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I have been recommended Monster for a while now, but I was always a bit hesistant to try it out, because it has 74 episodes and that is quite the commitment, but since I enjoyed Pluto (despite some issues here and there), another work from the same author last year, I decided to give it a shot finally. Because I thought, maybe having 74 episodes would fix some of the issues I had with Pluto. But the thing is, the opposite was the case (though as you can see, I still rated it fairly high).

But let's start with the good things. The first 10 episodes ... are really interestingly made, because it's not quite clear yet where the show wants to go and the stretch in between episode 25 and episode 38 are definitely some of the best thriller episodes you can watch. Furthermore, the anime plays in Germany (and Czech Republic for a bit) and the attention to detail is astounding. Not only are all the letters and newspapers in German, but the cities are very closely drawn to what they truly look like. It's been fun to see small details in the background and say "Oh yeah, that's this building" despite there being nearly 30 years in between when the anime plays and today. Lastly, I do like the general themes of the anime and some side characters like Grimmer are really well done.

But if this review is mixed, it means that there are also problems, big enough to make me dislike the show at certain parts. One of the biggest problems is the length. As mentioned above, this show has 74 episodes and if you think this would mean that there is a lot more depth to the characters, then you are sadly mistaken. Instead of using the time to create some really interesting, multi-layered characters, the anime likes to repeat itself over and over again. While Tenma has a really interesting arc in the first 10 episodes, he becomes a really boring character for the rest of the show and the most interesting part (episodes 25-38) has him absent for 90% of it which is not what you would like to have for your main character. And the problem is, this does not just go for Tenma, but also the side characters (with some exceptions) and most importantly the main antagonist of the show. The reasion why episodes 25-38 are working so well is because it uses completely new characters (so there isn't as much repetition), but it's also the only point in the entire show where the antagonist is actually present and the anime is SHOWING you what he is like rather than just telling you.

And that is the biggest problem for me, the show is telling you way more than it is showing you. It always tells you how evil the main antagonist is, but aside from this one period, you don't really see it. I guess this was done to make him more mysterious, but it just didn't help with the engagement for me when the show is this long. That isn't to say that the show isn't trying to show you something every now and then, but most of the time, it's failing, because things like with Nina are so dragged out that they don't leave much impression once you have all the information. The only time this was done well, was with Grimmer in my opinion, which is probably also why he is the best character in the show imo.

What is left at the end is a show that has some interesting ideas, a total of around 20-30 episodes that are really strong, but also more than 40 episodes that feel a bit dragged at best and completely pointless at worst as the show keeps introducing new side characters that only appear for around two episodes most of the time which would be fine if the main cast was more interesting. It's definitely a show you should try out I think, but you should be aware that it can really drag at points. Also, I feel the ending is kind of meh. I get what they were trying to go for there, but I don't think they really nailed that idea.

Just as a small part here: The review was written preliminary after the first 6 episodes, but overall, all I wrote back then still holds true after having watched all episodes. With the addition that I really enjoyed the character moments in the second half even more than I already did in the first half. They really nailed the "show-don't-tell" storytelling aspect in this show.

World Dai Star is a very good combination of your general Cute-Girls-Doing-Cute-Things genre with the profession of acting. The main character Kokona wants to become a world famous actress, but is missing what people call "sense" and is therefore being rejected ... after most auditions. She is encouraged by her friend Shizuka to still try and is finally able to perform well during an audition joining the SIRIUS theater where she learns to improve her acting while also having fun with the other actresses.

I don't want to go into more details of the plot, because there are a lot of potential spoilers here, but there are interesting aspects that keep the story engaging, ranging from understanding the abilities of the different actresses (the "senses") that are all describing different acting styles, but also the understanding of the problems that come with this kind of style. For example, one character is able to read the thoughts of the audience and is therefore able to adjust their acting so the audience enjoys it more. But that also leads to her acting too much for the audience and going against the original plan. All of that is combined with fun moments between the girls that strengthen their friendship.

Where I think the anime is very strong is in its presentation. The animation is some of the strongest of the season when it comes to the acting scenes. The movements are so fluid that most shows can't even compare. This helps to show small details in the acting through which the characters define themselves but more importantly their role. The second part of the presentation is the fact that the show is not afraid to leave things up to the viewers. Episode 1 for example has a big twist at the end that is not put into the forefront too much. It shows that the show trusts their viewers to pay attention and not needing to explain every small detail. Which is also why a lot of people actually missed this twist (as you can see by checking the comments for that episode).

