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Dec 24, 2020
In the 2000s, many harem anime shows came out that many of the older fans might recognize. Titles that you could argue have become classics, even if they don't bring much to the table other than a variety of hot and/or cute girls. People like to call the harem genre trash, but also have at least one harem show that they secretly like. Zero no Tsukaima, To LOVE-Ru, Rosario to Vampire, Ichigo 100%, Hayate no Gotoku... School Days?
Then there's Girls Bravo, a show that makes you reconsider whether the other harem shows from the 2000s are actually masterpieces. A show so utterly devoid of anything
...
enjoyable, you just might want to tear your hair out by the end of the first season.
SPOILERS MAY FOLLOW, if you care.
Story: 1/10
Read the synopsis. Done? Good, because that's literally all of the plot progression of the entire first season. Apart from two more girls coming from Seiren and living with the MC, the rest of the runtime consists of the MC's crew and their run-ins with the dynamic Fukuyama sibling duo, who are the primary source of problems for them. Apart from the very first episode, that's the recipe for every. Single. Episode. Crew is out and about. Fukuyama does something to crew! Crew eventually "outsmarts" and/or defeats them in the most boring ways. Happy ending! The sheer repitition of the same formula is even more predictable than most slice of life shows that I'm just left here wondering why they didn't just call it a slice of life anime. Unfortunately, this lack of plot progression is also compensated for with a bunch of sexual jokes and innuendos that are so over the top that you can't help but feel either repulsed or massively disappointed by, even when you aren't taking the show seriously.
Art: 4/10
The production that went into this show was at the very least not that bad, which is noticeable with the art. While it isn't necessarily good, it isn't bad either. It's a run of the mill-artstyle, with ordinary animation quality, that in a sense lacks any sort of originality. However, while it's of decent quality, the lack of anything that makes it distinguishable from other shows from the same time other than how ordinary it is makes it pretty boring. You tire out from the artstyle pretty fast, especially with how detailed they make the nipples (the few times they actually show up) as well as the glossiness of the bodies. Remember, this is an ecchi harem show after all. What better way to show that than just flashing tits and panties all the time, am I right?
Sound: 4/10
Since the first season came out in 2004, you might be surprised by the names behind the voices of the three main characters, namely by Mamiko Noto (Fujino Asagami from Kara no Kyoukai), Ayako Kawasumi (Saber from the Fate/stay night entries) and Chiwa Saito (Senjougahara from the Monogatari series), who all went on to become established names in the voice acting industry. While they fit their characters pretty well, their performances aren't anything special or memorable, which follows the fairly typical production style of the anime. Neither are the soundtracks anything special, as they sound like they came from the most half-assed studio sessions that attempted to make the soundtrack as bland as the artstyle, so that they could complement each other.
Character: 1/10
This is where Girls Bravo truly falters in comparison to similar shows from its time. The main guy, Yukinari, is allergic to girls due to how poorly he has been treated by them over the course of his life, which makes him get rashes everytime a girl touches him. EXCEPT for the main girl, Miharu, who comes from Seiren, and who just happens to be the most dense, oblivious and gullible girl in existence. Everything about her screams fanservice. The literal fellatios she performs on bananas in episode 2 because that's how she thinks they're supposed to be eaten. The way she gets into dumb, lewd situations because she "just doesn't know better", with no actual effort from any of the other characters to help prevent those situations from happening again. Then, the incredibly violent childhood friend, Kirie, who, surprise, is actually crushing on him! Her running jokes? Big tits. Something something to Hell. Koyomi, who is incredibly scared of guys. Fortunately for her, the only two guys she ever encounters (somehow?) is Yukinari and the Fukuyama brother. Koyomi's sidekick Tomoka, who is and acts like a child in every way, because that's her running joke. Funny, right? Or is it? So far, I'm not laughing. Then, at last, the two Fukuyama siblings who are apparently the cause of everything evil in this world. Older brother Kazuharu, who should've gone to jail at least twenty times for all of the sexual assaults and harassing he's done to all of the girls except his younger sister Risa, who in turn deludes herself into thinking that Yukinari is her destined soulmate because of one fortune telling on a random day. The other characters aren't relevant enough to be brought up here, but they aren't much better.
