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Mar 16, 2015
Like a light summer breeze, Glasslip, which looked to be a tranquil slice-of-life, floated onto the summer anime scene.
Like summer itself, Glasslip was something that many viewers, including me, looked forward to. I think a lot of us were weaned on the gorgeous visuals, intricate plot, and superb character development found in Nagi no Asukara, which was created by the same studio that made Glasslip. A very sparse summary and teaser video only served to increase the enthusiasm for Glasslip. What I expected was another wonderfully drawn anime with a touch of supernatural and profound character progression.
There was just one thing that was, as I
...
would discover, incredibly erroneous in that assumption.
Well, you know how it works! Keep reading for a flow of text; scroll down for categorizing through numbers. Read both if you like, but information can and will be repeated between the two sections.
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The key word is ‘progress’.
Now, see, I don’t have a huge problem with slice-of-life, but one would hope to see significant changes in the characters and the plot. Glasslip is characterized by an utter lack of character development. I’m upset that I wasted my time watching this anime ( which my friends have termed ‘Glasshit’ ); I think the reason why I ended up watching the whole thing is that I hoped something would happen. In the first few episodes, it seemed like some interesting events would take place; it was that hope for something to change that kept me going through the tortuous second half of the series. My hopes were only to be dashed into shards of glass at the end, as the finale tried to put on the premise of being deep and philosophical but just ended up being really confusing.
It’s a bit difficult for me to write a review for this anime without venting my frustration, so to temper that, I’ll state that Glasslip isn’t horrible through-and-through. The art, as expected, ranks among the best I’ve seen in an anime. The characters have decently attractive personalities for perhaps the first several episodes. The soundtrack is absolutely wonderful ( and I loved the addition of classical music ). The issue with Glasslip is that it tries too hard and then fails miserably. Perhaps I should compare it to Icarus? I simply imagine that PA Works tried to follow up on Nagi no Asukara but ended up creating a disaster. All the right elements were there in a complete disarray. I think that everything in Glasslip could have been adjusted to have worked better, and it would have been a great story. Unfortunately, that’s not the case.
And I’ll concede that there will be people who like this anime. I actually have a friend who loved Glasslip ( and even compared it to a Miyazaki film, which provoked some skeptical reactions from me ), which helped give me a perspective into the, albeit few, good aspects of the series. So, if you really do want to give this anime a try, don’t expect any plot development, but it is a slice-of-life and a romance in which basically everyone falls in love with each other at some point or another. The art is superb, the soundtrack equally so. Slice-of-life with a hint of fantasy is what I would describe Glasslip as if I enjoyed it.
But I do have substantial reason to believe that most people disliked Glasslip. A small anecdote-
My mom watches Chinese dramas.
Usually, she starts by watching the first one or two episodes.
Then, she skips right to the very end and watches the last episode.
Part of it is to conserve time [ after all, Chinese dramas can drag on for a very long time ], but she's said that honestly, there isn't much she's missing by not watching the bulk of the series. From the ending, she can pretty much piece together everything that happened.
I feel like the same thing, sadly, applies to Glasslip. It's a pity; I really wanted to like this anime and I had high expectations based off of what I had seen from P.A. Works before. What makes an anime more interesting than others is that way of making the viewers second-guess themselves, to get absorbed into the characters and then find that not everything plays out as they expected. That's something that P.A. Works achieved with Nagi no Asukara, but for some reason, they fell short here, using hackneyed storylines and characters so predictable that watching them interact incredibly boring.
The relationships in Glasslip are largely forced. The romance comes out of nowhere, especially between Touko and Kakeru. If I were to sugar-coat things, I would call it spontaneous, but really, I’m just going to call it utterly unprecedented. Their relationship basically goes from “you remind me of a Renaissance statue and I enjoy chickens” to “let’s spend the night together in a school”. Don’t get me wrong; I’m all for hilarious or unconventional boy-meets-girl ( or vice versa ) situations, but after that, there was really no relationship development to merit their decision to go out with each other. One would imagine that they would be united by a common power that they share...but really, that power contributes to more awkwardness between the two, and thus I really don’t understand where their relationship comes from.
I could rant about Touko and Kakeru’s relationship all day, but let’s talk about everyone else. I think the most genuine person here is Hiro, who actually shows that he likes Sachi and acts on it. And, following from that, I was interested to see a possibly? bi character in this anime, but turns out that she’s incredibly jealous and rude to everyone. But with a sickly glasses-girl trope, it seems like Glasslip is trying to compensate and thus make you feel sorry for her instead of hate her. Ah, but to no avail. I expected a tragic or angst aspect involving Sachi, but really, she just sat in her hospital bed and brooded like an old witch over how to destroy everyone’s lives. Come on, you could have just killed her. That would have been more character development than evidenced by anyone else in the entire series.
