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- BirthdayDec 16, 2000
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- JoinedNov 25, 2019
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Nov 16, 2024
The Elusive Samurai has exceptional, unique direction. If you’re interested in unique animation styles, watch this. It is remiscent of Dororo and has a heavy historical and samurai feel to it with the BIG exception that it is also a comedy, and this is something I found deeply odd— if you like dark humor and intense violence, as well as pedophilia and mature behavior from children being protrayed in a largely lighthearted or satirical manner, possibly due to trauma… This may be for you.
Regardless, I found this anime to be refreshing and innovative. The cruel nature of war and how it drives people mad
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is still well-depicted in some ways. As someone that is not used to humor being portrayed in these scenarios, it took me by surprise. I believe this show will be enjoyed by those that value different and unique perspectives and reflections on history or human nature. The characters were rich in their expressions and motivations, but very mature for children (this is not new for anime, though). In some ways with the comey and the largely children cast, it has the vibe of a shonen (and it is labeled as one, however odd it may be for the R rating). The themes (re: thematic elements) are also mature and may not be fully appreciated or noticed by younger audiences. I do wanna emphasize the importance of a mature audience in order to fully enjoy all aspects of this show.
The enemies are portrayed with heavy archetypes and stereotypes; animalistic traits such as big rat ears for good listeners, huge protruding eyes for one that can “see everything”, whiskers, big cheeks or lips, no eyes, even a drag queen and otherwise monstrous exaggerations that make them seem inhuman. One of the children characters, Kojiro, even says “The one with the rectangular features… the one with the focus lines over his eyes… Don’t just change appearance now, I can’t compare you to anything!”. Exaggerated expressions and actions from both enemies and protagonists are sometimes treated with comedic effect regardless of how cruel the action portrayed may be. One example of the humor is when a character known for eating a lot appears dead and then breaks the bleak atmosphere by saying “I’m so hungry I can’t move.” I don’t think that’s rare for anime but somehow feels significant to mention given the extreme and abrupt changes in tone.
There is some CGI for those that hate seeing it at all. The element of historial accuracy is partially followed as shown by occasional dates, explanations of war tactics and customs such as depictions of religiosity and spirituality connected to Shintoism, Buddhism and the importance of Godlyness/ divinity/ Shrines/ Priests/ Seers/ Prayer at the time as well as female characters at times being left behind due to more dangerous conditions. There is a feeling that it is all a big play being performed as shown in how fun the ED is, with some characters even dressed in modern clothes.
In summary, this show is uniquely directed with frequent changes in tone mostly about a group of mature, sometimes endearing kids fighting adult samurai with exaggerated features, occasional inspiring, introspective moments, childlike moments (they are still kids, after all) and comedy relief throughout.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Nov 30, 2023
Brilliant, realistic, tear-jerking, and thought-provoking. I'm so glad I read this manga, it was not what I expected at all. I was very surprised. It's now one of my favorites. The characters are very well-written. The only qualms I have with it is the somewhat rushed ending and... Ryuji... oh god, I feel so bad for you. My dear child. I got real attached to these characters. The ending is not so rushed though if you view it in the perspective of "in real life, this is how things usually go: with certain aspects left hanging or clearly unresolved." It's very realistic in this sense,
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which is not something I usually see in manga. I also think this manga is very unique in its storytelling and the way it adds comedy is very refreshing! The romance is also very natural and not rushed at all. It's quite slow-burn and mild. The focus on the parents and family at times surprised me about it too, and was very interesting (and realistic tbh). Beautiful. It reminded me of my own life and made me think about my own experiences! I'm excited for the anime.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Jan 30, 2023
This manga blew me away. Not a lot of manga portrays sexuality in a way that is as realistic as the way it is in Okaeri Alice. You can tell there is lived experience dripped into this manga, and that is one of my most favorite parts about any sort of media I consume. It's passionately real in all its beauty and ugliness. I sighed in frustration, laughed, gasped, yelled at my screen, and was even brought to tears. It’s wild, it’s annoying, it's biting (like it's got teeth), it’s both love and lust. What are these feelings and what differences do they have?
