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Jun 30, 2017
First Love
What does first love mean to you? Is it the first person you were in a relationship with? Or is it the more cliché answer of the first person you were truly in love with?
Who would you consider your first love assuming you have been in a relationship before?
Was it the first partner you had? Was it a later partner you had?
Have you even had someone you truly loved?
If you have not been in a relationship… would you want your first love to be true love?
Tsuki ga Kirei is an attempt to pull off
...
a realistic view and story of first loves as well as unrequited love.
Story: 9
Tsuki ga Kirei explores the concept of first loves and crushes that happen during the time that many people develop their first relationships, middle school. Although this may sound like a young age to many people, it is usually the time that these students develop feelings for each other and are often confused on what to do with these feelings. Tsuki ga Kirei executes this confusing and awkwardness well, showing characters that make awkward conversation/silences as well as having characters’ stammer upon speaking with their crush. This was a highlight of this show to me, with it being very relatable and realistic.
The story itself follows the young romance of Kotarou and Akane. Both are experiencing their first love together and all the new problems and emotions that come with it. Their journey throughout this series has highs and lows much like any relationship has, adding to the realism. The only problem with the story is how they handled some of these problems. Responses to some of these problems felt out of place when compared to a middle school student. Although the responses were not mature, it’s something that felt out of place and slightly detracted from the realism the anime was trying to present.
The flow of the series was excellent. A bit on the slower side, which is ideal when trying to portray a first romance between young teenagers. Since it is their first romance and the personality of the two, Kotarou and Akane tend be cautious about their decisions and try to take things slowly. To further progress the story, seasons change, and time passes between each episode. We get to see the higher and low parts of their relationship rather than seeing the middle parts… which is deemed the more interesting parts story-wise.
Art: 9
This style of art wasn’t outstanding but was still enjoyable. The art had a focus on using pastel-ish color palate rather than extremely vivid or dark colors. The colors used essentially lacked depth and tone resulting in a more pastel-esque appearance. These types of colors add to a more calming feel which helps tell the story. A slow and awkward relationship should not use vivid colors but instead calming colors.
The only problem with the series, which does usually get fixed in blu-ray releases, would be the CGI. The CGI was mainly used to animate background characters but they moved unnaturally. Animation of main and side characters were fine and no problems there but the animation of background characters leave much to be desired.
Sound: 9
The opening theme, Imakoko by Nao Touyama, was a theme that represented one half of the relationship between Kotarou and Akane. The best way to describe the song was a slow start rushed into happiness which turns into even more happiness. The song has a wholesome and cheerful mood to it which helps portray the happiness and joy they both experience during their relationship. Starting off slow, both got more enjoyment and happiness from each other. The opening theme was a standout part of the series and was very enjoyable to listen to.
The ending theme, Tsuki ga Kirei by Nao Touyama, represented the latter half of their relationship. The song is a slower paced song accompanied by an excellent instrumental track. The song was a somber yet happy song, which shows the lows of their relationship and how they still want to be together. Not as much of a standout song compared to the opening but it is still a great song.
The OST was very nice, supporting the mood of the series. The background music used throughout the series wasn’t striking or very inspiring but did its job to carry the flow and feeling of scenes. The only noticeable background song was a melancholic song called Promise, it’s the piano song that is used in most of the wholesome scenes. The song is probably the most enjoyable of all the OST.
Characters: 10
The characters throughout the series are probably the best characters this season. They show personal growth throughout the series which was something this show needed because of how the characters are first portrayed. Both Kotarou and Akane have shy personalities, keeping a lot of their feelings and emotions to themselves. These personalities do change throughout the series, which is to be expected from being in a relationship. Dynamic characters is one of the most enjoyable things to see throughout a story.
Side characters have unique personalities, some cliché others a new trope. Classmates besides two do not impact the story well although they get little shorts at the end of some episodes. Family members and friends that are not classmates do have impacts in their life and are used as a story telling device to create problems for our main couple.
Enjoyment: 10+
This series, for being so mundane, somewhat slow, and wholesome, was such a surprising series to watch. The series does a great job at getting its viewers emotionally invested in the story, in the character, in the drama. It presents such relatable settings, characters and stories that a majority of the viewers can/will relate to. Watching the relationship change from two people who have never experienced no love change into two characters who deeply care for each other is something that has been done before in anime, especially with the more recent seasons. Tsuki ga Kirei adds a different sense to the mix, by adding realism, angst and shyness giving the change in character and relationship more meaning.
As I have said, this show does a great job at making itself relatable to its viewers, and I will say that I was a victim of this anime. Although I didn’t have the exact story or a similar one in that matter to this story… I have drawn parallels to the story with my own life. Rather than trying to force the story to compare to your life, it’s forcing the feelings of the characters onto the feelings that happened to you. Although the stories may be different, it will try to pull those times you felt similar emotions in you back to light. It’s a story of first loves, getting over your first crush, getting over problems that the relationship has caused, balancing your new life with your old activities. You may not be able to relate to these, but you can relate to the feeling of happiness, the feelings of success, the feelings of sorrow, the feelings of frustration. This anime doesn’t invoke old memories, it brings back feelings you may have forgotten or don’t want to remember.
