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Nijiro Days is as fulfilling as watching someone else eat delicious cake. It's taunting you with something amazing, something that you could have. But ultimately you're let down.

This anime had so many problems. I can't help but get angry because of it. On the surface, it's a quick, fluffy romance anime with male leads instead of female ones. This is a unique twist on the shoujo romance genre, but this twist is wasted on Nijiro Days. This is no better than a boring shoujo with female leads.

My major problem with the series is the characters. They are a lackluster, meaningless cast, and I felt no ... attachment to any of them, even though I've gone through the hardships of crushes and unrequited love before.

Let's go down the list of couples, analyzing each.

The Main Couple is Bland Anna Kobayakawa and Typical Shoujo Girl Natsuki Hashiba.
Anna is a typical Mary Sue. She doesn't figure out her feelings for Natsuki until the last moment. She has little to no emotions; one of the four main characters even mentions her emotionless face. I rarely got to see her smile. I can deal with detached characters, but she really was empty. Her character had no depth. She was nice but in the way that everyone is nice. She works at a karaoke place. Other than that, I can't tell you a single one of her likes or traits. She was a boring character; that's it.
And Natsuki...sigh. He had real potential, you know? He could have been a heart-on-your-sleeve, comedic relief, lovable guy. What we got was less than average. He was more like the typical shoujo manga girl. As if the creators wanted to make him relatable to the females in the audience. I've met guys who have unrequited crushes on girls. They don't act like that. They're defensive at times and make jokes. Natsuki ended up being more of a squealing typical shoujo character. I liked that the main characters were guys crushing on girls; I thought that had real promise, but Natsuki ended up way too stereotypical for me to care about him.
And the romance between the two is innocent and kinda cute, but Anna takes way too many hints and throws them out of the window. It took way too long for the main romance to even become a thing in her eyes. Way too long.

Read my full review here:
http://thelitaku.blogspot.com/2017/06/i-have-no-crush-on-nijiro-days-review.html

The slice of life anime from spring 2016 'Tanaka-kun Is Always Listless' was well-known for its cuteness and lax comedy. When I finally got around to see the first episode, I was excited because of its comedy. It was unique and something I hadn't seen before. Summer 2016 anime started, and I couldn't finish 'Tanaka-kun'. But I got around to it finally! And I'm so happy I watched it.

TANAKA IN THE RAIN PICTURE

It was so funny that Tanaka tried so hard to be lazy. This was ironic because trying is the polar opposite of being lazy. Tanaka was a walking contradiction. He continued to ... be funny with his efforts. Every episode had another challenge for him to conquer. Whether it was a girl clamoring to be his apprentice or a cultural festival. Tanaka's reactions to these challenges really made the anime for me.

The comedy in this anime was funny. Laugh out loud funny. There were moments where I couldn't help but laugh out loud. This anime had small jokes. Most of these were simple. But they made me laugh. Overall, this was a good comedy anime. Solid.

SHIRAISHI PICTURE

Romance has never been my thing. Even though I watch and read a lot of shoujo, I've never chosen romance over a good action scene. Unless it's a badly animated action scene, then sure. But this anime forced Shiraishi's unrequited love onto you. There was no reason for her to like Tanaka. I don't know what she sees in him.
What I do like about this is the fact that it IS unrequited. She has no chance with him. And that's how life is. We have crushes and may never get mutual feelings. And that's okay.

The ending was fine. It wasn't the best. It feels like there should be a second season, but there isn't the demand. It's a cute anime. But they should have wrapped it up better. Maybe Tanaka finally getting a peaceful sleep? Well, that might be boring. I don't know. SOMETHING. It felt very uneventful. Nothing happened really. I didn't get any closure.

