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Jun 4, 2024
Somewhat infuriating first couple of episodes but has a clear heart wrapped in a beautiful presentation. Solid sports series, 7/10.
Story (5/10): Oblivion battery follows the classic sports series formula of a group of eclectic high schoolers coming together to form an underdog team--but with a twist. The prodigy catcher has lost his memory and turned into an amateur. Occasionally, the series can be a bit juvenile and unrealistic (a public school with no prior baseball team aiming to reach Koshien in West Tokyo is definitely a hard goal to accept if you know the realities of Japanese high school baseball), but if you can suspend
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your disbelief enough to ignore some of the more "anime" trope-y moments, the pacing and emotional beats still land solidly. The baseball aspects are also well written, going into just enough detail with each position over time to keep a more knowledgable viewer interested without losing newcomers.
The major aspect that will likely turn most people away is the comedy. The main catcher's catchphrase is definitely divisive, and the running gag about trading porn is also pretty crude. However, I personally felt my annoyance towards it wear off after the story went more emotional/serious. Time will tell whether or not the comedy will remain a detriment.
Characters (6.5/10): Really hard to rate characters with only 8 episodes out, but overall they have potential. The main catcher can be extremely annoying in the initial ~3 episodes but mellows out quickly. The main pitcher has almost no character right now, and is mostly a comedic figure, though I expect that to change based on what the series has shown so far. The character with the most development is the blond shortstop, whose 2 episode arc was pulled off with care and perfect pacing, being just long enough to be engaging and convincing. Based on that, it can be expected that similar care will be put into the rest of the cast. Currently, though, all the characters are at least tolerable, if not pretty endearing.
Art (9/10): It's Mappa. The animation is gorgeous and the direction is great as well. Occasionally there are frames where the proportions of the characters look a little weird, but that's more due to the style than an animation error. Nothing much to say here.
Enjoyment (7/10): Pretty by the books sports show, but pulls it off well enough. Definitely potential here for a comforting, easy watch with solid characters. If you like sports shows and baseball, give this one a try. Not for everyone though--if you don't already like the sports series formula, this one won't change your mind, and the comedy can understandably be a deal breaker for some.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Aug 27, 2023
Mashle should have stayed a comedy. Somewhat enjoyable series that is held back by its generic characters and plot. 5/10.
Story: 4.5/10
During the sections of comedy/slice of life near the beginning of the series, the story quality was slightly closer to 6/10 because its simplicity didn't really hold it back, as the focus was supposed to be the comedy. However, after the author shifted it to be more of an action and raised the stakes, its generic nature became more of a detriment. Every fight is predictable. Every power up brings no real surprise or hype. The author gets his own power scaling tied into a
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knot as a new level constantly is introduced as something very difficult to obtain or extremely rare, then immediately becomes common amongst the cast.
For example: Secondth is introduced very early on into the story and it is described to be a rare ability that only a couple of double-liners are able to use. Then, in the final arc, Finn, with no preamble, is able to manifest it (and though he did train under the flame cane, there was no indication that he learned anything close to it). Lance, not only manifests the third line (which the youngest to ever do it is a visionary AKA: extremely blessed) but also is able to use thirds (another supposedly very rare ability). Similarly to Finn, though Lance did undergo training, there was no hint of him gaining further insight that unlocks this ability or anything of the sort. And both the third line and thirds at the same time? It's very difficult to suspend disbelief when characters grow this quickly but seemingly do not put in the effort (or least that effort isn't properly portrayed) to gain the power ups.
Emotional beats are all written through short cuts and don't earn their weight. By abusing common tropes to shorthand moments between characters, not only are resolutions predictable, but they also feel manipulative. For example, instead of slowly hinting at and building up Finn and Rayne's characters both independently and as brothers over time (I think they exchange about 10 words with one another before the big fight they have together that resolves that plot), the author chooses to go with the "older brother acts like an asshole to the younger to protect them because they both went through trauma" basic structure, explained very quickly right when it's needed, to create a big emotional moment. The reader feels the angst, but only because the trope implies a lot of dynamics through all the better stories that built upon it that the author never actually wrote. Essentially: by using this short cut, it seems like the two brothers' relationship is deeper and more interestingly written than it actually is. It's "fanfic bait": so much potential that can be explored by fans, but none of it is explored in the series itself.
