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Liz to Aoi Tori (Anime) add (All reviews)

Apr 2, 2024

Kyoumas

Recommended

The plot of Liz and the Blue Bird is straightforward, but its narrative approach adds depth and nuance. By avoiding voice-over exposition of the characters' inner thoughts, the film allows the viewer to interpret their emotions independently. This fits seamlessly with the central theme of empathising with the feelings of others.

As for the animation, it's simply stunning.
The use of planes is well thought out, as is the drawing style, colour palette and post-production effects to create a more cinematic and analogue effect.

Having initially underestimated the significance of Liz and the Blue Bird in relation to the Hibike Euphonium series, it was pleasantly surprised by its ...

Ishuzoku Reviewers (Anime) add (All reviews)

Apr 2, 2024

PrinceLukai

Mixed Feelings

Preliminary (4/12 eps)

If you like monstergirls this is great for you. Multiple main characters of different flavors of gender identity and tastes. Though rarely female. Not a show to watch for plot. Its pretty bare bone. Prevy party goes to brothals around a fantasy world rating each monster escort. Speaking of there is a vast number of monster girls of many different shapes and sizes from short to tall, skinny to chubby. Everything.

The animation is pretty good. It looks nice and the voice acting is alright.
There isnt many full on sex scenes, its mainly ecchi but the scenes we do get are very nice and tailored ...

Tsugumomo (Anime) add (All reviews)

Apr 2, 2024

WAndrei

Not Recommended

Preliminary (8/12 eps)

WARNING!
THIS SERIES IS CP! AVOID AT ALL COSTS!

I will talk about some generic stuff first so MAL doesn't crucify me.

Story: Boy who lost his mom is raped by his mom's belt and others (I wish I was joking). I guess there is some supposed action and spirits blah blah blah.
Characters:Rapists
Music: I don't remember anything :).
Art: I have no way to judge art unless it's really bad or really good so don't ask me.

...

Ore dake Level Up na Ken (Anime) add (All reviews)

Apr 2, 2024

rtil

Not Recommended

Funny

Ah yes, the timeless tale of a down on his luck regular guy who stumbles upon an encounter with eldritch gods, only to be imbued with the power of - you guessed it - video games!

Solo Leveling takes every element of storytelling and replaces it with literal RPG-esque pop-ups telling you that something happened or that a number went up, rather than ever giving you anything meaningful to earn character development or progression in what could hardly be called a plot. You realize this quickly as our downtrodden hero encounters his first enemies on his own - a couple of unassuming goblins. But it's not ... enough that there are goblins on screen - there's text above their head that says GOBLIN, just in case you were utterly lost without it. But do not fret, for they are level 1 punk goblins, the weakest of all goblins. Fortunately, our brave hero has been training for 1 day, and he has put 23 points in to STR so he can easily defeat them. This is the kind of high quality writing you can expect from Solo Leveling - any moment of tension or growth being replaced with brainless video game slop so you can "turn your brain off" and watch something so derivative it might as well be playing underneath some Subway Surfers gameplay on TikTok and you wouldn't miss a thing.

Solo Leveling wastes absolutely no time becoming a power fantasy as by the 5th episode our self-insert is a certified muscle-bound gigachad who makes every woman who sees him instantly drool over his physique. It's kind of like if Goku became a super saiyan at the beginning of Dragonball Z, rather than having anything of consequence build up to it. And it's not like DBZ is a difficult bar to cross in the world of shounen, but here we are.

Solo Leveling has a plot device called "the system", which is essentially deus ex machina in that there is no consequence to any threat Jinwoo encounters during his battles because it will immediately offer him a solution no matter how close to losing or dying he might be. Level 18 vs a C-rank boss? What the hell does that mean in the context of this world? Who cares! His fatigue is at 57, it will go higher if he slows down, because that's what fatigue is. 57 sounds high I guess... oh, "the system" gave him a full restore item, he's fine now! Riveting stuff.

In any case, there are occasionally good ideas buried deep within the contrivances and insanely lazy writing of this universe, but it really doesn't matter. I would not recommend this to even the most unseasoned of anime viewers. After many years of Crunchyroll trying to convince me manwha adaptations are the new hotness, this is just another one i'm throwing on the pile of pale imitations of far better anime and manga they're clearly inspired from. Watch Shangri-la Frontier instead if you're in to video game adjacent fantasy. Hell, watch Sword Art Online instead. I can't believe I'm even saying that.

Seishun Buta Yarou wa Odekake Sister no Yume wo Minai (Anime) add (All reviews)

Apr 2, 2024

447799

Not Recommended

It's just another subpar addition to the Seishun Buta Yarou Series.

There's barely any story, the movie is about Kaede deciding between correspondence school and Sakuta's school and that's it, not much occurs that could create any gripping tension. Even though this movie is only one hour long, it still feels way longer than it should be due to the lack of plot. Combined with the lack of substance, the anime still keeps the flaws of its predecessors. Cringeworthy interactions with Sakuta, especially with Mai, jokes that weren't funny for the first time being repeated after many times; scenes of the characters just doing daily normal ...

Chiyu Mahou no Machigatta Tsukaikata (Anime) add (All reviews)

Apr 2, 2024

WAndrei

Not Recommended

Preliminary (5/13 eps)

Story: 3/10 Very Bad
Kirito#2^31 gets KIDNAPPED to trash fantasy world#2^31 with seito kaichou#2^31 and third wheel kazuki. There they meet king baby chicken#2^31 in the copy pasted palace. After that, sexy OP woman who is probably insane but then it turns out she is a tusdenere omg who would have expected that not me#2^31(at least she wears clothes) takes him away to become the true protagonist and get all the bitches.

