For those of you who don't feel like reading through an entire review just to get my overall, general thoughts of this anime, I'll go ahead and say this: It was good, but nothing special. Honestly, more than a few times, I found myself thinking, "I'd rather be watching Inuyasha". Now, that isn't to say I didn't enjoy my watch-through of this anime, but again, it didn't stand out in any significant way to me; the humor earned a few giggles here and there, my eyes got mildly watery at just a couple of points in the story, and although I was looking forward to
...
seeing the relationships between the main characters blossom, I never found myself getting super hyped up over any one moment. This anime was a fun way to pass the time, but if you're looking for something to really get invested in that has a unique storyline, characters, art, or music, you may want to bypass this show. If you're looking for a short, decent romance anime to pass the time, I'd recommend Otome Youkai Zakuro! Now to go into specifics for those who are still on the fence. Of course, these are just my personal thoughts and opinions, and I'm sure there are others out there who will appreciate this anime much more than I did!
Story: 6
The story followed an extremely basic formula to me, on multiple levels. Firstly, although there are several romances budding over the course of the show, each of them are founded on typical stereotypes and cliches of the genre, such as tsundere type development or misunderstand feelings. You know, the good ol' stuff. I will admit that there were a few times that I was surprised at the direction the story *seemed* to be taking, but it was like each major plot point was an after-thought in getting the story where the creators wanted it to end up. I'm hesitant to go into detail for those of you who are genuinely interested in a watch-through, but I do want to say that some of the more prominent plot points appeared forced and ultimately of little significance to the overall story (which can honestly be said for some of the characters as well). I suppose some aspects of the story just seemed rushed, but I don't hold that too heavily against it, as I haven't read the manga and can't speak on if the pace of the anime adaption was solely due to something like time constraint or budget restrictions. All of that being said, despite the progression of the tale seeming a bit off and it being nothing out of the ordinary, by romance standards it is a solid story that offers its fair share of sappy moments (and having come for that, it was pretty enjoyable).
Art: 7
Again, nothing special, but definitely crisp and appealing. My biggest complaint was the frequent (and noticeable, in my opinion) re-use of animation in certain scenes. What made it a little less tolerable was that the bad habit got even more common toward the end, making it difficult for me to take some of the later climactic scenes as seriously as I would have liked to. This is just a pet-peeve of mine, but even so, it wasn't unbearable. I was still able to enjoy the art and the events that were unfolding throughout the series despite that apparent laziness in animation; all in all, the art was one of the highlights of the show, as it remained consistently well done.
Sound: 6.5
The opening was one of my favorite parts about the show, not because it was anything out of the ordinary but because it still did a good job of hyping up the show, which I believe is the most important thing for an intro to do, whether it have the goal of making people feel mellow, restless, pumped up, etc--as long as it represents the anime and gets the viewer invested in some way, I think it's fulfilled its purpose. Moon Signal definitely did that for Otome Youkai Zakuro. The endings were also very enjoyable, and I liked the way they didn't seem to play in a specific order so you never knew which of the three you would be hearing once the episode came to an end. For a short anime with only one intro, it was a nice touch. Now, the actual soundtrack during the show was what I found to be a bit lackluster. There were not many choices in the melody or sound effects you could expect to hear, but the ones that were present were at least decent. I don't necessarily have any complain except for the lack of variety! Overall, the sound was solid!
Characters: 6.5
The characters were about as basic as the story, but likewise, it was enjoyable to follow their development and personal plots. Most of the cast is rather one-dimensional, and even the individuals who aren't don't have extreme complexity or depth to their profiles; however, each of the main characters fulfill their roles well and are at least somewhat interesting/entertaining in their own ways. I honestly don't have too much to say about them, bad or good, except for that they are pleasant to follow despite abiding by the same stereotypes and cliches of the story.
Enjoyment: 6.5
I know I have used the rating of 6.5 a lot, but to me, that just reflects how I felt about this anime overall. I got enjoyment out of it by watching it one time through, but I don't see myself coming back to it because once the end is reached, it doesn't seem to me like the kind of series that was still have enough substance for me to watch it back over.
