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My story of how I know and discovered Koe no Katachi was a very weird event that I will never forget and will always be thankful for.

I was staying up late around 3 am in the morning, finding and searching a perfect anime that I can binge and review on. When suddenly a random video showed up in my recommendation box

"Koe no Katachi" At first I was skeptical of whether to watch the trailer or not. Then after 1 full week of recommendation I put my pride down and start watching the 2 minute+ trailer...Next thing I know I started counting down for the ... day of its theatrical showing.
SO! Let us jump right in to the review!

Story 9/10:

The story focuses mainly on 2 concepts that give this story a fresh breath of air: the concept of "bullying" and "forgiveness". Let me ask you this question. Have you ever got bullied to the point of bleeding? Have you ever bullied someone to the point that it sparked into a fight? Lastly, when you see a person who bullied you in the past, will you ever forgive that person for what he/she did to you?

Although in all honesty, Yes; I was a bit salty that they cut off the different characters’ development from the movie, but I can also say that it was good. Since the movie focuses more on the development of the main characters; Shouya, a bully that wanted to redeem himself and became a better person and Shouko a deaf girl who got bullied by Shouya during their childhood. As we go along with them they grew more and more liking each other.

Apart from the main concept of the story, it also provided us the lightheartedness ie; the romantic and awkward interaction between Shouya and Shouko that warmed our hearts and at the same time cry during the tense section of the movie, the interaction Shouya and his best of best friend Minet-...I meant Nagatsuka.

Overall a very smooth transition between the stories and I am happy that they stick to the original source materials.

Art: 10/10
Kyoto Animation never fail to amuse me with their art and animation. Smooth, fluid movement, Beautiful background. But what I want to comment on the most will be on the details of hand movement for JSL(Japanese Sign Language) with both our main characters and 2 other side characters that execute this movement perfectly.

Sound: 8/10
I have to give a round of applause for all of the voice actors in this movie for giving life and personality to the characters. Especially the voice actress for Shouko(Although she only spoke rarely) in giving a convincing and fascinating voice for our deaf girl.

But now I have to address the elephant in the room, why only 8?

Well, in my opinion, some of the soundtracks of this movie are forgettable that it could ruin a moment, while at the same time some of the soundtrack are so heartwarming, heart wrenching to the point that it gave me a goosebumps.

Character: 9/10
Since I already pointed out in the story section. Most of the character development are focused on both Shouya and Shouko in their attempt to forgive one another for what Shouya had done in the past.

Let me first address Shouya. It was so hard for me to watch the first 20 minutes of the movie without feeling sympathetic for Shouko.

I, at the time, wanted to just curb stomp that little brat. But as the time goes on and he realized his mistake and started losing his friends, he became a character that some of us can relate to.
His character development proves to us that we can learn the important lesson of forgiveness not only to others but to ourselves, as well. When he finally came out of his comfort zone and faced the world as a new man we can't help but cry and be glad of his achievement.

Next is Shouko. There are few and also countable deaf characters in anime. Some of them have weak characters. Some of them are just background for a gag. But Shouko proved us wrong that even with only action and broken speeches, she was still able to develop along the way and help Shouya improve into a better person. For me, her attitude and personality helped me realize that there might be some people who are like her, blaming everything on herself and extremely forgiving.

As for the supporting characters. They really do fill out the blank space between the developments of both our main characters’ relationship. Without them, I would say this wouldn't go well and I wouldn't even write a review of this movie.

But for those who have watched the movie but had never read the manga. I would highly recommend to read the manga for more of the Supporting casts’ developments and their redemption stories, trust me you will love it.

Enjoyment: 10/10
I watched twice, I cried twice
I read the manga, finished then cried
Guess this is enough

Overall: 9/10
Overall this is a great movie that proves, that anime industry can, someday, compete even with big screen movies and corporations.

The story taught us;(to the bullies) that no matter how much you had done in the past, if we recognize that you were a "scum" try to redeem, forgive yourself, reach out to the person you had bullied to and redeem yourself.
(To the bullied) If they came back, try to forgive them. Grudges never solve any problem.
And lastly to both, suicide is never an option!