Characters: 1/10 Appalling
The main characters are INSANE. So, the biggest turd on the covers of the anime (I refuse to call him "protagonist") is an EVIL PSYCHOPATH. For example: he is sent deep into a ... forest to kill a bear who has wronged no one as far as we know. He stalks him and his family for a while but when he is ready to kill him for literally nothing, he finds out the Papa bear was killed so he takes his orphaned son away as a pet. After a while, he stumbles into Papa bear's old home and with a sad face and a voice with a sad hue while looking pityingly at his pet he says:"This is the den where Blurin used to live. His parents were killed by a giant snake monster." LIKE HE WASN'T ABOUT TO KILL HIS PARENTS COMPLETELY UNPROVOKED. WHAT AN EVIL PSYCHOPATH! SCARY! Also, since he is in another world he will likely never see his loved ones ever again. Forget the permanent crippling effects such a separation would cause especially to a child, this joke of a character is happy about not being an npc anymore except a turd that starts using healing magic simply becomes a healing turd :). Speaking of psychopaths, we have student council president who is also EXALTED to be kidnapped from her family in order to earn a living by killing everything that crosses her path in someone else's war in another world. SCARY! The rests consists of the tsundere captain and the 3rd hero who is an npc which unironically makes him seem the most human out of all and thankfully, he SPECIFICALLY isn't dating seitokaichou since he is not the main character nor the love interest XDD. Wouldn't want the pretty girl to be snatched from the main turd now would we? XDD

Music: 4/10 Bad
Art: 2/10 Horrible
I honestly don't care about music much, but I was forced for a few seconds to listen to it while looking to skip the intro and I wasn't captivated enough to listen fully. I have even less of a knack for art so I won't talk about it EXCEPT there is one thing completely INFURIATING that I am sure anyone above the age of 18 would agree with: The demon general woman who is in PANTIES ALL THE TIME. I am so tired of this thing where women can't get any pants. You are a general of the demon kings army and at best you dress like a fool who is playing around and at worst you dress like a harlot IN FRONT of the king of demons and on the battlefield. I don't appreciate when women are treated like this. I seriously gave art 2/10 just for this mockery.

Humor: 0/10
"HUMOR" SO BAD IT MADE ME WANT TO K*LL MY*ELF!!
Every "attempt" at humor was just the turd making faces that made me wish I could just go there and rip his jaw off. Other "attempts" at humor ware the bear who was acting not like a wild animal but a chinese zoo bear. Animals in anime acting so human and making the sounds of people who have no idea what the animal's actual noises are, are DISGUSTING!

In counclusion, if you do the arithmetic mean of all the scores I've given, you get 2, meaning 2/10 for this piece of garbage. Horrible.

Sekai Saikou no Ansatsusha, Isekai Kizoku ni Tensei suru (Anime) add (All reviews)

Apr 2, 2024

DIVYANIME

Mixed Feelings

I THINK I AM CONFUSED ABOUT WHETHER I SHOULD RECOMMEND IT OR NOT
ANMATION(5 or 5.6)
animation was pretty crappy considering the year it is realeased was 2021 like i have seen better animated anime that were released 9-10 years and seriously what the hell was wrong with carriage driver...some drivers looked too artificial and in some carriage driver were placed at a height above the roof of carriage. the background character and even character design was too bad like ill rate the overall animation max to max 6.
STORY(7.5)
this story was definitely not a unique concept. I have scene number of anime where some random kid gets ...

Super Crooks (Anime) add (All reviews)

Apr 2, 2024

VanniePon

Mixed Feelings

I watched the whole Anime and I needed to take two breaks to finally finish it.

The concept of the Anime is about Heros and Villains and how they fight each other. Our Main character Jonny is a bad guy and he also has a Superpower of his own, together with a team he breaks into stores and steals a lot of money.

If it would be more like an Comic or like an American Show, it would fit this Anime better, cause I got some Superman Vibes, but I didn't get the feeling that I was watching an Anime.

The artstyle is amazing and the characters ...

Mashle: Shinkakusha Kouho Senbatsu Shiken-hen (Anime) add (All reviews)

Apr 2, 2024

Turbiini

Not Recommended

Season 2 of Mashle was quite disappointing, even though it didn't differ from the first season that much. That is the problem though. Mashle is supposed to be a parody of fantasy tropes and specifically Harry Potter but it fell into the trap most parodies fall into. Instead of actively making fun of the tropes in fantasy media, it exaggerates them as an excuse for the lazy writing.

The writing itself is very simple which isn't a problem as long as there is something else keeping the story interesting. Watching Mash come up with crazy methods to beat his opponents was hilarious in season 1, but ...

Chainsaw Man (Anime) add (All reviews)

Apr 2, 2024

Jahra

Recommended

Definitely deserving of the hype!

Story 9/10
Compelling, absurd and funny, there's nothing more to ask for. World building is done in a way that leaves you excited for what's to come. Comedy is definitely better animated than in the manga, though this is mostly due to there being voice acting, which helps a ton in delivering lines. Literally, the perfect cutoff point for the first season since the rest of the series will be a notable downgrade story-wise.

Art 9/10
Beautifully done CG, but still not perfect. Fights often have a bit too many close-up shots, but that's about the only complaint you can have about the animation.

Characters ...

Sousou no Frieren (Anime) add (All reviews)

Apr 2, 2024

TaifSux

Recommended

Imagine a locked room with all windows and doors closed and filled with old, dusty air. Now think of the room as the genre of fantasy and those old airs as Isekai. What I am trying to say is that, in the past decade, Isekai has oversaturated the fantasy genre. While a small percentage of them are trying new things, most of them are just lazy structural copy-paste, repeating the same formula over and over again. In a time when the industry is suffering from the shortness of fresh air, Studio Madhouse releases Freiren, which smashes the room's windows and comes in with a gust ... of new air.

The central character of the story is an elven mage named Freiren. As elves are nigh immortal, she has seen countless deaths and wars, the extinction of many royal families, and the rise and fall of great civilizations, making an average human's lifespan just a mere moment to her. Thus reasonably making her incapable of understanding humans and their emotions. At one point, she joins the party of heroes to defeat the demon king. Throughout the expedition of 10 years, their travelling together left a mark on Freiren, especially Himmel The Hero. After his heartfelt funeral, Freire embarks on a journey to understand Himmel and his deeds. She takes on Fren and Shtark as companions who were students of her previous confidants. Their grand journey begins to unfold the tales of human feelings. It sheds light on the purpose and the meaning behind human life and the value of someone's existence in the grand scope of time. Through immortality, it evaluates mortal accomplishments and identifies what it means to live. After watching Freiren, I began to appreciate the simplest things and learned to find joy in doing the silliest tasks even more.

