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A recent forum discussion jogged my memory, and I remember seeing this like 40 years ago. It wasn't terrible back in the day, but I certainly couldn't recommend it to a modern crowd.

The story is based off the classic movie of the 30s, more than the book. Frankly it doesn't follow either of them too closely. The artwork is about on par for a TV movie from back in the day. It'll look real primative to a modern viewer. The animation will also seem quite lacking today. But for that era both were above average.

The dub was simply brutal, as only mid 80s ... English dubs can be. The direction was OK for what they had to work with back then.

While it wasn't monstrous for the period, and I would have graded it about 80/100, I am sure time has dragged this down badly. I wouldn't grade this much better than 55/100 today. Only recommendable as a curosity of days long passed.

I saw it was an isekai. I read the synopsis, and said "nah." But to call Zenshu an isekai totally misses the point. This is a PARODY of everything anime from the last 40 years. It's Gintama levels of parody. But where Gintama used sarcasm and poked the industry with a stick, Zenshu wraps its arms around it, and whispers "You might be silly as hell, but we love you anyway." There is truly a wamrth and love of the medium that pervades the production, from the first minute to the very last. I'm glad I waited until almost the last week to give this ... a try. It was one of the best binges I ever had.

The art work runs the gamut from 80s era simplicity to some really fine work indeed. It's a jumbled up mess that is going to look like a cluster, until you realize the animators are paying homage to all the best work that came before. Same with the animation itself. There might seem to be no cohesiveness to it all, but it works, considering they are lovingly paying tribute to decades of the industry. It's all in fun, and Natsuko's episodal magical girl transformation is awesome in that regard.

The characters are another great big pile of every cliche ever dropped in anime, but they are so lovingly portrayed, they'll worm their ways into your heart. Natsuko is the self-insert for everyone that's ever worked in the business. Every other character is cliche as hell too, but so much so, it's a loving poke in the ribs. They may be deliberately mid, but they are treated with respect, even if they are gently made fun of.

Same with the narrative. It's supposed to be hokey as fuck, but it's a hokey that is fun and amusing. Decades worth of tropes are woven into this tale, and that was one fine piece of writing. There's lots of comic moments, but they aren't mean or condescending like you'd find in satire. The writers treat the story, and all the characters, with love and respect, even as they poke gentle fun at them. Are you catching a theme here?

You can tell the VAs had a ball with this, and the performances are special in a sometimes silly way. The direction has done a magnificient job with the cast, and spinning all the wayward parts of this into such a beautiful yarn. The direction is nothing short of masterful.

There's no reason to redo anything about this series. If seen in the right light, it is very close to perfect in every way. If I was grading this I'd give it 95/100. It absolutely teeters on the edge of a masterwork. If you blew on it really hard, it might just tip over into that territory. So recommended, as long as you go into it with the right mindset.

Like the original, the Kyoto arc is fire. It's so full of action and new characters, that this season was going to make or break the entire reboot. I am happy to report that it's been a success.

Same crisp artwork from last season, and the animation has taken a step up. Some of Kenshin's moves, and other fight animation, were better than the OG. All the animation was high level. Even 3D renditions like the Rengoku were blended in smoothly and didn't seem obnoxious at all. Fine work by the animators.

The character designs didn't change from season 1, and the buttload of new characters ... introduced were well done. I think there was sttill a minor issue that also plagued season 1. They seem to really tone down the OG characters. Misao was nowhere near as adorably flakey. Cho didn't seem as brash. Even Shishio didn't seem as menacing. But if you'd never seen seen the OG, you'd never notice, as these characters are still portrayed brilliantly. It's only a minor shift in the tone of the entire franchise. It's not bad, only different.

The narrative mostly followed the OG, but seems to have gotten a little more world-building flesh put on its bones. The writers do it in a way that doesn't drag the flow of the story down. And they did a nice job of wrapping the season up without some horrible cliffhanger at the end. Well done indeed.

The VA work continues to be mostly skillfully done. With so many new characters, there are a couple 'mehs' tossed in there, but they aren't terrible. For the most part, the direction uses the cast well. Along with decent animation and fair use of the soundtrack, their work was acceptible.

Still, a masterful revisioning of the franchise. This is about the same level as the first season, and I'd grade it at 95/100 for a full A, even with my minor personal quibbles. Definitely worth continuing the journey with our wandering ronin.

These daddies are my buddies, and their daughter is a darling.

The art work is fine, maybe a tick above average. Nothing to knock your socks off, but professionally rendered. There is some masterful background work in some episodes. I'd call the animation just average though. It started off good, but the quality slid toward the end. There is some well done CGI, but then there are a couple CGI scenes that were kind of clunky; not distracting, but noticeable. In particular the car animation was only so-so.

Where this title truly shines, though, is in the character designs. They are all great. Miri and Anya need ... to have a cuteness showdown. The male MCs are well written and rounded. Even secondary characters are more than props. The characters are comfortably familiar but they aren't too cliche.

