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Apr 17, 2024
Isekai with a twist...again; but it's good
A friend suggested this to me and I sort of shrugged off any real expectations coming into it. Many isekai are now trying to either reinvent the wheel a bit or do reverse isekai now and this is the former. We have a protagonist who isn't even fated to be a grand hero of the new world and instead is the support Hero who makes his role his own. He traines to be a healer in an unorthodox way; to essentially be a red cross worker, if redcross workers were on steroids and possessed the strength of front
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line fighters. His journey is fun to watch and overall character is charming.
the setting, music, visuals and side characters all feel derivative despite the genuine attempt to flesh then out. Usato's classmates and fellow heroes always feel secondary to the show and work off Usato while the general charactes outside of a trio have the vibe you'd expect from an Isekai.... apart from one character Rose. Rose is what happens when your doctor and your executioner come in one package, She leaves no heart unphased, no ass unkicked and there's never a dull moment with her and the show benefits so much from here character relationship with Usato. Her story is also intriguing and emotionally charged, this she's the shows ace character.
I'd like to see more to get more development of Usato and the new characters presented towards the end of the first 12 episodes of the larger story, but so far it's looking good.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Apr 10, 2024
I saw this a year and a half ago yet the memory stays with me, not because it's so good but because it could have been.
The world built around this anime film is pretty vast and there is so much that happens in its runs through to the point it feels too fast or rather too perplexing when things happen to certain characters, or when the plot develops into a new phase.
The characters and setting as well felt derivative. Just taking the sort of character you'd find in sherlock Holmes novels and shoving them into a steampunk Frankenstein type world. A world that doesn't have
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too much going for it besides zombie helpers, and philosophical questions about the nature of life
Watching this was like a sober trip on weak Mary Jane. It's having it's effect but I'm still underwhelmed.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Apr 10, 2024
Hell girl is somewhat of a classic, an occult revenged themed show that borders between repetitive and captivating.
The episodic nature of Hell girl does lend itself to feeling a bit slower than it should, yet there's always an emotional charge that kept me watching.
The characters have an interesting complexity to them, The hatred that fuels revenge is demonstrated multiple times in the show and it sometimes becomes clear the anime wants to show how foggy revenge can be. Of course some characters are easy to get, they are saints or bat shit crazy or evil incarnate so revenge seems an obvious path for some of
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the spawns of Satan the anime presents you with.
Visuals are dated, it shows its age, music and themes are akin to anime like Higurashi and Shiki. It has a sad and damned mood to it.
Overall Hell girl is a nice watch if you have the patience for it's pace and age.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Dec 21, 2022
This Manga is underwhelming, in its premise, its execution of the core themes and its progression of plot and characters . It is not outright bad, though there is a lot left to be desired from Platinum end. Even without comparing it to the previous work of the manga creators, Death Note, this manga does not add any significant creative value in the battle royal, psychological action Shounen space. I'd rather check out Future Diary, and that is already a worrying bar to fail to meet.
The story is difficult to take seriously in the first half of the manga. It takes a very questionable idea;
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the selection of God candidates from people who wished to end their lives, and adds angelic power ranger themes, half interesting characters and untidy plot developments. What results is a manga that tries to be unique, yet feels disorienting to read through. The second half of the manga does try to reach a more consistent and philosophical approach but ultimately there is a lot left wanting even in the closing half of the show. There is little reward in reading through this anime apart from seeing the well drawn art, and reading through semi interesting philosophical dialogues here and there about the meaning of happiness and true nature of the celestial realms and a lot more pretentious subject matter..
Not much else to say, it is fine to get an introduction to battle royal manga, but there are better stories than this.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Oct 27, 2022
Season 2, R2 has a pretty solid run and one of the best anime endings out there. It's an improvement on the already solid R1
Comparing R1 to R2
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The stakes just get higher, R1 left on a thrilling and suspenseful note and from there R2 seems to reboot to a seemingly fresh beginning only to get back to the action full swing with more focus on Mecha battles, Geo Politics and the Geass Power than before. R2 packs more punch than R1. When it comes to simply being an entertaining show Code Geass, with all its integrated elements will dish out a fun show to
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engage with, to laugh, cry, or have some thoughts provoked. When it comes to writing a cohesive story the anime sacrifices a little bit simply due to the sheer amount of elements to sensibly develop. The metaphysical aspect regarding Geass, and its origins and how it ties into Lelouch's family, feels a bit underwhelming to take all that seriously. Writing simply is not a strong point for much of the series until the very end where the anime pulls off what I can only describe as a flagship ending, a prime example of how to end a show in glorious and impactful fashion. It definitely enhances the overall after taste of the anime and makes it sensible how Code Geass, R2 in particular, can stand as one of the greats despite not fully convincing its case for that pedigree.
