- Last OnlineJan 26, 8:35 PM
- GenderMale
- LocationAkihabara
- JoinedMay 16, 2023
Fantasy Anime League Fantasy Anime League Fantasy Anime League Also Available at
RSS Feeds
|
![]()
Aug 14, 2023
There’s probably a million ways to describe Mob Psycho 100. One simple word is just exciting. How can it not be? It’s by the same creator of one of the most talked about shows from 2015, One-Punch Man. As a reader of the source material, I can also firmly say that the show’s trailers and hype is legitimate. Not in the legitimate way that it’s the best anime of the century. It’s more of legitimate excellency that represents classic supernatural entertainment.
Even if you’re unfamiliar ONE’s work, you’ll easily recognize that Mob Psycho 100 isn’t just a show with traditional artwork. The visual follows the manga
...
pretty closely while the action sequences are animated by a famed studio, Bones. Plus, we got director Yuzuru Tachikawa on board as part of the staff. Known for his work such as Death Parade, Terror in Tokyo, and Kill la Kill, it’s definitely something to get excited about. Fans of the franchise will be also be pleased to know that Kawai Kenji is the sound director, known for famous works such as the Ghost in the Shell franchise, Gundam 00, and the more recent Joker Game. Still, Mob Psycho 100 is beyond what just the staff has to offer.
It’s not always so simple to understand the visual representation of Mob Psycho 100. Taking a closer look at the storytelling will give you a better idea as we are introduced to the main characters. At its core, we have main protagonist Shigeo Kageyama, otherwise known as Mob. He is a 14 year old kid attending a school with an average life. However, it’s immediately obvious that he is a special because of his ESP powers. Events in the story causes his powers to go unstable and Mob finds himself difficult to be “normal”. The premise is pretty simple on paper, right? An ordinary kid who tries to live a normal life with abnormal ability is the basic idea. However, the series delivers many scenarios where Mob uses his powers way more than he should. For a kid who wants a normal life, he gets into many abnormal situations which puts himself at risk. Still, this isn’t exactly the case as we’ll see how powerful Mob is. While he isn’t a Saitama 2.0, Mob’s abilities are not to be underestimated. In many battles he’s been in, Mob is able to overpower his opponents, sometimes without even realizing it. It’s interesting to also see what often triggers Mob to get involved in such unusual events. Social peer pressure and bullying are a few factors. Mob also seeks admiration and even wants to impress a girl he likes so this leads to him making mistakes at times. I mean, he is still human and humans make mistakes.
Even though he is the titular character, the show doesn’t neglect its others especially with characters such as Reigen, Ritsu (Mob’s younger brother), Teruki, and Dimple. Ritsu has really grown to me as a very interesting character. Unlike Mob, he is very clever and often uses trickery to get what he wants. Sometimes, he even treats life as if it’s a game where playing the right cards will win. What most impresses me about Ritsu is his own self-awareness and how despite being powerless in the beginning, he is able to rise up as a leader. It’s also shown that he has an inferiority complex compared to his brother (because he originally lacked special powers) and that causes himself to express doubt. This eventually also turns into guilt and there’s reasoning for redemption.
Reigen is also an interesting character who is known as “Mob’s master”. He claims a lot of things and often speaks and lies with the truth. Despite being manipulative, he isn’t a bad guy and often looks out after Mob’ well-being. He also offers good advice to Mob including what really makes someone a “better person”. One weakness that I do find about him though is his unwillingness to admit mistakes. Somewhere in between, there’s Teruki (“Teru”). I have to admit though, this guy has one of the most ridiculous hair styles I’ve ever seen from ONE’s work. Unlike Mob, he freely uses his esper powers like if they are God’s holy gift. What makes him interesting is how after meeting Mob, Teru undergoes a big change in his character. It’s like a bully that reinvents himself after getting put to his place for the first time in their life. Quite iconic if you ask me. Finally, Dimple strikes to me as the most mysterious character. In fact, he isn’t even human! He’s actually a spirit who even at one time had his own cult. What makes him interesting is despite having a God-like complex and ego, Dimple also wants others succeed in particular Mob. With such a colorful character cast in this series, expectations are met especially when it comes to creativity.
Despite the story looking complex, it really isn’t. The first few episodes introduces our main characters while most episodes for the first half just follows Mob’s life in his daily misadventures. The latter half focuses more on linear plot though as dangerous individuals are introduced that truly tests the strengths of our protagonists. This puts strains on Mob as he must overcome his personal demons. Because remember, Mob just wants to live a normal life and when he gets stressed, rage follows. When that rage explodes, we get Mob Psycho 100%, literally. And it’s not a very pretty sight.
As a source reader, I am impressed at how they adapted the character relationships. Mob and Ritsu has one of the most complex relationship even as brothers. Teru’s evolution from a bully to a sidekick/ally to Mob is both amusing and also impressive to see as changes aren’t always easy for characters to accept. Reigen’s relationship with Mob is also based on respect and trust. Mob genuinely cares about Reigen and in one episode, his rage level almost goes out of control after seeing his master being put down. On the other hand, I am slightly disappointed that the season is only a 1-cour of 12 episodes. Some episodes are rushed as I was hoping they would adapt more into the story. For most parts, the series is still directed with good faith.
