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The Progressive reimagining of SAO could have been an opportunity for Aincrad to be done right, but with the direction things are headed, it will still suffer all of the same problems of the original.

The biggest problem with the movie is that it doesn't really justify being a movie. The story feels like a filler arc because the central conflict is just about maintaining the existing status quo. The consequences of the conflict in the movie are not explored in the movie itself and is instead left as foreshadowing for what could happen in the future of the series. The story probably would have been ... better off as an OVA or TV show because after the movie you are left feeling like nothing happened since it's all setup.

That isn't damning by itself, but there isn't any meaningful themes, character growth, or drama in the movie either. You are left wondering what the point was in watching it at all. At least in the original SAO there was the drama of Aincrad being a death game and people constantly grappled with that fact. But the audience already knows Kirito and Asuna are never going to die because this is a prequel, so that deflates a lot of the tense moments. That being said, they could at least try to make it suspenseful. Everyone is just presented as epic badasses that know exactly what to do.

Unfortunately the action doesn't really live up to that presentation. You'd think since this was a movie they would put more diligence into the art. Yet at its best, this looks like a moderately above average TV anime. You still got shots of 10 people standing still in non-combat stance during climactic boss fights just like the original anime. The bosses will do things like shoot lasers directly into a tank's shield to look cool and pretend they are useful instead of the tanks actively trying to block the attacks for the fighters. And the fighters will jump 2 stories high and hit tiny targets with pinpoint accuracy like they have superpowers, breaking any immersion that this is supposed to be a semi-grounded world with swordplay. The choreography is often just not well thought-out and none of the sakuga really caught my eye.

Overall, it's mediocre to watch, and the more time you spend thinking about it the more you realize it's actually just bad. There is a lot worse to say but I don't wish to write spoilers. I give it a 4. It gets extra 1 point for still having a decent soundtrack. The action gets an extra 2 points because while it's mediocre it still redeems the movie a little bit. Skip the theatrical release and watch it at home with a meal if you really want to see it.

**This review only covers the characters and story, and is spoiler free minus some thematic elements**

Sakurasou might have actually been good if the light novel tropes were gone and it was a romance drama more than just a drama. Most of the characters hangups make for a good setup but for one, there is a conceptual flaw in the drama; and two, the main character is badly written.

The conceptual flaw is that the story strongly pushes the idea that is Sorata's indecisiveness is the main cause of conflict, when in reality it is his pride and feelings toward Mashiro. The author obviously wanted self-agency ... to be one of the main themes of the show, but that aspect is the least interesting part of the entire situation. If it instead focused on the quandary of being in love of a severely autistic person, or the REAL issue at hand, Sorata's pride, the show could have been a great drama. You might be thinking, "What if they address these issues later on in the story?" If this was my first time watching it I would probably give it the benefit of the doubt as well, but they never dip into that territory. Instead, the show seemingly insists that the only way you can be in a relationship with someone is if you are just as talented as they are, which is a totally selfish and narcissistic way of looking at things. And all that shit about struggles of being in love with a mentally ill person? Completely swept under the rug. In fact, the show fetishizes it, the very title likening it to having a girl as a pet.

The other problem with the show is that Sorata is not treated as a character, but as a light novel protagonist. This means he has to always be a retarded beta-male cuck who is the straight man to everyone's 'kooky hijinks'. He is nearly incapable of normal conversations, instead switching from unfunny straightman, to Gary Stu, or angsty teen, whichever the plot needs at the moment. While he does manage to read in between the lines occasionally, it is only when its convenient to the plot and otherwise he is as dumb as a brick.

The fact that this show even has a straight man is another one of its biggest flaws. The show is always trying to make jokes based around the odd behavior of the eccentric cast, but the problem is: it's not funny, and it has never been funny. It usually goes: Mashiro repeats herself or says something misleading, and Sorata, at the top of his lungs, scolds her. The jokes are so formulaic and on-the-nose that I find myself sighing more than laughing. What's more, scenes like these also negatively impact the sense of romantic chemistry between the two. I understand the idea of using comedy to keep the tone from getting too heavy, but when there's writing of this level, humor is best left on the cutting room floor.

