Back to ceedot's Profile ceedot's Profile

So, to start, I watched this because I wanted something short and simple, and I was a big fan of the creator, Jun Maeda, and his other works, Clannad and Angel Beats. Naturally, I had somewhat high hopes for this show, but it ended with me being pretty disappointed.

It takes place in a world where some teenagers develop super powers soon after puberty, and our main character, Yuu Otosaka, has the ability to possess people for five seconds. He uses this to cheat his way into an elite school, but eventually gets caught by a girl named Nao Tomori, who forces him to transfer ... and join the student council at a school that hides these super powered teenagers. The student council goes around and stops other people from abusing their powers, until they get caught up in serious matters that basically determine the fate of all super power users and the world.

The premise is maybe a little unoriginal, but it works. It starts off as a mostly light hearted comedy/action show in a school setting, which is entertaining enough, and slowly develops into a much more intense drama, which is honestly pretty interesting to see. It has what I would genuinely say is the biggest tone shift I’ve ever seen in an anime at the halfway point, which I wasn’t at all expecting. A lot of people say the plot was very rushed and it needed more episodes, but I honestly thought it was fine.

It’s just that the plot itself is, well… not very good. The best way to enjoy this show is to completely turn your brain off and not think at all about what’s going on. I’ve never seen an anime with more plot holes, conveniences, and contrivances, and it barely ever tries to even cover them up. I tend to be forgiving of plot conveniences and whatnot if it ends up leading to an overall good and engaging story, but Charlotte just is not that in the slightest. Everything that happens just feels completely ridiculous. The entire world of it just relies on “anime logic” that would never be possible if it took place in real life. Think about anything that happens in it for more than like, a minute, and you’ll be saying “wait, what?”

It gets even worse because it somehow manages to have every single trope that’s possible in anime. Think of any anime trope and you’ll find it in here. I’m barely even exaggerating.

So, if it sounds this bad, why am I only giving it a 5 and not something lower? Well, like I said, if you turn your brain off, it is decently entertaining. There are some fun scenes here and there, and there are a few genuinely interesting turns and developments. Jun Maeda is famous for his dramatic storytelling, and I won’t lie, there’s a good amount of heart and emotion to be found here. There are some genuinely sad and touching moments, and it does manage to make you care about some of the relationships between characters. It gets close to it in some areas, but I wouldn’t call it a bad show.

But still, thats’s not nearly enough to make up for all of its faults. There are many shows out there with far better storytelling and greater emotional pull. I think it could work well as a beginners anime, but if you’ve already watched your fair share of anime, I really don’t think there’s anything in here that’s especially worth seeing. It’s kind of sad, because again, they did a great job with Clannad and Angel Beats, and I really don’t know what caused them to drop the ball like this.

At least the OP and ED are pretty nice.

GTO is the story of Eikichi Onizuka, a former gangster who seeks to become the greatest teacher in all of Japan. Not because he matures and wants to redeem himself, or that actually cares about teaching. He does it because wants to be around a bunch of high school girls and look up their skirts. Yeah. And while that may sound like a really silly or dumb premise, GTO is one of the most soulful, genuine, and unexpectedly mature stories I’ve ever read.

When Onizuka starts off as a teacher, he’s assigned to Class 3-4 at Holy Forest Academy, a class infamously known for how ... much they hate teachers, having forced several of their previous ones to be fired or to quit, and they intend to do the exact same thing with Onizuka. But Onizuka is no ordinary teacher. He’s not there to teach them out of a textbook - he’s there to teach them life lessons. One by one, he gets more familiar with the students of the class, and begins to learn about their personal problems and why the class acts the way they do. As he gets closer to them, he helps them resolve their problems and inner turmoil. One by one, he slowly manages to win the class over, and in his own unconventional way, ends up becoming the greatest teacher they ever had.

GTO doesn’t have an especially amazing, intricate, or well-written plot, but it is FAR from mundane. In fact, most of the time, it’s completely insane. Believe me when I say it has some of the most wild and crazy situations imaginable, to the point where you wonder how the author even managed to think of it. I’ve literally never read anything quite like it. It’s like the author was given free reign to make whatever the hell he wanted, and it’s an absolute blast. You can just tell how much love and effort he put into this story and how much he didn’t care about keeping to conventions.

