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Jun 29, 2014
Overview: Steins; Gate is an absolute masterpiece. Not only does it reach to do a lot of things, but it does them damn well. This show is an absolute must-watch for almost anyone, but be ready for a lot of information crammed into the first half of the show; It's important to go into this with the right mindset.
Story: 31/37:
There's nothing to it- the story of Steins; Gate is amazing. They use time travel as not just a gimmick, but one of the the most important aspects to the plot. Countless games and shows have found this to be incredibly difficult to do without
...
either having strange occurrences or significant plot holes, however, after sorting things out in my head for a bit when the show had finished, I could find nothing of the sort.
One thing many people complain about is the pacing. The beginning is slow... VERY slow. If you don't like the slice of life genre, you almost certainly won't like the first 7 or so episodes. To make it worse, there's a lot of info shoved into those early episodes and while you shouldn't try too hard to understand everything, if you don't pay attention, it makes it tough to really appreciate how incredibly well put together the latter half of the series is. As a disclaimer, though, I only put this as a negative for some amount of objectivity. If you're like me, and like Slice of Life, these early episodes are still really fun to watch.
Once past the early section of Steins; Gate, though, you won't be able to put it down. There are a few good fast-paced episodes, and then after the climax, the adrenaline never stops pumping. It just gets absolutely intense. By the end of it (especially since there's still a good amount of information stacked into the episodes), my mind was just numbed. It was one of the single best after-effects and anime has ever had on me, and I hope everyone who ever watches anime can experience the same thing.
Characters: 33/37
If the story of Steins; Gate was amazing, the characters are even better. There are two significant factors that went into scoring this a 36. The first factor was my dislike for one of the, in my opinion, extremely bland characters: Moeka. She just has no personality, and while once her story is revealed, she gets a little better, it's still not enough to justify how boring of a character she is, especially when surrounded by all of the other amazing mains.
Now, you may wonder why the Character Score is still a 33/37, and that's because, in my opinion (of course), Steins; Gate has the single, undisputed best main character development in anime. Rintarou Okabe is just pure genius. He starts out as a super weird self-proclaimed genius, who talks to himself over the phone to try and look cool to others. Despite this, it's shown early on that he has a decent heart to him, as even when he's teasing his friend Mayuri, he still gives her the toy he paid for. Throughout the series, though, he grows into a freaking man. After a certain episode where everything goes crazy, he matures tremendously over a short, but reasonable amount of time and turns into a true hero. I can't possibly explain the development in any way to justify how amazing it was, but I fully recommend the show just to see it.
The other characters are also great, and even though Okabe is such an amazing main protagonist, he in no way steals the spotlight from the majority of them. I won't go into detail on any of the others, but they are all done extremely well, and are enjoyable to watch.
Art/Sound: 18/25
There isn't a whole lot to say about the art. It's pretty average, although it does have a unique style in that it doesn't use many bright colours. It goes for a more washed out, realistic (if that's the right word) approach. Also, keep in mind that for some unknown reason the art quality increases significantly after the first episode, but it's still not great compared to a lot of newer anime.
The sound is great overall, but not particularly amazing. There are a few things that decide sound for me: the opening/ending (more emphasis on the OP), series soundtracks, and voices/sound effects.
The OP for Steins; Gate is one of the best I've ever heard. It's just an awesome song, with an awesome visual background. The ending song is also great for an ED, and while I was hoping for even better, I have yet to find more than one or two ED's that I really enjoyed. The soundtracks throughout the series are fine. For the most part, there is nothing that stands out except for the Reading Steiner track, which is really good. The sound effects are fine, but don't really matter or factor in, and the voice acting is top-notch. (Note: This is for the Japanese voices).
Romance: 1/1
This section is basically whether or not there was a romance that I enjoyed. Sorry if this is a spoiler, but I particularly enjoy watching a romance develop, and I wished that other reviews would tell me if I was going to get to see one.
Overall: 83/100
While an 83 might not seem like an incredible score, I can safely say that this is the best anime that I have ever watched. I deducted points from several things that were less important to me specifically in an attempt to be at least relatively objective. These deductions will be listed so that anyone else who may have similar taste can see if they should rate this even higher.
-The slow pacing at the beginning. If you like Slice of Life, add the full 6 points back on.
-Art Quality: If you don't weight the visual quality as highly (don't get me wrong, it is NOT enough to detract from the experience in any way), then add some points or something.
