- Last OnlineApr 14, 7:49 AM
- GenderMale
- BirthdayDec 5, 2003
- LocationUnited Kingdom
- JoinedJul 27, 2020
RSS Feeds
|
![]()
Dec 28, 2023
ONE OF THE BEST ARCS EVER IN SHONEN!
As a manga reader of JJK I was curious to see how MAPPA will adapt this well-acclaimed arc But oh my word they made an 'absolute masterclass' of an adaptation.
Season 2 of JJK takes a step ahead of the shonen genre because not only it incorporates all the Shonen tropes you would recognise in battle stories; instead it gracefully deconstructs and puts a spin on them.
STORY: 9/10
This is the department that JJK improves in greatly. The storytelling in this arc was next to one because if we look back to Season 1 Episode 6 it greatly foreshadows when
...
the Incident in Shibuya will take place.
The writing is brilliant because it deconstructs the strongest person in the series to be removed for future parts of the story and meanwhile allows other characters such as Itadori to develop his own path and meaning.
This goes to show that you can have all the power in this world, you can be the strongest but your mental state can undermine this anyhow.
Furthermore how long has it been since the villains have won the game in shonen? Another deconstruction used in JJK here.
I AM YOU AND YOU ARE ME
The last fight between Itadori and Mahito shows the length of characterisation that the MC develops throughout this arc. It doesn't matter if you come back; human or no human, he will always find you. Like a pack of wolves hunting in the snow where the white rabbits are running and hiding for their lives. This scene is amazing as it carefully displays the Philosophical argument of both Protagonist and Antagonist discussing their similarities and reasons as to why they are living in this world.
ANIMATION: 11/10
I applaud every animator who have been working their socks off and despite not getting paid enough, still deliver two of the greatest fight sequences back to back in S2 Episode 16 and 17 in all of anime. This is not just your typical animation that you see nowadays. These are ‘MASTERPIECES’ that will be remembered for their excellent choreography and style. I was also satisfied by every single fight that came out in this season. It was like watching a movie every time.
MUSIC: 10/10
Just like in Season 1, JJK delivers another mysterious or eerie song which encapsulates the deep dark tone of what is about to go down in Shibuya. The use of future references in the OP also give us enough knowledge of what will happen in this arc as well.
Conclusion:10/10
To conclude this review, Jujutsu Kaisen goes out of it's shell by deconstructing a lot of battle tropes and genre and within it's own unqieness delivers magnificently one of the best Shonen arcs of all time - The Shibuya Incident Arc!
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
What did you think of this review?
Nice
 0
Love it
 0
Funny
 0
Confusing
 0
Well-written
 0
Creative
 0Show all
![]()
Jun 28, 2023
“By the time I was in a state to chase my dreams, I wasn’t at the age to chase my dreams”
Oshi no Ko is a brilliant manga that brings excellent themes of idolism and pop culture into reality. Despite different motivations, Aqua, Ruby and Kana’s key to success in the entertainment industry is the same; to achieve their goals, they need to play the game.
The staff’s passion gave birth to an industry-defying first episode that runs over eighty minutes in length. In recent years, it has not been uncommon to see a season or series premiere for an anime series receive an extended length,
...
especially if it's being adapted from a popular light novel or manga series. However, a series with a feature-length premiere episode of over 80 minutes is rather ambitious. That is the length of four episodes or a miniseries right off the bat. The passion the animation production team has for Akasaka and Yokoyari’s manga series is visible in every frame of the premiere episode. They were not willing to make any compromises when adapting the source material. No scenes were cut or rearranged. The anime staff truly brings the intriguing world of the manga to life and sets the stage by establishing the lives of Ruby and Aqua. However, the supernatural twist for these twins is that they were reincarnated from their past lives. Besides faithfully adapting the incredible early chapters of the manga, the feature-length premiere episode does a tremendous job setting up the show’s unique premise. It spends a decent amount of screen time establishing the past lives of Gorou and Sarina. They share a weird connection through their love of Ai Hoshino’s music. Before her tragic death, Sarina dreams of being reborn as the child of a popular idol such as Ai. As one of Ai’s No. 1 fans, Gorou was very protective of her well-being. Now, they’ve been reborn and given a second chance at life as the children of an up-and-coming idol. Learning about Gorou and Sarina as characters, especially Sarina’s tragic backstory, makes the supernatural premise more relatable. The audience gets to know them better as characters before their reincarnations.