Character Development
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The Characters are another great part of the show. Lelouch remains a pivotal character as we see his great strides and struggles continue, things don't ease up on him and his journey is well developed. The Character ensemble grows wider with interesting additions and focus on key supporting characters is maintained well enough, introductions of new characters from the Chinese Federation and the Britannian forces makes the Geopolitical focus possible and the new characters are really good, yet the show does not compromise when it comes to ensuring each character both new and old at least feels three dimensional, having their own distinct individuality, design and motives. I think the best part of Code Geass is the base of interesting characters to focus on as crucial story elements aren't just centered on Lelouch but also Suzaku, the members of the black knights and the royals.
Where I find some faults
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The Cheese still continues in the show as I think Code Geass is just destined by design to do. The theatrics, over the top plot twists, and high school anime integration makes Code Geass feel like a silly anime with greatness at some points and later a great anime with silliness at other points when the anime sticks to its engaging political drama elements. The highschool antics are relentlessly cheesy and there were some plot twists carved out with the probable intention of showing Lelouch's brilliance yet, just as R1, come across as far fetched and passable since they are logical enough with little bit of an explanation. Everything is technically explainable in Code Geass, as long as the questions are simple. Sly fan service is still a thing as production wise the anime still favors the same character designs to flash a few boobs in between with little shame, one thing I can commend the show on this regard is how the anime is able to poker face some fan service and still go on with the story as if its not even happening.
Soundtrack and Production
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Soundtrack is still done well. There are some pretty memorable shows in Code Geass, Overall the soundtrack is done well enough with a memorable anime openings as well as the same soundtrack songs from R1 that still fit the anime really well. Production is still consistent, and probably more flashy as characters and Mechas introduces in R2 are well made as well. The same drawbacks as the previous season still exist with how CLAMP make the characters very lanky in body which may fit better on a Shoujo anime, though it doesn't take away from the fluid animation that was delivered consistently from beginning to end.
Overall
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The anime is great, as simple as that. A very entertaining show with minor faults that make for a memorable experience.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Oct 19, 2022
Code is an over the top no holds bar anime. The show blends different genres and themes into a theatrical and generational show that still stands as a great show and possibly the best at mixing psychological, Mecha, dark fantasy, action and high school elements.
What make Code Geass so special
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In short this anime is so good at blending its themes and its genre mix. Back in the late 2000s when the anime aired Mecha anime had been a staple for a while, thus Code geass was in a saturated niche. However on top of the Mecha action themes there is a strong philosophical and psychological
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tone to the progression similar to that of Death note. Views regarding morality and whether intent justifies means are well brought to attention; its also interesting to these views regularly challenged. There is a bit of a high school anime theme implemented, it sounds like something that could ruin the tone however as a comedic relief tool and character development it again integrates well enough even if its not a part I enjoy as much. Code Geass thus boasts as a jack of all trades providing in comedy, action, politics and even fan service; the last of which I am again not all that thrilled about yet concede that no anime is perfect or supposed to be.
What's Good about the story
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The synopsis is enough to give the anime a decent description to understand the type of mecha sci-fi Code Geass is. It leans more towards the supernatural side as we follow the protagonist Lelouch viBritannia who is granted a special power to help him take down his far superior political adversaries. What's good about the actual story is how much more style and substance Code Geass has. Following the main protagonist Lelouch on his revenge journey is engaging, thrilling as well as thought provoking. Taking center stage is Lelouch's journey, along with that of his childhood friend Suzaku Kururugi, in a well paced 25 episode arc. The stakes get higher and higher and tensions rise in this show stopping tale.
Minor downsides in my view, come in the form of inexplicable plot progressions that aren't necessarily plot holes, more like things that happen because they are supposed to happen. Examples pertain to bizarre plot twists and Lelouch's ability to outsmart certain antagonists in the most out there ways, though it is clear from analysis of Lelouch that big brain energy is a main characteristic to be seen. On first viewing I loved those kinds of comebacks, alas on a second watch I can't help but find it over the top at times and even borderline comedic with one twist in particular towards the end of the first season.
