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Oct 9, 2016
Shokugeki no Souma is back for another round of refined culinary duels!
AND MAN..... WHAT A SEASON IT WAS!
Shokugeki took the concept of BATTLE SHOUNEN to a brand new level! In the Autumn election arc, the screenwriters crafted make one of the most exciting and creative tournments on the history of shounen anime. The duels were full of twists and turns, great dialogue and imagery. Autumn Election is at the same level as DBZ'S Namek Saga; Saint Seiya's Sanctuary Arc or Samurai X's Kyoto Arc and other great shounen sagas, it reaches the quintessence of a shounen perfectly. If you liked the first season, you
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will be just addicted by the new episodes and get stucked in Tootsuki Academy competitive ambience.
Also, the new season features the great Stagiarie mini arc, were we can see all the evolution of Yukiriha Souma, confirming him as one of the greatest anime protagonists of all time.
The combination between an over the top championship and character development is the great merit of this second season, making this one even better then the first one. Yes, you read it right. Ni no Sara is even greater than its predecessor. Not only it had improvements on plot and pacing, but also had technical improvements. The animation is even better, the use of CGI is harmonic with the handrawing. This one is more fluid and vivid, continuing the great work of rocking the viewer's senses. The great soundtrack continues the same of the first season, with improvements on the opening and ending songs, the best of the franchise.
So as Souma, JC Staff have improved its work and made a even better animation. Can't wait for a possible third plate, enjoying the manga while I wait.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Oct 8, 2016
If wasnt for battle shounen, i would never seen an Anime in my entire life. So, I am a big fan of the genre. What I couldn't expect is that a culinary battle shounen would become one of my all time favorites.
You expect the most clichée shounen from Shokugeki no Souma. The mais character that always win at the end, the danzels in distress, the rival, the ridicoulous villain, the school factions... but it subverts its on clichées in a very exciting and sophisticated culinary battle royale with tons of information and culture. The clash between great chefs is over the top and pure
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adrenaline, but its differencial is the info that came with it, the info about the most exquisite dishes you can imagine. And also, tons of creative culinary sexy fantasies and flashbacks, give you delicious comedic moments and heartwarming moments, respectively.
But the characters are the great soul of this show. Every one of them Kicks ass and have great personalities, and can make brilliant dishes (as you can see in the Autunm Election Arc). Even the antagonists aren't despicable, all of them are products of their experience and vision of the world. Every single character has their moment to shine and gain the public's affection and respect. All of them have also an unique and great character design, specially the feminine characters, that are simply hot.
Souma, the protagonist, is all what an shounen protagonist needs to be: fearless, smug, charismatic... but is also something more: is dedicated, passionate to cooking and very smart. He is always seen studying or crafting new dishes, he wins his adversaries by doing best plates after hours of research and errors. Also, he learns with his defeats and fails, becoming even greater after every challenge he faces. Megumi is not also the tipycal Shounen Girl, she has a strong personality, and, despite being so klutz, is very skilled on cooking, developing a style rooted on her traditions and family, and also becoming more confident along the way. Is, by far, the best character of the show, and the one that gave us the most hearthwarming moments of the show. Hayama, the master of scents, and his heartbreaking past; Erina, the altive tongue of god and Souma's nemesis, The Aldini Brothers and the classical tropes of rivalrie... and other secundary characters as Alice, Ryo and the students of Kyokusei dorm, they are all intriging and charismatic.
The art is extremelly beautifull, the use of colours and the vivacity of drawnings turn Shokugeki in sensorial experiencie. It sharpens the taste, makes the scents vivid; makes your body shiver with the characters' reactions and is poetry to the eyes. That all is wrapped in a great soundtrack, that sets the tone of the battles and comedic moments; and great sound efects to related to the food. Also, is good to remark the great and exciting opening and ending songs.
So, Shokugeki is a great sensorial ride to the world of culinary battles, despite being a little bit repetitive. Is exciting, funny, and epic on its own way, with an unique crew of characters; and awekens the inner desire to become a great chef or learn how to cook in some cases. Is a delicious and creative dish to the imagination of the viewer, and is also culture, a pearl in the middle of unexciting battle shounens and, finally, a great work of art from JC Staff and an anime to be apprecited, withouth self-restraint, by anime fans of all times and ages.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Aug 2, 2016
Sometimes hype is justifiable, sometimes not. Nanatsu no Taizai (or Seven Deadly Sins in the west) is one of the cases of the second group. And I will explain why
Story - 3/10
Although the history keeps the spectator curious to know who are the terrible Seven Deadly Sins (with desapointing results) what they've really done and why are people blaming than to the catastophre that happened in the past, the anime doesn't show us nothing new. Is a terrible oldfashined poor screenwriting, with loads of deus ex machina, overpowerd characters that you know will always win, predictable action blended with comedy and a childish plot. Also
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it has terrible sexist ecchi scenes between Meliodas and Elizabeth that are revolting and unnecessary.
