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Dec 30, 2017
Okay, I will say it in the beginning just to get it over with: The fact that the anime is predictable is just one of many problems. I've seen a lot of fans get angry when people say it's predictable, so I just wanted to get that out there. Pleased? Okay, moving on.
Juuni Taisen is a trainwreck. It started out so promising, but slowly sank into the ranks of meh. It's probably the most underwhelming anime I've ever seen. That said, there were good things about it. Sadly the bad things were just too glaring and I just got very bored. The only reason
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I finished it was because I wanted to see if it managed to redeem itself, but sadly it never happened.
As I said, there are some good things about this anime. The artstyle looks pretty good. A lot of dark shadows and cool costumes helped set a certain atmosphere. There were also some decent characters among all the bland ones, especially Monkey. The OP and ED were also pretty good. The best thing about the anime though is the potential. Since there was no main character I thought that would mean that anyone could die at any moment and that made me feel hyped. Finally, a battle royal without a set winner! And then I realized the set order of deaths (this isn't a spoiler, it's very obvious).
Sadly all the potential this anime had got quickly flushed away when I noticed the set deaths and the way every episode was structured. If the anime wanted to be predictable on purpose for some effect, it failed.
This anime has a lot of talking and inner thoughts. Too much actually. There are so few silent moments it gave me a headache. Everything in this anime is explained and repeated to the smallest detail. Every observation is either said out loud or we hear the thoughts of someone explaining it. This anime does not trust its viewers to see or figure out anything by themselves, which made me feel like the anime thought I was a toddler. That is especially insulting when the anime seems to want to be mysterious.
As everyone has mentioned before me, the animation quality very quickly dropped. A lot of repeated scenes, scenes where everyone stands still and even when they try to up it with something cool it only lasts for a second. Especially the action. I've seen people say that the action is "non-stop and blood-pumping", which I don't really understand since the action in each action-scene lasts for maybe a few seconds with a lot of long talks or thoughts in between. And every death happens way too quickly. Was this to save on the animation budget or on purpose? I don't know, but it was very disappointing nonetheless.
Though some of the character backgrounds were a little interesting, many of them were also pretty standard. It was also hard to focus on them since every time we saw a flashback it was like the anime was raising a death flag for the character, which made it very hard to care.
If I was to find one word to describe this anime it would be underwhelming. Almost every aspect was lacking in one way or the other. It's so disappointing since I truly wanted the anime to be good! Sadly, all the way until the end, it was boring and lacking. Still, I can see why some people like it. For me though, the bad outweighed the good by too much.
+Artstyle/costume design
+Some of the characters were interesting
+Potential
+Good OP and ED
-Animation drop
-Predictable
-Repeating episode structure
-Too much explaining
-Actionscenes were too short
-Many standard character backgrounds
-Disappointing
-Wasted potential
Despite all that I've said, this anime is not terrible. It has some aspects that make it so I understand why people like it, but sadly it's just way too underwhelming and lacking. It could've been great, but ended up being meh.
Reviewer’s Rating: 4
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Jun 5, 2016
This is a review of episodes 1-9! It may get updated later as the episodes come out! Unless I drop it by then...
I just want to start out by saying this: this anime is not bad, just nothing special!
With that said, this is the perfect anime for people who haven't watched much anime, especially within the action/romance genre. It's a pretty good gateway into it, but if you've seen ANY standard action/romance anime you've seen this anime.
Story/character: I decided to put these two together since I feel the same way about them: they're cliche and pretty boring. It doesn't try to do anything unique
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and stands by a checklist of everything that makes a standard action anime. It doesn't step out of that safe box, and that's disappointing. Not bad, just nothing more than cliche. Rokuro is a standard delinquent MC who is seriously way too overpowered, Benio is the "badass" way to proud girl who is supposed to be strong, but the moment MC arrives she is suddenly always being saved just so she can stare in awe and say "he's so strong", and the rest of the characters are just typical action tropes. Oh, and all Benio and Rokuro do is bicker, even after touching moments. It get's old really fast.
