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May 3, 2022
This is not a show about boxing. It's about domesticating a delinquent orphan. There is barely a moment boxing becomes the highlight of the series; in fact, boxing knowledge besides the most basic terminology seems to be absent. I did not once root for Joe. In retrospect, I had hoped his coach's instruction would penetrate Joe's thick skull so he could learn something, anything. Every match had the same formula. Joe brawls. Joe is beaten to a pulp. Joe resorts to a stereotypical response, like some kind of cornered dog, exposes his fangs, and crosses his fingers to the end.
Even as a character alone who
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must interact with others to get by, he is unappealing. At some point you might expect a backstory or a psychological evaluation that explains his behavior. No, he belittles those who reply with kindness. He is poorly written as someone who you should cheer on. I can't say the same for his coach. Danpei, this poor trainer, was the reason why I continued to watch. He was miserable as a drunk and abject when sober. So long as he was awake, he had Joe on his mind. He was close on giving up on Joe but he stuck around through thick and thin. Unfortunately, there were only two episodes I can positively say were exceptional. Joe and Danpei argued on the merits of his coaching. Danpei so upset by Joe's snobbish tone suggested that he should look for a better trainer and gym including the one his present rival inhabits. You could feel the tension in the room. The other episode, which is something I was anticipating since the beginning, was when Danpei propounded to Joe, while losing his bout with Rikiishi, the novel idea that he should try real boxing techniques or boxing in general. It was such a waste of my time, to be honest. To reiterate, this is not a boxing show; if nothing else, it was a splendid demonstration on how to not box.
I chose not to make an additional post for the second season. To sum up my thoughts on it, the animation was slightly upgraded, the pacing was a bit faster, the characters are as bland and dull as the first, the show was poorly wrapped up even as a predictable conclusion to Joe's career.
Reviewer’s Rating: 2
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Apr 5, 2022
It is a hyped up series closely resembling the fantasy novel The Eternal Champion. The storytelling is its only strength, but as we slowly reach its conclusion the merest blemish on an otherwise compelling plot renders it unwatchable. The scenes between Eren and Zeke, a symbolic clash of egos, did nothing to polish the story and should be slotted in an OVA series.
The first, second, and third seasons had excellent animators. To me, it was the heart of the show. Each scene had weight with its close ups, angles, special effects, and thick outlines. But its final season seems inelegant and lackluster as it
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resorts to CGI and at times too committed to the manga illustration. I couldn't help but laugh at the persistent shell shock expressions. I'm convinced the low quality animation is deliberate and a studio styled protest against the plot's direction.
The characters suddenly strike me as one-dimensional. There is neither meaningful nuance nor intelligent dialogue. Hange is written as a voice of reason, but her pitch to resist The Rumbling misses the mark or so you thought. I think Hange, in this situation, should confess her potential blood and political ties to the outside world, in a separate series like Levi's OVA, to make sense of her turnabout as a Titan espionage or double agent. I'm not amused with the lazy writing such as token characters and the grayness between good and evil trope. Pick a side and execute it well.
Now that the series, its penultimate season I should say, has concluded my closing thoughts on Isayama: The war, its history, and origin he's written suggests he lacks the necessary depth in geopolitics to retain my interest, but he does understand the cyclical nature of history though not in terms of golden ages which ultimately decays into cultural fragmentation and decadence. The manner in which he expresses his perception of the cycle is by including these two elements: intransigence (denial) and distraction (warfare). The first relates to the final solutions of the warring nations. Zeke, Eren, Eldians, Marleyans, etc. each possess a resolution to end the matter, denied by all parties, none of which seem to coincide thus explaining the existence of war in any era. The second, a common trope, is a strong demand for conflict as a means to distract a population. Isayama had a political caricature spread hate in a speech to drum up a war against Eldians. To me this is fascinating because its checks at least two cliches about Wilsonian internationalists. The politician exonerates the refugees and mixed breeds, characterized as victims, suggesting the merchant and industry based Marleyans are trending possibly towards a multicultural, multi-ethnic, and democratic republic society, contrary to popular opinion. In the second half he depicts the Eldians as ideologues and island devils who, unlike the displaced people amusingly portrayed as drunkards and thieves, are nationalists, and more importantly the one Eldian territory not yet subjugated by Marley. The inherent distraction here is race and class struggle. The Marleyans, with war of conquest set on Paradis Island, are too preoccupied by the flood of immigrants taken in by their government. It's no surprise diasporas and crises such as these are a byproduct of conquest. It is quite likely the common Marleyans, presumably opposed to expansion, were distracted early enough that foreigners, or the unnamed Other, replaced their sheepish native elite class to bleat their war propaganda. To stay on point, this is an age of empires, the victor decides who was in the right as you can plainly see the WWII analogies and arbitrary justifications for their side.
