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Another isekai power trip? While "Gaikotsu Kishi-sama, Tadaima Isekai e Odekakechuu" is not a masterpiece by any means, it has certainly exceeded my expectations.

Yes, it is firmly positioned in the trash heap which forms the body of the genre. We all are way too familiar with its sins: careless worldbuilding, paper-thin characters, porn level logic, debilitating edginess and overall bad taste - there really is no need to cover them in detail. And this series is not a world of difference from the norm. However, I think it stands above most of its peers, many of them much better known, in quality writing.

First of all, ... it has an actual plot. Not pretextual, or meant solely to emphasize the main character's qualities; a real one. The events are propelled by characters' actions and reasonably well grounded in the setting, and the characters themselves seem capable of human-level intelligence. Much of the genre cares not about such trivialities; things usually happen out of the blue, often contrary to logic, simply because they are needed for the main character to shine or obtain some sort of reward (often in the form of female affection). But here, the authors actually went to the trouble of writing a coherent story, which makes this anime feel like an actual fantasy adventure and not a fever dream of some incel. The setting itself lends to that: while it is certainly generic, it sticks to a certain standard of quality, which is to not actively cause viewers' brain cells to commit suicide. The political intrigue actually makes sense and carries a certain suspense; while not exactly byzantine, it seems rock solid in its execution when compared against what we are usually subjected to in similar titles.

Secondly, the characters. Again, "generic" is a word that immediately comes to mind. However, there's a difference between a cliche character and a cardboard character, and thankfully, these tend to fall to the former category rather than the latter. They may not be very original, but they mostly seem like living people rather that props, which is not something we can say about power fantasy isekai often enough. The main character is a genuine nice guy (by his actions, not by creators' insistence) and not a carbon copy of another MC (yeah, certainly not lord Ainz). Ariane is a rather typical cross between Arthuria "Saber" Pendragon and Raphtalia, with more determination than brains, but is consistent about her personality and not a bloody idiot who needs to be managed like a pet. Chiyome is a stereotypical ninja assassin catgirl, but without becoming either an asshole or a moe blob, and she can hold an actual conversation like a civilized person. Most other allied and neutral characters are also equipped which some basic depth, which makes the big difference between a character, however trivial, and a mere plot device. Villains are the weakest point, but even they seem to have some basic motivation for doing what they do, which is far from certain in the realm of crappy isekai.

Character designs are mostly pleasant to the eye. Arc's armour is intricate and flashy, but not outrageous, and actually nice to look at. On the other hand, Ariane's outfit exists primarily to emphasize her gag boobs, which makes it hard to focus on anything else about her looks (yeah, they're that absurdly big, at least compared to other characters). Other characters mostly fall somewhere in between, with the normal range of beautiful youngsters, ugly bastards and unremarkable villagers. However, my favourite part are locations: the elven capital actually impressed me with its sophisticated yet coherent and actually simple design. Battle scenes are rather cheap, but done competently with what the animators had. Voice acting is, uh, standard. Music exists.

Apparently most good points of this anime can be summarized as "not as bad as the competition", which sounds like a terrible recommendation. However, it makes a big difference: the series is actually watchable without causing psychosomatic symptoms like sudden urges to claw one's eyes out, and I'd say it is a huge improvement. It's simply a solid, average series: not something you would show to promote anime in general, but it works well enough if you're looking for some harmless fantasy entertainment. Or as some would say, it's trash, but trash with standards when it comes to production quality. I'll give it a tentative 7/10, since I actually had fun watching it and wouldn't mind seeing more of it.

In the beginning I must state that Excel Saga is a hell of an anime series. I mean, there are lots of works that aim to be the over-the-top, crazy roller coaster rides, but most of them end rather poorly. Excel Saga does not, as director Watanabe Shinichi seems to understand well that it takes a genius to make stupidity enjoyable.

Let's face it: Excel Saga is stupid. I mean, everyone (except for Nabeshin maybe) is a total loon one way or the other, and the world itself is as realistic and serious as the one in, say, the Naked Gun series or Hot Shots. Still, ... the viewer is immediately drawn into this world, and the characters quickly become as familiar to him/her as those in 300-episode anime sagas. The sense of humor in this series is completely lunatic, but still very efficient in making the viewer roll on the floor laughing - either because it's so clever or simply so shameless.

One must bear in mind that it is a parody series, and as such it makes fun of so many movie cliches, not only anime. Actually, it seems surprisingly Western in many aspects; the critique of cheap sci-fi, action B-movies, or date games is very appealing to a European viewer (like me). However, the series goes further than just being a parody; the characters are genuinely likeable, the plot (for lack of a better word) is actually captivating, and the art is exceptional. However, I think the greatest accomplishment of the creators is the way the viewer is endlessly being surprised, caught with his proverbial pants around his ankles by sudden twists in the plot and completely crazy (but fun) developments.

Is Excel Saga perfect? No, it's not; I still can't forgive them those two filler episodes made from previously shown material. However, most people will be taken aback by the sheer amount of... aimless energy, displayed not only by Excel herself, but by the entire anime. So much happens all the time that many people will undoubtedly find it annoying or hard to digest. This is not a series for everyone, that's all.

I might sound like a fanboy, but I'll say it anyway: this anime radiates awesomness, if you can handle that. It's not perfect, but it's easy to forgive its failings. However, I'd rather recommend it to more adult viewers, as I think it takes some cultural experience and maturity to fully appreciate this anime.

Hail, Ilpalazzo!

I have yet to see a yuri action series that is not idiotic to the point of being unwatchable. I mean, is it too much to ask?

This one started okay: we have an alien invasion, a superpowered heroine and her not-so-super partner (and love interest, of course) and a city to be destroyed. There even are some really good horror scenes in the first half of the first episode, which gave me some hope that it would be interesting to watch. However, after that it everything makes a nosedive and then continues to bury deep into the ground. There is absolutely no logic whatsoever behind ... anyone's actions (apart from the Iczer One maybe, but all she does is slicing invaders in half as they appear), the characters are annoying, and the dialogues can't be more cheesy. I liked the art, though; both the designs and the animation have a nice 80's feeling to it.

I gave it a 3, because of the visuals and one or two good scenes. But honestly, IT SUCKS.

I can't say I expected much from another Pink Pineapple production, but still I decided to drop it after watching the first episode. I haven't played the game, but I am under impression that this series was made solely for the its fans, who would like to review the story they already know.

The plot consists almost entirely of rapidly changing scenes, trying to tell the story as briefly as possible, without any kind of dramatic sense whatsoever. The characters are poorly presented, too; some of them can be described accurately by using only one or two words (like "silent warrior" or "eerie elf"), and the ... rest... well, I can't even find the words to describe them, thy're so flat. They, as well as the entire plot, are clearly designed for a game (to influence the player's actions and feelings), not a story that can be watched from the outside.

By the way, it doesn't even make for a good hentai. In the entire first episode there was only one mildly erotic scene, which was as dull and lifeless as the entire anime.

To sum up: I think "lifeless" is an accurate description of this title. It is dull, uninteresting, seemingly made with no motivation at all. It definitely lacks a spark, something to actually attract the viewer's attention (not necessarily more sex). Add mediocre, low budget visuals, and you'll know why I won't recommend this title to anyone. Even desperate ecchi seekers.