Back to undamoth's Profile undamoth's Profile

This aint no Cardcaptor nor Madoka. This is borderline smut. Aint complaining tho.

Mahou Shoujo ni Akogarete is a risque comedy show with the aesthetics of the typical magical girl genre which has been deliberately deconstructed and reconstructed for the past decade already. Some good, some awesome, some deplorable, some mediocre, and this one I would say sits above the median line. While there's the typical glossiness expected to most anime today, the artstyle is quite striking, namely with the main villainess role of Utena whose costume was midway between sexy and silly but memorable. This review is written three episodes in but it already ... did quite the impression on me. The show does not pretend to be anything it's not: a plot about a seemingly accidental villain discovering her inner sadism and the outrageous magic-based BDSM she causes upon her beloved foes and all played out humorously.

It's a perverted show filled with fun main character, initially derivative but gradually improving side characters and rivals, interesting costume designs, and seemingly focused dedication on the concept. The magical girl aspects have been used effectively as gags and Utena, the main character was just interesting as hell as her inner conflict has genuine reflective quality to it. So far, I was surprised how much boobage and nudity there is in here and I am sure this show will awaken some inert fetish in some of yall.

Give this one a shot, folks. Not for kids. This show will raise boners

This show's season just went by like a breeze, didn't it?
To make this brief, I adored Spy x Family ever since it aired. It has a lovable cast, nice setting, and an easy-going vibe despite its handful of zaniness and sprints of nice-looking action set pieces. Season 1 started strong and gave us weekly injection of humor, drama, and spy shenanigans. This season, it was mostly the same and I am fine with it.

With such an intriguing premise, I assumed the show would lean more on the thriller side of things but it was just not and I've learned to accept that the show was ... mostly slice-of-life with assassins, spies, and espers at the center of it. It was definitely not what I expected but what I got, I liked. Lloyd, Anya, and Yor's dynamics were fun and honestly enviable as a family. The side characters compliment them well and the plot has been minimal. That was season 1. In season 2, things were shook a bit. Namely, the action has been ramped up since Yor was predominantly featured this time around and it was a blast.

The action was sparse but when they happen, it was a delight. The hand-to-hand combat were choreographed really well, with dynamic action camera, fast-paced but still clear movement, and when the violence happens, the result is surprisingly bloody. Yor really stood out and made me adore her a lot more than the previous season. Surprisingly, the side characters were quite sidelined in place of the main arc. Anya's adventures were still fun and she keeps her antics still strong. My main complaint about season 1 was quite diminished as well, namely that the plot about the family disguise feels stake-less and that the inclusion of Bond(the clairvoyant dog) feels like asspulls are now assured with such characters. After this season, i warmed up a bit to the dog but I still aint sold on his role. The school aspect were quite minimal.

The humor was much the same. Anya's arsenal of lol faces, Yor's superhuman feats during mundane moments, Lloyd's slipups, and what I liked before was still prevalent. Yor being shot in the ass was the high point of this season and it was in the first episode. However i noticed something about its approach to humor that grew up as a bit of annoyance to me: I dont like that they say that they are shocked or whatever, when it was already obvious on their expressions that they already are. Sure, it was mostly Anya but still.

The OP was not quite my taste to be honest but the ED was lovely. The noir-jazzy soundtrack still fits like a glove. The voice acting remains good.

The season felt like it just went by after the explosive Yor's battle arc and while I would still watch the show in the future, I now realize that I am in no hurry to catch up to it. The show remains easy-going and keeps leaning on its dysfunctional-family-but-actually-not aspects well. What it was, I liked, not necessary loved and well, sometimes, it is enough to keep me entertained. All high points on this season goes to Yor Briar.

Yeah. I would say watch this episodic except for the whole Yor-on-a-Boat arc that spans several episodes. That was a banger.

