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MILD SPOILERS

The murder mystery and ugly side of the entertainment industry were refreshing premises in the first season, but season 2 lost focus with 10 out of 13 episodes dedicated to a drawn-out storyline and annoying teenage drama that I didn't care about. I thought the stage play arc was incredibly boring with way too much monologuing. There were also a lot of characters squeezed into those 10 episodes and too much time wasted trying to get us to care about them in a short amount of time. I didn't see the pay-off of that character development in this season, and I'm not sure if ... they'll be significant in the future either.

The last 3 episodes finally brought back what got me invested in the story in the first place, but I'm hesitant about watching season 3 for fear of season 2's formula all over again. The last few episodes also introduced what I believe is a supernatural element, which was a bit unexpected given all the genres this series is already trying to balance (reincarnation, murder mystery, entertainment/idol drama, teenage drama). I also didn't like how this apparently supernatural element was introduced as a convenient way for one of the characters to become more invested in the revenge plot. It felt like a cheap plot device used by the author since s/he couldn't figure out a more interesting way for that character to get involved.

Overall, it was a very disappointing season for me in which the story took a meandering detour before finally getting back on track near the end. Therefore, I'm not sure if I will continue on to season 3 in the future.

STORY
This series took me by surprise. I started watching it on a recommendation, and I couldn't stop watching it once I started. Among all the isekais and shounen mainstream offerings each season, this is such a refreshing watch. The story is a nice mix of mystery, action, and comedy. I've heard the story compared to The Boys on Amazon. I haven't personally watched The Boys, but Sentai Daishikkaku's narrative of a duplicitous and dark superhero culture does make it seem comparable to The Boys.

The first few episodes introduces us to the characters and the world they live in, but once things got rolling, the ... story had me hooked. The battles actually have stakes and characters aren't winning them by purely overpowering their foes with strength or with arbitrary level-ups mid-battle, which are annoyingly common tropes.

This is definitely an underdog story. The protagonist has to resort to more creative measures to overcome obstacles and that makes for a substantially more compelling watch with more twists and turns. At 8 episodes in, I'm looking forward to seeing how the rest of the story goes.

ART
The art style is refreshing and I quite like it. I also like the stylized animation. The studio did a pretty good job of blending 2D with CG animation. I've watched my share of CG and CG/2D hybrid animations, and this is actually quite good.

CHARACTER
The series has a fun eclectic cast of characters, which reminds me of my favorites like Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood and Golden Kamuy. The protagonist is so entertaining to watch, and I absolutely enjoy watching how he overcomes obstacles given his limitations.

ENJOYMENT
I couldn't stop watching once I started. 12 episodes in this season is too short, and I sincerely hope they continue this adaptation.

STORY: 9/10
Without any spoilers, this adaptation covers a few arcs from the comic. The last arc they animated really got me invested and hooked. The story was so engaging and emotional, along with epic confrontations and conclusions. Besides focusing on the events happening at hand, there is also an overarching plot brewing in the background, which makes me very interested in knowing how everything will come together eventually.

ART: 8/10
Gorgeous art that is so refreshing to see among the sea of anime I watch. The studio does a pretty good job of keeping the original art style intact, but there were definitely inconsistencies and lack of ... attention to details in the animation from scene to scene that I found distracting.

SOUND: 9/10
Beautiful soundtrack and great voice acting.

CHARACTER: 10/10
I love the character designs and character development. At this point, we still don’t know everything about the characters, but I WANT to know more and that’s just the way I like it. A story is no fun if the author gives up everything at once.

ENJOYMENT: 8/10
I love the story and believe it has amazing potential, but this adaptation is somewhat held back by the production quality. Overall, the animation can get choppy, which certainly doesn't do action scenes justice, and there are glaring inconsistencies. Having said that though, I think the studio overall still did a great job. It made me want to read the source material, which I also recommend! There are some storytelling nuances that I believe are better in the comic. If they produce a season 2, I am definitely watching it!

