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Trigun Stampede is not perfect. But for every flaw I saw, there was something equally as positive. Yes, it is very apparent that this series is controversial for even existing, but this was an incredible ride that I think justified its existence for being here. It was so good that I wholeheartedly recommend this to everyone.

It is boggling to see that we are still having debates on 3D anime in 2023. It is equally boggling that 2D ride-or-die fans are trying to crucify the work of Studio Orange, when the studio has proven time and time again with Land of the Lustrous and Beastars that ... they are the one of the premier 3D TV animation studios in the world. How can this be said when the cinematography just gets better and better every episode, building off of the previous work? Everything about Trigun Stampede is beautiful. There are a few shots that have 2D drawings that can be a little distracting, but 98% of the shots are so intricately planned and placed. You need to see it to believe it. And it just gets better and better. In particular, the final episode of the series was absolutely breathtaking, deftly weaving sweeping camera movements with its wild animation. Throughout the series, the camera moves, and the animation flows with it. The action is easy to follow and pleasing to look at.

Another standout of the production was the music. There’s a large variety of different tracks to support the mood, whether they are traveling through the vast sand, taking part in battle, and reminiscing on better days. All of these are very different situations, but every track belonged here and enhanced every scene. The piano is especially important here, and you will see why if you watch. The OP and ED are also fantastic, and they’re hard to skip.

One of the weaknesses of the production is that it makes up for the weaknesses of the plot structure. The plot rushes too fast a lot, to the point it jumps back and forth unexpectedly, especially in episodes that deal with flashbacks. It can be disorienting, even when it takes just a few moments to catch back up. Additionally, there are a lot of arcs that are thrown in here for one episode, never to be touched again. Despite those issues, it’s hard to say that it was hard to remain disappointed. Somehow, the story remains captivating and touching. At no point did disappointment linger that something was cut out, because there is always something new to see and take into account. Take this note as a sign that though the pacing could have been better, the story is far from bad.

The characters are also another weak link, but it should be noted that this is not because of the common criticism that these characters are so different from their original predecessors. There are several characters taking part in the story, and so many that not everyone gets enough development. This criticism, as well as the former, would be more muted had these characters had more time to be on screen, especially when Meryl and Wolfwood have big differences compared to their previous incarnations. Yet, the characters are still interesting and are ones to root for, even if we haven’t fully connected with them yet. They do not lose their identity and are far from low budget imposters. While their occupations and their psychological states may be different from the original versions, their motivations never do. As you follow them through the series, you find that their actions still come from their core motivations for traveling through No Man’s Land. And for some of them, you may find that they’re starting to grow into the original versions that many love.

Before I conclude this review, let me leave a personal note that I am currently watching the 1998 Trigun series at the time of this review. I am not yet finished, but I do think that Stampede is an improvement on the original anime. For those naysayers who still are skeptical towards Stampede’s existence, I ask this: Trigun has been reimagined once since 1998. Yet there are many American superheroes who have been retooled to positive results on multiple occasions. Is Vash the Stampede not iconic enough to receive that same courtesy? Even if you do watch this and say that it’s not for you, it can be respected that it has brought in a new generation of fans. Many of them are already watching the original anime and reading the manga to dive deeper into Yasuhiro Nightow’s triumph.

Overall, the series has lots of weaknesses but makes up for it with an incredible production that is able to convince you to sympathize with these characters and explore this world. Trigun Stampede is a fantastic new sci-fi anime entry and perhaps one of the best when considering fully CG sci-fi works. It’s also another beautiful addition to the canon of Studio Orange. Regardless of whether you have had an experience with Trigun before, the series is a great introduction to this story that will leave you satisfied and wanting more. With a continuation confirmed, we can only anticipate that it will get better and better as we reach a conclusion. Objectively and critically, this is closer to an 8, but my own personal enjoyment leads me to give this a 9. If you are willing to have an open mind, this is one of the best watches of the year so far.

After the first season ended up being really good, I had high hopes for the continuation of Fushi’s journey. Sure, there were moments where Season 1 got inconsistent, but there were so many emotional highs, and I looked forward to more of that. Now, take those Jananda Arc inconsistencies and multiply them by 3.

First, let’s start with the good things. It’s great that the production quality remained as consistent as it did after a studio switch. The music and art was comparable and often just as good as it was with the old studio. In terms of story, it is very cool that the majority ... of this season is set more than 200 years after the first, because the world now reacts to Fushi in it as it has changed over the centuries. The concepts of Hayase’s will and Bon’s clairvoyance are really interesting, and Kahaku’s involvement had lots of potential. The idea that an immortal being is able to give life back to his most loyal followers is also interesting too (although it depends on how well you implement it). Several of the character introductions were also very fun!

