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Feb 5, 2015
I'll warn about spoilers, but they're pretty much identical to most complaints already listed here so not much in the way of spoilers. They relate to the completeness of the anime.
You've been warned.
Ok, so this anime doesn't actually have an ending. It's such a mess you can hardly tell if you're still looking at the same anime from episode to episode, as things such as alternative timelines, alternative realities, fake scenarios and pure and simple lies appear on screen for most of the run time. I am purely an anime viewer; I don't know where this came from, and to be completely honest I don't
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really care either. I heard quite a lot was cut out of this show, and that originally it did follow some resemblance of structure, rules and viewers could actually tell scenarios apart. However, that much is not true here.
If I had to establish a comparison to what watching this show feels like, I would probably say this is the "Lost" of anime. There's intricate plot right at the beginning that pulls you in; the uncertainty of whether what's happening is supernatural or cold blooded murder was, to me, quite fascinating to watch. Then it's set aside. Then there's another one. Then the flashbacks begin. Then the flash forwards. Except the flash forwards are of an alternate timeline. Come to think of it, this might be a straight adaptation of lost. However, Lost certainly had one thing over this show: at least when it ended, for better of for worse, it was truly the end. Without wanting to spoil it too much: No, you won't be told the accurate answers to the riddles put in place (they even taunt the viewers about it near the end in a post-credits scene). No, you won't be able to re-view the events as they actually happened.
I consider this failure to wander in the mystery/horror category, although there's not much in the way of horror after a few episodes when everything starts happening in the open. So it fails as horror. And considering that it doesn't even bother to actually solve the mystery it suggested in the first place in any way, shape or form, it also fails as a mystery. An argument could be made that part of the fun is finding out by yourself. The issue is, there's simply not enough info at play here. Towards the end it's hard to even tell what the show is trying to do, considering the focus of the show shifts from solving a mystery about a possible supernatural murder to... punching the hell out of demons and then trying to justify that it didn't happen. I hear that makes more sense in the source's setting, where everything was correctly explained. However, here, it feels like they're quite literally punching the shit out of Jesus and then claiming he doesn't exist at the same time.
Story: 0
I don't consider this show to have a story. A story has a beginning, a development and an end, and preferably those three acts are at least vaguely connected. The beginning is there, and it is undoubtedly the best part. The middle is unrecognizable from the beginning, and often times you'll be wondering what you should be trying to figure out as a viewer of a show that is supposed to be about solving a murder, as the show drags on about character development in flashbacks, alternate settings, flashforwards, alternate realities, et cetera. I'm not saying that character development is bad. I'm just saying it shouldn't stand in the way of the show, but it should naturally accompany it, not hold it up for a whole episode and then resume the murder mystery scene.
Art: 4
I don't care about the art. It didn't look amazing. There was a bit of gore. Yay.
Sound: 5
I care even less about the sound. The kid was unbelievably obnoxious. There was some nice classical music. Most of the "young" voice actors made me want to punt them, hard. Realistic, I guess.
Character: 3
If I were to remove about 10 episodes in the middle of the show, I would probably rate this higher. However, at a certain part around the middle of the show character development got really, really weird. It would be a safe bet to say most of the "evil" characters were off their bipolar meds when they woke up that month. I somewhat enjoyed the MC for once (in an endearing sort of way), shame it was wasted on such a mess of a show.
Enjoyment: 1
It's hard to make things retroactively bad. I enjoyed the first mystery. I enjoyed the first "red text" interaction. That being said, I enjoyed them because they provided me with the tools I thought I would need to put together to figure out the true nature of what happened. It's like buying a box of legos, assembling the build only to find out that while you have the wheels, the steering wheel and the spoilers for your f1 lego car, the whole chassis and the pilot are missing.
Overall: 1
Whole lot of hype for no reveal. Had I known, I wouldn't have bothered.
Reviewer’s Rating: 1
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Dec 13, 2014
This show won't contain spoilers, but will gloss over some of the story arcs.
I see a lot of hatred for this show, and while I am not surprised, I am a bit saddened. I wrote a review for this show back when it was in ep 16, and have since completed the entire show at least 4 separate times; the only other show that I've seen so much of was Code Geass.
