Back to weiluntong's Profile weiluntong's Profile

I'm not sure what I was expecting when I picked up this anime. My plan to watch list has gotten so large it takes me like 10 years to adopt animations that have come and gone, having bathed in their spotlight and retired from the collective thoughts of the community. So when I finally got around to watching this I didn't remember why it was in my PTW in the first place, I'm sure it's because I saw the Chika Dance though haha. Anyway, I was pleasantly entertained, and I'm excited that a season two is currently airing.

Story - 10. This animation is an absolute ... riot. Every episode I was laughing. After making a gif for each of my favorite scenes for the first three episodes to send to my friend, I had to resist the urge to do so for the remainder of the series. The delivery was spot on. Their angle was clear. It was established by a narrator as a psychological battle between Shinomiya and Shirogane about what the other is thinking, and how they can manipulate each other into confessing; and the animation stuck with that idea up to the very end.

Art - 10. I really liked the art, the simplistic drawing of the characters for the nonsensical scenes, the over exaggerated detail as a stab towards normal anticipation building techniques, the use of lighting to set the tone, and of course, that fluid motion for the Chika Dance.

Sound - 10. I think this was well done as well. While I didn't pay necessarily chose attention to music during this animation (the characters had me sucked in), it certainly wasn't in the way, and lent strength to very powerful scenes when it DID matter.

Character - 10. A little different from my usual. I usually expect there to be heavy character development, especially in romantic animations as it helps me, the audience, to be drawn to, and relate to the main characters, and to eventually root for them as they overcome their trials and tribulations. However, these characters are very transparent about who they are, and that doesn't change throughout the entire series. I think the reason why I was okay with is is because we got to see the character from his/her opposite's point of view every episode. In real life, that's often the only perspective we get, and in a weird way, that still makes the characters relatable enough for me to root for them.

Enjoyment - 10. As a comedy, I give this full marks, and they never left the romantic aspect either, except for Chika, who was blissfully unaware. It's 100% what I was expecting and extremely enjoyable to watch. Lately, I've really been watching anime along side doing work of some sort. That was impossible with this anime. I could not take my eyes off the screen for a second, because blink and I'd miss the 1 frame that caused more massive, silly, chaos for our heroes.

Overall - 10. I'm very satisfied. I don't know if I meant to give full marks in every category, and I'm sure if I thought hard, I could come of with some criticisms, but right now I'm on a high from having just finished the finale. The finale was quite unique too in my opinion. I liked that it was a powerful moment, and they gave it a really strong conclusion, that again, had me laughing like a hyena.

I have been mulling over this review for a while now. I watched into Byousoku 5 Centimeter with high hopes. Unfortunately, I felt disappointed after watching it.

Story - 2. The story has potential. It can be a very bittersweet romance much like La La Land. However, the production did no justice for such a story. The movie turned out to be a surprise of three short stories mashed into a movie length viewing. This format is too choppy for the romance genre, which needs buildup above everything else. It starts by flourishing the love of two characters, but attempts to make us sympathize with their ... feelings when the two lovelies have to part ways. This would be more impactful if the first twenty minutes was not wasted staring at the kid in the train car. Yes, this builds anticipation, and anxiety, towards the character, but it is the first 20 minutes of the movie, the main character is a stranger to the audience. Nobody knows what he is going through. The second short story, the male lead has grown considerably, I found myself questioning if he and the boy we saw earlier were the same person. By the time I figured that out, it was over as well. It also introduced new potential love. This could be beautiful conflict for a very sad romance between the initial characters or even the current characters, but the short time frame keeps this from happening. Finally, the two initial characters meet up again on the third short, but walk by each other, complete strangers by now. I guess this is where we break out in tears; only, we are also strangers to the characters. There was nothing egging us on for the two. The story had no backbone, and did not make good use of emotion; thus, I cannot sympathize for the two.

Art - 5. The artwork was good, but as I have expressed earlier, there were scenes that were much longer than they had to be. Or rather, they did not have a good foundation to support the reasoning for their scenes.

Sound - 10. The music was probably the only good thing about this animation. It was non-intrusive and always fit the tone of the story, even if the stories were terribly disjoint from each other.