The action is pretty average shounen. The scale of the magic and abilities is very well expressed and provides sufficient hype, but it can essentially be boiled down to "really big beam of power against another really big beam of power" most of the time (with some variation on what exactly that really big beam of power is, and yes. A punch is not that different from a big power beam). Some fights are more strategic or creative, but it's still not very much. Dipping into the art section a bit but, sometimes choreography is so difficult to follow another character will have to literally narrate each action in order for it to be understood, which takes away some of the enjoyment.
Not going to comment much on the comedy as it is subjective, but I personally find it pretty unfunny.
Characters: 4.5/10
Every character is a gag + a generic character archetype. Unfortunately, most of these gags are not funny. Lance being creepily obsessed with his sister was not funny the first time it was brought up and continued to not be funny to the final chapter. The archetypes are lovable but not unique, and because of the shallow writing, it's extremely difficult to become invested in their struggles during the serious parts.
Special shout out to Lemon for having the most uninteresting gag that is essentially "that creepy ex that is stalking you because they're so delusional" and literally just being the token girl. What is Lemon's personal magic anyway? Trick question! She matters so little despite being brought up like a central character in the story that the author never even revealed it. Lemon deserved better.
Art: 7/10
The color spreads. Oh my god they're so pretty. The rest of the manga? Not quite as good (it's really obvious that the author's main calling is colored, fully rendered illustration). The art is very simple much of the time despite some gorgeous double spreads, and the choreography is only just fine. The art is not a selling point, but also not a detriment. 7/10 because of those spreads (both black and white and colored), the rest of the time it's more like a 5.5/10.
Enjoyment: 6/10
The difficulty in suspending disbelief really damages the experience. It's hard to get hype when all you can think is: "Wait, isn't this ability supposed to be really difficult to obtain?" The slice of life and comedy, while also just okay, does outshine the action somewhat as it at least doesn't run into the same issues that are present in the fights. Honestly somewhat forgettable and just something to read that eats your time up with potential to be a lot more. At least it's generally enjoyable though. It's like junk food: no real substance, but tasty nevertheless.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Aug 27, 2023
Solid show with good voice work and animation but lacks a strong plot line or characters. Watch this one if you just want something chill and silly to wind down with. 6.5/10.
Story: 6/10
The story of Mashle is extremely generic. There's nothing wrong with it but there's also nothing particularly stand out about it. It exists to serve the comedy and that's fine. To summarize: In a world where everyone is born with magic, the main character, Mash, has none. Instead, Mash is extremely, extremely strong. In order to live a happy life with his adoptive father/grandfather, Mash enrolls into a magic school where he must
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overcome each magical hurdle through pure strength. In other words: What if Harry Potter went to Hogwarts but he could punch *really* good?
The comedy in Mashle revolves around Mash playing the straight man to the more larger than life anime characters and situations that he finds himself in, as well as satire of the magic fantasy school trope in general. Comedy is subjective, of course, but I personally didn't find it very funny, though I suggest watching the first episode to at least get an idea of what it's like before making a decision on whether or not you personally enjoy it.
Characters: 6/10
Mashle's characters are all defined by a single gag that is paired with a generic archetype. For example, Mash's gag is his strength and his archetype is the stupid, aloof, but warm hearted type. Lemon's gag is her obsession with Mash and her archetype is the token girl. Finn's gag is his cowardly reactions and his archetype is the coward that reacts like a normal person to contrast all the OP people around him. All other characters follow a similar patten.
This wouldn't be an issue if these gags were actually that funny or the characters were good satire of those tropes, but the gags seriously aren't (Lance's sister complex is especially bad) and it comes across like the story just plays the tropes straight rather than commenting on them like a satire would. A better execution of this type of character writing can be found in Saiki K.
The lackluster characters, though they can be improved, function fine for the lighthearted and comedic aspects of the show, but the second the show tries to darken its tone, these characters that lack depth and therefore are hard to truly become fond of fail to carry the more serious sections. This becomes a greater problem in the manga though, it doesn't matter much in this season of anime.
Art: 8/10
The animation is nothing to scoff at, with nice and varied line work and a solid flow to each scene. I never really felt like the movements were stiff or noticed any sections of an obvious drop in quality. The character designs are also good; any series where characters all wear the same uniform will struggle a little with design, but Mashle's bright colors and unique facial markings make them eye catching and memorable. Though the animation might not be mind blowing, it's already above average and pleasing to watch.