*Feel free to skip the rest of this section since it's basically me just pointing out everything wrong with this anime's animal sicekick and comparing it to a good one from this season*
The only character that stands out from the rest is Kinako, the animal sidekick of this show. This mention is not because he's a good character, but because he ruins all the enjoyment I try to get out of this anime. Everything about him, from his design to his voice and personality is so annoying. Now, let's compare him to the animal sidekick I find to be the best this season: Chito-san from Flying Witch. She's proud and intelligent, but takes it easy. She loves pranking others and going on adventures and is generally a very fun character. She cares for her owner and they fit each other well, filling up each others shortcomings, and even though Chito doesn't talk the owner understands her. Through no words we can clearly see that they care dearly about each other. Kinako is rude, loud and his only purpose is butting in and ruining moments, and yelling OH NO when a monster is nearby. His affection for Benio is ruined by the fact that they fit so poorly together and instead of showing he cares he just yells exposition and rude comments. You could remove him from the anime and it would be a lot better. Sorry for this little rant, but I just had to get it out since he is really ruining the few things I like about this anime.
Art: The animation on the fight scenes, at least in the beginning, are pretty good. They show style and makes the fight more intense. The characters often stop to yell the name of the attack, pretty standard, but then time "stops" and these cool and stylish Japanese characters splat onto the screen as if it was a video game. I like that! Later on these fight scenes become way more standard, just like the rest of the show. Most of the character designs are also pretty meh. It's pretty much the safest designs you could have.
Sound: Though the OST is pretty generic and doesn't stand out, the opening by Wakkagi Band is pretty kick-ass at times. It fits the style this anime is trying to go for, and though it's failing, this opening stays pretty cool. The ending theme is nothing too special, but it's pretty okay at least.
Enjoyment: I'm honestly getting bored. During episode 9 I could literally guess everything that was going to happen based on the anime I've seen from before. Kinako is also taking a lot away from my enjoyment. Since this anime is so predictable and safe, it's hard to take seriously. Even when the anime is trying to be intense, all I end up doing is guessing what will happen next and more than often I'm correct. It's just boring.
Overall: I guess what I'm saying is: haven't seen any anime like this before? Watch it, you'll like it! Other than that, it's a snorefest for people who have seen this recipe before. It only works as pure entertainment, like dangling keys in front of a baby. Only recommended if this is your type of anime, but even then I think you'll think it's pretty average.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Dec 11, 2015
Okay, this manga is amazing. It drew me in from the first chapter and did not let me go. I love almost everything about it! ... But that doesn't mean it has a few issues.
Story 9/10: This bewitching story is filled with magic, fun, excitement and everyday life in a very good balance. It's never so casual that it gets boring, but never so intense that you feel it doesn't fit. This is kind of a nitpick, but I was not the biggest fan og the pacing from the middle until the end. It worked okay, but lost a bit of it's initial energy.
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Art 10/10: I did not expect to like this, but it was amazing. This manga was made between 2008-2015, but the artstyle looks like something out of the 90's with a modern twist. When they want someone to look happy they get this glow about them and when someone is mad their face really shows it. The spells, scenery, character designs and general atmosphere was all very well expressed in the drawings and I feel like it opened up a lot of possibilities for someone like me who usually doesn't enjoy the artstyle from the 90's and earlier.
Character 9/10: Everyone in this manga has a unique and very fun personality. I especially enjoyed Ran with her bubbly energy and Shizuka who is just a silly, but really motherly ball of fun. The only person I didn't enjoy as much as the others was Outarou. He wasn't a bad character, but his womanizing and sometimes really mean personality didn't grow on me at all. Even if he learns a bit through the manga, I just couldn't bring myself to like him.
The relationship between him and Ran is also something I have mixed feelings about. Since Ran uses an aging spell when she's with him, he doesn't know she's 10 while he's in his late 20's, but it just made me uncomfortable when he was with her. He had more of an adoration or obsession with her than anything else, and saw her as more of an angel than a person, something that made me feel like their relationship wasn't very strong despite all the time they spent together.
Enjoyment 10/10: This manga was a blast. It captured my attention fast and just kept roping me in with fun characters and a very engaging story. It has a great climax and some really great emotion and atmosphere and I just can't do anything but love it.
Overall 9/10: Even is this manga has some issues with pacing and characters, it is a heck of a good manga. It takes the reader seriously and doesn't try to be completely kid friendly. It sucks you in with its atmosphere and keeps you hooked until you realize you've read the entire manga and it's suddenly 4 o'clock in the morning. If you like magic, action, drama and a hint of romance, with an enjoyable and fun cast of characters, then this is the manga for you!