Character - 2. The most terrible thing to do to a romantic piece of work is skimp out on the characters. Without characters, there is no romance. Similarly, without character development, there is no romantic development. Again, this format makes it impossible to develop a character, so it is difficult to invest in the characters emotionally. Emotional investment controls the audience. It can captivate them, and make them root for the lead character, or hate him for being a scoundrel. If the author can control emotions, he can control the audience. Pixar knew this going into Inside Out, but CoMix Wave Films sadly did not.

Enjoyment - 1. I cannot say I enjoyed this animation. I wanted to, but could not. The characters were my strangers, and their stories only showing the tip of the iceberg. I wanted to FEEL for the characters, I wanted to CRY for them, to scream for them, but in the end, I did not know them.

Overall - 4. This puts the average below half. I really was optimistic. Many of my compatriots enjoyed and recommended it. Which probably makes my distaste stand out even more to me. However, I cannot lie to myself. This animation truly felt pathetic. I was so disappointed it took me four months to come up with a reasonable review for it. I am thankful for the experience, as it made me truly think about what I was expecting out of romantic anime; but, I this does not mean that the anime was a good experience, and I would not recommend it to anyone looking for a romantic piece of art.

If I was to describe "Mangaka-san to Assistant-san the Animation" with an emotion, I would probably say, "hopeful." The beginning of the animation was certainly interesting, and for the harem lovers, it displays a great potential for a progressive love track, complete with hilarious let downs, awfully hidden attractions, and ultimate acceptance of the situation and the womans' feelings for our male lead. However, it does not quite play out like this, even with its immense potential to do so.

Story - 4. The story starts off at a running pace, with the characters lined up and doing what they're supposed to do, and details of ... origins are fed throughout the animation bit by bit. This is relatively common for an animation and there's nothing wrong with it particularly. However, the format is a leaves a bit to be desired. Each episode is a standard twenty minutes long, but each episode is only comprised of short stories, each of which do not flow very well together in terms of timing, setting, or happening events. On top of which, the progression of the story is quite stagnant, despite the suggestive hints that there would be a romantic progression for a storyline. I give it a 4 (which is described as decent) because of the suggestive hints, because it has the potential to be a romantic story as the writers probably wanted it to be. Unfortunately, the format just did not do it justice as the short stories did not allow us to invest emotionally towards an underlying plot.

Art - 9. Skillfully drawn and animated smoothly, there's really nothing left to be desired in this department, as the transitions, were timed appropriately and the animation remained consistent whenever not transitioning.

Sound - 7. The sound does not have much to it either, as it was fluent, and abrasive, interrupting, or distracting. It honestly does not add to the animation as some would manipulate sound to do, but it does not take away from the animation either. Making the sound simply, no more and no less, "good."

Character - 5. The characters all seem very unique and interesting. Again giving them great potential as individuals for people to relate to and/or cheer for as the story progressed. Unfortunately, the format again worked against this particular category. With the short stories focusing on the task at hand, there was really no room for character development. There was no time for character development, and there was certainly no time for viewers to invest in characters emotionally.

Enjoyment - 7. I had fun with this animation, as each episode was pretty nonsensical comedy with hints towards a deeper meaning. It was fun to watch the characters unique interactions as they encountered each other in different situations, with the male lead being the pivot for what would happen in each encounter.

Overall - 6. The deal breaker would just be the format, as it did not allow me to feel a story unfolding, nor characters to relate to, and that truly is regrettable, as I would have loved to see the actual underlying story and root for a character as each path our male lead takes brings him closer to one of the female characters.

Certainly an interesting story, and definitely has potential to keep people rolling, but I’d say for those who aren’t particularly close to art in every form (writing particularly), they’ll miss the phantom that the author had interlaced into every detail of the animation.

Story - 8. Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom. Such a wonderful name. Just saying the name was quite exciting. And the setting? Muy Bien. To stage a story of a “phantom,” what could be better than the very underground of which we know nothing of? The underground, a shadow of the working class, a ghost to those close, yet unaware. Yes, I believe ... the dark, violent, and mysterious mafia and gang setting was a beautiful stage for this story. The plot was very good. While it really just has to do with the struggle for turf dominance and the fight to ascend in ranks, it’s really the characters that make this all worthwhile, because the characters, whom become phantoms of the lives they used to live, get to show off, just how phantomly they are when dominated the entire underworld. Later, the setting itself becomes the phantom which chases the characters, as they struggle to run from their own shadows. However, I found the last episode very lacking. The twist was interesting, and not expected, but the feel of the episode didn’t quite fit the canvas painted by the plot. This includes the twist, as it really had nothing to add to the plot which had been sewn so intricately. At best, the last episode was really a poorly wrapped box to signify that the contents inside were all you were getting. I’m quite use to the traditional “go out with a bang” and I feel as though that would have been a better way to leave an everlasting impression for this type of series. Thus, I give the story only an eight.

