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A Truly Hidden & Underrated Gem - A Compelling and Entirely Unique Look Into a World with Superpowers and 'Villains'


To give the reader a brief rundown of this show and what to expect from it, it involves a series of 'cases' that span several episodes each, where a new 'threat' to humanity makes itself known—in the form of a new 'power' or 'ability' evolving in a person and being used—that threatens to disrupt the status quo of society. From there we see how these powers and the world, as well as the leading character Boogiepop—a product of these new divergent "powers" itself—interact with one another, ... with the abilities often being complex and powerful, and with the people, and reality, often changing with them. Due to this, more often than not these powers need to be 'overcome' by humanity, with each case—other than Boogiepop and a select handful of recurring characters—introducing a new set of characters affected by the power, whose task is to overcome it. The presentation of each case is often non-linear, requiring at least some attention to make sense of, but with a fairly typical story structure despite that—with always a clear beginning, middle, and end.

What makes Boogiepop as a story so special and great to me, is that in this world full of such mystical and grand characters, powers, and organizations, it always just comes down to the common people rising above to overcome the threats faced. Despite what it might look like initially, 'Boogiepop' the character, however powerful they may seem, is quite literally a phantom within the plot itself—without ever really having much of a defining impact on the world or result themselves. They are only ever there so much as an emphasis and guide for the ordinary, everyday human characters of the story to shine and do their part, and to highlight their greatness and potential. It always invariably ends up relying on them, and their actions and qualities.

Even with all its dark themes and world—and most of its themes are dark—at its heart 'Boogiepop *and Others* ' as a story is ultimately very optimistic. It's a celebration of humanity and our 'possibility'. On the surface, the author does depict humanity "evolving" with these fantastical new powers and abilities, but it is ultimately always in the mundane yet concerted, ordinary and human-achievable actions through which they are overcome, and through which we truly 'evolve' and move forward as a species. Those powers, much like Boogiepop, only serve to bring these out and shine a light on what is otherwise very grounded human feats.

I'd recommend ignoring the ratings and giving this show a try if this sounds interesting to you, or if you especially love amazing soundtracks (courtesy of Kensuke Ushio of Devilman Crybaby, A Silent Voice, and Ping Pong the Animation fame), heavy atmosphere, and thoughtful, moving thematic exploration. This show isn't designed to be loud, flashy, or mass-appealing—the beloved cult-classic Boogiepop novels aren't that kind of story—the heights and climaxes of the story are built slowly, often in a non-linear fashion, and are only really going to be rewarding if you're following the themes and can empathize with the characters and ideas they present. For me, it was and is a highly rewarding, unique, and emotive show, beautiful in the passion of its writing and execution—and extremely rewatchable with all its amazingly developed thematic peaks and moments.

It's that type of show you find yourself replaying tracks and moments of, weeks, months—even years after. Certain moments and stories from this I can't see myself ever forgetting to be honest. It's been over four years now since I first watched it, and I'm still passionate enough to write this review on another revisit.

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-- slight spoiler talk follows from here, where I rant in torrential form, but minor detail, about one of my favourite arcs --

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Perhaps my favourite episodes and story in this, and that which I feel reflects the series' best, is that of episodes 10 to 13. The arc involves two 'synthetic humans'—'tools' of an organization used to carry out their dirty work, and search for and subsequently eliminate threats—reaching self-realization as they come to critical points in their lives, where the growing 'bugs' of guilt, doubt and questioning inside them overwhelm and threaten to blossom. It shows us the critical events in their history leading up to this, and the humans that changed them; the humans they killed, and were sent to kill, as well as, in the end—their defining moments—and the humans they save. It is a story that contrasts some of the best of us coming to be the worst, with the worst of us coming to be the best, in each of the characters' defining moments. It focuses on the messiness of us as beings—and the potential beauty that such things as guilt, regret, and otherwise minor interactions and interrelated events can come to lead to. The unpredictable causal chain of our lives that can lead us from the best to the worst, and from the worst to the best, giving the ever-present chance for us to aspire and grow, and to change directions as people—rising above circumstance history—and achieving a new definition in the story of our lives. How such a simple thing as Nagi Kirima's brief but sincere words of enthusiasm and support to Scarecrow, and his aspiration of becoming a crime-tackling hero, can further sprout an invisible but infinitely entangled and complex series of events that end up affecting every character's path in the story.


*“Would you be able to cast your regret aside and return again? Return to the moment when your heart was at its most beautiful?”*


It's an incredibly heartfelt and emotive story, and what Scarecrow, and later Mo Murder both come to do in this arc, and the place they get to, represents the most beautiful thing in the world and of us humans to me. In but two such short, brief moments, all their development, history, and lives as synthetic humans come to a head, and they each achieve the most human of acts—they opt for danger and self-sacrifice for the sake and rescue of another. To do such an otherwise illogical and risky, but *good* thing for another; all in a situation where the other party will likely never even learn about or appreciate it—or they likely won't live through to see it blossom in any way. And to get to that result—and not regret it or the loss of everything in your final moments...

