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Welcome to another Robert's Too Late Reviews! Today we're working from the subbed version. Let me say right off, if explosions or fights or violence is your cup of tea, then move on, you will find nothing to like here. If you do like slice-of-life shows, cute girls doing cute things, and don't mind the stereotypical episode format, you might just have a good time! Let's see if we should change the channel.

Story: 6
It's hard to really rank a slice-of-life show for story since most of it is usually episodic events happening about everyday life, and there's not usually an overarching theme. A-Channel fits ... this to a tee. We have the beach episode, the Christmas episode, some antics at school episodes, the same old thing as we've all seen a million times. That is not to say that the series doesn't pull it off, it's just not a cohesive and compelling narrative existing from episode to the next.

Because we do have such cliched events such as pool cleaning day or the festival show, it does seem like a slightly annoying retread on a trope so many anime have used. I give it a lower score because we've seen most of it before, and I think it would really be nice if they expanded a little on the premise. A-Channel comes a little closer, having the girls sneak into school after hours only to be frightened by the school nurse who they believe at first to be a ghost.

Partly because that kind of story telling is the primary nature of the slice-of-life genre, and because they do pull it off without being eye-rollingly bothersome, I didn't give it a negative rating, just slightly above average. Just know that pretty much every 'checklist' show is presented, even though this series is really short at 12 episodes.

Art: 8
I really liked the way everyone was drawn, Tooru really stands out, with her blank-to-possibly-pissed stare, and her soul piercing gaze. The rest of the cast is appropriately cute, though there are moment when proportions and body parts are drawn at odd angles, but they are not overly noticeable. The backgrounds all look fine, and the colors are pleasing to the eye.

Sound: 8
They really nailed it in the voice acting. Tooru sounds like the weird, kinda creepy girl she is. The oblivious one is completely clueless sounding. The easily scared girl has plenty of trembling in her voice, and the girl that torments her pulls off an impressive evil laugh. The background music is never intrusive, and the themes, while not overly catchy, are perfect in conveying the type of show you're about to watch.

Character: 8
The girls are obviously what makes up the entire show, and without them having proper synergy, it would all fall apart in a hurry. We are saved from this, however, by a cast that seems built to be each other's friends. The oblivious one is a complete dunderhead, never noticing when those around her might not have a healthy interest in her. However she is saved by the year younger Tooru, who is quick to threaten violence to any that would bother her beloved Run-chan. In fact, her devotion seems so complete that I would say it borders on mid-level yuri.

Tooru is in fact often jealous of the other two girls in the group with Run-Chan because they are all in the same grade, and she's a year younger. She comes to begrudgingly accept the other girls, though the impending question of college and them leaving school before her is often present.

There is the statuesque model-level cute girl who Tooru despises at first, but comes to develop and wonderful, if not strange, bond with. This girl is easily frightened, and the final girl of the quartet, a smart girl in glasses, uses this to her advantage as much as possible. Otherwise this girl is stately, cute and as fun as they come.

The glasses girl is obsessed over her weight, when she's not scaring the model or dealing with the fallout of another of Run-chan's clueless actions. She isn't the main character, but seem to be the leader of the little group, and is quick to offer her opinion, or obscure information no one else knows.

With these four primary girls, the absentminded Run-chan stumbling into trouble, the young but clearly crushing on Run-chan Tooru always moves to protect Run-chan's best interests. Couple them with a honest pretty girl, and a devious nerd like girl, and you have the perfect mix of hijinx. The cast doesn't carry quite as much chemistry as shows such as Kiniro Mosaic, but it's pretty dang close.

Enjoyment: 8
I loved this show because it's light, fun, airy, and doesn't require me to think or trigger intense emotions in me like a heavy drama or battle shounen does. It was something to watch and relax, and have a good laugh at. Even with the cliches it's funny, but doesn't take itself too seriously. Just some nice, simple fun.

Best Girl: Tooru for sure! Not only is she so tiny her clothes don't fit her, she's got the big girl crush on Run-chan and even busted out a baseball bat a few different times guys tried to talk to Run-chan. She also has this creepy stare, and while it's hard for her to open up, she's a good girl at heart.

There you have it. If you like some comedy, without thinking too hard, and would like to watch something relaxing, A-Channel might just be for you. I found it a wonderful break from some of the more emotionally weighty shows I often watch. It's not the greatest out there, but it's still pretty good, and I don't regret for a second watching it. Jump in there, you might the channel you've been looking for!

Welcome to Robert's Too Late Reviews! Today we're going to be going over the dubbed version of this title, and we will be including the 4 episode 'sequel' as part of our review. For once I'm going to say that the synopsis is a bit lacking and you should give a look over the reviews written before deciding. This of course is a stupid statement for if you didn't, you wouldn't see this. Oh well, we all have our moments right? Let's break down the heart connections in this title.

Story: 9 As I said, at first the body-swapping among the five friends is indeed the ... driving point, but the friends experience several other phenomenon, some that seem to be far more troubling than the body swapping. This causes not only the obvious embarrassments such as anatomy comparing (with EVERYONE involved) but also embarrassing home lives, why one person basically lives alone, why another is treated the way they are, etc. Just as the group begin to cope with these body swapping events, there's a huge cliffhanger moment and painful secrets come out, only for the cliffhanger event to not happen, and the body swapping events to be over. Suddenly a new phenomenon appears driving our teen quintet into a whole new level of panic. And another follows after that one.

Each of these events teach our friends to learn more about each other, sometimes in embarrassing, personal ways. Many times I watched and thought I might have those thoughts or feelings but could never openly express them in the manner the teens are forced to. Not only are they forced to admit painful or embarrassing information, they are made to do it in front of all 5 of the group. To use a *SPOILER* line from the show it's one thing to tell your crush (though embarrassing beyond detail) that you find her sexually attractive and have masturbated to thoughts of her before, now imagine that and all 5 of your friends knowing that! *END SPOILER* I would just die!

And it's not all teeny-sex stuff either, of course. One member has a real issue with dissociative personality, another is a total karate badass who has androphobia, and the 'lets do what's right' character is revealed to have personal selfish goals. Thought all those flaws, the group actually comes closer together and becomes more accepting of flaws that would drive others away, giving the story one hell of a sweet ending, and making the 5 friends so admirable they're the kind of friends I wish I had!

The problems in the story, which are big ones: First and foremost, with the body swapping being the first phenomenon, it was VERY hard for me to keep up with who's who. Japanese names can be difficult as is, especially when one character is inside another, and of the 4 others, some use surnames, some use familiar names. Had me keeping notes for a bit. Then, who is the bad guy? We know he's able to possess people, as he primarily possesses a teacher at school, but we only know his name Heartseed (in the dub) and we never know who or even WHAT he is. He has the power to bodyswap. both at random and at complete control, to trigger intense emotions, and other things, but we never see him in anything other that possessing other people's bodies. I would love to know if he's a person, an alien, or a spirit! Not only that, he stops the 'experiments' with little to no explanation!

There's also a briefly mentioned #2 villain that appears for a specific event , warns the group not to tell Heartseed, and is then just gone again, never to return. Again who was he? How many mind/body control agents are there out there?

Finally the big problem is why those 5 kids? Heartseed said they would seem interesting, but there's surely many groups of kids at school that would be interesting. This plot point is never explained, just hand waved away.

But overall, the trials the kids face, though utmost difficult, bring them all closer to each other, and bring them to better know themselves.

Art: 9

I really liked the way everyone looked, the backgrounds were nice, and there was some fun wrestling Easter eggs thrown in as well. Overall the art was spot on for me, conveying emotion and feeling very well.

Music: 9

The sound was good. The opener wasn't all that moving, nor the closer, but I enjoyed them a good bit. In the dub there are some BIG hitter actresses which was slightly annoying, and one male actor that I have a hard time taking as a serious character because he does comedy so well, but they all did their jobs and played the characters straight as they were apparently written. I enjoyed the dub very much. Your mileage with VA's like Monica Rial and the light might differ.

Character: 10

There's a character who is hopelessly in love with a character that doesn't love him back, but he's not stupid about it, he works to better himself and earn affection from his crush.

There's a wrestling fan that wants to save everyone but realizes that his noble aspirations might not be as noble as they seem. He is also interesting as the girl you think he'll end up with isn't the one he gets.

There's a tough girl with a heard of gold that puts everyone through hell before they realize she's really a great girl deep down inside. Her nuances are excellently played.

There's a girl who seems happy go lucky but inside is hiding great pain, and is the most emotionally complex character in the whole show, who tries to go to great lengths to appease those of her around her. Her entire arc is the saddest even though she's the happiest person around (in appearance).