Art - 10. I will step away from my traditional sense of art when I write reviews, because this one requires a little deeper an understanding. I believe that in creating this series, more than just drawing and animation had to go into the art. The author was trying to create an entire painting with the series. He set the plot as the canvas, the music as the mood, and the character’s stories and backgrounds as the subject. He wanted not just the story to be of a phantom, but the entire ordeal to scream that of ghastly conscious. He wanted us to recognize that every detail that went into it was a feature of a phantom, the underground, the lost characters, even the scenery which most would consider ordinary, is phantomly in that it is something our characters can never grasp, and always wonder and muse over.

Sound - 10. This certainly played into the mood of each scene, as the author wanted you to know when someone was about to have their soul ripped from them, he wanted you to know when the main characters were going change the atmosphere, he wanted you to see the light being sucked out of each scene as the phantom like characteristics of arrived.

Character - 10. The thing I found most enjoyable about the character was the development (if you could call it that). Each main characters were phantoms of by having their souls ripped straight from them. Having a normal life taken away and dangled in their faces. Having them disappear from the world. It wasn’t just that they were feared assassins of the underworld, it was so much more, every single fiber and aura emitting from them was that of a phantom.

Enjoyment - 7. I truly did find it enjoyable, the fact that we can pick out every little bit that the writer chose to make phantomly, but not only was the ending lacking, overall, every transition was bad. As a new setting was reaffirmed, we had to be given an entire episode to readjust, only for it to be torn open again (the tearing was fine, as the action is what you come to want from this series). Right up to the very end, where we once again, are forced to readjust and figure out what they’re doing and what mood to faun over for the characters we follow.

Overall - 9. I do like this average. The author obviously put a lot of work into creating the perfect stage, and if you don’t pay attention to everything, you just might miss the phantom. I just wish the transitions weren’t so abrupt and the same for the ending as well. I would definitely recommend this as an animation for those fanatics who constantly like to dissect an animation, and determine the why’s of the author’s purpose for putting everything in.

Zetman was interesting to say the least. It was very action packed, and had some good suspense mixed in. I personally loved every minute. The character development was bold, but very relatable, the sound fit, the story fit. I found this anime quite outstanding.

Story - 9. Great. The animation was emotionally investing. I've always stuck firmly with the idea that if a writer can hook the target audience emotionally, then the writer will have an easier time getting compliments on his work. It was certainly suspense worthy in that the threat was introduced in the beginning, and what the threat would do was left to ... our imagination until the very end. The reason I gave a nine rather than a ten is because I felt it was too short, this story had potential to grow for a very long time; sadly, it was left short. That's not to say the ending wasn't satisfying, I just felt as if there COULD be more.

Art - 10. The artwork and animation was smooth. In fact, quite fluent, facial expressions did great, body motions showed strain, it was as real as real could get for anime.

Sound - 9. Very well placed. Starts off with an eerie tone, which is to be expected considering the threat is being introduced right off the bat, has slow instrumentals for the sad parts, and intense instrumentals for the fights. The sounds also match and are well timed. I took a point off here though because I really did NOT like the opening or ending credit selections. I felt as if they had nothing to do with the anime.

Character - 10. The first episode hints towards some drastic character development from our main character and those around him. I was very right to assume that, as the some characters DID change drastically. To my surprise, the main character actually STAYED the same as he started though, in terms of psyche that is. Which actually strengthened the impact of the ending, because it was his immovable will and mind that really brought home the end. The character who was meant to change though did so very drastically, it was actually really cool to see, because his goals did not change, but they way he perceived and pursued took a huge turn, some would even say for the worse.

Enjoyment - 9. I very much enjoyed this series, the sequence of actions were very easy to follow, with no fluff or filler, as every part had its place and reason for being there. It kept me wanting to watch to see what would happen and when. I took a point off here again, because of the short story though, I really believe this type of story has potential.