The narrative was well done, too. The writers could have taken this off the rails in a number of different directions. But they did a fine tightrope act and balanced drama, action, comedy, relaxed SoL and some truly tender moments into a believable concoction. And in an industry that regularly flubs endings, this one was just about perfect. It was a job well done and makes the series easily recommendable.

It certainly helped that the cast did a tremendous job. Especially notable was the actress that did Miri. It couldn't have been easy to get that enthusiastic, spunky, energetic vibe of a 4 yo girl down right. But she slays the performance. Both daddies' VAs did stellar jobs. Also. Miri's mom, although not getting a lot of face time, played a very poignant role. A lot has to be attributed to the direction of these performances, and how the entire series is constructed. It was a fine job, indeed.

This is a hit. If I was grading it, I'd overlook the minor issues and give this a healthy 92/100 for an A-. If a mix of cute and killer seems odd, but a bit intriguing, give this title a go.

This is damned good, and definitely recommended, but with some caveats.

The art work is ornate. Very well done and at masterwork level. For the most part the animation is A Tier. If not for a clunky chunk of 3d CGI here and there, it would have been S Tier. Still, not very detracting overall.

The main characters are well designed, even when one turns into a 3 legged chair. Some of the side characters are done well, but there are others that are picked up, and then dumped, faster than a $3 whore. A couple of them made me wonder why they even bothered to ... include them. To be able to stretch the runtime out, and call this a full-blown movie?

The narrative is pretty straight forward, but like Suzume's journeys it has a tendency to meander a bit. I felt things would have been better if the writers went straight to the point faster. One other issue I had with the writing was I found some scenes were...ummm...emotionally manipulative. There are parts that seemed to only exist to force an emotional response from the viewer. Many might never notice, but I found those minor, unnecessary scenes a little irksome. But these are mainly personal nitpicks. Mostly the writing is OK if not astounding.

The VA work was at a high level for the entire cast. I especially liked the actresses for Suzume and her aunt. They stood head and shoulders above a skilled crowd. I am sure the fine acting was partially a result of overall good direction. He wielded the VAs, animation and soundtrack with aplomb. A fine job, indeed.

I'd suggest opening the door, and stepping across the threshold to enjoy this universe. If I graded this movie, it's a 93/100 and an A-. Other than a few quirks many might not notice, it is so close to a full A I can't help but highly recommend it.

My favorite tanuki family is back to share more of it's foolishness with us.

The art work and animation is as scrumptious as the first season. The animation might even be a bit better, as some scenes do a great job of blending 2D and 3D renderings, as to be nearly undetectable. Even minor scenes get fine attention to detail.

Our main cast of characters is back and they get some good development this season. There are a handful of intriguing new characters as well. This season suffers from something I was a bit dissapointed with from Season 1. The secondary characters are so interesting ... I wanted to learn more of them. Leaving Benton without further explanation, or examination of her backstory, is short of criminal. We get to see some real emotion from her, but what we don't get is any WHY. Heck, she could probably handle a spinoff of her own, but we'll never know. We get the same passivity towards some of the new characters too. They end up being props.

It's not affecting the narrative much though. At first it kind of meanders around, and had me wondering where this season was heading. But once it starts falling into place, things move along swiftly to a quite dramatic conclusion. One thing the writers did better this season was weave in the comedy. There were a couple scenes had me LMAO. The ending was satisfying, with just about everyone getting their just desserts. How sweet it was!

Again, the cast is stupendous, and even the new character are done with skill. This points towards knowledgable direction. A commendable job indeed.

This family may be eccentric but there's no weirdness to them. If I was grading this season, it's a bit better at 94/100 for as high an A- as I could give it. If there had only been a bit more secondary character development, this surely would have been a 10 in my book.

Maybe a little eccentric, but certainly not weird. One of those titles I've been getting around to for ages. Now I am kicking myself for my foolish procrastination.

The artwork is very appealing. Colorful, crisp, not avante gard, but you can see there's been some love poured into this. I found the animation was about the same. It's not screaming, in your face, shonen spaz out. But there is quallity rendering throughout. There is a fair touch of CGI, but it's very well blended in for the most part. Can't say I remember any of tthe usual cost cutting sequences today's studios beat us with ... about the head and shoulders. Overall it was much above average.

There's quite a cast of characters. They center around a family of shapeshifting tanukis who blend in with human society and sometimes mingle with tengu. So it will help immensely to understand them if you have some basic background in Japanese folklore. Or you will miss some of the subtle wrinkles in the characters. They are all well designed and well rounded, for the most part, and get interesting personalities and back stories. But there were two I felt could have been developed a lot more. I really wish they had fleshed out the Professor and Benton. They are interesting, but their motivations remain mysterious and unexplained. I found it a touch disappointing. I guess there is only so much you can do in 13 episodes.

