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May 23, 2015
An emotional sucker-punch to the gut with great art, brilliant characters, and the best soundtrack I've ever heard.
The story (9/10), while predictable, is wonderfully delivered. The pacing is exactly right and well paired with thorough character development.
The art (10/10) is stunning in its own right. Beautiful detail and stunning imagery gives the show a bright and colourful feel, at times providing stark contrast to the story itself. What gives this animé a solid 10 out of 10, however, is the animation of the instruments themselves. Any musicians out there can appreciate how badly animated most animé are where the playing of musical instruments
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is involved, but Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso is a shining exception to this trend. Every key strike, every wrist movement, every bow stroke, hell, even the fingerings on the melodica are correct. Utterly phenomenal.
The soundtrack (11/10) is, without a doubt, the finest I've had privilege to hear. The pianists the studio hired are absolutely fantastic, and the violin, while perhaps not the most technically solid performer on the planet, more than makes up for it in sheer musical prowess. Never in my life have I cried from sheer beauty, but the final number in Shigatsu made me do just that. Unbelievable.
The characters (10/10) are adorable, not overly exaggerated in their characteristics, and (with some exceptions) believable in their development. It is the character development that truly drives home the singular message behind Shigatsu: music is a powerful and wonderful force. It was these heartwarming (and gut-punching) character developments that reminded me why I became a classical musician (and, I'm told, has had the same effect on many of my colleagues). For this reason alone, I feel obliged to give the category a 10.
For sheer enjoyment (10/10), I feel obligated to fully disclose that I am a university educated classical musician, so I am, at best, biased here. That said, anyone who even remotely likes classical music will likely adore this animé - those who can't stand the genre might want to give it a wide berth.
Overall (10/10) Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso is second only to FMA: Brotherhood on my own list. The music is timeless and brilliant, the characters raw and believable, the art stunning, and story brilliant. A must see.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Jan 30, 2015
Utterly unintelligible garbage.
I have never found myself so confused as to all the hype and praise surrounding an anime as I have in the case of Bakemonogatari. This is the only anime I have ever tried hard to finish and been unable to. The issue is this: the script only makes a vague amount of sense; one never knows exactly what just happened or why it’s happened, only a general gist, much like watching a movie in a language you don’t really understand. To further add to the frustration, text appears constantly in flash frames, that is to say, in single frames of nothing but
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text and a solid background interspersed for “artistic effect”. It would appear that these do not add anything at all to the plot or the development, but are instead simply reflective of what is going on at the time; sadly these writings are also cryptically vague. They also have the added irritation of forcing completion-ists (like myself) to pause the damn video repeatedly every few minutes to try and read the stupid things.
In fairness, I have often wondered if perhaps it is the sub translations that I used that caused the thing to make no sense, but I have a few friends who have continued to watch the series and have been left equally confused. The premise does seem interesting, but without being able to understand what is going on, it gets infuriating really fast.
The music in the show is passable, but the long gaps in the soundscape leave awkward holes that add absolutely nothing but disorientation to the overall feel. The art, on the other hand, is beautiful in its simplicity. Honestly, this is Bakemonogatari’s only redeeming feature.
Reviewer’s Rating: 3
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Jan 29, 2015
Akame ga Kill! is a good overall watch - nothing special, but certainly worth seeing.
The Story (7/10), while certainly not the strong point of Akame ga Kill!, holds its own rather well. While the content it delivers is hardly A material, the pacing of what it does have is quite good; the watcher is never itching to watch the next episode immediately, but is also seldom (if ever) left bored.
The Art (8/10) is nice and simple. While it could have been more detailed, there was no pressing need of it, and the style suited the action.
The Characters (7/10) are difficult to get attached
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to, especially from the mid-way point to towards the end of the series, as characters tend to be rather short-lived. While the killing of characters one would normally associate with at least some form of plot protection is interesting, it quickly loses its effect. What we are left with is decent enough, though the habit of giving at least a cursory background and development to characters only to kill them off isn't one that everyone will enjoy, especially since these deaths generally fail to elicit the emotional reaction they were clearly intended to.
