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Dec 21, 2012
Do you have nutbladder insurance?
I ask this because you might need to get some if you're heading into the 4th season of Hidamari Sketch.
To my extent of knowledge, Hidamari is one of those "under the radar" Slice of Life shows, which is a shame because it really is a great show. The show continues on with the girls' everyday lives at Hidamari Apartments and Yamabuki High School. Chatting, spending time with each other, going to school. This is pretty much what happens throughout the series. You might think, "Wow, that's boring," but it's the characters personalities that make each episode fun
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to watch. But with a 4th season of a SoL show, you would think there's at least some kind of plot to Hidamari Sketch, right? Nope. But as far as plot goes, if you've been fervently watching the series, the two oldest dormmates, Sae and Hiro, are in their last year at Yamabuki High, and the show kicks off with them preparing for their senior class trip, leaving Yuno and the others to take care of themselves. It's actually the first episode alone that inadvertently propels the girls to become more mature, as you'll eventually see later in the show.
Seeing how it's a SHAFT anime, and it's Hidamari, you'll see some quick cuts, polka dots, the signature head tilt, and the notorious WIIIDE FACE. Some people are thrown off by that when they first watch the series, and thus, they tend to stay away from it, but personally, that's the essence of the show and it's what makes it enjoyable. Not only that, but the show is much more vivid and vibrant with its colors, thus making it a very pleasurable viewing experience. Must be because of all that Madoka money...
The openings of Hidamari Sketch have always been a treat to listen to and this one fits the bill. When I first saw the PV of Honeycomb, I immediately got into it and watched it maybe 10 times a week before it aired because the opening was really catchy and upbeat. It really preps you for the episode leaving you with a good feeling inside. The ending, much like the previous ones, is real mellow (minus Hoshimittsu's, which I personally didn't like) and leaves you feeling relaxed after finishing the show with a smile. Lastly, the seiyuus. One reason I watch anime is for the seiyuus because I really enjoy their voices, and Hidamari Sketch's are a flatout eargasm to me. Just hearing Yuno (Asumi Kana), especially, leaves me feeling fuzzy inside and lately, Nazuna (Omigawa Chiaki) is growing on me as well. All of them do a great job.
The characters are a blast to watch and make the SoL genre entertaining than how it usually is. Yuno being the cute hard worker, Miyako being the boisterous glutton, the mature, but easily-flustered Sae, the motherly "always-watching-her-weight" Hiro, the timid Nazuna, and the level-headed Nori make up the Hidamari Apartments and are real fun when you see them interact with each other. We also have the infamous Yoshinoya and the badass Principal as the well-known side characters continuing their antics. Chika, the Landlady, Arisawa, and the poor, lonely Natsume are back as well. As I said earlier, you really do see the group mature, which is a good thing, but you can't help but feel kind of sad also because eventually, Sae and Hiro are going to graduate and will have to leave Hidamari Apartments, leaving just Yuno, Miyako, Nazuna, and Nori.
Hidamari Sketch x Honeycomb has met and exceeded my expectations. From Season 1 all the way to Honeycomb, the series has delivered smiles and laughs each episode, and to be honest, I can't choose which season is better because all of them are just as good as the other. As much as it pains me knowing that the series will probably end soon when Sae and Hiro graduate, seeing the cast grow together throughout four seasons has been (sk)etched into my mind and heart, as sappy as that sounds. But really, the series is just pure fun and relaxation, and if you're looking for a SoL anime that fits that bill, consider watching Hidamari Sketch, starting with the first season. I absolutely loved it and I hope you'll enjoy the wide too.
Has my nutbladder exploded? Yes. Did I have insruance? No. Don't be like me and get some nutbladder insurance before watching Hidamari Sketch x Honeycomb because your nutbladder WILL explode.
Scores-
Story: 7
Art: 10
Sound: 10
Character: 10
Enjoyment: 10
Overall: 10
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Dec 28, 2010
As a fan of To LOVE-Ru, I didn't enjoy the first season at all. I know it wasn't very faithful to the manga, but the way it was executed left a bad taste in my mouth. However, Motto changed that by following the manga more closely, and the result? An adaption that was enjoyable from start to finish.