But some of these things are desecrated by one of the biggest culprits - the pacing. The writing has trouble keeping this stable. Things that would be interesting to see are rushed and reduced to a sentence of narration. Time skipping isn’t bad in a show that’s about living longer than a normal lifespan, but it really hurts when the show mentions an event that happened, only for us to see one shot or nothing about it at all. When the show does get to those slow parts in each arc, it tries to stuff so much into it. As the show went on, there were so many things happening at once that it was easy to lose track of background information and comprehend narrative decisions.

This all affected the character writing in some way. There were a lot of inconsistent moments or things that felt really strange. Fushi remains stagnant, refusing to shake his naivete and evolving past his philosophies after living for 240+ years, and that can be frustrating when considering the demands of the plot. Bon gaslights Fushi for half the season, saying that his ability to resurrect others should be slowly revealed to him, despite it causing problems with story progression.

There’s a lot of side character side plots that are kind of there, and could be removed from the story without affecting it. There’s also a weird incest-ish plot thrown in there for some reason? It’s open to debate whether the Todo/Iris side story is queerbaiting. Eko’s treatment is also disappointing - she is so interesting but she’s just there and really only gets one episode dedicated to development. She’s even given an unceremonious exit off-screen.

At the same time, this is a fantasy series that you must suspend your disbelief to watch. However, there are a lot of philosophical real-world questions that grab your attention, which feels at odds with since it appears to be trying to send a message about the ethics of life. For example, when the value of one’s life is constantly upheld as important, why does it feel like it also disregards that integrity? I won’t get too deep since that analysis can be messy (and lead to ethical and political arguments not suitable for a review like this), but it’s like To Your Eternity is at the point where it poses questions that it refuses to answer. It seems like a strange progression for a series that started with a powerful tragedy about a boy who is doomed to die with only a dog to comfort him.

I won’t deny that my heartstrings were tugged. Many of the story beats were still interesting and for that I was able to finish all 20 episodes. Perhaps the show is trying to be too many things at once. Perhaps it’s just become a hodgepodge of melodrama. Perhaps the direction it went is good, but it just wasn’t what I expected. So critically, I have trouble judging this because there’s so many ways to look at what happened here.

In conclusion - I guess I really can’t say Season 2 is bad or good. It was watchable, but there’s a positive for every negative. Because of that, the average 5 seems like a good score for this - take it as a compromise between the highest highs and the lowest lows. If there was anyone waiting to binge this, your reception of it will depend on what kind of story you’re hoping To Your Eternity to be. Personally for me, Season 3 will be getting the 3-episode test to determine for myself whether I am on board with what comes next or not.

Okay look, I have almost 15 years of experience in classical ballet, so of course, I was going to watch this. I am a huge fan of Princess Tutu, so to see that there was going to be a “sports anime” take on it with MAPPA at the helm? Oh yeah, sign me up.

And now I’ve completed it. And it was good. Flawed, but good. So good that I will never emotionally recover from what it has done to me.

To start off, Dance Dance Danseur is the most realistic portrayal of the modern ballet world I have ever seen and the attention to detail was ... flawless. The joys and the magic of dance were captured in every frame and no expense was spared to put this all together. The animation, the music, the historical lore, and the current culture all came together to create an atmosphere that entrapped me. I have waited so, so, so long to see the art form that I devoted the majority of my life to be used in this way, and I am so happy that this show exists.

However, this realistic portrayal means that the toxic sides of the ballet world all converge at once, and no punch was missed. Body-shaming, racism, gender expression, the bullying of male dancers by peers, destructive teaching, the battle between classic and contemporary, and the financial weight of the art are all here. I will likely never be able to watch this show again because I have experienced a lot of what was shown on screen, and there were weeks that I delayed my viewing because I was unsure of what to expect in the upcoming episode. Although I may not be able to rewatch this like I can with Princess Tutu, this show is still great because it makes the effort to show that ballet is not a fairytale art form. It has its problems, and these problems need to be shared.

While I have nothing but praise for the setting and themes, the story and characters that use them as a backdrop have issues. The story isn’t too unique, as it’s a story of a prodigy who dreams of living up to his potential while being embroiled in a love triangle. I honestly think that this formula would have worked for this series, so I wouldn’t have had a big issue, but only if it had been done correctly. The drawback was the three main characters. I know a lot of people don’t like Junpei or Luou because of their temperaments, but I thought they were overall good, and I didn’t really have an issue with the personalities of the characters. It was their love triangle with Misako I didn’t like.