I would like to start with the biggest complaint that everyone seems to have with this show: the main character, Shiba Tatsuya. While this anime most certainly seems to be your run-of-the-mill show featuring
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magic and highschools, you'd be wrong to believe that you'll find here what you've found in countless other shows. Having now seen my fair share of anime, I know that your average MC is usually someone who doesn't know much about what's going on, is somewhat clumsy, is extremely squeamish and often times find himself following other people's plans, even if s/he has doubts about it, and is extremely powerful.
Having said this, a few of the readers may think of a few shows that do not do this; personally, Code Geass and Death Note (two of my personal favorite shows) come to mind. In my previous review, I compared the MC from Code Geass and from Death Note to the one portrayed in this show, which upset a lot of people. The truth is, all of these characters are pretty much the opposite of what I just described as being the average MC, aside from power. It would seem we can't have a show where the less powerful defeat the more powerful without becoming more powerful themselves.
Story: 9/10
One of the most astonishing things about Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei is the pacing. It's slow; very, very slow. I was initially thrown off by how slow it was, and held it against the show; however, as it progressed, I started to realize how great it was that it was taking its time. Truth is, this anime does more than tell a story; it paints a complete picture of how magic works, why it works, practical applications, the effect that power and the lack thereof has on people, has reasonably extensive background stories for nearly all of the secondary characters. If you simply want a fast-paced action show, run away as far as you can from this one.
Truth be told, the way this show likes to detail how everything fits together reminds me of Tolkien's works with Middle Earth, and that is not a comparison I will do easily.
The one thing that I truly dislike and that feels the most out of place with this show is the extremely strong brother complex that goes on between Tatsuya and Miyuki. I understand that the sister has to like her brother (for that one thing that happens later on in the show to happen), but this is just overkill.
Art: 9/10
I'm not good with art. I like the simplistic, clean look of the characters and the environments, even if they can feel a bit lacking at times.
Sound: 9/10
I usually don't really care about sound. I just don't notice it for the most part; however, Code Break has joined my music library as one of the very few songs that I have bothered to get from anime. I really enjoy the mix of drums, whistles, vocals and dubstep. It really added quite to the few battles in the show.
I did, however, deduct 1 point for the weird violinish songs played during brother complex segments. Just no.
Character: 10/10
I mentioned characters in the preface. I would say that MC does not change throughout the show, as this show is primarily about revealing who he is and what he can truly do. However, all other character significantly evolve around the MC, which is made possible through the slow nature of this show. It's quite interesting to see the change of mentality and how people change their opinion of Tatsuya throughout the show.
Truth is that I really wish all MCs could be like this. I have no personal interest in shows where the MC is "clumsy, fiery and lovable". However, opinions are like assholes; everyone has one. I just happen to enjoy cold, calculating MCs that rely on their intelligence rather than their "guts" to complete challenges.
Enjoyment: 10/10
I can count the amount of anime shows I've seen a second time in one hand. I'll even list them: No Game No Life (4x), Code Geass (4x), Death Note (2x), Highschool of the Dead (2x) Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei (4x). Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei is one of the few anime shows out there that encourages the viewer to actually think about what they're viewing. This is a show that is best viewed while thinking about what's being presented to you. If I had to find the exact opposite viewing experience, I would say Gurren Lagann; a show good in its own right, just as long as you don't think about it and just enjoy the spectacle of robots larger than galaxies throwing, well, galaxies at each other.
Overall: 10/10
I actively search for shows similar to this one quite often. Not many exist, and often times they can be quite buried down in their rank, as they're not necessarily the most popular types of story. This is most certainly a good acquisition as the 5th show I give a rating of 10/10. I really hope that there will be a second season.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Jul 26, 2014
This show is such a train wreck it's not worth a full review. Here's a shortened version for your convenience (and mine):
Story: 0/10
How can someone rate 0 on a story? Well, it's simple: the whole show is a buildup for season two, and explains about fuckall. A few minor characters get some background exposure, but even that is poorly executed and overall uninteresting. The end is an absolute mess. The character development is so absent it often times feels like characters are going backwards in development, getting tricked several times in a row by the same lies and tactics.
It's worth 0 simply because it is
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worthless.