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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May 9, 2015
What would you do is one day God abandoned the world and made it so that birth and death no longer existed? No longer would you age or have babies. The only thing waiting was eternal life, even if you never wished for it. Then, one day, people called Gravekeepers come to bury those who have died, making death an option again, but also making it harder for those who wants eternal life. That is Sunday Without God.
Okay, let's get down to business. The story of Sunday Without is very interesting to say the least. It's original, exciting and just full on fascinating. We
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follow a young Gravekeeper called Ai on her journey to see the world. Along the way she meets many different characters who each have a role they must play in order to live. This story had me from the beginning. It felt like nothing I had seen before, and held me very interested. Though we follow Ai on her journey, there are many smaller stories within the big picture. This is where the story gets a little bumpier. It starts mixing in more and more supernatural elements without really explaining them at all. They're just there. There are also times when I thought they could've removed some parts in favor for explanation. Sometimes it tries to have a more everyday life part of it that didn't really fit the story, and it puts the whole finding out about the world thing to the side, which is a shame. We end up getting little to no explanation as to why God left, why supernatural elements are showing up or anything else for that matter. The story started out with so much potential, but falls a little flat in the end.
The characters are a big part of what drives this story along. Most of them have unique personalities and are very likable, though most of them do not get as much screen time or development as I had wished for, but that is to be expected when the anime is only 12 episodes long. I'm only going to talk about three of the "main" characters that we see the most of in order to try to avoid as many spoilers as possible.
Ai is our adorable main lead. She's a 12 year old Gravekeeper who had lost her mother and been raised by her village instead. She is the only known of her kind since the events of Sunday Without God happens over 12 years after God had left, therefore no child should be as young as she is. She is naive and unaware of how the world truly works, but she is also hard working, slightly spoiled, brave, stubborn and very kind. She's a fun character to follow, and you really grow to like her, though her spoiled nature and stubbornness can get a little annoying. She, sadly, does not get as much development as I would have wished for. She learns through the anime, but it doesn't really change her all that much.
Then we move on to Julie (male). He's a middle aged man who is out for revenge after his wife was killed and buried when he was out of the house one day. He becomes acquainted with Ai and grow a sort of family bond. He is very dependable, logical and good with a gun. Generally a pretty likable character, though he also does not get all that much development in the end.
The last person I will talk about is Scar. She is a Gravekeeper who is vastly different from Ai, and more like how Gravekeepers should be. She has a mysterious scar across one of her eyebrows, and her main goal in life is burying the dead and helping mankind. She does not harbor any emotion, but smiles a lot in an almost robot like way. She is also the character that gets the most development oddly enough. She learns a lot from Ai and starts seeing the world differently from how she is "programmed" to.
The side characters all get a decent amount of development and are fun to have around, though some of them are unnecessary or just there to move the plot along. The ones that are more important get a lot of screen time and shows change by the end of their arc. They are usually very unique and memorable, and they each serve a purpose in Ai's journey.
There is also no actual villain in this anime. Though some of the stories has a bad person that our main protagonists has to fight against, they're pretty forgettable. In the end, their enemy is the world and, kind of, God. It's his fault the world is in the complete chaos that it's in, though he is not seen as a villain either. The anime doesn't really need a villain. It, instead, focuses on the mental challenges the characters had to go through, and that makes for many interesting stories.
The art in this show is stunningly beautiful. It often has a very red and orange or a black and purple layer to it and uses a lot of beautiful contrasts and sharp colors. The backgrounds are amazing and just beautiful to look at, and the design of the world is very beautiful. It had a lot of sunsets and shots of wide landscapes that are just gorgeous to look at. Since the characters are traveling we also get to see many different parts of the world and their contrasts to each other. The post apocalyptic scenery is stunning to look at and very well designed.
It manages to tone down the more extreme colors when it wants the focus to be on the characters. It also has very pretty character designs where every character looks different from the others, mainly because of the wide use of hair and eye colors. They cleverly use clothes and different heights to make the character unique from each other, and it's easy to see when one person is from another city.
The animation on the opening is very much like the rest of the anime, using beautiful contrasts and symbolism.
The ending only pans downwards on a picture of the cast of the anime, and it is a very pretty picture, though it doesn't really do much to get you pumped for the next episode.
Music is always a big part of the anime. The soundtrack to this anime consists of mostly dark, ominous or calming pieces, often using piano, orchestra and choirs to make it sound more suspenseful. There are also some guitar tracks that are very nice to listen to. It is the perfect OST for when you want calming and atmospheric music. Though I wished there was more variation in the OST, what I got was still pretty good.
