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Look, before I say it, this anime is never going to win awards for being innovative or epic like other animes, but it has something about it that makes it feel special. However, I feel like they didn't capture that essence of the anime enough and that's why I can't rate it an 8 like I so wanted to.

The Story:
So, get this. The story is about a group of highschoolers playing video games. No, not getting trapped inside video games or being transported to a fantasy world that has the rules of an RPG. They are sitting around, playing video games. There is more to ... the story than this, but let me just say how refreshing it was to watch character who actually enjoyed playing the game itself and their interactions with the game and other people in the game instead of some life or death scenario while being trapped in a video game or something (shots fired ;))

Now, I did say their is more to the story than just what I said before. One of the characters, Ako, turns out to have the distinct inability to distinguish her roleplaying character from herself, and thus she fails to separate the real world and video game. It is the job for the other characters to help her understand this difference. They do this through making a club at their school (yes, all he members of their guild happen to be at the school it's plot convenience roll with it).

Art:
Okay, sure it's not the most amazing art out there, but IMO it in't completely trash. The art style has such a playful style to it that was pleasant to watch. It was a very cute style, it works, and they change in style from the real world to the game world was great. I feel like this is a good place to mention it, but I do appreciate that they show each person's in game character in universe rather than just their images on a screen, although it might give some people the wrong idea.

Sound:
Nothing unique, but it had an OST that very well complimented the anime's lighthearted feel but also accentuates the dramatic moments of the show.

Characters:
I'm glad that they characters aren't generic harem archetypes like they appeared to be at the very start of the show. Instead, we get video game archetypes, which I am perfectly okay with. Nishimura and Akane are both casual players who know enough about the game to get by, although Akane does roleplay "her bad self". Master (I can't remember her real name) is a premium player, and it's beautiful to see that even it anime, everyone hates premium players. Sette (real name forgotten) is the complete newbie who doesn't quite get how the game works. And then we have Ako, who I've mentioned before.

What this show really does is show the slow real life friendship of Akane and Nishimura, given that Akane was the "closet Otaku" who played but never admitted it while Nishimura was open about it. Watching the two of them become friends, and I MEAN FRIENDS, not harem material, was great. The other was Ako's slow development in understanding the rules of real life that differentiate from the game's world, and you can see it.

Now, for what i enjoyed about the anime. I've mentioned before that the fact that it was an SoL about the group playing games. The other thing are those moments when they ave humor that pokes fun at other ecchi tropes, specifically the beach episode trope and the undressed girl behind a door things, both of which they play up and then make the BEST jokes out of. Honestly, the second arc is hte best for me.

However, there did become a point, specifically in the 3rd arc before it got to more of a climax where they seemed to be focusing randomly on the busts of the female characters (except Akane, cause she's flat and you can't have that in a fanservice shot). This started to irk me because they seemed ot just randomly ramp it up as if the second arc hadn't gone about poking fun at other tropes.

Anyway, this series isn't for everyone. I don't personally know who I'd recommend it to and I've seen so many people get triggered by the amount they cringed at the show, which is understandable because there are some dumb moments. However, I personally enjoyed it despite its stupidity, and I'm sure there are other people out there would would feel the same.

Phantasmagoria: an optical illusion produced by a magic lantern or the like in which figures increase or diminish in size, pass into each other, dissolve, etc.

This series' name is a perfect illusion to what it tries to create. It is a series of seemingly disconnected stories that at first try to just show what most stories within a superhero saga don't do, the consequences of an action. We see superheroes as beings who can do no wrong, but what happens when what we think is right, what we think we're protecting, turns out o be the wrong thing. That's what Concrete Revolution: Superhuman Phantasmagoria attempts ... to tackle.

The Story is something that takes a while to piece together. At first it seems like completely disconnected events that have some weird tone shift further down the line. I want to compare what the first episode tried to do to Gakkou Gurashi, but failing to hook the viewer, instead I think it wasn't the strongest way to start. However, as the story pans out, the two or three separate timelines start to intersect, you start to understand what is occuring, and you piece together that all is not what it seems. The reality is that the series follows the idea of manipulation of superheroes(superhumans), and the manipulation of the media to polarize people's views on them. I believe that it may need to be rewatched to fully understand it, but the overarching plot is more than meets the eye. It's a very slow burn, but it's quite satisfying on to see piece together so far by the end of this season.