OSHI NO KO SYMBOLISES A PROPER ADAPTATION
Some anime adaptations miss the mark in their early episodes because they fail to properly adapt the early chapters of the story and hook the viewers. Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest is the perfect example of an anime adaptation that butchered the source material in its first episode, so it lost a lot of the impact that ran through the rest of the series because it lacked a proper setup and foundation. Oshi no Ko took its time with the early chapters for the anime adaptation, and that properly developed and established the characters. The extra time for the premiere made Ai Hoshino more like a secondary protagonist instead of a supporting player, which strengthens the rest of the season where the reincarnated Gorou, embodying Ai’s son Aqua, seeks to solve the mystery behind his mother’s murder.
OSHI NO KO SHOWS THE UGLY SIDE OF THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY
Similar to the premise of The Idol, Oshi no Ko shines a reflection on the darker side of the entertainment industry and the lifestyle of working pop idols, showing its less-than-glamorous aspects, especially the predatory nature of its overseers, the way it exploits young people, and how it can have a devastating effect on their mental health. The series does not shy away from the vapid nature of fan culture, and how fans and social media users treat actors and pop artists as nothing more than commodities who can be discarded at their leisure. After Ai Hoshino is tragically murdered, the social media reactions are callous and startlingly realistic, with people posting nasty fake rumours, hashtags, and memes for the sake of entertainment. After Ruby loses her mother Ai, her viewing of the social media trolling is another devastating emotional blow. The way the show depicts public reactions to tragedies in the entertainment industry rings very true to real life, but adds a layer of authenticity to the series despite the supernatural aspects and premise.
OSHI NO KO PRODUCES AUTHENTIC CHARACTERISATION
Oshi no Ko does a fantastic job with its depiction of its central characters, who are fully fleshed out and realized. Series director Daisuke Hiramaki and writer Jin Tanaka spent a great deal of time developing Ai Hoshino as a fully realized character and a genuine individual with hopes and dreams before her tragic death. The show establishes that while there is a mysterious side to Ai that is yet to be fully revealed, her love for her children was genuine. Another great standout character in the series is Kana Arima. Kana is a child actor who is known as a prodigy for her ability to cry on cue, and the series depicts many events from Kana’s perspective. Kana represents a young person who found stardom at a very early age. Kana continues to act into her teen years, but her career and stardom are waning. Kana showcases childhood stardom's negative effects on a person who is forced to grow up working in a toxic industry. Aqua propels the narrative as he spearheads solving the mystery behind his mother’s murder. His scenes are always entertaining due to his weirdly mature and "precocious" nature since he literally has the mind of an adult in a child's body. He’s even humorously nicknamed "Precocious" by the director Gotanda due to his ability to carry on incredibly intelligent conversations as a three-year-old. Aqua embodies the strong, confident, smart anime protagonist who is laser-focused on his goal. At times, Aqua can come off as a manipulative, cold individual, committing shady, sketchy acts, even if he does so in the hopes of protecting his sister and uncovering his mother’s murderer. Gotanda acts as both comic relief for the series and a mentor of sorts for Aqua. While the show explores dark thematic material, Gotanda provides well-placed humor to lighten the mood throughout the series. Gotanda still lives with his mother, who humorously dotes on him and interrupts whenever Aqua visits.
CONCLUSION
Oshi no Ko is a joy to watch and adds another level of intrigue and drama to the unfolding mystery. The staff clearly shows passion for Akasaka’s work in bringing the manga to vivid life.
Thank you for reading and please check out the manga :)
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
What did you think of this review?
Nice
0
Love it
0
Funny
0
Confusing
0
Well-written
0
Creative
0Show all
![]()
Jun 19, 2023
What is the definition of Peak Fiction?
