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Jul 22, 2017
So I'm going to wonder as to how many people who have watched this show knew there was a game series tied to it. It has to at least be a 30-70 split in favor of the group who knew.
Either way, I'm on the side who not only knew there is a game series attached to the name but also played the whole series as well lol. So needless to say, I'm going to be a little bias but at the same time, I'm also putting it along side the games that are part of the same time line. So higher standards in the end.
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So with out further introductions, Let's rock.
Story: 7
Ok, gonna be honest here but if you come to any of the games to tell you a good story, then you are gonna be disappointed. The games are mission based with only a few cut-scenes along the way to give story detail. Any fan would say you come to the games for the action and game-play. The same applies to the anime as well. There was something nice and charming to it in the beginning but as the story progressed you kinda feel like you are going through different missions. Which would be fine if it was for esthetic purposes, but I honestly didn't feel that way. 1 job per episode. The ending also wasn't too great either since the main villain was too easy to spot and his motives not being any more unique then a simple B-movie villain. The games didn't suffer too much with this but there was a fair amount of prediction going on through out the game. The only other problem I have here, and this is more of a nit pick, is that the name of the shop was different after the first game which comes before the anime in a timeline sense. Can't tell me Dante just changes the name back because fucking why not.
Art and Sound: 8 and 9
I thought the visuals were really nice and fit the style of the piece entirely. DMC being a famous hack and slash game is all about gritty combat and flashy moves, so a hard edge, high detail style works well here. Dante's design is really nice to look at as well as a lot of the other characters. But the detail doesn't stop there because the demons are freaking awesome to look at. Horrific and grotesques, just the way the Underworld brewed them.
Too bad the sound department edges out bringing the rock and metal tracks to play in the background of every fight as well as a great use of Spanish guitar for somber moments. The opening theme especially is a badass enough track to get you pumped up for a fight or two. To bad the quality of the story doesn't deliver an equal amount of badass.
Speaking in terms of the games, the art was always great to look at as we moved further along in titles. The sound too was always appropriated to fit their situations. So we have a good integration here as well. I did only find it appropriate to listen to the soundtrack as I typed this out lol.
Character: 9
This is an easy one, anybody who knows this series knows exactly who we came to see. I have heard Dante being described as "50 shades of awesome" and I honestly can't come up with a better description then that. He loves his job and has fun doing it, and when he isn't hard at work he couldn't care less so long as he had a pizza at hand. I can see people disliking the show taking time to poke fun at Dante and make a fool of him and their reactions being something along the lines of, "Dudes, this is a badass demon hunter with enough power to slay his own kind. Why are you trying to get on his last nerve?". Which I don't understand. I actually enjoy the breathe of fresh air they give his character. In the games he is always on the job so he has to find fun along the way, but he is never put in a position where he can relax for long enough to produce any content to prove that he wouldn't do something like this. Getting a chance to see him and his comrades in a more relaxed state gives us another angle of their personality which is always appreciated.
Which speaking of other characters, We have a few other familiar faces here. Trish from DMC1 and Lady from DMC3. Both of which are before this show chronologically speaking, so yeah more fun. Again, I love what they did here with these characters. They show well enough that these characters have history with each other, enough so they have no problem quipping at each other mid fight or before they go on a job. It's just more depth to their relationship. Wins all around.
Enjoyment: 8
What can I say, I get just as much thrill from this as I did the games (except DMC2 because DMC2 sucked massive ass). The characters were spot on, the art fit the style and the music excited every occasion. And while the story can be feel very bland, its not beyond the series as a whole to be weak in the story department. But, like I said before, that's not what we came here for. We came here to hack and slash our way through demons. To be put in situations that no sane man would honestly take on. And to look as badass as possible while doing it. What can I say, putting it all together it comes up with a solid Jackpot.
Overall: 8
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jul 22, 2017
Ok, let's be honest here and say that most of us who aren't into Slice of Life anime (like myself) came to watch this because of all the attention and memes surrounding this show. It's kinda hard not to take notice to a show that get that much attention (even if it's centered around one character and their design). So I'm just going to get this out of the way right now and mention that this review is going to be from the perspective of somebody who can't get into this genre very well, so if the score is lower then you would think it
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should get because if I was a fan I'd think a lot different, then mentally tack on a point and a half for genre bias. I'm just going to give it to yea as humbly and objectively as I can.
Story: 7
This section alone is usually what really kills shows like this for me since they aren't really aimed down a particular path; the end goal could literally be anything and you wouldn't know it till it happens (which is usually the last episode or two). So for action anime fans, like myself, this would seem like a waste of time since every episode feels like filler. That's literally the barrier keeping us from enjoying it. The fact we expect the episodes to flow along with each other like a narrative and not like a montage reel.