Reviewer’s Rating: 1
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Dec 4, 2021
There are a lot of lessons you can pick up on in the series. I'd like to stick to the elements the writer chose to work with that I'm sure you would agree merits another replay.
In the Hunter Exam, the significance of adaptation dominates the arc. The examinees must play their strengths and downplay their weakness to survive the wilderness. The majority rule in phase three exposes the flaws of democracy and voter distribution. To outwit the system in place, the group must decide who could ensure their survival and surrender their voting rights (wristwatches, in this case) to minimize bitter dissension and time misspent.
In
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Heaven's Arena, the significance of inequality determines the contests. The hunter duo wipe out the competition up until they face an experienced challenger. An instructor teaches them their natural differences and how to excel in their own ways despite the same purpose in mind. The veterans display elaborate strategies using the fundamentals the duo had learned. The loser of the match improperly allocated his skillset, unlike his opponent, as he did not abide by the basics of compatible aura.
In the Phantom Troupe, the significance of specialization commands the arc. The hunters, including the bandits, must employ experts to cut down the casualties. The lesson here is that excellence pays handsomely; and mediocrities, even in large number, are not worth the trouble, as they tend to die. The recruited assassin duo dealt with a high class target to make up for the damage he's caused in the mafia network.
In the Greed Island arc, the concept of social hierarchy determines the group composition. A superior class of fighters tend to work alone or in pairs that closely match in skill. An inferior class would band together in large numbers to compensate and are prone to be taken advantage of by an outsider because they simply do not discriminate. This is probably my ideal chapter as they chose to present a chunk of it in a game of dodge ball. The lesson, I think, is that everybody has a role to play, much like in life, and society would be saner and less destructive should fewer people rebel against the natural order.
In the Chimera Ant arc, multiple concepts like class and racial conflict, individualism vs. collectivism, and tyranny make an appearance. The earliest stages present the problem of class conflict within the insect species based on their capacity to lead. They see themselves as potential kings and queens as they do not recognize the talents of the Other up until the first royal guard takes breath. From beginning to end, race (or sub-species) is touched on to justify the war between the humans and insects. The ants at one point decide to make their mark on the world sometime after deciding their names which establishes their initial brush with individuality. It's determined that a collective mindset would produce an outcome of less friction. To conclude, a leader (inaccurately as King) who is unlike its people, in both appearance and intellectual acuity, and commands a foreign mercenary to do his bidding is best described as a tyrant. Chimera Ants seem to be a cautionary tale of conquest and mongrelization.
In the Election arc, the theme is a critique on democracy. The vote by design is ineffective, exhausting, and prone to violence as most politics seem to trend. It has the same effects of fraud violence and cruelty. To participate in majority rule styled election is as hopeless as a sheep bleating its list of policies and demands to a pack of hyenas.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Dec 4, 2021
I can't note a more detestable mainstream character than Light. He is unhinged, inefficient, and miserable with or without power. I'm to believe Light is intelligent at the outset, but he does not exercise his personal will to change the system, that is until he's handed a blank check so to speak to express his agency.
Next in line would be L. We can see his true potential approaching his end once he tests his principle's limits. He is indeed the most intelligent between the two, but more importantly L outpaces Light's character development. He's had to adapt, admit defeat, exercise restraint and caution, and
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above all, to some extent, stayed true to his polite and gentle nature. Here is my issue with L; his signature strategy is to recruit and put to use convicted killers on death row to experiment and sabotage a culprit's chance to clear their name. This is efficient but also insidious. To contextualize his ideas, he collaborates with private agents, police, and to some degree the top brass. FBI, CIA, Mossad, KGB, etc. employ underhanded tactics as a means to succeed in geopolitics or to push domestic policies. In the same way L manipulates men on death row, real world situations include feds singling out drug addicts with suicidal symptoms, based on a psychological profile, and supplying them with military gear to bring about atrocities.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Jul 22, 2020
Wenli and Reinhard represents two conflicting systems. This is possibly one of the few philosophical shows that touches on historical drama in a satisfying performance. I think 99% of the shows that came after this are pure degenerate nonsense with absolutely no redeemable value yet I believe LoGH has some issues on which I will nitpick.