Answer: Vinland Saga
After the expansiveness of the first season of Vinland Saga, crossing continents as dramatizations of historic figures cross paths, it’s tempting to say that the anime’s second season is of a much smaller scale. But Vinland Saga season 2 feels epic in a different sense, as director Shūhei Yabuta and writer Hiroshi Seko deliver some of the series’ most breath-taking drama within the rather expansive boundaries of a farm. Since the first season, Thorfinn has been enslaved by a wealthy man who has styled himself as a benevolent slave owner, letting his indentured farmhands work off what
...
he paid for them and earn their freedom back. The farm is a space that shelters Thorfinn from his past as a berserker. But his friendship with Einar, another slave working the same bit of land, reminds Thorfinn of what he destroyed as a warrior, prompting him to consider how he might stop it from happening again.
This arc of Vinland Saga is lovingly referred to with the tongue-in-cheek moniker “Farmland Saga” by some fans, in part because of its narrative decompression, its smaller scope, and its pull away from warfare in favor of seeing Thorfinn gradually change. It emphasizes long passages of time in his clearing of forest land, and the meditative nature of it — growing something instead of pillaging.
The first season was compelling for how far down it dragged Thorfinn, hollowed by his experiences and commitment to being a mercenary for his father’s killers, tragically destroying himself as he relentlessly pursued revenge on his enemy and paternal figure Askeladd. There’s fun in seeing the show’s fondness for historical drama, its little background details, and the license it takes with character motivations as it adapts Makoto Yukimura’s manga series. But a lot of the most compelling moments come from its continuing engagement with the leading tenets of feudalism and Viking culture (“might makes right,” as a participant in a losing battle puts it). Season 2 is compelling for how it rebuilds him anew, and how long it’s willing to take to do so.
Multiple routes of escape from the ruinousness of Viking culture open up to Thorfinn as Einar draws him out of his shell. There’s Christianity, which gradually plays into Thorfinn’s route to pacifism, overhearing passages and recognizing his father Thors’ idea of a “true warrior,” someone who fights for peace rather than conquest of person or land. And then there’s Einar, who grew up on a farm that was raided multiple times by people like Thorfinn and the mercenaries he rode with. Einar stokes a rebellious and earnest spirit within him — headstrong, and perhaps naive, but synthesized with all those other voices it’s the beginning of an actual future for Thorfinn beyond simply surviving.
The cruelty of the culture that Thorfinn grew up in was always at the show’s forefront as its first season leaned into the ugliness of combat and conquest. Even when it found some thrills in the moment, there was a compelling contradiction in both marveling at the young fighter doing cool battle stuff even as it eroded his soul.Most battle scenes in Vinland Saga are often arduous, with imagery and squishy sound design often in emphasis of the wound over of the action that caused it. Sweeping, painterly countryside vistas become extreme close-ups on injured characters drawn with rugged, realistic detail. It’s still fun to see headstrong brutes swagger around, but the banter always keeps an air of foreboding. The animation of the fights is flashy and often satisfying to watch, but the consequences are laid out punishingly on screen, both in the gory physical results and the emotional fallout — Thorfinn bearing plenty of both in the form of haunted dreams, gnarly scars, and some missing ear cartilage.
In the new season, with the character’s renewed perspective, such violence feels even more meaningless than it did before, especially seeing war treated as sport. It’s easier now to pay attention to the show’s more purely thrilling, bombastic action sequences, the ones it reserves for special cases. Thorfinn’s most purely heroic moment lies in him taking a beating just to find a route to conversation — his passive approach feeling practically revolutionary in a culture where people are measured by how much damage they can inflict. It’s also the clearest illustration of where Thorfinn is now compared to the first season, where committing harm to those who wronged him was his sole focus. The reason he succeeds, however, is also because he stops attempting to simply bury his past, instead embracing what he knows about fighting. To take less harm from the incoming punches, he rolls with the blows: He’s turning the other cheek, but strategically.
It’s one way in which his father’s idealism begins to merge with Askeladd’s and Einar’s pragmatism, and indicative of Thorfinn’s newfound agency. He now clearly knows his long-term goals and a semblance of what methods he could use; he’s a long way from the easily manipulated, violent young man of before.