STORY: 7/10
Season 2 of Meng Qi Shi Shen delivers more fun food adventures with the introduction of new characters and even more mouth-watering food scenes. The story continues by focusing on the female lead's food adventures and her career as a rising chef in this world, which I really enjoyed.

Besides the food challenges the female lead faces each episode, there are other subplots that help drive the story. The romance does get more development this season. There's nothing new brought to this genre and there are definitely plot points that get glossed over, but characters are fun and the story execution is still much more ... solid compared to similar donghua I've watched. Overall, I thought the pacing was good and Meng Qi Shi Shen did pretty well on its delivery of comedy, drama, and romance.


ART: 8/10
Food still looks amazing and many backgrounds and scenes looked gorgeous. There were definitely times where the animation looked a bit awkward and slightly less polished. Overall, it's still one of the better animated donghua I've watched.


SOUND: 9/10
Voice acting was great and the music was lovely.


CHARACTER: 9/10
As I've said in my season 1 review, Meng Qi Shi Shen has a fun cast and the interactions are really fun to watch. We got to see more characters introduced this season.


ENJOYMENT: 8/10
There were some seemingly major plot points that were brought up, but they weren't followed through or were glossed over. It didn't ruin my experience too much, but I wished they were addressed within this season. Still, season 2 ended at a good milestone and I'm excited to see what season 3 will bring.

STORY: 8/10
The first half of the series was a complete drag and honestly could've been cut down to like 5 episodes. It didn't help that I absolutely was annoyed by the main character. I considered dropping the series, but I'm glad I gave it another chance because the second half of the series was MUCH more interesting once it shifted focus from the main character.The supporting characters' stories were much more compelling to watch.


ART & SOUND: 10/10
It's Wit Studio. Enough said.


CHARACTER: 8/10
Thorfinn, the supposed main character, is hard to watch. He's impulsive, cocky, and hot-headed. His vows of revenge are constantly on repeat like a ... broken record, which is annoying. Thankfully, the focus shifts from him to other characters in the second half. I felt like all the characters grew except for him and Thorfinn just felt so insignificant in the plot later on.

The star of this anime adaptation was Askeladd, who is a complex and morally gray character. Askeladd was a mystery for the first part of the series, but as his background and motivations got revealed in the second half, he became really fun to watch.


ENJOYMENT: 8/10
Askeladd and the supporting cast saved the series for me. Their struggles and character growth kept me watching in the second half. The anime adapted the first four volumes of the manga and it felt like a satisfactory ending to this "prologue" arc of Thorfinn's life.

STORY: 10/10
Be prepared to have your heart strings pulled. Mo Dao Zu Shi is a wonderfully complex and gripping drama that's rife with tragedy. Besides the supernatural mysteries the characters have to unveil, the story also revolves around power struggles as well as complicated family and relationship dynamics. In a nutshell, a lot of bad things happen to good people and the series constantly made me wonder, "Why can't they just be happy?? T_T"

The story is presented in non-linear fashion and I enjoyed the pacing. It kept me wondering and interested. However, the beginning can be quite confusing because a lot of things are happening ... and many characters are introduced very soon. I would say don't fret over the details too much in the beginning and just keep watching to get a better grasp of the story.

For those who may be hesitating to watch this because the source material is a BL novel, the donghua tones down the lead characters' relationship to a love/hate bromance that reminds me of Naruto and Sasuke's dynamic.


ART: 10/10
The art is absolutely gorgeous, especially the backgrounds and scenery. I believe they used 3D for the environments, but it didn't feel jarring against the 2D animation like in some other donghua I've seen. My only gripe is that the art style suffers from Same Face Syndrome.


SOUND 10/10
All the voice actors displayed a wide range of emotions well. And the OST is great!


CHARACTER: 10/10
I loved the entire cast! Everyone was developed really well and I got so emotionally invested in everyone's personal stories. I loved the complicated relationship dynamics that are portrayed throughout the series for several characters.