Would you like to have a second chance? 'ReLIFE' explores the world of second chances by following the jobless adult Kaizaki Arata who takes a chance and embarks on an experiment to change his life.
At first, this seems like a quick anime to watch. The episodes all came out at once. While the premise was promising, I didn't expect to get much out of this anime. Oh man, was I wrong.

oga and kariu

This anime is all about building relationships. And the best couple has to be Oga and Kariu. These two kept dancing around each other. I'm a fan of the friend turned lover romance. ... These two were so cute. You could obviously tell that Kariu liked Oga. It was as plain as day, but Oga was so oblivious. (Reminds me of me. Because apparently, people liked me? I don't know why, but they did. And I didn't know until a friend told me.) I loved their confession. It was so cute and random. One of the BEST things I've seen all week.

relife cast

Interestingly enough, the side characters got lots of screentime. The story focused a lot on Kariu who isn't technically a side character. She had the volleyball with Tamarai arc and the cute confession arc. This was completely different than what I'm used to. I really liked getting to know all the side characters. They had complex stories, and they really had their stories told. It was different and strange but the good sort of different and strange.

friendship

One thing that I adored about this anime was its deeper meanings and themes. The one main theme that stuck with me was basically YOLO. You have to take chances and do the things you want to do. It's something that stuck with me. I want to climb mountains and travel the world now. I feel like I can do anything.
Another theme is not to let your monsters get to you. Kariu went through this awful emotional turmoil of feeling rejected and lost. It's something people feel every day. And her emotional state borderlined a type of depression in my opinion. It hurt my heart to see this. Because people go through this. It's a sad truth.

kaizaki

Sadly, Kaizaki seems to take a side character role. Even though, he's technically the protagonist. He's more of the best friend who cheers you on and picks you up after a beating. I really didn't like this because he should have had a more flashy role. I understand that part of his ReLIFE is to change, but he really didn't change. Not onscreen at least. We were given way too many arcs of him just helping the side characters. He needed a bigger role.

fireworks

The biggest problem I had was that ending! I won't give too much away. But that ending was such a cliffhanger. We had a sudden plot twist (Which, by the way, I didn't see coming at all)

3/5

'Your Lie in April' has to be one of the saddest, if not the saddest, anime I've ever seen. (It's high up on the list near 'Clannad: Afterstory' and 'Angel Beats'.) I believe my tears can fill an ocean. To the brim.
People kept talking about the amazing, tearjerking story, and I have to agree. But. I do have a few problems with this anime. But the good stuff first.

This anime has so many emotions. Yes, it's super sad. But you laugh and smile. Remember, these kids are in their third year of middle school (Which in the US of A is freshman year of high ... school.) They are still innocent. (Don't you dare give me the bull about middle schoolers drinking and smoking. Not in this anime they don't!) They still play with each other and gain crushes left and right.





Kaori's temperamental mood is a good comedy. But, at times, the rough transition between a serious scene to one where Kaori is lobbing things or yelling at Kousei is jarring. It's such a quick change that I'm thrown off at times.
But the sadness is what people remember the most. As I said, this has to be one of the saddest animes I've ever seen. You're constantly crying. Almost every episode. It's a moving anime. The love Kousei has for Kaori. The impossible love triangle. The change within Kousei. The
This anime utilizes music and visuals so well. The imagery really catches your eye. You see the gorgeous visuals of Kousei and Kaori in the sky and want to cry and gasp. You see the falling petals of the lotus blossom tree and feel this warm, fuzzy feeling in your chest. This anime is an emotional rollercoaster. But it's a great ride.




I honestly doubt I'll be able to recover from this anime.




The story is mainly focused on Kousei's change. He starts out as this mopey sort of guy. He doesn't particularly have any dreams, and he abandoned his passion music two years ago. We're introduced to the sparkle in his life Kaori who is a violinist. You might think that the change comes from Kaori forcing Kousei on stage, but I think it comes from a later episode when Kousei forgives his mother Saki--who is portrayed as this monster. (This is in episode 13. Which I remember because that has to be one of the most emotional episodes.) Kousei was driven into a corner because of Saki and her incessant pressure to be the best. But we find out that she did it for good reasons. (I got into this deeper in my analysis of episode 13. Want to read it? Click here)
Kousei changed so much. He went from this closed-off sort of guy to someone who reluctantly plays to someone who begins to understand to someone who accepts and understands his place in the world. It has to be one of the best character developments I've ever seen. Bravo bravo.



And, now, onto the stuff I didn't like.

Per usual, we have a complicated love triangle...or quadrilateral? I'm not sure actually.