Overall: 10
With everything this anime presented, it was the most enjoyable anime this season as well the most enjoyable so far, this year. Watching the start of their relationship and the progression of the relationship was such an enjoyable part. The series grabs your attention with the first few episodes, has you screaming at the decisions the characters made… some of these screams are cheering for things to happen, other screams are you yelling at the character to do something. In the end, you realize that you are emotional invested into this series and it’s something that you couldn’t care less for, because the series is so enjoyable.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Jun 20, 2014
Wishes.
If you were in a competition in where you won, your wish would be granted, would you compete? Knowing that there are other people who may have a more important or dire wish? Is your wish more important than others? Is it less important?
Do you even have a wish?
Before going into this review, you will need to know what a Selector is. In this series, there is a popular card game called WIXOSS. Among the players, there are Selectors, people who are able to communicate with their LRIG, or the avatar of their deck. The point of this partner
...
ship is for the LRIG to help the Selector become an Eternal Girl and have their dream, their desire or their wish fulfilled.
Story: 8
Wishes and desire and the dark undertone that comes with those two are used quite a lot in story telling. This story is fairly predictable when it comes to the concept of despair and wishes. Though, if you haven't expirenced much with this common story device, you will be in for a treat, as most people who see the dark side and consequences of wishes tend to enjoy the story.
Out story follows Ruuko, a standard character when it comes to these types of wish stories. She is a character is couldn't be separated from the crowd prior to being a Selector. By becoming a Selector and playing WIXOSS, she makes friends, she makes foes and she learns more about herself.
On a side note, do you need to know the rules of WIXOSS before watching?
NOPE. Not at all. The anime's main focus when it comes to card battles are the emotion of the Selectors and the ending result, who wins or who loses. The only concept you need to understand is that a deck is made to power up their LRIG.
Also keep in mind that this story isn't to surprising to those who have gone through stories related to the dark undertone of wishes. It's very predictable and isn't too unique compared to other stories with a similar premise. If you have not gone through a story that involved wishes and darkness, you will be in for a treat as WIXOSS is a great introduction to these types of stories.
Art: 8
Art outside of battles is quite bland, with a lot of use of pale colors and grey. All the backgrounds, all the foregrounds, use this type of bland coloring. Is this bad? Not entirely, as it gives a feel of emptiness, which does help deliver the dark undertone this anime has. Was it required? I feel like this coloring was a bit over done.
Art inside of battles were beautiful colors that faded into a never-ending darkness. I could be a literature teacher about this and pull meaning out of nothingness, but I rather not. I still enjoyed the art of the battles.
Animation was great during battles, standard outside of them. Hand to hand combat and the magical attacks that happened during battle all looked beautiful.
Character designs were pretty standard, though the designs for LRIGs were amazing. Loved how they would look when they would power up.
Sound: 9
What an amazing OP, killy killy JOKER is one of my more favorite OPs of this season and one of my favorites of all time. With an amazing chorus, it is hard not to get your head in the rhythm of the song, which is very similar to our main character, Ruuko. She does the same thing during battles, and gets caught up in the hype of them. The ED, realize -Yume no Matsu Basho-, is another beautiful piece that compliments the OP really well.
OST?
Well.. again, outside of the battles, the soundtrack wasn't all too impressive. It may have added to the feeling of emptiness, but again, it wasn't all that needed. Songs used during the battles were all great! Songs included DnB and dubstep, that all helped give the battles intensity without the songs being too absurd.
Character: 9
As I have said before, Ruuko is a very clean slate character, you will see her character develop as she meets other Selectors, as she wins battles, as she begins thinking of the questions I asked you at the beginning of this review. She is quite the enjoyable character to watch.
A great point in this anime is the relationship between our Selectors: Yuzuki, Akira, Hitoe and Iona. Some are friends, some are foes, all have a wish they want granted. These include some intense moments when we have our more important side characters battling each other knowing that their wishes are on the line.
The only problem with this are the super side characters.... the nameless ones. They are all terrible people with a terrible attitude and personality. These are mainly nameless classmates whose only goal in the series is to cause tension and drama. Sure it was enjoyable to see our main characters go through it, but the way they did it felt super forced.
Enjoyment: 10
Keep in mind, I was coming into this series expecting it to be about cute girls and card games. Boy was I surprised! I was looking forward to some dark anime series during the spring season, Gokukoku no Brynhildr, Black Bullet and Akuma no Riddle. WIXOSS blew all those series out of the water and another surprise series did the same thing this season. I never expected this series to get dark.
