiece. I must mention, though, that the animation was fluid and did not hold back the show in any way.
Sound - 7
I'm going to go through this section quickly. Voice acting: on point and fitting. Music/OST - OK, but not too much of one track. OPs/EDs - I didn't even notice the ending, but the show's intro wasn't terrible and grew on me throughout the show, to the point where I stuck out through the credits on the last episode to enjoy it. It's a check mark if the OP ended up on my playlist, which did eventually happen.
Characters - 8
The characters of this show were many things. They were well designed, and their personalities were good, but they all felt typical. The only exception to this is the MC, who is known by many names, but we can call him Wolfgunblood (you'll know why if you've seen it, otherwise - go watch it now!) Wolfgunblood is the perfect exception to the 'typical comment'. He's not handsome, though the many faces he has throughout the show are, in my opinion, hilarious. He's not particularly strong in personality either, what with getting everything he knows from video games. Overall, this show might be worth watching just for him.
Enjoyment - 10
I started out with this show maybe being a 7, but it went up quickly in the last half of the show. The jokes were on point and I could rewatch this show again and again - in fact, with the mindset of the last few episodes, I might enjoy it more. The show is memorable and I would recommend everyone to give the show a go. It's not too long either - this is the perfect show to binge.
With a 42/50 - this show is worth your time, even if you don't have much to spare.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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