Horror and anime just seem to be an elusive puzzle that is still on the process of perfecting. The Japanese animation medium just seem to have a hard time getting that perfect blend to make a show effective in inciting the dread, disgust, terror, and sheer feeling of discomfort that any good horror wear on their sleeves. It was a different matter to manga for so many things go right on that medium. Translated to the screen however, with numerous changes needed to elicit the same effect and more often than not, it was just worse with unfitting color schemes, off-note pacing, and unfavorable sound ... direction just to give an example. It takes a lot of effort to make one get terrified of drawings. Now, is 2023's Dark Gathering the elixir to cure the issues of horror anime? Well, not quite to be honest since it still is a horror-comedy in its heart but when the horror stuff comes in, it goes hard, and boy it goes hard.

Dark Gathering is about a trio consisting of two adults and a little kid who goes around the cities of Japan hunting down spirits and getting on all sorts of supernatural conflicts. Sounds generic right? It could've been easily a run-off-the-mill ripoff of Supernatural, Gegege no Kitaro, or Yuyu Hakusho but somehow, it does not feel like any of the spirit-busting shows I've known. It is much, much closer to Higurashi than Yokai-Watch and most surprisingly, this show feels like a spiritual successor to Shadow Star Narutaru, which was a fucked-up show that deconstructed the beloved long-running Pokemon. Yes: Dark Gathering is an amalgamation of Pokemon, Shin Megami Tensei, Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Hostel. So much reference, yes, cause underneath its numerous arsenal of inspirations, Dark Gathering feels somewhat unique... and that's why I love it. Namely because of how they do the spirit busting, which unfortunately would go on spoiler territory. Just note that the show is named very appropriately.

My favorite aspect of the show was its hardcore horror elements which were surprisingly haunting, disturbing, and shockingly gory in comparison to what the show feels in its first few episodes. The show is VIOLENT. Like don't be fooled with its colorful presentation and at times shonen-like aesthetics during uneventful bits for there are matters discussed and experienced in the show that was way beyond what is initially promised by its synopsis. The psychological horror lands well during the story segments but it does not shy away from getting visceral during the hauntings.

The characters I thought were serviceable at first but then things happen in the show that just elevated them quite nicely. Well, aside from the suspension of belief that a middleschooler can do exorcism feats like a brat-sized John Wick, the show managed to make viewers feel the codependent dynamics of the main trio. The main dude is a determined scaredy-cat, the main badass is the aforementioned kid wonder, but the most memorable one is definitely the driver Eiko who was just as unhinged or moreso than the ghosts in the show. One needs to see this chic to believe it. She is terrifying as a person irl.

Speaking of which: The ghosts. Oh man... the ghosts in the show are not your typical lame-ass spooky-dorky stalkers who just possess and blow wind on your faces. No... the ghosts in this show will wreck your shit up and I am pretty sure most people will not survive these terrifying forces of nature. These ghosts can bend reality, has their own domain expansion, rip you apart not unlike those from cartel videos, and boy do the supernatural battles get so hype. Not only that, the tension was quite strong from midway beyond, with high stakes, fucked-up villains, and plotlines that just keeps outdoing the episodes prior. The show did horror well, complimented with its animation, sound effects, and atmosphere, the latter which I revere to be one of the most important aspect horror shows must have.

Now lemme complain a bit. I love the show and after it ended, the void came on me... just how good shows must be able to do. However, I do know that the show will not be for everyone. For starters, the violence and utter craziness of most of the stories were nauseating to think about. This is not a show for pee wee little boys and girls. There are R-rated stuff in here that is conceptually worse than most gore movies I've ever watched. The show is not a slowburn, it is in-your-face brutal like Made in Abyss. This is a ghost show that just straight up has the nihilism of those German fairy tales. Likewise, there are genuine discomfort on how some of the resolutions came to be and the protagonists have done a lot of ethically questionable stuff as the show went on. Also, I will riot if season 2 wont come out. Me and my dog too.Also, the main protagonist Yayoi looks ridiculous but I adore her personally despite her superhuman feats.

The OP feels like a mid2000 Jrock loveletter and the accompanying visuals werent far off either. The ED was ok. What stood out however are the effects for the spooky stuff. When bones get crushed, they sound like it. When someone screams, boy does it feel like someone was being murdered thru the mic, and when meat gets torn... yeah... you get it. In short, it does sound effects extremely well. The animation was mostly above average, however packed with sakuga moments during some of its supernatural battles and some during the nastier side of things. It could've used less colors though.

