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From the very opening, that beautiful song by LiSA (way more compatible with Automata than the Aimer's one), I had the feeling this 2nd part of the series was gonna be better than the first... and: YES, it definitely is.
Maybe it's just me, but the art and animation (both 2D and 3D) seem much more polished now, although, unfortunately, the use of music through the action is almost as random as in the 1st cour.
I insist this show should've been A2's story, with enough 2B and 9S to complete the picture, because when "Ver1.1a" is its OWN THING, is when it's at its very best. ... That, saddly, doesn't mean the series stops being a hostage of the video game, but at least now it's a graceful one. (You might still have a hard time understanding some things, though, especially if new to the mythos).
Daring and bold changes end up making sense and tell a story that -when it allows itself- becomes complementary to the Drakengard/NieR universe, even defying the weak product it appeared to be in the beginning. Thanks to this, "Ver1.1a" finally fully exercises its identity and walks its own way firmly.
Despite 9S's obsession with 2B sometimes being borderline inverosimile, some annoying anime tropes (like: boy talks, girl continues, both say something cheesy at the same time... I hate this!) and the overall storytelling and direction being very inferior to the video game's, I'm glad to be able to say that I can recommend this anime, because its strengths manage to outdo its weaknesses and, fortunately, delivers a pretty solid experience.
You'll still have to "bear" with the 1st cour, but rest assured things will get better -way better- once it finishes and this one starts.
Final note: One could NEVER get tired of the hauntingly beautiful ending song and animation. Don't skip these ones and check the official music video on YouTube!

I'm a 34-year-old teacher, writer, and filmmaker... and I hope good at either of those because I think I'm very passionate.
I first watched Sound! Euphonium years ago, and almost instantly fell in love with its characters, their goals, struggles, and most of all: their learning and constant aim for the better. And there's also the hypnotizing visuals, voices, music, sounds, and uncanny little details that -music connoisseur or not- make you believe this all is actually happening right in front of you.
Eupho's Season 1 and 2 were, for me: practically flawless; and even though I have mixed feelings about the movie and OVA that come ... before this 3rd and final season, I want to express: as of 2024, SOUND! EUPHONIUM is my favorite serialized audiovisual production of all time. And I put it like that because it now tops my former favorites: Twin Peaks, True Detective... and other live action, animated, and anime classics.
Sound! Euphonium - Season 3 tells about the last school year of our beloved president Kumiko Oumae, who now plays the euphonium like no other... until someone new comes to "threaten" her place in the ensemble. And with that little premise, once again: a universe of memorable moments unleash. Slices of beautiful friendship, uncertainty of the future, battles of wills and convictions, personal realization, reencounters, and much more.
13 episodes of around 24 minutes build up to some of the most amazing, gorgeous, intense, and INSPIRING scenes I've experienced in arts and entertainment. And the delivery of the aforementioned, through a big cast of wonderful characters, voiced by a hell of a perfect cast (special mention to Kumiko's Japanese voice actress) makes this season a must know, watch, finish, share, and repeat.
Artistically and technically, like its music: EXQUISITE; fresh, youthful, feminine, fun, a little sexy, moving, thought-provoking, and again: INSPIRING, Sound! Euphonium and its final season are an invaluable document of adolescence and humanity and is here to stay in the hearts of its audience forever. A treasure.
I'm a 34-year-old teacher, writer, and filmmaker... and my world has been rocked by an anime show about schoolgirls, their circumstances, and music. You can't imagine how much I can relate to them and how much of a Kumiko I found out I was and I still am.
Eupho is that thing I wanna reach out and "achieve" and I'm sure gonna use it whenever my own inspiration falters. From the bottom of my heart: THANK YOU, KyoAni and everyone involved in this marvelous masterpiece.
Here's my personal GOLD for this one. I'm gonna miss these a lot.

P.S. I chose #2.

Why do our voices break when we like something so much...?
Sincerely, I don't think it ever happened to me that I didn't want something to end. Not even with my favorite movies, TV shows or videogames. You just need things to end and move on, right? It's the nature of good entertainment and even life itself.
So, in that aspect, Frieren left a mark in me: I just didn't want it to end. I even had to force myself to stop watching so I could save a little for the next days.
This wonderful anime series is the journey of a lifetime in 28 episodes. 28 episodes ... in which every minute and second is a treasure and help develop an experience you'll feel grateful for.
I had a constant feeling of sensitivity, fragility even, while watching Frieren. I was just too into it: the sense of adventure, all the emotions, thrills, intrigue, MAGIC... it's hard to describe how captivated and entertained I was at every moment.
Story, characters (each and every single one of them), animation, music (that ending song never fails to get me!), sound, voices... just perfect. Not a single weakness. And I also have to mention those beautiful, yet deeply honest, phrases and quotes that will unavoidably become part of your way of thinking.
Frieren truly encapsules the magic, beauty, simplicity and complexity of anime and demonstrates why it might just be the ultimate form of storytelling.
A genuine MODERN CLASSIC that achieves everything it wants to be and more. (A worthy second season will be a MONUMENTAL task to say the least...)
I really wish I could convince everyone to get into it NOW.
And now I also need a full-blown JRPG video game telling the heroes' journey to the Demon King...

