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Shiki is an anime that draws the viewer into a psychological/horror mystery set in Sotoba Village, a place where everyone knows everyone. It is a peaceful, isolated place that starts experiencing problems as its villagers begin dying from an unknown epidemic—or at least, that's what they want you to think.

Narrative: Since the arrival of the Kirishiki family, the village of Sotoba has been experiencing mysterious deaths, but no one is very concerned about it besides Dr. Toshio. The plot develops at a slow pace at first, creating a dreadful atmosphere around the village while some characters try to uncover the truth behind this supposed epidemic. ... It then starts feeling somewhat weird and uneven, with some episodes dragging on boringly while others deliver very intense and thrilling moments. This pacing can be either good or bad, depending on the viewer's preference. The show focuses a lot on asking the question, "What makes someone evil?" which I feel strengthens the narrative. By the end, the humanization of the Shiki makes you question who is truly good or bad in this story.
7/10

Characters: I feel like the characters are the weakest part of this show. Besides Dr. Toshio and Sunako, there isn't much character development. The cast is very forgettable and underutilized overall, with some characters having potential to make a big impact for good or bad, but they lack the capability. We also don't get to know what makes the difference between becoming a Shiki or just dying; it's just random with no further explanation in the story. Even though this show lacks strong character writing, Dr. Toshio and Sunako carry the story on their shoulders. Whether good or bad, in the end, we are all the same, being either human or Shiki—killing so we won't starve, or killing so we won't be killed.
4/10

Sound: The music and sound design in Shiki are standout elements that enhance the eerie atmosphere. Both the opening and the ending are very fitting for this series, setting a haunting tone. They may not be my favorite pieces of music, but they blend well with the series. The background music conveys a calming yet unsettling tone, matching the moments in the story. The voice acting is very convincing, which is hard to achieve in horror animes, as they usually involve a lot of screaming. This one felt very real and disturbing.
9/10

Animation/Visuals: The animation can be weird in some intense moments, and the character designs are either weak or exaggerated. However, the anime has a unique aesthetic, and the animation is consistent for most of the show, with good attention to detail in some horrific and bloody scenes. There is some censoring in certain parts of the show, but in others, it does it right, showing the horrifying elements this show was meant to offer. I like it.
6/10

Overall: Shiki tries to explore the morality of the people in the village of Sotoba and the humanity in the hearts of the creatures known as Shiki. Its strengths lie in the narrative and the atmospheric sound design, while its weaknesses are in character writing, with not spectacular but good animation. This show may not be to everyone's taste, but for those who enjoy horror or psychological series with slow pacing, Shiki is worth watching.

In a world teeming with fantasy stories, Sousou no Freiren proves to be a shining jewel that exceeds all expectations with its captivating storytelling and breathtaking animation. I was completely mindblown from the first episode to the last.

At its core, Sousou no Freiren shows a variaty of human emotions and existential dilemmas, weaving a story that effortlessly balances heart-wrenching drama, amazing action and profound philosophical introspection. Each character is carefully created and gifted with depth and complexity that resonates on a profound level, making them feel not just like fictional charcters, but rather like trusted companions on an extraordinary journey.
Characters:10/10

What really sets this anime apart ... from others of the same genre is its visuals, each and every image is a breathtaking work of art, made with great care to create a sense of wonder. From the celestial landscapes to the artfully created characters, the animation feels better than the imagination it self just like magic works, and it creates this immersing experience for the viewer in a world filled with unparalleled beauty and enchantment.
Art:10/10

But beauty alone is not enough; substance is just as important. in this respect, Sousou no Freiren is characterised by a narrative that is both intellectually stimulating and emotionally stirring. Themes of identity, morality and the nature of existence are shown in this story, creating questions that only have answers through human experience and time.
Narrative:10/10

And of course, the magnificent soundtrack. From the openings from Yoasobi and Yorushika, to the calm melodies in moments of quiet contemplation to the epic music for the epic battles, the music elevates the viewing experience to the top, and lets not forget about how amazing the ending music by "milet" really is, the more you watch the anime the more the ending fits with the events, Incredible!
Sound/Music:10/10

In summary, Sousou no Freiren is masterpiece. With its captivating story, stunning animation and great thematic depth. For fans of the Fantasy genre, Sousou no Freiren is an absolute must watch, earning a well-deserved 10/10 rating in my eyes.

(Full review 2 seasons)
So Gate...With an interessting premise with an Magical/Mediaval world that is connected to japan somehow, defenatly something that will make people get interest and check it out.

GATE is an Isekai type of anime with all the Isekai features that i personally don't enjoy very much, still it wasn't as bad as that....

GATE's main character is your typical isekai prot, a weeb/otaku that values his doujins more than anything, but hes not a complete loser this time, he is the 2nd lieutenant in the Japanese self defence force, or (JSDF) for short, which is incredible, he also was appointed to be in ... the crew that was going into the Gate that spawned in the middle of the street for no reason at all that ended up teleporting him to another world, in the other world, he and Japanese army are just overpowered and fight their enemys with guns, missiles, helicopter mini guns, tanks and so on, their enemies try to defend with swords and shiels...Which leads to a boring win for japan every time they engage battle, oh and our MC also gets all the girls just like in all harem anime...

GATE's Story isn't enjoyable at all, just your basic isekai stuff so you can already expect what happends without thinking much about it, but i actually like how they did politics overall in the anime interesting to watch, both in Japan or in the other side of the GATE.

GATE's cast was good i'd say, no one shine more than otheres besides Rory, but unfortunatly the anime ended and we still don't know almost anything about her and feels like an very rushed character even though she had the best design and probably was the most interesting character for the majoraty of the people that started this series and even though she feels rushed i still think she deserves her spot in this series and is acctually a fun character in the cast, the Blondy elf was just boring and horrible character overall, they could've done much better with her arc, but she just doesn't do anything besides calling the main character Dad so yeah worst character imo, Lalena was nice the one i like the most, she got at least a better development and she acctually improved her skills and i feel like she was the best character overall from the 3 girls, the rest of the cast most of them are pretty narrow writen but i still feel like they deserve and have a reason to be in the series so i like the overall side cast of the anime, just wasn't feeling Tuca.

Villans are okayish they couldn't do anything against japan's army so its kinda of unfair to give them a rating based on how good they were as villains, but i think they made a great job making you hating them so when the JDSF comes and obliterate them you acctually feel some enjoyment.

World has a basic structure of an isekai with mosters, magic, dragons, fairies and those kinds of stuff nothing very far from your basic isekai but not as bad

The animations was very nice, just the CGI in Fire dragon was bad, the rest was very good.

Sound was very good overall, Openings, endings, OST's all incredible.

Not everyone's cup of tea, but i can understand if people like this anime alot, im not a fan of isekai genre but this was okayish