It reflects us rising above our urges, instincts and base desires. We as animals. To act in such a way against our very selves and self-preserving nature. No other being in the world can manage this, certainly for what's little more than a stranger—it is our gift alone. And we with all our intelligence and sentience so rarely manage to achieve anything close. But rarely, every so often, we do manage it.

It must be when we listen to that little 'bug' inside, no matter how small and crushed down it may have gotten over the years, that just wants to do and be something good for another like us. The chance doesn’t come around often, if at all for most of our lives, but when it does—and we manage it—it can only be when our hearts are at their most beautiful point. When we 'break through' and become something more than just the sum of our animal parts and our history—where our sentience, will and humanity are realized in but a moment. When we do something just for the intangible concept that is the principle.

Sure, there are plenty of stories with characters and much greater 'heroes' in them that put others before themselves, as well as sacrifice themselves. Such a thing isn't very unique to this story. But here, it is made especially profound and emotive as with both characters' stories, you see every beat that leads them to their resolutions, where they start from—very low; flawed and morally troubled, chained to the orders of an organization—and where they end up. That 'bug' inside them growing and steering more and more their actions.

Nothing especially "big", different, or dramatic ever happens to the characters to change or set them on this course either. Just a long series of small events, thoughts, interactions, words... It isn't clean—their heroism—and certainly not very 'cool' to watch, it's quick and messy, and there's not really a happy ending to be found in the story either. There's even a struggle with regret and doubt after said heroic acts. And neither manages to 'absolve' themselves in the story or any of the things they did wrong and the crimes they committed... But it is in this messiness and harsh reality, and in seeing their journeys and inner turmoil play out that something extremely believable and compelling is found. Something that sticks out and stays.

It is often said that without fear there is no bravery, or—the more fear that exists, the chance for greater amounts of bravery—and I think that logic holds for acts of greatness and heroism as well. Great characters achieving and doing heroic things is... great, but to write terribly flawed and damaged characters achieving heroic things, and showing that journey believably, I think, is much more special a thing, and Boogiepop does it perfectly here.


*“Humans do not possess a single, focused will. They just have countless bugs buzzing around in all directions inside their hearts. It's fine when all these bugs are headed toward the same meal as one, but when they split apart... People take actions that can only be described as incoherent.”*


There are countless cases one could learn about, throughout all the great conflicts, depressions, and tragedies of history, where everyday people, assuredly flawed people, manage to break through our nature and achieve this, and undoubtedly countless more forever untold; locked away in the everyday noise, or the long and unseen history of the world. Ordinary people sheltering the persecuted and knowingly facing death and torture for it, people running into fires, and firefighters running up burning skyscrapers... Teachers shielding their students with their own bodies, and soldiers jumping over grenades just to save their comrades and friends... Starving brothers giving the last morsel to their starving sisters, and personnel going down with ship or reactor, just to save and protect as many as they can in the role that only they could fill...

If there is a God—or an audience of our experience out there—I am sure this is when they are their most proud, shocked, or affected. Like you or me, who watched the brief stories of 'Scarecrow' and 'Mo Murder'. It is where our souls and characters are truly seen and shining. A soul developed bit by bit over a lifetime, achieving definition in one tiny, beautiful moment, with the decision to do away with self-preservation, the fundamental law for all life, and to hurt or lose ourselves for another like us. These events are not fiction, flukes, or one-off anomalies, and such transcendent beauty is an irrefutable possibility within each of us. Even in the worst and most hopeless among us—as were the characters of Scarecrow and Mo Murder.

If we could control time, and observe with our own eyes our history - the lives of these people, and these events, would surely be the most impactful. It is where I would go. How many journeys would it take, I wonder—being confronted with and seeing first-hand those undeniable acts of purity—to believe and love in all of life and humanity.

I think, just one...

The 'Boogiepop and Others' story, as mentioned previously, is about the greatness of humanity. And nowhere does it achieve this focus and message as perfectly as in this arc for me. If nothing else, I am sure the story of these characters and the themes of Boogiepop will stick with me for a long while still. Though I feel I could just as well rant about the other stories and themes of Boogiepop and Others. They are all explored in such a satisfying and rewarding way correlating to the amount of attention you give it, with the right amounts of subtlety and scope to never come across as heavy-handed or convoluted. The ideas presented and the messages contained always feel perfectly complete by the end of their respective arcs, with compelling presentation and, in my opinion, very profound and memorable conclusions. It is a great feat of the writing to be so compellingly positive in such an otherwise dark and murky story and world, with so few if any 'happy' endings or especially 'good' characters.

In a world now so chock-full of stories and shows of superpowers, heroes, and heroic feats, I think 'Boogiepop and Others' remains truly special. It achieves the same exciting displays of power, intriguing mystery, and excitingly dangerous 'villains' and bad guys, but not very far into its heart does it do away with all of it, choosing to focus on none of it, and it is much more special for this—with a far more powerful, memorable, and motivating sense of positivity and hope than just about any other 'super' story out there.