Although here it feels different. The narrative is not simply follow a character as they live their life, but instead it's follow a character as they try to live their life while *blank*. The adventure is in the high-jinxs that come from the abnormality. This in turn makes each episode feel more enjoyable to watch even if one of them is centered around an elementary school field day. Seriously, have you ever been dragged to an event for a younger sibling simply because they are apart of it? And no matter what it is, you are just trying your hardest to not let the fact you would rather be doing literally anything else show on your face? Yea, in any other circumstance that would be the reaction to such an episode; but instead you are watching along waiting for a twist to arrive due to, in this case, the presence of dragons. It actually doesn't do that but instead opts to pull on some heart strings and pull a good joke or two.
This is honestly what kept me along the whole time. Simply the fact that I know there is going to be an abnormal outcome before the resolution. That and the show enjoys to be quirky with a few side characters, but I will get to them in time. Honestly, I had a nice time working my way through this show since, and brace yourself this may come as a shock, the story is meant to be light-hearted and fun. I wouldn't say that this show turned my opinion around about the genre but I will say it's a gem.
Art and Sound: 7 and 7
This section is honestly going to be shorter then usual since I had no problems with either of the these categories.
The art was simple enough to fit the tone of the show and the animations were smooth enough to actually prove we are advancing in this department. The particle effects were nice and eye popping as they should for a show like this. It all was just well done.
The sound is in the same boat as the art. The music was light-hearted through the episode, with the opening being a nice jump start to get you going for each episode. The voice acting wasn't over the top or hammy and cheap. The voices simply fit the character involved. Nuff said really.
Character: 8
A nice assortment of people who will get on your good side, one way or another. I will admit, I never found myself disliking any of the main cast. This seems a bit weird for me since I can usually pin point at least one character to place all sorts of unnecessary hate towards. Even if it's just because they act in a way I don't like, but here I couldn't find one person to point that finger at. Also let's just talk about the elephant in the room by saying that I entirely enjoyed Quetzalcoatl's character. What can I say? I like female characters who like playing along the modesty line. But funny enough, she is more then a walking rack of melons. She actually shows a bit of big sister attitude towards people. Like the one who went to college. Also I think I found my spirit animal out of Fafnir, so there is also that.
Enjoyment: 8
Like I said, I was a bit shaky on this one because of my dislike of the genre as a whole. I honestly was ready to think this show sucked or was to boring and leave it at that. But that didn't happen and I am glad I stuck with it. Like I said before, it won't completely change my perspective on this genre but it will have me more willing to play ball with a few more titles. So long as they don't actually have me follow somebody's normal life. I had dropped Watamote for that very reason.
Overall: 7
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Jul 20, 2017
It's an idea most of us think about from time to time. What if we retained some memories from a past life? Or how many times have we explained a skill we have to us simply being good at it in a previous life. It's a childish thought since we have now real way of finding out the answer. So it lives a fantasy and nothing more. This show, however, decided to show what could happen if we could retain memmories from a past life as well as their skills. It's also an ecchi/harem show....... God help us now.
Story: 6
So surprisingly, for being a ecchi/harem,
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this show actually manages to tell a story. Too bad its not really interesting in any particular fashion. The story focuses on kids who have come to realize they remember previous incarnations of themselves and are now being trained to harness their old selve's powers and abilities to fight demons and monsters. One among them is Kimito, I mean Moroha (Mor-aw-ha), who just so happens to be Jesus Christ, I mean gifted with two different past lives with two very different sets of abilities.
If it's not clear by now, this show acts a lot like SAO in terms of story-telling. It may turn out to be another one of those instances where the setting can be changed and there will be a show title tto go with it. It may be unfair to compare it as such but the similarities are to uncanny. The main character is a gifted individual with abilities unlike any other can match. He goes around solving other people's problems for them and in return women fall for him without a second thought. The story is broken up with set pieces where the side characters attempt to solve it themselves but it all ends with the MC arriving on scene to deal the final blow. I think the only difference here is that World Break starts with two girls already wanting the MC's wiener.
I liked the concept well enough, but there had to be a more entertaining way of going about this story then just having a Jesus and his bitches going through life. Moroha seriously one shots/combos practically anything he fights because he *poof* remembers more from his past so he can cast a stronger spell to trump the offensive or be reminded of just how skilled with a sword he should be so as to be above the opponent. That's not growth of a character, that's cheating. It's lining your hand with a bunch of joker cards when you play poker.
Art and Sound: 6 and 7
Following up on the average parade, here we talk visuals. There isn't anything spectacular that really grabbed me about them. Which isn't a bad thing. The particle effects were pretty nice but then it doesn't anything interesting for monster designs. We had a pile of giant snakes, two blobs, and a dragon. Once again I say they were average and that isn't a problem. The art is much like the office guy at work. He comes in, does his job, and clocks out and while you notice him there while at work, you will never remember his name after you leave.
Sound is in a better position in my opinion. To start with, the opening theme is stuck in my head simply because i have never heard a song quite like it before. It's actually kind of hard to describe in terms of quality. The ending too. The sound effects were nice and smooth and the voice acting was never annoying or terrible although I can't speak in favor or against the accents used to depict the different nations. It's the Infinite Stratos situation where they decided to show case the super power nations (or at least the ones that people can name in the first ten seconds) and wanted to have voice actors with unique accents to those of the nation they represent. In IS, they were hammy and stereotypical, but here I can't say either way. I enjoy stuff like this because it makes the characters feel more unique as long as is doesn't make them sound silly.
