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Nov 13, 2015
Note: I have had literally no interest in "Ballroom Dancing", which is what the manga focuses on, before reading this. The work isn't complete.
Ballroom e Youkoso is a work that for all intents and purposes, shouldn't excite any sort of interest within most people. While I'm sure there are some enthusiast ballroom dancers around, the premise itself doesn't lure anyone in. However, as I stumbled into the room of Ballroom, I found myself hooked and craving for more.
STORY: 7/10
Of all the categories, the story is the weakest link, however that isn't to say that it is bad. The story follows a formula that is pretty
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much been set by many before it. Boy X struggles to find a goal in his life, but somehow finds himself in the world of activity Y and slowly falls in love with it.
While it may be cliché, it does work and was more than enough for what was needed.
With that said, the story so far has been quite enticing and captivating and unless the curve suddenly twists, the score will only go up and not down.
ART: 10/10
The art is simply amazing, it switches between some standard art and a more artistic and raw style of drawing with great care. Nothing feels out of place and instead, the art makes some rather deep scenes feel even more impressive.
CHARACTERS: 9/10
It's really hard to rate characters in general, while it does feel somewhat standard, the story's characters fill the roles perfectly. The most captivating part is the presentation of each character's thirst for competition, which is actually harder to find in most other sport-oriented works. The expressions and feelings given out feel realistic and well-done, all while not overdoing it.
Additionally, the look of the characters in "standard mode" and "competition mode" is one of the most artistically impressive elements I've found in any sort of manga in recent times.
ENJOYMENT: 10/10
Like I've said, I've never really cared much for dance. However, this work has given me a new outlook on this otherwise foreign physical activity. It has an interesting mix of character growth, competition and admiration. What is released so far made time pass too quickly than I desired and that is the mark of an enjoyable work.
OVERALL: 10/10
While math would otherwise not be able to give it a 10/10 score, I do feel that this is an overall amazing work and I suggest that you give it a try even if you, like me, have no interest in Ballroom Dancing.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Aug 5, 2014
"For all it could have become, Guilty Crown was somewhat of a disappointment."
STORY: Weight of 33% at 2.9/5
Guilty Crown is set in 2039 Tokyo where society has to struggle to prevent a massive epidemic known as the Apocalypse Virus. But, a multinational organization called the GHQ manages to create a vaccine and offers the people the vaccine in return for their obedience. The people are forced to accept and a strict and powerful government is set in place. While all this is happening, we have our main protagonist, Shu Ouma, a high school student that isn't really anything too special. He does meet a girl
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though which he unsurprisingly falls for. Shit happens and eventually he joins with a rebel group named Funeral Parlour and gains the power to pull out people's "voids". Voids are unique magical items that are hidden in each person that varies depending on the person. For example, a kind and caring person might have bandages that can heal people while a violent person might have a deadly weapon.
Now, I really like this setting even if it is somewhat cliché, and the story does drag you in quickly with its incredible visuals and sound. Furthermore, Shu's exploration of his new found powers, although maybe repetitive, is still fun to watch. And while there is a certain buildup towards the first climax of the story, I personally feel that this first high would be the last high for the series. Now, there are other various moments that are incredible after this point, but the overall experience just seems strange and maybe weakened. So while there might be some slight highs in the following episodes, it really feel like it takes a turn for the worse.
Also, the story feels like it goes through many stages; rebellion stage, school stage, etc. But it tries to do too much in not enough time. In many ways, I see Guilty Crown as Code Geass's little brother and not only because the G and the C are reversed. It has many similar elements but unlike Code Geass which had 2 seasons to work with, Guilty Crown only had one. Maybe if there were more episodes, the experience would have been more acceptable but as it is, my original thoughts still stand.
HOWEVER, I think that Guilty Crown is possibly one of the very few anime that is actually better to be watched weekly. My reasoning here is that there is so much action in each individual episode that people will be more forgiving for its lackluster story. Well, that's just a brief explanation but the idea still holds.
CHARACTERS: Weight of 33% at 2.5/5
Now, it isn't fair to compare an anime with another but sometimes you just unconsciously do it. Guilty Crown's character roster is quite large and there are many interesting individuals but at the same time, none of them feel unique. Too many times have I sat there thinking, oh that guy's just a screwed up lovechild between Griffith and Sephiroth or oh that guy's a less manly Rito with superpowers.