This isn't my favorite part of the anime. In fact, I quite dislike it. It feels very unnecessary. Sure, it moves the story along and provides some tension, but Tsubaki's love for Kousei could have remained friendly, and nothing would change.





Yes, I do adore Kousei and Kaori's romance, but it seems to be strange too. I don't get Kaori's weird relationship with Watari. Even after she explains it all. I just...I don't like it. It's way too harsh on Kousei and Watari. The two of them got hurt because of Kaori's actions. I kinda blame her really. She could have just talked to him. Muster up her courage, you know? What she did was awful, and I'd never advise anyone to do that.





The anime seemed way too dramatic with the second half. The first half focused on Kousei's changing outlook towards piano playing. SPOILER ALERT. But the second was all about Kaori in the hospital and Kousei's love for her. I got annoyed at this. The romance thing is fine if you do it well. (Which isn't too bad actually.) But the hospital drama is trite. It's been done before, and I couldn't believe they pulled that card.
Kaori's condition was way too obvious. I could guess pretty fast what would happen to her. ('The Fault in Our Stars' has prepared me for all of the following 'a character in the hospital' stories.) I wanted more about Kousei's change and how Kaori affected his life. Just...not like this.





Verdict:
While I didn't like the romance or the overdramatic second half, this anime is overall amazing. The strong emotions emanating from it and Kousei's seemingly radical change are strong, defining points. I definitely won't forget 'Your Lie in April'.

With all of its characters, it's really hard to tell who's who in 'Baccano'. But I did discern some of my favorites.

Since this show is very character heavy, I decided to focus on my favorite characters.
Let's touch upon the plot very quickly before we start, though.

The plot was, simply, confusing.



There was so much going on. I think I can figure out a vague timeline, but the jumps between 1931 and 1932 were so rushed and confusing. I could write it out and try to understand it, but, for this anime, it doesn't seem worth the effort. The only part of the plot I ... really understand is the 1700s event with the demon. Beyond that, though, it's a muddled mess.

So back to the characters. Here are my top five 'Baccano' characters:

1) Issac and Miria



Okay. I'm cheating here, but these two are inseparable.
I love them because they're the comedy. These two are the only characters I can make sense of. They are, as seen in the OP, pure comedy.



They rob candy stores. They steal doors. They dress up as whacky characters.



But out of everything, they are the characters who really are interesting. They're weird, but I wonder why so. I'm interested in these two out of all the other couples/characters in this show. And that's what makes them great.

Also, I need to remind you that these two are pretty smart. They might seem airheaded or ditzy at first, but they help Eve reconcile with her pain and help Czeslaw embrace trust again. That's amazing.

2) Jacuzzi



Out of all the characters, Jacuzzi is the only one who seems to change throughout the entire anime. He starts out as this crybaby who seems to need Nice a lot.



More often than not, he's crying his eyes out. But as we near the end of the anime, you get to see something in him. He cries for a reason. And you kinda respect him for that. He's way stronger than you think, and he is willing to do anything to protect those he loves. I really do admire that. And his character change was, really, a curveball for me. I would have never seen it coming.

3) Firo



Out of all the 'Baccano' characters, Firo has to be the nicest. In his initiation, the head of the group does ask him if he'd like to pull back because he's so good. And I have to agree. Firo is such a nice guy. You'd never think he's in with the mafia families.

He wields a blade like a boss, but what I love most is that he treasures his hat. I love that, and it's so funny that he holds onto it while fighting.



4) Czeslaw



At first, you think he's innocent. Then, he comes out blazing with anger. Which I think is pretty interesting. Czeslaw is this complicated character. I think he deserves much more screen time.

He went through so much pain. I hurt for him. His story is so sad. And I'm kinda upset we didn't get more of this. It would have been really interesting if we had more of him.



5) Rachel



Rachel deserves more credit. She snuck onto the train. And fought back against so many people. And she only had a leg injury. How does her body work? She's so amazing.



And she puts herself out of the way (As an informant) to rescue so many people. She put herself in danger to help. I loved that. She was so brave.
And she's, somehow, just a side character? I don't get that.

Who is your favorite 'Baccano' character? Why? And what are you overall thoughts on 'Baccano'?