The art... oh boy. This is probably one of the things that really attracted me to the anime at first, just to see the different art style. It just pops, but they also manage to use that flare to emphasise the darkness of the series at times, especially lighting the series. I don't know what to say about the art style, I've never watched anything before by Studio Bones and I wanna watch more of their stuff just for this vibrant art.

The sound design... Hmm. Well, most of what I can remember was the opening and ending theme. However, the ending theme was interesting. It's a very dark sounding song which increases tension at the end of the episode. This is what tells you there is definitely something weird about this show from the beginning. However, I think they also did this so that when you would hear it later during episodes of the show, you'd know that that moment was meant to be tense. However, I didn't really pay all that much attention to the OST. If I do rewatch and re-review, I plan to play close attention to the OST.

The characters are very interesting. Surprisingly, with some exceptions, every character introduced has some longer impact on the plot, side or main. Consequently, this helps reveal certain details about the main characters who are not one-dimensional characters but instead have many little details that deconstruct what they actually are. Possibly the two best examples of this are Kikko and Magotake (Jiro's father), both of which completely shatter your opinions of themselves as the series progresses.

I don't really know how quite to describe this series. Honestly, my best description of the series would come across as the series itself. However, it does take a while to get going and is not for people who aren't able to think outside of the box.

I am heavily biased towards fantasy anime. Reason, because I love fantasy in general, even outside of anime. So I went into Rokka no Yuusha expecting generic fantasy. As soon as the first fight scene occurred I could already tell that this was going to be interesting.

And then the mystery kicked in. There are only six people chosen, but for some reason there are seven people there. And the show (unless you are cynical like me or you happen to spot the flaws in what a certain character says) does a really good job at keeping you guessing of who the traitor could be. I'll ... be honest, at first I thought that they might through in the sort of "but this time there the MC was chosen as a last minute surprise" but it was actually a fake in their midst. And this is where it gets interesting.

If there is one type of show that I like almost as much as a fantasy, it's a thriller/mystery. Stuff like Stiens;Gate, where you know there is something wrong, but you don't know why... Then Stiens;Gate you actually figure it out and it just gets all the more gripping from there... But this is a review about Rokka no Yuusha, I shouldn't gush about Stiens;Gate... But you see the connection?

So... I can't really say much else about the story that I loved without spoilers, so... Maybe I'll do something elsewhere about it...

Now the art style is what first intrigued me with this show, before even the fight scene. It's unique, unlike this animation studios... anime that shall not be named. I found it had this childish vibrancy that not only made the world look fantastical, but also made the setting that much more eerie. Also, props to being a show that does CGI fairly well (looking at you Bakamatsu Rock).

Sound. Okay... so not sure what to say about this. The background music I didn't pay much attention to, and maybe I'll go listen to the OST at some point, but the OPs were great and the EDs weren't half bad either. There was no music during the episodes though that really caught my attention... But Cry for the Truth and Black Swallowtail... freaking beautiful OPs.

Now, the characters are what really make this show great. There is the MC, the man who has Naruto's enthusiasm and the fighting skills to back it up. He isn't 2D either which is great, his backstory is interesting and you can't hate him... except when he says "Strongest Man in the World," for the 50th time... Then pretty much every character except two have something off about them. One is an assassin (sadly, if you know anything about mysteries it's never the one who seems the most guilty, although nothing against Hans, he's is great), the little kid with weird powers that are disgusting hte first time and a... unique personality, the silent one who is quick to judge, then the other two. I don't really know how to describe Maura and Nashetania... They were the most interesting.

Also, the cliffhanger right at the end. I won't say anything, but they do it so well that I want more but it didn't feel like a throwaway ending to hook us because it's unfinished (you know, like an EA game). I really don't care about this new problem they introduced at the end, I just wanna see more of these characters, AND THEY DIDN'T PULL SOMETHING REALLY STUPID AND LOCK THEMSELVES BACK IN, WHICH WAS GREAT!!!

Overall, I loved this anime. I'm biased towards Fantasy and that sort of thriller/mystery vibe that it had. That's why my final rating for this anime is a Fifa/10, since it was rigged from the start (u mad soccer fans?)
But legit, I give it a 9/10, because I thought it was a great anime with a rather unique concept (well, Deltora Quest lol).