From a mid-twenty-something suffering a quarter-life crisis, feeling depressed and meaningless in the post-education, office-life monotony of the world; to a naturally caring, vulnerable person being forced to change in the financial reality of their world and being stuck in a vicious MLM scheme; to someone suffering a clash between chasing their passionate but unlikely dreams and the responsibility they feel as the sole heir to their family's business... I love all the characters and stories this show explores. With every character's arc, I find myself developing so much sympathy. It's a huge credit to the show that they're always written in such a believable, ... hard-hitting way despite all the comedic elements and exaggerations of the story and characters.

This show is deceptively smart in the exploration of its themes, and its ability to create comedy from them—even of its darkest themes—without coming across as reducing their depth and weight. When it comes down to it the show at its core is really just 24 episodes of a guy learning to get up, out, and get a job—and it manages to remain captivating, relatable, and emotional throughout despite that. This is definitely in large part owing to its writing, but also to its wide range of interesting and unique character and story concepts that always serve perfectly as case studies for its thematic exploration. This show is also greatly served by a highly emotive and diverse soundtrack that is well utilised, being in balance with its quieter moments and never coming to feel overplayed. As the show develops certain tracks come to carry so much weight and emotion in them because of this. It's been several years now since I first watched this show - and I continue to regularly come back to many of them.

I first watched this show at a very dark period in my life, and I credit it a lot for what spurred me to get out of that pit I was in. It spoke to me in a way no media had before—it felt direct, personal, and understanding—and it shook me. It owes to the author's situation at the time of writing it, having actively been a 'hikikomori' (recluse) himself. It's a story that 'gets it'—the experience. The stupid yet routine mental traps and hang-ups you can't quite seem to defeat. The perpetual one-day vows you make to yourself. That feeling of waking up in the evening and enjoying the bittersweet quiet of the night at the loss of another day. The appeal of the all-absorbing distraction in degeneracy. The cyclical nature of depression and anxiety, and the underlying, always horribly self-aware selfishness and hypocrisy that forms in those swirling pits of self-hatred and self-pity...

It's dirty, dumb and over-the-top, and certainly quite crass at times, but it's never without strikingly real and emotional thematic exploration and moments that make it all worth it. The main character is undeniably a loser—seldom acting anything other than pathetic and lazy—but he is also someone shown to be genuinely struggling and wanting to be better. The disgust and frustration you feel toward him at times is always quickly replaced with sympathy as the show gets you to understand him better and makes you see yourself and the undeniable human in him, bit by bit, through his thought processes and his interactions with the characters that surround him—however exaggerated they both can be.

I love how the story is set in motion with just a smile and the tiniest bit of persistence—a tiny flicker of hope that spurred a little bit of bravery and one small step forward. And I love how it all regresses in just the next episode. I especially love how the show handles the female lead. You'd think she'd be a huge detriment to the messages of the show, but she's not. As she never proved to be the answer for Satou. The idea of her is not even 'real' in the show.

This series and its soundtrack always make me emotional now. I'll always be able to relate to it on a deeply personal level that so few things ever manage to reach, with it forever serving as a reminder of that phase of my life—and the pit I've gotten out of. At the same time as all this praise, though, I find I only ever recommend it to a person if they're at a point, or have been at a point, where they've felt genuinely lost, alone, and/or rejected in their culture, and experienced the same mental illnesses that might lead you to shut yourself away from society. It's not that enjoyment won't be found otherwise, but that this is a story which in many ways is specifically written for those people—for them to relate to. It's written by one and rather implicitly written to form a message to others like him.

Welcome to the N.H.K. is 'Life can kind of suck sometimes, can't it?' the anime. It's deeply relatable and often tragic, but at its core, it is about realising that moving forward and taking our own steps through our struggles is really the only option we will ever have to finding anything truly worthwhile and fulfilling. No 'Misaki' will come and 'rescue' us, and no other answer or special 'conspiracy-based' calling will ever actually appear for you either. And you'll almost certainly regret running away from it all in the last moments if you were to try. To pull a quote from the show, "A drama has a progressive plot, an emotional climax, and a resolution, but our lives aren't like that. All we get day after day are a bunch of vague anxieties that are never really resolved."

It's a narrative that ultimately reflects how people are all damaged to some degree, in their own different ways—all of us dealing with our own unique set of failures, shitty circumstances, and mental hang-ups—so often making us act hypocritical and selfish, but all just earnestly trying to chase the same basic stuff: acceptance, love, and fulfilment... No one is really that alone or unique in that reality, even if the situations and hang-ups we face are completely different from one another. It can be a horribly disappointing, but necessary first step to take, accepting the truth that - *we're not special*. Because if we're not special - *we're also not alone*. In our struggles or our feelings. And there's ultimately comfort to be found behind that realisation, no matter how hard it is to accept the cold, harsh reality that may come with it.

Welcome to the N.H.K. is a story about moving on. About learning to accept your own damage and reality for what they are, and picking up the pieces.

It's so beautiful. This is one of those stories with writing so strong that you find it very difficult to hate any character for too long. It plays you like a fiddle, really. Bojji, Kage, Hiling, Dorshe, Despa, Hokuro--I could kinda almost list the whole cast thinking of all the characters I love from this.

