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There's a strange aura that haunts the slice of life genre. "It's a bunch of nothing." What could you possibly get from a show like K-on? There are countless lessons to learn throughout a lifetime, and I think one that many should obtain is the know-how to appreciate greatness in anything. A show doesn't have to tell a story the way Serial Experiments Lain does to be considered a "masterpiece." I'm not too fond of the word as it has become notably diluted, but I'd like to use it here to describe K-on to help share my foundation of what makes an anime such. A ... masterpiece is: "a work of outstanding artistry, skill, or workmanship." defined by Oxford. While K-on may appear a run-of-the-mill slice of life, its production is top-notch, and its story is compelling to form what I would most definitely consider an anime masterpiece.

K-On is the cardinal, "cute girls doing cute things" type of show, with it being one of the certain pillars and concurred ancestors of the subgenre. The thing is, though many copies arose, many fail to capture the charm of K-on. It is a cute girls doing cute things type of show but, it's not only that. There is still nuance, and there is still an essence. "Good artists copy; great artists steal." -(most likely) Pablo Picasso. What the said good artist would copy from K-on is the cutesy, light-hearted comedy. The great artist would instead steal its narrative direction. K-on is highly regarded as a show because it still had an excellent story. It's easy to dismiss the story's depth because its production through KyoAni was so sharp, blending the cutesy stuff with the story impeccably. It's nothing profound or life-changing in the slightest, but it's touching and heartwarming.

The story is a perfect example of simplicity becoming sophistication. It rides of the fast pace of s1 to slow things down. The early years went quick as the girls frolicked around, but it's the senior year now. There's limited time, and their band isn't anywhere near what they've dreamed it to be. K-on takes this slow pacing to deliver and reflect a simple yet wondrous lesson, to enjoy every moment you have. They know their dreams of grandeur won't come true, but they know if they keep working and have fun along the way, the experience is worth more than enough. The small goals each girl wanted to accomplish slowly become checked off, and they can all end with a smile on their face. Mio has improved her confidence massively. Yui has been able to become the older sister she's always wanted to be. Ritsu becomes the strong club president she would always claim herself to be. Mugi has gained the experiences of a "normal girl," as she's a rich, prestigious girl. Azusa has learned to relax, not be so stiff, and to have fun. K-on tells nothing new and nothing original, but in no way is it a bad show. It's a coming-of-age without the crazy. Sometimes, a character doesn't have to save their parents being held hostage in a burning building for them to mature. These girls lived a modest life and learned their lessons. I think this modesty is why I could connect so well to the show. The glory of many action shows often has me admiring rather than relating. I'm cheering for the guy, but in no way am I seeing myself in his shoes. K-on's composure as something plain was able to speak remarkably to someone like me. After all, here I am writing about how it did.

The show knows what it wants and executes it perfectly. The gradual culmination of the girls' emotions as they reach the inevitable end of their highschool life couldn't have been better. They talk like it's ages away yet arrive in no time. The cutesy stuff intertwined beautifully with the thematic side to mask the passing of time. One day, it's the beginning, you watch them do some silly stuff, and then, it's over. The impact of the girls' time realization hit just as hard to me as it did to them. They perform at their annual school concert, say, "Wow, I'm so excited to do it next year!" and realize there won't be another year. When one of the girls remembers, they all do, and the direction here is ideal. It pours emotion. S2 has slowly built this bond, this experience, and now, it all explodes out in a warm, affection-filled scene. The build-up of their innocent blindness strikes them all at an instant, causing these amazing detailed animations to take the stage and a not-so-pretty look to bear my face. The shimmer of their tears, the glow of the environment, the look on their faces, it was flawless to elicit the emotional climax of K-on's story.

It's not a story of accomplishing your dream but fulfilling your life. They're okay with not becoming big. They instead learned how to appreciate their time. Every day you feel like you've wasted a part of it, and while you certainly may have done so, learning to embrace whatever goodness might've come from it is a much better outlook on life. K-on is essentially supposed to make you feel better, and a lesson like this applies completely. So what if they ate cake and drank tea most of their practice time? The charm that resulted from their antics bled through their performances to entrance both the audience in the anime along with us, the viewer. The band has never been something of talent or skill, with Yui and Azusa initially describing them as "not very good," yet they find great success within the community. The best quote from K-on is "Fun things are fun!" by Yui. It's stupid but speaks to her character, along with the viewer. K-on is telling you to have fun, to enjoy life because the same way time sped by these girls, it will do to you. The band found success because their passion and easy-going energy touched the community, not because they were virtuosos.

The quality and effort put through the songs speak vastly of KyoAni's passion. They had the voice actors learn their instruments and had them perform some of the songs. As a guitarist, watching Yui and Azusa play was stunning. The chords matched up, and while my attention to the lead guitar stuff was little, it seemed to be close, with definite hammer-ons, pull-offs and slides clearly animated. The song U&I was already enough to bring forth many emotions but that song for Azusa, whew, almost cried again.

I really enjoyed K-on, if you couldn't tell. 10/10 in pure entertainment. The chibi forms that often appeared were really cute and funny, especially when Mio would "explode." The stupid things they'd do to procrastinate practicing never failed to make me laugh. The character interactions, while based on the manga's four-panel comedy, never felt forced. If you haven't read the K-on manga, don't bother. It's nowhere near as good, with most of s1 and all of season 2 and the movie being completely anime original. KyoAni really poured their heart into K-on, and you can feel it. "Sad" anime often disappoints me because of the poor writing that follows most of them. Never would I expect to feel so much from what I thought was only a cutesy comedy for me to relax.

Viewing K-on is all about perception. Requiring the maturity to understand that a show like K-on can be something worthy of a title such as "masterpiece." If you didn't like it, that's all good, but please don't undermine its quality. There's a reason why K-on remains accepted as one of the best of its kind over a decade later.