Enjoyment: 1/10
Even when I'm not trying to take the show seriously, because clearly that wasn't what they were going for, the level of comedy is that of a horny 6th grader. They showed tits, and because it's inappropriate normally, it's funny! Haha! Look look, she's performing fellatio on a banana! Haha! (Seriously, I can't get over that scene. Two or more minutes of banana blowjobs while the store owner just rabbles on about his banana travels. Who approved of that?) Aw shucks, Fukuyama did something again! L O L, which stands for Laughing Out Loud! With most shows, even though they don't take themselves seriously, they try to progress the relationships between the characters or the plot somewhat to spice things up, but the show doesn't even do that! It's like seeing a really unfunny comedian tell the same joke 11 times and expect people to laugh harder every single time. Where other harem shows flourish in relationship progression, Girls Bravo has NONE of that. The relationships, at least in this first season, stay as the exact same almost the entire time, which irks me an incredible amount. Beating a dead horse isn't fun, was never fun and will never be fun.
Overall: 2/10
This show is what people who hate harem shows imagine a harem show to be like. Any form of enjoyment from this show will only be derived from the countless nip slips, lewd moments and frankly cringy moments. What does this show do better than other shows of its type? Nothing. At this point, you can just watch other shows that do the same thing, but much, much better. Because at this point, an average show is miles better than this ever could be.
Avoid this show like the plague. I didn't, and I regret not doing so very strongly.
Reviewer’s Rating: 2
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Jul 11, 2020
Something I always thought of when watching isekai anime or reading isekai manga was "what about the original world?" In most if not all isekais, the series doesn't bother with the world whence the protagonist came, and neither does the main character, because he or she just died to get to the new world. So, I always thought: "what if the protagonist actually has contact with his original world and/or can travel back and forth between the two worlds?"
Now take that, mix it with Norse mythology and flush it down the filthiest toilet you can imagine.
Hyakuren no Haou to Seiyaku no Valkyria (big words, long
...
title, must be an isekai!) takes a premise that is relatively unexplored in isekai and ensures that no author will want to tackle it ever again.
STORY: 1
The story starts two years AFTER the protagonist has been summoned to another world. In other words, his presence is already well-established, and we're actually watching a season 2 rather than a season 1. Other than that it doesn't try anything unique outside of its premise, it's just "MC gets into situations where he trumps the opposition, both in war and love", and in the laziest fashion possible, since he has his cheat! (Which is his smartphone. Sound familiar?) Isekai isn't exactly a genre known for their thought out stories, but this? I could probably write something better up. Definitely not an anime for story buffs. There really isn't much to say, it's just downright awful.
ART: 2
The art style is incredibly plain. Absolutely nothing about it stands out apart from how old it seems. That art style would've been a standard in the 2000s, not in the year of 2018! Thick lines in the animation, which could've been remedied if it wasn't done in such a haphazard way, the incredibly poor CGI that they tried to blend in with the scenes but failed to mask (which makes it that much more attention-grabbing, in a negative way) as well as the poor animation in general. (Even in the opening and the ending! That's where you at least try your very best!) At least the colors were somewhat vibrant in terms of the characters, if there's anything to compliment.
SOUND: 2
To put it as kindly as I can, it's very telling that this anime adaptation doesn't come from a well-established studio. The voice actors do not do their albeit one-note characters justice, and while they do fit their characters, their execution is something to dread. It's like they're trying to drive the point that "THIS is an onee-san kind of character, and THIS is the typical tsundere" while they're giving us subpar delivery. As for the music, the OP sounds like they stacked a bunch of dramatic effects from each instrument and filled the song to the brim with it that it doesn't feel special at all. Eventually all you notice is how nasal the singing is, which makes it sound like chalkboard scratching to your ears.
