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Feb 25, 2018
Do not be deceived by this anime's appearance - Made in Abyss is to anime what Watchmen is to superhero movies. The story is so simple, yet compelling, what lies at the bottom of the Abyss? The fantasy world created here is one for the ages, every scene is filled with such a breathtaking mystique that it cannot be adequately described, only witnessed.
Story:
The temptation of the unknown is strong, and Made in Abyss strikes that yearning hidden in all of us with an expert hand, weaving an enchanting backstory entwined with memorable, human, characters. Like the Abyss itself, the plot begins with lighthearted themes and
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typical anime earnestness, and slowly peels away at that facade to reveal the full breadth of its message.
Art:
Made in Abyss looks wonderful throughout, with a style and flair that reminds me of Studio Ghibli films like Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind and Princess Mononoke. I especially appreciate the water color form some of the creatures take in movement, which was a brilliant and tasteful way to efficiently create animation without resorting to CG that can often ruin immersion.
Sound:
The music that flowed along with the pacing of the story was beautiful, enhancing rather than distracting from what was occurring on screen. Props to whoever put those pieces together.
Character:
Riko and Regu are two of the most adorable, yet equally rich, characters I have encountered in fiction. The bonds they form with everyone around them feel genuine and believable, and the audience is given little choice but to become deeply invested in their well being.
All of the supporting cast are brilliant in their own way, from the mysterious Ouzen to the dulcet tones of Habo, many of them would be deserving of more screen time if not for Riko and Regu.
Enjoyment:
Certainly a contender for strongest anime of 2017, Made in Abyss hides its blinding greatness behind a chibi mask that may ward off some, PLEASE GIVE IT A CHANCE to show you itself!
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Feb 16, 2018
Three days ago I had no idea what Space Battleship Yamato 2199 was; I had no idea about the original series made back in the 1970s; I had no idea of the cultural significance it has in Japan, on par with Star Wars in the West; but I have corrected my woeful ignorance and it was one of the best decisions I've made.
Story:
A space opera for the ages, Yamato 2199 reaches for the stars, and takes them all for itself, leaving later sci-fi anime to fight over the scraps. I have never seen an anime so skillfully manage so many characters without leaving any loose
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ends, it's an achievement that even the most grizzled anime fan can appreciate. I cannot believe such a legendary story slipped past me for this long.
Art:
This remake's art looks stellar to me, it keeps the spirit of how anime was done back in the 70s and applies a careful modernizing touch to the effects and character design.
Sound:
Explosions sound great, as does everything else, not a single complaint.
Character:
Susumu Kodai is a one dimensional main character that feels covered in diamond plot armor no matter what happens. At the very least, his motivations are exceedingly empathetic, and he doesn't do anything radically out of character ever. Captain Okita, Yuki, Shima, Akira, and all the other named crew members really carry the show - by the end you truly care for each and every one of them.
However, the real reason that Yamato 2199 stands head and shoulders above all other space-themed anime is its thoroughly developed antagonists headed by the ever mysterious Lord Desler. He is Machiavellian in nature, and his exact desires aren't made clear until the very end. The largest hole in the story, in my opinion, is the lack of explanation regarding Desler's willingness to commit terrible acts - I do not feel the minimal excuse given in the story is enough to justify some of the things he did.
Enjoyment:
A classic amongst classics, Yamato 2199 inspired the entire genre of space opera anime that went on to spawn things like Mobile Suit Gundam. Anyone claiming to be a connoisseur of anime MUST watch this.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Feb 12, 2018
Youjo Senki probably put a lot of people off with its weird premise, even the poster on MAL looks strange. Personally, I thought it was going to be some lolicon-baiting comedy with warfare as a backdrop - I was prepared to drop it like it was hot - fortunately Youjo Senki is more than the sum of its parts.
Story:
The story is set in the continent of Definitely-Not-Europe, and there's a war going on that's somewhere between WW1 and WW2; Youjo Senki borrows events from both wars to tell its story, as well as adding its own flavor (most notably there's magic). Beyond the ridiculous circumstances
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the main character finds herself in, there's a serious, gritty, war story being told here. They did a great job at capturing the ruthless pragmatism and madness that grips people in life or death situations.
Art:
I loved the action scenes, the explosions looked absolutely fantastic, and the CG they used wasn't obnoxious. The characters look good, and Tanya has some distinctly-not-girly facial expressions that drive home intense scenes.
Sound:
Whether it's artillery shells or bullets, the FX in Youjo Senki are excellent.
Character:
Tanya is our reluctant "salaryman" hero(ine?), and despite her totally fucked personality, she is somewhat sympathizable; like any sane person, her goal is to not die. It never really got old how - though some people put up token resistance - everyone just accepted that a 10-year-old girl would be in the military and leading much older men and women, that's anime liberty for you.