In the end I would say that this movie is like a literal roller coaster that we call life. It may be hard to hold on to but always remember that there is an end.
Thank you for reading this long review. Hopefully this can help you in some ways.
-Fresh26564 was here

Now that Anime winter 2017 has officially come to an end, I would like to say, personally, that this season will come out strong not only as a comedy season for shows such as; Konosuba, Demi-chan wa kataritai, Gabriel dropout but also strong dramatic season shows such as; Kuzo no Honkai, 3-gatsu no lion and some might say Youjo senki.
But I am getting off the rail here so please come with me and let us explore this anime, which spawns countless memes and trends that made anime fun again. Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you. Kobayashi-san chi no Maid dragon

Story: 8/10
The ... story of Maid dragon is neither ground breaking nor lazy to a lot of degrees. For some, they might find it as generic.
We have a working age, female who is a maid enthusiast. Who one day through a rough night of drinking encountered a dragon, she saved the dragon and ask her to be a maid. Now if you read this summary you might think to yourself. That's...pretty generic. But trust me, without spoiling anything, it gets better.
The show centers on the daily life of the dragon who tried to adjust to the environment around her. It also portrays how the working class (office employee) in Japan looks like, with the cramp train before and after work, stressful environment and etc. At first you might come in for cute anime girls do cute anime thing but when you look closer to the issues that were brought up in this anime, it can also be applied to real-life scenarios and that you will learn from it and value this anime more.

Art: 9/10
With the polish of the anime company KyoAni, The visuals and fluidity of the show in each episode comes out as flawless. Each character's movement, design and almost perfect adaptation from the manga with the same name. It stands to be one of the pretty shows in this season.

Sound: 8/10
With the story and the tone of this anime. The Soundtrack for Maid dragon is of course cheerful and jolly. From the catchy OP to the cute ED. With sound effects during the comedic scenes that help in carrying the show forward. The voice acting is also on point with the animation.

Character: 9/10
"Don't lewd the dragon loli" This quote has been floating around the internet for the past couple of months and that is because of one of the characters in the show, But we'll get to her later. All of the characters in this anime, especially the dragons have their own different tastes and development with some exception((I am looking at you Elma))
Of course, with the title name,’Kobayashi-san’ as a character develops from a lonely shut in to somewhat of a mother figure to both of the dragons that live with her. She is strict to the dragons and at the same time gives them kindness that warms my heart.
Tooru, with her development as a maid, her understanding of human society and her relationship with Kobayashi-san which starts off as somewhat of lust, ends with love and respect for her.
Now to everyone’s favorite dragon, Kanna. As the main cute blob in the series, she is not there only to be cute and useless(as to some other anime with cute blob). . . ok fine I like her cute character. But also she can be show her power. Although we can assume that she is at least more than a centuries old, but her physical and mental capacity are still that of a kindergarten’s and her desire for wanting to learn more and live in the human society motivated her to study in human world. There are more characters in this anime that I want to talk about, like fafnir development from a Human hatred machine to a shut-in Otaku to Lucuo with her outrageous "plot". But I will say the character in this anime with their unique interaction and personality are what moves this anime forward.

Enjoyment: 9/10
I have to be honest with you guys here. I had a very bad impression on this anime to the point that I avoided the first 3 episodes. But then I looked back, watched it and was hooked with all the things that I just wrote on this review. I would say, give it a go!

Overall: 8/10
As for the end I would say that Maid dragon is like a cheap-looking food that you try to avoid but then submit yourself to and realize how wrong you were for trying to avoid it with an ungodly craving for that food to the point where you want more. It gives you that laugh when it’s funny and a reality hit scares you when the scene gets serious, I would say, give it a go.
-Fresh26564 was here

Reviewing Bakemonogatari is like critiquing a piece of art. It is subjective to anyone who watches it. So, for your information, those who dislike long dialogues, complicated plot lines, extremely confusing timelines and somewhat weird fan service, please proceed to the nearest exit... Are they all gone? Okay lets go.

Story 8/10:
Bakemonogatari is divided into 5 rather unique and different arcs, with different girls with supernatural beings and tones. Starting with a strong opening arc with Senjougahara, until the last arc with Hanekawa. Majority of the story revolves around Araragi trying to find a "Happy ending" for all of the girls he encountered throughout ... the series. Through conversations, arguments and debates the story moves forward in a rather slow but steady phase that leads up to the conclusion of each arc.

Art 10/10:
I would say that Bakemonogatari was spot on in this category. The play of colors in the environment, designs of each and different character, fluid animation and sometimes poking fun of anime art style from different eras for their comedic tone, and just as I said from the beginning, Bakemonogatari is an art. As I watched the anime, I felt that some of the scenes can actually be displayed in an art museum for everyone to see. In short, it is great art style.

Sound 9/10:
The soundtracks in this anime are, should I say, timing base. From a mysterious tone during some confrontation moments to comedic tone during the random and carefully placed comedy segment. It pulls you in and heightens your anticipation for what is about to come.
However, the most important thing in this anime is their voice acting. I would proclaim now that without topnotch voice actors/actresses, this anime would be so tedious that no one will ever finish it. Their voices gave the different characters first impactful impressions, Senjougahara with her somewhat monotone, sarcastic and mellow voice, Araragi with his confident and playful tone, Kanbaru with her boyish with a hint of perversion and so on.
The OP in this anime can also give some insight into the main character with each and every arc have their own OP. That said 4th OP Ranai Circulation became somewhat of a phenomenon for both anime and non-anime communities which, I would say, deserves a round of applause.

