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Aug 27, 2024
A good watch as someone who hasn't read the manga, but saw a lot of fans of it in my online feeds. I don't know yet whether I'm going to pick up the manga or wait for Season 2, but in any case, it's clear I'm interested in this story's continuation!
The animation is pretty and seems like a good interpretation of the manga's original artstyle. I think Dungeon's Meshi biggest draw is its endearing cast of characters. People who have been passionate about the manga for a long time will probably do a better job than I could highlighting the quality of their writing, but
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as far as I'm concerned, I found them engaging - their writing feels like a work of love. Their dynamics are a good balance of fun and touching.
Speaking of good balance, what impressed me the most about this anime was its pacing. It doesn't miss a beat all the while never overwhelming the viewer. Some episodes made my jaw drop! The action was expertly written to include so much at once and yet make it easy to follow. I think the arc that included both Laios' and Toshiro's fight and the return of a certain Epic "monster" is the best example of this impressive, clever pacing.
Finally, the sensible writing behind the diagnosis-pending protagonist Laios speaks to the author's excellence and empathy. An overwhelmingly high quality work, that may not fit all the codes I'm personally obsessed with, but has successfully found its audience.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Aug 26, 2024
Jouran: The Princess of Snow and Blood is a subtle interpretation of healing from trauma - possibly PTSD or C-PTSD specifically - that I don't blame those privileged enough not to have that experience for not getting.
It also flew under the radar, which I think is best exemplified by the fact that I know quite a few people who would be obsessed with Tsukishiro if they knew he existed.
I was introduced to Jouran while playing an anime school-girl gacha game, as the opening theme, performed by has-no-business-being-part-of-a-gacha-multimedia-franchise awesome band RAISE A SUILEN, has its own map in BanG Dream!. I fell in love with all
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of it - the voice, the music, the visuals, the designs. Much of it spoke to what I thought was super cool when I was a teenager, which I still cherish, and the protagonist portrayed in this opening theme led me to think I was about to watch a show with a strong female lead.
Which was a wrong assumption. Sawa is a mess, stunted by her blind desire for revenge. Jouran isn't so much of a "cool story" as it is a subtle telling of the messy process of healing. Sawa’s reactions and growth, even the setbacks she experiences, read like a narrative-led interpretation of the healing process for PTSD. It’s fairly subtle, so I understand how someone who may not recognise these themes may focus exclusively on the narrative - which by itself, is odd and weirdly strung together. From silently dreaming of a different life in Episode 1 to, throughout the story, sacrificing everything for the sake of the child who will break the cycle of abuse, as someone who suffers from C-PTSD, I was able to see the process Jouran represents as if it had been clearly laid out.
But it wasn't. This process is represented through the lens of a complex and cruel story. Many of the (many) plot twists were predictable, but I was drawn to the deeper story being told behind the sometimes-too-convenient narrative. The surrounding cast isn't given a backstory and only matters for the role they play in Sawa and Asahi's story - something I've seen in other anime as well, which comes as a bummer sometimes, but in my opinion, fits Jouran thematically. One very pleasant surprise was, to me, Asahi, who is most likely my favourite character. Her thought processes, feelings and behaviours are portrayed in such a way that leads me to thinking the writers have a deep understanding of the complexity of children. Her story is, ultimately, the most engaging one, and not without reason.
I can't review Jouran without mentioning my excitement that it involves a respectfully portrayed trans character. Although his identity is never mentioned, save by the one Obvious Mean Guy who's the only person to care about outing him for literally no reason, this means it is never questioned either. This trans character is your average "Toxic Entertaining Morally Grey Young Guy" anime character and there's something extremely validating about seeing a character who is like that, whilst being canonically trans. It does not impact the story whatsoever, which has left many people who have played Persona 4 a few too many times completely confused as to why "her" "backstory is hinted that but not explained". No, he's just trans, and that information is the only reason the viewers are shown his tits. (In a very SFW way.) The deeper, clever story you should look for is that of the non-linear process of healing from PTSD, not an explanation for this character presenting as a man. (By golly, what could this mean!)