Freiren will remain one of the awe-inspiring achievements of Studio Madhouse. It must have been a challenge to create something both grand and simple. But under the talented Mr. Keiichirou Saitou, the team handled everything masterfully. From brilliant water-coloured slushy background art to crisp fighting animation that can easily rival any battle shonen. The animation team put care and love into every frame, from important character expressions to the silliest bit of cloth and hair movement. All these visually pleasing ambiences were accompanied by brilliant musical scores that encapsulated every frame to its fullest and evoked raw emotion within me. Studio Madhouse's astonishing audio-visual execution made Frieren my favourite mood poem of this decade.

I started my review by saying Freiren is a gust of new air, but in a sense, Freiren is not a gust of new air; rather, it can be comparable to the serene breeze of a green grizzled valley, a reminiscence of the past, reminding me of the carefree days of my life, my childhood. Back when I used to read the stories of kings and queens, stories of Captain Sindbad navigating through treacherous oceans, and stories of princes journeying through a vast desert to save their princesses, Freiren furnished me with the same feelings as those; it is fantasy in its purest form.

Sousou no Frieren (Anime) add (All reviews)

Apr 2, 2024

Piyush0p

Recommended

This anime is worst anime of year
This is a fully stuffed anime with so much story that i cant handle it
The anime dwells on subject past i mean look how good they show hero party it just makes me smile every time they show up
Character are so complex that my tiny brain can't handle look there is a elf who can't show human emotion because she lived so long and alone for many years
The worst character himmel he is so nice that i hate it alcoholic priest gag is so funny
If the group was different it ...

Sousou no Frieren (Anime) add (All reviews)

Apr 2, 2024

Pearsy-elada

Recommended

Frieren has picking my interest since the first airing, even though i rarely watch anime seasonal this series pique my interest.
It's been a while for me to funs a good and attractive Anime that will stay live live in my memories, and fairly keep up to the feeling of wanting more, and knowing it will be another good one. I really appreciate the production and director who chose to make a animation of the series, it's bring such a good feeling. You'll find this anime easy to watch and basically one who watch less than avarage anime fans could enjoy. It's safe for all ...

Sousou no Frieren (Anime) add (All reviews)

Apr 2, 2024

patkarunungan

Recommended

Have you ever felt that you found an interesting piece of fiction but unfortunately, it’s not something that everybody would like that you are forced to keep your enthusiasm to yourself? There are many stories like that, not just in anime but in any kind of media: literature, movies, you name it.

But what if I told you that there’s an anime that has some of the qualities of these niche stories, but it is ironically so popular? Ladies and gentlemen, meet 'Frieren: Beyond Journey's End.'

I wrote the following in my X account earlier, on the 17th of February, 2024:
*****
I finally caught up with ...

Ore Monogatari!! (Anime) add (All reviews)

Apr 2, 2024

Rezwan1024

Recommended

It's great. A very wholesome story to watch. The romance between Takeo and rinko is great. It's so sweet I felt like I would get diabetes from it.

They focused a lil bit too much on Takeo's side of the story though and left out a lot of the story from rinko's side. Like rinko got introduced to Takeo's family but takeo didn't get introduced to rinko's family. They focused on rinko in the last two episodes and left a feeling of incompleteness. The characters are very well made although I feel like they could have focused a little more on suna and his story.

The story ...

Goblin Slayer (Anime) add (All reviews)

Apr 2, 2024

Iselain

Recommended

[Contains minor spoilers]

Didn't know that I needed that until I watched it. Definitely recommended if you like dark fantasy like Warhammer, The Witcher etc.

1. Story - it is a typical dark RPG setting, with an edgy hero who has no emotions and doesn't talk too much. What I really like in this story, is that it's a side story of this setting. When high fantasy heroes are saving the world and fighting demon lord, our MC doesn't care about politics and global events, he just has his own small goal which he is determinated to complete. But as we know, simplicity isn't always bad and ...

Grancrest Senki (Anime) add (All reviews)

Apr 2, 2024

DesolatePsyche

Recommended

#Review info

Reviewing Info: In a nutshell personal thoughts/opinion >> critical/objective value. More on my site.
Review layout: WP non-H
Review type: Anime

#Review (short ver):
*In a nutshell: Grandiose fantasy war filled world with lot of “logistics…”…. and plenty of drama

#PROS
...

Tengoku Daimakyou (Anime) add (All reviews)

Apr 2, 2024

bustybeast

Recommended

Heavenly delusion is a great adventure mystery that puts an emphasis on immersion and let's the viewer figure out the mystery as they continue watching. With all that, it manages to add comedic and immersive elements that engage the viewer in the story further. If you're looking for a mystery, psychological thriller and/or adventure in a different world than our own, this is the anime for you.
I want to give additional praise to this story for being able to address some difficult and touchy subject in a mature and respectful way. This story includes characters who are children and teenagers, and experience the difficulties of ...

Uta∽Kata (Anime) add (All reviews)

Apr 2, 2024

Phobossus

Not Recommended

Came here to watch one of the "very dark takes on the Mahou Shoujo genre"? In for a psychological drama? Spare yourself the trouble, ignore recommendations, I can't think of one reason why this would be worth your time. This is an unexciting slice-of-life series that has a mystery lurking in the background - we're talking maybe 10% of each episode's duration - and plenty of uncomfortable, pedo-fanservicy shots at the body parts/underwear of underaged female characters - just so you could, on top of being bored and unamused, also feel utterly disgusted.

Uta-Kata, as we may expect from its premise, is mostly episodic in nature. ...

Sora no Aosa wo Shiru Hito yo (Anime) add (All reviews)

Apr 2, 2024

Klabautermann

Not Recommended

So close, yet so so far.

This movie starts off surprisingly well, one of the few anime that distances itself from the anime tropes and makes characters well defined and closer to realistic. Everything from characters to aesthetic was so sweetly spot on, and though the plot is nothing to write home about, it is a very comfortable ride thanks to how non-anime it seemed and how chill it is: a true proper slice-of-life experience with a supernatural twist, and some nice, romantic drama.

Alas, what was supposed to be a nice, comfortable movie about growth, maturity and following your dreams, was that for about two ...