Yanagi and Yukinari are a strange pair; I thought that Yanagi’s attraction to her stepbrother was incestuous until I found out about their relationship a little too late for my own good. But anyway, I really don’t think that it benefits your relationship with your brother to be walking around the house naked ( I suppose that was for fanservice, but it was out-of-place and totally unwarranted ). Yukinari was my favorite at the beginning because I’m always rooting for the underdog type, but...? He didn’t come to terms with his romantic attractions for anyone; you would imagine that even a bit of closure might be attained by the end of the anime.
Haha, who am I kidding? Nobody comes to terms with their romantic attractions at the end. Watching the anime to see how the love isododecahedron plays out is absolutely fruitless. Everyone is still in love with the same people, nobody progresses except for Touko and Kakeru ( and in the end, that’s also pointless ), and even though they try to take middling steps in the direction of forming relationships, nobody really learns from such experiences. At the end of Glasslip, everyone is largely the same as they were at the beginning.
Let’s move on to a small snippet about the ‘supernatural’ element of this anime. Supernatural! Fantasy! It would probably be a crucial part of the plot, don’t you think?
Turns out that the supernatural powers possessed by Touko and Kakeru are ab-so-lute-ly useless. Touko uses her power to just make everything worse; instead of using it to save the world or whatnot, she uses it to help, but actually ruin the teenage drama in her life. Kakeru uses his power to embrace his tent fetish and alienate his parents. I got fooled into thinking that something was happening when the supernatural powers revealed the premise of something dark, but...who am I kidding? Nothing happened, as expected.
So, character development and plot development were a shame, but how about the other aspects of Glasslip?
I think I did mention before that I wholeheartedly enjoyed the art and soundtrack of Glasslip. Art first, look up pictures of Glasslip and you’ll be treated to PA Works’ wonderful art. The landscapes are impeccably drawn and detailed, and the lighting does a wonderful job in portraying a relaxed summer world looked at through a lens. I enjoyed the vivid and bright palettes of this anime; just looking at the screenshots of the scenery reminds me of summertime. The characters are drawn in the same style as those of Nagi no Asukara - big eyes, simple features. I would say that such a style doesn’t appeal to everyone, but I do enjoy how many different tones and aspects of lighting were included in the eyes, and the characters were distinctly drawn such that I didn’t have any trouble differentiating between them. The one fault in the art was those awkward still frames. What were they doing there? Where did they come from? ( cotton-eye joe? ) And you would imagine that such frames would be used for emphasis in important scenes...quite the contrary. They were seemingly randomly placed, which I found quite irritating.
Similarly, the OP and ED also remind me of summer. I particularly enjoyed the opening theme, which has an acoustic guitar and background beat that definitely feels like a summer breeze ( though it may be because I listened to the song quite a bit during the summer ). The OST had quite a bit of classical music, including many pieces that I’ve played before, so I was really enthusiastic about the music in Glasslip. Overall, in terms of setting the mood for the warm environment of the series, the art and soundtrack were wonderful toward that purpose. However, Glasslip also does a wonderful job of proving that a great soundtrack and art can’t redeem a terrible anime, for at the end of the day, it’s the plot and characters that stand out the most.
This is precisely why- I’m sorry to say- that I think Glasslip is one of the worst anime I’ve ever seen. The infamous Sword Art Online had more interesting plot and character development than this series, which is to say that Glasslip had none of those things. If you’re a sadist or you just really, really like slice-of-life anime, then maybe you would enjoy Glasslip. It’s far from a lighthearted and easy watch, though, not because it’s dark or depressing, but because it’s frustrating to try and follow a nonexistent plot and sympathize with terribly developed characters.
On that note, let’s go on to a numerical analysis of Glasslip. ( I’ll provide some statistics of my own- I dislike this series so much that I wrote all of what’s here so far in about fifteen minutes at probably a record pace fueled by rage, and somehow I’ve also managed to consume a pint of ice cream while doing so. )
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Story :: 3
I’d like to give the creators a gold star for trying...
The plot seemed interesting enough at first, and I was definitely excited to see what would unfold as the series progressed, but after around episode 5 or so, it became obvious that this story was going nowhere fast. The finale tried to put on the premise of being deep and philosophical but just ended up being really confusing. The issue here is that since Glasslip is a slice-of-life that centers around a group of friends, the character development is basically the plot. A pity that there was neither.
Art :: 9
I’ll have to dock a point here for the awkward still frames, but Glasslip, despite its shortcomings, retains PA Works’ characteristic detail in visuals. The art really stands out in the parts involving a lot of scenery, with lighting portrayed perfectly. A vivid and cheerful palette lend themselves to the summery theme of Glasslip, which brings back nostalgic memories of the time when I wasn’t trying to balance 6 APs, maintain good grades, and cram for college exams. The characters are attractively drawn, and I really enjoyed the amount of detail put into their eyes, which again lend to the suggestion that not everything is completely realistic in Glasslip ( like the fact that they expect us to believe that there’s a plot ).