"NieR:Automata Ver1.1a" is not bad, just DISAPPOINTING. I'm a huge fan of the "NieR" universe and this show made me feel LOST too many times (and not in the good way...) There were some episodes that did GREAT things with the lore (spoiler alert: A2's "origin" and those promising glimpses of Replicant) and THAT IS what this show should've been: a COMPLEMENT to its source material, NOT an intent to tell its story in a WAY shorter and less complex form of media. "Is this for newcomers or veterans?" I wonder, because I can't see myself feeling satisfied as any of them. Art and animation ... are average at best, with a couple moments of brilliancy, but too many of mediocrity (also, those gratuitous butt-shots of 2B are cringy to say the least). The OP song by Aimer is horrendous (and I love Aimer), but at least Amazarashi's ED one doesn't feel that off. Not a negative word for the rest of the OST, though (and voice acting), as it's taken straight from the video game... but sadly misused more than once. In short: this show could've been REALLY "something" if CHANGES were for the sake of a new experience and not for an "easy way out" (and if its overall quality was WAY better). As it is, I can't honestly recommend "Ver1.1a". Want "NieR"? Play the games. That, you won't ever regret.

This should have been an 80 min. movie! As much as I loved the first season of "Tokyo Revengers", I can't help but think this one felt slow and boring half of the time. Only like 5 or 6 (at most) episodes felt relevant and moved the story and characters forward. Everything else was just circling around something about to happen that took too long to happen and when it did... it was kind of disappointing. If they took only the good things of the content and decided to aim towards a full length film (80 min. as previously said), it could have been AMAZING! ... Every episode in this season is almost the same: it starts slowly, it develops even slower and when something good is about to happen, it ends. Then, the next episode manages to make the potentially exciting thing too short and moves into the next blah, blah, and the thing goes back to zero again. I wouldn't recommend this season to anyone, unless a huge "Tokyo Revengers" fan. And even so, maybe wait for a movie recap for this, because that would be the smartest thing to do with this material. I know there's people who liked it and good for them! But for me it was just average TV with almost nothing of the charm the first season had (including awesome music).

"Chainsaw Man" is easily my favorite TV show of 2022! It's artistically and technically flawless! With some brilliant direction, cinematography, and sound design. A true pleasure to watch and listen to! Characters and story are simple, yet have an authentic depth that makes them quickly become favorites (with downright perfect voices). No weak characters, no underdeveloped storylines, not a single fraction of a second wasted here! Also, each ending animation is an instant classic. There are 12 of them, featuring amazing songs by the best Japanese musicians. I remember waiting for the next one to be released on YouTube (via MAPPA's official channel) and sharing ... with friends as out build-up before the new episode premiered in the night. Yeah, what an experience! Can't really say good enough things about "Chainsaw Man". All fingers crossed a second season happens soon enough and has the same incredible production values this one had. Manga fan or not: open your mind, give it a chance, and have an unforgettable time!

I'm a huge fan of Tekken games, their lore, and characters. Not a pro-player at all (hate those), but a loyal follower of the franchise for around 25 years. That said, I know the original stories... and they're a -lovable- mess! Somehow, "Tekken: Bloodlines" manages to be even messier! And not in the good way. For starters: it is nowhere near "canon", but more like a tribute to the classic trilogy. It mainly takes Tekken 3's story (my favorite) with little drops of 1 and 2, and retells everything from the perspective of a zoomer Jin Kazama (yeah, smartphone and all...) It even dares to ... add some -very unnecessary- Tekken 7 elements. And that's the best and worst part of the show: it tries hard to appeal to veteran and "younger" fans alike. Does it succeed? Partially. It's a fun watch if you forget about the games (they really do whatever with the characters!) and try to enjoy it silly, but the questionable character models, mediocre 3D animation, and aggressive cliffhanger ending might be enough to scare half of the viewers away. It's only 6 episodes, 2 of them -the first ones- very good! So you can give it a try if you have nothing else in your watchlist.

If you're looking for a review that convinces you to watch "Kill la Kill", I hope this helps: "Kill la Kill" is one of the best anime shows (and overall animated productions) I've ever seen. Not a single minute is wasted! A memorable heroin (who became my favorite), a wonderful cast of characters that NEVER gets boring, a frenetic story that revolves about nonsensical stuff but ends having more sense and deepness than most "serious" stuff, BEAUTIFUL character design, art direction, and animation, and SUPERB music-- make "Kill la Kill" a MUST WATCH. Discouraged by the lots of skin shown on screen? Trust me: it's ... an integral part of the story and message it's trying to deliver... and, somehow, it never feels gratuitous (but funny as hell, yes!) Go for "Kill la Kill" and have the time of your life!

My heart is torn in two when it comes to "Blood+"... I definitely loved Saya. She really grows in you and by the last episodes, you truly care about her! This also applies -in a smaller scale- to some of the other characters, such as Haji, Solomon, and even Diva. If you're into character development, you'll like this aspect of the series! That said, in the other hand: There are some serious pacing issues and the sci-fi military sub-plots end up taking you nowhere memorable. Add that to the "a little too much" romantic intents and well... :-( When "Blood+" is at its best, it's ... BRILLIANT! There are moments of absolute exquisite cinematography, very high production values, and you can bet your heart is gonna get wrenched... but I can't help to think that with more focus on the strong elements of its universe (vampires, promises, destinies...) and around 20 episodes less, we could've had a modern classic. I hope someday "Blood+" gets the "Brotherhood" treatment, if you know what I mean. In the meantime, give it a chance, but don't expect a a hidden masterpiece.

To put it simple: The third season of this (insert your favorite adjective here) show doesn't disappoint at all! The laughs may decrease a little, but all in favor of introducing a bunch of new feelings to the mix... and those will make you really FEEL them! Not just funny, charming, smart, and technically flawless, now: TRULY BEAUTIFUL. The already superbly established characters are given many chances to shine more than ever before... and WOW they do, YO! Not a single second in an episode is wasted and they are so entertaining (evident euphemism, YO!) they seem to be over in the blink of an ... eye. Trust me, the only bad part about this collection of heartwarming madness is that it has to, eventually, end. Anime of the year. End of the review.