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Jul 8, 2015
Is it wrong to pick up girls in a dungeon? Pfft, it's the best way to pick up girls!
More commonly referred to as DanMachi, "Dungeon ni Deai wo Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darou ka?" is a fantasy, action, adventure, romance and, to some extent, comedy anime. The tags aren't inaccurate, as these themes are visible throughout all twelve episodes. After watching each episode weekly as they were released, I've come to that conclusion that DanMachi is deserving of around a 7/10.
Story: 6
DanMachi's main story line is decent. With plot twists every few episodes, it's safe to say that the main story is pretty exciting
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and definitely drags you into continuing the series. There are some brilliant moments of tension and the story changes its side character focus every so often, which keeps things fresh. At the start of the anime, the story shows a lot of promise, with an amazing RPG-style fantasy world being shown. However, this is exactly where it falls flat. I found myself asking questions about the world as the anime went on... "Why is there a massive dungeon tower in the middle of the world (that's extremely reminiscent of the one in Sword Art Online?" "What other towns and cities are there?" "Why did the Gods choose to live with humans?" "Who says what the Gods can and can't do?" "Why do people get exp. like in a video game?" "Why did people start going into the dungeon in the first place?" "What do the magic rocks that monsters drop even do?" "Who put the monsters in the dungeon?". I could go on for ages. Point is, they presented a wonderful and interesting world and explained nothing about it. To me, this detracted from the story greatly as I was unable to immerse myself into the world due to the fact I was constantly saying: "B-b-but that doesn't make sense! Why?". I can only hope that this is elaborated more upon in season two.
Art: 10
DanMachi's artwork and animation is stellar. The character designs are all incredibly lovable and unique, especially the Goddess, Hestia. The weapons, armor and monsters are all terrifying and very well designed. If you were looking for flaws in the animation, you would not find any, with action and fight scenes that are so very clear and fun to watch. The style of the world is just simply awesome, my favorite part being the backstreet alleyway in the city. However, the only drawback with the overall art is that it bears shocking resemblance to Sword Art Online. I understand that it's from the same studio, but it's as if they didn't even try making it different.
Sound: 7
The soundtrack is good, the battle songs and tavern music definitely add to the feel of the world and help you become more immersed. The opening is catchy but kind of weird and doesn't really fit the anime if you ask me. The ending is the same really. It seems somewhat out of place at times, especially when there's an intense cliffhanger and then it suddenly plays all cheery and upbeat. Kind of ruins the cliffhanger-y mood.
Characters: 8
One good aspect of this anime is the array of vibrant and lovable characters it presents. With each character being unique and incredibly well designed, it's somewhat hard to find many faults with the characters. Hestia in particular being just so damn cute and hilarious. However, the main issue I have with the characters is with the protagonist. Bell is a pretty normal kid in terms of personality. However, that's all he is- he's an average kid trying to win over a girl. There's nothing unique or entertaining really about his personality and DanMachi relies on side characters for its comedy relief and bizarre traits. Some side characters even have dark and intruiging back stories, with development being shown in some!
Enjoyment: 7
Despite huge drawbacks with the story, DanMachi's animation and lovable characters make it a pretty enjoyable watch.
Overall: 7
As mentioned slightly earlier on in the review, DanMachi bears striking resemblance with the older, more popular Sword Art Online. In fact, even so to the point where some characters' faces look identical and the main character has the same voice actor. In short, if you disliked Sword Art Online, it's pretty likely you'll dislike this too. However, the vice-versa rule applies here too! If you enjoyed SAO, then you'll enjoy DanMachi. Althoguh, that's not to say it's a carbon copy. It does have its unique aspects and is a must watch for any adventure/RPG anime lovers out there.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Jun 26, 2015
[Spoiler Free Review!]
In other reviews, people seem to be branding this anime as "underrated". However, I just can't see it myself. I'm always reluctant to disagree with the masses, since it makes me question whether or not my opinion is valid (like, have I missed something?), but if I had to sum up this anime in one word, it would be: "Average".
