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The premise of this show is promising, dare I say even interesting in theory. It is less so in execution. It becomes convoluted and almost boring at certain points. I never thought I'd say that about an anime where the main protagonist is an arachnid.

The core idea here isn't bad. Having the protagonist reincarnate into a monster instead of a human has been done before, but not exhaustively. Combine that with an entire high school class reincarnating together, layering dynamics from their previous lives with their current ones, and you have two interesting plot lines. Sadly, they never really merge together cohesively.

Jumping back and forth ... between time periods is confusing until you realize what's going on. What's happening in the past ends(the spider doing her thing) up being much more interesting then the present, which feels like a slog just to set up a huge conflict. Said conflict is not even close to being resolved after 24 episodes, leaving the audience with a cliff hanger I presume is meant to be explored in the second season. Personally, I feel very unsatisfied with this conclusion at the moment.

The characters are yet another point where this show misses the mark. Save for the protagonist, most of the characters are bland and uninteresting. And it shouldn't be all that hard to make them interesting. They've been reincarnated into an entirely different world, have things like magic, have changed races, ages and even genders. There is plenty to work with there. Instead they all end up being generic isekai characters.

Other than Kumoko, the only relatively interesting members of the cast are Fei and Katia. Like Kumoko, Fei reincarnates into a monster and we see some of her regrets regarding her previous life. And then there's Katia, who was born as a boy but reincarnated as a girl. The storyline regarding accepting her situation doesn't really go anywhere, despite the potential being there. I regard her as another missed opportunity.

As for Kumoko herself, it's a mixed bag. She's likable, if a little over enthusiastic. She tries her best to stay positive despite her bleak situation, albeit with a heavy does of sarcastic. Her character rides a thin line between entertaining and obnoxious, and bounces back and forth between one or the other. With that said, she is still very much the highlight of the show.

Now for the art... Be warned that CGI is utilized heavily here. It isn't awful, but it can definitely be jarring at times. I'm guessing that this was due to budget constraints. The art is also fine. It's not horrible, but it's not necessarily good either. It's mainly just meh.

Overall, it's an interesting concept. If you can get past the boring bits that constitute as haphazard world building, it's not terrible. But it's never truly enjoyable unless Kumoko is on screen.

Kappa. Soccer. Boxes. Butts? Normally unrelated, but important within the context of this bizarre show. It's flat out nonsensical.

On the surface, this anime is unlike anything I've seen before, or likely will see ever again. But at its core, it is trying to be a melodramatic shounen ai with novel plot points. You'll repeatedly ask what the hell this is and why you're watching, but are also strangely unable to stop. I do respect the fact that the director was fully committed to the weirdness here though.

All three of the leads are butthurt for one reason or another. Some for serious reasons like guilt ... or abandonment issues, others for unrequited love. The inclusion of some other characters seem unnecessary, though that's par for the course here. None of them are particularly deep, but at the same time we're also shown their deepest desires... it is both impressive and sad that both are achieved at the same time.

As wacky as it all is, the execution is flawless. The art and sound elements here have been nailed to a tee. Although cringe at times, this is more so due to the plot than anything else.

This was... an experience. One I'm not likely to repeat any time soon, but don't regret experiencing once. It's kooky as hell, and may be worth the watch solely because of that. Otherwise, it's pretty subpar.

TLDR: Watch for the weirdness, or don't bother at all.

To borrow from another review I saw elsewhere: Yaoi in Pool. It isn't overt, but the subtext is definitely present. There isn't a lot going on here, and as such, this review won't be very long.

To put it simply, this is first and foremost a love story between a boy and water, if such a thing is possible. It's a light hearted summer show with plenty of friendship and shippy undertones, with a healthy dash of angst thrown in for good measure. Also, drama. Lots of unnecessary drama. It's not deep or complex, but that's not always a bad thing.

In regards to the characters, the ... show's main focus is definitely on Haru and to a lesser extent Rin. I don't feel like we even get to know them all that well either. The rest of the cast is mostly there for support and ship fodder. With that said, I can't entirely fault it. There's only so much that can be done with 12 episodes, and there's more of an emphasis put on visual story telling here as opposed to verbal expression. Show don't tell is definitely put into practice here.

As for the art, it's gorgeous. The action sequences are nice and fluid, and the characters are very well rendered. Also as a side note, they did such a good job with the water, and water is hard as hell to draw. And I'm calling a spade a spade here. There is most definitely man service. It doesn't take away from the story, but it's still nice to look at.

