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Feb 25, 2017
It has been a long wait since the third film of the Digimon Adventure tri. Franchise, Kokuhaku, has aired. As it ended on a cliffhanger, many Digimon fans could not wait to see what would happen next. Unfortunately, Soushitsu, the long-awaited fourth film, does not fulfil all expectations satisfyingly.
At its beginning, the film expands on concepts of the TV series and becomes very emotional while explaining the motives for the actions of a certain character. It manages to build onto loose ends without disturbing the continuity of previous instalments. As great as these few scenes may be, this high quality introduction unfortunately is the climax
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of the film and the following story lacks in comparison.
However, in no way is this supposed to imply the film becomes weak right away. Especially in the first quarter, there are numerous enjoyable character interactions which not only are nostalgic but also funny and charming. In general, the comedy in this film is superior to the others’ and even though the situation the children are in is much more dangerous than it was before, the humour does not feel off at any time. Sadly, the story progresses unfavourably as some events are unnecessary. They seem to only exist for the sake of fan service and while this is not inevitably a bad trait for a film, it does not contribute to anything in this case. Not much else can be said about the story this time as not much happens. Soushitsu’s first half is primarily for character interactions while the second has a few fights and relatively many evolution sequences.
There is a lack of action scenes but the few that do exist are animated massively better than those in the previous films. Due to what occurred in Kokuhaku, we are able to see some child level Digimon action and even though the power levels seem a bit unbelievable and odd at times, the enjoyment makes it absolutely excusable. Moreover, the children are actually fighting as well, but not in an unrealistic manner such as Masaru from Digimon Savers.
Soushitsu is supposed to focus on Sora and Piyomon. However, it does so unsatisfactorily. While it is commendable that the development of other characters is not neglected, Sora’s and Piyomon’s feels forced and out of place. Piyomon does not act like it was before and while it is obvious that it is confused due to the events in the previous film, it does not explain the behaviour towards its partner. Their story concludes tolerably but, at the same time, predictably and generic. Luckily, the other children and Digimon do not suffer from the same issue and are relatable as ever.
Compared to the other tri films, this is the weakest. It was not inherently awful but many events would have been much more satisfactory had they been handled differently – this especially applies to the end. That being said, I did enjoy Soushitsu a lot and even though it did have weaknesses, I do believe that the last two films are able to be of the same quality as the other three again.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Sep 23, 2016
When producing continuations of popular anime, the creators are often accused of milking the franchise. While this might be true in some cases, there is a large number of counter-examples. One of them is the sequel to the Digimon Adventure franchise, Digimon Adventure tri. The first two films have already been no disappointment and the third one, Kokuhaku, is another case of a successful sequel.
Kokuhaku’s atmosphere is much darker than that of tri’s previous instalments and it manages to convey a dull, melancholic feeling from the very beginning. This is supported by the absence of an opening in the first part of the film whose
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presence would have cheered the viewer up. Of course, this film is not entirely dark as there is a good amount of comic relief to see. However, one cannot deny that the events of the previous films have affected the cast’s – and, therefore, the film’s – mood immensely. Nevertheless, Kokuhaku feels natural as the tone shift is not unexpected, even though the story could also have progressed in a different direction which, thankfully, it did not.
Another difference from Saikai and Ketsui, the films which preceded this one, is the length: Kokuhaku is approximately 20 minutes longer. While one could be thankful for this, it also comes with a number of problems since, for example, the film’s pacing suffers greatly from this. Toei Animation could have compressed the story into a shorter film and not much would have been lost. The way it is now, some scenes feel a bit too long, even though they are important. Additionally, the animation quality and the consistency of the character designs have decreased in quality, albeit not having been extraordinarily great in the other two films either. Had the film been shorter, aforementioned aspects would probably not have suffered as much as they have now.
That being said, this film is in no way boring. The viewer experiences amazing and surprisingly complex world building which does not contradict anything that has already been established. One might argue that it is a bit too complex for its own good but even then, it does not disrupt the film’s flow.
As different as Kokuhaku might be, it still stays true to the franchise to which it belongs. It communicates important themes such as departure or loss in true Digimon fashion and does not disappoint when it comes to nostalgic moments either. It shows how a story can continue without conveying a feeling of a franchise being milked.
Other than the other two films, Kokuhaku does not focus on two characters. While Koushirou and Takeru are a bit more important than the rest of the cast, the plot does not revolve around them as it did with Mimi and Jou in Ketsui. Thanks to this, one is able to see how the events in the previous films helped developing the personality of certain characters, especially Jou. Moreover, this film revolves more around the Digimon than the other two did. While before, they were shown side-to-side with their partners, this time we can see them interact with one another without the children being nearby. These scenes show how much personality the Digimon have, which is a fact that is often forgotten.