So what really makes an anime "masterpiece?" That is a very subjective matter, but for the ones I bestow that title upon, they are works of quality and personal resonance/relatability, nothing to do with perfection or complexity or "deep" -ness. KyoAni's passion brought forth that said level of quality, and with it, a story I could look at and learn from to really stick in my mind. K-on didn't change my life, but it did my outlook on anime. So before I end up too far off, thank Japan for K-on! and thank you too!

Demon Slayer's adaptation by Ufotable was a masterfully embellished sword whose blade was forged by a novice blacksmith, either using all the wrong materials or straight-up skipping out on them.

Just a month ago is when I got around to this community-shattering piece. It's been a while since a show has split the community like Demon Slayer, and while there are always fans and haters, I found myself wanting to be a fan, though it proved nothing worthy of that title. Its narrative knows nothing of character writing or consistent tone and presentation, displaying lazy writing and cheap shortcuts. Within the pursuit of being ... cool and hype, while reached, the creators stifled everything else, tumbling down into a mediocre end product.

On tone inconsistency, why would Inosuke and Zenitusu even be conceptualized for a series like this? Early episodes proved heavy, gritty, and engaging. Adding characters who cried, whimpered, or screamed for every second of their screentime for the rest of the show for "comedy" purposes destroyed everything previously built. Adding those two shattered its command for an image as something more serious, leaving me stoic and pained. The only thing that got me smiling was the "Nezuko-Chan!" only because I was so relieved that it was ANYTHING but crying from that stupid bright yellow turd. Any scene that would've been good became tossed into the bin because of the comedy that must be present in every moment. The art-style change that occurred at every joke did not help either. The way the smooth, bold lines and rough details would disappear during those moments to make way for some stupid funny face slowly culminated into more distaste for the show.

Now for characters, I'll ignore Zen and Ino because I already mentioned that their telos and essence are to be annoying, and I'll talk about the main two, Nezuko and Tanjiro. They're both where you can find this writing laziness. Nezuko's whole concept is that she's a demon, but unlike other ones, she has self-control. The problem with this idea is how that self-control/restraint is acquired. Nezuko had it given to her. I'll let the whole "Remember me? I'm your family" moment pass because it's a common trope, but the whole hypnosis thing is pure writer negligence. Nezuko is the entire reason this story flows. If she had not become a demon or died, Tanjiro wouldn't be hunting down a cure, and the show would be completely different or completely cease. Why would you destroy such a prominent character? If you were to have her muzzled up and tucked away after some development, that'd be all right, but it's completely glossed over. An entire little arc could've been, showing how resilient Nezuko is through honing her mind and body over time to control her innate desire for human blood and flesh, but no. She went to sleep for a while and became hypnotized to believe "human good, demon bad," and it took nothing to do so. A story that prides itself in its struggle and hardship, handing out free passes to a main character, the one the entire plot is revolving around.

Another free pass is Tanjiro's power. While I do like his personality, his writing is also lazy. Within an episode's time, he goes from brand new to fully trained. He went from no sword skills to all water forms within no time. I could accept the breathing and agility because it showed that, but how'd he master water styles besides sitting under the waterfall? The only swordplay shown was him swinging it overhead and slapping that boulder. The water wheel technique Tanjiro is always using was never shown in training. Any shounen has it when they have a sort of signature move. Anything in Hajime no Ippo shows Ippo working in the gym honing the techniques. After seeing him work and finally pull off the thing he's been working for in a match, you're satisfied. Having payoff without work isn't a payoff rather, it is a convenience, handing over flashy moments that don't leave their intended impacts, leaving me flat.

Another occurrence without work is the fire stuff in ep 19. What? Did the author pigeohole himself and came up with the backstory then? A sudden power boost had to emerge after exhausting the breathing stuff, and boom, it came, the power of friendship/family. Of course. I had hopes that it'd be different, that it would at least avoid this. I understand family is a big topic the story revolves around, but it came off as undeserved and Deus-ex Machina-esque. It was the climax of the season. Why did he get some convenient revelation? I know it's because he was searching through memories. After all, he nears death, and Shinobu hinted at that hypothesis earlier, but it doesn't make it any less of what would be pure luck. With this, it's clear the author intends to have only shock value and wow moments. Quick dopamine stingers that you see, then say, "Wow, that was cool," then forget.

Once again, I'm brought around to the tone/presentation. It falls the more I think about it. Tanjiro is supposed to be a hard worker, but that work isn't there. I have to imagine what he did myself. If I wanted to make pictures in my mind, I'd read a book, but a book would still have to tell me what he did. In the beginning, when Tanjiro tricks Tomioka with the axe play, it would hint at strategy and tactics, but nope, that was scrapped and never seen again. Fights, while flashy and fast-paced, felt weightless. It might be the whole point since Tanjiro uses a water style and everyone uses a katana, but I'd like to mention it.

All right, while I can go on and about flaws, the show still has its merits. Coming out of Ufotable, the quality is there as expected, and it's the best-looking show they've done yet. It's vivid, crisp, and bold, with my favorite shot being after the final selection. The scene as the remaining participants stand together with the pink cherry blossoms, the bright blue sky, and the colors of their coat-type attire like green, white and yellow all paint this beautiful image. It had me pause and stare at it, displaying excellent color composition. The animation, of course, is smooth, and while I diss the water wheel as a concept, it was one of the best looking forms Tanjiro had besides the wavy s looking one and the one he used to kill the mom.

The cinematography showed some cool shots during fights, staying nice and simple the rest of the time. The aesthetic choice in ancient Japan was a great one. The outfits, the katana stuff, and the whole farming look were refreshing. Also, the music with those flutes and traditional instruments sounded so nice.

