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- JoinedApr 15, 2021
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Jun 8, 2022
I've noticed that a lot of people on here have given reviews for Yamada-kun before they even hit the 100 chapter mark in the story. So, to preface, I've completed the manga, and I'd give the series a solid 6.
Let me start off by saying that, as a whole, I enjoyed the manga. With that being said, the story was bogged down by repetitive plot devices and poor characterization. This holds especially true towards the latter half of the manga, and especially in the last twenty chapters or so.
The manga starts strong, with interesting characters and a fun plot. However, it seems like
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- at some point - the author just stopped trying to come up with new plot ideas. Instead, the plot device of "everyone losing their memories" is used over, and over, and over, and over again. I've genuinely lost count of how many times people have lost their memories, or discovered that they've lost their memories. Now, using this plot device once is fine. But its repeated use is flat-out annoying. It also eliminates all of the character development that occurs, since characters literally forget about their memories with other characters.
Moreover, I'm not a fan of the way that Yamada is characterized in the story. His relationship with the Main Girl (MG) is weird, and is never fully fleshed out. In fact, he hardly spends time with her throughout the story, and we don't get to witness their relationship actually growing. In addition, Yamada constantly does things that wouldn't make sense if he were truly in love with MG. For example, he constantly pushes her away when there's a chance that he had feelings for another girl during one of his many memory wipeouts. He also constantly places his own selfish interests ahead of MG's. Now, this wouldn't be an issue if it created problems in their relationship, or was used to push their relationship forward in some way. But instead, MG just glosses over it, and doesn't seem to pay it any mind. But given all of Yamada's affronts to MG, it doesn't make sense why she'd continue to love him. Their relationship, in other words, doesn't make sense given the way he treats her.
So, to conclude, I'd rate the show a solid 6. It's worth a read, and can be very entertaining at its best. But at its worst, it can be boring and repetitive, and you feel like you're just continuuing to read out of an obligation since you've already sunk so much time into it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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May 23, 2022
Black Clover, by any objective measure, is not a perfect anime. The animation can be shoddy, it suffers from a slow start, and other anime have better stories. That said, for the right type of person, Black Clover can be absolutely perfect. It was for me, which is why I rank Black Clover a solid 10 out of 10.
Let's get the common criticisms out of the way first. Yes, the animation in Black Clover can be less than stellar at times. You can immediately point out which episodes were poorly animated. Thus, if you're the type of person who requires that their anime be
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at top quality animation at all points during its story, you may be disappointed. In my mind, however, Black Clover makes up for this at its big moments. The big fights are animated fantastically, to the degree that you often can't believe you're watching the same anime. It's not at Demon Slayer Entertainment District Arc level, but when it's good, it's good.
Another common criticism is that Black Clover can be "generic." Some people see this as a criticism, but I see it as a strength. Black Clover does not try to be something that it is not. It KNOWS that it is a shonen anime, and uses shonen tropes perfectly. In other words, its generic-ness is its strength. Black Clover is able to draw on all the interesting aspects of the shonen genre while presenting an interesting story. It plays on shonen tropes by having its characters be self-aware of their status as heroes. And because Black Clover isn't trying to be anything more than a shonen, it's able to be exactly what it sets out to be.
Now let's get to the good stuff. Black Clover far surpasses other animes when it comes to character interactions and development. Over the course of the anime, you really come to feel like you *know* the characters. They are all distinct and have interesting personalities, and they have relationships with each other that all stem from their own uniqueness. At times, Black Clover can feel like your favorite slice of life or sitcom. You gain enjoyment just by watching the characters be themselves. You begin to love the little inside jokes that some characters have with each other, and you genuinely feel the team camaraderie between the Magic Knights and, especially, the Black Bulls.
Many people look over this aspect of Black Clover, but it's what makes the anime so great. Because of the excellent characters, even filler episodes feel valuable. You get to spend time watching your favorite characters deepen their bonds with one another, and because of this, the big moments in the show feel bigger. You feel more excited when Asta accomplishes something because you know what he's gone through to get where he is. You understand his struggle, and sympathize with him. You *want* him to succeed.
Black Clover ignites the same fire in me that watching Dragon Ball as a child did. It's insanely hype: the emotional moments land, and the fights have you sitting at the edge of your chair. The show is simultaneously funny, charming, heartbreaking, and exciting. If that sounds like something you'd be interested in, watch Black Clover. I guarantee you'll enjoy it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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May 22, 2022
Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic had the potential to be a great anime, but it was held back by poor character development (especially on the part of Alibaba) and staggered pacing.
The show starts off great, leaving viewers with a warm feeling in their stomachs. But things start veering dangerously downhill with the introduction of Alibaba. Now, don't get me wrong. When Alibaba is first introduced, he seems like a great foil to Aladdin. He initially comes across as intelligent, funny, and charismatic... with a hint of something greater underneath. Unfortunately, none of this is ever truly explored. Instead, the show characterizes Alibaba in an
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entirely shallow and superficial way. In one instance, he'll risk his life to save the life of someone less fortunate. Then, five minutes later, he'll be too cowardly to talk back to someone. He routinely acts in ways that endanger his friends and comrades out of sheer selfishness, with no rhyme or reason to his madness.
All this wouldn't be a problem if Alibaba were a deep character. If that were the case, then his contradictory character traits would be demonstrative of depth. Instead, it often feels as if the writers of the show combined character traits of two different characters into one person. It's impossible to predict what Alibaba will do, because the audience has no baseline to judge things off of. He has no set character, and because of this, constantly acts in ways that seem off-character to the viewer. It's incredibly frustrating.
Moreover, Alibaba doesn't ever really grow as a character. The important part of character growth in any work of fiction is to actually highlight the character's journey. But with Alibaba, the writers take us from 0 to 100, real quick. He turns into a completely different person from one episode to the next. As a result, all of his achievements come across as incredibly undeserved.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Aug 1, 2021
11/10.
What's there to be said about Sora Yori that hasn't already been said? The show is simultaneously sweet, funny, beautiful, sad, nostalgic, heartwarming, and heartbreaking.
From a technical point of view, this show is near perfect. The animation style is unique, the music choices are funny, the plot points feel real, the payouts feel deserved, and the characters are insanely relatable and deep. But rank 9 animes have many of these characteristics as well. What sets Sora Yori apart as a 10 (and, in my view, an 11) is its ineffable quality.
Sora Yori is the type of anime to sit with you for a
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long time. It affects you deeply and in a real way. It makes you think about your own life, and inspires you to go on your own life's journey. It has that mystical quality that makes a 10 anime a 10. It represents the best of anime as an art form.
My only regret is that I can't watch this show again for the first time.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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