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Sep 27, 2017
Summary: If you simply want a spoiler-free recommendation about whether or not to watch this show, I will provide you with this brief summary. If you enjoy workplace Slice of Life shows, especially of the much more low-energy, laid-back variety with plenty of well-timed humour sprinkled throughout yet still present with emotionally compelling themes, this is your show. If you enjoy watching a show about young adults trying to find their way in life like Shirobako (which may have led you here, but don't expect the same high-energy intensity), especially via strong bonds of friendship forged through mutual struggle, then this is your
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show. If you enjoy a peaceful, serene, and well-written story about finding happiness in these struggles, even when they don't always turn out how you want, then this. Is. Your. Show. I strongly recommend it. There will be feels. Much feels. I will not claim that the show is perfect, but it mostly does right.
If you want a more in-depth look at my feelings towards it, dig in for the long haul and continue reading. I break it up into the first section, which talks about the messaging and meaning behind the show, and a second section which looks briefly at the technical merits of it.
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Sakura Quest is third in line of PA Works "working women" line of shows, not necessarily directly linked in story, but in spirit. I've seen many people go into this show therefore expecting something akin to a Shirobako 2.0, and I can tell you that if you are expecting such a thing, you will only hinder your own enjoyment of this show. This show is not Shirobako, it is not Hanasaku Iroha, it carves out its own identity and it is better for it. It shares with Shirobako the basic setup of 5 young adult women working at trying to get their careers off the ground, but lacks its energy and absurdist, rose-tinted optimism, and it shares the more serene and slow paced country setting of Hanasaku Iroha without having the same laser focus on the MC. That's really where the major similarities end. So if you're curious about the path Sakura Quest has struck on its own, then I implore you to keep reading; you might find something worthwhile!
First off, this show has some really excellent messaging and themes to work with. Sakura Quest on the surface has some pretty basic story setup initially (for the first half); it gives each girl their own arc of struggles to develop them, which all tie back into the over-arching story of them trying to revive a small country town. These arcs can, at times, feel a bit isolated from the whole of the story, but by the end of the show and more tightly focused second half, I realized that they weren't really so disjointed. This is due to one of the major themes of the show I came to realize: understanding that lack of success isn't necessarily failure and appreciating little successes and opportunities that do come your way. Life isn't always easy, it isn't always fair, and things will rarely go the way you plan them to or desire them to, but at the end of the day it is all we have and we have to make the best of it with all of our beloved family and friends. This stands in stark contrast to the more fairy-tale like story of Shirobako where perseverance will find you success and lead you to your goals in the end! Sakura Quest doesn't play that game. Being an adult doesn't mean you get what you want, it often means being happy with what you have and adapting to the unexpected. This, in my opinion, is the biggest takeaway from Sakura Quest, and more importantly, what initially ties all of these arcs together and makes them feel a lot more cohesive than may originally be apparent, especially once it all starts folding back into the main thrust of the story: reviving the town.
For those of you old enough to have had plenty of hard knocks in life, you're aware of what it means to keep going past these issues, to find those new doors, new pathways that open before you as others close. As a result, watching Sakura Quest can often be a cathartic, albeit sometimes melancholic, experience. The girls struggle to find their way on the path to figuring out where they are appreciated; often their dreams are crushed ruthlessly in front of them despite their best efforts. This doesn't stop them from finding their own happiness though. Carving out your own place in life despite these failures is what makes us stronger, and I think the writing and storytelling of Sakura Quest does an excellent job of relaying these struggles in an appreciable way. It isn't in your face about this message, instead choosing to pleasantly weave this tapestry throughout the entire show's length on a fine spider silk that resonates more in your gut than your conscious. You don't have the characters spelling out their emotions, but instead see them forge forward, constantly dodging all the blows life tries to deal them in their hunt for fulfilment and friendship. It all feels very heartfelt, honest, and emotionally raw. Often the girls find themselves struggling with situations and issues we all do in life, and it really helps you want to cheer them on and keeps you engaged in the story. It makes the show feel very grounded, even despite some contrived circumstances and zany adventures. I wouldn't say every situation in the show is completely realistic, it is an anime after all and shenanigans will be had, but even the silly scenarios presented were very cleverly analogous to many of our own issues in life. This emotional depth hearkens back to the main theme of finding fulfilment in yourself, even if your outward goals haven't work out perfectly.
This emotional depth, this tangible empathy I speak of also starts tying into the other major theme of the show: acceptance of change and different cultures/people. I see a lot of people watch this show complain that they don't enjoy seeing a lack of progress from the girls or side-cast in terms of the main objective of reviving the town. People will say this really bogs down the pacing, makes the whole thing feel pointless, and creates lack of satisfaction in the viewer. I think that is a clear example of missing the forest for the trees and missing this second major theme of the show entirely. The girls' goal is to revive the town, but that doesn't necessarily mean they have to drastically increase its population, or increase tourism, or raise its revenue, which by all accounts they have failed to do. In the case of this show, much of the "revival" the girls discovered was most important was more about simply having the townspeople be proud of their unique cultural flavour and maintaining it within them. Things could change externally such as town boundaries, the name, the buildings, even the people, but as long as someone there remembered their culture and unique history, then it lives on in their hearts. This change shouldn't be feared, it should be embraced and used to help the townspeople grow, but that doesn't mean they have to give up their memories and cultural pride. This theme of the show is exemplified in the Dragon Song which very much talks about acceptance of outsiders, of other cultures, and learning from them. Yoshino, the "MC" of this show, is originally an outsider. Even after her job is finished in the end, she still considers herself an outsider, but one that is accepted and welcomed by the community. This is not the success the girls originally sought out, but it is a kind of success, and it is an emotional triumph for them as well as the town.
