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I would like to add to some necessary details to add clarity to my thoughts and be more honest than I'd generally care to be any other story. I had witnessed the glory of the 'Saiyajins' back when I was a kid in the early 2000s on some cartoon channel I don't even remember. It was, irrespective of the story or context, furiously fantastic to me. Especially that somebody could be as grotesque and yet cool as Frieza, standing on the edge of water body that had been cratered to a huge hole in the ground by a "Genki Dama" (as I later learned it ... was to be called). It would be over a decade or more before I would have my chance and time to watch it again and this time all of it properly, rightly as was meant to be. I was and wasn't disappointed at the same time. I will explain that later from here on out.

I am doing one huge review of all the Doragonboruu things I have seen or come across over. As far as their particular ratings go, I have provided it in their designated MAL and IMDb ratings.

Story:

1) Dragonball - Simple. Unwanted. Ridiculous. Not a single other character except for Goku and ChiChi who could have bothered my attention and even the ones that did, did not deserve the huge amount of time they asked for it (150+ episodes). Red Ribbon Army was somewhat the most interesting part and that too not because it was good or anything (It was very bloody mediocre and tedious), but just that it added a lot to the story of DBZ posthumously.

2) DBZ: It is and will remain the best freaking part about anything The stories, however mediocre, have some good villains and usage of tropes and power ups to keep the audience riveted about the apparent prospects of the never really defeat-able Shonen MCs. What I respect about this story is that (despite how long it was stretched out in comparison to how short it always actually was (seriously, Toei, what's wrong with you?) it ended at some point rather stretch forever with its endless store of garbage and silly shit. Lord knows, Toriyama could have done if he wanted to and Toei would have loved the prospect of it. And even though, Akira-sensei named to Z as end-all, Dragonball went on for years onto the terrible
i) Kai ii) GT & iii) Super (each more fucking awful and unnecessary than the next because if you wanted to go faster through the DBZ story, you could skip faster through it and possibly just read the wikipedia summary and still lose nothing in value)

3) Movies: None of them are really worth your time. But when you are watching this much of something, you tend to enjoy certan things a lot more. The order of that would be simple enough, not necessarily in order of viewership but in terms of quality and enjoyability
i) Broly 2 ii) Cooler iii) Broly 1 iv) Cooler 2 v) Bardock Saga & History of Trunks (Perfunctory TV specials that were better off left to imagination than even trying to put creativity in and destroy).
Warning: Never ever frigging ever watch Broly: Bio-Broly. Please don't.

Art: This is certainly where DB franchise is most deserved of its praise. Not only was this the primary driving force of its popularity over the years but also of the huge amount of people it inspired into becoming artists and go beyond the general mediocrity. Every character design, power design, the SS states of being, the hairstyles and the "villan-tachis". Every bit of credit goes to Akira Toriyama and whoever helped the endeavor to makes the art as exciting as it got. It is certainly an interesting observation to see how the art changes, better and fine-tunes itself from DB to DBZ with the changes most stark during the intermittent movies produced. The Revenge of Cooler and Dragon Ball Super are the absolute pinnacles of Dragon Ball art for me. No matter how silly and ridiculous the character designs, it was never abusive, exploitative and always believable and better yet, enjoyable.

Sound: This portion is gonna make me look sort of bipolar (which I may or may not be, as is the possibility of all things that are uncertain to a certain extent) but sound is the worst aspect of Dragon Ball. It has continuously been sub-par, low-grade, futile blather that could have been done without even for a Shonen anime. The background themes are jarring, plain white-nose level bullshit that do more harm to one's ear canals than to suspense of disbelief. The only music I ever liked was the second DBZ theme, 'Gotta power' which coincided with the best period of the show and breathed of change from that terrible and terrifyingly catchy shit-sow that was 'Cha-La Head Cha-La'.

Characters: I singularly raised 3 points from my personal tally because of how interesting Trunks was from the moment he was introduced, Vegeta's redemptive character arc and how cute a lot of characters are in DBZ (as in ChiChi saying "Goku-Sa!", Goten & Chibi Trunks's saying anything at all, Videl and Pan from their advent in the show, Kuririn & Ju-hachigo's interaction). Personally, I wish I had known Goku's character earlier because than i would have surely admired him. But despite the original and biggest Shonen MC, I find no appreciation for the sense of justice and personality as I have definitely seen it done better in One Piece and Naruto (I can forgive all the talk no jutsu but not lack of penchant). I found myself not even caring when everybody woould cheer up on meeting Goku post time-skips and stuff. Only when he is fighting, He is worthy. Vegeta's redemptive storyline was also done by other manga with the badass character prototype but somehow the Vegeta's cool design, rugged personality and intense hatred for loosing really makes stand out for the role being portrayed. And lastly, since I really don't want spoil this portioon, I will just finish with this that Trunks is enough reason to watch any and all things he is in because certainly personality, back story and voice acting for it. (But still don't watch Bio-Broly cause not even IRL Kami-sama, if you don't consider that an oxymoron to begin with, can save that terrible mess and GT is virulent waste of time that is not even canon and should only be undertaken by those who are fully aware of the risks).