Hitsuji no Uta (Anime) add (All reviews)

Apr 2, 2024

Ghost-Hardware

Mixed Feelings

Hitsuji no Uta is unfortunately let down by a VERY limited budget. The story is interesting and it's a unique take on the vampire origin story, but the way the anime is presented makes it hard to recommend. The overload of flashbacks to progress the story, the constant reuse of animation, and the lack of character development (despite the slow pace) is really jarring. There is also only about 4 pieces of music in the entire soundtrack which adds to the repetitiveness. I think with a bigger budget this could have been a good series (even with only four episodes), but as it is I ...

Shingeki no Kyojin: The Final Season - Kanketsu-hen (Anime) add (All reviews)

Apr 2, 2024

leyaf

Recommended

Mappa has done an amazing job. The music and animation is a masterpiece. It was my first anime I ever watched 5 years ago. Aot is definitely a very good series and highly recommended. However, I cannot give a high rating due to the ending, which was poorly written. The justification of the criminal in the last part of the anime was unnecessary and ruined a good concept for me. It's like I won't kill Adolf Hitler because he gave me candy when I was young. I hate Mikasa and Armin's attitude. On the other hand we have a very well written character Levi. Good ...

Boku no Kokoro no Yabai Yatsu 2nd Season (Anime) add (All reviews)

Apr 2, 2024

KUROSHIRONEKOSAN

Recommended

Preliminary (4/13 eps)

As a lover of harem anime I never thought that a romance anime would become one of my favorites, the first season had a bad start, but I enjoyed every minute of every episode of the second season, it is no exaggeration to say that this is undoubtedly the best romance anime I have ever seen, I think it is the number one modern romance anime, I have seen kaguya sama and also komi san but no romance anime can make me enjoy it like this, I can't describe this feeling correctly with words but I recommend that you must watch it whether you like ...

Hyouken no Majutsushi ga Sekai wo Suberu (Anime) add (All reviews)

Apr 2, 2024

PsFreedom

Not Recommended

The Iceblade Sorcerer...
is in short, well, a trash action-fantasy anime... It has the same recycled plot with an overpowered MC, magic school academy, Noble-Commoner discrimination BS, and cute girl harem... I mean, I expected this before I watched but I don't mind this repeated plot (I like it)... It will still be fun and can entertain me if it has some good storytelling, execution, and quality...

The story:
I would say it has potential, the magic concept is good, MC's abilities are cool, and the overall characters are interesting... However, these are all good things I can say about it (well, girls are cute too)... The ...

Jaku-Chara Tomozaki-kun (Anime) add (All reviews)

Apr 2, 2024

PlayerFar

Not Recommended

about an introvert boy that wanna be an extrovert

just that
the idea Is not bad,Is good,can i say very good
but things that i dont like Is how the Storytelling is
like the "game" is just a gimmick
How the MC so naive
the Anime full with Fan-Service
and the comedy that sounds cringe for me

...

Byousoku 5 Centimeter (Anime) add (All reviews)

Apr 2, 2024

PlayerFar

Recommended

"A Realistic Childhood Friend Relationship"

one of my favourite Makoto Shinkai film
Story: 10/10
Artstyle: 9/10
Presentation:8/10
Background:9/10
Ending:10/10
Tense when watching:10/10
Life Lessons: 10/10
...

Ishura (Anime) add (All reviews)

Apr 2, 2024

fverayo

Recommended

Quick questionnaire:
- Do you like good action regardless of story?
- Do you like watching content like Rooster Teeth's Death Battle?
- Do you love polished, high-speed, bad-ass action cutscenes w/ sword and gunplay such as the ones from Devil May Cry?

If your answer is yes to all, then Ishura is an anime for you! Definitely a MUST WATCH for action-enjoyers!

Ishura is set in a world where the "True Demon King" was defeated. This common enemy united everyone for a common cause, but now that the Demon King is gone, nothing is keeping all the battle crazed-warriors and other dangerous creatures preoccupied. To maintain peace, Aureatia, the ...

Sousou no Frieren (Anime) add (All reviews)

Apr 2, 2024

julinlf

Recommended

Potencial para ser um dos melhores animes da história... Tem uma construção lenta e agradável que explora o lado emocional da personagem principal mas ao mesmo tempo também tem lutas fantásticas com magias de todos os tipos...
A animação é ótima embora não seja das melhores que já vi, mas nada com que você vá se decepcionar...
Os personagens demonstram sentimentos e comportamentos reais dos seres humanos, o que deixa o anime bastante humanizado e capaz de uma imersão a realidade.
A história é singular e extremamente penetrante na mente, de forma com que prende facilmente a atenção mesmo que não tenha lutas frequentes...

Simplesmente fantástico, estou ansioso para ...

Sousou no Frieren (Anime) add (All reviews)

Apr 2, 2024

KevinRin

Recommended

This anime delves into themes rarely explored in other anime, making it a unique experience, at least from my perspective. Frieren is an elf who is seemingly cold, dense, and apathetic. She stands in stark contrast to empathy. In the spectrum of human emotions, she was once deemed heartless due to the apparent absence of emotion in her demeanor. It's a character type that might initially appear unlikable, but as you delve deeper, you'll come to understand why it's unfair to fault her for this trait — it stems from her nature as a long-lived elf.

We cherish life as precious and profound, perhaps because ... we understand its finite nature much better — once experienced, it is irreplaceable. And once time is spent, it cannot be retrieved. Consider if any other species shares this depth of perception. It seems unlikely. Of all known beings, we humans possess a uniquely profound capacity to perceive the significance of life, it's a trait ingrained in our nature. And for elves, who might essentially live for eternity if they so choose, they couldn't be careless. They see time differently, have a distinct emotional structure, and generally have a whole different outlook on life than humans do. That is also ingrained in their nature. While spending a year with your dog may seem like a mere passage of time to you, but for the dog, it may feel akin to five years. But we're talking about a far larger scale here, as though a decade might seem as fleeting as a mere month, that's how ridiculous their time perspective is.

And yet despite this seemingly absurd nature, there was one experience that profoundly altered Frieren's life. It was her ten-year journey with her party. Although this journey constituted only an extremely small fraction of her long life, it held a special place in her heart. It created countless precious memories, some of which she has yet to understand. Specially from one member of her party, Himmel. Charismatic and caring, albeit a tad narcissistic, Himmel left a lasting impression on Frieren. His influence touched her heart deeply, but Frieren's nature only turns it into lasting regret, prompting her to explore the enigmatic and perplexing nature of humans. This desire sparked within her a singular goal: to understand humans. Thus, Frieren embarked on another journey, driven by this newfound aspiration.