I love love love how they handle card battles. The no information needed to watch this show is amazing and I feel they handled that expertly!
Suspense and intensity.
The amount of suspense, the suspense in decision making, the suspense is revealing information, the suspense of wanting to know more, all of these add intensity to the series that keeps the viewer interested and wanting more.
Overall: 9
With a great ending that is an excellent follow up to a season two, the plot twists, the cute girls. This was a surprise series that was an amazing to watch show.
Some food for thought... what is girl backwards?
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Mar 27, 2014
For I am the Mahou Maou Shounen, I will reveal the path of this review and cast aside the powers of the fallen angels, for I fear nothing but the wielder of the Tyrant Eye and her partner bound by contract, the Dark Flame Master.
Story: 7
This is the second season of Chu2, and picks up exactly where the first one left off. Most romance anime tend to end the show with that of a confession, and that is exactly how the first season ended. Hearing a second season coming out makes this series a rare post confession anime that show the main characters
...
dating. Much like the first season, Rikka's innocence that exists with her chuunibyou gives her a hard time maintaining her relationship with Yuuta. This isn't much change from the first season honestly, but it is still a change.
Similar to the style of Chu2's first season, the episodes are organized with introduction, filler, and then the last few trying with a main story. These filler episodes weren't bad, they were quite enjoyable but the story shines in the last few episodes as it revolves around a similar concept that existed in the first season, does one need to rid of her chuunibyou to love? The only problem with the fillers are the introduction of new characters that suffer from the Pokemon effect. They get introduced for one episode only to never be seen again.
Art: 10
KyoAni stepped up their game.
The chuunibyou scenes (Where the character's imagination takes over) looks down right amazing. It looked amazing in the first season, but I was just blown away by how much better it looks in this season. Not only that, but the animation looks much smoother during these chuunibyou scenes. Outside of the chuunibyou scenes we get the typical KyoAni scenery that still looks amazing. KyoAni has always done a great job with art, Chu2's second season is no different.
Character designs were great, every new character contains enough moe to rival that of K-On!. Assuming you have seen the first season, the new characters introduced are similar to the main cast in terms of cuteness.
Sound: 8
I wanna fall in loveeeeeeee
(insert noise of me making the following part of the song with my mouth).
With the return of ZAQ (The same person who did the Chu2 OP for the first season) we get the great song, VOICE. The animation for the OP is very pretty and paired up with the great voice (no pun intended) makes for one of the best OP this season. The ED, Van!shment Th!s World, is sung by the Black Raison d'être. If you don't recognize the group, it's just the four main seiyuus for the anime. I loved the verses for the ED, but the chorus fell a bit flat, it just didn't fit the way the song was going. Animation seemed a bit out of place as well, but KyoAni is known for doing serious/weird animations for their EDs.
The background music.... There was that one song at the end of episode 10 that was amazing. Other than that, all the rest of the background music carried the mood well, but that one song almost brought me to tears as it carried the mood TOO well. Great job KyoAni, you always do the sound department right.
Character: 8
With the main plot of the show being the evolution of the relationship between Rikka and Yuuta, one can assume that there would be character development for both of those characters. There was very small developments in both characters though. If I said anymore, it would be spoilers.
The best character for this season in my opinion was Schichimiya. She is a chuunibyou but she acts more like a wise old man, helping Rikka further her relationship with Yuuta. Schichimiya is the product of a character who wanted to not develop as a character and almost regrets that decision. This regret was the entire driving point of the anime for me and my favorite part of this entire season.
Enjoyment: 9
Something this anime does really well, is suspense. The suspense of the kiss, the suspense of confession, the suspense of the possible break down. These suspenseful moments were missing in the first season but make a great entrance in this season.
There are multiple moments where I have laughed or "Awww'd" really loud due to how funny or cute certain parts of this anime can be.
Overall: 9
As a person who enjoys the arts and sounds aspect of anime more than story, chuunibyou has always caused problems between me and friends. If you value animation, art and sound over the story, chuunibyou may be for you.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Mar 24, 2014
An anime where the villains are more entertaining to watch than the main cast, Witch Craft Works takes pages from Pokemon and does it better than Team Rocket.
Story: 7
In a world with two warring witch guilds, the Workshop Witches and the more evil Tower Witches, our main hero is to be protected by a very strong Workshop Witch. The typical story of a powerless protagonist to become a strong hero is overdone and things that happen throughout this story are standard to the plot of a rising hero. There are parts where I was confused on contracts and such, but this comes more
...
from my dislike of reading contracts and how a contract could contradict another contract or how establishing a contract can make one null and void. Reasons why I never will be a lawyer.
