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May 26, 2015
I actually wanted to give this a 9, but that would mean giving this show the same rating I gave to the first two Rebuild of Evangelion movies and the second season of Ghost in the Shell: SAC. Maybe even an 8 seems absurd, but this anime is exactly what I think a fanservice series targeted towards girls should be: lighthearted, sweet, funny, and loaded with characters that are attractive and easy to fall in love with.
If this was really just a sports anime, I wouldn't give it such a high score, but honestly...Free! is as much about the muscles and the boys who
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have them than it is about the swimming. This anime only happened because people saw KyoAni's mock trailer, which was supposed to be a joke, and literally petitioned for it to be an actual series. In other words, this is made for people who want to watch cute shirtless boys do cute shirtless things with homoerotic subtext, and it fulfills that purpose very well.
Story: 6
I wasn't actually expecting this to have much of a story, but it's there, and it's fun. It's not amazing, but Free! is not something you should be watching for the story. Just ditch it now if you're looking for something sophisticated. Free! isn't complex and it's not supposed to be. It's just fun. Corny, silly, simple, half-naked swimming fun. Unexpectedly, Free! is actually such a funny anime (on purpose). This show really never fails to make me laugh.
Art: 9
Nothing less than what would be expected from KyoAni. The entire thing is gorgeous, and I'm not just talking about the boys. The animation is super fluid (there we go again with the unintentional water puns), bright, colorful, and overall just great.
Sound: 8
The openings and endings are really enjoyable, especially the first ending song, "Splash Free". The quality of the music is consistent throughout. What bugged me was that during more intense parts of the show (...as intense as the swimming anime can get), there'd be this aggressive dubstep-reminiscent electronic nonsense playing and it was so ridiculous it was funny. It's as if KyoAni was like, "oh, let's pretend this is a serious sports anime for a minute while Rin is gazing into Haru's eyes" and threw in serious music. Still, it didn't sound bad, and when the music is thematically appropriate, it's always good.
Character: 10
The characters are the best part. They all have their strengths, their weaknesses, and their quirks; they're actually very well-rounded, and most experience very satisfying development, especially Rin. They're all very charming characters, and the character that seems to be the simplest out of all of them proves to be more than he seemed in the second season. The boys and Kou are all easy to get attached to and feel for. Also, there's more than a little homoerotic subtext. If you don't think they're gay, you're wrong. KyoAni made a genius business decision in deciding not to have any official couples, but having certain pairs show more-than-friends affection to each other at times. That keeps all the fujoshi ensnared, regardless of who they ship. I see what you're doing, KyoAni. And I don't mind. Keep going.
Enjoyment: 10
When this anime first aired, it was truly the highlight of my week. I'm not exactly a happy person -- I have health issues that keep me down rather consistently -- but my mood was always significantly better on Wednesdays (at least, I think water time was Wednesday). I was just as thrilled with the second season. I watch mostly very dark anime, so Free! was a breath of fresh air. I thought I would forget about this anime after it was done, since it's not exactly intellectual, but I was wrong. This is my go-to when I need something that I can genuinely enjoy at any time. It just doesn't get old for me; it's so full of sweetness, love, and friendship that I can't help but feel happy when I think about it. In fact, I enjoyed Free! more than I enjoyed anime that I rated 10/10.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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May 24, 2015
Tokyo Ghoul is really something -- I haven't been so in love with a series in a long time. When the original series (this one) ended, and it wasn't clear that there would be a sequel, I was legitimately distressed. When the sequel was announced, I felt an overwhelming sense of relief and excitement. That's how emotionally invested I have gotten with this manga. I don't want to raise a potential reader's expectations to the point where it will be impossible for TG to live up to them, but I have a long list of good things to say about it, so that's going to
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be tough.
Story: 10/10
The story in Tokyo Ghoul is truly outstanding. It seems simple, but the devil is really in the details here. Seriously, there are bits of foreshadowing from the very first chapters that I'm only noticing upon re-reading the manga, because without knowing what happens, these details seem mundane and unimportant. But everything has a meaning in Tokyo Ghoul. Ishida (the mangaka) plants a million seeds in the storyline, and you don't even notice until they grow into major reveals. There is symbolism in the imagery, the dialogue, everything. There are minor events that you forget about until they pop up again in Tokyo Ghoul:RE, the sequel series. The planning, pacing, and buildup of this story is just amazing. Ishida really planned this out beautifully. There are bits of dialogue that read like poetry, especially in the latter half, and I found myself breathless a few times. The best part is that there are so many hidden clues and possible outcomes to unanswered questions that there's always room for theories and analysis, which for me is a lot of fun. It makes the story very engaging, and when questions are answered it makes the reveals all the more satisfying.
Art: 10/10
The art seems mediocre at first glance -- not bad, but nothing special either. However, once the characters start to develop, it becomes apparent that Ishida is a master at nailing characters' emotions and development through gestures and facial expressions. Kaneki especially gets some devastating expressions, and even his body language changes as he develops. Pay attention to how black-haired pre-Aogiri Kaneki fights compared to white-haired post-Aogiri Kaneki -- the difference isn't just that he's stronger; his stance becomes wild, animalistic, desperate. He looks older in the most subtle of ways. It's subtle but explosive, just like the story. Ishida knows just what to show and what not to show for maximum impact. The art isn't perfect standing alone, but it's perfect for Tokyo Ghoul, if that makes any sense.