Characters- 1/10
By far the worst part of the show. All characters are ridicoulously bad developed, have the most idiotic aspirations and do not change from the begining to the end. The one most ridicoulous, in fact, is Elizabeth, one of the most despicable representations of a woman on screen. It was not good just show her as the danzel in distress, she is a totaly dumbass in distress, something rooted on the old american movies and series, not accetable in the XXI century as feminine representation. Even more in the japanese animation, that has a powerfull background of great femine characters. Meliodas is also despicaple, just an overpowerd perv withouth a developed personality. The villain is just the common bad guy and the other sins, well, plain as a pizza, and, for that, a great desapointment.
Art- 3/10
The character design is just lame, is even not crative. Is a rip off of a series of 80s anime and manga. Also the art looks like something from 20 years ago, with simple backgrounds and a excessive use of bright colors.
Sound- 8/10
The only thing remarcable in the show, the soundtrack is very good and blends modern with classic perfectly. The ops. and endings are pretty decent too, however, are not remarcable at all. The sound efects are oldfashioned, but as the show is all oldfashioned, that is the minor problem.
Personal Enjoyment and Overall
Nanatsu was to me the forgetable anime that televion stations positioned between memorable shows such as Digimon Adventure, Dragon Ball or Cardcaptor Sakura to mantain the kids tuned and therefore earn more money from sponsorships. Well, if it was not by the sexist ecchi. It's a lame, childish anime, oldfashined in the wrong way, with tem most simplistic plot and characters. So, why it is such a phenomenon in the anime community? Why is the most popular anime of 2014? Are people this nostalgic about the old times that even the bad nostalgic show is a sucess? I really cannot understand. But, as being born and raised in the 90's and early 2000's, Nanatsu would not be the success it is today if was launched in that time.
Reviewer’s Rating: 3
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Jul 13, 2016
I don't like romantic comedies. Don't like it at all. North-American and even my country (Brazil) productions have assured that these genre is not for me at all. Is cheesy, childish, clichéed and always have terrible acting and directing. So, why a guy like me have searched Toradora to watch? I think it was by its fame.
And man, it was a thrilling emotional journey. Now that I've finished a great marathon that took weeks, I can say with no problem: Toradora is the definitive romance comedy and the greatest love story I've ever get un touch in my life. And now I explain to you
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why.
The review will contain MAJOR SPOILERS of several parts of the show, so if you did not seen it, go to Crunchyroll right now.
STORY- 10/10
I will begin with a statement that will be polemic: Toradora is the younger brother of Neon Genesis Evangelion. Yes, you read it right. Like the classic, Toradora focus is not the plot, is the character development. Toradora is not a show about unlikely lovers, is a show about human relations; like EVA is not about post apocalyptic batlles, is about human relations. We know in the second episode how it is going to end. Is not difficult to know that. The great thing of the show is the journey we see to get to these logical conclusion. And the questions that emerge in this way.
Toradora is a great character study focused in the repression of feelings, the barriers we put among each other and the masks we wear to be more relatable with our equals. Is about also being true to your own feelings and being yourself, despite the others pression. It doesn't have the depressive weight EVA has, is more comic and lighthearted, but is no less realistic. It treats the humans relations and feelings with all the realistic weight they deserve. And this is what is great about it. Is a realistic study about adolescence and about human beings. Every dilemma, pain, joy and personality trace is explained and is rooted in our reality. And even so, is developed with a great combination between drama and comedy. Is a little, and also glourious, tale about life as it is. About friendship, family, schoolife, and people. The screewriting is just great, and combine situations and reflections about life magisterially. Seeing it as an adult, after have gone through various situations the caracters are going and seeing it addressed so beutifully real was really a great experience.
Among all these merits, Toradora also is a study about romantic love as it is. Romantic love is not doing crazy stuff to conquer the one you love, is not waiting for the soulmate or the prince riding a white horse as the ocidental pop culture told us since always. Romantic love is ordinary, is about being atraccted to the one who really care about it, is in the small things, small acts and the uncommitted words. Is more close to the family love, or friends love than the books and movies have teached you. Is about care so much about one person that let the feelings go is better them jump in the love swimming pool. Toradora understand love like few. Is not philosophical, is not fantastic. Is just a thing that come and go soflty.
Of course it have cliché scenes and situations, but these are apllied in the correct way and context, so, it's great to see how the screenwriting timing was right and perfect.