Story: 7
Rokujouma no Shinryakusha is a twelve episode, comedy, romance, harem. Although, it doesn't feel that way. Those tags are quite misleading in the sense that there isn't all that much romance in this anime. There are some crushes and a bit of
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flirting every other episode, but there really isn't any substantial romance. Instead, the anime focuses on episodic short stories revolving around the array of vibrant characters. One of its strongest aspects is the comedy. Whilst it's not exactly side-splitting, you get a couple of giggles here and there. The episodic stories are surprisingly fun. I quite often found myself drawn in by the one-episode plot twists. However, it almost feels *too* episodic. Very little relates most episodes to one another, so it feels very segmented, meaning you're not really drawn into the next episode. In addition, if you focus on the actual content of the stories themselves, none of it really seems to make much sense or follow any rules.
Art: 6
The art and animation is decent. The character designs are unique from one another, though there aren't any that stand out when being compared to other anime. The overall art style isn't unique either and is sometimes inconsistent. The characters and spells are extremely vivid and bright, whereas most backgrounds seemed dull and bland. This created an odd contrast which didn't really work out. In terms of how it's drawn, it's very typical. However, there's a reason typical things are typical and that's because they work. There isn't really anything to dislike about the art but, at the same time, there's nothing that stands out.
Sound: 6
Similar to the art in Rokujouma no Shinryakusha, the sound is decent. The opening is pretty catchy and so is the ending. However, they don't sound unique at all and can be somewhat annoying sometimes with how babyish the singer's voice sounds. The background music isn't exactly film-score quality, either. It just sounds like typical slice-of-life jingles.
Characters: 7
Initially, I saw the vast number of characters as a negative aspect. In the first episode, the anime introduces far too many characters that are so drastically different. I found myself saying "oh c'mon, you can't be serious" when they introduced a ghost girl, a magical girl, an underground girl and an alien girl within the space of about five minutes. Seems ridiculous, right? Anyway, I sucked it up and tried to look beyond the such blatant disregard for realism. Thankfully, over the course of the anime, you'll find yourself growing more and more fond of the likable characters and their cute mannerisms. Although it does bother me that there's one male character and about eight girl ones. I just can't relate to it because of how unrepresentative and unrealistic that degree of harem is. Overall, solid characters and, whilst not particularly unique, they are the show's strength.
Enjoyment: 6
I didn't enjoy this anime as greatly as I have others, but it's decent if you're looking for something chill to pass the time.
Overall: 6
Chaotic, random story-lines just don't really shout "quality" and, to me, it's almost lazy writing. Although, Rokujouma no Shinryakusha has it's strong points. I'd recommend it if you're really into slice-of-lifes or harems. But be warned: there are anime that are much better within these genres. If you're looking for something thrilling, captivating and romantic then your best bet is to look elsewhere.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Jun 20, 2015
[Spoiler Free Review!]
Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-Kun. If you like comedy anime with a hint of romance, you'll love Nozaki-Kun. This twelve episode series (with 6 small specials) is full of totally unexpected and equally hilarious Japanese humor. In a similar fashion to the great "Baka To Test", this anime will leave you in tears of laughter and the end of each episode.
Story: 9
Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-Kun does not try to have a complex plot. However, this is exactly why it is deserving of praise. The anime does not try to flesh out romance over a mere 12 episodes but instead focuses on the sitcom-like episodic shorts and,
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as a result, feels a lot more satisfying to watch.
Something that Nozaki-Kun manages to do extremely well is that it creates humor without sexual jokes. This anime doesn't rely on cheap, overused, sexual situations and doesn't stray away from the story in order to throw in some panty shots or something.
Whilst the story isn't on the level of multi-season shounens, it does what it was intended to do and it does it damn well.
Art: 8
I'm very critical when it comes to art (partly because I've seen visual beauties like "Nagi No Asukara") but Nozaki-Kun's art style sure does its job. The vibrant colors add to the lighthearted feeling of the series and the character designs are all very unique with my personal favorites being Sakura and Seo. The animation in the opening is chaotic and very well done. One feature of the art that really stood out was the design on characters' reaction faces. Somewhat similar to Shaft's "Nisekoi", the characters' faces only add to the already existing hilarity of the series.
