Back to elrond99's Profile elrond99's Profile

I've often watched shows like Haikyuu! and wondered why it's so focused just on volleyball, and not on developing some of the characters away from the court. After watching Hanebado!, I'm re-thinking that position. The best way that I could describe the story in Hanebado! is that the scenes focused on badminton (the matches, the training/coaching, etc.) are actually quite excellent. And everything that happens away from the court is just an absolute mess. Maybe some writers are just better at telling a simple sports drama and shouldn't try to extend too far beyond that (although, I recently watched Cross Game, which handled the balance ... quite beautifully).

Without spoiling too much, Hanebado!'s major plot is driven by Ayano's psychological state, which is in turn driven by her mother's abandonment. Badminton focused heavily in their mother-daughter relationship, and her mother's disappearance from her life causes Ayano some serious mental anguish. I'm no shrink, but she has some really wild mood swings, going from sweet, adorable character to total bitch. It makes her very hard to like, which is a problem in a show like this. Some shows might benefit from anti-heros, but I don't think this one does. On a side note - Ayano's mom seems so cool and loving and caring in every scene she's shown in, and there's just a real disconnect over how she could just up and leave. I kept waiting for an unexplained reason that would make sense, but that doesn't come. Her reason is dumb, and it just doesn't jive with how her character is portrayed at all.

On the flip side, despite initially being kind of bossy towards her teammates, Nagisa is a much more likeable character. We understand her and her motivations - her passion and drive to better herself in the sport that she loves. And her own mental battles (having lost so thoroughly, despite all the work she's put in) are much more relatable.

If the story had focused more on the matches and less on making Ayano some sort of mental case, I think it would have made for a much more enjoyable experience. I still enjoyed the badminton scenes quite a bit, so the show gets a pass from me. I'd even watch a second season if they ever made one. But mostly I just feel like this was a missed opportunity, given the obvious production value put into the effort - this is the nicest-looking show I've watched in a while. The animation is amazing, and the character designs are all top notch. They clearly put a lot of effort into the aesthetic of the show, it's just a shame they couldn't salvage a decent story.

I'm a huge fan of the original DanMachi series, but for some reason I held off on reading the spin-off books for a while. I wasn't sure how a DanMachi series could work without Bell as the focus - especially given how aloof a character Aiz can be. But I finally took the plunge and ripped through six novels in a short period - so this review is based on the first six novels in the story.

This series felt like a bit of a gimmick at first - we'd just see the same story but through Aiz's eyes instead of Bell's. That's how it was ... marketed, anyway. Turns out there's a ton going on with some newish characters (most notably Lefiya), and Bell just pops up here or there as a minor plot contrivance - mostly just to keep us aware of where we are in the series' timeline.

The major flaw with the series is that - as I worried - Aiz isn't very emotive. She's quiet and doesn't say much and despite her incredible coolness in battle, she's kind of boring. So the author tries to supplement Aiz's quieter nature by giving Lefiya a major role in the series. Except that Lefiya comes off as a bit of a strange character herself - she's obsessed with Aiz, jealous of Bell, and has a lot of her own self-esteem issues. So the character front is really where this series loses a few points. The main protagonists just aren't that interesting (at least through five volumes). What does help is that characters that were very minor in the original DanMachi play bigger roles as supporting characters here - I especially like Finn and Riveria (and series favourites like Hermes and Asfi are around a bit). Bete and Loki were two characters I really didn't like in the original DanMachi, because we're seeing them largely from Bell's and Hestia's perspectives, and there's a rivalry there. But Bete and Loki really grew on me in Sword Oratoria when viewed from the prism of their own familia.

Also, it should be noted that the sixth volume focuses very heavily on Tione and Tiona, and it does a wonderful job with their backstory. I had always viewed them as two write-off comic relief sidekicks prior to Sword Oratoria (the lovestruck Tione and the air headed Tiona). But Volume Six really pulled me into their story.

Sword Oratoria follows a pretty linear story through five volumes, with the Loki Familia tracking down the mysterious viola monsters that are wreaking havoc in the dungeon. It's pretty much one big, long mystery that dominates the story through five volumes (and into the sixth). There are some epic moments through those five volumes, but it gets a little tiresome just fighting the same monsters/villains over and over.

Overall, Sword Oratoria doesn't quite reach the heights of the original DanMachi series. I would have given it a 7/10 through five volumes. But I was really blown away by Volume Six, so I bumped the overall score up to an 8. If the author can keep cranking up the intensity, the way he has with the main series, I can easily see this score growing higher (I think Volume Six of the original DanMachi was the same point where I went from thinking it was a pretty good series to thinking it was a great series).

I feel like my review may be somewhat biased by my nostalgia for Spice and Wolf - which is my favourite LN/manga. When I found out there was going to be a spin-off with Col and Myuri, I was pretty pumped. So my expectations were probably a little high. This review is based on the first two volumes of the series.