On
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the negative side; it's very fast-paced, like dizzyingly so, with a lack of buildup before the next scene, and very sexual for a high school-based manga, which is something I wasn’t expecting. Every character has major flaws that can become borderline creepy, such as manipulation, coercion, and malicious jealousy. The main character is indecisive and extremely anxious (hell, would make me nervous too). It's definitely not for everyone.
But it's also intensely intriguing, thought-provoking, relatable, and beautiful. It's addictive. The emotions are palpable. I read it in one sitting and I was holding my face in my hands each chapter because holy shit, and what the fuck?
At one point it even felt like a horror with how Kei was kinda... creepin'. Their gaze was making me sweat. Also, just to point out; there is sort of a love triangle and it’s a mess. I kinda want to slap a bitch just thinking about it. Yo (main character’s nickname), my guy, please break one of their hearts because they will not stop coming after you unless you do something dire, dude (if you hurt Kei though I'm going to be pissed). They are all childhood friends. The struggle is real.
As a trans person myself, I will say that there are a few things that feel like strange choices of portrayal for the genderqueer Kei, but overall, it’s nothing compared to how much I have grown to love Kei as a character, which is wild, because in the beginning I didn’t like them much. I liked Mitani instead. Now it’s the opposite. I don’t like Mitani anymore. Shit happens.
Did I mention that Kei is so gorgeous. I am just as down bad as the author, Yo, and pretty much everyone else in the manga. Kei is just too damn hot. Okaeri Alice gives a whole different meaning to the sentiment, “I love a woman who can just kill me.” If you're not into a character like Kei, you're not going to like this manga. Quite obviously.
I recommend Okaeri Alice to anyone and everyone to at least try it out. It might open your mind a little more towards new and different horizons and ways of being. I haven't read anything quite like this before. It invites us to be unashamed of our sexuality, whatever form it may take.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Nov 8, 2021
I'm going to be honest, I didn't think I would enjoy this anime as much as I am. I thought it would be cringe and boring and I would drop it soon after starting it, but I was pleasantly surprised for the most part. If you find yourself wanting to give it a try, it's definitely an acquired taste, but if you go into it without any judgement, you might find it to be entertaining.
The best thing you can do to see if this anime is for you is to look up "Visual Kei" on youtube and watch a music video of the genre,
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because this anime is based off of this kind of music. Also, it has Black Butler gothic vibes so if you really don't like that, you probably won't like this either.
Onto the nitty-gritty:
The Story: I have no fucking clue what's going on lmao. It's not the kind of thing that is easily passable either, because there are just some obvious things that really should be addressed; like why the fuck is Yuki a "dhampir" and why did he not know this before Eclipse falls from the sky in the first ep like two angels falling from heaven? It's all a bit bizarre, really, but hey, that's fine as long as you can make up for it with other things. I will say that character backstories make up for the lack of main "story" in a way, but it's still quite decent and annoying at times that so many of my questions don't get answered, or fly right over my head with how noisy and psychedelic the show can get. Overall, I don't mind it too much and find it somewhat humorous at times with the lack of proper explanations.
The Art: This would be one of the show's best traits if it weren't for the 3D models for the performances. Might just be a preference, but I really can't stand 3D stuff especially when it's thrown around in the middle of an otherwise perfectly drawn-out anime. This is a particularly aesthetic anime but in a very gothic-way, for the most part. There are some very nice backgrounds, also, and the animation is generally smooth. Also, Eve's fight animation in episode 4 was really good. You can't have an anime called "Visual Prison" without it being at least good, visually. It does what it is expected to do in that aspect.
Sound: So, I do like Visual Kei as a music genre in general, but I expected it to be kinda cringe in anime, and I was wrong, for most of them except the Lost Eden and Eclipse songs (I did not like), but the others are really strong musically. I find them humorous sometimes watching the 3D models, and touching other times, depending on the song. For example, Eve's song was really nice, and less angsty than the others. In general, the songs sound like they could be anime OPs. I also want to give them more credit because I can tell the amount of work put into every song was a lot, so I can appreciate the effort. Overall, I would add their songs to my playlist.