Therefore, I recommend everyone to give the show a shot for at least 1 episode. You can probably gauge if you like the show or not after that first episode and its twist. But I think, the show deserves to at least get this chance, because the passion in this project, especially when it comes to the acting scenes and the fluidity of the movement, can be felt like in no other anime of the season.

The show is my personal anime of the year of 2021. Not because of the story because this one is quite simple: A small aquarium is going to be closed, but the grand daughter of the owner doesn't want to accept it and tries everything to get more customers. Helping her is a girl that lost her job as an idol and who doesn't want to go home yet since she doesn't know where to go in live. It is a perfect coming of age story about two girls and their completely different starting positions. However, both of them develop over time and it feels ... great to see their growth over the 24 episodes as they help each other through hard times. Furthermore the side characters are really lovable and while some of them could have gotten a bit more time, you will love them all in the end.

The reason why I rated the anime so high in the end is that it was able to make me feel sad in the end. Not because something sad actually happened, but just because halfway through the last episode, I started to realise the feeling that this would be the end of the journey. And while it isn't the most action packed journey, it was one that will stay with me for a while.

As for art and sound, I think the anime speaks for itself. The art is beautiful and the colour scheme together with the music creates a warm feeling that perfectly encapsulates this anime. Furthermore, the anime has these moments of peace where the visitors of the aquarium see some kind of spectacle with the fishes that connect to them on an emotional level. These scenes are directed wonderfully without a single line of dialogue or monologue being spoken and you completely understanding what goes on in the head and heart of the person seeing this.

All these things are the reason why you at least should give the anime a chance.

I won't write a long analysis to this show. I will say this. You will see a lot of people claiming that the ending was bad and it ruined the show. It's not true. I won't claim that the ending was perfect. There will be things at the end that you personally might want to get resolved, BUT in general the ending is a satisfying ending to the story of all 4 main characters. However, it is important to remember that the show will require you to pay close attention. In order to understand all, it is probably best to rewatch the show after you ... finished it, because with the things you know, there is a whole new outlook on a lot of the details that you couldn't put together at the beginning. And I assume a lot of people just didn't do that, especially since the last episode came out 3 months after the ending of the second to last episode. But I mean, don't just believe me and don't believe the others. The show is great, has very strong animation, especially in the first half and a super interesting soundtrack with 4 strong characters. Try it out. It definitely earned it.

Okay, so I usually don't write or rate any anime that I haven't finished yet, just because I feel it is unfair and I wouldn't have done it here either, but seeing the score while there is only one review out, I felt that it is necessary to give people a better understanding. Because I am not really able to rate a lot of the aspects of the show yet, I decided to not do a usual breakdown of the different categories, but I would just write a short text about why I think people might dislike it and why I think it is still ... at least worth the watch.

So let's begin with why I believe people might dislike the show. Gekidol is one of the shows that tries to trick you on the surface level about what it wants to be. For example, the title alone is a combination for the words theater and Idol and together with specific scenes in the first few episodes, the general idea that this is just an idol show in a theater is very reasonable. However, the show also shows a lot of hints that already reveal in the first episode that this is not the case and I believe this is a huge risk. Because people who expect an idol show will notice for example the strange atmosphere that is different from your usual happy idol show while people not expecting anything just assume this is about idols and leave. This can obviously work, one of the prime examples is Madoka Magicka, but even that show only blew up after everyone understood what it was really about and therefore started recommending it to people outside the Magical Girl fandom (note here: this is not to say that this show is on the same level, it is just a comparison).

Now with that out of the way, what is the show about? I can't tell you 100% yet and I also can't tell you if the ideas presented in the first 5 episodes will be executed properly in the end. What I can tell you is that the show has a dark undertone which mostly comes from its subgenre SciFi. For example, there is a phenomenom where parts of the city just vanished and no one can explain why. At the same time, the world has technology that makes watching a theater a lot more enjoyable and which seems to have a hidden spec to it that is not yet revealed, since it is mainly owned by a large company. Add to all of that an android who seems to be able to act out (because it's a show about acting) the people the person loves the most and make you believe you are in the presence of this exact person again. This android again is owned by the same company and may or may not have developed feelings (again hard to tell yet, because main part of the show is acting).
To summarize that: The story and world has a large mystery to it that could potentially evolve into some amazing climax in the later episode. Furthermore the combination of a happy surface level anime combined with this dark undertone makes it really exciting to watch, especially since some of the characters also show a more "darker" side to the whole idol job which is usually not mentioned very much. I can only tell you to try out the anime, because I feel a lot of people got the wrong impression from the first few episodes (even though the hints are already there).