The story feels very much like a Spice and Wolf story - Col and Myuri travel to a new town and become embroiled in some big, complicated mess. The primary difference is that Lawrence and Holo used to end up in some sort of ... mess focused around trade and politics, while Col's messes tend to be of the religious variety - given that he is travelling as a religious scholar or priest-in-training. But there's a similar style and sophistication to the writing and the solutions. This isn't your average dumbed-down shounen story where the power of friendship or love or whatever saves the day. There are actual rational and intellectual steps taken to arrive at solutions or conclusions that make sense. This was always the strength of Spice and Wolf's plots, and it continues in Wolf and Parchment.

The major factor for likability is, of course, how well Col and Myuri stack up to Holo and Lawrence - the relationship between Holo and Lawrence is what made Spice and Wolf the wonderful story that it is. And I feel like there are glimmers of potential with Wolf and Parchment. Two volumes in, it obviously isn't at the same level. But I can see it growing in the right direction. The bottom line is that Myuri is not Holo, and Col is not Lawrence. Holo had the appearance of a teenage girl, but she was actually 600 years old. Myuri is actually still a child, and learning about people and the world around her. It provides a different perspective and a different angle to the relationship than the one that Holo and Lawrence enjoyed. Still, Myuri's innocence is infectious and she's a joy to read - it's interesting to wonder if this is what Holo was like at that age. I love her character. My issue was more with Col and his character/personality. Col worked in Spice and Wolf as a side character. Forcing him into the protagonist role now, years later, doesn't work quite as well as I'd hoped. Lawrence was always a bit of a straight man to Holo's more mischievous character, but with Col the author has gone a little too heavy on the "straight man" idea. As a religious student, Col often comes off as being too good, which requires Myuri to often go overboard on the silliness side to try and balance the fun. We'll see how these personalities develop as the series progresses, but it's not quite there yet.

I might be doing Wolf and Parchment a disservice by comparing it so directly to its predecessor, but I imagine a reader new to this series without ever having read/watched Spice and Wolf probably wouldn't get as much out of it. The first two books are solid, enjoyable reads, but the real joy is immersing oneself in the familiarity and nostalgia of the past series. I'd probably give this an 8/10 as a stand-alone series, but I'm bumping it up to a 9 for the feel-good nostalgia I felt while reading.

Akame ga Kill! is a frustrating show for me. It's a show that, at times, seems like it wants to be more than a typical shounen, but then only delivers on that promise in the most superficial of ways. While I did enjoy the show to some degree, it disappointed in not delivering what could have been a great story.

Story - 6/10:

Probably the weakest element is just the approach to the story, and the themes and depth present within. The show opens with possibly the most shounen cliche of all - a boy from the country arrives in the big city looking to become a ... famous adventurer (and easily slaughters a massive dragon-thing on the way in, saving a caravan). It's all done with a big smile that makes it feel like just another shounen. The first episode closes with a wild upending of those expectations, when it's revealed that the kind girl who took the boy in is actually part of a family of sadistic torturers, and the boy's friends from his village are two of her victims. It's gory and devastating, and not something you see in most shounen. It shows potential. It asks a lot of questions about appearance vs reality, about good vs evil, about the nature of humanity, etc. It also introduces the Night Raid group as potential bad guy assassins, only to flip things around and make them the good guys. The first episode, and the way it closed, actually really drew me in, and I was interested to see where the show would take those ideas moving forward.

Unfortunately, those ideas never develop into much. The show immediately falls into standard shounen tropes and cliches (that's not necessarily a bad thing, as they're mostly well-executed, but it's disappointing from a broader perspective). Akame ga Kill! lives up to its name, with plenty of blood and gore and death - yes, main characters die, and frequently. These are ways in which the show again subverts the norms of shounen series, but again falls short of delivering anything more than a superficial difference. Character deaths often fail to resonate, because we never get that much information about the characters, and the show just speeds headlong into the next confrontation so we barely get a moment to process the last death. The show also suffers from typical shounen tonal shifts - one second something serious is happening on screen, and the next there's some dumb attempt at humour going on. It totally kills the mood.

The story essentially revolves around a rebellion. The child emperor is being led astray by his evil advisor. The common folk are suffering. Night Raid is part of a larger resistance effort. All of this could make for interesting plot, but the strategy is never really developed, and the politics is essentially non-existent. It's like the rebellion exists for no other reason than to give our assassin heroes the moral authority to actually be killing people, because those people are evil. The story could have delved into the moral grey areas of killing, even if those being killed are also bad. But it's just another superficial element that never gets expanded on. Even someone like Wave, who seems like a good person and actually questions the killing, just goes about his job because the empire tells him to. There's no context to what is good or evil in this series, it's all very ambiguous - that should be a situation rife to explore character decisions in deep and nuanced ways, but it's wasted here.

Art - 9/10:

The show looks great. The character models are all attractive, the animation is solid, the background art is nice. Most of the fight scenes are compelling, if nothing else. Not really anything negative to say about the show aesthetically.

Sound - 8/10:

Same as the art, the sound is solid. I liked the soundtrack, most of the music tracks really helped to set the atmosphere.