Another good aspect is the villains, simple and effective. I loved that big blob guy and his story. Imprisoned on the mountain, he murders the students of his capturer to have his revenge. It was great and exciting to see him. Rui was cool but didn't have much of a presence, to be honest.

The Hashira are also sick af as I've heard they are an inspiration from the Soul Society guys in Bleach, a show rich with cool. A great choice to draw inspiration. Tanjiro while he's flawed from a writing standpoint, is still loveable and refreshing with his affinity toward letting his emotions out making him feel much more human.

Things like this are where my dilemma of rating Demon Slayer comes into play, and I call back the claim of "masterfully embellished." The production value is stunning, but if it's behind unequal material, it's only disappointing, having you wonder what better works this effort could've been put into. Demon Slayer was definitely really cool, but its sacrifices to get there outweigh the factor heavily. My enjoyment matters most, but the critic inside cannot ignore any of this, lowering that enjoyment score by a lot.

This review will be posted as a 6/10, but on my list, it could easily slip into 5/10. I understand that this is only the beginning. With the movie hopefully coming to the US soon and promises of season 2 coming out later in 2021, both look to expand the world much more. I hope things will improve then. Arrivederci! :)

The Night is Short, Walk on Girl is one of many that help cement anime as a serious medium. The notion that anime is something for kids is a common one. The sentiment is found only because of the inevitable results that arise from the nature of the medium itself. Generic power-fantasies, "plot" shows, and just the whole escapist, self-indulgent nature that animation can cater to is why it is known as childish, though most do not realize that this is why. They hear the standpoint and envision rainbows and sunshine, turning to disturbance to convert the mind. This method only works for individuals who ... do think of anime in that way. Ones who believe in the way I described will not budge. It only reinforces their ideology, as by turning to disturbance rather than substance, you've only shown actual childlike thinking, demonstrating that what you have been watching is indeed childish. Though, there is nothing wrong with enjoying these types of shows. My favorite genre is the slice of life, which could not be any more escapist. I'm watching fake people live fake lives to fill the void of mine. I want to explain that there are more ways to prove anime than showing Eren's mom getting eaten or some edgy, mediocre gorefest.

So what certifies this movie as a pick for the solidification of the anime medium?

Like any other work, it cannot do everything. Those who think of anime as fields of flowers will dig their trenches deeper, but to ones who follow the view of an over-saturated, poorly written medium, this movie will stand firm. It exemplifies everything animation can bring to the table. It stands by the strengths animation can set forth and executes them perfectly.

The first most apparent strength in anime is animation and artwork. Live-action conveys through cinematography, acting, and music. Anime gets an entirely new dimension, which this movie explores wonderfully. It has a fluidity that most anime do not strive to have. I notice that the Japanese animation philosophy is to be efficient with each frame. They like to cut things that aren't needed, while western animation likes to up the frame count and make things more fluid. I think this should be much more common. It was also much more exaggerated than most shows. This creates personable visuals that strike you much harder. Within the first few seconds, you can see this striking, personable fluidity. As the main character, The Raven-Haired Maiden, drinks, you watch as the beverage flows down her throat in a giant gulp. It then proceeds to flatten back out when it nears the stomach. I also noticed the bold coloration. Large chunks of red and white filled the screen, with some light blues and yellow, grasping my attention while remaining appealing. This moment is when I knew the movie was going to be a fun ride. Something that was soon to display a wacky, zany narrative. Purely off visuals, I could make inferences, something that any anime should achieve as a visual medium.

The fluidity and animation style is one I love and is one distinctly Yuasa. His direction style is always changing, but he continues to stick with this principle. Yuasa knows his way around anime/animation. Besides the way he charms through visuals, he also has a clear vision and intent behind every decision. When the loan shark guy first appears, his boat has such a slippery aesthetic to grasp. Bamboo, other plants, underwear flags, lanterns, and much more adorn it. The uncertainty and unfamiliarity created by having such random elements also formed a better experience by spawning in suspense, wondering what this loan shark guy could possibly be. Yuasa knows how to roam the landscape of animation. The absurd is a realm anime should know very well. Free reign to explore concepts live-action could never dream of is another strength of anime. The fact that it is not real makes it feel real-er. We've all seen botched CGI work before, and it never fails to take away from any immersion you may have had. The fact that anime is already out of reality means that portraying the abstract and unthinkable comes off as more believable and won't take away from your immersion as much, with this movie doing this.

Its construction as a romantic comedy is indeed absurd. I knew off from the start it was weird, but nothing close to what I got. We've got the guy who collects erotic art as payment for the loan shark guy, people who steal underwear, a guy who never changes his underwear, battles of spice tolerance for books, wine conspiracies, and so much more. It's a movie that sets a pedestal beneath the rose-colored, imaginative lens of its creators, whether that be the author of the source material or staff members of the anime. Its central idea follows a Japanese belief in a red string of fate. I know little about it, but I know it connects what is fated to be together. The red string idea is one you can find in other romance-related works, but what makes this stand out is having it outside of just the love interests. The way a red string tied together every little detail set down out was fantastic. There were a reason and conclusion to why that guy never changes his underwear. There was deliberate intent behind every aspect, and the splendid ending to tie everything up left behind a sweet aftertaste in my mind.

As a feel-good, fun times movie, its themes are very fitting. The film is so bright and bubbly because it reflects the main character, creating something surreal. Her thought process is to keep moving forward and let whatever happens pass. In her battle with the loan shark, he compares the drink to a nihilistic view of life, meaningless. While she drinks, she describes it as luxurious and abundant, warm. It shows to view the world with positivity. She won that battle because she could appreciate it, while the loan shark focused on the flaws and slowly felt emptier because of that. Her mindset directly applies to how the story flows. As she decides to keep moving, more and more happens. If she decided to stop, none of the events would occur as she was the turning point for most of them. Her warm view of life inspired everyone around her, breeding life within the city and quite literally brightening it. Maybe you could create change in your life. Connect your red string with the ones of others and form one-in-a-lifetime experiences, a great message.

