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Feb 28, 2014
I'm going to do something a bit controversial. I'm not going to claim this show is horrific and disgusting - nor am I going to tell you that this show is a hilarious harem and has a bunch of good fanservice. I'm not even going to say that I enjoy this show because of a satisfactory ending. I think School Days is a good and worthy anime because it can provoke you on a level that surpasses the shallow mediocrities that proliferate our screens today. Not only that, School Days will convince you that everything you witness is completely and utterly normal - to the
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point where you realise that this fiction is not so far from reality.
Before I begin, I would like to point out that this review is a deconstruction of the part of the show, as I feel it is necessary to explain why I believe this show deserves credit. If you have not seen the show, I recommend you watch it first and read later, though I will avoid spoilers where possible.
School Days is not without flaws - if anything, the first thing to note about School Days is that it feels awkwardly pieced together. There is very little pacing for the majority of the anime, as time comes and goes as it pleases, and very few scene changes occur without upheaval. The story almost feels broken, incoherent, or amateur. And thus, the first theme of the anime is revealed - inexperience. The first three or so episodes revolve around Itou's lack of experience with girls, and both the story and his adventures feel somewhat jarred and incomplete. This sets up Itou as a well standing and innocent main character, an idea that will not be around for long. It is the way in which this show pretends to simply be a bad high school anime that makes the cliff hangers and plot twists so much more evident. Even though I knew the outcome of the show before watching it, I was still fooled after a few episodes into actually liking the main character. Boy was I in for a surprise.
The show itself rapidly begins to pick up quality after the first quarter, as the story begins to solidify and we start to see the true character behind Itou emerging. As he grows to understand his desires and motivations, we are left in wake of a bulldozer of pain as the completely innocent and dear Katsura is unwittingly exposed to one of the worst feelings of all - betrayal. This is the second theme of the show that undeniably affects us all. To be betrayed is to no longer know the world around you, as your past dismantles and fear wells up inside. As the onlookers, we are of course given sight of the whole picture, which makes it all the more disturbing when we are exposed to the broken lives that collapse before our very eyes. Was this show not a jolly slice of life two seconds ago? But there was fanservice, and a bunch of girls! It must be a harem. Sadly, you have been mislead.
Speaking of misleading, there is one final aspect of this show that really tears a hole in the lens we view the fictional world. The world of School Days is, we come to discover, a world built entirely upon lies. Even after betrayal, even before the betrayal occurs, someone somewhere is deceiving someone else. A certain incident planned by three particularly mean girls gives them a cheap laugh at the cost of revealing the shallow nature of human beings. Katsura herself foreshadows herself when she makes a mistake with her knitting and has to pull everything apart - a world built upon lies will eventually crumble down in some way or another.
So why do such depressing, horrible themes make this a good anime? Because you relate to the characters, and it does not feel like fiction. People act selfishly, mistakes are made, and someone gets hurt - this is the real world, and someone just put it into an anime. It helps you to stop and remember that outside of our incredible fantasies, there are real consequences to real people. Being real is what this anime does best, and for that I deem it worthy of appraisal.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Nov 21, 2013
There really is no other way to visualise the plot of these last three episodes other than the metaphorical fist of God flattening everything you once knew about a harem king and his own little world. Whether the ending itself is satisfactory or not is entirely up to you, your expectations and how soon you realised it was inevitable. This does not excuse the incredibly poor execution of the conclusion to a show I wish I could hold in the harem halls of fame.
I will, unlike many, avoid using spoilers in this summary because I believe these episodes should come with a warning label attached
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to them. Something like, "Attention human! If you continue down this path you are now aware this plot was rushed and condensed into far too few an episode number due to pressure on the author and writers." Not that it really excuses the poor quality as production could have been held back or simply spanned more episodes, but that was not the desire of the producers. This review will also be short, because there isn't much to comment on that isn't the same as a previous series or just wild opinions.
Story: 3/10
Any and all hope of a story is long gone by this point in the show. The only credit that can be given is that we simply have an ending, and not a series of questions that were left over from season 2. Though, if you were expecting to have your questions satisfied, you'd better leave behind any attachment you had to anyone and everything first.
Art: 9/10
The art was the same quality as the previous season, so of course it gets its usual high calibre score.
Sound: 8/10
Again, similar to the previous season and so high quality.