Ah yes, the artwork and visuals. Even though I already talked about it before, it’s really hard to ignore Mob Psycho 100’s quality with its artistic style. It is very stylistic to the manga and unique in quality. When things get serious, the artwork really works with its hardcore cinematography. Violent scenes really do feel impactful while body movements never really suffers in the show as character designs are simple enough to avoid that. In addition, Mob’s character is portrayed as pretty plain normal just as he should be. Other characters such as Teru and Dimple stands out with some unique physical traits; seriously, I still can’t get over how ridiculous Teru’s hair is at times.
Props Best anime
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
![]()
Aug 14, 2023
To be the best. You have to work the best, you have to train the best, eat, and sleep the best. Sometimes, it even takes going through extreme measures, in order to find that best out of someone. Even if what is presented, wouldn't be called Football to you. Football may just be a sport to some, but for a load of people it's very serious business. People eat, sleep, dream football. People travel endless miles, travel to different countries, no matter the cost, to watch their team perform. It may be a sport, but it's a lifestyle for so many, to even many nations,
...
who want to grasp it by the horns, and be the best in the world.
This is Blue Lock.
But to be the best, you need to basically start from somewhere, You can't be the best with mediocare, or just good enough level of talent. You have to find the best. Or even make and train the best.
Story and characters: 8
While there are flaws within it's story context, as there is a dozen other positions on a football picture, and you cannot win alone as a striker by yourself. Football is a team effort, and here in Blue Lock, they show it in both forms. Points where they'll show how good it is working within the team, but all the while showing the greatest, can do it by themselves. The best get results, the best deliver, where it be on their own, or with a team. It's proven within the game itself. Taking quotes from real footballers, in order to further prove their points.
The characters within the show are quite bundle. The best players aren't just known for their skills alone, they have the personalities to boot. Sometimes you need the right kind of characters, in order to succeed. You cannot be weak, you cannot be a weak link, you cannot suffer under pressure. With so many conflicting and determined characters within this line up, and with the story it presents. It's going to be a good product.
Art and sound: 8
Blue Lock has an interesting kind of style that sets it apart from different animes. Just by looking through the characters eyes, is proof in the pudding. Hell, some even look a bit soulless. As if there is a massive focus, a massive serious attention from everyone who is in this process. Everyone has the determination to be the best, and if you don't, you're weak, you're out. Simple as that. I've described some shows as having an in your face style, but with Blue Lock, it's more described as a determined seriousness to it. While one may laugh at the idea of Japan ever wining the World Cup, but with how this show is presented. It's no laughing matter to them. The sound quality too, is top notch, and can't put a foot wrong.
Blue Lock is a different spin on a usual Football anime that has come over the last few years. But it's certainly left a very serious, and impressive impression. Give it a watch .
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
![]()
Aug 13, 2023
first of all, I am a big fan of bleach and I finished the first part so if you are like me, of course, I would recommend you to watch it
so, is it worth a watch? Well, the answer doesn’t matter at all there is no way you are not watching this if you have already watched the rest of it and you like the anime and hope to get a conclusion and if you are not I really don't know why are you watching it I guess to just spread hate again
the fans got the rewards of their wait and patience because everything got
...
way better in this arc on all levels:
The art style, the music, the story, and the animation are fantastic, you can't ask for anything better than this. and from The first episode,
the anime will surpass your expectations everything about the anime was amazing words can't fully express how amazing it was
I easily can say Bleach: Sennen Kessen-hen has been much better than any of us probably expected and that is reflected in its rank on MAL.which shows how much people are enjoying this season
p.s this part has three of the best fight scenes I ever watched in bleach maybe after Ichigo vs Ulquiorra and anime overall
summary
We have reached the end of the first chapter out of the 4 parts of the Thousand Year War - Bleach, a war that brought together two poles, and between them, there is an ancient history written in blood!
- The Quincy led by King Yhwach, who announced the beginning of the planned invasion since he suffered the greatest loss that almost ended the Quincy dynasty and dried it from existence on the Soul Society, which is under the protection of the Guti 13 led by the man who killed thousands of them 200 years ago, Yamamoto Genryusai
- The movement of the Vandenreich forces sparked a declaration of war, in which the deputy commander of the 1st Division, Sasakibe, was the first chess piece to fall, followed by a series of massive losses incurred by the Gotei 13: Commander Kuchiki Byakuya, Deputy Commander Abarai Renji, robbed the Bankai of several commanders, which led to the curbing of the main force of the Shinigami and Deterring It Perhaps the greatest loss to the Soul Society since the inception of Gote 13 was the fall of Supreme Commander Yamamoto Genryusai
- Quincy's forces did not suffer major losses, and compared to what was already achieved, the first battle in this war was a crushing victory for Vandenreich's forces, but! Winning the battle does not necessarily necessitate winning the war, and the time granted by the Quincy King by ordering his followers to temporarily withdraw after slaughtering the Guardian of Hell for Goethe 13 may pay his soul for it!
