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I wouldn't say I was "disappointed" with Ousama Game. I had no expectations for it to begin with... Okay, I had expectations, but they weren't positive ones. I figured it was going to be edgy; something along the lines of Danganronpa or Mirai Nikki. That's okay, maybe it will still be somewhat enjoyable right? But noooooooo. Ousama was able to surpass all levels of the shit-tier and earn its spot as my #1 worst anime (excluding memes). I'm not even joking when I say this abomination is worse than Akame ga Kill and Mayoiga.

***Light spoilers ahead, not like any of it matters***

Let's start with ... the animation studio, "Seven." ... Their profile: Ousama Game, I Can't Understand What My Husband Is Saying, aaaaand literally 100% of everything else they made is hentai. Soooo yeahhhh the production is already fucked.

The animation is awful to say the least. There is never anything technically difficult to animate in this show; all of the characters' actions are pretty basic. Yet they still somehow managed to screw up basic character animations. In a moment when one girl is terrified, she throws her phone on the ground >> this is done in approximately 3 key frames, and the action looks completely pathetic given the situation. In another scene, some dude gets pissed at another guy pushes him down on the ground >> the animation looks like nothing more than a playful shove, but still manages to throw him to the ground; the camera moves a bit to make up for the lack of impact animation, but no, sorry, it didn't work well. Scene with characters running >> looks janky as hell.

The #1 problem I have with this show is the method of story telling. The main premise for the MC is the fact that he has already survived the ousama game once, and this is his second time playing, so he knows more than everyone else. Okay, that's fine, that's an acceptable cliche to have in an anime. But then the MC starts telling stories of what happened in the "previous" ousama game. Okay, flashbacks are kinda okay too. But the "flashback" to the previous game takes up the entire episode. There is more video footage screen time of the previous game than of the current ousama game. It would've been somewhat better if the story was told in order in separate arcs, or at least have the story on one timeline.

Another fatal flaw of this series is the lack of weight to the characters. The viewer is given zero reasons to care or have any interest in the characters. Mayoiga had this exact same problem, so I won't go into too much detail. The only characters that have any viewer investment whatsoever are the MC's two friends, who are from the "previous game." And there are zero characters in the "current game" that anyone cares about.

***More spoilers below***

Ousama Game-- a game where you are required to follow an anonymous King's orders, or else be punished/killed-- at least the premise of the story sounds marginally entertaining, right? No. Not even the Game part of this show was interesting. Day 1 - 10 of 30 students are killed the instant the game starts simply because they were asleep when the King sent the texts. Day 2 - another 10 students are killed for similarly meaningless reasons. At least in the flashbacks of the "previous game" they show how the students attempted to carry out the King's orders, and are only punished when they fail or are killed by another student. In the "current game" -- nooope, everyone just dies for no reason, because fuck you plot.

And just who is this mysterious omnipotent King who is moderating this game? It's A. FUCKING. VIRUS. THAT CAUSES HYPNOSIS. AND IS TRANSMITTED THROUGH THE FUCKING INTERNET.
N-no. Just.... no. I'm done. I can't even. I'm done typing now. Fuck this. Goodbye.

Sakurada Reset is unfortunately another one of those series that got literally zero attention from anywhere in the anime community. On top of that, out of the people who have started the show, over 25% have dropped it. However, in my opinion, and to my surprise, this turned out to be one of the best written stories of this year.

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***REVIEW CONTAINS SOME SPOILERS*** This is more about outlining why I enjoyed this show despite its unpopularity and high drop rate.