Character - 7/10:

Just like the story, there was a world of potential to explore with the characters, but it mostly fails to deliver. I'm still trying to figure out why Akame is the titular character. She seems more like a side character in a show named after her, and her story with her sister is one of the more interesting character explorations present (and apparently it has a spin-off manga). It's too bad, because at the end of the first episode, it really looked like she was going to be front and centre. Instead, the show revolves around Tatsumi, who isn't very interesting.

The one element that is kind of interesting about Tatsumi is his odd relationship with Esdeath, the imperial general. While the whole situation is incredibly contrived, Esdeath's supposed love for Tatsumi does open up a lot of interesting possibilities - opportunities to explore why each is fighting on the side they are, and maybe finding some common ground. But instead it's mostly just played for gags and never goes anywhere. Esdeath is a strangely likeable character, despite all of the horrible things she's done in her past and her apparent love of killing and torture. It would make it hard for Tatsumi to love her back, but are the people in Night Raid really any better? I don't know, because the show never really asks those questions in any meaningful way.

Most of the characters get their one or two episodes. It's almost like a death flag if someone gets a backstory episode. But there's little development going on here. It really just is a show about a bunch of cool good guys fighting against a bunch of cool bad guys. There are little touches of ambiguity tossed into the mix, like with Bols, a character who looks evil, yet is often kind and caring and has a cute, loving family. But it's so on the nose - his appearance, the overly lovey-dovey relationship with his wife and daughter. It's like the author is trying to beat you over the head with the idea that this guy who happily murders thousands of people on the empire's orders is actually a loving husband and father and friend. There's no nuance or depth to it.

All of that said, I found myself enjoying most of the characters - good guys and bad guys. On the superficial level with which they're presented, they mostly work. It's a fun collection of personalities, I just find it a shame to leave so much unexplored.

Enjoyment - 8/10:

While I am disappointed about many things in the show, I can't deny that I enjoyed watching the episodes. Even the ending, which many people complain about. I thought the ending felt appropriate given the story to that point and the overall tone. But maybe I will check out the manga to see how that ends as a comparison.

Overall - 7/10:

Akame ga KIll! feels like an anime that is never quite sure what it wants to be. It's trying to subvert the shounen genre, and succeeds on the superficial level, with lots of blood and guts, characters who actually die, characters who actually acknowledge their ships, etc. But it could have been so much more. Interesting ideas are presented, and then dropped or handled in equally superficial ways. It's almost like the author was afraid to dive all the way into an idea, instead retreating to the comfort and familiarity of the genre any time he veered too far off script.

Overall, an enjoyable enough show, but it always leaves me wanting more when shows tease bigger ideas and themes and don't follow through on them.

Generally, I've only ever read manga or light novels after first watching the anime and am interested in seeing where the story goes from there. Is It Wrong To Pick Up Girls In A Dungeon? (I'll just call it DanMachi from now on) was the first time I reversed that and read the source material before seeing the anime. This review is based on the first 10 volumes.

I really don't like the title of this series. I find it very misleading. It gives the impression of a standard harem concept, but this story is anything but. Sure, it has the standard harem cliches, with a ... bunch of girls who all have the hots for Bell. But it never ever feels like the harem or ships or romance is driving the momentum of the story. There's always a bigger plot, and Bell's focus is always on overcoming obstacles and helping the people around him. It actually bothers me that some people might pass on these books thinking they're just boring harem fare, because there's so much more being offered here.

Simple explanation is that this story is set in a fictional world where a huge hole in the ground serves as a spawning pit for monsters (the dungeon), and adventurers flock to the city to fight these monsters, level up, gain fame and fortune, etc. It's a unique twist on a pretty standard RPG/fantasy theme. It weaves in some mythology, as gods from various cultural backgrounds have descended from the heavens to form familias (guilds, essentially) of adventurers. The story follows Bell, a teenage boy who comes to the city hoping to make his name as an adventurer. He finds a small familia and starts off on his adventure, picking up new comrades, potential love interests (although the romances never really go anywhere in this story), and new enemies along the way.

If I had written a review of the first volume, I might have given it a 7/10. Not great, but interesting enough that I picked up the second volume. The real strength of this series is that it picks up momentum as it moves forward. The early books set up the world and the characters, and as the stories progress they grow more complex and fulfilling. Too many series start with an interesting premise, but the author loses creativity or direction after a few volumes. DanMachi is the opposite - it just keeps getting better the longer the series goes on.

The author of the series has a real skill for building to an exciting climax. I don't think there's been a volume yet (save for 9, which is the first part of a two-part story that concludes in 10) where the story doesn't build to an epic scene that resolves the main conflict, and leaves the reader feeling wholly satisfied. I read a lot of these Japanese translations these days, and I always find that I rip through DanMachi faster than any other series, just due to the forward momentum in the plot - I can't wait to find out what happens next. There are other series I like more overall, but this is definitely the one I can't put down once I start it.