This second theme is often demonstrated with the secondary cast of the show, which is quite rich and deep. They all have their own personalities and they all feel wonderful and developed by the end, or at least as much as a secondary cast tends to get. More importantly, they all make this wonderful little country town feel lived in. This really sells the environment of the show and does more to immerse you in it. This seems to be a very strong point in most of these shows from PA Works, the excellent handling of an ensemble cast that leaves many other studios and directors reeling to balance. The Direction of the last few episodes was especially strong in this regard and really helped the messaging of the show and emotions of its characters resonate with the viewer, so props to Souichi for that satisfying wrap-up. This of course leads wonderfully into the next technical section, starting with the characters.
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The cast of this show is incredibly diverse and interesting, with PA Works flexing their large-cast muscles again. Of the 5 main cast, I would suggest that Yoshino is actually the weakest sell of the bunch, as her story is largely one of aimless wandering amongst a sea of personality. She kind of got the short end of the stick there and plays off mainly as the genki fit girl of the show. It's okay though, because the rest of this well-handled giant cast is all quite compelling. With the other four girls we have Maki, a struggling actor with some familial issues, Sanae, a techie web-designer and big-city girl stuck in a small town not sure what to do with her skills, Ririko, a small town girl who starts out incredibly shy but full of dry wit and courage, and lastly Shiori, a small-town pleasant girl working for the tourism board that loves her town and all of its history. All of these girls, as previously mentioned, get their own stories and struggles which helps to reveal their true character as well as slowly expose us to the massive ensemble cast of such a small town. All these additional side characters often even get their own exploration to some degree as well, though obviously not to the extent of the main 5, and it really helps the whole thing feel... human. By the end of the show, I felt like I was leaving behind a dear group of friends, I was sad to see them go. That is the strength of these characters. They all feel unique, they all feel important, they all have an impact in some way. Their interactions are often wonderful and heart-warming and their banter is frequently hilarious. Sandal-san especially, a wandering blonde foreigner that generally only briefly talks when he's either saving the day or imparting some ancient wisdom, is a gem for so much of the series (fun fact: his full name, Alexandre Cena Davis Celibidache, is actually in the show credits as the pseudonym for the production team of the show!). Maki ended up being my favourite character though and I think her personal story was the most well fleshed-out. I was invested with her every step of the way through her trials and tribulations, and it really felt like any small success she was given was absolutely deserved. I think that goes for a lot of characters in the show and what makes them so compelling. These aren't just character archetypes we're expected to understand, they are people that earn the viewer's respect and earn that investment, all with their own hopes and dreams.
Visually the show was quite pleasing as well. The nice pastoral backgrounds often drawn up by PAs well known background art team aren't super flashy, but often allow for a very rustic, comfortable feel. I wouldn't say they are as stand-out as some of their other shows such as Nagi no Asukara, but they were always consistent and helped push the feel and emotions of the show. I always like the details PA Works likes to put into drawing scenes to make them feel more alive, be it beautiful cherryblossom trees flowering and shedding or just random items in a room to make it feel lived-in. There were definitely times where they seemed a bit phoned in though, which was unfortunate. The background work in their cabin quarters is one such example, and occasionally it could be distracting if you really focused on it. Fortunately they had PA Works legendary character designer Kanami Sekiguchi along with BUNBUN to make the main performers of the show always wonderful to look at! The amount of work that went into character design seemed to me to be astronomical. Every single character had their own unique and defined look, and every character often had dozens of unique clothing/outfits, which must have been a labour of love to draw up. It was wonderful to see how many new outfits would pop up in any given episode and it really helped the characters feel like more than just colourful projections. The animation for the most part was decent and consistent as well, with a few standout moments. It was never mind blowing but it served the show well enough. There were a distinct couple of episodes where it seemed out-sourcing shenanigans were wreaking havoc, but due to PA's pretty awesome quality control, it was never so bad as to be distracting. These were exceptions though in an otherwise solid effort.
The voicework was all top notch, with some stand-out performances in both the Japanese dub and English dub for Riri's character. Both Chiemi Tanaka and Brina Palencia do an amazing job during the singing scenes and I enjoy both of them greatly. I certainly can't think of any weak points from any of the other actors either. I could easily recommend either the subbed or dubbed version of this show to people with confidence. The OP/ED work by (K)NoW_NAME is absolutely fantastic and most of the insert songs meshed well with the feel of the show. I will say there was one unfortunate insert though that occasionally got played at distracting times when it wasn't even needed and hurt a couple of scenes as a result, even if just from its repetitive nature.
The story was a standard working girl type affair that anyone familiar with the Slice of Life genre should know of, but it is handled competently by the Director Souichi Masui. He navigates all the emotional currents well, trying to keep our cast busy looking for resolutions without trying to speed up the pacing to anything overbearing. It is a very slow paced show, and while many end up finding it boring as a result, I found the whole thing quite tranquil. The series composition can, as previously mentioned, feel a bit disjointed initially, but really picks up steam in the second half and finds its rhythm and flow, which eventually builds up to a satisfying emotional finish and goodbye. Plenty of callbacks to earlier in the show keep it upbeat despite the tears I had flowing at that point. The girls may not have succeeded at their stated goal on paper, but that's because the solution wasn't really what anyone in the town was expecting or originally searching for. They found deep satisfaction in their hearts in simply restoring dignity and pride to the town and its culture. That memory living on is enough to keep the town "alive", no matter what change the future brings, and its inhabitants are happy to be remembered as such. I appreciate that the story didn't go the simple route of just getting the girls from A to B, but rather showing them on their journey into adulthood, wherever that may end up. It isn't a message I think we see often enough in mainstream anime as it seems like people always want a clearly defined goal and success/failure, but that just isn't how life often goes.
Overall, my enjoyment for this show was just phenomenal. To bring up the early comparisons to Shirobako or HanaIroha, two of my favourite shows of all time, I would certainly say Sakura Quest belongs among them as one of PA Works best shows. I definitely think Sakura Quest is weaker than both of them, but not by that much. I'm very sympathetic to its message of struggle and happiness where you can find it, moreso than the themes of the other two aforementioned shows, but it was a bit less tight at times with the storytelling, characters, and artwork. On its own merit though, Sakura Quest is quite a fantastic show. I think it caters to a bit of a niche taste and would resonate a bit more with older viewers, but a strong show regardless. If you're a fan of young working adult slice of life shows in a more grounded setting, I think you owe it to yourself to at least check this show out.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Dec 14, 2016
Reviewing a 6 minute music video short is a bit of an oddball for me, as I don't normally watch many of these, but due to the hype surrounding this music video I had to jump on board. Long story short, I think it was well worth my time.
