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Nov 5, 2023
This review doesn't contain spoilers for the last two episodes, but there will possibly be spoilers for previous seasons.
So, the most popular anime of our time just ended. And unfortunately it ended in a way I wouldn't exactly describe as great. This series introduced me, like many others, to the medium of anime and as a whole, it is still among my favorites. So of course I wanted the ending to be great. But it just wasn't. I don't hate it per se, it's not the worst ending ever, and I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about it, but given how great this
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series once was, it might just be one of the most disappointings ending ever.
But I want to be as fair as possible here. There's a lot to love in these episodes. I actually think the first of the two is genuinely great, it has one of the most powerful death scenes in the series and really feels like it could be the beginning of a great final battle. But then the actual battle starts... and it's not very good. I mean, it looks great, MAPPA did the best they could with what they had to work with and the final episode has some of the best animation in the entire series, but the actual content of the scenes is just not good. And that's primarily due to the insane amounts of plot armor our main characters have. I mean, this is supposed to be the final battle of a series that was once known for the fact that no character is safe. Anyone could die. But it really feels like Isayama just didn't want to kill off anyone, no matter how unrealistic or anticlimactic the finale would be as a result. And I hate that. There are so many opportunities for emotional and meaningful scenes, but they're totally wasted.
And at the end of the day, I really don't even know what Isayama was going for with this ending. And I don't think he did either. Sometimes it feels like a happy ending, sometimes it feels like a tragedy, but it never fully commits to being either. The final product is a pretty but lukewarm conclusion to a series that deserved so much better. Oh well, at least we got something new from Linked Horizon, they never disappoint.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Aug 19, 2023
A Whisker Away/Nakitai Watashi wa Neko wo Kaburu review, originally written for my Letterboxd account.
There's a lot to like about A Whisker Away.
The animation is pretty good throughout, it has many sweet moments and explores important themes like hiding, and eventually accepting, who you really are in ways that work very well, despite being not very subtle.
However, I feel like a lot could have been cut out of the story. The side characters are not interesting at all, and most of the drama between them feels unnecessary. Our main couple is basically a pair of walking clichés. We have the overly optimistic lovesick protagonist,
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and the quiet love interested who seems cool on the surface but is actually just hiding his emotions and problems underneath. Both of them are fine, but they're just not particularly interesting to follow.
The fantasy elements are also fine, but they're basically just copied from The Cat Returns, which may not be my favorite Ghibli film, but which admittedly uses those elements a lot more effectively.
All in all, it's nothing new or groundbreaking, but it's nevertheless a perfectly fine little romance story. The ending left me satisfied, despite the shortcomings of the rest of the film.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Jan 11, 2023
I'm a little late to the party, but I finally finished the third and final season of Mob Psycho 100. Watching the last six episodes in one sitting brought me back to when I binged the first two seasons. Like when watching it back then, it flew by seamlessly, being both entertaining and funny, but also genuinely touching at times.
There are close to no problems here, but there are a few slight critiques I'd like to get out of the way, before we get into the good stuff. First of all, the first few episodes, while fun and enjoyable, are kinda slow and tonally different
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in comparison to rest of the season. And while the animation is fucking amazing 99.9% of the time, there are a few episodes where it feels a little sloppy at times. Still not awful, not even close, but something that caught my eye.
Now, with that said, I'll give this show the praise it has earned. The way it is able to have such absurd concepts and ideas, over the top humor, fantastic action sequences, scenes that make me smile uncontrollably, scenes that bring tears to my eyes and incredibly well handled life lessons, all in the same show, and make it work so well is absolutely incredible. This action comedy has made me cry and feel more than any other anime, aside from Grave of the Fireflies, and the fact that I am even making that comparison is saying something. And what makes that possible are the characters.
