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- BirthdayJul 22, 1991
- LocationNY
- JoinedAug 31, 2008
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Sep 24, 2009
Oh wow, this was really good. Before I start a more in depth-review, I'll say this: if you have any emotions in you, go watch this. Your emotions will thank you.
Now then.
Risky / Safety is basically about an apprentice shinigami named Risky and an apprentice angel named Safety who share the same body (which is 13cm tall). Risky is present when the person they're in tune with emotionally is sad, and Safety is there when he or she is happy. Moe, a slightly insecure junior high girl, is this person for most of the series even though they go off on
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random tangents in the form of odd stories sometimes. Stuff happens and things get weird but in the end it does come back to the main point.
So when I first saw this and read the synopsis, I thought "oh it's like Shinigami no Ballad + Shakugan no Shana-tan". Actually, that's not too far off. If you like the character of Shana-tan, you're going to LOVE Risky. But what really got me here was that, taken the basic plot outline, Risky / Safety did the best job they possibly could have.
Well, almost.
The one thing I have against Risky / Safety is that those random stories, especially the ridiculous Star Trek-esque epic and the thing with Ma-chan, somewhat detract from the amazing romantic plot. Honestly, this anime could have been a straight-up slice of life...that is, until you get to where stuff really gets screwed up nearer to the end.
This anime, above all else, makes you think while you cry tears of happiness and stifle tears of sorrow. Yes, a moe comedic anime that makes you think. Under all those nonstop gags from Risky and Safety and the general lighthearted aura the art gives, there are really deep psychological and philisophical questions and ideas at work. What does it mean to be good or evil? Is there a gray area in between? Is there a similar gray area between joy and despair? Is that where humanity really should be, in a bittersweet middleground? Very good musing material to come out of something that looks like a cute, mindless anime that can waste 24 sets of ten minutes of your life. But it's not one of those...it's an anime that can make 24 sets of ten minutes of your life more fulfilling than watching even some serious anime.
So let's go through these categories.
Story: Some flaws, some times where I can't help but just go "wtf" and pretend I know what's going on. It's not like it's perfect, but it's beautiful how it works out despite the flaws.
Art: I don't feel like I'm watching something from 1999-2000. When I think of that era I think of Pokemon days. But no, moe existed then too. :3 But really, besides that, the artistic style of Risky / Safety was what it should be for this type of thing--nice enough to enjoy watching, colorful, but at the same time simple enough so that you cannot get too distracted by it.
Sound: The ED song is nice :) Usually the BGM is kind of generic slice-of-life type stuff, but episode 16 is an exception. Episode 16 is done in a silent movie style, and in the spirit of that, they composed a very good musical score. I'm impressed. One thing this could've done without, though, is a narrator. It reminded me of Binchou-tan's narrator. However, she started to get really psychological after a while and I guess it helps get you thinking about the topics at hand.
Character: This is what makes Risky / Safety so great. The central cast is quite small (consisting of basically Risky, Safety, Moe and Yuya, the latter of which is Moe's love interest, and Lani, the dog), and that lets the characters (with the possible exception of Yuya, since this is from Moe's point of view somewhat) really blossom into something that you can connect to. Even minor or non-reoccuring characters are fleshed out enough for their moments of emotional amazingness to be really effective.
Enjoyment: I'm quite an emotional person, so I loved the emotional rollercoaster that this show set up. It's really got something for everybody (yes, it even has an epic monster fight. No, I don't think it was needed. But whatever, let the animators have their fun).
tl;dr go watch this if you are a human with feelings.
or a shinigami.
or an angel.
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YOROSHIKU BABY~
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Jun 30, 2009
I kind of disagree with the disappointment of the other reviewers. I followed this thing religiously and it beat out, for me, every other spring 2009 anime I tried. Here's why: it's a moé supernatural romance comedy with a main female lead with fox ears THAT IS ACTUALLY GOOD.
And very good it is.
Okay, I'll admit, it has some clichés, but they are overshadowed by the expert handling of some of them. What really gets me is that it balances the moé factor with some really deep moments.
The art itself is nice and moé, just the way I like it. The character
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designs are varied and for the most part very, very memorable. Obviously, since Yuuri is the male protagonist in an anime based on a visual novel, he'll be a bit plain, but that's to be expected.
The biggest part of why I liked Tayutama so much was the skillful use of silence and suspense in two-person exchanges. These scenes were orchestrated beautifully. If it weren't for these, though, I may have given Tayutama a 7 or 8, because really, there are some things that could have been improved.
Tayutama is a refreshing anime, if you can call it that. Not overly ecchi, not overly headache-inducing, and it gives you a nice uplifting feeling that might or might not have you considering Shinto just so that you can maybe get a foxgirl out of it.