Action scenes are, on the one hand, handled rather well. The battles’ choreographies are more complex than in the TV series, where fights usually ended with Digimon using their respective special move. Here, much more thought has been put into the action and the result is undeniably satisfactory. On the other hand, aforementioned animation issues dull the experience a bit and, moreover, it feels as though the camera is zoomed in during important clashes, making it hard to find out what exactly happens on screen.
Kokuhaku is unexpectedly emotional. Digimon has always been a bit cheesy and this film is no exception. However, the execution is on point and underlined by a beautiful soundtrack. Moreover, due to the aforementioned atmosphere, emotional scenes are much more believable and relatable. In this aspect, Kokuhaku surpasses the two other films and to a certain extent also the TV series.
In my opinion, this film is the best tri-film so far. It has less weaknesses than the other two and manages to surprise its audience with compelling twists, even though it is basically targeted at children. It might not be entirely perfect and the usual production quality of Toei Animation is not its only fault. However, Kokuhaku is a must-watch for Digimon fans and I personally cannot wait for the next film to air.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Mar 12, 2016
One year ago, the Digimon fan base believed that Digimon Adventure tri would become a TV anime rather than six-part film series. It seems to have managed to accept this fact now and a lot of fans are looking forward to whenever a new part of tri is airing. While the first film, Saikai, served as a re-introduction and focused on Taichi and his relationship with Yamato, this one was advertised as being about Mimi and Jou.
However, at the beginning of the film, we first see how the new character from Saikai, Meiko, is integrated into the Chosen Children's group. We do not hear
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much about her past but we find out what kind of character she is: a great addition to the Chosen Children. She is not a character you have never seen before but she certainly is a charming fresh breath of air. Meiko is introduced during some truly entertaining slice of life scenes. However, these scenes not only serve as her introduction, but also as a great method of hinting at romantic feelings between several characters. Moreover, due to the nature of slice of life scenes, there are quite some funny bits you do not want to miss. There are also some cleverly disguised references to events that took place in the past and it is a nice feeling when you are able to understand them. Ultimately, this light-hearted start is a great beginning to the film, especially since the previous one ended quite dramatically.
After that, the film does start to focus on Mimi and Jou. In the TV anime, the children were sometimes separated into pairs so that two characters who have not interacted with one another could do so. Mimi and Jou have been in a pair before, so it is understandable why the creators have chosen to use this combination. Both of them experience great character development throughout the film and despite their huge differences in character traits, the issues they have to face are quite similar. Fortunately, they do so in an amazingly realistic and adult manner without being cheesy. Their issues are quite relatable – even though probably none of us has ever had to deal with being a Chosen Child and having a Digimon partner, there certainly are a lot of people who cannot accept their life for what it is. The moral that it is important to accept one's own life is conveyed properly in this film and Mimi and Jou were the perfect individuals for this kind of story.
Luckily, the two of them are not the only characters who experience development. Of course, there is Meiko who – as stated above – is integrated into the Chosen Children and consequently loses some of her shyness. But also Gomamon has some issues he has to face: Due to Jou not wanting to fight, he has to question their relationship. It is often criticised that in Digimon Adventure, the Digimon do not mature and simply serve as triggers which help the children's development. This may even be the case, but in this film, it is different. Gomamon's character does develop through Jou's changes and due to the doubts his partner has, Gomamon manages to become more independent.
Next to the children, there are also the members of the organization who deals with the Infected Digimon. Both Himekawa and Nishijima have enough screen time to establish their characters and to hint at their past. They reflect the problems the children have to face regarding growing up with their own personality, which shows that becoming older is not easy for anyone. It is also shown how the organization deals with Infected Digimon, which once again shows how much more mature this show is than its TV anime prequel. Weapons and tanks have not been used before in any of Digimon Adventure's versions and thanks to this being different in this film, we not only see a more realistic approach but also how powerful and terrifying Digimon can be. Additionally, the viewer learns more about Infected Digimon and how they turn evil but, of course, not all questions are answered.
However, this is not the only aspect of tri's world that is explained more thoroughly. Thanks to some excellent world building, we are able to understand what the new threat is and what methods can be used to overcome them. Moreover, the fear the general public has is justified by some events that happen in the film. However, this leads to a problem the first film already had. Normally, the public should be aware of Digimon due to the events in the TV anime. Nevertheless, they do not seem to remember what had happened back then, which is quite unbelievable. Sadly, this is not the only continuation error and it is improbable that they will be fixed.
In comparison to the first film, the animation has slightly improved. It still is nothing outstanding, especially considering the fact that this is supposed to be a film, but an improvement nonetheless. However, the actions scenes are an exception. The battle scenes are choreographed in a superior way than in the TV anime but the animation lacks a certain impact. Fortunately, the evolution sequences' animation has improved slightly but the TV anime's way of handling it nonetheless was much nicer to look at.