CHARACTER: 1
Clichés after clichés after clichés. There's nothing wrong with clichés, and I usually enjoy most of them in isekais as my standards is generally pretty low, but holy fuck, this was unbearable. They are about as basic as you can get: the typical well-liked protagonist who is plain in every way, shape or form in terms of our standards, the variety of girls so that "there's at least one girl that you'll really like!", varying from the strong girl, to the onee-san, the tsundere, the kinda himedere, the airhead, the cunning, and the list goes on and on. Of course, they're all horny for the protag, so they lust after him even though he has expressed multiple times that he doesn't want that kind of a relationship with any of them. And the villains don't get much better. The "main" villain has reasoning behind his actions that are very stupid, truth be told, even from a "high on pride"-type of perspective. There's someone who seems to be in the shadows, orchestrating everything, but it never gets properly developed on either. Of course, there's also a battle-hungry moron of a villain who just happens to be ridiculously strong. And somehow, he's the most likeable character.
(Also towards the end of the show, the MC gets this weird obsessive episode which is really creepy and/or incel-like. Really struck a chord in the worst way possible.)
ENJOYMENT: 1
After episode 1, I knew that I was in on one of the worst rides I'll ever have been on. That feeling never washed away, and as each episode progressed, I just wanted to get this show over with. "But I can't drop the show, that's basically admitting defeat!, I thought, while continuing and losing brain cells. Am I proud of myself for finishing this show? Yes! And no. Yes because I didn't lose, I beat the hideous monster that was this show! No because I actually convinced myself that this was worth my time when it in all respects definitely wasn't. I ended up blasting "YOU ARE MY FRIEND" through the entirety of episode 12 just to get it all over with, and I'm thankful I did. I would've snapped otherwise.
OVERALL: 1
Hyakuren no Haou to Seiyaku no Valkyria is now one of (I think) three animes that I hate the most and therefore gave a 1. Do I know which one of the three I hate the most? No. And this anime surely didn't help when there was only the two of them. An absolute waste of time in every sense. I feel bad for everyone who sat through all 12 episodes, whether they liked it or hated it (like I did), I feel bad for the voice actors and actresses who lent their voices, I feel bad for the animators wasting away unpaid overtime hours over this, and I feel bad for everyone else involved. This should have never come to be, and I doubt I'm the only one feeling that way. I thought that since I like trashy isekais ridden with clichés I'd find some smidgeon of enjoyment in this, but evidently I didn't, and neither will you. Steer clear of this heap of garbage of a show.
Reviewer’s Rating: 1
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Mar 24, 2017
*NOTE: This review is exclusive to the Bakemonogatari season and doesn't reflect my opinions of the entire series.*
"Being kind to everyone, simply means there's no one special."
That phrase describes well how the series does the OPPOSITE of what it says; this series is not for everyone, and I can understand the bad reviews, I definitely can. But, personally, I was (and still am) a HUGE fan of the series. Therefore, it's kind of needless to say that I liked this season as well. But, if I'm going to be honest, this was the worst season of them all (of the ones released by 25 March
...
2017).
However, that is not a bad thing, as Bakemonogatari (Ghostory/Monstory in Engrish) paves a way for some eccentric enjoyment.
Story: 8/10
Something that I really liked about the Bakemonogatari season is that the series is divided into different arcs; the next one will always feature a different girl. This is nothing short of a harem series, yet deserves praise for how well it balances the "love" elements that most other harem series seem to overload with. It makes for some interesting story, and combined with the different characters, who are widely different, every new arc is always something new and refreshing!
Unfortunately, the very same arcs are also somewhat off-setting. The fact that a new arc will start (with a new opening & ending song) stops momentum that you'll have built up when watching the same arc. And, this once made me put the series on hold; I, for some reason, felt like I had seen a season, which mentally exhausted me, when in reality I had only seen the first arc, which is why I can't rate the story higher.
Art: 9/10
SHAFT delivers once again with great, minimalistic visuals which really fits the "mystery" theme of the entire series. Also, every once in a while, they change the character art style up, even if only for a few seconds, making for some funny moments that might make you burst out laughing simply because of the pure silliness of it!