The relationships between Junpei, Luou, and Miyako felt haphazard and forced. Originally, it was set up pretty well, but everything after that got messy, and we got drama for the sake of making drama rather than really letting the characters grow into the drama. The climax does fix this (yes, I think the ending for their arc was fitting and realistic to ballet), but everything in the middle was frustrating. I think the main issue for this was that the first half uses ballet to build up their relationships, but by the second half it tries to expand them outside of the studio and stage spaces, and it felt awkward. These issues with the characters led me to drop the series from a contender to MY best of the year to just ONE of the best of the year.

Despite my gripes with the characters, I was mesmerized by how the show uses its classical music so well. Swan Lake is used so much in ballet-themed media, but the animation direction takes the music and tells the audience why we still need Swan Lake to be retold again and again. You just need to watch episodes 5 and 11 to see what I’m talking about. Look, it may just be your public domain classical music, but the show uses it in a way that I was often moved to tears by what I was watching. With my bias and my criticisms of the show aside, I truly believe that seeing what the show does with the music may be enough to show people why there are people who love classical ballet, despite all its problems.

Even with the issues with its story and characters, it gets this wannabe ballerina’s stamp of approval for how it portrays all sides of the ballet world and creates art out of it that is only possible through the medium of animation. I have gone through such highs and such lows, and it was such a great trip. I’m not sure if I would ever rewatch it because of how intense it was, but it is absolutely worth at least one watch. If you are looking for a good drama or just want to try exploring something new, this is your show.

I am forever grateful to have watched Ousama Ranking each week, and I’m sad that I will never see it with fresh eyes again. This anime was truly a treasure from the beginning to the end. I’ll keep this review as spoiler-free as possible, but just in case, you’ve been warned.

On the surface, Ousama Ranking (or Ranking of Kings) appears like a fairytale, a classic Hero’s Journey about a young deaf-mute prince who wants to be the hero and save everyone, accompanied by his shadowy but loyal sidekick. But as you watch, you’ll find a story that respects these classic tropes even when it subverts ... them. Even if this story is something we’ve seen before, in one way or the other, it’s still told uniquely thanks to a complex cast of characters that are a joy to watch on screen. It hooks you in and doesn’t let go, and after every episode ended I eagerly looked forward to the next week to see what happened next.

One of the most common complaints you’ll see about this show is that the art style looks too juvenile, and therefore not palatable. Funnily enough, I was actually drawn into the show because of the art style, which is reminiscent of both the classic days of anime and traditional storybook illustrations. The aesthetic evokes nostalgia while creating shots that are always beautiful to look at. Even when production values fluctuated between episodes, the anime looked vibrant in both static and sakuga. The character design and direction elevates the show so much that it’s never dull to look at. When the animation needs to hit, IT WILL HIT. Just wait until you get to episode 21.

The music helps elevate it as well, providing Ousama Ranking with a soundtrack that is both heroic and emotional. It does what it needs to do for this medieval fantasy world. However, the standouts are absolutely the OPs and EDs of the show, especially OP 2 (Hadaka no Yuusha by Vaundy), which might have claimed OP of the Year only a few days into 2022. We’ll see how long that holds up, but each of the opening and closing sequences brought in artists that were dedicated to sharing the themes of the show.

I absolutely love this show, but there are a few flaws that hold me back from calling this show a masterpiece. The first half was so masterful that it paled in comparison to the second half, where the pace felt too slow in the middle, and too fast towards the end. And of course, since this is an adaptation of an ongoing manga, not every loose end got tied up.

And then there's the controversy with...Daida’s arc. It's VERY iffy, and his actions directly affect the fate of the villain. I’m not on board with it. If it were saved for later in another installment, when there's been more development to justify it, maybe I would have. However, I feel like we're in a Darling in the Franxx situation again, where people are letting it overshadow the rest of the anime. - it's a very complicated controversy that deserves absolutely be discussed, but in truth, the revelation didn't sour my evaluation of the whole series. That whole thing aside, I still really enjoyed the second half, even if it's noticeably weaker.

Ousama Ranking is a mature, but feel-good story about loyalty, kindness, and perseverance that will steal your heart away with its adorable protagonists. It has something for everyone, from mystery, action, drama, and even a bit of comedy. I have no doubt that this anime will linger as a classic among fans.