The OP is called "Birth" by Eri Kitamura. It uses the wonderful trick of making the anime 50% more awesome just by the use of epic choirs, church bells and organ music. When it mixed together with a rock/pop band it becomes very beautiful and fits the anime very well.
The ED is called "Owaranai Melody wo Utaidashimashita (I Sang a Never Ending Melody)" by Komatsu Mikako and is a calm song with mostly piano, though a slightly electronic band starts playing after a while. It uses some english and a fairly strong bass which gives it more energy. The music in this ED often starts playing before the episode is fully over, and it fits very well as background music. It's a calming and beautiful piece.
I enjoyed the heck out of this anime. I loved the world it was set in and really wanted to figure out its mysteries, which left me pretty disappointed when many of these mysteries were left unsolved. It should have had more episodes or a second season, because it definitely needs more explaining. I enjoyed the journey together with Ai and liked most of the story arcs and characters. Each story had a lot of good points and the story was, to a certain point, pretty unpredictable. And I would say it's worth watching just for the beautiful art style.
Overall this was an anime with a lot of potential, though it fell a little flat in the end. There were parts I wished was done better, but what I got was very good and enjoyable. This is an anime for those of you who love a beautiful post apocalyptic setting with a fascinating premise and a cast of fun characters. You must like having several stories within a story and not mind that sometimes the main plot gets put aside for other things. You must also bear that Ai can be annoyingly stubborn and naive, despite her adorableness. If you don't mind this, then you're in for a fascinating and beautiful road trip through a very mysterious world.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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May 8, 2015
I have to admit, there were parts of this story where I laughed my butt of, and other parts where I almost threw up because it started addressing several of my biggest fears in a very effective manner.
When it comes to the story, overall it has a typical visual novel type of pacing. The main character solves the problems of one girl, then moves on to the next girl. This is very typical in VN adaptations, though in Grisaia's case it's the content that makes the story interesting to watch. Yes, you may get tired of knowing that the main character can somehow solve
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the problem of any girl and have most of them fall for him in the process, but if you can get used to that then there's a lot more to this anime.
Sometimes this anime is pretty funny, but when episode 4 arrives, it tones the comedy down a bit in favor to staying serious when it should be. It doesn't try to lighten the mood with jokes, but rather lets the atmosphere stay dark until we step back into the light. This makes the drama all the more engaging because it's not trying too hard.
The romance, though it is there, it is not really addressed too much. It also contains a certain amount of ecchi, but not so much that it becomes very distracting.. That is except the OVA..
They don't really gloss over the cruel things happening in this anime, but rather shows you as much as possible without having to censor everything. This anime is not afraid to tell you that what is already pretty bad, can, and will, get even worse. I'm not kidding when I say this: This anime triggered my claustrophobia twice and I had to stop the episode for a little while before being able to continue. And this may be what turned some people off in this anime. It shows some pretty sexual scenes and some really twisted images. It's hard to get into it if you came for a typical VN type of story. Many people don't like the VN type of pacing either, so it's not the best story, though far from the worst.
I'm sorry if I'm comparing this anime with a VN a lot, but it's honestly what it felt like I was watching. This anime didn't truly manage to go from VN to anime, but it tried at least.
It's in the characters that most of this shows strengths lies. Though most of the characters seem to be cardboard cutouts of typical anime characters, like the tsundere, maid, rich girl, loli and big boobed tomboy, what makes these character so interesting is their twisted backstories. Each character has a severe trauma from the past that still haunts them to this day, and they are all pretty messed up. Heck, even our main protagonist Yuuji has a really dark past that we don't really get to see all that much of (see Grisaia no Meikyuu and Grisaia no Rakuen). Speaking of our main character, it's refreshing to finally see a male main character who is not a typical nice guy with no unique personality. He's cynical, funny and has no idea how normal life works. He can sometimes come off as robot-like, though he does show some emotion when needed. He's also incredibly smart, though very bad at taking a hint.
In this anime all girls are wearing the mask of a cardboard cutout character, when they're actually very broken people. I won't go into specifics on each character, but each girl's problems is not just a common childhood trauma or attitude issues, some of them are seriously messed up. It brings up themes like double personalities, rape, incest, suicide, insanity and abuse, and it does so without mercy. It becomes the Yuuji's job to rip off that mask and glue their real self back together. When you see what's behind the mask, that's when it gets really interesting. The change they go through is often very realistic. Tough most of them go back to their cartboard cutout by the end of their storyline, the changes are still visible. You feel the characters pain and truly wish for them to get a happy ending.