I'm definitely going to be one of the black sheep with this anime. I didn't like it...at all. There were so many places where it could have been amazing. But it just fell flat. I was so tired of its cliches and story that I really wanted to drop it. But, being the person I am, I didn't drop it and tried to understand what was going on.
I just didn't understand the hype. Everyone claims it's an amazing romance anime, but I just didn't see it. I can pull up a few other examples of romance animes that I like, and 'Toradora' seems to ... pale in comparison.

First, though, I need to state the few things I liked in this anime. The very few.

The strange dynamic between Takasu and Taiga was interesting.

At first, Taiga kept pulling the master-dog relationship. This, quite frankly, gave me the idea that we were about to have another 'Black Prince and Wolf Girl'--which I hate.

But then it switched to a familial sort of relation. Takasu was the doting, and mildly overprotective, mother and Taiga the klutzy, forgetful child. In this relationship, it seemed unnatural for a romantic relationship to blossom since Takasu treated Taiga like a little kid.

Then, their relationship transformed into one of equal footing. This entire time the two of them had acted like they were on different levels. But once they figured out they were equal, it really changed the playing field. They could talk to each other honestly without fear of repercussions.

Sadly, this came late in the anime which really was a sour point with me. But I'll address this later.

Another thing I liked was Taiga. Yes, Takasu was pretty cool too, but Taiga was very interesting. She was the tsundere of the anime. And it was so obvious that she was.


This was until she had blossoming feelings for Takasu. Then, she stopped being very tsundere. Which threw me off, but I guess the people you love can change things.

But Taiga's overall personality change was pretty great. She went from childish klutz to someone you could actually like. This happened when her dad entered the picture, and we saw Taiga's family problems. She finally showed the side of her that was strong and resilient. And I liked that side of her.

Something that could have been improved was if we saw more of Taiga's family problems. It could have put in a cool family dynamic. Especially with Takasu's missing father. It could have been a point of commonality between the two of them.

Instead, we get a hurried plot with Taiga's father, and her mother is only mentioned twice in the entire anime and only at the end. It was a little disappointing, but I guess not everything can come true.

Now, onto the ranting. Or, at least, the disagreement.

A major problem I had with this anime was the love...dodecahedron.

We're introduced to multiple characters with different crushes. If I tried to explain all of them, I'd get tongue-tied.

Not to mention all the characters that are introduced in the second half. They all, obviously, have to have crushes too. It's not like there are people in high school that don't have a crush on someone during their every waking moment.

I'm tired of anime thinking that it's okay to shove a ton of crushes in to create tension. Sure, it's fine for Kitamura to like someone. Sure, it's fine for Kusheida to like someone. But it's not fine to have five main characters with a total of six or seven crushes. Please, make it stop.

It's too much work for me to remember their changing emotions. I'm not saying it isn't particularly important, but I'm lost when it comes to their romantic lives. Keep it simple, okay? A love triangle or two. Maybe with Kitamura as a wise friend? Cool?

Another major problem was the influx of characters in the second half.

Remember how Taiga and Takasu were outcasts in their school with only one friend each? Yeah, well, that's thrown out of the window for tension purposes. They are now uber-popular and understood. As if the school-wide shunning is forgotten.

Yes, people can change, but you have to show that change. We get, say, one or two people talking to Takasu, but Taiga is only seen with either Takasu or Kushieda. If you're going to introduce these guys as friends, at least show how they become friends with Takasu and Taiga.

Not to mention all the romantic entanglements that come with them. Yes, side characters can have crushes. Yes, this can be done well. But you either focus on the main six or seven crushes or focus on the three or four from the side characters'. Don't mix it up. It gets too confusing to care.

I also hated the story. Okay, I didn't hate all of it, but I did hate how much time it spent on the 'let's help each other get with our crushes'. It was almost 2/3 this. I'd prefer it if the anime took only twelve episodes to say this. It's much better. We could spend the rest of the main with Takasu and Taiga coming to terms with their feelings for each other and less time rolling our eyes at their failed attempts to force romance onto a character they don't even love anymore. Nope.

So, overall, this anime was a disappointment to me. I don't see the interest in this anime nor would I recommend it to others. There was so much wasted potential with this anime that I couldn't really enjoy it.