I believe that is the core essence of this anime — to strive for understanding despite having inherent differences. The longing for comprehension serves as a means to fulfill an integral aspect of oneself. Only through this journey can one grasp not only the emotions of others but also gain awareness of their own feelings. And that we often don't realize that we're creating some of the happiest memories of our lives until they become nothing more than memories of the past. It's a journey of self-discovery, and a constant reminiscence of the past. Despite Frieren's apparent apathetic nature, she does indeed care for her loved ones in her own way. Her pursuit to understand humans is a testament to her love and concern for the people in her life.

Although this anime revolves around mages and their magical prowess, it leans more towards storytelling than action. The battle scenes are often relatively brief and straightforward, avoiding excessive emphasis on displays of strength. So if you're someone who seeks action and thrives on that hype in a story, it might be wise not to set high expectations for this anime in that regard, as it's not its specialty and it lies elsewhere. The story also includes hints of romantic interests, adding another layer of intrigue for people to anticipate as they follow its progression.

In general, this anime stood out as one of the most interesting stories I've come across in a while. Despite not watching much anime these days, I decided to give it a chance based on its intriguing appearance, and it certainly did not disappoint. It's uncommon for me to become so emotionally engaged with new anime, and I believe many others would feel the same. Also, both opening songs were incredible. they are created by two of my favorite J-pop artists, Yoasobi and Yorushika. I'm not exaggerating when I say they were my favorites, so I was really pleasantly surprised to hear them both made opening themes for the same anime. Anyway, it's a fantastic series, and I would probably recommend it.

Dungeon Meshi (Anime) add (All reviews)

Apr 2, 2024

kchakrak

Not Recommended

Preliminary (13/24 eps)

Ok so this show is a ton of fun over it's first 10 episodes. The characters are great, the general 'monster food of the week' thing is funny and generally it doesn't take itself too seriously. The art style was also quite pretty, but the big winner was the food stuff mixed with a touch of character stuff.

Then Episode 11 happens. This might be one of the most radical tone changes I've seen. It becomes a depressing, serious show suddenly with grim circumstances and grim conseqences.

I went from loving it to hating it, don't waste you're time as well. Skip this. I won't say ...

Ore dake Level Up na Ken (Anime) add (All reviews)

Apr 2, 2024

IchUndAnime

Mixed Feelings

Of course I've heard of "Solo Leveling" before, but I never read it because I've heard of this anime and know myself well enough to know that I wouldn't really have any desire to watch the series if I already knew the manhwa. So I go in here and...

... am disappointed. That's how my review of the first 6 episodes started and even now that I've finished the 12th, the anime unfortunately couldn't convince me of anything else.

In a world like ours, Gates suddenly appear, threatening to destroy humanity with monsters. Fortunately, something happened and people awaken to become so-called hunters, who can destroy these ... monsters with special abilities and close the gates. So the world returns to normal and one day the series starts as we follow humanity's weakest hero! Jin-woo Sung has been extremely unlucky and has become a Hunter, but the weakest of all time. Until one day a new gate changes everything.

I'm torn about this series. First of all, I'm someone who needs a story. I'm a sucker for it, without a story, an anime is 10 stars lower and has to somehow claw its way back up. "Solo Leveling" delivers nothing more than a premise with the world and the protagonist, which you will already know enough about if you have followed manga or manhwa in recent years - whereby the "Solo Leveling" manhwa was the trendsetter and therefore it is probably mean to say that the premise alone is simply generic and unfortunately boring.
Nevertheless, I unfortunately feel that way and at least in terms of story, the anime doesn't deliver anything that could overshadow that. A few loose storylines are introduced, but they are more than just incidental and often rather annoying when they interrupt the action-packed scenes. This includes, for example, the terminally ill mother or the story around the island, on which apparently some failed raid once took place.
At the same time, I know of some anime that left this kind of stuff out of their first seasons, only for it to become really important in the second. A current example would be "Tsukimichi: Moonlit Fantasy", whose second season starts with recaps or flashbacks that are worthy of criticism. So maybe in the second or third season I'll be grateful for all the hints from the first season, but right now they're just annoying.

Let's continue with the stuff that earned this anime its three stars. The action and fight scenes. To be honest, I would say that "Solo-Leveling" doesn't have the best animation (or anything like it) in recent years, but the series manages to create an impressive, goosebump-inducing atmosphere through a combination of music, characters, situations and also animation. This doesn't happen constantly, but it happens again and again and is so fantastic that you're just waiting for these scenes.

Conclusion: Season 1 of Solo Leveling feels slightly off somehow. Like it's working towards something big, but just not far enough in that it feels incomplete. Accordingly, it certainly made me curious for more, but not so much that I realize why the manhwa is so popular yet.

Nihon Chinbotsu 2020 (Anime) add (All reviews)

Apr 1, 2024

ImNotAnOtaku1

Mixed Feelings

An anime that behaves like a regular TV show for an adult audience. This is the best way that "Japan Sinks 2020" could be described, it is an anime that just does not aim to be one. While arguably over 90% of all anime shows out there tend towards fantasy, the supernatural, futuristic sci-fi, or just have characters with some superhuman capabilities, the show we've got at hand is one of the rare ones that remains entirely realistic at all times and never really breaks into over-the-top action or any other clichés commonly associated with this sort of media.

Nihon Chinbotsu 2020 parts from a very ... interesting concept: Japan sinking into the ocean due to a mass-scale natural catastrophe. Now, while the premise is indeed interesting, it's merely adapted from the novel "Japan Sinks", published in 1973, and it is one that's been adapted to other type of media: movies, manga, TV shows, etc. This, of course, adapts this story to anime and sets it in the modern day... and it doesn't really work too well, due to a myriad of factors. It is worth nothing that Nihon Chinbotsu 2020 is not a direct adaptation of the original novel, and instead takes a lot of creative liberties with the source material while still working with its core, so much of what you will see in this anime is an original experience.