Thorfinn is hardly the first anime pacifist born into warrior culture; plenty of soft-hearted shonen protagonists have wrestled with violence being the default answer to conflict and desperately sought alternatives (take the most popular example of feudal warfare solved by empathy and a good chat: Naruto and his “Talk-No-Jutsu”). Even the hollowness and existential ennui of a career defined by physical might is the subject of parodic series like One-Punch Man.
Perhaps what sets Vinland Saga apart is the unhurried length at which Yabuta and Seko agonize over Thorfinn’s questions about how to unlearn cultural violence; its second season is more patiently paced than the first in its exploration on how Thorfinn has inflicted violence on himself by committing violence in the world. The farm, for a time, feels like purgatory: isolated from the outside world, with the promise of salvation just out of reach and the ghosts of those that Thorfinn killed constantly threatening to drag him into his own personal hell.
Other characters are also trapped: Take Arnheid, another slave on the farm with Einar and Thorfinn, but with no discernable way out simply because she’s one of the owner’s favorites. Arnheid’s story illustrates one of the better qualities of Vinland Saga: a keen interest in the interior lives of people in Thorfinn’s orbit. There’s fascinating character study that the more patient structure allows to grow even more, as even the would-be villains of the piece feel human, which lends its warrior pacifist tale some more real-world bite.
To both escape his personal hell and to make amends, Thorfinn wants to build a peaceful nation “beyond the reach of slave traders and the flames of war,” in tribute to his father’s dream. Whether or not this is possible remains to be seen, but the season’s long journey to Thorfinn believing in something, getting his agency back, and making violence his last resort rather than his first, feels propulsive. “I don’t have any enemies” might not sound that profound coming from anyone else, but the road leading up to it is Vinland Saga’s most thrilling journey so far.
10/10 Highly recommend this peak series
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
What did you think of this review?
Nice
0
Love it
0
Funny
0
Confusing
0
Well-written
0
Creative
0Show all
![]()
Dec 27, 2022
CHAINSAW MAN REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS*
CHAINSAW GOAL: Straight of the chainsaw we see an OVERLY UNIQUE and RELATABLE goal from Denji. He is a 16 year old boy who wants to be with a girl and live a normal life. We already start with a subversion trope already. (9/10)
CHAINSAW PRODUCTION: MAPPA, you are outstanding, 12 endings... 12 ENDINGS to incorporate the theme of every episode, that is such dedication and I love it because and it's chaotic writing and Tarantino-esque action overall is nothing short of phenomenal. (10/10)
CHAINSAW CHARACTERS: Denji is an intriguing protagonist who is masterfully written as a teenager striving for his goal. In
...
the very first episode he is killed then saved by a very cute dog called Pochita implementing Peace and Tragedy at the same time. Moving on the other episodes we see the main antagonist Miss Makima who is looking down on Denji. Despite not really doing as much she is indeed a very mysterious woman. I LOVE MYSTERY. I love Aki's powers and the reason why he became a devil hunter. Power is best waifu and has an amazing personality. I don't want anyone to argue even though MAPPA gave us some nice scenes of Miss Makima (Chef's Kiss). (9/10)
CHAINSAW CONCLUSION: After completing 12 episodes I must say Chainsaw Man has been nothing short of fantastic. The story and the way it has been adapted from the already masterful manga is just delightful. Who says this anime needs a remake? ACCEPT GREATNESS. (10/10)
MANGA RECOMMENDATION? YES
WELL DONE MAPPA AN OVERALL 9.5/10 FOR PERFORMANCE
LETS MOVE TO COUR 2 CHAINSAW FANS!!!
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
What did you think of this review?
Nice
0
Love it
0
Funny
0
Confusing
0
Well-written
0
Creative
0Show all
![]()
Oct 24, 2022
CAUTION: This review is based on the last three episodes of Mob Psycho 100 III and some parts of the last two seasons.
"Just because you have psychic powers Mob that doesn't mean you are better than anyone else, it's about who you are as a person from the inside as well as on the outside" - From the so called Greatest Psychic of the 21st Century, Goat Reigen.
