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Jun 23, 2021
This is directly from my review I wrote for this show on anilist.
"We Have Accepted Mediocrity" - Digibro, 2018
Dear anime industry,
Can we, one day, stop releasing entire seasons of anime when we know that they are not ready to be released? Can the animators/directors/studios unionize, choose to do in-house animation, or just stop taking up jobs with hellish schedules? There's a limited amount of time that we have to live, and if we're going to be idiots who waste our 11% of our lives watching anime could we at the very least get some quality in return? I'm not asking for anime to look and
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feel like Akira, Redline, or a KyoAni work 100% of the time. In fact, it shouldn't, since I believe that having a tiny margin of terrible anime would be beneficial in the long run, but not when that terrible anime comes as a result of poorly payed, overworked animators who are being coerced into animating just because of their passion for the medium. I would want for every 30 amazing shows airing each season, at least 5 of them could be absolute dog-trash. I wish that we had a sweet ratio of 85% AoTY contenders airing each season, for every 15% ironic and unintetntionally funny terrible anime.
But no. Instead, the numbers are reversed – and if I were to be even more pesimistic and “elitist”, I would say that we don’t even have 5 amazing shows airing each season, most of the time there’s barely anything that’s above watchable – so that we are constantly bombarded with visual mediocrity from a medium that gave us Akira, Nausicaa, or Riding Beam, all in the 80s. Nowadays, we get generic, under-animated isekais that milk the worm infested carcass of a cow. And isekais wouldn’t even be a problem, if they all had the level of animation and actual good writing of Mushoku Tensei, an isekai that does what the genre is supposed to be doing: actually address the MC’s previous screwed-up life and then have him grow into his new life by acknowledging his shortcomings. But no, every isekai is just the same uninteresting Kirito copy that does the same uninteresting hero’s journey and gets a harem.
Nowadays, we get the same reused stock animation and art-style for 99% of seasonals, the same reused character designs but with minor twists. Where’s the originality in a medium that should not follow any rules of “this is how you anime 101”? Where’s the freedom of expression of artists that have grown up wanting to work in the same industry that gave them Gundam when they were kids? They are replaced by inhumane working conditions and exploitation that makes them collapse from overwork. And sure, there are exceptions. Great Pretender was, aside from the ending, a fantastic show last year. It was visually/aesthetically pleasing enough in order to attract the more avid anime fans, while also being engaging and fun enough in order to appeal to other audiences. It also had the “Great Pretender” by Freddie Mercury as the show’s ED, so some fans of the artist would be incentivized to give the show a try, especially since it was on Netflix. Hmm, this reminds of that time when another anime had an interesting visual style that pleased older fans, an engaging story that would attract new fans, and an ED song by a famous artist. Too bad that people glorified the last 2 episodes of Evangelion and completely missed the point of the show.
I can accept having to waste almost 4 hours of my day just to get 36 minutes of amazing fighting from an anime. But when even those 36 minutes of what should be Yutaka Nakamura levels of animation are instead some of the most boring and uninteresting camera panning and bare minimum of effort, that’s when I have a problem. Record of Ragnarok is among the worst things I’ve wasted my time on. Hey, anime, remember when you told a coherent and poignant story through Gon and Hisoka’s fight? A fight that dragged you in with every punch thrown by Gon as he struggled to reach Hisoka. A fight that was the pay-off of episodes of build-up You clearly seem to have forgotten, since Record of Ragnarok uses all of the cheapest tricks of animation in order to deliver some of the most cheap-looking fights put to screen. “How do we make this fight feel fast and devastating?” Record of Ragnarok answers that by incorporating those oh-so-fabulous lines that make it seem that there is a lot of movement going on, when in fact there is nothing moving. Don’t get me started on the times that the show downloaded a .png from Google, booted Photoshop, selected “Free Transform”, held Shift and just rotated it around. And even when there’s the slightest hope of a watchable fight, the show just has to cut away to some random characters just standing and commenting the fight, giving us information that even a 5 year old can pick up from the fight.
Maybe I’m not even harsh enough on how this show delivers under-mediocrity on a plate when it comes to the fights. Maybe I should be since the fights are = or should be – the only saving grace of this series, since the story is utter garbage, and if you can’t tell that it is terrible from the beginning of the first episode, then maybe you should stop just consuming and start thinking about your media. I am convinced that this is how God of High-school would have looked like if it didn’t have Mappa’s talented workforce behind it. At least GoH’s fights at the very least were animated in a way that was above average, which roughly made up for the terrible writing. RoR has neither the animation to cover for the writing, nor the writing to cover for the animation.