There's also the perfect girl who has one epic meltdown after one of the phenomenon gets to her, along with having to cope with some serious fears, fears she should never have. When these five come together, magic is made!

Enjoyment: 10

I loved Kokoro Connect and watching the interpersonal relationships that form. I was riveted as it seemed the event around them threatened to tear them apart, and I soared like an eagle when they came together and defeated Heartseed. It was a great show, just be sure to watch the extra four episodes, otherwise it's a mess.

Best Girl: Inaba! She's mean, she's tough and as soon as she said that line 'I masturbate to you too' as a way to bust that guy's chops, I knew I had my girl!

Kokoro Connect isn't without it's flaws, but it is a show worth watching, cringing as they get personal details revealed to the group, clapping as they all come together and make it so it doesn't matter. It's a show that can connect anyone's heart!

Welcome to another installment of Robert's Too Late Reviews! I'm throwing down with the sub version today. I just adore music, I learned to play simple instruments as a young child, and moved on to full brass in my high school years. As a player and a listener I adore the tuba and the trumpet, and so when I saw an anime about a bugler (which is a primitive trumpet) I *knew* I had to see it, and boy am I glad I did! Let's check out what song the sky is singing!

Story: 9
In the vein of further disclosure, I love nearly all kinds of ... music, and find great enjoyment in it. I was the tuba player in high school that equally dropped the bass line for Salt and Peppa's "Push It" just as often as I played Beethoven in my free time. I mention in my profile that I have several anime figures, the bulk of them being K-On, Love Live, and Idolmaster girls. I have also reviewed several 'idol' anime and scored them pretty highly. In other words, I'm coming at this with a strong positive inclination from the start.

While this anime is not about music as a forefront issue, ala Love Live, it's not as much a peripheral element ala K-On. For a good measuring stick, I would hold up Kids on the Slope, as the music is fairly important in both anime, but not the absolute central plot. What we have here is a beautiful music-related tale filled with wonderful drama and humor, which ends up being far more than the sum of its parts.

I must agree with one of the most popular reviews for this series that it indeed is *not* K-On in the military. It is very much it's own entity, and tells a compelling story, not just focusing on slice-of-life hijinks. In fact in this series the story does actually get pretty heavy towards the end, of which is a wonderful evolution from the lighter episodes we have in the beginning. The show, along with the main girl Kanata, grows and changes as we experience the quaint, peaceful world she has found herself in become electrified and wracked with the looming shadow of war. Kanata and the girls of the fort have to face many trials, from helping the townspeople in times of disaster to facing who they truly are, and even searching for forgiveness for who they used to be. Each character arc is compelling, and explains deeply who each person is, and their reasons for why they are the way they are.

Combine this personal growth of the girls at the fort with the occasional episode of fun along with the heavy consequences of war and finally around to the exploration of redemption, and we are met with one hell of a ride! While the girls sometimes seem like they are not much in the way of being soldiers, the show will break out with an episode proving the girls, no matter how laid back and informal, are still a close knit unit and very capable when the time calls for it, whether it's trying to stop a war, or just a simple food fight the Commander has the girls put on. (Oh and Noel is a food fighting genius!) No matter the cause or reason, these girls rise to the challenge of helping the people of the town, and each other.

The story truly is about doing the right thing, even in the face of opposition no matter where its coming from. Even when the whole world wants to destroy itself, these brave girls stand up for peace, not wanting to see everything fall apart yet again, which would surely happen if the dogs of war are unleashed. They are willing to do what is right even if that means defying the very nation they swore to uphold, not for some vague concept, but for the people close to them, for the people they love. They know and act on a fundamental truth: even your enemies are people and in the end, there's not so much that separates us as there is so much that can bring us all together. Groups setting aside their differences to work together for a better tomorrow is a hauntingly appropriate ideal at the time of this writing (June, 2020). These girls show that love and compassion are stronger than hate and fear.

The how and why of each character is explained, and some shocking revelations come to the surface which, no matter which girl you find most interesting, will totally rock your view of them. The story is excellently paced, even though it's only 14 episodes long if you include the two special episodes, as I am. As an aside there, I do suggest watching the first of the specials between episode 7 and 8, it fits in quite nicely there, and saving the last special as episode 13, so to speak.

Though the story does take a turn for the more serious issues as the circumstances in the world around them change, never once do we see the girls lose the values they are endowed with. When the chips are down, the girls might put on a more serious tone, but never to the point to betray their character, which in my mind is terrific writing. It's very easy to take a carefree character, have them face adversity, and then have a reaction that is outside of the attributes they started with. This anime holds strong in keeping the girls acting true to themselves no matter what the situation.

The ending is also a kicker, though slightly telegraphed, it was still awesome to see as it came to culmination. I knew pretty well who was going to be the catalyst, yet it was still satisfying to see it unfold. The theme of music also makes a most incredible impact in the ending, and honestly brought a tear or two to my eyes.

Overall an excellent story that is well paced, comes to speed appropriately and grows with a grace that is so very lacking in so many stories these days.

Art: 8
The series looks good, though not overly busy. The girls are all easily recognizable, even in flashbacks and when they are out of their 'regular' soldier uniforms. The details of their personalities are reflected well in their artistic portrayal of each person. The tough-as-nails sergeant (who secretly is of course very caring) wears a frown often, though if you watch, there are several moments where her facial features soften, even without dialog, showing the depth of her character. Each one of the people in the show all have these nuances and though the lines are simpler and clean, the art conveys this very well.

However, the commercial interlude cards are some of the ugliest things around. I don't know why they worked hard on making the rest of the series look great and then kind of blow off (seemingly) the title cards going and coming back from the commercial break. Odd.

Music: 9
Though I've not talked much about it in the story section, I did touch on the fact that music is important in this anime. From the synopsis we know that the primary cause of bringing the main girl to the fort is her position as bugler and her subsequent training by the sergeant. This brings trumpeting and bugle calls into the show regularly. Even as the story evolves away from our main girl and her bugle in favor of character development and world building, we still hear many trumpet and bugle calls, and the music plays an important role in the series' climax.

The reason I bring this up is obviously they have to get that element spot on, or the whole thing will come close to tanking. The music does not fail us, however, and falls perfectly in line. When our intrepid main character arrives at the fort she is appropriately unskilled in playing, and sounds pretty messy most of the time. As the series continues, her skills improve dramatically, and she's soon a highly competent bugler, and the bugle calls reflect this.

What really kicked me in the feels was the wonderful rendition of 'Amazing Grace' that resonates throughout the series. There are few things more beautiful than a great trumpeter playing this ubiquitous Christian hymn. The trumpet work and the background music blend in nicely and it really moves the emotional scenes, and earns its pivotal role in the storyline.

The voice acting is pretty spot on too. The compassionate commander is perfectly cast, and sounds amazing. The main girl is appropriately young, the tough sergeant-senpai is just gruff enough, and so forth. Even the owl sounds about right.

The ending theme is absolutely adorable, and makes my general playlist easily. The opening theme is a bit odd. It does not match at all with the tone of the series. It is relevant, but we only find this out in the last episode. Otherwise the music is nowhere near representative of what you're about to watch. Even the imagery, though again relevant to the absolute end of the series, is not fitting for the rest of the episodes. In fact, I was kind of put off by the opener pretty early on. Even though it sounds great and is a pretty song, it just seems out of place. Personally I would have preferred them run with a more 'bouncy' opener until the last episode or two, when the imagery and tone make more sense. A smaller complaint to be sure, but just don't let the opener throw you for a loop, it's not indicative of the bulk of the series' tone and style.

Character: 9
The characters are very interesting in that they all are very fleshed out. Even several support characters such as a nun from the town's church and an occasionally visiting supply officer have their own stories and backgrounds which are presented without bogging down the main story one bit. Everyone's motivations are clear, and most of them have a good bit of 'wow' factor to them, can be shocking, but are very in tune with their personalities.

The main girl does at times resemble Yui from K-On in mannerism and attitude. She's very happy-go-lucky, and full of boundless determination to be a successful member of the fort. She does take her music much more seriously than Yui does, and is shown practicing and declaring her desire to meet her sergeant's expectations quite often. She's sincere and honest, and is just a joy to watch.

The other private is a young girl who's one of those types to immediately throw a 'baka!' at anything and anyone if they perceive her as being anything but the tough girl. She's a lot of fun to watch as she tries so hard to be stoic and a good soldier when her heart longs to be as open and carefree as the main girl's is.

The tough as nails sergeant tries to put on a brave face, but is carrying a painful secret. She's determined to teach the main girl, not only bugling calls but how to live a good life. She's the serious one of the group, a bit of a counterbalance to the compassionate and caring commander who doesn't take the whole 'military' system too seriously. She's headstrong but still caring underneath her tough exterior.