QUOTE MEANING: This quote above is the clear message lore of what Mob Psycho is all about. Across the three seasons you will learn about what it means to be a better person and rather not try to
...
show off how special you are. You can be the best in sports or in a certain subject but at the end of the day, does that truly make you better than anyone else morally?
PLOT: I don't want to talk in first person but I must say Mob Psycho gives you one of the most unique and immersive plots you will ever read in the shonen genre. Adapted from the legend who did One Punch Man, ONE himself knows how to create such excellent storytelling. It creates in-depth world building within great interactions between the main cast of the series.
ANIMATION: Still some of the best animation you will ever see especially from Studio Bones. Remember the Second Season and that TELEPORTATION SCENE OMG.
CHARACTERS: Great, well-crafted and understandable development. Reigen, despite being a fraud learns from Mob on how 'not all things we can have come towards us'. Mob being the strongest esper learns that 'just because people around you don't have the same antics as you you don't judge them'. Man there are more characters who have developed so much.
MUSIC: Season 1 BANGER, SEASON 2 BANGERR, Season 3 BANGERRR
CONCLUSION: 10/10 From what I've this third season of Mob Psycho is the last season.
'It's a real shame that a series like this one comes to an end'.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
What did you think of this review?
Nice
0
Love it
0
Funny
0
Confusing
0
Well-written
0
Creative
0Show all
![]()
Oct 2, 2022
"Fantastic Season Fantastic Anime Fantastic Series!"
The Fourth Season of the Seinen masterpiece (it is really) is nothing short of spectacular. I'm at lost for words how the story is being animated in such a caring way where it feels just like the artistry coloured manga panels of the series' manga.
Kingdom ANIMATION: 9/10
Really really good. The animators of this series stepped up their game after the former studios showed a rubbish display' of Season 1. From Season 2 onwards it has picked up and my word has it done just that. Season 2, Season 3 and Season 4 feels mature and well understood.
Kingdom STORY: 10/10
Phenomenal! It
...
takes place in the abstract dynasties of Ancient China with the main protagonist working his way up with strangely one of the kings of the main kingdoms. But the way he interacts with with the king and the other soldiers in the army is sublime. His development as a character especially in the seinen genre is one of the best I've ever seen. He reminds me of Thorfinn from Vinland Saga (don't compare pls) but switch sides and you'll see what I mean ;).
Kingdom MUSIC: 8.5-9/10
Probably the weakest factor out of the bunch but it is still pretty good. Not amazing though
Kingdom CHARACTERS: 10/10
This author is a genius with the way he entails and creates the journeys of certain characters.
Kingdom 4th Season OVERALL: 10/10
This Seinen Masterpiece/ Classic is being handled with care since Season 2 and I love it! The next set of arcs are crazy but I am not going to spoil it for you all.
ONTO THE 5TH ONE THEN :)
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
What did you think of this review?
Nice
0
Love it
0
Funny
0
Confusing
0
Well-written
0
Creative
0Show all
![]()
Jun 25, 2022
The Mother is an Assassin.
The Father is a Spy.
Their Daughter is an intellectual being
What sort of combination does this make?
Answer: SPY X FAMILY
(First Impressions)
The animation looked really good. It’s made by Cloverworks and Wit studios at the same time. I sighed and thought this is another typical family show. I see a girl, cute as she is getting adopted by this man who is going to become her father. How is their relationship going to play out? I see a woman with red eyes wanting to marry the man to become the mother of little girl. Is this to save face from the
...
mysterious jobs that they do?
BUT...
After watching all 12 episodes of the first season I must admit that Spy X Family has been nothing short of OUTSANDING for what it is and what it tries to implement throughout in this review I will specifically divide (my full review for the show) into 5 Spytastic Sections to give an alert opinion on the show thus far.
SECTION 1: PLOT
Amazing! As a HUGE fan of the manga I couldn't wait to see how this great series was going to be adapted. And boy was I so happy. The story revolves around three characters and they have to work like a family, but not only they do that but they have obstacles going towards them in their daily lives. This unique idea of 'Family Values' and 'Spy/Assassin' nature is immaculate and a breath of fresh for those who read shonen. All of them are not even related to one another but the PURE BONDS between them so far in this show is just beautiful.
