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Jun 29, 2021
A show made for adults who can reflect back on their youth.
I have provided additional books as recommendations to help people better understand the true value of this series. It's clear that there are people who can't understand the brilliance of Pretty Boy Detective Club and I want to help illuminate them.
What does it mean to be a boy? Can anyone be a boy? What does it mean to be pretty? What does it mean to be curious?
These are the many questions we have as children yet we forget to answer them as adults. Nisio Isin takes a cerebral approach when analyzing
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several key themes in adolescence. The lenses which frames the arc based plot revolves around mysteries that are absurd in nature but completely obvious once solved. Doesn't that remind you of every test you've taken? It should if you went to school. And this isn't a normal school anime. Let alone what it seems to portray as a reverse harem or otome. I can confirm that the romance is non existent as our main character is completely a scum who doesn't even want to feel attachment.
Now does that mean our main character, Dojima, is a bad person? No, because just like the real world people are nuanced. Her problematic outlook is in fact more of a helpful trait than one that impedes.
ARC 1
The first arc is a beautiful story about letting go of your childish ways. The dreams that you held on to aren't what defines you. Its what you learn from it once you let it go. Also they define what beauty really means. And to spell it out loud would do it injustice.
- Read The Temple of the Golden Pavilion by Yukio Mishima
ARC 2
The second arc challenges the notion of fakeness and realness much better than any Kaika Monogatari monologue can ever. Because Nisio had time to flesh out his thesis throughout the years.
- Read Simulacra and Simulation by Jean Baudrillard
ARC 3
The most challenging arc for many might be the one about art. What purpose does art have and how does one create their own art? Its a shame schools have systematically removed the arts from our curriculum because the damage is apparent. If you read discussions in forums you will notice how no one understands this arc. To help illustrate I want to recommend the following.
- Read Ship of Theseus a concept discussed by Heraclitus and Plato
ARC 4
Last but not least my favorite arc. This arc gets deep into the election politics that is rarely discussed in anime. With an attempted murder mystery looming in the background and discussions on nepotism, hierarchies, and democracy its certainly Nisio's bread and butter. There isn't much additional reading needing for this arc to understand its beautiful as we are surrounded by instances of politics everyday in life.
Overall SHAFT really stepped up with this one. Hajima Ootani who is the chief director of Assault Lily and storyboard/episode director of some of the finest shaft anime helms this series as the series director. With the assistance of Okada Kenjirou who is Sangatsu's series director, we were bound to see something visually awe inspiring. Its such an amazing pair that Shinbo works with that I am beginning to think that SHAFT is back to their prime. These 2 directors capture what Zaregoto attempted to be. I am blessed to have a strong anime exist in the pool of mediocrity that has been airing for the last 2 years.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Oct 9, 2020
This is the story of the overpowered MC named Anus.
To enjoy this show you must have some knowledge of the type of anime this is. It doesn't try to be different than the likes of Mahouka, Absolute Duo, Seireitsukai no Blade Dance, 35th Test Platoon, or any HS battle harem proxy war like series. What it does give fans is the similar feeling we had when watching the 2014 explosion of this storytelling. Unfortunately, due to isekai being a much bigger subgenre within the LN ecosystem, shows like these faded into the abyss.
With that said I am glad to get trashy series injected into the
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retina. Silver Link is known for utilizing a great staff with a small production value. This is never overly polished, it never has sakuga that gets one hyped, but it does have a consistent and clear vision that is portrayed throughout. While I believe the art is of higher standards than the recent Bofuri and Otome Game, in motion its only just average. And thats all we need from Silver Link. Its on par with the writing. The writing is never going to reach the highs of well written LN but it makes you glad to watch it and go along with Anus' adventure helping his female side bitches.
Speaking of the female characters. One might say these beautiful women are the modern day Asuka and Rei. Tsundere and Kuudere. Thats all I gotta say about the characters. Also the parents are a wonderful comic relief, as if it isnt funny enough, the parents give an oblivious and aloof charm. Because its juxtaposing a literal demon lord with a goofy set of parents you finally see Anus humbled. He is not a bad guy despite everything he is considered to be.
For man to hold this much power and to be perceived as the most evil its refreshing to see Anus interact with the likes of modern people. The deconstruction of a tyrannical ruler is something not even the likes of post-structuralist French philosophers can fully begin to understand. This series has more to offer those who are willing to look deeper. To view Maou Gakuin within a Cartesian framework would amplify its core themes and overall enjoyment tremendously.