I don't want to get too much into plot specifics or character development or whatever, since I'm basically posting a review for 10 volumes of a series. It's kind of hard not to have some level of development over that length of time. Suffice it to say that the characters are mostly likeable and interesting, and their interactions are amusing when they need to be and serious when they need to be. The tones shift naturally and there's a bit of everything in each of the stories. There's action, adventure, humour, mystery, intrigue, camaraderie, and (mostly unrequited) romance. It's unusual for a story to blend so many different tones so seamlessly, but it works well here.

Overall, I'm giving the series a 9/10, based on the first 10 volumes. The first few volumes set the stage, handle the world-building heft, and the series just keeps picking up steam with each subsequent instalment. Epic climaxes top off each book, and new characters are introduced regularly without feeling forced or creating much bloat to the story. A great read, highly recommended.

About a week ago, I'd never even heard of karuta. I imagine that's probably true of a lot of viewers of Chihayafuru. I've noticed lately that (despite being male), I've been really enjoying Josei, and to a lesser extent Shojo, series. I have no idea why, but I find the stories and the characters to be more relatable and real. And that's how I found Chihayafuru, searching for similar anime. It didn't disappoint.

Story - 8/10:

I enjoy the plot of Chihayafuru, and it's probably the weakest element. I mean, at its core this is just another show about some sort of high school competition. Whether it's ... Haikyuu! or Shokugeki no Souma or whatever, the stories are all basically the same with different themes/sports/topics. So it really boils down to execution, and Chihayafuru does a really good job of hitting all the right beats. We feel connected to the characters and share their joy or sorrow when they win or lose.

The concept is pretty simple. Chihaya is obsessed with karuta - a traditional Japanese game involving poetry and speed/skill. She was introduced to the game as a child, and played with her two best friends, Arata and Taichi. Now in high school, she reconnects with Taichi and wants to start a karuta club at school. But karuta isn't very popular - it's old fashioned and slow-paced, not really up to the speed of modern day life. So the first arc revolves around Chihaya and Taichi building a club/team, and then they start competing.

One big selling point for the story is how good a job it does of explaining and teaching karuta. Most viewers (especially Western viewers) aren't going to know what the hell karuta is at all. So the fact that, after 50 episodes, I'm able to go to Youtube and watch a real life karuta match and understand the rules and a reasonable amount of strategy says a lot. And I know very little Japanese (the language is very important to the game, given that poems are being read).

The tournament scenes are often a little predictable, with our heroes suffering some defeats, and sometimes emerging victorious. A lot of the usual underdog stuff, which can be compelling if done well - and it mostly is here. Overall, I dock a couple points for the predictability and the sometimes overly drawn out matches. But the story is strong and enjoyable.

Art - 9/10:

I think Madhouse is rapidly becoming my favourite studio. Their art style is little more realistic than many other studios (although I know they're mostly copying the mangaka's style anyway). But the character designs work here, and the care and attention to detail for recreating real life locations is admirable. The karuta scenes themselves are well animated, you really get a feel for the speed and swift movements that make up so much of the game.

Sound - 10/10:

I watched Season 1 dubbed and Season 2 subbed, so I got a good feel for both versions. The voice acting was solid in both, especially for the main trio. The soundtrack was very fitting, it had a traditional feel to a lot of the tracks, but also some good inspirational music when needed. What I really enjoyed was the karuta reading itself. The poetry sounds very beautiful when read (really, it's almost like it's being sung more than read), and that was enough to snag a 10 for me. I liked the choice they made in the English dub of leaving the Japanese karuta readings in - there's definitely something mystical about the sound when you have no idea what's being said. I was actually a little put off when watching Season 2 and seeing a lot of the poems subtitled - they lost their magic for me once I understood the words.

Character - 9/10:

I want to preface this by saying that I love Chihaya. She's awesome. Her spirit and tenacity are infectious. And she's adorable and weird and goofy too (she tends to be an airhead about a lot of things, and she falls asleep after her matches and what not). But man, it's getting tiresome to see so many anime where the main characters are just clueless about love. Whether it's some dopey male lead in a harem anime who doesn't notice a half dozen girls throwing themselves at him, or some doe-eyed high school girl who doesn't realize that the hottest guy in the school is in love with her. You're going to get that here, and it can be frustrating to watch at times.

Despite that, I actually really enjoyed Taichi's character because of it. Chihaya's actions annoyed me on occasion, but it only served to help deepen Taichi's actions and motivations. Taichi comes off like an arrogant little shit as a kid, and it's really interesting to see the maturity he displays as a high schooler. Despite Chihaya being the team's ace, Taichi is definitely their leader.

I also like the way they handled Arata's character. It's clear that Chihaya feels a deep connection to him, but he's absent for most of the first season, just popping up here or there. He's like some distant dream or goal that's just out of reach for her, and it's a big part of what helps drive her. Unfortunately, it means that he doesn't get the kind of screen time that he probably deserves, as he also seems like an interesting character. We just don't get to know him that well.

Secondary characters are handled very nicely in this show. No one seems like they're just filling an archetype (except maybe Porky, the fat kid, but even he plays off type a lot of the time). I really thought they did a good job of making the opponents seem appropriately daunting or intimidating. Whether it's someone like Sudou, who is frightening due to his personality, or someone like the Queen, who is frightening due to her remarkable skill at karuta, adversaries are set up very nicely for Chihaya and her club.