The odd one for me is the mechanic of the group, she's listed there in the synopsis as being 'aloof'. I never sensed that at all about her. She's very quiet, and doesn't say a whole lot when she speaks, but she doesn't seem arrogant at all to me. Sleepy? Yes. Haughty? Not much at all.

The commander is well portrayed as a woman who has seen some things, but doesn't harden her heart because of it. She moves forward in tending to her soldiers, her girls, keeping their best interests in mind. She's also incredibly protective of the townspeople as well. Very caring laid back leader.

Enjoyment: 9
I did totally love this anime, and did even consider giving it a 10. The music element mixed in with a group of soldiers who are a close knit family struggling to preserve the peace and do what is right was absolutely moving. The joyousness of the series overall compliments well as the show brings it in during the homestretch. And even though the girls all act exactly like what we're taught to expect of their character, it is still pleasing to see them live true to themselves and to the right choices. This is a wonderful anime that choked me up a few times, and made me laugh in joy several times. It hits the perfect balance of story, music, fun, and responsibility. I absolutely love it.

Best Girl: Sergeant Rio by far. She's the tough one, the tsundere-like character (if that applies in non-romance situations) who tries to be a hardass but only does it because she holds herself to high expectations and wants to be the best role-model she can be. When the bomb drops about who she truly is, it was awesome. When her place in the climax appeared I literally cheered out loud. I'll take a tough girl with a heart of gold every time!

There are far worse choices out there when it comes to musical anime. If you want music to underscore a terrific story, you are in the right place. If you want characters that grow but don't lose the essence of who they are, this is for you. Excuse me, I must now go dust off my trumpet and play 'Amazing Grace'. All trumpet bells and thumbs up!

Welcome to another Robert's Too Late Reviews! Today we're working over the subbed version of Isshuukan Friends. We have a charming little series here, with a few issues that truly keep it from rising to the heights it might have otherwise achieved. Let's take it from the top.

Story: 8
I'm not saying I disliked the series at all, in fact I found it quite charming. There is, however, one MAJOR flaw that must be addressed as it is the focal point of the entire show, all the way down to what the series is called, that being the female lead's amnesia. The condition itself can ... be somewhat rare in real life, and almost never works in the manner depicted in fiction, but that's okay, as a story is, well, a story, yet this time we have a version of amnesia that truly stretches the suspension of disbelief to the breaking point. Our girl has the unique trait of forgetting her social interactions after each week. This appears to only affect her dealings in interpersonal interactions, as she's not shown to have any trouble with her studies in school, or in any other way. She simply goes to bed Sunday night, and Monday morning she has completely forgotten everyone she's interacted with the previous week. This of course puts her into a deep depression, and the entire show is built around trying to move her forward and bring the joy of friendship back into her life.

I'm pretty laid back on many things, but this issue was a bit of a stickler for me. If it had been portrayed differently, perhaps with a more 'complete' form of amnesia, such as what affected Haruka in Kimi ga Nozomu Eien, then I would have given this series a solid '8', no problem at all. Yet with the girl only forgetting her friends and nothing else, I just couldn't roll with that completely without it troubling me. However, as it was clearly just a mechanic to set up the story about the power of friendship and learning to open up to others so I didn't let it discourage me from watching. A minor *SPOILER* here, later in the show it is lightly suggested that perhaps our girl's memory problems are the result of psychological trauma and not any physical one, but this is only tapped on briefly and then never explored. In the end, there is no resolution on if she truly forgets because actual brain damage, or if she forgets as an emotional response similar to something like PTSD. *END SPOILER*

The other primary issue I had with this series was that as it wrapped up, the main guy makes a rather perplexing leap in logic in regards to the main girl's condition. It seemed a bit forced to me, there to pad out the series and give one last dramatic thrust.

So with that, let's talk about what is good here. This series is driven by our main guy who notices a loner girl in his class and decides to reach out to her. He bravely approaches her, and even when she holds him at arm's length at first, continues to befriend her. His efforts are rewarded as he does break through her self imposed exile, and learns of her condition. He helps her move forward, helps her find a way to make her continuously lost memories more permanent, and in doing so, helps her be the person she truly is, and helps her rise from her shell of depression into the light of life.

The story speaks to the fact that no one is without value, even the weird quiet person at school or work are still people, and maybe they are just in a situation that forces them into their behavior. Maybe they are just introverts who are too shy to seek out friendship with others. No matter the cause, everyone has value in the world, and even to others. As a famous author once wrote, "no man is an island". That is quintessentially true, as humans are social creatures by nature. There is something admirable about reaching out to those who are, for whatever reason, isolated.

I come to this subject with a strong personal view. I was always the loner, I am even today. I don't have many friends, I'm very shy and introverted, and I generally shy away from social situations. I am speaking of 'real life' as one would say, as here at my keyboard I feel I can truly be myself. But IRL it is easy to say I'm a bit of a hermit and always have been. I've had times when I wanted to be included or wanted to befriend someone but didn't know how, or couldn't summon the courage to step forward, and it hurt. There have been people in my life, however, that came to me and said 'hey, I want to get to know you, I think we could be great friends' that have brought a good deal of joy to my life. I am not dismissing the idea that there is sometimes a level of annoyance involved, as some of us prefer to be left alone for the most part, there is still beauty in someone, who has honest intentions, taking an interest in us. Even if I decide I don't want to socialize with that person reaching out to me, if they are doing so for the right reasons, then they still gain a good deal of my respect.

I'm not saying everyone has to be a social butterfly. What I am saying is that some people are alone when they don't want to be. This is clearly the case in this story, as the main girl is obviously miserable until the main guy moves to become her friend. The fact the main guy continues to try to be her friend even after learning of her weekly memory problem speaks to his honest heart. He isn't willing to just walk away because it's a bigger struggle to befriend the girl than other people. He sincerely wants to help her, and that is where the charm of the entire series really emanates from.

This isn't romantically motivated either, though the main guy does want a very special friendship, it's never indicated that he is thinking in any way of a romantic one. He just wants to be an important friend to her, as she becomes an important friend to him. It's through the efforts of the main guy that the girl is granted the life and friends she thought she would never have. The struggles everyone faces with the main girl is truly the meat of the series, and makes a satisfying meal, as long as you can see past the weird amnesia issue.

Art: 7
I would call this title's art 'simple and clean' if I had to put it shortly. There's not a huge amount of detail forced in, but the story doesn't require it anyway. By going with lighter details and a cleaner look, small touches like blushes are more apparent, and speak a lot more clearly than some of the more 'busy' art forms. The look works for the story well, and I don't find much to fault in it. I find the views on the artwork to be the most subjective, and I do tend to prefer the more detailed series, so I say '7', which by scale is still good. Your mileage may vary.

Sound: 8
I did enjoy the voice work in the show. The main guy sounds honest and sincere, and the main girl is appropriately bubbly once we learn her true personality. The rest of the cast is well done, though they do go with not one, but two rather monotone characters, one of each gender. The supporting guy is played as an aloof but wise personality, whereas the supporting girl is played more as a humorous deadpan. They both work, just not too often have I heard the 'flat' voiced character be more than a single person in most titles.

The music is pretty, the opening and closing themes match the sentiment and movement of the show nicely. The music is either airy and vaguely reassuring or is deep-keyed and mournful, which is exactly what the show calls for. Sound effects all hit, no wonky sounds to be heard anywhere.

Character: 7
Our main guy does seem to be too honest and good hearted at times, like he's putting in a level of effort that at first seems a bit excessive. His determination is admirable, but I did find myself at first wondering what was in it for him. This quickly dissipates as we see how wonderful a person the main girl is, and we quickly know that he continues to try because she is a great friend once she is reoriented with her relationship to him. Otherwise he's played off as a good person.

His supporting guy is, as I said, aloof but even though he puts on a tough act, his advice is pretty much always spot on, and while blunt, is truthful. He might act like he doesn't care about any of the things going on, but I believe we are shown that deep down he does. He just plays the 'whatever man' role, but he doesn't actually believe it himself.

The main girl is beautiful and tragic at the same time. When we see her in her states of loneliness and isolation, it's almost painful, but once she brought up to speed with who her friends are, she opens up and is just a joy to watch. She's kind hearted, and tender, and cares deeply for her friends. In a way, even her self imposed isolation is in the spirit of protecting those that would be her friend. Watching her move from this spirit of fear and hopelessness to a world where she can be as normal a girl as possible is enchanting.