Character: This is probably the main reason why people will not want to watch this anime, and frankly, I don't know what to tell you. It's probably what you're thinking, with the homoeroticism, because they're all male vampires and vampires are horny, I guess? Anyway, I thought the main characters would be less interesting than I find them to be now. They each have a backstory that explains their motivations and how they got to where they are (in general, except I still don't know what the fuck the European vampires are doing in Japan, for one). If you like having stuff told to you and not leave you guessing, it might be frustrating. I want to say there are some references to Final Fantasy VII's Vincent Valentine, whose game had a Visual Kei music video by Gackt (visual kei singer), because of Lost Eden's (a musical group in the anime) logo is the same/similar as Vincent's Dirge of Cerberus logo; one of their songs mentions a one-winged angel (Sephiroth) and also Guiltia reminds me of Cloud Strife in his normal design. As a FF fan, I appreciate this. I also appreciate how most characters are able to show a vast range of emotions, although sometimes it can be overdramatic, like a lot of things in this anime, and Visual Kei itself. It makes sense, so I'm not complaining. There are well-written characters (Eve), poorly-written characters (Saga) and characters that are just up for public scrutiny at this point (It has only been 5 episodes so far, I'm not gonna go deeper into it).
Enjoyment: I'm not that into gothic stuff, but probably because I'm non-judgmental and can find humor in things, I think this anime is enjoyable in a way, even if it's making fun of the way some of the characters dress, or some of the weird things they say.
Overall, pretty good, I enjoy it for what it is.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Feb 6, 2020
I had high expectations for this movie, and while not all of them were met, Promare began and ended with a bomb, and because of that, it deserves high praise.
STORY 7/10
The concept that Promare is based on is very intriguing and I was very excited to see how they executed this, but unfortunately it failed to meet my expectations. I think the overall story could have been done a lot better, but there was still a lot of great points (some of which took me by surprise and I was very pleased with) and flare to it, which I enjoyed either way. I
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finished watching the movie wanting more, in both a good and a bad way. Overall, a good, interesting and unique take, but as much as the ending made me shocked, I was left hanging. There is a particular style to Promare's storytelling and it is very particular. Some people will like it, others not so much. I am more of the latter, because it also felt rushed. Still good though. I would have much rather they done a full anime of Promare and tell the story that way; it would slow things down for my ass to properly let it all sink in.
ART 9/10
Okay, I was hooked on Promare first and foremost for the INCREDIBLE animation. It honestly deserves a perfect score, but nothing is perfect, and I can't help but be annoyed with the way the city, particular the buildings, were styled. They looked dull and void of life, but that is the style, just not my style! Also, I'm not used to this style of animation and it would sometimes confuse my eyes as to what was happening in the fast pace of the fight scenes. Other than that, AMAZING textures, layering and color schemes. The colors in this style are not completely filled in to look more 2D, and there are less shadows/details in lining which might make some animations look dull, but the way it was handled in Promare mostly just made everything look better. It's the style. And those fight scenes made me drool. Character design was also awesome. I particularly liked Lio's design. I can't stop thinking about the pink eyes, robot designs, and Burnish flames. Nice job.
SOUND 6/10
Fair. I found myself losing focus with the music multiple times particularly because they had lyrics... and sometimes I thought I heard English. I still couldn't understand shit, but my stupid brain kept trying to figure out what she was saying, lol. Also sounded repetitive, like it was the same sound or music playing in the fight scenes, or sounded similar. A lot of it was not my style (mainly just the lyrics), but it wasn't bad; some parts had really cool guitar riffs. Some parts had nice music, the ones without lyrics, and I really dug the ending credits song. Too bad it was the END by then though.
CHARACTER 9/10
I'm a sucker for good characters. I'm saying that characters make a movie/show for me 90% of the time. Design was above and beyond, and personas were really cool too, but I think it did lack "building blocks/up" (not sure how to phrase this) and this is why it falls short of the 9 score, since I consider characters worth most points when rating. I can't decide whether I was satisfied with how things ended character-wise or not, and because of this I'm going to say, no, but I'm not sure why. I guess I felt something was missing. Maybe the relationships between characters didn't seem very fleshed out to me. Either way, I loved how Lio and Galo turned out and how they developed and changed as characters as well as with their views and relationship. They ran the whole story. Didn't really care much for the others. I always have the potential for characters in mind, so even if they don't do as much as I wish they did, I can fill in the blanks and not let that bring their appeal down. Promare characters had a lot of appeal and potential. The vision for them was incredible strong and I appreciate that.
