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Dec 22, 2018
SSSS.Gridman is an anime inspired by the old tokusatsu series Denkou Choujin Gridman. It takes what's interesting about the genre and adjusts it to fit the modern day's standards. Thanks to that the final product turned out to be an interesting mix of old and new. Add to it the outstandingly good execution and you get a masterpiece that can keep you glued to the screen with every episode.
The main character of the anime is Yuuta Hibiki - a high school boy that wakes up at Rikka Takarada's home having no memories at all. At the Junk Shop, which belongs to Rikka's family, there's an
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old computer called Junk. And inside of it there's Gridman - the Hyper Agent telling Yuuta there's a mission he needs to fulfill. Yuuta lets his school friend Utsumi in on what's happened and when huge monsters called kaijuu start attacking the city, these three form the Gridman Alliance and with the help of the robot inside Junk, they start fighting said monsters and begin the journey to discover the truth about the city and everyone in it.
Since the very beginning there's a feeling that there's more to the show than it might appear at first. In what could be labelled as a naive show targetting the younger audience there's always the feeling that something is off and with every episode the eerie atmosphere becomes more apparent, which only makes the experience better. I loved the mysterious atmosphere of the weird, closed off city and the scenery filled with giant dormant monsters reminding you that even the calm days aren't how they should be.
What adds to the atmosphere is the background music, or rather the frequent lack thereof. Because of that (and of the animation) some scenes look pretty slow, but I wouldn't call it a bad thing in this particular case. The music does always appear during the fight scenes, though, and it's fitting and good. I also liked both the opening and ending song. There's a song I liked even more, though, and namely Yume no Hero - the original Gridman's opening song - which the original version of we can hear in the last episode and there was also a rearrangement of it played before.
As for the fights, what's much more outstanding about them than the soundtrack are the visuals. The fight scenes are super good and in my opinion they only get better with every episode. The CGI used during them looks clean and good quality and it also makes Gridman and the kaijuu look kind of heavy like they are supposed to be. We also get to see lots of cool transformations and gattai. Many cool combinations appeared throughout the show.
The visuals are great not only during the fight scenes. There are rather many still frames, but I perceive them as an artistic move, which I like. But when things are moving, the animation is fluid, especially when there's a lot of action going on. The backgrounds are full of details, the characters have nice designs (I also love their eyes) and there is nothing about the visual side of the show that I could complain about.
I found the characters to be another really strong point of the anime. Our main trio is totally likeable. Although devoid of some super unique traits, they feel genuine and their actions are understandable. And that's exactly what I like about them. They are just a group of normal high school kids whose everyday life changes because of the strange events happening. One could complain about the main character being bland, but there's a reason behind that, and it's more than just the fact that he has no memories. There's also Akane Shinjou - the girl everyone loves and a friend of Rikka. The Neon Genesis Junior High Students are a crazy but lovable and useful bunch, whose eccentricity doesn't fail to make the viewers smile. There's also a certain kaijuu boy that grew on me over time. The supporting characters are also fine.
As for the references - there seem to be many of them, but as someone that has never been into tokusatsu shows, I can't say much about them, unfortunately. I feel like I'm missing out a bit, but it's not like being knowledgeable about this kind of thing is necessary to enjoy the show. I'm sure the references will add to the experience for people that are more familiar with that stuff, though. I also wanted to mention one thing I looked up before, and namely the background of a certain girl that played an important role in the episode 6. If you are interested in that, I recommend looking up a kaijuu named Anosillus. It's quite moving. Episode 6 is also the one the aforementioned rearrangement of the old opening song was played in.
To sum it up, I see SSSS.Gridman as a show made of love and care for details. In spite of it taking inspirations from other things, it feels like it has its own identity. The quality of the anime is super good. To me this show is one of a kind. Simple, yet interesting and satisfying. I found it to be extremely enjoyable and I highly recommend giving it a try!
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Jun 19, 2018
Uma Musume tells a story of horse girl idols, attending horse girls' school, participating in races and giving concerts afterwards. Just how abstract does this concept sound? As weird as it might seem, Uma Musume is an outstanding show that exceeded my expectations.
Let's start with characters, which to me play the most important role in this case. All the horse girls are based on real race horses and their designs are all connected to their real life equivalents. I love the character designs - they are all so detailed and the connection to the actual horses makes them even more interesting. All girls are unique,
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both physically and in terms of personality. And I love them all. With a cast this broad, it's amazing that all characters stand out in one way or another, and I think everyone watching this show will find a horse girl they'll love. Honestly though, at first it was hard for me to choose a favourite. But among all the lovely ladies, I think it's the elegant Suzuka that I love the most.