Though I have said that the plot is of a typical rising hero, this common story help set a pacing that was perfect. The rising hero storyline follows a rollercoaster of pacing, where it starts off slow and precedes to pick up as the main character learns new skills and eventually takes on the main antagonist. One reason why this type of storyline is slow at the start is because of the pure focus on the main character, going from a weakling to a stronger hero, the pacing reflects that. Witch Craft Works throws a wrench into that focus on the main hero as his teacher who is strong from the start helps with battles and fighting. There are training scenes combined with scenes involving the teacher fighting that create a smooth pacing throughout the series.
Art: 8
The art in this anime was either super amazing or just super choppy. Amazing parts include the animation of art and flying, the character designs as well as the designs for the minions and all the details put into the city. Some choppy parts included a choppy 3D animation at the end, some fighting scenes, especially between minions, looked awkward as well as some explosions appeared to have missing frames. The proportions for Kagari looks weird as well.. I mean anime with big-boobed characters look normal compared to Kagari... There is somethign about the way she is drawn that doesn't look quite right.
The best thing about the art was the use of color. Monochrome art is something that isn't seen too often but Witch Craft Works uses it exceedingly well. Certain scenes just blew me away with all the hues and shades used of a color.
Sound: 9
The OP, "divine intervention" was a decent OP that reflected the fantasy aspect of a mages world. The way it did this was through playing "happy" notes on a synthpad. The combination of happiness and a synth helps give the idea that this is an anime that isn't a dark witch anime, but rather a bright sided one. The ED is by far my favorite thing of this anime. Witch Activity is super catchy, fast-paced song that sums up everything that the these villains are, evil, but not truly evil. The ED itself awarded this score of a 9, it's just something about the song that makes me play it on replay.
The background music was lacking. It did not ave enough impact for it to be memorable and never really helped carry a mood.
Character: 9
The characters that made this anime were the 5 Tower Witches you get introduced to in the first and second episode. They are very similar to the Team Rocket trio in where they appear villainous only to become comedic jokes throughout the series. The only difference is that there Tower Witches are more entertaining to watch than the Rocket trio. The Witches are serious at parts so they have to be taken seriously at times, unlike the Rocket trio where they aren't taken seriously after episode 1.
Character development... was lacking for the main characters. The main character didn't really develop a new way of thinking but rather just gained information about the new world while Kagari didn't develop much besides giving more freedom to Takamiya.
Enjoyment: 8
With a story that is quite generic, I was surprised that I enjoyed this anime. Most of my enjoyment came from scenes involving the Tower Witches but the main characters were also quite interesting to watch.
Overall: 8
Witch Craft Works was an anime that surprised me as I thought it would be quite a dark show. I was assuming that it would involve mages killing mages constantly trying to protect the important things. Though this is right, it was nowhere near as dark as I imagined it and I was glad to give this anime a shot.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jan 31, 2014
The fragments of chaos are all lined up...
I'll reconstruct them for you here into a review...
I'll take the fragments from the chaos of this world...
And I will reconstruct them into truth using the wellspring of wisdom within me...
Story: 10
Gosick stars Kazaya Kujo, a Japanese exchange student in the fictional European country of Sauville. During his stay in Sauville, he meets up with the other main character, Victorique, a small girl with long blonde hair and dresses in lolita clothing, and solve mysteries together. Throughout the series, as each mystery is solved, more questions on the past, and the family relating to Victorique are
...
raised. These questions are the driving force for the latter half of the story.
The ending was amazing. What seemed like pointless arcs in the beginning all tied together seamlessly in the last two episodes. The last two episodes were filled with so much suspense, so much emotion, the series has one of the best if not the best ending to any mystery genre series.
The problem with the mystery genre and the reason why most people stop watching Scooby Doo is that the mysteries are repetitive and boring as they do more and more of. Sherlock Holmes does a great job of not being repetitive when it deals with mystery because the characters, mainly Watson, are very interesting and keep the mystery solving exciting. Gosick does the same deal, as the characters allow the mystery to be more interesting rather than a rinse, wash, repeat process.
The romance in the anime, was rather slow in the beginning. I couldn't even see the two characters becoming a couple, but as the series progresses, we got to see a great change in character for both of the main characters. This will be discussed in more detail in the character section.
The setting of the story was executed well. The story takes place during the 1920s in a land that is transitioning use to electricity. We see candles, we see lightbulbs. We see trains and planes, we see carriages pulled by horse. These contrasting things pull off an effect of a unique setting that very few people give much thought too. The ending does a great job with the setting, as it pulls up true history and applies it very well to the story.
Art: 9
Gosick scenery wise was fine, nothing too outstanding in the scenery department. The art stands out more in the character designs and specifically, Victorique. The dresses that Victorique had were jaw dropping. They were so pretty and well drawn, each lace, each fluff, everything. Seeing the first dress was impressive, but seeing the other dresses were just amazing.
Something that caught me by surprise were the action scenes. I was not really expecting those action scenes, but they were executed really well. The right amount of use for transition scenes that caused a clear understanding of what was actually happening during the action.