Sound :: 9
Relaxing classical music abounds in the OST, and the OP and ED were catchy and, like the art, give me that nostalgic summer feeling. This was one of the first anime in which I actually paid a lot of attention to the soundtrack, since I recognized a lot of songs ( having heard them or played them myself ). So, while the classical music portion was completely unrelated to the plot, I thought it was a nice touch and personally, I really enjoyed the music. In a romantic sense, Glasslip is a very peaceful anime ( in other words, nothing happens ), and I think that the classical music suits the relaxed setting and pace.
Character :: 1
Oh, god.
Okay, I wasn’t going to go back and add anything to that, but anyway, the most outstanding feature of Glasslip is the lack of character development. I entered the anime hoping to see a heartwarming coming-of-age story and got characters who ended up being largely the same as they were at the beginning, even after facing fruitless romantic relationships. One by one, each character proved that they weren’t misunderstood, just totally irredeemable.
I hope that with this review, I’ve sufficiently convinced you to not waste any of your time on this anime. But hey, people don’t like being told what to do. To them, I say ‘the best of luck to you’!
Ganbatte
- palladia
Reviewer’s Rating: 2
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Dec 26, 2014
Shinsekai Yori presents a startling commentary on humanity and the structure of society. Its countless warnings, the cautionary tale of what our power means, and the juxtaposition of a futuristic and slightly fantastical world with our own are aspects that I would never have put within the ability of anime to convey. The intricacies of the plot left me in awe; though it seems incredibly confusing at first, it’s when the pieces of the puzzle start to come together that Shinsekai Yori attains its greatest effect. The realization of the truths that are very much, and very frighteningly, applicable to our own world left me
...
in awe.
It looks innocent, but it’s extremely dark and psychological, and gives you a lot to think about. After watching this anime, I had to take a week to gather my thoughts coherently enough to write this review. It challenges not simply society, but what makes us human. I never thought I would be saying this about an anime, but Shinsekai Yori completely changed my outlook on the world. And it was amazing.
If you’ve read some of my reviews, you know that the path diverges here. A bit like a choose-your-own-adventure, perhaps? If you like flowing text, keep reading; if you prefer numbers, scroll down further. Or read both, if you like, but information can and will be repeated between categories. Without further ado, here’s my attempt at reviewing an anime that I will never completely understand.
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A short synopsis for you all. Six children - Saki, Maria, Mamoru, Satoru, Reiko, and Shun, are the best of friends, living in a utopian society with others who possess the power of psychokinesis ( which will be referred to, for the sake of brevity, as PK ). The society that they live is disturbingly peaceful. Everything seems to go perfectly; too perfectly, in fact. People remain as long as they are willing to adhere to the rules and are not abnormal, whether that means with some strange personality or lagging behind in abilities. The reason for this elimination is revealed later on. Yet in the beginning of Shinsekai Yori, all is well. It is revealed that they live in a somewhat post-apocalyptic world; the reason for the apocalypse and the lack of technology is unknown. The infrastructure of the community is built on the labor of Monster Rats, which believe the PK users to be gods and address them with a respect that seems exaggerated, and eerily so.
After a watershed incident, the children discover that there is much more to the past of their society than they imagined. The story gets progressively darker as more truths become evident. Many of the aspects of the series are confusing and may cause people to abandon the show, yet everything has its own place. Chekhov’s gun plays a major role in this series. Everything, even little snippets from the very beginning of the show, are crucial to how the story plays out. I can remember the point where all facts that had seemed, initially, unrelated, began to come together. That moment was astonishing. I had no words. It made sense and I understood the truth, and the truth was terrifying.
Shinsekai Yori draws most of its impact from the concept that almost everything in this anime is paralleled in the world we live in. PK? Weird balloon-dogs? Magic, in general? None of that exists in our world, perhaps, but upon further examination, our world has equivalents of the colorful array of abilities, ideas, and characters in the anime. There are countless themes interwoven in this anime, all of which find a place in our world. How far can we go before our actions can be termed ‘abusing our power’? When, if ever, is it right to kill somebody? What makes us human? Indeed, Shinsekai Yori is filled with haunting questions that will make those who pay attention doubt even their very existence. The story is complex. It’s quite difficult to follow, admittedly, which is why I recommend trying to watch it all at once instead of leaving it off and watching it sporadically. Yet I believe that of all the anime I have watched, even Miyazaki films, Shinsekai Yori is one with messages that need to be heard. Nothing is as it seems in this anime.
What I believe is one of the best aspects of Shinsekai Yori’s character portrayal is that nobody is good or evil. Even the main antagonists are justified in their beliefs. The protagonists make questionable decisions. Yet, as becomes evident throughout the anime, it is those who are willing to bend the rules and take risks that have the most impact, whether they are ‘good’ or ‘bad’. I do not feel as though there is much character development in this anime as there is a greater realization of the truth. The main character, Saki, for example, retains much of the same personality and beliefs that she had at the beginning of the anime, but it is her growing knowledge that makes her significantly different from her childhood self.