If I were to score just by cour, the first would be a 10, and the second falls to an 8. The average of that would be 9, and I think it's suitable for this series. I hope that one day, we’ll get a second installment because there is so much left to be told.

*A major SPOILER lies ahead*

Over the past decade, I’ve loved films such as Gravity, Interstellar, and The Martian, and so I was excited for The Orbital Children. It looked like it would gather many of the major themes into one work while updating them with the recent changes in technology and space exploration. As I watched the first half, I was hooked by the fun take on the future of humanity in space, the realistic personalities of the children, and the social commentary on new technological advances.

Unfortunately, the project’s greatest flaw was its ambition. Thanks to the limitation of the miniseries and its stemming ... narrative decisions, The Orbital Children - though enjoyable enough to keep me invested - fell short in several places.

Returning back to the first half, I was absolutely in love with it and the potential it had. The show had set up an interesting premise. I was excited to see the extent each character utilized and relied on technology, as it felt like a natural progression of our present to a potential future that is ridiculous as it is plausible. When the conflict of the series began, I was eager to see how each of the kids dealt with the situation.

Then the second half began, and things started to fall apart when the super-intelligent AI stuff started taking over the plot. It didn’t come out of left field, and I was expecting it to play a major role, but there was not enough time to set it up in a satisfying way. If this was a simple space disaster survival show, the slow pacing of Part 1 was perfect. Unfortunately, Part 2’s pacing moved the opposite speed, expecting that the information left in Part 1 was sufficient enough to move on to the rest of the twists and revelations. But it wasn’t.

A lot of this is because the conflict rests on how our characters develop, and there just wasn’t time for them to develop. I want to be able to say that the characters were endearing, but outside of Touya and Taiyou, it’s hard to do so because I didn’t feel like I really got to know the characters. For example, I knew that Hiroshi is very intelligent and Mina wants influencer fame, but I didn’t learn much else about them and their relationships with others. They made connections with other characters, but it felt like the plot demanded it so, instead of nurturing them until they felt natural. A lot of these issues happen because the series couldn’t find the right balance between building its characters and delivering exposition about the setting.

For example, let’s talk about Nasa. Her betrayal made sense if you pay attention well enough but it didn’t feel earned. Her trust in the Seven Poem and the theology that grew from it was apparent from the beginning, yes, but her motivations were hindered by her lack of participation in the story. For most of her screentime, she is injured and unconscious. Her character could have been great, as her predictions do make sense in the end, even if her methods were wrong. But we aren’t allowed to know her or make an emotional connection with her because she is incapacitated for so much of her time on screen. Her twist could have been brilliant, but I ended up finding it lackluster and frustrating. I understand what they were going for here - but there wasn’t enough time to give it the execution it deserved.

I hold the same middling sentiment towards the art and sound design as well. Everything is pretty decent - for your normal anime that is. The music, while enjoyable, doesn’t do much to set itself apart from other iconic space scores that have graced films and TV shows from previous decades. The art design is pretty cool for this series, and it complements the animation pretty well.

Unfortunately, I’m disappointed since these are supposed to be 2 films instead of 6 episodes, and the animation is nowhere near the quality you would expect. Space and technology are challenging subjects in animation, but it’s obvious there were a lot of corners cut. There’s places where it feels like there should be dynamic movement or sakuga, there isn’t any. The show uses 3D models, which is understandable and expected for a project like this, but what wasn’t understandable was when they used 3D models of human characters who could have easily been drawn by hand. It just feels like a very decently animated seasonal show, rather than some films. It makes me glad that Netflix cut the films into episodes, because if they had not I feel like my opinion of the art would have been more negative than it already is.

The Orbital Children could have been a spectacular space drama that we could talk about for years to come, but the resources used to tell this story weren’t enough for the large scale of this project. Despite these shortcomings, I did feel like I learned a lot from watching The Orbital Children - I was left thinking about some of its themes after it had finished and I was deeply invested in the plot. Unfortunately, the issue remains - time, time, time. I wish this was a full series rather than a collection of films/miniseries, because all it needed to be great was more time.

Despite my 6/10 rating, I do recommend that anyone looking for some more science-fiction watches give it a try. Despite having favorite sci-fi works, it isn’t my go-to genre, so that may have affected my viewing, but if there is one good thing I can say about this it is this - I wasn’t familiar with Mitsuo Iso’s contributions to the anime industry before deciding to give The Orbital Children a go, but I think I’ll definitely give Dennou Coil a try at some point, because I find his ideas and his treatment of technology to be fantastic, and I am interested to see what he did before. If the only mission of this work is to get his name out there to a new generation of viewers, then it has succeeded.

