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- Birthday1997
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Jun 28, 2015
If you asked me to rate the first 6 episodes separately from the latter half of the show, I would easily give it 8/10 for the art, animation, and plot set-up.
But the last 6 episodes barely deserve 2/10 and here's why:
Art 7/10
I personally liked the art style and even the weird colour schemes grew on me. The fight sequences are excellent in the beginning but the animation gets sloppier and sloppier as the show goes on. What should have been a climactic battle deteriorates into what looks like a turn based rpg.
Story 5/10
The premise of the show is able to seamlessly blend
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together elements from the most popular shonen out there, including Attack on Titan, Tokyo Ghoul, Bleach, and Blue Exorcist. Contrary to what other people may think, I don't think it's bad storytelling to reuse tropes especially when they've already proven to be effective.
WITH THAT SAID, the plot progression beyond is initial set-up is abysmal. Plot device after plot device is introduced without actually showing their relevance to the overall plot. There is absolutely no tension because Yuu is ridiculously overpowered, not to mention abnormally lucky since nothing seems to go seriously wrong despite everyone's warnings against his dumbass decisions.
Character 2/10
Forget two dimensional, some of these characters struggle to be one dimensional. No one learns anything in their "character arcs" (and I'm using that term loosely). Yuu is reckless and overpowered, then becomes unapologetically reckless and overpowered. Mikaela's life revolves around Yuu, then it revolves around Yuu some more while he angsts. Guren starts out with "lazy but cool older brother figure" then becomes a heartless bastard for no apparent reason.
Enjoyment 5/10
I feel that this is a generous rating considering how much I hate the second half of this cour. By a certain point, the only thing that kept me coming back was the OP and ED.
Reviewer’s Rating: 4
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Mar 29, 2015
I'll admit that if I rated this show purely objectively, it would probably score a 6. So why did I give it a 9?
Simply because it manages to poke fun at magical girl tropes without talking down to its viewers or resorting to mean spirited jokes. It's exactly what a parody should be: a celebration of what it is critiquing. I consider this a must watch for anyone who is a fan of magical girls (and/or BL), HOWEVER that doesn't mean it doesn't have any weak points.
Story 6/10
Where the show falters is in its weekly format. Like most magical girl anime, it uses
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a monster of the week formula that gets tiring after a while. There are a couple glaring plotholes as the show goes along but they get a pass mostly because the characters themselves make fun of them. Overall the story is lighthearted, but they do mix in some drama and well foreshadowed plot twists to keep you emotionally invested. It also has a very satisfying ending (which is more than I can say for a lot of series).
Art & Animation 8/10
The character designs are distinct and adorable. Honestly this is some of the best proportioned shoujo I've seen in a while. The battle sequences, while extremely sparkly, are not stunning feats of animation. But with transformations called "More Better Love-making" the show isn't meant for cinematic battles anyway.
Characters 6/10
The characters are tricky because they are both good and bad. They fill the expected archetypes (the megane, the lazy one, the cuddly one, the rich one...), and maybe it's because it's only a 12 ep series, but I don't think they made the most of their established personality traits. There are some awesome revelations that tie everyone together in the finale. But otherwise they don't have much development beyond their relationships with each other (and I do mean that in a BL sense).
Sound 9/10
The OP and ED are catchy as hell. I find myself humming them randomly throughout the day.
Basically, if you're a fan of magical girl series and you want a lighthearted story with cute boys, then this is perfect for you! If you're looking for an anime with deep messages that make you question human nature, then you might want to look somewhere else.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Dec 21, 2014
First things first, I am one of the pickiest BL fangirls in the world. I despise Junjo Romantica and Sekai Ichi Hatsukoi. But Love Stage surpasses them with flying colours.