Anyone that is even considering watching this anime should watch it. I give it my fullest recommendation to ALL audiences.
If you have any questions about my review (or want to talk about anything at all, really), feel free to email me at: nickwillis64@gmail.com
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Jun 29, 2014
Overview: My friend Allen was playing some Guild Wars 2 when another buddy and I suggested Gurren Lagann to him, and he told us: “I don't really want to watch Gurren Lagann now”. And what my other friend said next is about the best way I can sum this anime up. “Yes you do. You just don't KNOW you want to watch Gurren Lagann right now.” Truer words have never been spoken, because if you're anything like me, this show just looked way too dumb and over the top to be that good, but I will swallow my ignorant pride, and say this is one
...
of the best shows I have ever seen.
Story: 33/37
The story of Gurren Lagann is great. It's possibly (with the exception of one or two moments) one of the most predictable stories out there, but it's amazing. The show is very much a pump-up show for most of it, although there are several incredibly sad and tense scenes, but generally the main characters just kick so much ass that nothing else matters. Honestly, as much as I liked about the series, there isn't a whole lot to say about the story, other than the fact that it was just really well done, or other generic things telling you that it's good... well except for one thing. There is a point in the middle of the series (you could call it it the start of the second season even), where things just... don't fit in the theme of the show. Gurren Lagann is all about manly men kicking manly ass. But there are a few episodes that just break that theme and try to get emotional for the wrong reasons. Luckily, they rectify this and go right on back to beating the baddies soon enough, but it's enough to seriously disrupt the flow of the story.
Characters: 28/37
This was an incredibly tough score to figure out. On one hand, 99% of the characters, both good and bad, are just incredibly well done. Kamina, Simone who turns into Kamina, and even their nemeses Viral and Lord Genome are amazing. Kamina is the biggest badass in anime, and Simone is right up there at number 2. Even the female lead, Yoko, who looks like she'll just be fan-service central is a great character. So, why does this only get a 30/37? Two reason, one of which is way more important than the other. While this show gets you pumped up with Kamina, Gurren Lagann then introduces one of the worst characters out there: Rossiu. This guy is just a total downer. He never thinks they can succeed (RAGE NOTE: even though the THEME of the entire series is that effort = success. In fact, the driving force for the mechs in the show is fighting spirit), and is just a big whiner. To make matters worse, he becomes one of the most important characters for a while. And then, instead of delivering sweet justice to this cry-baby, they just try to make you feel bad for him. Nope, not gonna happen.
Rant over, the other bad character is the final antagonist in the series. He just isn't that good. It's not enough to matter in the grand scheme of things since the good guys probably just needed more ass to kick, but he's just kind of plain and boring. Oh well, at least Kamina brings the score from Rossiu (1/37), to awesome (28/37). But seriously, watch this just so you can feel like a loser compared to Kamina and Simore, but still become a vicarious badass.
Art/Sound: 22/25
The art in the series is interesting. The style is almost cartoony, and for a show which puts all of its emphasis on combat, they take an almost comic-book like approach to some of their scenes. Okay, that's an exaggeration, but they really don't try to make it look crisp or realistic at all. But at the same time, this style works because the show is just SO ridiculous, and it needs some black line shading under each upper-cut to the enemy face.
The sound is great overall, but not particularly amazing. There are a few things that decide sound for me: the opening/ending (more emphasis on the OP), series soundtracks, and voices/sound effects.
The OP is absolutely fantastic (even if the second OP is literally just the same thing but with a different visual background), and the ED is nothing special. However, the soundtracks throughout the show are just plain incredible. I still listen to some of them, and they are some of the best out there. If you can honestly listen to and say you don't like Libera me From Hell, then you are sub human. Sound Effects are well done, and do make a difference, and the Voice Actors are all good, with nothing particularly notable.
Romance: 0/1
This section is basically whether or not there was a romance that I enjoyed. Sorry if this is a spoiler, but I particularly enjoy watching a romance develop, and I wished that other reviews would tell me if I was going to get to see one.
Overall: 83/100
Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann is pure testosterone. It does almost everything it sets out to do perfectly, from its intense dramatic moments, to its awesome, badass combat. It's definitely a show for all audiences, unless you're especially pretentious and think that all anime should make sense, and this is too over-the-top. There are a few flaws that deduct points from it, some more glaring than others, and those will be mentioned here:
-Rossiu is one of the worst characters out there.