Verdict:
2.5/5

Have you solved a mystery recently? Or create a theory? Then you're exactly like the Classics Club.
Well...that sounds weird. But still.
Hyouka is an anime about mysteries. It follows the four teenagers that make up the Classics Club. A club that is not about classics. At all. The four of them solve mundane mysteries about life and school and family.

Plot
The show is focused on short arcs that follow a larger mystery. It's mildly episodic, and the show doesn't follow a larger arc. (Unless you count the main point in time: the cultural festival.) The mysteries are highly dramatized. But they are interesting. Houtarou the ... main character of the show follows not many clues to figure it out. He uses good deduction skills and a heck of a lot of common sense.
There are many filler episodes with one or two mini-mysteries in the episode. (For example, the doll episode at the end. Or the locked room mystery.)
My favorite mystery was got to be the mystery about Hyouka. It's the first major mystery. And this contains my favorite scene. The "I scream scene." It is the most bloodcurdling scene I've ever seen in my life. I shiver even thinking about it. But more on that later.
There is also the mystery movie arc which is okay. It's interesting, and I actually figured it out. Haha.
The other main arc is the cultural festival one. It goes across a lot of episodes. It's interesting, but without knowing "The ABC Murders", you really are left out.

The worst part of the plot is the awful ending. You're left with a cliffhanger and the hope for love. I want more. This show deserves a second season. We need more mysteries and romance! Chitanda x Houtarou! Mayaka x Satoshi!

Characters
The characters really drew me in. I liked the characters a lot. At first, they seemed bland, but you got really invested in their lives.

Houtarou Oreki is the main character. His motto is all about 'energy conservation'. Aka he's a lazy butt. But he's smart. I know a lot about lazy smart people. You really get interested in his life and how he solves things. He felt a bit shallow too. Which isn't a great characteristic. He's not my favorite character, but he's really interesting.
Chitanda Eru is a curious fool. If we're following stereotypes, she's the manic pixie dream girl. She's hyper and adorable. She's curious about everything and a great cook. She's smart too, but Houtarou's genius seems to hide hers. She's smart too. (Top of her class.) I like her. But not a lot. I wanted more depth to her.
Satoshi Fukube is the happy go lucky database. He seems to be the roll with the punches sort of guy. But he's really complex. He feels likes he's hiding in the shadows. He doesn't want to care because he likes not caring. This makes him interesting. I really like his character.
Ibara Mayaka is library assistant turned Classics Club member. She's pretty brash but can be calm. She likes Satoshi. For some reason. (We've never told why. The romance seems way too forced.) But she's tsundere AF. I think tsunderes are cute, so Mayaka is awesome to me. But she doesn't have enough screen time, so we don't feel a deep connection to her.

There are four people. You know what that means...romance!
The Chitanda x Houtarou romance is adorable. But seemingly unnecessary. As is both romances really. I do root for both of them. But Mayaka's reason for liking Satoshi is unknown. And we really get their emotions. One Valentine's Day episode isn't enough!

OP
Wow. This OP really seems to fit the show. The song and the art. The song is all about finding light which goes with the 'rose colored' lifestyle Houtarou seems to abhor. The colors appear as if ripples in a pond. Which works with the "I'm Curious!" thing. The ghostly images of Houtarou are really gorgeous. There's imagery within that. He seems like a ghost to everyone else. He's not really there and not really living. He's just passing through.
The ED is cute and sweet like Chitanda and Mayaka. We get the female leads falling asleep. It seems more intimate. And feels like they're just being used for sex appeal. The song is cute, though.

The second OP is a bit more upbeat than the last. Which could mean a change in Houtarou's emotions and outlook on life. He's becoming more happy and rose-colored. He's also seen through a glass. Which could mean he is still separated from the rest of the world and the Classics Club. Until Chitanda brings him through to reality.
The second ED is so cute! I love the Sherlock analogy. It's upbeat, and we get all of the Classics Club members. What I think is weird is that the girls are the detectives, but the boys are the criminals. It seems better suited for Satoshi who is all coy and sly and cocky. But Houtarou seems annoyed with the situation more than anything else.

These are good OPs and EDs.