Enjoyment: 7
Watching the main guy do his best to befriend the main girl is the admirable hook, and then watching his good deed enrich another's life draws one in even more. Watch the main girl learn to live again is the payoff, and is worth it, without a doubt. As I said before, the reason this isn't an '8' at least is the memory problem itself. I find it to be distracting enough that some scenes that were meant to be moving left me slightly annoyed because the arbitrary amnesia rules seemed at times to be there to complicate the situation and not for any other reason. However, I do recommend seeing this show, as it was a great story of personal growth and the love of friendship. It tries to show us that we should care for each other, and that friendship isn't all about what *you* get from it, but instead what *you* give to it as well. It's a great message in a nice little series.

Best Girl: I kind of wanted it to be Saki, but in the end, our main girl Kaori has to be the winner. She's just so adorable when she's out of her shell, and so heartbreaking when she's in it, I just came to love seeing her blossom over and over again, and watching as she overcame her challenging life.

So yeah, this is the one week anime version of 50 First Dates, but it doesn't fall nowhere near as flat as Adam Sandler's film did. I say spin it up, don't let the memory thing drive you off (though it is damn annoying at times) and see if you can remember this one next week. I know I will!

Robert's Too Late Reviews sliding in for another installment! Believe it or not, but we're actually running off the subbed version this time! I know, I was as surprised as you are! Anyway, if you've seen much of my reviews you probably know that romance is totally my jam, and True Tears doesn't disappoint! Barring a few cliches, we have an overall kickass ride. Let's see if our wings will get us off the ground.

Story: 8
The story is your somewhat traditional romance, complete with some hefty twists and turns, some are pretty easy to read, but others are a bit more surprising when they ... come around. Relationships are, of course, the meat of the entire series, and they are pleasingly complicated. Now I will say there's a bit of a cliche in the overall setting whereas we do have a main character who seems a little too lucky when it comes to subject of love. He seems to charm every girl that crosses his path, even if he doesn't intend to. It isn't too far into left field, as he's portrayed as a really great guy overall, and is seemingly caught in situations where he has little to no control, but it was a little deflating to see him have no serious competition from any other male cast member.

There's also another issue that pops up with regards to an overly used plot line, a taboo that has been done to death, yet here it comes up not once, but twice. One situation is acceptable and very important to the scheme of the story, whereas the other, from my perspective, was another one of those "dammit Japan" moments that edged close to very weird for me. This being a review, and not a play-by-play, I am purposely being vague on details, but any romance veteran can probably guess without any further information what the somewhat creepy relationship entails. If you are not picking up what I'm trying to lay down, just know there's a plot detail that is a little on the icky side, but it is never pushed into our faces too hard. I can only remember one scene that really tried to drive the point home, and it was quickly over without further awkwardness. I do ding the overall score for it, because it was a way to advance a relationship that seemed somewhat lazy in execution to me. They needed a character's feelings altered, so they just slap them into a moment that seems like its only there for a cheap shock. A 'normal' change in this character might have been a bit more boring, but would have been far less sigh worthy.

Another note in the overall arc of the series is that, like most romance titles, it starts a bit slow. I tend to always complain about this, even though I know it has to be so for us to become emotionally attached to the characters. I think my main point in saying a series has a slow start or is a slow burn is not to dissuade anyone, but to encourage the viewer to hang in there, as relationship building and character growth are always important in romantic dramas. Like I almost always say after the 'slow start' comment, again, this anime pays off extremely well in the mid and end game.

The series does make you want to invest in the characters and the tribulations they suffer as they look towards the future, and what that future might hold for them and the ones they hold most dear. I think this title does hook the viewer a little earlier than some with an incredibly interesting character, and if she doesn't do it for you, there's another girl who immediately is shown to be in a highly distressing domestic situation that warrants an immediate desire to know why she is suffering the way she does. However, the viewer isn't overly rushed into the characters and the show gives plenty of time for us to ponder on and produce theories as to what we think is going to happen. So the series doesn't drag too long in the world building and relationship setup department. They really pull off an excellent job of moving us from our initial entrees to the main course with impeccable timing.

Overall, the series gives us the moments we need to make itself an interesting watch. If there wasn't the aforementioned taboo thrown in, along with a character that does a complete 180 degree turn in behavior with little explanation, I would have deeply considered giving the story a '9' rating.

Art: 8
I found the art to be pleasing to the eye, again it is what seems to be a more 'simple' style with clean lines and a seriousness in presentation that really does match the overall theme incredibly well. There is no 'comedy' effects to speak of, reactions are more 'realistic' and is shown with far more subtlety and nuance. The angry looks (and there is a character that is angry pretty frequently) are conveyed convincingly, even if the only overt sign of their emotions is a frown. The eyes are done well, something I find important from a personal point of view. The characters are also distinct, and it's never difficult to keep up with who's who or anything like that. The backgrounds all look fine and didn't detract from the main action. Overall a very pleasing style, even if it's not deeply detailed.

Sound: 9
The music is nicely done, the opener and closer were appropriate in their style, but did not catch my ear enough for me to take much notice of them. What I did find interesting and pleasing was the background music work throughout the scenes in-show. The piano work was very nicely done, putting an emotional topping on the various events' ice cream. It moved with the story well, and easily brought resonating feelings to the forefront of my heart. The background music spoke very well, yet was not intrusive at all. The only reason the music didn't just carry my heart and slip quietly away when needed was because I was specifically trying to pay heed to it for this review. The music did very well highlighting emotional highs and lows and bringing weight and feeling to append to the visuals.

The voice acting is well done. The quiet, demure girl sounds exactly like one would expect, carrying notes of sadness and maturity in her voice. She is able to convey her feelings, her views, and her emotional state with just a few words. The younger, more eccentric girl has a higher pitched voice, though nowhere at all near screeching, and carries a playful tone for most of her lines. She's a bit odd, and she expresses that vocally in a wonderful display of talent on the actress' behalf. The angry woman has an appropriate amount of venom in her speech, and the bright girl is also well played. The female cast was just phenomenal from where I'm sitting, though I will admit I have far less experience with original Japanese voice talent than most of you guys, as I prefer dubs when possible.

The main guy's voice is also well done. The big thing for me is always the guy's voice. Whether it be Japanese or English, the guy has to sound spot on or it irritates the hell out of me. So many romantic leads are either dry and stale sounding, or sound like they are complete dolts without two brain cells to rub together. This time we get a great performance for the most part, and he sounds pretty good. The main guy's best friend is a little goofy sounding, but that's acceptable as he doesn't have all that much screen time and he's presented as being a bit more 'carefree' and all than the main guy is, so he works too, though to a lesser degree. The music and voice work were all just really well done. I think most of you guys will enjoy it as much as I did.

Character: 8
Of course the characters are the biggest deal, so if they fail, the show pretty much is guaranteed to fail. True Tears does not let us down in this department. Our main guy is truly a good guy, and does not intend to hurt anyone, yet ends up in a difficult situation despite his attempts to avoid it. Yeah, I know most all romantic dramas feature a guy who is nice but gets caught up in complications, but there's a reason we see this setup so much: because it works. However, this time around we get a main guy who knows how he feels before even the first frame, but is forced out of his comfort zone by a secret the girl he loves at the beginning holds. When this comes to him, he's pushed into a new direction with a new girl that causes him to grow emotionally. Yet all things are not what they seem, and only time tells whether or not his original love can be all he has always wanted her to be.

The new girl he comes to know and be involved with is incredibly interesting. She is, to be direct, very weird, but in a completely adorable way. Her eccentricities define her character and bring our attention into focus quite sharply almost as soon as she appears. She is constantly doing unusual things, and defies attempts to understand her behavior. She is looking to fly and find true tears, and she moves to bring the main guy into all that she believes he can be. But is her weird ways and encouragement enough to hold a relationship together?

The demure girl is holding a terrible secret, one that will shake the foundations of her own relationship with the main guy. This secret is also shared with the main guy's mother, who does not take kindly to the information. The mother is always angry, to the point of basically being abusive to the demure girl. Our quiet girl also struggles with her own feelings while trying to pair them up with the truth as she knows it. However, what happens when she finds out the secret she protects might not even be true?

Adding to the mixture is a sweet girl who owns a bakery and is dating our main guy's best friend. She seems to be carefree and the best friend truly loves her, but can that love last in the face of her changing feelings? Or will she break one guy's heart while hoping the other doesn't break hers?

Enjoyment: 9
I did enjoy True Tears greatly. It was a moving romance story with incredible characters. The odd issue here or there kept it from rising to a masterpiece, though I can clearly tell the producers of the show put a lot of heart into it. If you love a good love story, and one with wonderful twists and turns, then by all means don't deny yourself and watch this one. The characters are likable, the plot is complex without being overly complicated, and the emotional investment needed to watch is well worth the time and effort. Throw in some cliffhangers that will make you say 'just one more episode!' and you have one hell of a ride.