Sound: 8
The OP, Destin Histoire, was a great song that reflects the pacing of the anime. With a very calm beginning, the series starts off calm, with mysteries that involve others and not the main characters. The song will pick up much as the mysteries and suspense do in the series. The first ED, Resuscitated Hope, didn't really fit in with the series, but was still a fine song. A calm beginning but a bit too hard for what the series had in mind. The second and last ED, unity, was a great ending and the type of ending I was expecting to have in the first place. I would suggest them to have used "unity" as the sole ED rather than using two different songs...
The background music was fine, no complaints. Helped carry the mood of emotion or added suspense when it was needed. Nothing too outstanding for the background music sadly.
Character: 9
As I have said before, the characters had to be interesting to keep the viewers entertained during the mystery solving. Victorique and Kujo do a great job at keeping the viewer entertained as their little squabbles, Victorique's attitude of "I'm better than you" crumbles to a very cute innocent girl, Kujo's slight stubbornness but I will do it anyway... These characters are very likable and enjoyable to watch.
Character development was amazing, as Victorique was a character who never experienced love and Kujo was a character who needed confidence, these two characters built off each other in a symbiotic relationship that is very endearing to the viewer.
Enjoyment: 10+
Watching these characters interact with each other during the mystery and outside of the mystery was one of the most enjoyable things about this series. The suspense this anime can deliver is nothing short of amazing. This series is addictive and does a great job at keeping the viewers attention.
The most enjoyable part was the ending. I have explained why I found this enjoyable in the story section... but it needs to be explained twice! That is how enjoyable it was. The flawless execution of suspense and emotion during the last two episodes were down right amazing. Nothing could have stopped me or cause my eyes to drift away from the laptop screen during those last two episodes.
Overall: 10
I was expecting just a cute story... something similar to Hyouka where they solve mysteries and through the mysteries, the two main characters get together. This anime showed me something I wasn't expecting, true chemistry between the two main characters, a true connection that can be felt outside of solving a mystery. Gosick has earned a spot in one of my most favorite anime series.
That ending was so goooooooooood.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Jan 21, 2014
There is only one word that can sum up this entire movie. Family. The whole concept of this entire movie revolves around being a cooperative and strong family. What does the word family mean to you? A group of people who are of same blood? This movie will show you the true meaning of family, a group of people who may or may not be of blood relation, but truly support each other till the death. That is what a true family is.
One spoiler in this review.
Story: 9
In a world where everything is connected to OZ (Imagine the internet,
...
but with animation), OZ assists almost everything, from GPS's to maintaining water pressure to sending dispatch calls for emergency vehicles. OZ helps the world and is well protected. The movie follows Kenji as he joins his crush in a visit to her grandma's 90th birthday part. While there, OZ gets taken over by a hacker and chaos ensues.
Spoiler!
One of the best parts of the movie is the ending, as it gave so much closure and a feeling of happiness even though it was suppose to be sad. What I was expecting in the end was a funeral for grandma, but what they showed was something truly inspiring, a birthday party. While the family was dressed in normal attire, everyone who came to visit grandma (And she knew a lot of people) dressed in normal funeral attire. This was so cute, as the grandma always wanted her family to smile and never be sad. Spoilers over.
The pacing was a bit slow in the very beginning, as much action hasn't really happened. It was a lot of introduction scenes, for the massive amounts of family members in the Jinnouchi family. This pacing picked up rather quickly and kept the quick pacing until the end which was very good due to the seriousness of the main story during the time.
Art: 9
The art in the anime changes form night & day rather quickly. We have a gorgeous digital world, the world of OZ, and the very scenic real world, the world of Japan. The world of OZ is a very bright world with bright shapes and designs. The real world was very normal, except with amazing backgrounds and scenery, what more do I expect from the same people who made Wolf Children?
The animation of the action scenes were amazing. The animation was fluid and very little use of transitional scenes to change the angle of the fight. I enjoyed this very much since we can see every punch thrown, every kick blocked, we do not miss a thing when it comes to a fight, and there is no confusion on what exactly happened as well.
The character designs were quite splendid as well. The designs of the avatars help compliment the artwork of OZ and are very unique. The designs of the family members were great too, different enough to separate the family members (most of the family members, there were a couple who looked similar... but they were brothers) but not too unique so they still fit in with the real world Japan.
Sound: 10
The soundtrack is outstanding. The first song that plays is OZ, the Virtual City, a song that helped introduce the world of OZ. The song is a very simple electronic song that gives off a great feeling of happiness. This assist in sending the message of OZ being a great and helpful resource. The other songs do the exact same thing the OZ, the Virtual City, as it helps carry the message and mood through. What is the difference between normal anime background music and Summer Wars soundtrack? The use of the song in the right scene and the feeling each song brings out are both executed very well throughout the movie. If this is not a good enough reason, I may just be a bit biased on the sound then.