It reminds me very much of how Mahou Shoujo Madoka★Magica, also made by SHAFT, would also switch around with the art style at times (of the one episode that I've seen). A lot of the action scenes look splendid, but I still can't give it a 10/10, simply because it isn't as good as the other seasons, visually.
Also, the flashing subtitle screens? Don't pause simply to catch all of them, try to catch the ones you spot, or else your experience will definitely be ruined.
Sound: 9/10
A good choice of VA's (especially picking up Hiroshi Kamiya for Koyomi, who also voiced Levi in Shingeki no Kyojin) who really sound like the characters were made to fit them. The one setback for the sound, however, are a few of the themes in the background that I particularly didn't enjoy. Otherwise, the themes hit the nail on the head.
Character: 10/10
Despite being quite generic, most if not all of the characters compensate for that with eccentricity, something that is either hated or loved, and I guess you can tell which side I'm on for that.
-Koyomi Araragi, the main character of the series. The guy in the harem, who already holds a crush on another girl (in this case, it's Tsubasa Hanekawa). Developes relationships with all the "main" girls, some of which are more romantic, and others... eh, not so much, but it's still entertaining to watch. Has a TON of monologue (which is one of the strong points of the series), and has some set ideas that you might or might not relate to, as a teenager.
-Hitagi Senjougahara. Very interesting, as she boasts about being a "tsundere" while being quite far from ACTUALLY being one. Has quite the sharp tongue and sharp reflexes, but also very threatening. Although, the last point isn't exactly a bad thing either.
-Mayoi Hachikuji, an elementary school girl. Now, this sounds VERY weird by simply hearing that the guy is going to set a flag in her route, but the story explains it very well, and it would be spoiling, so I'll refrain. Has a running gag where she mispronounces Koyomi's name on purpose by adding or subtracting "-ra"-s to his surname (i.e Ararararagi-kun) whenever they see each other. Likes to bite heads (I'm looking at you, Index), and very, very moe.
-Suruga Kanbaru, the one who fills the "athletic and shameless girl" cliché. However, her character is so exaggerated in a very balanced way, that you'll never get bored with her on the screen. She has a few personal twists, the most known one being the fact that she's a lesbian (or possibly bi).
-Nadeko Sengoku. She is cute (not moe), and very shy and drawn back, portrayed well by VA Kana Hanazawa. Is not very interesting at this part of the story, unfortunately, but develops a bit more in the other ones, so look out for that if you decide to continue the series the whole way through.
-Tsubasa Hanekawa, last but not least. She is very proper, and has big boobs (something that Koyomi takes note of a few times here and there in the season, only reason why I'd even bring it up). A smart student who shares a history with the guy in the midst of it all, albeit not that long. (Her arc is probably the best one in this season.)
Enjoyment: 9/10
Despite the art, sound and characters being close to flawless (in my opinion, highly outlandish, might not be the easiest pill to swallow for everyone), the story tones the scoring down a notch. Was definitely something that took some time getting used to, but eventually it'll grow on you and you'll be hooked by how different it is from a lot of other series of any genre. I might've not enjoyed it so much the first time around, but after watching the third arc, my impression changed of it.
Overall: 9/10
It doesn't deserve 10, I'll say that right now. If I could use decimals, it would be on a 8.7 scoring. But, do give time to watching the season through. Most people who drop it do it because of the somewhat slow or fast tempo the story goes at between the different arcs, and I find that to be a shame. To put it into perspective:
It's like liquorice. Not everyone likes it, but the ones who do usually like it a LOT. And this time, I'll side with the enjoyers. (Ok, that sounded really cheesy.)
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Mar 22, 2017
I have a policy to always finish the series you start, no matter how awful it is and no matter how much you want to drop it.
But this series made me seriously consider if I could call it an "Exception" just this one time. And I've seen quite a few generic harem series, so for this one to be the first one to make me feel so is actually quite the achievement.