- Instead of the complete annihilation of the enemies, especially with their morale and fighting spirit shattered, after the fall of the pillar on which their leader and the teacher had their backs to each other, Yhwach tended to withdraw for reasons that are currently still unknown to anime followers!
- At this time, the Gotei had already begun to gather itself together, and after appointing Kyorak Shinsui as the successor to his mentor in command of the last 13 Gotei forces, he began to weave his strategy to turn the tables and restore dignity to the Shinigami community, and we will witness the effectiveness of this man's leadership in the upcoming second part.
Bleach has never looked better. Thousand-Year Blood War presents an impressive transformation for the series that hopefully will continue throughout the run. Action scenes are crisp and inventive. Quincies are a terrifying villain group that is very effectively established with minimal screentime. The anime mostly elevates the source material, often improving upon the original work. Some comedic relief was lost in the adaptation process, but that’s a small price for a beautiful adaptation.
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
![]()
Aug 13, 2023
Alright, let’s see what all the noise is about.
Zom 100: Zombie ni Naru made ni Shitai 100 no Koto, or better known by its English title, Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead is a zombie-themed anime centered around the shenanigans of our main character, Tendou Akira and his survival in a zombie apocalypse. In this review, my main goal is to try and find the answer to this question: where is all the praise coming from?
Tendou Akira finds a job at an office and at first, everything seems what your everyday office workplace would be like. But as Akira continues to work there, he
...
finds his job extremely draining and abnormally rough. Turns out that office is exploitative, and Akira is just another person who has fallen into the trap the office has laid. One day he wakes up, ready to continue his dreadful work life, when suddenly he sees the streets swarming with zombies! And that’s when Akira realizes he doesn’t have to work anymore. And so, he creates a bucket list of what he wants to do now that he’s free.
Within the first episode, the show establishes the setting our main character is in. It’s simple and easy to understand. This bodes well for the rest of the show’s enjoyability.
Here’s one of the weak points.
How many zombie survival films or TV shows are out there? 50? 100? Maybe even 1000? Zom 100 might just be another one of those. On paper, it looks pretty cool, but when you actually think about it, it’s not very interesting. This guy finds himself in a zombie apocalypse and must survive. He’s finally free from his job, so makes a bucket list of what he wants to do and completes those bucket list goals throughout the show. It’s kind of underwhelming. Besides the gimmick, it’s just one of the many zombie survival shows out there – albeit one of the better ones – which isn’t too good a sign.
This is where most of the praise comes from: the animation handling. It’s probably one of the best this season. I haven’t watched and don’t want to watch Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 or Mushoku Tensei Season 2, so I found this to be the best. The way the characters move and the flow of everything makes for nice cinematic scenes. Studio BUG FILMS did an extraordinary job as the main animators behind this.
The colors are nice. In my previous reviews I didn’t write about the art or color since to me they weren’t anything worth mentioning, but I feel like I need to write about this. The way the blood is all multicolored might seem strange at first, but soon enough you’ll realize how cool an aesthetic it is. It’s not the typical red that we always see, which is a nice change from everything. The way all the colors are saturated is done nicely, too. Usually, zombie anime and any horror anime tone their colors down a little to fit the mood. Since Zom 100 is both horror and comedy at the same time, saturated colors work, and in a pleasing way.
The music is pretty good. The background music is chosen well, as the tracks fit with every scenario they are used in. A serious scene? A serious track. A funny scene? A funny track. You get it. Every track’s placement is great. They’re not just always the techno-rock-whatever-the-hell tracks that would be used in a typical zombie anime either; they actually have a variety of different-styled tracks throughout the show. I’m not too great with analyzing music, so interpret that however you want.
The OP is an angry track but isn’t anything creepy or horror-ish. This fits well with the theme of Zom 100, as the show doesn’t try to be too horror-focused and instead focuses on survival, where the angriness of the track fits well. The ED is also nice, being focused more on the lighthearted side of the anime. The lyrics actually relate to the anime in a way and how survival is necessary, even in the state the world is in. Two well-chosen tracks.
I give Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead a solid “watch” for this season. Overall, this anime is a great zombie survival anime that does things right. It strays ever so slightly away from most other shows of the same ilk, and in a good way. The idea of it being another zombie anime with a gimmick might not be so great but, that’s made up for by the phenomenal animation handling, the strange but cool use of colors and the fitting music. Give this a try, you won’t .