My only disappointment is that the relationships between the different characters don't develop or manifest quicker than they do. It's not necessary that Chihaya choose Taichi or Arata, but she should at least engage with her feelings instead of being completely ignorant. And there were several pairings of minor characters I would have enjoyed seeing.

Enjoyment - 10/10:

I blew through all 50 episodes of this show in under a week, which is fast for me. I felt like any free time I had I was hitting the couch to sneak in an episode or two. And the moment I finished the OVA, I immediately started in on the manga. Anytime I'm interested enough after a show ends to check out the manga or novel and continue the story, that's an easy 9 or 10 in enjoyment from me.

Overall - 9/10:

Chihayafuru is an engaging story with likeable, nuanced characters, that highlights a rather niche sport in Japanese culture. You don't have to know or like karuta to enjoy the show. The characters and the plot provide ample motivation to keep watching.

I know I'm coming to this anime quite late (given that it's 2017), but I'm glad that I finally took the time to watch it. Nana is a wonderful story about life, love, and regret. It's one of those stories where the characters just grab you and won't let go. It was an emotional roller coaster and as bittersweet as it might be to feel sad when the final episode winds down, I just love finding stories that can hit me that hard.

STORY - 10/10

Nana has a rather simple premise. Two girls named Nana meet each other, move in as roommates, and go about their ... new lives in Tokyo. One Nana is a little boy crazy and is trying to find love and acceptance. The other Nana is an aspiring rock star and is pursuing her dream with her band.

But there's nothing simple about the intricate weave of relationships and troubles that find the two girls and the supporting characters in their orbit. Watching all of the interactions play out is a wonderful journey. I can see how some people might find it a bit slow-paced. It's definitely something of a slow boil at times, but the payoffs are always worth it. The growing relationship between the two Nanas, in particular, is sweet and genuine and extremely realistic. The characters in this show feel like real people making real decisions in the face of real problems. There's not always a happy ending. And there's not always a bad ending. Sometimes people just endure and survive and make the best choices they can in the moment and have to live with those choices.

There's a pretty significant event that occurs about two-thirds of the way through the plot and pretty dramatically shifts the tone of the story and those relationships. Again, I can see how this might turn some viewers off, but it's incredibly intense to watch the momentum build towards the end of the story. And it's an absolute shame that the author took ill and was never able to create a proper conclusion. Here's hoping we might get some more of this wonderful story someday.

ART - 8/10

There's nothing particularly special about the art. I'm not always up on all the different studios in the animation business, but I found the character models to be very reminiscent of Code Geass - really, really skinny people, with kind of long faces. But I tend to get used to different art styles within a few episodes. The art here is solid, and it plays well with the emotional tones of the story.

SOUND - 9/10

Given that the two bands play such a significant role in the story, there are some pretty good original songs in the soundtrack. I just wished there were maybe a few more. Blast really only had two songs in their repertoire. I watched the dub, and thought the voice acting was strong. The two main leads, in particular, were both very well cast.

CHARACTER - 10/10

The character work is the true strength of this show. Nothing about the many characters feels forced. They seem like real people - young twenty-somethings trying to figure out life. Sometimes they make good decisions, sometimes they make bad decisions. Sometimes they're happy, sometimes they're sad, and sometimes they just do what they need to do to get by.

A major theme seems to be a recognition of their mistakes, and a longing regret, yet an inability to actually figure out what to do about it. Each episode opens and closes with one of the two Nanas narrating, looking back from an undisclosed point in the future, and you can really feel the regret in their voices when they talk about their memories. Both Nanas are incredibly nuanced and deep characters. There are times when I felt exasperated with both, wishing they would make the right choice, feeling pain as they make a mistake, or feeling pure joy as something good happens. That whirlwind of emotions really shows just how deep the characters are.

Almost every one of the significant supporting characters feels just as real and fleshed out, from Nobu to Shin to Yasu to Ren. Even Shoji and Jun and Kyosuke have great appeal. And even an asshole like Takumi has his place and works perfectly within the context of the story. There's really almost nothing bad I can say about the writing of the characters in this show, it's as close to flawless as I've seen in an anime yet.

ENJOYMENT - 10/10

I can honestly say that I enjoyed nearly every second of this anime. Even in the moments where I was disappointed in a character's choice, or worried that something was about to go wrong, the sheer power of the emotions I felt while watching was a bit of a surprise. There are only a handful of shows (anime or otherwise) that have spurred such a response in me.

OVERALL - 10/10

I think my average rating on this site is in the high 7s. Some people might find that a bit high, but I don't like to score below a 5. If I watch a show through to completion, then there had to have been enough in there to sustain my attention, and that's worth at least a 5 to me. And if I drop a show, I don't rate it - I don't consider it to be fair to rate something that I wasn't willing to watch all of. So that tends to drive my average up a bit. All of that to say that while my average is high, I still tend to be fairly judicious about giving something a 10. I'll give 8s and 9s pretty regularly, but a 10 is still a special rating reserved for shows that had a powerful impact on me. It has to be more than something I just enjoyed, it has to really move me.