Enjoyment: 7/10
Despite the simple plot and simple characters, Mashle was a fun show where you don't have to turn on your brain too much to enjoy it. Campy, silly, and wrapped in solid presentation, watch this one if you have some time to kill or are looking for something light hearted, but don't expect anything too amazing. If the characters/concept doesn't grab you within the first couple episodes, feel free to skip the show.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Aug 2, 2023
Sakamoto Days is a series that knows what it is and performs that to the absolute best possible quality: and that is, it's an action comic. I feel that rating it on the same metrics I might rate a different series with would not do it justice, though I will anyway for consistency's sake. I'll add why I think that some of the pieces it lacks aren't as important as it may seem at the end of the review.
Story: 8/10
Sakamoto Days' story isn't anything crazy, it's got a fun concept and the world may not be complex but it is considerably well thought out.
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It takes a bit, but pieces of foreshadowing do eventually pay off, and the story is paced quite well when looking at it from 120+ chapters in. Though it might seem as if the author has no control over what's happening for a bit in the beginning as it vaguely awkwardly drags itself out of slice-of-life/comedy/monster-of-the-week action to move into the main plot, once the ball gets rolling it truly shines.
Characters: 8/10
Sakamoto Days has some of the most lovable and interesting characters there are, it's easy to instantly become fond of them, main characters or otherwise. The titular Sakamoto Tarou is a character whose heart and ironic comedy makes him a wonderful lead, and Shin, the deuteragonist's more "straight-man" personality not only plays off of Sakamoto's well, but also is well done enough to help him stand on his own. The side characters are really the shining gem of this series though, every single one of them feels distinct and so so enjoyable to watch do their thing. The Order in particular I adore. (The only reason why this is not a 10 is because they aren't like super complex or whatever)
Art: 10/10
I could talk about the art of Sakamoto Days for hours. A wonderfully iconic style that allows for characters with very low detail amounts to exist alongside those with full faces rendered with hatching and look normal, satisfyingly clean and so impactful--every single color page, double spread, and cover leaves me in awe. The author has such a strong grasp on composition, perspective, motion, and every other art skill you could possibly ask for. Don't be decieved by the supposed "lack of detail": that simplicity and concision *is* skill and such a blessing for readability.
Before I go on to my conclusion, I just want to go over the character design quickly because it's incredibly good. Because of the way the author stylizes allowing for simple and complex designs, there is such a wide array, and the author really knows how to express a character's personality with small but important details (Ex. Nagumo could be literally any other generic black haired anime guy, but the bug eyes and shaggy hair contrast with his formal clothing and mathematics based tattoos to express a laid back, casual, but still dangerous/unsettling/and skilled character).
To conclude, Sakamoto Days is an action comic that does just that perfectly. Its exceptional art and character design (both artistically and writing wise) helps it tell over the top yet grounded fights that are just a joy to read. It treads the line between corny, mature, campy, comedic, violent, and hype so damn well: there were so many pitfalls the story could have fallen into yet time and time again the author proves their skill and bypasses each one.
Is it the most revolutionary story that will leave you changed forever? Does it have the deepest exploration of human nature? No. And I fully believe that does not matter. Sakamoto Days could have just been fight scene after fight scene with random characters and it still would have been good: the mere fact that we also have such a streamlined story and such enjoyable characters inhabiting that story is truly just the cherry on top.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Aug 26, 2022
Vanitas no Carte is a gorgeous show in all of the visual aspects from design to direction to animation and has an overall interesting story with interesting characters. Might not personally be for me, but it's easily understood why this one grasped the attention of so many.
Story - 6/10
The main plot and mystery aspects of the story are quite compelling. The writers did well to drop small bits of information to keep audience members on the edge of their seats and waiting for the next answer to be revealed, as well as in creating an unique blend of old Parisian grace and steampunk style futuristic
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tech for the setting. At points there are some minor technical details like story pacing that are lacking but it isn't so distracting to affect the experience harshly. The reason why the rating is not higher is the romance subplot, which was pretty empty and overall mostly just there for fanservice. Additionally, the way the romance scenes were weaved into the main plot was a bit *rough* to say the least (Noe might be dying in a restaurant but back to cutesie date) and gives a solid amount of whiplash which is unable to be hidden by the aesthetics.