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
![]()
Aug 13, 2023
Oh dear Shingeki no Kyojin, where do I even begin. If you've talked with your friends about anime, then the couple anime that everyone talks about are Naruto, Bleach, One Piece, Dragon Ball, and... Shingeki no Kyojin. What's the difference between Shingeki and the rest? Shingeki only has 25 episodes so far yet it's on par in popularity with the other super long, Americanized anime. Why is it popular? Well that's simply because it's stunningly amazing. Those people that call Shingeki no Kyojin "overrated" may not have the same taste as me, and that's perfectly fine, but in my honest opinion, Shingeki no Kyojin is
...
one of if not the greatest anime to be made. It's not popular for no reason.
The story is one of the most captivating stories I've ever seen. 100 years prior to the start of the anime, humanity has been on the bridge of extinction due to the monstrous humanoid Titans that devour humans. Now, present day in the anime, the remaining small population of mankind lives confined within 3 "heavenly" walls that are so tall and sturdy that even the titans can't break in. The most outward wall was named, Wall Maria, the middle wall was named Wall Rose, and the most outward wall named Wall Sina. Unfortunately for mankind, a colossal titan, one that is even bigger than the 50 meter heavenly walls, breaks Wall Maria, allowing the other titans to rampage the city, thus leading to another massacre of mankind. During this massacre, our main characters, Eren Yeager and Mikasa Ackerman watch in horror as a horrifying titan rips their mother's head off, then gobbles her up whole. Vowing that he'd one day avenge mankind and exterminate all the titans, Eren Yeager trains to become a survey corp, brave heroic soldiers who go outside the walls, into the plains in order to fight the titans. But we soon find out, that Eren is much more special than he seems, not only is he a brave warrior, but he's also something else that could be the key to humanity's survival, but could also be humanity's destruction.
My 3-word thoughts on the anime: Epic, Dynamic, Masterpiece. The suspense build-up was absolutely amazing, yet there was still room for improvement; that shows just how epic this anime can get. The anime not only includes epic fights, but lots of dialogue, and for those of you that hate dialogue, I feel sorry for you people whom only watch for action. The anime includes lots of other things as well: there's lots of half-hearted, hilarious scenes, as well as sad, tragic scenes. The anime certainly has a good amount of gore, and will break your heart frequently (if you get attached to the characters). Many characters end up getting gobbled up mercilessly while trying to protect humanity in ways that are quite *shivers*. Have I teared up in the anime? As a matter of fact, I have.
Characters was another area (alongside every area) that was Shingeki's strongpoint. There's a diverse variety of characters that fight for humanity for all different reasons. There's trust, friendship, along with betrayals, and pains. There's comedy relief among many characters, especially Sasha "Potato Girl" Blouse. There are characters that people can definitely relate with, such as Armin Arlert, who wants to do the right thing and protect his friends, but can't seem to do much because of fear. Fear is something that haunts us all, and prevents us from doing things in life. Another character that people can somewhat relate with is Annie Leonhardt, who fights alongside humanity, yet fights opposed to humanity. What does that mean? Watch the anime. Why is she doing this? Because of her past scars, "scars have the strange power to remind us that our past is real" (watch to find out more). There were too many characters to development fully, but certainly the main characters were developed to their max. Levi is certainly a fan-favorite character, because of the fact that he's cool, overpowered, badass, kind-in-the-heart, smart, straight-to-the-point, and most of all, hilarious with all his neat-freakiness. The main character, Eren Yeager is strong-hearted, and "special", but he's still not strong enough to defeat the titans. How he develops is one of the most interesting things, in this interesting-things-packed anime.
The art and music can be described in one word: WOW! The art drawings were absolutely stunning! From the characters/titans to the setting of the story to all the equipment used in battle. The characters all had a unique aspect to them. The settings of the anime were beautiful. The cities, and walls looked realistic, the plains that characters dreamed of seeing made me want to run outside to see for myself how beautiful nature really is, and how humans under appreciate the naturality of nature. The 3-D gear was something that really caught my eye, and will certainly catch other people's eyes as well. A new form of action that's never been seen before. The characters would literally fly from rooftop to rooftop slicing their swords at the titans at high-speeds that keep the viewers eyes locked onto the screen at all times. The soundtrack in the anime was epic as shit. The openings speak for themselves, they do the anime justice. The openings were epic and certainly set the mood of what was to come from the anime. "They're the prey, and we are the hunters!" The rest of the soundtrack in the anime was okayasgduyasgda AMAZING. How can one describe how amazing those German OSTs were. They fit in perfectly with the epicness of the anime, and certianly added tons of suspense to the 3-D maneuver gear action.
Of course, I may be over-thinking things, but the anime certainly included some themes while creating this masterpiece of an anime. The aspect of being confined in an area, doing the same daily routine every day. People seek to be free, and to seek adventure. Watch for this. Another theme that the anime incorporated was that of the cycle of life. Humans, we steal animals away from their families, we kill them, we eat them. What's so different from us, and the titans? The feelings of not being at the top of the food chain... Anyways, if you haven't already watched this anime and you're reading this review, then you've clearly been living under a rock all this time, and I definitely encourage you to watch this show even if it isn't your style of anime
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
![]()
Aug 13, 2023
An absolutely stunning masterpiece by Makoto Shinkai.
