- Last OnlineYesterday, 4:30 PM
- GenderFemale
- LocationCanada
- JoinedOct 8, 2021
RSS Feeds
|
![]()
Oct 17, 2024
I'm well aware that I'm not the target audience for this, but it got put onto my radar by the memes and an acquaintance of mine so here I am... Ready to hate like the hater I am...
I find the show pretty boring, uncomfortable and unfunny. The charm is lost between the adult former male protagonist acting like a child in the most stupid, annoying and unflattering way possible. He whines, cries, and balks so much that he comes across as intentionally painted as hateable. Whether male or female, he is an annoying little shit. His sister got on my nerves much less but she
...
comes across as devoid of character because her actions drive the plot so much that she just is the plot. She's a Siscon Mary Sue. I think that says enough. The gender-bender elements come across as confusingly fetishistic to me. It makes a big deal out of everyday things women do in a sexually charged manner. Like I GET that men think it's hot to undress or bathe as a woman because of OWO boobies but stuff like getting a bra measurement is literally mundane and unnoteworthy no matter how you experience or look at it. There's this attempt at comedy with an overreacting protagonist over stuff that no grown adult man would reasonably struggle with unless he was genuinely, uh, special needs (like washing long hair... Men can have that too btw!) so it becomes absolute cringe, not comedy. Usually, gender bender has relatable or comedic elements in it but I found that this show has neither. Do you know what it does have?!!! Fan service of middle schoolers!
Ah..
Anyway, I don't think it's really up to the snuff when bangers like Ranma 1/2 or OreFujo are out there so try those instead.
Reviewer’s Rating: 3
What did you think of this review?
Nice
 0
Love it
 0
Funny
 0
Confusing
 0
Well-written
 0
Creative
 0Show all
![]()
Sep 21, 2024
Listen, I am coming to this anime as a die-hard fan of the Visual Novel, and I am willing to play defence against any detractors. It is an incredibly well-written vn with many hard-hitting action sequences, intriguing themes and a good balance between tragedy and heartfelt moments. The anime, however... Well...
Let’s talk about the things I liked first. There are some nice sequences, particularly during the fight scenes. They're very hard-hitting and keep a good balance of stylishness and realism. Shiki's in particular were very captivating, I can tell that my little emo princess was lavished with most of the budget <3 I also like
...
the small design details like the eyes being drawn with additional detail (eg. w/cupid’s bow and red waterlines), the stark lighting choices/use of light and the neon red blood. It complements the edgy style just right. And of course, if Nitro Chiral is involved there will be a bumping soundtrack. The tracks definitely help sell the dramatic tension (and the release of said tension) and grittiness of the action. It’s a huge plus that I really appreciate because 99% of the time IDGAF about movie/TV soundtracks…That’s how good it is, dawg. There are alterations to the story to fit for time that I liked, especially how they integrated Nano as the narrator so his mystique and characterization still occur in small fragments that slowly fit together, like in the VN. They also added some fan service, not the BL kind but like extended action sequences and new fights that didn’t happen in the VN. This is Togainu no Chi, so of course I do like seeing men beat the shit out of each other. As a fan, I felt serviced.
Now for the bad. The animation is just straight-up bad at times. The characters are off-model A LOT, to the point where their derpy, detailless faces are genuinely distracting during scenes trying to convey emotional gravitas. It pans to buildings a lot, even during fight scenes which detracts from the action. There are odd stylistic choices like Dutch angles and fixed camera angles, to the point where I thought to myself “This would be so much better as a normal and boring shot-reverse-shot”, which is… Oh boy. It’s also lit way too dark in like 30-50% of the scenes to the point where you can barely see what’s going on. I understand what they were going for but it’s too much, they need to lighten up a bit (lol).
Because the plot is slowly unfurled bit by bit over multiple routes, the anime’s fast-paced treatment of it gets a bit slapdash at times with inconsistencies and omissions that I imagine a newcomer might get confused with. Don’t get me wrong, the plot was simple to begin with, but it was better-paced and more in-depth in the VN. And don't get me started on that non-ending in the anime. Seriously. What they did to my boy Nano was...! >:/
All the characters end up becoming really Flanderized, though to differing extents. Rin gets the brunt of this with a lot of dialogue that develops his character being cut, while Keisuke is more or less the same albeit portions of his backstory were cut for being too homo for TV (lol) (I say lol in a very sad, painful way btw). Shiki remains a villain and never has his mayadere arc, which wouldn’t be a problem if his character wasn’t a mayadere… You know, a cold, unflappable, prideful villain who only changes after developing an attraction to the MC. And even then, Shiki only sparingly lets down his guard every once and a while to show how much Akira means to him. He is the most subtle yet admittedly weakest member of the cast, so inherently sexual (not sexualIZED, there’s a difference) to the point where cutting out the S/M master/brat dynamic he has with Akira doesn’t leave much left to him.