ENJOYMENT 8/10
Not gonna lie, I did zone out a few times in the fight scenes but that is only because of the music and the new and different (sometimes confusing) style of animation, but I also nearly cried in the end, so that's an automatic 8 at least. The last 10 minutes or so brought the 8 up to a 9 because of somethings that hit the jackpot on my personal preferences list, but I don't want to spoil too much. A lot of things were left unexplained and not very logical in Promare, which seems to be the intention as even the characters would often stop and go "What the heck?" (same), which is fine, but I prefer more thought-provoking backgrounds/basis. It's not childish, but it has a certain air... I mean, I think children would enjoy it more than older folks. They have a better imagination, while for people like me, think too much about shit that doesn't make sense and get frustrated over it. "Anime logic" was strong in this one.
Phew, did time fly by fast watching Promare. I didn't even realize the end was near when it hit me. It was a very fun ride. Promare made it's mark on anime for its sheer ambition, with all its faults and mistakes. It's one of those things that gets better and better the more you watch it. That's just how it is. All the best ones are.
PS. I'm pissing myself thinking about how good it'll look on Blu-Ray.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Dec 20, 2019
A quick heads up before I begin; I consider myself fairly strict and I rarely give 10s.
First Thoughts:
Devilman Crybaby definitely had a lot of uniqueness to it that I rarely see in anime that made it special. The soundtrack and art style, were great (though an acquired taste for the art style), and even though the story was lacking and the characters weren't that deep, there were some moments and messages that struck a chord with me.
Story: 6/10
Devilman Crybaby is a the story expected for the re-adaptation of a 70s shounen classic. It's dark, impactful and comes across strongly in many
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ways (especially from the original source back in the day). It deals with heavy topics and is packed with action and a bunch of confusing information that sometimes feels useless and vague. Even though I must say that there is uniqueness and intellect in how this story was created, there's not much to praise in the way it was produced. There was too much that went over my head and left me confused, too many holes in the dialogue, and not one form of fulfilling closure. It almost feels like a draft instead of a final production in terms of story.
However, I was very pleased with the way they incorporated biblical references in a new light, considering a lot of people are afraid of even touching a bible the wrong way. I'm not saying blasphemy is the way, but that's exactly what I'm saying. It was refreshing to see something considered as "divine law" to be ignored (Miki's family and Akira praying before dinner, reading the bible, but then engaging in violent and "sinful" behaviors), mocked (ex. "Sabbath" -Sunday- being the party of "sin"), or disrespected/ twisted (acceptance of demons, Satan feeling love and sorrow). As someone who was raised in a bit of a strict religious household, it is a form of freedom.
There were also a few critical moments in the story that made me get the good ol' goosebumps and let out a long breath so even if they were few and far between, they were enough to bump the rating. It can definitely tingle your senses at times. I even cried once, so that says something. You might surprise yourself with how contagious Akira's Crybaby rubs off on you.
Lastly, the pacing was abysmal; slow in the first 7 episodes and then plot kicks in and it rushes to a truly anti-climatic conclusion 3 eps later. It should've been longer to explain things or at least given us more time to let it all sink in.
Overall, I expected a lot more in terms of story and especially in plot development. The ending really did fall flat and made me feel empty, but it also has a certain morbid beauty to it (the entire thing, really). It makes you feel human, and that's the point of it. In the end, if a character gains the slightest bit of humanity, you may feel yourself following suit.
Art: 7/10
The art style for Devilman Crybaby is unique and refreshing. There is great use of yellowish tones that leave a nostalgic feeling, which is a great technique considering the source material is from the 70s. I did mention in the intro that it is an acquired taste and might take some getting used to depending on the person, but for someone who watches a lot of anime with such a similar style it gets tiresome, it was a breath of fresh air.
On the other hand, the animation can get sloppy at times but that is likely intentional to the style of the overall production or whatever. I gotta admit those backgrounds could have used a little more pop though, some of the textures are really ugly.
Lastly, I can't forget the running. Boy, if you thought the way Naruto characters run was weird, you've got a storm coming. It's hilarious.