The Setting and Characters
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The anime is set in a very imperialistic alternate history where Japan is essentially colonized by an empire most likely inspired by the British empire. The name of the empire itself, Britannia, leaves little to the imagination. Code Geass has a whole host of characters across the two main groups; the colonized Japanese and the higher social class Britannians. It makes for a decently set anime that builds around its world quite well actually. The political landscape is a focal point that is attentively developed along with character development.
The main characters of Code Geass being Lelouch and Suzaku act as the key focal point of the show and each of these two helps to introduce several other key supporting characters. The best part about how characters are fleshed out is how multi dimensional the main and recurring characters are. Attention to detail is clear in fleshing each character out and their role in Code Geass.
Lelouch is big brain energy personified simply put. A brilliant strategist with quite a hefty motive as he is a former Britannian royal who seeks to avenge his mother's death and make a peaceful environment for his sister to live in. He is all about results and will make big strides and get his hand dirty to achieve his goals. His Japanese childhood friend has a bit of an opposing view on how to achieve his own goal of peace for the nation and the interactions between these two opposing characters creates the psychological fundamentals of Code Geass.
Lelouch's main ally is a mysterious girl who gives Lelouch the power he needs in his pursuits and his main enemy is the Emperor of Brittania, Lelouch's father, who negligibly failed to protect his son's mother. These two characters are increasingly important as the show progresses important in regards to the supernatural side of Code Geass which has a rather slow exposition for suspense reasons. With the girl , CC, I find her magical girl persona to be unique, witty and interesting while with regards to the emperor it is clear little is known about him besides being a racist superiority complex ridden brute who has motives that will clearly unveil big things in Lelouch's search for answers and revenge. Under the emperor are many siblings of Lelouch who make for difficult adversaries to overcome and this makes the mind games, battles and strategic elements all the more engaging.
The production and Sound
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The art style of this anime is for the most part very well detailed yet very anime-centric with big round eyes, lanky character bodies and busty female characters hence the occasional fan service. It can be a little of putting on a present day viewing, however it never truly takes away anything from the show. The production is mainly great, for its time, and I find it much better to appreciate the quality visuals in 1080p than when I first watched the anime on 240p like all men of culture did back then. The Mecha designs are breath taking, the character designs are well drawn to create distinct personality just by even looking at the characters while the animation is consistently fluid.
When it comes to music Code Geass holds itself well with a classic first opening theme song and beautiful background soundtracks in between scenes. That being said the second opening them and well as the third opening theme do little to prevent me from skipping them every time. Thus the original is not that much of a straight forward masterpiece as I remember but I still find it very good mostly.
Overall
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Code Geass stands as one of the best anime the 2000s, and is one my personal favorite that I recommend easily and purposefully wrote as much as I could without giving too much away. Even entering this show blind is something I can actually recommend as you just have to let the show work its magic and leave you in awe with its well rounded execution
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jul 10, 2022
Megalo box is a very good boxing anime with elements of greatness. Its a tale told in a very compact manner that still manages to be memorable. The anime has interesting characters, gripping fights, gritty and distinct production, as well as a great Soundtrack all integrated efficiently.
How the anime holds up as a stand alone work of art.
Megalo Box is a commemoration of the classic anime and manga Ashita no Joe. This results in an obviously inspired boxing anime, with a lot of the tropes that one would expect such as training montages, underdogs rising to the top, intense drama and big bad Russian opponents.
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The anime also has characters with the same name from the original influence, however Megalo box makes big strides to distinguish itself with additions to the world of boxing with the concept of mechanized boxing, as fighters take part matches wearing "gear", that is mechanisms worn on the arms that enhance power, speed and even body coordination. This element brings a touch of sci-fi to the anime. Characters are also very loosely based off Ashita no Joe with significant alterations thus Megalo box could actually hold up well enough as a standalone show.
The Characters of Megalo Box
The anime strikes a balance between being character driven and plot driven. There are many characters in the anime and generally speaking the characters in the show are nicely written out and go well with the themes of the story. The characters also resonate clearly. Looking at the three main protagonist; Joe is the boxer who desires rid himself of boxing in the underground boxing arena to reach peaks that seem impossible leaving him constantly having to psyche himself up and have large ambitions. His manager is down on his luck, the kind of guy who has all but given up on an honest means of living and accepted being a bit of a fraud, and Sachio is the kid from the slums who has a tragic past and wants to see the big leagues of boxing to get his personal revenge. Each main character has a clear narrative about their lives.