Okay, so from what I've seen I believe this was supposed to be 25 episodes, and the ending of the last episode seems to support this. It's a hook for a second season that I hope happens, because this is a very interesting concept that I want to see explored further.

So, basic premise of the story (that you can find above mostly) is that the Japanese military is sent through a Gate to a fantasy world after the fantasy world attacks ours. From here the military save a few people, and our otaku protagonist i sent through. This anime doesn't try to hid the fact ... that it's partly a harem between three fantasy girls, but it does not focus on that like Monster Musume (not bagging it, just don't compare them).

However, the story goes a lot deeper. It goes into the politics and some interesting ideas like how Japan deals with other countries who are greedy and want their share of the other world. Sounds boring, but anyone who has watched either Spice and Wolf or Maoyuu Maou Yuusha would know that it's not.

Anyway, art. It's not anything groundbreaking but there is something about it that feels more mature, other than the fact that the MC isn't a teenager in high-school like most anime of this kind. I don't know, but they got a lot right in the visuals that I don't know how to describe, it's not awkwardly bright like some anime, and it's nothing unique like Zankyou no Terror, but there is the polish that just works.

Okay, so the sound is something that I've began to take notice of recently a lot more since the aforementioned Zankyou no Terror, as well as Code Geass and (don't shoot me for saying this) Fairy Tail. I used to only pay attention to the OP and ED for this section, but there wasn't anything that stood out for me during the show. The music was great at setting the mood, but there was nothing like Is or Von from ZnT or The Dark Guild Theme from FT. (Andi realised after this that I didn't mention Cowboy Bebop or Baccano, but I haven't actually watched them even if I love the soundtracks, plus they are on a different planet entirely).

The characters are what really make this anime shine. Sure, you have your standard fantasy staples like magicians, elves, humans and various human animal cross-breeds, but they are unique characters in their own right. And god help me if I don't praise this anime for having MCs that AREN'T TEENAGERS!!! Sure the guy is still an otaku, as are some of his friends (and this one old guy) and the audience can relate to him when he talks about waifus and memorizing OPs, but he ISN'T a dumb teenager. And stemming off this not all the characters in the faux-harem are generic. The mage is interested in our society (and she becomes freaking awesome because of chemistry), the elf has some interesting PTSD, and Rory... well... Rory is...
So, the other side characters all have their own unique charm. Princess Pina Co Lada (I legit replayed that scene to check I didn't hear that wrong) isn't your standard princess, especially when she discovers... well...
And then you have the other military characters, specifically Takeo and Shino. Takeo is a fellow otaku to Itami who provides some much needed otaku banter between the characters. Meanwhile Shino is the strong headed one who provides some really great banter as well as well as ideas. There is one more character (who I won't spoil) who is adorable and awesome.

Finally, how i enjoyed it. It was bloody great, but I was lead to believe there would be 25 eps, not twelve. And the final episode shows that. the last lines are legitimately (spoilers I think, but not really) "It's only been half a year..." Yea... even the show acknowledges that... I wish there was more because there were some plotlines developing in the last episode that I'm just praying for a season 2.

Anyway, I think this show is a great show in the Fantasy genre, and instead of going in pretending it's not a harem (*cough* SAO *cough), it makes you think it's a harem when it's not really. I give it an almost killing a dragon with a rocket launcher but not quite/10 because of that ending that just feels unsatisfying.

Okay, let me get this out of the way first. I love the music of K-On. I listen to it non-stop after watching the anime. I just can't get enough of it. The lyrics are so damn cheesy that if you were to sing translate and sing them to someone else you'd sound like a little girl, but that's not a bad thing. The Openings and Endings are amazingly written and fun to listen to and try to hopelessly sing along to. The actual times when HTT perform, those are done beautifully, and the songs rival GirlDeMo for some of the best songs in anime ... that isn't from an OP or ED (and maybe Lelouch's theme from Code Geass).

I will kinda be using this to review both seasons, so bear with me.

Story... Let's see. A girl who knows nothing about music decides to join a school music program to avoid the fate of being a NEET. At the time I watched this I wasn't hugely into anime, so I had no clue what this meant, but now i just find the idea of Yui becoming a NEET both hilarious and a real possibility. She joins to find three people who can't make a full band who instantly accept her, only to find out later that she can't play. From their hilarity ensues.