I am tired. Tired of having to watch my favourite medium of visual-audio storytelling undermine itself by constantly shooting itself in the foot. Tired of witnessing the legacy of talented animators be watered down by corporate greed, underpaid and overworked staff. The medium that gave me Gurren Lagann, the anime that told me that the impossible it’s possible by digging its cast on the surface. The medium that gave me K-On, the anime that made me cope with ending the chapter of my life called “High-school”. The medium that gave me Millennium Actress, the anime that showed me that I should pay more attention to the journey, rather than the destination. The medium that gave me Angel’s Egg, the anime that made me see anime as a fully-fledged art form capable of questioning the essence of existence. That medium is the same medium that now gave me Record of Ragnarok, the anime that had to use CGI in order to animate some dudes beating the drums, and that made me waste 4 hours of my life.
I love anime, I sincerely do. I think it’s the most unique and ambitious art forms out there. But I completely despise the current state that anime has been in for the past couple of years. But it boggles the mind that this medium that has become readily available at the press of a button continues to handicap itself by still abiding to the same rules as 30 years ago. I hope that one day will come when the industry will realise that the current business model is in a terminal phase, but one that drags itself down.
Sincerely yours,
Just an anime fan.
Reviewer’s Rating: 2
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Mar 13, 2020
During the mid-to-late ‘00s, the anime sphere was heavily defined by shows brimming with exhilarating action as seen in Code Geass or Afro Samurai and “in your face” characters such as Kamina from Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann whose manliness would crank your testosterone up to 11. However, everything would soon take a sudden change when in 2009 K-On! made its debut. A show full of cuteness and moe that it created a rift in the anime fandom, as well as a Renaissance of the medium.
Following the explosive success of the cult classic Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
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which spawned the “Haruhism” movement, as well as that of the emotional filled Clannad, Kyoto Animation was propelled into stardom among anime studios. From fluid animation to expressive facial movements, KyoAni shows were some of the most attentive to detail and passionate works of animation at that time which cemented their status as a one in a million studios.
K-On! was the polar opposite of the mainstream action heavy shows that its moeness was considered by most fans to be the end of anime and, in a way, it was. It popularized the cute culture and normalized expressing one’s love for adorableness through its relatable and more realistic depiction of high-school students. During its 13 episode run, the show is not afraid to approach into every corner of the slice of life/CGDCT genre from beach episodes to school festivals and part time jobs it has them all. Despite that it manages to seamlessly make them important for the advancement of the story and character progression while also making room for comedy. And there’s a lot of that. The jokes themselves, while not the most amusing on their own, are elevated by the brilliant comedic timing and the ever changing facial expressions in order to hit the mark. From Yui slipping and falling bum first on the ground to that scene during the school festival concert, you’re bound to have a smile on your face throughout it.
While some would criticize the show for what seems to be at first glance a set of episodic adventures which speedily cover an entire school year, K-On! delivers constant story progression through every episode. The show’s fast pace skips over tedious daily commodities focusing on the most important aspects of the girls’ journey through high-school. After all, it’s not every day something marvelous happens to us. It also reflects adolescence itself and the feeling that everything happens in a blink of an eye which can be found in the lyrics of the opening: “Our pounding hearts won’t slow down, our brains race at full throttle”. This emotion is something that most teenagers face when entering high-school which gives a significant note of relatability for the viewers which, for the most part, are around the same age as the cast. The transition from middle school to high-school coupled with the new faces as well as the exams are the challenges of a fleeting youth heading into maturity which is perfectly showcased through Yui’s clumsiness at the beginning of the first episode.
Another point in favor of this show is how seamlessly it understands its characters and their emotions allowing for tremendous development to all four main girls. For example, there is an episode in which two girls have a misunderstanding, however, instead of falling into the same trap that so many other shows do, K-On! acknowledges its characters as actual persons with needs. This means that after the two of them take some time to reflect on what went wrong the situation gets fixed after a heart to heart talk in the same episode instead of lingering on for the rest of the season. This demonstrates how carefully the show understands and knows how to deal with teenagers. On the same leaf, the school festival concert further drives this home by having the visuals during the song be reminiscing of the story of Thelma & Louise. The movie depicts two girl friends who are fed up with their old lives and decide to go on a wild adventure throughout America which by the end of the movie has the two face off against the world. This applies to K-On! in that this is the group’s first ever performance in front of a huge crowd and this fright is enough to make them feel backed against a corner threatened by the entire world which takes the form of their high-school colleagues. The dread is especially amplified for Mio who is supposed to be the lead singer of the group, however her shy nature and introverted personality make this task take on gargantuan proportions. Despite that, she overcomes her fears at the sight of Yui’s struggle and starts singing signaling the message that whatever they are doing there is bigger than themselves.