In summary, Dark Gathering is way too hardcore for what it looks like. There's genuine terror and the protagonists undergo numerous developments during their affairs, with long-lasting effects on their psychological states and body. The ghost-busting is fun as hell, the characters grew on me, plot was hype, and has some of the most fucked up ghost stories I've come across in anime.

Watch it binged. Definitely watch it at night. But really... don't watch this with kids.
Unless you want to torment them for a lifetime

This review is coming from an anime-only who was surprised how good a show about anthropomorphic girls running is.
To be brief, the show was not as lighthearted as the first series nor has the strong drama of the second one. Likewise it is not a copy of either nor did it break new grounds for the franchise as a whole. It never quite reached either the peak of what its predecessors but retained the spirit of what made the show special, and while with notable changes in its some aspects in regards to direction, there wasn't that much satisfaction story-wise.

The show focuses on a new ... cast of members of Uma Musume or horsegirls Kitasan Black and Satono Diamond, both of which were about elementary kids from last season but now in their teenage years as they entered the campus. Yeah, the world-building wasn't really that strong in the first place but damn... puberty is such a level-up here. The protagonists from prior seasons, Special Week and Silence Suzuka (s1) and Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen(s2) are now side characters, an understandable shift from a director's standpoint but still a point of contention for us audience.

Lemme bitch a bit here. I love the series but there's something I have to speak about.

While I think s2 was superior, the way it downplayed the previous protagonist's victory has always felt underwhelming and the concept of speed was kinda wonky. Special Week and Silence Suzuka had godlike speed in the first season and seeing their achievements not even mentioned later on annoyed me like a piece of rice stuck on the molar for days. Here, it follows suit as the new batch of Uma Musume were told in-universe to be stronger and much more capable that even s2's protagonists which were literally on the verge of life and death during their powerups. I know this train of thought becomes irrelevant on s3's final episodes but the show needs to find a sweet spot to keep the new protagonists interesting while keeping the past victories of the protagonists relevant and lasting. Because damn, Special Week deserves better, man.

Kitasan Black, while I thought to be generic and uninteresting at first grew on me because of some of her interactions but I find myself without much tension during her races because it was already confirmed she is strong asf and that there wasn't that much at stake this time. On the other hand, the deuteragonist, her friend Satono Diamond was a lot more dynamic with a strong storyline. I kid you not, episodes that featured Satono Diamond were probably one my favorites in the series. Kitasan managed to redeem her initial blandness in the last few episodes but never quite matched Satono Diamond's. Funnily, while I praise Satono Diamond's storyline, her arc somehow ended flat while Kitasan's spiked up. Deliberate? Who knows. Either way, the storylines were sadly not as interconnected as I hoped it would be.

S3's side characters were built up to be just as fierce as S2's fantastic ones based on the OP but somehow, we're fooled because not only were we blueballed, they just didn't have a place in the main story. Reading about Uma Musume revealed that the show were actually based on real life events and that the races were actual loose recreations of canon history. Maybe the writers just did not have the material to work the side characters in to the story or maybe something else but it just felt flat and aside from Nice Nature and surprisingly, the spectators, the narrative was tightly set to Kitasan Black's career for better or worse. In general, the show subverted a lot of my expectations and most of them, Im not really fond of. So much build up for some moments but just were either dropped or ignored entirely. Some moments of supposed glory were not given enough time to marinate, and some headscratching decisions as to why some of the show's notable concepts were held out until the end.