I've caught up and I already want to rewatch it. It has so many impactful moments. I find myself getting so weak at the scenes with Bojji and his mothers especially.

It's maybe not as subtle or subdued, and certainly not as grounded, but its story and themes, and its softer, human ... moments remind me a lot of the World Masterpiece Theatre shows I grew up with (and I'm pretty sure that's about as high a praise as I could give a show). Especially in its unwillingness to have any 1-dimensional characters or motives for the sake of having easily digestible and emotive conflict or bad guys in the plot. Feelings and humans are complicated here.

Shichisei no Subaru is nothing. Nothing unique, nothing memorable, nothing worthwhile.

This show has no individuality and it will assuredly be remembered by no one. If you've watched even a quarter, no, a sixth of the anime shows I have (which isn't much mind) you've seen everything about and to this already, and yeah, that by itself isn't too bad; I mean there's a whole lot of anime out there and "originality" to a degree, is a fallacy, right? Except... none of it is repackaged in any way to create individuality for this show, there's no "effort" made past simply putting the blocks together. There's ... no effort to BE something itself. It's an accumulation of all the common tropes and characters we've all come to know, put together and packaged in see-through plastic. There was no effort here to do anything more than that. There's no decoration around it, or even anything so much as a "hook" to entice and keep you in disillusionment until the end. It's as it at start all the way to the end.

Even the worst of shows usually at least TRY to reach for the stars in an attempt to create and be something. Anything... But no, not this one. Out of all the time I've spent watching shows thus far, I have never once quite experienced a show so void of any distinguishing characteristic; usually there's at least ONE artist's distinguishable flair in the whole package, be it in the directing, the writing, the art, or hell even the soundtrack... Even in the most unoriginal and uninspired of shows. Or there's usually SOMETHING that'll shine and take an elevated place in your memory and make you, if nothing else, think to yourself "hey, I guess that's pretty cool", but this? There's nothing. Absolutely nothing"! And it's to a level that's so astounding that I feel like I could never quite hammer down that fact here enough...
This is what I'd imagine the future first generation of androids would be capable of making anime-wise, you know, when they can take in information, perform complex tasks and reproduce the idea; but before they develop consciousness and the ability to develop any individuality (and murder us all)... This show is so perfectly uniform in it's blandness and so transparent in it's cheapness that it's nothing short of depressing.
I'm doubtful I will remember anything about this show in a few weeks time, even now, after just finish the last episode ON the day of release, all of the other episodes leading up to this one have just come to form this huge, foggy white blur. Hence, I guess, why I've yet to actually talk about the show's parts and provide evidence. However, I will try... By painfully going back through the episodes (let me be straight, it's the only way I could do it).

Firstly, let's talk about the characters. Oh god, the characters... The characters are arguably the worst part about the show, and so it should be of little surprise that the show first and foremost centers around those characters and not the "plot"... More importantly, it centers around those characters' relationships and interpersonal (love) drama... (yay..) Firstly we have the main protagonist, Kirito. I mean Yuki. No wait, Haruto! Yes, that's the one. Haruto is... nothing. Yes, he's a really good figurehead for the show. He's oblivious to all, without any appearance of discernible conscious thought, has the hearts of the main girls by, uhhhhm.. being the protag, and has deus ex machina powers (I mean, every mc does in this show but still) that are used whenever the plot needs it (and that's a lot). You know the character already. His motivations are non-existent, he has absolutely no personality to speak of, and he has about as much depth as the moon's ocean. Really, he's perfect for the show. He's everything wrong with Kirito, on steroids, with none of even slightest of redeeming parts. Make no mistake, he's every bit as bland and uninspiring as his design makes him out to be.
Next there's his love interest, the 8 year old Asahi (okay she's not 8 years old, but she's godamn close enough. Every bit as innocent, thoughtless and unsuspecting as you'd think one would be... Now. I don't mean to throw accusations around, but that producer that got arrested for trying to fuck a teen... I think he had a part to play in her character. That's all I'm saying.), and her love rival (because, c'mon, what do you think this is?) Satsuki. Unlike Haruo, these two both at least rely on something to stand on as characters. Asahi's thing is being the oh-so-innocent and oh-so-cute loli of the group and Satsuki's thing is being the angsty, big-breasted love rival that just wants her senpai (the protag) to notice her. Now you're probably expecting me to talk more about them, but that's it. There's nothing else to their characters. Sorry.
Anyway next there's Haroto's love rival, Takanori/the "Glasses" of the show, who manages to standout by actively being insufferable (it's at least something okay). The "thing" about this character, other than being the protag's love rival and ""friend"", is that since he's the *protag's* love rival, he's a real big cuck, and is just as full of childish, angsty frustration as you would expect. And yep, he never made or makes a move either but wow is he defensive and clingy to the point of creepiness. He's the standard, antagonistic "glasses" character. You know the character. Don't worry though, it only takes 9 of the show's 12 episodes and 8+ in-universe years for the guy to realize the protag's loli girl doesn't love his edgy ass. After that he manages to become as bland and forgettable as every other character in the show.
Finally, there's two other "main" characters that are part of the group. Who both somehow managed to be even more bland and forgettable than the others. Clive is the "haha mysterious, funny 'n cool foreigner with the weird fashion sense" character and Nozomi is just Satsuki but in love with Glasses and who was originally a shy nerd (but now a model btw). There's really a love pentagon going on in the main group, and for whatever reason the show chooses to be about that. And all 5 of them have this amazing inability to grow up and/or get over childhood crushes.