The side characters are really, really, side characters in Youjo Senki, the focus is firmly on Tanya throughout. Viktoriya is the only consistently relevant one, and she's mostly used as comic relief, and can we talk about how she's in the pseudo-German army and her name is Viktoriya Ivanovna Serebryakova, which is probably the most pseudo-Russian name I've ever heard?
Enjoyment:
I always love a good war anime (well, a good war book, movie, or anything, really), and that's what Youjo Senki is, with the typical helping of anime nonsense along the way. I would highly recommend it to anyone who can palate the 10-year-old female killing machine and see the greatness beneath it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Dec 18, 2017
Gantz is the strangest thing I've ever read. There are so many twists and nonsensical developments that Gantz feels like 3 or 4 separate manga sown together into a Frankenstein's monster of craziness. Powering through the large plot holes was a battle, but marveling at how in the world they managed to complete this ecstasy hit of a plot was worth it.
Story:
Honestly what the in the f***? Gantz starts off as this cool, macabre, version of Men in Black, then takes a wrong turn into Hellsing territory, before finally beaching itself in Independence Day. The story isn't so much confusing as it is baffling, which
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weakens otherwise solid action sequences. To describe it in one sentence, it felt like I somehow missed 3 context-giving arcs and was thrown into the deep end of the pool.
Art:
Gantz is not new, the first chapter is over 10 years old, and the style reflects that era; it'll take some time to get used to it, coming from newer things. Once one does, it's not half bad, though I found some of the action sequences to be a bit hard to follow.
Character:
Kurono Kei develops tremendously as a character from his rather pathetic beginnings. Gantz counters his Deus Ex Machina determination with a brutality not usually seen outside Berserk, and it's that constant fear of death that drives the reader to care. The rest of the cast is pretty flat, not really ever developing beyond what they were presented as initially. They pretty much all fall into one of the following descriptions: arrogant asshole, sociopath, normal person, or woman.
Enjoyment:
I enjoyed Gantz because of its off-the-wall action, without that it's hard to recommend. There are better manga for character development, plot, dialogue, and frankly violence as well. The juxtaposition from the beginning and the end is second-to-none though, there is NO WAY to predict what Gantz becomes from its first chapter.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Dec 16, 2017
Bashing Nisekoi as the never-ending harem was a past time for my friends and I ever since the anime released. It was obvious from the beginning that the anime would never finish, so once I caught up with it, the only choice was to read the manga if I wanted closure. After 229 agonizing chapters, the story finally ended on a high note worthy of a full-sized review.
Story:
Simply put, there are about 75 too many chapters in Nisekoi. Tedious arcs where nothing of substance occurs are sprinkled with a drip feed of progression that is just enough to keep interest. It's beyond annoying when
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one can tell the forthcoming chapter will mean nothing to the story-at-large, but you have to read it just to catch that ONE SENTENCE where someone says something important. Nisekoi's entire story could have been told succinctly in 125 chapters without losing anything.
That being said, the major payoff chapters were still worth the grind - and I will begrudgingly admit that the romantic teasing made the real deal much better. Much like the characters, I may forget the details of the story, but I'll never forget the meaning.
Art:
I loved the emotes the characters did throughout the manga. Each character had their own little unique reactions, from Onodera's adorable embarrassment to Chitoge's blank stares - it was great! Those extra little endearments made even dull chapters bearable.
Character:
Raku is a pretty one-dimensional guy, and honestly a bit of a boring choice for a MC. He's the typical "earnest dude who'll do anything for his friends" protagonist that doesn't seem to have any defining characteristics outside of that. His interactions with the other characters give him flavor, and I suppose his purpose is to be as likable and unoffensive as possible.
Chitoge and Onodera are the real stars of the show - not to mention its blatantly obvious the story is a love triangle between those two and Raku. Their characters are the most fleshed out, and that caused the "Onodera v. Chitoge" meme while the anime was airing. I think the saddest thing about Nisekoi is that he had to choose between them, I wish one of these damn romance manga would balance the male to female ratio a bit so that everyone could be at least partially satisfied.
The other (relevant) characters: Tachibana, Tsugumi, Shuu, Haru, Miyamoto, and Yui all have their times to shine in the 229 chapters. Tachibana's arc, in particular, was surprisingly satisfying despite how annoying her character was for the majority. Haru, like her sister, Onodera, was beyond cute the entire time, but since she looks identical to Onodera, it felt like all her chapters were actually just more Onodera. Tsugumi was the lowkey best girl who was doomed from the start.