Story: 10
Art: 10
Sound: 9
Character: 8
Enjoyment: 10
Overall: 10
...
The good:
Spectacular animation. There is one particular scene near the beginning which has a sort of "3D camera rotation" that looks so real that I thought it was rendered; but at the last second, the character turned their head, and I was able to tell that it had been entirely hand-drawn. There are scenes where basic physics are completely altered, yet they managed to make it 100% smooth, dragging me along through the character's experience.
Characters. Due to the movie format, most of the characters had very simple personalities. The depth of the characters was sacrificed for the overarching story, ultimately leading to the main characters having deeper personalities, with the side characters left behind. Don't be confused though. For the format, the character depth that they managed to convey was incredible. Small hints were blended into many scenes, discretely conveying the characters' backgrounds and personalities.
Sound. The depth of the musical score was incredible, though I will need to re-watch it with my usual headphones before committing fully. There was not a single sound that felt out of place. All the characters' voices suited their appearances, leading to a very immersive experience.
Story. The story is conceptually very simple, but a lot of depth is added as the story goes on. The show drives several important points, which can be very philosophical, without being too complicated for the average viewer to understand. Additionally, none of the story is sacrificed in order to drive these ideas, they are inseparably blended together.
Impact. During the show, I laughed, and I cried. Now don't get me wrong, that's a big deal. At the time of writing, only two other anime have made me cry. Also, I was at the premier, and thus out in public; I certainly wasn't the only one. Please don't approach this anime lightly. It's truly an experience that you can never forget.
The bad:
Timing. During the movie, there is a sequence where two characters get to know each other, which felt slightly rushed. It could have been better to have the full experience played out, or at least pieces of it, lengthening the movie as required.
World building. The depth of the story and characters took a toll on the world's completeness, leaving some unanswered questions. Most characters didn't have worldviews or ideas of right vs wrong, there simply wasn't time to develop them. Also, where the world came from, and what the ending implies for the world itself, is left unanswered.
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
![]()
Aug 13, 2023
Just to get things out of the way: this score deserves a 10 not necessarily for its metrics per se, but for the fact that for people who like anime in general it is a show that needs to be seen.
What I'm sick and tired of lately, which will probably never be stopped, is reviewers or fans comparing shows to other shows. It's a huge anime circlejerk that people are really adamant about. Honestly, it could be said about a lot of things. Video games are a very good example, but that's for another time.
Let's start off with my initial reaction. I usually pick a
...
few shows to watch each season and continue from there. When I watched the trailer, I was immediately reminded of KonoSuba. It wasn't off putting, but I was just surprised to see an almost identical setting so soon. Of course, people are using 'isekai' as a description, but I never really heard of that until recently. Where a character gets transported into a world, etc...
I ended up only watching the first half of the hour long opening due to time constraints and it was kind of a "whatever" show to me. Big mistake. I took this for granted and ended up with friends on social media blabbering about the show weeks later. Around episode 14 or so.
I asked one of my good friends, who I'd actually say is pretty hardcore into anime (he's been using MAL for years and has a very strict rating guideline and watches almost every show that releases), what the concept of the show was. Remember, I didn't bother to look into this show at all. He basically just told me what happened at the end of the second half of the season premiere and I totally regretted my decision that night. I'm a sucker for that device- being able to start again or go into the past. I may have a bias on that genre (please don't look at my favorite shows... :) ), but this show executes it very well. I ended up binge watching until 15 and it was totally worth it. Since then, I've been trying to make the first thing I do every Sunday morning is watch Re:Zero.
---
Story: 10/10
Beginning with the story; it is wide and vast, but at its core a very deep, and emotional heart string puller. I'll say it here: I read a bit of the web novel a few weeks ago because my mind could not wait. I do like to spoil myself sometimes, but that's exactly what this show made me do. I did the same with Erased, and Shingeki no Kyojin. Why? Because there was so much information I wanted to know that I feel like the show could not explain with a few episodes left. And albeit it is disheartening that they exclude some crucial information regarding characters or story, it does not take it away from the show at all. That's why I said it is wide and vast.
At initial glance, it seems as a very typical "otaku/neet character gets transported into a different world..." (as mentioned earlier), but it gives it a twist with strong character development along the way, which I will explain later. Being able to "start again from zero" is a common trend recently, but I honestly will never get tired of it. We all wish to be able to time travel or start things over, and it fills my need by watching these shows. This executes the concept incredibly well. It's hard to talk about the story without the characters, because they really are the backbone than the story rather than the lore of the world.
The main protagonist is Natsuki Subaru, and it's very much his story. I hate him. I hate him a lot. Many people actually do, but it's not a bad thing. Why do we hate him? Because he makes horrible decisions and does things we do not want, at all. He is...very real. Many viewers and other anime fans like characters who have crazy magic powers, look super cool, wields some badass sort, or something along those lines.