Best Girl: Noe by a *long* shot. I just adore weird girls, and Noe is most decidedly weird. She's also adorable with her singing songs about roaches, and her ability to marry innocence and silliness with at times very deeply mature and wise insights is striking. She's just stellar!

If love isn't your thing, then there's nothing to see here. If you are like me, however, and love the battles of the heart, then you're going to be moved, maybe even at some moments to tears. Its a great ride, and one that I clearly recommend. You'll never realize how important chickens can be to a relationship if you miss this one!

Welcome to another RTLR review! Dub is our poison as always. I gotta man up and admit that I am in no way an 'elitist' when it comes to anime, at least I don't think I am. I make no bones about watching harem and ecchi titles along with more 'emotionally mature' fare. This time tho, with Cat Planet Cuties, we have a whole lot of nothing, tired tropes, and nonsensical elements that all come together and make for a strangely entertaining series. Straight up, if fan service doesn't do it for you, then by all means consider the overall score a 1. If you ... do enjoy titles like Highschool DxD or To-Love Ru, then there's some fun to be had here, even if it comes with a little grain of salt.

Story: 5
There's nothing to really write home about story wise, and that's okay, there's not really supposed to be any high drama going on. There's a fair bit of action, and lots of shooting happens in between fan service scenes, but nothing is truly ever explained or expounded upon. What we get here is an adorable cat girl coming to Earth to make contact only to find that many different groups want to hold her for their own ends, and come to find out, the main cast around the main guy are all members of these various outfits. Cat alien just happens to land in bed with a regular guy, and just so happens one of his friends works for the CIA, the other works for the Japanese Immigration Board, and they all have designs on this newly arrived visitor! Throw in a weird cult based on catgirls, and another cult hell bent to have first 'official' contact with aliens be something more appropriate, and there's plenty of reasons to send bullets flying all over. Of course our main guy is absolutely clueless as to what is going on, and as to the true identities of his long time best friends. Hell, even an 'uncle' anime version of P.I. Magnum shows up and he *still* has trouble putting two and two together.

After an icy reception from the Japanese government in meeting the catgirls, things become tense for a while. The catgirls don't know that their mortal enemy, the dog-girls have secretly made contact and are supplying tech to the humans. The first handful of plots revolve around this action, and sets up the intensity of the show nicely. After both sides of aliens are aware of each other, it lowers the tension some, and allows for much more fanservice time.

And when it comes to fan service, boy do we ever get it. Nudity is not a thing in this anime with breast of all sizes trotted out for the world to see. Lots of sexually compromising incidents come up, eliciting laughs here and there, and trying it's very best to be sexy. There is also a semi-harem situation present, as the tho long time human friends of the main guy both are madly in love with him, yet the newly arrived catgirl also seems to instantly carry a torch for him as well, even offering him to be her first mating partner as she enters heat for the first time. The overall actions of each girl tends to pertain to their own feelings for the main guy.

It's cheesy action, cheesy dialog, and even cheesier fan service, but pulled off with aplomb. Most of the cast seem to enjoy their performances.

Now to the bad beats that force me to rate this no higher than a 5. The alien girl trope is done to DEATH by now. We've seen it so much it's not even close to original. The high pitched alien girl who has no sense of personal boundaries or modesty checks off another box on the 'tired old trope' list. One human friend, the big chested CIA agent is played off as aggressive and pushy, trying her best to push the flat chested Immigration girl into the main guy's arms before the catgirl beats her to the punch. The eye-rolling 'secret' is that CIA girl is deeply in love with main guy and has been for ages and ages, she's just been to scared to openly admit her feelings for him.

The Immigration girl is your typical 'sure he can't love me, I'm no good' type who constantly blunders every romantic attempt she makes with him (or is forced into by CIA girl). She has super low self esteem and sees herself as nothing but a cold blooded killer unworthy of love. This sentiment is of course reversed by the series end, as is CIA girl's coming clean about her feelings.

The catgirl doesn't seem to have any reason to have a romantic link to the main guy but still does. She basically ends up meeting him first and instantly falls for him. Yeah, he's a nice guy, but there's a lot of nice guys out there. So her sudden and fierce devotion to him seems a little forced.

Another point that irked me relates to international (or in this case inter-spacial law) after the initial meeting with the leaders of Japan, the catgirls are denied official relations but informal relations are still allowed. Kind of a 'we'll pretend we don't see you so don't make too much noise' kind of situation. The problem with that, especially considering the dog-girls are already behind the scenes, is that the catgirls immediately declare the main guy's house their sovereign territory, not compliant to Earth laws but only Catian. How can someone establish a legal embassy without formal relations with the government? Not only do they do so, they do things like fire off weapons and other training activities at the residence, which is in the middle of town.

The enemies being dog-girls is cliche so bad it hurts. While the human military offers token resistance in the beginning it really comes down to a fight between cat and dog. Predictable, but stupidly so. Another asinine thing is the catgirls have guns that fire bullets that destroy inorganic material but do no damage to flesh. Yeah, as you can guess, they are used several times to disrobe various girls.

It's like the show took tons of notes from other shows and kind of crammed them in together, with slice of life beach trips, action oriented battle scenes, and steamy, sexy time moments. In the end, they don't really execute any of them very well. Finally, why do catgirls have human ears? What's the point when they have cat ears? If I remember right, Konohana Kitan had cat/fox girls and they didn't have human ears! It is slightly confusing for them to have both listening organs.

Art: 8
I though this one looked really good. The character design was very well done, though there are some stock characters to be found, the glasses wearing doctor, the loli (in this case 2) and the busty captain of the catgirls. They aren't poorly done, just typical. They still are drawn with an eye for quality. The two humans are very well done in my eyes, and are very expressive through the artwork. The big knock for me is the assistdroids both the cats and the dogs use. They are cute, chibi style, but while not badly drawn, I found their appearance to be grating for some reason. The backgrounds look fine, and special effects pop and add to the flavor of the battles.

Sound: 8
The opening theme is fun and I really enjoyed it. None of the closing themes did anything for me, but they got the job done, being airy and appropriate for an anime about boobs and bangs. The background music was nice, and the special effects sound effects are exactly what one would expect.

The voice acting is where the show shines. There are some heavy hitter dub actresses in the series and they all sound wonderful. None of them sound bored or overacted. The main catgirl can be a little pitchy, but that's intentional I think to match her carefree, curious attitude. She reels it in before it becomes overbearing however. The mean girl is pushy and has the perfect voice, and the subdued girl sound equally out of her element and lacking in confidence. The main guy isn't bad, he's just your average joe, nothing remarkable about his voice whatsoever.

Character: 5
I rated this objectively this low because even though I thoroughly enjoyed many of them. The main catgirl is cute beyond compare, a complete airhead, and bumbles cutely from one embarrassing situation to the next. She does help out at times, but seems to be reminded that she has the extra powers that her alien race has. She seems intently in love/lust with the main character for no real give reason. She's always dressing provocatively and sometimes encourages sexual proclivity, something we've seen a thousand times by now in other harem and/or ecchi shows.

The Immigration girl is in love with the main guy, having known him a while, but because she's an assassin, she feels she can never be loved. She feels her hands are covered in too much blood to ever hold someone. She has superb tactical skills and kicks all the ass when the time comes, but when it's time to talk to the main guy, she stutters and stammers and often flees the scene. The overly shy badass has been ran into the ground too.

The CIA girl is the friend that has known the main guy the longest, and is also in love with him since way back. She failed to make her move, and through a misunderstanding comes to believe that she has lost her chance for true love with him. She compensates for this by living vicariously through the Immigration girl, trying to fix her up and give her what CIA girl wants but never had. The best friend pushing another girl into a relationship with the guy while having feelings for him herself is way overused.

The main guy is just clueless, though he catches on quicker than most. He isn't rankled by finding a catgirl alien in his bed, he's not even all that bothered when he finds out that both his friends were secret assassin agents for different government agencies. He trots around saying 'I won't let anything bad happen to girl x,y, or z' and fumbles ass backwards into saving the day. He's also exasperated by the sexual attention when most kids at say 15-18 would be jumping in bed with anything that even smiled at him. Instead he's too 'pure', a trait all harem/ecchi show leads seem to espouse.