The antagonists, or at least the Megalo Boxers Joe had to fight against, were cool and all stylishly portrayed. Each of them was distinct as well as holistically written to give them personality and some development, The main antagonists of the show being the boxer Yuri and his manager Yukiko, along with other characters who act as antagonists for a short period like boxers Aragaki and Mikio. These characters are all well done but can also feel a bit too cliché when it comes to how their character development unfolds. It is common for boxing antagonists to appear unbeatable and evil before the protagonist has to fight them, when the protagonists fight them the antagonists dominate for most of the time until the protagonist makes a comeback and defeats them. In turn antagonists have a long thought about their defeat and become good guys and have a change of heart, as though the beat down altered their brains. This is repeated quite a number of times despite the short run time and this formula of character development leaves a little to be desired.
How the plot progression fares (some spoilers ahead)
The story of Megalo Box is told on a linear basis. It centers on the main protagonist Joe and his ambitions to rise above underground fixed match boxing to the bigger professional boxing rings. The story is continuous and flows with ease for the most part. The anime is 13 episodes long and it does feel as though it could have benefited from a longer run time, with tendencies to rush the plot progression especially in the second half of the anime. It's still entertaining despite this minor stutter. The story primarily focuses on the trio of Joe, his coach and the boy Sachio. As mentioned before the story is a bit derivative considering movies such as Rocky, and other anime Hajjime no Ippo, and obviously Ashita no Joe. However anyone with a soft spot for boxing shows knows that these tropes can still be enjoyed if executed with enough unique progression, and Megalo Box succeeds at giving the incentive to care for Joe's fighting spirit, his rise to the top and the difficult route for him in his battles with strong opponents that he and his team will have to face. The pacing really helps with this because for the most part the anime has a fast pace and does not hold any punches. The fights are gripping, the drama does well to make the atmosphere of the anime resonant and the anime actually does well in comedic relief and more wholesome moments.
If there was one downside that makes itself notable with Megalo Box, it would be the rush to finish the story that the anime does not hide, to quickly go over it the anime makes it clear that Joe wishes to fight at the biggest ring available to him, the Megalo Box tournament, where he can fight the tournament favorite Yuri. This makes it all the more understandable that this match is fated to happen, and every boxer Joe has to face on his way is a stepping stone. Its not too obvious at first but eventually it is. Even by the time the fight the anime wants to get to has arrived it lasts as long as a candle in the wind would last. It was not grossly too short by any means in the end.
Production and Soundtrack
The music is so well themed and crafted with clear inspiration. Megalo Box has an energy themed original soundtrack. The soundtrack is hard hitting, it hypes you up. It conjures various tracks to do this and keeps things on the edge. The soundtrack gives the anime a classic feel. It’s not all energetic as it diversifies itself with remixed tracks, specific character theme songs, sadder instrumental tunes and playful themes. Great music is a significant boost for the overall theme of any show; anime such as Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo benefitted immensely from their soundtrack and Megalo Box does the same, in my view.
Megalo Box has a classic anime style in its art work, with fleshed out character faces akin to 90s anime. It's a nice touch in concept and the show does fairly well to bring that concept to life. The art style makes the anime stand out amongst anime of the 2010s. The show adds to its substance in plot with a lot of style in its approach, for example how the slum city landscape feels like the dirty but urban with dense suburbs, remote areas and a large administrative area. Music and art go hand in hand many times in the show as the suburbs usually coincide with the hip hop theme songs of the soundtrack giving atmosphere to the suburbs. The backgrounds are fitting as well to shape the world of the anime.
Character designs are on point as every character looks complimentary to their nature, for example Joe has a bad ass, all or nothing kind of look, his manager Nanbu looks as sleezy as he is, Sachio has a crafty little look and Yuri looks like a beast of a boxer who people should fear. His manager Yukiko Shirato is clearly designed to give off an upper class, sophisticated and driven tone
All the elements of the anime feel well integrated.
Reviewing an anime like this in sections is difficult because of how well the show integrates its characters, soundtrack and production. It creates the world of Megalo Box to create a full 3 dimensional world. I could discuss every main character of the show because the phenomenon is the same, so I will instead focus on the main characters Yukiko Shirato, Sachio and Nanbu as an example. They are important to Megalo Box’s story, their character designs are good and their character theme songs are good. Already this shows how well the anime elements are a part of a functioning whole apart from functioning bite sized pieces. It might sound far-fetched to draw such a comparison to Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo's skill in combining elements, However Megalo Box is almost at that very level.