Art: meh/10
I'm not a big art guy. This was so uninteresting to look at that I spent most of my time looking at my fortress on dwarf fortress. I know I didn't find it particularly good, and other people seem to have noticed that it's inconsistent, uninspired and possibly even just a knockoff of characters from other shows.
Sound: forgettable/10
I don't remember a single song from the show. I don't care much about voice actors, so I can't really judge them; but it sounded as standard as it gets.
Character: -2/10
Sweet lord in heaven, how can a show about magic have such weak main characters? All the main characters get defeated over, and over, and over again, to the point where you wonder what the hell they've been learning in their high school and when their teachers are going to start teaching them how not to suck at life 101. Towards the end the sensei to end all senseis steps in and teaches the main character to actually use magic in about three days (after him theoretically learning it for a year). Suddenly the main character can move faster than someone teleporting. Seriously, what a mess.
I actually feel like expanding on this topic.
What do we have as the MC crew?
Here's a short breakdown:
A guy who uses evasion magic. Which theoretically means he should never get hit, yet gets his ass handed to him by physical blows he could've easily avoided every other minute.
A girl who uses illusion magic. It somewhat feels like the only reason this is a thing is for the obvious sexual innuendo the people creating this show could cram into this concept. Fanservice galore for a few episodes, and then they completely forget that she's a witch for the rest of the show except when someone needs a bit of healing (even though I've never seen her heal anyone all the way to recovery). Great move, whoever made this.
A guy who uses destruction magic. I'm sorry, I meant to say a guy who uses self-destruction magic. He's so bad at it that the only thing he can do right is give his magical powers to the first mc so they can have a nice little deus ex machina moment every few episodes. You'd expect him to get better at it after practicing for a year, but his improvements are so subtle you could be forgiven for not noticing.
A girl that uses a pistol to shoot fire. Oh, and I can't remember a single instance where she actually defeated an enemy, even though she was technically more powerful than anyone else in this crew.
And because you can't have generic without a harem, both girls love the first mc, even though he's completely oblivious to it. Props to the makers to actually make the MC oblivious all the way to the end, and not actually revealing it to him. I, too, believe character development is grossly overrated.
Enjoyment: 5/10
Hey, my dwarves managed to beat a human to death using nothing but their bare hands, hence avenging their fallen comrades from the madness of the wereiguana, while the show was playing in the background. Now *that's* entertainment value. This show is made for background playing: it's usually very slow and relevant sections are short and far in between. Except for the last episode, which makes me question the sanity of whoever thought this plot was a good idea. I enjoyed watching my fortress while some really contrived plot was happening off to the screen on the side.
Overall: 3/10
This show proves that it is possible for the ending of a series to retroactively make the rest of the series bad. If I had to rate it after 2 episodes, it would've been an 8. If I had to rate it after 6, it would've been a 6. At this point I wonder if I really want to give it a 4 or I should just go with a nice, fitting 2 or 1. If you want a good dumb, action-oriented show where you can just turn your mind off for 12x25min and enjoy some mindless action, do yourself a favor and avoid this like the plague, because even the most brain dead person on myanimelist would have a hard time arguing this show has entertainment value at all.
Reviewer’s Rating: 3
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Jul 6, 2014
This review does not contain spoilers, but does warn viewers about the pacing of the show.
Pandora Hearts most certainly starts with a bang; the plot thickens within the first few minutes of the show, questions are raised, interesting characters are introduced one after another.
We learn about a mysterious event that happened 100 years ago, and only a couple of (now balls-to-the-wall insane) characters know what exactly went down.
And I hope that this premise entertains you because as the show goes only the mysteries that matter the least are solved. A couple of big reveals occur during the 24 episodes, but the pacing of the show
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is completely lost around episodes 10-14. If the show were separated in two, I would probably rate the first season a solid 8 or 9. However, it seems pretty obvious that the script was simply not finished, so the show goes from solving a mystery to solving suicidal tendencies and completely forgetting why the characters were doing what they were doing in the first place.
I decided to view this immediately after watching Zetsuen no Tempest, which I fount absolutely amazing. Perhaps the negative aspects of Pandora Hearts are more visible due to that, but if I had to choose between these two somewhat similar shows, there would be no shadow of a doubt that I'd pick Zetsuen no Tempest.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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