Not too much can be said about the soundtrack as it is great as ever. However, there is one change: The ending theme was changed to Wada Kouji's Seven, which had only been an insert song in Digimon Adventure before. There was no reason to do this, but it was a nice change and a new version of Seven exists now, which definitely is not a bad thing.
In the end, Ketsui is an improvement over Saikai. While the first film was good as well, the story could have progressed in a much worse direction. I am more than happy that the film managed to exceed my expectations and I am honestly looking forward to the third film, which is supposed to focus on Takeru and Patamon. The cliffhanger at the end only causes my desire to become stronger and thanks to this film, I am confident in Toei Animation's ability to deliver great content.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Mar 6, 2016
Recently, sports anime have become more popular. The times when Hajime no Ippo was the only known sports anime are over and nowadays series such as Haikyuu, Kuroko no Basket or Yowamushi Pedal have an enormous amount of fans. However, even before their boom, sports anime existed. One of them is Chihayafuru, a show about karuta. Karuta is a game about Japanese poetry including aspects such as speed, precision and reaction time. It is widely known in Japan but rather unpopular as a competitive sport.
This is reflected successfully in Chihayafuru, as it starts out with the protagonist, Chihaya, having trouble finding new members for her
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karuta club in high school. This is a theme which occurs quite often in anime, for example Free!, but in contrary to swimming, karuta is an actual unpopular sport, which makes Chihaya's difficulties greatly believable.
Next to Chihaya, there are two male protagonists, Taichi and Arata. At the beginning of the anime, we see the three of them during their childhood years and learn how they got in touch with karuta. In other anime, this aspect is usually covered at a later point in time throughout multiple flashbacks. Chihayafuru's method is unusual but very fitting as it is not just an anime about karuta but also a story about growing up and maturing.
Chihaya is a happy girl who wants everyone to be happy. She does not like when someone is bullied and consequently defends Arata, who does not have any friends because he is new in Chihaya's class, and tries to get to know him better. While visiting Arata, she learns that he wants to become the greatest karuta player in Japan. Taichi, a popular boy in the same class as Chihaya and Arata, does not want to accept Chihaya's affection towards Arata and his hobby and, being the stubborn kid he is, starts bullying both of them. Due to several events, the three of them start growing closer and become friends in an absolute heart-warming manner. The anime would already have been great if it had stayed in this time period but, as mentioned above, it decides to do a time skip and we learn how the protagonists are dealing with their lives in their high school years.
Chihaya has not changed much since she is still very enthusiastic about karuta. Compared to the other main characters, she has received next to none development. However, this changes during her high school years as she becomes a better karuta player, which affects her personality greatly.
Taichi might be the character who has changed the most during the time skip. He is no longer a spoiled kid but an understanding person who cares about others. Compared to Chihaya, he does not develop as strongly during their high school days but nevertheless has to deal with several problems he can overcome thanks to karuta and his friends he made by playing the game.
Arata is a special case since his personality changes due to a stroke of fate. Development might not be the right term to describe what he experienced but his character is quite different to the Arata he was in his childhood years. The anime then presents Arata as a person who has to be able to face his fears and worries and does so magnificently.
Next to the three protagonists, there are several members who participate in Chihaya's karuta club. All of them have distinguishable personalities and different goals, which is reflected in the way they play karuta. They become stronger due to the game and find confidence in what they are doing. Additionally, being a sports anime, there are naturally a lot of opponents the karuta club has to face. Most of them have an interesting backstory or at least entertaining personalities. Some are also recurring characters, which makes them much more important than characters who appear for only one episode.
The story is basically about Chihaya's karuta club and how they attend different tournaments. The matches' outcome is often quite predictable as the anime uses the standard sports anime formula but it is executed quite nicely. Chihayafuru is definitely a character-oriented show and should not be viewed if you want to see a lot of plot twists. Nonetheless, the matches are intense and you start wondering how the episodes end so quickly even though the characters are only staring at some cards.
On the other hand, one problem with this anime is that it tries to include too many themes. Chihayafuru is a story about competitive karuta, a story about growing up, a story about love, a story about dealing with loss, a story about receiving appreciation from one's family, a story about priorities in life, a story about maintaining friendship. Had it abandoned some of its topics and, in turn, exploited some of them more thoroughly, it might have been beneficial. The anime never fails in implementing its themes but it is too short to convey all of them properly.
The soundtrack is a bit repetitive but still memorable and fitting to the anime's atmosphere. The opening is a perfect introduction to every episode and the ending could not be more fitting. Chihayafuru's art style is similar to that of Ore Monogatari and fits the simple nature of the anime phenomenally. At the same time, it manages to capture the games' intensity fantastically and, consequently, could not have been any better.