Overall Negatives:
-Ending was not as satisfying as its predecessors
-Disjointed storylines
-Only one Winning Live the whole show wtf(it was amazing but still...)
-Some characters just became the focus so suddenly and some became almost non-existent

Now to the positives:
-Kitasan Black's arc peaked in the last few episodes with her predicament
-Final races were hype
-Protagonists loses as much as they win so it keeps the audience guessing
-The show managed to make me appreciate and love Special Week again, with her scene-stealing bits and overall, a better depiction that what season 2 made her to be
-The animation was still gorgeous and some of the final races have very special camera angles and tension-filled atmosphere with its music and tasteful shots. Probably some of the best running animations in anime.
-More Gold Ship
-Probably the best OP and ED in the series

This is a sports show that kept me entertained consistently and this season, I find myself so whiny because it changes a good bit of what I have gotten used to. It is a step to keep things fresh probably and hence I lay here somewhat accepting what I had. Among the seasons, this one probably has the lowest rewatch value for me and it serves inspiration to people, which is the spirit of a good sports anime. S3 is a good sports anime but just does not have the best of Uma Musume. Don't get me wrong; this does not mean the franchise has declined nor on a plateau. The season probably just is a different kind of different, like how a sweaty hand makes playing the guitar different. Sure the notes were right, but the feel and comfort was just not there.

Overall, it is worth watching, enjoyable on its own right but personally, not as cohesive nor as intense as the prior seasons.
7/10 it is.

This show may not be flashy, nor looking like a gourmet anime for connoisseurs, nor does it has some bombastic title that catches attention or takes up the first lines of a grade 4 essay. What it does have is a delightful cast who mess around a series of arcs that vary from eh to actually creepy. It reaches low points yeah but when it hits high, boy does it hits high.

Ghost Hunt is a fairly sizable anime about a group of medium, spiritualists, and normies who tackle various supernatural circumstances throughout its runtime. Not the most original concept but just like how Heinz revolutionized ... ketchup, it takes special ingredients to make it work.There are anime which, on paper, should have been the bee's knees: Grimgar, Kabineri, hell even frickin Angel Egg... Reading the synopsis and they just entice you with an interesting plot, striking character designs, even just hearing the studio whose done it braces one with anticipation. However, what do those three in common that Ghost Hunt has in spades? Awesome characters and dynamics.

Ghost Hunt has quite a big cast of main protagonists and most of them are introduced really well in the very first episode. We were given enough characteristics that we latch unto them immediately, dangling a bit of mystery about them that reveals organically throughout its runtime, and we anticipate how they would bounce off each other when shit hits the fan. We have an edgy but quite profound male lead, a teenage lady with all the quirks of the usual heroine, a petite medium superstar, a duo of not-so-effective monk and shrine maiden, an enigmatic butler, a catholic priest, and more. I cant really give justice to them without venturing to spoiler territory and they sound generic in my descriptions but watch the show you'll find just how endearing the cast is.

The plot begins ok, then meh, however the last three arcs were freaking fantastic. The second to the last one is genuinely unnerving and some horrific scenes even outdoes some of the scenes in Higurashi. For a non-adult anime, there are hardcore stuff in here whose concept was downright sickening. There are sad moments yes ofcourse, however the show is also sprinkled with humor which never interrupts its more dire moments. The show is fun and funny when it needs to be but also not afraid to put them in demented situations when necessary.

The OP is a forbodding, creeptastic instrumental which fits the horror aspects of the show. The sound design during its spooky moments were effective which was one of the selling points of horror in general. Its ED is likewise a melancholic symphony which was kinda overkill for what the show was.

Overall, some arcs are just typical and kinda ok but some were really great and makes use of its cast really well. Each character's abilities were clear and they work as a cohesive unit, warts and all. Sometimes they work well, sometimes they get in each other's throats, but in the end, they are just wonderfully realized even when the story beat can be uneven. Even with its weaker beginnings, keep with it as it just improves with every arc just how HxH does. The show did not have a ribbon-tied ending which leaves me wanting more.

Each arc is self-contained and recommended to be watch in batches. The aforementioned penultimate arc is NOT FOR KIDS. Some shit in there is messed up. If you are in the mood for an out-of-season horror watch, give this one a go. It can be a bit lighthearted in general but just like a good horror movie or show, this aint no corpse of a show it will not be forgotten in the grave.

Season 2 when??

Studio MAPPA is monopolizing hot shit from the manga world and the fact that they took one of my favorites and crank them into animation had given me hype more so than anything for 2022. Given that I absolutely adore Chainsaw Man as a manga, whose first part I've reread thrice, I know my expectations were beyond what might be possible. Seeing the trailers months before airing made me punch the air in excitement. Holy shit, the movements, Power, the familiar scenes... however I did feel something else that made me cautious nonetheless. Did MAPPA deliver?