The problem with the anime adaptation is by removing the different endings, the themes and character development don’t hit nearly as hard, or even at all due to this. They write themselves into a corner with this and have to scrap all of the route-specific character development since they simply do not have the time to dedicate character development between all the characters and Akira. Especially since a lot of it leads to love… The biggest problem with removing the L in BL is that TnC’s themes heavily centre around love and stripping it out results in, rather predictably, gutting the story’s thematic consistency and hard-hittingness. How the hell can Keisuke’s route, which shows that it is better to choose forgiveness over violence and revenge, ever hit as hard without showing Akira’s tender affection come to surface when he realizes that he was so close to losing him? How can Motomi’s route show Akira the dangers of his toxic masculinity and help him learn to process his emotions and trauma if it doesn’t show him holding Akira close, and the sexual tension that results from this? I could go on but I think you get the point.
This results in Akira lacking the depth he develops in the VN, which is a travesty. He is one of my favourite characters of all time BECAUSE he is an emotionally stunted young man who starts out as dismissive and distant, but is forced to confront his emotions due to the shock and trauma of his environment, and what happens between him and his new allies. He is forced to be vulnerable. He takes damage. He is traumatized. He is stressed. He is tested. He cracks. And despite it all, he chooses life, forgiveness and love. His growth is greatly influenced by what each romantic interest in the route has to teach him (whether literally like in Motomi’s route or perhaps a trial by fire like Rin) which makes him best appreciated in the grand, holistic scheme of things when you’ve been through every route after like 30 hours.
You’re probably wondering why I left a mixed review instead of a not-recommended one… Well, it’s because as a supplement to the VN/Manga, yeah, I felt very fan-serviced and privileged to see the written action sequences come to life. On the other hand, I felt like there had to be a better way to adapt the series than this, given all of the negative changes and flaws. A newcomer would probably see this anime as a meandering, plothole-ridden schlockfest filled with one-note characters. TL;DR If you're a fan, the anime can be fun if you turn your brain off and enjoy watching your husbandos slap fight each other. If you aren't, you will not like this at all.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
What did you think of this review?
Nice
0
Love it
0
Funny
0
Confusing
0
Well-written
0
Creative
0Show all
![]()
Jul 26, 2024
Honestly, I was a bit let down by this Manga. I was hyped up by the reviews of its dark and psychological nature but the work keeps toeing the line between a normal BL and a psychological thriller. However, it never settles into one or the other and fails to sell the horror aspects to its full potential, and the disturbing events get in the way of a proper romance. There are glimmers of this like in chapters 10-11 (IIRC?) which genuinely sent a chill up my spine with how the genre cliche of r-pe gets played deadly seriously as Koukichi becomes seriously mentally damaged
...
and changes as a person, which ruins the fun of stalking for Fukusuke and causes him to slowly lose it. It was a really smart play, turning a genre trope usually played off as inconsequential into something disturbing. I thought it would only ramp up from there, but then they make up later? As I said, it fails to sell the horror and tries to salvage their tainted relationship near the end. It wasn't as scary as I thought it could be but it has some clever writing elements here and there as well as a unique plot. It might be worth the read if you're OK with its non-committal nature but be aware that this leads to tonal inconsistencies.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
What did you think of this review?
Nice
0
Love it
0
Funny
0
Confusing
0
Well-written
0
Creative
0Show all
Jul 21, 2024
Wow, this one really blew me away. I see it as a psychological anti-romance more than a standard BL, if that makes sense. The main draw is the character drama and constant interpersonal conflict between Imagase and Kyoichi, who are cat-and-mouse-like. They are shown to be deeply flawed individuals as Kyoichi is a complete doormat who strings everyone along while Imagase is an obsessive borderline stalker. Their actions are not excused nor glossed over in the story but instead serve to have a unique dynamic that makes their relationship stand out not just to themselves but to everyone around them. The two become entangled in
...
an endless push-and-pull of jealousy, rejection, desire and lust with many twists and turns in the story that had me on the edge of my seat.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
What did you think of this review?
Nice
0
Love it
0
Funny
0
Confusing
0
Well-written
0
Creative
0Show all
![]()
Nov 30, 2022
It's difficult to recommend this spoof because it's so far off from what the source material is. While fans who enjoy both graphic Eroguro works and irreverent Japanese comedies exist (das me), it's very unorthodox to create a work that shifts from one into the other and tries to appeal to both crowds at once. Obviously, I had an inkling that adapting LHC into an anime would be difficult, given its graphic content. However, I never expected it to be turned into a mini-episode comedy sketch series that centers on inside jokes from LHC. Anyways, I did find it pretty funny and I absolutely lost
...
my shit when Hakuei showed up out of nowhere (ngl Litchi Hikari Club is one of my fav VK alter-ego bands, it's up there with My Dragon for sure). I only recommend this series to those who like comedy sketch shows and have already read Litchi Hikari Club, otherwise, you'll be very much lost and won't get the jokes at all.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
What did you think of this review?