Character: 7
It's weird to look at these characters and try and figure them out beyond the "Must bone Jesus" motive. Like I said before, these character all retain memories from previous incarnations of themselves. So they will sometimes act in the manner they had back in the day. So pin pointing who's character we are dealing with can become tricky at times. You may be thinking "But if they are the same person, shouldn't that just serve a trait that is embedded into their personality?" which is a solid point, but you must remember that there is an era gap between themselves. You wouldn't say you were raised the same way as you your grandparents were, so there would be difference is morals and likes. The only one not effected (too much) by this is the MC himself since he is channeling Jesus Christ 97% of the time. As a whole, these characters aren't bad for only being half unique and half copies of other people. It just makes them complicated. A side character or two are put in the situation of being sitting archetypes which is fine since they are at least archetypes I am fond of, that being the nymphomaniac and the adorable young loving girl. Other than that, I can't say there was a true villain here. Just set pieces for the MC to topple.
Enjoyment: 6
As far as a concept goes, this was a pretty unique one. Definitely not one I have seen before. I just feels to much like other anime I've watched before, like the aforementioned SAO. So in the end I didn't end up liking it as much. There wasn't anything that really made me go "Oh shit" or "Fucking hell". Although, there was nothing entirely wrong with it that left me unable or unwilling to continue watching. It follows the path of average-ness and status quo. Much like the forgetful lives that we have lived before as well.
Overall: 6
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Jul 20, 2017
I really gotta stop getting my hopes up when I see something nice. Seriously, I reviewed the first season and gave it a 7/10. I am just going to attribute it all to the sound and art pulling me through the whole thing, because it took me about two months to come back to watch season 2. Yeah, I at the time of writing the review for season 1, I concluded that the enjoyment was derived from the visuals alone since the story doesn't satisfy and the characters aren't likeable enough to write home about. So the enjoyment I got from the show fizzled out
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when trying to explain it.
So obviously, when it came time to finish this series, I had to mentally prepare myself for what's to come, as well as revise my thoughts on the first season. So let's get this over with.
Story: 3
This section (along with character) is where I messed up when it came to my last review. Sure the setting is pretty cool with the futuristic town and neat little gadgets, but anybody can tell you that a setting is wasted if the character and story derive no support from it. Another thing is that I found interest in how the story would handle this tournament but failed to mention how they cut it in half at the end of season 1 just so they can resume in season 2. This leads to our lack luster season ending fight. And its not like we needed to see every stage of the tournament to understand how it's going. They honestly focused too long on including every round for both Ayato's team and Saya's team. when neither have anything interesting happen for the first two rounds. Ayato's team keep up the "no one must know about your time limit" lie for the whole time they fight rounds 1-3, so why did we have to see it? Couldn't you have saved time by skipping rounds 2 and/or 3 since nothing new happens?
This isn't just a season 1 problem either. Season 2 follows in the same footsteps by showing us every round that they fight in. Round 5 was to show he can fight at a high level while still recovering from overusing his power so long as he follows Julis's strategy but they already showed that off with rounds 2 and 3, so we are wasting our time here. Round 6 has some importance because it is the point where Ayato extends his time limit to a point where it doesn't matter anymore as well as learn a new move to SLOW DOWN TIME, so there went the stakes for him fighting at full strength. Round 7 was also entirely useless but also completely diverged from the plot at hand so more time wasting. The point I am making is that they clearly didn't have enough material in mind to fill two seasons and MAKE THEM INTERESTING. The three episodes after the tournament (yea the rest of the tournament took up three fourths of the second season) were used to simply set up for season 3. The last episode especially is just jam packed with set up material. So much so that I am completely confident that you will forget all of it by the time a third season comes out. Which let's hope not since they haven't done a good job with two seasons already.
Art and Sound: 6 and 8
Nothing new from the last review and nothing new to add in terms of season 2. Art and Sound were really the only points in the series that I found no real complaints with. I saw an increase of sketchy animation choices where it wasn't as polished or even lacked effort but honestly compared to story and character, a visual hick-up here and there wasn't a bother to me.
Sound is sort of in the same boat as well. the new opening and ending are good but takes longer to get used to hearing. Honestly, I prefer the the first Op and Ed since they do a better job pumping you up. Which now that I think about it, that works against them. If you pumped somebody up for something like a concert but the concert itself sucked then not only does that person come away feeling worse off then if they were curious and wanted to check it out for themselves, but they would also feel tricked since they were led to believe they were in for a good time. Such a double edge sword the music and sound department is.
Character: 3
i wasn't too far off when I explained the character section in season 1, I just rated it too high. The characters don't change in this season, they just talk about themselves more in an effort to try and get us to relate to their motives more. It only really boils down to Saya explaining more about how much of a friend she wants to be for the main character Ayato, while at the same time giving little restraint on how she wants to be with him as well. Nothing new here, just more time spent on it. The other part was on Julis and her desire to help the poor in her country since she is a princess there. Again, nothing we haven't heard before just more time spent on it. They did add in a point about how one of the kids from the orphanage was taken as a debt balance piece, but it was during a the part where they are spending more time setting up for season 3 then actually telling the story for season 2.