Ultimately, I can recommend this anime to basically everyone. Even if you are not interested in regular sports anime, Chihayafuru is worth it thanks to its characters alone. It is not often that there are anime about a such a niche hobby but if there are, they should be done just like Chihayafuru.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Nov 21, 2015
In Summer 2014, Toei Animation surprised the Digimon Fanbase by announcing a sequel to the original Digimon TV series. Digimon Adventure, as it is officially called, aired in 1999 and became an internationally well-known anime that spawned several films and spin-offs with the latest being Digimon Xros Wars in 2010. Other than Digimon Adventure and its direct sequel, Digimon Adventure 02, all Digimon series take place in separate universes. This new film, however, plays three years after the events of 02.
Some time after its initial announcement, Digimon Adventure tri was revealed to be a six-part film series rather than a TV anime. Moreover, its release
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date was pushed from summer to November 2015. Needless to say, fans were disappointed by the fact that it would air in November and worried they might have to wait a long time until they can finally watch it due to it being a film. However, Crunchyroll unexpectedly simulcasted Digimon Adventure tri, making it available for the entire world even before it aired in Japanese cinemas.
The film starts by reintroducing the Chosen Children from Digimon Adventure. The main focus is on Taichi but all the other children receive enough focus so that the viewer knows how they have changed over the past few years. It also shows how the relationships between the characters has developed; there are, for example, several moments in which Sora's affection towards Yamato is being hinted at. Additionally, you can see how Jou does not have time to meet with the other Chosen Children due to him having to study for school. This behaviour splendidly builds upon Jou's personality from Adventure and 02 and is consequently remarkably realistic.
Digimon Adventure tri manages to stay true to its origin by perfectly recreating the feeling one has while watching the TV series. At the same time, however, it deals with themes not present in the original as the children have grown. For example, Taichi is worried about the destruction they cause by fighting against Digimon, which contrasts his rash personality from before. Romance is also often being hinted at – in the past, there have merely been some subtle moments but this time, it is present much stronger. Moreover, a secret organization reminiscent of Digimon Tamers' Hypnos and Digimon Savers' DATS has been founded in order to research Digimon and to combat the infected ones. Due to the events in the previous series which posed a threat against humanity, it is only logical that an organization such as this would be founded.
As diverse and well-developed as the children's characters are, the Digimon's personalities are, unfortunately, somewhat bland, which had already been a problem in the TV anime. They all act basically the same and while Gatomon/Tailmon used to have a strong personality, no signs of it are shown in this film. The Digimon act like catalysts which cause the children to grow but they hardly develop themselves. While this has always been the case, it would be welcome if this changed in the upcoming films.
There are also some new characters introduced. Meiko, a transfer student, is a mysterious girl, who seems to have a secret. We do not get to know much about her but it is obvious that she will play a crucial role in the future. Moreover, some important members of aforementioned secret organization are part of this new adventure but, at this point, not much is known about them either. While there is also a new antagonist, it is unknown what his motives are and where he came from and whether he is actually bad. As such, the viewer does not yet know what the children's goal is or where the plot is heading towards. However, being the first of six films, this poses no huge issue as this film's main purpose is to reintroduce the characters and to demonstrate in which manner they have developed in the past three years.
Naturally, not everything is explained in this film. We are informed about the fact that the Digital gate had been closed for over a year but we do not know why it was closed in the first place. At the end of 02, it seemed like it would be open for all time. While this might be explained in the future, there are some other aspects that pose an inconsistency regarding what we know from Adventure and 02. For example, in the film, it seems like only few people know about the Digimon's existence. However, due to the fight with Apocalymon at the end of Adventure and, more importantly, the battle with BelialVamdemon/MaloMyotismon at the end of 02, the entire world should be familiar with Digimon. Nonetheless, they are merely referred to as threats who had caused some major damage in the past. There might be some sort of explanation including memory erasing but this is unlikely and would probably not be satisfactory.
When the film's first official artworks were released, most people were upset and claimed that the characters looked completely different. However, with the release of some trailers, it was made clear that the new art style and character design were not bad at all. Nevertheless, there is another issue in a similar department: Toei Animation's recent works all suffer from bad animation, as one can see in Dragon Ball Super, Sailor Moon Crystal and the newer episodes of One Piece. With Digimon being a film, one would think this would not be the case this time and while it is not as bad as aforementioned examples, the animation looks awkward more often than bearable. It is fine during action scenes but, other than that, animation quality is regrettably disappointing. The new evolution scenes are entirely different from what the viewer is used to and, at first, it might feel slightly awkward but they actually are not bad. A major issue, however, is that not all evolution sequences were animated. These scenes were an aspect of the film a majority of the fan base was looking forward to. Hopefully, these evolutions will be animated in the future because otherwise it would be an unforgivable disappointment.