One important detail to note is Naoko Yamada and her directorial debut. Before leading K-On! she worked on previous Key shows directing some of the more teary episodes of the Clannad series or doing animation for Air, however her passion for detail and careful portrayal of adolescence would have enough room to blossom alongside her trademark directorial style: expressing emotions through leg movements. While some directors prefer a close-up of the eyes to showcase what feelings their characters are undergoing, Yamada opts for a more unconventional style focusing on legs and defining them as a second window for feelings. She would go on to master this skill further down her career in Tamako Love Story and the international movie hit A Silent Voice which would end up placing her name as one of the most talented up-and-coming directors of the 2010s.
Whether it is the cute girls doing cute things, the immersive feeling coming from Naoko Yamada’s directing or the stellar animation, outstanding music and sound design, K-On! stands as one of the most influential anime to come out in 2009 being an essential must-watch for any anime fan. At the end of the day, even if this kind of show is not your cup of tea it is at the very least worth watching for the fascinating and relatable coming of age story it unfolds.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Dec 1, 2019
"Rascal Does Not Dream of a Dreaming Girl" is the sequel to the 13-episode anime series "Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai" that took the internet and otaku world by storm in the forth quarter of 2018 with its flabbergasting title and premise. Adapted from the light novel series with the same name, at first glance it seemed as if it would be another adaptation of an unreasonably long and clickbait title, however it turned out to actually have a beating heart and an interesting direction to take its viewers to. The chemistry between Azusagawa Sakuta and Sakurajima Mai was reminiscing of
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that of Araragi and Senjougahara from the "Monogatari Series " and the paranormal activities seemed to be inspired from "The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya", however those would not be the only elements the series borrows from its predecessors, but I digress.
The movie-sequel aims to tackle the arc of Makinohara Shouko, an important character in the life of our bickering protagonist as she was his saviour in time of need during his early years, as well as the catalyst for Sakuta's chest scars to reopen. A truly enigmatic figure, as she was restricted to the sidelines in the main adaptation, given little to none importance until the end of the final arc, when she once again comes to the aid of Sakuta. Come this movie, Shoko is the one in need of assistance from our snarky protagonist as he tries unravel the truth behind her puberty syndrome and find an alternative path to the excruciating choice he's forced to make.
The opening shots send us back to when Shoko was in fourth grade and is shown having troubles completing a paper sheet with her plans and dreams for the future. It is established that her difficulty for filling in the sheet would play an important role as the movie progresses. The movie then cuts back to the present day and the problems arise.
Firstly, the pacing is all over the place as the days are skipped by in order for the movie to just arrive from point A to point B, without much reflection to the events that would unfold. This greatly hinders the emotional revelation during its climax as it leaves the viewer with a sense of "well that happened" instead of "this had an impact on me". It is to be mentioned that the pacing is not always poor, in fact, the beginning of the movie fits perfectly as it steadily builds towards the mid section of the movie. Unfortunately, it does not maintain the same steadiness as it advances and by the end of the movie it finishes in a satisfactory, if abrupt manner.
Secondly, the existence of this movie itself does not justify itself as it achieves nothing that cinematography does. The whole arc gives the impression of an overly extended episode of the original anime. The animation, while good, was nothing spectacular as it remained one the same level as the 13-episode anime series. The scene composition did not improve either and the use of realistic background elements, while it was a nice touch, it did not reach the same artistic expression as other films did. As it stands, "Rascal Does Not Dream of a Dreaming Girl" is a quick money grab designed to lure the fanbase into watching it under the guise of offering a cinematic experience, but delivering an OVA worth of excitement. At least that way it would have fixed the pacing issues.
The final problem with this movie is the convoluted story leading into a redundant conclusion. Throughout its runtime it is given extraordinary importance to the choice that Sakuta is forced to make and it is one that severely affects him when makes up his mind. However, this is immediately dismissed as he gets another chance and Shouko does what she could have done from the beginning, as the movie decides that all the drama the characters went through was all for naught. The story advances in an obvious way, but tries to hide it with empty misdirection so that when the twist happens, the viewer is caught off-guard leaving him in a state of fabricated sorrow thanks to the emotional manipulation of the movie. It tries to replicate what "Steins;Gate" or "The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya" did with its main lead, however it results in a watered down copy of the two.
This is not to say the film is just one giant mess. There are some good moments as well. The chemistry between the characters is back better than ever and the dialogues are just as entertaining and diverting. There is also a very heartfelt conversation between Sakuta and Futaba which proved more emotional than the main twist, thanks to how it was shot and the splendid work of the voice actors. Another upside is present on the audio front. The background music was perfectly fit throughout the film, especially at the end with the insertion of the ED song, as well as the magnificent work of the voice actors.
In conclusion, "Rascal Does Not Dream of a Dreaming Girl" is a heavily flawed movie which little to no reason for existing as it borrows elements from two other more critically acclaimed IPs, which ultimately fails to become its own thing. The film is not a must-watch unless you are a big fan of the original series and desperately want to see more content.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Jul 6, 2019
How much pain and suffering can a person endure before they give up? How long can they keep it all bottled up while still showing their warm and earnest side?