However, sometimes an easily digestible series is better than a series that tries too hard to capture its audience. Every week you can go in expecting a level of quality and be satisfied that it delivered it. Just watch it, enjoy it, and dont make a big fuss.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Aug 12, 2017
Owarimonogatari season 2 is the conclusion, final chapter, to the main storyline presented since Bakemonogatari in 2009. And to say that it was a long time coming would be an understatement. It has been nearly a decade since I fell in love with this anime. While it has had its ups and downs it never became intolerable. For anyone who kept watching this series for this long or joined the train, enjoy the finale.
Mayoi Hell and Hitagi Rendevous are arcs with essential information that is needed to be build up before reaching the final boss. The final boss known as Ougi has been foreshadowed
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for some time now. Who is she? Where did she come from? We will have the answers to all our questions in this arc. All the pieces that have been lingering will finally connect.
Mayoi Hell consists of Ararargi going to hell after being intentionally killed by Gaen. If you haven't watched Koyominonogatari by now you should go back because it is very necessary. As well as obviously watching the rest of the series that has aired beforehand. Visually it is an extremely fun episode and seeing Ararargi and Mayoi banter after all these years is great. We saw them send each other off in the Second Season in a touching moment and in the Final Season, we see the wonderful reunion. The music that accompanies the touching moment towards the end pulls at your heartstrings. Can you call it manipulative? Sure but it sure has hell worked well. The comedic timing can be abrasive and I say this in a positive way. It's an onslaught of comedy smacking in your face with animation shifting from cartoony back to on model. With sprinkles of deep dialogue, we get a traditional Monogatari script. The most important element of the arc is Ararargi showing his attitude towards life changing but his heart remains the same. He will always want to save people even if he went back and did things again. However, he still shows some regret in the approach he took and how he could have improved on it. Anyone who has been interested in Ararararararagi's character development will be satisfied seeing him converse with Mayoi. In the second half of the arc, we are met with a character that was first introduced in Tsukimonogatari. To not get spoilers they converse about why Ararargi had to die and come back to life. This arc truly benefitted from the TV Special format because they were a ton of different settings being presented as Mayoi and Ararargi take a journey to meet the man who will bring him back to life. The animation quality was astonishing far better than what we saw in Owarimonogatari season 1.
Hitagi Rendevouz isn't just a filler date between our main cast and heroine. While Hitagi takes a large chunk of her self-proclaimed arc, Ougi Oshino interrupts to speak about the important implications that were presented in Mayoi Hell. Ougi's near threatening dialogue and the sound design gives me chills down my spine when hearing her speak to Ararargi. Without having any knowledge of the next arc, Ougi Dark, you feel anxiety throughout. But wait wait wait let's get back to the date between our main girl and main boy. Hitagi probably looks the most beautiful here than in any other series. While this is obviously a personal feeling I had to put it in the ethersphere. But being beautiful isn't just about the character design, shaft really kept up with the animation and kept her on model almost throughout. With the obvious exception of comedic animation shifts. The backgrounds are rich and full of life as Hitagi, with her new driving license, takes out Ararargi on a date. The date itself was very charming. The most befitting to a 6 months relationship. To the viewers, it has been 8 years.
Ougi Oshino is Ougi Oshino
What makes this arc very different than most arcs is that it is a bit mature, not as mature as Hanamonogatari was but close. We don't see much fan service and we see a lot of reflection of the past. Its a somber ending. I am glad we are at the conclusion. But do not fret there are more novels to be adapted which will be. While they might not hit as hard as these arcs in this season it will still be a joy to watch.
Thank you for the best 8 years of my life Nisio and SHAFT.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Apr 8, 2017
Kizumonogatari is 1 movie contrary to how it was marketed, distributed, and how mal has it entered into its database. So I will speak about the series as a whole.
Kizumonogatari takes a cinematic approach on the well-established TV series the Monogatari series. This is truly a prequel that can only be appreciated when watching all of the series up towards Owarimonogatari. If you want Kizumonogatari in the chronological order you are watching anime wrong and the entire intention of the series is ruined. The foreshadowing is lost and you lose the bigger picture SHAFT tried to create for Nisio's work.