The visuals are quite easy to describe: beautiful. The animation is buttery smooth and a feast for the eyes, the artwork is quite appealing and helps create a melancholic juxtaposition in the mood/atmosphere of the video which really helps make it resonate on an emotional level.
The music itself is appealing to me and very much
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something I enjoy, but obviously it isn't a style for everyone and your mileage will certainly vary depending on your personal taste. It's electronic chill music.
I see complaints here about there being a lack of character/story depth, and I would counter by saying that Shelter has plenty of both for only 6 minutes, it just doesn't overtly explain it. This is actually what I consider one of the masterful parts of this music video, is how much story and characterization it *does* manage to deliver purely through subtle imagery, which exactly what it aimed to do. It expects the audience to be observant and even a little imaginative to come to grips with the events that have unfolded rather than just having someone boringly exposit it. It very much shows rather than tells.
Yes, it is a story we have all heard before. Yes, it panders to some of our baser protective instincts for cute things. Why do people take issue with this? It's attempting to tell a tried and true simple story in its own creative way, and I think it pays off in spades. It reminds us of loneliness, and how that can feel. It doesn't attempt some ambitious deconstruction of complex themes, it isn't trying to be some incredibly deep political or humanitarian message, it is just a touching reflection of one small aspect of the human condition. And that's all it needs to do. Sometimes it's nice to see such a simple thing done well rather than an overly-ambitious, complicated failure.
This really is a great music video short if it fits your taste in music.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Jun 24, 2016
I give this a bit of a higher rating as I consider it part and parcel to the Iroha story. It takes place roughly midway though the TV series in between story arcs and all the main cast are back. It's a fun, light-hearted, and still emotional take on Ohana that we all know and love (why else are you here otherwise!?) and certainly adds to the experience of the show. It also expands on the background of Ohana's mother and father and answers some questions left open by the show, growing previously underdeveloped characters a bit more. Anyone that was
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a fan of the main Hanasaku Iroha series will certainly enjoy this movie special as well!
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Jun 24, 2016
I've become a pretty big PA Works fanboy after Shirobako, and I've been looking for something to scratch that itch since then. I tried NagiAsu and wasn't a big fan, but I figured Hanasaku Iroha seemed fun and might be able to fill the void left by Aoi and the gang! So let me take you on a journey of self-growth and inspiration.
Story (9/10) - Much like Shirobako, Hanasaku Iroha has a premise that sounds rather boring, for lack of a better term. It's about a girl, displaced by her own mother, that goes to live out in the countryside at her
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Grandmother's Inn. That's it, that's the whole thing. Yet as uninspired as that may sound, Iroha has been anything but. The story isn't flashy, but it is very grounded in human emotion. We get to see the daily working struggles of working at an in, a very complex lead character that develops and grows throughout the series, the importance of family, and the indomitable perseverance of the human spirit. From such a basic story, you really get to feel the ups and downs of life itself, and the reward of continue effort in face of a challenge. It's simple setup is almost part of the genius, allowing you to focus on the characters themselves and their relatable struggles that we all face ourselves. Trying to find your place in life and even finding acceptance from your parents and role models are additional themes that pop up in this show just crammed full of meaning, yet despite a few occasional stumbles, the show manages to drive home most of its messages with surprising deftness. It can be a bit heavy-handed at times, but it fits the tone of the show and its optimism in the face of despair. It really makes you feel good.
Art (10/10) - The art and animation in this show was great. The character models and animation weren't necessarily immaculate, but it was consistently decent quality without any hiccups or noticeable drops. The animation was usually fluid and at times quite appealing when simply watching someone cooking or trying to carry trays, making mundane actions seem interesting all on their own. The background artwork was stunning, as it usually is with PA Works, and an absolute treat for the eyes! As well as the backgrounds, I also always appreciate PA Works attention to detail with animation, including the additional work they put into the body language of characters during interactions and even background actions to keep a scene fresh, interesting, and natural. Nothing ever feels uncanny or robotic, and it really lets you focus on the action and dialogue.
Sound (8/10) - The sound for this show was definitely rock solid, but I can't say that it stood out to me either. It competently handled emotional scenes and subtly encouraged you to be joyous when needed, and the OP/EDs were pleasant, but I can't say any of the music was noteworthy. It was certainly mixed well and the VA work was fantastic, especially Ohana. There was more Foley than I would expect out of this type of show as well.
Characters (10/10) - The characters in Iroha are absolutely splendid. Ohana just feels like such a genuine and optimistic person, even in the face of all the hardship she has been through, you can't help but love her and root for her! Both the grandmother and mother start out as adversarial figures that you really don't see in a positive light, but without spoiling too much, you really get to understand them just a little bit better as the story progresses. It may not entirely redeem them in your eyes, but surely they gain your respect when you never thought they could initially. The rest of the supporting cast is absolutely fantastic as well, with most of the main supports having their own stories of growth as well. They really did a great job with all the monologues of these characters and the dialogue between them all; all of them feel natural and very human, you can't help but by endeared by them. They may even remind you of yourself a little bit!
Enjoyment (10/10) - While I will admit my enjoyment waned slightly in the 3rd quarter of the show, for the vast majority I was enjoying myself more than enough to warrant a 10 here. Having worked at a hotel/restaurant myself, the story was very relatable to me, and I really felt for all the characters. The show really many to affect me on many emotional levels which is a testament to its writing and characters. Ohana is definitely one of my favourite MCs and I love her enthusiasm.