In a strictly technical sense, Onizuka is probably the worst and most unqualified teacher in the world. He’s a thug, is more immature than his own students, and doesn’t even teach anything to his classroom half the time - yet he manages to be one of the most amazing and lovable characters ever.

Teachers have one of the most important jobs in the world. They’re literally educating the generations of kids that are supposed to be leaders and workers of the world in the future. But I’m sure you and I have had our fair share of terrible teachers that never actually care about their kids, and just read from the textbook in order to collect a paycheck without actually caring about what they’re teaching. Onizuka is the antithesis of that. He’s that one teacher or figure we all wish we could have had in our lives.

Onizuka might not be very book smart, but he’s Einstein-level at street smarts. He’s a true and genuine free spirit. He doesn’t care about what others think of him, and lives life exactly the way he wants to without taking shit from anybody. People always try to get him fired or tell him how he should live his life, but purely by being his true self and trying to reach out to his students, he manages to do more for them than anybody else ever has.

All of this comes together to form the main point of the story. Onizuka doesn’t just teach his students, but he teaches the reader about life and how it should be lived. It’s legitimately one of the most inspiring stories I’ve ever read, and taught me a lot of valuable life lessons. How to take responsibility, how to be there for others, and how to keep going forward and never give up.

I honestly can’t believe that more people don’t mention this manga. Sure, it’s up there on MAL rankings and whatnot, but I never actually see anybody talk about it. It takes so many risks and does so many things that you literally cannot find in modern manga. It has so much heart and soul compared to so many cookie cutter stories that all try to do the same exact thing nowadays. It’s an amazing breath of fresh air that feels so real and personal at the same time.

I so genuinely admire it for what it tries to do and accomplishes. It's the most unconventional masterpiece I've ever read.

Assassination Classroom is a fun and comedic adventure filled with heart and some surprising depth, but I can't help but feel that it had a level of potential that was left unrealized by the time it had ended.

Compared to other shonens, it has a very unique and interesting premise, being about a classroom of junior high school students that have to kill their seemingly unkillable teacher in a year, or else he'll destroy the world. My first thought going into the show is that instead of being a typical battle-shonen, it would be a more psychological/mind-games oriented one where they lay out several clever ... assassinations and play them out. While that does exist to an extent, the series is far more relaxed in nature, with most episodes simply playing out as a comedy in a school setting. It would eventually shift into more serious story arcs and topics, especially towards the end, which is where it manages to morph itself into a battle-shonen. I found myself being somewhat disappointed by this, as it began to be filled with ridiculous levels of plot armor and story conveniences that were honestly a little baffling at times. I understand that it was trying to appeal to a demographic, but it I feel that it shifted too hard towards appealing to it, leading to a bit of a sloppily put together story.

All that being said, I still had a great time watching Assassination Classroom, and there were a lot of things that I think it did well. It's genuinely funny and entertaining, and it does a fantastic job of managing its wide cast of characters. Each of them manage to get some sort of time in the spotlight, they all have unique personalities, they all get development, and none of them were left out, which I found to be rather impressive, as many shonens fail to manage much smaller casts of characters. I loved Koro-sensei especially, and it made me wish that I could have had a teacher like him at some point in my life. The "villains" had somewhat weak motivations, but they were fairly compelling and I enjoyed seeing the class overcome the challenges that were put in their way.

What surprised me the most about Assassination Classroom was its unexpected maturity. Koro-sensei, being their teacher, teaches the class not only in regards to academics, but how to handle the wide and confusing journey that is life. The class undergoes a lot of uncertainty and anxiety as they near the date of their graduation, and it leaves many messages about growing up and facing life's challenges. I know I said before that the overall story was a little sloppy, but the ending was immensely satisfying, and I really do think that it ended as perfectly as it could have at that point. It feels like we're part of the class as well, and that we graduate with them at the end.

The animation and OST are really great too, with the fourth and final opening having become one of my favorite anime openings.