But before going through Kizu
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1 and 2 we are here on this page for Kizu 3. Kizu 3 was truly a wounded story. A story that doesn't end happy nor does it end conclusive. It's a prequel to the giant franchise therefore whatever happens at the end is only just the beginning. The story begins right where we left off. Arararararagi has collected the arms for Kiss Shot and is now going to see her full form. After some talks with Meme, we finally see her beautiful, bodacious, succulent body in all of her motherly, milf, glory. Truly a work of art. Fastword and we get to see the conflict arise. Ararararararararagi begins to realize that Kiss Shot in her full form is a danger to the human race. Internal conflict starts to brew within our young naive main character. Most of the middle part of the movie is focused on Hanekawa and Ararararararararararagi getting prepared to fight Kiss Shot. Of course, this wouldn't be the Gatari series without fanservice. And with some big ole' titties, it's obvious that Hanekawa will motivate him with her body. So to summarize, the first half is Kiss Shot and Arararagi, Second half is Hanekawa. Now the final part is strictly a fight between the two. This fight goes on for a while but you never truly get bored. There are 10 different art styles and animation styles in this 1 fight that you never get bored. As I stated early, you will have so much fun with this. To be exact, this might be the best fight scene in all of the anime. Scratch that, might is underselling it. It is the best fight scene. Bless you, father Oishi, the series director of Bake and storyboard for Kizu. And we end with a great moment. But it's not a happy one. Everyone is equally miserable. But that's what true happiness is. Wait for that like communism. I digress. Ararararagi ends up not killing Kiss Shot and having her live her life feeding of him to live. Arararagi doesn't turn back into a human. And they will spend their lives worried about someone hunting them.
So where do the first 2 movies play in this? The first movie serves as a way to introduce us back into the world. However, in a new world, Oishi constructed. The world where things are more avant grade. The world where internal monolog isn't needed. Exposition is replaced with visual storytelling. The second movie serves as the meat of the story. Showing us the best fights and the most interesting plot points. This movie serves as the concluding narrative to branch into the sequels. Sincerely, this is the best installment in the Gatari series. But to understand the lore more one must have watched everything that aired. I have to say, this is one of the best movies I have watched in my life. Thank you, Shaft, thank you, Oishi. God bless Japan.
BUT WAIT THERES MORE. The ecchi scenes are amazing in this movie and so is the fight scenes. Hanekawa and Kiss Shot titties are a 10/10 alone.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Aug 1, 2016
Wow Under The Dog was actually good, I'm impressed. I will say they did oversell it in kickstarter but hey thats how you sell a product and I'm not mad it is a solid 7/10.
Its more substance than style because I would say this is basically something a seasonal anime can accomplish with the animation. I guess its harder to sell a story that isn't otaku pandering. But hey who knows maybe they thought they could have done this independently. But seeing as this is with KC and Orange I'm glad they worked with a competent studio. The CG is your standard Orange quality CG.
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Some scenes def looked more flashier than others and the backgrounds were simple but it got the job done.
I feel that Hana was a good main character for the amount of screen time she got. Sadly we don't get to see the Anthea till the 22 minute mark. Again, it looks like they were selling a different product at first. Anthea's introduction puts everything in to perceptive to why she comes so late in the anime. It isn't a bad thing because Hana is still a good character. The last act is what the 2 acts before it built up to. And I do say it was worth the build up. The action scenes might not be OMG sakuga nut on my screen, but it was good and interesting.
Most of the story is placed in high school where we see a gun fight going on. Don't let high school setting bother you because we only get that higschool feel for 2 or 3 minutes before everything goes ape shit. Whats great about it is that we get enough info in-between these shooting fight scenes but not overbearing to the point where we have exposition coming out the screen. There are plenty of things that the story shows you but doesn't explicitly tell you. For example the monster having green eyes as well as Hana and Anthea. They even spell it out for you in the beginning about how their hope became their nemesis. But you forget about that by the time you get to the second act. Overall there are other things but I don't want to go into detail just watch it for yourself. The entire anime is paced and directed in such a way where it feels like a mini movie.
The best part about the feel of this narrative is that it feels like a 90s OVA. Oh how I miss the OVA boom. Anyways to wrap things up, was it the over the top action/mystery flick we were planning to see? No, but it is a decent to good action anime with great build up and nice characters.
Enjoy the twist because this anime does something most anime wouldn't have. Thats all I gotta say without spoiling your experience.
I seen titties so its a good anime.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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May 31, 2015
Ok here is my in depth review on Nisekoi and why i love Nisekoi so much.
Story
Lets start with the story itself before we get into the art, direction, and other elements of the series. While many already know Nisekoi has squandered on its potential of becoming a great romance with harem elements. For some odd, or should i say predictable reasons, Komi felt the need to add fillers as well milk the story. Lets be honest here Komi is no where near Nisio where he can milk a product and make it good. Even some vols of gatari that was made out of whim
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are amazing. But lemme stop here before i go on a tangent, no cosine. But what the anime adapted was probably the strongest story arc of the series. Notice I used probably and not indefinitely. From the start we already get a love triangle from the get-go. Raku likes Onodera and vice verse, and Chitoge and Raku are forced into a fake relationship. From that point on people should have already knew that cock-blockings from both ends will occur. I mention this because that's one criticism of Nisekoi. The constant cock-blocking and tom foolery is what irritates people. Ima be honest while watching this from week to week i was getting mad as well. Only once they introduced the harem element is when I began to accept the cock-blocking tom foolery. But lemme discuss the characters of this show right now so i can show you what appeals to me.