The short answer is... Kinda.

I'm going to the negatives ... first just to clarify why I still rated the show highly.

To keep this short, the vibe of Chainsaw Man manga was quite different on what the show executed it. In fact... it was quite far from what I felt when the scenes were in paper form. In one hand, some scenes were enhanced very well... and on the other hand, some felt really off. Most of this I attribute to its almost hyper-realistic artstyle which, on my opinion, clashed with the manga's vibrant, chaotic pace and feel. There's something lost in getting too detailed in animating movements. Unlike Ufotable's adaptations, MAPPA's occasional use of 3D (despite it not being horrible) looks janky compared to its ink counterparts and that is because CSM's action framing suggests things like movements faster than the eye and monster transformations that could have benefitted from traditional animation. One of my gripes was (spoilers!) Kobeni's takedown of one of the devils looked really slow compared to her superhuman dodge-and-slash from the manga. I honestly think that Studio Bones' or Trigger's frenetic style wouldve been perfect for the action sequences. MAPPA's was not horrible... just not what I expected.

Likewise, during the trailers and when I finished the show, there is one bit that irked me despite how minuscule it it. Makima's voice was drastically different from what I imagined it would be. Makima's tone, I assumed would be a bit more mature given that her whole motif is her persuasiveness and seductiveness. In the show, she sounded too young and lacks the 'ara-ara' tang that I have gotten used to while reading the manga. I might be alone on this one but it is what it is. Aside from that however, Kobeni and Power's VAs are absolutely perfect. Denji and the rest were fine. Then there is my number one voice issue: DENJI DOES NOT DIFFERENTLY IN HIS CHAINSAWHEAD FORM FROM HIS NORMAL FORM. This is absolutely an oversight. CSM's head is obviously morphed into something else. In the manga, it suggests that Denji would've talked with some distortions during this form but NO... the show does not do anything. Even just putting reverbs? Intensifying the tone? Just do some changes in his voice goddamit. Instead, whenever CSM is ruining devils, it just feels like a typical shonen rather that the heavy metal feel that we get whenever he talks shit to opponents.

Yes, I have complaints about the show and I don't think it will change that much for future seasons(which I will still watch anyway). However, the good things in the manga remains here. The narrative remains strongly accurate, some scenes were expanded, there's sense of love from the studio obviously hence all episodes have different ending songs. The characters are mostly similar to their manga counterparts sans their voices. Power was as bit as chaotic as she was...Kobeni still is pathetic... Aki actually is more likeable in the show... and when shit hits the fan, it hits it with the force of a bazooka. The ost was atmospheric...which was not quite what I imagined it would be as I hoped that it was injected with a bit of FLCL radioesque ambiance. Denji however is a standout character, one of which makes him worth rooting for in the future chapters. CSM, despite its bombastic elements, is a story filled with heartbreak and tragedy as much as humor and batshit insanity. Season 1 was merely an appetizer compared to what's coming in future seasons and the show tried its best on adapting it on their own way... even if it does not satiate every tastebud. However, anime-only would get a kick out of it for sure.

To tie things up, MAPPA's Chainsaw Man Season 1 is good and a show worth investing your time in. There's action, violence, comedy, raunchiness, and heart. The show may not be flavored to my absolute liking but it is still a warm meal to cozy you up. With how the show was stylized I am sure it will be years until its follow-up comes. Now with my expectations tampered, I am sure I will be waiting to get on it again.

Regrets come in many forms. One may anticipate something that would never come, some anguish on things that have been done, some still wallow over opportunities lost, and if you are like me, finished Mai-Hime.

Mai-Hime is one of the best magical shows ever made but I am someone who wholeheartedly cannot recommend it for a simple enough reason: IT HAS ONE OF THE SHITTIEST ENDINGS FOR AN ANIME EVER.

I do not wish to spoil it to anyone but it felt like eating on a table, when promised a full-course meal of a lifetime and there you are consuming wonderful meals that kept surprising you ... with every succession but then the dessert comes in the form of a gelatin filled with the kitchen's leftovers from the lavatory drain.