Overall - 9. Overall, I am satisfied. Sadly, the average was a 9.4 rounded down to 9.0, but I feel with good reason. I personally believed that the writer was a master at manipulating emotion. He could make make sad when he wanted, making me mad when he wanted, and make me continue watching everytime. I just wish he would continue it, develop more, and pursue this series.

Curiously, I cannot figure out whether I enjoyed "Another" or not.

Story - 7. I think what I question most would be the story. Let's think about what a horror genre is. This could be quite different with each viewer, but I believe an anime of the horror genre is intended to scare the viewer. This leads me to think of jump scares, anxiety attacks, etc. etc. While "Another" did have the child genres mystery and thriller, I did not find it to be frightening. The ending became more scaring, as everything was in chaos and disarray, while they maintained the mystery and thriller even then, ... that I enjoyed very much, but during the plot build and development, there was nothing keeping me to the edge of my seat, making me flip to the next episode, instead, a lot of things only left me asking "why" rather than "Oh god, who?" or something similar to a frightened perspective. Overall, I enjoyed the plot, and the mystery and thriller aspects were pulled off quite chiefly, however, in looking for a horror anime, I feel dissatisfied.

Art - 10. I am finding that I am not picky with the art. The animation was fluent, the details of reactions and movements were realistic, and overall, I enjoyed the art style as well.

Sound - 8. I am also finding that I am not the person to look for when it comes to music opinion. I enjoyed the music when it was present, because I apparently like all anime music. I gave this rating short of a 10 however because during build up, or critical moments, music was not at all playing, which is crucial to a horror film.

Character - 10. Everyone was outstanding. Every character had a "life," so to say. Nobody was just a side character which we don't care about, everyone has friends, family, history, possessions, which they all hold dearly, and will serve to push them off the edge.

Enjoyment - 6. Even at the end of writing this review, I'm not sure whether I enjoyed or disliked this anime. Again I say that the plot concept and the sister elements such as mystery and thriller were pulled off quite nicely, but since I was looking into this for the horror I did not find, I have mixed feelings.

Overall - 8. The entire series of course averages out to a 10. Confusing as I may be, I do suggest this anime, if not for the horror, than to enjoy the mystery and suspense, which this anime is rich with. Also if only to experience what it's like to have extensive background knowledge on every character, regardless of whether or not they are side or main characters.

Hidamari Sketch definitely fills the role, "A Splice of Life." With four girls hanging out as friends for life, this anime creates a relaxing atmosphere where one can just settle down and enjoy watching the dasy which our main characters live through.

I'd like to give a thorough review which allows the readers of my reviews to decide whether they want to watch this anime or not, but unfortunately, I will have to be rather bias for this particular anime.

Story - 3. As an anime of "A Splice of Life," nothing particular happens within this series. In fact, so much so that there really is no ... Build Up, Climax, then Falling Action like the series I'm much more adapted to watching. There is no plot, just four girls going through ordinary lives as they attempt to make it through Art School.

Art - 1. The drawings of the characters themselves are rather well proportioned, and definitely brings out the term, "individualism." However, the animation aspect efficiently lacks any effort in work. Each episode consists mostly of text or isolated animation objects in order to avoid actually animated the full scene.

Sound - 1. The music felt misplaced, and quite a bit of "dead air" was introduced during the course of this anime. Dead air tends to make the moments animated rather stale and bland to watch.

Character - 7. For a splice of life, these characters definitely fit the bill, and the voices certainly play out their parts. I've no complaints here.

Enjoyment - 1. I have learned that I cannot handle animes dwelling in the field, "A Splice of Life." While others may enjoy it, I live to find animes where plots develop and characters continue to "fight." This genre of anime does not fit that bill, because the random events leading towards no climax drove me nuts to the very end.

Overall - 3. That's the average. I've never rated an anime so low before, but there you have it, my bias review to those who don't know what they're getting into. I've never felt the need to drop an anime so badly in my life. It may be a rather entertaining anime for those who don't hope for a plotline, but I certainly could not handle it.

The title, "Princess Tutu" is repulsively repelling to most people looking for an anime with which to pass the time. I'm glad I did watch it though, because "Princess Tutu" is a fairy tale with quite the touching story line.

Story - 10. An outstanding story indeed, Duck leads an adventurous life as she attempts to collect all the pieces of her beloved's heart. The action isn't quite swordplay and blood fountains, but there is definitely anticipation buildups within each episode as our protagonist starts to reach the climax. Plus, the plot itself is a story written by a fictional character within our plot, kinda like ... a story within a story (story-ception \O.O/).

