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*Disclaimer: tried my best not to spoil anything. However, there could be very minor spoilers.

Sword Art Online: Kuraki Yuuyami no Scherzo is the second movie of the SAO’s progressive series. It covers the 4th volume of the progressive LN (mainly the 5th floor of Aincrad but some events take place on other floors). Overall, I think it’s great. Enjoyable story, fascinating animation, great characters, and epic music.

What I love the most about the progressive series is that they take it slow rather than just skipping all the floors and major events. Just like the first movie, the second movie did this, which is nice. ... However, since the movie skips the second and third volume of the novels, it started quite slow with a lot of talking as they need to explain the key points from the previous volumes such current relationship between Kirito & Asuna, the guild situation, Argo who is our new character, and at the same time building the plot for the current situation. Although I personally feel like there should be better ways to introduce the above-mentioned things other than just talking, if you’re a fan of the series, you will find all the talks and buildup are actually interesting. The second half of the movie (plot rising, climax, and resolution) is just pure awesome.

Animation is great as we know from the recent seasons of SAO, and I don’t think I need to explain the brilliance of SAO’s battle scenes. The boss battle against the fifth-floor boss was epic and very intense. This combined with Yuki Kajiura’s music and awesome work of the seiyuu makes it even better. The characters are also nice. Rather than focusing fully on Asuna like in the first movie, I feel like they tried to focus more on the relationship between Asuna & kirito. Argo was a breath of fresh air, and the second movie is almost like a redemption arc for Mito. I can’t say much about this since it will be a spoiler, but if you’re a fan of her, you will love it.

I personally feel the first movie was better (from the animation, story, and character perspectives). However, the second movie was great as well, so definitely give it a watch if you’re a fan of the series.

I have finished reading the latest volume and I will say that this is such a great read and easily one of my favorite light novels. From wholesomeness and sweetness alone, this is the best. I have seen other works with similar settings and intention but they don't come close with this one.

Simple yet great storytelling.
I always admire light novels in general because they portray details such as expressions, emotions, and inner dialogues in a complex but understandable way. While not all light novels did those things successfully, this LN did great with its narrations, dialogues, and choice of words which makes you ... able to picture the situations that the author wanted to portray and feel the emotions that the author wanted you to feel.
Kudos to the author Saeki-san.

Sweat & innocence romance. Your heart won't be able to take it.
For people who love romance, this is perfect as well. Great character development by both main characters, and it is not rushed, which means that as a reader you can enjoy how those two relationships and emotions develop without missing anything at all. I think what I love the most from this LN is the fact that I could enjoy their precious relationship by seeing changes in their acts, emotions, and feelings throughout the chapters from the first until the latest volume.

Lovely illustrations by Hanekoto as well.

If you enjoy slow, calm, and wholesome romance that emphasizes the relationship between the main characters (without unnecessary conflicts by third parties), then this is definitely for you. Beware of the possibility of diabetes caused by cuteness overload though.

Did not know what to expect before I watched the movie but damn, it was a very entertaining and enjoyable watch. Great movie overall and I absolutely love it.
In short, the movie is about an AI trying to bring happiness to the MC and her friends in a unique and bizarre way. Well, she is an AI, after all.

Story: 8/10
There are two points about the story which intrigue me. First of all, the concept of the movie by adding a musical aspect into it which is very rare in an anime and worked incredibly well. If it went wrong, it could be weird ... but it blended well with the theme of the movie. Secondly, I found out that the setting of the story which takes place in a modern society filled with AI robots is very interesting. For me, both played an important role in delivering the enjoyment of the movie. However, I believe that the plot is more suitable for a series format rather than a movie because that way, it could give us more explanation about a lot of things such as the AI and how the AI network works which is quite important. Also, not to mention that the buildup for the great ending of the movie will be many times better if there is more time to develop the characters and the plot.