Characters
I'll start with Chitoge last just because I know ur haterd for her. Lets start with Raku, It wont be long nor do i plan on summarizing the characters.. Raku is a pretty generic harem MC. While enjoyable then most pussies out there he doesn't fall to far from the tree. Shu is best friend is a good wing-man. He is always looking out from him plus he is a great comic relief character. His interaction with Ruri are funny and cute at the same time because of the subtle love interest between them. So basically we have 2 relationships forming. Which is entertaining enough to see. inb4thisshowisaboutshuandruri the whole time :mindfk:. Tsugumi can be irratating at times but her body makes up for all the bs she does. When she has love interest for Raku i guess some could have been slightly irratated. But to all honesty she hides her feelings well enough where it doesn't effect the show at all. Its all part of the harem train.
Now that i got rid of the side characters lets talk about the main three girls in the harem. This is what makes me really fall in [s]false[/s] LOVE with the show. Onodera Kosaki is absolutely the best character my eyes has ever laid on. Ill try to keep this short or else i can go on another huge essay about her. The fact that both Raku and Onodera like each other, the fact that they both have a key and a locket, the fact that they are probably the couple that would actually work out, is all the reasons why she is the strongest character in the series. By strongest i mean the one thats going to/should "win." Her cutesy shy charm is cute af. She isn't an annoying sub character that's just thrown in there. She actually has a lot of personality. In later episodes of the anime we see her getting a little bit more aggressive or should i say assertive with her attitude towards Raku. With Ruri always pushing her we finally see some character development. YES a character development in what many say is a plotless anime where nothing happens. If anything, if we really wanna look at it from a serious stand point, Onoderas character development with Raku alone is what makes this show soo good. We started with Onodera in episode one and we ended with Onodera in the last episode.
Now lets talk about your favorite character. Tachibana is a good character. When added to the harem this is where the doodoo hits the fan. Because it is clear that Tachibana is the promise girl from the picture (we are only talking bout the first season). Raku's clear choice would be to go with her. But the thing is when Tachibana is introduced and even after, Onodera and Chitoge has already made so much progression with Raku. As of now Raku already is showing interest in either Chitoge and Onodera. With Chitoge it seems like the classic "been together for so long u start to fall in love", wit Onodera he always liked her. So adding Tachibana only seems to be there for harem plot element and an entertaining character. Well Tachibana isn't the one i have to be defending here lemme get to Chitoge or as you like to call her [s]best girl[/s] Shitoge
So look I'm not here to convert atheists into believers,I'm just tryna say the way anime need Shaft Studio, the way Raku needed needs Chitoge, that's the way I need Kosaki. lel okay I'm done lemme chill before i turn this into a rap. The reason why you (and if this not the reason) why most people hate Chitoge is cause of the following. She is an annoying tsundere. At first she is extremely intolerable. She shows zero interest in Raku and she ruins the mood. But later on when you actually see slight jealously you begin to look at it in a cute way. Personally Chitoge grows on you. Out of every character in the series she has one of the most character development. The arc/scene where she was in the beach and all jealous and shit just proves that she is developing feelings for Raku. That's fucking character development. I mean if u were put into a position you don't want to be in of course you will be extremely intolerable at first. When it comes to love interest she has the biggest shot because Raku also shows somewhat same feelings back. It goes from obligation to actually want to be with each other. Ill give u the fact that she was horrible at first but it is extremely acceptable for her to behave that way. The fact that she eases up so much just shows us that Komi isn't a complete retard and he actually wants to push the story. This is me speaking from the anime stand point. I'm well aware of how the manga likes to diverge from the plot. As a main girl she isn't that bad. It shows a nice, overcoming of obstacles in order to achieve a love interest. Hate it or love it that's a fact and you know it. To tell you the truth I think i defended her well enough as a character. If you have any rebuttals please let me know so i can further expand on any issues you find.