At the same time, none of these characters make me want to care about them. In fact, if these were real life people, they would be what us refined gentlemen like to call, ASSHOLES. They continuously switch sides, backstab, cheat each other that in the end, you end up just not caring.
Furthermore, the villain or villains of the series are pretty much laughable, there is no specific villain and people just end up alternating the role of the villain and then come running back to Shu the minute some bigger asshole comes and stabs them in the back.
Speaking about Shu, the main characters are also laughable. Inori, the main female character, is such a boring character that for a wonderful singer you wonder why she doesn't like to open her mouth. She doesn't try to make people care about her and the relationship of her and Shu is one of the most strangely boring I've ever seen, only becoming interesting when Inori becomes a damsel in distress.
Shu on the other hand, I struggle between considering him as a complete useless piece of shit or an alright dude. He's unsure of himself and takes time to do any single action. What's worse is that by the time he's ready to do something, some other event has already happened which ends up making him close in on himself to become unsure again. Now, don't get me wrong, there are some incredible moments with Shu but those are few and far between and usually we just look at a crying little baby. In fact, he doesn't really become anything until he loses everything and everyone, great bro, you sure took your sweet time.
If there is a single reason why I didn't put the score any lower, it would be that all these characters look fantastic. Inori for all her flaws looks amazing, Shu for all his bitching and nagging looks incredible when the action part of the series pop up and every last one of them look great. But if there's a definition for shallow prettyboys and girls, it would be Guilty Crown.
AESTHETICS: Weight of 33% at 4.9/5
With all that said, it's about time we talk about the part where Guilty Crown shines, the aesthetics. Guilty Crown remains to this day, one of the prettiest animes that I have ever seen or heard. Every part of the series is incredibly well-detailed, from the characters to the environment to the special effects. Not only is the world colorful but it's also vivid and pretty to look at. The sound is also amazing, with every last piece of the soundtrack being amazing from the opening to the ending. The background music is put meticulously to bring out the most from the show and Guilty Crown really does get embellished by the aesthetics.
However, if there is a single complaint for the visuals, it would most definitely be the mechs. For a show that does so much good on everything, I have no idea why they decided to create such god awful-looking mechs. Apart from the fact that it is obviously CGI, they aren't all that well integrated and are just terrible to look at. Granted, they usually serve as punching bags or target practices so whatever.
FINAL VERDICT: Overall score of 67.98%
Now, from my review, you probably think I hated Guilty Crown. In fact, I didn't. The very first time I watched this show, it was an incredible experience for me and I accepted it in its entirety. However, when I re-watched it again quite a bit later, without the hype or any other tinted lens, I realized how flawed the anime was. Of course, this anime is still very entertaining and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to see what anime is able to produce in terms of beauty. Now, I wouldn't as far as saying that Guilty Crown's visuals and sounds are wasted on the story because the story is what allows the visuals and sound to be displayed but I have to say that for all it could have become, Guilty Crown was somewhat of a disappointment.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Aug 5, 2014
STORY: Weight of 33% at 4.0/5
The story of Gundam Unicorn takes place in the same timeline as most of the first Gundam shows, including the first gundam, Mobile Suit Gundam, Zeta Gundam, Gundam ZZ, Gundam 0080, and Victory Gundam. In fact, Unicorn takes place 3 years after what unfolded in Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack but 27 years before Mobile Suit Gundam F91.
Unicorn tells the story of a young boy named Banagher who meets a mysterious girl named Audrey. Although he leads a somewhat normal and average life, Banagher gets pulled into the pursuit of the greatest key to changing the world known as
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Laplace's Box. Because of this unknown factor's importance, many factions are also searching to become the first to find out where and what exactly this Laplace's Box is.
Now, Gundam Unicorn follows the same formula as more recent Gundam shows with a youth being pulled into becoming a Gundam pilot for a certain cause or reason. And although the story will feel reminiscent to other gundam plots, the story feels unique in its own way and is still very enjoyable.