I guess I should stop being loquacious and talk about other parts of Shinsekai Yori, so, let’s begin with the art. The characters themselves are simply drawn, with features that are there simply to distinguish themselves from each other. They have no outstanding characteristics in terms of appearance, in contrast with the Monster Rats, who have a wide variety of forms and may not even be associated with each other if not for being explicitly termed all of the same species. Even so, it’s necessary to understand that anyone with a particularly unique appearance might be eliminated under the extremely conformist society. In addition, the simple character designs remind you that this anime is not about the appearances. It is about the plot, about analyzing even the smallest details and realizing what they mean. The background art is amazing and detailed, in contrast with the human character designs. The world of Shinsekai Yori looks at once familiar and surreal. There’s just enough use of foreign aspects to indicate that this is a fantasy land. Lastly, I’d like to mention the use of dark and light shadowing. Much of this anime is shown in a dark setting, which makes the scenes that are extremely bright that much more significant. It greatly aids in emphasizing the importance of various parts of the story.
Many, including me, were probably surprised to find that there was no outstanding OP for this anime. The episodes start immediately. There is, however, a recurring theme that plays in the background, a kind of ethereal melody that matches the somewhat futuristic, somewhat mysterious tone of Shinsekai Yori, and a wonderfully presented ending. In a significantly different animating style from the anime, it’s definitely one of the most impressive endings I’ve seen in an anime, even though it’s quite simple.
It’s pretty evident by now, I think, that I wholeheartedly enjoyed this anime. But I suppose I should give some consideration as to why you might choose not to watch this anime. It is an investment of time and brainpower, since you really have to think and rethink about many parts of Shinsekai Yori before you can reach somewhat of an understanding of what’s going on and what everything means. Heh, I feel like I’m writing a warning label here. But you might not really want to watch Shinsekai Yori if you can’t stand homosexuality- it’s not a major feature of the anime and its reasons are fully explained well before it actually appears, you’re looking for a lighthearted anime, you’re not really interested in paying a lot of attention to it, or you’re the type that prefers everything resolved, no questions unanswered, and all parts of the show making complete sense. I’m sure that I missed a lot of messages in this anime. Even small details have significance.
-
Thanks for waiting, to those of you who prefer numbers.
Story - 10
And a well-deserved 10 at that. Shinsekai Yori starts off simple, gets rather confusing, and then, suddenly, everything starts to come together and make sense. The innumerable themes presented in this anime were astounding. I actually have no idea how the author managed to tie everything together while also making some rather poignant statements and, at times, sardonic criticism, about our present-day society. Every little detail has significance to the plot...would you call it the butterfly effect, perhaps, in that even the seemingly smallest actions have massive effects? Emerson wrote that society regresses just as fast as it advances, and I think this is quite evident in Shinsekai Yori, in which a utopian world exists...but at what price? To understand Shinsekai Yori, you have to be willing to analyze everything until you think all of the meanings have been completely exhausted, and then look at them from a different perspective and realize how much you’ve missed. The anime does a lot in terms of story, but there’s also a necessity for the watcher to have their own thoughts for Shinsekai Yori to make its full impact.
Art - 8
Character designs are simple and definitely not flamboyant or exotic in any way. They are easily distinguished from each other, but have no significant features. A greater diversity is present in the Monster Rats ( I believe this has some rather interesting implications, but you’ll figure that out when you watch the anime ). The animation gets a little bit strange in some of the episodes, but most of the anime is well-drawn. The background art is well-done, and the careful manipulation of dark and light helps set the mood of the anime.
Sound - 7
The music is definitely unconventional, with just a hint of surreal and a dose of eerie to finish it off. There is no consistent OP ( as I recall, a song appeared in the beginning in just, perhaps, two of the episodes? ), but there are two EDs, both of which I enjoyed; Wareta Ringo is incredibly catchy. They are well-animated and may seem incredibly bewildering initially but make a lot more sense as the anime progresses.
Character - 9
The characters do not develop so much as their greater knowledge of the truths- or shall I say lies?- that their world is built on changes their outlook on everything that they learned as children. I appreciate how not even the antagonists are portrayed as necessarily evil. Everyone is equally justified in their beliefs and if you’re willing to look at Shinsekai Yori from each character’s point of view, none of the motives seem inherently evil. Sacrifices must be made in one aspect to gain in another.
Enjoyment - 10
This anime proved to me that what many may deem children’s cartoons can have surprisingly meaningful messages. Though I expected to enjoy this anime, it almost completely consumed my thoughts for about a week afterward as I tried to puzzle out, well, first of all, why I enjoyed it so much, and secondly, what did everything that I had just watched mean not only in a proverbial sense but also in an applicable-to-society sense? I was completely hooked on Shinsekai Yori from the beginning, which is something I’ve never really experienced with an anime before. It was indeed interesting solving the countless mysteries of the Shinsekai Yori world alongside the characters.
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“Sometimes, the truth is the cruelest thing of all”.
Thank you for reading!
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Aug 15, 2014
I'm not crying...there's just...something...in...my...eye...