I really liked the approach it had on these themes. But the show would be nothing without its characters.
CHARACTERS- 10/10
I always say that characters are the soul of an ficctional work. So, a great writer must respect them and show who they are, what they want, where they come from and where they want to go. And Toradora masters it.
Let's start with Minorin, the happy-go-lucky girl of the main gang. Is she really the funny driven force, the one who doesn't care about small stuff, the one that is never hurt? No. She wears a mask and an armour of bright joy. As the show goes, we can see her frightened and insecure side, and how strong these side is. Also, we see a girl in the edge of a nervous breakdown, as she repress these "bad" feelings and want to show her light side to be loved. And also learns that open the heart is the best thing to do.
Kitamura also learns important lessons on his development. As member of the student council, he is always looking for the best to his friends, colleagues and fellow students. But, how we can see in the student council president arc, he sometimes forget about himself, his desires. So, he has a huge fear of not achieve what he really wants. This arc is extremely important to see how even the biggest heart of gold has it issues, his desapointments and his broken dreams.
Now we get in one of the greatest characters in anime multiverse, Ami Kawashima. As a famous teenager top model, Ami is the center of all atentions of class 2-C. But, despite all her popularity she's lonely among the others (how the great metaphor of the show, her favorite spot in between two soda machines can show us) and also emulates being a more pleasant person. She passes through the greatest change in the whole show, when she realizes that can be accepted the way she is, mostly by how Ryuuji behaves with her and sees who she realy is: not the mature queen bee, but a child seeking for acceptance. After the incident with the stalker in episode 6, she becomes more true to his real self and also more able to see through the walls and masks the others use to protect themselves. So, we see a new Ami rose from the ashes, more assertive and with the mission to make people supress less their feelings, specially her friends. The problem is that can bring pain, not only for they, but to herself too.
We have also other great secondary characters that help to develop the themes of the show. I think the ones who catched more my attention were Ryuuji's Mother Yuu and the love as sacrifice for the others, the former student council president Sumire, who shows that love is not doing crazy stuff, and Haruta, a class coleague that behaves himself as a perv but has a very interestanting secret.
But the spolight is always with the main protagonists of the show, Ryuuji and Taiga. The first one starts as the standart protagonist, a guy who don't like himself, is kind of weird but has a great heart. Ryuuji evolves to somenthing else, to a great human being who is the glue of the gang. Despite viewing his family as not what he wants to be, he starts to see it as a place of love and safety, and to valorize the small things that his convivence with mother, friends and Taiga can bring.
So we get to the Queen of Tsunderes. I love when a tsundere is well developed and has reasons do act as she acts. The agressive behaviour of Taiga, as of Asuka Langley Soryu in Evangelion, has an realistic explanation: she cames from a disfunctional family where her parents seens to not care about her. Besides it, she hates how small she is, trusts no one in the beginnig of the series by fear of being rejected or ridicularized, and just thinks that no one will ever care about her. As the story progresses and she gets more envolved with his friends, specially Ryuuji, and even becomes popular with the other school kids, the Palmtop Tiger finally sees her importance as a human being and how great she is. But her arc is not complete. That explain her desapearence act in the last episode: to fullfill hapiness she must show her new self to her family and finaly make bonds with them, showing not only her evolution, but her emotional maturity.
So, with characters like these ones, is impossible to not fell in love with this show.
ART- 7/10
The greatest problem in the show is the animation. It have its great moments but most of the part is not so good as the other aspects. The greatest problem though is the charachter design. Even if the mai ones get a good art, the rest of the cast sometimes is a ctrl c ctrl v, lazy art. But it not commits the quality of the show.
SOUND - 8/10
The sound effects are pretty good on this show, and are used more to build great comic situations. The OST is also very good, remarcable in various moments, but a little bit repetitive. The openings and endings are simply fantastic, catchy songs that express very well the tone of the show.
PERSONAL ENJOYMENT AND OVERALL- 10/10
Despite the few mistakes in the technical issues, I had a hell of a emotional journey watching the unfold of Toradora. From a guy that don't like romantic comedies, see this one as one of his favorite anime of all time is just amazing. The combination of plot, character development and realism is just so well done that i really feel better for the experience I had. Is a small masterpiece about the small things that we do and that have a great impact in our lives and the lives of others. Is a show that is mandatory not only to every anime fan, but also to every human being, adult or teenager, that want to learn about life. The power of Toradora will stay in the heart of everyone that watches it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Jun 4, 2016
Warning: minor spoilers ahead
Digimon was one of my favorite TV shows when I was younger, and as huge fan of the series I was in the opposite side from my collegues, Pokemon and Dragon Ball fans. Adventure is an amazing show, with very mature themes in the plot and great characters. The sequel, Adventure 02 was not so good, with lame new characters and an awful ending. Tamers was so called Digimon 3 by TV marketing, but is a spin--off (a great one to be fair), so Digimon Adventure has ended with a bitter taste in the fans mouth.