The Digimon Soundtrack's original composer, Arisawa Takanori, sadly passed away in 2005. Nonetheless, some tracks of the amazing Digimon Adventure OST were used in this film and lead to nostalgic moments. Some of his works were also remixed and while it sounds pleasing at most times, the one soundtrack that sounded infinitely better in the original is Koushiro's/Izzy's theme. There are also some new musical pieces which are nice but, unfortunately, not as breathtaking as Arisawa's. The opening is “Butter-Fly” by Wada Kouji and the ending song is “I Wish” by AiM. Both are remixes of the original series' opening/ending sung by their original performers and it is difficult to decide which version is better. In any case, both songs not only create a nostalgic atmosphere but also establish a refreshing feeling to underline the film's modernness. The same can be said about “Brave Heart”, an insert song sung by Miyazaki Ayumi, which primarily plays during the evolution sequences.
Another qualm some people initially had was the fact that the children's voice actors were different. However, the new voice actors fit the children's personality impressively well and their performance could not have been much better – in particular, Yamato's voice actor, Hosoya Yoshimasa, did a magnificent job. Of course, the same can be said about the Digimon's voice actors, who all returned to their original roles.
Ultimately, this film can be recommended to every Digimon fan out there. It might have some weaknesses but, being an introductory film, it cannot be a masterpiece. The good sites heavily outweigh the weaker ones and the enjoyment level while watching the film is over the top. Digimon Adventure tri 1 is a great start to a new adventure together with the characters and the atmosphere of the original series and I cannot wait to see the second part in Winter 2016.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Nov 18, 2015
Based on the TV anime of the same name, Ginga Tetsudou 999 plays in the distant future and follows Tetsuro, who wants to avenge his mother by killing the person responsible for her death. In order to reach this goal, he wants to ride the Galaxy Express 999, an intergalactic locomotive. What may seem like a really simple and predictable concept at the beginning, develops into a way more intriguing and complex tale as the film goes on.
At first, the story is about Tetsuro visiting several planets where he learns about various aspects of life, especially about the relationship between humans and machines. In a
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certain way, it is similar to Kino no Tabi but unlike that anime, where the stories are not connected, Ginga Tetsudou 999 has an overarching plot and a goal the protagonist is moving towards. The experiences Tetsuro makes on the different planets greatly affect how he thinks about machines and moreover create a new path the plot then follows. While the story might be slightly predictable, this film is more about the characters' relationships with one another and their respective development, which, in turn, result in some interesting twists at the anime's end.
Next to Tetsuro, there is Maetel, a mysterious woman who seems to be somehow connected to the young boy's past. While you watch the anime, you are constantly wondering about her, her motives and who she really is. At the same time, the viewer can see how her relationship to Tetsuro grows in a completely believable manner. Additionally, she does not only affect the main character's growth but also plays a central role in the anime's plot.
The antagonist has no motive to be evil other than for his own amusement but in the context of the setting, there is nothing wrong with his behaviour. There are several supporting characters who also affect where the anime is going and who all have distinguishable personalities. Unfortunately, some of them suffer from unrealistic character development, which sometimes leads to incomprehensibly awkward scenes.
Being a two-hour film rather than the 113 episodes TV anime it originally was, Ginga Tetsudou 999 has some severe pacing issues. The beginning as well as the ending are unjustifiably protracted and at the same time, there are some subplots that reach their conclusion disturbingly fast.
The animations are fluid for the most part and at no point horrible. In fact, it is better than some of Toei Animation's modern work, such as Dragon Ball Super. Moreover, the backgrounds are well-detailed and create a distinct feeling for every planet Tetsuro visits during his journey. However, the character design is laughably bad. Not only are the characters indescribably disproportionated but they moreover look different from scene to scene. You accustom yourself to it as the film goes on but this does not change the fact that the creators could have done a much better job.
The background music is not very memorable but there is also no huge issue with it. However, from time to time the music is too loud so that it is difficult to hear the characters' voices. The protagonist's voice actress is Nozawa Masako, who is famous for lending her voice to Dragon Ball's Goku as well as Digimon Tamers' Guilmon. While she does a splendid job, Maetel's voice actress, Ikeda Masako, unfortunately lacks in comparison. Her voice might be fitting but it sometimes sounds as though she would not make an effort.
As a whole, Ginga Tetsudou 999 is an enjoyable film dealing with some very interesting topics, accompanied by a good and loveable cast. If you do not have any issues with the character designs and can accept some pacing issues, you will more than likely enjoy this film.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Oct 4, 2015
Not often are we presented with something truly unique. Most of the time, anime and all other works of entertainment are a compilation of different themes and tropes one has already seen somewhere else before. While Durarara is not necessarily an exception, it certainly tries to present its content in an uncommon approach, creating an incomparable atmosphere.