I watched this dubbed, so I can't comment on the performance of the Japanese voice actors. The voice cast for the English dubs has some big names in it, and you can definitely hear it in the performance. They've all done a wonderful job here and I have no complaints.

Overall, it's an easy going and simple anime that's very visually appealing. Nothing more, nothing less.

If I were to describe Bakuten!! in a sentence, it would be wholesome but generic. I thoroughly enjoyed it, but I admittedly have a bias towards sports anime.

The story isn't something we haven't seen before sans the sport of rhythmic gymnastics. The premise is very reminiscent of Haikyuu. However, because of the small team there aren't as many characters, and the show goes a bit more in depth about their hobbies and personalities as a result. The coach also gets a bit of backstory. Lots of team bonding also ensues. Overall it's a very refreshing change of pace from the usual formula and strikes a ... good balance of seeing the sport as well as the characters personal lives. It's not all that "shippy" either. Instead, it feels like a love letter to men's rhythmic gymnastics.

Interestingly, the characters are not defined by their personalities so much as by their backstories and the things they do in their free time. There's a wota, a guy obsessed with yakuza movies, a dude who experiments with new recipes for his family business and another who enjoys arranging greenery. These interests are all played up for laughs on more than one occasion. But they're all similar to one another in a way: incredibly earnest, hardworking and competitive. No tsunderes or resident smart asses here folks. They're also all bound together by their love of the sport. Are they very deep? No. But I'd argue that they don't really need to be.

The art is where things get a bit dicey. The standard 2d animation and action sequences are great. Then there's the CGI used during their routines, which is... rough. It's an odd choice that I personally takes away from the complicated jump sequences and dance moves involved in each performance. Maybe it was due to time or budget constraints? Who knows. It's a small niggle, but I don't think it's a huge detriment to the overall show.

I don't usually focus all that much on sound, but the music here is fantastic. I don't know much about the composer, but they seem to understand gymnastics and what is appropriate for each situation. The same music is not reused over and over for different routines, which is a common gripe I have with more artistic sports anime(dance, gymnastics, ice skating, etc.). I must give kudos for the effort and consideration shown here. Bravo.

Overall, I enjoyed this very much. However, as I stated previously, I do love a good sports anime. If that also applies to you, I'd say that this is worth a watch. If you enjoy the camaraderie that comes with shows like this, I'd likewise recommend this. For everyone else... give it a chance. It's not a bad show by any stretch of the word.

After finally getting a taste of Fairy Tail's much anticipated successor, I will say that it is indeed familiar. I'm currently undecided as to whether this is laziness on the mangaka's part or if he is just intentionally leaving easter eggs for fans. With that said, here's where things sit 6 episodes in.

The story: the premise and themes are very similar to Fairy Tail, though they are executed differently. This still feels light hearted, but at the same time it's a bit darker and more mature right off the bat. It doesn't try to be as funny, though it fails when it does, which also ... contributes to the more serious tone. And we get some back story almost immediately. There's just enough information to get a sense of who the main trio are without giving everything away. The setting also helps differentiate the two series, and magic has been exchanged with technology. The incorporation of robots also makes for an interesting plot element and the pacing is also decent thus far. Surprisingly, I'm enjoying this more than Fairy Tail. Things aren't off to a bad start.

And then there are the characters, the point of contention for many right now. The mangaka's style is consistent with the one used in Fairy Tail(hello Same Face Syndrome). I also acknowledge that Mashima has a history of reusing his own character designs, which is fine. However, I understand why people are upset. It's fairly egregious. However I find them much less obnoxious than previous iterations and they do have different personalities, which is a welcome change. Shiki in particular is much more sympathetic and likable than Natsu ever was, though his goal is much more shallow. It makes Eden's Zero a lot easier to watch, and I will give Mashima props for toning it down a bit.

Art: Aside from the copy/paste characters, the art and animation are fairly well done. It isn't choppy and we get some cool stuff to look at in regards to the tech incorporated. Overall, I'm not mad at it.

TLDR: It isn't half bad. Not ground breaking, but a certainly not boring. I'll update this when this season finishes. Until then, I'd say that people should at least give it a chance, whether they did or didn't like Fairy Tail.

Melodramatic. Shocking. Uncomfortable. Cringe. Unrealistic. Relatable. All of these are apt words to describe this show. Much like adolescence itself, there is so much happening here.

Story: Man, this is a rollercoaster. We have young girls exploring their sexuality, their first relationships(some of which are taboo), pedophilia, and the endlessly fascinating yet embarrassing topic of sex. Cliches abound and everything is made as dramatic as humanly possible.

