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Zankyou no Terror was an anime that I had my eye on before it was airing, the plot seemed interesting and the animation looked different. In fact, I admit it - I was a bit hyped up for it. Perhaps those high expectations lead me to disappointment, lead me to feel this emptiness (and not the good kind either.)

Zankyou no Terror establishes it's plot earlier on but it's actual execution was (annoyingly) flawed. The audience watches two boys, who calls themselves only by numbers - Twelve and Nine.
We are represented with no information on them. To us, these are just two good looking ... guys with high intellect appearing as terrorists to the public, to the police and to the government. They call themselves the "Sphinx" and make a number of violent acts that appear to have the intent to harm. To kill. But as you may guess, things are rarely what they seem. And what is portrayed in the exterior may not completely stand for who those people are.

The fact that the audience is given such little material and substance, we are left grasping on tiny hints they show. There is a shadow of mystery and fog between us, the audience and the characters. Which certainly adds a different kind of thrill, you try your best to somehow humanize these characters. To attach ourselves and make ourselves sympathise. (Which takes a lot of patience - seriously.)
But we are only given glimpses. Only reflections they want us to see and I think it is up to you to how you wish to react to it. But certainly, for a good portion of this 11 episode show - we are kept in the dark.

Being in the dark, kept away from the truth and hidden secrets is a prevalent theme throughout the show, everything is complex, everything is tied and twisted into another. Nothing is ever clear, even to the end. Which, in one aspect makes the anime tackle such difficult issues of mistrust and lies in such a refreshing and brilliant route. But this show isn't only about that. Which is why things get blurry and it deliberately pushes us away that we have to make more of an effort to make sense of it all, to connect the dots and to somehow grab all the little pieces to make a full puzzle.
Which, actually, is what the police try to do when they cross paths with these boys who send different messages and mysteries which they try to solve. Try to understand. But underneath these "terrorists" who look like they have way too much time on their hands, there is a tone of plead. Almost as if they are trying to say something, trying to get away from the darkness.

And while it may seem Nine and Twelve have this whole game planned in the palm of their hands, someone who also goes by only a number, Five, - screws the whole score board and so begins the game of cat and mouse.
Both opponents playing a series of witty moves to trip the other one over. It's push and pull. The prey playing with it's food before it goes in for complete destruction.
Unfortunately, you'd think a formidable opponent for these two boys would allow the story to step forward and not on a downward spiral.
Of course, every episode has uncertain feeling of doubt. Of tension. It's suspense to the max.
But personally, the middle of the show lost its spark and way. Like it got lost and tumbled over.

However, hope is not all lost as - slowly but surely, things start to connect and though the veil is not always lifted full way. We get answers and we get motives - a twisted and saddening story of children who are treated as objects before human beings. As numbers before their name.
But the question... that I think is pretty subjective - is it enough? In my opinion, since the anime did such a good job in isolating the characters both literally and figuratively that it forgot to let us in. To let us feel with them. I loved the characters, but I felt like I could not attach myself to them and like there was no sense of emotional investment. And if anything, was the most disappointing factor of the show.
I'm going to keep an open statement on Lisa's questionable use as it's going to be an ongoing debate for, ever.

Honestly, I found that in the end, the show relied on telling us it's plot. Lecturing us. No one like's to be spoken at - they like to be spoken to. To be shown things. People want to see actions, not to be told words. Words mean nothing if they do not hold depth by characters we care about.

For a show I found very promising and different, it was undeveloped and sadly, anti-climatic IF you weigh against it's wasted potential.

If judged by its own on a stand point of view, you realise that it is an anime jampacked of fantastic components of a "good" anime. Diverse and colorful characters, unique plot. It's an enjoyable and timeless thriller that you certainly won't regret watching.
And not to mention, probably one of the best animation and OST in a long time.

My first response to Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! was an eye-roll. I predicted the plot in my head, guy tries to forget past, meets girl, remembers past. Falls in love. Yawn. Let's move on right?
Well perhaps my first impression wasn't too far off the bat.
Certainly, the first episodes of Chuu2-Byo presented itself in a very unique fashion, it's rich humor and fantastic character chemistry made me want to punch past me for thinking something so horrid about this show.

We are first introduced to Yuuta Togashi, a chuunibyou victim and survivor, we see him frantically try to get rid of any evidence that his ... past ever existed. Dark Flame Master who? He even goes so far as to pick a High School that none of his old classmates will go to because frankly, it's just that embarrassing. We can all relate right? Everybody has done something so embarrassing that it haunts and terrorizes us to this very day.
If I'm honest, there was no reason to dislike Yuuta.. his thoughts are animated hilariously and most of his conversations flow fairly well, the anime did a very good job in making us actually feel sorry for him that every time he gets a blast of his past I have to pause and squirm WITH him.
So when Yuuta finally throws out the boxes and thinks he's off to live a normal life, someone far from normal appears in the apartment above.
Takanashi Rikka - a girl under deep deep case of Chuunibyou (or Eighth-Grade Syndrome), literally a representation of everything Yuuta wants to throw out, crosses paths with our protagonist to the point they are even in the same club.
Unconsciously or not, Yuuta cannot get rid of her and takes a special interest even though he claims he wants nothing to do with her. The audience is then introduced to their amusing interactions on a day to day basis.
Their relationship is nothing short but cute, the two characters ooze dynamics in most scenes with their playful bickering and their almost automatic responses to each other like some sort of reflex. Their very subtle hints of affections and sincere feelings for each other never grows old... or does it?
Unfortunately, the last 6 episodes fail to completely tie everything in... Chuu2-Byo gets.. well.. to be point-blank - tiring. All of the characters, Dekomori, Isshiki, Nibutani and even Kumin brought a special flare to the screen that made most episodes entertaining.
But some of these antics just get too repetitive. Okay, we get it, you sleep a lot.. and so...?