I can repeat the sentiment that Blue Period fails as an adaptation of a beloved manga, but while I understand the frustrations of fans of manga, let us remember that a work of art and its themes can be detached and analyzed based on what we see and what we take out of it. With that considered, what remains of the anime version of Blue Period is a solid character study and story about how talent is not granted, but formed through perseverance.

Now don’t get me wrong - I still have reservations about what I watched, and I’m disappointed even after my brief exposure to ... the manga. For an anime about creating art, I wish the show took advantage of the medium of animation to illustrate the creative process. The first and fifth episodes contained sequences that embody this lost potential. Maybe it’s due to the limits of Seven Arcs as a studio, but the animation couldn’t service these moments, and thus the intricacies of painting are disrespected by only showing basic paint strokes or just cutting out the painting to its completion. The ironic result is that a show about art relies too much on dialogue on what art is and why we create art,

Despite its visual shortcomings, Blue Period has great characters who create through relatable struggles that many of us face every day. The show has characters who grapple with depression, anxiety, stress, mental burnout, the strife between professionalism and passion, and gender nonconformity. To these characters, art is simultaneously joy and dread, but each of them utilizes it to work through their conflicts to reach realizations and to work toward closure.

The characters brought me back each week. The main lead Yatora has an underdog story that borders on the cliche, but I was hooked enough to keep watching. The supporting characters, especially Kuwana, Hashida, and Oba-sensei, were fun and did their supporting job well. I am still not sure how I feel about Yotasuke, but I think that’s the point - he’s a cold and pretentious genius in the art world, so of course, he would be a pain to work with! But the star of the show was Ryuji “Yuka” Ayukawa, who is probably the best representation of a queer character that I’ve seen in 2021’s anime, whose story may have outshined Yatora’s. In that case, Blue Period might be worth watching just for Yuka if you’re looking for explorations of mental health, gender identity, and sexual orientation. Even though a lot of these characters fill existing archetypes and cliches, they were still enjoyable.

The rest of the show, especially in terms of animation, music, and sound aren’t things I can praise or even criticize, because when considering the massive field of anime in 2021, they just fail to stand out. In fact, when you break it down, Blue Period is a basic story that plays it safe but still does well. Regardless, it was still an enjoyable watch that kept me emotionally invested.

Again, Blue Period doesn’t live up to the hype, but it is still a solid anime and I’m glad I watched it during its original run. With that in mind, the series is good enough for a good 7/10. Your mileage may vary if the show doesn’t serve what you’re looking to get out of all this, but if the synopsis leaps out at you, I’d recommend that the show is worth a try.

*Slight spoilers are ahead*

I’m not disappointed that I was baited. I’m disappointed because I didn’t get a well-told story.

P.A. Works’ shows have always been gorgeous, regardless of whether the story is good or not. Aquatope on White Sand is one of the most beautiful shows of the year when looking at the backgrounds and character design. That’s to be expected of the studio. However, the plot just can’t stand up to the quality of its aesthetic beauty.

First off, I really liked the first cour of Aquatope. Kukuru was introduced as a fun character with a love of aquatic life. It was so endearing to see ... her devotion to loving and caring for sea creatures. Fuuka was my favorite character out of the main duo - her story of being caught in the transition between phases was really relatable. With this duo, the show’s first 12 episodes were satisfying. The ensemble cast, the daily life of Okinawa, and the supernatural and spiritual elements made for a satisfying watch. I was disappointed with a few thrown-in pieces of drama that seemed too melodramatic or meaningless when considering how much symbolism the show employs, but the emotional and even tragic midseason finale really got me excited to where the rest of the show would go, though I was confused about WHERE it would go.

And boy, was I confused over where it went. Aquatope’s second half made the show completely fall apart.

The writing slides downhill fast. Though I was satisfied that there were SOME tied-up plot threads from the first half, the majority of the next half introduced plotlines that either didn’t pay off or simply kicked what made the show so good to the side. The supernaturalism was gone, and never touched again until the finale. Several themes felt haphazardly added, only so characters had a convenient reason to move on to another phase of their story. These themes and elements weren’t bad on their own, but they were poorly integrated. It seems like there was just so much that the writers wanted to say, that there wasn’t enough time to convey it.