Enjoyment: 7
Honestly I liked this series. It was a lot of fun even with the messed up plot developments, the groan worthy setup for action scenes, and the dog assistdroid that did nothing but sound like Muttley (only you older folks likely get that one) but despite those failings, it was still engaging and fun. Was it stupid? Yes. Was it stupid fun? Hell yes. Objectively I cannot recommend it to the general audience, but if you are into harem/ecchi and similar titles, you'll find many tropes, but you'll probably find some nuggets of humor in there too.

Best Girl: Immigration agent Aoi. Sure she's shy and has to be pushed hard to admit her feelings for the main guy, but she is also a total badass with the power to teleport close objects directly into her hands (mainly guns). That's a nice power, and she's not obnoxiously fan servicey like a lot of the other characters. I gotta love a ass kicking but yet shy girl in glasses, so Aoi takes the cake!

Really it's not that great of a show unless you're in the mind for empty, stupid humor and blushingly ecchi moments. This title was made with a certain viewer in mind, and if you're not one of those, you'll probably hate it, probably won't make it through the first episode. However, if you like a little eye candy, some explosions, over the top situations and somewhat groan-inducing comedy, you might just want a Cat Planet Cutie of your own!

Robert's Too Late reviews arriving fashionably late yet again. Today's series is a fascinating one, as though it might be titled "Gunslinger Girl" the crux of the story does not revolve around gunplay. Yes there is some shootouts, but it's not an action packed fest. This, however, enhances the viewing experience from my point of view. As always, we're looking at the dubbed version here. Let's tear this gun down and see what we have.

Story: 8
The girls in the show are all recruited through some terrible means. They are all near death when the government agency steps in and takes over. Having the parents ... sign over all the their rights, the government proceeds to make them top secret projects: innocent appearing young girls who are remorseless killers. This causes problem, one for the fact the 'conditioning (brainwashing)' process is far from completed and the girls struggle with memories and feeling cropping up at inopportune times.

There is also the problem that by removing them from society and putting them in a dorm, they have no one to look up to. The befriend each other, but each as an adult male handler, and they project all their confusing 'daddy issues' on them. Some handlers treat their girls like nothing but weapons, meant to be used, and discarded when broken. Others, as our main guy believes, that the girls are still inherently human regardless of their cybernetic upgrade. He goes out of his way to show affect to his little girl partner, often earning the scorn of his fellow handlers.

But because the girls are limited to the only adult interactions with their handlers exclusively, they develop over dependency on them, making the meaner handlers that much worse. These girl know they have been given a second chance at life and are pretty wholly committed to do whatever they can to please the most important person in their lives: their handlers. Combine that with lethal training, and if the handler says killing five people would make them happy, the little girl is going to drop five bodies in quick succession.

This of course leads to a moral quandary Should little girl be used in such a matter? Would it had been better off for them to have died of whatever was killing them in the first place? I understand the dichotomy of the situation, who ever thinks that the little girl with a violin case is carrying a P-90 or other assault rifle before it's too late? There is also the problem that in the cybernetic parts of the girls meant to facilitate longer life, is in fact killing them. They were dead without them, and with them they are only given a small mount of borrowed time. Is it better to have died as a 'normal' child, or is it better to gain months or years if that time must be spent killing others?

The backdrop to the killing is that the show takes place in Italy and there is a violent back of terrorists called the Republican Faction trying to use force and terror to achieve their aims. Since suppressing dissidence with violent force, the government hands the problem off to the 'black book off the charts' Second 2 where they girls operate from to handle the 'issues'.

The meat of the story, for me at least, was the dynamics of the girls both with their handlers and with each other. Cyborg or no, they are still just little girl with little girl dreams and aspirations. While they can and do maintain friendships among themselves, some have a strained relationship with their handlers. I know I'm making the handlers sound like a bunch of pricks, but that's not always the case. The main guy I believe loves his girl dearly, and shows her kindness often. Others have reasons for their own motivations, through personal trauma and the like. In fact one of the grumpiest handlers has a damn good reason for feeling the way he does about his girl. The interactions and developments of these relationships are far more interesting than the occasional gunfight.

Okay, yes, the story is slower, and more deliberately paced, but to pull off the remarkable story they did, it had to be that way. Come in expecting John Wayne level shootouts and you will be highly disappointed. This is far more the thinking man shooter show, and not the run and gun type.

Art: 8
This is an an older title and it shows. The appearance is just what was standard for the turn of the century and there's nothing wrong with that. It's just not quite as overly-busy like is in vogue now. The visuals get it down and that's what counts. The girls all look like sheltered (even if assassins) girl with little 'normal' contact withe the outside world. The drawing is clean and the lines simple and never once did I see something that really stuck out as being out of place.

Sound: 8
Of course the question here is: do the guns sound right? I'm no marksman at all but the firearms all made what I would deem appropriate 'thump' depending on size and use. The pistol doesn't sound like a machine gun, and the machine gun doesn't sound like a rocket launcher.

The voice cast is pretty well done. There's no truly ear screeching voice, not even among the girls. The 'main' girl does sound a bit young and naive but that's dismiss able and not a deal breaker at all. The is one girl that sounds very much older than she appears, but it works for her character's actions. The male handlers are all well done. The caring guy seems to genuinely inflect his warm feelings for not only his girls, but all the girls in the organization. The mean one sounds like an ass, and the middle of the road guys don't really stand out (as they aren't meant to do anyways).

The must is awesome. The opener and closer are both really great, and the background music is fitting for each scene.

Character: 9
This is where the show shines. We see a lot of the girls earlier on alone or with just their handlers. As the series goes on, we seem them interact between each other more and more. With these interactions we see how 'normal' these poor girls are. The quiet one learns to speak up, and the funny one keeps everything light. The true conflict of the story is how we can see a girl waste a room full of terrorists and be back home by tea time chatting and laughing with their friends. This black and white existence is truly fascinating.

We see the same through the handlers, some being caring, others feeling the girls are nothing more than tools to be used to even traded away. As time goes, however, we see for some of the handlers things are not what they seem. This particular revelation with one handler and girl actually brought tears to my eyes, even though I didn't get sad at any other point.

Enjoyment: 9
I found the slower, more contemplative pace to set this title apart from a million run-and-gun shows out there. There's an aspect of introspection that is not often seen, and it kept me glued to my chair for the entire season, rooting for the girls, wishing better for the trainers. Overall it was a very good time.

Best Girl: Treila. She's a bit more independent (read not as brainwashed) as the others, and while she's a demon with a pistol she is also devoted to serving her handler and of course bringing the girls all together. Badass babe with a gun? Count me in!

This was a charming little first season, asking the tough questions and not always having an answer. Where is the line drawn? Who are we to play God and save a soul only to damn it to being an assassin? Thoughts like this played through my head, and I couldn't help but think if I have another daughter, maybe I should train her as an assassin! Just kidding people!

Welcome to Robert's Too Late Reviews! Today we're running the dubbed version as always. When I found this title I was on the prowl for something nice and romantic, and overall I was quite satisfied by what I saw. There are some issues that keep this series from a higher rank, but they aren't overly intrusive. Let's see if we can't fall off this bridge.

Story: 8
This is quite the romance title, including all the usual trappings of lovelorn youngsters, agonizing misunderstandings, and uncertain feelings. If this kind of dramatic play isn't your thing, move along for sure. But for those that stay, there's ... an added element of existential crisis presented through the story in the form of the main guy's amnesia. This condition is a central driving point for the entire show. This serves to muddle the feelings and confusion that the main guy feels, because not only is he dealing with the minefield of love, he's doing it while trying to discover exactly who he himself is.

This is all set against a backdrop of college life, so we're thankfully not dealing with high school teeny-boppers. As the main guy tries to build a new life for himself, fate seems to have plans for him, and his almost random choices in forming his new self set him on a crash course with his former life. The question is, if he gets his memories back, will he still be the man he has became post-accident? This fear is a driving factor and is used to great effect to illustrate the added difficulty of him establishing and keeping relationships.

His memories from before his accident might be completely gone, but the feelings sometimes bubble to the surface, and he realizes, if only on an emotional level, the connection he had with others from before, specifically the girl who was his best friend in high school. He knows this girl is incredibly special to him, but he doesn't know how, or what form the relationship was in. He just knows that those feelings cloud his heart and cause a dreadful amount of difficulty in him trying to love his new girl with everything he has. The confusion and disorientation provided by his condition leaves us as viewers wondering exactly what is going to happen. Will he regain his memories? Will he lose the memories from after the accident when he becomes his old self? Or will he realize that pre-accident, post-accident, either way he's always been himself?

The story wraps it up nicely in the end, and gives a satisfying conclusion to the entire proceedings. It provides a grand ending as well, something I just adore, the whole over the top thing. No muted notes here in the ending which I believe worked just perfectly.

