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Mar 8, 2017
Not going to lie, this movie came as a big surprise to my initial expectations. If you have watched some of the anime TV seasons, you should have a general expectation of a monogatari anime. Normally there are multiple plots, each with a new theme and with a different female lead, kind of like spice and wolf. All the plots are pretty enjoyable, and they have themes that are generally relatable and are well established. In each plot, it generally takes one or two episodes to set up the setting, issue at hand, and atmosphere. Then, we see some different opinions or initial thoughts on
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the issue by the characters. Towards the end of each plot, we see the characters realize something that lets them see the issue in a new light or we are introduced to a new philosophy that changes the meaning of the issue, allowing for the theme to become really apparent. Then the plot leaves on a sort of unspoken note that asks In what ways doesn't this issue or theme apply to you the viewer.
This is not Kizumonogatari I.
This movie is almost the exact opposite in storytelling philosophy. Bakemonogatari and it's sequels take a sort of narrow lense on a pretty broad subject, showing very little piece of the story and present issue, before piecing it together. For me, this left a sense of both having thoroughly understood the plot and there being so much more to discover based on how you look at it. Kizumonogatari takes a wide lense on a very specific subject. Now, having only watched the first two movies, I can only guess as to what the final theme is, which I would say the meaning of humanity. However, with such a bold and narrow question like this, there is very little the viewer can relate to on a personal level.
Now, on to the actual story and character quality. They were bad. For an hour long movie, there were way too many scenes that didn't make sense, character choices that felt stupid, plot elements that seem to exist just to advance the story, and the characters felt bland. Some of the reasons why I liked the characters from the TV series so much was because they were not only lovable, but they were relatable. They were humans with faults, not idealized 2D self inserts like half other anime characters. Each had their own unique philosophy and each had the conviction to support it (except maybe miss cuckoo). In Kizumonogatari, Hanekawa feels like an idealized female lead and Araragi felt so generic. And in addition to that, there never feels any weight to the ongoing issue as the setting was sort of rushed over. With all of this, I came out of viewing this movie sort of confused and very unfulfilled.
All in all, I think this is probably the worst monogatari anime I have seen. But that doesn't mean it isn't worth watching. I'd rather take the worst of monogatari than the best of to Love-ru or SAO any day. But in terms of what it is, it was definitely a letdown.
Should you watch this?
If you like origin stories, go ahead, you'll probably get a good kick out of it. But if you want a methodical story like bakemonogatari, this one falls flatter than Araragi's grades.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Jan 23, 2017
I had high hopes for this film. Boy, did it let me down.
So if you have watched Wolf Children, The Boy and The Beast, or the Girl Who Leapt Through Time, you may have come across this title and asked yourself if this was a good film as well. And... lets just say its better to not associate it with all these other successes.
Now, as does most hero's journey plots do, this story follows the standard 3 act structure, which is what I will be breaking down. I will try and avoid major spoilers (unless it is a particularly bad scene in the
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film).
We start off being introduced to OZ, a digital network that has grown vast enough and complex enough to be integrated into the lives of most of the world, providing both social and practical capabilities. Here, the scenery does a fairly decent job in showing the abstract nature of the world which captured my interest, while providing useful exposition. We then meet the protagonist, who is part of maintenance of running the system. I'll be blunt, this guy feels like a tool. Throughout the movie, he does more reacting than he does acting. I came out knowing less about him than half the side characters, and he is the main protagonist. That, combined with his quirky traits make him very difficult to relate to. So, this guy, who's name is Kenji, has to now pretend to be the fiance of his friend, Natsuki. I really wonder how their relationship turns out in the end. We meet her family and we see an entire house of standard tropes, Kenji's OZ account gets phished by the antagonist, and we start the 2nd arc.
So, we have Kenji initially being arrested, but unable to reach the station due to the antagonist messing up the traffic system. Now, I think the 2nd arc is the best done out of all 3, as it shows very well how dangerous the threat actually is, introducing a primary theme in this film. That the over dependence on any single thing (in this case, technology) is dangerous. We see the world thrown into chaos as people's daily routines are abruptly disrupted. As national defense is tied to OZ, the antagonist could obtain access to nuclear arms. All these aspects set up a great atmosphere of urgency to contain the looming threat before it becomes unstoppable. At this point, key figures within the family rise up and we are given a glimpse at hope as the Jinnouchi family stands united amidst the sea of chaos that has taken over the world. The rest of the second arc, I am not going to spoil, but it ends on a loss to the antagonist.
Then we have the 3rd arc, where all the previous preparation and conviction converge to bring together a force that can face the antagonist. Or at least that was what it was supposed to do. In reality, the 3rd arc was arguably the weakest arc in this story, no scratch that, it was the weakest arc I have ever seen in a film. Now, from here on out, I am not going to withhold any spoilers, as I feel like they aren't worth the anticipation. So, at this point with all the plot holes riddles across the film, all the story had to do was show the family working as a team to collectively to defeat the antagonist and we would be happy. What happened instead was that Natsuki, who apparently was really good at this card game, goes and faces off against the antagonist on OZ, despite her having little screen time until now and only showing one instance beforehand where she played this game (of which she lost in). They are betting user accounts that the antagonist has taken over. After suffering a large loss which results in her having not enough accounts to continue the game, people from across the world give Natsuki their accounts and cheer her on to defeat the antagonist. Because OBVIOUSLY, the theme wasn't the importance of family, but the importance of unity. This last second change in theme during the climax was very distracting and confusing. It came off more as a Deus ex Machina moment than a well earned ending. So the villain gets defeated, but at the last second he rigged an asteroid probe to de-orbit and collide with the family's house. So Kenji does some math BS and solves it with one minute left till collision, diverting most of the damage from the house (which by the way is impossible, considering that satellites do not have aerodynamic control surfaces, nor can they receive orders during reentry). So they all cheer for the success, the villain gets destroyed, take an educated guess as to what happens to Kenji and Natsuki, and they all live happily ever after. Well, all except for most likely the audience, who probably hung themselves out of disappointment.