I think the plot issues wouldn’t be so bad if the character writing didn’t also devolve. The second half had several new side characters who didn’t get enough attention, leaving a lot of them were weightless and completely replaceable. The characters that returned from the first half had new traits that were frequently mentioned but weren’t built upon until the very end of the show. Some of these traits meant nothing at all, and just served to manufacture emotional weight that wouldn’t mean anything in the end (I’m looking at you, Kai). The main duo of Kukuru and Fuuka suffered as well. Fuuka feels like a side character in her own show, even though the OP and ED insist that she’s not. Because of this, her story progresses spontaneously, and it doesn’t feel like she earned or she struggled. Most of the screen time is left to Kukuru, who should have been a joy to watch. However (without spoiling the context of the internal conflicts that she went through), I went from sympathizing with her to finding her infuriating, because it was like she hadn’t grown at all. In fact, it felt like she completely reverted to how she was in episode 1, which was frustrating because there’s an entire time skip in the middle of the series.

As Aquatope grew closer to the finale, I found myself being able to predict the outcome. I even was able to predict the time skip in the finale episode. I will commend the finale for being able to wrap back to what was abandoned in the middle of the show for a decent finale among the disjointed flow between cours. Unfortunately, it came at the cost that it didn’t feel earned, only obligated.

Aquatope on White Sand had a strong start and interesting concept, but it just failed in its execution. Though I did return each week in hopes of seeing more of the bond between Fuuka and Kukuru, the stunning art, and the adorable presence of the Cape penguins that originally drew me into the series, my experience with Aquatope paled in comparison to the other entries of this past summer and fall. If you are looking for a more satisfying watch, you may want to give this a skip, but you may still find the series a good watch if you’re a fan of realistic workplace dramas and conflicts, looking for a calm watch, or if you’re a fan of P.A. Works’ other Working Women shows.

I’ve been in Love Live hell for 5 years, and after watching Superstar I’m certain I’ll be stuck here for at least 5 more, even if there are flaws in the upcoming vision.

I have a devoted, but tumultuous, relationship with Love Live. I actively listen to the songs, follow the artists, and play the games, but I always have issues with the lifeblood of the franchise: the anime. I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t entertained, but I’m not one to idolize Muse as some fans do, and I wasn’t as impressed by last year’s NijiGaku anime. However, I had such a fun time with ... Love Live! Superstar!! that it reminded me why I keep coming back to this franchise - it’s full of optimism, heart, and good vibes. Superstar delivers more of that wholesome Love Live content we’ve come to know and love, and while it’s not perfect, it’s an updated stepping stone into the franchise for anyone who wants to find out what the fuss is about.

The most impressive thing about this new generation was the characters, and I truly believe Superstar has the best character development of all of the previous incarnations. The cast size is nearly halved from 9 characters to 5, and this fixes the poor character development that has plagued the franchise for the past decade. Most of the girls get at least one episode dedicated to studying their character, so even if they had a main identifying trope, they still felt deep and dimensional. In particular, Kanon is a breath of fresh air when comparing her to Love Live’s previous ginger leader characters. I felt Keke got the least development of all the girls, but the series does plant the seeds for her own conflict in the upcoming second season, so I’m fairly confident that she’ll get what she needs soon. I loved following these girls around. They’re diverse and fun, and I never got frustrated with any of their arcs like I did in the previous series.

Every iteration of Love Live makes the effort of polishing their animation, and Sunrise has never neglected the franchise (it is pretty profitable, anyway). I used to be jarred by the CGI in the earlier series, but that horror is now a distant memory. The 2D and 3D are more cohesive than ever, and it’s even more exciting to look at. The 2D animation is polished and beautifully updated as. You can tell that we’re looking at an updated Love Live aesthetic, but it still fits in beautifully with the rest of the main generations we’ve seen so far. Sunrise is just good at what they do, whether they’re working on mechas or idols.

The music evolves with every generation of Love Live, and that’s no exception with Superstar. We’ve been gifted bangers such as Little Stars, Wish Song, and Nonfiction, just to name a few. I really appreciate that Love Live has progressed to explore different genres and styles over the past few years, and the anime is able to reflect that mission. However, this is where my gripes begin - the amount of music is overwhelming compared to the past incarnations. I honestly can’t tell you the names of a handful of songs because there was just so much music to keep up with and I couldn’t sit and appreciate the tracks as I had in the past. I might be in the minority in expressing this opinion, but the onslaught of songs made it hard to appreciate all of them, especially with how many there are in the last half of the season.