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One of the things I liked most about the series was the way the story progressed. In the beginning, the characters are rather closed-off and almost ... seemed dull. Much of the communication between characters is done through riddles, thought experiments, or metaphorical stories. Over 1/4 of viewers quit watching the show just because the characters were "boring and emotionless." However, as Ive said before, the characters were intentionally made this way, and in that respect they are very well written. The characters at first seem to be static, but in the second half, they turn out to be dynamic characters with internal change

Haruki is a very timid and unambitious girl with zero self confidence. She lives strictly by her own set of rules, but she also has a high dependency upon others. However, in the second half, she slowly realizes her own desires and preferences; and eventually, she is able to act on her own accord. Haruki also begins to feel resentment and jealousy towards Soma, sensing her as a threat of being replaced as Kei's partner.

Kei is a very level-headed character who is able to develop a plan for any situation. Soma, having the ability of clairvoyance, is naturally several steps ahead of Kei's plans and uses him; however, she also depends on Kei in her shortcomings. Kei and Soma are very similar characters in that they both act out of selfishness, but their selfish desires also coincide with the interests of the people who are dear to them. Kei does everything in his power to stop Urachi from erasing abilities from Sakurada for selfish reasons; however, he also wants to rescue Soma from her internal conflicts. Soma goes as far as killing herself and using Kei for her plans to selfishly escape her fate of being captured by the Bureau and becoming the second Witch; however, at the same time she chooses her actions with the desire to fulfill Kei's happiness. Soma is deeply conflicted because she wants to be the one that Kei loves; but she knows he will choose Haruki, not her. In the very beginning of the show, Soma brings Kei and Haruki together for the sake of both her plans and Kei's happiness, knowing that it will ultimately damage their relationship. Soma acts for Kei's happiness even though it pains her.

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Another aspect of this series that is really well-done is the use of abilities. This isnt just some shounen anime that shows off flashy supernatural powers; and it isnt a repeat of Charlotte's trainwreck. The series is good at defining both what the ability can do, and what limitations the ability has. The show also focuses on how different abilities can be used together in complex ways to achieve the characters' goals.

Right up front, we are told Haruki's Reset ability has 3 limits: she can only Save once every 24 hrs; and that save only lasts for 72 hours; and like everyone else, she loses memories after a reset. However, with Kei's Perfect Memory ability, together they are able to circumvent Haruki's memory loss flaw and effectively change the past. Kei instructs Haruki to Save immediately before a pivotal point in time; then he uses the next 72 hours to discover the events that happen; then instructs Haruki to Reset before the Save expires, so he can change the past. Because Haruki can only Save once every 24 hours, Kei only has one chance to change what happens in the first day after a Reset; however he effectively has 3 chances to change the events that happened in the final 24 hours of the 72 hour window.

Urachi's ability first seems like it can only remove people's memories; however, he actually has the ability to turn back the time for one specific object. He uses his ability to frequently turn back the time for his own mind, thus intentionally losing memories. This can be used to circumvent Sakuin's lie detection and Soma's clairvoyance, which depends on conversation. Kagaya's ability first seems like it can only be used to lock/seal doors; however his ability permanently seals objects in space and time, and can be used to petrify people, or freeze the exact current condition of an object. Object that are sealed with Kagaya's hand do not change even after a Reset. Therefore, Urachi uses Kagaya's ability to seal notebooks that contain his memories; that way he can later remember the things he intentionally forgot.

There are also a couple occasions where several abilities are used together to accomplish a goal. There were 5-6 (i forget) people and abilities involved in reviving Soma. Another number of abilities were used together to bluff the Bureau and kidnap Urachi. And these are just a few examples. In fact, there aren't many instances where only one ability alone is used to do something significant. The well-defined structure of abilities and the ways abilities are used are what makes the supernatual aspect of the story interesting.

Concrete Revolutio was the one show this season I wasn’t expecting to be as good as it was. This series was a pleasant surprise of Fall 2015. And as it has already been stated, the MAL average here is far underrated. This is definitely not a show you should judge based on first looks.