Character: 10/10
The characters in this manga are almost never what they seem, and I love that. Everyone is complex, and all the characters that count get development. They're very lovable, too, even those that do horrible things. The character development is really great, and it goes both ways -- some characters become better, others become worse, and many pull surprises that no one saw coming. Relationships between characters are all very interesting too. When characters care for each other, they care deeply, and Ishida uses that to tear your heart to pieces with later events.
Enjoyment: 10/10
Honestly, Tokyo Ghoul is depressing. It's absolutely miserable. If you want something happy, or at least a storywith a light at the end of the tunnel, then I don't recommend it.When Kaneki states in an early chapter that a story about his life would surely be a tragedy, he was right. But it's so, so addictive and exciting. The quality of Tokyo Ghoul has carried on into Tokyo Ghoul:RE, and with each weekly chapter of :RE, I find myself on the emotional roller coster again. It just doen't stop surprising me. So if you want to read something dark and gruesome that will give you something to think about, Tokyo Ghoul is my first recommendation.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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May 20, 2015
As a stand-alone work, the Tokyo Ghoul anime is enjoyable, but it is lacking; it falls short in a few aspects that could make it truly great. So, if one is trying to choose between watching the anime OR reading the manga, the most fulfilling course of action would be to skip this and find chapter 1. The source material fills the gaps in the anime that prevent it from being more than just a fun thing to watch.
Now, onto the details:
Story - 7/10
It's tough for me to objectively rate the story of Tokyo Ghoul, the anime, without comparing it to the manga, but
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I'll try my best. The story seems somewhat cliche at first, but it's executed in a manner that makes it very different from anime with similar concepts -- it's a very character-driven story, and because the characters are mostly three-dimensional, well-developed, and fascinating, the story feels fresh. It's engaging and well-paced; it goes fast enough to really suck you in, but it slows down just enough to build suspense, as well. It's definitely not for the faint of heart, or for people who don't like sad stories. But if you're like me and you like dark, tragic stories, Tokyo Ghoul is a good choice.
Art - 6/10
At first, the art seems okay, if not a little mundane style-wise. As the show progresses, however, it becomes apparent that Tokyo Ghoul needs a more atmospheric and interesting style to suit its themes. Tokyo Ghoul is set apart from other anime in that it has its own brand of twistedness -- after all, it's a story about a protagonist whose body and mind take a turn for the horrific. What Pierrot came up with was, unfortunately, bland and mediocre; aesthetically, the animation just does not suit the story or characters.
Even worse, the quality of the animation falters quite frequently. For example, when Nishiki kicks Hide, the movements of both the kick and of Hide being sent flying are so fast, choppy and otherwise poorly-executed that it's actually funny. It seems that Studio Pierrot had issues with kicking while animating this, because when Ayato kicks down a door later on, he looks flat-out ridiculous. Tsukiyama's face looks beautiful half of the time, and it looks like one big blunder the other half. Worst of all, if you pause at the right (or rather, wrong...) moment, especially during action scenes, you're bound to come across a hilariously bad frame, or series of frames. At times it seems like the animators were just hoping that viewers wouldn't be paying attention at times when the characters spend a few seconds looking like they were drawn by a middle school kid. However, there are some scenes that are actually very well-done, especially in the later episodes, e.g. Kaneki's hallucinations/internal conversation in the later episodes were both gorgeous and memorable.
Sound: 10/10
The soundtrack is wonderful, both in the show and for listening on its own. Tokyo Ghoul's soundtrack captures the mood and tone of the story in ways that the animation could not even begin to accomplish. It's the perfect juxtaposition of delicate/melancholy and harsh/heavy. If you enjoy this anime, then listening to the soundtrack later on will probably make you emotional, it's that good. Standout tracks include "Unravel" (the first opening), "Glassy Sky", and "Licht und Schatten". The second opening, "Munou", was met with mixed feelings from the fanbase -- mostly because it's straight-up bizarre, and it's not the kind of song you would expect from an anime opening at all -- but personally I thought it was beautiful and very fitting, considering Kaneki's psychological deterioration as the series progresses.
The voice acting is brilliant. (I'm talking about the Japanese here; I don't believe there's a dub out yet as I'm writing this, and it's not like I'd watch a dub of Tokyo Ghoul anyway, considering the perfection of the Japanese acting in this case.) Natsuki Hanae's performance as Kaneki is nothing short of devastating, and I mean that in the best way possible. In scenes where Kaneki was in pain, the voice acting felt so real that it was actually distressing. The other actors did a wonderful job too, of course, but Natsuki Hanae truly blew me away.
Character 7/10
The characters are all very interesting and lovable. I've never heard of a fan who doesn't like Kaneki, and his development is what really makes Tokyo Ghoul so great. Watching him change is truly heartbreaking, and that's the point. The character designs aren't spectacular, but they're all really cool, especially Suzuya's. Suzuya himself is a fascinating character that I got attached to very quickly, and his fight scenes were usually the most entertaining. However, a lot of characters were deprived of the development that they should have gotten. This is another situation in which it's hard to be objective about the anime, because in the manga, characters that the anime neglects development-wise (such as Banjou and Tsukiyama...ESPECIALLY Tsukiyama) go through outstanding development. But disregarding that, they're still great characters.
Enjoyment - 7/10
You'll enjoy this if you're not looking for a story with some depth but not too much of it. If you want something that will really keep you thinking about it, skip the anime, go for the manga. Or do both.
Overall - 7/10
There are characters and plot points that were full of potential that they weren't allowed to reach, and the animation was mostly lackluster, but it's still a decent anime. Definitely not a masterpiece, but it's good enough.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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