This brings me to my main issue with Superstar, and it’s why I can’t say it’s the best Love Live series - the story does little to stand out or differentiate itself from the previous entries. Without giving away spoilers, the main conflict for the overarching story is the same as the original School Idol Project and Sunshine series. This conflict is resolved in a similar way to School Idol Project, which worries me. I have no idea what the goals for the next season will be other than following your dreams, shining bright, and Love Live. There’s nothing wrong with those goals, but Sunshine season 2 is my favorite part of Love Live because I absolutely loved that story’s conflict, progression, and outcome. It doesn’t look like I’m getting that here.

Additionally, the character interactions that drive the story can be melodramatic and sometimes meaningless if they’re always going to find a way to succeed in the end. It feels like there are no stakes. For example, I really enjoyed Ren’s arc, but it loses all meaning in the last episode. Coincidentally, that episode is the first time the characters experience true disappointment in their journey. It was a good note to take a break on, but given all that happened prior to that point, I’m now uncertain as to how Liella will be differentiated from the rest of the Love Live groups aside from how many members they have.

I can only hope that Superstar’s next season will surprise me, and punish me for thinking pessimistically. After all, I did say that Love Live is a show about optimism and good vibes, and it sucks me in regardless of the story it chooses to tell. I can also acknowledge that the issues I’ve put forth here today all stem from my previous viewings of the other series. If you’re looking to watch Love Live for the first time, or you missed one or two and you want a new place to jump into, then Love Live! Superstar!! is the best place to start. Pay no attention to the old jaded fans (like myself) who squabble over tiny details, cursed with seniority and too much experience. Superstar and the girls of Liella! are ready to acquaint you with one of Japan’s biggest musical series, and to show you why it’s so big. If you’re curious, give it a go, though you might find yourself in idol hell with the rest of us.

Wow, what a surprise this was! Kageki Shoujo is probably my dark horse of the year. Even though this isn’t a perfect anime for me, it drew me in and I couldn’t look away. It did exactly what musical theatre is supposed to do - grab your attention, keep it, and then dazzle you with shimmering lights and emotions. This is an anime full of heart and love for acting, and it is delivered through some of the best character writing of the year.

Kageki Shoujo is more of a school slice-of-life than anything else, but it’s one of the most realistic slice-of-lifes I’ve seen. All ... the characters share the goal to be top actors in the Kouka Troupe, but they each struggle with trying to reach it. As they struggle, we learn about their motivations and witness the traumas that haunt them, leading to revelations that get both deep and even dark. Sometimes I was reminded of Wonder Egg Priority, but Kageki Shoujo is different - its smart writing assures that the characters’ hardships and how they try to overcome them actually mean something in the end. Since this is a slice-of-life series, I wasn’t too worried if episodes jumped around from topic to topic, but the ending was somewhat disappointing for me. I think the current ending is a good stopping point if you’re faithfully adapting the source material and you only have 13 episodes, but it still felt like a “read the manga” ending.

So yes, the character writing is fantastic, even with its relatively large cast of 7 characters. While Sarasa and Ai are touted as the main duo, all the characters get time for the audience to get acquainted and understand who they are. All the girls show signs of growth, and by the time the final episodes roll around, you might even find yourself silently cheering them on as they mature. Some of the character arcs are tragically realistic and mirror a lot of the ugly that I’ve seen in the theater and dance world, so you may need to be mentally prepared if necessary, but I believe these heavy topics were handled gracefully. Perhaps it was due to Kageki Shoujo’s relatively short length, but it felt like the character writing was trying to cover a lot of ground in so little time because characters were getting developed until the bitter end of the series. If the series had 12 more episodes, or if I knew a second season was coming, I probably wouldn’t be too concerned about it.

While the aforementioned elements are pretty solid, the animation isn’t anything to write home about. There are some episodes that seem to be 50% limited animation and 50% still frames. However, the art and design save it as it evokes nostalgia for the shoujo aesthetics of the 90’s and early 2000’s. There’s something so gentle, yet strong, about how the characters and backgrounds are drawn. Because of this, even when the actual animation is unimpressive, the show is still beautiful to look at.

The soundtrack is only fine. There are one or two songs that drag me in, but I don’t really pay attention to it. I’m not too crazy about the song used for the OP either, but I’m a sucker for the ED and how the singers and the visuals change for each character. But overall, I don’t have much more to say about it.

I had a fantastic time watching Kageki Shoujo, and I give it a solid 8/10. Even with my concerns about some of the anime’s elements, I may have a go at the manga to see if that alleviates them, and that’s big for me to say because I rarely have the urge to go pick up the source material after an anime concludes. But anyway, I always appreciate good arts-oriented anime, and I’m especially appreciative of this as it covers the good and the bad of theatre with care and love. It’s such an injustice that so few people have watched or completed this show so far, so I really encourage everyone to give Kageki Shoujo a chance.

