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Feb 20, 2025
The name Blue Giant caught my eye when the trailer first came out, and ever since then I had patiently waited for a potential theatrical release or eventual online release. As a fan of music anime, especially those which actually have a musical focus with full on performances like Your Lie in April and Sound Euphonium, but also a fan of solo anime movies, the idea of an anime jazz movie was something that I knew I had to watch. I truly believe that music and animation are a match made in heaven, and this movie met and exceeded my expectations.
Blue Giant was originally a
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10-volume manga, so the idea of a movie adapting the whole manga might have sounded ridiculous. Despite that, my experience was a seamless one that still highlighted the important moments for our three main characters and build their character. The story follows Dai, who has travelled to Tokyo to achieve his dream of becoming the best Jazz player in the world, without a single plan in mind. The film starts with shots of the shades of blue throughout the city of Tokyo, and with the accompanying Jazz background music, smoothly immerses you into the movie. We then see Dai reunite with old friend Shunji, and meet the genius pianist Yukinori; and what ensues is just their music journey.
Let's talk about the elephant in the room first, which is the animation. In the first ever solo 'performance' of Dai, he was animated with 3D CGI, which would undoubtedly look jarring and clunky for the first time, just like Dai's performance itself. Still, someone who understands animation can tell you how difficult it is to animate music or dance performances like this, due to the sheer amount of small moving details and reflections in brass instruments. This is why idol anime all have 3D performances, and also why it is so impressive that Sound Euphonium has such perfect looking 2d-animated orchestra performances, but I digress. Although it took some time to adjust to it, I had faith in the movie - and I was right. In all the upcoming performances, when the three start performing together as a band, is when you really see the music and animation blend together perfectly. The 3D CGI is used minimally, mainly used as filler parts to connect the many stunning sequences shown. When I listen to or play music, there is an intangible flow that I can feel, my body moves by itself and my mind wanders to somewhere outside of this world. Speaking from experience, this is especially true when you are playing a brass instrument, you seem to become part of the instrument as your deep breaths travel from the inside of your body to the instrument you are holding to produce a grand, beautiful sound. This intense, intangible feeling of music is one that the animation in this movie was able to perfectly capture, with sequences of our characters flying around, or with the instrument melting in their hands etc, against a background of changing colours. It would be a 7 minute long performance on the same stage, but the storyboarding expands this 'stage' to a much larger scale. To me, this was a perfect marriage of the lively nature of jazz music and animation.
What is Jazz? In the movie, Dai loves jazz because of how he can simply follow his feelings and play whatever he feels in his heart at the moment during his solos. Jazz is something that is intense, wild, and thats what he loves about it. Throughout the story, I really enjoyed the main cast of the three character, since they represented to me the many common struggles or feelings that musicians would feel, all combining to make the growth of their band even more of an emotional journey to me. Dai himself represents the intensity of Jazz, somebody who just goes straight for what he wants to do, without any hesitation. Yukinori was someone who had been learning piano ever since a very young age, something that probably many of us can relate to, and has this elitist personality who believes more in talent than skill, always striving for perfection by trying to follow exactly what is on the sheets, completely clashing with Dai's ideology. Shunji had only started learning how to play the drums. His story was a simple one of struggling to improve your music, yet Dai still believed his music was great because he had put his feelings into it since that was what Dai believed what music truly meant. In the end, all of their individual stories lead back again to the idea of expressing yourself when playing music, which was definitely something personal to me as someone who grew up hating practicing the piano and learning to love playing music again as I escaped the expectations of parents and the many music exams I had. The music plays a key role in telling these characters' stories, we see Shunji's drum skills evolving over time, we see Yukinori's piano solos become gentler and more varied, and we still see Dai's free spirit in the sound he plays - with everything ending in an emotional, beautiful final performance, ending on a high note.
Blue Giant to me is the pinnacle of music anime. It visualizes music, it tells stories through its music, and most important of all - its music is absolutely phenomenal.
https://youtu.be/zPaReFxjc0k?si=Xwo0u-0uniPd2pnA
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Nov 19, 2023
What is a silver spoon? A silver spoon represents a person with a wealthy and privileged background, and this show is a gentle reminder that these privileges are not something that we should all be taking granted of. This show is so much more than just stardew valley the anime, it introduces you to a whole new side of agriculture while teaching many valuable life lessons. It is down to earth, yet still a fun watch because of its great comedy. The story follows Hachiken, a high school student who enrolled in an agricultural school to run away from his parents and to figure out
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what to do with his life. Despite having significantly better grades than everyone else, he is quickly humbled as he finds himself lacking a goal in life, while everyone else around him already has a clear direction in life.