Shigeo Kageyama. Mob. Such a perfect character. I'm currently in my late teens, slowly entering adulthood, and so it wasn't too long ago when I struggled with the same issues as he does in the story. His growth as a character, the way he learns to deal with loss, inevitable disappointments in life, his own identity and powers, the way he learns about the value of forgiveness, being yourself and honesty, it's perfect. Absolutely perfect. These themes are nothing new, they've been there since dawn of humanity, but it explores them in a way that hits me like no other piece of media has. I can see myself in Mob. Maybe not exactly as I am now, but as I was, when I was closer to his age.
The other characters are of course amazing too, Reigen, Dimple, Ritsu, Teruki, Tsubomi, almost every even remotely important side character. I genuinely care about them, they get enough time to shine while not taking away from Mob's journey, but rather adding to it. Through interacting with other people, we grow, and that is a big part of the Mob Psycho's message. Every character he meets has an impact on him in one way or another. And especially in the end, the series' powerful message of forgiveness, how your kindness can change people around you and how they can in return save you from your darkest places, is loud and clear, and it is beautiful.
And with Mob Psycho 100 III, one of my favorite anime series of all-time comes to an end. It is actually over, and that still feels a little insane to me at times. A perfect finale for a near perfect series.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Jan 3, 2023
Earwig and the Witch/Aya to Majo review, originally written for my Letterboxd account.
As Ghibli's first fully CG feature film, Earwig and the Witch is a bit of a mixed bag.
The story, while not awful, is not that interesting. There are very few characters in the film, and I actually found myself liking only one of them, that being the Mandrake. He had some genuinely funny moments and I thought he was pretty interesting overall.
Then there's of course the animation. The use of CGI here is not bad in comparison to most CGI in anime, but if you compare it to anything Pixar or
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other major studios are putting out today, it's not even close. It looks very lifeless. Also their hair looks like plastic.
Overall, while it works well enough as entertainment for kids, and has some good moments and ideas, this movie is easily among Ghibli's weakest.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Dec 27, 2022
So, the hottest show of the season, Chainsaw Man, is finally over. And oh boy was it one hell of a ride.
It's easy to call a show like this overrated. Based on a popular manga series with a cult following, adapted by Studio MAPPA, who have created some of the most popular shows of the past few years with Jujutsu Kaisen and the final season of Attack on Titan, you can't escape the hype if you use the internet. It certainly had a lot to live up to.
So, did it deliver? Absolutely. Let me make it clear that I am not a manga reader,
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but I have made myself aware of the changes made to the anime version so far, and most of them are either not that important or possibly even good for the adaptation. Mangaka Tatsuki Fujimoto's vision is still a large part of why this show is as good as it is. The guy took a story about a dude who can turn into a chainsaw to kill devils and somehow made that ridiculous premise work, and this anime adaptation absolutely does it justice. It strikes just the right balance between being both fun and dark at the same time.
Chainsaw Man offers a wide variety of characters, all of which are more or less interesting. There are the obvious fan favorites, like Power, Makima, Kobeni, Aki, Himeno and our main lead Denji, who are all really good, but the other side characters, especially Kishibe and the various fiends and devils, are never boring to follow either. They are perhaps the biggest reason why this series works. They are entertaining to watch, but are also quite well written below the surface.
Many have criticized Denji for having simplistic goals and being a really perverted character, but I feel like those complaints are really meaningless. His backstory, the fact that he has lived his whole life in really poor circumstances and mainly fights for himself, to survive, to live a better life, it all makes him a very interesting protagonist. He also does get some nice character development, but most of it is likely coming later on, as this season just gets the story started.
Now, I want to talk a bit about the production value and direction of this adaptation, because it is great. The animation quality is consistently really good. It's not perfect, but you can't expect it to be perfect. It's a TV anime production. Of course some parts won't look quite as good as others, but the overall attention to detail and the excellent blend of 2D and 3D animation, especially in action sequences, is some of the best you will find in anime. The direction and use of different camera angles, as well as the use of blur effects really elevate the experience, and the use of music is just the cherry on top. The director has said he wanted to make the series really cinematic, and different from the stuff we typically associate with the term "anime", and that really shows. Frankly speaking, that made the show such a fresh experience. It's the best of both worlds, animation and cinematic style.
