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Aug 10, 2018

Dorei-ku The Animation (Anime) add

Not Recommended

I want to start by saying that I thoroughly enjoyed this anime. I enjoyed it for all the wrong reasons, but that doesn't change the fact that I derived pleasure from its existence. This anime is a hot, steamy witch's brew of plot holes, contrivances, and WAY TOO MANY CHARACTERS.

The story is about people engaging in high-stakes games where the loser is psychologically compelled to become the winner's slave. However, the narrative is too disjointed and forced to deliver on any of the tension or intrigue. Instead, it's a sea of constantly changing power dynamics, coincidences, and weird sex stuff.

The only way I would ... honestly recommend this show to someone (based on its own merits, and not on so-bad-it's-good voyeurism) is if someone is looking for a light BDSM romp. MAL currently doesn't list this as ecchi, but the master-slave dynamic is definitely taken to its logical conclusion. If that's your thing, then I'm glad you've finally found something to scratch that itch.

Anyways, the story is too all over the place to be anything other than an increasing amount of absurdities that dogpile onto each other like a drunken, disorganized orgy until some sort of climax is reached and everyone heads home without making eye contact. 2/10

The animation is...something else, that's for sure. Characters are off-model as often as they are on-model. I genuinely couldn't tell you what some characters' hairstyles are supposed to be, because the second they start moving, it dissolves into mush. The dog is a particularly fine example of the animation team being incompetent and lazy. Like, most of the time they weren't even trying. Add in the bland color pallet and awkward facial expressions, and there are no good visuals to be found. 3/10

The soundtrack is passable. It was never standout, but neither was it stand in the way. It's bare competency stands in stark contrast to the rest of the production. 6/10

The anime's biggest flaw is its characters. That's not to say there are no good characters, as a few of them have interesting motives and backgrounds. However, the cast is so crowded that none of them are given enough screen time to really develop. You could have still had a complex, high-stakes game with a lot of players if you cut the cast in half. As it is, you aren't given enough time to get attached to any of them. Except the dog. The dog is a fucking rockstar (more on him later). 4/10

When all is said and done, there were several occasions that I laughed out loud at the sheer ridiculousness of what was happening onscreen. It has the feel of an old-school anime, with its wacky plot that is going to take itself deadly serious no matter how zany things get. If you bother paying attention, the plot holes are so face-palming delightful. In no particular order, here are some of the gems from this series (SPOILERS):

-If the little shota wanted to free his mother so bad, why didn't he just trick the head gangster into a battle with the slave device? Like he's passing the gadgets out like candy to his underlings, even though these things are millions of yen and he's trying to save up enough money to free his mom.

-We are supposed to believe that this device that can force the loser of a contest to become a slave was originally developed...to help train pets. Yup. If Fido's having some trouble being housebroken, just challenge him to a contest to make him SUBMIT TO YOUR WILL. Especially since the explanation we are given for how the device controls the wearer is by inflicting them with a crushing since of responsibility. Because we all know our pets are emotionally complex and bound by duty and societal expectations.

-The self-described crazy lady has apparently never heard of Craigslist's missed connections. The entire reason she's doing all this is...to reconnect with a one-night stand. You DO know that private eye's exist, right? That there are other, better ways to track someone down than to wonder around town betting your free-will and collecting slaves.

-THE DOG. THE DOG IS SOMEHOW THE SMARTEST CHARACTER. Like not only is he able to understand humans completely, he grasps the nuance of the situation and the life-or-death battles. And like...no one finds that weird. They all just take it for granted that the you can explain the rules of the game to him and he'll bark in agreement and go to town. "Hey dog, first person to omnomnom this flatware WINS." "ARF!" Does this take place in an alternate universe where dogs are super intelligent? Is that why the SCM was designed as a dog-training device?

So when all is said and done, Dorei-ku provided a decent amount of enjoyment (6/10). However, even on the grounds of so-bad-it's-good, there are better shows out there you could watch if you want to laugh at some bad anime. Additionally, I honestly couldn't tell you how this show stacks up when it comes to BDSM fan-service, as that's not my area of expertise. Overall, I'd give this show a 4/10, and tell people to give it a pass.

But that dog, man. That dog is my hero.

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Jul 9, 2014

Watashi ga Motenai no wa Dou Kangaetemo Omaera ga Warui! (Anime) add

Recommended

I. Freaking. AM. This girl.

I have struggled with social anxiety most of my life. I've never felt like I belonged to part of a group, and I've always felt like more of a shadow than a real person in the eyes of others. I'm taking medication for it now, but that doesn't stop the pain of those memories.

So for me, Watamote was like reading a very embarrassing autobiography. I related to the main character, and it made me ashamed.

First off, this anime is hardcore cringe comedy. You WILL have to pause the show at least once just because watching this girl fail is so ... painful. You will scream no at your television, only for your plea to fall on deaf ears and Tomoko to humiliate herself anyways. It's not a feel good, chortle jubilantly whilst crunching on pocky sort of anime. It's a face-palm-and-shake-your-head-despairingly anime. If that doesn't sound like a roaring good time to you, then you should probably go watch Lucky Star instead.

Speaking of Lucky Star, that's just one of the many anime Watamote references. Ghost in the Shell, Haruhi Suzumiya, Death Note, and a plethora of other shows are visually mimicked from time to time for your viewing enjoyment. Okay, that's a nice shout out to otaku, I guess. And I suppose it helps emphasize Tomoko's otaku nature. But I can't help but feel like this show is more preoccupied with imitating iconic images rather than creating its own. That's the danger when you rely to heavily on shout-outs and references: you leave no room to make your own impression.