Now, where shall we begin? Perhaps the most notorious thing about this ONA is that it entirely breaks out of the regular topics that this sort of media normally deals with, by touching into MANY taboos that anime has always avoided; while most series tend to focus on plots set in alternative worlds, or have a really partial, idealized or superficial vision of Japan and its society, Japan Sinks 2020 jumps straight into the mud by portraying topics very few anime touch on, in a considerably realistic manner: drug use, addiction, rape, mental illness, sociopolitical issues, and the actual impact of death and destruction on people's lives and psyches. Throughout the 10 episodes this animation provides, there's no shortage of controversial things to be found, many of which might just be rather shocking due to their portrayal being gruesomely realistic for what pretty much is a bunch of drawings with motion. Many characters will sometimes die in sudden, and at times brutal manners, leaving the viewer little time to even process what's going on. The absolute breakdown of society as a result of the catastrophe illustrated by this show demonstrates how many individuals can and will let their moral values go down the drain. Everything to be seen here comes off as bleak and depressing, like a bucket of cold water to the average anime viewer who might usually be used to more lighthearted stories, or at least ones that draw a noticeable line between reality and fiction.

Reality, and fiction. Yes, a line is drawn somewhere, but in the case of Nihon Chinbotsu 2020, said line is considerably blurred. Regardless of how we may look at things, this is definitely a sci-fi show, because it's simply not geologically feasible for Japan to completely sink into the ocean, so the events to be found here remain entirely as a theoretical concept, but within said theoretical concept, we get a very real and very gruesome depiction of what an event like this one could (and likely would) be like. One great thing this anime manages to do is keep you on the edge of your seat, because the plot develops itself in a coherent manner and carries a constant tension, never truly allowing the viewer to feel calm as they expect the unexpected. However, while the story provided to us is rather great and captivating, it is also considerably rushed, and that brings me back to the very first sentence in this review, which points out the main issue with Japan Sinks 2020: this is not a plot designed for an anime.

TV shows normally have episodes that last 40–50 minutes. That's double the runtime of the average anime's episode. In this time, a single arc or event can be developed in a lot more detail than in the roughly 20 minutes of content anime tends to provide per episode. Considering this anime has 10 episodes, the plot is just bound to have a quick pace; that's a bit over 3 hours of actual content, excluding OP and ED; it will likely take you longer to read the novel this is based (or more like inspired) on, which has some 300 or 400 pages. The speed at which the plot develops leaves little space for reflection or for some better character development; some heavily shocking events will sometimes happen, such as someone's sudden death, and the characters won't even really stop to mourn or at least mentally process what just happened, because that would take minutes away from the short timespan in which the plot develops. The end result of this is that every single event here lacks any more impact than perhaps an initial shock, and it then hardly seems to carry over to the rest of the plot.

On top of the plot not really working for an anime format, the animation is... bad, honestly. The art style aims towards a certain type of realism; it's not flashy nor colorful, instead it uses muted, more realistic color palettes and reduces all the eye candy to create a much grittier image that is much more compatible with what's being portrayed. While the animators did a great job with that, the animation still is rather uncomfortable to watch at times: the lines are rough, the different camera angles make the animation look awkward at times, the art style tends towards being realistic, but looks too rough, while the animation often times falls short in terms of detail, and at times attempts at being realistic and instead just creates some rather ugly frames. At times, this feels like an anime from the early or mid 2000s, and it breaks immersion. However, one highlight that must be mentioned is that whenever it comes to portraying the misery of such a disaster or death, the art and animation goes out of its way to be detailed and gruesome: the death of some characters is portrayed in brutal manners, some of the scenes to be seen are way too gory even for the average anime, and the depictions of the ruins of a Japan is very good.

The character design is very realistic, but also feels plain and uninspired in its visual aspects. The voice acting isn't exaggerated, it feels considerably casual and make all the characters feel much more human than in other similar media. However, one big issue to be mentioned here is that the characters' personalities are just BAD, and their development is BAD. This show, being a Netflix original, naturally goes out of its way to be uncommonly multicultural, as we see that many of the main characters are not Japanese, or are just half-Japanese. While this is in no way an issue, and if anything, it is a breath of fresh air for the usually-copious anime character design, it does feel rather forced. The ethnicity and origin of the characters does play a role in the plot, but it feels like it does so only for sociopolitical commentary, as it never actually takes any major incidence. One thing that is often just annoying about Nihon Chinbotsu 2020 is how its characters feel completely disconnected from the events happening around them; they'll start speaking English randomly, for seemingly no reason, or they will do something odd that feels completely unnecessary, such as taking some 5 minutes of an episode to rap about how they feel, and while this might work to show a sense of normalcy in the face of disaster, it just doesn't feel natural, and that's in huge part due to how rushed the plot is, not really allowing for events to take any impact or for the viewer to properly notice any shift in a character's personality or mood.

Now, lastly, there is one more issue with Nihon Chinbotsu 2020, and it is probably the one that can be the most annoying: it is many times absurd. How so? Well, perhaps in the way it portrays society's breakdown, tending towards something that's more similar to The Last of Us' scenario rather than what many might consider to be a more realistic outcome in which a lot of people don't just become completely uncivilized criminals. Perhaps it is in the way that seemingly all characters die in very unlikely manners. Or perhaps it is in the way one can predict which character will die next, and how. Or perhaps on how it would seem like the protagonists manage to survive almost all situations by the skin of their teeth. As the plot advances, it gets rather annoying and tedious, and all the shock from the events seen in the earlier episodes fails to replicate in the later ones due to it becoming somewhat formulaic.

After all of this, though, a question remains: is Japan Sinks 2020 a worthwhile anime? In more than one way, no. Should I watch it? Yes, it is worth watching. This is an anime that was not meant to be an anime, but it is also a story that wouldn't have been easy or even good if done as a regular live action TV show. It nevertheless is an interesting experiment in an industry that has perhaps become known for repeating the same concepts to boredom, it is certainly a breath of fresh air and makes for an entertaining experience, albeit a somewhat quality-lacking one. This ONA tries to be more than it can possibly be, and maybe it even falls short on what it can actually be, but it's still sometime worth experiencing. Yes, I give this a 7, and a "Mixed Feelings" review, because even if it's an engrossing anime, it is a bad one in a lot of practical aspects. You should go ahead and give this a try, though, because good or bad, it's undeniably a highlight in a massive sea of copious media.