Nana has everything that I could ask for in a story. A solid plot that forms the foundation for exceptional character work. An emotional punch that escalates as the show progresses. I felt genuine happiness and sadness as I watched. My only disappointment (as is pretty common with many anime) is the lack of a conclusive ending, and I'm willing to look past that with the hope that someday the author will finally be able to return to finish the story (as a side note, they did a pretty clever job with the final episode of the anime as a way to provide some open-ended semi-closure to the story).

I really wanted to like this show more. As is the case with many people, I found Sinbad to be the most compelling character in the first two seasons of Magi. After watching this prequel, however, I'm wondering if the mystery and mystique surrounding Sinbad in the original Magi series is part of what makes him so compelling. Telling his backstory didn't seem to work as well as it should have. But it was still a fun show to watch.

STORY - 6/10:

I felt like this was really where the show fell a little flat. What could have been an interesting story, outlining a long, hard ... journey for Sinbad to become a king and form the Seven Seas Alliance turns out to be fairly rote and straightforward. After a couple interesting episodes involving his birth and parents and eventually capturing the first dungeon, the show basically devolves into small 2-3 episode arcs where he travels to some new country, gains an alliance with them really easily, and picks up a new crew member. It's almost like a grocery list - we know he has his little group of generals later on, so we're just going down the list, ticking them off one by one as he travels around.

There doesn't seem to be any real challenge. Most of these people are eager to leave with him, despite barely knowing him (I guess Jafar is a bit of an exception, at first). All the places he goes are supposed to be super xenophobic and hate outsiders, but a teenager is able to change their minds with little effort. He pretty much just has to show off his super powers and they all fawn over him and gush to join his peaceful alliance. Even something as simple as his djinn equip - in the original Magi, Alibaba's experience learning to use his djinn equip was emotional and difficult and helped shape him. He had to overcome something in order to gain that power. With Sinbad, he just figured it out offscreen and suddenly shows it off at the opportune moment. It's all too easy.

I was really expecting Sinbad to have to overcome more difficulties in order to succeed. Everything just seems to come so easily. Hell, even when he's not sure what to do, a Magi shows up and just tells him!

ART - 8/10:

The artwork is solid, and the animation is good. I don't know a whole lot about anime studios in Japan, but apparently this is done by a pretty new studio. They only have like 7 anime listed (as of this show's airing). All in all, I think this is a pretty good effort, style-wise.

SOUND - 8/10:

I watched the English dub. I thought the voice acting was good, the OST is solid and keeps the mood from the previous Magi seasons. Nothing mind-blowing, nothing to complain about.

CHARACTER - 7/10:

Just like the story section, I was a little disappointed with how easy things are for Sinbad. He literally pops out of the womb already OP - they actually have a scene where people around the world feel his presence through the rukh as he's born and say how he's going to change the world. I don't know where you go from there. The writer chose not to go very far at all. They just accept that Sinbad is a badass for life, and will power through any obstacle with ease. That tone might make for some cool moments or good wish fulfillment scenes, but it makes for boring character work. What we really want to see is Sinbad struggle a little. He shouldn't just innately be this person who is perfect in every way, wanting a peaceful world with no war, wanting to form his perfect country, understanding the ins and outs of trade, diplomacy, strategy, etc. I thought they were going to give us something good when Sinbad failed at trade upon first arriving in Rem. But no, the king of Balbad just hands him (literally) a win anyway.

The reason I give this a 7 instead of something lower is because they actually do some interesting things with the minor characters. Sinbad is the constant, never really changing, but how people around him react or are affected does influence the show and its direction. Jafar, in particular, has some emotional advancements. Hinahoho struggles through feelings of inadequacy. Drakon and Sinbad have a good vibe going, until Drakon just leaves. I liked the queen of the amazonian tribe, I wouldn't mind seeing more of her around. She seemed to understand the djinn and rukh and everything a lot more than Sinbad does. So a strong secondary cast of characters helps save what is otherwise just a show about Sinbad showing off.

ENJOYMENT - 8/10:

Despite the negatives listed above, I still enjoyed watching this show. I powered through it in a couple days. I think a lot of that enjoyment is nested in nostalgia, as I did really enjoy the Magi series before this instalment. Despite a lack of Aladdin, Alibaba, and Morgiana, this still definitely feels like a Magi show, and if you enjoyed the first two seasons, you'll probably enjoy this one too.

I feel like Magi: The Kingdom of Magic is a slight improvement over the original season (which I quite liked). I want to give this an 8.5, but half points aren't permitted. So I settled on an 8 instead.

STORY - 9/10:

While the characters were really what helped push a first season that was a bit weaker on story, those elements are reversed here. The second season spends most of its time following Aladdin. We get brief glimpses of Alibaba and Morg, and they each make a triumphant return towards the end of the season, but we're really focused on Aladdin here.