Then, out of thin air, things go for a(n over) dramatic turn, its progress, climax and 'ending' falls flat and in return, results into something very underwhelming. Due to the lack of material the audience is given, it provides us with a weak impact. Leaving you with a.. "Huh? That's it?"
Things get too exaggerated that it almost made me dumbfounded - how in the hell did we get to here? It wasn't even some sort of plot-twist or shocker, it was almost as if a bunch of writers had different ideas and routes and decided to just do all of them. Such out of character and sudden nonsense appeared out of nowhere, like desperate efforts to make this show somehow substantial. But its conclusion is this: disappointment.

We see a different side to Rikka that yes, allows us to empathise with her.
Reality is a bitter truth and life in general, is hard to cope with when you have to accept things that would be a lot easier if it never happened. So you force yourself to create your own bubble, your own safety net because you just don't want to get hurt. You don't want to get sad. That is how Rikka chooses to survive - chuunibyou. What comes off as a childish dream is actually a desperate cry for help.
If only the show had developed that idea deeper it would have actually gotten somewhere.
Instead we get the girl who sleeps a lot to basically SPELL things out for our beloved, Yuuta. And I have to question, what was the point of Sanae except to be some moe to join the chuunibyou club? I'm sure KyoAni hoped her resolution to influence our feelings somewhat but instead, came across as if it was an April Fools Prank this whole time.

It is not impossible to develop a light-hearted, teenage love story into something possibly a bit more dramatic, a bit more emotional.
But not like this. Not receiving-a-letter-from-yourself-2-years-ago way. The clichéd and unoriginal plot add-ons were not necessary. I'm sure it tried to be more heart-wrenching to make the show a bit more memorable, it's not wrong for them to try something different than the main focus of the show, but they shot the arrow too fast, too far and honestly - how do you expect your audience to be moved by pointless crying by a pointless character?

If I really had to complain about one tiny thing it would be the fact the anime did no justice to a perfectly good character. Nibutani seemed to be one of the few in this anime who reflected an actual human being with some sort of substance and was how the story even managed to progress in the first place, but was wasted for a very lackluster ending.

It seemed to me, the anime tried to be profound and meaningful, but it lacked the means - the shoe just did not fit. Rather than coming across as having a new mature perceptive on reality, all it did was bring the characters to square one and if possible, made the whole notion even more immature and naive than it already was. By the end of it, all I could think of was - God, get a grip.

Despite my criticism, it isn't a terrible show by any standard. In fact, it IS enjoyable. It IS appealing. The humor was tasteful, the romance was charming. But even though the first few episodes weren't ground-breaking, it still deserved much more than to be given such an unsatisfactory ending.

**Takes into account of the 4 extra episodes.

Kokoro Connect is an anime that is not going to appeal to everyone. Why? Because many episodes are dedicated to the characters and how they deal with their inner conflicts and problems. Of course on the surface their daily lives are not anything interesting until Heartseed greets them and they are faced with certain phenomenons which force them to change. And how they change is the true gem of this show, as it becomes from any other slice-of-life to a supernatural and mysterious that drags viewers in.
These unusual phenomenons range from switching minds in bodies and to give ... in to their impulses, something very haunting the characters find themselves losing control of who they are or who they thought they are. How would people react if they did not have authority over themselves? What if someone was able to get in your head? Listen to what you truly think? It's a scary thought as it stripes these characters bare, revealing their true personalities. It tests their trust, friendship and commitment. But most important of all - their identities. How truly fragile is a person's personality? How genuine? How easily can you deceive, lie and fool someone when wearing a mask?
There is one way to describe what these phenomenons affect the characters and its this:
It destroys them, absolutely breaks them apart. They corrupt in their own insecurities and struggle trying to overcome it. Their protections, barriers are all torn down and the question is - how do they deal with it?
That's where it gets gripping and compelling because they make us question ourselves.

As I've said before, since this anime is so heavily based on their characters - many episodes come across as "fillers" but they are all very important to their progression.

There are 5 characters in this anime - with 13+4 extra episodes I didn't expect anything extraordinary, what could they do with characters with such little time? I was very wrong.
Aoki:
A free character, seems careless and carefree he tries to live with no regrets - unfortunately, he seems to bring mayhem everywhere and his way of living is portrayed very reckless; unaware of how his decisions affect those who are around him. I thoroughly enjoyed watching him try to find a deeper understanding of himself. It is powerful to see one find the source of their true feelings.