-The first couple episodes and the middle couple episodes (mainly the middle ones) aren't up to par.
If you have any questions about my review (or want to talk about anything at all, really), feel free to email me at: nickwillis64@gmail.com
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jun 29, 2014
Overview: Kokoro Connect is by far the best slice of life genre anime that I have ever seen. It has amazing characters, a great plot, and fantastic dialogue and writing. This series is what all Slice of Life anime should aspire to be.
(NOTE): I should state now, that when I say Slice of Life, I don't really mean it in the purest sense. I am aware that Slice of Life anime are really things like Aria the Animation, or K-on!, but I consider series such as Clannad, Toradora, etc. to be Slice of Life.
Story: 33/37
The story of Kokoro Connect gets a 33/37 and
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is the weakest part of it, so that should tell you something. Being an odd number of episodes, the story is broken up into 4 distinct arcs. Each of these arcs corresponds to a phenomenon that the five main characters are put through. The first one is in the plot synopsis, and is a arc all about random body swapping. Now, right here, with reading only the synopsis, it's easy to dismiss this anime as some fan-service ridden school fest (not that there aren't good anime of that type), but Kokoro Connect is anything but that. Each Arc lets the friends find out more about each other and, as the “antagonist” puts it, they all get something good out of it. However, each arc also has a central conflict that's... well, not Higurashi dark, but dark for a slice of life anime. To put it simply, the show is not afraid to get really serious, and does so more often than not. It's in these serious moments (although I shouldn't discredit the rest of the show, because there are TONS of hilarious and cute moments) that the show truly shines to me. The reason for that, is because Kokoro Connect is, in my opinion, the most realistic series out there. Now, I don't mean realistic in the purest sense, because they swap bodies, read each others minds, and turn into child versions of themselves, but I mean realistic in their approach to everything. In almost EVERY anime, especially Slice of Life anime, the majority of dramatic moments just feel so contrived. Not so in Kokoro Connect, every single conflict, every single reaction, even, feels like something that I could see myself doing or saying in the situations these characters are in. There aren't any hyper-dense main characters, or any over-the-top moments. I honestly can't stress enough how important and rare (if not non-existent) this is in anime. This alone is why all other anime should learn from this series. The only reason I subtract points from Kokoro Connect, is because of the third arc. To be completely honest, the third story arc is good, and there's nothing wrong with it, but... compared to how flawless the other three arcs are, it's just lackluster enough to take points off of the total score.
Characters: 37/37
Kokoro Connect has the best collective cast in any anime that I have seen. Not only is there an awesome Male Lead, but every single one of the five main characters, along with most of the side characters start out great, and develop greatly. Even Aoki Yoshifuma, who gets by far the least amount of development is so much better than most anime characters out there. To give you an idea of what to expect, my friend describes Himeko Inaba as the perfect cross between Ritsu from K-on!, and Mikasa from Shingeki no Kyojin, and that description isn't too far off in my opinion. To make it even better, I will restate what I said earlier in the Story section. The characters are just so realistic. There were no points that I can remember EVER thinking, even a little, to myself that their responses to given situations were weird, and would never happen in real life. Even their banter was just too well written. Actually, if I had to put it in words, I'd just say that the entire dialogue for every character was absolutely perfect. While Rintarou Okabe may be my favorite Male Lead, and Gasai Yuno my favorite Female Lead, aevery character in Kokoro Connect holds their own when compared to both of my ultimate examples.
Art/Sound: 22/25
Normally I don't talk much about the art, because I really only watch anime with graphics that I can get into. However, I do think that the aesthetics of Kokoro Connect deserve at least a little bit of a shout out, because they are just great. The characters are really fluid, the guys are cool looking, the girls are cute, the backgrounds are really colourful, and, while this might seem inane, each of the main characters has a different hair colour!
The sound is Kokoro Connect is really good. There are a few things that decide sound for me: the opening/ending (more emphasis on the OP), series soundtracks, and voices/sound effects. The OP and ED were both average, with the OP being a bit better, but nothing I go out of my way to listen to. The background music is actually really good. I particularly liked the harmonica piece that plays during peaceful moments. The voice actors/actresses all are simply amazing, and pull off the BRILLIANT writing very well. The sound effects are essentially irrelevant.