Character: 9
The family members were awesome. Everyone in the Jinnouchi family appears to be in a high ranking profession. This along with the character designs helps distinguish the family members from each other. The grandma tops it off as being the best family member with her connections to a lot of high ranking people and her optimistic attitude.
This movie had great character development in the form of Kenji. Kenji learns what it is like being in a family, what it means to support one another even if the odds are against you, and too be supported by others when facing dangers such as death.
Enjoyment: 9
This would have been a ten, if the slow pacing in the beginning wasn't there. The movie had amazing art, a wonderful story with a great ending, an outstanding soundtrack, and a very memorable family... It is impossible to not enjoy this movie.
My own little personal life also influenced my enjoyment of the series. This is a personal story... I am a member of a big family, something I really never cared much for. Sure I like a few cousins, but that aside, I'm not that interested in talking to my uncles or aunts since there are just so many of them. I am aware though, of a strong sense of family shared between all the members of my family, and this movie has pushed me to get to know my family more when we have another reunion. I am now more interested in the history of my family thanks to this movie... who knows, my family may have lost an easy battle to the Jinnouchi.
Overall: 9
I feel as if Mamoru made Kenji a reflection of the people who are watching the movie. In modern society, it is safe to say a sense of strong family bond has weakened, much like Kenji's parents (Sorry about the slight spoiler). Towards the end, Kenji gains support of the Jinnouchi family as well as supporting the family and learns what it means to be part of one. This is why I say the message is about the meaning of family. I will suggest this movie to be a great movie to watch with family.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Jan 14, 2014
When we think of the word harem, we think of a oblivious male character along with slapstick humor and filled with perverted scenes that don't really fit in with the story.. White Album takes the harem genre and applies it to a very serious tone. This is a more realistic version of how a harem situation would be.
Story: 6
Touya Fuiji is a college student whose girlfriend has started her path on becoming an idol. The series follows his interactions with his friends as well as the people who work in the same agency as his girlfriend. Keep in mind that communication
...
was strictly at home, as cell phones are not in use and using a home phone was the only way to contact people outside of meeting them in real life. The ending is a great follow through into the second season of this anime.
Though this anime is realistic in a way, the lack of suspense and dramatic scenes created a very slow paced story. People will argue that the pacing is slow because it is not an action anime... but the anime could use more dramatic parts to make things more exciting. A lot of this story felt like back story or a big flashback to give information on something that will be coming up.
Art: 8
A very simple art style, it fit really well with the timeline that the students are in. The animation as well was nice. I loved the scenes where they switch to a pastel version. This transition is very smooth and the pastel drawings were just beautiful.
With this anime attempting to be realistic, the character designs are very simple and don't really stand out much. I will agree that these character designs help send this message of realism. The idol dresses were pretty as well.
Sound: 8
The sound was a great part of this series. With an amazing OP, Shin Ai, this song has a very nice beat as well as an amazing first verse. This song helps give a feeling of nostalgia as it is reminiscent of songs from the early 2000s (Doesn't this song remind you a bit of Shaman King's second OP, Northern Lights by Megumi Hayashibara?) This nostalgic feeling comes from the use of actual instruments and NO use electronic beats or sounds. The ED, Maiochiru Yuki no Youni, a super calm and quite piano song that follows with a drum beat. This song is similar to the OP as it creates a sense of nostalgia. The insert song was nice, not very idol-like, even though they used it as an idol song. It was very good and catchy, a great addition to any iTunes.
The background music was fine, enjoyed the violin one a lot. The only problem was the song that sounded like it fit with a depressed circus. Whenever that songs was used, it never really fit the scene and just felt out of place.
Character: 8
As I have said before, this anime seems very realistic, and from the art and story, what completes it are the characters. The characters all felt like they were making decisions that a normal person would make under the same circumstances. These decisions and realism felt from these characters gave them depth and did not need a back story to separate them and make them memorable.
The only problem I had regarding characters was character development. I am aware that there is a season two and the characters may develop there, but I only saw one character develop and that was Misaki. Even though Yuki from the very beginning wanted to change, I didn't see any development on her character as well the main character.
Enjoyment: 8
With such a serious harem, I was scared of how long it would take for me to get adjusted to his. In turn though, it was very easy to watch and adjust. One of the best things about this series is the college setting, a setting quite rare in anime, since most anime series are high school setting or a fantasy world setting. I just wished they had more dramatic scenes, as the pacing was getting very slow and annoying.
One thing I enjoyed a lot was the ability to see Touya's thought process and thinking. When I mean by see, they actually put on screen what Touya is thinking in his brain. I enjoyed to see him quite even though his brain was screaming out loud! This also helped this anime gain it's feel of realism, as there are always times where you do something even though your brain tells you not to.