If you're familiar with To LOVE-Ru, then you probably know that there's not really a driven plot. Those that are new to TLR (which I'll refer to this series as for the rest of the review), you're not gonna expect much of a story
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here. Since Motto follows the manga more closely, we're given about three 6-8 minute long (give or take) segments of various chapters of mainly Rito in weird, ecchi, and sometimes comedic situations, accompanied with the various side characters of TLR, with some having a segment dedicated to them. Because of that, almost none of the episodes follow up to the next one, thereby making my point that TLR doesn't have a driven plot. I, however, liked how each episode had different segments since it compliments the manga well. They're both fast and easy to dive into.
The art has slightly improved from the first season (ooooh shiny), but the animation has really improved as well, at least from my standpoint. You may also notice that in the censored broadcast, in some ecchi situations, there's a "white light out of nowhere" covering a certain part considered ecchi. While in some cases it's acceptable, others it just doesn't seem needed at all. Luckily for me (and hopefully for you), I was able to watch the uncensored broadcast, which to me, is what makes TLR enjoyable in the first place. *wink wink*
Though I feel that sound wasn't a big factor in Motto, the music did, however, compliment some of the scenes pretty well in order to fit the mood. The opening theme is catchy and lively and the ending theme is easy-listening.
Because Motto follows the manga more closely, we're not always given an episode that focuses solely on either the two main heroines, Lala and Haruna. Like I said earlier, some side characters get a segment of their own as well. As for character development, almost everyone is their usual self, but with some of the girls beginning to develop feelings for Rito. Rito himself is also coming to realize that he's developing feelings for Lala as well.
Comparing the first and second season of TLR, I honestly think that the 2nd was just simply better than the 1st season because...you guessed it...it follows the manga more closely. Seeing some of my favorite chapters animated and having some of my favorite characters get their own segment definitely beats than having to watch something entirely stupid and pointless (ex. most of the episodes and Lala's transformation sequence in the first season). The fanservice, in my opinion, is definitely where it needs to be since it is of course, TLR, which is known for that, and the 2nd season definitely did that a lot more than the 1st.
It may seem I'm giving Motto a little more credit than it deserves, but it does have its flaws. For those that, somehow, enjoyed the 1st season, the 2nd doesn't pick up at all where it left off, so expect that if you're going into the 2nd season. *Spoiler Alert* You may also question to yourself as to who is that character and how *insert character* is like that since it wasn't portrayed in the anime at all, such as Celine originally being a plant, who is now in the form of a baby, or Oshizu now having a prosthetic body when she was originally a ghost.
With all that said, Motto TLR is a good watch...IF you happen to be a fan of the series. They removed, in my opinion, everything that was just terrible from the first season and just made the second season better by just following the manga, which pretty much what made me enjoy Motto from start to end.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Sep 26, 2010
Seitokai Yakuindomo is a fresh new comedy of the summer season and personally, one of my favorite comedies.
Story- The synopsis pretty much covers it. Basically, a male (Tsuda), one of the very few, who attends a female-dominated school and is randomly chosen to be the male representative of the student council. From then on, everyday school life for him, which he once thought was to be normal, has now become strange. Since it's a school anime, there's really no story at all.
Art & Sound- This is one of the first anime that I've seen produced by GoHands and to be honest, they did quite a
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good job. The character designs are particularly slim and stand out quite well. Nothing notably wrong with sound. The OPs and EDs are upbeat and I found nothing wrong with the VAs, so no problems there at all.
Characters- What I find great about this anime is the characters. The female leads (Shino, Aria, Suzu) are pretty "unique". By "unique", I mean that although you can tell how their character is on the outside (especially Suzu), what makes them stand out is how they are on the inside. The supporting cast if notably great as well. I was a bit disappointed, though, that they don't appear as much as some supporting characters do in comedies. If you're looking for character development, expect to be disappointed because there's no drastic development with the characters whatsoever. Maybe just a little bit, but it's nothing that changes the show in a different way.
Enjoyment- What I liked about Seitokai was the random humor thrown at me every episode. The main humor point in Seitokai was its perverted thoughts, but with a twist, it's the females doing that instead of the male lead. The opening, in particular, did that well and was something I've honestly never seen before. Seitokai, however was not the first anime I've seen where female characters are the ones who are perverted. While B Gata H Kei DID have female characters think perverted thoughts, most of it was pretty much forced and I couldn't find it funny at all. Seitokai, however, has it set up fairly random and unexpected, therefore, making it funny. Although, if you've grown accustomed to the comedy, for example, you can expect a sex joke when it's coming, so you may either laugh or not. Overall, it's best to watch Seitokai at a steady pace.