Overall Score (10/10): Definitely one of my all time favourite shows I've watched, right up there with Shirobako. Spiritually, Iroha is actually quite similar to Shirobako in a lot of ways, and if you enjoyed Shirobako, you will certainly find something to enjoy about Iroha. It's a bit of a roller-coaster of emotions, but overall it is very uplifting and heartwarming. I thoroughly enjoyed all the themes explored in Iroha, especially with regards to family, and I most certainly will have to watch this show again in the future and get my hands on a copy of the blurays.
Thanks PA Works for another amazing experience!
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Jun 15, 2016
I've been recently watching a bit of PA Work's catalogue after loving Shirobako and now Kuromukuro from them. After also watching Kiznaiver this season, Okada's drama grew on me. NagiAsu, with its high rating and writing by Okada, seemed like a decent bet for me.
Story (4/10) - Unfortunately I may have overestimated Okada's knack for drama in her earlier works. The story to NagiAsu is certainly an interesting one in theory. It has some compelling themes to explore such as racism, what it means to be an adult, and the value of loss that comes with love. The underwater town
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vs. the one on land is certainly a rare story that doesn't come up much either, so the show had a real solid setup for success. Unfortunately rather than actually exploring any of its themes in depth, or even explore the lore of such an interesting world, the show saw fit to wallow in teen melodrama and go no further. Compared to Kiznaiver though, it was uninteresting melodrama. I found the first 13 episodes rather difficult to get through because of this, and it wasn't until the 2nd half of the show that I actually found the story somewhat more mature and redeemable as it started to actually deal with some of its themes proper. It's a shame the entire show wasn't more like the last half, as I would have enjoyed it much more.
Art (10/10) - This is one area where NagiAsu absolutely shines and a big reason I kept watching. The backgrounds in this show are absolutely beautiful to behold. Just... stunning. If nothing else was to get your attention in this show, the art is really worth the price of admission. The animation itself isn't too bad, and some of the sea scenes really are quite pretty. I could literally pause some scenes and just sit there absorbing the backdrop for minutes on end. It really pulled you into the world and made you want to learn more about it, which makes it a damn shame that it wasn't explored enough.
Sound (7/10) - The music to this show wasn't anything spectacular, but it was competent at setting the mode and occasionally heart-warming and inspiring. I would often find myself leaving the OP on while I did other things so I could listen to it in the background before the show started in earnest. I was quite productive during it :P. Both the sub/dub are fairly good for this show with the VAs giving it their all, and the sound effects were quite engaging as well. The sea sound effects especially were enjoyable and often unique. That being said, I can't say anything from the sound design ever stood out for me.
Characters (5/10) - I have a difficult time rating this one, as I found some of the characters rather interesting (at least on the surface) and others absolutely irritating. A couple characters especially made it difficult to keep going at times with how frustrating they could be. Oftentimes they would act a certain way just to fit the archetype of their character without and logical reason for behaving as such. Many, many times the dialogue between them especially would falter and make them feel particularly unrelatable and inhuman, directly in opposition to the point of the story; however, occasionally there would be fleeting moments of some truly inspired script work. It was these moments that could occasionally touch your heart and I think why this show is as well-liked as it is. It isn't enough to prop the show up in my eyes, but I do appreciate the show for those rare moments. It may unintentionally have been one of the stronger points of the show, making the characters seem to accidentally have more depth than intended by the script. So often they'd come across as frustratingly stupid/naive children, even the adults, that when they finally managed to break-through to one another, a part of your heart couldn't help but be happy for them. I do think this show really did waste the potential of its characters though, in the same way that it mishandled the premise.
Enjoyment (5/10) - I enjoyed the last half more than the score I give this particular section belies (it really was an improvement), but unfortunately I can't forget that the first half existed. The ride was an interesting one, and I really enjoyed the gorgeous artwork and occasionally pleasing song, but I couldn't help but feel like the show was missing the mark by the end. It almost made me sad because I know this show could have been better, it *should* have been better.
Overall (6/10) - NagiAsu was a story of so much promise. Its premise was ripe with depth, its artwork begged for you to immerse yourself, the pleasant tunes entranced you, but unfortunately it all ended up just being mishandled. It was certainly still enjoyable by the end and I didn't feel like I had wasted my time, but I can't see what blew everyone away about this series either. I really feel like Okada was still trying to figure out her melodramatic writing style here and it shows. All that being said, I do think it was worth a watch still for most anime connoisseurs, especially if teen melodrama is your thing. If it isn't, just relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery and turn off your brain a bit.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Mar 26, 2016
ERASED is a suspense/thriller wrapped in a character drama with elements of mystery sprinkled throughout. That's a mouthful! But it is this level of complexity that I believe elevates ERASED above a lot of other anime, and Tomohiko Itou really did a marvellous job directing this show into a wonderful adaptation. Allow me to elaborate.
Too often of late in anime, studios are falling back onto fan-service pandering, questionably aged lolis, and read-the-manga endings to try and push more sales. Rarely exists a show of a single cour that delivers one complete, self-contained story with an extremely satisfactory ending and with no
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cheap fan-service to boot! ERASED delivers just that. Reading the manga is an option for a bit of a different telling of the story, but isn't mandatory. These reasons alone are enough to put ERASED above many, many other shows of late, but I'd like to delve through each rating category to see what I think it is that makes the show so compelling!
Story (10/10) - Right out of the gate, the story to ERASED is a fantastic one. It is a mature, grounded story about a man unhappy with his own life and wanting to resolve past regrets that plague him even to this day. Fortunately fate grants him that chance via the ability to travel back through time to his older self and relive pieces of his life in an attempt to change the future! And this is how we begin our story: with our protagonist Satoru having just suffered a terrible loss and immediately sent back to when he was 11 years old, to a time when several girls at his school went missing. He believes it is his job to save them to right past wrongs and hopefully change his terrible future! Unfortunately his task is muddled as he doesn't know who the primary culprit is, so he instead races against the clock to try to save the children from their grim fate. To make matters worse, the main female lead Kayo, one of the targets of this child murderer, is severely abused by her parents making protecting her a rather difficult task. It is a very human story in the middle of this suspense thriller, and it does a fantastic job connecting you to the characters and pulling at your heart strings. It makes you care when they are in danger, and really ratchets up the tension in ominous moments. You get to follow Satoru on this harrowing journey, praying every step of the way that he makes it through. It builds up to a couple huge and very heartfelt climaxes at the end of the show, and then an extremely satisfying finale that ties up all the loose ends. It really is a great story that pulls you in, leaving you stressed one moment and ecstatic the next!
