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Jun 27, 2024
Konosuba has always walked that tightrope of being a show about irredeemable assholes and a show about a bunch of people learning how to become a family, albeit a misfit dysfunctional one. This season like the other 2 made me remember why I get so excited hearing news related to this franchise.
My only major critique is that its more of the same. However, thats not necessarily a bad thing. The final episodes lay into the emotional stakes tying this adventuring party together, all the while making you laugh so as to not be too dour. Its not the kind of show in which a
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severe tragedy is actually going to occur, Konosuba isn't aiming for serious drama. Its maybe a dramedy, a farcical one at that. And thats for the best.
I enjoy how derpy the faces get when they are off model, and the Konosuba character designs operate off a shared visual shorthand for character expressions that I've become accustomed to. The OP/ED are well storyboarded and animated. And the VAs kill it as per usual.
I wish it was 12 episodes instead of 11, but honestly complaining about wanting more of a good thing is hardly a critique. If you're seriously debating as to whether or not to watch this season...stop lying, no you're not. Who watches 2 seasons and a movie but then has a debate about the third season? In fact, who is this review even for? New viewers? Who would start a series on season 3???
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Feb 26, 2024
TL:DR Best entry in the franchise...retroactively made me relove the original.
I'm going to be brutally honest...I enjoyed this way more than this project had any right to be enjoyed. When I finished the original Votoms series and got to that last revelation, my stomach dropped. The idea that Chirico was not some Rambo-esque commando with mechs due to his skill but because of some cosmic exploit made the action feel sort of cheap in retrospect. The OVAs like Shining Heresy that follow Chirico's life after the series did not help that feeling and I kind of felt spoiled off the franchise due to it.
Out
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of a whim, I decided to go back and rewatch the Red Shoulder OVA entries about Chirico's past, and realized I never actually watched Pailsen files yet. I heard the CGI was garbage and decided I would decide after one episode if it was watchable or not.
Hot take incoming: Not only are the mechs watchable, but Pailsen Files has the best mech action in the entire franchise (outside the jungle arc which is still goated)
Are the 3D models jarring? Yes in the sense that they are 2000s era 3D models and as many have pointed, look like something out of a PS2 game. But watching this series made me realize, I do not care any more about the models as much as I care about the implementation. So what if the models look like it came out of a PS2? This is MAL, I know damn well someone has watched the cutscenes of his/her favorite JRPG without replaying the game. In that context, not only does it hold up it looks amazing. This juxtaposition between 3D mechs and 2D character art reminds me a lot of Xenogears and other PS1 rpgs of that time.
And the variation of operations, the absolute bleak statistical death rate reducing the iconic Scopedog into nothing more than a grenade on two legs. And the implementation of strategy and tactics. Like actual squad based tactics. It makes the mechs that look dated feel fresh purely because of the absence of this kind of combat in the mecha genre. And its the intention of the models, go have them move in cohesion as a squad, or to become another cog in a massive formation. They do not blend into the 2D environment that well, but I kind of forget all that when they move so confidently, or are part of these massive train wrecks within an operation. It just works.
But the main thing that makes me love this series the most, is the fact the way it recontexualizes the main plot point of the original series. Chirico's genetic plot armor. In the Red Shoulder OVA entries, we don't really get the implication of Chirico's powers outside of his literal genetic predispositon to deus ex machina his way out of anything. And yeah, plot armor being a literal phenomenon/Mcguffin within the actual plot is a pretty cool concept.
But then the Pailsen files ask...what about plot armor as a weapon. Not just plot armor, but plot bullet and shield? And then it hits you. The absolute absurdity of this concept. What if your world had a LITERAL MAIN CHARACTER. And you could not just hide your soldiers behind his plot armor, but then launch operations knowing for sure they would always make it out alive? Where they would alter the vary quantum state of your universe simply by being in its presence, and any observer by extension would also be altered by witnessing the affects? The implications is straight up nightmarish, horrifying in a way that wasn't really given time to breathe in the original show because of the whole unraveling of the conspiracy. But in the OVA we understand, completely understand it. Trying to kill the main character can result in the end of your career, your life and a whole ass planet.
And the cast, most of the mecha shows that deal with military structures either have the organization feel like its a bunch of extras to bounce dialogue off the main ensemble cast (usually a squad or a platoon) but in the VOTOMS universe the military is revealed to be what it actually is in the real world. The first cousin to the prison experience. Your base is a cell block, your barracks a cell. And there is no inherent Saving Private Ryan style default love for one's comrade. Crap soldiers have a reputation that stinks with them across multiple duty stations. Factions and cliques and numerous crapbag NCOs litter your life from now on.