There's nothing special about Subaru. He's definitely no Sora from No Game No Life. He also didn't have the luxury Kazuma Satou (KonoSuba) had being able take Aqua with him and join a guild/get a job.
We hate this guy. He's a crybaby and practically useless. However, that is what drives this show. We get to see him evolve into a better person. He treats his adventure like a game, and gets punished for it. We realize the struggle he goes through, and that is what we would go through if we were transported into a world like that. We play it off like a game that we see or know, but it's not a game, it's very real.
Subaru doesn't start off as some overpowered character that can trump the bad guys or continuously one-up them. He literally dies- over and over again. And he still doesn't learn his lesson until he deals with love. The love for Emilia. When it gets that deep, we're already attached. He'll do anything for her, and makes us feel the same way. Also, he doesn't automatically attract this "harem" that people seem to think he has. He earns it. He gave up blood and sanity to learn these people and they became a part of his life in this world.
For 25 episodes, we don't see the finish line straight ahead, but we wish we could see the course from above. Obstacles have been overcome, but there are a more to come, and some block in the roads as well.
Character: 9/10
There are many characters to love in this show, hell, Rem is already tons of people's waifu. What makes her that though? Her personality and determination is what all of us want, but not Subaru. She is everything to him, yet he stays faithful to Emilia. A lot of fans also have this as a reason to hate him; rejecting the perfect girl for someone who doesn't even feel the same way for him.
What is the fun if everything went the way you wanted? Of course- that's what we want in our heads, but not doing what we want creates tension, which is completely fine for this kind of genre. The last thing you want to think about is that it is a silly harem/comedy. It really isn't. It has twists, turns, loops, you shouldn't be wanting something, you should be wanting to know what direction is coming ahead.
Let's talk about the cast in general. It's great, just like I rated it. It's hard to find a perfect set, but they're close to being one. Everyone that gets air time, for the most part, has a developed background and importance in the show. They all mesh well together and have some sort of connection to Subaru. Characters that simply might be thought of "side characters", may have more than a meaning than you think. The feeling this show makes when Subaru gets so close to someone and have them dying off, and seeing them in a different timeline alive again is eerie as hell.
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
![]()
Aug 13, 2023
don't usually watch the romantic comedy genre of things. I always enjoyed action, fantasy, adventure like Soul Eater, Cowboy Bebop, Trigun etc. but for some reason I was in the mood for something different.
Toradora is just the 3rd romcom anime series i watched and I can truly say that it has become my FAVORITE anime.
The short version of this review is: I very much enjoyed Toradora
-The characters are all unique, likable, and relatable due to the fact they all display their weak sides sometimes and moments of insecurity behind the personality exterior. The chemistry between the characters was fun to watch
-The story stays away from
...
cliches and was relatively unpredictable for a love story. Every character had a reason and motive for what they did and how they acted, other than just being unnaturally dumb/too prideful/stubborn.
-The soundtrack was really good, making certain scenes all the more memorable
-I loved the comedic scenarios in the beginning of the series, which gets progressively more serious and emotional as we get deeper into the story and characters, but the overall vibe of the show stays relatively consistent to the end
-I became emotionally invested in the overall plot and characters and couldn't stop watching, which is extremely rare for me, especially for this genre
Overall:10/10
----
I watched the 1st episode and was interested. After the 2nd ep, I was hooked. I watched all 25 episodes in one go, back to back, because I couldn't stop. Never has another series been able to keep me going (I usually don't watch more than 5 episodes in one sitting), but Toradora kept me wanting to click on the next episode each time until I was finished, and left wanting more (even though I was satisfied with the ending)
Afterwards, I thought a lot about why an anime series of a genre that is usually not my taste could have been able to retain my attention for so long, and i realized the answers: the characters and the overall story.
The characters are what make this series so great. Each character have personalities that are unique and rather realistic and believable (or as realistic as animes go). There is no "super" character that acts too good or too cool for school. There is no "that annoying" character that acts too snobby or stuck up, which can sometimes be a problem for tsundere characters. And this is all because every character shows a weak side or moments of insecurity, which makes each of them more relatable. It also allows for many rather comedic scenes as well as emotional moments. But the best part is the interactions and chemistry between all the characters, and the way each of them change as their relationship with each other grows.
The second thing is the story. The reason I usually don't care for romance or drama is because I usually find the story too cliche or predictable. I also hate those cliche moments of "coincidence", for example, when a main character happens to see his/her love interest with someone else accidentally and misunderstands. I also hate it when characters act unnaturally stupid or too prideful for no reason and let it get in the way of the relationship.
But none of those cliche moments happen in Toradora. Every character has a reason and motive for the actions they decide to take. The story managed to keep me guessing and wanting to know what will happen next, instead of making me feel like i could write the story myself.
Another plus for Toradora is the music. There are some key scenes where the soundtrack actually triggered goosebumps and made me tear; it still does even after rewatching. THAT IS RARE FOR ME. In fact i don't think anything I've ever watched, not just anime, can even make me feel that emotionally invested in fictional characters.