Overall: 8
A GREAT harem anime with a good set up into a season two.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jan 9, 2014
I never knew there was a fetish for girls who wears glasses until I watched this anime. Now I realize I enjoy it when some girls wear their glasses? Warning, you may become a megane freak from this anime. Oh and you may get a Japanese lesson from this series as well... how unfortunate.
Story: 7
In what seems to be a normal world is actually inhabited by supernatural creatures (Different subs use different names for these supernatural creatures) and people with supernatural powers. Our main character is half human and half creature as well as a person with a fetish
...
for glasses. The story follows his journey to help Mirai, a girl from a cursed clan and has the ability to manipulate her own blood, fight these supernatural creatures.
The ending felt very forced and unnatural. The ending seemed to just be there to make the viewer of the show happy, but the way they did it felt so forced in.
The pacing was fine, it felt a bit rushed towards the end. They may have been able to remove some fillers as well and spaced it out a bit better... but the fillers were enjoyable as well.
I do wish they answered more questions instead of introducing more, as at the end of the series, there were so many things I wanted to ask but I knew that these questions were purposely left there to let the viewers think.
Art: 9
Kyoto Animation is known for their great animation and scenery. There work on Kyoukai no Kanata is no exception. Many times throughout the series was I in wonder and awe because of how amazing the animation was. Every movement of the characters were smooth.
The action scenes in the anime are better than most. Most action themed anime series lose details in the background and animation of the fight scene are never as smooth as scenes outside an action scene. Kyoto Animation did an excellent job with their action scenes, as they used transitions during the right times, as well as keeping the background as detailed as it was during normal scenes. They even did rapid still frames during the action scenes and it still looked smooth.
The only problem I had were some character designs, aside from Mirai, Hi'romi and Akhito, the designs for the characters weren't too amazing. Mitsuki and Aoi look like normal background characters and weren't given a design that allowed them to stand out, such as glasses, a scarf or a vest. This is just a small problem though, as the characters are still memorable outside of their design.
Sound: 10
Kyoukai no Kanata by Minori Chihara, the self-named OP for the series is a great way to start every episode. Starts off very calm but leads to an exciting verse and chorus, it is very similar to how the series progresses. The series starts off warm and calm, but escalates in action. My favorite thing about this entire series, is the ED, Daisy by STEREO DIVE FOUNDATION. Nothing sounds as good as the actual series transitions into the ED through the sound. Typically used toward the last episodes of most series, Kyoukai no Kanata uses this transition into the ED frequently and is very enjoyable. The song itself is a very good song.
If you aren't aware, since the internet blew up when the episode aired... Kyoukai no Kanata has a filler episode that has an idol theme to it. The insert song used for that episode, Yakusoku no Kizun, is pretty much an idol song... but is still enjoyable.
The background music was great as well, matched the mood, no problems.
Character: 8
The characters were very good. They all are memorable as the story gives enough depths and back story to each character to make them memorable... except one. The one character I wished we had more background information and possible history was the antagonist... Fujima. (I had to look up his name since he wasn't that memorable at all..) He is a character that is shown to be a normal villain, but with no depth making him easy to forget.
The only three characters that developed were Akhito, Mirai and Mitsuki. I would say the only two that needed development were Akhito and Mirai as Mitsuki opening up to her brother is a minor development. Akhito and Mirai's character development was quite a ride and very enjoyable as they developed around each other, much like a romance. Watching this development was a highlight for this series.
Enjoyment: 8
Much as everyone has said about this anime, the series has a strong start but gets a bit rough at the ending. I argue that it gets rough around the last two episodes, others argue it gets rough earlier. I did have a higher expectation for this series, but it only fell a little short story-wise, but the sound and art made up for the rough ending.
Overall: 9
What would be nice would be a special for what happened after the ending or a movie and knowing Kyoto Animation, one of these is going to happen. A chance for a sequel? The way the series ended, and with the questions left, there could be a sequel... but the ending has enough closure to completely end the series where it is.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Jan 4, 2014
I'm a benevolent and tolerant guy, but there are three things I simply can't stand...
People who order me around
People who oppose me, and...
A complicated plot that is in need of more explanation!
Story: 5
The main character, Raishin, is on a quest to revenge his family and kill the person who wiped out his clan. We join him as he enters a school of some sort and his adventures as he helps out fellow students in trouble.
The problem with the story is that they left out small details that either would have helped explained certain plot holes (Such as why Yaya had to
...
turn off her invisibility) or complicated arcs such as the Loki and Frey arc. Both Cher's arc and the Loki and Frey arc both involved types of politics and relationships that weren't fully explained and left me clueless on why Raishin was helping. The pacing for the series was also fast, the time frame of what was a couple of days to what was a couple of minutes are never shown right, and when combined with the lack of knowledge led this story into a train wreck.