Minor gripes with the ending
The ending left me a bit confused on how to view Megalo Box. It felt a bit rushed, like it was trying to gift wrap the anime as soon as possible so that it could end within 13 episodes. A part of me feels that I must as well take the anime for what it is; a celebration and re-imagination of Ashita no Joe, a tale of boxers battling it out and relishing the highs and lows of boxing. I find the ending respectable with this interpretation because the style, tone and characters of the show would be the most important part of the show, despite its shaky landing. I still feel a massive enjoyment with this anime, even with the ending because even though I claim it is rushed, it still gripped me to finish this anime and leave with some satisfaction. You can tell Megalo Box was crafted with the intention of becoming a bit of memento to a classic instead of being a modern classic itself.
Overall its a thoroughly enjoyable anime with many highs and few lows.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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May 28, 2022
Kotaro Lives Alone (KLA) is an anime that alternates well between being wholesome and quirky. It has a funny and heartwarming atmosphere, which the Slice of life genre is admittedly known to have, however KLA separates itself from the rest with a distinct premise and unique way of tackling its general theme of child care and friendship.
Story and Characters
Kotaro Lives Alone (KLA) has a solid character driven story. The main characters of KLA are all odd balls, interesting and engaging odd balls to their credit. These are people who normally would not find themselves interacting with each other, or find themselves living in neighboring
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apartments too. These include a hostess, a struggling mangaka and a man who might just be a yakuza member or something. All of these characters share a common friend and neighbor, our main character, the self-sufficient four year old toddler of the year, Kotaro Sato. On first introduction Kotaro is made to be as unrealistic a four year old as possible with the way he self-sufficiently lives in an apartment by himself and has vocabulary that beats even kids twice his age, yet there is more to him that KLA fleshes out bit by bit to make him a genuine child needing care at the same time.
Kotaro is an eccentric child with a bit of mystery surrounding his background, which initially is unknown. Periodically, through his adventures, bits and pieces of his past are elaborated as the show progresses, and every time you get to know him better, you get to see just how much he has gone through and how that shaped the child he is. As all children need to do, Kotaro finds himself having to grow up, albeit in what is probably one of the weirdest ways possible to do so. This is where the adult side characters come in and allow the anime to have consistently fun and wholesome episodes..
Each character purposefully plays a role in helping Kotaro to ease his loneliness and help him to learn lessons along the way. KLA is semi-episodic with segments that deal with Kotato’s adventures with alternating side characters as his guardian and friend. This formula is rarely departed from and forms the basis of the show. Each of these characters are well thought of and definitely make one care about getting to know each of them and how they fit into the anime and Kotaro’s growth . The segmented progression works to mostly good effect here, as it allows the show to have a nonchalant and comedic atmosphere and affords the anime to have transitions from segments where things get sad, before returning into the lighter tone that the show is mostly in. This makes the anime strike a good balance, though it can feel a bit disjointed sometimes, having to shift tone so quickly at times.
Art and Setting
KLA has a very quirky style to its character designs. Kotaro, for example, has eyes that I can only describe as snake eyes. I can only assume the intention was to show how much of a crafty kid he is, despite his age. His face also looks emotionless, again making me assume that he’s still coming to grips with learning to handle emotionality in general. He is not the only one as each main character in the anime is given a distinct look to fittingly match what you can expect out of their character. Some characters are notably made to contrast their nature, one character in particular, the supposed yakuza member I mentioned earlier, wears a fit that an fashion crazed underboss would be proud to strut around in, yet the character himself is very kind and affectionate.
Outside of character designs the anime is very standard in visual quality with nice aesthetics lathered here and there, standard to the slice of life anime that’s being churned out these days. Interestingly enough, the anime was produced by Lidenfilms, the same studio that adapted Tokyo revengers, another anime with good characters and plot, but standard visuals at best merit.
Sound
Normally English dub makes itself intolerable because it decides to go for its own aesthetic, significantly altering quite a lot of dialogue and giving a non original attitude and nature of respective characters. It’s nice to see that both the original voices and the English dub do not vary too much from each other. Of course the argument that “The original is always best”, is not fully disproven, some dub voices, particularly that of side characters other than Kotaro, sound too disney-esque to take seriously, but the option is there and not too detrimental to enjoyment and dialogue accuracy. The original voice actors are unmatched in making each character resonate and come to life in an anime with very odd and somewhat unlikely character pairings.