ENJOYMENT: 10/10
Mo Dao Zu Shi was my first foray into donghua and what an introduction it was! I heard good things about it and I was not disappointed. I think the story has enough elements to appeal to a wider audience, but if you're a fan of historical fantasies and Asian mythology, then I think you'll especially enjoy this masterpiece.

STORY: 8/10
The story isn't anything new in Chinese media, but I thought the overall plot execution and characters were really enjoyable to watch. The supernatural elements of the story were also a welcomed twist.

The series length was unfortunately too short to fully develop the story in all aspects, but it was still compelling enough for me to keep watching to completion. Overall, Tong Ling Fei does a fairly good job balancing action, drama, comedy, and romance.


ART: 7/10
The art style is generic, but decent and it suits the story's overall tone (themes aren't as heavy as in josei stories). The style kind of reminds me ... of early 2000s anime for some reason. Animation can get choppy at some parts, but overall it's good enough.


SOUND: 8/10
You'll either hate or love the opening song, but you'll definitely remember it. OST is pretty good and versatile for different moods. I thought the voice actors did a good job of adapting their acting to different moods as well.


CHARACTER: 8/10
I thought the leading and supporting cast were really fun to watch even if they easily fall into stereotypes. The ghost buddies the female lead has are pretty cute, but too bad they didn't really have significant moments to shine in the series.

The female lead is confident and independent. Seeing her stand up for herself is really satisfying to watch, especially when so many people are working against her. I like her "I don't give a crap" attitude when it comes to playing along with politics and hierarchy. I also like that she doesn't fall all over the male lead, and rightly so. He honestly didn't treat her that well initially for her to develop any affection for him.

Male lead isn't really a character type I like. He's cold, arrogant, and possessive. He has his better moments, but I disliked how he tried to force his feelings on the female lead. I suppose it's in character with his arrogant and prideful personality. He gets better near the end of the series when he starts getting more protective and affectionate toward the female lead.


ENJOYMENT: 8/10
While the story isn't anything new, I still thought the overall execution was good and the characters were really fun to watch. I hope they make a season 2 so the plot can be further explored. I felt like the real overarching plot was just starting when the series concluded on a cliffhanger.

STORY: 4/10
The premise seemed promising in the initial episodes, but it quickly went downhill. The story was rushed and the romance felt really forced and awkward.

There was a lot of tone inconsistency throughout the series. We got a lot of cringe-worthy shoujo moments, some awkwardly placed comedic scenes, and some moments that got uncharacteristically dark compared to the rest of the story.

The opening and ending sequences as well as the unnecessary episode reviews and previews took up way too much time. That precious time could've been used for better story pacing.


ART: 3/10
Animation wasn't smooth and was really basic. The studio didn't convey different moods ... or emotions very well. The art style was bland and inconsistent. The ending sequence animation was probably the nicest animation in the whole series.

I'm not a fan of how the female lead and her maid look like they're wearing magical girl outfits compared to the rest of the cast. It made it harder for me to take the female lead seriously when she's supposed to be a bad-ass assassin.


SOUND: 3/10
Voice acting was fine, but other than that, nothing really stood out sound-wise. Like the animation, the sound was really basic. I did like the ending OST though.


CHARACTER: 3/10
Everything in this series felt rushed and that goes for the characterization as well. Personality wise, I think the male lead was perfectly fine. He's a bit of a tease, but he's kind and protective to those he cares about. If the studio paced the story better and fleshed his story out (seems like he had a tragic past), he would've been much more interesting to watch.

On the other hand, I found the female lead really annoying as the series progressed. I liked how she stood up for herself in the first few episodes, but her personality quickly deteriorated. She is impulsive, hypocritical, and somewhat arrogant. I don't understand how the male lead fell for her because she was pretty cold to him for most of the series. I understand that she was bitter and reluctant to trust because of her past, but her back-and-forth regarding the male lead was incredibly frustrating.