Art
The art is amazing. It's the best thing about this show.
It's the style I like. It's more realistic. Reminds me of Nagi no Asukara. It seems normal on the outside. But certain scenes are gorgeous works of art. You see things in watercolors or with a certain supernatural lens.
Back to my favorite scene. The "I Scream" scene. It's Chitanda's uncle being turned into the scapegoat, the person who'll shoulder all the problems. He's the rabbit being bitten by the teachers. And the other students watch. This scene comes from the Hyouka arc where you figure out why it's called Hyouka and why the cover is so. The name thing was pretty easy for me, a native English speaker, to figure out. The rabbit scene is so heartwrenching. It's the most bloodcurdling scene ever. It sends shivers down my spine. I can't handle it. It's a gorgeous piece of work and imagery.

Verdict
It's not mystery that I love Hyouka. Hyuk hyuk hyuk.

‘Bungou Stray Dogs’ is that anime of the season which seems to have an identity crisis. It’s supernatural, drama, mystery, and action all rolled into one. Which made me very confused as I watched it. I personally thought it as a supernatural action in the second half, but the first half is still…confusing to me.

Of course, everything is rectified because of Dazai.

He’s funny with all his suicide attempts. (I am implying that suicide is funny. It isn’t. But the way Dazai approached it was funny.) In fact, he meets Atsushi while trying to drown himself.

dazai drowning

Dazai is also a genius. He notices things. Most people ... might see him as this fool type of character, but he masks his genius with jokes and a chibi face.

But he sees things. (Like Rampo. But not like Rampo.) I mean, Dazai is a genius. A pure genius.
Even if he doesn’t look like it.

While I don’t like all the characters, I do like the relationships within the series.

dazai and kunikida

The friendly animosity between Kunikida and Dazai is pretty cool. I know it sounds very oxymoronic, but it’s true. They fight a lot (Especially about Kunikida’s notebook), but they will save each other if push comes to shove.

Atsushi and Dazai have a friendly relationship. It follows a mentor and mentee relationship, though. I think Dazai’s pushing (Which is part of his personality) really changes Atsushi and forces him to go out of his comfort zone. Which I think is awesome.

Also, am I the only one who ships Kyouka and Atsushi? I mean, they are so cute together. And I think Kyouka has a crush on him actually. (As seen in her worry in the last episode.) Some could call it a brother-sister relationship, but I push it farther. SHIP SHIP SHIP.

Does anyone else just adore the powers? I mean, it’s gorgeous. Drop dead gorgeous. The animation of Light Snow is amazing.

And I love Dazai’s power. It’s different and unique. I’ve never seen something like that before. (Okay…I lied. There’s a character like that in ‘Shatter Me’ by Tahereh Mafi. Whose name I forget.)

dazai's power

Overall, all the powers look awesome. I love it!



The OP is gorgeous. Let me just…let you listen to it. And you’ll know why.



It’s a beautiful song. And the animation is amazing. You see a lot of the characters. You even get peeks at their powers.



But there are a lot of problems too. A lot.

Atsushi is the main character, but he seems to take a backseat to Dazai.

I felt like Atsushi was a great character. But he didn’t get a lot of screentime. All I know about him is as follows (SPOILERS): he’s an orphan, he is the weretiger, and he’s nice.

That’s it. That’s all I got. Which is sad since he IS the main character.

The second half of the anime was great. We had a lot of Agency v Port Mafia tension.

port mafia

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But the first half was confusing. There were some mysteries. (I liked the one where we got introduced to Rampo.) And some things that expanded on each Agency character. We had episodes about Rampo and Kunikida.

Which could explain why Atsushi is kinda ignored in this anime.

But it didn’t seem like enough meat. I could have dropped the anime at that point without regrets.



This is something that made me so mad. The plot twist.
I wasn’t so surprised really. Since the second season announcement, I knew a plot twist was coming.
But I got really mad.

Throwing in America again, hm? Thanks, Japan. Love you too.

But what I was most mad about was this guy.

evil dude

He says ‘old sport’ as if we’re not ripping off Gatsby. Only Gatsby is allowed to say that.
Unless this guy ends up being named Gatsby? I’ll riot either way.