Characters: 7/10
The characters are alright, especially Shion (the AI) who really showed a nice development at the end. Nevertheless, As I mentioned before, the movie type format means that they need to explain a lot of things and develop characters in just 2 hours which is fairly difficult. Shion needs to bring happiness to others than the MC as well. While I think in the end the characters and their development are fine, it would be so much better with a series format since they could go deeper for each character, and Shion delivering happiness to every one of them. Moreover, the great ending of the movie will have more impact if there is more depth of characters between the two MCs Satomi and Touma. One more thing to appreciate the seiyuu did a good job voicing the characters, especially Tsuchiya Tao who voiced Shion. Voicing an AI who is close to a Human but not really a human can be quite tricky, but she nailed it.

Animation: 9/10
A rare occasion where JC staff did a great job for the animation. Not just the animation quality but also the directing, effects, camera angle, etc. Combined with the music as well, it becomes even more beautiful. A Disney-esque type of movie, in a positive way.

Music: 9/10
Since I first heard the songs from the trailer in the cinema, I cannot forget them and they keep playing in my head. It is quite rare for an anime to implement a musical aspect to it and as I said before, it worked out perfectly and naturally. I would like them to use more songs but it would be difficult since it is a movie and the runtime is limited.

Overall, it was still a great and very enjoyable watch. I think more people should watch this movie and hopefully, this review can make you feel interested to watch the movie.

After rewatching this show two times, I want to dedicate my first MAL review for Kono Oto Tomare! which in my opinion, is the most underrated and underappreciated anime that I have ever seen.

I will mainly focus on the first season but I will also touch on the second season a little bit because if the first season was great, the second one was just outstanding. Since I just rewatched both seasons, the rating might be slightly biased and apply to both the first and second season. Also, this is a general review and thus, can be considered spoiler-free.

Plot: 8/10

Do not judge an ... anime based only on the first episode. You could watch the first episode and thought that the flashbacks and backstory are all over the place, but trust me, it is essential for the character development which is the strong aspect of this anime. The plot is quite simple and straightforward. In short, it is about the Koto club which aimed for nationals while facing problems and difficult circumstances by each member. However, the simplicity of the plot allows the anime to highlight the other aspects of this anime such as solid characters, beautiful performances, and delightful visuals which I will explain more in the following paragraphs.

Music: 10/10

“A truly wonderful performance can go beyond experts and reach those who don’t know about Koto”.

I did not know anything about Koto before watching this anime nor did I play any instrument, but the music in this anime is just breathtaking, especially if we talk about the amazing performances. Each performance has its own meanings, values, and emotions which they want to convey to others. You cannot help but feel those emotions from each performance and this helps with understanding each character better (how did they lead their lives, what did they feel, what do they want to achieve, and what are they feeling) during the performances. The combination of the music with the visuals is enough to make you cry. It is just simply beautiful.

Characters: 10/10

Very, very solid characters. You could get overwhelmed at the beginning due to the constant flashbacks and backstories by some of the characters. However, once you get over it, it feels like you get closer to each of them and understand their motives and emotions. Personally, for me, being able to relate to characters is vital and it seems like this anime allows you to do that and as a result, it feels like you are together with them for the whole series. While the first season focuses on the character development of the few characters in the club, the second season brilliantly focuses mostly on Satowa which I assume is the most popular character in this series. The second season really does an incredible job in narrating her story to the point that you can understand her incredibly well.

Animation: 9/10

The animation might not be the best that you have ever seen, but it fits perfectly with the music, characters, and situations. I believe that the strongest point of this anime is the cohesion between music, visuals, and dialogues which forms a beautiful and emotional animation that warms your heart. For example, the visuals are always beautifully aligned with the music in the performances and this helps you to understand the emotions embedded into the music which is important to understand the characters in the series better. In other words, all aspects in this anime are interconnected with each other to create a beautiful anime.

Overall: 9.25/10

As I mentioned before, the first season is great but the second one is just amazing. More focused character development, better visuals, and also better performances. I genuinely believe that is a hidden gem and more people should watch this anime.

Thank you for reading my first ever MAL review and it will make me delighted if you are willing to consider this anime after reading this review. Cheers.