Art: 8
The art was very good. The scenery looked nice along with character designs. I loved how the characters would look when they faced left or right. The use of CG for this series allowed for smooth animation on almost everything, except for certain action scenes (This is the opposite of what Ars Nova did with CG)
Action scenes weren't bad, but there were times in where character movement and animation did not look as well as other parts of fight scenes. A great example would be the fight with Loki, as certain scenes had Yaya and Cheribum looking epic, but other scenes were very confusing. If they slowed down the fight scene and didn't use as many different angles when showing the fight scene, this problem would be solved.
Sound: 10+
Anicca, the OP is a great set up for the series. The song has a very soft start and leads to a metal guitar riff. What more could help set up the plot where puppeteers use puppets to fight each other, since most puppets are machine like. The ED is by far the best ED to come from the fall season, Maware! Setsugetsuka. It may be because I have a soft spot for traditional Asian themed songs, but this song is cheerful with a very catchy beat. The ED alone awarded this series a 10 in sound.
Background music was there to fit the mood, no complaints.
Character: 9
A place where this anime shines is in the characters. All the characters looked amazing as well as had interesting personalities. One of the few things I did get from the story was enough history for each character to have them be memorable. Some of the best characters include; Yaya, the comedic yandere, Loki, the rival who hates more than three things, Frey, the girl with a small personality but a set of big brea... I'll stop. These characters were very humorous and enjoyable to watch.
What about character development? There is none that I noticed in the series, maybe small amounts when it comes to Frey and Loki, but nothing involving the main characters. Is this a problem? I will answer with another question, why change characters that were excellent to begin with? Raishin and Yaya are blessed to be amazing characters from the very start and did not need character development.
Enjoyment: 6
Although the sound and characters were amazing, the story left me so clueless that I was partially bored during all the serious scenes and most of the action scenes.
Also, what was Raishin's power involving Yaya? Were they all different buffs or allowed different abilities involving Yaya? I wish they had explained that, as it would have led to less confusing during the fight scenes. Being ignorant of ones ability that is used a lot doesn't make for great fight scenes.
Overall: 7
This anime had my head do what the ED's chorus says, maware (Spin). With such great sound and art, even great characters, the story was too poorly put together to enjoy all the other things this series did right. Hopeful for a great season two.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Jan 2, 2014
What I thought was going to be a big waste of time, became a small waste of time. This hour and forty minute special isn't too bad if you skip all the recap, so I will be mainly reviewing everything that isn't a recap of this special, since honestly, the special wasn't too bad.
Story: 6
Kirito and Asuna are trying to fufil the wish of Yui, to go see a whale. Rumors are that there is a quest far away in where a whale will appear, but it turns out Kirito's sister can't swim. While the girls teach Kirito's sister how to swim
...
in real life, Kirito has to tell that story of both SAO and ALO to a person who works for some government facility regarding virtual reality gaming. As I said before, if you ignore the recap, the special isn't too bad...
The pacing of the special was fine, a bit fast, but nothing to stress about. The ending felt very anti-climatic for what SAO has done with other enemies. What started off looking very epic ended up being a total blowout. Two problems I also had with this story, why couldn't they just abandon Kirito's sister and just do the quest? Also, couldn't they teach her in the game?
Art: 8
The art was nice, great character outfits for all of the cast. I especially loved Asuna's ALO (That blue and white...). Scenery looked great and so did the sea temple. Monster designs weren't too bad, felt a bit more like Digimon than normal monsters that belonged to ALO but no complaints. Action scenes were fluid, something that SAO was always good with.
Sound: 9
SAO has always had a great soundtrack, and the new OP, Niji no Oto was great. With use of both Crossing Field and INNOCENCE was a great touch to introduce the recap. The ED, Yume Sekai, wasn't bad, but I wouldn't go out of my way to get it on my iTunes.
The background music was the same as the ones used in the first season SAO. It was enjoyable, with a bit of nostalgia feel, since I enjoyed my first watch through of the series.
Character: 6
The characters didn't really develop much throughout this special. The only one who showed little development was Suguha because she learned how to swim, but that isn't the character development that people are looking for.
It was nice to see Lizbeth and Silica again, as those characters didn't get too much time during the first season, and I really enjoyed their presence throughout the special. Yui was super cute riding on Silica's dragon.
Enjoyment: 7
I quite enjoyed this special, partly because I skipped through everything recap. I really wished the last fight was going to be more epic, instead of the anti-climatic ending it had. I typically dislike straight fan service, but the special didn't do too much of it, I was expecting WAY more.
Overall: 7
I believe the only goal for this extra was to hype the fans for season two by recapping the first season. Knowing that not a lot of people wouldn't want to watch a recap, they combined an OVA with the recap and made an hour and forty minute mess. This sorta got me hyped for a season two, but Konno Yuuki has me more hyped as there maybe a chance for her to get animated.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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