Assassination Classroom's story could have been handled a lot better, but it makes up for it with its comedy, energy, and messages. Overall, I give it a 7.5/10.

Goodnight Punpun is… an experience. Taking the slice-of-life, drama, and romance genres in a dark direction, it tells a very unconventional coming-of-age story that doesn’t intend to entertain but manages to be one of the most captivating and thought-provoking stories I’ve ever seen.

The story, at its core, is simply about life, depicted in the most authentic and raw way. It follows the main character, Onodera Punpun, throughout a large portion of his life, from middle school into adulthood. For Punpun, everything that can go wrong goes wrong as he continuously encounters difficulties throughout his life which slowly send him into a downward spiral of ... depression and nihilism. It’s not only Punpun that goes through trials, but the other people in his life as well. Be it his childhood friends, his family, or romantic interests, everyone seems to struggle to find true meaning or happiness in their lives as they grow and experience more of life and the world.

This isn’t something you read for fun. In fact, it’s a somewhat unpleasant experience at times. Honestly, it’s hard to say if I even really enjoyed it. But that’s precisely what makes this such an interesting read. It reflects life in an incredibly realistic way. Life isn’t always fun, and we all go through unpleasant experiences. What’s the purpose of telling such a story? Well, what’s the purpose of life itself? It’s something we define for ourselves, to make meaning out of something that might seem inherently meaningless. Assigning a definitive meaning to anything regarding life all depends on perspective. Goodnight Punpun is a story you read to see life in a different light, to see it from one of those different perspectives, and to evaluate your own from it. Sorry if this sounds strange and overly philosophical, but it’s really something that needs to be experienced rather than described. It makes you think and reflect and consider what really matters to you and what your purpose truly is.

This is mainly achieved through the depiction of its characters. It observes their lives and inner thoughts through a microscope, getting down to their deepest and darkest secrets and desires. Just like in real life, nobody is perfect, and everybody has something to hide. Punpun makes careless, stupid, and irrational decisions, and so does everyone else. It’s hard to say whether they are even good people. Nonetheless, the flow of time pushes them on through their struggles, to both good and bad places. Almost anyone can relate to at least one character in some capacity.

The artwork of Goodnight Punpun greatly supports this. The visual aspect of such a story contributes significantly to the experience. Punpun and his family are depicted as simplistic drawings of birds, a blank slate for almost anyone to see themselves in. At some points in the story, Punpun’s appearance drastically changes to reflect his emotions and thoughts at that point in time. Asano manages to convey the most complex and obscure emotions with his artwork, which combines various techniques to create some genuinely beautiful scenes. The paneling and framing are top-notch, with some panels making me stop and stare for minutes on end.

For all its successes, I feel that Goodnight Punpun also has some failures in its storytelling. I previously mentioned that it’s not a story you read for entertainment, but that naturally leads to a lack of, well, entertainment. It’s very slow-paced and shows life at its dullest moments, making it feel very unengaging and, at worst, simply boring. Nonetheless, it progressed, and I was interested in seeing what direction it would take. However, I wasn’t a big fan of how the final quarter of the story played out. It very quickly shifted from a slow burn drama into a kind of quasi-thriller, with developments that felt unnatural to me, especially in regards to Punpun’s character, and then it suddenly ends without any actual resolution. I also thought that it was somewhat pretentious regarding certain religious topics and, to a degree, a bit hypocritical. I might be misunderstanding what Asano intended here, but it felt like it almost reveled in its dark and depressing themes and its showcasing of life’s darker aspects without providing any kind of solution or philosophy of its own, yet it has no problem discounting religion. But again, I suppose with a story like this, we’re supposed to come up with our own meanings.

All that being said, Goodnight Punpun is something I consider to be worth reading. In fact, I’d say it’s something that everyone should read. The experience it provides is absolutely unique and something from which everyone can take a lesson. Maybe you’ll be inspired by a particular character’s ideology, or you’ll be repulsed by it and resolve never to think that way. We all have our own interpretations and paths we walk down in life. We all choose to live as we see fit.