One of the most interesting aspects of Silver Spoon is definitely the agricultural side. The show takes lots of time introducing viewers to various production processes in farms. It shows the tediousness and struggles that farmers have to face everyday, and really makes you appreciate their hard work a lot more. None of these parts of the show felt like information dumps either, as a lot of this knowledge is carefully placed in the characters’ everyday life.
A running theme throughout the second season is the concepts of privileges and dreams, and that not everyone can achieve them. Unlike Hachiken, not everyone at his school is blessed with a stable income. Some of their farms might not be in the best financial state, and their families on the verge of bankruptcy. We witness how despite one’s many efforts, not everything works out well and not everyone’s dreams actually come true. Despite that, it still doesn’t stop our main character from encouraging other characters to continue pursuing their dreams, and its honestly really inspiring. There are many other unique ideas explored in the show too which other series rarely touch upon, like the morality of killing animals in farms.
There are many shows that involve obscure topics while attempting to convey a message, but many are poorly executed or simply fail. Silver spoon presents its ideas through a casual, comedic way, yet it still moves you and makes you sympathize with its characters. To me, silver spoon has everything that an ideal slice of life should have: A fun cast of characters, a unique setting, subtle drama and a meaningful message. It has a good amount of maturity and realism to it, but also the perfect amount of comedy to balance it out. The show represents how emotional stories and messages can be shown in the simplest stories, which is the reason why I love the slice of life/drama genre so so so much. It’s honestly crazy how unknown this show is, considering that it was written by the same author who wrote fullmetal alchemist. It is truly a shame that the show never got a third season and the anime’s story will never come to an end, but the experience this show has given me will still be unforgettable.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Aug 26, 2023
Reign of the seven spellblades is a light novel series that piqued my interest when the anime adaptation was first announced. As a kid I have always loved harry potter, and this was one of the few magic school stories that was similar to it. While it is far from perfect, I can confidently say that reign of the seven spellblades is the light novel that I have had the most fun with.
What stands out the most about this light novel is its worldbuilding. The story is set in the magical school of Kimberly, a place that is known for its rigorous training but also
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danger, as many students are killed or 'consumed by the spell' every year. We follow the protagonist Oliver as he meets new friends and uncovers the many dark secrets in the world of magic. While some of the early chapters might seem a bit slow, it is absolutely necessary for establishing the setting and tone of the school. All of this pays off, as the ending of volume 1 reveals the protagonist's true intentions, and truly begins the story. Unlike many other magic stories, Nanatsuma has many unique things to its world. There is the inclusion of sword arts and spellblades which adds a layer to its combat and magic, the many layers of the labyrinth beneath the school, and even the existence of gnostic hunters and interdimensional invasions in the outside world. All of these topics are slowly explored throughout the story, urging me to continue reading and delve deeper into its world.
As mentioned before, the story has a darker tone, which I really enjoy. Both students and teachers are not afraid to hold back during fights, as the existence of healing spells means that as long as they're not dead, everything is fine. Having students die in the labyrinth while researching magic is not an uncommon thing, and is even encouraged in the magic world as it helps push forward the development of magic. This philosophy allows many crazy battles to happen that normally wouldn't be allowed in schools.
The story does have your occasional light novel ecchi moments, but at the same time it is handled in quite a nice way. The concept of sex and sexuality in the magic world is viewed very differently, with many seeing it as a way to enhance their mana or to make their bloodline stronger, which helps the author discuss about lots of topics without making it too weird. Another weakness of the story would be that there are many characters, which could make it hard to properly develop them at the same time. However, the light novel is far from finished and the characters have only reached their third year, so there is still plenty of time for them to grow more.
If you want to jump into a vast world of magic, filled with many mysteries and many layers to its lore, reign of the seven spellblades is the story that will make you keep wanting for more. With the current state of the story, I cannot wait to see how the story continues.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Jul 9, 2023
Most CGDCT shows are fun to watch, but also only feel like wholesome shows with no other substance. A place further than the universe is different. It is much more than just the story of four highschool girls travelling to Antarctica. It is a story full of life lessons, and a story that has touched my heart deeply.
