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Jan 1, 2014
Tales from Earthsea seemed to me at first like an interesting movie. The DVD was given to me by a friend and the design for the cover very much intrigued me with the beautiful dragon and background. However, I later found out that the movie had been adapted from a series of books and was directed by Goro Miyazaki, not Hayao. Still, I watched it with an open mind and hope for a good film. Sadly, I was let down.
Story: 3/10
The plot of Tales from Earthsea really throws the entire movie down. From the beginning to the last 20 minutes of the movie,
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I had honestly no understanding of the plot, why things happened, or even what was happening. This may be contributed to the fact that I haven't read the books that the film was adapted from, but even so I still should have had a grasp of the happenings. The pacing was messy and confusing, with parts being unexplained until the climax, where the answers came flying all at once. It vexed me very much when it shouldn't have. I note that the movie was mostly focused on the third book of the saga, but it still should have explained most of the setting from the start.
Art: 10/10
You can never go wrong with Ghibli art. For a film originally made in 2001, the animation and background effects were as breathtaking as ever. The character design was a bit plain, but their facial expressions, gestures and the like still pleased me. The world of Earthsea looked magical in my eyes, like a true place from a fairytale, as it should be.
Sound: 9/10
Art and sound go hand in hand when it comes to Ghibli films, so the sounds of Earthsea were almost as good as its art. While the soundtrack didn't pull at my heartstrings enough for me to give it a full 10, the orchestrated music was still amazing. I always love the full sounds of dramatic instruments playing throughout movies to make the scenes more dramatic, and Earthsea does this. The voice acting wasn't too shoddy, though. The actors sounded a little too serious for my tastes, but perhaps it was the personality of the characters that contributed to this.
Character: 6/10
None of the characters in the movie were I barely able to sympathize with. Arren was interesting at first because of his first scene, but his personality confused and scared me. I couldn't understand him and his development was messy but he was somewhat likable. Therru, I thought, could have been developed more. She has a strong personality but her overall impact on the film wasn't as strong as I wanted it to be. Sparrowhawk, while noble, was boring and I expected more from the titles he had in the movie. The villain freaked me out and I couldn't hate him or like him because I was confused to what his point was until the very end. All other characters were either neutral to my opinion or played very meager roles. I could barely feel emotion for any of them in the end.
Enjoyment: 5/10
The first three-quarters of the film I was absolutely confused and at times uncomfortable. I really tried to keep a positive mind while watching all the way through and give it a chance, but it didn't happen. The climax gave me a little hope, with the ending leaving me with some satisfaction. Overall enjoyment was average, the same as how I started the movie.
Overall: 6/10
Tales from Earthsea was conducted rather poorly. Judging broadly from the plot, it had the potential to be an interesting movie, but the way it was paced blew the whole the thing out of proportion. I would recommend watching this film with a very open mind and without high expectations.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Dec 28, 2013
Here we have another anime from Kyoto Animation, the company responsible for amazing works such as Chuunibyou, Clannad, Hyouka, and the Haruhi Suzumiya saga, but also created trainwrecks such as Tamako Market and K-On. When I first saw the trailer for Kyoukai no Kanata, I was really impressed by the change in genre that KyoAni was taking. Super natural was a theme lightly touched, the most being in Chuunibyou. After watching the series at first with excitement, I ended it with less satisfaction than before.
Story: 8/10
KnK started off really strong, setting up the plot and the characters excellently. It hooked you in really well, but
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once the plot got going, it slowed down... a lot. They had to put a filler episode in a 13-episode series for who knows why and the story line ended up becoming bumpy because of that and other factors. The climax in the last three episodes was very much rushed thanks to the poor pacing, making it extremely hard to follow and very confusing. Still, the plot was interesting and held out a lot of potential. It was just poorly executed and could have been loads better.