This movie overall is a love letter to anime. It doesn't take itself any more seriously than it must. So what if it's super random and doesn't hold anything complex or profound? Telling stories and conveying themes in this way is what anime is. It displayed the creativity that the medium can unfold and brought a hilarious, enjoyable time with it. It was a beautiful letter and is one I can read anytime I'm looking for that beauty. It touched my heart and clicked with my mind to create one of my favorite movies of all time and what I think is one of the best anime movies.

A dangerous, potent substance disguised as a cutesy romance manga. Beware.

This manga’s sweet tastes would surely strike the palate of one who loves the sort. Its pages flow a calm stream of fluff, bringing along a balanced warmth. Slow and steady. Never over the top, but just enough to redden the cheeks and awaken the ever-dormant butterflies within the reader. The lively, expressive artwork very well displayed the emotions and also elicited them within me. Picking something up one day and catching up with the current six volumes the next is not something you can find me doing, attesting to the absolute potency I described.

The ... two of the main couple, both around 30 years old, (as the title implies), are both brand new to the field of romance. The girl, Yamamoto Yuumi, immediately confesses this when they meet, but the guy, Inoue Kanata, doesn’t. He has come off as cool and popular to her but doesn’t want to ruin that by also revealing that he too, has no experience. They stumble around the hall of their relationship, with Inoue attempting to hide his inexperience by dancing a dance far too elegant for his abilities. He ventures into a facade fitting of her image rather than staying true to himself.

One shining factor I found is that manga is mature and realistic in its handling. While Inoue does hide his inexperience, he eventually confesses the secret relatively quickly compared to other works. No two adults would play the games frequented by the youth. I mean, the two are around 30 years old. They don’t have time for this, and that is what I really liked. I always wondered, “Why don’t they just talk about it?” and this did just that. They noticed something was up and resolved the problem right there, a feat that would bewilder the average romance. This maturity is found within every other character as well. While they all might be simple, they are realistic and feel genuine because of it.

As I mentioned, the manga is sweet and cute. Many stupid smirks and laughs were had, with the dread of knowing that achieving something similar being unlikely slowly creeping onto me. As a guy, enjoying something like this as much as I did is pretty embarrassing, to be honest, but I never cared much for such norms. I was looking for a cute, romantic, light-hearted comedy and found it. If you want substance, maybe more handling of relationship issues, I would look somewhere else. The couple is pretty much a perfect match, so any problems are rather minute in the grand scheme.

Overall, as an adult, slice of life romance, this does everything right. It stacks the elements of comedy and romance with its tone very well. I had my laughs along with my seat edging moments. Hopefully, you will have them too. Just be prepared to get diabetes, a fate many have met after intaking this manga's pure wholesome-ness.

The movie Ghost In The Shell is nothing less than art.

It takes what I'd call "visual poetry" to a level rarely rivaled in anime. The director, Mamoru Oshii's vision was clear, vivid, and projected as such. The crisp animation from Production IG still holds on its own even over 25 years now, coming out in 1995. It inspired works like "The Matrix" with its concepts and philosophies. It was one of the starting pieces to bring the culture of anime to the west. Showing that the medium is one to take seriously.

The story follows Motoko Kusanagi, Major of a military-style group called Section 9. ... Taking place within a futuristic metropolis, humanity has made great technological strides. Things like cybernetic enhancements are a complete norm in society. With this tech, a hacker known only by the name of "puppet master" is on the loose. Overriding the brains of people and taking control of them and their tech. Like well, a puppet master. Major Kusanagi and the rest of Section 9 will hunt him down and try to put a stop to him. It's a simple plotline, but what is done with and around it is phenomenal.

What's phenomenal is the absolute best part of this movie mentioned earlier, the "visual poetry" or basically the audiovisual experience. I cannot describe the pure craftsmanship of it. This movie other than having extreme first-rate production value has an implicit depth to every shot. You see, Ghost in The Shell tackles some philosophy during its runtime. Questions of defining humanity. While varying, most are related to the "Ship of Theseus," using humans and cybernetic parts instead of wooden planks to a ship. Its philosophy is presented in a way that is not as compelling as others have claimed it to be, but I don't find that a flaw. It is handled maturely and still had me thinking a little bit. With its tone, it does fall flat though because it comes off as much more than it is.

Back to audiovisuals, when going in, the reputation of the movie seemed I was to have an existential crisis or end up scratching my head to mush. This was not the case but what instead prevailed was that implicit depth. Shots and scenery all had something to extract. While I may not have had one, Major Kusanagi had a sort of existential crisis. She states the skepticism of her existence. Contemplating on if her being is hers and not one given to merely claim as hers. While said many times, most of this expressed through the masterful visual direction of Oshii. With his directing, I could feel her sense of meaninglessness and loss of identity. Wide and quiet shots show her inner emptiness. The city shots exuding the idea of being a scant particle of sand in the vast beach of the world. You pair those scenes with a soundtrack so melancholic yet so vibrant, and you achieve greatness. With the movie's dystopian, cyberpunk aesthetic, you'd think the soundtrack would be all synth-y and electro, but it's quite the opposite. Simple, resonant drums and choir-like vocals fill the landscape, building up the world to feel even more spacious. Such a lived-in feel comes out of the environment. Futuristic Chinatown is the best way to describe it. This experience was truly awe-inspiring. Analyzing and looking deeper is not something I usually do, so having it this prevalent shows just how well executed this was.