Characters: 4/10
I will not slate the characters to their deaths here, because they suffer enough in this short span of screen time. Instead, to summarise, no character is left untouched, with the exception of Ayase who was dealt with in the previous season. You will be shocked, and you probably won't like it. Even the incredible performance by Kuroneko is not enough to shield her from the inevitable destruction. You may even get angry when they mess about with Manami. I punched the desk and it hurt, a lot. If you've seen what's coming, at least this will be less painful to you than it has been for some other viewers - one of my friends literally screamed at his monitor upon viewing the aftermath of this tragic resolution.
Enjoyment: 2/10
Whilst I was somewhat shielded from the pain because I saw this coming back in season 1, it did not make this any more comfortable to watch. When you do decide to sit through it, bear with the whole hour in one go and make sure you have some time afterwards to sit and think about it, because it's probably going to be heavy on your mind.
The Final Verdict: 3/10
The whole project became more and more time constrained towards the end of season 2 so it was no surprise that when the three OVAs were released the quality was even worse. Despite all the negative criticism that the OreImo OVAs receive, I would recommend that you watch it to complete the season. It will at least give you a more complete finish, no matter whether you like or dislike it. There are also a few important ideas about the theme of incest that are almost-but-not-quite explored, which may promote some interesting topics to think on. Most importantly, if you can remember the good from the seasons before it, you might just be able to forgive some of the ending and save yourself from buying that new monitor.
Reviewer’s Rating: 3
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Nov 21, 2013
Quite possibly the most fan-dividing anime of the year, OreImo is a tough cookie to even begin to review. If you've seen the first series, then the sudden u-turn in almost all aspects of the show will be shocking, to say the least. It might well go down in history as the anime which alienated the most fans, or it might even be the trendsetter for future harems, because what OreImo has to offer in controversy is matched by its brilliance.
If we were to ignore the original series, let alone forget that there is even a light novel that precedes it, then you could
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probably score OreImo a 9/10 and be done with it. There's delightful animation, hilarious romantic comedy, in depth characters, an insight into otaku culture, and an unique exploration of the once-taboo theme of incest. The problem is, this anime is a direct sequel to something far greater in almost every way.
Story: 5/10
Much to the disappointment of fans from season one, there are very few redeeming factors about the story of the second season. Gone is the eccentric plot revolving around the life advice sessions, with almost no sign of a story to replace it. There is next to no mention of Kirino's success with producing her own anime; Kirino's modelling and racing career is also sidelined but no replacement can be found. The only reliable plot that occurs involves Kyousuke and his new love interest in Kuroneko, which is probably one of the only bricks holding the fort together. It is relieving to know then that Kuroneko and Kyousuke's miniature plot-arc is possibly the best in the season. However, the rest of the series tries too hard to juggle the numerous characters in the harem without much in the way of linking them together. Overall, it would be wise to abandon hopes of a thrilling plot, as you will be better off focusing on the characters and comedy that will blow you away further than the story even travels.
Art: 9/10
There is no mistaking the beautiful art that OreImo manages to tease our eyes with. Rich, vibrant colours and a wide variety of settings provide eye candy that many other animation studios envy. The character animation is superb and the attention to detail is impressive, to say the least. It doesn't quite have a masterpiece touch to make it a 10/10, but it's not far off. In general, high performance once again from a high-quality studio - cute girls have rarely been cuter.
Sound: 8/10
Personally I have always found the soundtrack to this series entertaining in its own right, and whilst I slightly preferred the music from the first season, the quality is definitely the same across both. OP and ED are worth listening to in their own right, and you may find yourself occasionally humming a tune or two whilst doing the dishes. The voice acting is as per season one spot on, with believable accentuations and real emotion - particularly from the voice actor of Kuroneko (Hanazawa, Kana). As a whole, there is good reason to praise the sound artists, who are often undervalued for the factor they play in creating the atmosphere.
Characters: 6/10
This was undeniably a tough decision to make, because as far as a harem goes the two deciding factors for its worth are usually how funny it is and how good the characters and relationships are. Sadly, there are too many failures in OreImo for them to go unnoticed. Without wanting to spoil anything, my entire point can be summed up in one character: Asuna. Everything you knew about her has rapidly and inexplicably changed. It's no use arguing that "it's explained in the light novels" because the anime was designed to be watched alone and not to accompany its source. The script writers simply did a bad job of introducing the changes to her character. For reference, imagine taking Simon from Gurren Lagann in episode one, and then suddenly transition next episode to the Simon from the final episode. There is no impossibru face strong enough to describe how atrocious that would be, and yet the story decides it's appropriate with what used to be the anime's only grounded character. That being said, a few characters do escape the butcher's knife - the best being (luckily) the protagonists and Kuroneko. Kirino retains her enraging bitchiness whilst still managing to make you sympathetic towards her because of how (relatively) real she remains. Kyousuke actually feels more like the harem king this time around, as he becomes legitimately involved in the eroge games and shows his feelings about the other girls more acutely. A personal favourite of mine (and indeed of many) is Kuroneko, who cute factor aside, becomes possibly the deepest of all the characters explored in the entire anime. Her feelings are not an obsessive fad, or a confused bundle of emotions, but true and honest love. If you haven't yet seen the series, expect a treat amongst the waves of deplorably ignorant relationships. In conclusion, the characters probably won't meet your expectations - the controversy killing off many a fan - but there's probably a silver lining in there somewhere. You just need to look at it really hard.
