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I'm really glad I got the chance to finally watch the film in theaters in its fullest experience (surround sound haha). As an adapted movie, Kimetsu no Yaiba's Infinity Train is a faithful adaptation its original source material, elevating and enhancing the panels to its fullest potential. The animation and sound were nothing short of amazing, breath-taking, and cinematic. One should not expect anything less from big names like Ufotable Studio and Yuki Kaijura with notable works under her belt like the Fate series.

My review becomes a bit more subjective regarding the story at this point, so please take it with a grain of ... salt. While I do commend the accuracy to the source material adaption, the problem here is that the source itself has glaring pacing and execution issues which consequently are reflected in the film as a result. It unfortunately plagues the later arcs in the manga as well, but I've already covered that in an older KimeYai review.

"Kimetsu no Yaiba: Infnity Train" thus suffers from what I like to call the 'Marvel Movies' formula in which the viewer is given lots of plot, but little to no story. The events in the film are just moving at such a fast pace (x happens, now y happens, etc), the viewer has little time to soak in and reflect on emotions characters may feel, thus removing any sort of emotional connection that should be fostered. This is just something personal and specific, but I'm a little sad they left out a core detail during the dream sequences when the children find the Demon Slayers' dream core. I remember reading in the manga Rengoku's core was described as brittle, reflecting how though he may put up a bold front on the outside, on the inside he struggles to hold his own being the only person in his family/life to have faith in himself.

This is more rambling, but I really wish the Infinity Train arc had happened later in the series to fix its pacing and character development with Red Light District arc possibly happening before it. That could have given more time to develop the characters more like Rengoku. While I appreciate his character and personality, 10 chapters was far too short to really see him shine and this is reflected in the film also. The moments he happens to appear in the film his aura really commands the frame, but his screen time unfortunately was limited to either a few appearances save for the very last part of the film.

In retrospect, the film was a fun experience with jaw-dropping visuals and heart-wrenching drama, but the movie from hindsight might feel somewhat hollow to some viewers like myself.

I'm an anime to manga reader and have been following Noragami after it's first season aired in 2014.

After picking up where the first season left off, I was completely immersed in the story and they way Adachitoka were able to create an intricate world filled with rich, Japanese Shinto history and motifs. Noragami does a great job pacing its action and development, thus playing effectively into the storybeats when it moments need to be emotional or tense. I genuinely enjoyed the first few arcs for characters like Bishamon, Yukine, and Ebisu as the manga paces out their conflicts well, resulting in great payoff for ... their development that can be seen in later chapters.

Noragami's characterization is also commendable in the fact that characters develop progressively and do not revert or remain stagnant in their motives and personalities that many shounen plots/characters tend to fall victim to. Once a character arc ends, that very character usually comes out with a new mindset or understanding than before.

One particular trait I noticed about Noragami is that it loves to end its chapter on cliffhangers, be it the suspense before a dire battle or a revelation revealed, it always manages to leave me at the edge of my seat anticipating the next chapter. However as of late, this trait has also been detrimental to its pacing. After the Ebisu arc, the pacing has been somewhat shoddy in the way things have been tending to drag out in terms of storytelling. The cliffhangers that were once leaving me at the edge of my seat before has now started to hamper the progression of the plot. This in turn has really muddled that fast-paced suspense that was present in the manga in earlier chapters. The character development also begins to suffer because of the sputtered pacing, and it feels character motives are all over the place.

Seeing we are essentially very close to the end of the story, I'm still anticipating to see how things will end. Noragami started off very strong and as the story began to unfold, I was completely enveloped and invested in its characters— especially Yato. Though the pacing might be spotty as of late, this doesn't detract from the overall enjoyment to an extent.

Taking the mainstream audience by a storm, Kimetsu no Yaiba pulls its influence from its shounen predecessors to create a riveting tale set in feudal Japan of a brother fighting to the ends of the earth against demons in order to find a way to restore his sister who has also turned into a demon. The significance and importance of familial bonds do not extend only to the main characters Tanjiro and Nezuko Kamado, but to a diverse side cast as well. Gotouge sets up dramatic arcs that are filled with action and tension, keeping many readers like myself heavily drawn in. The art style ... greatly compliments with the dark aesthetic the story takes place in, periodically juxtaposed with a very cute, charming doodle quality in lighter moments.