"Fruits Basket" is indeed a product of its time, beginning serialization in 1998 and ending in 2006, it's ripe with the anime tropes that defined the early 2000s. Tsunderes, loud characters, girls aggressively showing their love and all the good stuff is present here. Yet, behind these cliches lie persons that got this way because of their circumstances. Tohru may seem like a happy-go-lucky person who sees the world in the brightest nuance of pink, but
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that's only on a surface level. As we spend more time with her we get to know her past. The bullying she's gone through in school, her mother's death, her relatives not having her best interests. Yet she continues to smile and not let these define Tohru, because to her life is so much more than the few bumps in the road.
One major theme the show tries to portray is that of change and how life can take an unpleasant turn, while leaving it up to the characters to decide how to react. I'd go into detail, but I'd enter spoiler teritorry and with there only being 1 season I can't give a detailed analysis on the matter.
While my first paragraph may have given the impression that the show is a grim and depressing tear-jerker, that's far from the essence of "Fruits Basket". The show focuses most on the interactions between the characters, which at times is serious, it is predominantly hilarious, with jokes that almost always find their time to connect. Tohru's positive energy combined with her being the cutest little sweetheart should be enough to combat the more impactful momets of the show.
As I've said previously, "Fruits Basket" is a product of its time, as coming in contact in 2019 with the tropes of the early 2000s may feel a bit jarring, but also nostalgic for those who grew up with the anime of that time. However, once you get past those inconveniences, only then can "Fruits Basket" invite you to its colorful world inhibited by its huge and diverse cast which more than make up for its shortcomings.
Will you accept its invitation? What you'll take part in might just be a few life changing lessons.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Apr 1, 2019
"People need other people" is the perfect sentence to describe Mob Psycho 100 Season 2.
Sequels often tend to not capture the same spirit their original work had (e.g. FLCL Progressive, Psycho-Pass 2), but when they do (e.g. Clannad: After Story, Code Geass R2), they create something so special and so magnificent that it's something short of genius. Mob Season 2 manages to take every detail that made Mob Season 1 good and cranks it up to 11 while still adding a bit of ???% of love.
Seasons 2 presents a Mob that's changing and learning how to control his emotions bit by bit as we
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revisit the same part-time job and new foes, only that they are not simple tools set in our hero's journey, but actual people that for the most part made the wrong decisions (deciding between the right and the wrong path is a reoccurring theme even at the end). We also get to see the most pleasant humanizing of our favorite con-artist, the great "pshycic user" Master Reigen which formerly had been used more as a comic relief, now gets fully fleshed out, and it's outstanding. Also, the members of the Body Improvement Club get their moment to shine in quite the fashion
While many battle shonens' fights are decided by whoever has the stronger ability used as a trump card, Mob Psycho 100 Season 2 instead of using its trademark ???% overdrive of Mob, it borrows a leaf out of Naruto's book using its notorious talk-no-jutsu technique in order to connect to the people he's fighting, because Mob sees himself in his enemies and how close he was to becoming an villain had he walked down the wrong path. That's what people sometimes need, a person with whom to connect to and have a heart-to-heart conversation (both the case of Serizawa and our final villain.) Words are the most powerful weapon after all.
I want to give credit to Studio Bones for upping their game with the "orgasmic" levels of Sakuga-animation that they put into making this adaptation (e.g episodes 1, 5, 10, 13 being the stand outs)
In the end, Mob Psycho 100 Season 2 managed to outshine everything its prequel managed to excel in and delivers an exhilarating outburst of greatness. It probably isn't a masterpiece, only time will tell, however it is a clear contender for anime of this decade.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Mar 31, 2019
There are countless questions that people often ask themselves such as: why do we exist, where do we go after we die and most importantly why is "Shitcom" an anime and why did I want to watch this 1 minute and 8 seconds of pure and utter trash?
I'll refrain myself from making any puns and I will say just one thing: it at least manages to do what the title implies, no not the "com", which suggests that there would be comedy in this 68 minute short (Spoiler alert: there's nothing funny, unless you're 6 years old or you need help in identifying what's a
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good "dumb" joke and what is a bad "dumb" joke), but the "Shit" part. And there's plenty of it. The "joke" is structured as follows: the couple are at a fancy dinner at a restaurant, the woman's stomach starts rumbling and then the guy shows her a ring, with the intention of them getting married. The "punchline" is upon seeing the ring, from excitement the woman, I kid you not, starts crapping herself... from her mouth... and then the man follows suit. Jesus Christ...
I never thought the day would come that I'd rate something a 1 out of 10 since I try to rate what I enjoyed even if it's a bad series, nor that I would be so mad that I would write a 3 paragraph long review about something so insignificant, but here we are. I just can't be asked anymore.
Reviewer’s Rating: 1
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