The fights are cool, the designs and art are cool, the music is AWESOME. If like me, you are in the process of healing from PTSD/C-PTSD and have done introspective work or in any way learned about the process, I seriously recommend Jouran as a crude, subtle telling of how horrible it is. It's not pretty, but watching Asahi latch onto the absolute doormat that is Sawa is incredibly endearing and healing to watch.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Mar 19, 2024
I figured another review would be helpful, so here's mine: I watched this OVA after I'd already finished the main anime. (And as I'm playing the mobile game.) Seeing a "return" to 2D animation was nice, but unfortunately, the animation of this specific OVA is very low quality. A shame, when S1 of BanG Dream! stood out for its pretty animation. The 3D is equally bad as it was in S1, so... that's pretty unfortunate. This is a short, plain "beach episode". There is no story to speak of. The girls wear cool looking swimsuits, but I'm not sure I needed to see angles specifically
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placed behind their butts, especially not at their age. Roselia are here and in 2D, whereas I'd only seen them in the 3D-animated seasons before, so that's cool. BanG Dream! usually manages to tell sweet stories, even for such small events as "going to the beach together", but this one is extremely bland. Their interactions seem very forced, which is unusual for the series.
It's a quick watch, so I think it's very inoffensive, but as a fan of BanG Dream! who usually thinks PoPiPa is extremely endearing, I have to say they gave us nothing in this specific OVA.
Reviewer’s Rating: 4
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Mar 25, 2022
I was greatly disappointed by this anime. It's hard to put into words - I'd heard it was a grand feat of intellectualism and "the kind of anime that leaves you effed up", but I found myself describing it as pseudo-intellectual bullcrap.
I understand that this is a harsh statement, and may not fully reflect my opinion of Serial Experiments Lain a few months from now, but the majority of this anime was incredibly boring. I personally have no patience for slow-paced... anything, truly, and still found it slow at x2 speed. The only other anime I watched at double the speed was Mirai Nikki,
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for the sake of my own mental health - what I'm saying is, I don't *usually* do that. The first half of Episode 11 is a great watch if you enjoy wasting your time.
It's not all bad, of course. There are much, much worse stories in the world of anime. Serial Experiments Lain isn't offensive by any means. The opening theme grew on me, and I wouldn't mind listening to it again. Some characters are interesting and have noticeable depth, although I personally find that most of them fall short nonetheless.
I actually enjoyed the last episode, but I strongly believe that it would have been just as good without the twelve episodes of slooooow world-building before it. Serial Experiments Lain could have been a two or three episodes long OVA and it would have worked just as well in my opinion ; not in the sense that there's too much filler, but in that the pacing needs a dire change to make this anime entertaining.
As for what is supposed to make Serial Experiments Lain interesting... I believe that other stories, including manga and anime, have already tackled the topic in a more interesting *and* entertaining manner. Possibly even before it came out, but definitely since. There is nothing groundbreaking about its concept in my opinion, unless maybe you, the reader, exclusively watch Slice-of-Life anime (first example that comes to mind) and have never been introduced to cyberpunk or the like - in which case it might feel new to you, idk.
It is possible that my complete lack of interest in conspiracy theories or anything that sounds like one is keeping me from being intellectually interested in some of the episodes/part of Serial Experiments Lain's concept. Similarly, the way it tackled the topic/theme of "God" was of no interest to me. At the end of the day, everyone's brain is going to be titillated by different things. Serial Experiments Lain didn't do it for me.
In writing this review, I would like to encourage other watchers to manage their expectations. I believe it could make Serial Experiments Lain more enjoyable to both watchers like me, who have no particular interest in its themes or the way it goes about them, but also to those who are going to like it. Who wouldn't rather be pleasantly surprised than disappointed?