I recently finished the amazing anime that is 'Magi: Labyrinth of Magic'. This anime is really popular. (I mean...there are Aladdin and Alibaba plushies out there!) I've heard about it before (Many times over.) But I never really got into it. (I went through a 'No mainstream ANYTHING' phase. Yeah, that was not fun...)
So, basically, this summer is 'Wren catches up with popular animes'. Derp. ~(._.)~
But, gosh, this is an amazing anime. It's so amazing. I can't stop gushing about it. (Well...I'll stop as soon as I start 'Your Lie in April'. Then ALL my Tweets will be GIFs of me crying. Can't wait for ... that, am I right?)
Even though I wasn't a huge fan at first. (Truth.)

This anime blew me away. (Which is another way to say 'I LOVE MAGI' subtly. Subtle.) You're probably wondering why. I mean, that's what this review is for! And you're obviously reading this review. Sooo. You know.


1) I actually felt something.
In my cold, stone heart, I felt something. This anime seems like a lighthearted shounen until it slams you in the gut and screams "NO" really loudly. And flips the table. And steals your drink. (This anime is very cruel at times.)

I had so many feels while watching this. Okay...I'll admit the first half or so with the 'Morgiana and Alibaba and Aladdin are separated. Oh no!' stuff, I got bored. Very so. But I persevered! That's when I hit the jackpot.

This anime turns into a ball of deadly kill-your-feels scenes with a little dash of tears. Okay...more like a lot of tears.




(I'm going to direct you to my analysis of episode 17. Ehem. Episode 17 Crying and laughing at the same time is a sign of madness...I meant an amazing anime. Hahahaha...ha.)
My emotions were constantly on a rollercoaster once this anime started to pick up. This really happened with the Balbadd episodes. And, man, was that a good arc...
But really. The emotions behind Alibaba's decisions and his rough past were really moving. And then the whole light and dark thing in the Zagan/the Organization arc? WOW. That was gorgeous.




There were also many scenes that made you root for the underdogs. All the fight scenes for example. You cheered for Alibaba and Aladdin and Morgiana. I might have actually shouted loudly...once...or twice...or thrice... Yeah, this anime got me really riled up. (Not to mention all the times I yelled 'Democracy!')

So, yes, this anime will make you cry. And scream. And cheer. But it's great because of it.


2) The power of light is tainted with lies and deceit but ultimately gets through it all.
Yes, this is a typical shounen with the light versus dark theme. But this anime does it better than I've seen before. The rukh symbolizes the light and dark (As does the Sindria arc's growing purple-ish bruise-ish thing.)




The fight between light and dark is fantastic, and it starts when Judal is introduced really. (Which is really early on.) The Sindria arc focuses more on the dark and light, but the Balbadd arc touches upon it (With Kassim. You can hear my wailing now.)




I want to talk about the Organization instead. I talked about Kassim in my episode analysis. (Another shameless plug.)
This is a group of bad guys. As typical of a shounen anime. But they infuse themselves with 'depravity'. In case you need to know the definition, I've pasted it below:


"Depravity: noun
moral corruption; wickedness."

Thanks, Google.
This is really interesting. The Organization has good intentions. (They want to avoid something...that seems unavoidable. Yup, no spoilers!) And they just chose the wrong way to do it. Then they try to bring everyone else to the dark side (Which I am a member of. I have fun here. We have cookies. And Darth Vader. And Victor Vale. WOOT WOOT.)
But while the Organization is very stereotypical, the approach is different. This is focused on depravity and infecting people with darkness. Which is very interesting. Most 'organizations' just want to destroy everything. But this one doesn't. Hm. Interesting, no?

3) Alibaba isn't your stereotypical hero.
He debates between light and dark. He falters.
I would say a spoiler here...but I won't. You're welcome. But I'll SHOW a spoiler instead! -evil laughter-




Constantly, he's teased by the dark side. But he has friendship and hope. And this brings out the best in him. He doesn't succumb to darkness (Or depravity as in this anime.) He fights through it. And that's amazing. He's not this insane hero of the light. He's a hero of the gray.
And that makes him real. Not every real life hero has the most amazing scruples. They might fall. Maybe a little smoke or a little drink. Or, in Alibaba's case, a little DESTRUCTION OF AN ENTIRE KINGDOM. You know, small stuff. But they bounce back. And so did Alibaba.