Almost forgot to mention that after it was done, I started to watch it again from the beginning the next day. Another rare occurrence for me, as usually i don't feel like rewatching things for months. I was able to pick up certain things that i missed with the first watch thru. The only reason I put the story as 9/10 was because of this. A few plot points weren't really shown or conveyed in the best way and were missed even to an avid viewer like me. But I was glad to have felt that way, leaving me thinking about what I missed, instead of feeling like I could have easily figured it out or seen it coming.
Again, Toradora has become my favorite anime, as a guy that usually doesn't care for this genre, which says a lot. It gave me more enjoyment than any of the other anime I have seen so far. I would recommend it to anyone, not just romance lovers.
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
![]()
Aug 13, 2023
be honest, Naruto is the most overhyped show in existence. Everyone goes on and on and on about how great it is; and my expectations for this show was equally high. However, I was really, really let down. Really. This wasn't the best show ever, as I had thought it would be. Don't get me wrong, the show is enjoyable, but it's definitely not among the best shows out there. I hope Shippuden will better than this... much better.
The concept of this show isn't that hard to follow. It's an alternate world in which ninjas live. The ninjas fight by using various skills, and they
...
have this power flowing inside of them called chakra. Chakra is used to perform powerful attacks which (usually) belongs to either of the five traditional elements of earth, fire, water, air and lightning. Of course, since they are ninjas, they fight with weapons like shuriken and kunai as well as hand-to-hand combat. As expected of this kind of world, there's evil people, having different goals and reasons behind their evil.
The story follows Naruto, one of these ninjas, as he grow as a ninja, from being a stupid little prank-playing brat to becoming a fine ninja. Along the way, he interacts with and makes friends with many fellow ninja, fighting his way towards his dream of becoming Hokage (the leader of his village).
The story isn't nearly as good as the concept would indicate. Sure, a lot of the characters has some nice background stories, won't complain about that, but they manage to drag out everything so much. It really annoys me. Some fights take several episodes when they could've been done them just as good in one or two. There's also way too much fighting. The story goes like fight, fight, background story, fight, fight, even more fight, half an episode's worth of resting or journeying, fight, fight, and so on. I mean, it's cool to watch fights, but there are just way too many fights, and they drag most of them out to unnecessary lengths. The only really enjoyable fight was the one between Sasuke and Naruto right before the fillers began. Which brings up another thing...
Fillers! Agh, I normally don't mind fillers, but Naruto had some really, really stupid ones. Sure, there was the occasional diamond among the charcoal, but that doesn't excuse the high amount of bad fillers. I mean, just because they are fillers doesn't mean that they have to make them bad. Several shows have actually made decent and at the same time long fillers (especially Bleach, with its 40-episode long Bount arc), but Naruto failed horribly here.
Also, I feel that Naruto is very silly at times. Silly is usually good, but not when it's immature silly. And guess what+ Naruto is silly in an immature way. It's so dreadfully stupid at times that I had to close my eyes, take a deep breath and wait until it got serious again. Now, it did have some good comical moments, but those were far and wide between.
Another thing I feel like releasing my rage on is the animation. It barely manages to get the description “average” to me. At its best, it's slightly above average. However, a lot of time it's slipshod galore with the animation. I still have many very bad memories from having to watch lots of errors in the animation, and I'm not sure if I'll ever get rid of those memories. While the amount of errors decreased as the episodes passed by, at least every second episode before the 100s had one or more moments of slipshod animation. Wonder if they ever considered firing the animators.
As a side mention, they should do something about Rock Lee - even though I've slightly gotten used to his horrible looks, I still feel a burn in the back of my eye every time I see him.
The music is pretty good, though. A lot of great tunes (especially the sad ones are great), and the first few OPs and EDs were pretty awesome. It has some really bad music parts too, like the tribal voice-ish song, and sometimes they could've used better themes during the fights. As the series progressed, the quality of the OPs and EDs decrease too.
The characters are fairly okay, I guess. Some of them are really annoying, like Naruto, because he's so stupid. Agh, he annoys me to no end! Some other characters are annoying too, because of things like their looks (Gai and Lee), or because they are failed attempts at comical relief (at least in my eyes, you might find them funny), like the all too perverted Jiraiya.
That's the negative about them. However, they have some really nice background stories, some which are elaborated more upon than others. Many of the characters also get fair amounts of screen time, which for some people can seem too much, whilst others will be content with it, because their favorite character from the show gets an episode for him/herself.
I also like the fact that most of them have dreams or aspirations, and motives for what they are doing and how they are acting (usually it's tied together with their background stories). The growing relationships between them is also nice, their maturing, and how Naruto is slowly getting accepted by more and more people through hard work.
Basically, they've portrayed the characters very well, and not too over the top, but some of them act stupid and silly from time to time, which drags the character rating down.