I'm doing another two-part review for this, so the first part is for the people who like a flow of words, the second part for the people who like a numerical breakdown of things. You could read both parts, but a few things might be repeated.
I discovered this manga quite a while ago, but being the manga newbie I was, I thought it might do just to read the last chapter. It was a pretty bad mistake on my part, but even reading the last chapter of Rec completely destroyed me. I sat there crying for several minutes- the ending was
...
the exact definition of bittersweet, and I haven't found many things that display that concept so much as the end of Rec.
The ending ingrained itself into my mind, and just a few weeks ago, I suddenly remembered it- but by then, I'd forgotten a lot, even about the video camera! I posted on various message boards to try and figure out what this manga was, because I wanted to read the rest of the story, but I couldn't remember much about it, so I had some vague descriptions about photography, the end [ no spoilers for you all ], and that it was probably shoujo.
Well, I was pretty off. Photography and videography are similar, but they do have their differences, and if you describe a manga as having photography, it would be a bit of a stretch for someone to figure out that you were talking about film.
Needless to say, I didn't get any results that were the manga I was looking for. So for a week I searched through lists and lists of tragedy shoujo manga, until I found something that sounded vaguely familiar. Lo and behold, it was this manga, Rec: Kimi ga Naita Hi.
I was immediately reminded of the ending, and I had to sit there for a few minutes before I could bring myself to start reading the manga. And oh, the ending did reveal a lot, but there's many things that could only be described through the rest of the manga.
This manga addresses emotion in a deep and touching way, and from the very beginning, you get the feeling that something terrible is going to happen. There are four chapters, and you try to hang on to each of them for as long as possible to prevent the end, which becomes clearer and clearer as the story goes on. For me, one of the most compelling points is that Satoru, an actor, is the only one who can really understand Aizawa. Even though he has to fabricate most of his emotions for his entire life, he still has the capacity to perceive the emotions between Aizawa's ice-queen exterior.
The story also mentions the issues with discrimination in schools- how one small action that might not even be connected to you can destroy your reputation, and how easily people will accept you back once that has been disproved. Even though it was a relief for Aizawa to be able to make some friends, I felt like this really implied that friendships and acceptance are shallow at best, easily changed by an alteration in the direction of which way the wind blows.
There are also themes of the influence of media. Rec presents a rather cynical view of the media- continuously bending the truth to satisfy an audience like some sort of machine, the fact that it's impossible to ever completely escape the spotlight, while tragedy should suggest that somebody should receive privacy- but, if you stop to think about it, it's true. Since Satoru has been acting for much of his life, that's his identity, and he can't escape it. There are people constantly trailing him. When he falls to the ground, unable to rise again, people don't help him, they whisper and take pictures. I think this says something about the decency and the attitudes of society. Where has our sense of moral conscience gone so that we no longer help people up but take pictures and laugh?
Aside from the main plot, thus, many of the themes that I noticed in Rec are really applicable to our present-day society. Rec isn't meant to be happy, so it doesn't portray those themes in a shiny, brilliant light; it shows them as they are. And that, in the end, is what Satoru wants. His entire life, his identity has been formed by media and he isn't really his own self. His last attempt to find out who he is really impacted me, for some reason beyond my conscious knowledge.
A story can make up a lot of a manga, but there's also other factors to consider. Let's start with the artwork. The character designs aren't distinct; without some colouration differences and a few eyelashes, I might not be able to tell the difference between Satoru and Aizawa. Even so, the people are drawn nicely. Tying in with the theme of media influence, the public masses and the media are often portrayed as faceless creatures, constantly holding up cameras to share things with their friends, without another thought about emotions or how the person being filmed might feel. The backgrounds are not exceptional, but they blend in well to the setting of Rec.
A lot of the power of art comes from the ability to accurately portray emotion. This is difficult to accomplish with Aizawa, who's never cried. But if you look at Satoru's smiles, and consider the scenarios, sometimes you can see emotion in the art. This isn't really evident until the very end, when we see the toll of tragedy on our characters.
One of the major issues I had with Rec is that it could have had a bit more character development. Even though I had adequate time to relate to Satoru and Aizawa, I think there needed to be more to the story. Maybe I'm a bit sadistic, but there probably should have been more scenes given to show the changes in both of their character, happy scenes, or scenes that just show a different side of them. As many people have mentioned before, if you read this manga too fast, you won't be affected by the ending. If you read it at a slower pace, then it'll really hit you. However, because of the constant foreshadowing and ominous tone to this manga, a reader might tend to rush through, trying to figure out what the ending is and just shrugging when it actually occurs. I think that's what happened for most people, and even I, though I made sure to read it slowly, thought that Rec could have used some more plot and character development, just to make a more compelling story.
My final scores, for the data analysts-
Story - 8
It needed more development, but I think many of the themes portrayed in Rec are touching and relevant to today's society. Aside from the obvious ideas of love and tragedy, there's mention of the effects of the media, the potential artificial qualities of friendship, and the expectations of society. All of those are things that might not be initially obvious to the reader, but once you sit there and think about it for a bit, there's much more to this short and bittersweet manga than the description of love.
