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Dec 8, 2021
A bit weird trying to classify this, I guess it's anime but it's more-so an anthology of short animated music videos based on each song off of Hikaru Utada's album "Exodus." I think a separate review can be made on the musical and lyrical nature of each music video as they are kind of interesting in their own right and focus on topics of "east and west" and relationships and what not, but this isn't rym lol.
The visual direction really stands out though. Seems like a variety of heavy-weight animators and directors were brought on board and it shows. Each piece has distinct animation
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and visual style with some in a more "conventional" anime look, some that go full wacko-cgi, and some in-between, most of which showing a highly individualized directorial approach.
They're all up on YT, I would highly recommend giving this a shot, even if weird animated music videos collections aren't your thing. The total run-time is less than 15 min, with each piece having a strong degree of replay-ability. This is a type of thing I wish there were more of
Some of my favorites include: Animato, Crossover, Let me Give You My Love
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Dec 8, 2021
A real nice read. It's a character driven story that has a blend of calm and drama. What's interesting is that the calm has a sort of melancholy attached to it, and the drama isn't super heavy-handed either which is an interesting mix. It's mellow, blends optimism and melancholy, and introduces drama selectively. I don't think realistic is the most apt term for the story, but it does have a "down to earth" kind of feel to it. The core cast of characters are in a transitionary sort of period of their lives, with some going in to college, some not attending, and some just
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leaving, which comes with grappling with the topics of life direction and relationships. The theme and focus of the story isn't that unique, but the characterization and their respective approaches to it all make this worth reading.
I found myself changing my opinion on characters multiple times while reading. Feel like at some point, it's less about which determining which characters are explicitly "right" or "wrong," as there are consistent reminders that point out "why" a character might have developed or behaved in certain ways. Of course this argument only extends so far and shouldn't be used to justify really shitty behavior, but for the most part, all the characters undergo what what can commonly be described as typical human struggle - touching on romance, death, personal direction, etc, but done in a manner that feels convincing. There's a wide cast of characters, each with their worldviews that attempt to shine line on the events that unfold, which adds interesting perspectives.
Admittedly some of the developments / events feel a bit forced, more apparent for the sake of plot progression and such, but they still serve their function of presenting interesting "what would you do" situations involving relationships, responsibility, obligations, etc.
The art can be really gorgeous, especially the cover art / "eye catch" illustrations at the start of volumes and chapters. Some of the ones in the later chapters are really striking, no doubt as a result of the author and reader having stuck through all the character development (15 years of serialization). Think these illustrations also made me think more about still life(?) paintings of people and portrait photography.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Dec 2, 2021
Eva is a story about characters that have an incredibly difficult experience forming meaningful connections with their environment and to one other, given the increasing number of complexities from every which way. It runs the gamut in terms of topics and concerns, but I think many would agree that its specific portrayal of psychological distress and isolation has stricken a chord with many audiences and will continue to do so.
I
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think a beauty in this, lies the fact that Eva has continued to spawn a range of conversations ranging from who is "best girl/boy," to 20 page psychoanalyses of "X" character, to conjectures of biblical references, etc. And I think there is usually something interesting about a series that can continue to spawn conversations and connections between individuals, again - regarding themes of isolation, distress, mental turmoil, and such.
The OP is really good as well and I hear it basically lays out all the events in the show as well which I'll have to look into again closer
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Dec 2, 2021
Will need to update / clarify my thoughts on this. There is something interesting in the art style of Sousou no Frieren. To put it frankly, most of the characters have a bored or neutral look on their face in nearly any type of situation. Many of the fight scenes also have a strange feeling of stiffness in the movement to them as well. But the strange thing is that all of this feels deliberate, as if to call attention to an underlying sort of mood that exists in the world.
There might be this subtle(?) sense of apathy, resignation, nihilism, etc, that hangs in
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the air in the world of Sousou no Frieren. Especially looking through the lens of the long-lived elf race, namely Frieren, conflict and strife is observed to be rather inevitable - it's a constant back and forth between various factions internally and externally. There is a sense that many of the characters share this understanding as well. However, this is regularly checked and counterbalanced by the tried and true drive for perseverance, to make an effort to do the right thing when possible, often conveyed through flashbacks of the Hero party's influence on Frieren. Most of the characters understand that their world and relationships are kind of fragile, but still try and navigate through all the ups and downs and grey areas in between.
Again however, there is something about Sousou no Frieren that makes it stand out a bit from most of its fantasy setting counterparts. I'm having trouble placing what it is exactly. The setting is not dark and cynical, and its not blindingly optimistic and escapist, it's somewhere kind of in the middle in a pretty particular spot, but I don't know if I would call it realism either. I think whatever I'm trying to get at is best conveyed in the character's facial expressions and fight scenes - where it often feels like "ah this kind of sucks but oh well guess ill try and deal with it"
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Dec 2, 2021
The term "atmosphere" can often feel a bit broad or vague when describing something, but I feel entirely comfortable associating this term with Kanon 2006. Something about the vastness of the snow, the bloom and light overlay effects, and that distinct KEY fantasy surrealism, all meshed together to form an atmosphere that enveloped my senses when I watched this years ago, and continues to linger in my memory.
I often judge an anime by its OP, and Kanon 2006's OP is best representative of the alluring atmosphere of the show. It's one of my favs.
I think the closest experience I have had, equivalent to
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that of watching Kanon 2006, was this one time I came down with a 107 degree fever as a kid. I was bedridden in a cabin on a snowy mountain trip, and had a pretty sublime (literal) fever dream. There was so much snow outside, and yet I was feverishly warm on the inside, and everything felt like it was covered in a layer of light haze.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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