Kiriyama:
Very kind and gentle, Yui is sweet and generally, another light-hearted character. In fact I believed she would be a dull character, expecting her to just be that cute one. But Kokoroco does not fail and we get to see her true fear: one she has buried for so long. Watching her trying to overcome this was both painful but reassuring.

Inaba:
Though coming across a bit too honest and controlling - she is very logical and calm towards situations that require analysing. But can you analyse your feelings? Can data predict how you feel? Inaba is a complex character, that I had trouble understanding. A very mysterious character with many insecurities hidden by arrogance you can almost feel a sense of relation to her, she gave me one of the best impressions and her development was truly something else.

Iori:
Now a character that needs time to wrap your head around, the development dedicated to her was at times too rushed but I believe, necessary. Identity, individuality, all tricky elements to a persons personality. How they perceive themselves and project themselves to other people. Now this was a character with immense depth, honest and brutal, I am sure anyone will enjoy watching her unfold.

Taichi:
Your typical, selfless and considerate main character - come on, we've come across this type of protagonist countless times. Noble. Generous. He's a character you'd roll your eyes at: you think, come on, you have to be selfish somehow. But this character gives you a gleam of hope, he was fleshed out to the max. Unlike the other characters, his struggle was perhaps too much of a thing.

This anime did not forget any character and gave its cast the proper time it needed to mature and grow. Their flaws, strengths and deepest fears. Everything is exposed that viewers truly feel with them, you can easily relate with how they react even if you have not experienced it before.
While the story can seem as some sort of prop to be used for character development, their is a mist of mystery and suspense around it's events that are overlooked. Definitely unpredictable, this anime is an emotional ride. The individual elements of comedy, action and romance are paced carefully well.
In a more critical view, the plot/storyline is not explored completely and seems to be only used as some sort of device for the characters. The actual process of the phenomenons and explanations are very vague and even Heartseed himself is unknown and peculiar. That may be annoying to some, as its core is not clear or comprehensible which makes rooms for misunderstandings and plot holes.
There are endless possibilities, choices to do with this anime, so it makes sense that it appears too slow-paced or boring as it does explore many of the components.
But the characterization is something that can't be missed out on.

Yahari Ore is something quite different, though the synopsis makes it come across as something unoriginal - very typical, it separates itself from those mindsets and portays something.. painfully honest. Unusually cruel and realistic, it it shown from the perspectives of those who are shunned. Those who are disconnected and detached from society. How do they feel?

This anime explores those ideals, questions society and that status quo and to put my feelings in simpler words - really allows you to feel. While the show is masked in comedy, there is a sudden, almost grim tone to it. Almost it's funny nature is an excuse ... - so viewers are surprised when they pause for a second and think - holy crap, that's pretty terrible.

The main character of Yahari Ore is apathetic, unforgiving and certainly brutally honest. Underneath this persona, and most of the side characters calling him "gross" or "disgusting" we see that Hachiman's views are those of a boy who has been scarred and isolated, with wounds that have caused him to stray away. Using his own words - "As a veteran on this battlefield of life, I've gotten used to losing."
Unfortunately, while Hachiman's sarcastic way of thinking can be humorous and almost a bit twisted, it is also something we try to avoid - the truth.
Now where I argue that this anime falls thin is its other female characters, Yui and Yukino.
Yukino is an intriguing character, called the "Ice-Cold Beauty", she also has another view of the world whereby she believes she is "exceptional" and her job is to help the less fortunate. Known for her blunt and straightforward personality, she is able to find faults in others easily. This cold attitude has forced others to leave to her, to abandon her as they find her personality, too... cruel?

In that respect, I feel Hachiman and Yukino are "two sides of the same coin" both characters deserted but how they respond, how they react - how they change is what makes it truly compelling.
After all, everyone has a defense mechanism - how they cope when they are faced with absolute solidarity. Some fall in deep darkness, some learn how to adapt or more often than not, people force themselves to find a way to survive, unconsciously or not, people have a small habit of enduring everything - Hachiman and Yukino choose to manage by their own means.

There are quite many questions that need to be asked surrounding her, and only tiny hints can be found. She is seen to be very understanding and sincere especially around Yui. Still, her character did not get the amount of time it deserved to fully appreciate.
Now where it truly disappoints is Yui, a somewhat flat character which lacks in depth - I struggle to find a sense of realness towards her. How sincere is her character? I wonder. But this series could not have done this without her, kind of gives viewers a sense of warmth - the difference between her and the other two characters are large but we see how she interacts and feels and that is something I can acknowledge.

Overall, the storyline of this anime is not anything special, it's quite simple - very plain but how they delivered is the important part, and they did not fail. Relationships, feelings and people in general is a very difficult rope to thread onn but this series deals with it in both very interesting and entertaining way.
The anime comes across as any comedy anime, hilarious and amusing but it will definitely surprise you.