I admire him. That's for sure.

4) Aladdin and Alibaba are FRIENDSHIP GOALS.
The two of them are so close. They barely know each other in the beginning, but, by the end, they're best friends forever and ever and ever. They go through so much together. And they grow a connection because of it.




And, the thing is, Aladdin is Alibaba's light. He saves Alibaba many times. Sure, this gets a bit awkward if Aladdin was, say, Alibaba's love interesting, but this anime pulls the friendship card. And this works really well.
You get invested in their friendship. And you just want them to be together. Forever.

And last, but not least, the best reason of all.


5) Cute boys.
Yes, this is petty, I know. But still! These boys were very attractive. And that's a nice touch for a viewer. And I will now rate them on their level of attractiveness. The results are surprising.


Numbah One: Ugo




He's blue and cute. And really helpful. The first glimpse of him is deceiving, but his face is extremely attractive.


Numbah Two: Hakuryuu



I mean...brooding, distant prince is attractive. Plus, that scar, though. It reminds me of Zuko from 'Avatar: The Last Airbender'.


Numbah Three: Alibaba



Alibaba is awesome. He's cool even without his childish, chubby face. But the face tops things off.


Numbah Four: Sinbad



You're probably wondering why he isn't higher on this list. It's because UGO IS LIFE. Sinbad isn't that bad. He's really ripped, though. But you know...I like Romano and all. So.

Likes:

This is one of those animes whose subject matter is touchy. Not many people would dare create a show about terrorism, much less from both sides of the coin (aka the terrorists and the detectives.) Most people see the 'anime about terrorism' and immediately jump in. It's a different subject. Other realistic animes are typically slice of life (from what I've seen.) The crime animes focus on murders and kidnappings and disappearances. While those are all interesting, there are enough American crime shows to supply me with enough death and destruction. But this anime's premise really got me. A mysterious video? Bombs? Interesting...do continue.
Twelve and ... Nine didn't want to hurt anyone. It was never their goal. They didn't want mass killings or anything. They just wanted their cause to be noticed, for people to look into what happened to them (and their dead friends/family.) And their (albeit subtle) kindness was something that really caught my attention.
Nine and Twelve as a duo weren't too bad. They stuck together through all of this. And what happened in the last episode? I couldn't bear to hear that noise. I never heard such sadness and rage and loss of hope from any anime or any person. It was something unheard of. And, gosh, did it strike a chord...

Dislikes:

Lisa was probably the most boring character in the entire show. No, she might make my list of top ten most boring characters ever. She was a complete Mary Sue. The Sphinx Duo should have dumped her. She was so completely useless. She freaked out over every little thing they did. And she was all 'Nooo, I can't kill people!' when they weren't even thinking of murder. I wanted to shake Twelve. What in the world did he see in her? She was weak-willed. And, basically, a wimp. She never stood up for herself and took all the yelling and beating from others. Anybody could walk over her. Even a stranger. And no voice color could be better than that. Her story could have been fleshed out more. If so, maybe I would have liked her better.
The supposed (or so I thought) romance was completely laughable. While there have been unbelievable romances (ehem SAO), this was undeniably unnecessary. The relationship between Mary Sue and Why Does It Matter If He Has Synesthesia was just a fan service of sorts. Because every anime needs love! There was no buildup, and even if they had been dating before the whole anime started, I'd doubt they would really care for each other. What in the world did Twelve do for Lisa other than save her a few times? Zip. Zero. There is no basis for a romance. If you were trying to make me feel for Lisa, even a little bit, you failed.
The story ends on a highly anticlimactic note. You build up the whole series around the bombs and the sneaky US government. Then...what? EMP and everyone dies? I made a hypothesis that they were all in the afterlife. It would have been better than what actually happened.
The show also antagonizes the United States. Sure, we've done had to Japan (namely the WWII bombings), but this show went a tad too far. Why would the US even get involved? An atomic bomb? And for what purpose? To render Japan useless with an EMP wave? Highly unlikely. Also, on a different topic, the people who were the voice actors for the US people could have been way better. I was laughing the entire time they talked. They sounded so robotic.