riarushi's Profile - Reviews

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Sep 8, 2020

Hanebado! (Anime) add

Mixed Feelings

This review is spoiler-free!

Finally, a sports anime I can watch fully! As a badminton player myself, I was really excited when this show was announced. I had high hopes for the matches because I could finally understand what was happening on court. But did this show live up to my expectations? Let's find out!

Remember, people are allowed to like or dislike whatever they want. This review is mostly for myself to collect my thoughts.

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STORY:
The first half was messy and awfully paced, but the second felt more focused. Weirdly, the story focuses less on the supposed protagonist and more on her rival. I found that the ... protagonist's character arc felt extremely rushed, so by the time I finished watching the entirety of the show, it didn't even feel like she was important to the story. Everything else I have to say about the story is more related to characters, so I'll save it for later. Most of the plot some pretty standard story of a mother/daughter relationship turned sour. I did think it was interesting in the second half, but I know it's nothing new.

ART:
The main setting of the school gym is unlit, making everything inside difficult to see. I thought about why this might be, and it's probably because it makes it easier to see the birdie when playing badminton (you'll see that in badminton matches, the area surrounding the court is often pitch black). As for characters, the art style is extremely inconsistent. Take for example Ayano. She's always been drawn as a cuter type of character, but during the final two episodes, she looks much older. Another girl who always has her eyes closed suddenly had them open in one scene. It's really bizarre. Colour scheme: Hanebado tends to use more realistic colours both for their settings and characters. There's nothing that stands out about it.

SOUND (OP/ED):
I personally skipped both the opening and ending pretty much every episode. Right now actually, I'm listening to the ending for the first time to give my comments on it. I don't mind it, it's nice but I don't think it's necessarily iconic. The opening's chorus is catchy, I can sing it in my head but the rest of the song is completely forgettable. There isn't much to say about either of them.

CHARACTERS:
This is going to be a long section. Like I said before, the protagonist Nagisa really doesn't FEEL like the protagonist. She finishes her character in a maximum of two episodes, and feels like an empty husk after since her only character trait doesn't exist anymore. Ayano, who I believe is the real protagonist, was a lot more interesting to watch. You can visually see how her past affects her and she is by far the most developed character in the show. Other than Ayano's mom and Connie, everyone else is absolutely irrelevant, barely developed, and could be removed from the series without changing the story. Speaking of Connie, she's my personal favourite character from this show. They still don't do a good job with her, she's a complete asshole when you meet her but later she's shown to be very pure and kind. There's no explanation given for her change in motivation later as well, which is weird considering her motivation is essentially the complete opposite of her previous one. She's still my favourite though, because she's the only character with development that is likable to me.

THE BADMINTON:
I decided to add this in because I can actually speak about the show's portrayal of the sport for once. At first, I couldn't say anything or really enjoy the matches. The cuts barely showed the court and matches ended too quickly for me to care. Later on, starting from Izumi's match, I found the matches to be decently done. I remember Izumi's match well because I related to her player style. The other match I remember is the final match between Nagisa and Ayano. I thought it was done really well, there was a lot of unspoken strategy that I could enjoy. The one thing I didn't like was the lack of tension from just simply needing to receive. Other than Ayano and Nagisa, the other members should not be able to receive every shot so easily at their level. Badminton isn't just about smashes and net shots, but that's all the show chooses to animate. None of the rallies back and forth are emphasized at all, but those are important in badminton. The whole sport is using the other player's receive against them, it's not playing hot potato with the birdie. Kind of disappointed that they didn't explore other ways of losing the point. Also, I watched the final match with my dad (who introduced me to the sport + trains with me). There was a move he noticed that was named, and he laughed because it's not a real strategy or move in badminton.

ENJOYMENT:
It's overall an okay anime. I don't think it's worth remembering, it seems like something that will end up on YouTube one day so people can binge an entire playlist of all the episodes. I think the show struggled to find it pacing until around episode 6, and from there it was a decent watch. The ending was done well, there are shows that are really popular that have a worse ending than Hanebado. I don't think I would recommend this anime to anyone other than my badminton teammates who might be interested in seeing an anime about our sport.