This was a surprisingly refreshing and interesting show that really managed to hold my attention all the way through. It’s somewhat unconventional compared to most other anime I’ve seen in terms of its structure and presentation, and it created a very engaging experience.

The story takes place in a world where people are replaced by animals, with the main character, Odakawa, being a walrus. He’s a taxi driver who suddenly gets caught up in a police investigation related to a missing girl that leads him to encounters with the yakuza and other dangerous individuals. The story starts off relatively slowly as it introduces the world, ... characters, and premise, presenting several mysteries for the viewers to think about. The main thing that makes Odd Taxi so engaging is how it gradually introduces and solves these mysteries throughout its run. Tiny hints are sprinkled all throughout, with future events being foreshadowed in past episodes. It’s very consistently written with all plot elements being utilized and leaving no holes in the story. The climax of the story is reached by the end, with all the plot threads neatly tied up and problems resolved.

One issue I have with the plot is its “main twist,” which is presented at the very end and is the most foreshadowed thing. The build-up is well done, but to me, the premise of it came off as inherently ridiculous and contrived, and it doesn’t really even contribute to the overall story, which would have been just as good if it didn’t exist. It’s as if it’s just there to include another plot twist. I’m being vague so as not to spoil anything, so what I’m saying probably sounds pretty strange, but you’d see what I mean if you decide to watch it. Another issue I had was in regards to the multiple perspectives method of storytelling. It added variety to the story, but I found that it made it a bit confusing to follow at times, as there are multiple plot elements you have to keep track of constantly, and they were sometimes presented in a somewhat unclear matter, though that could honestly just be me.

The characters of Odd Taxi are another engaging aspect of the show. Despite being presented as animals, they felt very realistic compared to characters of most other anime I’ve seen. In a Quentin Tarantino-esque fashion, all the characters have their own plot threads and motivations that entwine with one another, and everybody gets their moment to shine. Dialogue is witty and, once again, realistic.

I personally really enjoy when shows leave something for the viewer to think about, which is another thing Odd Taxi provides. I feel its underlying messages are an underrated aspect of the show. It provides some interesting commentary about the effects of social media and society’s obsession with celebrities and becoming famous. How far would you be willing to go to be famous? What happens to those who manage to achieve fame and those who fail to? It adds another layer of quality to an already very good story.

Odd Taxi is undoubtedly one of the more impressive anime to be released in recent times and gives me hope for the industry's future. It’s no masterpiece, but it’s enjoyable and well written for what it is.

Ah, Dragon Ball. Quite possibly the most well-known piece of media to ever come from Japan, its influence and popularity are absolutely undeniable. It's essentially the grandfather of modern shonen, and you could go as far as to say that anime and manga wouldn't be what they are today if it never existed. Reading it in the present day, I think it still manages to be a very entertaining experience despite its problems that I feel only become more prominent as time goes on.

I'm just going to say right off the bat that the overall story of Dragon Ball is one of those problems. ... I imagine it was pretty interesting and revolutionary for its time, but by today's standards, a lot of it is very basic and lacks depth and genuinely interesting storytelling. It's easy to appreciate its simplicity and energy at first, but I really don't think that anything before the Cell Saga holds up all that well story-wise. Goku searches for the Dragon Balls, trains for the Tenkaichi Budokai, defeats villains, repeat, filled with lots of convenient methods for power-ups and deus ex machinas along the way, repeat. I definitely wasn't expecting any kind of deep storytelling when I started reading, and it's clear that Toriyama prioritized action and comedy (especially towards the end, but that's a whole other discussion), but it still disappointed me a little bit. If anything about it stood the test of time, it's definitely the fights. They have great choreography and energy, and Toriyama's great artwork gives it a lot of intensity.

The most interesting kind of development definitely comes from the characters. I was honestly surprised by how well character development was handled and how attached I became to the entire cast. They're all very lovable and have their own unique personalities, and are easy to root for. You get to see them experience everything together over the course of several years, and it truly feels like a long journey, which makes it a little sad to say goodbye to them at the end. However, it's unfortunate how many of them were sidelined and basically completely irrelevant by the end, and while the villains had interesting personalities, most of them were pretty shallow in their motivations.