Art - 8
The art is nice. It doesn't stand out, but the characters are well-drawn, albeit somewhat homogeneous. If good art is a factor in deciding whether or not to read a manga, worry not; this manga's art is still exceptional by any standards and most certainly won't burn on the eyes as you're reading.
Character - 6
Even though we are shown the basic personalities of each character, and there is some development, I think that there needed to be a lot more to the story in order to really make these characters seem realistic. At the end of reading this, I'm still a bit confused about who the two main characters really are.
Enjoyment - 9
That ending, oh my. I didn't cry at 5 Centimeters per Second, but this made me break down in tears, so grab your box of tissues before you start reading. Aside from the end, though, I enjoyed the story woven in this manga, something that isn't really understandable until things start changing.
Overall - 8
It's probably not the best manga I will ever read, but Rec will certainly be one of the most significant ones in my mind because of what it targets and describes. This is much more than a simple tragic love story.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jul 17, 2014
I'm...confused. I wanted so much to enjoy this movie. I was absolutely sure that this was going to be one of those works of art that leaves you breathless, sitting there for minutes, maybe even an hour after it finishes, just trying to take it all in.
If you love this movie, you will most likely hate me for this review. Call me someone with a heart of ice, whatever you will. I am simply expressing my thoughts on it.
I'll break this into a two-part review. The first part will be my thoughts, written as I think of them, the second part an analysis
...
with numbers for those who prefer it that way.
Oh, I am sitting here, after watching the movie, but it's not out of awe, it's out of bewilderment because despite all the reviews and recommendations from ,everyone that proclaim it the best movie ever, that the message of it is poignant and beautiful...I can't say that I fully agree. Maybe it's because I'm a heartless robot who has never felt love before, you would say, but no, I've cried and felt emotional at even the smallest hints of feeling, and I've most definitely been in love, known what it's like to feel heartbreak, desolation, the chill when you know the person you love will never share your feelings. But for some reason...I couldn't relate to this movie, try as I might.
Why did this movie completely fail my expectations? I'm still trying to make sense of it as I write this review. I'm a bit disappointed in myself, because it seems everyone else except for me was touched by this anime while I appear to be some stone-cold freak of nature. I had the tissues ready, the feels shield up, the family relocated to another room so that I could peacefully watch this and take all the dialogue in.
The most outstanding issue in 5 Centimeters per Second, for me, is that I don't feel that there was enough character development. I understand. Toko is in love with Akari, and in the first part, she reciprocates his feelings, but they can't be together. Yes, that is sad, but the way it was expressed just didn't seem to impact me. At the end of the movie, I don't know anything about them except that they're star-crossed lovers who, unfortunately, can't be with each other.
The movie does have wonderful messages in it. You have to move on from the past, learn to let go, and know when it's time to move on. However, I don't think that message is unique to this movie only. I've seen it expressed many times before. The story is interesting, but I think it needed a lot more plot and character development.
Yes. We can relate to the characters as they experience loss, heartbreak, falling in love for the first time. But for some reason, I didn't feel as though there was enough effort put into making the watchers really connect, to strengthen that link of empathy. I appreciate the symbolism used in this anime. The messages are indeed deep and something that many can relate to, but in my opinion they were not conveyed in the right way. I also think that some of the lines from the movie are elegant...Overall, this anime seemed to have all the elements to be wonderful, but for me, they didn't come together.
And for you data analysts out there, have a breakdown by numbers:
Story :: 7
It started out promising, but spiraled into something a bit boring and, at least for me, terribly predictable. The story is well-thought out and I liked how it was broken up into three parts, but it moved very quickly, and at the end I found myself shocked that there wasn't something more. It would have been much better if even half an hour was given to plot development. The way the story is played out is in soft hints of emotion, feelings that can be easily related to, and in a relatively tranquil way, but because of this, I felt that it was difficult to find the actual point of the plot. When the movie ended, I sat there and asked myself, "so what?". The answer was simply that "We have to learn when and how to move on". I was hoping that I would have been able to think of more. I appreciate, though, how it was portrayed realistically throughout, with nothing cheesy or sugar-coated.
Art :: 9
Ah, but I do have to say, the artwork in this movie is outstanding! The backgrounds, lighting, climate, everything. I was spellbound by the gorgeous landscapes that were concocted, with the perfect touch of surrealism and fantasy at every part. You see a routine town setting, and then look up at the sky...a nebulous wonderland, full of stars, conveying the idea that there really is no boundary to where we can go. I can't give this category a 10, however, because the people were somewhat disconcerting amongst all this scenery. I didn't feel as though as much effort was put into drawing them, and they looked a bit odd at times.
Sound :: 9
I play the piano, so all the piano songs in the background stood out and they really did provide a lovely backdrop for the movie, which is peaceful and not full of action or drama. The background music could most certainly put me at ease in any situation. I also appreciated the realistic sound effects, reminiscent of the sounds in a Miyazaki movie. It's clear that a lot of effort was put into this movie.