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That's all! I feel like I went kind of hard on this show, I didn't find places to compliment it other than the ending of the final match. I'm curious what others think of this show, I found myself fluctuating between 4-5-6 ratings while watching, but I've finally settled it.

Thank you for reading my review!

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Aug 26, 2020

Ouran Koukou Host Club (Anime) add

Recommended

This review is spoiler-free!

I am planting myself a horrible image by putting this at the beginning of my review, but Ouran High School Host Club is one of my favourite anime of all time. Today, I decided to write a proper review to talk about all my thoughts on this show, why I like it so much, and what parts I didn't enjoy.

Remember, people are allowed to like or dislike whatever they want. This review is mostly for myself to collect my thoughts.

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STORY:
Ouran is more an episode-by-episode sort of plot rather than a full overarching one. Especially in the first few episodes, the focus of ... the story is to explore the unreal prestige of the school, as well as familiarize the audience with the activities of the host club. The biggest issue is that the series (yes, even the manga) relies heavily on negative stereotypes such as male/female dynamics, LGBT+ communities being persistent/predatory, etc. I like to go easy on it in this aspect because the series is from the early 2000s. Japan also hasn't accepted these minority groups to this day, so to expect something from someone who doesn't know better is unfortunately impossible at this point. Ouran can also completely subvert these stereotypes, especially seen in the protagonist (which I'll discuss later). One of the key themes I've taken away from Ouran is "gender doesn't define what you can and can't do".

ART:
Considering this is an old anime, there's nothing really impressive about the art style. The resolution is already grainy, and you tend to see the same colours used over and over. for backgrounds. I think the defining piece of the art style are the roses used for background and framing. It's very prominent in the show, though I must admit that it doesn't really add to the feeling of the show being well-animated. Overall, I don't have much to say about the art. It is what it is, don't expect anything from it.

SOUND (OP/ED, OST, CHARACTER SONGS):
The opening for this show is beyond iconic. It's not a song that you can disassociate with the show, which may or may not be a good thing depending on who you are. The ending is also quite liked among fans of the show, but I personally find myself skipping it a lot. The guitar riff at the beginning is very nice, though. As for the OST, I'm currently listening to it while I write. It's extremely memorable, I can recall specific scenes associated with each track just from listening to it. To capture the elegant feel of the school, the OST is full of orchestral sounds. It suits the show very well. I can't tell if it's just nostalgia or if the OST is really as good as I'm describing it. It's up to you. Ouran also has character songs. I took a small listen to a few of them (the twins', Mori's, Kyouya's, and Honey's) and they're pretty standard, nothing special about them. Mori's seiyuu has a wonderful singing voice.

CHARACTERS:
Other than the host club (and possibly Haruhi's dad), most characters have minimal depth or are plain stereotypes that are meant to serve as background characters/temporary antagonists. Because of that, many characters can be unappealing or outright offensive. This is not the case with the host club, however. Every host has a distinct personality, and all (except Mori) have dedicated episodes fleshing out their character through backstory. The twins and Tamaki also get some on-screen development. As for our protagonist Haruhi, she is one of the most renowned reverse harem protagonists. Unlike other protagonists of this genre, she is independent, assertive, and hard-working. It's a breath of fresh air to see a girl who doesn't fall at the feet of the handsome men around her. One of the most discussed parts of her character is her lack of interest following the expectations surrounding her gender. Final conclusion: the main characters are really good, the background ones are living embodiment of stereotypes you wish you could forget.

ENJOYMENT:
If you enjoy Ouran the first time around, you will enjoy it every other time you watch it. Even the dub is very well-done, so you can rewatch it in English if you really want to. I think the main criticism this show gets is its constant use of offensive portrayals and ideas, making it a love or hate show depending on how much you're willing to put aside your feelings about those issues. For me, I loved the world-building (who wouldn't want to go to Ouran?!) and every host. It's an extremely memorable show that I find myself constantly going to back to. I also want to note that Ouran is extremely tailored to its 13+ female audience, and I can't say for certain if those outside this demographic will enjoy it just as much as I did (because I am in this demographic). I recommend this anime to everyone, my phrase has always been, "You're not an anime fan if you haven't watched Ouran."