Which brings me on to the plot... There is no plot. There's something that looks (and at the start feels) like a plot that plays around in the background while we spend 4 hours watching the most cringey and stereotypical of teen romance drama. The villains, what villains..? Throughout the 12 episodes we learn absolutely nothing about them except from 1- they're an evil group of people who want to use the "senses" (which we are never told what they exactly are or how they really work or how they are of use in the real world or how they can be manipulated...) and 2- they have a thing for Asahi and her magical (and also unexplained) "sense" for seeing the future within the game. We don't learn a single thing about their motivation or goals, and I don't remember the name or face of a single one of them, and there's no discernible "head" of the villainous organisation either (the one thing they could have done to make them just a bit memorable...). There was one who looked like a clown in-game and one who's a snappy girl dressed in a black hood. That's all there is to remember about the ones the show introduced us to. Don't expect ANY conclusion in regards to them, even the final ""fight" fails at giving you that. Oh, and don't expect even any progress to be made in regards to the main mystery of the show either (the other thing, they could have AT LEAST done..). Again, there is absolutely no plot here, don't be fooled.
I wish I could talk more about the "plot" since this doesn't really feel like a great review right now, but there's nothing that can be said. Since it's as non-existent as everything else important in this show, I'm really at a loss for words. All I can say is that if you're going to watch this don't expect one. You learn just as much about the ""plot"" from the synopsis as you do in the season's whole 4 hours.

Lastly, on to the soundtrack and animation, they're both just as unsurprisingly bland and cheap as everything else is in the show. The fights look awful, with no fluidity or choreographing whatsoever, and they feel like they were storyboarded by a child, and the soundtrack will just as quickly get under your skin as everything else with how repetitive and uninventive the scoring is. As for the designs, well, you can tell the quality of those from the cover...

To conclude, this show is cheap, bland and amazingly forgettable. It's value is that it's a 12 episode anime show, and that's all. That's its value. It's a husk of plastic that contains everyone else's trash. If you watch this you'll forget about it in less than a week. Stay far, far away from this if you value your time.
And just in case my words can't dissuade you, I'll finish with a serious (yes, serious...) quote from one of the "villains", that should say it all I think...
"Coffee can't turn into tea, and cake can't turn into jelly... They'll either just disappear.. or rot and fade away"
I would include the context for those words, but there really isn't any. It was really meant to be deep..

Golden Boy - A goofy, hot and unrealistic Ecchi mess; that still also manages to be rather motivating and endearing, and extremely hilarious.
obligatory STUDY STUDY STUDY STUDY STUDY STUDY STUDY!


This anime was a very nice surprise. Going into this, yeah; I expected the above, and I got the above. That doesn't sound surprising, right? That is until I tell you that I usually hate and can't stand any Ecchi whatsoever. Somehow though this was an Ecchi I actually really enjoyed and loved. It was just as unrealistic as all Ecchi's usually are (though this show made no effort to hide it's ridiculousness, it embraced it) ... and yeah the guy did win the hearts of many girls, but yet... It stands out among the crowd. The protagonist actually isn't a bad or (too...) immoral guy, he has principles and has character; and you can admire him as such. And most of the featured girls DO fall for him, but it all at least ends up making some sense. It's not just all purely pampering fan-service for the viewer... Kinda. And the show overall, and just in certain episodes; also contains some rather inspiring and semi-deep messages as well.

Now, I won't lie to you and say that this is an overly deep show, or not at least partly made as cheap-w**k-bait material for some horny late-night TV viewers, buuut there IS something there. By the end of the 6 episodes I did genuinely end up really liking the protagonist and some of the side-characters. And for just 6 episodes I think the story wrapped up REALLY, really well. Much better than I ever imagined it would.
But maybe what I liked about this show more than anything, is that the protagonist actually ends up having a good impact on the lives around him. That's a change from the usual, right? And he never actually "gets" any of the girls either, which is unique for an Ecchi... Right? Right? Nor is he in-actuality overly desperate/irredeemable.

Maybe I'm just desperate to justify why I ended up loving this show so much, I liked being that one guy on here who (perhaps unfairly) hates Ecchi stuff. But yeah, maybe none of this really matters either. You could argue that what most here isn't any "message" or "deepness"(??) this Ecchi-comedy anime might have, but whether it's entertaining and enjoyable. And in that regard I can answer simply: YES. This anime is incredibly enjoyable, and obviously also incredibly hilarious. It definitely, without-a-single-doubt succeeded in that. If you like wacky and over-the-top anime comedies that has fun in putting their main characters in bizarre situations, then this is definitely for you.