Its hard to come out of viewing this film being not slightly disappointed. I mean this is the studio that gave us the heart warming tale and astounding imagery of Wolf Children, the thrilling plot and atmosphere of No Game No Life, the hysterical parody that is One Punch Man. But sadly, they have also given us the let down that was Summer Wars. With countless plot holes, inconsistent and undeveloped themes, a bland protagonist, and an unfulfilling ending, Studio Madhouse's Summer Wars ultimately was a war that they undoubtedly lost.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Jan 15, 2017
Should you watch Kantai Collection?
Well, do you like ships? Do you like all girl casts? Do you like WHAP? Do you like shipping girls (pun not intended)? And do you like selecting waifus?
If you answered yes to these questions, KanColle is the Anime for you. But let's go deeper.
So Waifu Collection, I mean Kantai Collection, was based off a free to play brower game by the same name. The game followed the WW2 Japanese pacific naval campaign and the female analogues of the ships, with the player in charge of maintaining and managing the fleet. In the anime however, the pacific war against the
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allied powers was dropped in favor of a war against unexplained Davy Jones abortions. In KanColle, there is an abundance of unexplained or questionable adaptiation choices of the source material. Another example is how in the game, the admiral is never shown for the purpose of having the player better picture themselves as the admiral. However, in the anime, the admiral is kept hidden even though there is no reason to project yourself as the admiral (unless Kongou is your waifu).
For plot, I give it a 2/10. The best word I can use to describe the story is unfocused. This anime has so many different plots and themes, that the show has a hard time expressing any of them fully and ends up with a very forgettable storyline. In it's 12 episode series, it manages to include themes of death, survivor's guilt, maturing as a woman, determinism, and friendship, while managing to not go farther than introducing each concept. When watching this, I didnt know what to want or expect from this anime. Was is supposed to be just about Fubuki just becoming a better person? Is it about fitting in? Are the Abyssals going to be significant in any way? Is the Navy sexist for only enlisting girls? We don't know. Without a central plot, it lacks that feeling of satisfaction that the climax is supposed to give you. In most anime, when you see the protagonists finally reach their goal or complete their journey, the definite and conclusive ending is probably the most satisfying moment in the story, being able to either make or break a series. It felt like I was reading a book where I can't tell the difference between the protagonist and antagonist. I couldn't feel committed to any of the characters as the story was so unfocused. While there are shows that handle multiple plots fine, this anime fails as there is no central arc or theme that ties all the subplots together. Shows like Assassination Classroom is an example of how a story can follow the unique plots of multiple characters well by having them all work towards a common goal. Bakemonogatari is an example of how theme can tie plots together, where all the different arcs were unified by the common theme of trying to escape or fix events in your past. KanColle had no way of showing how each episode adds to each other, making the show easily forgettable.
For Art, I give it a 8/10. If thought the 3D animated scenes were well blended into the regular art style of the anime and I liked the visual execution of the aircrafts.
For Sound, I give it a 7/10. The music was pretty mediocre and didn't stand out as particularly poor or particularly good. Poi.
For the Characters, I give it a 4/10. Like the story, it seems as if the anime is more interested in seeing how many characters it can introduce rather than how well they can develop them. Basically the Batman V Superman cameo feeling.
So, should you watch KanColle?
No. Honestly, High School Fleet does a way better job with executing the Naval fleet girl premise.
Reviewer’s Rating: 4
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Dec 21, 2016
If you watch anime and are a fan of the fantasy and supernatural genre, you may have asked yourself at one point: "Should I check out 'Beyond The Boundary'?" Well, if you like dark tones, heavy symbolism, perverts debating, glasses fetishes, or the lack of an exposition, then this is the Anime for you.
Now, much to my surprise, I found that I seem to be apart of the minority in finding this Anime great, evidently seen with it's 7.88 rating (in contrast, SAO has a 7.82).
While it's lack of an exposition dump does have it's downfalls in revealing gaping plot holes and unexplained motivations,
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I personally enjoyed the thrill of having to piece together the world with each event that happens in the story.
Without giving too much away, a central theme in the story is coming to terms with your past and advancing on. I think the use of symbolism to convey this message really ties the events of the world and the conflict within each character together beautifully to add emphasis to both the world and the development of each character.
Though, while it has very unique characters and a well developed main cast, the story is all over the place. The introduction of the climactic villain comes very late into the Anime and it loses it's focus around the middle of the season.
So, should you watch "Beyond the Boundary"?
If you don't mind sitting through an unorthodox story arc or value polished characters over a polished plot, then I would recommend checking it out. If you do really like your plot polished, I would recommend giving it 5-6 episodes before deciding for yourself.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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