In terms of sheer Enjoyment (8/10), Akame ga Kill! does a good job of keeping the audience entertained throughout the series; the lack of character connect-ability is generally offset by some excellent fight scenes and great (if re-hashed) weapons ideas.
Overall, Akame ga Kill! is worth seeing if you enjoy the genre (assassins, mild comedy, lots of killing, etc...), but can probably be left alone if you don't.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jan 28, 2015
**Spoiler Free**
Madoka Magica is great for a magical girl animé, but certainly no Stein;s Gate or FMA: Brotherhood.
The Story (8/10) is where the main issues with the Madoka Magica can be found. The pacing is utterly abysmal. I found myself bored out of my skull for the first 9 episodes. While this issue is certainly not unique to Madoka Magica (Gurren Lagann *cough*) the perceived overall value of the show is far more largely damaged as there are only 12 episodes in the whole thing, meaning that three-quarters of it isn't worth seeing on its own. This said, even I cannot deny that the
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sudden change in pace (and grand reveals) that take place in the final few episodes of Madoka Magica made the whole experience worth while, if only just.
The Art (9/10) is fascinating - both clean and simple moe and a far more chaotic, collage (similar to that used in Bakemonogatari) styles are used with a good deal of success.
The Sound (9/10) was quite well done - the soundtrack is solid and the voice acting (by the end, at least) is believable.
The Characters (8/10) are the other area that could have been much better. While there are some (well, one) characters that one cannot help but fall in love with (or at very least feel incredibly bad for), I couldn't help but hate the self-pitying (and frankly whining) attitude of Madoka herself. It may be said that her character is acting as most would in the situation she finds herself in, but the whining is frankly insufferable. At least in the case of Evangelion's Shinji Ikari he actually takes some action between bouts of his angst.
The resulting enjoyment was underwhelming for the majority of the series, only a 5/10 at best. The majority of the show was simply too tedious, too slow, and too (seemingly, until the end) pointless. While the impact of this slow buildup is fantastic, there is simply not enough content to justify giving Madoka Magica more than an 8/10 overall.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jan 28, 2015
Strikingly unique, the first thing one will immediately notice is just how absolutely fantastic the animation quality is. The quality of the animation easily trounces most every anime MOVIE, and among anime themselves it's hard to think of anything that even compares.
The premise is likely to be the second - a thrillingly new idea in an age where such things are worth more than gold. Two teen-age terrorists, known only as Nine and Twelve, are the centre of this present-era Tokyo tale; the story quickly enchants as it tells of their insidious plots. The back-story of our two anti-heroes does, sadly, leave something to
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be improved upon; one reaches the end of the anime without fully understanding just why Nine and Twelve are perpetuating this crime.
Despite this, Zankyou no Terror is absolutely phenomenal - anyone who enjoys a darker plot with excellent pacing will love this anime.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Jan 28, 2015
Code Geass is, without a doubt, an absolute gem among anime.
Where many mecha and mecha-like anime in the past (and presumably the future) rely on over-the-top explosions and mechanical battles, Code Geass takes an entirely different approach, instead focusing on intense character development and subsequent character-driven plot. Make no mistake, there are still all the typical mecha elements present, but Code Geass is by no means to be lumped with them - the thrill is in watching the bold planning and execution of Lelouch, the Emperor of Brittania, and others as they play out a high-stakes game of strategy and tactics with war machines.
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Furthermore, those who enjoy trying to figure out the plans and tactics used before they are revealed will have an absolute field-day with this one - trying to predict just how each battle (and the war as a whole) will play out is no easy task - the thrill of the ever-changing plot is real.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Jan 17, 2015
A festival of feels.
This anime is an absolute rollercoaster - it's heart-wrenchingly sad, but also joyous in a strange way. The premise is simple and the story plays out the scenario realistically and beautifully.