Overall: 6.5
To sum things up, did I like Otome Youkai Zakuro? For sure. Do I think it's anything special? As you've probably gotten by now, no. I believe it had a lot of promise that it never really added up to, but at the same time, the series got its point across well enough for me to have fun watching it. I would definitely recommend it for anyone looking to relax with a solid romance anime that delivers what it should (although not much more), but if you're looking for something more that has a similar story archetype, well... Inuyasha is still where it's at!
All (0)FriendsNo friend yet.
RSS Feeds |
Jul 30, 2018
Otome Youkai Zakuro
(Anime)
add
For those of you who don't feel like reading through an entire review just to get my overall, general thoughts of this anime, I'll go ahead and say this: It was good, but nothing special. Honestly, more than a few times, I found myself thinking, "I'd rather be watching Inuyasha". Now, that isn't to say I didn't enjoy my watch-through of this anime, but again, it didn't stand out in any significant way to me; the humor earned a few giggles here and there, my eyes got mildly watery at just a couple of points in the story, and although I was looking forward to
...
May 24, 2017
Hiiro no Kakera
(Anime)
add
To begin, I'd like to say that this review will only be considering the first season of this anime (the first thirteen episodes). I just got done watching Hiiro no Kakera a few moments ago, and I thought I should go ahead and review what I've seen so far before moving on to the next season. I will not include any spoiler content. With all of that being said...
Before I move onto actually critiquing different aspects of the series, there are a few points I would like to bring up. For one, Hiiro no Kakera, as far as I've watched, seems to be an anime ... 
Nov 3, 2016
In all honesty, I was, personally, not very impressed with this manga. There was a severe lack of conflict, both internal and external, and the plot was as basic as it could have been without being completely senseless. That being said, it is an extremely fluffy type of story, and the art is pleasing to the eye. If you are searching for a manga with a very simple story, impressive art, and decent sex scenes, then I would recommend reading Aishiteru over, especially since it is so short. Although I personally did not care much for it because I prefer a little more complexity to
...
Nov 3, 2016
Yokujou Climax
(Manga)
add
To begin, I would like to say that Yokujou Climax had an extremely interesting basis for its plot-line; however, on top of the story feeling as though it progressed too quickly, it also felt as though there were too many elements being added to the plot. As I read the manga, it seemed to me like the plot was made to be unnecessarily complex. Complexity can, of course, add a lot of depth to a story if it is gone about correctly; however, Yokujou Climax got confusing at times when, if the plot had not taken extreme turns that seemed completely out of the blue,
...
Oct 31, 2016
Sojou no Koi wa Nido Haneru
(Manga)
add
This is the first time I have given a manga so many 10s across the board. I literally just finished Sojou No Koi Wa Kido Haneru a couple of minutes ago, and I knew that I had to write a review encouraging others to read this beautiful story right away. Of course, read the prequel (Kyuuso Wa Cheese No Yume O Miru) first because you have to have the backstory to fully appreciate this sequel, not to mention that the prequel blew my mind as well, but wow... Sojou No Koi Wa Kido Haneru literally left me crying and my heart pounding. This story is
...
Oct 30, 2016
Doushiyoumonai keredo
(Manga)
add
I am pretty tough with how I rate, so the overall score of '8' that I'm giving this manga is extremely high up and well deserved. Doushiyoumo Nai Keredo is a gem in the yaoi genre, in my opinion; it is a solid mix of sex, romance, humor, and conflict. The characters have strong and consistent personalities, and although the art is, admittedly, not my favorite, it is still decently clean, incredibly detailed, and appealing to the eye. My favorite things about the manga are the progression of the plot and the pace that it goes along at. From the yaois I have read so
...
Oct 28, 2016
Rutta to Kodama
(Manga)
add
I would recommend Rutta To Kodama to anyone seeking out a simple, heart-warming read under the category of yaoi manga. The story completely centers around the relationship between the two male protagonists, and any other aspects of the story are left relatively unexplored if not in relation to the main subject; while this could possibly be a make-or-break with many stories, Rutta To Kodama finds a way to keep the reader enthralled in the manga without focusing on any true external conflict. Actual feelings of being in a relationship are explored exceedingly well, making it easy for the reader to resonate with the emotions being
...
|