Art (9/10) - The art in this show is quite good. It isn't the best ever, but it is consistently high quality. I never noticed any severe drops in quality, and there was never a point where anything was unclear to the viewer. The character designs are quite interesting and a bit different than what I'm used to seeing, especially with some adults like Satoru's mother, Sachiko. They do a marvellous job of making the children adorable. The art is also cleverly used to convey a lot of symbolism throughout the show, and you really have to pay attention to notice all the clever details packed into the art/animation! Colours and contrast are used to the fullest to deliver a subtle messages to the viewer and influence their emotions as necessary.
Sound (8/10) - The sound in this show is also very well done. There isn't a lot of complexity to it, but the OP/ED are both highly enjoyable to listen to, and the insert tracks throughout the show cue up perfectly at the exact moments required to really punch up the tension of a scene, or melt your heart with joy. The VA work wasn't the best I've ever heard, but it was quite good. I also appreciate the newcomer Shinnosuke Mitsushima voicing Satoru in an attempt to make him different and stand out from the rest of the show. The director was clearly trying to stuff in as much symbolism as he could in ever facet of the show. Kayo's VA and Sachiko's were both excellent and I enjoyed them every time they were on the screen.
Characters (10/10) - The characters of this show are absolutely fantastic. The only real negative I can apply to this category is that the villain of the show is a little bit underdeveloped, but the direction they went with said villain is acceptable in my eyes as he is logically motivated and fleshed out enough to make the story interesting. He doesn't need a deep backstory, as this isn't about the villain, this is a story about the protagonists and their plight. The rest of the main cast were absolutely fantastic though. Satoru was convincing as a super-hero wannabe, Kayo was beautifully developed and her unfortunate abuse really hit home for me, and Sachiko has got to win some awards for best mom in anime. There's also the great supporting cast of all of Satoru's friends that help him along the way that get adequate screen time and do a great job supporting the main cast and letting them grow, while still managing to grow a little bit themselves! I could connect and relate to a lot of the characters in this, with their thoughts often mirroring my own as I watched, and I absolutely adored Kayo and Airi every time they were on the screen. One of the easiest 10/10s I could give, the characters were by far the highlight of this show.
Enjoyment (10/10) - This show was absolutely one of my favourite things to watch of the 2016 Winter season, and probably one of the most enjoyable shows I've seen to date. The human element resonated deeply with me, the suspense had me on the edge of my seat, even when I could have sworn I just KNEW the answer, and the ending was tied up absolutely perfectly for my liking. I got to see people grow, I got to see tragedy, I got to see victory, I got to see a mature story told without pandering fluff. I adored every second of this show, even in spite some of the minor flaws with it, and I would gladly rewatch this again in the future, preferably with a dub so I can try and catch all the subtle details I missed on the first pass!
Overall: 10/10
By now I think you realize I loved ERASED. It really is a fantastic show. I think everyone owes it to themselves to watch ERASED at least once, or to at least give it a try before writing it off at face-value. You may be surprised at how such a simple story can be so engaging. Like Shirobako, it will be a staple recommendation for me to others. The characters are just great, and the ending let me walk away with a smile on my face, regardless of the outcomes of all the characters and what was lost, because what was gained was so much more. Rarely do I get to enjoy such a complete and satisfying experience from an anime, let alone one I think good enough to show to even non-anime fans, but ERASED is definitely one of them. Props to A-1 for delivering such a fantastic experience, I value every second of it!
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Mar 26, 2016
God Eater is one of those odd shows that starts out as kind of a slow burn for a few episodes at risk of losing you, but then goes from 0-100 real fast to grab you right back in. Let's take a look at the score breakdown quick to see where we end up.
Story (5/10) - The story honestly wasn't that special. It isn't anything we haven't seen before, just your standard monster apocalypse type fair. It didn't fail particularly at anything, but didn't do anything exceptional either; it just served as a familiar spring board for the viewer to get into
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the action. I did really appreciate all the flashback scenes and explanations how how this all came about and the description of the monsters (Aragami?). It is something this show actually did really well that many other apocalypse shows either ignore or stumble on inelegantly. It almost makes me want to bump up the story score... almost. There is one minor quibble I have in the 2nd last episode about Alisa, but the action pulls you along quickly enough that I could ignore it and continue to enjoy the show.
Art (10/10) - Hoooooooolllyyyyy shit... is quite frankly the only way I can truly express how ridiculously beautiful the art and animation is for God Eater. Outside of a few hiccups that are fixed in the blu-rays, the visuals are just absolutely stunning, as is to be expected from Studio Ufotable. The lighting, the particle/water effects, the characters, the monsters, just absolutely top notch work. This is the kind of stuff you expect to see out of a movie budget. Everything was fluid and distinct, even in busy light-show scenes, and the animation really managed to bring things to life. It made horrifying scenes all the more horrifying and pleasant scenes absolutely delightful.
Sound (10/10) - Another stand-out category for this show. The OP is great and gets you super pumped, the ED is fantastic closure, and the insert songs in this show were just on a whole other level. "Human After All" might be one of my favourite all time insert songs, and I look forward to the OST release with great enthusiasm. The Foley in this show was also pretty top notch as well, with just fantastic sound effects permeating every scene without overbearing the voice work, which itself was also exceptional. Really, really top notch sound work. An absolute joy to listen to.