The artwork is fitting for the superhero theme of the show. In fact, the backgrounds are colored in by tiny dots, almost as if it were printed out from an actual superhero comic book. Other background elements are drawn with very basic shapes and colored solid, also as if it came from ... a comic book. Also, the first thing that hits you when you watch this anime is the color. The colors are very bold, and pop, and are flamboyant, if not *fabulous.* Where else are you going to find a main male MC with hot pink hair that swoops? And for a contrast, the psychedelic animation for the ED is pretty trippy; don’t skip it. I must give a 10/10 to the artwork. Bones brought in a new, daring style to the medium, and I love it. However, the playful artwork cannot be taken at face-value. There’s so much more to Concrete Revolutio than what you first see on the surface.

The story is about the Superhuman Bureau, which protects and regulates superhumans. This includes eliminating potentially dangerous superhumans. However, you cannot take the “superhero” theme at face-value either. This is NOT your average cookie-cutter superhero show. One thing that is important to note is that the plot uses timeskips to connect certain points together while leaving events in between secret. It’s not difficult to keep track of since the screen shows you what year it is. Scenes that happen in year 42 deal with cases that the Superhuman Bureau is currently working on. At some time during each episode, the scene will skip ahead to year 47. Here it seems like our hot pink MC, Jiro, is on the run from his own organization, but we don’t know why. Watch each episode to find out more as the plot thickens. This is very much more of an “action mystery” rather than your typical shounen.

As we watch, we learn that each of the main characters have their own secrets and motives, and the lines between good, evil, and justice begin to blur. Some fight for justice, some fight for peace, and some fight for freedom. Humans, superhumans, ghosts, beasts, witches, demons, aliens... what's the difference between these groups and why are they treated differently? Are any of them innately evil? Does the peace of one group inhibit the freedom and justice of another?

I think that's all I should say for now. The best thing I can compare this to is Darker than Black. At first, the series is largely episodic with their own individual mysteries, but each episode digs a little more into the main plot. Then everything begins to tie together as we learn more about the main characters towards the end. However, this season is largely a setup for season 2, it seems.

Anyway, this isn't something you will regret watching if you give it a fair chance and don't judge too early. Enjoy the ride~

The Heroic Legend of Arslan is an adventurous tale of how a young prince is driven out of his own kingdom, and how he must become a man worthy of leading his people to reclaim his kingdom. The whole series is about war and its stratagem. This show exceeded my expectations in several areas, which is why I felt compelled to write a review.

Story:
I want to start with the plot since it is what impressed me the most here. It is very rare to come across a historical and non-supernatural war anime that is this good. Each battle scene is carefully planned out. This is ... one of those series like NGNL or Log Horizon, where strategy is the most interesting thing about the story. But on top of that, there is plenty of revenge, betrayal, and other plot twists that keep the story’s edge sharp.

Another thing that impressed me about the plot was how well each episode was planned. There was never a single episode where I felt like I was wasting my time. I’ll admit Arslan Senki has a rather slow story, like most war series. However, this is simply because it takes time to unravel every piece of the plot. The audience is offered several viewpoints from different angles so that no part of the story is overlooked. Even during the parts that are slow, each episode contributes to the plot and/or character development.

Characters:
The characters are an important aspect to Arslan Senki. The character development of Arslan himself is very pertinent to the story. Prince Arslan is your typical heroic, young male MC: kind, gullible, easy to trick or manipulate, believes all people are good, hesitant to kill another human.

The other main characters in Arslan’s fugitive travel party protect, advise, and counsel the Prince on his journey to find more loyal followers. They also teach him how to be a ruler worthy of leading his kingdom, while keeping his ideals intact. Arslan’s relationships with his 5 loyal friends also develop throughout the series.

Art & Animation:
The most notable point in this anime’s art style is the detail of colorful Persian patterns. I often find my eyes fixated on the pattern of a character’s clothing, a carpet, a wall tapestry, or other patterned things in the background. The color pallet of the artwork for this series fits well to the ancient Persian setting.

Okay, as for the animation, there’s one blinding CGI spoof in episode 1. Please don’t judge the whole series. After that one mistake, the CGI is not disruptive anywhere else. Swordplay scenes are well done.