Wakarimasu.

I’m elated to be one of Revue Starlight’s newest audience members, as this anime truly deserves a standing ovation. With its combination of action and music, Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlight is probably one of the most ambitious projects of recent memory. Despite production issues that plagued its run, it never dimmed. I’d say this is one of 2018’s most underrated entries.

Revue Starlight is rooted in dance and musical theater, evoking its magic and the cruelty that it takes to achieve it. I’ve been engrossed in musical theatre for most of my life, so I found myself catching onto the themes, conflicts, and struggles that were ... externalized through the series’ often abstract format. Because of my background, I realize that I’m in a privileged position to be able to pick up on all of this, so I understand why those who do not have this background may be confused by what Revue Starlight is trying to say. But trust me - if you dedicate the time to look at what Revue Starlight is trying to tell you, this anime’s message will open up to you if you stick with it until the end.

Revue Starlight’s episodes start with slice-of-life sequences surrounding the girls of Seisho Music Academy, before delving into the underground world of Revue battles, where they all battle to be the Top Star. Though the slice-of-life is straightforward, the revue world is disorienting and filled with symbolism. From beginning to the end, the plot and the characters ensure that the props and imagery flying across the stage are carefully chosen to complement what Revue Starlight wants to say to the audience. It’s weird, and hard to explain like this, but let the show run its course to get what I mean. While the plot does seem to wander and feel a bit rushed at some point, it was never bothersome and it was fun to watch. The story is filled with triumph and tragedy, but it has a satisfying and happy ending. The depth of the story can’t be explained without spoilers and long analysis, so I encourage potential watchers to look further beyond the surface to come to understand the depths that Starlight is trying to expose about the nature of theatre.

The 9 main players of Revue Starlight are more than just cute girls wielding swords and clubs. Each of the characters has their goals, dreams, and their reasons as to why they choose to be stage girls who devote their lives to the stage. On a personal level, the way the characters get entangled in Starlight’s critique of theater resonated with my own everyday experiences in the performing arts. I especially saw myself in Junna’s struggle to contend with her peers and Nana’s desperation. Overall, all the characters (but especially one) remind us that a lucky few are chosen to shine, and they take away the opportunities for others with the talent to step into the spotlight. However, the characterization does have issues. The girls get very tropey, repetitive, and stagnant in the slice-of-life segments. Additionally, many of the characters didn't get much development due to how large the cast is. Although I still ended up loving all of these characters, the characterization could have been much better.

The animation was apparently plagued by production issues, so it’s amazing to see that Revue Starlight kept an insane level of quality throughout its run, so I have to applaud Kinema Citrus for managing to deliver such a polished product all the way through. With the wildness of character and prop movements, it would be easy to completely fold in when there are so many unstable elements during the animation process. The art and animation show very few signs of that. A show about theatre needs to be beautiful and detailed, just like sets that immerse you into a whole new world onstage. And it’s all beautifully done, whether it’s a simple background or a piece of sakuga. I think it gets more impressive by the time you reach the end of the show. But as you make your way there, take a look around each shot to see if you can see the star that the Starlight girls are trying to reach, an orb of purple light. It’s details like these in the artistic composition that make Revue Starlight a piece created with so much love and care, even in the circumstances the staff of Kinema Citrus faced.

Of course, Revue Starlight is a musical, so the music has to stand up to its ambition, and it does so majestically. Every track sounds like it could be a part of a Broadway show or Disney musical. These songs play with each Revue, timed to perfectly fit the mood and the energy on screen. All of these songs are somewhere on a playlist, and I often put them on repeat because it’s that good. My favorites have to be Re:Create, The Star Knows, and Fly Me to the Star, but it’s hard to choose the best one because they’re all so good. My only complaint is that it is only a masterpiece instead of something that transcends time and space. Starlight lets its characters talk over the music instead of conveying the meaning solely through the song itself like in a real musical, but it was probably the best decision because it would make the series too overpowered!

Despite some flaws in its delivery, Revue Starlight is a 9/10 show that deserves your attention, and I love it so, SO much. It’s hard to explain on paper, beyond that it’s a little weird but beautiful. These 12 episodes have so much to offer, especially on repeat viewings. If you’re a theater kid, you’re going to have a fun time with Revue Starlight. If you’re not a theater kid, take your time and let it take you for the ride. If you still don’t know what’s going on, you don’t have to agree with that damn giraffe that you understand. Just be there to enjoy the show.