Characters (6/10) - Most of the characters, like the story, are kind of your standard archetypes. You have the strong-silent Soma, the impulsive and heroic Lenka, the psychologically traumatized girl that tries to hide her emotions, etc. Part of the problem this show had is that a lot of the character development came in the latter half of the show, with one notable exception. So you spent a good 1/2 of the show just thinking everyone is a stoic champion cut-out. By the time all the character complexity came up, you were nearly at the climax already. If it wasn't for this fact, I could have easily given it a higher score, as the characters themselves are quite interesting. That being said, there are a couple stand out character moments in the show. I won't spoil them here as they are important to the story, but they are moments where the character development is leagues above what you'd expect from it, moments that earnestly brought tears to my eyes, so that raises the score a bit.
Enjoyment (9/10) - This is a hard one because early on (the first 3-4 episodes) the show wasn't very engaging. It was just kind of laying the world-building ground work and introducing a large cast. Once it hit episodes 4/5 though, it really took off at a frantic pace that didn't stop right up until the end. Thankfully the gamble paid off and the latter 2/3 of the show became very, very enjoyable for me. Despite all the archetypal characters and standard storyline, the direction was solid enough that it was still very fun to watch, and obviously the top tier animation/music helped prop it up a little bit as well. Nonetheless, it was a quite fun bombastic action series with the occasional fantastic character scene. I also have to give credit to the show for going darker and grittier and punishing characters for their mistakes. Yeah, there was still plot armour, but the characters still suffered when they fucked up, and they suffered badly (I wish I could bold/italicize "badly" here, some of it it was frankly horrifying). It really gave a lot more weight to their actions and made such a standard apocalyptic story more easy to suspend disbelief for and pull you in.
Overall score: 8/10
God Eater is a really interesting show. It face a lot of hurdles throughout its run from the production delays attempting a whole new and beautiful animation style. This probably lost a lot of viewers and quite frankly hurt the show rather badly due to the fact that some of its best work was presented in the remaining 4 episodes a full season after the original run began. It also has some problems with its story/characters. It is an adaptation of a game with a self-insert protagonist you play with zero background story, so expecting miracles from the story and characters isn't going to serve you well. Honestly though, they did a fairly good job coming up with a proper background story for Lenka, one with meaning behind it. It is worth a watch, if for nothing else other than the breathtaking animation and spine-tingling music. The characters eventually do become interesting by the end, and it really lifts the show out of how mediocre it could have been and breathes life into the story. If you want a super deep story and unique, multifaceted characters, God Eater wont be your thing, but if you just want a dark and gritty action show romp with best-in-industry aesthetics and the occasional heartfelt moment, then God Eater will be right up your alley. If you do give it a shot, I really suggest sticking around until at least episode 5 before deciding on whether or not to keep going.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Mar 16, 2016
Kono Suba, oh how much fun you've been. I had a really hard time rating this show, as a parody changes the dynamic for story and characters. KonoSuba almost tries to revel in how much of an anti-story it is, in fact. Let's break it down and see where this show ends up:
Story (7/10) - So out of the gate we already have a difficult category. The story is rather bare-bones in KonoSuba and based on an classic generic "trapped in a video game world" setup. There isn't necessarily a whole lot of world building, and it doesn't even really
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move anywhere. For most shows, this would be a huge hindrance to the story, but KonoSuba's parody-like nature changes the meaning behind it all. KonoSuba isn't meant to tell a grand story of danger and adventure, it is meant to mock the tropes it is built on and the glory of the hero's journey. The fact that the story can be at times episodic and not necessarily lead anywhere is the whole point. The life of an adventurer isn't always straightforward, often times your journey meanders and you lose your way and even get stalled. The story ends up providing a serviceable backdrop for our characters to act out their shenanigans, and at least a bit of a direction and progression for the characters. It provides plenty of room for gags and insane happen-stance, without being bogged down by some grand message. It gives the characters a great canvas to paint on and interesting colours to choose from. As a result it is a good story as far as parodies go, not anything spectacular, but a solid base to expand on.
Art (6/10) - Art was certainly this shows weakest point, but as with the story, that isn't always as straightforward as it seems. Many times the simpler and "derpy" animation actually worked to the benefit of the show, enhancing the silliness of reaction faces and greatly exaggerating the characters at their worst and best. And despite the occasional poor instance of art, the show did have its moments of brilliance, especially when it came to characters casting magical abilities. The character designs themselves were solid and enjoyable to see. They felt very warm and comforting at times and Megumin was just outright adorable! For any other show this score would have been below average due to some severe drops in animation quality, a 3-4 out of 10; however, because it works so well with the theme and style of the show, be it intentional or not by DEEN, and because I was quite partial to the character designs, it gets a respectable 6/10 for it.
Sound (8/10) - The sound in this show was fairly strong. The opening and ending songs were fantastic and exceptionally comfy and I always enjoyed hearing them at the end of a long and tiring day. The music throughout the show itself was rather uninspired, repetitive, and minimal, so I have to dock a point for missed potential there. Most importantly though, for a parody to work well in anime, the Voice Acting is absolutely key to success, and the VA work for KonoSuba delivered. Sora Amamiya absolutely nailed crybaby Aqua, and newcomer Rie Takahashi was excellent as Megumin, really lending that Chuuni goodness and gravitas Megumin required in her speeches while keeping her down to earth and adorable the rest of the time. Jun Fukushima really played a good Kazuma as well, providing the perfect amount of snark and timing needed for the role. The supporting cast was also fairly good, especially the girls in the Succubus den, but there were times where they weren't up to par, rare times. Had the sound been filled out a bit more, this could very easily have been a 9 though.
Characters (9/10) - The characters in this show were absolutely mint. They were fantastic in every sense of the word. Aqua was so good as an annoying pain in the ass that I somehow couldn't help but feel some platonic affection towards, which is some kind of magic in and of itself. Megumin was so, so adorable and you could really see her fluctuation in confidence despite the show she would put on. Darkness grew a little bit stale at parts, but was nonetheless a presence on the screen when desired. Kazuma was just a fantastic sarcastic jerk, and even all of the side cast where generally very interesting. All their fun background expressions, all the interesting character designs, and all of the fun interactions of the characters were just so fresh feeling. I could't help but walk away from every episode feeling attached to these characters in some way or another. You didn't necessarily see them grow a whole lot, but that isn't the point of this show. They weren't necessarily there to change themselves throughout the story, even though they did to a small degree, they were there to engage you. I think they absolutely succeeded in that regard nearly from enthusiasm alone!