Sound: 9/10
Okay, this is the best part of the entire review. This soundtrack is amazing. SO GOOD. It carried the show with its bare hands!! Some songs can get stuck in your head even days later, and you won't even get mad (unless it's a sad song, then, well, I'm sorry, but you might pull a Crybaby). There are songs that fill with so much energy and power you feel like you can do anything (and do, run and scream to your heart's content), while others make you incredibly, unabashedly saD. It's incredible that a series of just 10 episodes could do so much with the soundtrack, but somehow it did it, and that is worth high praise.
The only reason I didn't rate it a 10/10 is because I feel like the fight scenes could have had more sound effects to them, and the rest of the show as well. If there were any Fairly Normal Things In Context of the Show that could have used some nice sound effects, it could have used that to its advantage. Also, the opening song took some time to get into. Lastly, not the entire soundtrack is good (or should I say, to my taste), there are a few that give me weird vibes (probably intended) but hey, I'm picky.
p.s. Love the freestyle rap some characters do; lyrics show the ugly truth, and the beat is a bop. Petition for the voice actors to make a collab album?
Character: 5/10
I started watching this show 1. because the characters appealed to me and 2. because of that hilarious treasure that is the English dub of the original Devilman. How am I feeling now? Mildly disappointed. Most characters are shallow and lack a proper motive or purpose, and even when we do get one, it is far too late. We should have gotten a clear-cut image of the characters since the moment they were introduced, but it took me a while to figure out what in the world WERE these characters. I knew nothing about them for a good amount of time. In the end, many weren't even touched or explored at all, and even those that were, it felt like (as the original Devilman Akira would say) "absolutely zippo." There was a lack of flavor to much of the characters, though this might be due to how used I have become to seeing "PEPPY, IN YOUR FACE, OUT THERE, THIS IS ME, WORDSMITH" characters in anime, which are oftentimes idealized and made out of an incredible ability to form insightful speeches at all times. What I realized with Devilman Crybaby, is that these characters are less dramatized and more true to realism, and therefore, less appealing (because we humans don't want characters that have the dull reactions to everyday things that we do, we want fantastical beings whose superpower is the way they present themselves). I realize this, but it doesn't change how little I care for the characters in this show.
((This next paragraph has some vague spoilers))
I was very thrown off by the changes in the character of Akira from the beginning to after he became Devilman (even if it was like, the first ep), and in another (I will omit for the name for the sake of spoilers). They seemed completely different and suddenly came across too strongly from who they once were, which was disappointing because I liked them better before. I also want to talk about Koda but I will refrain (again) for the sake of spoilers. I'll just say that I like how his sexuality was portrayed so explicitly despite it being taboo, and how that affected his character. There were a few redeeming things about some characters, namely the rap gang (loved their rap cameos), Miki's family (Taro omg), Kukun's confession, Miki's heroic act, Miko in the end and her relationship with Miki, and Ryo's origins/ being.
((end))
Lastly, Akira being a "crybaby" and how that put some definition to the show and added to his humanity. It sends the message that love brings sorrow, which brings tears, which makes us human. Akira cried a lot because he loved (cared) a lot, and I think we should learn that crying is not a bad thing, because loving is a good thing.
p.s. Ryo's Japanese voice actor doing that English dub justice. Love that for him (I just found it really amusing and couldn't keep a straight face no matter the gravity of his words).
Enjoyment: 6/10
Despite my constant confusion for the majority of the show, there were a few redeeming qualities that made it bearable. I would say it wasn't a waste of time because I learned a few things, gained a few things, and loved the soundtrack.
Also, it might count for something that I mention how I am very sensitive to gore and highly violent material (and horror) so this did affect my enjoyment. Though it's hard to imagine someone actually enjoying these things, it's there for a reason.
Overall: 7/10
To sum it up, because of certain moment(s), the soundtrack, and the unashamed use of blasphemy and biblical references, I rate this show a 7/10. It's not higher because the lack story and depth of character gave an empty feeling there was something lacking and it was bothersome. I kept wanting to know more about the characters and everything else that was going on. It was confusing for the most part, but also unashamedly & sometimes morbidly, sometimes touchingly, human.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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