Aladdin is at the magic ... school in the magical country (I'm not even going to try to spell the name out). He's there for a few reasons: he wants to improve his magical skills; he wants to investigate potential links to Al-Thamen; and he wants to find out more about the way the magical vs non-magical citizens live. The story starts out a little weak, with a weird pirate arc taking up the first few episodes. I guess they wanted to give us a little adventure with the team before everyone split up. But once we get into Aladdin's story, the pacing picks up nicely.

As with the first season, Magi really dives into some dark themes. I wouldn't consider death to necessarily be a mature theme, as its present in a lot of material aimed at children (Bambi, Old Yeller, etc.). But Magi goes into some really sinister areas: the idea that there are different classes of citizens (they touched on slavery in season one, but this stuff goes way beyond that); the idea that people are essentially being farmed for their souls; the idea that these people willingly chose that in exchange for an easy life and the mage's protections - is it okay to treat someone like dirt if they've given their consent? These are some really deep ideas to be presented in a shounen series. It adds a lot of emotional heft and complexity to a plot that would otherwise be pretty straightforward.

War breaks out towards the end of the season, and it's actually quite interesting to try and determine which side is in the right. The Ko Empire's militaristic ideals aside, you could really make an argument for either side between the Rem Empire and the magical academy. Which is how wars usually work. We really get to see Aladdin shine towards the end, once he takes the crystal off and unleashes his full power. And by the final battle with the dark void, where just about every djinn-equipper in the world shows up to fight, we get to see some pretty cool action.

Art - 8/10:

The art and animation are solid, if not spectacular. There's a bit more fanservice this season, with Aladdin's instructor's boobs playing a major role in his motivation. But the fight scenes and the magical spells all look great.

Sound - 8/10:

I watched the English dub again. I liked most of the voices. The OST was good. Not much to say here.

Character - 7/10:

Like I said earlier, I think this section is the biggest detraction to the second season. Character was the strength of the first season, but because we're now spending 90% of the time with just Aladdin, we have to meet a whole new host of characters. And, unfortunately, they don't seem as interesting or nuanced as the first season's characters.

Titus is probably the guy that we spend the most time with, and its clear that the show wants us to consider him the emotional anchor. But given his backstory, he's really just a child, exploring the world for the first time. He's a likeable, endearing character, but he's a simple character.

The director the academy (again, not even going to try to spell his name) is probably the most interesting character we meet, but he's kind of despicable in a lot of ways. In terms of themes, it's quite intriguing (and repugnant) to see how he views humans with no magical ability. He treats them with absolute indifference, like they're animals or objects. Aladdin is confused by the fact that the director seems like a genuinely warm and caring person until he realizes that the director holds these views. We get some nice backstory through the use of flashback scenes that show the director as a caring individual who wants to use his magical powers to help all humans, but loses that love and positivity along the way.

Aladdin himself continues to grow, both as a character and a mage. Nothing earth-shattering, but it's nice to see the incremental development of Aladdin. You can clearly see how he will one day be a true Magi, a leader of humans.

Alibaba gets a couple episodes and Morg gets one, which is enough to give us a taste of what they've been up to, but their development occurs mostly off-screen.

ENJOYMENT - 9/10:

I ripped through the second season pretty fast. Part of that was because I wanted to watch Iron Fist on Netflix, and I liked to finish the show I'm watching first. But I genuinely enjoyed the second season of Magi. It's a fun show with a lot to enjoy. And I liked the pacing this season. By focusing squarely on Aladdin (who probably had the most interesting story out of the three anyway), it lends an air of mystery as to when Alibaba and Morg would re-appear. The story handles that aspect quite nicely, and it leads to great moments when they do eventually re-appear. Not having Sinbad around for most of the season was a bit of a downer, as he was probably my favourite character from the first season. But he gets some pretty epic moments in the final battle, so that was nice.

OVERALL - 8.5/10

This season was an 8.5 for me. But since MAL doesn't allow half-points, I'll give it an 8 here and a 9 on my list to split the difference. Magi is a definitely a typical shounen in a lot of distinct ways, but it has a mature air about a lot of the themes that it delves into. It hits satisfying emotional beats, has mostly likeable characters, and offers up an interesting setting based on the Arabian Nights. All in all, I would recommend this show to most people.

Given its massive popularity, Sword Art Online has its fair share of haters. It's interesting to see how people who didn't like the anime carry that into this film. While the anime had a number of issues, pretty much every major complaint isn't present in this movie. I wrote in a review about Sword Art Online: Progressive that we've really seen the author of the SAO books evolve as a writer from a very uneven and disjointed set of early stories into a much more consistent and satisfying later set of stories (once you get into the Alicization arc of the novels, and the SAO: ... Progressive side stories). I think this continues here, with a well-written, contained piece. But there will still be people who say this movie is terrible, because they're unable to unattach it from their previous bias about the anime.