So I received the news of
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a new Digimon Adventure with great expectation. Despite the awful ending, was a serie that I cared so much when child. And also, I was sick for a better ending as well.
This first movie/OVA was a great surprise, and made me fell in love again with these beloved characters. But wait... again or for the first time? Yes, for shure, they are no kids anymore, they are teenagers now, with brand new personalities, dreams and dilemmas. Taichi (or Tai) is no more the lighthearted and flustered leader, he's more responsable and rational now, and is terrified with the destruction that giant monsters can bring. Yes, bein heroic and fight the evil is not so easy when you are grown up, and I liked very much this new Tai. Yamato (or Matt) continue to be the heart of the group, always thinking in do good to others, a great exponent to the crest of friendship he carries. And is still the bad ass. Sora is no longer a tomboyish "need pretend to be strong" character, is more like a cartaker and it seems to be the glue that will keep the group together. Also, the movie draws a possible romantic triangle between her, Tai and Matt. Takeru (or TK) is no longer the whining brat and awful character, is more joyfull and a womanizer project. Mimi is back from a long stay in america, is not more the childish one of the group, is the extroverted happy-go-lucky that stole the spotlight. Izumi (Izzy) continues to be the great computer geek and genie of the group, but have showed a new facet when confronted with the brand new Mimi that activates his libido. Joe and Kari are overshadowed by the others, but are still great indeed. The first have a new dillema in his college aplication marathon and is seen more studiyind than doing other stuff, and the second one, well... continues to be Tai's atractive little sister. I hope she gets more screentime in the next movies, she was extremely important in the old shows .
As you can see, the story is more chacter driven and this is the great merit from this first installement, is presenting a nouveau regard over our old friends. As their bonds intesifies, their challenges seems to be greater then fight giant monsters. Speaking on that, yeah, they are back. And yes, we have also great action scenes and new misteries surrounding the Digiworld. The villaneous Digimon are stronger, and the old pet monster have a lot of work to do in the next chapters. Also, a new Digidestined is the house. What she will bring?
The animation is simply gorgeous. Toei is a studio that lost the good animation tram and keep the oldfashioned style managed to make a great job here. Also, the OST is back with the great old themes renewed and is simply outstanding.
So, Digimon Adventure Tri is a great work that is trully shot through the heart of the nostalgic fans. Presenting old friends in a new path, and putting them in a comming of age plot is an excellent ideia. The characters are the soul of a good story and Toei knows that. It's a love letter to the old fans and a great invitation to new ones. Digimon is more mature, more realistic, and a 100% awesome. Now that the adventure had evolved, I can't wait for more!
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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May 18, 2016
At first I was reluctant to watch this show. All the reccomendations I've had were to avoid it and go to the Ufotable's anime, Fate/Zero and Unlimited Blade Works, so I've did it and felt in love with Fate franchise. So I was really on the hype of the franchise and was not satisfied with only two shows. My only option was the 2006 version, so, i've watched it, and I can say: it's a surprisiling good show.
It have the same feel of Nostalgia from the classic battle Shounen from the 80s and the 90s, and while I was watching it I've though multiple
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times that if this anime was launched at this time it would be a massive hit and considered, till today, a timeless classic. I think the great Brazilian dub have helped to increase the nostalgia, but it's indubitable that it have more in common with classic anime than the contemporary ones. The plot is more storyline driven and have an excellent pacing. Ok, unlike UFOtable, Studio Deen was not concerned with character development, they are plain and sometimes annoying (particularly Shiro), but they are very charismatic and more humour driven. The series is also less darker and more comedy driven, a classic shounen brand (UFOtable is more foccused in seinen audience, what explains the heavy character development and the philosophical debates in the plot) Also, the OST is better than Uffotable's (except the openings and endings that are ok, but not great).
The biggest problem here is the animation. In the begging this is worse than some 80s anime, the quality is really very poor, the action scenes are slow and have none emotion. The use of CGI is simply ridiculous, man, it's a 2006, they had already the technology to do something better. At least the animation improves by the end of the series and gets more fluid and ok. No more no less than ok.
So, I hugely recomend this show both for UFOtable fans and newcomers. It have it's flaws and is oldfashioned in style and screenwriting, but is really enjoyable and funny and worthwatching. If you are keen on classic battle shounen, you will just love it; if not, I think the UFOtable shows will please you more.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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