Story: 3/10
The story is incredibly generic for a school/harem/action anime.The most predictable plot "twists"? Some power that you can develop by attending this specific academy? A protagonist who attends said academy to gain power
...
after a childhood incident, then turns out to be special? A "main" girl that comes from some foreign country? I could probably name a dozen more series that follow this same, boring pattern in the harem genre.
Now, for the development, it's pretty much nothing but what you'd expect from a harem. Most girls taking a liking to the male protagonist, some going boundaries to make him like her (a cliché that I never fully understood why it worked most of the time). Actually, some development is hindered simply because of the term "Duo", but I don't want to spoil anything if I don't have to.
Art: 5/10
I can't hate on the art, yet I can't praise it either. It's just good enough, yet it doesn't hold anything significant or impressive. But, the one thing I found annoying in the art is the "boob physics" and how much it bounces. It doesn't really help either that almost all girl characters that are somewhat significant to the story have their chests big and outlined.
Sound: 4/10
This is definitely my bias speaking, but I just can't stand the VA that voices Tooru, because he also voiced Kirito in SAO, which I was constantly reminded of almost every time I dived into a new episode and heard his voice again. His shouting made it all the worse. The other characters don't sound too bad, except the "ja" and "nej", which, as a Swede, felt like someone was stabbing my gut with a knife every time I heard it.
Other than that, the music for the battle scenes was good. Somewhat generic hard rock, but one of the few things in the series that I could enjoy while watching.
Character: 1/10
First off, Tooru Kokonoe, the male protagonist. Shy and dense, except when he's confronted by it. Had a tragic incident happen when he was younger, caused by an unknown person, and therefore attends the academy. This also gives him the "resolve to protect" that most people have grown tired of seeing. The VA choice just strengthens my lack of
Then, Julia Sigtuna, a Swedish girl, and a cliché well fulfilled. Not only is "Sigtuna" quite the odd surname for a Swede, but saying "yes" and "no" in Swedish in a Japanese accent is insufferable. I repeat myself, it's like being stabbed in the gut by a knife, hearing her as a Swede. At the same time, her voice felt a tad too weak whenever she wasn't infuriated, making me even more irritated by her.
Another foreign girl, Lilith Bristol, this time a Brit. She fulfills the "joyful and open-minded" cliché, but is more toned down than other characters following the cliché. I always disliked these kinds of characters (unless they got something else going for them, which Lilith doesn't), and this time is no exception. She calls Tooru her "future spouse", yet doesn't do a lot later in to gain his attention, which goes off from the cliché in a bad way, since now she doesn't manage to hold up a harem properly.
Tomoe Tachibana, the "onee-san" character. She is the character I had to cling on to keep my calm, because she felt reasonable. Probably the only character that I enjoyed, but even that was shattered mid-way, for reasons I'm obviously not going to mention. Just keep in mind that she's not one to hope in the series, because no one grants that through the entirety of the series.
Lastly, Miyabi Hotaka. The lovebird. She is the character you know won't win, and you can tell very quickly in the series that it is indeed the case, so I don't count this as a spoiler. Unfortunately for her, it's another cliché I despise thoroughly. Being a shyness overlord, almost any solo screen-time she gets is her thinking about Tooru, which is quite pathetic, honestly.
Enjoyment: 1/10
Although I rated story at a 3, the art at 5 and the sound at 4, the 1-rating for the characters should really be less, and would be if I could. The seeming need to make clichés happen in an attempt to be different but ends up being almost as any other of their sort. Especially the "ja" and "nej", but I don't think I need to emphasize that any more, because it's already dead.
Most generic harem series tend to have some point of comedy, but this series didn't even manage THAT. Instead, by trying to off-set some clichés and just having a serious feeling to it the entire time, they made it worse.
Overall: 2/10
Definitely something that I would NOT recommend to anyone, especially not to someone who is familiar with Swedish. It's utter trash, and I highly regret even picking it up.
If you're currently watching this, do yourself a favor and drop it. I didn't, (because of my "policy"), but I wish that I did.
Reviewer’s Rating: 2
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