So in the end we end up with no character development across an entire season. I also realize that the AI robots aren't that interesting. Better voiced for sure, but when they are described as puppets for the purpose of learning growth and then they speak up to say things that just so happen to demonstrate their growth, I kinda just checked them off as plot pieces and nothing more.
Enjoyment: 3
Honestly, if I learned anything from this series its that I gotta keep from getting pumped up by the music and art. I said I enjoyed season 1 but honestly I won't go back to it. I worded the summary pretty good, so at least I got that part right. I described the end of the season to be as impactful as a bottle rocket. If I had to apply that to how season went it would be as if they keep firing off those little rockets hoping to buy enough time to get a real finale ready. Its nothing but stalling and it shows. If you actually watch all the way through you are honestly one of two things. 1. A person who saw season 1 off a whim and is now just rounding it off for completion sake (like me) or 2. a hardcore fan who is blind enough to all the flaws to be able to derive genuine joy from this series and is now patiently waiting for season 3. And much like the unicorn, I don't believe that there really is a person alive who fits in the second category.
Overall: 4
Also, I'm not really going to retype out the review to season 1 so I'm just going to send them here for the new scores.
Story: 4
Art:6
Sound:8
Character: 3
Enjoyment:4
Overall: 5
And the only reason the first season hits higher is because it wasn't in a holding pattern.
Reviewer’s Rating: 4
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Jun 18, 2017
This is probably the show that got me into anime. Dragonball Z may have been my first but this is what got me into anime. Now before I review this, just know that I am aware that the manga does it better, for longer, and in better detail. I get it, but as far as what happens after the anime ends, I'm drawing a blank. Clearly I need to reread the manga again (it is on the list of series that I'm going to read). Although, there is something to be had about the anime series. So since I decided to binge the entire anime
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in a night, let's do a review about it for those of you who haven't seen it yet or just like reading reviews of anime they have seen before and just want to see if people agree with them. I know you are out there.
Story: 8
As far as story goes, there may be too much to talk about. I guess summing up the premise is a start. So in this world the soul is actually a tangable object. But what this world also describes is that in the fear of death, a servant of death kills people to become strong enough to be able to not fear death. This, in turn, creates the kishen. Kishen are humans who consumed too many human souls. And when I say consume, I mean it. Since the soul is a tangible object, it can be eaten, literally. So people are trained to fight people who are on their way to becoming kishen and tuning their weapon into one fit to be weilded by death.
Also these weapons are also human......
Yeah, a big draw in this story is how unique the set up is. Honestly I haven't seen an anime quite like this. Humans who can turn into weapons partners with people specifically matched to wield them tasked with eliminating other humans that threaten to world by nearly becoming a being of fear and power. Can't say I've seen something quite like it. Although, you may not quite feel like the focus is always on story progression 50% of the time. As querky as the story may be, filler hell this is. Maybe not to the level of some animes like Bleach or Naruto (yes I went there), but enough to take notice. Some may say that since the plot is focused on something related to the plot that it is fine but to me spending three episodes on a character interaction that ends the same but is done through three different characters is not progression of the plot. Anybody who has watched the anime knows about the white, annoyance that is this character.
However, despite the filler, there is something to these episodes that make them intersting enough to stick with. To me, it's the characters but I will get to that. Just know that this is a pretty awesome story adaptation and is still worth watching again. (5th time by the way).
Art and Sound: 7 and 8
I am a firm believer that if the art is good, you don't take note of what is wrong, or even what's good, about it. After 5 times of watching this show all the way through, I can say that that statement rings true. Honestly, it gives off thar Cowboy Bebop feel of animation but run through more modern software. I would also refer to Kill La Kill but that show does it over the top as a part of the style. Here it's natural but modern at the same time. The only thing that is holding it back is honestly the same thing I would give it praise for. Because its an art style we have seen before but done cleaner, we already have referance of older works to rely on. Although, in the end that is all the art has to offer. It good but not revolutionary. Will it take you out of the anime? No, it won't. But it won't be what you remember this anime for.
Sound has it better since we have such amazing opening and ending pieces. Any time I think of this show, I end up humming one of the songs. Voice acting is also really good since you will recognize a few voices here. I watched it dubbed so Chuck Huber (the guy who voiced Stein in the english dub) became all the more recognizable across other animes. There really isn't any wasted talent here.
Character: 9
I said I attributed the reason I remember this show so fondly is to the character themselves. This is where you can really draw the Cowboy Bebop connection. Everyone of importance is querky but also not unreasonable to the point of being unlikable. There also isn't a single overused archetype that I recognized across all my time watching. It feels fresh to watch these characters and honestly that is why I enjoy the filler as much as the main plot episodes.