ENJOYMENT: 3/10
The limited amount of episodes combined with poor direction from the studio made for a poor watch experience. I really wanted to like this series, but it was extremely mishandled by the studio with a rushed story and poor animation, not to mention an unlikable female lead.

STORY: 6/10
The plot of the movie doesn't contribute anything new to the universe of Koutetsujou no Kabaneri. The movie felt like a filler arc, balancing the nature of Ikoma and Mumei's relationship (which I don't care about) with a story revolving around one-off characters who don't really get enough characterization for me to care about them.

I rather not see a plot written around a "pit stop" and rather see the characters fighting for the actual end goals they set in the anime series (e.g. literally fighting to take back Aragane Station).


ART 10/10
As always, Wit Studio does amazing work. The art is beautiful and the ... animation is on point. Fight scenes are great. The steampunk genre isn't done often, so I appreciate the refreshing style among all other mainstream anime.


SOUND 10/10
Wit Studio and Hiroyuki Sawano together is a winning combo. Sawano's music honestly carried most of the movie for me. I appreciated him refreshing songs from the anime OST for the movie. The OST was honestly the best thing about this movie for me.


CHARACTER 6/10
The main leads, Ikoma and Mumei, have always been kind of lackluster and generic to me. I actually find the supporting cast a little more endearing, but they can easily fall into stereotypes as well. The one-off characters created for the movie also aren't really that interesting.


ENJOYMENT 6/10
I thought the anime series had its flaws but it was a decent watch, so I was disappointed that the movie didn't really advance the plot. If anything, you can watch Unato Kessen purely for the cool animation and Sawano's epic music.

STORY: 8/10
Meng Qi Shi Shen is an interesting blend of genres: historical, romance, comedy, food, with some action. The studio tried to do a lot in 12 episodes and this left the series with an under-developed romance and plot points that are introduced but never followed up on. The studio had to gloss over the relationship build-up, but they provided enough material to compel me to keep watching. I wish they had time to explore the male lead's side of the story, which would've explored more of the action/drama aspects of the plot.

Considering the short series length, I still thought they did a good job ... balancing the genres and delivering a story that made me want more. The plot had a lot of potential and I only wish they had more episodes to work with.


ART: 8/10
I actually really like the art style. Also, the backgrounds and the food look amazing (food looks on par with Food Wars). While Food Wars' food reactions are more silly, I find the food reactions in Meng Qi Shi Shen beautifully metaphoric and calming, especially as the series goes on.

The animation is not as smooth compared to mainstream anime, but it was good enough. Action scenes were still impressive enough and the cooking scenes were drool-worthy. I could live without all the repetitive Sailor Moon-like sequences of the female lead preparing to cook though.


SOUND: 9/10
I enjoyed the voice acting and the music and sound effects definitely enhanced my experience. Appropriate music was played for different moods, whether that was action, humor, or romance. I'm a sucker for historical anime/donghua music and Meng Qi Shi Shen's OST didn't disappoint.


CHARACTER: 9/10
This was a fun cast and I definitely enjoyed the character interactions throughout the series. Everyone was likable in their own ways.

The female lead's cheerful personality is infectious. I admire her passion for food being a foodie myself and I love that she can take care of herself. She's not the damsel in distress, but she isn't the overtly strong female archetype either, which makes her more realistic to me. The male lead is stoic, but also compassionate and honorable. Some of their interactions are really cliche in the beginning, but thankfully that died down as the series progressed. After that, I felt like their relationship was believable and really sweet. :)


ENJOYMENT: 9/10
Despite some gripes about plot and romance development, I thought the overall execution was quite good given the short series length. I adored the cast and the animation and music was great. The series concluded with a lot of things left unanswered, but at least the romance and food plot ended on a satisfying and hopeful note. It was a fun ride and if there was a season 2, I would love to see it.