Besides, because of its reputation, I feel like people who didn't actually enjoy it are more likely to keep it to themselves out of fear of appearing not intelligent enough to appreciate it. I have enough ego (haha that's the title of one of the episodes get it) that I personally don't believe that to be the case, and I strongly believe that intellectual themes can be tackled in a highly entertaining manner, to both those who like a challenge and those who don't.
Reviewer’s Rating: 4
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Oct 13, 2021
Coming from someone who enjoys Jojo's... Part 7 is overrated. It's a subjective opinion, of course, much like that of "Part 6 is the total worst!" I kept hearing up until the Part 5 anime ended. What it resulted in was to turn Part 6 into an extremely pleasant surprise and Part 7 into a disappointment.
It's still pretty good, though slow-paced. I dropped it for a good few months at some point, which I usually never do... but thankfully, since nothing much really happened, I was easily able to pick it back up.
I think Part 7 contains many good ideas. Johnny had a lot of
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potential, and many of the characters are extremely endearing - I fell in love with Gyro, Lucy & Steven Steel. Johnny wasn't the only one with good potential. Diego and Hot Pants were very interesting as well...
Up until the end, at which point they were completely wasted. All of them except Steven and Lucy. Every other character's conclusion was frustrating, and not in a Part-6-it-was-meant-to-be way; in a definite "the author completely wasted their own character" way.
There is a lot of potential behind having a Jojo Part be set as a race, and I feel like that may work wonderfully for some readers and be completely boring to others, with no real objectivity to it.
Overall, Part 7 was entertaining. The end - and what happened to a lot of characters - is what left a bad taste in my mouth. Maybe it would have been epic if we weren't meant to care about those characters, but we were. Part 3 handled this a lot, and I mean A LOT better.
But yeah, Gyro, Steven and Lucy were really cool.
Quick content warning with major spoilers:
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Part 7 contains a disabled character who magically loses their disability in the end (and by "magically" I mean "inexplicably"). A much-too-common, pretty distasteful trope given that many disabled people will stay disabled forever, and many of them are satisfied with their life as a disabled person and would not like to become able-bodied. There are enough of these stories and as such, I feel that Johnny is not interesting representation for those with disabilities.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Jan 30, 2021
The team behind Ao Oni The Animation knows Ao Oni has this burlesque quality to it, loves it, and it shows. Do you like Ao Oni? Do you like sh*tposts? Then you'll enjoy this very short, silly anime.
It features the game's characters with more sterotypical personalities, but in the sense that it makes them easier to grasp in a short amount of time. There is no overarching story - this a series of jokes taking place in the Oni's mansion.
The ending theme is surprisingly catchy and the monsters are funny. Only downside was the intro, which was a little too long for something that is
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always the same except for its last line.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Dec 24, 2020
Akudama Drive is a great original anime and a very pleasant surprise. Its ending is impressive and makes the overall experience feel entirely worth it.
It's not perfect - maybe you'll find a few exaggerations, or an element of a character that you don't like and feels out of place - but its few flaws are, to me, entirely forgiveable. I watched it as it aired and the hype never died, even though I'm usually a buzzkill and uninterested in most things. The exploration of the cast's backstories is clearly lacking, and feels a bit awkward overall, but what's happening in the present is genuinely epic.
Epic
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in the literal sense, but also epically "written" or "represented" if you ask me.
I'll blame the backstory issue on there only being 12 episodes and hope to find out more from the manga (currently being released). I have watched rushed 12-episodes-only anime in the past and in my opinion, Akudama Drive handled its short run very well. The actual, ongoing story, doesn't feel rushed at all - only one scene felt to me like it could have been longer for the sake of drama, but it was still intelligently written and wasn't lacking in any shape or form.
One of its flaws may be the typical flaw of a story created by someone who's used to writing death games... but the ending wrapped everything up neatly and valorized all the story's themes in an impressive manner. Everything that happened to all these characters was meaningful, and that is extremely satisfying.