Enjoyment: 10
Honestly, you will have fun with this anime version. Sure the manga is better in a lot of ways but there is a lot to love with this version as well. If you needed more convincing, this show was dubbed into three other languages besides english. So, it's clearly loved around the world with a wide audiance. So if anything, there is something for everyone here.
Overall: 9
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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May 28, 2017
I should really get around to reviewing mangas instead of just saying that the manga did it better while reviewing the anime version. Although, if I end up doing one for a series that has yet to see a finish line, then it acts more like a review journal because the review will have to be dated for all its updates for new chapters/volumes if I fall behind. Guess I'll just stick to mangas that are finished for now.
So here is a series that I have read through as many times as I've watched the anime series. Sora no Otoshimono, or Heaven's Lost Property, is
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a manga series that I read back in the beginning of my anime fascination. It is also the only manga to pull emotion out of me every time I read it. Let's fly through, this one shall we?
Story: 8
We all have desires and dreams. Some may have complex dreams, but others, like our main character Tomoki, simply dreams of living a quiet life in his little mountain town. I wouldn't blame him with a scenery like the one he is in. One day though, a storm hits and an angel crashes down in front of him. He takes her home and as he says along the way, his simple peaceful life is shattering before him. Now he must adjust to this new being living with him and must teach her to be more like a human.
I would say that the story is what really sells it for me, next to the characters themselves. The chapters may feel a little episodic but they also have a certain flow to them. But that's not to say that they really only focus on Rom-Com shenanigans, oh no. In fact, they actually have a lot of genuinely sad moments and happy ones as well. I would actually say that the comedic episodes are really there to simply balance the story out. It's a story about love, not pleasure, and is treated as such. I will admit, as much of a manly man from Manville as I am there are moments that made me feel really depressed and a few rarer occasions where I would shed a few tears. Again, even after already knowing the plot already. That is a really welled structured plot line.
Art: 8
It's great, really great in fact. The level on detail in each character and panel really brings out the emotion that is inside the dialogue. It's one of those scripts that doesn't need a voice actor's help to bring out more emotion in the scene. Although, I will say that the anime did do a good job in that department. What's better is that the chibi sprites they use in comedic scenes have just enough detail to bring the humor home. When it came to action scenes, the line effects looked great and gave the weapon or person an aura of power.
Character: 8
The second reason to my love of this series is, as I stated before, the characters. It's both a mixed bag and a generic one too, but this time not in a bad way. You see, they make a few characters basic archetypes but either add a little bit more, make that character entertaining to watch anyways, or both. Take Tomoki for example. He is just as dense as many Rom-Com male leads tend to be, but he is unique in the fact he is perverted but really kind-hearted to the point where he will get in front of danger for his friends. And even though he acts dense, his reason is actually believable enough that you wouldn't look at it as him being dense. And this is just one of many characters that has this kind of characterization. One of my favorite characters is Chaos. she was designed to be the newest and strongest angeloid in existence and was sent to kill the main crew under the explanation that the two that betrayed them were "Infected by Love". Unfortunately, she was never designed or taught the concept of love and now seeks to find out what love is before carrying out her mission. She soon becomes victim of the miscommunication game a few too many times and is sent down a dark path and you can't help but feel bad for her, even though she was a villain.
There are a few characters that don't get the detailed character treatment, but are entertaining all the same. One character I am not to much of a fan of is Mikako. She is a mob princess and now has a sadistic way of thinking that usually means bad luck for Tomoki. Honestly after about four or five plots to do him harm, it starts to feel old. Other than her, everyone else is cool.
Enjoyment: 10
It pulls on my heart strings and I love/hate it. Love it because it makes me feel for these characters, hate it because it pulls on my heart strings (I like to keep cool, calm, collective so as to always be able t react effectively). It is definitely a joy ride no short on laughs, cries, and drama. A title that will stick with me throughout my life. And to think I picked this up simply because I was curious about the title. I watched the anime version first and it's fair to say that I got hooked there. But you will have to read the review on the anime for my opinion on it.
Overall: 9
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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May 28, 2017
Note to self, siblings that want to surpress your power in order to protect you should be swifty kicked in the teeth. It will only hold you back in the end.
So now that that little piece, that only people who watched the show already would understand completely, is out of the way let's think up an opening statement for The Asterisk War......
I got nothing. Let's just hit it.
Story: 7
Lightsaber dueling academies duking it out in a massive tournament. Sounds like my kind of town. This is the scene of our main protagonist Ayato (I-ya-toe). You knew exactly what these guys had in store when the
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first thing he does on screen is go to do a gentlemanly act and ends up catching a female lead in the middle of getting dressed and staring for three seconds too long. Said female lead is named Julis (U-lis) and she immediately wants him dead while at the same time owes him for his good deed. One would think the two cancel out but who am I to suggest logic. They have a quick duel that proves they are both strong but get interrupted by the student council prez Claudia. She takes him to her office where to admits there was really no reason to stop the match, but she wanted him alone anyways. Sounds like my kind of chick. From there Ayato plans on partnering with Julis in this big lightsaber, tag-team, duel tournament.