Art: 9/10
You can never go wrong with the quality of Kyoto Animation art. KyoAni is best known for amazing art elements and fluid animation. Combine this factor with supernatural Spirit World Warrior powers, and you've got one hell of a treat for the eyes. The different character and youmu designs were colorful and no doubt was it stunning.
Sound: 8/10
Kyoukai no Kanata's opening and ending sequences were rather average. They didn't exactly blow me away and I'd usually skip them. The background and original soundtrack music wasn't anything too amazing either. However, the voice acting was spot on. The characters were quite lively and no one seemed out of place with their voices. The too scores balance each other out, so KnK's sound was an above average 8.
Characters: 9/10
Each of the characters here were really interesting. The main cast, consisting of the high school gang, the Nase's and Aya and Ai, all had powers and secrets among them. Seeing them interact and revealing surprising background information kept me watching the series, but the development and relationships between them was lacking. The two that got the most growth was, of course, Akihito and Mirai. To really make the characters pop, more development should have been made. Otherwise, they were interesting, likable, and mostly well rounded.
Enjoyment: 8/10
Despite the shoddy pacing, I still really enjoyed Kyoukai no Kanata. Now, I wouldn't say that it made me super happy and excited, but it was enough for me to like watching it. I'm glad I finished it all the way through because the climax was pretty hectic in an appealing way.
Overall: 8/10
Every anime that Kyoto Animation releases has a tendency to be remembered as either a masterpiece or a trainwreck. Kyoukai no Kanata was able to avoid both categories and to me, was an anime to watch but not one to be remembered. It very much could have been twice as good as it was, but that fault lies in the storyline.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Dec 8, 2013
Watamote gained extensive popularity very quickly around the internet for its "relatable" stories of geekdom and social awkwardness. Because of this, I was prompted to watch the series to see if I would enjoy it as much as it's been glorified. As I watched it, I didn't feel humored at all. Watamote's reputation covered up its many flaws as an anime.
Story: 4/10
The plot of Watamote follows Kuroki Tomoko as she enters high school, expecting to be wildly popular among the boys. Of course, this turns out to be far from the truth as she is completely introverted. The show simply proceeds to show
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Tomoko's sad attempts at becoming a more social person. In order to stay true to the manga, there is no development in the storyline. It's merely a series of Tomoko's failures in the real world. Now, this should be hilarious and relatable, but I ended up feeling absolutely pitiful by the end of it. No one should be that introverted and lonely. While there probably is some out there that can connect to her, I barely could. Some moments of the show I laughed at Tomoko's poor decisions, but most of the time I felt uncomfortable. It ended up leaving a negative impression on me.
Art: 9/10
This is probably one of the factors of the show that greatly appealed to me. The animators didn't skimp out and their price was nicely paid. Watamote's art is filled with ambience and bright colors. The character and setting designs are lovely to look at, even though most of the background characters were just gray bodies. The animation was high quality and nicely done.
Sound: 8/10
The sounds of Watamote are above average. Some fields of it were definitely great while others felt bland to me. The voice actress for Tomoko did a fantastic job of conveying her personality. It really sounded like an introverted teenage girl, especially during scenes where Tomoko had to interact with other people. The opening sequence is pretty... unique compared to other opening songs and I usually skip it, save for one episode where the transition from anime to opening song was AMAZING. The ending sequence is sung by Tomoko's voice actress and pretty cute, but not good enough for me to get hooked on. Songs and voices together, Watamore has an above average sound.
Characters: 7/10
While the plot for Watamote was pretty stagnant, I gotta say, the characters are pretty interesting. Tomoko has a lot of personality as a person. Even though she's still socially awkward and strange, she brings a lot of humor to the show. Her wild ideas and fantasies end up creating the craziest situations. It's a deal breaker that she gets absolutely no development, but she's filled with great interest as a main character. A couple of the side characters were fun as well, especially Tomoko's non-empathetic younger brother, Tomoki, who has to sit through hearing about Tomoko's sad life. Despite the zero-development, the characters are somewhat enjoyable, but not enough to be lovable.