Mato Seihei no Slave (Anime) add (All reviews)

Apr 1, 2024

PapaSomm

Not Recommended

Chained Soldier had every potential to be breast in class, breaking the mold and proving that there’s a place for degeneracy in the upper ecchi-lons of anime. Unfortunately the story just couldn’t seem to get it up. Our titular character, and the majority of the cast were pretty dry in the end. The animation and the action were actually decent, and it was fun watching everyone get licked. There was one great moment of character driven story between two sisters, but the rest was hard to swallow, and otherwise the plot on the hole felt really forced. If culture is all you’re here for then ...

Boku no Kokoro no Yabai Yatsu 2nd Season (Anime) add (All reviews)

Apr 1, 2024

santydallas

Recommended

ENG: I was robbed, definitively and unequivocally, it is cinema…

Yes, it is the same trope of the popular girl who falls in love with the boy rejected from society with no social skills, but even so, and against all odds, it surprises every time and never ceases to surprise, the story always goes up and that is the best thing about this anime, when you think you've already seen it all and it can't surprise you anymore. Boom! Something incredible and, despite how stupid it sounds, expected but unexpected for the story slaps you in the face.

So, as Scorsese himself said, you got me, it's ...

Ao no Exorcist: Shimane Illuminati-hen (Anime) add (All reviews)

Apr 1, 2024

Emperor_Salad

Mixed Feelings

Man this anime really fell off hard. Alright to be fair, it was never that great to begin with, but man.
Season 1 of Blue Exorcist was one of the first ever anime I fully watched to completion, and it really helped me get further into anime and appreciate it for what it is. Obviously this was back when I wasn't a colossal weeb who felt a little more grass on an average day. Anyways season 1 in hindsight was a decent show I guess, but it had a unique flair to it that made it stand out despite being fairly generic. Season 2 came ... out years later, and just, ended up being very....boring? I couldn't get into it at all and figured I'd drop the series, but alas, season 3 came after a very very short 7 years and.....yeah.
The story of Rin, the half-baked son of the devil of the whole wide world, continues as he attends a school to expunge demons alongside his absolutely and totally not super generic and cliche trope-type cast of buddies as they all fight for their own morals, all of which mostly totally don't align with "I must get stronger!".
I will actually give the story some props here. The first episode is terrible, extremely messy and rushed and just awful, but from there the story actually gets surprisingly interesting....for a bit. There are plot twists that actually make sense and are well executed, character developments that take place, and overall the feel is different.....for a few episodes. Eventually, without spoiling too much, this sort of returns to not at all being the case, but, at least for a few episodes the story actually became somewhat interesting. I haven't exactly read the manga for Blue Exorcist, but I have a feeling that the story was significantly better in the manga and that the anime adaptation probably cut some stuff out, because god the whole season felt as rushed as the birth of a mayfly.
As I said above, the characters do have some solid moments. Although Rin is still insufferable and painfully annoying, this season does focus a bit more heavily on some side characters, mainly Izumo and Shima, both of whom get some pretty strong character development and moments. The rest of the cast? Exactly the same. That's not to say the cast is necessarily bad, but they all sorta feel like tropes, and well, are no different from previous seasons.
One thing that helped previous seasons of Blue Exorcist stand out more was the unique art style, along with some solid animation. Unfortunately here we have neither of the two, as A-1 Pictures did not animate this season in their usual flair, and instead Studio VOLN took on the season. The art looks.....weird, and very plain. There are some moments where it looks decent, and the earlier episodes of the season actually look pretty good. However, as the season progresses, the art gets worse and worse, the character designs constantly seem to change and just look janky as hell. The animation....pure trash. Not gonna sugar coat it, it's awful. Every single fight scene in this season is just a still frame violently being shaken around like a damn pitcher of salt. There is also some CGI used throughout the season and my god. my lord it's so awful to look at.
The OST is just sorta there. No real opinion on it. Some banger tracks from past seasons return like maybe 3 times throughout the whole season. The opening is solid. Ending bleh. I will give props to the voice cast, as they do a really solid job with attempting to give these bland unseasoned characters some sort of personality and life beyond being a walking trope.
Honestly you could easily just not watch this season and absolutely nothing about your life would be any different. It's fine, it exists, and there are some great moments. The story is genuinely interesting, but unfortunately it's very much watered down by the horrifically fast pacing, the godawful animation, and the lack of overall development. I also had a major problem with the balancing of comedy and seriousness this season, it felt particularly bad during season 3, but that could just be me.
If you absolutely love Blue Exorcist and really want to see more of Rin and his McDonalds Playplace Buddies, watch Blue Exorcist Season 3 Shimane Illuminati Confirmed Saga. Or if you're just bored and need something to watch then sure. Otherwise watching this really won't derive much of an opinion out of you tbh.
Pros: Solid story, interesting worldbuilding, decent character moments, some good twists
Cons: The animation, the pacing, and most of the cast just being annoying, as well as a lack of development for both the story and cast. Gedouin is also a con of his own.

Ore dake Level Up na Ken (Anime) add (All reviews)

Apr 1, 2024

ArchangelEST

Recommended

Solo Leveling is a contemporary fantasy battle shounen that boasts impressive production values, that are unfortunately dragged down by its unimpressive story and occasionally straight up terrible writing and characters.

Animation / Art / General Visuals - 9/10
-----------------------------------------------

Top tier visual quality across the board, with some of the best combat animations you're likely to ever see. The action in some episodes is straight up breathtaking and makes you feel like you're right there in the moment. Great stuff.

Sound / Music / Voice Acting - 8/10
...

Chiyu Mahou no Machigatta Tsukaikata (Anime) add (All reviews)

Apr 1, 2024

Chuy_diazz

Recommended

Within the isekais this can feel like a resting point before continuing to consume more anime of the genre.

The beginning is the most cliché thing that exists, here it is not about innovating, it is about quickly reaching what the name of the work indicates. The work is interesting because it slightly removes the two most used elements within the genre. Those are the "hero" role and the super powerful ability. On this occasion our protagonist is not a hero, he is just a random person who was trapped in the summoning ritual. His ability is not the strongest that exists either, it is just ...

Gekai Elise (Anime) add (All reviews)

Apr 1, 2024

Chuy_diazz

Mixed Feelings

Gekai Elise a decent adaptation of a manhwa but unfortunately not memorable.