This desire to deglamorize military life, and to devalorize the soldier by juxtaposing it in contrast to the main character cast and their squad IS THE POINT. Not just of the OVA but of the entire series. Why do all the soldiers die in this show, or in any war media? Its because they're not the main character, and neither is the audience watching it. No heroic derring do, the only virtue these soldiers have is in direct proximity to being near the main character. When they stray too far, they are given literal divine punishment.
Its insane and I love it, but I don't want any other series to replicate it lol. Give it a watch.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Jun 16, 2019
TL;DR Give it a watch, its definately worth it.
Its a shame not that many people appreciate this show to give it a higher score, but more importantly, that many people haven't even heard of it to begin with considering how rare the more grounded subject matter it deals with is both more poignant in today's political climate, and absent in anime's obsesdion with action schlock geared towards the fantastical.
Because Desert Rose is action schlock, and honestly has no real greater message other than, terrorists are bad. But its execution is admirable and the creator clearly is well researched enough to immerse his audience
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within the story that he spins with great detail.
Desert Rose is about an all female group of counter terrorists led by a female victim of terrorism. The OVA came out in the 90s and for some reason was never picked up for a full series. Which is a shame because the manga it was based off of gave me the same kind of enjoyment as gunslinger girls.
The OVA in question is more than competent as well. The enjoyment comes from the details I mentioned earlier. I get that this is an anime and obviously takes some liberties with its realism but what was there brought a huge smile on my face. Soldiers that talk like soldiers, who clear rooms and relay reports to one another with brevity. There's a scene where a Swiss commando tests these ladies in their competencies by drawing a gun on them and while most of it was over the top, there was a bit in there where two of the counter terrorists immediatwly snap to covering the window in anticipation of other opposition forces. The implication being that they are always cognizant of their surroundings and are as a result, always alert.
This last part was what I got out of the OVA the most and what I expect is what warranted such a low MAL score. I expect most people wanted a Die Hard or Black Lagoon kind of show where everyone is a Peckinpah, Woo, or Tarantino creation and was bored by the pre planning, waiting, and brief bits of action that actually occured. To those people I ask, don't we have way too many of those shows already? Again, this is just an anime so girls with guns in maid outfits are a plenty, but they have a mission pertinent reason for putting them on to begin with. Not to mention the female combatants are given way more agency than just, girls who like to shoot things.
The ending was abrupt and if this was supposed to be a pilot for a potential series, I wonder why they didn't jist adapt the first chapter which was a more palatable opening for what the series can offer.
All in all, I think this is a great OVA, the character designs were cool and much attention was given to the firearms to not look goofy. The large cast works as a strength as they serve more as a way to highlight tue main character's competencies as a leader and how they admire her l, with the exceptions of her direct subordinates, each of whom have a moment, however brief to shine.
The soundtrack, outside of the Ending was kind of forgetable but the baclground art was consistently enjoyable.
I'd give this a 7.5/10 with a strong reccomendation to check out the manga after the OVA but more than likely the OVA will have sold you on that option already as I was wanting more and binge read as much as I could.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Sep 25, 2018
TL;DR This OVA is underrated as hell watch it.
For everyone else:
Do you like Robocop? Or Total Recall? This is a funny twist on that kind of cybernetic sci trope. Once a salaryman who worked himself to death, his company offers him a once in a lifetime deal;
Upload his brain into a computer bank that remotely controls his new android body, and the company will take care of his family in return. No longer his old self, he's now...
YAMAZAKI! BUSINESS COMMANDO! RESCUING COMPANIES AND DESPERATE SALARYMEN FROM TIGHT DEVELOPMENT SCHEDULES, POOR MARKETING TACTICS, AND RIVAL BUSINESS COMMANDO CORPORATE ESPIONAGE!!
Seriously these old school OVAs are
...
such a gem. The premise was so weird that I thought that it was already worth the watch. They convey Yamazaki's machine like personality so well down to his square rigid unfeeling face and glasses that reflect his eyes to the drab suit he wears. His VA acts the monotone lines with a kind of cold anger that sells him as a business machine.
The OVA does hype you up with a cool android vs android battle to help establish Yamazaki's character but it ends up making you anticipate the next one for the rest of the OVA, which takes a while. If you want a bunch of cool robot fights this isn't for you. They're animated well though, and the techniques each business commando uses is hillarious. Yamazaki's Name Card shurikens made laugh so hard but his ace in the hole made me gasp for air. The business commandos even have proper sales etiquette towards one another as they introduce themselves with their cards and a customary bow. I swear whoever thought of this idea is amazing and I wished this got turned into a full series.