Character :: 6
These characters should be relatable. At times, I felt like I could relate to them. However, they were greatly lacking in personality development. Maybe, though, it's the point of the movie. As was noted in an article that I read some time ago, if the characters in a work of art are relatively simple, we use them as blank canvases on which to paint our own emotions. I think I would have appreciated a bit more character structuring, though.
Enjoyment :: 6
Like I said in the beginning of this review, I sat there the entire move trying very hard to like it. At some points, I did. I could appreciate the messages, clear or somewhat hidden, that were being given. However, for most of the movie, I was bored, as though I was waiting for something to happen. Maybe this is because I thought it would be a lot more sad than it turned out to be.
Overall :: 7
The messages in 5 Centimeters per Second are beautiful. I believe that they should have been conveyed more through character actions than through them having to tell a story to us using words. As I continue through my life, perhaps I will encounter scenarios that will make me think of this movie. I would still recommend that people watch this movie, because there are lessons to be learned and chances are that they'll enjoy it much more than I did, looking at the sheer amount of 10s that this movie has received. Until then, I'll continue pondering this movie, and why I, usually so quick to empathize with others and share emotions, was not moved by this piece. If my opinions change, I will be back to write another review. As was the message of Howl's Moving Castle, hearts can change, and people can too.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Jul 14, 2014
Shounen? Demons? Was this just a Kuroshitsuji rip-off?
Not at all.
I wasn't expecting to like this series, but it really amazed me and I can safely say that it's one of my favourite anime.
However, every anime has flaws, so I'll do my best not to rave about this one and point out criticisms.
Story :: 7
The story, as far as I know, isn't something that's been done before. It struck me as a unique and engaging plot, with a lot of potential. While Ao No Exorcist did come running out of the gate and got me hooked almost immediately, it did begin to slow
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down in the middle of the series. I have to admit that I was a bit bored watching several of the episodes, sitting around and waiting for the plot to move forward. Nevertheless, even the trivial episodes do contribute a bit to the plot and character development. It's simply unfortunate that they didn't keep the "adrenaline", shall I say, going. Ao No Exorcist does have a great ending, though, and I'm glad I persevered through the impatience!
Art :: 9
I'm rather picky about the art in the animes I watch, but Ao No Exorcist most certainly fulfilled my expectations. The action scenes, which are perhaps the most vital, are well-drawn, and the demons, also an integral part of the plot, are mostly uniquely designed, though at times they don't always appear, well, intimidating. Regardless, I did like the designs of all the characters, who are easily distinguishable due to their different physical qualities that set them apart from each other. Alas, with all the blue flames and darkness, the backgrounds don't receive much attention. The only ones that I can say stood out are Shiemi's garden. It is necessary to take into consideration that the exorcists are attending a school where there won't be many ornate designs, though. My last complaint about the art would be the exaggerated "angry faces" of Rin, something that I would describe as Eren Jaeger-esque, though perhaps not as ridiculous-looking. Though it helps to convey emotion, it can sometimes look comical and detract from the seriousness of battles or situations.
Sound :: 7
The background music doesn't stand out at all. This is both good and bad; it's not extraordinary enough to take notice of, but then again it also complements what's happening in the anime. Personally, I would have preferred for the background music to be more memorable. As for the OPs and EDs, I did enjoy all of them, though I really love the OP and ED from the first season and the ED from the second season. Pay attention to Meisa Kuroki's "Wired Life", which is the second ending of the series, I think that the lyrics are beautiful and it's as though the song is made perfectly for Ao No Exorcist [ though they can also apply to life as well ].
Character :: 8
One of the things I appreciated most about Ao No Exorcist is that each character is distinguished from the others. I can name at least five unique personality or history traits about each character, even some of the background characters. Every one of the many characters gets a little bit of back story and thus I really felt as though I could understand them more due to this. Some of them, however, didn't enjoy as much development as they could have had. I empathized with a lot of the characters as they faced moral conflicts. Additionally, there was a clear distinction between Rin and Yukio, despite the fact that they are twins. However, the part where Ao No Exoricst fails is in adequately developing Yukio's character. At the end of the series, I still don't know that much about him, except that he wants the best for his brother and is determined to keep him safe. If you put the brotherly devotion aside, though, there isn't much left.
Enjoyment :: 9
I prefer slice-of-lifes, so watching Ao No Exorcist was really a result of having no other anime to watch on Netflix. Thus, it was a wonderful surprise to find that I really enjoyed this anime! I can't give this a 10 because it's not the best anime I've ever watched, due to the errors listed above and the aforementioned slowing down of the series in the middle that made me wonder if I should even finish it. Though Ao No Exorcist redeemed itself by the end, I can't say that I enjoyed the entirety of the series.
