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Jan 3, 2022
I will try not to mention the obvious AiPura similarities here…
SelePro is the only idol show that I've watched so far, and boy was I for a surprise. For starters, throw away the notion that this is an idol show upfront – this is really a reality slice-of-life show wearing the clothing of an idol show. When it comes to its plot, SelePro focuses more on the interactions between the characters and how the show binds them together as performers within and without the stage – a rare look into the hostile world of idols and performers (in real life, that is). The characters themselves are
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too cookie-cutter (even the trend of a genki lead and a tsundere co-lead wearing red and blue respectively is used here), but I don't mind it.
Definitely my strongest appeal to this show is how it integrates a shallow-yet-understandable story with amazing visuals (props to Doga Kobo for teaching everyone how 3D animations in anime should be used), nice music (the ED song "Only One Yell" is a wonderful earworm, and so are the insert songs especially "Butterfly Bright"), an assortment of plain yet interesting characters (the "interesting" part here is them working as a group), and a decision to be more realistic than ideal in presenting the "idol" genre here. Originally I thought taht like many seasonal favorites of mine, I'll forget this show anyway, but this show already got into my system now that I have fully embraced the SelePro life. Hiromi-senpai, Nagi-chan, and Uta-sensei Best Girls!
In summary, "Selection Project" uses the least ingredients for maximum enjoyment: when the "Idoly Pride" story is combined with the "drama" of "Big Brother" and the game mechanics of "Wonder Egg Priority" with a cadre of characters that remind me more of my other girl-led SoL favorite "Is The Order A Rabbit?".
Still for now though, I'd let SelePro to be the only idol show that I've watched and I am watching.
But yes, I might end up watching Idoly Pride as well because of the pesky comparisons made.
Welp I mentioned it again, the AiPura similarity… yabai!
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Nov 28, 2020
Gokigenyou!
Welcome! Come on!
GochiUsa: Now, thrice the fun, for thrice the feels!
In this third iteration of "Is the Order a Rabbit?", we get to see more of Cocoa, Chino, Rize, Syaro, Chiya, Megumi, and Maya at work, study, and play between Rabbit House, Ama Usa An, and throughout the city.. This season continues off from the events in the movie "GochiUsa: Sing for You", with Chimame-tai in their last year in middle school, and Petit Rabbit's getting a chance to wear each other's school uniforms.
Beyond the slice-of-life fun that GochiUsa brings in heaps and cups, GochiUsa Bloom is perhaps the most emotional of all the anime
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adaptations so far – not just because of the story, but with how it delivers that story. I was teary-eyed at the end of one its most outstanding episodes. But it does not just limit that to our main cast: not only do we get more appearances from the side characters, like Aoyama-sensei and her editor Rin, Chino's and Rize's fathers, and even an important person in Chino's past besides her grandpa, we also get to see their backstories and even some character development in them too.
Speaking of that, this series shows that superb character development can become a story in itself, and GochiUsa Bloom lets its characters "bloom" through amazing storytelling in quirky situations, and supported by the tried-and-tested soundtrack of Ruka Kawada. No need for intricate stories here though, despite the theories devised by many of GochiUsa fans (me included).
As with the artstyle, the change of studios (this time, it's done by Encourage Films) did not break the cutesy charm of GochiUsa's world. However nothing of significant value in terms of animation and design was added, and this could be a proof of the effectiveness of GochiUsa's visual design and appeal since the first season. A little blush is very welcome, however.
Of course, the seiyuus behind GochiUsa Bloom never fail to imbibe their characters with their signature charm. One thing that I just knew thanks to their running gag of playing catch was the voice of Rin Matou, Midori Aoyama's editor: Juri Kimura, who is also the voice of Aoi Miyamori from SHIROBAKO.
And so from "blooming" characters to a "blooming" story, "Is The Order A Rabbit? Bloom" is a definite watch for Fall 2020, a great show for those who want to find enjoyment and heartwarming happiness beyond shounen, harem romance, and the reality that is (or was) 2020.
Now I just hope you don't get the ojou-sama syndrome, lest you end up greeting everyone with the words "Gokigenyou!"
Bonus: The OP song, "Heaven Cafeteria", is a real banger!
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Jun 20, 2020
Arte is this season's unsung show, and perhaps my personal favorite amidst the big ticket ones.
It's a show on chasing your dreams, women empowerment, thinking outside the box, and enjoying the journey to your destination. In a nutshell, the ED animation sequence fits my thoughts and feelings to the show best: Arte climbing the stairs in her journey to become a renowned painter, surrounded by people who challenge, support, and push her onward -- seen through the paintings that surround the staircase.
This is also one of those few shows that use staple characters in a tried-and-tested "heroine-against-the-world" storyline that truly works. At times, it might
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be too generic, but the colorful (pun intended) characters make it even more interesting (I mean, having two tsundere grown-up men is just something special.
Plus, being set in Florence and Venice in the Renaissance adds more eye candy and story interest that it's just a wonderful nostalgia rush for me, having visited both cities a couple of years back.