SECTION 2: ART (CLOVER WORKS X WIT STUDIOS YOU ARE AMAZING)
Look at the movement on the little girl called Anya. The way she was moving was so satisfying I swear. Loid fighting against the bad guys as a spy and putting his green suit on was so good. What a great adaptation filled with amazing animation fellas!
SECTION 3: SOUND
Anya's favourite food is nuts and it is masterfully/ironically links to the song of the show and the craziness of Family Action. No don't worry anime fans the song is not entirely 'about nuts' but the music is so vibeful to the family atmosphere of all three 'main' characters as well.
SECTION 4: CHARACTERS
The Dynamics in this show i already invested in emotionally. An assassin as a mother, a father as a spy and their child as an intellectual being. Yor, Loid and Anya's relationship as a family despite not being blood-related with one another is going to be a great ride I swear. From the manga I can already tell that to you as well. The characters in the future will develop their skills and abilities on what their known for for example Loid who is a spy will learn the good-bad sides on what being a father really means especially with Anya as your daughter too.
SECTION 5: I LOVE THIS SHOW/CONCLUSION
It's already doing better than most shows out there in the last years or so especially in the shonen jump manga too. All you need is a mix of appeal such as family tags but also mix it with the struggles you experience in your life and what you do to overcome them (and keep the chains between a mother, a father and their child) as sustainable as possible. I really really enjoy this show.
I'M GIVING SPY X FAMILY A 10/10
PEAK X FAMILY FICTION
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
What did you think of this review?
Nice
0
Love it
0
Funny
0
Confusing
0
Well-written
0
Creative
0Show all
![]()
Jun 25, 2022
Yo Malum how would you describe this third season of Love Is War?
Answer: ULTRA ROMANTIC BABY
The “Love is War” series is a very popular rom-com anime series, and its latest season became a hit right after its first episode.
Kaguya-sama: Love is War sticks mostly to the original manga. However, it occasionally follows its own chronological events in the story. This is due to the manga’s frequent flashbacks to specific events in Kaguya’s and other characters’ pasts, which are then integrated into the anime to allow for more linear storytelling.
However, the final major sections of the manga covered by Season 2 were Chapters 100 and 101,
...
which feature the “Cell Phone Arc.” As a result, fans can expect to see events like Chapter 105’s midterm exams, Chapter 108’s rap battle, and probably even the numerous Christmas parties depicted in Chapters 149 to 156 featured in Season 3, along with plenty of other stories thrown in for good measure.
Like Love is War, other seasons of this season also contain plenty of humour that will make you laugh out loud. One of the funniest scenes is when Chika learns rap from Mc Miyuki. This scene is shown in Episode 5, whose segment is “Chika Fujiwara Wants to Beat a Rhythm”. This scene again proved why this series stands as one of the funniest anime to ever exist.
When it comes to the third season’s story, the plot moves along nicely. Because their creator knows when they have to give you a laugh and when they give you heart touching emotions. They very precisely show you emotional scenes that will touch your heart.
The most overwhelming aspects are its characters. Each character is very unique and loves to watch in their own way. Still, if you want to know why you should watch it? How will you forget “Chika Fujiwara”? This one character is capable of making the show worthwhile. Chika Fujiwara is one of the most entertaining characters in anime. So, I personally recommend you to watch this series because it is definitely worth it.
What's the score?
Answer:10/10
Peak Romance Comedy
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
What did you think of this review?
Nice
0
Love it
0
Funny
0
Confusing
0
Well-written
0
Creative
0Show all
![]()
Jun 18, 2022
This review contains mild spoiler from the last 3 episodes*
Five years after Yuri on Ice placed MAPPA on the sports anime scene, the studio is back at it with this spring season's sports drama Dance Dance Danseur, taking things off the ice and placing ballet under the spotlight. Once again, the studio is commendable for not just focusing on the sport itself but also the culture surrounding it, both positive and negative.