Each episode centers around Kintarou's journey of learning and studying around a different hot girl; each with their own stories and problems, that Kintarou usually eventually manages to fix/help. Each of these girls are of course very hot (this show also DOES succeed in the Ecchi-sexiness department) and each of the episodes are each very entertaining and memorable in their own right. I'd also say for an older anime, the art in this is also pretty decent; as is the soundtrack and design. And the dub for it is also great; because even if it were terrible, that'd only work for this show.


All in all this series is great. It's not perfect; at certain times I did think the comedy fell a bit flat, but it really does very little wrong and those moments are few are far between. It succeeds well in what it goes out to do. It's dumb, hilarious and evidently unique. If I was pressed to name one problem I had with it; it's that it was too short and by the end I was left really wanting more. Which I guess really isn't a complaint...

Millennium Actress - A very moving and awe-inspiring story about one girl's youthful love, and her journey through her art and her life pursuing that love. Accompanied with amazing visuals and animation, and a perfectly charming and memorable OST; this film is a masterpiece through and through, and in my honest opinion-- Satoshi Kon's greatest work. I would recommend it to all without question.

This review contains no blunt spoilers, but I'd suggest not reading it before you watch it either way, as the story is relatively simple and best to experience going-in blind.


Anime, films or just ordinary TV shows don't usually manage to make me ... cry; I consider myself rather immune to it, but yet I cried at the end of this film; and at first I was confused as to why. This wasn't an overly sad film, and I'd watched much, much sadder in the past without getting all teary-eyed...
After thinking on it some, I concluded as to what got to me so much. This is a very grounded story. It's very wild and free in execution, but yet realistic and immediately relatable all the same. You follow this young, innocent and youthful girl (Chiyoko) on her journey through life; told through the eyes of her now fragile and old-self who's nearing her end. The contrast is immediate. Youthful then, fragile now. Exploring herself and chasing her dreams then, reflecting on her past and stuck in her tracks now. Up and coming then, greatly respected and admired now..
This film is first and foremost about the passing of time, and the passion of the young. It's a journey through this great actresses' life (and to a lesser extent, Japan's own history) as you follow her on her chase from the preteen years to when she's elderly and reminiscent, and through this journey; much like the accompanying documentary-director and cameraman (who are the ones she's telling this journey to)-- you grow to love and respect her all the more. You see the many obstacles she's encountered in her chase; the hardships, the people helping her or pushing her down through the years... And there's something so... Moving, at her unstoppable spirit.
By the end of the film, and this journey; you're left in this soup of admiration, bittersweet-sadness and respect. It leaves you with a very simple message that was superbly worked on throughout the entire film, and that's that the chase IS worth it, that is; the chase of your dreams. This film can really just be taken as a love-letter to those dreams we have in our youth, and how while many people once they grow older DO let them go and become spiteful to those that don't; there's nothing wrong with holding onto them and not letting them go. It doesn't matter if they're unrealistic, or will have no end; the chase in itself is what makes it worth it, and as the viewer; you slowly get to realize this through watching Chiyoko's chase. The chase is presented as one of love for a vanishing faceless artist she met for a day when she was young, the "man of the key"; but yet she didn't chase this man through research or hiring investigators; but through her craft, her art; through each of the many films you see her play in throughout her life. It's a very gripping tale of her pure dedication to and passion for the chase, and you eventually realize that the man, while real; comes to symbolize the love she found in her craft, and the impact it had on her. What both you and her realize by the end is that the journey she had chasing him came to matter much more than if she ever got to meet him or not.

Now, me saying too much about it and gushing on the story aside; onto me gushing about the great, and very-fitting OST made by the great Susumu Hirasawa... Man are he and Satoshi a pair! I can't help but think they saw eye-to-eye on this story and completely understood each other on it from day 1. Each track is similar in tone; but still incredibly unique, and each are so memorable to the point that I wonder if they'll stick with me for life. Maybe you can say this about all soundtracks after watching the show or film they were in, but I really can't imagine more perfect, encapsulating tracks for this film. From the fittingly progressive "Run" track that played while Chiyoko was on her chase, to the emotional and very nostalgic "Prince of Key" track that played in her more reflective moments on her love. Oh, and then there's the upbeat and high-spirited "Rotation (LOTUS-2)" track, that greatly contrasted the prior track; and helped to illustrate both the joyful and sad parts of her journey.
Moving on from the soundtrack, I'd say both the art and animation of this film are grand; especially combined with Satoshi Kon's signature editing and frame-transitions. And of course with all this said; the enjoyment aspect is also definitely there.


And now to conclude, I have no negative things to say about this film, hence the 10. It was superbly crafted and I loved every bit of it. It succeeded perfectly in everything it wanted to. Yeah you could say that maybe my love for this film is blinding me from the ability to criticize it; but I can't help but feel like that love WAS earned. I went in knowing nothing and expecting Satoshi's usual dish of wacky but deep, and I did get that Satoshi; but Satoshi's very best.
Watch this film!

