- Last OnlineDec 20, 8:12 AM
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- BirthdayMar 20, 2002
- LocationCollege Station, Texas
- JoinedDec 2, 2019
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Mar 2, 2023
I'll keep this brief because honestly I can't think of anything profound to say about this film, which is what's especially disappointing.
The visuals are great, as well as the music, but to me, it just felt like Josee to Tora to Sakana-tachi left a lot to be desired. The voice acting felt lackluster, the plot felt almost too simple, and worst of all for me, the characters had little to no actual characterization, nor did they feel like actual people. The lines felt too "novel-y" in a sense. Nothing felt organic. Sure, it had its profound moments and deep conversations here and there, but to
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me, this film was just an empty shell with nice aesthetics. Just another pretty-looking tear-jerker award bait film.
6/10
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Feb 5, 2022
*Contains plot spoilers through the final arc. Be warned.*
I ended up binging the remaining chapters after where the anime currently left off (right near the end of the Gyuutarou fight in the Entertainment District Arc), and while I genuinely enjoyed it from start to finish and found myself entranced into reading 110 chapters in less than a day, I couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.
Maybe it's because of the pace at which I read it, but everything after around the midpoint of the Swordsmith Village Arc felt arbitrarily rushed, with some of the characters not being delved into properly until the latter end
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of the final arc, in which many simply received a backstory chapter or two before they either a)won a battle, or b)died at the hands of an Upper Kizuki. Not to mention the sudden power boosts Tanjiro and others often received randomly (looking at you, red blades in the final arc) that are underexplained and quickly used by anyone able to, making them feel shoehorned due to the high pace of the final arc.
The characters were endearing and fun to read, but many felt like they were shelved until the author deemed them important, only to be placed back on the back-burner as soon as they were unimportant. This especially applies to the Hashira which were focused on during small bits of the Infinity Castle Arc (Shinazugawa, Himejima, and Iguro (whose name I actually needed to look up since his name was so seldom mentioned) being prime offenders).
The story also felt like it had a great pace going up until the latter end of the Swordsmith Village arc, after which it felt like things moved too quickly. The pace suddenly shifted out of nowhere, and immediately you're given the impression that you're near the end, even though 78 chapters remain. Maybe Koyoharu Gotouge felt like the pace was going too slow and ramped it up, maybe she was pressured by her editor, idk. Either way, it felt jarring to me at least. A lot of plot, backstory, and lore get shoved into these final arcs in a way that didn't quite feel natural to me.
The story is interesting as hell and kept me asking questions until the final chapter, but it felt like it was missing something crucial. Too much gets explained in backstory bits rather than in present storytelling, to the point that some of it had to be explained in mini-paragraphs written by Gotouge-sensei in the manga extras.
DESPITE ALL OF THAT
I had a hell of a lot of fun watching and reading this series. The blood-pumping action constantly kept me on my toes, and as I mentioned before it carried me through 110 chapters in only around 18 hours (including sleep). The battles were detailed and engaging, the abilities (though they're harder to follow in the manga) were fucking awesome, and despite the art being a bit rough around the edges (but really damn impressive for her first-ever serialized manga), the characters' emotions were absolutely palpable from start to finish.
Despite its flaws, I'm excited to see where Gotouge-sensei goes next in her career. Kimetsu no Yaiba ain't perfect, but it knew what it was and had fun with it, and shows a hell of a lot of promise for its author's future.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Nov 12, 2021
*Contains some minor spoilers*
In my constant search for slice-of-life romcoms that stand out from the rest, I'm glad I came across this one! Skip to Loafer has been one of the most enjoyable romps in the genre I've read in a LONG time. though I do have an issue or two with it, it doesn't diminish how much I've fallen in love with these characters and their relationships.
Story- 8
The story is as simple as you'd expect, but with enough complexity in the character interactions that you can't help but get drawn in more and more with every passing moment. It's a high school rom-com, standard
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stuff.
Art-8
Character designs are simple but extremely distinguishable. Emotions are portrayed fantastically with beautiful, subtle expressions in more emotional scenes, and comedy is boosted by how silly the facial art can be. Environments are simple and serene, background blends in with the character art, and overall the art gives the story this warm, fluffy feel that elevates the experience, even if it is simplistic.
Character-8
All of the characters are written really believably and naturally, even ones with such cliche character archetypes as "The Popular Guy Who Just So Happened to Be a Celebrity" or "Quiet Bookworm with Glasses". Mitsumi is so goofy and earnest that every scene she's in puts a smile on my face, Shima's relaxed demeanor and honesty makes it all the more interesting to see what he hides behind that slowly be revealed, and all of the other side characters are extremely enjoyable to see and fit into the story perfectly.
That, however, doesn't include Naoki, AKA Nao-chan.
IDK if it's controversial for me to say this, but Naoki/Nao-chan just feels like a dime-a-dozen shoehorned transgender(?) character. They don't really fit into the rest of the story and feel like they're just there to fill in a checklist of representation. While their scenes can be interesting from time to time, it always feels like the author is making an aside bringing them into the center of the story. Nao doesn't feel woven into this story to me; it feels like he/she/idfk was just kinda.... jammed in there. The story wouldn't be much different without Nao-chan, and I wouldn't really care if they weren't a part of the story at all. My character rating would've been a solid 9 if it weren't for their inclusion.
Enjoyment- 9
That aside, I can't think of anything else I've disliked while reading this series, save for the painful realization that it releases monthly and it may very well be multiple years before we even see the main pair in a relationship. Every character interaction is a joy to read, the romantic bits get my heart pounding like nothing else (even mild ones), and I had a good audible chuckle at a lot of the comedy. All in all an extremely enjoyable series.
Overall-8
It's been really damn good thus far, and I'm excited to see where this story goes and who ends up with who. (I'm especially hoping to see Kurume get with her special someone one of these days.....) I don't think I've been this engaged with a romance manga in a LONG time. Definitely give it a read if you're looking for a simplistic but fresh take on romcoms!
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Mar 6, 2020
Souboutei Kowasubeshi is quite possibly one of the most overlooked manga series I've had the pleasure of reading. If it weren't for a random recommendation on a back-end manga site, I would have never known it existed in the first place.
Story:(9/10) While the story seems straightforward and simple, don't be fooled. Every event and line of dialogue bears some manner of importance to the story, be it big or small. While said story can be extremely ridiculous at times, becoming more so as time goes on, it has only served to keep me interested and guessing what insane turn of events will come next.
Art:(9/10)
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Fujita Kazuhiro is a mangaka that I have respected for lord-knows-how-long for his experimental, rough, innovative art style, and this series has reinforced that respect greatly. His distinctive character designs, minute attention to detail, and dynamic way of illustrating action have kept my eyes glued to the pages for the past year and a half.
Character:(8/10) As much as I love the characters in this series, it's hard not to mention how simplistic many of them are. Many of them undergo a good deal of character development, but others are left with little to no change throughout the series. Thankfully, said characters are ones that don't have much time on screen (or should it be on-paper?), so I can forgive that much.
Enjoyment:(10/10) Ever since i started reading this series, I have't read a single chapter that hasn't left me begging to see more. As I read, I constantly try and guess what batshit insane plot-points will come up next week, and every time a new badass confrontation occurs involving magic, spirits and what have you, I can't help but have a ridiculous grin on my face. It's safe to say that I've had more fun with this manga than many others I've read recently.
Overall:(9/10) If you have the time, please for the love of GOD give this series a try. I can't guarantee that you'll enjoy it as much as I have, but I can guarantee that you'll be in for a ride the likes of which you've never seen before.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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