Unlike most other anime, Durarara does not have a protagonist but instead consists of a large ensemble of characters. Regular anime concentrate on not more than four characters while this one focuses on at least eight. Durarara is not the only anime to have an ensemble cast – Baccano
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and Fate/Zero come to mind – but not having a protagonist undeniably is a rare trait in anime. Of course, it is inevitable that there are characters who receive more development than others but the focus can be shifted to another member of the ensemble without a problem. Durarara is set in Ikebukuro and while there are other anime which take place in the same district of Tokyo, this show uses a different approach than the others: The viewer is shown multiple scenes which happen contemporarily and affect one another. The setting greatly supports this idea as Ikebukuro is a huge district with diverse locations. Consequently, Durarara's story has a high level of complexity one cannot follow effortlessly.
This leads to an important aspect concerning the ensemble: Every character has to be written extremely well as they all receive considerable attention. Durarara has a multitude of characters, ranging from Shizuo, a grumpy person with super-human strength, to Celty, a headless motorcyclist, and Anri, a shy girl who holds a mysterious secret. As you can see, there are also supernatural beings present in Durarara but these does not affect its quality negatively. As a matter of fact, these abnormal occurrences enrich the story greatly and are quite creative as well. Unfortunately, in this anime's first season, the viewer is often presented with the few tiresome characters the show has while longing for scenes including, for example, Shizuo and his rival, Izaya. When there are scenes which include them or other compelling cast members, they are usually great but, sadly, the viewer has to endure other characters' scenes first. However, in this sequel, the focus is not only shifted to the more interesting members of the ensemble but some of the former hardly endurable characters receive a fair bit of characterisation as well. Moreover, Durarara!!x2 Shou introduces some new characters who either have a compelling backstory or provide very entertaining comic relief moments, which sometimes even affect the anime's main story.
Additionally, the storytelling aspect has improved as well. In the first season, it sometimes seemed as though the anime does not know which path it wants to take. This is different in Shou as the story manages to focus on less things at once, which ultimately results in a much better experience. That being said, Durarara still is not completely satisfying. In the end, it feels like this part is supposed to build up a huge storyline which has yet to come. As such, Shou's story might not be perfect but it could lead to something amazing.
Another change to the first season is the animation studio. Studio Shuka has animated this first part of the second season and it did an appreciable job. There are some weird animations sometimes but generally, there is nothing one could complain about. The background music has not changed from the original season and suites the anime's atmosphere magnificently. The same can be said about the opening and ending theme, even though those of the first season are slightly more fitting.
In the end, I can only recommend the second season of Durarara to anybody who has watched the first one, as you will not understand anything if you have not done so. Shou is superior in basically every aspect and even if you did not like the first season but finished it, you might want to give this part a try. It might not be the best anime in existence but it certainly makes a huge effort in order to become something unique of high quality.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Sep 23, 2015
The most important aspect of romance anime is usually its characters. If there is a solid cast, the viewer is automatically satisfied even if the story is not the most outstanding. The same principle applies for Ore Monogatari.
Aired in Spring 2015 and animated by Studio Madhouse, this two-cours anime follows Gouda Takeo, an unpopular male who does not manage to find a girlfriend even though he has longed for one since he had been in kindergarten. The reasons for this are, on the one hand, his unusual appearance and, on the other hand, his awkward behaviour. People who are not acquainted with Takeo think he
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is scary due to his height and his loud nature. However, most of his classmates are his friends – in fact, one could even say they admire him – which clearly shows that Takeo is not your typical unpopular protagonist. He is a good person who would do anything to help other people even though he has to surmount dangerous situations he probably would not survive without his apparent super-human strength. Due to this and several other factors, Takeo is one of the most loveable characters of present-day anime.
The female lead of the series, Yamato Rinko, frequently has to explain to her friends why she likes Takeo. At the beginning of the anime, said friends do not comprehend her behaviour but as it continues, they, too, begin to understand that Takeo not only is not scary at all but also would do anything for Yamato to be happy. Unfortunately, the female protagonist's character is not the most compelling. The viewer is presented with the fact that she likes baking but other than that she possesses only few distinguishable character traits. She has a charming personality and is the cause of some interesting character development concerning Takeo but regrettably lacks in depth. There are a lot of supporting characters who have both a more interesting background story and greater character development than her. While this might show another positive side of the anime – namely, its great supporting cast – it also demonstrates how Yamato's character pales in comparison.
Another important character is Takeo's best friend, Sunakawa Makoto. Suna is the complete opposite of Takeo: He is charming, good-looking and popular. However, similar to Takeo, he also has never had a girlfriend even though his reasons are different in that he is the person who does not want a relationship. Suna mostly acts as the person who helps Takeo in several situations that he does not understand. Moreover, he might be the main reason why the protagonists' relationship is as strong as it is. However, this does not mean that Suna is a simple plot device without a personality on his own. In fact, he is incredibly amusing since he also is socially awkward in some situations – but differently from Takeo – and is the anime's second-most interesting character.