At the same time, things get emotional and fundamental ethical questions are asked on what is right or wrong. Each story segment or arc is very strong, gaining momentum from the previous one to the next to come to a satisfying conclusion near the end. The story makes you think all while presenting it in a wonderful package.
However, the story is in no way perfect. To fully grasp what exactly is going on and to savor the full experience, watching the older Gundam series that Unicorn ties into is a necessity. In fact, the anime makes both cameos and important references to Mobile Suit Gundam, Zeta Gundam, Gundam ZZ, and Char's Counterattack and while it isn't necessary to have seen all of them to understand what is going on, it is definitely recommended.
Another thing is with the anime itself. Because of its limitations being the mere 7 episodes, even if they are an hour long each, Unicorn was forced to make some cuts here and there and this caused some bizarre transitions but also made events unfold too quickly and characters develop too abruptly. But, with all that said, Unicorn has a solid storyline, wonderful animations and likeable characters.
CHARACTERS: Weight of 33% at 3.9/5
Like any and every other Gundam show, Unicorn has a large assortment of characters while each being interesting and entertaining to watch. And even though there are many factions trying to achieve their own respective agendas, one cannot simply sit down and firmly say who is right or wrong.
Banagher Links is the main protagonist of the series and he's similar to many other typical anime male protagonists. He has a very kind heart even towards people that could be considered his enemies and tries his best to not resort to violence to solve problems. At the same time, his naïve nature sometimes comes back to bite him yet he always gives his one-hundred percent. But he begins the anime as one of those characters that try to run away from reality, wishing to end his suffering while not knowing what consequences would come from that. Eventually, he sees that running away is no longer an option and that's when he truly becomes a good character.
Audrey is the main female protagonist of the series and Banagher's love interest. Unlike stereotypical female characters, Audrey is very strong and surprisingly resourceful. At the same time, she has a very good understanding of the world and sees the bigger picture. And even though she might seem like a burden sometimes, she ends up carrying her own weight and is a very well-written character to say the least.
The rest of the cast are all very good considering the rather small size of the series. There is enough content and development to make all of these characters interesting in their own right. At the same time, maybe also because of the rather small size of the series, there was always enough but never more.
AESTHETICS: Weight of 30% at 4.7/5
Gundam Unicorn was beautiful to watch and listen. The people behind it really pulled out all the stops to make Unicorn what it was and it's easy to see this with what we got. The animation was both pretty and fluid while the music was epic and grandiose. And while it is somewhat sad to have not been able to get an opening for the series, any self-respecting person would be more than satisfied.
One thing that might tick some off would definitely be the character designs. Maybe because of SEED, 00 or AGE, people have come to expect more quote-unquote anime-ish faces from Gundam, but I found that the character designs were a sign of respect to its origins and we should really appreciate what was done.
Again, the multiple sound effects were realistic and the art was stunning, which we could really see during the fight scenes which are both magnificent and stunning. And even though sometimes the anime felt retro, it still wasn't anything less than glorious.
MECHS: Weight of 3% at 4.2/5
Of course, no review on a gundam show would be complete without a look at the mobile suits that appeared during the series.
The poster gundam RX-0 Unicorn Gundam was beautiful to watch in action. And while I personally liked its standard form better, because it lookedz like a rhinoceros, the destroy mode was pretty with the red lines.
The Banshee was a little more than a black version of the Unicorn though I wished they called it the Tricorn, but whatever. I also liked its standard form better but it's still a beauty in either forms.
The Sinanju, the spiritual successor to the Sazabi looked amazing with the red body and black and gold details making it look like royalty.
Finally, the Rozen Zulu and the Kshatriya both deserve a mention though the Rozen looked like it had high heels on.
FINAL VERDICT: Overall score of 85.68%
Unicorn was a lot more than metallic my little ponies. It presented both a thought-provoking story and an interesting arrangement of characters all while maintaining a high standard for both visual and auditory presentation. And it should really be watched considering how short it was, even if you haven't watched the older gundam shows.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Aug 5, 2014
"Jormungand was an unexpected delight for me."
STORY: Weight of 25% at 3.9/5
Jormungand follows the story of an arms-dealer named Coco Hekmatyar and her trusty bodyguards. The plot has her going across the globe, running from buyer to buyer and selling her goods. However, as it should be expected, usually things don't go too smoothly and they end up finding themselves in a jam.