Kimetsu no Yaiba unfortunately leaves more to be desired in many aspects of its storytelling, pacing, and character development. While I adore and find the character designs Goutoge has created very charming, the potential of characters and their and personalities usually fall short. The main problem behind this is the sputtered pacing. Kimetsu no Yaiba does a great job establishing end goals and objectives, but fails to successfully create the payoff and development towards said goal. The development of certain characters can thus feel somewhat jarring with the lack of coherency. I found in many instances I was frustrated with deaths of significant characters in the story rather than feeling grief as one would usually feel. I'll try to not to spoil any particular characters, but several were underdeveloped in the time of their death, thus rendering their conclusion in the "meeting in the afterlife" sort of shallow.

One thing I'd also like to mention is the "meeting in the afterlife" motif that is recurrent throughout the manga. While I did initially find it very emotional and touching for the first couple of characters, it eventually became redundant. I don't like the notion of a character's conflict or arc being resolved in the "afterlife" that we frequently see throughout the manga when characters die. Death shouldn't absolve problems or conflicts. I feel if we got to see these characters live and make peace with these things, it would have been more emotionally resonant. This motif thus makes character arcs feel too conclusive and isolated from a seamless, holistic story.

Aside from these flaws, holistically Kimetsu no Yaiba is still a fun and entertaining read. Unfortunately these flaws also simultaneously leaves me wondering how the story would play out differently if things were changed. It leaves a weird conflicting feeling in me I can't really describe. I really love several of the pillars, but I feel the story sometimes does a disservice to their development in many ways. I'd still love to see how things conclude, knowing we may very well be in the final stretch/last arc of the series. Tanjiro's unfaltering resolve and motivation is very admirable to see in a very dark and bleak world. It gives the reader's hope that maybe even despite these impossibilities, there's an undying will of the heart that gives us hope.

Just when I thought Mob Psycho 100 and Studio Bones couldn't outdo itself after a great first season, they pulled all the stops with nearly every aspect of the show and set the bar even higher than before for this current season (and for most anime in general for that matter!)

The story follows Shigeo Kageyama (or popularly referred to as Mob), a middle schooler with psychic powers which he deems as almost a burden because he is unable to control them and in certain instances has done more harm than good to those around him. Both seasons focus on his development to become a better person, ... to acknowledge and learn to control his emotions. However, season 2 takes this development to an even higher level, delving deeper into Mob's emotional state and personal morals. Though the plot might seem one-track in its narrative, it is not necessarily the case as the series introduces a lively, diverse secondary cast that is not inserted just for the expense of Mob's development, but display their own growth and are pivotal to Mob's own growth as well.

There are many golden moments throughout this season, some of my personal favorites being Reigen's arc, the first episode involving Emi, and World Domination arc.

Mob Psycho 100's true charm and uniqueness lies in its ability to subvert from the shonen mainstream. Categorized under the shonen genre, I'm pleasantly surprised with how strong the slife-of-life aspects are exemplified in this show. As of late, the shonen genre has been inflated with the same recycled trope of the grand protagonist's journey of becoming the strongest hero and trying to save everyone and or the world. Although these types of stories are enjoyable in their own right, Mob Psycho's pivotal message of kindness distinguishes it from the former. It's such a refreshing narrative in the midst of a plethora of series focused on self gain, narratives that are unforgivingly cruel/dark, and apathetic characters. Being kind to oneself and others is one of the many indispensable messages from the series. With kindness, people can grow and change. We can see this with characters like Dimple and Mogami. 

BONES really went above and beyond with the production quality. As an animation major, the entire series from start to finish was an absolute treat. It would take at least years for me to look over all the amazing sakuga from choreographed fight scenes to even emotional character acting. The animators really went 100% (pun very intended) and the effort clearly shows through the quality. Sajou no Hana provided wonderful openings and endings to the series, inserted into scenes at the most perfect of moments, "Gray" and "Ikiru Hitobito" being my personal favorites. Although many of the tracks used were from season 1 save for a couple new tracks (that I can't wait for to be released!!), it still effectively sets the tone and mood for the scenes it's inserted into.

I had initially given the second season a rating of 9, but after some deep thought and contemplation, it really does deserve a 10. Its message has touched and affected me on a much more deeper level than I had initially thought. Maybe what really keeps the world going round is kindness. After finishing a series, I'm mostly left with a quiet and satisfied emotion (usually disappears within a week or two), but after finishing Mob Psycho 100, I'm filled with an enchanting magic that only a few selected anime series I've finished have given me the same feeling. 

Mob Psycho 100 in of itself is a completely enjoyable watch, but what you may take away from the show is what makes it even more special.

I'm definitely looking forward to season 3!