It's also worth noting that the characters have the names of the actual horses, and these can be a bit quirky, yet - in my opinion - really cool.
Now onto the races. They are also based on the races that actually took place, and their outcomes are also inspired by how it was in real life - now this is a unique kind of fanservice! My advice is to read a bit about the horses and their stories. You might spoil yourself a bit, but it makes watching this anime all the more interesting, since you know what is about to happen. And it increases the emotional impact. Not everything goes like it was in real world, though - and I'm especially happy about one thing that got changed. So happy that it made me burst into tears.
The races are exciting and well done, I enjoyed watching them, and the fact that I actually care about the characters made watching them race even more enjoyable for me, since I was cheering for my favourites.
Aside from racing, we see how the characters train, get stronger mentally and physically, develop friendships, face their fears and make their dreams come true. And as much as I get bored of regular slice of life, I enjoyed such kind of scenes in this anime. The comedy scenes are actually funny, there are some unique gags in Uma Musume which get repeated throughout the series but don't get old or unfunny. Uma Musume made me laugh many times. About as many times as it made me cry. I didn't expect a show about horse girl idols to make me this emotional, but Uma Musume did have an impact on me. It was funny, it was sad, and it was heartwarming.
As I said before, our horse girls shine not only on the track, but on the stage as well! The songs are nice and catchy. And if you like them, I recommend checking more of the characters' songs, not only these that were included in the anime. Still my personal favourite is Silent Star, which we get to hear at the end of one of the episodes.
Uma Musume both sounds and looks good. As I said, I love the detailed and diverse character designs, and the artstyle and animation are of good quality too.
To wrap it up, Uma Musume turned out to be a great surprise for me and I enjoyed it in every aspect. I highly recommend it, no matter if it's the slice of life, the races, the horse girls or the comedy that you're looking for. I hope you will love my horse girls as well!
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Mar 31, 2018
A violent battle among people who morph into animals, with lots of action and fanservice. "That's what Killing Bites is"
The story begins when an average college student, Yuuya Nomoto, agrees to go pick up girls with his newly made acquaintances. Little did he know that by picking up they meant kidnapping and attempting a rape. Things don't go as planned, though, because Hitomi aka Ratel, the girl they try to mess with, turns out to be a real beast. That all leads to Nomoto getting mixed up in the world of therianthropes and their deadly fights.
It's easy to understand what Killing Bites is like.
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Don't expect deep and thought provoking story from this show. It is still good at what it wants to be, though. The plot does progress throughout the show, some of the events I have found surprising and the anime was overally engaging and pretty exciting to watch.
That is mostly because of fights which are well animated and interesting. The therianthropes' moves correspond to each animal's actual abilities (which are explained during the educational scenes accompanied by some heavy music, a lovely combo). Thanks to that, every character's fighting style is different and the outcomes aren't always predictable. The show is also full of violence and blood, but it fits its nature and is something I've never found unfitting in this case. Things can also get lewd during the battles but it's not the usual, glorified kind of lewd we most frequently see in ecchi shows. It's more brutal and won't be to everyone's liking.
The characters are another good point of Killing Bites and aren't as shallow as one could expect. Each of them has their own past, reasons and ambitions. Some of the relationships might also get pretty complicated as shown in the last episode. I also like how each therianthrope's respective animal corresponds to their personality.
I'm also satified with both visuals and music. The artstyle is nice and the animation is of good quality. I liked the character designs and found them fitting the character's personalities. The heavy tones are great and fresh and go well with what we see. The opening song is no different from most of fripSide's songs (which is not necessarily a con if you like their style) and the ending song is fresh and catchy. I don't have any complaints about the voice acting either and I must admit I kind of fell in love with Youko's voice.
In spite of minor flaws, the only thing that actually bothers me is the open ending. I doubt there is going to be another season, so people that don't follow the manga are left guessing what happens next.
All in all Killing Bites is an entertaining and action packed anime that is far from being anything groundbreaking but can be very enjoyable if you accept it for what it is. It's well made and I find it worth giving a try. If you simply want some cool action accompanied by (pretty brutal) fanservice, go for it and embrace it as the good quality simple fun it is.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Apr 26, 2017
How would a modern day salaryman from Japan, an especially ruthless and career-focused one too, manage to survive as a little orphan girl in a war ridden world where magic exists and a being that calls himself God tries his best to make things harder for said girl?