The "villains" are also very well thought out. They all have legitimate motivations for doing what they are doing, and they aren't just there to be evil.
Artwise I enjoyed it to a certain extent. It, again, had a very VN type of design, and more than often it felt like I was playing a VN. I didn't mind it all too much, but I still wish it would have gone a bit more out of that VN comfort zone. The visuals and symbolism is pretty to look at, and the scenery is not that bad. The art is also very, how should I say this.. Shiny. Light can reflect from anything in this anime. It got a bit distracting at times, but there were also times when it was very beautiful. It likes to play with contrasts, which makes everything really pop out, and is quite pleasant to look at. The colors are vibrant and can be distracting at times, but I still liked it quite a lot.
In the music department, the opening is catchy, but nothing very special. It feels like your everyday drama/harem opening and doesn't really bring anything new to the table.
There are 4 endings overall, ranging from upbeat and happy to calm and sad. Sometimes it doesn't really fit the darker atmosphere this anime often has, but I grew surprisingly fond of them. Especially the fourth ending, which is a very calm and beautiful song. If you should check out any of the songs, I would say to check out that one.
I would also talk about the OST, but I had a hard time finding it online, so I'll just say that nothing really stood out too much, but it wasn't all that bad either. It fit the atmosphere, but it wasn't something all that special.
I do have mixed feelings about this anime. After the two times my claustrophobia was triggered, and the fact that I honestly almost threw up during the last storyline, it's hard for me to decide how much I really liked it. I thought the images was pretty, the storylines were engaging and the drama was very well balanced, so I want to say I really liked it. And, actually, I will say it. I did really enjoy most of this anime. It's dark atmosphere mixed with drama, action, comedy and some ecchi was just interesting to watch. I liked that they showed everything and weren't afraid of showing us very messed up situations. It's unpredictable to a certain extent, though it does feel like a VN. It may just be that I'm a wimp, but still, beware if you have a weak stomach or claustrophobia.
Is this anime a must watch? Not really. Its strength lies in its dark and twisted character backgrounds and it can be very engaging and emotional, though you have to get used to the VN type of pacing and some pretty messed up stuff. If you enjoy this kind of story and setting, kind of like a really dark and weird version of Clannad, then go watch it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Aug 15, 2014
You know how romance anime tend to either be way too fast paced or incredibly slow paced? This is something that annoys me very often, but not at all in this case. Soredemo sekai Wa utsukushii is a beautiful, fun and interesting anime that got me hooked from episode one, and by the last episode I longed for more.
Oh, and don't worry, it's not pedophilia. Probably. Just ignore that.
Story 9/10:
The story in this anime may sound boring because of the whole "adult princess forced to marry young king" theme that it starts of with, but don't let that fool you! This anime
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has really well paced romance and character development, and has that little something about it that makes you want to see what happens next. Everything keeps a steady pace so it doesn't have the last-minute kiss kind of development, but a romance that we can clearly see and follow as it grows stronger and more beautiful than a lot of other romance anime that I've watched.
You would also think that Nike and Livi would look like sister and brother, what with the age difference, but I never once thought they looked like that. From the start they looked like a boy and a girl in a relationship that would start out rough, but was soon to bloom.
Art 7/10:
I can't really say that the art stood out a lot. It looked ordinary, but beautiful, something which fit this anime really well. Sometimes there was a really beautiful scene, then it would go back to the more ordinary style. The character design was very fitting to the different personalities and most of them looked really good. They didn't have any unnecessary, super moe or fan service-ish features to them, with the exception of a few side characters.
Sound 10/10:
Ah, the music. The instrumental soundtrack mixed very well with the different scenes. It created emotion, smiles, tears and laughter. It wasn't really something I was aware of during the anime, but after listening to the tracks separately, it's really amazing. it's intense, beautiful and a joy to the ears. If you're looking for some serious eargasm, look no further.
The opening and ending theme is really catchy and beautiful too. The opening has that kind of rhythm to it that makes it hard to sit still and not get chills from the awesome drums and voice.
Also, Nikes rain-summoning song is just angelic. With a hint of engrish (I misspelled that on purpose) and a beautiful instrumental and vocal harmony, it makes me think of the relaxing sound of falling rain.