Characters - 7/10
Not much to say here, they're all pretty good. Vanitas is obnoxious in that endearing way, Noe is endearing in the regular way, and those three info brokers are the best characters in the show haha. Backstories are solidly depressing. Nothing outstanding though.
Art/animation - 9/10
To reiterate, gorgeous. So nice and fluid with many creative choices in direction that generally work to create quite the satisfying visual experience. It's not quite perfect as there are some wonky choices in transitions and cuts sometimes popping up but those are plenty sparse enough and small enough to be almost negligible.
Enjoyment - 7/10
Ah, it's so unfortunate I disliked the romance subplot so much. Such is the risks with something as divisive as that though -- either you don't ship it and hate each scene it's showcased in, or you do ship it and adore each scene it's showcased in. For me, they were an absolute slog to get through, which really hurt my overall enjoyment. Still, the main plot managed to carry me through.
Overall - 7/10
Solid show with nice visuals and cool characters and a sometimes very not cool romance subplot. If you like the romance subplot, definitely watch this one. If you don't like the romance subplot, watch it if you have time to squeeze it in. Otherwise, you're not missing out on too much.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Jan 2, 2022
Honestly, I almost feel bad giving orv (Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint, the original name of the webnovel) 10s in all categories because it makes it seem like I didn't think to criticize it at all, but it's really just because this series is genuinely one of the all time best, especially of those to come out recently.
Story - 10/10
Omniscient Reader's premise might seem simple or generic at first glance (basically reverse isekai), but the amount of detail placed into building an expansive, specific, and creative world brings it up to levels that are completely unmatchable by others in the same genre. It's somewhat complicated because
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the reader is thrown straight into it without much hand holding, but put in a little thought and you should get it--what I'm saying is that this is one where you can't just shut your brain off and enjoy the ride if you want to get everything out of it.
The plot is an absolute masterpiece. Speaking from a novel reader's experience, this story will make you laugh, cry, scream, and smile so hard like so little stories manage to do. And, the future twists are nigh impossible to predict on your first read through, but the massive amount of foreshadowing the authors added in, even from some of the first few chapters, becomes obvious during a reread. It's a clearly well thought out story, where each moment builds to something greater. You're in for a wild ride.
And the themes! I'm such a sucker for stories that put in the effort to really nail down a lesson they want to impart on their readers, and orv is one of those. It plays with morality, depression, sacrifice, salvation, and more with the weight those topics deserve. Honestly, a story that changes lives.
Art - 10/10
It's made by Redice studio, so it's obvious it's good, and they do such a great job getting across the emotions of the story, as well as the action.
Character - 10/10
These are the absolute highlight. Kim Dokja, the main character, is so complicated in the best way possible--a far cry from other male power fantasy self inserts. He's smart, witty, hilarious, and a massive scammer, which makes for an entertaining narrative. But beyond that, he's nuanced. He plays into the moral grey trope like many other protagonists but is ruthless enough that he counts as possibly "a bad person" but so clearly emotional enough that he doesn't come across as annoyingly edgy. The webtoon has only just been digging deeper into his true personality and past--with the more that's uncovered, the more you understand him as a person that's conflicted and hurting in a way that comes across as painfully realistic. As the novel reader fans agree, are you really an orv fan if you don't both want to strangle Kim Dokja and hold him in your arms?
The side characters are just as amazing, and that's so rare in these types of power fantasy stories (though this actually isn't one). They don't exist just to make kdj (Kim Dokja) look cool, they all have their own interesting personalities, morals, drives, and stories--they exist beyond what they are to kdj. ESPECIALLY the women. If you're looking for a series with a strong female cast that kick ass and own their femininity without being some guy's accessory, this is your story.
Enjoyment - 10/10
This is such a fun story on top of all of the nuance, with great humor, amazing fights, incredible twists, and wonderful characters. It might be a little slow, but it's worth it to spend all that time in this world with these people.
Overall - 10/10
I can't sing the praises of this story enough. There's barely a single thing I can have gripes with, and those that aren't masterpiece level are easily ignorable. It's a story that I recommend to everyone--especially to those who love to read or have been saved by reading. This one resonates. Truly, it's deserving of the #1 most popular Korean webnovel.
TL;DR READ THIS STORY GOD IT'S SO GOOD
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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