I mean there is something to this anime that keep me invested story wise. It may just be me wanting to see this tournament and the aftermath of it all or maybe it is just the characters and how they react to each other, like in most ecchi/harem animes. Either way, I watched most of this show on a binge night of insomnia and came out satisfied thus far so I have no major complaints. One thing that was always on my mind during the whole thing was who the antagonist was since the show just loved playing stage magician and tried to make us guess between the shady characters lined up before us. In the end, in it ended up being weakness itself. I'll let you figure it out from there or just watch the anime. It doesn't really have too much that brings it down but then again it doesn't really break any new ground either. It also re-affirms my earlier statement. As a whole, it is a good story, but not one that really draws people in. I just chose it as a random title selection. I'm sure that's the only way people are finding this show now-a-days.
Art and Sound: 6 & 8
One thing I appreciate about the art in this anime is how they didn't force down your throat that this is a futuristic anime. You know what I mean, when the detail in how futuristic the world is is panned over more times then the fingers on your hand. When it takes every opportunity to show how the environment is so advanced in comparison to the one the person watching is currently in. They keep it down in terms of future shit. They will show off their nice toys but they don't make it a main focus of the show. They show us early on that A. weapons can condense into simple handles/grips and will materialize when needed and B. the schools, as well as the island city they are attached to, are all connected on one big mainframe and that duels between peers and rival alike can be announced automatically. Aside from that, holographic signs, AI robots, and integrated web and phone usage is now down SAO style. You know the whole wave hand to call up a menu and what not. Everything else is simply normal anime design. Which is good because it looks smooth and doesn't have anything that looks out of place.
Sound did better compared to art though. The opening, adequately named A Brand New, is really catchy and has made it's way onto my favorite openings list. It's that pump up jam that gets you excited for the episode to come and that's good. I normally skip over the opening when I binge to save time, but this was one of those times where I didn't care because of how great it was. The ending was also really nice, finishing each episode with what can really only be described as a dream send off. I could fall asleep to it anytime. The song is called Waiting for the Rain and it is so light-hearted it really doesn't matter what happened in the episode, you will feel better about yourself when you listen to it. Voice acting wasn't as good as the OP and ED but they weren't cringe worthy either. Everyone has a voice actor or actress whose voice fit the personality of the character, which is good because it would feel weird otherwise. Sound effects are also good but can we take a moment to talk about how the beam sword on and off sound effect sounds strangely, and almost copy-right worthy, to that of the lightsaber? I not saying we should make a thing out of it, I'm just saying that it is pretty close. It just has that feeling, like when you hear the door opening sound from Doom. In the end, I thought the sound was really good.
Character: 6
Ah dammit, another mid range score. Yes the archetypes are back once again. Let's rattle them off real quick. Ayato is a dense male who is surrounded by Tsundere Julis, Big chest flirt Claudia, numb feeling flat chest girl, and shy klutz girl. I say that they put a nice twist on them but honestly that would be lying and I honestly don't have the energy to provide enough BS to cover that lie up. To be fair, Ayato does decide by episode 3 who he will stay beside and will be ignorant to the rest. Except for Claudia; he will do the embarrassed run motion every time it gets good. Julis does warm up to the main protagonist quicker than most Tsunderes. Aside from that, pretty typical stuff. I will praise the fact that they gave the AI's personality here. Too many times have I seen AI with the flat tone voice. It honesty gets old and this is a nice change of pace. But main character-wise, you know what you are getting as soon as you see it.
Enjoyment: 7
I can't say I was totally impressed here, but I will say I was entertained. I would add it onto my list of worlds I would love to take part in, but then again lists like those are already long enough as is. The show does it's best to make the world feel fun as well as intense and does a pretty good job of it. Although the lack in character variety leaves a little bit to be desired and the climax at the end kind of acts like a bottle rocket type of bang. Which is again sad since we were shown many different sets of grand finale packages. At the time of this review, I am watching through season two, so the show is good enough that you will want to finish it completely at least.
Overall: 7
Author update: I actually didn't go through season 2 after writing this. Kinda stopped because I got really bored. I also have a re-review for this season as well as season 2 in the season 2 review. I correct my thoughts on this season and give it a new score so check it out.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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May 23, 2017
For the longest time, I thought this was a reboot rather than an OVA series. It feels and acts like a reboot to the original. Either way, Hellsing Ultimate is definitely the superior one of the two. It contains a lot of great action with a pretty cool story. So let me explain why.
Story: 9
Ok, so Van Hellsing catches and traps a vampire named Alucard and now keeps him locked in his manor's basement. Fast forward to Sarah Hellsing and her uncle attempting to kill her after her father died and left the fortune to her. After entering Alucard's cell, she is shot at which
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allows him to drink some blood and break free and murdering her uncle. He pledges his service to her. She decides to start a special ops team that specifically hunt down rouge vampires and ghouls. Let the fun commence.Honestly, I loved this story because it was nothing but a stair climb up the mountain of madness. I will say the plot feels a bit token, especially given who the villain is. Like if I were to give you one detail, you could probably take the first follow up thought you had and apply that to the story. For example, if I were to say, "I placed a steak next to a dog." your first thought would probably be, "The dog then went and ate the steak.". That is what I mean.