Art - 10. Definitely great art and animation. It's a bit childish and seems to be geared more towards younger children, but hey, it's not bad and I can totally watch it without complaining about pixels, so it's definitely a 10 in my books.

Sound - 10. Soundtracks were definitely placed within the right times, and there was great emotion within each sentence when there needed to be. So yes, the sound actually sounded like it was there, and not just some dude reading the script.

Character - 10. They mainly emphasize Duck's character in the beginning, straining to remind characters that she's nothing but a fragile duck who shouldn't be able to do anything really life changing. As the story progresses, they start to go in depth with the main characters though, so all around, you can definitely see the character development by the end of the series.

Enjoyment - 10. I really enjoyed this series, I've always liked romance comedies, and this one has plenty of both. So I'd definitely recommend it to anyone interested in that kind of anime.

Overall - 10. That's an average of 10, but in the end, I believe this is actually more geared towards children, because it's not really one of those animes with enough depth to send viewers on emotional roller coasters, but at the same time, it's definitely got the marks of a romantic anime worth watching. Kinda like Aishiteruze Baby if you will, except a little more childish.

Ao no Exorcist was a great piece of work worthy of praise. The plot itself was very well developed.

Story - 10. Like any other poor male lead in a shonen action anime, Rin Okumura is born in a very unfortunate circumstance which has outcast him from society, for he is Satan's son. However, Satan kills the man Rin loved the most, compelling Rin to become an exorcist to kill Satan, and that is where our story lies. I personally have always been a person of Shonen anime, the fictional action fascinates me.

Art - 10. Blood, Gore, Exploding, and fluent animation, can there be anything better ... than such fantastic art?

Sound - 10. the sound was definitely in sync with the animation. Plus, the soundtrack was the elegant music a pianist most definitely would look for.

Character - 10. Everyone was an individual with a goal they'd stop at nothing to achieve. That's obviously not realistic though, so they even took the time to throw in the people who WEREN'T pursuing a dream, and was just there to, live a highschool life pretty much.

Enjoyment - 10. I enjoyed the show very much, I feel that the beginning expressed who our male lead was and what he did for a living quite well, and once they got to the actual plot, it was fast paced and intriguing.

Overall - 10. That's another 10 on my list. I enjoyed this anime very much, and feel that it deserved the rating I gave it.

School Days was quite the interesting anime. Hatred flowed like an endless river, for Makoto Itou was a terrible man. The twist though is that the hate everyone feels for this anime eventually simmers down to great satisfaction as the ending reveals the fate of our male lead, just like any romantic anime.

Story - 6. The story is definitely not shabby, they show the trials and errors mankind has to face in reality when dealing with love. They do it in a more condensed, fast paced time span; of course, making many occurring events unappealing and sometimes disgusting. That alone made the story go ... in a downward spiral. Heck, throwing the viewer for the usual emotional rollercoaster, which every romantic anime does, would be better than what School Days did. Every move Itou made was despicable. The ending made me laugh with satisfaction though; of course, the anime set up for the very end, where fate was to decide the winner of this love story.

Art - 10. The animation was fluent and the characters really were drawn according to scene. You could feel Kotonoha's soul being sucked out when she lost the love of her life. Once again, the ending was great, for our last scene no detail was left out what so ever, as the events pursued and our winner was chosen at last.

Sound - 10. The music is really appealing, it put feeling into every scene, sad, angry, and just... happy. The end even had tragedy, as a tribute to those who lost.

Character - 3. No, I will NOT give a better rating for this. Every character was detestable. Kotonoha's insecurity repelled Makoto, Sekai's selfishness drove Makoto, and Makoto is, for lack of better words, a man whore. There really is no better way to put it.

Enjoyment - 1. The series is pitiful, nobody wants to watch something like this, EVEN if these events happen in the real world. It's just that nobody wants to see these occurrences blatantly spread out for them to watch.

Overall - 7. This averages to a good anime, though many people will agree that this rating should be lower. YOU may watch it, you may hate it, or not, but don't stop watching it. If you do stop, the whole series will be for not, and it would have wasted your time, but I promise it all simmers down to satifaction and contentment as the final event unravels. Ravish in it's beauty, and enjoy the show.