Character 9/10:
There are very few cardboard clip-out characters in this anime. By that I mean that there wasn't a generic main character, a cute and happy character or any of the typical -dere characters, with the exception of one side character. This is something I'm really happy about. These kind of characters get boring quickly and lowers the enjoyment.
To start off let's talk about Princess Nike. She is a very strong-willed and brave girl who can never sit still and hates wearing pretty dresses and high heels. Pretty much the exact opposite of a typical princess, a real tomboy. But even though she may seem a little boyish, she is very gentle, likable, has a strong sense of justice and loyalty, and cares for the people around her. Oh, and did I mention that her singing can call forth rain? Now if that isn't awesome, nothing is.
The only thing I found strange about Nike is that in the first few episodes Nike is dead set on the fact that summoning rain is a sacred ritual and can't be done just on someones whim, yet she calls the rain almost every other episode. A little strange, but doesn't ruin anything.
Then theres the Sun King Livi. This young king may seem angry, strict and unapproachable at first, but when you get to know him he's a sweet and gentle boy who really cares for his country. He works hard and tries his best to be a good king, despite his age. When he starts to care about someone, he doesn't do it half-heartedly, but at the same time you don't want to get on his bad side.
All the side characters gets their fare share of screen time, but you won't remember most of their names by the end. There are a few bigger side characters that helps the plot along, but the character awesomeness award goes to Nike and Livi, by far.
Enjoyment 10/10:
I absolutely loved this anime. With it's great paced romance, interesting characters and not too over the top settings and story, it's a relaxing, yet interesting anime that kept me smiling, laughing and crying. It does have some action, comedy and drama to it too, so it doesn't make you all depressed, but can be deep when it wants to. It just made me really happy in the end and, though I want a season 2, it isn't really necessary. It left me pleased, and that in itself is an achievement.
Overall 9/10:
Though it does have a few flaws within art, some unnecessary story and a few non-memorable characters, Soredemo sekai Wa utsukushii is a beautiful anime that will leave you smiling, awww-ing, crying and thinking "despite the almost pedophilia, this anime is amazing!". Definitely a recommended watch for all romance fans out there.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Mar 21, 2014
This anime is one of the diamonds among the coal of slice-of-life. At first glance it seems like a typical, semi-boring slice-of-life anime about cute girls with cute dresses and cute houses, doing cute things. Seen it, tired of it... But wait! That's not just what this show is about at all! Yes, it's about the everyday life of four cute girls living in the countryside, but if you're looking for a relaxing and funny anime that will get your mind of everything else, look no further. This anime is the very definition of a slice-of-life masterpiece and you will not regret watching it if
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you like that genre.
Story 9/10: As mentioned, this is a story about four girls of different ages living on the countryside. It has a captivating story without even trying. Even though the girls do things they consider normal, people that don't live in the countryside will find an amusing story, and those who live in the countryside will find a charming representation of what it's like, filled with moments that makes you smile and giggle. Some may find that boring, but not me. It doesn't have one single storyline, but many small happenings in the young girls' lives, and not a single episode is the same.
Art 10/10: I am a sucker for good art. Even though the art in this anime is the typical moe artstyle, it doesn't make this anime any less good. In fact, it really fits the rest of the art and makes the characters personalities shine. And, oh the scenery! Beautiful, country scenery with the mountains, the trees and the rice fields. This anime also perfects the use of breathing pauses that lets the animation do the talking. There are several minute long scenes that can be just a character badly playing a recorder, landscape shots or waiting for a reaction, and they all work really well. It gives the viewer a chance to breathe and relax. Together it makes an absolutely gorgeous anime filled with small "wow" moments.
Sound 10/10: After this anime, I had to search for the OST online at once. This soundtrack is filled with both quick and fun music and relaxing orchestra. It has a lot of outstanding tracks and really helps make the anime shine. The OP is a song by the one and only nano.RIPE. It's catchy and likable and fits very well with the mood of the anime. The same can be said about the ED, which is sung by the four main characters voice actors.