While Seitokai is not the best comedy out there, it is certainly one that stood out to me so far this year. It may not be the comedy for everyone due to its perversion, but give it an episode or two and find out if you'll like it. Most certainly, it'll surprise you like it did to me.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jun 29, 2010
Looking at what I should expect for the Spring 2010 anime season through a calendar released by a source I don't know, one particular show had caught my interest. The little plot summary read, "The story is set in a family restaurant named "Wagnaria", in the northern Japanese prefecture of Hokkaido. Sota works part-time there among the restaurant's high-spirited and strange staff." Reading that and looking at the picture of that anime had made me want to watch it. After watching that first episode, I knew that I'd enjoy Working!!
Story: After reading that little plot synopsis, you would think that
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there's an interesting story behind Working!! Unfortunately, there isn't, but that's what made Working!! enjoyable since it IS a Slice of Life anime. The story kicks off with our adorable busty loli, Poplar Taneshima, greeting some customers on a normal work day. Unfortunately, the restaurant is a bit short-staffed, so it's up to Poplar to gather some new recruits since the manager, Kyouko Shirafuji, is as lazy as a sloth. After asking many people to see if they would like a part-time job, but only to get that offer rejected, she suddenly bumps into our main protagonist, Souta Takanashi. Though he thinks Poplar is a small child and is lost, Poplar retorts saying she's 17 years old and is looking for part-timers for her job. Knowing that he'll work with Poplar since he believes she's cute, Takanashi gladly accepts. From there on, Takanashi's life has became a bit more crazier now that he's working at Wagnaria.
Art: The art is nothing too extraordinary. Colorful and sharp, the art is nice to look at. Looking back, it feels like art you would expect from a Comedy and Slice of Life anime.
Sound: About everyone who's watched Working!! will always know the first few lines of the opening by heart. It is honestly one of the most catchy and probably addicting openings I've heard. The ending sounds great as well. The voice actors do a terrific job in playing their character. The male VAs, to me, felt it was like an ensemble cast. With Jun Fukuyama (DRRR!!, Geass), Daisuke Ono (DRRR!!, TMoHS), and Hiroshi Kamiya (DRRR!!, SZS) as Takanashi, Satou, and Souma respectively.
Characters: The characters, to me, were the main enjoyment of the show. Like what the little plot synopsis said in the beginning of this review, "...high-spirited and strange staff.", strange is the key word.
First off, Takanashi may look like a normal person, but the truth is that he loves small and cute things, ranging from little children, animals, and toys, which is pretty much why he started working due to Poplar being small and cute. When he revealed this information to Satou and Kyouko, they thought that he was a lolicon which Takanashi strictly objects.
Next we have the highly eccentric and adorable Poplar. Again, you would think she's normal, but it's revealed that she has a very strong desire of becoming taller. Because of her small height, she is easily mistaken as an elementary or middle school student, thus making her very sensitive whenever her height is discussed.
One of the strangest characters in Working!! is the timid Mahiru Inami. Inami is introduced as an androphobic (fear of male) girl. Whenever a male approaches her, she punches them without hesitation due to a belief that every man is ready to attack her. Though she has this condition, she is still able to work at Wagnaria, but only serving the female customers.
Kyouko and Yachiyo Todoroki are what I consider the yuri couple of the show. Kyouko, as we know, is the lazy manager of Wagnaria, who does nothing but eat, usually the parfaits that Yachiyo brings her. Yachiyo herself is strange overall. She is always, and I mean ALWAYS carries with her a katana, which many are intimidated by that. She also has a deep connection with Kyouko. If Kyouko is away or is taken away from her, she gets sad and angry to a point where she would kill the person who took her away from her with her katana.
Next up are the chefs of Wagnaria, Jun Satou and Hiroomi Souma. Satou is probably the more sane one out of the main cast. He's known as an intimidating, yet helpful individual. However, he is in love with Yachiyo, but does not show it. He also enjoys teasing Poplar, usually concerning her height or messing with her hair. Though he may look always cheerful, deep down, Souma is the most deceiving of the cast. He enjoys teasing some of the staff, with the exception of Inami, and somehow always gets his hand on some sort of information that is secretive to some of the staff. Ironically, both characters remind me of Shizuo and Izaya of Durarara!! Both are voiced by the same actor and both almost have identical personalities, with Satou and Shizuo being intimidating and having blonde hair, and Souma and Izaya being very deceitful and are always able to get their hand on some information.