Overall, watching every episode Arte is rewarding. It's easygoing but keeps enough tension to make it interesting. And who couldn't feel warm inside thanks to our über-genki Best Painter Girl?
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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May 21, 2020
Having survived the anime and felt despair on its rushed ending, I quickly searched for its manga adoption once it was announced. However it took me some time to read it through and through, and finally after months I was able to finish it.
My review will have no spoilers, however my review would assume that the reader has watched all 24 episodes of DitF the anime.
DitF the manga is a must-read for the heartbroken admirers and fans of the series. Sure, you might not be hearing Haruka Tomatsu's "Daaahrin" or hear "Kiss of Death" when opening it, but the 60 chapters, rushed as they may
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seem, is an experience worth reliving for.
The manga's strongest asset would be Yabuki-san and his art. Scenes are drawn with extreme sincerity to the anime. The emotion in each panel is palpable and in-your-face, personally finding it stronger than that of the anime. Speaking of Yabuki-san, the naked illustrations of the Parasites are tasteful and sometimes would add to the emotions felt while reading the scenes.
Story-wise, it does not deviate too much from the anime, but instead rethinks how the scenes could have been presented better. This is its other great asset, which is something that the anime was desperately needing halfway though. Some plot holes were still left open though, but they won't be as severe as anticipated. The writing focused the story to Zero Two and Hiro in such a way that all story lines converged into them. To do this, all side stories were redone to be as realistic and as understandable in relation to the whole story as possible. Conclusion: no more surprise cuckoldry!
Nevertheless, being capped at 60 chapters made the plot pacing too fast and it would even gloss over the more significant scenes in anime. This also caused Chapter 60 to finish on a weak note. But... I would rather let you experience that yourself.
As for me, I'm finally satisfied and am at peace with the whole DitF series.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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May 18, 2020
I came to watch "Girly Air Force" because of... "Shirobako". During the second half of that show, the cast made an anime of girls flying fighter planes called "Third Aerial Girls Squad". Both the theoretical show made by Musashino Animation (the fictional anime studio where "Shirobako" takes place) and this one have the same premise.
However coming into this show I found out instead that GAF tries to create a unique recipe from ordinary ingredients -- a determined but slightly dull MC, cute girls with pastel hairs, military hardware, an imouto figure to boot (voiced by my favorite Lynn-sama), and an unknown alien-like enemy -- to
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somehow lackluster results. As with the characters, they're somehow run off the mill using typical character traits: you've got MC Kei, genki girl Eagle, two-faced Phantom, and imouto figure Gripen-chan. Don't forget the Rhino and Viper Zero too. As with the Anima, their character styles do somehow remind me of GochiUsa though...
Story-wise, it starts slow (ironic when the first scene is actually of an attack) and pacing is jumpy, but after the introductions everything settles and the pacing becomes normal. As with the story theme, it's nothing really much out of the ordinary: boy meets girl in the heat of battle, girl becomes attached to boy and becomes her inspiration, girl is a special unit alongside other individuals, boy is asked to support girl in every way possible, they are tasked to defend humanity... Welp. That theme and story and characters profile remind me so much of Darling in the FranXX, but with planes instead of FranXX units and (slightly) less innuendo.
Music-wise, it's catchy and full of energy, but the soundtrack is not that memorable. They do suit the battle scenes though, and I think the ED is a better earworm better than the OP, probably because of the cutesy vocals and 2000s techno.
In the end "Girly Air Force" is a cute girls + slice of life show with a military twist in it. Sadly it's a show that has an appeal that comes and flies away just as fast as the Daughters and Anima do, and one can't seriously invest too much in this show except if cute girls doing military things is your cup of tea, or in the case of Gripen, your yoghurt bottle.
For now "Girly Air Force" is probably the closest I could get from a complete one-cour broadcast of "Third Aerial Girls Squad", and that isn't bad either.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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May 3, 2020
"Get lost and find your way".
This show definitely sticks to this adage. And perhaps this resounds more to me than ever before as the characters of Yesterday wo Utatte are of my age right now -- an age where one is faced with the fact that "reality is a lovely place, but I would not want to live there" (quoting Adam Young / Owl City in the song "The Real World").
What stuck me the most here is the minimalist treatment of the story. Four characters that balance each other's personalities, 1990s timeline and setting, the wise use of soundtrack -- and the lack of it,
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and a nostalgic art style that reminds me of anime art direction of my childhood. The lack of other frivolities helped stand out the realism that the story, the art style, and the characters portray, and that's a leap of faith from a studio known for shows causing moe overdose.
After watching the first five episodes, I think I'd love to get lost in this series, and later find my way together with Rikuo, Haru, Shinako, Rou, and everyone else. But I understand that not everyone would appreciate a show that dilly-dallies story development for more characterization, hence this show rests very unstable in a niche that is quite "lost" amidst your typical SoLs.
Would I recommend watching Yesterday wo Utatte? By all means, get lost in its world and find your way back to reality with it and through it. Just don't expect too much. And we still have quite a long way to go anyway...
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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