The synopsis might sound a little messy. And honestly, Youjo Senki is an anime that I didn't plan to watch but tempted by the pretty amazing opening song, I decided to give it a try when it started airing. And I'm very glad I did.
The aforementioned salaryman was in his original life a cold person that only
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focused on his job. He didn't feel any sympathy towards those he had to fire. His goal was to climb the steps of his career and to live an easy and peaceful life. And it was all going according to his plan, until the day a man he had fired took revenge on him and pushed him in front of a train. In the moment of his death, he is faced by a being that claims to be God. Believing that modern people don't need God, the protagonist denies his existence until the very end. And as a result of their conversation, he is reborn in a world of dire straits, where he needs to live on as a little orphan girl in the harsh reality of war. And in spite of the bad situation around, our protagonist - now known as Tanya Degurechaff - doesn't plan on giving up on living a proper life.
The overall concept is pretty unusual. I was skeptical at first, but in the end it works fine. The show tells not only a story of a very young girl progressing with her military career, but also a fight between her and said Being X who tries to make Tanya recognize him as God. The story is very interesting and engaging, mostly thanks to the protagonist.
Tanya is a character that is very nice to follow. She's dead set against Being X and manages to live on and be successful in spite of all the hardships he puts her in. It's fun to watch her accomplish new things and it's fun to watch her struggle. She's a strong character and, since her personality remains the same as in her previous life, she is still focused on pursuing an easy life and avoiding unnecessary mess. But if everything goes wrong, she puts her mind to it to overcome the obstacles.
Her experiences in the previous life weren't fruitless either. Not only does she have some knowledge of the war which in her original life had already happened, but her cold and career minded personality is perfectly suited for a soldier. But there's more - she's also progressing as a character in her new life. In the end, we can see she is a little different - she has gotten to know more about the human nature and its unpredictability. And she uses this knowledge. I loved Tanya and now she is one of my favorite characters in general. She fuels the story and is perfect fit for a main character, if you're not looking for perfectly moral warriors of justice. It's not that she's complete villain either. In spite of her being called evil, she's not essentially a bad person. She avoids unnecessary conflict and likes to have things peaceful. But at the same time, she doesn't hesitate to do everything to wipe out her enemies and she shows no mercy for the disobedient comrades either. And to top it off, she's genuinely enjoyng the battlefield.
Sadly, it's only Tanya that shines so brightly in this show. There aren't many memorable characters. There are many bland personalities and her soldiers don't have much to them either. There was only a little more focus on a small group of them, especially on Viktoriya. But unfortunately, the story hasn't progressed enough to put her or any other side character in the spotlight yet. Also, the main villain of the story only appears in the last episode.
As for the art, it's decent. The not so pretty CGI is used here and there but it's something I'm able to forgive - it didn't hurt my eyes that badly. No major animation problems spotted either. The character design may be disappointing for some, since it was changed quite a lot in comparison with the LN/manga designs. But honestly, I didn't mind. It's not a show where I'd like to see a cutie that ran away from some shoujo show and put a military uniform on. Which is yet another good point of the show! Tanya is not your average cute loli, and she's even less cute if you remember who she originally is. The characters in Youjo Senki aren't supposed to be some eyecandy, and I got used to the way they look quickly.
The music was very good. The background music was remarkable, but at the same time a little repetitive. It wasn't that big a problem though. It sounded good. The opening song - Jingo Jungle by Myth & Roid - is a pretty amazing song and actually the thing that made me give the show a try. The song fits the show very well. And the same thing can be said about the ending song - Los! Los! Los! sung by Tanya (Yuuki Aoi). Her VA did an EXCELLENT job not only with said song but with her voice as Tanya in general. The voice acting was generally good in this show, but it's Yuuki Aoi that shines very, very brightly this time. Her monologues are really something else. There's also another ending song (episode 8) which is Sensen no Realism by Niina Mako. The song is just about perfect, I'd say.
Another thing that is worth mentioning is the fact that this show is very detailed. More than you could think at first. I'm not gonna lie, I'm not very good at history. But there were some pretty neat details here and there. There are other details that aren't related to history, but also nice to see. Like Tanya's change of voice throughout the series, her problems with carrying the rifle (explained in the Youjo Shenki mini anime), the way conversation and fight scenes are choreographed (where camera movements tell us who is on the advantage at the moment).