Now, as a musician, it is painful to see how little amount of the time that the characters have is devoted to their practice, especially in their "rehearsal sessions." However, the times you do see them practice, also as a musician, I can actually tell how hard they are working. And having someone close to me who don't grasp music as well as me (although not as bad as Yui), I understand Yui's slow grasp of the music world.

Okay... what else can I say. While this anime is about music, it tries for a lot more comedy, which in no way does it fail at. The stupid situations that their supervisor puts them through are just awkward enough to make me laugh, but not so awkward that I feel awkward. (I'm looking at you WataMote). Overall, the story is a Slice of Life with music thrown in, and that's not a bad thing. Hibike! Euphonium or other music based animes may focus more on the side of music, and I appreciate those as well, but this still manages to have enough that it's not like Glee where they suddenly know a song they've never practiced.

Okay, onto other aspects of the show... I may have spent too long vaguely describing the story. Okay, I think the art in K-On is cute. That is what it is trying to pull off, a cute and comedic anime. It's not supposed to be taken seriously. It's supposed to overload you with stupid situations that make you laugh. The art style really complements the overall anime in a way that just enhances it. My first introduction to a fair amount of anime stereotypes was this anime, and I honestly can't count that amount of times I said "Kawaii" in response to this...

The characters. You have four characters (well, eventually five) whose personalities contrast each other greatly. The always bubbly one who has talent but often times doesn't work hard enough to prove it. The energetic one who would be perfect if you put her behind a drumset... Wait... The shy one who has amazing ideas but doesn't feel confident enough to share, and gets humiliated by the other members of the band (in a cute way, not a mean way). Finally, the rich girl who really doesn't get normal life (insert Hardware Store by Weird Al Yankovic), but actually does work hard at what she likes (which is music). They all work together with a great supporting cast to make hilarious moments and great music.

Also, I don't know how hard I have worked to learn Azu-nyan's part in Fude Pen Boru Pen on guitar... I thought i might have to praise the music one more time.

Overall, K-On is a fun ride, and I honestly cried in the very last episode (I told you I was reviewing both seasons) which surprised me so much. I don't think I've loved many animes that much, even if it is a silly comedy with some damn good music. I think that, with all its flaws and such a silly execution, it is something I could just watch any time I'm really feeling down or just need something fun. I recommend it just as a fun anime to watch and nothing else.

Gods I don't know why I watched this anime as long as I did... I probably would've dropped it so SO much earlier if it weren't for the amount of censoring that was in it... The problem is that with anime like No Game No Life (which is still fairly ecchi without going over the top... might be a bit of a stretch to say) and this being the same rating on here (R+ Mild Nudity), I was going in expecting not to have the shock that I actually got...

Then I realised how f***ed up this anime actually was around episode six or seven... I'm ... one of those people who impulse skip certain moments to forget that they ever happened, so it took me a while to realise how many moments I was impulse skipping before I went 'okay, this is over the top."

The story starts out with a premise that tries to be unique, but, when I look back on it, it really was quite f***ed up to begin with. Extremely awkward moment where the two main characters meet (And like Leonard from the Big Bang Theory when meeting Sheldon for the first time, this should have been my first warning to how the anime would go.)

I will admit that the story was interesting. A runaway demon lord, a hero exiled from his village, some people on both sides who don't want them to live in peace... Sounds familiar, but the execution was done poorly. There is a different anime that has a similar plot that is much more interesting. The main detraction from the story has to do with the fact that one of the main characters is a succubus who puts the two characters in this awkward bond that doesn't let any moment in the anime stay normal for more than three minutes...

The character designs and art, not much I can say about it. Generic, but not terrible. Music a bit less than good. Once again, the awkward scenes really detract from the rest.

Characters are interesting in my opinion, except for those awkward moments that really detract a lot of value from the characters... and little miss succubus who just grates on my nerves... Hero who was exiled from his hometown after unleashing an epic power who is trying to be normal. Demon lord who is trying to be normal. Succubus who is trying to f*** up both their lives. A childhood friend who wants to help them but has a code of honour to uphold... In any other situation, I would like 3/4 of these characters... the third one being the one I'd hate under any circumstances.