Character 9/10: Though this anime had some anime cliches, like the tsundere loli, this anime has a very good character cast. The main cast consists of Komari, who is a tsundere and very childish, despite wanting to be adult-like, Natsumi, who is very lazy and loves pranks, Hotaru, who is responsible, but amusingly obsessed with a certain character, and Renge, an easily impressed, easily fascinated, weird and adorable kid. There's also the brother that never gets a line, the delinquent-like, but secretly kind Candy-Store and Nee-nee the lazy teacher/big sister (These are not actually their names, it's just what the kids call them). All the characters fit so well in the story and, even if some are cliches, it doesn't make the anime cliche. Each character is still very much it's own character and gives of a fun, likable and unique personality that fits the anime perfectly. They're funny, happy and sometimes amusingly over-the-top, especially Natsumi and Renge, who by the way is the cutest little thing on this planet.
Enjoyment 10/10: There's a reason this anime made it on my top five list of favorite anime. It's fun, relaxing and adorable, and it's just so darn likable. It's the perfect anime for a slice-of-life lover like myself. I found myself always looking forward to the next episode every week, even if it didn't have any long storyarcs, cliffhangers or a single storyline to follow. It is simply an enjoyable set of the everyday happenings of these four young girls.
Overall 9/10: This is one of the most likable and lovable anime out there. it's relaxing, pleasing to both the eyes and ears, and filled with a fun and exiting character cast. The only thing that I can comment on is the fact that it has a lot of anime characters cliches and moe, something that can put people off, and the story can get boring to people that are not into everyday happenings in anime, but don't be fooled! It's definitely worth the watch!
If you like action and drama-filled anime, this is not for you, but if you're a fan of slice of life and comedy and like or tolerate the moe art, this is your diamond. Even if you're an all-rounder like me, who likes most genres, you're probably gonna love this anime.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Feb 22, 2013
Like action? Or romance? What about fantasy? Drama? Comedy? Horror?
Every person has a unique taste in everything. When it comes to anime, you can choose as you want. The possibilities are almost endless!
Angel Beats has something for almost any taste and genre. It’s filled with action, romance, comedy, drama and more. It has a lot of different characters, the animation is beautiful, the music is brilliant and the story is interesting.
This series has many strong points. It takes the typical «souls that cannot rest because of their former lives» and instead of making a series taking place on earth with psychics and such,
...
it’s a story gathering the souls in a single place and following their fight against the universe.
Anime that try to include a wide spectre of genres often ends up messy and unfinished. That’s not the case with this one. While showing emotional and sad scenes, it mixes in a lot of comedy in between the heartbreak, this without ruining the moment.
The animation in this series is quite detailed and beautiful. The school campus looks good and the scenery is close to flawless. The character designs are wide and different for every character. It doesn’t rely on sex-appeal or moe characters, which is refreshing. The amount of detail put in the weapons and instruments is impressive. If you’re knowledgeable with these kind of things, you can clearly see what model, brand and such the different items are. The violence is dramatic, but not «gory» or noticeably special.
The action scenes does not disappoint as well. It gets your blood pumping, and that’s all it takes for a viewer to want to see more.
The series has it’s own band called «Girls Dead Monster». The amount of detail put into their performances is incredible. If you watch closely, you can see that the guitarist holds the correct chords, the drummer hits the right drums and the bassist plays as if it was a real performance. Now THAT is amazing since anime often just lets the guitarists hand slide up and down the neck of the guitar and so forth.
The musical score includes everything from quick and funny piano pieces to blood rushing and emotional orchestra.
The opening theme «My Soul, Your Beats!» is a beautiful piano song with a quick pace and fitting lyrics.
The ending theme «Brave Song» is a more typical calming song which fits well in after action scenes or emotional moments.
The one flaw I can find about Angel Beats is that it has a too wide cast for a 13 episode series where background stories and motives is what makes the character. You only get to know the story of a few chosen characters, sometimes even new characters that enter along the way of the story. There were many characters I wanted to know more about, but never got to.
The series finishes off with a satisfying final episode.
It may have a few other minor flaws, but all the brilliance of the series makes them irrelevant.
Overall, this anime is one for all tastes, and it will have you crying and laughing at the same time. You will start thinking about your own life in comparison to the pasts of the members of the Battlefront and get caught in deep thought. It is visual and musical brilliance, and I would recommend seeing this if you want a mix of everything. It did turn into one of my favorites the moment I finished it, and the same may happen to you.
Rating from 1 to 10:
Story: 9 (it was too short to cover all its potential)
Animation: 10
Music: 10
Characters: 9 (failed at revealing important info about many interesting characters)
Enjoyment: 10
Overall: A solid 9,5
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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