Story 8/10
Gasp, there's actually a plot, and it's pretty good. Its strongest point is that the drama does not solely revolve around the characters' romance. Izumi might be a shut in otaku, but outside of his relationship with Ryouma, he has a vision of becoming a mangaka. He actively pursues his dream and you can genuinely relate to his coming of age struggles. Ryouma's fame also plays a part in the events instead of being
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treated as an excuse for him to be rich and not do anything. My only problem is that it still uses sexual harassment as a plot device. Romance-wise, I like that the main focus is kept on Izumi and Ryouma instead of having a bunch of flat beta romances like other BL. Honestly, their relationship is better paced than most hetero romances I've seen.
Character 9/10
The only reason I didn't give this 10 is because the background characters are pretty much cardboard cutouts. Izumi and Ryouma are very real in contrast. While the show falls into the sexual harassment trope, Izumi has a very realistic reaction in the aftermath instead of immediately falling for his aggressor. He also grows from the experience so he doesn't end up being a damsel in distress later on. Ryouma, unlike other characters I immensely dislike, regrets his loss of control and has to beg for forgiveness. I love that he doesn't get it right away and has to earn Izumi's friendship, then eventually his love.
Art 6/10
It's not horrifying to look at, and no one has a severe case of yaoi hands, but the eyes are drawn in that way where you can see them through the hair. The lips are a bit weird looking too. It's not my favourite style but it's certainly not as bad as Love Pistols.
Sound 6/10
The OP and ED are okay. The background music doesn't add much but doesn't detract from the drama. No one would watch this for the music anyway.
Enjoyment 9/10
This was such a refreshing series compared to most BL. The premise is cute, the ending is sweet, and it doesn't perpetuate abusive relationships. What more can a girl ask for? If you're looking for a shounen ai series with a realistic relationship and a good sense of humour, then you'll love this!
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Dec 21, 2014
SPOILER FREE! This review is going to be split into two parts: subjective and objective (or the difference between my heart and my mind).
We'll start with OBJECTIVE. The art is aesthetically pleasing and the character designs are unique enough that you don't mix up anyone. It pulls off both serious and cutesy expressions very well, but that's standard for shoujo. It also showed me a male outfit that made me go "WTF" in the same way I look at the suits in Kill la Kill.
The animation is mediocre at best. The fights are nice towards the end but the beginning is pretty lazily done (a
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sound effect and a flash). I said before the interspersed serious and cutesy art is nice, but they really don't transition well animation wise. There are some parts which are jarring and completely take you out of the story.
Character wise, the three brothers and shirasu (and their relationship) were well developed, considering this is a 12 episode series. Some people might find the third brother, Chuutaro, to be a bit annoying but it doesn't detract too much overall. Everyone else is pretty one note in terms of personality. It's really just from the size of the cast and the amount of backstory that had to be crammed into this. Despite the fact that they all love to blab about their pasts, it ends up feeling like you missed out on a lot of characters.
When it comes to story, Donten suffers most from its clumsy exposition. The first episode starts off introducing the characters, the setting, and all that jazz in a pretty standard way. But then it drags on and on into the next episodes because it needs to introduce so many other characters and establish their connection to the main plot, most which is dropped on you like a brick in the form of an episode long flashback. The romance is also mediocre, considering it's between a tsundere chick and a hopelessly devoted dude, though fans of reincarnated lovers probably will like it.
Set up aside, however, the execution of the second half of the series is excellent. The action is gripping, the plot twists leave you stunned, and the pay off is emotionally satisfying (or crippling, depending on your tastes). There are a couple, not so much plot points, but character motivations, that are unresolved at the end.
With that said, SUBJECTIVELY, I adore this anime. I love all of the character designs so much. The girls are pretty and the boys are hot, and that's enough for me. None of the characters were unnecessary or unlikeable and the story put them all to good use. I loved all the plot twists even the one I saw coming because it's timed so well. Every episode left me itching to watch another one and I'm not ashamed to admit that I cried. I also love the romance as cliched as it is, and I ship two other couples. I would totally watch this again, painful exposition and all!
tl:dr Don't judge this one until you get to the end.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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