For the scenes when polite killer robots aren't following proper business etiquette, Yamazaki is essentially helping a business release a new telephone product that might as well be an iPad. The development team he works with are developed enough to track a logical change from the lazy assholes they were in the beginning of the OVA to the self respecting salarymen dedicated to the company by the end without needing to focus on them so much. Its a simple change arc so thats good as Yamazaki is the focus of the OVA. Yamazaki also picks up a teen girl runaway who acts as his foil. Her emotional outbursts and tendencies to leap before she looks acts as a great contrast to Yamazaki's cold and calculating nature. Also her VA plays the role of a bratty teen rather well.
If there's one gripe I do have is that I didn't find any of the music rather memorable at all. Like whenever a song would come on, it felt like elevator music it was that boring. Also the background designs seem rather samey but since most of the settings are office interiors I didn't mind all too much.
Added points for this surreal flashback of Yamazaki's past that reminded me of Spawn TAS. Also the mechanical design of these androids are way more detailed than they needed to be and I enjoyed it. Severed arms leave behind a metric shit ton of individual fragmented parts that must've been a pain to draw by hand.
This OVA had a simple story about holding on to what you value most in life as it can be taken away from you at any moment. And since the runtime is just under 40 mins the script does not use that time to dick around. Everyone is well characterized and the climax while cliche serves its purpose as being the ultimate declaration of the creators intent.
At the time of me writing this, the OVA has a 5 point whatever. And thats weird. If this were a pilot for an anime I'd greenlight the shit out of this. A heartwarming OVA with the genre trappings of 80s scifi B movies might sound like a turn off, but I'd say it was a 40 minutes well spent.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Sep 19, 2018
TL;DR
It's great...watch it.
For everyone else:
There's this tendency among Lupin enthusiasts to praise every iteration, giving it special treatment, regardless of it's faults.
I'm one of those enthusiasts so forgive my sense of bias.
What makes a Lupin III series fun is in capturing the magic of watching the titular character and his crew of thieves do whatever the hell they want and getting away with it.
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Parts 1-3 as well as the specials and movies used this in episodic adventures about kinetic fast paced heists and rescuing princesses and saving/destroying countries.
Part 4 is where that format changes and I'd say for the better with an overarching plot.
And don't get it twisted, those episodic adventures are fun, but each episode feels like a slightly different Lupin depending on what his goal for the standalone adventure might be and who's the writer and episode director staffed to work that day. Remember how episode 4 and episode 21 of Lupin Part 1 are BOTH green jacket series Lupin entries?
The overarching plot allows us to finally spend more in continuity time with Lupin, less about the cathartic payoff of watching hundreds of scores and plans come together, but witnessing the struggle in accomplishing a grand heist.
Part 4 also started the trend of introducing characters that act as recurring foils/sidekicks in order to create new situations for our criminal mastermind.
Part 5 is like Part 4, except instead of watching the struggles of a quasi married Lupin, we watch the struggles of a quasi internet famous Lupin.
And it's amazing.
The series smartly has Lupin be quite handy with cyber security and the modernities of stealing valuable items in the age on the brink of a technological singularity. However, he's not adept enough to beat hackers better than him. Ami is one such hacker and is the recurring side character/foil that succeeded Lupin's ex-wife Rebecca Rosallini.
We witness him truly struggle against the eyes of social media, his attention we thought he craved since he loves sending those calling cards, has become weaponized against him. It's a genius conflict to have and we watch him slowly have the rug get pulled from under him as he has to learn to adapt to his newfound paparazzi like celebrity. Never leaving the hideout without a disguise on after a certain point.
This is explored between 2 cours first in the form of a death game, and next as a supercomputer that can predict his every move.
The series also has fun in exploring these concepts and it's fun watching Lupin and the gang get the much needed extra time they deserve to flesh out their characterization. They all act like who they usually are, but the times have worn on them a little. There's always this hint of nostalgia you catch on the characters' faces and you can tell they're reminiscing about the more simpler times and it's compelling character writing to add a ironically fresh perspective on characters who realize they're not as fresh as they used to be.
The fact the series is broken into 2 cours with 2 separate (to an extent) plots allows the series to move at a brisk pace. even having room for side stories that don't necessarily connect to the main narrative but are still welcomed nonetheless.