"A place further than the universe" is the name of a book written by Shirase's mother about the wonders of Antarctica. Three years ago, she went missing during an expedition, leaving her daughter alone. Ever since then, Shirase has been saving money in hopes of travelling to Antarctica,
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not only to try to find her mother but also to help her finish her dream and complete the expedition. On the other hand, Kimari is a girl sick of her dull highschool life and longs for an adventure, yet she is always too afraid to take the first step because of the possibility of failing. After a chance encounter with Shirase, she is determined to step out of her comfort zone and travel to Antarctica, together with Shirase and two other girls.
Each character in this story had their own unique backstories and obstacles that they try to overcome throughout their journey, many of which are really relatable as well. Kimari's fear of trying new things is one that I personally relate to, and seeing Shirase succeed in her dream despite everyone else mocking her is really motivating. This is not the only theme discussed in the show either. The value of friendship is also a recurring aspect, as the four girls who didn't know each other before bond with each other and deal with problems in the past related to their own friendships. Shirase has to deal with problems related to grief as well, as she accepts the idea of her mother's death throughout her journey and learns to move on. All of these themes and messages were executed really well, but didn't feel too heavy either as it is balanced perfectly by the show's comedy and lightheartedness.
Coming from madhouse, the production value is really high. The animation is great, and there are many insert songs and OSTs that fit perfectly in their respective moments as well. The story is already beautiful, but when complemented with the music, it really makes me want to cry even more.
If I had to describe this show with a word, it would be inspiring. There were many moments that made me laugh, made me cry, but at the end of the story it still puts a big smile on my face. A place further than the universe isn't just an anime, it is a journey full of hope, and one that you should definitely embark on.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Jun 24, 2023
(This review is about both the anime and manga)
Out of all the anime that I have watched, Heavenly Delusion is the one with the most unique way of storytelling, and its story lives up to it as well. It was a show that compelled me so much in the first episode that I immediately went to read the manga, and even after that the anime adaptation continued to surprise me every episode.
Heavenly Delusion follows two main storylines. The first one follows Kiruko and Maru, two teenagers searching for a mysterious place called 'Heaven' in a post-apocalyptic world. The other story follows a group of children
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who live in an isolated facility, with no knowledge of the outside world. Throughout the story, these two storylines slowly converge with each other to reveal the mystery in the story. What is the purpose of the facility? What caused this 'apocalypse'? What are the monsters that roam around in the post-apocalyptic world? These are just some of the few mysteries presented in the story. This way of having two separate stories with completely different characters slowly intertwine together was a unique experience that I've never really encountered before, and it's even more impressive that the author managed to pull it off.
This story is a masterclass at foreshadowing, and it really makes shows like Attack on Titan feel like nothing. Starting from chapter/episode one, there are already plenty of random hints scattered around, many of which that the viewers aren't even aware of until very late into the story. The story keeps you thinking all the time, every part of the story was much more connected than I thought and piecing together all the evidence together is beyond satisfying. Many weird things happen in the story that make no sense or seem random initially, but as you continue reading you will realize their purpose. The story is not afraid to be weird at all, and this is what allows it to be such a special and outstanding story. Ever since watching Attack on Titan, I have been looking for a story with a similar scale of storytelling and foreshadowing, and it seems that I have found my answer in Heavenly delusion. Of course, the story was not just a massive exposition dump. Part of the fun of the story is watching Kiruko and Maru traverse the post-apocalyptic world, visiting towns and meeting all kinds of people. While each one of these short stories leave small hints for the overarching story, they also give an insight to how different people live in this world, making the whole setting feel more alive.
I have talked so much about the story itself that I haven't even talked about the production side of things. While the manga art is still pretty good, the anime takes it to a whole other level. Production IG said that this would be one of their best productions, and they were not wrong at all. Not only is the background art stunning, the animation, specifically the character movements, were extremely fluid. There wasn’t a scene where the characters were just standing there doing nothing, they would always have a little bit of movement which gives the show a lot of life. I also absolutely adored the direction of the adaptation, with many beautiful shots with symbolism that connected with one another. The best way to describe it would be Chainsaw Man’s cinematic direction but done even better. They absolutely nailed all the scenes, not just the action scenes but the emotional ones as well. The high quality was consistent throughout every episode and is something you rarely see in a lot of anime nowadays.