Enjoyment: 5/10
At first, Watamote was interesting, but as the episodes went on, my feelings for the show went from interested to pitiful. I couldn't help but feel extremely uncomfortable while watching Tomoko fantasizing about being popular while being totally introverted. At the end of each episode, I felt sorry for her instead of feeling entertained. I could not enjoy it all after the second half. Watamote should have been filled with dark humor, but ended up filling me with uncomfort.
Overall: 6/10
Watamote honestly could have been really good. The manga is hilarious, but the adaptation was not. While the characters and animation are great, the upsetting blatant storyline and "humor" keep me from liking it as much as other people do.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Sep 27, 2013
From Up on Poppy Hill was directed by Goro Miyazaki, Hayao Miyazaki's son. I was pretty interested to see how much of Hayao's legacy he could carry on. This movie looked very promising, but it was simple. The outcome wasn't exactly what I expected, and this goes as a bad and good way.
Story: 8/10
The main plot for this movie is about two students: Shun and Umi. They have a story of family, love, and willpower that is so simple yet so sweet. To be quite honest, that's the word that really describes this movie the best: simple. Unlike past Ghibli movies, From Up
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on Poppy Hill does not have magical, supernatural creatures or beautiful dream-like lands. In fact, it takes place in 1960's Japan. The movie attempts a historical feel, which is a risk since it may sway the interest of their popular audiences of children and teenagers. But, perhaps it was the simplicity of the movie that made it so likable. The whole plot wasn't exactly exciting, but it was well done enough to keep me intrigued. The relationship between Shun and Umi and their relationship problems because of possible family issues is a mild story but it still creates a sweet innocence. Extremely simple, but the best kind of simple.
Art: 10/10
Ghibli animation has always been beautiful and From Up on Poppy Hill is definitely not an exception. The backdrops are extremely detailed with even the smallest, most colorful brushstrokes on the least important settings. Everything was breathtaking, and while the character design was rather plain, it still completely captivated me. The quality was not underdone at any point in the movie and everything still retained some sense of realistic-ness. This aspect of Ghibli films will, in my opinion, never change.
Sound: 8/10
Comparing past Ghibli soundtracks such as Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, and My Neighbor Totoro to this movie makes From Up on Poppy Hill's original soundtrack seem so... plain. Joe Hisaishi did not create any original scores in this movie, so the music didn't really make of an impact on me. However, even if wasn't as good as usual, the soundtrack was still pretty swell. Finely orchestrated music fit the era and settings nicely for a 1960-themed movie. The voice actors did pretty well; they made each character's emotions seem realistic enough.
Characters: 9/10
Shun and Umi make up the most important characters of the movie, so their roles will be focused on the most. Umi's character is very realistic and human. She's a hard-working, responsible young woman who still copes with normal teenage issues like school and love. Her family past of her father contributes to her personality and makes her seem not as perfect, rounding her out nicely. Shun is at first shown to be a bit rash but later on is shown to be intelligent and caring. While they aren't the most interesting people in the world, both of these characters have an impact on each other, which entertained me and further built upon the plot.
Enjoyment: 8/10
Despite being plain and simple, From Up on Poppy Hill still interested me enough to keep watching and feel a sense of positivity. It was quite honestly a refreshing change from the usual exciting, magical Ghibli movie. But, parts of it still bored me and the ending made me upset and confused.
Overall: 8/10
Goro Miyazaki is continually working hard to live up to the legacy of animation that his father created. While From Up on Poppy Hill shows that he's yet to reach that point, it also shows that he's getting closer. The movie's simplicity and innocence sent out a calmer vibe and perhaps that's what the man is aiming at. I wouldn't put this in my top anime movie groups, but I wouldn't put in my worst either. It's an average movie and the work of a growing man. That's all it is to me.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Sep 7, 2013
I have a certain fear of what happens to humans after death. Do we go into a vast oblivion of darkness or do we get a second chance at life and become reincarnated? Since I brood over such trivial matters often, the plot for Colorful really caught my eye and I figured watching it would help me reach an answer. Well, not only did the movie get me closer to a sufficient answer, but it changed certain views of life that I had as well.