My Enjoyment with the anime was a it awkward. As I mentioned before, I unconsciously skip past any scene to any scene that is either an awesome fight scene or some scene with some slight comedy... Then after the episode I would remember there were those scenes and I would suddenly hate myself for enjoying the other parts of the anime... It was weird...

In all honesty, I think there is a good concept in this anime, but the huge amount of ecchi really brings down the quality of this anime. As I've said, there were moments that would've shined had it not been for the unnecessary amount of ecchi throughout this show. Sure, there are those weird people out there who would enjoy this sort of stuff, but the rest of you, I would say that this anime is not worth watching.

Death Parade is an interesting anime that hides its true intentions behind an extremely full on first episode. It is quite the bizzare anime, and the concept behind it is very, very interesting.

First of all the story. I'll try to explain it without a huge amount of spoilers. Basically, QuinDecim is one of many (it is undefined, but certainly a number lower than 90) areas of what could be described as limbo that judge the souls of the dead. It bases the judgments on the reactions of the recently deceased to the memories the regain through playing interesting versions of common games.

The premise seems ... simple, and the first episode starts with a bang, quite insane. From there the characters and overarching development of Decim occurs. While it may slow down after the first episode, that's not to say it isn't interesting or doesn't surprise you. That is the point of this kind of anime.

The art was the first thing about this anime that I found interesting. Like a lot of aspects of Death Parade, the art takes some getting used to, but it also quickly feel in love with the interesting animation style. It doesn't detract from the overall experience of the show. In fact, the art is one of the things that really makes the show interesting. Some aspects look like a stained glass mirror, which is disturbingly beautiful, which describes the anime in its own way.

The music in the anime is quite nice. It suits the anime quite well, and really improves the anime's overall feel. The OP only gives away a few slight spoilers if you watch closely, but it is more just to keep you wondering about what the anime is going to be like.

The characters are what really make the anime. You never know what kind of people the elevators will bring, and the Arbiters are all interesting in their own way. There isn't really much of an antagonist, and this anime doesn't need that. Each character makes you feel something. Some character make you really angry, some make you cry, some make you heartbroken... And those are just the deceased. The Arbiters are interesting to watch, there is a semi racism that most of the have that adds to their character over the course of the anime that just makes you feel so sorry for them.

At the end of the day, it was an amazing anime. I was hooked from the start, so many elements were perfect, but in the end, your enjoyment is what matters. It certain lives up to the psychological anime tag in a way that you wouldn't expect, but in my opinion, there were other animes that I felt more about. I would recommend it though to anyone who likes those sorts of animes though, it is amazing for all it is worth.

Let me say this straight off the bat, this is not going to be an argument about why Log Horizon is better than Sword Art Online. It is going to be solely focused on the story of Log Horizon and how it is presented.

Okay, let's first talk about the anime itself. The plot is every video gamer's dream and nightmare rolled into one, more on the side of the dream over the nightmare as there is (little) penalty for death unlike similar stories with this. The story plays out more like a fantasy genre anime than that of a video game, with some interesting developments ... that make you think that it wasn't a game world but an entire fantasy universe that they were transported to (...I hope I didn't spoil anything unintentionally),

The thing about Log Horizon is that they drip feed you important pieces of lore about the anime world as a rate that makes you know the next big plot point without actually spoiling the surprise and impact that it has. Everything has a place within this universe (Chekhov's Gun at work) and nothing feels wasted.

The art style is quite interesting. It has something about it that is unique while feeling similar as well. Sort of trying to create their own style of art while not going full blown unique like Zankyou no Terror or Shingeki no Bahamut: Genesis (neither of which i had a problem with art wise). The art is pleasing to the eye.

The opening theme is... again unique for lack of a better word. I like it, but it takes some getting used to. It is quite memorable and bizarre in a way that you just want to sing along. The backing music is also quite nice, with the main theme tune of the song used quite well throughout the anime. The only thing is the end theme. It's kinda forgettable, but it's still nice to listen to. It's what I've kinda come to expect of end themes, but it still surprised me that it was nice and hinted to a major plot point.

Also, let me just say that practically every five seconds of the opening animation is a massive spoiler, but they do it in such a way that you only realise after watching that part of the anime. Seriously, I thought Fairy Tail's OPs were good at that and then this happened.