However, while Yuri on Ice was a show focused on individual struggles with depression, isolation and abandonment, Dance Dance Danseur looks at how society influences the individual, and in this particular case, how it
...
enforces gender roles and how these come into play in the world of ballet. Dance Dance Danseur has thus far proved predictable in the way it handles the struggle to present as hyper masculine in a society where men pursuing 'feminine' hobbies are ridiculed for their choices -- but even if it's a story that's been told before, it's still one worth repeating.
TOPIC OF MASCULINITY
Hypermasculinity and toxic masculinity are topics addressed in many genres of anime, often appearing in unexpected ways. For example, although the men of Dragon Ball are peak masculine when it comes to athletic performance, they are often devoted husbands and fathers who view that role as their most important.These male characters embody kindness and empathy where one would expect thoughtless violence. When it comes to Dance Dance Danseur, Marao Jumpei is introduced to ballet at a young age and is enthusiastic about pursuing it. His father questions that decision but backs down when he sees how happy ballet makes his son.
SHOW OVERVIEW
When Jumpei's father dies, Jumpei's uncle tells him that he is now "the man of the house," which shifts Jumpei's trajectory down a more traditionally masculine path -- one where he focuses on martial arts and leaves ballet behind. When given the chance to start ballet once more, he is faced with expectations that convince him that ballet is not manly enough and that he mustn't pursue his passion. He has a hypermasculine appearance to keep up with at school and participates in both soccer and martial arts.
Still, he can't keep himself from visiting the new ballet studio that gives him the practice space he's always needed, and it becomes clear in Episode 1 that Jumpei's desire to do ballet won't collide with his own personal bias, but rather with those who will ridicule him for his decision, such as his classmates and even possibly his family members. Jumpei's decision to pursue ballet is not really a surprise, and many pieces of the story to come are predictable.
Jumpei will have to ultimately reveal the fact he does ballet and will already have to choose between soccer and ballet as soon as Episode 2, bringing the issue of his masculine image to the high school setting very early in the narrative. Any public performance puts his masculine image at risk as well, and there's also the issue of a rivalry with a fellow male dancer that will undoubtedly rear its head eventually.
This rivalry has the potential to make Jumpei's struggle with masculinity a little more interesting, with both intending to become an 'alpha male' in a space that society has deemed feminine. Pressure from both inside and outside the world of ballet about how to act appropriately masculine has the chance to truly examine the stress put on teenage boys to conform to traditional views of manliness, and the presence of Godai Miyako, the female lead, could lead to an interesting study of how that view of the alpha male damages women in society as well, especially if she ends up caught in the middle.
While hardly the most nuanced introduction to a study on gender roles, Dance Dance Danseur still has the potential to be an interesting take on the individual versus society when it comes to hypermasculinity and how men -- and young boys in particular -- are influenced by words whose impact might not even be considered. For boys, realizing that being men of the house and pursuing their interests aren't mutually exclusive could have real-world consequences on reducing toxic masculinity, and if media such as Dance Dance Danseur can be a piece of this, that makes it valuable, no matter how many times the same story is repeated.
CONCLUSION
Dance Dance Danseur is a pretty good show that links to themes of 'tragedy' and 'ambition' despite those themes being done so many times.
9/10 for the gays
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
What did you think of this review?
Nice
0
Love it
0
Funny
0
Confusing
0
Well-written
0
Creative
0Show all
Jun 18, 2022
"Quirky but delightful"
Aharen-san wa Hakarenai is a comedic slice-of-life anime between a tall "scary" guy and a soft-spoken petite gal.
There are a ton of hilarious moments that are out of the cliché slapstick, at the very least I was taken by surprise by how wondrous this show truly is. Overall this anime has been great.
The relationships between both protagonists are really wholesome and I am eager to read the manga to see their journey as countless individuals have been telling me to have a look in my own spare time.
I definitely recommend this anime to anyone who just wants to sit and just experience the
...
good old friendship power trope.
A great show nonetheless 9/10
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
What did you think of this review?
Nice
0
Love it
0
Funny
0
Confusing
0
Well-written
0
Creative
0Show all
|