But underneath all this craziness, there are bits of reliability. How do you make the transition from friendship to relationship? What do you do if you and a friend like the same person? What if you develop feelings for ... someone society says that you shouldn't? These are questions many of us have to grapple with within our own lives as well. It's awkward, uncomfortable and often hard to watch, but isn't that how relationships are when you're learning the ropes? Not to the grand extent of those featured in this show of course, but the core ideas are the same. It does make the show endearingly relatable at times.

Where things get dicey is the show's depiction of pedophilia. In my personal opinion, the exploitation of minors should not have a place on television. That's all I am willing to say on the matter.

The characters... Dear god. Pardon my bluntness, but all five of the main characters are pretty awful people. It's bizarre watching things play out, but surprisingly feels more realistic than a typical shojo storyline. Teenage girls are awful. They gossip, backstab each other and are incredibly selfish creatures. I should know, as I was one. The fact that their lives and personalities are somewhat dark and far from sunshine and rainbows is closer to what actual girls their age are like, though certainly not one this scale.

While we do get at least a bit of backstory for each of them, they do end up feeling rather one dimensional as a whole. But honestly, there's so much going on it feels like there's little room to fully explore each of them. This is a rare instance where I'm not super mad about it.

The art is fine. It isn't spectacular, but it isn't bad either. The same goes for the sound quality. Decent on both fronts.

TLDR: Prepare to cringe. Prepare to be uncomfortable. Prepare to re-experience all the awkwardness of teenage with relationships with a large side of melodrama. This is not for everyone by any stretch of the world, but will be entertaining to some all the same.

Disclaimer: I have been a fan of the Fruits Basket series for a very, very long time. I'm rather attached to these characters and greatly enjoyed the previous two seasons. As such, I due have an inherent bias about the series which may impact this review.

Story: The way that things are handled here are extremely odd. Some parts of the plot are much too slow, while others progress far too quickly. It does some things well while failing miserably at others.

The good: Many of the other relationships aside from the main pairing are resolved and supporting characters do get a decent amount of screen ... time. I feel that Momiji's arc in particular was executed well and shows his growth as a character. Prior to this season, he was mostly a cute shota type character who had a semi tragic backstory, but this does give his character a bit more depth. Yuki also shows progression and does open up a bit more to others rather than being as distant. Other characters do show growth as well and learn to be their own selves outside of being zodiac members.

The bad: Most of the pitfalls the plot suffers from involve Kyo and Tooru's relationship as well as Akito's redemption arc in addition to her relationship with Shigure. Kyo and Tooru dance around their feelings for much of this season despite having their big moment where Tooru accepts Kyo for who(and what) he truly is. Then from episode eight onwards their relationship progresses very rapidly. I would have liked to see the change be a bit more gradual.

And then there is the matter of Akito. The main problem with how things are handled is that the show justifies Akito's behavior(abuse, maiming family members, attempted murder, etc.) by showing her abusive relationship with her mother and explaining how she developed her god complex. Here's the thing: all of that is an explanation, not an excuse. When she realizes the error of her ways, that doesn't mean that everything is suddenly alright. The fact that the other members of the zodiac choose to forgive her almost immediately after she apologizes despite being terrorized by her for years feels extremely unrealistic and rushed. Akito is far from redeemed, and the plot does not reflect that.

Finally, the dynamic of Akito's relationship with Shigure. I'm not going to sugar coat it: the way they treat each other is extremely toxic. Seeing the way this normalizes unhealthy relationships and child grooming is incredibly uncomfortable and concerning. They may get together, but I don't view that as a happy ending by any stretch of the word. Not that everyone gets a happy ending, but leaving things like this just doesn't feel right.

On a happier note, the technical aspects of the show are very well done. The art is stunning and is leaps and bounds above the original series. The characters' voices all fit them very well, with the exception of Momiji. Hearing him speak with a German accent is an odd choice, but it doesn't detract from his character.

Overall, I'm very conflicted about this season. It wasn't completely horrendous, but it does have many flaws that could have been executed much better. If you're attached to the characters and want to learn their fates, I think this will give you some closure. Just be aware that it isn't always easy to watch.

I'd like to say that this isn't a terrible show. At its core, it is terribly generic yes, but not terrible. So why the 2? Because it heavily romanticizes r*pe and sexual assault. Even if this anime was top tier(which it was not), that isn't something I can overlook.

Story: Each episode within the series has a pattern. Some sort of drama -> sex -> missing each other/being horny -> more drama -> resolution/sex. The plot mostly revolves around their relationship and them going at each other like rabbits. The rest of it largely feels like an afterthought.