Despite the problems I mentioned, I don't think I've ever read a manga as ridiculously entertaining as Dragon Ball. It has this wonderful spirit and soul that I don't think is matched by any other series I've seen. It has a great sense of humor and a very vibrant world that blends to create a great sense of adventure. Every panel oozes with creativity and passion, and you can really tell just how much Toriyama loved working on it.

I do ultimately think that Dragon Ball has been mostly outdone by most shonens that followed it, who have managed to make more effective use of the tropes it established for the genre. Nonetheless, I think it's a genuinely timeless work that is still very much worth checking out.

Komi Can't Communicate is a fairly enjoyable slice-of-life series with a few problems that really hold it back.

Komi Shouko is a beautiful girl who immediately becomes the most popular person in her high school but is held back by her communication disorder and anxiety that makes it almost impossible for her to talk with anyone. Her goal is to make 100 friends while in high school and is helped by the first friend she ever makes, Tadano Hitohito. The premise is interesting enough for a slice-of-life show, and it almost sounds like some kind of romance/shojo series, though the main focus is comedy.

The biggest question ... is obviously whether or not the show is actually funny, and for the most part, I would say it is, but I think that really depends on the viewer. It tends to use a lot of situational humor and gags, going for a kind of zany/wacky feel, almost as if it's telling the viewer, "Look at how weird these characters and situations are! Isn't it so ridiculous and funny?" It's not a show with incredibly well-structured punch lines, setups, etc., moreso being a thing where you just sit back and watch whatever unfolds. It's definitely entertaining, but the most it ever got out of me was an occasional chuckle and some smiles.

Many people have said that the show gets very repetitive, and I honestly have to agree. It does rely on the same sorts of jokes and situations over and over again. You learn to expect it and grow comfortable with it, but more diversity would have been appreciated.

The characters are alright, not great, but not bad. They're basically all defined by a single character trait, with Komi being cute and awkward, Tadano being "average," Najimi being quirky, Yamai being obsessive, etc. It is a comedy show, though, so I guess that's forgivable. There are also a lot of underused and kind of pointless side characters that pop up now and then without really doing anything. A lot of the focus and humor are centered around Komi, so if you don't like her or find her interesting or relatable, you probably won't get too much enjoyment out of the entire thing.

If you're thinking about checking it out, I'd say watch the first two or three episodes. If you don't like those, you definitely won't like the rest of it because, as mentioned before, it is just the same kinds of jokes and situations repeated again and again.

Komi-san is pretty average in the scope of the slice-of-life and comedy genre, but it's pretty enjoyable nonetheless.

How does one even begin to describe FLCL? If you've heard anything about this anime other than it being that old cult-classic show, it's probably the fact that its weirdness factor is off the walls, avant-garde taken to the extreme. While I can confirm that it is indeed VERY weird, it's also one of those shows where there's a certain "method to the madness."

You've read the synopsis on the main page, right? Everything mentioned in it happens in maybe the first three minutes of the first episode. What happens after that? Absolute insanity. FLCL is a show where robots materialize out of horns that grow ... on foreheads, where brains serve as a means for intergalactic travel, where the craziest and most imaginative thing you can think of appears out of nowhere.

There *is* a story that develops throughout, but I can hardly talk about it because I barely understood what was going on half the time. Describing it would also honestly ruin any kind of blind experience that one may have before going into it. All I'll say is that it's an exciting blend of action, comedy, and drama that will make you stare at your screen in amazement. You'll have no clue what just happened, but you'll think it was incredible anyways.

That's not to say that it's all just weird for the sake of being weird. FLCL is moreso a means for giving a message to its viewers rather than a traditional and coherent story. It's a metaphor for growing up and maturity, coming to understand and accept the world and circumstances that you've been placed with, a very nontraditional coming-of-age story. All of the crazy stuff happening on screen is more of a visual representation of the emotions and thoughts that someone growing up might feel. If you decide to watch it, just keep that in mind, and all the insanity will make slightly more sense.