Summer Wars - A film with a very unique and touching story to tell, and unfortunately a whole lot of missed potential.
It falls flat in a lot of areas and there is no mistaking that, but I'd say with what remains; it's still worth your time.


Summer Wars is first and foremost about family, and the strength that comes with a prideful and close family. It is very much a love-letter to traditional family values and the strength of having pride in your own.
The Jinnouchi family is without a doubt the best part of this movie. The family dynamics and the relationships within are incredibly ... realistic and even more-so relatable. You follow Kenji, who, like you; is an outsider looking-in on this close family in their get-together, and also like him; you start to fall in love with them all as you learn more and more about many of the characters in the family and their backgrounds. Watching this it filled me with nostalgia of my own family get-togethers and my family is neither Japanese, or this huge. I'd imagine it manages to do this with most viewers, just because of how beautiful the portrayal is and how the beauty of pride in a/your family is a relatable feeling to all, no matter your country. Well that, and all the very relatable family figures...
In this family you've got the strong, very-respected and traditional head of the family: Sakae, mom, and grandma of many; the not-so-respected family-outcast who isn't so close: Wabisuke; the impressionable, angsty teenage girl of the family: Natsuki; the introverted and nerdy teenager: Kazuma; and all the many different aunts and uncles from different backgrounds and walks of life, with their many mischievous little children and few grown-up, aspiring children. All in all, there is four generations of this family that is shown; and the way the show portrays the many dynamics that would come with that is near-perfect, and it all goes a long way in making the film feel very grounded--despite it's absurd, and often unbelievable story--and enjoyable despite it's many shortcomings. The film is about how the pride and love within this huge family brings all these very different people together under one roof and with one goal; to tackle an otherwise very huge, important and seemingly unsolvable problem.

So with this interesting premise, message and lovely portrayal-- where does it go wrong? Well, to put it candidly: this film fails mostly in it's execution of story. Summer Wars wants to have this grounded and relatable portrayal of family; but it also wants a very wacky (and seemingly ill-devised...) story/plot to accompany it, and it ends up at times feeling like two different films that were badly meshed together.
The villain of the story, "Love Machine"; while clearly not the main or secondary focus of the film--is weak as a character and as a result, feels very nonthreatening (which he very much is not supposed to be). He has, that I can remember, no actual lines of dialogue. In the film he is simply meant to represent the damages that disconnect in a family can bring and how pride can be a double-edged sword. And this is not a subtle representation either--the villain feels like a walking, 1-dimensional symbol. NOT like an actual character. And this ends up hurting both the enjoyment you'll get from the film and your interest in the story.
Next, there's the love interest Natsuki... This character isn't much better than the antagonist of the film. The film wants to make you feel for her at a certain sad point, and root for the protagonist, Kenji, in his interest for her; but the character is never really fleshed out much, nor made that like-able. The film starts out with her lying/using Kenji in a rather selfish and thoughtless manner, and then never really gives her a moment to shine or be made redeemable afterwards, so you never really "root" for her or for Kenji's success at winning her love--which makes that whole part of the story also rather pointless and unenjoyable.

Now with these two rather subpar characters out of the way, there is also the case of the writing in this film. It feels very inconsistent. Often you'll find yourself having to refrain from questioning many parts of the story involving OZ and Love Machine, because not too much of what happens with them makes a whole lot of sense. Yeah, you could argue that they didn't go for realism to begin with, but I can't help but feel they wanted to leave a message in here about technology and how the world is depending on it more and more and the strain that could put on traditional family values-- but such a message fails when so much of what happens in the story feels absolutely unbelievable and appears completely illogical to begin with. And with such a realistic and endearing portrayal of family, such an absurd and unrealistic plot just ends up feeling out of place.
I feel like they could have still gone for absurd, but at least tried to make the plot relatively airtight in it's execution, NOT leaving the viewer to constantly wonder just how certain events happened the way they did or why certain characters would do what they did. As the viewer you're thrown between realistic and believable to unrealistic and unbelievable way, way too much; and not in a well-structured way.

With my biggest love and three biggest gripes of this film out of the way, what else is there? Well in-terms of praising it, I'd say on the whole; the film is still somewhat competently made. The art is simple, but still very colourful, beautiful and nice to look at, and the animation feels very fluid. The soundtrack for this film is rarely anything but fitting; to the abstract and sweet background tunes while you watch the family's slice-of-life moments, to the tense and dramatic action-songs. The voice actors also all do great jobs (especially that of Sakae and Wabisuke!) and are definitely responsible for much of the "life" of the family.


Overall I'd say this film is good. It's not bad, but it's not great either; and after finishing it I couldn't help but feel like it really could have been something truly special.
...Would I call this film disappointing? Maybe. But not from my expectations going-in, but from the initial setup and end-payoff. It takes you on a seemingly very promising ride that ends up going a bit too far downhill, and never really recovers.

Monster - An anime with an intriguing premise and big setup that, apart from a few saving graces- completely falls flat and disappoints. This is an overrated anime.
This is my first review on this site, and I feel compelled to make one seeing as how, maybe for the first time here so far; my opinion is completely different the majority's.