But that is fine since this series runs with it and still manages to be pretty badass at the same time. I was actually pretty satisfied with how it ended and could only imagine what happens after without wishing for a follow up season. All in all, a great story.
Art and Sound: 9 and 8
Blood. There is blood everywhere.
Well actually no but forgive me for thinking there is since with the story being about vampires and ghouls, bloody murder would be the sidekick. The background scenery looks nice but isn't in your face detailed. The animation feels smooth (yes I feel the visuals, what of it?) and nothing moves to grotesquely without it being intentional. The sound is good too, with voice acting being a real notable mention here. Although I have a hard time thinking of what the voices were but that is only because TeamFourStar does a Hellsing Ultimate Abridge series and their voices are also really awesome. subtle plugs aside, I did like the sound effects and how well tuned they were. Although it loses some points for having no opening theme. The original did and it was also really good.
Character: 9
Another piece that shines in this show is how unique the characters are. Alucard has been alive for centuries and has yet to find a proper challenge, so now he has become very cocky with himself. His ultimate rival, Anderson, is a determined priest who ultimately seeks to kill Alucard for good. Saris, Alucard's one and only apprentice, is naive and obviously surprised by the whole vampire thing and puts more effort into adapting to it. By the time you finish this show, you will know these characters. You will find some you love, some you hate, and some you couldn't care less if they died. Which they probably will.
Enjoyment: 10
Pop Pop, I liked watching the heathens drop.
But seriously, I really enjoyed this show. probably my favorite vampire based anime to be honest. Plus it has a fucking hilarious abridge series. Where is my check guys lol.
Overall: 9
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Apr 14, 2017
Man I am going to feel bad for this.
Ok, so here we are with a show that gets a lot of praise but manages to sound alright by reviewers. Thus leaving people scratching their heads going "How?". And as I jump from one boat to the next I can only now fulling understand how big the gap is. I still made the jump though lol.
So Deadman Wonderland is a show with an eye catching title. In fact, that is probably a great way to describe this show. This adaptation takes us through a world where a prison doubles as a theme park and how an
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innocent boy must survive it. Sounds fun, but it's also pretty generic. Like take out the prison part and leave the statement how it is and you realize that the setting could be replaced with anything and you could probably find a show title to fit it. To be fair, I didn't give much more context, so I do it again except not include a setting. Ready?
An average middle schooler is put into a life or death situation against his will and must fight for his life or roll over and die. He has a special power he only got maybe ten minutes before said thrusting into dangerous situation and needs to learn to use it to survive.
See what I mean? Add a new setting and you get a different title. I mention this now because it will come up a lot across this review since it affects a lot of the story. So let's finish off the corpse that is a left behind.
Story: 5
Well considering the above, this section really falls to further details and thoughts. Oh well lol. So our mid schooler is known as Ganta. He was sent to prison for mass murder, that he didn't commit, and now has to live in a prison till his execution comes. The prison just so happens to be the only prison that is also a public theme park. A park that shows the most viscious survival games to be shown at any event. I mean these events are designed to kill the prisoners kind of viscious. "But why must the prisoners participate. if they know its meant to kill them?" You may ask. Well because they are all on deathrow, the execution is done by poisoning. They run these games, among other things, because that allows them to buy themselves the antidote that is put in a piece of candy (gotta stick to the theme, am i right?). The antidote, however, has a limited effectiveness time and they are slowly being poisoned. So its a constant struggle to get more.
You may be thinking that this makes the story less generic, but the whole thing about the park is more setting building and the part I described about the main character is just how he got thrown into his deadly situation. The story hasn't even begun yet. It starts after he realizes that he can shoot a bullet, made from his own blood, out of his hand. This gets him admitted to a gladiator game and this is where his story truely begins.
As far as I can, and want, to say, this story could use some work or maybe just not be event driven. The story revolves around the events presented, the characters act in accordance to how the event is laid out, and then its wait for the next event. It gives the illusion of growth by having the characters have desires and plan stuff, but its just a trick because they still play their part when each event comes. For example, Ganta never stops being a whining kid. He doesn't grow from being a kid who either wishes he was dead or complains about how horrible something is. He learns a new move or two but he as a charcter never changes.
Another thing is that the adaptation only covers part of the manga, but that is outside of the shows control. Still sucks though.
I honestly would have liked for better than just simple blood and gore. I liked it when I watched it both times through, but I can't help but think that there was more that could of been done to make it less generic.
Art and Sound: 8 and 8
High points here. To start with, the art looks great. It does very well with showing the colorfulness of the park while also giving you a sense of dread with how dangerous or unforgiving the the prison is. The animation is also really good as well. Characters movements have a really good flow to them and the gore is good to a sicken level. Effects are good between the blood attacks to the theme park fireworks. It looks simply great while also accoumpanied by great music. I headbang to the opening everytime my phone lands on the song. It is honestly the best track this show has. The ending is good too, but I didn't get into it as much. The background pieces are also good too. the metal theme sticks around as well as adding some piano pieces. Even better, the pieces seem fitted to the scenes they are shown in. So that is another plus. I keep haveing little to say about both of these since I believe that when art and sound is done well, you just go along with it. It took me the second run through to really come up with descriptive details.