All in all, in spite of its flaws (like there being no other particularly important character aside from Tanya or the last episode ending on a cliffhanger), Youjo Senki is an extremely enjoyable show that is far from being generic. And it's mostly this enjoyment, my love for Tanya and the excitement I felt waiting for each episode that make me give it a 9. It's not perfect but it's definitely solid (putting away the very personal feelings, I'd say it deserves a 7 or so) and it depends on the viewers tastes how much they are going to enjoy this anime because like I said - it's mostly Tanya that fuels the show and not everyone likes her and the overall idea of this anime. I enjoyed it A LOT and I hope with all my heart that it wasn't just an ad for the LN and that there wil be another season. Which would make sense, considering it's NUT's first anime and a pretty successful one.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Dec 27, 2016
There's nothing wrong with shows that are silly or absurd yet have their strong points and somehow manage to keep the audience entertained. I'm a fan of ecchi harems myself and am able to enjoy even really average shows. However, Aishen Qiaokeli-ing, aka Cupid's Chocolates, is hopeless in my eyes.
The story revolves around Haoyi and his harem, which consists of girls that, just like him, ate some cursed chocolates. This caused them not only to be in love with a dull and idiotic guy but also made them believe they're married to or even pregnant with him. So Haoyi's job is to help the girls
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and fulfill their wishes in order to lift the spell.
It didn't have to be this bad. If you look at the recommendations section, you can see people comparing this show to Kami nomi, where the main character also has to help the heroines with their problems and magic is apparent there too. Kami nomi is however a well written, clever and interesting anime that actually makes sense. Cupid's chocolates is a show filled with absurdity, unfunny gags and irrational characters. It's just dumb and offensive.
The only good things about this cartoon is its art. The animation is definitely above average and the heroines look simply beautiful. Their character designs are detailed and can be only described as a real eye-candy.
I have to say not all the heroines are that bad, I actually liked two of them - the pink rich girl and the crazy yandere. Mei Tata is quite cute as well. Not that they have much of personality - I'm probably just fond of their looks.
The soundtrack isn't anything outstanding but it's not bad either.
What's worth noticing is the fact that it is literally a chinese cartoon. So the voice acting may sound a bit strange at first but I got used to it quickly and I actually found it refreshing to hear the characters speak Chinese.
All in all, Cupid's chocolates is far from being good. It's not even average. It doesn't offer you anything apart from cute heroines and good animation. Even if you tend to like silly harem shows, I recommend you to stay away from this one. Watching Cupid's chocolates only satisfied my eyes and left me with a feeling of having wasted my time, because what I just saw can't be even called mindless fun. No fun at all.
Reviewer’s Rating: 3
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Feb 7, 2016
Rozen Maiden was the first anime I've seen and it was the very reason I got into the medium. That's why this title is so special to me and because of that there might be some sentiment speaking through me.
The main character of this story is Jun Sakurada, a shut in teenager, who lives apart from his parents, doesn't attend school and rarely ever goes out. He orders many extravagant things online and returns them before he has to pay for them. One day he receives a mysterious letter which he doesn't take seriously, and being asked whether he will "wind or not", he
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agrees. As a result, he becomes the owner of a living doll, Shinku. (Or maybe it's Shinku that becomes his owner?)
As the story goes on, more dolls are introduced and the reason behind them appearing is being unveiled. Long story short, the dolls are supposed to fight one another in order to decide which one is the closest to being the perfect doll their 'Father', the legendary doll maker Rozen seeks.
In this first season of the Rozen Maiden anime, it's Jun's case that is the main focus. Partly because of that, the progress of the battle between dolls is slow. Personally, I found it a little disappointing that a lot of time is being spent on silly comedy / slice of life scenes of our main characters playing house. I can't help it but feel like some potential is being wasted. On the other hand though, thanks to those light hearted everyday scenes we get to know the characters better.
The best point of this show is probably said character development, which is mostly noticeable in Jun's case. You might not like all of the dolls, even being a big fan of the story myself I didn't like them all either, but I still think they are good characters. There is some uniqueness to each of them. The first season doesn't introduce all of them, but the second season (which is a lot better imo) makes up for it and this is where the proper battle between them begins.
The anime addresses some thought-provoking problems, like isolation, escapism or being unable to deal with a loss of someone important. Those motives are handled well, but like I said before, a feeling of wasted potential might be present sometimes.
Rozen Maiden is a pretty old anime, so the art style is rather specific. There are many simplifications in the background, but generally it doesn't look bad. The character design is very good in the dolls' case. There are many details and a lot of uniqueness. The animation quality is also fine. Overall, the art doesn't stand out but it's at least decent.