Overall :: 9
If you're looking for an action-filled anime with a unique plot, characters that you can relate to or simply be entertained by, and not have to dwell on dark themes or plot holes, then Ao No Exorcist might be good for you. The end of this series was not a cliffhanger in the least and left me with no outstanding questions that will nag me for all of eternity, so fear not! It is by far not the most engaging anime or the best that you will ever watch, but some of the messages in it will resonate with you.
Amusez-vous! - SSaurus
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Jul 12, 2014
I was immediately attracted to this anime because of the gorgeous character designs. The intricacy of the details and the unique appearances...so, very confused by the lack of information on the plot, I began Karneval, expecting a lot of beautiful characters and an equally wonderful story. However, I have to say that Karneval is one of those animes that begins with a great premise and then fails to fulfill the expectations that it builds.
Story :: 6
Unfortunately, I was disappointed by the story. It started out interesting, albeit not that unique, and became even more fascinating when Circus showed up on the scene. As the
...
multiple plot lines began to build, I became excited to see a climax, a resolution, how the entire mess would turn out. The problem is, there isn't a resolution. Karneval just keeps getting more and more confusing until there's no possible way out. The last episode served a mediocre ending, and, for me, created even more issues.
Art :: 9
To reiterate, the artwork is what attracted me to Karneval. I think this anime is one of the best I've seen in terms of artwork. It did get a little too sparkly at times for my taste, but just take a look at it on Google Images, and I'm sure you won't be disappointed. The character designs are incredibly richly detailed and everyone has such a unique design that there's no way that you could get confused between the characters. The animation itself does fall down a few times, but overall I was so entranced by the designs of the characters that animation errors didn't bother me that much.
Sound :: 6
Other than the ED, in my opinion, the music doesn't stand out. The OP is very fitting for the series, however.
Character :: 7
The characters each had attractive, individual personalities, but they really needed a lot more development. I feel as though the anime only scratched the surface of their true personalities. A little bit of background on the characters, maybe a few flashbacks, might have been helpful to the plot as well. Some of the characters received such inadequate development that I knew barely anything about them when the series ended, even if they were characters that were central to the plot, such as Karoku and Akari.
Enjoyment :: 6
Looking back on it now, I think the only thing that kept me attracted to the anime was the artwork [ and the constant desire to listen to the ED song ]. It could have been so much better. A season 2 where the plot is developed would be a great help to this anime, but unfortunately, it doesn't seem as though there's one planned.
Overall :: 6
It was alright. Karneval doesn't stand out for anything besides the art. I didn't dislike it at any point, but there were a lot of errors and plot holes that could have been ameliorated in some way. I wanted to like this, but I couldn't.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Jul 12, 2014
Free! Iwatobi Swim Club is the first anime that I watched the full series of. Therefore, going into this I was a bit skeptical. Would I really like anime? Why was there so much hype over this? Would my love of swimming be able to save me from the vortex of the Free!dom? Was the ED song even possible to play on the piano?
To my surprise, I ended up enjoying this quite a bit. It's probably not the anime that most people would agree should be a first anime to watch, but that's what I ended up doing.
[ This is the first review
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I've ever written, so I don't know if this is good or not... ]
Story :: 8
To an outsider ( i.e. me, the anime noob ), Free! looked like something about an excess of muscles and very beautifully animated water. I wasn't expecting much of a plot because everyone who had seen it already could only talk about the muscles. However, fear not, there is a plot in behind all the fanservice, and it's not a unique one, but it's nevertheless interesting. I found myself earnestly anticipating what would happen in each episode.
Art :: 9
Ah, the main focus of most people would most certainly be the art in this anime. Fanservice aside, everything was wonderfully drawn and it most certainly raised my standards for art in anime that I watched in the future! I can't give this a 10, though, because while the character designs are attractive, now that I've watched more anime, I find that they aren't extraordinarily unique. But I suppose that's to be expected. This isn't a science fiction or fantasy anime, after all. The one thing that bothered me on occasion is that the side profiles of the people can look a bit strange sometimes, but it didn't really stand out.
Sound :: 9
I had an unhealthy obsession with the ED, Splash Free, probably because I was trying to play it on the piano and the sheet music I had required some work because of the octave-jumping, and I spent a long time trying to learn them. The OP and ED are both very catchy, the background music sets a nice ambiance [ though it can be lost and unnoticed much of the time ], and the character songs are wonderful.
Character :: 8
This anime did a good job of introducing me to the basic character tropes of anime- megane, tsundere, shota, whatever you use to refer to them- and I liked the personalities of all the characters. I do think that their personalities could have been given more facets, however, which would have made for a much more interesting story.
Enjoyment :: 9
Free! Iwatobi Swim Club is kind of my guilty anime pleasure now. It's not my favourite anime, but it's possibly the one that I follow and talk about the most because it's so popular and well-known.
Overall :: 9
Free! is not the best anime out there. However, I found myself enjoying it quite a bit [ and somewhat jealous of the swimming. Why isn't my butterfly beautiful? ] and it appealed to me in many ways. Oh, and I did accomplish playing the ED ;) all's well that ends well.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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