Art, Sound, etc: I don't really have anything negative ... to say about the art or sound. Both were adequate and I didn't notice any major flaws if they were present.

Characters: I know this is shounen ai and one should not expect depth from characters within the genre. However, I will still note it. The characters are very one dimensional. Takato is the perpetually angry tsundere who has approximately three states of being: angry/irritated(primary), sad(rarely) and defiant yet simultaneously submissive. Junta is worse. His two primary characteristics are that he is handsome and very horny. Oh, and he's a good actor who does not seem to give a flying flip about consent. His only functions within the plot are to be Takato's love interest and pseudo-rival. The rest of the ensemble gets little screen time and aren't anything to write home about.

TLDR: It's a generic romance anime about two rivals with a large helping of non-consensual adult activities on the side. If you're just here for the physical aspect, you'll be satisfied. For everyone else... just skip it if you don't want to make yourself feel uncomfortable watching an unhealthy relationship dynamic play out in front of you.

I've been an a bit of a shojo bender lately and decided to watch this. Boy was that a mistake. This takes things I'm not a huge fan of in the genre and ramps them up to 11.

Story: In its basic form, the story is simple. Insecure girl goes to high school and wants to make friends and fit in. She also meets a hot tsudere guy and bends over backwards for him. But it takes things to extremes. Like S&M extremes. And it feels like borderline torture to see the protagonist go back to said tsudere over and over again. Their almost parasitic relationship ... is also infuriating. It got to the point that I dropped this anime.

Art & Sound: The art is fine. It's not a masterpiece, but it isn't garbage either. Same thing with the sound.

Characters: Where do I even begin with this. The protagonist Erika is annoying to say the least. She's an insecure pathological liar who is also a masochist. Wonderful(note the sarcasm). She's also doggedly persistent and possesses more than a little misplaced confidence. She voluntarily subjects herself to emotional abuse and isn't afraid to do something humiliating to make the male lead happy. In short I don't find her likable at all. If anything I find her pathetic.

And as annoying as Erika is, she's not the worst character. Not by a long shot. That particular honor goes to said stereotypical bishounen tsudere, Kyoya. Like many male leads in shojos before him, he is a grade A asshole. But he's not just an asshole; he's also a sadist. He messes with Erika and degrades her constantly. And unlike most tsuderes who have some redeeming qualities, I've yet to find any in him. He's mean and cruel at least 95% of the time. It doesn't help that he's also the abuser in this extremely unhealthy relationship.

All the other characters are either flat or bland as hell. There's also little if any character development.

Enjoyment: I've wasted several hours of my life that I'll never get back. That should say enough.

TLDR: Don't touch this thing with a ten foot pole unless you are a masochist yourself.

As a sports anime enthusiast, I was excited to watch this. Badminton may not be the most exciting sport in the world but I was interested to see how it would be handled. However it managed to do something few sports anime have ever done: it bored me to death. And that's saying something considering that I'm easily amused.

Story: The typical tournament arc with bits of training sprinkled throughout is a classic sports anime element. This anime manages to turn it into personal drama plus some training with bits of competition in between. If I'm watching a sports anime I want to watch people play ... the sport. Adding in some drama is fine, but not to the point where it becomes the main focus of the show.

As for when the sport is actually played, it's a bit of a letdown. The characters don't really show any progression in regard to their skills. And whether they win or lose often comes down to willpower rather than ability. Also the matches themselves just aren't very exciting. There are only so many ways you can hit a birdie over a net, so there isn't much variation. Either you hit it or you miss. There are no plays or special moves. It ends up becoming repetitive.

Art: I was pleasantly surprised by the art. While the character designs are nothing special, the animation is consistently good throughout the series. The characters' movements are fluid and pretty realistic. I have no real complaints about it either.

Sound: The sound was fine. Not bad but not amazing either. The characters' voices match and although the music is forgettable, it wasn't offensive either.

Characters: Ugh. What a lackluster if not questionable cast of characters. The main character is a garden variety Mary Sue who just so happens to be a badminton prodigy. The other main is obsessed with badminton and doesn't take losing very well. They're mediocre at best. The rest of the cast is flat and forgettable except for the Danish exchange student that has beef with one of the mains.

Enjoyment: Look, I really like sports anime and it takes a lot for me to genuinely dislike one. This series managed to do it. I was bored after the first few episodes and felt that it wasn't worth finishing. It isn't the worse anime I've ever watched but it certainly didn't entertain me.

TLDR: If you're an avid sports anime fan, you can give it a shot. Just don't go in expecting much. If you aren't, just skip it.