Enjoyment: 8/10
Whilst there are many pitfalls and dangerous waters (especially ship lovers - I won't even begin to mention the OVAs), OreImo does contain a multitude of comedic moments, of which at least some will have you laughing. It might not be crying-tears-of-laughter hilarious, but you might wake up your next door neighbour with an untimely fit of giggles, on at least one occasion. Making up for where the show lacks in story and plugging a few of the character void-holes has helped to make season 2 more than bearable. Even when characters do something completely out of character, it's more than likely that two seconds later Kyousuke will mess up or act silly in such a way that you can't help but smile. And whilst this should probably go in the character or story section, the sheer enjoyment from the Saori backstory plot is enough to carry three or four episodes alone. To summise, be prepared for anything. No seriously, anything.
Overall: 7/10
There are too many problems with OreImo season 2 for me to completely wash over them with the entertainment banner, but that being said it is not a bad anime either. As I initially said, most of the disappointment comes from this being a sequel to a contender for greatest harem of all time. The verdict? If you have seen the first season and the first set of OVAs, then season 2 is still worth watching, just don't expect to end on the exact same note as before. If not, then why are you watching this when you could be watching the first season? What you should really be worrying about is preparing to replace your monitor; because if you don't punch a hole through it after watching the second season OVAs, you truly are a master of control.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Nov 20, 2013
Imagine for a minute that you are an average teenage boy, and your life is progressing perfectly normally, when all of a sudden you are the centre of attention from the entire world, and everything that is female desires to couple with you. Well, that's pretty much IS: Infinite Stratos in a nutshell, as one might expect from a harem themed anime. And what better way to emphasise the shounen demographic than by including mechas?
Now, before you begin watching this anime, you must be critically aware that it is, first and foremost, a harem anime. Those expecting the latest Evangelion evolution should probably reboot their
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thriller cores, lest they find themselves disappointingly skulking back to their DVD boxsets. The basic premise is of course to replace all available characters with attractive female substitutes, usually within feasible dating age for the clueless main character. That is not to say by any means that the characters in IS are any more shallow, but simply a different spin on what a newcomer might be used to. So, without further ado, let's break into the meat of the review.
Story: 5/10
You might be shocked that an anime which I rank overall quite positively has such a low story score, but it is very prevalent once you watch the anime that it's riding on the back seat. The anime seems to have settled upon an uncomfortable medium between slice-of-life and action that resembles the often-dreaded "filler" episodes from long-running action anime - only this happens for each and every one of the twelve episodes. There is, however, quite clearly a progression of time and events (though it is rarely, if ever, mentioned) which is accompanied by typical intra-episode plots. These are quite often forgotten by the next episode, however, as what seems to be a major element in some overarching plot usually gets resolved in the last two minutes of screen time. The verdict? Enough plot to keep the anime from falling apart, but don't have any expectations of story flowing for more than two or three episodes.
Art: 7.5/10
The animation style is clean, and pretty typical of a well-budgeted modern anime. There's not really a lot to note as it is quite consistently good, however it does shine in a couple of areas. The balance of 3D animation is an often-trodden pitfall of newer anime, as too much 3D can really detract from the cartoon-like worlds we are used to. However, like any art style, when balanced appropriately it can be used to great effect, and this is done just right in IS - something I have only really seen before in Psycho Pass. The variety of female styles is also essential in a harem to differentiate the various archetypal women; a point that IS has clearly taken into account. Whether the suspiciously large breasts are of interest to you or not, the wide variation in character design will allow you to very easily distinguish the characteristics of each female - ensuring your all-important ships will be delightfully unique. The only part that lets the art down would have to be the design of Ichika, the male lead, as he resembles pretty much every generic male lead from harem and slice-of-life alike. Of course, this could be seen as a plus point, as his character should be as average as possible to allow viewers to paste themselves onto him; but the fact that there really is no individual style at all makes him yet another copy-paste shadow of a male. Overall, expect well-rounded production performance that appeals visually, but doesn't win out where originality is concerned.