To keep it short, this show was a SUNRISE production which I respected since they made Code Geass and Gundam and follows the story of Mai and her destiny of being a HIME, or a mechaesque-version of a magical girl. It was filled with action, intrique, fanservice, varied cast and an awesome plot with a distinct twist. It was a complete package and its ingredients was there to make it a classic. Great pump-up music, well-animated fights, I mean... come on!

My main gripe was that the show has well-established dynamics within its cast. Their motives were distinct, understandable and even the nastiest assholes were given enough depth to be highly invested on what happens next. This quality writing continued on for many episodes and I kid you not, I think the final episode was made by someone else. I love Code Geass despite its numerous flaws because the story ended in a high note, in Mai-Hime's case it was relative to Game of Thrones'. It betrays everything the show has created prior: tension, consequences of actions, permanence, dynamics... The show was dark as heck yet the show has the gall to end it... ON A MY LITTLE PONY-like vibe?! There was clear sabotage and no ending has fumed me so much as this one. NOTHING feels earned. It feels disjointed, out-of-place, and really, really fucked up all threads that have been set up. The story ended on such a whimper that all desire of rewatch would never come over me, despite its enjoyable narrative.

In short, this would easily be on my top 10 if not for its 1/10 finale. If a director's cut or so happens it might just be. I mean come on, how can its creators drop the ball on its final moments?! You got golden 25/26 episodes but why end it like that?! It has been more than 12 years but I still cannot forgive the director for this.

I don't recommend the show on how it ENDS, just to clarify. People, if you watch this, watch its first 25 episodes only, muster all strength to stop there, and just make a fanfiction on how it ends. It will save you from ruining your day.

However keep this in mind folks, I absolutely loath its finale like Soul Eater's yet I would still give it an 8/10 overall just because of how good the things that came before. Take that as you will.

Among the genres the proliferate the world of Japanese animation, nothing's quite ubiquitous as the comedy department. Whatever one's preferred serving of humor, anime would have a handful or so to offer. I am unashamedly fall under the lowest of the low as even corny jokes would have a rub on my funny bone and thus I may or may not be an authority to properly discern comedy anime. After all, my friends have ostracized me for talking shit about Nichijou while absolutely adoring Hare+Guu. Nonetheless, here I am to talk about a surprisingly lovely slice of life that I just came upon by serendipitous ... coincidence.

Wasteful Days of High School Girls is what Nichijou wished it was. A simple peek into random events among a cast of characters which is injected with subjective humorous encounters and its coinciding aftermath. WDHSG may not have the dose of extreme hijinks of Asobi Asobe or Prison School but it delivered the funny as consistently within its runtime thru its wonderful cast, subdued characterization, and superb voice acting. High school setting has always been anime's topbill choice to tell their story and the show does not give a damn and instead done familiar things by mix-matching the dynamics between the characters.

Comedy works best when the jokes, characters, and most especially, dynamics all converge into a concoction of harmony. WDHSG's initial episodes were not that bombastic, yes, but stick with them and one will be rewarded with a final episode that is probably one of the best among comedy anime. The characters were tropetastic in a glance but their depth were shown as they interact with each other in various scenarios. Most shows would just indulge their main cast with one wacky character to the next with little fanfare but WDHSG actually mixes the cast often and by the end, the whole cast feels like a cohesive unit and that everyone feels like a main character which one can just follow on without waning interest. One of my problems with the acclaimed Nichijou was that there is only like two characters worth anticipating on their next scene. In this show, despite its limited cast, I can just expect how each one would react to an incoming situation however the show has tendency to play it off each other by showing a different side of a certain character. As I said, sticking to the quirks of each character is rewarded on its brilliant final episode.