Enjoyment: The voice is the only thing I did not expressly cover out of all the things that encompasses the act of enjoyment. And surprisingly even though I was troubled Goku's and Vegeta's VA in the first two arcs, I eventually quite was into it and as is usual with me, quite hated the English dub despite it being fine logically and even considered to have elevated the levels of the DBZ experience. But whatever, it is a personal thing and that's that (Subs will always a more enjoyable experience than dubs for me).

Overall: It is understandable that Dragon Ball franchise changed everything for its industry and how people worked in it and influenced everybody it touched (for better or worse it would seem). It was certainly an interesting and enchanting experience with a lot of flaws and perceivable mediocrity. I will admire it all but love and adulation will be too much of lie to perpetrate for me. The biggest shame is that I never want to do anything related to this franchise ever again in a lifetime and knowing its legendary nature makes it all the more worse for me. Perhaps, it is my belief that good things must have a good end and great things must have one that is timeless and irreplaceable. Constantly adding versions and reboots and non-canon shit to the something even the main artist wanted to end years just makes it so much worse. But then again, Art is not a Democracy and I am merely a member of the audience. So, my opinion is going to be out there despite how little may in the actual proceeding of things. Hai!!! Goodbye!

First of All, almost everything you have heard about this is probably true. For Bleach is a masterpiece gone mediocre in most ways possible and depending on during which period of anime era and your lifetime you have watched this show will color you in such arrays as to be an analogy to the contrast between feminazis and Trump supporters. My advice - Be calm, be composed and be a centrist like JBP and his cohorts.

Here's the best case scenario for you - You haven't watched too many anime or have just got into it or maybe you're low expectancy sorta fella. You are in ... luck if you are reading this review in 2018 and still match the above criteria, you should start watching the show (and also, WT@f!!).

But if you are anything but this, here's how I would recommend going about this:

1) NEVER touch the manga. Kubo may be a Vasto Lorde of Shounen enterprising but he himself and his associates fucked the last third of the manga into a corner that left everyone who was on the reading end with a bad taste in their mouth. Trust me on this, or maybe reddit and google it if you have already come this far in search of the truth, that nothing good ever came on following through with the manga after the anime or even just reading it in general. Almost everything it does, is done better with sounds, animation, musics and VA in the anime (that's what animes are all about; I hope you knew that or maybe I've just spoiled that for you). But alas, if you are the sort that will not accept something to be called preposterously horse-dung unless they have lathered their own tongues with it (Omaewa gross nanoka, ne ?!), be my guest and go ahead with this endeavor knowing and calming your about-to-be-shitfaced heart with this solemn truth that I never read a single page of the manga. EVER. And the world's better off without having to deal with the aftermath of such a traumatic incident.

2) Check out anime filler info websites about the anime, which does boast a spectacular target of 45% BS material that have nothing whatsoever to do with the canon (The producers of the show must have been creaming themselves for the sheer opportunity they got to try their hands at creative writing; Newsflash asswipes, every single one of majored in with flying colors at shit-handling). However if you are the sort with a lot of time, OCD or a general lack of aim in life (maybe a little interested in masochistic self-indulgences), take note of the episodes with Kon and Karakuraizer stuff and when Gotei 13 join, well it's riot... of shit-fests. Kanpai!

3) Always, and I insist ALWAYS, keep the wikipedia pages on list of seasons and episodes bookmarked and close by when you start with the show. The sheer of repetitive content and unnecessary content in this show is absolutely mind-boggling. Most of us are all about spoilers and really into making a deal about knowing things beforehand for it takes the fun out of it things - this is one place where even the creator himself wished he were into astrology. At least he would have some chance of knowing about the pile of shit-storms he had brewed that had taken a life of their own. Also, to be fair, Burichi anime is where the fun begins after you spoil things so that you can still make some efficient choices about the hours and hours of your precious time that 'must' be given to this quasi-faeces obfuscation of logic. Once you have those list nearby and have knowledge of the summary of the episodes you are to watch, you'll able to skim to and finally watch the good stuff (more often than not, you'll have the liberty to skip full episodes). This show really is a bit like swimming in a muddy pond to get to a handful of lotuses that have been sprinkled sparsely to give some meaning to your choices in watching it. And don't fret about missing that one or two cool stuff that should happen in an otherwise 23 minute garbage gunk; you'll mostly end up seeing those scenes in a heartwarming 5 minute recap at the beginning of the next episode or helpful reminiscence of wherever anybody refers to that incident for even half a second, in half-finished sentences.

