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Dec 13, 2023
There is a lot to like about the Witch from Mercury. It can satisfy the itch for a high budget mecha series with fluid animation, epic battles and a beautiful soundtrack. There are some interesting unorthodox things too. Take the main character, for example. Contrary to many classic Gundam series, she is a timid, high-school girl called Suletta. There is someone hidden in the supporting cast who fits the profile of a generic Gundam pilot MC (can you guess who it is?) yet it is Suletta who has the leading role. Not only that, she is paired up to be the "groom" of another girl
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called Meorine. Has Sunrise gone woke? Whatever it is, I liked it. It felt fresh, modern and intriguing.
There is also a lot of things that unfortunately will disappoint you about this anime. The plot is a complicated and absurd mess. Clearly, creators wanted to throw a lot of real world issues and dilemmas for viewers to ponder on but why in such a disorderly and unrealistic fashion? It is hard to give examples without spoiling the show, so I will just say there is a lot of really good material there but the whole thing just wouldn't hold together.
The whole premise of having a school of kids piloting death robots and dueling falls on its face pretty quickly.
Small gripe of mine are the opening and ending themes. Sunrise usually delivers very cool tracks but in this show the OP and ED are entirely forgettable. Maybe I am just getting old?
The other thing that is disappointing about this show for a mecha fan is that the part where characters grow as pilots is missing. In other, older shows you witness pilots becoming more skilled, more accustomed to fighting, and learning new tricks. Here on the other hand battles start and end, leaving you wondering how they were able to pull that off, when did they learn to do this or that, or simply why was there a fight in the first place? It is almost like the whole Gundam thing is a plot device to narrate a school, coming of age story of a very likable girl who for some reason ended up piloting a Gundam.
I enjoyed the Witch of Mercury but it left me disappointed. It could have been so much better.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Oct 9, 2018
You can see why Code Geass might not be for everyone. A story that awkwardly moves into metaphysics while not always making much sense; characters who seem to abruptly change their beliefs without as much as a blink; war strategy is often overshadowed by a simple arms race despite Lelouch constantly proclaiming superiority of "strategy over tactics"... True, Code Geass isn't perfect and can be frustrating but there is a lot of good here. It is one of the most enjoyable anime series I ever watched. Firstly, I loved the ending, I think the plot closes perfectly and compensates for the terrible cliffhanger that is
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the ending of season 1. Secondly, I think Code Geass is a paragon of balancing fan-service and slapstick comedy into what is mostly a serious, dark story. My personal opinion is that comedy doesn't belong in a serious production, but Code Geass is one of the few shows where directors managed to strike the right amount of balance: the comedy doesn't feel out of place while providing a good amount of entertainment.
I will keep it short: if you are looking for something sophisticated, this is not Code Geass. Code Geass is a simple (albeit somewhat thought-provoking), very well made show. It does have strongly politicised story and somewhat philosophical angle but I see those as actually its weak points. It is a very enjoyable show about mechas, with cool characters, interesting plot twists and high budget animation. If you don't pick at the plot too much it comes together very nicely, and if we forget about the nitty-gritty details, and focus on the general message the show is trying to tell us, I think it is rather interesting. Especially considering we are looking at what is essentially a shounen production.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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May 4, 2017
This is going to be a very short review. More of a story than a proper review...
I watched Attack on Titan back in 2013 when it was airing. Waiting for the next episode when watching a show like this is not easy. I got so hooked that I started reading the manga but soon caught up with the story. I decided to hold off and let the manga advance a bit but somehow moved on and never got back into it. Fast forward to 2017, Attack on Titan season 2 starts airing. Of course, I wanted to start watching it but after a long break
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I wanted to refresh my memory on what happened in season 1. So I decided to re-watch season 1 again while letting a few more season 2 episodes come out.
I wasn't sure I will enjoy it, after all, I remember the main storyline. I planned to take it slow and easy. So I turn on episode 1... And I am literally blown away. I have no idea what happened to me. I sort of knew what was going on but at the same time I was desperately trying to find out what would happen next. I wasn't marathoning for the sake of it, it was by no means a simple chore to remind myself of the story - I was enjoying every second of every episode. I ended up watching 8 episodes straight that day. During the next couple of days, I would come back from work and dive straight back in. I only managed to hold out for 3 days... I wasn't bored for a second. Watching this show for the second time was just as enjoyable as watching it back in 2013. Naturally, the plan to get season 2 episodes accumulate miserably failed...
For me this is a definite masterpiece and a standard for any dark fantasy action anime. My advice to you: don't even bother watching this late at night if you have work in the morning. You won't be able to stop. You have been warned!
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Apr 30, 2017
When I look back at Iron-Blooded Orphans, for me the outstanding value of this series is definitely the story line. Mainly it is a story about a struggle but it is also a story about revenge, about sacrifice, about pursuing one's dream and never losing sight of what's important. The story is definitely one of the grittier ones, particularly in the mecha genre. Expect tragedy, expect disappointment and difficult situations - the world of Iron-Blooded Orphans is tough, unforgiving and full of people trying to take advantage our protagonists. The anime does offer some suspense relief through light-hearted humour but I personally had an ominous
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feeling whenever something happy happened. Don't get me wrong, this anime is still an action anime but it is dramatic, it is powerful, this is a solid 10/10 story.