As a show, it's ED is just ok but its OP was excellent. Wa-Moon-Dass-Cry has a unique, earwormy vibe and found myself unable to skip them because of its entertaining visuals which makes use of its high school setting really well. The VAs were excellent, most notably, on Wota's VA for delivering a strikingly unique, dynamic voice among her high-pitched colleagues. The visuals in the show were complementarily simplistic but pretty, the character designs are great, and definitely passed the vibe check all throughout. The structure of the show was well-done: Intro joke> OP> Main Narrative> ED> Crumbs/Extra Scenes and it was just just paced so well that I've watched it in one sitting. When the show is over, I definitely clamored for more dessert but overall, left satisfied.

As for issues, I would say that it did not have the best pilot episode and has not fully set what to expect for its wonderful continuation. Likewise even when I said that the cast were wonderful, I would say that Robo and Baka, two of its arguably main characters, are quite generic even if Baka's intro lines became one of the show's memorable characteristics. This however was very minor as they get to shine on the show's best moments. Also, jokes are pretty tame but remains to be funny because of how they were delivered, paced, voice-acted, and how left-field they can get.

Watch this binged. May not be the ultimate laugh-out-loud show but it is CONSISTENTLY FUNNY which comedy anime should strive for. Nichijou only has like two funny gags in its whole 20+ episode runtime and yet people love it. I say, please take this show instead. Short, fun, well-delivered, and should get a season 2 ASAP.

Nostalgia can be a total exercise in frustration; that something that really liked as a kid remains reliably cool even now, even with your developed perspective in life and worldview being drastically altered by reality. The same could be said for its alternative; that there are things you've missed about something you didn't give a hoot as a kid and that maturity would have surely allowed you to see things in a different light and now appreciate it. In case of Sakura Wars however, none of it was true.

In short, Sakura Wars the Animated Series was as disappointingly, harrowingly lackluster for me as both a ... kid and an adult. It should've had it all for me: the 90's aesthetics, dieselpunk, and kickass motiff music. All I got was a mixed salad of overdramatic storytelling, ridiculous pilot system, and janky pacing. As a kid, I've come across this show in a regular time but found myself unable to sit through an episode and unable to be hooked on either its action nor plot. While my friends and I would discuss shows like Dragonball and Yuyu Hakusho frenetically and giddily, Sakura Wars, which was airing at the same time was never brought out. It was universally ignored and basically had no appeal whatsoever to our group. "There was something amiss", I've thought when I recalled the show while I was lazily browsing on the net one day for shows to watch, "I remember distinctly the character designs and its theme song but why can't I remember anything else about it?". So I have it a chance. Boy do I regret it.

Sakura Wars is about a theatre troupe who goes moonlighting as military pilots defending Imperial Japan against all sorts of monsters and threats from the otherworld, or atleast that what the plot implies. Within that generic plot were some slice of life episodes featuring the characters in their day to day woes, trainings, and just... existing. Sakura Wars has a very interesting world set up, ya know... theatre + mecha in an industrial period sounds very compelling yet the direction the show had made it so dull. The mood was way too grim even when a scene is supposed to be lighthearted, the inner workings of the mecha was... spiritual energy?? It's frankly quite infuriating how lazy that was, especially when it's supposed to be dieselpunk. It feels shonen yet with the dressing of a mecha, hence it's like eating a sandwich filled with sushi. It just did not mix well. Most of all, the pacing was way too slow for what it is and likewise glancing over details that could have given us insights on the characters and skipping scenes that could have been good. The villains are cookie-cutter cardboards, with weak motivation, and none of them are memorable at all.

Some characters are well-designed, notably Sakura, Kanna, and Sumire with their simple but pleasing traditional appeal. The others however are interchangeable with other shows of that era. The characterization was notably dull, either they are generic or that they feel way too overdramatic. It was a shame though, as the characters could have been atleast given attention that the mechas were closer to Evangelion mechs that the gritty, weighty exosuits I've thought they would be.

Music-wise, the main theme was still as kickass, memorable, and in my opinion, one of the most beautiful songs ever made melodic-wise. It's lyrics are cheesy as heck but I cared not. It's ed are not slouches either. The ost within the show are quite meh though.

To sum it up, Sakura Wars could have used a better director and editing, better character work and a better explanation. The plot was serviceable, if not something you've seen better executed in other shows. The villains suck, most characters are nothing special except for Sumire who was probably the reason why I didn't bring my score lower. The theme song was as great as it ever was and should be enough to draw people into the show, for better or worse. Personally, I would say the show ain't worth my time but I guess some may find my complaints to be a positive.