Enjoyment (10/10) - By far the easiest category to rate. If I could give this show an 11 for enjoyment, I would, because it was so much fun. Very rarely did I find myself bored in this show. Nearly all of the jokes landed, and I just had a smile plastered across my face for every episode. I couldn't help but get invested in our pathetic quartet of heroes and really enjoyed watching them grow as a group rather than just individuals. Their mutual camaraderie and affection was something truly missing from a lot of shows, even despite each of their faults. At times it really felt like I was just watching a group of my idiot friends fail miserably at an MMO dungeon, and I loved every second of it.
So finally we come to my overall impressions of the show and it's impressive score of 8 out of 10. The best way I can think to compare KonoSuba is to mention another favourite comedy of mine "The Devil is a Part-Timer". Both shows nail their respective comedic parts, but Devil does it with a bit more polished animation and story depth. KonoSuba is significantly weaker in this regard, but there's one thing KonoSuba has going for it that Devil just doesn't come close to: unbridled enthusiasm. Yeah, KonoSuba didn't have the best art or even the makings of a well-defined story, but it had so much heart and spirit that I couldn't help but fall in love with it. It isn't quite a 9/10 show, but I really, really wish I could have given it such a score because of how much fun I had watching it. It is one of the most genuinely endearing comedy shows I've seen, and I greatly look forward to more material from it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jan 2, 2016
This show in no way a ground-breaking story. It's premise is about a high-school battle-academy and tournament that has its share of tropes and fan-service. The main protagonist archetypes are a red-haired fire wielding tsundere and a chivalrous hero that everyone thinks is quite weak, yet turns out to be super-strong. If you think you've heard this before, you have, because it has been used time and again. If that isn't your cup of tea, then I'll tell you right now to avoid the show because you will not enjoy it. For those that don't mind this generic premise and are willing to give a
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show the chance to separate itself from the rest of the pack, I present you Rakudai Kishi no Cavalry; you wont be disappointed ;P
On to the breakdown:
Story (6/10) - Weakest point of the show, simply because it isn't anything that hasn't been done before. It isn't treading any new ground with its tried and true battle-academy story. If you are looking for a super deep and philosophical thought-piece or commentary on some kind of modern ill befallen society, you wont find it here. That said, it is a generic story because it is generally a well-received story that is a simple setup for the rest of the show. It's an average action-fantasy RomCom on the surface, but the story doesn't dally trying to take itself too seriously and simply acts as a vehicle to display entertaining character interactions, some really magnificent fight scenes, and absolutely wonderful romance. And really those are the selling points of the show, especially the romance aspect. They don't waste any time with it. It's direct, it's adorable, and it is something many people have been searching for in the last few years of this genre. It doesn't feel awkward or ham-fisted and it is very endearing. For that reason alone, its story becomes a little more than just average. Not much more mind you, but it stands out a bit from the sea of clones it comfortably resides in.
Art (9/10) - One of the truly high points of the show for me. The art in this show is by no means perfect, but it is very, *very* good when it wants to be. The character designs, while again generic, are done well enough that they really pop! The colouring on them is very eye-catching and appealing. The backgrounds for this show really shine when in the outdoors, with absolutely breathtaking vista shots peppered throughout. The colour and contrast are, simply put, beautiful, and really a joy to feast your eyes upon. Many anime lately love to go the bland, washed-out, but very efficient look; while such a look is quite clean, it doesn't feel as warm as Rakudai's style. The stylization that pops up a lot is very interesting as well, and really fits into the look and feel of the show. It makes the last couple of episodes especially quite unique looking. Honestly, I don't think they could have gone with a more suitable art style for Rakudai Kishi no Cavalry, so props to Silver Link for that. I also have to give a shout-out to the animation for the OP of this show, which is just a work of art. Best opening animation of the season for me. The animation for many of the fights has been absolutely mind-blowing as well, and they have been a real treat when they show up periodically in the show. There have been some Ufotable-level particle affects going on in some of the later episodes as well. Episode 10 especially had one of the best fight scenes of 2015 imo.
Sound (8/10) - Another strong point of the show is its sound. Whoever mixed this show is really, really good. The OP song choice catches you immediately and pulls you into the fun adventure you're about to go on for the next 20 minutes. It's definitely going to find a place on my mp3 player. The soundtrack throughout the show is very well adapted for what's going on visually, from the quirky tracks during the moments of levity, to the epic and hopeful tracks during the well-choreographed action, to the light string and piano compositions during the touching romantic moments and heroics. The sound team really did a top-notch job on this show. It's a pleasure to listen to. They also but a decent amount of work into the Foley for this show, which is subtle, but very engaging. The only unfortunate complaint I have with the sound is that the ED feels really out-of-place with the rest of the show, and honestly just isn't that good, so I can't really rate the sound any higher because of it.