Akudama Drive was clearly a passion project for multiple people, and not just Kazutaka Kodaka, the big name behind it, and it shows - but as a fan of his previous works, I'm seeing an interesting and satisfying evolution of his recognizable work and I'm very happy with this new title of his.
Akudama Drive is a mature story with a mature cast and very dark in the best way. As a fan of psychological horror (and hey, one of the episodes is even named after my favourite writer's most famous work), I was thrilled the entire way down. The main character's evolution was particularly satisfying and, to me at least, interesting to watch.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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May 26, 2020
Watching "Canaan" as a fan of its game prequel, 428 Shibuya Scramble, was a lovely experience. Getting introduced to an anime form of my favourite protagonists and their entourage was absolutely ~wholesome~ and "Canaan"'s story follows up on Shibuya Scramble's very well. My personal opinion is that for a viewer to enjoy "Canaan" to its fullest, they would need to have played Shibuya Scramble, as it gives a lot of weight to Maria Oosawa's backstory and relationships, but also because it includes a Bonus chapter exploring one of Canaan's most formative experiences, which is only partly shown in the anime.
I think, however, that a viewer
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who hasn't played 428 Shibuya Scramble could still enjoy "Canaan". It touches upon tragic topics that aren't typically explored in anime - if you're looking for a sad story set in a world torn by terrorism rather than an otherwise peaceful world, "Canaan" would be a very good pick. It's a rather short story, and many seem to bring up that it isn't "particularly deep" (which you may notice other reviewers don't consider such a bad thing), but I think it *is* deep in its own way. Rather than introduce a grandiose, never-before-seen story, "Canaan" focuses on exploring its characters' feelings and their confusion when faced with tragedy. I personally appreciated that their reactions and actions were relatable - while most anime actively attempt to be unpredictable, "Canaan"'s events and its characters' emotions are realistic *enough* and make every choice interesting without being frustrating.
If you're looking for action, there are some fighting and escape scenes in "Canaan", but they aren't typically the focus. I would say that what makes these scenes especially important is the way the characters' feelings towards them are portrayed, rather than the actual adrenaline the viewer may or may not feel watching them.
While I wish 428 Shibuya Scramble's Bonus chapter with Canaan, Siam and Alphard were also present in "Canaan", I think the anime did a good job portraying its main bad guy for this reason: I know a bad guy's really good when I know they’re dangerous and despicable, and yet I pray that they survive.
In any case, my personal recommendation would be to get your hands on 428 Shibuya Scramble, and then watch "Canaan": that makes, in my opinion, this anime a guaranteed nice experience.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jul 18, 2019
Why do we all want to watch Midori no Hibi? The answer is really simple. We're all curious where it's gonna go with this "dude's right hand turns into a cute girl" plotline.
Well, I'm here to tell you they went the boring route.
It's not that surprising - was Midori no Hibi (Midori Days) going to be 13 episodes of jokes about what men think of their right hand? Of course not, and behind that silly concepts lies a basic anime.
The story doesn't make much- what am I saying? It doesn't make any sense. Midori no Hibi is somehow a show about romance, handled in
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the most annoying way possible.
How many times have I found myself asking why? Why does Midori like the protagonist, Seiji, to begin with, when the only reason she knows he exists is that he takes the train on the platform opposite to hers to go to school in the morning? Why does she become his right hand? Seriously, can anyone tell me why?
Seiji's backstory is... Odd, to say the least. I guess it's original that the reason the protagonist is a loser who can never get a girlfriend isn't that he's a hikikomori or especially unattractive, but... It really doesn't work that well, and feels taken too far.
Now, to talk about the characters... How do I put it.
I hate them.
Midori is incredibly obnoxious, and being attached to the protagonist's body, she's unavoidable. Her reasoning, the things she does, don't even manage to make her cute or pitiful, for a simple reason; she's just an ungrateful brat.
If only there were some reason she dreams of getting closer to Seiji so much, like some event he may have forgotten, or a tough backstory or family-life, it would for sure be easy to empathize with her, but there is nothing of the sort. She's in love just because, she's sad just because.