Edit after watching the full show: The show is definitely not something for everyone, but I still think the score is generally lower than you would expect. It is to say however that it requires you to actually think about what is said and also what you see. There is context in every dialogue and scene that makes it a very interesting experience. It is an interesting anime from a directional perspective to say the least. And I would say that it has a satisfying ending at least the one that I got out of it. Because at the end of the day, the anime is not easy to understand and this doesn't just come from the good parts about the directing, but also some bad parts. A slight spoiler, but I already said that this show has SciFi elements, but there are different timelines that are shown, but it is not always made clear if and when you are in a different timeline and where this is set in reference to the main plot (or the main timeline) which makes it hard to understand sometimes. I think this could have been done better. But I also say that it is quite enjoyable if you have fun with different approaches to directing and you are willing to try and understand what the anime wants to say.

Okay, before I start with the actual review, let me say that I created an account because I have seen the same "criticism" over and over again and I can't understand that people believe what they write there. Now, what you often see in these mostly negative reviews is that there are dumb characters and coincidences. I won't deny that, but I ask you this: Is that bad? Let me all remind you that Death Note, one of the most beloved anime, opens its main story by a super dumb decision from Light where he kills Lind L. Taylor without any reason other than he ... made him angry. Not to mention that a lot of coincidences drive the plot like Lights family not finding his small TV in the chips or the rain starting to cover Lights face by an umbrella or Ryuk developing an apple addiction which makes him tell Light where all the cameras are even though he doesn't want to interact (as he said before). Not to mention that the series introduces one of the dumbest characters with Misa, but she is kept around because she has a special ability. I could sit here all day picking out coincidences or even dumb decisions by these geniuses (like Light revealing himself to the FBI agent before he dies), but I think you get the point that this already not reduce the quality of the story. But now, imagine that you don't have geniuses but average teens who are too confident in themselvea because they are seen as special due to their powers? Please tell me again how this is a flaw in the narrative?

Now, I won't go into too much spoilers in the actual review (a bit more of that below). The anime is not perfect, but it is definitely worth a watch. The story revolves around a school with students that have supernatural abilities. But fear not, this is not a budget MHA. Because the enemies are not villains but monsters called "Enemies of humanity" that are said to have various powers like being invisible or even able to transform into humans. A lot of students therefore suspect that these monsters might be among them (pun intended) which leads people to distrust others and also hide their abilities (which in return makes them even more suspicious). As you already guessed this leads to a mystery where no student knows who to really trust but again, these are just average students otherwise so dumb decisions are not out of the realm of possibility. Before I go into the spoiler part, let me say that the voice acting is on point, the same with the music. The animation is as you would suspect from a mystery nothing to write home about, but that is not a problem since the anime knows how to frame the scenes to still make it interesting. Now, I can't really go into more without spoiling, so either go watch the anime or read further if you are not convinced yet.







As you might have guessed, the whole plot around monsters seems to be a bit artificial which is because it is the case. There are no monsters. In fact, there was a war between "normal" humans and those with abilities. After the humans won, over time they changed their strategy and made up a system that openly accepts talented but sends them to an island where they are trained, but actually are killed by a murderer. This murderer is Nana, who has no talent, but in order to not be suspicious, she claims to be able to read minds. Nana now has to not only make sure that no one figures this secret out by being observant and using clues to appear as to read minds but she also has to kill the students while not knowing their abilities at first.

The comparison to Death Note comes in here, because we follow Nana, hear her thoughts, see her plans, but we also see her "opponent", a guy who is suspect of her, but has not enough clues to be sure or openly accuse her. The dynamic is close to the beginnings between Light and L where Nana often tries to create evidence that she is nothing but an innocent girl. But there is where the similarities end. Because where Death Note is about Lights descend into developing a God complex, Nanas character development is the opposite. At first, she is not hesistant to kill these people, not just because it is her job, but because of her backstory as well. However, she still is a girl, so even unconsciously she is starting to warm up to the people she is supposed to kill just by being around them. This brings inner conflict where she has to ask herself if she might have been killed innocent people. And it leads to an actual emotional ending of the season even though I thought I would hate the character at the core of this part.

Besides that, there is always some mystery that keeps you interested and makes you thinking. With all the hints spread throughout the episodes this will always lead to twists that come never out of nowhere and it keeps you thinking what the next development will look like.