Now, because of the type of story that this series tries to tell, the experience felt very episodic with every few chapters or every one or two episodes usually being a single adventure that they have to complete. And while there are
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some elements that carry over, after things happen in the last adventure, there really isn't a feeling of continuity and it usually felt stand-alone. At the same time, it was very hard to tell if the story makes any progress.
See, the goal that the main character Coco aims for is world peace, at least that's what she's telling us. But it was very hard to tell if she was actually trying to accomplish this until later parts of the series where it becomes much more obvious. And unless you give your full attention to what is being said or written, you might accidentally skim over important words that might tell you if the story actually advances.
With all that said, the story is very fascinating because it presents us a third-party view on conflict and war in general. There are no good guys or bad guys for arms dealers, only buyer or not buyer. Because of this outsider's point of view, it also raises questions on real life conflicts and shows how futile war really is.
At the same time, it raises some interesting social and political issues that exist both within the story and in reality and it really is interesting when you take some time to reflect.
Overall however, if the story really doesn't interest you, the plot creates many opportunities to witness some beautiful gunfights, so everybody wins.
CHARACTERS: Weight of 25% at 4.0/5
Jormungand has a very nice gathering of both cool and interesting characters. Not only is the roster large, the supporting characters were memorable and interesting and the more important characters were simply fantastic. What does make all of these shine though is that they are not simply one-faced. Unlike other animes where a character is set in stone from the moment they are presented, usually categorized as A, B or C, none of Jormungand's characters are like this.
A good example would be the main female character Coco Hekmatyar, the arms dealer. Coco is a very interesting character. Apart from being charismatic and shrewd, she also has a funny and quirky side, a dangerous and cold side and a philosophical and intelligent side. Furthermore, I can't help but smile when such an interesting contradiction of a protagonist exist, I mean really, a peace seeking arms dealer?
Standing next to Coco, we have the main male character Jonas, a young child soldier. While some might be quick in writing him off as that quiet kid, in reality he is so much more. He does voice his opinion when people ask him for it and isn't afraid to speak freely about what he thinks. But at the same time, he knows the world well enough to know his place. So while he might give his thoughts, he never goes out of line, unless he's really pushed. Symbolically though, Jonas represents the future of all children that will come if the world walks down the path of war.
The other characters are all fantastic. Whether that be the villains, the supporting or the minor ones. They each get at least a single memorable scene and I assure you that whether that be a chuckle or a heartbeat, you will love them.
ADAPTATION: Weight of 25% at 4.4/5
The Jormungand anime took all that we loved in the manga, kept it and threw away all the stuff we didn't like. We liked the action scenes, we liked the story and its hidden meanings, we liked the interesting characters, so White Fox kept that. The anime, in one word, transcended the manga and I would definitely recommend the anime over the manga, if not only for the awesome aesthetics.
AESTHETICS: Weight of 25% at 4.8/5
2012 was an awesome year for beautiful animes like Psycho-Pass, Guilty Crown and K but Jormungand was by far the one I enjoyed whose aesthetics I enjoyed the most. Maybe I'm just a sucker for military weaponry but I love seeing guns in anime, whether that be pistols or rocket launchers, and Jormungand has a lot of big guns. And other kind of big guns. But no joke, the animation is beautiful, with the action scenes in particular showing exactly what the word polished means. The sound is amazing, whether it be gunfire or explosions, I can't get enough. The music is not only catchy but also fits the series perfectly and even if you don't want to care about the story, you can simply watch the awesomeness that is happening on your screen. The two openings were amazing, the two endings were amazing and the background music is amazing and Jormungand really WAS amazing when it comes to the aesthetics.
FINAL VERDICT: Overall score of 85.5%
Jormungand was an unexpected delight for me. It provided more than a simple story, more than a few mediocre characters and more than shit ass animation and sound. And I would definetely recommend the anime to anyone who wants a beautiful fast-paced and maybe even thought-provoking show to watch.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Aug 5, 2014
"Angel Beats really is an anime that needed more quantity to be better and not more quality like most others"
STORY: Weight of 33% at 3.7/5
Angel Beats' story starts off very strangely, viewers find themselves following Yuzuru Otonashi, an average guy who wakes up in the middle of a school with his memories gone. Thanks to the help of a silver-haired girl named Angel, he finds out that if he were to die, he would simply respawn. He then gets pulled into a group named the SSS by some other inhabitants of this strange world where he gets told that he must eliminate the silver-haired girl
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he met earlier.