As mentioned above, the anime's supporting characters are great. Not only do they trigger interesting development for Takeo but each of them has a unique backstory and believable growth. There might be some characters you do not find very likeable but, in the end, you will have to admit that all of them serve a purpose and fit into the anime incredibly well.
The anime's plot mostly focuses on Takeo's and Yamato's relationship in different environments. You can see them interact with one another in the park, at the restaurant, or in an amusement park. Moreover, you are presented with some hardships they have to face that seem to threaten their relationship. The outcome is completely predictable and while there is a lack of drama, you have to understand that Ore Monogatari does not need it. At its core, this anime is about the light-hearted relationship between its two main characters and any unnecessary drama would only hurt it. However, if it were not for the solid cast, this would not be the case. An episodic anime whose story seems to be repetitive such as this one is only able to function if its characters make every episode a unique experience. That being said, there are some moments which seem to exist in order to spice up the anime's story but they are not too bothering and may even prevent the anime from becoming boring.
The art style is really simple and not especially detailed. However, in the case of Ore Monogatari, this is not a bad thing. On the contrary, the simplicity underlines the anime's light-heartedness and consequently improves its atmosphere. Additionally, more exciting scenes are much more detailed, which increases those scenes' credibility.
The background music is not necessarily memorable but simply adds to the anime's atmosphere, which is perfectly fine. The opening theme, on the other hand, is incredibly catchy and sets the proper mood at the beginning of each episode. The ending theme, while being a nice song on its own, unfortunately does not fit the anime due to its melancholic tone.
Ore Monogatari is not a comedy anime. It does have some funny moments but its quality is not based on those. Instead, the comedy adds to the cast's likeability rather than being one of the anime's strong aspects on its own. Moreover, if you are looking for an anime with a compelling story and a lot of plot twists, this one is probably not to your liking. However, if you wanted me to recommend an anime without unnecessary melodrama but with heart-warming moments, a great atmosphere and light-hearted interactions, my first advice would be Ore Monogatari.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Aug 22, 2015
From time to time, anime viewers are presented with a pseudo-intellectual show which excels in both soundtrack and animation but lacks other, more important traits such as a coherent story or interesting characters. In 2011, Deadman Wonderland aired and it follows this formula to a great extent.
The anime's premise sounds fairly intriguing: Shows in which the protagonist has to escape some sort of facility always have a great amount of routes it can take. In this case, it is combined with the popular Battle Royale trope due to which the potential viewer probably has high hopes towards the anime. Unfortunately, Deadman Wonderland is not able
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to fulfil these expectations. There are many issues with the logic the show and its characters want to apply which make it easy to see many plot holes and conveniences. The reason why the protagonist, Ganta, is convicted is because he allegedly slaughtered his entire class. However, there is no evidence other than him being the sole survivor that point to him being the criminal. Of course, one could claim that the court has been bribed but this does not explain why the whole world seems to think that he is the murderer. While it might have been possible for this anime to be a good show the viewer can simply enjoy without having to think a lot, it tries to be edgy and tense and consequently results in nothing but pretentiousness.
The anime tries to combine several characteristics other popular anime have, such as the aforementioned prison setting, a childhood friend, gore, super powers, contrived plot twists and tournaments. This, combined with a protagonist who is basically a toned down copy of Neon Genesis Evangelion's Shinji, is apparently what the writers think makes a good anime. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Everything the anime presents seems to be loosely tied together without having any impact apart from being nice to look at. What is more, a majority of the events occurring in the anime do not seem to be of any importance whatsoever. They do not contribute to the story's progress or the protagonist's development. In fact, the setting, which is built in the anime's first half, seems to become more and more irrelevant as it goes on.
Not only the protagonist is a generic character but also the supporting cast has no remarkable traits and merely consists of annoying children and other bothersome characters. There are anime where you cannot decide who to root for because both sides have understandable reasons to win. In this case, it is similar with the unfortunate exception that you want both sides to lose because of how horribly written every character is. While it is interesting to see what varieties of abilities they have, you do not feel connected to them since they lack any form of characterisation and the viewer consequently does not sympathize with the characters when they die.
That being said, thanks to decently entertaining battle scenes, the fights between the characters are somewhat enjoyable, but still very predictable. In most cases, they end due to someone developing super human strength for no apparent reason.
As mentioned above, the soundtrack is remarkably good. Not only does the background music fit the anime very well but the opening theme has to be one of the catchiest songs there is. Since Romi Park and Hanazawa Kana voice the anime's main characters, there is nothing one could complain about in the cast either. The animation is also very fluid and the art style fits the setting without a doubt.