Characters: 6
Another hit for this show. Like I said earlier, this is an event driven plot, not a character driven one. That means nobody gets developed; they just stay as their archetype. To be honest, the list of archetypes on both good guys and bad guys are getting a bit old. For example, there is a big, tough guy character who enjoys one thing. Can you guess what? If you said fights then you win. I already mentioned Ganta and his weak kid archetype. Or how about a guy who enjoys using his power to prove how much stronger he is than the other prisoners but underestimates the limits of his powers. Yep these are getting old. I mean, these are basic and hard to avoid but where are my midget cowboys with twin revolvers and a bad temper. Looney Toons refrences aside, the one thing I can say is that they have nice voice actors. Even if one has to voice a doctor who enjoys seeing people i pain as much as she does giving it. Damnit, the archetypes are just flooding out now. Next segment, please. Hurrry.
Enjoyment: 7
Putting it all together, I have to stand by my "Appealing to the eye" summary. This show is basically another filter of the same, old story we have heard over and over again. But damnit, I had fun doing it. I love blood and gore and this gave and gave and gave to the point of being concerning. The story might as well of been ignoreable but I followed along anyways. I just wanted to get to the next piece of gore. So I guess that is where the hook lies with this show. So may say you need to turn off your brain to watch this but honestly leave it on...... You don't want to develope any nasty habits while its away.
Overall:7
And yes, I have already seeked help for the gore obsession. I am currently playing BLoodborne and is on New Game+ 4. :P
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Apr 9, 2017
It was another one of those days where I just felt like sitting back and watching people go nuts over each other for one reason or another. Unfortunately my cable was out and so I was stuck here lol. But seriously, I have been watching a lot of serious titles recently, including the new season of Samurai Jack. So i wanted to take a break and watch a light hearted rom-com. Seeing how this too was about samurais, I thought why not. So let's slice into this one.
Story: 6
I have to say, I barely recall the story from beginning to end. I remember the set
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up well enough but the details of each episode more or less are foggy. I can already see you going "Duh, its a harem. The plot was going to be boring and forgettable from the start". To you I say, yea I know. But I honestly tried to care. Set up wise, you have a guy who is called to an academy to help look into a string of disappearances but suddenly catches a girl who fell from the sky. When he catches her, she turns into what the story calls a "master samurai" and it turns out he has the power to make people (girls) into them. The story then put the investigation part on the sidelines and focused on what harems normally do, the girls. Like I said, this story isn't much that will stick with you. It does make headway in the end and does manage to have a conclusion. They also shoehorn a revival at the last minute. No dialogue, no build up, just boom..... alive.
Art and Sound: 7 and 7
This is one of those times where the artists said they wanted to have a unique theme and would never stray from it. They went for the brush painting look, which means that aside from the characters, the setting, transitions, and effects will look like they were done with a brush and ink. At first it will look cool and unique but believe me when I say it gets annoying. I ended up getting used to it, but still cringed when the scree would get splattered with ink when people powered up or landed blows. The sound good too. The opening was actually really catchy (and I listened to it the whole time I wrote this too lol). I had a really nice beat to it; I would probably pin that to the electronic bass. The ending is also a really cool track as well that I actually listened through to the end instead of just hopping to the next episode. Although, much like the story, I don't remember any memorable tracks that played during the episode. Voice acting was also pretty as nobody really sounded out of place.
Character: 6
Speaking of characters, let's open this bag and take in the smell of tsundere for a minute. Yea, a harem that used a different flavor of the same archetype. Before that let's talk main male lead. Our piece of Osmium (the densest element the naturally forms for you chemistry fact of the day) is Muneakira (yes I had to look up the spelling). He is a normal samurai who got roped into the role as piece of meat that girls seem to like. The guy at least knows how to fight, but ends up letting the girls do much of the work for him. Morally in the right place and emotionally hopeless. Although he at least admits he can't decide from them. Now for the fifty shades of tsundere. Well our first girl actually acts like a dimwit most of the time but she has a hidden tsundere who when in battle. The next girl is a smart tsundere whose ego for her brain is meant to cover her lack of features. The third is the tsundere childhood friend who can't help but continuously boss the lead around. It ends there for the fawning girls but there are other pieces of eye candy. The problem with these characters are that they only follow their archetype, which just gets old when they consist one type.
Enjoyment: 7
In a way, I could of just stopped watching this and not given a damn about the ending. Although, I stuck with it because there was still a story to follow, and it came through in the end. I probably won't rewatch this but considering how I forgot most of the plot by the time I wrote this, I may just rewatch it just to remember. All in all though, it was an alright show and left me with enough energy to watch season 2.
Overall: 7
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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