The music on the other hand is very good. The soundtrack is unique and very fitting to the series' climate. The opening song is sung by my beloved Ali Project and sounds very typical of them, but also fits the anime. The ending song, "Toumei Shelter" by Kukui is a calm, nice song.
Even though Rozen Maiden isn't flawless, it's a well done show that might be more than it seems to be. In spite of some flaws, it's for sure an unique anime that is worth giving a try. These 12 episodes aren't that much time and you might find yourself charmed by this magical, fairytale-like story. In my case, this is the show that will always have a special place in my heart, even if I can't say it's the best thing I've seen.
I'm giving it a solid 7.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Dec 20, 2015
Rakudai Kishi no Cavalry - after reading the synopsis and seeing the cover, doesn't it make you think it's yet another uninteresting and low quality light novel adaptation about a "worst" student and his harem, taking place in a magic high school?
That's not exactly what Rakudai is.
The start might not be so convincing, but already after the first episode I knew I would stick with this anime till the end. What makes Rakudai stand out, is that it's really trying to be a little different. And the outcome is pretty good. At first, this is something we know very well already. We get our protagonist,
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Ikki, who is known as "the worst one" and has no magical skills. The main girl is a pink-haired tsundere, Stella, who is an A-rank student and princess of another country. How do these two meet? Of course, he walks in on her in her underwear, yet his reaction was not something you usually see in Your Typical Light Novel Adaptation. And this isn't the only scene when Rakudai does that - it uses well known schemes but does it in a pretty refreshing way. I wouldn't call it the most unique anime ever, but does it really need to be very original when it can still be somewhat refreshing and very entertaining while relying on a base we're familiar with?
What is also worth mentioning is that this is not a harem show! Yeah, really. After the first 2/3 eps there were people making sarcastic comments about it, but they could shut their mouth after a little while. The development of main characters' relationship is sweet to watch and adds to this anime. Rakudai doesn't focus on romance that much, but it's there, it's noticeable and it is nice to follow. More female characters appear, but Ikki isn't their love interest (there is one exception, which is his little sister, but no worries, this aspect is also handled well and shouldn't be found annoying even by people that dislike this kind of characters).
Characters are likeable, they aren't unique but they're still fun to watch. Also opponents are more interesting than they usually are in Your Typical Light Novel Adaptation!
Okay, so since this is a "sword action" anime about magic knights, there must be a fair amount of battles. There are battles and they are really well done! They aren't short but don't feel too long. The animation is smooth and the battles are full of details. They are really exciting and great to watch! You might even find yourself rewatching some fight scenes - so did I.
Not only fight scenes are so well done. This show offers really neat art, there are many details, it's rare to see noticeable deformations in the background, the animation is always smooth and also the authors sometimes used different styles of animation - which turned out really well imo and is yet another thing about this anime that makes it stand out.
Another thing that makes Rakudai better than Your Typical Light Novel Adaptation is the fanservice! I found it splendid. Sometimes Rakudai goes where most series of this kind don't have the balls to. And the expierience is even nicer because of the great art. It might not have that much fanservice, but it is of incomparably better quality than it is in most shows of this kind! And it mostly focuses on our beautiful Stella (who is not only good looking, but can be also sweet, supportive and seductive).
The soundtrack doesn't stand out that much but it doesn't disappoint either. It's just good. The opening song is really great though! Fresh and catchy. Definitely one of my personal favorites. The ending song is by my beloved Ali Project so I obviously enjoy it too. For those that don't like Ali Project's music, there is a beautiful and fanservicey animation.
This anime does the same thing its protagonist does - it might be labelled as bad since the beginning by some, yet it really tries and the outcome is very satisfying. Sometimes you might even feel like they tried too hard (example: episode 11) but don't you like it better when they try very hard than when they don't really care?
Rakudai Kishi no Cavalry is a well done anime. Even if it might look generic at times, there are things about it that make it feel more fresh and stand out. As a fan of this kind of series, who appreciates interesting fights, good art, quality fanservice, a bit of originality and actual effort put into the show, I enjoyed Rakudai a lot.
If you expect good action, smooth and detailed animation, a bit of romance and some high quality fanservice and don't mind a harmless amount of well handled generic tropes - you might really enjoy it. It's also worth mentioning that Rakudai gets better with time, the beginning is just slightly above average but in later episodes I just fell for this anime!
If I weren't a fan of this kind of anime I'd give it a solid 7, but since I am and every aspect that I like in anime was handled really well in this one, I'm giving it a 9. It was real fun and if another season ever comes out I'll be the happiest.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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