It's supported by some incredibly fluid and vibrant animation that is seriously impressive for the year 2000, in addition to, in my opinion, one of the best OSTs of any anime. If there's one thing that anyone who's seen FLCL can appreciate, it's the aesthetic it provides. It's very much a product of its time, providing that beloved late 90's/early 2000's animation while being jam-packed with references to Japanese pop culture.

A common thing people say about FLCL is that it's one of those "you'll love it or hate it, no in-between" shows, and that's probably true. It's not for everyone, but if it seems interesting to you, I'd absolutely say to check it out. After all, if we're never willing to delve into the unfamiliar, how can we ever grow?

*Minor Spoilers*

The Violet Evergarden Movie is a fitting conclusion to the show, though I feel it was unfortunately hampered from being as good as it could have been.

The movie takes place many years after the events of the show. Violet continues to work as an Auto Memory Doll and has experienced great fame and success over the years. One day, she receives notice that Major Gilbert, the one who told her “I love you” so long ago may still be alive and pursues him after completing one last job as a Doll.

The main problem with the movie is that it tries to cram ... too much into too little time. It splits its time between the main plotline involving Major Gilbert and a terminally ill child called Yuris. While the Yuris plotline certainly was emotional, not enough time was invested into the new characters for me to become attached to them in any way. This in turn took time away from developing the characters that people watching the movie actually care about, being Violet and Gilbert.

Gilbert’s motivations felt shallow and unexplained, like there was far more to it that simply wasn’t revealed. Violet’s character honestly feels like it took a step back. She learned in the show to not focus on the past and instead look to the future, and while the way she acted in the movie is understandable, I feel like it understated the development that she went through in the previous 13 episodes.

The movie also felt rather… cliche. It plays out like almost any other kind of drama/romance movie you’ve seen before, which was honestly somewhat disappointing, considering how the show managed to mostly avoid feeling that way.

While its flaws definitely bothered me, I did enjoy the movie for what it was. It is absolutely a poignant and sentimental film, and the ending is honestly quite beautiful and satisfying. If you’re a fan of the show, it is absolutely a must-watch, and you’ll most likely enjoy it. I just wish it had more focus and a more solid structure.

No Game No Life is an admittedly straightforward and juvenile show that is still entertaining and even engaging due to its fun and laid-back nature.

Sora and Shiro are shut-in siblings who share the username “Blank” and dominate every game they play. One day, they’re transported to Disboard, a fantasy world where games decide everything, and the siblings set their sights on becoming the new rulers of the gaming world.

The main focus of No Game No Life is, rather obviously, the games themselves, which can be pretty much anything the players themselves decide. One would naturally expect the show to be strategic and psychological ... in nature, with characters having to play mind games and form deep strategies to pull off a victory. Unfortunately, this isn’t really the case.

The games they play are pretty untraditional, usually something the author made up himself or a typical game with a particular twist. While having nontraditional games is fundamentally interesting, it’s clear that it’s intentionally done this way in order for the author to make it easier to come up with twists or some form of tension. Characters don’t mainly use strategy; it’s more so that they bend the rules in their favor or even cheat, which is admittedly a plot point that they do address. That’s not to say that there’s absolutely no strategy, but it’s honestly somewhat shallow. Overall, it’s just a bit of a letdown. If you’re looking for some serious gambling story with maximum tension, you will not find that here.

As for the overarching plot itself, it has a pretty interesting concept, and there are some unique plot twists and even a fair bit of world-building, though it’s nothing exceptional. The characters are pretty fun and likable, though they’re not complex at all and are mostly dominated by a single character trait.

I know I’m making it sound bad, but that’s just me being objective. The great thing about No Game No Life is that it really doesn’t take itself that seriously. It acknowledges that it gets rather silly and tries to have fun with its plot and characters rather than tell some kind of serious and complex story, and honestly, I think it really succeeds with it. I genuinely had a lot of fun watching it (minus the ecchi stuff, especially the parts where it involved an 11-year-old girl), and it got a lot of laughs out of me. It’s the perfect kind of show to just sit back and have fun with.

I wouldn’t go out of my way to recommend it to someone, especially considering the fact that there’s not even a second season, but if it looks interesting to you, I’d say check it out.