When it comes to the soundtrack, I would have to say that the anime just about does the bare minimum for matching the genre and themes. If there was a Slice of life 101 guide on making a soundtrack, I’d say the producers read from it and pasted it into KLA. It’s not bad, just not stunning either.
Enjoyment
This is a show that many can enjoy for its wholesome characters and unique premise. Slice of life anime can be formulaic at times but this anime has a good balance of being itself while using sensibilities of the genre, sensibilities such as having themes that make you resonate and laugh most of the time, with occasional tides that bring the feeling of sadness. I do not expect to normally enjoy this genre, but all in all, I find this anime quite good.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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May 22, 2022
Babylon is a nice psychological/political detective anime. An okay anime that could have actually been great, in an imaginary alternate realm where Babylon instead focused on the direction that gave it so much intricate quality with intense atmosphere, and less on the direction that made it a pretentious show that aims to indulge itself in unnecessary moralizations
Story and themes
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The premise of Babylon promises a thrilling detective anime where the stakes are high in getting closer and closer to the truth of an organized crime conspiracy. Our MC, Sen Seizaki is almost the walking pinnacle of justice as he strives for nothing but
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the truth and pursuit of justice. He is thrown into a massive conspiracy involving pharmaceutical agents and the government, in pushing to distribute a drug for taking one’s life. This premise could lead one to expect this anime to be akin to psycho pass, as the truth is initially very obscure, the main characters are resourceful at finding clues and each discovery promised even more shock down the road. The anime then creates a special element to spice things up. An antagonist who is probably evil incarnate, who will give Sen a good run for his money. This anime ultimately develops a sort of death note model, a cat and mouse chase between Sen and the antagonist, Ai Magase. When the anime focuses on aspects like these, it thrives.
Ai is crucial to the themes of this show. She adequately fits her role and makes the anime a proxy battle between good and evil to see who will come out on top. Ai is cunning, intelligent and overwhelming. By the time her link to the organized crime conspiracy is revealed it becomes obvious just how formidable she is. One would thus think that this anime is primed for a complex and tense battle of good and evil with Sen and his allies fighting Ai and her political ally Kaiko Itsuki. For about 7 episodes and part of the second half of the show this is the case and the show is very good, however the anime has other plans that I initially thought were side themes, until Babylon became dedicated to indulge in them.
The anime decides to indulge itself in a sub theme which, in my opinion, is a redundant and pretentious excuse to play moral philosopher. Babylon decides to put focus on the concept of suicide and whether it is wrong or right to legalize it because plans are being made to make a special city in Japan where suicide will not only be legalized, but essentially supported. Firstly this seems too far fetched to take seriously because such an act, in most cases, is not really something a person will seek permission and support from the state to do. Secondly the anime makes it abundantly clear that by the 3rd episode antagonist Ai has the ability to hypnotize people and make them commit suicide. The anime has more important things to focus on but it decides to spend so much time in contemplating the right and wrongs of suicide, increasingly as the show progresses. This makes for such a waste of an interesting premise, seeing just how this anime takes a turn towards a less genuine route.
Characters and Production
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For the most part the characters are well laid out and fit their roles in the anime. The unspeakable does happen in the show, as the anime decides to dispose of many key characters and put focus away from Japan and introduce a new set of characters in the show's second half , with Sen and Ai being the part of the few to continue on in the show. This anime thus makes a habit to achieve greatness with its story and characters, only to throw it away for what seems to be a direction the show wanted to go all along that honestly feels like an awkward left turn into an accident. This accident is a shift in theme to a global political philosophical route. I might have enjoyed this route if they didn't have to destroy the old one to get to this one.
Production wise, the anime is pretty good. For the most part character designs are distinct and well drawn, Landscapes achieve the urban and serious feel the show wants. The music fits the themes of the show well and the voice acting is generally excellent as all dramatizations and dialogues hit the right spot when they need to. The minor downside of the anime in this department is that on a number of occasions still frames and motionless characters are used, making a lot of scenes and backgrounds feel lifeless. The anime might not have had the biggest budget, but for the most part the bar is set high in production.