Now to a problem. The way amnesia is presented in the show is incredibly unrealistic. While it is basically the Macguffin for the series, it alters the mechanics to suit the plot's needs. For example, after the accident, the best friend girl seems to almost give up on the main guy, who is, clearly, supposed to be very close to her. The main guy mentions that all his friends drift away from him and he is left alone, not even knowing his own parents. I've never had a good friend have this (incredibly rare to impossible) level of amnesia, but I damn sure wouldn't just turn and walk away, especially if they were an important friend in my life. I'd stay with them, help them remember, and if I could do that, help them get to know who they used to be. I'd support my friend and would be right there for them. I wouldn't sadly walk away.

Another issue is that the main guy is worried that if he regains his former memories, he will lose all of the ones gained since the accident. This is also way out in left field. Barring some extremely specific brain damage, when someone regains their memories, they don't have other memories erased. If say, you lose all your memories today, and in two weeks regain them again, you would remember all the amnesia related stuff *plus* everything that had happened in the two weeks between. The plot ignores this, mainly to pull more romantic tension into the series. It irritated me, but I could look past it enough to still enjoy the show. Had they not gone all wonky with the memory thing, I'd probably have ranked this a 9.

Art: 8
I really liked the art in this one. It's not too simple, but not overly busy either. The cast is well drawn, and the girls are all cute as buttons. As always I admit I'm not an art snob, and can roll fairly well with most visual aesthetics so I understand if some of you guys are more picky about that kind of thing.

Sound: 9
The sounds are great. Both openers and closers are fun little themes and are pretty easy to tap your foot to. The background music is fine, but where the sound department really shines is in the voice acting.

The voice actors are perfectly cast. The high maintenance, clingy, insecure girl has the perfect super selfish and demanding yet weepy and childish voice. Some might find her voice a little off putting, but I think that's intentional. She's a hardcore character and her defining traits are supposed to indicate her obsessive and needy ways.

The main guy sounds good too. He's not too dumb sounding or bland. He's got an emotional range and he uses it well, showing pain in his voice in the bad moments, and a brightness when things are going well.

The best friend girl sounds mature, grounded, and determined to make the best out of a very painful situation. She's not over acted at all, and performs so well that it really draws you into the character.

The remaining supporting cast are all good, the nerd sounds like one, the innocent, well meaning girl is bright and usually cheerful, and the main guy's best bud sounds spot on as well.

Character: 8
We have some interesting characters here. The main guy's life revolves around his amnesia and the surfacing of emotions that he lacks the memories to understand. He is often conflicted, in feeling deeply for his best friend girl, but also not understanding that relationship all while falling in love with the main girl. He is going through some serious trouble, dealing with the fallout of the accident and it shows well through his choices and behaviors.

The main girl is obsessive and impulsive and just over the top. She's nearly yandere sometimes. She's one of those that has to be constantly reminded that her boyfriend loves her, and that everything is okay. She's high maintenance, shrill, insecure, yet demanding and arrogant at times as well. She feels real, as I've known some women like her in my time for sure.

The best friend girl harbors a terrible secret in that she knows why the accident happened, knows all about her and the main guy's past together, and has to set it all aside and act like nothing ever happened because that's what she believes is best. Fate seems to tie them together as well, as even in his random choice of going to the city for college, he can't help but run into her, even though he doesn't know who she is. She has to fight back all the feelings she had for him as a friend (and possibly more) and act as though they are perfect strangers. Yet, her presence is what triggers the surfacing of emotions in the main guy that causes him so much distress and issues with his girlfriend. She's wonderfully bright, and carries herself so well, making her character all the more tragic.

Enjoyment: 9
This series has the romantic hooks I was looking for. We have budding relationships, trials in those same relationships, and even deeper feelings because of the main guy's condition. There's all the struggles of young love, and everything one would expect in a romantic title. I don't say that in a bad way, nor do it mean it to be cliche, but it hit the spot for the emotional story I was seeking. I really think this is a great series and well worth watching.

Best Girl: Linda, the best friend. I choose her purely because of the events that she shares with the main guy that she has to cope with when he comes back into her life. She also does everything she can to support the main guy, even if she has to do it in secret. She's a devoted friend, and truly wants what's best for the main guy, so bam, best girl, no doubt.

Don't let the initial appearance of the bratty main girl ruin the fun right off hand, as soon as her and the main guy start dating and the Linda angle comes up, things get good, quickly. If you need romantic drama in your life, if you love love, if you love characters that aren't just a single note, I think you'll love this one. It is pretty Golden, after all.

Hi. Welcome to another round of Robert's Too Late Reviews! Today as usual we are working the dub version. I recently reviewed Chivalry of a Failed Knight, and bemoaned repeatedly the whole 'overpowered meek and humble hero', well there is NONE of that to be had here! That and we are thrown some twists at the ending which I found appealing as well. Let's throw down this show and see what we've got going!

Story:7
The story isn't anything to write home about. Little boy gets zaps into another world, lives there his whole childhood, gains superpowers and then returns. Not all that unusual there. His kicker, ... as the synopsis mentions is that instead of a magic sword or treasure, he brings back the daughter of a Demon Lord he destroyed (with the Demon Lord's blessing oddly enough) and on returning to earth, passes her off (well to some people as his long forgotten sister. So we have him horndogging on her as much as possible, all while adjusting to a special school where these 'returned' children use their magic or new found abilities for the benefit of our would.

Of course our main cat hits everyone wrong, for the most part, but the sad thing is, he comes PACKING. He is overpowered on ALL levels and damn proud of it too. He's cocky, he's arrogant, and he immediately catches the eye of the sinister student council president and pisses the vice prez off to no end. He did not study magic but an energy manipulation technique that keeps all of his foes off guard, even the final big nasty doesn't get that much of a jump on him. He does what he thinks is right because he thinks it so. He's true to his moral center, even if that center skews in directions the rest of us wouldn't go.

He pretends the woman he's meat to be with, the Demon Lord daughter is his sister for her sake, and also because he's not about to force her to care for him. He doesn't roll like that. Is he often that perfectly toned handsome smart powerful guy all guys want to beat to a pulp? Yeah, he is. But he's also cool, loyal, and never give in. This is not a story of the 'worst one' who turns out to the best this is the story of the beset one who says 'hell yeah, who's your daddy?"

Ton of action, comedy moments when the tho girls that friend 'sister' realize he's more than that to her. Hilarity as the student council vice is bested by him at every turn and cannot believe it. Add to the that the menacing pres, a shadowy origination that is not explained hardly at all, and hits the big baddy was just a warm up, and things seem like they might be on track for a bit season two.o! But yes, ecchi tropes to be had, often.

Art: 9
Looked good, the fights were pretty awesome, the different power projected were varied and interesting. Detail was nice, though I didn't like the school uniform for princess girl, too much cleavage. Never thought I'd say that before! Otherwise, everything looked right on place.

Sound:8
The battle music worked well, nice clanks and weighty weapons sounds. The voice actors carried it but didn't oversell too much. The themes are nice, rock beat to them, but nothing too special. Voice casting was very well done. The asshole lead sounds like a self confident jerk (even if he has the right to be) the girls all held their own, and the student vice pres is a trip to listen to, loving that for sure.

Character:8
The characters can be a bit one sided in that OP guy is good hearted, but really has to wait till the chips are down to act. The girds that befriend little sister are honest and sincere enough, while the VP seems to have nothing on her mind than ways to destroy the main character. Some of it works, some of it is eye rolling.

Enjoyment: 9. It was a nice change of pace to see a protagonist that says 'I'm gonna bust you up, then you up, and then your granny too!' even if he didn't actually mean it. He's full of bluster, but ultrapowerful so perhaps he's allowed? Not only that, but the end fight of the serious is STRONGLY hinted to be a taste of things to come. They set up season 2 hard and strong, hope they make it now. Was a damn fun show!. If you like Characters with swagger and the ability to back it up, this sis for you!

Best Girl: Kuhuza! God I lover voice actor and love just about every work she's in!

If you light it fast and furious, but WITHOUT a side of idiocy (Fairy Tail) give this one a go, it's a short sesious anyway, not going to waste much time of it does't grab ya! Two Thumbs up!

Welcome to Robert's Too Late Reviews! Dub version as usual. Today's title is interesting in it's fairly aggressive attempts to seemingly be a middling series. Now many people consider a '6' to be an abysmal score, but by label it is 'fine'. This series isn't bad, its just mediocre, and comes across bland and stereotypical. Let's go ahead!