So is there anything else to look forward to? The next 10 score in my books goes to sound. The soundtrack is amazing, I loved the background music, sometimes hearing the music start in the background made me enjoy the scene so much more. It is definitely one of the stronger points of this series.
So why am I giving this anime a 9 and not 10? As some of the other reviewers out here pointed out, Iron-Blooded Orphans fails a bit in terms of character development. It almost feels like this is a natural consequence of having such a powerful story: the characters are hostages to the events that unfold around them, and really have no time or space to think or adapt to the situation. They are swept of their feet just like the viewers are. I cannot say more because I don't want to spoil the story but don't expect character development, this is not that type of anime. In a way, you could say that all character development happened in the first season. In that regard, first season is a must-watch to really understand characters' feelings and appreciate the story.
I enjoyed Iron-Blooded Orphans a lot. It was a hell of a ride, it is an anime which after watching the last episode, made me look back and think about what just happened. I felt happy, felt sad, felt disappointed and satisfied... It is a mix of conflicting feelings - an indication that I just watched a great series which is a great addition to the Gundam universe and to mecha genre as a whole. Watch it and decide for yourself what you think of this series. It deserves your attention!
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Feb 6, 2014
Michiko to Hatchin was a pleasant surprise. After reading a few short reviews I was intrigued by the fact that a lot of people pointed out how the series turned out to be a much deeper drama rather than a simple action-driven anime that they were expecting.
I was not disappointed. If you are looking for a series with interesting, complex characters, do not miss this. In fact, I will be go further and say that you should watch Michiko to Hatchin.
This series features some of the most deep and complex character portrayals I have ever seen in an anime. Be warned - the directors
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don't go to great lengths to explain characters' thoughts or motivations behind their actions and I see this is a huge plus. This ambiguity is what makes this story come alive and seem so believable - it is how we see people around us in real life - often strange, often unpredictable and hard to explain. Some episodes will leave you pondering and thinking "why", and like any great work of art most of us will come to different conclusions. This puts M&H to the top among the classics in my books.
The story itself is not very original, it is quite simple and some episodes try to lighten the mood with side-stories that feel a little out of place. In a few rare places, it almost feels like directors tried a bit too hard to make this anime more appealing to the general crowd and gave it some attributes that it could have done without. For example, I couldn't help but wonder why so many characters have Japanese first names? Given that the story is set in an imaginary Latin American country, this detail is most peculiar.
In general, I felt like the characters held the whole thing together, their presence compensated for some gaps in the plot and I was literally glued to the screen until the very last episode.
It would be harsh not to mention what great job Manglobe has done here. Animation style is original and suits the setting very well, the music is superb and character designs are extremely well made. Without their creative touch this series wouldn't have been this good.
Overall - I give M&H a 10. It is definitely one of the best series in the past decade and it has the substance to rival some of the greatest series ever made. It is a must see for all anime fans out there.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Oct 18, 2009
I come from Ukraine and the Great Patriotic War is something very important to people of post-Soviet countries. We respect our ancestors who died in this terrible struggle and all those unfortunate innocent people who fell due to genocide that was Nazi occupation. When I first heard of First Squad: The Moment of Truth I already decided that this should be a must-see movie for me. A slightly mystical spin on the story also seemed justified taking into account the rumours about Nazi elites being interested in occultism.
So I grabbed a drink, some snacks, made my self comfortable in my armchair and morally prepared myself
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to watch this promising film. It is to my disbelief that as the movie progressed the plot looked more and more disappointing. Despite amazing animation and stunning detail the atmosphere is missing. It becomes obvious that authors failed to connect the fantastic story with this rich realistic setting. As we follow main character Nadya, we are able to experience the grief for the dead, the hate towards the enemy and determination to go on. However, the fantastic ability to revive friends, to fight skilfully with a katana (why Russian girl is carrying a katana remains to be understood) and to easily defeat her foes whoever they may be, completely negate all those strong feelings towards the horrible period. The fights are abrupt, disjointed and always end with the victory for the good guys making the deep, dark atmosphere dissipate and even look ridiculous: why on Earth all these people die if you can just have Nadya slice the Germans up and send them all the way back to Berlin?
The characters are quite interesting. Nadya's friends look very much like the heroic portrayals of children of the War, the brave street kids who sometimes had more determination than adult soldiers. The Russian actors do their jobs well; the dialogues are well structured and are nice to listen to. Despite this, we don't have enough time to learn about these people, they look distant and therefore their presence is easy to ignore, especially for someone who doesn't speak Russian and doesn't know much about Slavic culture.
One feature which is worth highlighting about First Squad is historical commentary done by war veterans, psychologists and historians who explain a little bit about War and create a very nice connection between the film and the reality. However, as the story takes a mystical spin it wasn't necessary to have someone justify fictional facts about "spiritual connections with the world of the dead". There is a thin line between real historical facts and speculation, and as the story progresses, you see real people talking about Soviets communicating with the dead which looks absolutely ridiculous.
In conclusion, First Squad: The Moment of Truth is a major disappointment. It holds little value in terms of story or in terms of documentary. If you want to have a nice fictional anime to watch there are plenty of other films and shows which would be a much better investment of your time. Likewise, if you want to find out more about Great Patriotic War there are lot of great documentaries and books you can look at. It is a real shame that the authors failed to deliver and this setting remains an open ground for anime directors to explore. Perhaps one day we will be given a chance to witness a real masterpiece. Unfortunately, not this time.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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