The only serious flaw I can give is that the anime ends at an awkward point in the story. Usually you would end an adaptation at where an arc ends, or when some sort of revelation was made and it teases the next season. However, the anime ended at an odd place in the story, and should the anime have gotten an extra episode or ten minutes, it would have ended at a high note that would also make viewers more intrigued to read the manga. Still, Heavenly Delusion is a one-of-a-kind story that I am glad that I have experienced, and a story that I hope everyone else will be able to experience as well.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Jun 18, 2023
Demon slayer is a series with goods and bads that balance each other... at least before this season. The swordsmith village arc is the latest season in demon slayer, but sadly it has been quite disappointing. Don't worry, I am well aware that this is widely considered to be the weakest arc in the whole series, and that the other seasons are still really enjoyable. To me, demon slayer is a show with many flaws that are covered up perfectly with its magnificent animation, which very few shows are able to replicate. However, this season is where its flaws start to show up even more
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and many of its good points start to disappear.
Let us start with everyone's favourite thing about demon slayer, how the show looks like. While the show still looks great, there were undoubtedly points with jarring 3d animation that killed immersion. However, that is not the main issue here. My biggest problem with this season is its lack of colour. Other than the last two episodes, the show has been using a dull, grey background, and when there were even less fights in this season, many parts of the show just felt like watching paint dry. For comparison, the last season was full of colour, not only because of the vibrant colours of the entertainment district, but also because of there being more fights, which made many of the cool breathing effects appear more. Thankfully, ufotable was still able to make the finale look beautiful, which was the saving grace for this season.
Animation aside, the elephant in the room is the story, dialogue and pacing of this season. These parts were never the strong points of demon slayer, but this season is where we can see the flaws becoming more apparent. This season has been moving at a snail's pace, with very little fighting and utterly pointless dialogue in every episode until the last two to three episodes. With so many moments where nothing happens, the show kind of becomes a snorefest. The story has never been strong in previous seasons, with many formulae that they keep repeating, such as the flashbacks or 'baiting' viewers into thinking someone has died. However, most of the excitement from the fights are also gone in this season. Compared to season two's fights, this season's fights felt.. disconnected. In the previous season, there was something, a common goal, that connects all the main characters together to overcome the challenge of defeating the demon. In this season, all the fights were separate, and honestly I don't even understand the point of having some of the hashiras or upper ranks being there. It felt like the author wanted to show the character, but at the same time they served zero purpose in the arc. Throughout the season, you can feel that ufotable is trying their best to stretch the season to a full cour, causing this awkward and messy pacing. They shouldn't be afraid to change the number of episodes for their seasons, similar to attack on titan or other shows.
In the end, demon slayer is still a show that many will enjoy due to its fancy surface, but very few are willing to acknowledge its hollow inside. Despite that, knowing that this is known as the weakest arc of the series, I have confidence that ufotable will do their best to make the last few seasons the best they can be. Here's to a better next season 🥂
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Feb 28, 2023
Ever since my dad left to buy the milk, I have never felt any fatherly love until I started watching Buddy Daddies. Among all the popular shows this season, Buddy Daddies is an underrated gem that has been overlooked by lots of people. The story follows two spy partners who have to take care of a young child that they found. Sounds familiar, huh? Lots of people have compared this show to Spy x Family, but in my opinion this show is unique enough to distinguish itself from other anime and be a great show by itself.
The show revolves around Kazuki and Rei, two spies
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who work together all the time. Their mission is interrupted one day by Miri, a young girl trying to find her father. Not knowing what to do, the two of them decide to bring Miri back home and take care of her, while looking for her parents, but little did they know that very soon they would already be as close as a real family.
What makes this show stand out is definitely the family dynamic between the characters. Each character has a unique backstory that ties them together and makes them cherish their current family even more. Kazuki is a man who has lost his wife and unborn child due to an accident during his missions, causing him to be guilty of himself and take care of Miri even more. Rei comes from a family of assassins, with a father void of any emotions or love towards him. With a second chance at being in a family, he slowly learns to be a father to Miri and give her all the love that his own father didn’t give him. Last but not least, Miri’s genuine love for his dads brings this family together. With a child to take care of, Kazuki and Rei have now completely changed. During missions, they would prioritize Miri’s safety even if it meant the mission would fail, and their calm selves completely disappear as they have to frantically prepare for Miri’s first day at school. It is incredibly wholesome seeing each family member support and help each other change themselves and become a better person.
Speaking of Miri, her innocence and childishness is definitely one of the highlights of the show. On one hand, she is a mischievous gremlin who likes to disrupt his dads’ work, both at home and during their missions, from having Kazuki bring her to the bathroom during an important mission to casually picking up Rei’s gun and playing with it. But on the other hand, her straightforwardness is also great at showing her love to her parents. Everytime she shouts out how much she loves her dads with a big smile on her face, I just can’t help but smile as well. She acts like a child in every way - annoying, noisy and demanding, but the show somehow still made her an endearing character that I would risk my life to protect, just like what her dads would do.