Story: 6
The biggest problem for the story from my side of things is that it seems to take titles, say such as Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero, and use their formulas with only minor tweaking. It's like the writers said 'hey lets make a ultra powerful main character ... that is humble instead of being full of himself' and ran with it. The title of the series is incredibly misleading, I believe. A 'failed knight', the 'story of the worst one' just really doesn't apply, even though they beat us over the head with this plot point continuously for the entire run.

The main guy is an utter badass, and demonstrates this early on, even if we're repeatedly told he's terrible. Thing is, he's not cocky about it, but is very unassuming and down-to-earth. This does not stop him from whipping the living shit out of every opponent he faces, pretty completely. He pretty much stays undefeated in every fight for the entire series. Yeah there's some close calls, but hey, gotta have *some* story tension, right? Even though he's constantly called weak, at one point in the series he runs a sword fighting training class that is insanely popular, with tons of students calling him master and recognizing his true skill levels.

The motivation behind this nice guy is a bit weak, and only partially touched on as the show comes to its conclusion, that being a distant father who expects him to fail and doesn't believe in him at all. This is almost another stereotypical trait, except that it is not really explored or fleshed out. The main guy's little sister has a much more convincing case of angst against their father than the main guy ever could dream of. The main guy is like a Boy Scout with a sword. He just merrily goes along his way helping his friends because they need help, and working hard to be a proper knight because that's what good guys do; they work hard to be good guys. Then at the end they throw in a little of 'maybe dad's an asshole' and leave it at that.

The main guy of course wants to get into the national tournament of knights because of course he does. This isn't any different from a million other anime titles, hell I mean the Love Live! girls wanted to get into the national competition too, ya know? Very predictable and average, as there's really no surprises along the way. There's a moderate twist towards the end, but it has no real effect on the main guy's efforts overall, and is kind of clumsily done. It still comes down to fighting sanctioned matches against other student opponents and when his sword comes out, asses are kicked in short order.

There is also a stumbling romance presented between the worst ultra badass and a foreign princess, but that stalls and sputters too. They go from sharing a kiss at one point to stumbling around being embarrassed to be close to each other for an inordinate amount of time afterwards. Usually when kisses are welcomed and enjoyed, they lead to more kissing, even if they are stolen in fleeting moments of privacy. These two seem to try to go with the cutesy act and it just makes the whole thing seem forced and uninteresting. They sputter around from kissing and giggling for 3 or 4 episodes to suddenly shooting forward to a full nude scene complete with propositions and everything, (guess how our noble knight responds?) and then right back to middle-school level shyness.

The only romantic tension that comes into play, outside their own immaturity, is that little sister is a total brocon, and is constantly trying to stake a romantic claim on main guy. Now this is anime, so it's totally possible for incest level shit to go down, but that would have added some flavor to the proceedings, so it was not to be. Instead sister is a light romantic foil for the main couple to prod them onto further (in)action. Just rather yawn inducing most of the time.

Now, wait a minute. I said the rating scale has a '6' at 'fine' right? The show isn't bad, not overly so, it's just completely predictable and just flat average. It's not to say there wasn't cool moments, it's just that those moments don't pull the series up from its foundation much at all. You can still pretty well guess everything that's going to go down for the whole shebang by episode 4 or 5, most likely, especially if you have much experience with these types of titles.

The fights are often pretty nice, and even though we know our badass main is going to win, they still often take an interesting route to get there, that is to say, the setup of the fight and the powers deployed, especially by main guy's foes. The only issue is, predictably, when the chips are down, main guy breaks out the super defense moves, then the super asskicking moves, and poof, opponent is finished.

Again, it's not a waste of time, but if you've seen other sword based shows such as the aforementioned Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero, or even SAO and Inuyasha, you've seen a lot of what is offered here. This is a perhaps a good series to kind of introduce a viewer to the overall concept, but when you've seen the tropes before, they do tend to stick out some.

Art: 7
I actually liked the art pretty well. The fights are pretty cool, and have some neat effects. I would have liked to see more of main girl's fire powers, and perhaps even some of the other students' abilities. We're limited in the amount of fights possible, as this is a short season, 12 episode run. On top of this, not all fights happen in the school ranking match for the national competition, so we do get some variety in background locations though not much.

Otherwise it looks pretty acceptable, cute girl is cute, hottie girl is drawn appropriately attractive, and even main guy looks pretty well done.

Sound: 7
The sound is fairly good, though we have an obvious problem from the start: nice main guy sounds like a boring, well, nice guy. He's never overly worked up, but never disinterested either. He's pretty flat and even, which in this case doesn't work to his advantage, as the rollercoaster of emotions we're to believe he goes through doesn't really reflect in his voice much at all. He's pretty unflappable even when the situation calls for his flaps to be fluttering a great deal.

The other voice work is acceptable, the main girl is a little loud at times, but isn't screeching like we get pretty often from the character that's lovey-dovey with the main. The little sister is played really well, having an appropriate edge to her voice when the situation calls for it. The gay guy is handled acceptably to me (we'll talk more in character section on this) without being overly wrought.

The battle sounds are well done, not surprisingly. The clashes and clangs and magical effects are all just how and where they are supposed to be, and add to the battle atmosphere nicely. The background music is perfectly acceptable and also works well. The themes are pretty nice, actually. I found the opener pretty enjoyable, and the closer has a nice 'warrior' feel to it.

Character: 6
We've already pounded repeatedly on the main guy's failing, in being immensely overpowered for his humble attitude, and for being such a supposedly 'failed' and 'worst' knight. He's just bland overall, and lacking in real charm. He does what nice guys do, and really never deviates from that course. On top of this, the writing never really puts him in any situations to test his demure ways. He lives with the main girl and love interest, and they basically never throw them into any compromising situations, a bit cliche in itself, but could have been a nice change of pace for the characters. I mean, c'mon he lives with his girlfriend, and there's never any embarrassing mix ups or even any steamy situations because Mr. Nice Guy's intentions are too pure for that, even when she seems to be throwing herself at him.

The main girl is the stereotypical powerful redhead, who has a bit of a sassy attitude. Never seen that one before huh? Overall she's not too overplayed, just also predictable in many ways. She's a little disappointing in that she's part of the almost childish romance subplot. She is forceful and headstrong in pretty much every other way, but isn't all that interested in taking the lead from the main guy, who clearly isn't going to bust a move on her first. She's just the cliched strong willed and strongly powered redhead love interest.

The little sister falls flat on the brocon thing, but does a good job at pulling the emotional strings in regards to her family situation. She would have been much better off without the brother-lust and purely as a character devoted to her family (or her brother at least). Otherwise she's pretty spot on acceptable.

The gay guy might be seen as a little offensive to more sensitive viewers, but I found him pretty well done. He acts as an emotional support for the main characters, especially the little sister. Now he's fairly stereotypical in his speech, and that might irk some of you. He often calls people 'honey' and refers to himself as a female, and has a slight lisp about him, but he's played off pretty evenly by his voice actor (Chris Patton, who's works I really enjoy) and isn't over the top. I have known many gay men through work, friends, and family and I've seen far more flamboyant personalities than what is portrayed in this series. Because of my real world experience, I didn't find this character to be offensive. I do, however, wish we'd gotten to see him really throw down and fight though.

The opposing characters and random others that pop up are pretty well done and not overpowering or completely underwhelming either. The tough guy that needs his ass whipped is cool, the lost girl who needs help regaining her true path is awesome, and student council president, while incredibly powerful, isn't the cliched bitch we see so often.

Enjoyment: 6
I know I seem to be pounding hard on this show, but it's really not that bad. If you're new to this kind of fantasy action stuff, and enjoy it, you'll likely really like this anime. For those of you that have a little experience, you might really enjoy yourself too, just know that the main guy isn't as nuanced as other mains in other shows. He's not an idiot like Issei from HS DXD or constantly showing off like Akatsuki of Rogue Hero, or mostly angry like Inuyasha. He's just a nice guy, and deserves credit for that, just it doesn't mesh as well against his abilities to decimate his opponents as other personality traits would.

Best Girl: Ayase, the lost girl who must find her way again and reclaim her family's honor. She's got an awesome look to her, and a great magical power. She even comes close to rivaling the main guy in her sword work. On top of this, she has a mysterious air about her, and so she gets my vote for sure.

I say give the series a spin, just don't expect the world and you'll probably come away satisfied. I just think they should have named the show something along the lines of 'Chivalry of an Honorable Knight' or what have you, as a failed knight is the last thing the main guy is. If you like to see the good guys be powerful yet not full of themselves then this surely is the series for you. Also check it out if you enjoy nice action sequences featuring interesting magical powers in a fight. A '6' rating is fine, and that's what you're getting here, an average, run of the mill show, and that's perfectly fine too.