I have some mixed feelings for the show, which kind of drags down on the enjoyability factor of it. Great concept, not as good story, both good and bad music, horrid animation at times, many characters with background stories, some of them great and some not-so-great; it's hard to completely make up my mind, but I believe the ratings I have given shows my feelings towards the different aspects of the show.
Of course, even though there was things I didn't like, I can easily see why this show is so popular as it is; it has humor that the kids may find funny, as well as lots of fights which appeal to the teenagers and adults. I personally didn't like it that much, though. I'm looking forward to Shippuden, because I&quo;ve heard it was much better&help; I really hope so!
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
![]()
Aug 13, 2023
Bleach is one of the three so-called "mainstream shonen animes"; together with Naruto and One Piece these three are immensely popular, and the topic of endless comparison among their fans set out to prove that their favorite is the best out of them. They simply refuse to exit their fanboyism to view the series in an objective light, which is a shame, because they are probably missing out on great adventures, which is the case of Bleach in many ways. If you want my review short and good, give Bleach a try no matter what people have said, as it, despite a lot of shortcomings,
...
presents a most interesting and enthralling universe.
The concept seems pretty basic at first; there's the Soul Reapers (Shinigami), empowered souls who guide departed human souls to Soul Society, the afterlife deimension, formed after a Feudal Japan. They also fight Hollows, evil and malevolent spirits, to protect living humans and souls alike. So, I assume you have read the plot summary, which covers the basics of the first story arc, which is basically the arc where we are introduced to the main main cast of Bleach; the standard, headstrong, rash and protective teenage shonen hero, his voice of reason in the form of a girl, his arrogant beglassed rival, the ditzy klutz girl with big boobs, and the large, stoic type.
Towards the end of said arc however, a real plot appears, events are set into motion, and before long, it has escalated into an assault on said Soul Society a rescue mission from our team of 4-5 heroes, who fight their way through shinigami of all kinds trying to reach their goal, conveniently placed in the middle of this Society. In this arc, you'll get lots of great action and meaningful fights, bottled together with an extremely large and colorful cast of characters, flashbacks and an interesting plot. It all builds up one hell of an end to the arc, 60 or so episodes into the show, where a most intersting twist takes place. And said arc ending is in each and every way the climax of Bleach.
Which is its problem. From there it goes steep downhill to two arcs of slow-paced filler, which lowers your excitement a great deal of levels, and from there the show never manages to get you hooked as much as it did during the Soul Society arc. It does get some interesting new aspects and revelations durign the following Arrancar arc, but it never gets really exciting, nor does it get that much greater during the Hueco Mundo arc. It's just too much fighting, and a re-used "save the damsel in distress" plot. The colorful cast is not seen as much anymore, and aside some interesting emotional developments courtesy of the former klutz girl, there's not a lot to it, and most fights don't have the same enthralling depth to them which made the fights in SS so unique. Now it's more a display of unique powers, and whatever motivations the bad guys had for their fighting is revealed only after the actual fights, which in ways ruins things. Also, there's a few plot holes to speak of, but nothing large.
However, aside the completely random filler arc (which re-used several plot elements from the story), Bleach has shown potential for improvement lately, and it keeps expanding its cast endlessly, which makes the universe seem living in many ways, so we can all only hope that Bleach will improve gradually. However, I sincerely doubt that it will ever be restored to how great it was at its peak, namely the Soul Society rescue arc.
It does have a lot of shortcomings, yet it is a most enjoyable watch still. Now, why is that? The answer is the unexpectancy factor it has. Due to its vast cast and great universe, you can't really know what comes next, only make qualified guesses. What kinds of powers will that character have? What is the villain really up to? And what's with that guy? What will happen next? Who knows, who knows. So one could say that the true strength of Bleach lies in its cast, which can bring about mysteries, plot twists and other aspects of awesomeness, and cover up for a somewhat lacking storyline.
So what about the asesthetics? there's plenty of people who believe that the visual and auditory aspects of anime are just as important as any plot or character development. And Bleach delivers here, in many ways.
The animation quality is quite the hassle to discuss, because it is so varying in quality. At its worst it has low frame rates, offset character designs and framed action, while at its best it is vivid, meticulous and full of soft motions and beautifully animated special and lighting effects. Most of the time however, it is decent. Not average, but not in any way anything brag worthy. Expect some ups and downs in this department.
The soundtrack however, is very great. It is greatly varied, and is renewed per story arc, introducing new tunes often whilst keeping the old ones around too, and this variation is intrinsically of any above-average soundtrack. It stays perfectly in tone and atmosphere with the current events, and feature everything from upbeat, adrenaline-pumping electric guitar pieces to miraculous piano pieces, and standard comedic moment tracks. The opening and ending themes feature a lot of types and genres, from the serene and sentimental to rap and rock. And pop, of course.
I said it in the beginning, and I'll say it again; try out Bleach at least once, despite what Naruto fans, shonen haters or anyone else have said. It's pretty enjoyable despite its lacks and faults, mostly in thanks to its great
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
|