Story: 9.8/10
The plot for Colorful was a simple yet broad subject. A second chance of life, how many of us would
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take that? Would it be a good or bad idea? I've seen and read other stories that try to play around this concept, but Colorful's is unique. The journey of a person's discovery of sin in another sinner's body became as interesting as I hoped. While the movie was rather slow and dragged out for the first half of the movie, it created a build up that led to an ending that left a lasting impression. Colorful also explores the lessons of family, priorities, and friendship, all of which tied together well with the main plot. The ending was extremely satisfying and for a while after the movie, it makes you reflect on your own life as well. Philosophical and heart warming, Colorful's plot teaches life lessons that I never thought a movie could.
Art: 9/10
Colorful had some pretty good quality as an anime movie. The animation for each movement was very fluid and each character was drawn clear, tiny details included. The character design was nothing too special (except PuraPura), but they were still drawn well and realistically enough for my liking. Backdrops ranging from train stations to forests and lakes were all beautifully done and lovely to look at.
Sound: 8/10
I gave sound an above average 8 because the soundtrack for Colorful just didn't really stick out to me that much. However, they did fit the story and setting well, so it was still good enough. The voice actor's for each character portrayed their given role and personalities well. No one felt too plain or forced.
Character: 9.4/10
When it comes to character, the one that I'll be focusing mainly on is Makoto. His personality was very interesting and wasn't that of a basic main character. His development throughout the movie was so endearing and I ended up rooting for him more than I thought. His growth was refreshing, eye opening, yet realistic enough to enjoy. The side characters, though not as important, were just as interesting as you get to know them more and more through the movie. Each person has their own secrets and little quirks and its hard to not to hate someone by the end of Colorful.
Overall: 9.7/10
Initially reading Colorful's plot, I had high expectations for the movie, and it was definitely filled. The overall impact and morals can be near life changing as it really turns your perspective on how you may live. Along with high quality animation and characters that could be your next door neighbor, Colorful is a fantastic movie and one that I won't forget.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Sep 6, 2013
Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! is a comedy/romance/slice of life 2012 anime produced by the famous Kyoto Animation. The story follows Yuuta Togashi, a high school boy who had chuunibyou (eight grader syndrome) and believed himself to be the Dark Flame Master. He moves high schools and plans leave his embarrassing past behind and start a new leaf. However, this plan becomes null once he meets Rikka Takanashi, a high school student who has chuunibyou and believes that she possesses a "wicked eye" and is in search of the Ethereal Horizon. Rikka befriends Yuuta and ruins his chance for a possibly normal life. The anime
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brings in great comedy and a wonderful smash of romance towards the end.
When I first started Chuunibyou, I was a bit wary because I feared that it would just be a harem or a slow paced anime. However, I shouldn't have doubted the works of Kyoto Animation because I got quite the treat. The anime is hilarious, bringing me to actual stomach-hurting laughter more than one time. Yet, as you progress on further, you find out that there is hidden meaning and back stories that create dramatic tension all throughout. Additionally, the romance within it was absolutely adorable and showed the loving innocence between two die hard nerds. The animation flows terrfically and the few fight scenes are so entertaining to watch and easy to follow, as expected of KyoAni.
However, what made me happiest of all about this anime was the overall moral that it sends you; always stay true to yourself. It really is okay to express yourself no matter who you are, even if society doesn't accept you that way. If that's what makes you happy, then pursue it. Surely you'll find your own Yuuta and Dekomori and find happiness.
Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai was definitely a success for me, despite a somewhat slow start. I fully enjoyed the story, comedy, and romance with the stunning high quality animation. I definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys anyone of the genres that I mentioned above. I rate the anime a 9.2/10.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Sep 6, 2013
Many viewers, when first watching Tonari no Kaibutsu kun, believed that the show would turn to be a great success and enjoyment since the original manga for it was a success in the first place and receives much praise. However, as time passed and the first season (probably) ended, Tonari has left me feeling warm, but disappointed and unsatisfied.
Story: 5/10
One of the things that I enjoyed about this show was the pure innocence of it, how two misfits are slowly discovering the world of love. But I believe that it just stops right there. The whole series felt like one big filler, with some
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progress for five minutes every three episodes. Yes, you read that right. They definitely got the comedy part right, I laughed my ass off so many times ("Gorillas can communicate with their eyes!"). But the romance between the main two characters was just so confusing, being indecisive and having slow progress. Even during the final episode, which may I say was a total disappointment, the furthest the two progressed was Shizuku saying how she wishes to have full affection for Haru, one day. The anime did have bright points, though. It gave off themes such as the importance of relationships in ones life. Tonari did manage to make me feel warm inside as well, so I'll give them points on that.
Characters: 7/10
Natsume was easily my favorite character in this series. Her story may have been quite too much at times, but many people were able to relate to her story. Shizuku actually did some justice, she went from study bug to a study bug with feelings. Her indecisiveness irritated me a whole lot, though. Haru was absolutely adorable but he was rather confusing. His past with his brother was shoved in in order to explain his rash behavior. Needless to say though, he was an entertaining and unique character that's hard not to love. Yamaken brought excitement and a low-key love triangle between Haru and Shizuku, but it was obvious that he wouldn't have made too much of a difference. Still, seeing an elitist fall for a blatant study bug was rather adorable. Sasayan was a cutie, but really, what was the point of him? Have a crush on Natsume but then give up once he realizes she likes Mi-chan? I just wish he had more talk time because he did nothing much. These characters did bring liveliness and were relatable, so despite the wasted space some of them created, they were enjoyable.
Sound: 9/10
The music in Tonari was really pleasant, and did a pretty good job in bringing emotion in some of the more dramatic, emotional, and humorous parts. Nothing too applaud-able though. It's not like I'd go and illegally download any of their OST's. The voice actors did a TREMENDOUS job. I seriously am satisfied with how each character was portrayed by each of them. They brought emotion to the characters and made the show much more interesting that way.
Animation: 9/10
You definitely can't go wrong with the animation in this show. It was one of the reasons that I started watching it in the first place. The character's proportions are perfectly in tact, and their expressions were adorable and fun to watch. The scenery also was impressive at times and the whole thing was a treat to my eyes. Nothing too choppy or blurry, the character and setting design settled down the part of me that raged at the draggy plot.
Overall: 7/10
Tonari no Kaibutsu kun was a treat for the eyes and the ears, but the plot dragged on for the whole series and left many of the viewer's questions unanswered, including many of mines. Hopefully a second season will be made, one where Shizuku's and Haru's relationship will pick up, but hopefully not too quickly. I recommend this show to those who enjoy a good laugh and some tender feelings of romance now and then. Don't expect too much, though.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Sep 1, 2013
I heard a lot about Hotarubi no Mori e for its great story, despite it being so short (45 minutes). It was a movie that people deemed was almost equal to others like 5 Centimeters per Second. I finally watched it after my friend pushed and pushed me to see it and I was definitely not disappointed.
Story: 9.5/10
The romance story of a forbidden love seemed very unoriginal after years of silly soap dramas reusing the plot over and over again. But a sprinkle of supernatural and innocence made Hotarubi no Mori e different from the others, and better. The love story between
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the two main characters was so pure, hanging only on feelings and personality since any form of skin touch was not allowed. This made the emotions draw out better, easier to sympathize with. Despite the movie only being 45 minutes, the pacing went really well. About every point in the relationship was shown and the final conclusion was a huge bang. I thought it was unexpected, which I'm sure was what the writers were going for. I ended up getting way more emotional than I initially thought I was, which really shows how the movie was able to grow and build onto you. It was a wonderful film and I just wanna watch it again and again.