One more thing on audiovisuals is that the fight scenes are badass af. A little out there as it's in the future, but it remains grounded nonetheless. Watching some guy fly across the room in this quality filled me with joy. All actions have weight and they strike my deepest manly desire to see some sick action. Sound effects during action scenes were also euphoric. 90's sound design has got to be the best, riding that fine line of over the top yet realistic like some tightrope, unicycle performer.

On to more serious things, character writing is excellent. Major Kusanagi's characterization is done in a way so finessed. Her actions reflect her question of existence. She'll look to find or prove herself in things like going diving. With her level of cybernetics, she's a full-on cyborg so, water is a natural enemy. It seems she's lost her emotions. But through diving, she reconnects with her primal human instincts of fear. She claims that as she floats back to the surface, she experiences someone completely different. What is that exactly? Is it a more "human" her? Nudity is also frequent with these cyborgs. It helps push the theme of questioning humanity. Yes, it is nudity but is it really? Those shells are something made in the image of humans. If you're uncomfortable, are you claiming these artificial shells are close to or equal to the real deal? The major embodies this idea well. While Major Kusanagi is considered a woman, she doesn't try hard to come off as feminine. She'll openly have skin-tight suits that are pretty much see-through on or flat out be naked. Her partner, Batou, who's less cyborg, often is covering her up and is the one uncomfortable. Would he think they're both more human by being considerate? Is only he more human by even thinking to cover her in the first place? Does she think less of herself by not taking account of her body? Perfect relation to themes and creates splendid character at the same time.

The only other character to have depth close to the major's is the puppet master. His concept is pretty cool and his ideology is top-notch. As an a.i. he is just looking to learn more. He was the oppressed but slowly became the oppressor. Forming this unusual view of evolution, he does what he does to find more answers. Major and puppet master have a great dynamic based on Hegel dialectics, a process meant for ideas to clash and leave behind answers closer to the truth. They learn some things from each other and succeed by the dialectic process of coming closer to the truth, but this distance is nothing much. Humanity's definition is still not defined by the end, only giving you some more things to consider when thinking about it. It leaves you with your interpretation. Would this be considered human? That is something for each individual to conclude.

So, Ghost in The Shell. A movie that fails in presenting its philosophy the way it intends, but still brings along excellent scriptwriting and audiovisual production to make it a classic must-watch. If you've never thought much about existence and humanity, you'll find a deep, mind-melting movie. If you have, hopefully, you can still enjoy its spectacular production and flourish within other aspects.

Sometimes, a cute girls doing cute things show is just what you need.

After watching this anime, I feel different. I've been super tired and almost sad all the time. Yuru Camp single-handedly just... made me feel better. Shortly after is when I would soon find out about the Iyashikei genre. A slice of life sub-genre typically presenting calming landscapes and peaceful lives for "healing" and man, I've got to say, it works. It really does.

Rarely does an anime bring you peace like this one. The majority of the anime medium is brimmed with grandeur and drama. The ones that aren't of the two, usually ... end up being maybe a comedy. Never do I see a show made for the sole purpose of peace. Slice of life is always combined with some other genre to keep you around, but Yuru Camp maxes out every slice of life skill point, coming out amazing.

There's no crazy depth to anything here and that's ok. The mc Rin is just a quiet high school girl who loves camping on her own. One day, she meets Nadeshiko on one of her trips. Nadeshiko is your typical airhead that's super sweet and nice. Nadeshiko finds Rin to be super cool and they become friends. That's it for them. Simple and effective. Their dynamic of quiet and energetic is nothing original, but it's perfect for the show, bringing about some nice laughs and smiles.

After meeting Rin, Nadeshiko finds a new love for camping. She joins the school's camping club and makes a couple more friends. They add some more elements for little laughs and also fit nicely. They're simple but they do have development. For example, Rin will learn about the joys of friendship as she has always been alone. The story will follow Rin, Nadeshiko, and those club friends as they go camping, with that being it story-wise. Every episode is just another campsite to explore and look around. Sometimes, the show will teach you something about camping, like different ways to start a fire. The big theme I could grab from the show is to find happiness within everything. Often within these camping trips, something will go wrong but it'll lead to the characters doing something else, making the mishap a cause for joy. It teaches you not to linger on the bad. Push on and maybe you'll find something better. A great choice for an anime meant for making you feel better. Some other topics are friendship and passions. Find what you love to do and find others who also love doing it. Amazing picks.

While the characters are amusing, arguably the best part of each episode and the real Iyashikei trademark is the scenery. It is so beautiful! The colors on the screen imbue themselves within you. Whether it be a warm sunset over a hill or a dark mountain view of the moon, you'll immerse yourself in the environment. The relaxation Mike Tyson left hooks you. "Forget what happened today. It'll be alright," is what I felt after seeing these shots. I've got to give credit to C-Station for making everything look so pleasant. It's not overly cutesy with the environments looking pretty real. Just watching them mess around in these campsites would be enough for me, but with the nature views, I'm captivated.

If there's one more thing I'll mention here, it's that the soundtrack is great. It fits well and the songs themselves are genuinely good songs. They add that final touch of peace to the show. Without tracks like "Solo Camp," the show would've been half as good.

I'm usually quite fond of slice of life shows and this was surely no exception. It does everything right. There is nothing I can point out that's wrong with the show. The only reason I don't rate this show higher is that, while it is flawless, it is not that, at a higher level. This show brought me true relaxation. It is probably the closest I'll get to nirvana, helping me find true meaning and essence. My telos spotlighted after watching this. Alright, maybe that was an exaggeration, but it did sincerely help me feel better. Overall a top-tier slice of life. Quality production, great immersion, fitting themes, and characters.

If you're feeling down, watching Yuru Camp is a no brainer. With its bubbly, lovable characters and gorgeous production, I can confidently say it'll bring you even a little happiness.