Buddy Daddies combines great characters, comedy, not to mention the 10/10 opening song and tons of wholesomeness to bring together this heartwarming family story. Honestly the only big flaw I can think of is its name, I mean what kind of name is Buddy Daddies. Still, this doesn’t stop Buddy Daddies from being one of the best and most enjoyable shows airing this season. If your dad still hasn’t come back with the milk, or you’re missing some wholesomeness in your life, you should definitely watch Buddy Daddies.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Feb 5, 2023
Akira is one of the most well-known movies, even an anime classic to a lot of people. However, is it really worth all the hype that people give it?
Short answer, no. Long answer, almost every aspect of akira is extremely flawed, but first I'm gonna talk about the story. At the beginning of the movie, we are introduced to a dystopian Japan, with stuff like gang violence, espers and a mysterious guy known as 'akira'. This all seems like an interesting mystery, and it is, but all that build-up is ruined by a disappointing ending, leaving even more unanswered questions and plotholes. To some people
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its understandable considering it didn't adapt the full manga, but it also felt like the movie just didn't even try to wrap up its own story well. All of the characters also felt flat and monotone to me, and were nothing but devices to help tell the story instead of human beings with emotions. This leads to another problem, one that is also related to the previous - the voice acting. Rarely do I ever complain about the voice acting, but the VAing done in this movie is just absolutely boring. I felt like I was watching a puppet show with a bunch of voice actors getting paid a minimum wage, which is one of the main reasons the characters all felt dead inside to me.
But let's not just talk about the bad things. Akira is truly a piece of eye candy, with lots of colours and detail put into all the scenary and animation. Also props to them for having such an intriguing build up i guess.
Overall, to me this movie just completely fell flat on its face, but if ur just chilling with ur friends on a saturday night with nothing else to do, the cool animation and worldbuilding can still make it a fun watch.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Feb 4, 2023
Zombieland saga is a unique parody of an idol show with zombies instead of high school girls as the main group of idols. It excels at certain parts, but also fails at certain parts, though it was still an enjoyable watch nonetheless.
Let's start with the good parts. The show has a great focus on its characters, which is something you rarely see in shows with a huge female cast, such as idol, CGDCT, SOL shows etc. The first few episodes introduces us to the bizarre cast of characters, all with different backgrounds and even from different time periods. The best character though is hands down
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the manager of the group of idols. From the first few episodes I was already in love with the chaotic energy from him, yet you can still feel his strong determination to help the idol group achieve success. The first few episodes did a great job introducing the characters, and later on during the show there are also individual episodes focusing on the episodes, adding a lot more depth to the characters in a genre full of copy and paste cute girls with no personality. Zombieland saga does a great job at being a parody, while still keeping the soul of this girls-support-girls genre.
However, while this show does a good job at exploring its characters, it is also lacking in one of the most important elements in idol anime - the dance scenes/performances. The 3d animation is more than just rough around the edges and I was honestly surprised it was made by MAPPA. The 3d models look very different from the actual 2d characters, which accentuated the problem when they decided to keep switching from 2d and 3d during the performances. The dance sequences and performances were also quite repetitive and didn't really stand out to me, which was quite disappointing. Still, this is the only huge flaw I can think of for this show.
Overall, this show was still a fun watch and a solid 7/10
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Aug 31, 2022
As someone who lived in Hong Kong, Kowloon Generic Romance was a love letter to me. One side of the story is a wholesome slice-of-life romance between two office workers in the bustling district of Kowloon, showing their fun daily life in a district that is known for being old and worn-down. The beautiful artstyle of this manga mimics that of manga from older generations, complementing the setting of the manga and giving a sense of nostalgia. The detailed references, from the local food and overhanging street signs to the hidden back alleys and the old buildings, really hits home and makes the story so
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much more immersive. However, the other side of the story is a sci-fi mystery which is still a little bit confusing, and can contrast a bit too much with the traditional setting of Kowloon (which I guess was intentional). Personally I would have preferred it to be a pure slice-of-life romance, but alas the author has the freedom to do what they want. Still, the adorable romance, gorgeous art and Hong Kong setting really made this a whole other reading experience for me, and I strongly recommend anyone who also lives in Hong Kong to give it a read.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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