The narrative surprised me with its depth. It starts out as laid back SoL, but morphs into something of a murder mystery over time. The writers do it in a smooth and congruent manner. They deserve a high five for such a good job. The story moves along at a decent pace not too fast or slow. You get to savor it like a good hot pot. One thing of note is that this series ends on a very high note. A rare occurance in anime.

Such good voice acting throughout. This is one exemplary cast. The directions leads them well. When you look at the whole of this series, and how well it is all put together, the direction deserves kudos, indeed.

It's not often a series is this well brought up. If I was grading, it deserves a very high A- at 93/100. It's so close to a full blown A, I can't help but recommend this to anyone, especially if they have some background in Japanese culture and folklore.

Compared to previous offerings of this title, this arc leaves me a bit perplexed.

Art work was about the same. Solid, with good background work and great character designs. The animation wasn't quite as good, but it's a lot better than most animation out there today. Something of a quibble at best.

Lots of new characters introduced, but frankly the development comes up hard and short. There's just not enough episodes to do them all justice.

The shortness of an arc, rather than a full season, hurts the narrative as well. While what is presented is intriguing enough, things are much too rushed. The ending, ... while not bad, seems to be a crash landing. It opened up a lot more questions than it answered.

Watched the sub and usually I don't care for Mandarin. This VA cast did a decent job of conveying the emotions in a scene. The direction was fair, with the overall rushed nature making things a bit rough to tie up nicely.

While I hugely loved the first two seasons, I feel a bit shortchanged by this arc. While the seasons got A grades from me, and I didn't find this too obnoxious, I can't see fit to give it better than 84/100 B for all the loose ends it leaves dangling. Here's hoping we get a real season soon to tie up the plotlines.

I was a big fan of this back in the day, and enjoyed it immensely. I just finished a re-watch after god knows how many years. Sadly I can't say this has withstood the test of time well. Not unworthly, but seems shopworn today.

Art work was good for its time, but looks only so-so today. Characters and mechas were already trope-ridden, and today they are simply cliche. The animation work is something of a mixed bag; some good and some not so good. Overall it was about average for its day. But it's hardly anything impressive anymore.

The narrative is hardly inspired. I got the solid ... impression this viewing that a lot of this is a direct ripoff of Martian Successor Nadesico, without Gekigangar or the cooking, in a sub rather than a spaceship. Tessa seemed a direct cut and paste of Ruri. Bakas. I kept waiting for the Jovian Lizards to pop out. Some of the middle episodes are sloggy. Things perk up towards the end. While not unsatisfying, it all wrapped up in a seemingly preordained manner.

The VA work is choppy. I thought the actress doing Chidori was pretty good, and her performance still holds up. But the rest of the cast are just cliche or meh at best. Direction in this rewatch struck me as kind of choppy. While some episodes move along at a spritely pace, others seem to drag out forever, Soundtrack usage seemed unskillled. Distracting in way too many instances. Splashes of fanservice are sophomoric at best.

But no need to get into a panic. This isn't bad by any means. Just not as good as the rosy lens of nostalgia would make it out to be. If I were to grade it today, it would get a C- at 72/100. But back in the day, it would have easily been high end B material. If you loved it back then, definitely worth a stroll down Memory Lane. If you haven't seen it, keep your expectations in check, and it will be a good 'turn off your brain and veg" series.

If you are into stuff like Greek or Roman tragedy, or Shakespeare, then have we got the anime for you!

The art work is simplistic, but there is a certain elegance to it. The background work starts out lush. It had a pastel, water-colory quality to it that is impressive. But the quality starts to degrade as the series progresses. It never gets bad, but it was noticeable. Animation started out slightly above average, but slipped toward the end, too. Again, it never got bad, but it was noticeable. Still, much better quality than your typical trash isekai.

The character art designs were also simple, to ... the point of being spartan. The characters are saved by being extremely well rounded. Might not like them all, but you know where they are all coming from.

I found the narrative a tad odd. The tale of the Heike is fascinating in a Game of Thrones manner. It's well written. And although it's about samurais, there's not tons of action. This is more about character study and political intrigue. Those expecting battle shonen are likely to be sorely disappointed. I'd say having at least a little background in Japanese culture and history will help mightily. This is not really a series for gaijin.

If there is a black mark against the writing it concerns the MC. Biwa at first seems very interesting, but as the series winds on, the writers really do nothing with her. She's very static, until in the last couple episodes she's flattened out, into a 2D spectator of the momentous events swirling around her. While I'd say the ending was decent enough, it still seemed to leave something lacking with her.

A saving grace is that all the characters' VAs do a fine job. Kudos! I am sure the direction was key in that regard. Another feather in the cap of the direction is the soundtrack. The use of tradition Japanese instruments and style was magnificient.

No need to take a hike, there is an enjoyable series right here. To grade this, it deserves a B+ at 87/100. While this may be tragic, it certainly isn't sad, and deserves at least a 3 eps test to see if its up your alley.