If there's anything a good writer or artist in general, knows to avoid, it's the concept of product over process.

The creator, Jun Maeda, seems to have forgotten such. Besides from straight out saying, "I will make you cry," when describing his writing process, it couldn't already be clearer just how much he follows this ideology.

The Day I Became God follows a high schooler named Youta. It's his last summer as a high schooler and he's spending his time studying for entrance exams. One day he's hanging with his friend and encounters a little girl named Hina, claiming to be a god. She dresses weird and ... talks old fashion. She comes over and straight-up says to his face, "The world will end in 30 days." Obviously, he doesn't believe her until so and so happens, proving her clairvoyance.

This is when I knew shit was to be no more than mediocre. It goes on to present itself as a show going along the lines of "Enjoy your time," "Live every day like it's you're last," with an already rotten slice of life that became even worse with all the end of the world, god bs.

The first thing that makes the sol absolute garbage is the biggest factor in determining a good sol. Characters. They’re as pathetic as can be. The mc, Youta, has got to be one of the worst protags I've ever seen. This guy makes so many friends despite being one of the worst friends you could possibly have. He'll never do anything if it doesn't help him as well.

He has this romantic subplot with his childhood friend Izanami, but it never even goes anywhere. It takes such a big role in the beginning only to never be mentioned ever again. In the first half, he constantly is whining about how much he loves her and how she'll never return it. For someone so in love, he can't seem to notice that she's like hella depressed and has many issues. He only ends up noticing and helping her because first, Hina had to use her omniscience for him to even realize she had any problems in the first place. Second, as I said earlier, he thinks it'll give him a better chance of getting with her. Shallow and not even close to likable.

I'm not going to even bother talking about any of the side cast because if that was the mc, just imagine how trope-y and stupid everyone else is. A kuudere imouto, an overly happy best friend, rich aggressive predatory milf, kuudere love interest childhood friend (Izanami), and much more. They're all Youta's friends but it's so forced and artificial like there is no way you're actually friends with this guy. Every interaction compares to two pieces of drywall grinding down each other into dust. It amazes me that a name as big as Jun Maeda could have such terrible character writing. I haven't seen his legendary Clannad yet, but I've seen Charlotte and it's pretty much the same as garbage this is. Not a single ounce of development is found for anyone. Keeping them as the same unremarkable trash they started as. Tropes aren't necessarily bad, but it's what you do to them that determines quality.

The things the characters all do together aren't so bad though. Things like running a ramen shop, going to a festival together and making a movie, which I’ll talk about later. As a person who loves sol, it would be passable as a subpar one, but with the 30 days left plotline, everything has to be overrun with cheap melodrama, destroying any enjoyment I would've had for the show.

About this melodrama, the show starts as the sol, comedy (If you can even call it that), but switches to a drama worse than whatever your sad rich wine aunt is eating up these days. This is Maeda's formula that you can find in all his other works. It turns out Hina has some fictional disease that renders her pretty much dead. WHAT? NO!! As expected, here's the first major tearjerker. A poor attempt to grab at your heartstrings despite them not even being attached in the first place. The only reason why she's up and well is that she was given some magic device her grandpa or someone like that made. Some "quantum micro-computer" that was implanted inside her brain, constantly helping her out. It didn't really cure her, rather it aids her with everything. This is also the same device that gives her clairvoyance. It apparently just calculates every possible event and figures out what's going to happen. Eh? What year is this? Where are the flying cars? Where's Major Kusanagi? Nowhere actually. The grandpa was just some genius who created the thing and disappeared. Yeah... I guess seeing more Major will have to wait.

Leading to the "climax" there is a little subplot shown with some guy, Hiroto, who is a “super cool hacker man.” He is looking for something, and it turns out to be the computer inside Hina. This is easily the worst character. They paint him as the villain but he gets maybe 20 mins screentime total. He appeared in one episode then I totally forgot the next. Maeda attempts yet another tearbait when he tries to give Hiroto some tragic backstory of having abusive parents and them later being murdered. This is included within those 20 mins and is worse than anything satire could ever conceive. Maeda tries to make him into a good guy when the people Hiroto works for wants the chip out. He's all like "I can't take the computer! it'll kill her! ahh! i hate you all! i'm a good person! see? I care about not killing people!"

The people Hiroto works for decide that the computer in Hina is far too dangerous for anyone to have and then sends people to kidnap her and take it out. It turns out, the 30-day deadline was just when the computer was being removed. It wasn't the end of the world as it was the end of Hina. From her pov, it would make sense that she'd conclude the end of the world instead of her "dying". They remove the thing and she reverts to her original state.

The show then on is almost unwatchable. She ends up in some rehabilitation center where they take care of her. The Hiroto guy takes Youta there because he's got to "save her." "Bring her back home where she belongs" and hacks a fake identity of an in-training pediatrician for Youta. Within 5 mins anyone could tell Youta is illegitimate. The caretaker there tells him to keep it down and to be gentle with Hina. She has lost all her memories along with the computer. They literally have to teach her how to eat again. This man on sight starts screaming and shaking her. “Hina do you remember me!” “I was your friend remember?!” bruh. I'll take no more time to explain anything else but this will continue until it's revealed that she actually remembered him all along! Wow! The power of friendship and family prevails even through an uncurable fictional disease!

She goes back home blah blah. That one movie they were making is then finished. Hina's pre-computer removal turns out to have a recording in the movie saying stuff like "I'll never forget everything we did together" "These memories are my treasures." While they may be your treasures Hina, they are definitely not mine. "Wait, why aren't you crying viewer?" Jun Maeda wonders. Is it because I'm some stone-faced lizard? Guess we'll never find out.

To summarize everything, The Day I Became God, a show that sacrifices any good story elements for cheap twists and drama in the hopes that you'll cry. The product being that you'll cry and the process to get there being pathetic characters, horrendous twists, moments, and overall storytelling.