However, there were some scenes that seemed somewhat lazily animated. Sometimes characters would talk and their mouths just seem to move up and down as the only form of animation on screen. Although, that being said, if you're reading subtitles, you're quite unlikely to notice it.
Sound: 9
Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-Kun's soundtrack is very diverse and superb. Ranging from typical 'slice of life' upbeat background tracks to dramatic and amusingly over the top orchestral pieces, the soundtrack compliments this anime very well and is very noticeable in places.
The opening is very catchy with some awesome slap guitar and a male singer, which is a nice change. Although, the ending falls short is very typical and somewhat annoying.
Characters: 9
I mentioned it earlier on the review but the mix of eclectic characters in this anime is deserving of a 9. They're all very well designed and have their own unique traits. However, the best thing about the way this anime handles characters is that they got the male to female ratio right! Most animes in the genre overload their show with kawaii waifus which, don’t get me wrong, is great but overused, unrealistic and, quite frankly, boring. In Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-Kun, there are a few more male characters than female characters, which is a much better balance than most slice of lifes and makes it a refreshing watch.
Enjoyment: 9
Hilarious, lighthearted, really chill and just overall very enjoyable to watch.
Overall: 9
I’d definitely recommend Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-Kun. It’s a must watch for anyone who likes slice of life comedies. Whilst the theme of romance is present in the anime, it may disappoint you if you’re looking for a thrilling love story. The rewatch value is great, considering there are no plot twists or anything and you’re pretty likely to forget most of the jokes they use.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Jun 4, 2015
[Spoiler Free Review!]
Love Lab. Whilst the name may be somewhat off-putting, this anime deserves a solid 8/10. It's not overwhelmingly unique or captivating but it does what a slice of life comedy is meant to do and in all honesty, it does it pretty well.
Story: 7
The story is good. There is a main plot line that's easy to follow with some side stories thrown in here and there. That being said, there are very few moments where one feels engaged in the story line. It's predictable, to say the least. There are, however, some decent tensions regarding Riko's lies. They kind of make you want
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to pause the video to relieve yourself of the awkwardness but that's a sign of good writing. This show has a lot of funny moments and with a satisfactory ending, it deserves a good 7/10 in terms of story (which is pretty high for a slice of life, in my books).
Art: 5
Love Lab was released in 2013, so I wasn't expecting anything great in terms of art. However, the art and animation almost seemed like it was older than that. There's nothing awful about it, I just feel like it lacks vibrancy in places (especially at school). In terms of character design, the characters all look very different in terms of faces and hair, which is a plus. Although, Mizu's face and glasses seemed very poorly designed and animated in some scenes, which kind of made me dislike her character, sadly. I'm harsh when it comes to art and this is unfortunately only deserving of a 5.
Sound: 8
The OP and ED were catchy (especially the OP) but not incredibly so. The soundtrack wasn't too noticeable most of the time but had its moments. The voice acting is good. All character's voices suited their personas and there are a few familiar actors, which is always a plus. Riko has a particularly attractive voice in my opinion so... 8!
Characters: 9
So close to being a perfect 10, honestly. The show has an eclectic mix of characters who, whilst aren't the most unique, are this anime's strongest aspect. They aren't introduced too quickly so we have time to grow fond of them before new ones are introduced and the creators also seemed to keep up a steady pace of introducing new characters, which really kept it feeling fresh throughout the series. They're are all unique and there are a lot of likable, funny side characters too! The only thing Love Lab lacks in terms of characters is development. However, the anime is a 13 episode slice of life comedy and one would be considered insatiable to expect fleshed-out character development from it.
Enjoyment: 8
All of these features combined left me feeling quite fulfilled whilst watching and after finishing Love Lab. It's a casual slice of life comedy. Great stuff if you just want a break from stress or don't want something too complex and serious.
Overall: 8/10
I'd recommend this anime to watch. Its re-watch value is also decent, considering that most of the jokes are the kind that make you laugh in the moment, but are also forgotten over time. If you like slice of life comedies, you'll like Love Lab. However, don't be mislead by the "romance" tag. Whilst the main goal of the characters is "love research", the main theme of the series is the friendships between the characters. As long as you go into this anime not expecting any romance, you'll enjoy it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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