And that is Watamote's visual failing. The animation is never bad, but it never goes beyond bare simplicity. You are ANIME, art incarnate, moving masterpiece, you shouldn't settle for mere passing. Watamote fails to create any sort of distinctive style of its own. It's bland. If you do not create images that stick in the mind of your audience, then you are going to be forgotten. Ironically, that's a lesson Tomoko is very aware of, and yet her own show fails to put it to use. So I must award you no points for style.

Back to my own neuro-chemical failings: as someone with social anxiety, I understand what it is like to struggle to connect with people in a way that is meaningful. Watamote definitely got that message across. Unfortunately, it provides no light at the end of the tunnel, and thus ends up feeling somewhat hollow. Now, mental illness is a hard subject to portray, because it does not lend itself to a satisfying story-arc. You do not OVERCOME things like anxiety and depression. There is no final battle, no clear climax. Instead, it is a slow, uphill struggle. There is no end, because it's not something that ever goes away. That makes a satisfying conclusion almost impossible. A person can't just suddenly "get better" from internal struggles. If they do, it comes across as contrived and insincere (see the TV ending of Evangelion). Victory against mental struggles is so gradual that it can be hard to see, which is why it can be very unsatisfying for an audience to watch.

Watamote falls into the trap of trying to show character development in a way that is thematically satisfying, but distant from real life. The conclusion of the show has some last-minute growth from our main character, probably in order to give its audience a freaking bone after all that torture. However, as someone who has struggled with this same issue (and as such as the likely target audience of the show), I know that sort of change doesn't happen. I don't want to see the main character be able to put aside all their anxiety with the click of a button, because I know that kind of change isn't lasting. Poor Tomoko will be back to her regular behavior in a week, with no permanent improvement.

Instead of trying to make things look magically better, why not just give her small victories throughout? That's how real progress is made. It comes not from willing your situation away, but slowly learning to deal with it. Show her continuing to reach out to people in her own minute, faltering ways. Then, even if she fails, help build that gradual change in her perception that she is learning to deal with rejection and failure, so it isn't as crushing. At the very least, have her experience empathy towards others, and learn to focus less on her internal, selfish problems, and more on being able to sympathize with others.

I'm just ranting now. All in all, it is refreshing to see this sort of main character. I mean, how often do you see a female nerd as the main protagonist? Practically never. And despite my gripes, the show was fun to watch, even if it occasionally made my stomach turn. However, I wouldn't recommend this show to anyone who isn't hard core otaku. If you aren't some sort of social misfit, it might be hard to find common ground with Tomoko, and would make her very hard to relate to. Which funny enough, is pretty much her struggle within the show. Watamote is a strange little piece, and most people will probably just want to ignore it. But whether you acknowledge it or not, it's still there, waiting for someone to notice.

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Mar 29, 2011

Natsume Yuujinchou (Anime) add

Recommended

This is my first anime review, so here goes.

Plot Summary:
Natsume is the new kid in town, and boy is he weird. He talks to the empty air more than real people, he's withdrawn, and sometimes he takes off running for no apparent reason. As it turns out, he's not crazy, just spiritual. He was born with the spiritual powers that allow him to see youkai (Japanese mythical creatures). He inherited this ability from his grandmother, who was known among the youkai as a powerful, fierce fighter. His grandmother used her abilities to defeat youkai and take their names, thus binding them in servitude. Now it's ... Natsume's quest to set them free.

Story:
There is only one word to describe the tone of Natsume Yuujinchou: chill. Everything is very laidback, tranquil. The pace is much more deliberate than most anime, taking its time to fully stretch out a story over an episode. Yes, the pacing is slow, but it's the good kind of slow, where things take their time to develop. If you like fast-paced, nail-biting adventures, you're not going to find it here. However, if you don't mind waiting around for a story to blossom, then Natsume Yuujinchou usually delivers, with every vignette well thought-out and explored.

Unfortunately, that's all there is: vignettes. Natsume Yuujinchou is episodic in nature, meaning that there is no overarching plot. While this isn't horrible, it's kind of frustrating to see interesting youkai introduced, only to stick around for one episode and then dissipate after their story is done.

Art:
The animation is pretty cheap. Not bad, just cheap. Don't expect any more movement then is necessary. Also, I think the original author had a mask fetish, because many of the characters have their faces partially covered, meaning facial expressions are often a non-issue. The monster designs are for the most part simple but good looking. However, the action isn't always as crisp and fluid as it could be.

Sound:
Once again, the show differs from a lot of contemporary anime by being very subdued for the most part. All of the acting is good, it's just very toned-down. It tends to make most of the performances forgettable. Also, the background music is fairly bland, and the themes that do stand out sound suspiciously close to stuff you'd hear in Azumangah Daioh. I will say this, though: the opening and closing themes rock. Well, not in the literal sense. They are both quieter, softer pieces, but they fit the series very well.

Character:
Probably the most frustrating part of the show. The characters are usually very interesting, but so many of them are one-shots that it feels like a waste. This is partially remedied in the second season, where characters start coming back, but for this season, don't expect to see too much development outside of Natsume and Nyanko-sensei. However, both of these main characters are well-developed, and they are explored fairly well, which makes up for the other characters not getting screen-time. Although I will say this about Natsume: you could get that kid to do anything for you, if you mentioned you felt lonely. He is such a sucker for the lonely card.

Enjoyment:
This is not a party anime. It's not big or loud enough to watch with a lot of friends, but it is a nice, relaxing, thoughtful piece to watch on your own.

Overall:
This anime is definitely unique. If you don't like over-the-top, flashy anime like Gurren Lagan, then you might prefer Natsume Yuujinchou's approach to story-telling. Also, as a final note, the second season is better because it builds off what is established in this season. Anyways, if you're searching for an anime to watch after a stressful day, this is a great choice.

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