She goes on to wanting for Seiji to immediately reciprocate her feelings, even though he never knew her before and by stealing his right hand (which he actually needs a lot, because his awkward plot of a life says so) she's being nothing but an annoyance.
*Of course* he becomes attached to her! Why wouldn't he? He's an anime protagonist, she's an anime girl, can I make it anymore obvious?
Seiji's... nothing special. He's really not as bad as he could be, likeable in some scenes and not as annoying as other characters or plot points in the show. He's awkwardly written, but isn't really a problem.
There are other characters. I don't remember how long ago I watched Midori no Hibi, but I only remember three of them. One should be punished for his sins, the other should be punished for her sins, and the other other one... Believe it or not, I actually liked! She's Seiji's other love interest.
Now, note that I would have complained that this guy doesn't really deserve girls fighting for his useless attention, but on the opposite of Midori, Love Interest n°2 has a *reason* to like him! It almost feels as if she's an actual character with proper reasoning. I'll say she's probably the only good character in this show, but it is to be noted that I generally like the trope she represents.
Don't even get me started on this show's ending. It was incredibly frustrating and, frankly, uninteresting. In a way, it even makes everything that's happened in around 11 episodes feel useless.
As I already said, all you'll find yourself asking is "why" and maybe a few "how"-s here and there.
You could watch Midori no Hibi and it wouldn't kill you. It's easy to follow, thankfully not any longer than it is, and is, at least, not particularly boring.
The ending was what ruined everyting for me. It could have been a lot smarter, it could have had some interesting morality, but it went the easy though inexplicable route.
Midori no Hibi wasn't even that bad to watch, except for the times Midori would annoy me to no end, or Seiji would be so clueless it wasn't even funny anymore. I simply feel like I've gained nothing out of watching it, and I feel like constant jokes about women and right hands wouldn't have been as insulting to womanhood as Midori's personality.
The first few episodes have a few humourous scenes but they unfortunately fade away as the show starts taking itself too seriously.
Reviewer’s Rating: 4
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Jul 17, 2019
No words can describe how much I love Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou.
For what it is, of course. Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou (Daily Lives of High School Boys) is my favourite comedy anime. It's consistently funny, all the characters are attaching and bring in their own type of comedy, overall, it's a joy to discover, and rediscover a few years later once your memory's failed you enough that you only remember it was good and few key scenes, but you didn't remember there were so many humourous scenes.
There is no particular story to this show. Characters simply show up with their quirks and daily
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life, and are never annoying when they become recurring. The relationships between all of them are what's interesting, always funny and sometimes heartwarming.
Now, I wouldn't want to oversell it, as that could only lead to it becoming disappointing.
Are there some clichés? Yes, but they're often turned on their head or the butt of the joke.
Is it stupid? Yes. Completely. 100%.
The characters are silly and absurd, but in a way that makes them extremely human. The way they react to, or feel things, never feels fake or exaggerated. I think that is one of the biggest strenghts of this show: it's a believable daily-life. In an odd way, of course, as some jokes are based on a character doing something completely absurd, but apart from these it's really easy to imagine oneself around these characters, sharing their reactions and emotions. Some daily-life shows fail at that by being much too exaggerated or based on unbelievable coincidences , but Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou is really... that. The daily lives of silly highschool boys.
Silly because they are bored, or sometimes because they are young, they're easy to identify with and laugh with rather than laugh at.
The humour of the show doesn't rest on mockery, which I think is a plus. There is a character who acts as a bully, but she's not the reason we're laughing at the scene. This show's characters love each other, have fun together, are accepting of each other's mistakes or odd personality traits, and that's what makes it so enjoyable. You're never laughing at the expense of someone: you're just happily watching a happy story. Feeling as if you may be experiencing those awkward, surprising, or hilarious situations with friends you'll be able to chat about it with later.
It's not remarkable story-wise or style-wise, but Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou is incredibly fun to watch. Once it's over, it's really hard to say goodbye.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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