In other words, if you want to watch an anime with cringe worthy, melodramatic moments that heavily relies on shock value and has hardly any positive characteristics other than its soundtrack, you might enjoy Deadman Wonderland. However, since this probably is not the case, I ultimately cannot recommend this anime and suggest that you watch something else instead.
Reviewer’s Rating: 3
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Aug 2, 2015
Fate/stay night is the first of several anime adaptations of the Visual Novel of the same name. The Visual Novel is divided into three routes: the Fate route, the Unlimited Blade Works route and the Heaven's Feel route. This adaptation by Studio Deen covers the Fate route of the VN. However, some people claim it is more of a loose anime which is freely based on the Fate route rather than a faithful adaptation. While this might be the case, this review will focus on the anime as a stand alone product and not look at how faithfully it has been adapted. In some instances,
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some references to ufotable's adaptation of the Unlimited Blade Works route will be made but there will be no spoilers or any digressing commentary concerning any work other than this anime.
The story's protagonist is Shirou, who unwillingly has to participate in a survival game in which seven Masters, including him, each summon one so-called Servant – in his case, a young woman who calls herself Saber. Servants are heroic figures from different time lines or mythologies who fight for their Masters so that they then can obtain the Holy Grail, a magical artefact which grants one wish. At first glance, this sounds like a simple concept but as the fight goes on, numerous ways the game can be exploited by are used so that it does not become boring while still being relatively easy to understand.
Given the synopsis, it is logical that the anime mostly consists of battles between the Masters. While there is a lot of action, you can also enjoy some entertaining slice of life moments which lead to a nice change of pace once in a while. The fights are adequately implemented into the story even though the outcome is often very clear from the beginning. Moreover, sometimes they end rather abruptly and surprisingly which from time to time leads to pacing issues.
The anime touches some considerably interesting themes such as whether something fake can have the same worth as the original or how important it is to trust your friends. However, the first point is only hinted at and dealt with much better in other anime, including ufotable's adaptation of the Unlimited Blade Works route or Shaft's Nisemonogatari. The second point, while being conveyed rather nicely, is something you can find in most shounen nowadays and Fate/stay night does not make any effort to utilize this concept in a unique way. Another theme the anime wants to convey is that you must not ignore your own needs while trying to help others and even though this could have been executed better, it gets the message across.
The characters all have distinguishable personalities but they suffer from either not enough exploration or illogical character development. There are a lot of supporting characters whose purpose and backstory is being hinted at but just when you want to know more about them, the story's focus shifts onto something else. The main characters unfortunately tend to make incomprehensible decisions which often feel forced and exist just for the plot's sake. In particular, Shirou's relationship to Saber is not believable and should have been handled differently entirely.
In general, Shirou's personality is often criticised, especially in this version of Fate/stay night. While it is true that it is a bad character trait to act like you want to help others even though in the end, it is for your own good, this trait does not necessarily make you a bad character in a work of fiction. It might be very annoying but it can also be nice to have a protagonist in an anime such as this who does not always act like you want him to. However, it is regrettable that most of his personality is built upon his relationship with Saber, which is, as stated above, not realistic. Still, the biggest character related issue with this anime is not the protagonist but the fact that some of them choose to act in ways that do not make sense if you consider their ambitions from the other adaptations.
One of many issues many anime viewers have with Studio Deen is that its productions lack in quality, especially in the animation and art department. This is true for some of their other anime such as Higurashi no Naku Koro ni/Higurashi – When They Cry or Pupa but Fate/stay night is an exception, at least in the first half. The animation quality may not be on par with ufotable's adaptations but it certainly is not as bad as people make it out to be. This is especially true if you consider that this anime was made in 2006; other popular anime that aired at the same time, such as J.C.Staff's Shakugan no Shana, did not have memorably good animation either. That being said, animation quality drops noticeably in the anime's second half. There is one especially bad scene in which you can see a horribly CGI-animated dragon but luckily this scene only lasts several seconds.
The background soundtrack, albeit being a bit repetitive, fits the anime for the most part, as well as the opening and ending themes. Voice acting could not have been much better – in fact, it might be the anime's strongest component. There is no outstanding performance but overall, it is very solid.
Despite all its shortcoming, Fate/stay night is still enjoyable to say the least. The world building is handled well and the character interactions are generally interesting. It is a fun action anime with some intriguing symbolism that knows how to appeal to its audience. However, if given the choice, one should rather watch ufotable's adaptation of the Unlimited Blade Works route first. It is the superior anime and conveys its themes much better. If you watch this anime first, major events will be spoiled and consequently do not have as huge of an impact as they are supposed to have. Still, Fate/stay night is definitely an enjoyable anime you might want to watch after UBW. Not only is it entertaining on its own but it also explains the setting and some characters' ambitions differently than UBW, which helps the viewer understand the world Fate/stay night is set in as a whole.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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