I have to also talk about the use of music. This soundtrack slaps, and fits every moment. Many scenes hit a lot harder thanks to it, and the opening and ending themes are excellent. Some are better than others for sure, but each of them offers a great song and some really creative visuals. The movie references in the opening were also a delightful surprise, especially for someone like me who recognized many of them and loves the films they're from.
So, should you watch Chainsaw Man? Yes. Yes you should. It's not necessarily for everyone, but most viewers will likely really enjoy it, and it is one of the most popular shows at the moment for a reason. So I would recommend everyone to at least give it a try, and hopefully you will enjoy it as much as I did.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Dec 25, 2022
The Cat Returns/Neko no Ongaeshi review, originally written for my Letterboxd account.
The Cat Returns is one weird movie. At the same time I did find it enjoyable, largely because of how silly it was, but at the same time when it ended, I wasn't left with that much to take away from it.
A lot of it might be because of its runtime. It's just a bit over an hour long, and so it doesn't spend too much time in the cat kingdom, and a lot of it does feel kinda rushed.
However, with its beautiful animation and entertainment value, it is worth a watch, especially if
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you're a fan of Whisper of the Heart, a film to which this one is connected to through one particular character.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Dec 11, 2022
Belle/Ryuu no Sobakasu no Hime review, originally written for my Letterboxd account
Belle is the newest film from Mamoru Hosoda, and a modern retelling of sorts of the classic tale of Beauty and the Beast.
In terms of animation, it is beautiful, as expected. The gorgeous blend of CGI and traditional animation works really well, and the creative character designs and great music further elevate the experience.
Speaking of music, it is a very important part of this film, as our main character becomes a virtual singer. The songs are great, and reflect the themes of the film really well. Suzu is also a pretty good character, definitely
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one of my favorite lead characters in a Hosoda movie.
However, a lot of the other characters felt kinda flat and uninteresting. Especially towards the end, when we discover who the beast actually is, that character feels like they should have had a bit more time on screen. But the ending is otherwise good, tackling some pretty dark themes, although it could have gone a little more in depth with them.
All in all though, Belle is a very good film. While not my favorite Hosoda film, it is one that goes into many important themes about being yourself, internet culture and social anxiety, among others. With its stunning visuals, it is a film I believe many young people will relate to and fans of animation will appreciate.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Nov 10, 2022
Redline is a very exceptional film, for one fact alone. This thing took seven years to animate. Seven years. That is some dedication right there and because of that I believe this movie should be seen by anyone. It takes full advantage of the medium of animation to create scenes that are so detailed, intense and impactful that they could never be achieved if it wasn't for the fact that it is 100% hand-drawn. Not a single bit of CGI was used in this movie, aside from a few logos in scenes that show this world's news programs. Even the background characters are extremely rich
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in detail and all of the character designs stand out.
When it comes to the story and characters, Redline is not perfect. Aside from our main characters, no-one really gets that much screen time or development. The side characters have interesting concepts and some good moments, but many of them also feel like they are there just for the sake of having more characters. The villains aren't particularly great either, but they work well enough. With all its problems though, the story has a lot of good things to offer too. JP is a good protagonist and through his character the film explores themes about what it means to love something you do. You see, JP doesn't want to compete with any kinds of weapons or tricks. He wants to win with his own pure skill and passion for this sport. Sometimes it's rough for him, but he has the dedication to go through with it anyway. That's how much he loves what he does. And that makes him someone to look up to. The plot of the film gets quite over the top and ridiculous, especially towards the end, but that is part of its charm. It's not afraid to be silly and have fun with its concepts, it knows what it is doing and oh boy does it do it well.
So, what are you waiting for? Go see Redline, it is a one of a kind film, both as an anime movie and as a piece of art overall.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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