Romance: 1/1
This section is basically whether or not there was a romance that I enjoyed. Sorry if this is a spoiler, but I particularly enjoy watching a romance develop, and I wished that other reviews would tell me if I was going to get to see one.
Overall: 93/100
Here it is: the highest score given to any of the anime I have, or will review for the next while until I find something that can surpass it. While in terms of my personal enjoyment, I can't place this above Mirai Nikki or Steins;Gate, I can safely say that this ranks in my top 5 anime, and might even be number 3. This anime should be watched by every single fan of the genre, and even many that aren't a fan of it. Even if Clannad and Toradora are considered the classics of the Slice of Life genre, they just plain out, aren't as good as this one.
Deductions in points from the score will be listed here, just in case anything that I subtract means more or less to you, although I didn't deduct almost any points from this masterpiece:
-The third story arc, while still extremely good, isn't up to par with the 1st, 2nd, and final arcs.
-The sound and art are great, but I cannot give anything except Shingeki no Kyojin a perfect 25/25 since, even though I think it's overrated, nothing else even comes close to it in that aspect.
If you have any questions about my review (or want to talk about anything at all, really), feel free to email me at: nickwillis64@gmail.com
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Jun 29, 2014
Overview: Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni (Kai, the sequel will be included as part of the review) is probably the only anime of the mystery/horror genre that succeeds at what it's defined to be. Sure, there are other good mystery anime, like Gosick, or other good horror anime, like Mirai Nikki, but neither of those really fit those respective genres. Higurashi not only is a fantastic mystery/horror anime, but a fantastic series in general.
Story: 35/37
The story of Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni (Kai) is a little tough to go into without spoilers, but I will attempt to explain the general setup. Most of the first
...
season is divided into short 4-5 episode arcs. In total, there are 4 of these arcs, and each arc is more or less a “repeat” of what happened in the previous arc, but with time reset, and different events occurring. Now, these first 4 arcs are called “Question Arcs”, and it is highly unexpected for the audience to understand what the point of the show is, or even what's going on in several situations. However, not only is that part of what makes this show a GREAT mystery anime, but all of these arcs are fun to watch, and have plot twists within themselves. The last couple of arcs from the First Season, and the first arc from the Second Season are essentially non-related to the primary 8/9 arcs. However, these “Side-Arcs” are also amazing, and serve to give important background information and by the first arc of the Second Season, the audience should be getting some hints, and possibly figure out what the over-arching story-line is. Finally, by the end of this first arc of the Second Season, the next 4 arcs consist of what are called “Answer Arcs”. These arcs, with some exception, are essentially re-tellings of the first 4 arcs from different points of view which serve to answer many of the unknowns in the Question Arcs. This might sound boring, but in reality, these episodes are also great and extremely well put together in order to keep things 100% fresh. By the end of the Answer Arcs, the audience has figured out “who the main character is” along with “who the main antagonist is” and things like this, and the final arc is longer, and is pretty much what you'd expect out of a standard, good guys vs. bad guys anime, since, in general, all of the mysteries have been solved.
I have to provide a special mention here, because after getting through the answer arcs, I felt let down. How could there be such a long arc when there are no more serious mysteries left to be solved, in such a mystery-centric anime. However, I cannot say, in any way, that I wasn't absolutely thrilled with this Final Arc (minus the first couple more boring episodes). This Final Arc is absolutely amazing in its own way, and I loved the entire series' complicated but carefully explained story.
Back on topic, while this was probably one of the most boring Story sections I have written, it should in no way alert you to the possibility that I wasn't just as amazed with this Story as any other anime deserving a boggling 35/37, but there is too much to say to waste too much space on unnecessary rambling. In summary, the Story of Higurashi is one of the best, if not the best I have ever seen.
Characters: 33/37
The characters in Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni (Kai) are difficult to talk about, just like the story. On one side of things, there really aren't any characters who stood out to me like a Gasai Yuno, or an Okabe Rintarou which is why I can't really give this anime a perfect score on Characters, but... on the other hand, the way that almost every character who is mentioned is integral, in some way, to the plot is amazing, and all of the characters are extremely well written and always, without exception, match the personalities that they become known for as you watch the show. All of the characters have significant flaws (which are intended), but seeing the main protagonists interact with each other in the lighter, and the darker (and I mean DARKER) moments provide probably as much entertainment as a show like Kokoro Connect, which is the only anime that I will ever award a perfect score on Characters for. To be honest, I can't even say what makes the characters not as good as those from Kokoro Connect, but something about them just isn't “quite” as perfect. Regardless, there is not a single character I didn't like culminating in one of the best casts I've ever seen.