Nice
0
Love it
0
Funny
0
Confusing
0
Well-written
0
Creative
0Show all
![]()
Nov 30, 2022
I'm a Visual Kei fan first and foremost and Dir en Grey is one of my favourite bands. I used to hate them back when I was younger, believe it or not! I hated them for the same reasons why other non-VK fans hate them; Diru plays loud, aggressive screechy music with lyrics that went too far. However, my opinion changed when exposed to their other works, and as I grew older. I have the utmost respect for their continuous boundary-pushing, ever since they went off the rails in their debut full-length album Gauze (Missa, while a satisfying Kote romp, is far from novel). At
...
every turn, their music and PVs suffered censorship (why do you think egnirys cimredopyh is spelled like that? They literally had to reverse the title to AVOID JAIL TIME!) but they never lost heart and continue to push the envelope and experiment, even to this very day. Agitated Screams of Maggots continues along these lines, with horrific imagery of an Eroguro nature. It pairs with Kyo's lyrics, which are rather fittingly about critiques of shocking material and groups like Diru. It's more of a critique of mainstream celebs (and normies, to an extent) who try to co-opt lukewarm shock material (inverted crosses and black lipstick OMG!!!) for attention and money, yet bemoan those who genuinely make their art and very lives center around it. I relate to it, on that level...
Anyway, I only recommend it to Diru and Deathcore fans, and maybe showing it to your little sibling as revenge as we all did with OBSCURE as kids (ahhh, the memories!)
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
What did you think of this review?
Nice
0
Love it
0
Funny
0
Confusing
0
Well-written
0
Creative
0Show all
![]()
Nov 28, 2022
Zera is my toxic Sigma male "literally me" character ngl... Now, I came into Litchi Hikari Club as a fan of Japanese Angura and Eroguro Kei and shock material in general, so I had a semblance of what was going to happen, though LHC turns it all up to an 11. If you don't know what Eroguro usually entails, then be advised that this manga has ultra-violence/extreme gore and explicit sex scenes. I only recommend this work to readers over 18 and those who enjoy dark themes and shocking material. Albeit, Litchi Hikari Club is so much more than mere shock material, trust me.
The art
...
style is fantastic. The art style has a very strong Angura aesthetic, with Shironuri (white face makeup) and Gakuran (black boy's school uniforms) complimenting the dreary monochromatic background of their Shouwa-era, worn-out, industrial town. Despite each member wearing the same clothes and having the same hair/eye colour (not typical in anime/manga), each boy has a unique look to him and stands out, from Kaneda's half-hidden face to Raizou's effeminate gestures. Colour is used sparingly, and when it is, you can FEEL it, despite the comic being in black and white (that's how effective it is).
Though the leader gets the most screen time, LHC doesn't have a main character and mostly focuses on the Club as a whole. Zera is their leader, a calm and calculating young man who obsesses over aesthetic beauty. He demands order in the club and commands calmly, but with an iron fist. The members seek his approval and follow him in his goal; to give life to their robot Lychee, and have him successfully kidnap a human girl. His members include his right-hand man and lover Jaibo, a sycophant with sadistic tendencies. Tamiya, the somewhat disgruntled former leader. Niko, the ultra-dedicated "#1" of Zera's. Dafu, who is fairly quiet yet dedicated in his own right. Dentaku, a highly intelligent young man in charge of programming Lychee. Kaneda, whose nail-biting habit reflects his anxious spirit. Raizou, a highly effeminate and spirited young man who isn't afraid to get his hands dirty in the club's business. Jacob is the youngest member and is the most innocent of them all, however, he is still very much complicit in the club's heinous activities. Other major characters include Lychee the robot, and Kannon the kidnapped girl (despite being in captivity, she has agency and plays a major role in the plot).
While it is comparable to Lord of the Flies with its isolated and self-governing male-centric, barely pubescent cast, I feel as if LHC reaches a separate logical end conclusion of LotF's more open-ended themes. Mirroring Japan's own extremely group-centric society, LHC functions with far more social cohesion and centers around the constant battle of appeasing (not rebelling) leader Zera in order to gain power... Well, except for what happens later, but that's a spoiler. Not to mention that it breaks down NatSoc (we know it as Nazism) into a smaller, digestible scale and shows how it influences the club's power structure and culture, that being of brutality and aesthetic worship (Nazis heavily used pleasing aesthetics to advertise their regime). As you would imagine, a large group of the same sex does indeed create sexual tension, which is shown in Zera and Jaibo's relationship and the resulting "power-couple" dynamic that is equal parts a shockingly NORMAL depiction of a gay relationship and a spiral of bad influence that emboldens each boy to embrace his negative character traits. This may be me reading into it too much, but I feel like, despite its dated setting, LHC still applies to the modern day with how our post-industrial society is creating dystopias where increasingly isolated men/women seek echo chambers and borderline cults in order to feel a sense of belonging. It also offers a mild character study of Zera, who slowly devolves into a mess of paranoia as his club devolves into chaos, his personal anti-thesis. The greatest theme, I'd say, is what it means to be human. I won't spoil it, but the end shows that humanity is earned and not begot by simple existence.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
What did you think of this review?
Nice
0
Love it
0
Funny
0
Confusing
0
Well-written
0
Creative
0Show all
|