STORY - 8/10:

The story is solid. Given that it's a two hour movie, instead of a 25-episode anime season, you need a fairly straight-forward plot. Augmented Reality is the new in thing, which combines a virtual world with the real world - so you're still awake and using your real senses, rather than in a full dive environment. Someone's created a game, called Ordinal Scale (think Google Eye + Pokemon Go on steroids), and are using the old Aincrad bosses as the main event monsters. It's all fun at first, but when things start to go bad it's left to Kirito to figure out what's going on. While maybe not the most original plot, it's a tightly-written piece that moves along at a good pace, slipping in the boss fights (which are really fun to watch) and slower moments (developing Kirito and Asuna's relationship quite nicely) while trying to solve the mystery.

Pretty much every major complaint about SAO is gone in this story. It's not a disjointed set of unattached short stories like the Aincrad arc originally - it's a tight, continuous story from start to finish. It doesn't rush through things. It doesn't involve a bunch of girls throwing themselves at an obtuse Kirito - the story focuses squarely on Kirito and Asuna, as it should be, and the other girls present are there in a strictly platonic sense. There's barely any interaction between them and Kirito, they're mostly hanging with Asuna. Even Suguha seems to be over her incestuous desires (or has at least shoved them deep inside so they're not present on the screen). While glimpses of OP Kirito are present, he spends most of the movie as a low-ranked player in Ordinal Scale, who can't seem to master the AR environment - he's constantly tripping or falling or moving too slow. Once he's on a mission to save Asuna, he goes a little crazy, but even then he can't overcome the final boss on his own - he needs lots of help. There's even a bit of a tongue-in-cheek reference to Kirito's OPness at the very end, after defeating the final boss and acquiring some super sword, but the story's basically complete at that point. I think they tossed in that final scene in as an in-joke.

People are still going to say that the story is shit, because they just can't get past their hatred of the anime and its intense hype. They'll complain about plot holes, but then be unable to give concrete examples (or misuse the term). That's fine. People are entitled to their opinions. But this story is far improved on the original story. It corrects old mistakes, while doing an excellent job of tying the Aincrad history into the plot. That leads to one of the major detractions - I don't think this movie could stand on its own. You really have to be familiar with the anime/books to follow everything. And even then, there's a lot of exposition dumping early on to explain the whole AR phenomenon. Otherwise, it's very well done.

ART - 10/10:

This is a movie, so obviously the emphasis on the art and animation is going to be top-notch. It's really a beautiful film. The fight scenes look amazing, the character models are great, the animation is smooth and constant. SAO was already a pretty nice looking anime, if nothing else, and this just takes it up a level.

SOUND - 9/10:

The OST is great, the voice acting is solid. I got chills when the old SAO music started playing during the last boss right. Sound is something I generally score pretty high unless the OST or voices are noticeably bad, and they certainly aren't here.

CHARACTER - 8/10:

SAO is really a story about Kirito and Asuna. All of the other stuff is just window dressing. So, needless to say, in the first SAO feature film, that relationship is front and centre. Everything happening in the plot is there to create a conflict this relationship needs to overcome. We get to see a deeper bond between the two protagonists, and it doesn't feel nearly as rushed as it did in the anime. Kirito is becoming more comfortable is his place as Asuna's boyfriend, while Asuna continues to be the more confident and competent partner.

I've already seen complaints that Asuna is just a damsel in distress in this film, which makes me wonder if people even know what that term means. The damsel in distress trope generally implies that the female character is helpless and requires her male hero to come and save her. Sure, Kirito is working hard to help Asuna once he realizes what's going on. But Asuna is never helpless at any point (which Kirito discovers when he reads her diary), she's constantly fighting and leading the charge, and in the end she's the one who rides in the save the day when the others are struggling against the final boss. Asuna is a complex and highly competent character in her own right, and implying that she is simply a plot device to show off Kirito's badassery is a very sophomoric reading of the story. There's a lot more going on than that, and all of the memory stuff is really just a nuanced way to look at Kirito and Asuna's relationship.

The minor characters are generally the weakness in SAO. They can be fun and likeable, but they don't get much depth or development. There's usually one character that gets a little more attention each arc (Suguha in Alfheim, Sinon in GGO, Yuuki in Mother's Rosario, and now Eiji in Ordinal Scale), but this has really always been a two-person show. A lot of fan favourites, like Klein and Agil, are almost just caricatures at this point.

ENJOYMENT - 10/10:

I had a lot of fun watching this. The theatre was packed. People were cheering and clapping and everything (which usually annoys me, but seemed appropriate here). I'm not sure if watching it on the big screen influenced my enjoyment or not. It was my first non-Ghibli theatre experience for an anime. The boss fights are great, there are some decent funny moments, and there are some legitimately touching scenes between the two lovebirds.

OVERALL - 9/10:

If you like SAO, you'll like this movie, since it basically improves on everything about SAO. If you hate SAO, you'll probably hate this movie, and talk yourself into lots of "objective" reasons why it's bad. If you're indifferent towards SAO, but have seen the backstory (the Aincrad arc at minimum), then I think you'll find something to enjoy here. It's a pleasant viewing experience with good action and good romance. There's never really any doubt that the good guys will prevail, but you can make that claim for 99% of movies anyway.