Perhaps what went wrong with this anime for me was my expectations going in, which were formed by what I'd read about it from the reviews here and how it had presented itself. Needless to say I found it to be disappointing through and ... through, with it almost being a chore to get through the last 20-odd episodes.

Monster presents itself as being a psychological thriller/horror about a mastermind psychopath serial killer named Johan and an innocent doctor who'd saved him, not knowing who or what he was. Upon realizing what he'd saved and the consequences that followed from that action; the anime poses the main question to it's audience:
Should all life be saved/is all life equal?

The premise right away sounded intriguing to me, I saw one user here describe it as a "cat & mouse chase", another "chilling". Indeed it had all the ingredients for a very psychological and philosophical show. So where did it go wrong? Well... The story, and it's main antagonist Johan (the thing it needs to rely on the most, being named after him). I won't argue that the show is very philosophical- but the "psychological" part and it's overall presentation of main ideas completely falls flat. And the "horror" bit is just non-existent.

This show likes to take you on these long and very drawn out journeys that really have little to do with the main arc, but instead are there to flesh out it's main philosophical profile and the ideas it wants to put forth. This sounds good until you realize just how very drawn out and boring they get, and what little material they actually provide in-terms of both plot and character development. I found myself for the first time watching an anime that could send me to sleep. These long detours the show takes could be shortened drastically, some even skipped with little lost.

But bad story pacing aside, the main issue with this anime was indeed it's main antagonist Johan. I could accept long, drawn-out ""mini""-arcs if at least the antagonist it teases provides suitable pay-off. And boy does it not. Johan's purpose here is to display Nihilism and pose the age-old questions to the audience- "what exactly is humanity, and how would you lose it?"
And in that regard I guess he succeeds. This show DOES make good philosophical arguments and points- but as previously stated the way it goes about presenting them is nearly always poor; and at the detriment of the story and characters. Johan as both a character and a villain is weak. His motivations for certain actions are left completely mysterious- and not in the up-to-interpretation way- and his displays of power and intelligence are always an ass-pull that requires way too much suspension of disbelief from the viewer.

This show wants to present itself as gritty and realistic, but yet at the same time let it's antagonist do supernatural and impossible-like feats, with no explanation or reason. I'm fine with either but these two really do not meld well when put together in this show. While watching it I kept having to stop myself questioning just how a certain sequence of events could or would happen; or how Johan's ability to predict the seemingly unpredictable works (showcased mostly in the last few episodes). It is my philosophy that a good villain is one that manages to be believable. Johan as a character- and his actions throughout- is/are not at all believable, nor is the reasoning for why it took so long (for lack of a better term) to beat him.

In-fact I feel like both the antagonist; Johan, and protagonist; Dr. Tenma, suffer as characters for the same reason. They're both there to showcase an idea/argument, and as a result aren't believable as characters or as people. Dr. Tenma's journey is meant to be touching, even sad; with his guilt and torment at seeing the irrefutable consequences from one of his actions. But rarely do I feel anything from watching him. This could be because he's bland as a character, with there being little distinguishable about him and his personality, but I think the biggest reason is because there is little to no character development for him outside of finding the answer to the aforementioned-one question at the end. The Dr. Tenma of episode 20 is little different from the Dr. Tenma of episode 70, apart from slightly longer hair and a more grouchy expression. You could argue he becomes more "determined" to catch Johan but I don't see it at all. Certainly not at the climax.

As a result of the awful pacing this show has, it's bland protagonist and it's weak main antagonist, the enjoyment from this show is awful. I can't believe how or why one could go about binging it. This is the first show of this size that has taken me many months to complete.
...Anyway, with my main complaints out of the way, what were it's "saving graces"?

Firstly, the soundtrack. At times I felt like the soundtrack was adding more than what was even really there in the first place. And perhaps that's why I love it so much. It was brilliant, and went a long way in breathing life and atmosphere to the otherwise rather dull art/world of Monster. It added a bit of tension to where there otherwise weren't any, and did a near perfect job of conveying the emotion and tone of a moment.

Next, the characters. This might seem backwards considering I just went on about how weak Johan and Tenma are as antagonist and protagonist, but thankfully they were for the most part an exception (albeit rather large and important ones...). The side characters are what made Monster finish-able for me, and what got me through many of the detours of the show. I mentioned earlier this show wanting to be realistic, and indeed this may be the most realistic part of it. Nearly all the side-characters felt human. Their emotions and actions completely believable, and at times I felt they were even propping up the bland and unmoving protagonist that is Dr. Tenma. I feel like apart from Nina, all the emotion from this show is mostly gotten from these characters. Certainly not Dr. Tenma or Johan.
And to add a bit here at the end; how it makes you understand and almost like a certain annoying character is masterful to say the least.


To wrap up, with my biggest gripes and likes out of the way I'll conclude with this: Do I think Monster is a terrible show? No. Do I think it's a great show? No. I think this show is overrated and rather mediocre in one too many important areas. Sadly it's superb soundtrack and touching, well written side-characters aren't enough to save it from a weak overall story and weak set of main characters.