Character 9/10:
Boy! this is going to be fun. To sum up quickly, all of the characters in this series have their own unique characteristics, designs, and backstories that open up an ever expanding story line. Our main character, Araragi Koyomi, with our main heroin, Senjougahara Hitagi are like magnets. At first their attraction might seem forced to some and weird for the others. But as the story goes on we can see them understanding their differences and help each other through thick and thin.
My personal favorite interaction between the two is always the time that Senjougahara intentionally makes fun of Araragi to extract that comedic duo vibe and made me laugh out loud like a maniac or during the time when they were just alone and had a heart-to-heart conversation. It can really warm up your heart and made them more relatable. With that being said, all other 4 different girls in different arc also have weird and interesting interactions with Araragi especially when it comes to Hachikuji.

Enjoyment 8/10:
As a reviewer of Bakemonogatari who went into the series blind with no context whatsoever. I would say this out loud. This anime is not for everyone. It’s not for heavy fan service lovers and also not for non-complicating plot line lovers. Some of the dialogues go really fast that sometimes I needed to rewatch it again for me to understand it. As a foreigner who doesn’t speak Japanese, some of the word plays are also lost in translation. But after all of this I really do enjoy this anime and would definitely recommend it to anyone out there who would want to try out something different for a change.

Overall 9/10:
Overall this is a solid anime and I would compare this to a bowl of spaghetti. When you eat the newly cooked spaghetti it is good and delicious but sooner or later you will get full of it put it away as a leftover. Later on, you will then ponder "maybe I should eat that spaghetti again". You went to the fridge, take out the bowl and even without reheating you eat the spaghetti. Then you realize how wonderful and delicious it is. You might not agree with me and find it disgusting but this principle can also apply to this anime. Some might like it, others might not. You be the judge. I strongly recommend you to watch this. I give this anime a big thumbs up.
Thank you for reading this long review. I will eat my spaghetti now
Fresh26564-was here

This will be my first review ever on this site. I know that this might be a bit amateur(-ish) but please bare with me and hopefully this can give you all new comers some insights into this anime.

After all new waves of fantasy animes, blood, gore, flashy colors etc. I thought to myself.
"Well...I guess that's it. I think, I see everything"
I then laid back on my chair when I saw a picture of this anime. Its the picture of a man wearing all-blue walking with a kid beside him
"Great another slice of life anime...I will just give it a try" Next thing I know, I ... finished the entire series and later on would finish the manga.

I would like to compare this anime to a cup of hot chocolate on a cold winter night. It made my heart grew 3 sizes as with the grinch during Christmas and help me to reignite my love for this genre once again.

Story 9/10:
Again the selling point of this anime is its pure slice of life style of story telling, Exploring the life of a Junon-boy(hehe) living life in a small town. The hook(some might agree with me) was at the last scene on episode 1. The scene hits home due to my personal experience as a city boy, who loves to go visit my grandparents once in awhile. The music to accompanies it made the scene more memorable and warmy feeling.

Art 8/10:
I know I know I put 8 there. Yes the character have their difference in styles and over the art is great with fluid animation...with a little of rough here and there but hey its still very good.

Sound 9/10:
If you read my story part, you'll know that the music in this anime really compliment the scene. From the warm, fuzziness in the first episode to the random encounter of comedy that is sprinkling throughout the show. The music really gives you the feeling of "small town" vibes. And Oh My Glory the opening...the damn OPENING! I cant get this song out of my head(in a good way of course) and also a very warm and fuzzy ending is very appreciated.

Character 9/10:
AH yes this is gonna be fun. The character in this anime are full of colors and unique in their own ways. We have Handa-sensei; A quick temper, calligrapher as a main character he's...lets say...different and with time he develops from hard headed to slightly cool temper with a bit of heat in there. The supporting case are also interesting; Tamako with her secrets of being a fujoshi, Miwa's boyish character, Kawafuji with his comedy with Handa and my favorite character naru with her fun going personalities that really make me want to have her as my child((Police please don't arrest me))

Enjoyment 10/10:
Heck yes I enjoyed the show and hopefully the new comers will too. From start to finish you will never be disappointed.

Overall 9/10:
As I said from the beginning;Barakamon is like a Hot chocolate during Winter. it warms your heart, made you feel good about your life, made me remember my pass((personal)) and after this anime on, you'll feel refresh and encourage to go and dive again into the anime world.

Thank you for reading this review and hopefully you will love this show as much or even much more than I do.

Fresh26564-was here