Lastly, we have Aoi Yamada. Though she's introduced late in the series, she appears regularly throughout the show. She's usually unhelpful and clumsy when it comes to work, but very curious as to what happens in and out her workstation. She also has a strong desire of having the ideal family.
Enjoyment: From beginning to end, I enjoyed Working!! Whether it be Takanashi "trying" to cure Inami's androphobia, the strange diversity that occurs in the Takanashi household, or the usual, but sometimes, strange happenings inside Wagnaria, there's always something to enjoy when watching this anime.
Scores-
Story- 7
Art- 8
Sound- 8
Character- 10
Enjoyment- 10
Overall: I really enjoyed watching Working!! It was an unexpected hit for me for the spring season. The opening just sucks me in and prepares me for something that I'll enjoy from beginning to end. With just only 13 episodes, I was a bit disappointed that it wasn't longer since I found it to have a lot of potential, but nonetheless, those 13 episodes were great to watch. If you're considering watching Working!!, be in mind that it IS slice of life, meaning that it has almost no plot, and if you're one to watch for plot or just don't like slice of life, then Working!! isn't for you. For those that enjoy slice of life, Working!! is definitely worth looking into.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Mar 20, 2010
Browsing through Kyoto Animation's page on Wikipedia, I wanted to look for more laughs produced by the wonderful studio. Finished with the very popular Haruhi, Lucky Star, and K-On!, one of them had caught my eye. That was Clannad. And I have to say, Clannad may quite possibly be one of the best anime I've ever watched in my life.
Story:
The story of Clannad is set in a Japanese city, with the majority of it taking place in the city's high school. Clannad is pretty much similar to Kanon (2006), which is also produced by Kyoto Animation. They both start off
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with character introductions in the early episodes, and later the story is separated into different arcs that focus on one character or a group of characters.
Tomoya Okazaki, the main protagonist of Clannad, is known for being a delinquent throughout his school. A frequent slacker and a straightforward person, which at some times others call him rude for that, Tomoya is truly a delinquent. But after one fateful encounter with a girl, Nagisa Furukawa, who randomly says "anpan" on his way to school, Tomoya's life is soon to be changed. And so begins Clannad, a story that shows how valuable having a family can be.
Characters:
Clannad's main cast is what truly makes this anime a spectacle. They're all likable as you advance through each episode and each one of them are very unique. Traits such as Tomoya's hilarious straightforwardness, Nagisa's lighthearted, yet literal, attitude, Kyou's tsundere personality, Kotomi's airheaded cuteness, Tomoyo's assertive attitude, and Fuko's cold, yet funny, approach towards others are enjoyable throughout the series. Needless to say, the supporting cast is also great. From Sunohara's stupidly-funny cockiness to Nagisa's dysfunctional, yet very caring, parents, the supporting cast of Clannad is one of those that ACTUALLY support the main cast and they do a great job with it.
Art and Animation:
Once again, Kyoto Animation does what it does best. The art and animation is truly superb in every aspect. From moe girls to the many different facial expressions throughout the series, KyoAni truly did a great job with Clannad.
Sound:
I'm not too fond of scoring sound, but Clannad did a pretty darn good job with it. The characters' VAs really suit the character they're voicing. The music is pretty top notch as well. They did an excellent job choosing the music for the comedic, light-hearted, and dramatic scenes. However, I wasn't quite attached to the opening and ending songs. Sure they show how Clannad is, but I just could not get myself to enjoy them. They are, however, memorable and unforgettable though.
Enjoyment:
At first, I never thought I would get into the story since the reason why I wanted to watch this was for the comedy, but ironically, the story eventually drove me to watch this anime. Even the characters kept me enjoyed and urged me to watch more since they're such a unique bunch. It's nice blend of comedy, drama, romance, slice-of-life, and a little bit of harem thrown in there, truly made this anime an enjoyable experience that's never to be forgotten.
Score Breakdown:
Story- 10
Characters- 10
Art- 10
Sound- 9
Enjoyment- 10
Overall, Clannad is a series that you should not pass down. It does everything in the right places, from the comedy to the drama. Looking at it for the first time may deter you, but guaranteed, there's something in that anime that will make you enjoy it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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