Characters: 8.5/10
Only two characters you need to care about here: Hotaro and Gin. In the beginning of the movie, Hotaro was still a typical little anime girl. I wasn't sure what to think of her. But you follow her as she grows into a high school student and she ends up slowly growing on you. Her perspective into Gin's supernatural life is similar to how we're seeing him. You end up sympathizing with how she feels and is dealing with the big issue in the movie. While plain, Hotaro was still lovable and easy to relate to. Gin was a unique character. His spell of being unable to come into contact with no human and his entire being was filled with mysteriousness. I wanted to learn more about him and was intrigued as much as Hotaro was. In the end, it touched my heart seeing how these two bonded together. I wish they had different scenes of interaction, but given the limits they gave, the movie had about as much as it could.
Sound: 8.5/10
The sounds of Hotari no Mori e were pretty well done. The soundtrack was a treat for my ears and was very pleasant to listen to. It amplified the emotions, especially the climax scene, incredibly well. It filled the movie with happiness, lightheartedness, and sadness to create a more dramatic effect. The closing song tied the whole movie together and created a sense of calm and closure. While not being too amazing to be remembered, the soundtrack was still great.
Animation: 8/10
Animation was above par. Nothing too high quality came out from this movie. The characters were colored a bit flat but still had a sense of life to them. However, Hotari still had many beautiful back drops that were lovely to look at when the time came. The animation wasn't so bad that I wanted to gauge my eyes out, but it also wasn't incredibly praise worthy.
Enjoyment: 9/10
In the beginning of the movie, I was a little intrigued with where the plot would take me. As it progressed, I was shocked to see how attached I had become to the events and by the end I was filled with great feelings of happiness and sadness. It was definitely an enjoyable experience.
Overall: 9/10
While being a bit draggy and short, Hotari no Mori e was still a fantastic movie. I didn't expect myself to be as drawn in as I was and the final impact of emotions at the end showed me how great of a movie it was. I will NOT forget what this movie did to me. It's showings of innocent love touched me and I'll definitely won't forget it in the future. I recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys pure romance and won't mind crying over a little heartbreak.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Jul 29, 2013
I'm going to be writing this review in assumption that you, the readers, have already watched the first season of Chihayafuru. I dove into this second season with high expectations from the first, and *most* of those expectations were satisfied. We follow Chihaya and everyone else into another year of karuta, drama, and romance. This season explored new themes and served as a lovely follow up to the first.
Story: 9/10
Chihayafuru's story is mostly known for two things: romance and karuta. If you were looking forward to more romance between our three main characters this season, then I suggest you look somewhere else. This portion
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of the story has a huge chunk of karuta and focuses mainly on Chihaya and her friends' abilities, motives, rivals, and passion. While the romance may be minimal, the amount of drama and emotion has not changed a bit. The matches have gotten more intense, to the point where you feel the character's pain, pressure, and happiness. Each new enemy gives our team more experiences and lessons, making them stronger and stronger. The story for the second season lived up to the first and did well.
Characters: 9.5/10
The characters of Chihayafuru make the show pleasant and fun to watch. They're portrayed in a way that makes you feel like they're your friend and all you want is the best for them. Chihaya, the main heroine, is the same as always: hyper, passionate, ambitious. This season we really see her grow as a karuta player and as a friend as she faces trials and challenges. Taichi, the first main hero, goes through development as well. A seemingly perfect boy with his own problems, we come to see him for what he truly is and wish for nothing but his happiness. And finally, Arata. Portrayed as a karuta prodigy but also a dear friend to Chihaya and Taichi. His relationship with these two is heavily explored upon and is very pleasant to watch. Overall, the characters in Chihayafuru are full of life, growth, and development.