Sound & Music:
OP 1 and ED 1 are both superbly done. I didn’t care as much for the second set of OP/ED.

The soundtrack is a very good fit to the setting and time period. The sound effects for each weapon are all accurate. And the voice acting fits well to the characters and setting too.

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Arslan Senki has a few flaws here and there, so it really wasn’t perfect. But it is still far above average. I consistently enjoyed watching the show each week throughout the season. If you are interested in watching a good war anime, I definitely recommend this one. Each episode of Arslan Senki was well worth watching the whole way through.

What are humans? What are monsters? What do we really fear? What puts us above other forms of life? What makes us right and others wrong? To what extent should we defend humanity, or protect the fundamentals of our society? What should we do if one poses as a grave threat, but no crime has yet been committed? But what if the person is an innocent child and the threat is the extinction of humans? How should we judge indications that may lead to such a fate? Were humans even meant to possess such power?...

These are the kinds of questions asked in series such as ... Monster, Ergo Proxy, Texhnolyze Psycho-Pass, and several others. But none of these go as far this series. Shinsekai yori poses question after question after question constantly in nearly every episode.

But don't worry, it isn't something that is difficult to get through! This isn't one of those series that requires a PhD and intense concentration to fully understand. Shinsekai yori is easy to sit back and watch. Things are well explained, but there is still plenty of room for you to contemplate the ideas presented to you.

The title of this anime is shared with Antonín Dvořák's 9th Symphony: "From the New World," a recurring motif in the series. There is no "OP" in this series, but most episodes play the same song during the opening credits scenes. This makes for the perfect mood setting that fits the series. The artwork is very well done. The outdoor scenes are always beautiful. The lighting is perfect to fit the mood of every scene.

The story follows the life of the main character, Saki, from age 12 to 26. Saki's friends mentioned in the synopsis make up a delightful cast. All their personalities fit well with the overall mood and story. The characters, including some supporting characters, are very well developed and are easy to get attached to.

Sometimes the story can be quite brisk, but it is not difficult to keep up. For the most part, the series is very appropriately paced. This is one of those series that you have to wait until the very end for all your questions to be answered. Actually, it is quite surprising how early some secrets were revealed. But with that, many secrets were kept, and more and more questions were asked.

This is why MAL needs to allow a limited number of 11/10 ratings. Shiksekai yori instantly became my 2nd favorite anime series. I got watery eyes several times. But about 5 seconds after the final episode ended was the first time I cried watching anime.

Yakitate!! Japan: the only anime you will ever watch that is solely based on... BREAD. That's right. Bread. The only show out there where the making of bread is so over-glorified. The only show you will see with a protagonist whose only purpose is to be a beast at making bread. It is difficult to describe just how outstanding Yakitate!! Japan really is.

Yakitate has got to be the funnest show I've seen. Just as the title suggests, the show is loaded down with tons of puns, some stretched further than others. Not only that, but the also frequently include references to other well-known anime, or ... popular people. Oh, and I forgot to say, this is the only show you will watch where people have orgasms over bread. The characters' reactions to eating delicious bread is what makes Yakitate so darn hilarious. Each one gets more and more clever. Yakitate Japan is simply a wonderful comedy.

A small downside is that the plot is pretty predictable. It's pretty easy to guess how things will turn out after so many loops, but that doesn't make it any less worth while. But don't look down on the plot no matter how predictable it is. Twists are added here and there that make the show surprisingly intense (intense for a bread making show, that is). Even though the plot is rather light, it does contain fierce competition, deceit, sabotage, and corporate scheming, that all make the show all the more interesting.

In short, Yakitate!! Japan was the most fun I've had watching anime. Even if you aren't into comedy that much (I'm not either), it still well worth watching to make your day. What I did was spread this show out over a month and a half, and watched it along-side something more serious. But anyway, welcome to the 10/10 club Yakitate!!