If I had to compare the characters to anything else it would be Code Geass. The reason is that, with the exception of the most minor of characters, all the characters are fleshed out in a way that you care about them. Even the characters who you originally find unlikable will make you care about them.

I enjoyed the anime a fair amount. I wouldn't absolutely binge watch it, but it constantly kept me intrigued. I'll say the last episode has the qualities of one of those, 'don't worry, we are making a second season so this will all make more sense' vibes to it, but at least there was a second season unlike other animes...

I recommend this anime to anyone who is looking for a lighthearted anime to watch, but especially gamers.

Also, please, stop arguing over whether SAO or Log Horizon is better people. They are only connected by their genre, otherwise they are COMPLETELY different shows.

What can I say about Code Geass that hasn't already been said? Let me say it is a rollercoaster ride. You never know what is going to happen with this show. Tensions are always high from the word go and the intensity does not slow down. Even in the most innocent looking scenes will arise major points. Just when you think something will go right for a change, something else will happen to change it.

Lelouch, the main character, is in it for revenge. Without spoiling to much, his whole fight is to find out the culprit of one crime. With such a 2D motivation for ... a character's reasons to fight, how can he be a likable protagonist?

Well, he isn't, and his amazing theme song titled Nightmare supports that in both name and nature. You know that no one is in the right in this story. There are those who fight for reasons of loyalty, there are those who fight for their own ideals, there are those who fight just to bring peace, but everyone is morally gray. You respect the characters of both sides of the conflict and you don't want to see the tragedy that lies behind any of them.

I'll be honest, sometimes this anime might be full on. I personally dropped that anime once or twice because I couldn't handle the full impact of the storyline. This doesn't mean I didn't like the anime. I picked it back up and continued to watch, not forgetting what tragedies made me both love and hate this series.

The art style is one of beauty as well, and the music, minus the second opening, was all perfectly placed. I think that the art was a good mix between the regular cartoon style of animes like Lucky Star and the more refined style of animes like Zankyou no Terror. It perfectly suits it. And the music perfectly fits the scenes, the characters, and the show overall.

I can't recommend Code Geass to everyone. It is quite full on. As I previously mentioned I had to drop the series because it was too much. But if you can reach the end of the rollercoaster, I assure you that you will enjoy almost every minute, so long as you can handle it.

Alright, so I want into Zankyou no Terror not really knowing what to expect. With a title like Terror in Residence I was a bit confused as to what the overarching plot and characters. One of my friends told me not to just expect EXPLOSIONS, but I was still curious.

That's why the show is so great. You go in not knowing what you are expecting and you come out surprised. The show is incredibly well made, with a great plot up until it's final few minutes (the last three minutes killed the ending for me), and the characters are quite complex as well.

The first thing ... I'll say about it is the art style. A lot of anime don't try anything different with their art style, and that's what shows like Zankyou no Terror do amazing, they make you pay attention to the art style as well, ensuring that it looks different and catches your eye over the generic anime art. The OST is also quite amazing. The music in the episodes fits perfectly and is amazingly done, and the opening theme is brilliant, alongside an excellent end theme (which are often not done enough justice).

Now lets get to the good part. The characters. All four... I guess you could call them protagonists... have some aspect about them that makes them feel a lot more human than someone like Natsu Dragneel or Naruto whatever his last name is. One of them has difficulty attaching himself to people because of his past and what he is doing now. Another always feels like they have messed up because of some action she took. Another has difficulty letting go of the past.

Each of the main characters are likable, and the antagonist is just that more frustrating. And there is an air of mystery surrounding (most) of the characters, even the antagonist. Each character feels unique in some way.

Now to the one thing that annoyed me. The last few minutes. The best way to describe it would be that, while the group was on a break, Gen Urobuchi snuck into the animation studio and put in some of his sadistic brilliance into the ending. It felt like it came out of nowhere, like it was a last minute decision that had now explanation whatsoever. While it is quite sad, it also left a bitter taste in my mouth from the greatness that was the rest of the show.

One thing I will say about Zankyou no Terror is that, once it gets going, it's hard to stop watching... Which really sucks when you have school and homework... But seriously, I recommend watching it.