Sound: 9/10
The sound effects and soundtrack for Chihayafuru 2 are incredibly breathtaking. The opening and closing songs are sweet and calming, matching the tone of the show. The music played throughout scenes and matches bring out the emotion even more, serving its purpose well while being a delightful treat for the ears. Every sound effect throughout the anime is spot on, from the heavy breathing to the whack of hands to the tatami mat. The sounds of Chihayafuru are beautiful and help tell the story even better than expected.
Animation: 9/10
Chihayafuru has a reputation for being an aesthetically beautiful anime, and its animation quality and colors help uphold this reputation. I can't describe it as anything else other than clean and beautiful. The small details, colors, shadings made me feel like I was watching a painting in motion rather than an anime. The quality was beautiful and the designs were fantastic. However, there were some scenes where the character designs looked sloppy and quickly done. Rather than that, most of the art in Chihayafuru 2 left a great impression on me.
Overall: 9.1/10
The animated sequel to Chihayafuru did justice to its predecessor. Although the main reason for the animation was to bring in more sales for the manga, it still gained high respect and a lot of good feedback. Mostly everything about the show was done in a way that compliments the themes of the story. It's unknown whether or not a third season will be made, but many (including me) hope so.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Jul 3, 2013
What initially attracted me to Samurai Champloo was the fact that Nujabes had composed most of the OST. But when from the moment I watched the first episode of Samurai Champloo, I knew that it was different, a very good kind of different. From the funky hip hop thematics to the fluid, thick, black line animation, Samurai Champloo became more to me than an anime with a good soundtrack.
Story: 8.9/10
Here we have three strangers in the Edo time period setting off on a journey to find a "samurai that smells of sunflowers." Samurai Champloo focuses on these three... But at the same time
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it doesn't. Most of the episodes are of the trio getting themselves into trouble and trying to get out of it, but it's these situations that subtlety ties the whole storyline together. Through every problem that Fuu, Mugen, and Jin get themselves into, the more they rely more on one another until the final episode when they realize how much they care about each other. The small morals about courage, loyalty, and friendship are really pleasant as well, even though the anime insists that it's nothing about that. Although it didn't give me that life changing impact by the end of the show, Samurai Champloo will still stick out to me for it's unique presentation of story.
Characters: 8.5/10
The thing I like about our main characters is how different they are from one another yet they fit each other so well, like Yin and Yang. The total opposition in personalities that they all have balances out and creates a trio that makes Samurai Champloo filled with excitement, humor, and drama. Additionally, each one has a hidden past that creates more interest. Mugen, rash and straightforward, relies on instinct rather than intellect. Jin, conserved and traditional, uses his bright mind and level headed-ness to get him through situations. Fuu, ditzy and demanding, keeps the two in check all the time. These three start out as distant strangers in the beginning, but we can notice an unbreakable bond form between them as the story carries on, which makes Samurai Champloo even more precious.
Sound: 9.5/10
The sounds of Samurai Champloo stuck out to me very much. What we have here is a mix of funky hip hop beats with traditional Japanese Edo era music. It exemplifies the counter-culture feel even more throughout the series. The opening and ending are both unique and amazing songs. Nujabes, shing02, fat jon, and Minmi used their talent to create an OST for Samurai Champloo to remember.
Animation: 9/10
Samurai Champloo's animation was another huge factor that made the anime unique from all others that I've watched. The thick-lines of the people and the beautifully fluid animation from the fight scenes made Samurai Champloo incredibly fun and easy to watch. Considering how it was made in the early 2000's, the animation is definitely impressive. However, there are some scenes that seemed like the animators slacked off and didn't put as much effort. Nonetheless, I adore the fluidness of Samurai Champloo.
Overall: 9/10
Samurai Champloo has ranked itself among the list of anime never forgotten in my mind. I truly believe that it's considered a milestone in anime history, considering its unique presentation, music, animation, and subtle yet sweet story line. Any type of fan could easily get themselves into this show. Everyone should consider watching Samurai Champloo, it won't be something that you'd regret!
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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