Enjoyment:
Finally completing Nisekoi feels strange, like a part of my anime/manga adventure coming to an end after so long; it's bittersweet but I feel happy. It falls well short of "classic" - there are too many boring tangents in the story for that - however, I believe calling it "genre-defining" as an example of slice of life romance to be fitting. Nisekoi, for all its faults, was worth my time.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Dec 10, 2017
Drifters is an anime I'd love to hate, it's a careless mashing up of traditional fantasy with historical figures from real life (with a heavy bias towards Japanese culture, obviously). In the end, its an acceptable action-oriented anime that treats its plot as superfluous.
Story:
Who cares? It's some angry Shimazu man paired with Oda Nobunaga and a Japanese folk hero who desire to kick ass. They go around "restructuring" the medieval empire of a certain Second World War Axis leader with a mustache. They later meet another presumably famous Japanese folk hero who tells them that bad people from history are trying to destroy the
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world. Also, there are elves, dwarves, and dragons.
Art:
The style used in Drifters is incredibly unique, and it's well used, especially in action scenes. On a side note it is also excellent at making characters creepy.
Sound:
The intro is good, and the weird non-Japanese that the natives speak was an interesting addition.
Character:
It was cool to see Oda Nobunaga and Hannibal Barca strategize together, or a Japanese Zero flying next to dragons, but outside of those moments it was mostly just strange. All of the characters are caricatures of their real life selves, as you might expect, and everything they do is exaggerated in the extreme. This is a no thinking required show, there are no complex relationships here.
Enjoyment:
Drifters thrives on its violence, and dies on its story. The ultimate success or failure of the series rests on whether or not they try to thrust a convoluted plot onto what needs to be a straightforward, violent, affair. So far it's meeting my expectations.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Dec 8, 2017
I avoided watching Re:Zero because of the generic description of it on MAL and my preconception that it was over-hyped. Over a year since its release, I finally decided to give it a try. What I found was an anime that stands up to all the praise directed towards it, my only regret is being so stubborn.
Story:
There is a key moment in the story where the protagonist's otherwise happy-go-lucky story takes a left and drives off a cliff. His ineptitude and character flaws are all laid bare in a thorough, piece by piece, destruction of all he thought he was. That moment is where
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the story really begins. This anime takes you further down the rabbit hole than you thought existed, and spits you out in a strange place where nothing is certain.
Art:
A very good looking anime.
Sound:
Really enjoyed both the intro and outro songs. They also don't shy away from some pretty grotesque noises that really add weight to already impactful scenes.
Character:
Natsuki Subaru is an intentionally divisive character who is also distinctly human. Unlike other anime that have characters in a similar position, he fails routinely; he is frustratingly petty and self-interested, and can be abrasive towards those who care for him. Sound like someone you know, or perhaps yourself in darker moments? That's what makes Natsuki Subaru a worthy protagonist, he isn't a plastic doll who will undoubtedly Deus Ex Machina through everything, he's a life-like person with depth to match.
The supporting cast all hold their own (though it feels like some of Subaru's depth came at the expense of them). Emilia, the purported heroine of the story, is particularly lacking in the "why should I care" department. Her character can be summarized as hapless princess who means well, she only means anything because Subaru cares about her. Rem definitely makes up for Emilia's lackluster performance (especially in the middle episodes), and others like Crusch and Wilhelm bolster the roster. I cannot wait for all of these characters to continue to grow, I can only hope the future seasons are as good.
Enjoyment:
Re:Zero is now one of my favorite all time anime, and the best I've watched in 2017 (though it came out in 2016). I try to avoid giving out 10s as best I can to make each one feel special (and because nothing is ever perfect), but since whole numbers are all that exist in the MAL universe, it would be a crime to award Re:Zero a 9 after it impacted me so much. I look forward to Natsuki Subaru's continued adventures with excitement.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Nov 23, 2017
Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari, or "Rising of the Shield Hero" is great when it needs to be, and sticks to the predictable formula the rest of the time. A main character who is easily sympathized with and an adorable supporting cast carry this manga to success.
Story: Iwatani Naofumi is one amongst a billion otaku protagonists, whose main purpose - with a bland appearance and personality - is to allow the reader to insert themselves into the story. That is until the generic hero story goes majorly awry. Rise of the Shield Hero doesn't delve too deeply into the realm of anti-heroism, but there is
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a pervading vindictiveness that shrouds each arc.
Art: Looks nice, at times determining exactly what was going on in a panel was confusing (probably just me).
Character: Despite his lack of flavor, I enjoyed Naofumi. He treads the line between righteous anger and petty revenge - perhaps a bit too much - but he has redeeming moments. The real stars of the show are Raphtalia and Firo, fulfilling the roles of waifu and comic relief at different times. Raphtailia is heartwarming and determined, but there really isn't much to her beyond the surface, similar to characters like Mikasa Ackerman. Firo is even more lacking in depth, but she's damned cute and provides much needed lightheartedness to the dour story. The antagonists are worthy of whatever comes to them because they are shown to be thoroughly despicable people. However, their exact motivations for being so evil are not adequately explained or justified.