Often, within this medium of anime, you'll find a ton of recycled garbage. Those meant to satisfy the bare minimum, using the bare minimum. The same old same old. Resembling junk food more than an artwork. There is a time and place for this kind of show, but stumbling upon Mushishi was a fresh breath of air that I needed to catch. Something that transcends anime, becoming something of its own.

Mushishi is set in some form of ancient Japan. Villages, forests, and farmers all over the land. The title Mushishi refers to a sort of job within this world where people called mushishi, resolve the ... troubles caused by beings called Mushi. The mc, Ginko, being one of these mushishi, you’ll follow him and his travels around the land in an episodic tale. There's no overarching plot, with the only real connection being Ginko but this show doesn't need one as each story is great in its distinctive way. The concept of mushi is something brilliant as their flexibility is limitless. A form of life lower than that of singular cells, taking infinite shapes and forms. Each with unique instincts and desire, overlapping with the lives of humans, causing trouble. Mushi are used so well to express different things. Mainly aspects of humans like relationships and psyche. Whether they directly mirror or embody an idea, the mushi convey something. The story structure appears to be a formula that would become repetitive, but it never feels that way. Mushi cause problem, Ginko come, Ginko solve. So simple, yet so interesting and fresh with every episode’s story showing something new. Many plots are based on Eastern folklore and myths but they each have their respective takes keeping it original.

One great thing is the balance of each story's thoughtfulness and digestibility. What's learned by the end is enough to hit you hard, but not so hard that you'll feel like the next modern philosopher. This is great because Mushishi did seem like a show that was "too deep for you" but turned out to be a fully enjoyable, calming experience with some reflection and retrospect along the way. It’ll never shove anything into your face and If you just want to watch you can just watch.

The calming experience of Mushishi mentioned earlier is one of its strongest points as many, including myself, will mention something about the atmosphere or feeling created while watching. The execution of every single aspect is so masterful in crafting the ethereal, meditative state intended. To achieve these emotions the show uses its soundtrack and visuals to the max. The soundtrack is literal perfection. The music somehow creates this eerie, unsettling feeling along with the calm, pulling it off despite the emotions seeming to be much incompatible. Calm and unsettling. Haunting, yet at ease. Along with the beautiful artwork and smooth animation, the production regarding intent could not have been better. Imagine: a giant, magnificent tree, glowing in the darkness of the night while a quiet, resonating, instrumental rings throughout the background. That sums up a lot of what you'll find in Mushishi. It spares the extreme for when needed but stays aesthetically pleasing nonetheless. I did not believe this at first but the immersion of the show is the next level. I could feel the cool breeze pass through my room and the emotions on-screen take place in me.

Something else that adds to the experience, the only person consistently shown within the stories, Ginko, the mc. He’s quite the intriguing character. His moral code when dealing with mushi is quite different from many of his profession. He strives for more of a balance. Having the wisdom to know when to change things and when to let them be. As I mentioned before, the mushi have their instincts and desires that overlap with human lives. At their level of living, they live purely by need. Many stories show as morally gray, with the decision between mushi causing trouble by just living and if they're being "evil" becoming a tough choice to determine. When a human suffers from the actions of a mushi, Ginko doesn’t despise them. He doesn’t go around fueled by hatred even when it is shown that he's been directly affected by the actions of one. You’ll find the show’s handling is very mature. When someone is maybe infected by mushi, he’ll try to make sure the situation is resolved with both sides walking out all right. And when other things happen nobody starts going wild like “Oh my god! My sister just disappeared into the sky!” *Funny sound effect* (◯Δ◯∥) No unnecessary over the top-ness here, having everyone talk like normal people and not anime characters. One story takes place with a girl that always hears stories of mushishi. They tell her grand tales of action and bloodshed but she quickly becomes very tired of this. When she meets Ginko and he tells his stories to her, he shows her that he’s genuinely kind by helping without headed straight to killing, showing the balance I was talking about. Not just killing mushi off because they cause problems, acknowledging the fact that they are also beings that simply want to live. He’s not here for the glory. Surely a top five main characters for me. There are many other characters introduced throughout the story but since Ginko is always traveling you won’t have much time to spend with them. He has something like what Guts from Berserk has regarding mushi. Always attracting them to his presence, he is forced to a life on the road. It's to prevent an outbreak or abundance of mushi in one place because they are known to overrun areas. He will follow up on some characters, showing how and what they’re doing now. Designs of everyone are plain but not in the sense of everyone being trope-y. They all feel human. Causing a legitimate judgment of character over looks.

To wrap things up, Mushishi is a piece that conveys the beauty of life along with the ugly. Things you may not like but sometimes have to accept as it is nature's will. It also reflects on the nature of humans and their lives. A show that balances provoking thoughts without shoving philosophical garbage down your throat. Pair that with its amazing, minimalist style in sound and visuals, Mushishi stands as one of the finest works to come out of anime ever.

The everyday. The mundane.

A mystery, slice of life coming from the amazing Kyoto Animations, Hyouka is an amazing work. Hyouka is easily one of the best in conveying this idea of exploring the everyday life and what it holds. Taking place in a high school, the grandest questions are probably ones of who's dating or who's been fighting and in Hyouka, the questions asked are of little situations that if you'd come across, you'd likely ignore. The story follows Oreki, Houtarou, who receives a letter from his older sister telling him to join the classics club to keep it alive as there are no ... more members. The story will follow him and this club as they solve mysteries around their school and their everyday lives. This is one of the subjective parts as I wouldn't blame you if you thought the mysteries seemed too insignificant to care for or just seemed stupid. The first mystery being, a door becoming locked when the only way possible was with a key that no one near had at the time of locking. Now, not every mystery is as small as this but it's about the general level most are. It's so little as most would ignore it and go for "Eh, probably malfunctioned," but the characters decided to look into it. This is Hyouka. Having the curiosity to look into these everyday situations and finding something within. Most of the curiosity comes from one character, but I'll talk about her later. The mysteries aren't intellectual garbage that make the characters seem smart by pulling details that were never shown because it would've made the solution and cheap writing very obvious. While I didn't solve anything because I was just here for the ride, you could definitely solve a good amount of them along with the characters. Your attention is demanded though, as details are always being revealed and discussed. Since there are multiple, obviously not every mystery is going to be that good and can be pretty lacking at times but I’ll give props because they're all still pretty creative.