It really doesnt matter how you watch it. It's mostly episodic anyway and some episodes that SHOULD'VE BEEN RESOLVED NEXT EPISODE was notably skipped and handwaved. It is boring, especially when Sumire's not around.

WIT studio has been making marks since the titanic success with Shingeki no Kyojin. If not for their bombastic animation production, it was the sheer quality of the stories, sans Kobaneri, they choose to take on that caught my attention and made me giddy to tune to them. Watching the trailer of Ranking of Kings, I was certain WIT wants to do something ghibliesque and was definitely on-board with it. Now that I finished the series, I got to admit that show must definitely be seen without hype.

Ranking of Kings is a traditional fantasy show about a skilled but deficient boy who dreams to be ... a great king like his father. It was straightforward and simple, at least for the first episode, but unfolds in ways that surprised me many times. This show made sure that first impressions are bullshit and that people can be as complex as its plot. Likewise, in typical anime fashion, Ranking of Kings' opening and first episode hid the fact that the show can be dark and brutal at times.

The plot of the show is interwoven thru multiple characters but mostly circulate around the main protagonist, Bojji, and the dilemma of succession and unrest around their kingdom. It is political as it is whimsy, but when things get dirty, oh boy it goes relentlessly cruel. All of the characters, even minor ones, are given time to shine through different portions of the story and while twists and turns galore, it stayed true to its roots... that is giving us a fantasy tale of friendship, hope, and adventure with grounded sensibilities. For the most part, it worked.

Characters are probably the reason why many people would love it. Bojji is adorable and easy to root for, though went the typical shonen protagonist route midway. Kage, the co-protagonist(atleast in my eyes) was definitely a standout character not only for his unusual design but on how his notion of loyalty played out. This will easily fill up my review space if I list everyone I liked in the show but let's just say that there really isn't any specific characters I loathed in its runtime due to the development in had with its villains....except probably those village people and to some degrees, a certain bastard swordsman. Sure, some got the shonen way of defeat-means-friendship but there's more to them here in the show. Let's just say one of my favorites in the show is one of anime's best mother figure.

Soundwise, both OP and EDs were bops, notably the first one which fits the series really well. Sound design within the show was somewhat generic sounding but nonetheless did fit the overall narrative.

Now, to why the show was a bit far from me 'loving' it. I absolutely preferred the show's first half than its second part. This was namely due to the narrative shift from grounded adventure to kingdom-saving dynasty warrior shit. Yes, the strategic gambits by multiple people was kinda awesome but the powerup system was kinda unbelievable due to the short timeframe that was implied. THIS IS A SPOILER:
Bojji underwent the super secret-training shit which many anime heroes has already done and now became one of the world's best fighters which was a colossal jump from the initial episodes' remark that Bojji has no fighting prowess whatsoever. The show explained it somewhat but it was jarring to believe that the Big Four is even weaker than what Bojji, a preteen or something, even with their years of experience. I think this part was too rushed. Likewise, Miranjo's story is well done but kinda spliced in a wrong segment and could have benefited by an earlier reveal.

I mean Miranjo's story was freaking brutal, man. While everyone is playing Game of Thrones, Daida slowly turning into Artorias of the Abyss, Miranjo has experienced BERSERK. She should have a specific episode dedicated to her.

To sum it up, Ranking of Kings has wonderful cast and a nice plot only marred by assimilating the trappings of shonen's cliches. It is fun, heartfelt, and has lots of clever story deconstructions. Episode two was a definite standout and I cried on that one. The story was somewhat done and fairly satisfactory though can easily continue if WIT wills it. The thing is, watch it with the mindset of enjoying the story presented rather than what the hype tells you. The adventure aspect in the show is kinda short and the second half was spent more on JRPG battle gauntlets.

I spent 21 episodes waiting for Poise to reappear and she never returned dogdammit.

Watch it binged. It is a fairytale with The Little Prince's artstyle with the director's cut offerings of the German stories.