Enjoyment: Considering how popular Rising of the Shield Hero is becoming, it is a breath of fresh air. The protagonist isn't a boring one dimensional do-gooder, and the supporting cast is entertaining. I would have continued reading to where it's currently at, but it's the middle of an arc and I'm too keen on this series to torture myself with waiting.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Nov 20, 2017
Log Horizon is an anime that has been completely overshadowed by the massive popularity of Sword Art Online. The first season was an admirable attempt at creating something worthwhile, but the second season fails to impress.
Story: Log Horizon Season 1 was an intriguing geo-political chess match inside the framework of a cliche "trapped in the game" story. Log Horizon Season 2 abandons that premise in favor of more action and side character development, which undermines what the series had going for it. Particularly grating are the horrendously long and redundant external monologues where characters spout off meaningless exposition about "friendship" and "struggle," as though these
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things weren't evident from what's happening. One instance of this takes up nearly an entire episode! Log Horizon has lost whatever magic it had.
Art: Solid animations, character design, and background.
Sound: Serviceable (with the ridiculous intro song from the first season).
Character: The core of Shiroe, Akatsuki, and Noatsugu is entertaining, while the majority of the side characters are obnoxious. The "young group" of characters: Minori, Touya, Serara, Isuzu, and Rudy, are a significant reason why season two falls below the first. They get roughly half of the 25 episodes dedicated to them, and their arcs were a slog to get through. The reason for this comes down to the sense that anything they do will ultimately prove to be pointless. Their romantic interests with people decades older than them will obviously amount to nothing, and their "achievements" include not dying or getting in the way. They were not nearly this bad in the first season - likely because they stuck close to the main cast (in fact, I remember enjoying them far more than Akatsuki).
Enjoyment: My goodwill from the first season gave out around episode 18, and from then onward I forced myself to finish the rest of it. Something about season 2 was so draining, even while binge watching. I cannot imagine watching it week-by-week, that must have been torture. The "payoff" at the end of the season isn't much without a third season, which, even in late 2017, seems far away (or not happening at all). Part of me wishes I had continued to put off watching this, if only to preserve the satisfaction of the first season.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Oct 19, 2016
This anime piqued my interest primarily due to the time period implied by the poster - that is to say the late nineteenth century/early twentieth century. While Alderamin delivers somewhat on that theme, it has several issues that prevented me from taking it seriously.
Story: The story of Alderamin is predictable and full of tired character typecasts, which is a shame considering the relatively untread ground early modern warfare is for anime in general. There are several unexpected moments that keep the viewer engaged, but it resorts to painfully obvious exposition more than necessary. There are some glaring discrepancies in the setting - they still use
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crossbows alongside what are essentially bolt-action rifles, people going into battle with only swords wearing plate - it's like the creator really wanted to make a medieval or renaissance themed story but couldn't. I could accept those elements if they ever bothered to explain the reasoning behind it, but that never happens. Alderamin did not give me a reason to suspend my disbelief, which made it difficult to watch at times.
Art: Nice animations and intelligent use of CGI made for an acceptably good-looking experience. I'm pleased to say that they didn't shy away from the blood and gore that comes with making a violent anime, they also did not use buckets of blood like an 80s horror movie, which I also appreciate.
Sound: Voice actors are OK, but the Foley Artists made it sound great. The rifles and cannons sound deadly, and do a good job of simulating the audio of a battlefield. The soundtrack comes in at important moments and compliments the intense and somber scenes.
Character: As I stated, the characters are all typecasts, which is disappointing but entirely expected. The red-haired Yatorishino Igsem, in particular, acted like a discount Mikasa Ackerman, with half the personality. She's a blindly loyal, honor-bound, killing machine whose entire purpose in Alderamin is to murder people with swords and miraculously never be shot. Yatorishino represents the dichotomy in Alderamin - it tries to be a story about the ravages of war and portray the human struggle of it, then a plot-armored, emotionless, superhero comes in and kills twenty soldiers without trying. It is a frustrating lack of depth.
Enjoyment: These thirteen episodes had me more disappointed than intrigued, and yet I watched all of them eagerly. A questionably eclectic mix of time periods that made me wish for the creator(s) to read up on the period they were aiming for, combined with a boring cast of characters, made it a tolerable but deeply aggravating watch. I would still recommend it to people who don't mind glossing over some plot holes and inconsistencies, I do see a potential for greatness in Alderamin, but it may need several more seasons to realize it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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