I could go into more depth about it's use of tired light novel tropes, but if you recognize that phrase you probably already know what I'm talking about. Overall the scenario has promise, but the show fails to be anything more than angsty self-insert light novel trash.

This show is a well-oiled machine. In only 12 episodes it managed to develop its themes and tell the whole story without feeling rushed. Truly a miracle for a 12 episode anime. And to put the cherry on top, this show has several plot twists and still manages to keep up the consistency.

The fluidity of the CG was also impressive. I was paying close attention and I didn't notice any points where it got choppy and ugly like it does in most CG shows. The mechs, especially the protagonist's, also have a layer of polish to them. The only CG that looked kinda bad was ... the dragon, which looked like it was taken from a GameCube game (still very fluid though).

The soundtrack was also good, it gave the fights the epic backdrop they needed for me to get immersed. The opening also gets a pass. While the soundtrack is good, I still feel there's work to be done if it's going to be as good as the soundtracks from other greats like Gurren Lagann.

My main issue is that there really isn't much time for the characters to get fleshed out since it the series is so short and fast. There was enough development to serve the narrative, sure, but not enough to get attached to any of characters besides the protagonist. If this were a two cour I feel my score would be better since the large cast would have more of an opportunity to leave an impression on me.

Another issue I had is that I feel like it was too... normal? It does all the normal mecha tropes well, but at the same time I think years from now there won't be much for me to remember this for besides being competently executed. If I was left with the feeling that this show was more unique, my score also would have been higher.

So that's Planet With, a 7/10 show. Coming from me that's actually a pretty good score, at least compared to other people who'd throw out a 7 without a second thought. I'd recommend it to anyone since since its overall execution was very consistent, but for the reasons I've explained earlier I wouldn't expect them to think it's going to be their favorite or anything.

No Game No Life Zero is a prequel to the events to the anime, focusing on Riku and his robotic companion Shuvi. That's pretty much all you need to know for this particular review.

The story can feel kind of light novel-ey, but in a good way. Unlike the anime, which has a light-hearted and fun plot, this movie has a more gritty and tragic one. If you're prone to the feels, you might even cry at some parts. However, it still does a wonderful job of capturing the spirit of NGNL. Comedic interjections are often put to ease up tense moments, and the movie has ... a tendency of not taking itself seriously, especially in the beginning. Basically if you're a fan of the comedy in NGNL this movie features the same kind of humor as well.

There is some action in this movie, but honestly it felt pretty mediocre. However, it's not really worth complaining about anyway since NGNL was never really an action anime in the first place. You do get to see Jibril's powers in actions though, which is pretty cool.

If there's one actual problem with it, it's the pacing. Others have mentioned this, but the pacing can get real wonky at times. Judging by what I know about the source material, quite a bit of details were left out, so it makes sense the pacing feels weird. Other than this I'd say it's a solid movie. Definitely a must watch for anyone who enjoyed the original. Eights across the board.

Laughing Salesman is a pretty good show, easily watchable from beginning to end. If you are considering watching this, you can just go through one or two episodes and pretty much get the jist of it since the show has a static pattern.

What made this interesting to me was seeing how different characters approach Moguro's offers, and their particular weaknesses that cause them suffering. For a psychological show, its simple and easy to digest. The occasional exaggeration in the art adds to its comedic moments, and its eerie ones. The opening is also catchy and sets the mood pretty well.

It falls short because after ... time it becomes too predictable. The plot of each half-episode is fairly solid, but the formula easy to foretell and probably not very entertaining if you try watching it all at once. None of Moguro's customers ever outsmart him, end up better off, or solve their issues without some consequence. It's obvious Moguro specially chooses his targets because everyone he deals with is doomed to fail, but that doesn't really make for an entertaining narrative for weeks on end.

Overall, it's a 6/10. You could probably pass this and be no worse off, but at the very least Laughing Salesman is better than most would lead you to believe.