Art/Sound: 17/25
As usual, I don't really have a lot to say about the art, but it was average. It definitely isn't the best looking anime I've seen, and it loses some points for not looking as good as an anime its age could, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with it, and many of the characters and backgrounds are endearing.
There are a few things that decide sound for me: the opening/ending (more emphasis on the OP), series soundtracks, and voices/sound effects. The opening to Higurashi is one of my favorites, although I do admit that I seem to like a lot of anime openings for non Slice-of-Lifes. It's chilling, and the animation behind it is awesome though. It's a shame that the second OP and the EDs aren't as good, but they aren't bad either. The ambient sounds are fine, and the voice actors and actresses are absolutely great and really pull of the casts personalities well. While I usually don't even mention sound effects, with some of the brutality that happens in this show, Higurashi's sound effects appropriately do justice to the horrifying scenes and otherwise.
Romance: 0/1
This section is basically whether or not there was a romance that I enjoyed. Sorry if this is a spoiler, but I particularly enjoy watching a romance develop, and I wished that other reviews would tell me if I was going to get to see one.
Overall: 85/100
Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni (Kai) was an anime that I wanted to watch for a while, but kept putting off. In some ways I'm glad I did so, since that meant I got to enjoy it to the fullest over the summer, but this is, hands down, the best mystery anime out there. It's the best horror anime I've seen as well, and all of this is paced well and kept in check by the cute, but powerful character interactions throughout the seies. I recommend this show to anyone who likes to think, but warn you that it is, unlike most other anime that claim to be mystery, in fact centered around a mystery and will require attention and thought in order to get the fullest enjoyment out of
Deductions in points from the score are my attempt at being as objective as I can, but they will be listed here in case anyone reading this cares more or less about anything I take points away from:
-There are one of two episodes that feel slightly out of place in the series, and seemed practically like filler. Good filler episodes, but filler nonetheless.
-The art style is consistent, but just seems really outdated for no apparent reason, and really could be a lot better (although there are some definite advantages to the style, especially in some of the darker (thematically) moments).
If you have any questions about my review (or want to talk about anything at all, really), feel free to email me at: nickwillis64@gmail.com
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Jun 29, 2014
Overview: Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni (Kai, the sequel will be included as part of the review) is probably the only anime of the mystery/horror genre that succeeds at what it's defined to be. Sure, there are other good mystery anime, like Gosick, or other good horror anime, like Mirai Nikki, but neither of those really fit those respective genres. Higurashi not only is a fantastic mystery/horror anime, but a fantastic series in general.
Story: 35/37
The story of Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni (Kai) is a little tough to go into without spoilers, but I will attempt to explain the general setup. Most of the first
...
season is divided into short 4-5 episode arcs. In total, there are 4 of these arcs, and each arc is more or less a “repeat” of what happened in the previous arc, but with time reset, and different events occurring. Now, these first 4 arcs are called “Question Arcs”, and it is highly unexpected for the audience to understand what the point of the show is, or even what's going on in several situations. However, not only is that part of what makes this show a GREAT mystery anime, but all of these arcs are fun to watch, and have plot twists within themselves. The last couple of arcs from the First Season, and the first arc from the Second Season are essentially non-related to the primary 8/9 arcs. However, these “Side-Arcs” are also amazing, and serve to give important background information and by the first arc of the Second Season, the audience should be getting some hints, and possibly figure out what the over-arching story-line is. Finally, by the end of this first arc of the Second Season, the next 4 arcs consist of what are called “Answer Arcs”. These arcs, with some exception, are essentially re-tellings of the first 4 arcs from different points of view which serve to answer many of the unknowns in the Question Arcs. This might sound boring, but in reality, these episodes are also great and extremely well put together in order to keep things 100% fresh. By the end of the Answer Arcs, the audience has figured out “who the main character is” along with “who the main antagonist is” and things like this, and the final arc is longer, and is pretty much what you'd expect out of a standard, good guys vs. bad guys anime, since, in general, all of the mysteries have been solved.