Art/Direction/Ost
Oh boy, lets discuss the studio breh. So lets start with this. Nisekoi and shaft studio complement each other well. If this went to a different studio I feel i would have gotten a different show. Boring backgrounds, not enough exaggeration in motion and movement, and something different all together. With nisekoi shaft actually showed effort. Unlike MCA (but that's another story and im no story teller). Please don't discuss the industry and it isnt shaft's fault that it had a nice budget, I already know! But the art in nisekoi is nice. It gives u a warm feeling at the same not feeling overly complicated. My one complaint would be the BD's butchering some of the bgs for the sake of sparkles. But when we get shaft we expect nice sceneries (even in dance in the vampire bund which felt extremely low budgeted). The character designs are similar if not better than the manga design. Lastly, the overall atmosphere is far more richer than the manga. So if we are comparing the first 50 chapters of what shaft adapted i would honestly say this is an instance where anime exceeds the source material. Shaft, believe it or not adapted the manga pretty well. Aside from inserting their artistic flare from time to time it stayed pretty faithful.
While camera angels and cuts aren't as extreme as most of the gatari series Shaft still tends to use these methods. Also with changing animations for funny scenes this has the complete package. I really do enjoy their style and i can go on forever about it but honestly Nisekoi is shafty af but not toooo shafty. its the perfect balance. Its not too tame and not too wild. From time to time its nice to see them adapt something like this. So the reason i mention all this is to add why i enjoy this "seemingly generic harem" more than most harems i watch. It isn't because of the story but its because of the art, direction, and characters that draw me into this show. I cant see how one who likes their shows can dislike this show. I cant comprehend 1 character ruining the entire show.
Tbh im not the type of guy to pick up on the ost. I overlook it most of the time. But the music in Nisekoi lifts the overall mood of the series greatly. When I re-watched it in BD quality I picked up certain things and i found myself engrossed in the show. When hearing the ost play over certain scenes it just makes things fun for me. Shaft sure knows how to place the ost in scenes and make it work. It really is one of their strong suits and ill be sure to pick that up in more series.
So here is my ultimatum. Whatever you found wrong, flawed, weak, or needing further expansion on, please let me know. I believe i defended why I like Nisekoi well enough.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Dec 31, 2014
Wow coming into Tsukimonogatari i knew i was gonna get a different vibe from Hana from the start. The reason i liked tsuki more than hana is because hana seemed liked a conclusion and conclusions aren't really "fun" per say, they are just to wrap everything up. With Tsuki we are getting more plot progression and ALOT of foreshadowing. Honestly for those who don't know even the littlest hints of spoilers these foreshadowing will go over your head. When Oshino Ouji states that "the more u lose the more you mature" it just gave me chills cuz after seeing hana (which is the last part
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of the story, for now who knows what nisio wants to do) we realize how mature Araragi has become. To the point where he is still Araragi but you can tell there was a great deal of maturity (thx god his character is always there ie. lifting Ononoki's skirt). Also the ending with interactions with Teori and Araragi. Thats all i gotta say i know if i say more ppl will hate me for spoiling an essential part of the series and i will be exterminated from existence by hate messages. Without spoiling it lemme just say, you really gotta read into what he is actually saying. Cause there is a lot of meaning in it.
For being Ononoki's arc it did a decent job at progressing her character. With every arc we sense more growth with the characters at hand. You don't see Ononoki as just a doll anymore but more as a human, or monster. However you want to look at it. I was beginning to doubt her involvement in all of this because of how much screen time the fire sisters were getting. But the fire sisters were an important asset to this arc so it made sense.
Now the fan service. You truly can't have SHAFT directing something without giving u top notch fan service. THANK U SHAFT FOR MAKING THE FIRE SISTERS SO FUCKING BEAUTIFUL. I doubted fire sister lovers for the longest and giving no mind to them. But god damn. GOD DAMN. GOD DAAAAAAAAMN. (Beyonce flow).
Shinobu is great as always, seeing her cute face makes me wanna rip my cock off because i'd rather rub my non-existent genitalia on her pussy and make sweet lesbian love to her because no dick in this world is worthy of Kiss-Shot Acerola-Orion Heart-Under-Blade's vagina.
Overall i would say this arc is one of the stronger arcs in the gatari series. And Nisio never fails to be soooo fucking anticlimactic with that ending. Its cute that we got to see Hitagi at the end. Moreover SHAFT really did do this arc justice. The music felt fresh, the art was amazing, the transition scenes changed from the traditional style but it fit this arc. Also, the backgrounds, honestly the most detailed and colorful backgrounds this series has gotten in a while. Im really glad they changed the vibe from hana but it just shows that hana was meant to look that way. It was a conclusion after all. I rated it a 9/10 on mal but honestly it deserves a 9.5 or higher. It didn't just match my hype like hana did but it actually exceeded my expectation.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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