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How was it? I did my best to address the main criticisms this show has, because I understand how that might take away from the show. This show is one that I hold really dear to my heart, and I hope I was able to express that just as well!

Thank you for reading my review!

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Aug 26, 2020

Kimetsu no Yaiba (Anime) add

Mixed Feelings

This review is spoiler-free!

One of the most popular series at the moment! After taking a break from watching anime, I grew really curious about what Kimetsu no Yaiba had to offer. Many of my friends recommended it to me, so I finally gave in and watched it. Let's talk about my thoughts~

Remember, people are allowed to like or dislike whatever they want. This review is mostly for myself to collect my thoughts.

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STORY:
Unlike a lot of the shows I've watched, Kimetsu no Yaiba focuses heavily on the bond between family. I find that theme very refreshing, given its clear position in the spotlight. Other than that, ... it follows a very typical shounen plot line, though perhaps a bit fast-paced. For example, every enemy's backstory is thrown in your face after the battle, making it a bit predictable and boring later on. The fights are also not bad, and I loved the fights leading up to and during episode 19. If you haven't watched, you should anticipate it! Even though it's not very unique, the story is still enjoyable. Keep in mind, Kimetsu no Yaiba it's a very standard shounen. You shouldn't expect too much from it, or else you'll ruin the experience.

ART:
The show's art focuses a lot on making important elements (ie. characters) pop out. Backgrounds are always full of earth tones, to bring out the colourful characters. I really liked the use of thicker lines around the characters, too. It really gives the style a signature touch. In Kimetsu no Yaiba, attacks include unique visuals. I really liked the water attack animations, the traditional-based art style of the waves and the smooth movement were beautiful. The only issue I had was the constant usage of 3D models. It's a personal preference, but I dislike the switches between 2D and 3D animation in anime. Overall, there's nothing really extravagant about the art, but the series has definitely made a distinct image of itself.

SOUNDTRACK (OP/ED, OST):
Gurenge is a wonderful song, LiSA's voice always amazes me. The lyrics of the song, the power vocals, and the energy in the chorus suit the series well. It really gets you hyped for the episode which is perfect for this kind of show. The ending is also nice, I think the highlight for me is the guitar. Since the intro of the song is softer, it doesn't really prompt the viewer to continue listening (in other words, it's very skippable). The OST is average. I can't recall any tracks that stood out to me, and most of them use the same traditional sounds which can make them difficult to differentiate. On the other hand, no tracks stood out for being bad either. I'm pretty opinion-less on it.

CHARACTERS:
From the anime, I don't really see much reason to get attached to any characters. None of them really have depth, or the depth they're given feels very forced (flashbacks right before deaths, etc). The appeal of the characters seems to be more from their surface level personality traits. Take for example Nezuko, who has become extremely popular in the anime community since the show's release. Most of the time, she is shown to be a cute, loyal, affectionate but quiet girl. Without a clear backstory, she lacks any sort of depth and we are left with a few adjectives that we can either like or dislike. This goes for pretty much every other character in the series. My favourite character was probably Rui, who's backstory directly connected to his current character's actions (making it seem less forced, like the information was actually important to know). We also get to see him overcome the traumas of his past. For Kimetsu no Yaiba, it's really up to the audience to create depth for the personalities on screen.

ENJOYMENT:
I did enjoy watching this anime, but I don't really understand the massive hype around it. Yes, it's good but there's nothing necessarily unique about it that sets it apart from other shounen anime. If you're looking for a show to fill your time up, this is the perfect one to do it. It has enough of a story to keep you entertained (I did find the ending pretty disappointing and anti-climatic, though), and the characters are relatively endearing despite their lack of depth. With a large fanbase, you have lots of opportunities to discuss things. I would recommend this to anyone who hasn't seen a shounen or is just getting into anime.

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That's it! I really want to give this series the chance to prove my criticisms wrong, there's so much potential because I feel like it plays to safe at times. Perhaps I should give the manga a try? We'll see, haha.

Thank you for reading my review!

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