Now, both the setting and the story is quite interesting and although it does take place in what technically is a high school and with what technically are high school students, it differentiates itself from other similar works by the presence of both immortality and sudden disappearances.
Like Yuzuru, every other character in the series is immortal and simply respawns should they receive any fatal injuries. This makes the plot more flexible because both the writers and the viewers know that the character would never disappear. However, there will be situations where characters simply disappear that shocks both the characters and the viewers.
This makes for an interesting plot point and would become quite an important element for the story.
At the same time, there are many character development bits spread out through the series which are each individually amazing to say the least.
However, the story is one that relies heavily on an individual's emotional side, it requires viewers to not think too much on the finer details of the story and to just accept what is presented. This is where some might have a problem and where people's opinions are divided.
While more emotional or um… artistic individuals might see this as an amazing storytelling experience, more down to earth and should I say, serious people will point out the flaws that the story does have more quickly.
While the story does stay interesting and strong for the majority of the show, I am pretty displeased with the ending. Angel Beats is one of the those anime that gets hurt because it is confined by the number of episodes. Because of this, the ending felt way too rushed, the characters that could have been interesting were never given a time to shine and the great experience got cut off way too quickly. I personally believe that Angel Beats could have been a much better anime if it were given 22 episodes instead of 13, but well, what can you do.
CHARACTERS: Weight of 33% at 3.8/5
The story of Angel Beats follow mainly a group of high school students who try to slay Angel and to discover the secret of the world that they are in. Each of these characters are all quirky in their own way and many of us will come to love them. Some characters even get a backstory that are usually sad and emotional. These really help flesh out the characters and makes viewers care about them.
The main character Yuzuru was a mixed bag for me, at times he felt like a typical lazy and somewhat boring character while slowly becoming more involved in the story and ends up taking a firm stance with his actions. He himself also has a strong backstory segment which was pretty amazing to say the least.
Another mention has to go to the second main character Yurippe. Yurippe is quite similar to Haruhi Suzumiya, she is smart, determined and charismatic but also has a bizarre sense of humor. However, unlike Haruhi, Yurippe is much more anxious and sometimes even looks down on herself. But, she is very energetic and does not hesitate when her mind becomes resolute and although some might find her obnoxious, I personally found her quite appealing.
However, the real problems occur when we once again find Angel Beats getting restricted by itself. The 13-episode really does not allow all these characters to get fleshed out as much or as well as I'm sure was originally planned. So while all these characters are liked and deserve more development, only about a third of them actually received anything. Most of the characters end up not getting anything even by the end and while interesting relationships will be made, this minor mishap ended up hurting the original goal of making memorable characters.
AESTHETICS: Weight of 33% at 4.3/5
Angel Beats is a very pretty anime, both the visuals and the sound are top notch though the fact that there are only 13 episodes certainly is a downer. However, every last episode was enjoyable from the beginning to the end. The artstyle is both clean and pretty and all the characters look good. Though it does somewhat fall under the moe genre, the character designs are likeable and shouldn't bother most. There are a lot of details to everything, from the faces to the backgrounds to the special effects and no complaints should be had there.
The music isn't to be laughed at either, the music for Angel Beats was surprisingly effective with the first opening luring you in with its beautiful piano and lyrics. There are also bits of other music splashed here and there but those are also high enjoyable.
FINAL VERDICT: Overall score of 77.88%
Angel Beats was a very enjoyable series for what it was. But at the same time, I can't help but feel that we might have missed the chance of getting an anime that could have been so much more. Angel Beats really is an anime that needed more quantity to be better and not more quality like most others. It really is a shame. However, at the same time, Angel Beats is a series that requires the eyes and the heart and not the brain. If you overthink the whole situation, you might end up ruining your experience whereas if you let the flow overtake you, the journey is much more pleasant.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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