3) Continuing from the last point, Bleach has similarities with Naruto. Obviously they part of the Big 3 of shounen and bigshots in anime in general. They have both very liberal policies when it comes to recaps to of past scenarios (You will know the Lord above truly loves you in those moments when you'll see that can fast forward and/or skip those scenes altogether) and they are both really into crappy dialogues that made melodramatic and meaningful but are reality, obsolete, redundant crap that are said too loudly taking in consideration its audience who are retarded in mental nature (I mean, what choice and position do we have to oppose that assumption having watched this show). And the power-ups and creative choices of the people involved in dealing with boss fights and their formulations. I have a theory: Either Tite Kubo was replaced by a ghostwriter write after he had permission for SJW for publishing it or he is the typecast sort who really has limitations doing things for story beyond creating sweet character designs, interconnections and amazing BGM suggestions (These are the things nobody can ever take away from show; and this is also a summary of why it's failed work of genius). Thankfully, Naruto had so much more in terms engaging and exciting in terms of story, lore, shounen, characters and progression until its last 50 chapters came about. But that's another story and we'll respectfully let it all slide for it gave the world ITACHI UCHIHA!!!

4) Nothing will ever get you accustomed to every shithead in the show having to each other's ful names again and again and again. I mean, have some faith on the readers remembering the names, or using a wiki or not caring at all when characters keep popping out of the woodwork left and right - most of them have mediocre stories and motivations that are obvious and non-engaging which is still fine because one cannot help but appreciate how this many different characters who mostly are damn cool in design keep coming from the same mind who brought about atrocious obstacles to peace - namely, Yasutora Sado and Orihime Inoue (Petty names, Petty Stories, Petty existence, Good powers wasted with weak reason on why they even have it all).

5) Ichigo is the lucky lottery winner. Remember that and it will make everything else easier. He will always and has always been everything and will eventually get everything that is necessary for him to overcome his troubles, in his words, "because he has to". At least, he is far from an annoying shounen MC who is always more talk and speeches except for the part his character design (and also that of every other character in this manga and of any other manga of this sort at the time it was being written) is to keep repeating people's names instead of genuine words and getting all up in everybody's business. But it is his story and he very much lively irrespective of which time period you're watching. And there's Isshin's Shinigami OP backstory - I can't get into it. If you're a hardened explorer, you will do what you want.

6) Any sane person would have Rukia the main character of this story and Gotei 13 more exposure in the story. Not only in his VA amazing but out of all cringy and over-the-top funny bits in the show, the ones with most chances of making you laugh will almost always include Rukia - her voice. words and chibi design totally are made for it. And Gotei 13 in its entirety and its interwoven links with each other make for such an interesting pursuit in the story make things real interesting. The funny part is Gotei 13 is part of the main cast and appear in parts or whole in major sub-plot and basic plot progression in general. Despite that, the show manages to shove its head up its butt. That's just fate is all and you on the threshold must decide whether you choose to be involved in the shit-spattering that is collateral to being successful in the achievement of being able to pull someone that big-headed out of their arse. It's a riot if nothing else, pros and cons churning over the buckets.

7) Lastly, this point will sum things up by reiterating something previously notified - this show is very callous in how it uses its power ups, its successes and failures. To give you some perspective almost every power used in the show, whether it be a KIDO, SHIKAI or obviously BANKAI, everything causes humongous explosions that dwarf their battlefield and fighters. There is nothing wrong about doing so as it provides a spectacle, a hype opportunity and an excellent chance at animation but what it does end up doing is it devalues all the hard work of that power up when nobody really gets caught in it, because there is one-upper to make a sensational battle manga moment and if by chance they do get caught in it, they are healed, helped and recovered surely. Shounen in general have an aversion to killing characters, partially because continuity is important to serialization, partly because young audiences and sometimes the author isn't just willing to part with his design that he favors (the last one is what ODA said about the One Piece and its death issues; that is one weak point of the world's best shounen manga and it makes up for it by doing better in other places). But life can only shown to be meaningful and worthy of fighting for when you impress upon people how quick and cruel death's embrace really is. For a show that has a radical like Kaname Tosen who willing accept rigid dichotomies of good and bad, it sure is an eyesore to see only the bad guys dying out in defeat and the good guys always living till sunset and rising anew in the next sunrise. A few important character come through death in flashbacks but it's no Bellemere being shot by Arlong or Minato and Kushina's sacrifice for their son and Konoha. It doesn;t leave you aching or even too bothered and that's Kubo's limitation as a writer.