I have to provide a special mention here, because after getting through the answer arcs, I felt let down. How could there be such a long arc when there are no more serious mysteries left to be solved, in such a mystery-centric anime. However, I cannot say, in any way, that I wasn't absolutely thrilled with this Final Arc (minus the first couple more boring episodes). This Final Arc is absolutely amazing in its own way, and I loved the entire series' complicated but carefully explained story.
Back on topic, while this was probably one of the most boring Story sections I have written, it should in no way alert you to the possibility that I wasn't just as amazed with this Story as any other anime deserving a boggling 35/37, but there is too much to say to waste too much space on unnecessary rambling. In summary, the Story of Higurashi is one of the best, if not the best I have ever seen.
Characters: 33/37
The characters in Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni (Kai) are difficult to talk about, just like the story. On one side of things, there really aren't any characters who stood out to me like a Gasai Yuno, or an Okabe Rintarou which is why I can't really give this anime a perfect score on Characters, but... on the other hand, the way that almost every character who is mentioned is integral, in some way, to the plot is amazing, and all of the characters are extremely well written and always, without exception, match the personalities that they become known for as you watch the show. All of the characters have significant flaws (which are intended), but seeing the main protagonists interact with each other in the lighter, and the darker (and I mean DARKER) moments provide probably as much entertainment as a show like Kokoro Connect, which is the only anime that I will ever award a perfect score on Characters for. To be honest, I can't even say what makes the characters not as good as those from Kokoro Connect, but something about them just isn't “quite” as perfect. Regardless, there is not a single character I didn't like culminating in one of the best casts I've ever seen.
Art/Sound: 17/25
As usual, I don't really have a lot to say about the art, but it was average. It definitely isn't the best looking anime I've seen, and it loses some points for not looking as good as an anime its age could, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with it, and many of the characters and backgrounds are endearing.
There are a few things that decide sound for me: the opening/ending (more emphasis on the OP), series soundtracks, and voices/sound effects. The opening to Higurashi is one of my favorites, although I do admit that I seem to like a lot of anime openings for non Slice-of-Lifes. It's chilling, and the animation behind it is awesome though. It's a shame that the second OP and the EDs aren't as good, but they aren't bad either. The ambient sounds are fine, and the voice actors and actresses are absolutely great and really pull of the casts personalities well. While I usually don't even mention sound effects, with some of the brutality that happens in this show, Higurashi's sound effects appropriately do justice to the horrifying scenes and otherwise.
Romance: 0/1
This section is basically whether or not there was a romance that I enjoyed. Sorry if this is a spoiler, but I particularly enjoy watching a romance develop, and I wished that other reviews would tell me if I was going to get to see one.
Overall: 85/100
Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni (Kai) was an anime that I wanted to watch for a while, but kept putting off. In some ways I'm glad I did so, since that meant I got to enjoy it to the fullest over the summer, but this is, hands down, the best mystery anime out there. It's the best horror anime I've seen as well, and all of this is paced well and kept in check by the cute, but powerful character interactions throughout the seies. I recommend this show to anyone who likes to think, but warn you that it is, unlike most other anime that claim to be mystery, in fact centered around a mystery and will require attention and thought in order to get the fullest enjoyment out of
Deductions in points from the score are my attempt at being as objective as I can, but they will be listed here in case anyone reading this cares more or less about anything I take points away from:
-There are one of two episodes that feel slightly out of place in the series, and seemed practically like filler. Good filler episodes, but filler nonetheless.
-The art style is consistent, but just seems really outdated for no apparent reason, and really could be a lot better (although there are some definite advantages to the style, especially in some of the darker (thematically) moments).
If you have any questions about my review (or want to talk about anything at all, really), feel free to email me at: nickwillis64@gmail.com
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Jun 29, 2014
Overview: Chances are if you watch, or know anyone who watches anime, you've heard of this one. Shingeki no Kyojin (or Attack on Titan) got crazy popular extremely quickly, and it's really no surprise why: the animation is absolutely beautiful, and the story picks up with a frantic pace right off the bat. However, despite this amazing introduction, there are significant flaws holding this anime back from being a masterpiece.