And as far as the sound is concerned? It's Yuji Ohno...so...it's nothing short of amazing.... The opening is nostalgic with a playful Parisian twist that gets you excited for every episode and the ending is sung by Miyuki Sawashiro (Fujiko Mine's voice actress) and uses footage of Lupin and Fujiko during an unexplored time in their relationship. What could have just been a simple ED is made all the more intimate as it ends up being more of a bittersweet love song about Fujiko and Lupin's breakup. Something that plays a key point in the plot and is used as a recurrent source of tension between the two. It's strange how most series don't incorporate music into their plot like this series does.
In the last episode they even cued the famous Samba Temperado from past adventures at the climax and I wanted to tear up at how the series ties up everything about the best parts of this series' history so well.
The character designs are sleek and Blue is definitely a great color for Lupin. Jigen and Goemon look great too. Fujiko Mine looks even sexier than before, and might be my favorite version of her character design since she got her own spin off a while back.
You'd think background designs would end up suffering from the fact that this is a show about globe trotting super thieves, and the studio would try to cut corners.
NOPE EVERY SET PIECE IS DETAILED AND BEAUTIFUL AS ALL FUDGE
And these guys animate great too, so as not to make the iconic trio of Zantesuken, .357 Magnum and Walther P-38 not act like simple props. The action has weight and reads easy on screen. Sure there are alot of uses of cut reverse cut here and there. But there's also a crap ton of shots were everyone is in the wide and you just watch people duke it out.
Shootouts, car chases and hand to hand combat are stylized and beautiful to watch and with the number of series using CGI in excess it's great to see series use what modern technology can offer anime in less jarring fashion to create some fluid and aesthetically pleasing animation.
So if you can't tell, I love this series. Part 5's strongest element is the fact that it knows what made watching these characters fun over the years and instead of trying to change everything out of a need to keep things fresh, or changing nothing in order not to anger the fans, it instead acts like the cast of the show and did whatever they want and had fun doing it.
I can't wait for future movies featuring Blue Jacket Lupin, as parts 4&5 have dropped enough cool unused plot threads and explored such new territory with the gang as to leave me clueless for what will happen next. Like that plot twist at the end that makes you question everything about Lupin...you know the one if you've seen it.
Seriously it's a 10/10.
Go watch it if you haven't already. I know this was just an enthusiast gushing like a schoolgirl at a Bieber concert but that's what Lupin III is to me... it's like being a schoolgirl at a Bieber concert. A subjectively phenomenal experience for Lupin fans, and a solid way to get into the franchise as a whole. I'd recommend starting with Part 4 before this one but I'm sure that those just wanting to get in to the newest iteration won't get lost.
Somali Strawhat
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Oct 9, 2017
I would not recommend this series to anyone not familiar with the One Year War from the UC timeline of Gundam series. Maybe watch the trilogy or Gundam Origin to get some background, but those coming into the franchise fresh will not enjoy this.
Developers tells the story of the factory who got the military contract to manufacture the first military use mobile suit for mass production....the Zaku. It features a cast of hard nosed factory workers who are barely scraping by and it's kinda funny in a sad way how this project is the target of their passions when you know the Gundam is going
...
to go through them in an instant.
That said, any Gundam series that doesn't focus on Newtypes is a welcome addition in my book and Developers is a fresh look at the painful amount of engineering, budgetary, and internal job political obstacles that were needed to be overcome in order to get the mobile suits up and running. Since there aren't any physical combat the antagonist in this series is often times the character's own limitations. The weight of the frame of the Zaku, or how to properly make a radiation free work environment while also being able to communicate through radio, or how to mass produce a certain part without going over budget are the mustache twirling bad guys and for some that might be a turn off.
However I felt just as depressed as the characters for every setback and just as overjoyed when they are able to move past them. The stakes of having the job of manufacturing the mobile suit is small but much more tense as a result. All of this lending to a much more intimate story and a cast that you become more attached to. This shares kind of the same novelty as those sports movies on the road to a championship event as I'm rooting from the sidelines for the factory every step on their way to their demonstration in front of the corporate bigwigs and the military brass.
The character designs aren't anything too special but it's fine since many of the factor workers just have simple straightforward and earnest personalities anyways. I found the simplicity complimented that. Conversely the mechanical illustrations of the tools for manufacturing the mobile suits as well as the blueprint designs and the individual parts were given the majority of the detail. This makes the actual look of the finished mobile suit even more impact than just looking cool since you actually saw how much work was put into making that mobile suit look as cool as it does.
For 11 chapters there isn't a lot of room for the story to breathe, and many side characters are pushed aside to the role of comedic relief as a result. This results in a very tightly written story and although it doesn't leave much room for the imagination in terms of world building it kept me engaged from beginning to end.