Overall
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Overall Babylon is a bit disappointing in light of what it could have been. I still have aspects to praise the show for, because it honestly has so much undeniable quality sprinkled in, but instead decides to douse bland characters and pretentious plot lines into the plot progression, which ultimately is the biggest anti climatic factor this anime suffers from.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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May 20, 2022
Texhnolyze is an engaging and thought provoking show. This anime hooks you in with its dark and somewhat nihilistic themes, gravitating around the meaning of life and idea of what the peak of evolution of mankind can entail. The anime has its flaws, with its dated production and misfires with its own themes., Texnholyze still holds itself well enough to remain as a minor classic in the realm of psychological anime.
What is so distinct about Texhnolyze?
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The most crucial factor that distinguishes Texhnolyze from other anime is the dedication it has in its themes. The story, the setting and even the characters are all intentionally set
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up to create the anime's own take on the concept of existential nihilism. Throughout the anime the story is imbued with a sense of darkness, hopelessness and dystopia that consistently appears and consistently raises issues within the anime that, from a conceptual viewpoint, can resonate with a mind that is curious of what it would be like to find one's own meaning even in the depths of despair, and a mind that is curious about what the peak in evolution of mankind can entail.
Another feature that is special in this show is just how much it does not try too hard to provoke thoughts as the story progresses. The atmosphere of the anime makes for a slow burn in watching it, yet each episode is efficiently paced and laid out to eventually make the point of each story arc clear. Of course sometimes the anime will enter periods where things that feel secondary to the show are explored, for example there is a mildly intricate take on classism and its impact on technological advancement, particularly the equality of welfare improvement on people’s lives. The initial episodes can make one believe that this is what the anime is about, which in the end is a misfire with regards to how the anime can show hints of having a blunt focus.
How the Story is told.
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Texnholyze centres itself in the underground city of Lux, a dark and gloomy city that is regulated haphazardly, with 3 main entities having influence on the city. Each organisation is critical to follow as each of them has been in ongoing conflict with the other due to distinct ideology surrounding governance and the 'texnholyzation' process, where advanced prosthetic limbs are made from the important mineral "Raffia". Apart from the 3 entities are also the main character Ichise, a former underground boxer; Ran, a girl from an outlying area in the mountains who has the power to see the near future; and Yoshi, a man from up the surface where the upper class live, who comes to observe Lux. All of these entities and characters play a critical role in key events that take place in this anime and these characters also drive the direction of where the plot progresses. The story of the show and its characters are hard to separate, as the characters create the spectacle, this makes each character crucial with regards to story progression,
The anime is fairly complex to understand, on initial appearance it can seem too tedious and daunting to go from episode to episode, trying to understand things like how a simple dog fighter like Ichise will impact the story. This is where I give praise to the show because the show does not try to make itself more complicated than it needs to be most of the time, and does not try too hard to be intricate and thought provoking. It adequately lays out the journey of Ichise and the others in Lux with time and with decent pace. The first episode is very, and I mean very confusing, but eventually where each character fits and the dynamic of the world of Texhnolyze opens itself well enough for any viewer that is paying attention. I will also have to say however that as things reach a climax in this anime, ambiguity and complexity can creep back into the show, albeit this is because the true themes of the show are coming into fruition. Texnholyze does not give full exposition with regard to the city of lux and the intentions of some characters in the beginning, it rather follows a gradual progression of incidents and slow revelation of truths about the Lux and its surroundings.
How the production holds up
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The anime is dated, 2003 is almost 20 years ago, and this anime has little staying power to match anything from recent years in terms of visuals. The production of the show is, however, distinct even amongst the dark and psychological anime that was appearing in the 2000s. The anime does not have lush and fancy visuals, instead it has dark and somewhat untidy visuals, with landscapes that are both futuristic and primitive. This is especially the case in Lux. Not much is appealing in the city, and I believe that was exactly the point for the anime’s intention. Characters and objects are designed well, only a few instances would you see odd motions and frames that are not really in sync. As I said it’s dated, but still very efficiently done.
How the Soundtrack fares.
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The soundtrack is pretty good. Everything from the opening theme, to the ambient sounds that play during the anime fit the themes of the show well. The music places itself well and sometimes it is purposefully non-existent to bring the sense of emptiness and when it is there it’s good. The opening is cool, dark and upbeat and the ending has a sweet and sad touch to it.
Overall
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Texhnolyze is very good. Words are not enough to express just how the anime gets its dynamics right and maintains some degree of staying power even two decades later. It’s an anime I easily recommend for fans of the psychological anime genre.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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