Sound: 6/10
There isn't really a whole lot to comment on with the sound, because as far as the soundtrack goes it's as generic as the genre would suggest. The voice acting is generally good and the OP and ED songs are comfortable to listen to, but being so averagely good I won't say more as I haven't really got an opinion on them. In general, expect your ears to sit back and relax whilst the anime does it's thing.
Character: 7/10
I struggled long and hard with grading this particular point, as the characters are usually the most crucial elements of harem-themed shows. I eventually settled for a mildly-disappointing 7, because whilst every character showed great and true potential, there simply wasn't enough time in 4 hours to build up all 6 main characters plus entertain the notion of a mecha plot (which never happened anyway). As far as the male lead goes, the lacklustre back story probably makes him the least interesting of the 6, though this would be expected of the harem genre. The other 5 girls that make up his main harem are all given very unique styles - ranging from upper-class and distinguished to militant and innocent. If each character is given roughly one episode of screen time, you would expect quite a significant amount of back-story and depth from each character. Sadly, the mecha action decides to kick in mid-way with most of these episodes, cutting precious time that could be used encouraging us to build our ships. The obligatory beach episode doesn't have a lot to offer either, though what it loses in story and character development it makes up for with copious fanservice. Which reminds me - despite the obvious fanservice that occurs every time a girl does something other than speak, the females rarely appear shallow - so the gratification of seeing your ship become even more realistic is slightly more emotional than if they were just breasts on sticks. As a side note, Ichika's older sister does seem someone focused on the ever-elusive plot and probably ends up getting the most depth despite rarely gaining screen time that isn't her frowning or ridiculing Ichika. Overall, squished between the fanservice/breasts and mecha action, there are some archetypal gems to be had, but they need a bit more polishing in the following series in order to become truly golden.
Enjoyment: 10/10
After all is said and done, this anime offers much in the way of gripping entertainment. I probably spend half of my time laughing out loud, groaning to myself, yelling at the characters on screen or pointing out the blatantly obvious - signs that I was completely engaged regardless of my judgement of the content. There would be at least one time per episode where a certain fanservice scene was just too much that I would declare it overkill, stop the video, and do something else for half an hour; only to come crawling back with my fists clenched, eagerly awaiting the next hilarious outbreak of ridiculousness. Try as I might, I could not run away from the show, and when I did it would be because my sleep schedule was completely messed up and I had to take a nap or real life intervened. It would be no exaggeration to say that I obsessed over this show, so you can be sure I will be watching the next series very promptly. As far as the enjoyable content goes, it really comes down to the almost parody-like switching from serious action to a girl's exposed body parts; or the romantic comedy of the girls fighting over Ichika, but instantly forming their harem bonds to protect him from some greater threat. To conclude, whilst there are flaws that appear on the larger scale, the moment-to-moment entertainment is top notch and keeps you glued to the screen, even when you feel like cringing or groaning.
EDIT: original score was 8/10, but upon reflection I believe I was too generous (being hasty to submit my first review)
The Final Verdict: 7/10
My reasoning behind the overall score of 7 is based on this anime's potential for more content and the frequent higher quality performance that is seen on a per-episode basis. The biggest suffering that Infinite Stratos faces is the lack of episodes - 12 simply isn't enough when you are attempting to juggle harem and mecha/action at the same time. Given that there will be at least another series, we may see the plot improve in later episodes, however it cannot directly influence the individual score of this series. The imaginative potential, however, is vast for such a small show, as the characters are not simply shells but well-rounded archetypes and the mecha style is unique and promising. My biggest reason for pushing up the overall score comes from the sheer entertainment value that the anime provides - the fascination with the show, the quality of the relationships and hilarious comedy is really the unique selling point of this and indeed any harem anime.
So why should you watch this anime, if you haven't already? Because it will give you the constant booster shots of instant gratification, whilst keeping your mind fixated on the relationship potential for each harem girl, to the point where the plot just isn't really important any more. Oh, and there are some giant robot suit things that I didn't even really mention, because they're cool but kinda irrelevant. So even if you are tired of watching endless teenage sexual frustration (and you call yourself an harem fan?!), there's something futuristic and metallic (that shoots lasers) around the corner waiting to be discovered...
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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