If you wanted more of a technical Gundam story that is self contained but manages to make itself interesting I'd give this a read.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Oct 9, 2017
I'm gonna tell you right now prospective reader of this manga...there is a metric shit ton of sexual violence and overall brutal acts perpetrated by the characters in this series. If that is a turn off for you then just turn away now as the rest of this review is rather irrelevant.
Freesia is a story in alternative Japan where due to the overcrowded jails, the government has decided it would be a great idea to lessen sentences for convicted criminals in order for the victims of their crimes to be given an opportunity to legally kill them out of revenge. Since most victims aren't
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willing to place their own life in danger this has created a rather dubious industry around vengeance killings where these victims will act as their proxy for the sake of "justice".
From the very beginning this kind of premise seems original and Matsumuto Jiro goes out of his way to explain in detail without resorting to too much exposition how this deviation from the normal timeline has affected society. If this "what if scenario" was only used as a means to set up cool gun fights I would've been disappointed but the author takes into consideration the psychologies of every one of his characters, and those character studies is what sticks with me the most after reading this series.
The story's main character is a newly hired proxy enforcer and the fact that he's newly hired is a great way to have his co workers explain things to him without it breaking immersion. Another great point about the series is how the author likes to focus on the mental states of not only the main character but his co workers and the people they kill as well. There are chapters where we witness the lead up to a person receiving a notification that they are the target for a revenge killing and it is at times cathartic when you've seen them be nothing but shitty people and other times heart breaking when you realize how they've reformed themselves only to have their lives cut just short of redemption. This works mainly because the author just shows you these people's lives without having to explicitly tell the reader this is a shitty person or this person is a nice guy. He just trusts your intelligence to decide that for yourself and there is much room for open interpretation as to whether or not the target in question ever deserved a second chance.
There is also a sense of time and progression throughout the narrative. All of the characters working in the office go through various changes as a direct consequence of working there. I enjoyed the symbolism of decayed buildings showing up in the backgrounds sometimes where they shouldn't be to indicate the deteriorating mindset of some of these people. No one seems to be unaffected by this sense of time. Characters lose their faith in the system, or their relationships, or their loved ones. Even the nature of the industry changes and there is even a visual progression for some of these characters as they look noticeably different from the beginning of the series in comparison to how they are at the end. I feel there are consequences to any action taken in the story, either by the characters themselves or the government as a whole that feels more real than being strung along by a bland cliche backstory that defines each character. Actually, many characters will die before having explained why they act the way they do which leads the readers to make that insight
for themselves.
In terms of the artwork the mangaka goes for a very gritty look if I'm being generous and ugly if I'm being blunt. Do not use the beautifully smooth looking cover as a metric of how the characters look or else you will be disappointed. That said I think the artwork ends up creating a grimy pulpy atmosphere that fits not only the setting but the narrative as a whole. Killing isn't a beautiful thing, and the fact that looks as gross as it does is actually rather great. Also, characters who are seemingly further beyond any redemption seem to be drawn in harsher lines than others and I thought that was pretty clever.
Gun fights are also drawn to be chaotic but often times are a battle of wit to between hunter and prey to see who can cleverly out maneuver their opponent in a closed environment. Many panels are dedicated to shooters moving into position which leads to great amount of tension. If it was just a hail of constant bullets I feel it would get old fast. The fact that this often time leads to people hiding in dumpsters, or sewers or under dead bodies means it would be weird if it was drawn in a much prettier style as well. This also works for the many out there facial expressions that clearly convey character emotions where a more subdued visual aesthetic would have to have their characters verbally say how they're feeling.
In Freesia there is a level of enjoyment derived from reading what the speech bubbles say and what the character's faces say. The dialogue is also heavily characterized and much thought is given to the speech patterns of each character so as to differentiate them even further from one another. Even small random conversations seem more interesting not from what's being said but by who is saying it.
Freesia goes out of it's way to ask whether or not true reformation is possible and where do we draw the line between vengeance and justice. Is there any subjectivity to crimes and who exactly has the right to pass judgement on criminals. You will most likely come out more nihilistic on the way out from reading this series but at least in my opinion it doesn't leave a stone un-turned in creating this crazy what if scenario. It is later revealed that Freesia means "Prospect for a new future" in the language of flowers (I looked it up on Google but and it means innocence but whatever...". ) I found this to be really poignant and adds a level of tragic irony to the fates of these characters who are often robbed of any future throughout the story.
It's a rather enjoyable manga and I'd highly encourage reading this one if you are a fan of psychological thrillers, crime dramas, or atmospheric works of fictions.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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