Story: 30/37
The actual story of Shingeki no Kyojin is... well, a lot better than it sounded to me at first. While the idea of mankind being held in check by some alien force is not in
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any way new, this series handles it extremely well, and really can make you paranoid at times. That is to say, the titans, for the most part, really do feel threatening. Unfortunately, there are some major pacing issues in this anime. Shingeki no Kyojin starts out pretty fast paced, while still giving you adequate information to understand what's going on. That's not easy to do, and it does that very well. However, after the first half of the “first season”, things go downhill. There are some great moments scattered throughout the episodes filling up the middle and latter sections of season one, but there just aren't enough to justify how slow some things seem to get done. Fortunately, this is remedied towards the end of season one with the introduction of a few great characters, and some key story-line points that, actually, make a lot of sense and are well done. However, season two continues this offense by starting out great, ending good, but not having good meat in between point A and point B. The idea is that all humans are confined to one massive city surrounded by three circular walls, with parts of the city in between each wall. This being said, the area of this really can't be that massive, and when, in season 2, they announce what their goal is, it feels pretty easily accomplished. However, in the remaining 10 episodes of the season, they never even get reasonably close to reaching this, and instead are sidetracked, although I will admit that at least the sidetracking is important and relatively well done. If this review is making me sound like I hate the story, I don't. I think it's one of the better stories as well as good story-telling for MOST of it, but there are just some parts that feel extremely rushed or extremely slow, for little to no reason.
Characters: 23/37
Well, here is the single reason I don't like this show that much, and it shows by how many points are being docked. I would be lying if I said there weren't any fantastic characters in Shingeki no Kyojin, because most of the side characters are good, Mikasa Ackerman, one of the three main characters, is fantastic, and everyone's favorite: Captain Levi is also a great character. Unfortunately, this possibly good total cast is absolutely ruined by the main character of the series: Eren Yeager. Now, I have watched a lot of Slice of Life genre anime, and many of those are known for having awful, dense, un-interesting male leads, but Eren Yeager is in his own league. At lesat characters like King Joffrey from Game of Thrones are fun to hate. They are genuinely amazing parts, just evil characters. Eren is not fun to hate. He's annoying, constantly feels like he needs to get angry at everything, and thinks he's just going to do whatever he wants whenever he wants. It's absolutely childish and painful to watch. To make matters worse, the third of the trio of main characters, Armin is also annoying and whiny. Granted, both of these characters get SLIGHTLY better, but I will never be able to think of either of them as anything but annoying bitches unless some serious development goes down. As if all of this isn't enough, the worst part about it all is that the third main character, the female lead is absolutely great, and always goes out of her way to help Eren out of his own messes. And what does she get? Not a SINGLE, not ONE, thank you for the entire 26 episode series. Eren just brushes it off like he's entitled to her and deserves nothing less than to be pampered by his loyal friend. Enough about Eren though, the rest of the characters are pretty good. The aforementioned Mikasa Ackerman is a very good character, as well as Levi, once he's introduced that is. There are other great ones, but none worth mentioning.
Art/Sound: 25/25
Honestly, if I put more of an emphasis on animation quality than character development (which, in my opinion, would be pretty dumb), Shingeki no Kyojin would receive a vastly different score. For every flaw in character quality, the art and sound makes up for it. This series has by far the best soundtrack in anime, and has probably the best animation I have ever seen, even trumping the June 2014 anime that I am currently watching. I cannot say enough good things about the animation quality, sound or art, so I won't, and I'll let you see how awesome it is.
Romance: 0/1
This section is basically whether or not there was a romance that I enjoyed. Sorry if this is a spoiler, but I particularly enjoy watching a romance develop, and I wished that other reviews would tell me if I was going to get to see one.
Overall: 78/100
Shingeki no Kyojin rubs me the wrong way, so take this score with a grain of salt, but I think that the show is incredibly over-rated and needs to get the Sword Art Online treatment a bit. Everything about it is so awesome... except arguably the single most important things such as good pacing, or even bearable characters. If you can get past the main character, Eren Yeager, you will most likely enjoy this show vastly, as that alone would probably add 10 points onto the score.
Deductions in points from the score are my attempt at being as objective as I can, but they will be listed here in case anyone reading this cares more or less about anything I take points away from:
-The story has some minor, but still jarring pacing issues, and there are some parts that don't feel well put together
-Eren Yeager is an atrocious character, and never should have existed let alone as a male lead.
If you have any questions about my review (or want to talk about anything at all, really), feel free to email me at: nickwillis64@gmail.com
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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