All in all, you are patient one if you read through all that and me praising your temperament is your probable reward out of this. If I left an image that I am pissed at the show or its work, it is only in that I have seen anything as imperfect and incomplete. It is not anger but pity which I truly feel for it all. And I still will take my hat off to Kubo if I ever meet him for sheer work he put in to create the world. The harsh truth is Bleach will always be third in every person's shounen olympics and not even even qualify for the pre-heats in the overall list for most anime watchers. That's is just how it's story goes.

P.S - If somehow I got you convinced out of watching this show and you are certainly unwilling to utilize it to better your life in some productive way other than going into the world of Manga and Anime and nearby stuff, you are advised to read One Piece obviously. Also, consider Ishida Sui's Tokyo Ghoul series and the most underrated manga I have ever read, which is Vinland Saga.

Psycho-Pass, the first season of the anime and the part that had basis in the manga was an absolute revelation into the world of Cyberpunk-esque, Dystopian Utopia and Totalitarian Authority that is so complex a difficulty to talk about and deal with even in forms of art.

Unfortunately, Season 2 felt like a shadow of the former season. Perhaps I had too much expectations of the show with the levels set as high 'Kogami and Makishima'. I have heard the argument of take everything for itself and without comparing it to something else but it does not apply here. Not only because it is a ... sequel but the cast, story and consequences are far too connected and that is how the show wants to.

Togane was obviously painted as a pseudo-Kogami but that works out for the better as his origins are revealed. He is the saving grace of the season along with the opening and ending themes of the show.
The antagonist, Kamui Kirito is almost tad too pretentious in all 'its' hybridized existence and the exasperation that I felt in giving a care about his journey, his truth and his easy-going ways. The way he dances around the society, tearing it apart just doesn't have gravity to the extent it should.
And Misako Oka-san is basically a wish fulfillment for all those who just wanted to see someone wipe away smug omniscient face of a haggard looking 'B' woman. She replaces Sibyl in form and is replaced by out by Kamui, who in turn sacrificing himself in a typical cop-out death that always follow a character with no future beyond a certain point.

Perhaps, the real disappointment is not seeing Tsunemori see no character development at; perhaps because that was because it was already set away in the season 1 storyline. But on the overall I was pleased with seeing the Enforcement squad with its unique members, Inspector Shimotsuki being not too unpleasant napkin of a character and the Professor being classic anime portrayal of a mystery man notwithstanding.

So to sum up, you'll nothing if you don't watch this. You may find some value in terms of the world lore if you do. I cannot tell how you will feel after watching it through but if you are fan and want to tick things off, It may as well be a pleasant experience.

I saw the animation and visual superlatives that are deserving on the YT channel, The Canipa Effect who does a great job covering topics about Anime community.

Houseki no Kuni is my first new anime watch in over a year and I am happy to see I was quite delighted to come back to the anime way of life with this. I have learned that it also has a manga which is I will get on (what with the chances of the second season coming anytime soon being very minute).

I greatly appreciated the characters being gems - Phosphophyllite being the main characters through whose 300 years ... 'young' eyes the story of the world of greenery that is only sustainable to rocks and gems. These gems have the names accordingly and their characteristics are somewhat loosely based around those names too. The knowledge to know who these chemical compounds are, how strong their bodies are, who reacts in what way with each other and why that is. And even what happened to the world and why celestial deity looking enemies to hunt for stones repeatedly is such a fascinating aspect that is hard to completely overlook, if at all.

While there is room for improvements in terms of the characters and how abrupt the ending of the season feels (and is) because it had to adapted from a much bigger story of the manga to a digestible anime narrative, that in no way becomes an hindrance to the enjoyment of the story, the music that elevates and compresses the emotions being conveyed and most importantly, absolutely superb 3D animation character design and the rest of world design. This anime didn't win the 2017 anime of the year award for having "kawaii waifu material", you know; it was because of the CGI implementation of the 3D modeling characters and editing it in a seemless manner to ensure that is there no jarring in visuals. That action adds this feeling of depth to the motion that is eerily beautiful to see an anime.

I have heard rumbling from people that the animation of this sort decimates the visuals and the manga in general is so much better. Perhaps so, Perhaps not. All I have to ask to you is that you find some hours in your life that devote to this show and in return you'll get something much worthy of your memory.