Characters (8/10) - As I mentioned above, the characters are based around generic archetypes. Considering the amount of red-headed tsunderes that permeate anime lately, that should really not come as any surprise. However I have to give credit where credit is due for Rakudai changing it up a bit to make the characters feel like more than simple cardboard cut-outs and like something truly their own. The main male lead right off the bat is immediately subjected to a common "walk in on naked girl" trope in the very first episode, but rather than go the blabbering, terrified-of-the-female-form route that MCs traditionally do, Ikki decides to take it upon himself to make it even with the girl in probably one of the funniest laugh-out-loud moments of the season. I'll spare the spoiler, but it really immediately makes Ikki stand out from the pack of his generic cousins and tells you the kind of show you are in for right at the outset. Ikki comes off as a much more personable and confident human being as a result, and he is quite affable for most of the show, making it easy to root for him. Stella as well breaks the currently standard trope of tsundere and opts to be the good kind, more dere than tsun. While initially adversarial, their relationship quickly becomes one of mutual respect that is so dearly missing from anime romances as of late. Their interactions are truly heart-warming, especially in episodes 4 and 5. Stella also has a truly stand-out moment in episode 4 that really delivers on the emotional aspect and makes her character seem like an actually relateable and kind-hearted person. The VA earned her keep for that speech. Likewise Ikki has a few solid humanizing moments as well despite the rest of his grandeur. Their relationship progression is definitely something unique in this sub-genre and is a real pleasure to follow along with. Of course you have the rest of the character cast which is interesting as well. They all do their part in adding to the general feel and aesthetic of the show. Alice (an actually normally portrayed transgender person, unheard of, I know) is great fun to watch and has some genuinely cool pep-talks, the antagonists do their part to seem genuinely distasteful but human, and of course Ikki's sister has done a fairly admirable job of growing beyond the traditional bro-con mold and actually become a character I don't fully understand, but respect. Overall the characters do a great job of bringing the show to life and their interactions are truly appreciable. The romance especially in this show is very, very well done and heart-warming beyond anything I've seen from the sub-genre in a little while.
Enjoyment (9/10) - I can't in good conscience give this show anything less than top marks for enjoyment. I can't give it a 10 because honestly there are a couple points in the show which are just cringe-worthy to the extreme (episode 2 was a particularly low point you just have to trudge past), but the positives of this show thankfully overshadow those lesser moments, especially once you hit episode 4+. The show doesn't necessarily start out strong, but it was definitely one of the most rapidly-improved shows I've seen over the course of a season. The humour is light-hearted and fun, the ecchi for the most part is tolerable and occasionally fits in context, the characters are just such a joy to watch, and the art style is just absolutely stunning, especially during some of the absolutely breathtaking fight scenes. It's quite a satisfying and fulfilling show if you can get past its generic characteristics, and I can again not overstate the well-crafted and surprisingly mature romance for its genre (once the show regurgitates some tropes out of its system).
Overall (8/10) - So after calculating my aggregate scores, I give Rakudai Kishi no Cavalry a solid 8 out of 10. It starts out with a very generic premise, but tries to differentiate itself from the pack without losing the things that people do enjoy about those standard tropes. The characters are great fun to watch, even if not all that original, the visuals and sound are just fantastic for the senses, and the budding romance is utterly refreshing for this generally harem-packed genre. For those that want fan-service, it has enough to keep you enticed, and for those that hate it, such as myself, it is *usually* tame enough not to dissuade you and is often absent in the latter half of the show. The whole show has been a barrel of fun to watch and it got better and better with each passing episode, much to the delight of the LN readers. A couple of episodes were just there for exposition which the show direly needed at times, but kept lively with humour sprinkled throughout. If this kind of generic premise doesn't scare you away initially, I'm sure most viewers will find something about the show to enjoy. I, for one, hope for a second season!
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Oct 16, 2015
"Don-Don donuts! Let's go nuts!" - Aoi, Ema, Midori, Shizuka, Misa
Shirobako is a wonderfully charming anime about five friends that make a promise to each other in highschool. They promise that they will live out their life-long dream of making anime together, and the show follows them along their intertwined journey towards that goal and all the trials and tribulations that come with it. It's an anime about making an anime.
On the surface that doesn't sound like a very interesting premise, and to be honest, I went into this show thinking it was going to be very bland and uninspired, but boy
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was I wrong. This show, simply put, is a masterpiece.
Shirobako has a massive ensemble cast that can at times make your head spin, yet by the end of the show, you feel like you know them all and what makes each of them tick. More importantly, you come to love and respect them all and their unique quirks. It explores each character's motivations for ending up in anime, from animators, to production, to voice actors, to the director! At some point they all had a dream, even if they lost track of it along the way. It delves into what it means to be new in the industry, to be old, to be confident, to be scared, it gets down right into the very fibre of what drives us as human beings. Hope.
And this is the central theme running throughout the show. Always try your best, never give up, and live your life to the fullest! It's somewhat of a trite message, but Shirobako makes it work with extremely endearing and relateable characters whose optimism shines through the rampant chaos of working life. But it isn't all sunshine and lollipops, you are shown frustration as well. One character in particular is shown to fail time and time again while her friends pass her by, and she ends up getting more and more depressed despite the brave face she puts on. It's a very understandable and sombre demonstration of the reality of working adult life. Sometimes, hard work doesn't always pay off, at least not in the way that you'd like. These melancholic moments seem to punctuate the efforts of all the girls at times, eventually leading to probably the most cathartic scene I've ever experienced in anime when those left behind have their perseverance rewarded at long last. It brought me to joyous tears!
Moments of comedic relief are expertly threaded in throughout the show and really help you get attached to the characters and their struggles. They don't stand out so much as to distract you from the story, but instead provide a welcome decompression when your heart is heavy and a bubbly energy to lift you sky-high when you're already smiling.
All of these moments are seamlessly carried along by the music to this show, providing soft-tenderness when required, unbridled enthusiasm at the light-hearted scenes, and finally powerful jubilance during character triumphs. And as one would hope for a story about trying to create the best anime that one can, the animation quality itself is very solid. Neither the music nor animation are mind-blowingly amazing or original, but they are still effected with the careful craftsmanship of a true master honed by time. The voice-acting for the show could not have been more spot-on, the main girls absolutely nailed their roles and the emotions that come with them.
Simply put, Shirobako is one of the most enjoyable anime experiences I've ever had, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this show to all viewers, especially serious anime fans who will get some of the more outlandish references in the show. The characters are perfect, the story is interesting and very relateable, the art and sound are very professionally done, the ending is beautiful and satisfying, I literally cannot think of any flaws with this show. It has so much heart, and the characters are so adorable, that I find it impossible not to relish every moment with them. It felt like saying goodbye to old friends when the last glorious frame of all the characters together was shown. Watching Shirobako was an amazing and deeply fulfilling experience, and I'm glad to have had the privilege to be a part of it!
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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