Wenli likes to philosophize on democracy, autocracy, and politics in the abstract. He came from a simple life and war was thrust upon him. When he does talk at length about his views they never seem to form a concrete point. The principles he espouses fails to support an
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axiom from which to ground his ideas; thus, he acts lost in the welter of his thoughts and scratches his head in confusion.
Reinhard has an ambition that seeks to devour space at the expense of his men. A noble separated from his sister to a highborn wastrel gains a long-lasting friend, Kircheis, who becomes his other half. They both love Annerose who, for a time, is the nucleus that bonds the two over their shared purpose to conquer the world. Unfortunately, some of the men who counsel him are disgruntled members of nobility who connive and scheme to get ahead. The consoling aspect of his leadership is the incompetent or problematic units commit suicide by banzai charge or otherwise. To give a little expansion, his success, I think, mostly comes down to the eugenic factors that surround his circumstances: his top brass are highly motivated royalists that will not suffer the serious degeneration his predecessors had tolerated.
The style is out of date to watchers but this means the story takes priority over the action. There is no flashy outplay, no budget CGI, no plastic surgery faces low quality animators tend to draw, worshiped by most modern fans; it is aesthetic and realistic in contrast to the modern caricatures of anime women who can equal the strength of men in swordplay. It has shown some sophistication in language an element most anime don't seem to regard but this could be attributed to the portrayal of aristocrats.
How the conflict ends left a bitter aftertaste. There were many other ways to stretch the plot or polish the weaker elements. Phezzan is remarkably similar to America in that they took great advantage of the war between the Alliance and the Empire but this was never fully explored outside the context of a video exposition. The Earth cultists were a plot device to push through the story; in the end, they were just a thorn in the flesh prickling both the republic and empire.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Jan 5, 2020
"Spoilers"
This is a strange spin-off that did not age well.
C.C. hallucinates about Lelouch's return to glory. C.C. resurrects Shirley, the one character nobody cares about. To sum this up, C.C. represents the unrelenting nostalgia that seduces decent producers into making unnecessary content.
Nunnally, stuck with an amusing trope, is a damsel in distress. A Geass user stirs up trouble once again. As payback, C.C. curses Lelouch with amnesia.
The story plummets in quality and reads like fan-fiction. They bring the dead back to have him play dead at the end. No rhyme, no reason.
The society Lelouch left behind was rearranged under the illusion
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of tyranny. It will degenerate at a slow pace as the curtains raise to unveil its true nature: World politics becomes volatile with far less diplomacy, more backdoor dealings and unmitigated corruption.
Why not make a film or series that skips to that period in time in which Lelouch can fix the problems for which he's responsible? Oh, right, that takes work, unlike fan service. It would also conflict with his resentment of the royal system with which Lelouch was brought up. So that is off the table otherwise Lelouch is no longer the rebel icon fans perceive him to be. The theme, in the first and second season, is a strange protest against pseudo-monarchy, fake in the sense that there is no clear representation of the era outside of Victorian getups and architecture; R1/R2 is a terrorism-laden campaign for democracy, without introducing the slow decay, as history has shown, that seems to be the fate of all its forms, limited or otherwise.
Reviewer’s Rating: 1
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Jan 3, 2020
The most unique and interesting character is killed off. The story follows a bastard child that cycles between rage and disgrace. He is either hell-bent on revenge or on the run. The story is remarkably dull for a world set in wartime. The fights are forgettable. In the end, he doesn't even follow through with his plan, but not for a lack of trying. It's amazing what receives high ratings these days. Animation was subpar. Character development is incoherent. Thorfinn was an unruly beast that needed to be put down. He'd lunge at you for mentioning his late father or the ideal warrior. They all
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should have followed Thors into Valhalla.
B-b-but what about Askeladd? What about him? He should've been a episodic side story, but they drag it to eight hours.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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