Next, characters. The characters are perfectly set to convey the themes. They're probably one of the strongest points of Hyouka. The mc Oreki Houtarou was made perfectly for the show. He talks about a "rose-colored life" describing it as sports, romance, going out and having fun with friends, saying how it is not for him. He longs for a "grey" life. A life on the sidelines where he saves as much energy as he can. He's a funny guy. He says he'll save as much energy as possible but will still do his homework and maintain good grades. It's clear his ideology is simply for excuses but it's a good one that's put to the test. The amount of development in his overall character arc is barely anything compared to what you'd usually find but it's done perfectly with a level of subtlety that's unmatched from my experience.

Now for the curious one I was talking about, Chitanda. She's the more cute, moe character but she does have some more depth going for her. She's known to be the elegant type, usually quiet and gentle, but when it comes to those mysteries man, her curiosity is far too much to handle and she does a full 180 from the usual. Coming to yell "Watashi kininarimasu!" or "I'm curious!" to Oreki, with wide eyes that just entrance him along with the audience. She's the one who's there to push everything forward and is for sure one of my favorites but understandably, she might come across as annoying to some.

The other two of the main cast are the mc's best friend Satoshi and the best friend's, friend Mayaka. Satoshi is the opposite personality type of friend. Always cracking jokes and being a smartass creating a nice duality for the two. He's the "database" around to give background to the mysteries allowing the others to draw conclusions. He's mostly around for comedy and to fill holes but even he gets a nice little arc that makes him feel much more human than a character.

Mayaka, the friend of Satoshi at first look is kind of tsundere, but it's actually not towards the mc, Oreki. It's to Satoshi, his friend. She kind of hates Oreki. With his laziness and ideology, a hard worker such as herself would definitely feel indifferent at the very least. She's usually found studying or working and is a sweet girl on the inside. She appears a little tropey but just like everyone else she's much more than that and also gets the subtlety everything else has. Well, subtlety in everything besides one thing. The visuals.


Hyouka's art is something else. So smooth, so clean, and so detailed, this is probably the anime that elevated KyoAni to its legendary status as it was the first to be THIS astonishing. Haruhi and K-On put them in the spotlight but this cemented them. Not much I can say as I'm not an animator or artist but you for sure don't need any background to acknowledge how stunning this looks.
The visual direction style is also very interesting. The shots add to Oreki's idea of being a loner and being "grey." Often putting him in the "opposite" of whatever's happening and somehow secluding him even within a crowd. Its angles are very imaginative, but remain grounded and aren't just to be cool, with a clear purpose behind each shot presented.
The color palate choice also adds to the mundane, boring-ness with its blacks, dark-yellowy greens, and browns. I love the look but it might be a bit overkill sometimes.


Next, I'll talk about sound. Hyouka’s s ost is pretty good in adding to the slice of life aspect. There is this one track on YouTube titled "Hyouka ost 42." I don't know the actual name but it's so good at showing this feeling of everyday life. It's energetic but still laid back, being by favorite ost song next to legends like the ones in tatami galaxy or Monogatari. There are also some classics like cello suite no.1 prelude and orchestral suite no. 3 to add to the mystery, "thinking" feel. The openings are nice, ed's too. Especially the second ed like damn imma commit some crimes to have chitanda and mayaka come chase after me.
The voice acting is really good, I've watched all of it in sub and dub and of course the Japanese sounds good but surprisingly the dub is almost equal. The only real problem with it is that Chitanda's "I'm Curious!" just doesn't hit like "Watashi Kininarimasu!"


For one part I'd like to talk a little about this subtlety that I keep mentioning because it's the big reason I rated a full 10/10. What's done in Hyouka is a character-focused show more than anything else. Mystery is the genre but it'll hit the back burner a lot and the show will just be slice of life. Oftentimes, slice of life isn't too good on its own and while I do agree with that, Hyouka's SOL was still amazing because of its character focus. I always hear complaints of characters having "no development and depth" showing clear ignorance. If you wanted clear, big development I would understand your dislike, but "no development" is just wrong. I bring this up because this solidifies exactly what I'm about to be talking about here. The first thing you'll see is Oreki's monologue of a rose-colored life and how he instead wants a gray life along with his energy-saving lifestyle. Every event he and the club encounter shapes his philosophy ever so slightly, being shown through as little as one action or dialogue like getting up from his chair. It does seem stupid written out here but when experienced, it's amazing. In the final episodes, especially the last, you'll see the culmination of the mysteries and their effect on everyone. The ever-present atmosphere created between the characters seeming to take form. It may not be dramatic or shocking enough compared to other stories but it displays the level of focus and consistency put toward the overall vision. A little moment in the grand scale but to the characters, HUGE. With an ending showing how things will move on instead of being told explicitly, reflecting on the precision Hyouka strove towards. This execution is fantastic and is almost unparalleled throughout anime.

So, overall, a 10/10for me. A show that really resonates within the walls inside of me. With every aspect, mainly themes and characters, Hyouka created a compelling experience that I loved. Give it a try if it sounds interesting. If you get used to the steady, slower pace, you'll find something great here.