The beauty in this work is perhaps best seen in the way it keeps you on the edge of despair: with joy. It contrasts the despair of the living with the joy of the dead (strange though this may sound). The value of human life, the sorrow of things left un-finished, and the love of friends and family. All of these things make up the festival of feels that is Ano
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Hana. An absolute must see for those who like a good cry - if you enjoyed anime by Key (Kanon, Clannad, Air!, etc...) you'll likely love this (that said, Ano Hana's story is significantly less bizarre than those made by Key).
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Jan 17, 2015
This anime is hard to watch, but well worth it (provided you have the stomach for it). Violent and bloody, Elfen Lied (German for Elf Song) will have you rocking back and forth between touching and utterly disturbing moments. This rollercoaster has a distinct effect - it renders the touching moments more poignant, more powerful; it also keeps the shock-value high whenever the plot turns grim.
With this in mind, you should only watch this anime if you are the sort who enjoys feeling sad and/or disturbed. Liking gore helps, too. That said, if you do enjoy these things, the story and character development in
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Elfen Lied are absolutely fantastic and should absolutely be seen if you're a fan of the genre.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Jan 17, 2015
Full disclosure: I adore this series.
This particular incarnation of the anime is probably the best of the bunch in terms of overall enjoyment - it's far less dated than the original 1960s launch and has none of the soul-less feel of the 2003 series. This said, one should be prepared for what can perhaps best be described as a cliché 80's series: it's horrendously violent.
The entire show revolves around the mighty Atom (Astro Boy), a robot boy with 100,000 horsepower, a built in phone, butt-cannons, arm cannons, rocket boosters, super-hearing, and flashlight eyes. The scene is set in futuristic world where robots are
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in the process of (finally) acquiring their civil rights. True to American history, this is far from an easy process, and of course, this having aired in the 80's, killing off robot characters in terrible violent ways is par for the course (as long as they're not actually human, it was A-Okay!). Deaths of secondary robot characters are often pointless and under-whelming, but certainly interesting. This show (and the original 1960s incarnation) are a must watch for anyone who enjoys the classics!
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Jan 17, 2015
If someone had told me that I would be rating this anime a 9 when I finished the first episode, I would have laughed. Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann is absolutely obnoxious. It is the definition of over-the-top. At the start, it comes across as downright stupid. So, how has this anime won over the hearts of so many? All the reasons I just listed; it draws you into the ridiculousness that it is.
The Story (9/10) is absolutely great - fantastic, really. The first 7 episodes aside, the over-the-top style gets progressively MORE over-the-top over time, a difficult (or near impossible) thing to get away
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with without near-perfect pacing thereof, which Gurren Lagann delivers flawlessly.
The Art (8/10) is nothing all that special, though it does have its own unique style, just like the rest of the show. Personally, I wasn't all that impressed by it, but I found nothing wrong with it either.
The Sound (10/10) is brilliant. The voice acting in both the original Japanese and the English dub are fantastic. The soundtrack is an absolute gem - no other series could pull off opera fused with rap, but there it is near the end of Gurren Lagann; the soundtrack was so good I was left grinning from ear to ear like an idiot in the middle of several episodes near the end. The music may seem repetitive at first, as the same thematic material is used throughout the entire 27 episodes, but the impact of these themes, as with most of the show, gets better and better as you approach the end.
As for Enjoyment (11/10), I cannot begin to describe (or understand why, for that matter) how enjoyable Gurren Lagann is. It draws you in like a cult and builds itself up in the eyes of the watcher exponentially.
To be perfectly frank (and cheesy) this anime is about feeling - by the time you get to episode 20, you feel the NEED to keep watching - what originally seemed over-the-top (and still is, in hindsight) is absolutely enrapturing. Say what you will, but this anime is easily one the most entertaining ever aired. Be warned, you may hate the first few episodes; I myself had a hard time getting through the first 8 episodes. From there on, however, it really does get good quickly. The story of the man whose drill will pierce the heavens is a great one - don't miss out.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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