If anything, watch it for Mashiro's moé factor and Nue's comic relief I guess. It's a nice ride regardless.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Jun 21, 2009
I want to live in Hidamarisou.
More than any other slice-of-life I've seen, I want to live this perfect life. Yes, this is a perfect life kind of slice-of-life: everybody's always happy, they live on their own and go to a high school for art, and they do fun things even when things look boring.
Now the story...uh...who cares about plot, it's basically a direct feed of happiness and sunshine into your head. I grew rainbows out of my eyes after watching this. And no that's not painful. It feels warm and fuzzy.
I absolutely love how SHAFT does anime, really, and this is
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no different. In fact, I think this is the pinnacle of SHAFT's distinct artsy style--and it's quite fitting, taken the art theme of the whole thing. That, coupled with the unique random stretched-out face thing (you'll get what I mean if you don't already), makes the art especially memorable.
So basically, if you are feeling sad for whatever reason, this is a perfect way to turn your frown upside-down ^___________^
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jun 9, 2009
I picked this up during a street fair in my town for $4. I've never seen the anime nor anything else except for a few figures I happened to find of Belldandy that I did not buy. Regardless, I thought I'd give it a shot even though I'm more into moé stuff.
I think my general enjoyment was an exponential curve. At the beginning, it was "ok". It gradually went to "interesting", then "awesome", then "holy shit", then "WOWWW." By the end I was enraptured. I think what this movie does is it sends you into the very essence of
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love and how love can prevail over any obstacle.
I have a natural bias against unnecessary costumes that only add sex appeal. There were some in here. But you know...I stopped caring halfway through the movie. That's how good it was.
Sure there are faults, but I have to remember I'm not reviewing something that's brand-new, which is what I'm used to watching. After all, I think this might be the second- or third-oldest anime on my MAL now >.>;
I noticed in the credits that the music was done by the Warsaw Philiharmonic Orchestra and Chorus. This production spared no expense it seems to make it absolutely perfect and out of this world (well half-out-of-this-world is more specific I guess).
I'll say this: it was totally worth four dollars :D
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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May 1, 2009
So I was bored in a free period at school today and I decided to randomly go through MAL pages until I hit something vaguely interesting. I happened across a page on the producer of this and saw this...it sorta piqued my interest, so I watched it.
I am so happy I was bored enough to find this gem.
Natsuiro no Sunadokei, in my opinion, is what a romance anime should be. I really hate romance anime where the guy is a perverted idiot and the girls are stereotypes who throw their fanservice-prone-selves on him either willingly or unwillingly. Thankfully, Kou has a brain
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and a heart, and it's not a harem, although there are some light complications in the love web. Obviously, they couldn't make a huge mess with only 2 episodes and an overarching plot about time travel, so I'm glad they didn't try to overdo that part.
The time travel thing is very well done--it shows itself and then doesn't overstay its welcome, letting time flow for most of the part where you would like it to. This is the kind of anime you watch if you want to feel connected to a guy or a girl in love, since it's quite easy to do both here.
The sound...well...the OP and ED songs are forgettable but the bgm is pleasant. Voices are pretty good. I must say though, this doesn't really bring down my score of it much.
The thing that I thought was great is that, like the other guy who reviewed this, it didn't feel like "just another OVA". I really felt like I didn't waste my time with this at all. In fact, I don't even wish this were longer--in a good way, of course. It didn't just leave off with a rushed ending or anything; it actually had a fulfilling end, and I won't say what happens because it rides on that, but...you'll be satisfied. I thought for a bit in the first ep that there would be some sort of plot hole problem, but I don't think so. Simply, you just have to enjoy this nice little love story.
Also, Ligene's faces are amusing. Just another reason to watch it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Jan 10, 2009
These two very short stop-motion animation pieces are extremely enjoyable, especially if you do not have much time to watch them, since they are both under a minute long (not including the credits). The story, if you can pull any story at all, is quite simple: Kotatsu Neko is a lazy cat who likes TV and also goes totally EXTREME if he gets frustrated.
The art itself, being a stop-motion animation, is mostly how it's animated, and it is very well done. It's mostly fluid, with great camera angles and overall good craftsmanship on the objects in the room and of course Kotatsu Neko
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himself. The sound decently compliments the top-notch stop-motion animation with somewhat cheesy but good EXTREME material. Plus, you can't expect much in the sound department from 45-second films.
Bottom line: it's worth looking up on Youtube and watching. Really, you don't have much to lose. Anyway, it's a freaking crazy cat. Nobody on the Internet can resist that.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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