The anime tries to be a medical drama, but it fails in an important point of this genre, the explanations. Usually when we see a medical product, what is most attractive is knowing what the disease is, why it hurts and how to cure it. Elise skips all this, only respecting the diagnosis and cure part but with very little information on her part to the viewer. The story focuses more on being a redemption story for Elise. How he reconnects with his family, how he makes friends with those who previously got along ...

Saijaku Tamer wa Gomi Hiroi no Tabi wo Hajimemashita. (Anime) add (All reviews)

Apr 1, 2024

Justkanji

Recommended

It's good, but it's also innocent to a flaw. The main character has some very thick plot armor, she makes some decisions I wouldn't agree with on several occasions only to end up being saved by someone/something. I understand this show is probably made for a younger audience and is made to be wholesome... but it still takes away from it for me. Other than that - it's a nice story, and the animation is beautiful. This is not usually my kind of show... but honestly I just felt like watching something light and positive without overthinking it this time, and for that this was ...

Zanting! Rang Wo Cha Gonglue (Anime) add (All reviews)

Apr 1, 2024

NordGeit

Recommended

If I were to describe this anime in one gamer meme, it would be "HEY SHITASS, WANNA SEE ME MAKE A GAMER ANIME". It's a primarily 3DCG anime that doesn't take itself seriously and uses the medium to have fun. This isn't something you watch to immerse yourself in a good story, this is something you slap on, sit back, and let the funny moving images insert cheap dopamine into your brain.
It's scattered with game and game genre references and mostly seems to be made for gamers in mind, so this isn't something you bring your non-gamer mum along to watch.
No men, but there's also ...

Ore dake Level Up na Ken (Anime) add (All reviews)

Apr 1, 2024

MeanEYE

Recommended

One of the better animated shows this winter season of 2024. Albeit a bit shallow when it comes to world building as entire focus is on main character's leveling, and a bit on the nose with plot conveniences it is however refreshingly adult-themed consistently good show throughout entire 12 episodes.

Main character is typical for this genre, while well written and most importantly well acted it leaves enough room for viewer's imagination to fill the games. There are no overreactions as form of humor, there's no fan service in form of excessive breast sizes. It's serious and to the point action show which will keep you ...

Hellsing Ultimate (Anime) add (All reviews)

Apr 1, 2024

SIRLeviAckermann

Recommended

Hellsing Ultimate is undoubtedly one of the most iconic and captivating anime series ever created. Based on the manga of the same name by Kouta Hirano, this dark and brutal series transports viewers into a world filled with vampire hunters, vampires, and supernatural conflicts.

The story revolves around the Hellsing Organization, a secret government agency in England dedicated to protecting humanity from supernatural threats, especially vampires. Under the leadership of the charismatic and relentless Integra Hellsing, and with the support of the legendary vampire hunter Alucard, they confront the dark forces that threaten the world.

One of the most outstanding qualities of Hellsing Ultimate is undoubtedly its ...

Sousou no Frieren (Anime) add (All reviews)

Apr 1, 2024

Latooq

Not Recommended

Funny

<This review was edited to be in compliance with the review guidelines>

I'm confident that the rarity of some event and the significance of that event are correlated. Take a meteor shower for example, if it happened every night it would stop being exciting. And just like seasons die one after another, every year at least several shows get the status of being a "modern classic". However, it stopped being about the quality because it always happens when the show is still airing and it gets overshadowed by yet another show afterwards. And this time it's Frieren beyond journey's end, which doesn't deserve the community's love ... given terribly misleading title. For Frieren the journey is nothing but endless, and the title would perfectly fit for a side character spin-off. On a serious note, the story has some serious issues I can't get past past.

The anime is set in a fantasy world, however, there is no wars or politics it usually expected given the genre. The story begins after all of that took place and is mostly episodic, where arcs' lengths range from 10 minutes to several episodes. It's not a bad thing per se it's just about keeping your expectations in check instead of anticipating the best plot ever written. On the other hand, the focus is the characters; even the side characters who appear for a single episode have their backstories and personalities. And the main cast feels so natural in the way they communicate and behave. But the centerpiece of the story is Frieren, whose whole personality is so distinct from other characters because her life span exceeds generations and her character arc is about finding happiness in small and transient things. I know it's nothing original and Spice and Wold did that over a decade ago but this show is new, shiny, and has better animation, so I understand why it got so popular. The story in the second cour changes the direction and now fights is the highlight of the plot. In summary, the anime is focused on characters, has character development and contains both slice of life episodes and amazing fights, this is a good story by the book. It's more likely that it won't appeal to you rather than make you hate it, so what is there to dislike about the show?

It's said that water comprises 60% of the human body and in the same way 60% of the story here is flashbacks. Just like a rabid dog it constantly jumps between different flashbacks, which is probably the reason I have always felt so detached. The flashbacks are nuts and bolts of the story: no matter how small and trivial an arc is it always has to have a bloody flashback in it. They're always shown in randomized order with time skips ranging between 10 minutes and several hundred years, and they never form a cohesive storyline like it was done in Made in Abyss S2. On top of that, there are infamous flashbacks inside flashbacks and flashbacks from the previous episodes like the target demographic is children or tiktok users with a negative attention span. Of course flashbacks somewhat also benefit the show: keeping records of how many flashbacks a single episode can contain or how long it takes for an episode to insert a flashback was the only thing that kept me from falling asleep. The latter is kind of boring though, because some episodes start with a flashback.

A lot of people have noted that Frieren beyond endless flashbacks actually tries to create a unique fantasy world without relying on rpg mechanics. And I even agree with them I just don't think those attempts are successful. In this world demons are the most dangerous creatures, they were commanded by a king and after people had wielded the magic that king was slayed by a party of heroes which Frierent was a member of. The problem is I didn't omit any details, that's all about the world building. The demons had been pillaging villages and killing people for hundreds years, yet aside from Frieren and her companions no one had ever tried to kill the Demon King. And neither had the four heroes. In the flashbacks they're doing some stuff and wasting time doing... Why are you picking flowers? Is this the way you kill the Demon King? It's just strange that the tone of the story in the present is no different from the past where people were supposedly waging war against demons. I wouldn't mind the complete lack of world building if the events of the past weren't constantly brought up through... yeah, flashbacks.

The ost is the weakest part of the adaptation, it is a standard fantasy-themed soundtrack and I can't think of any scene, where the ost played a huge role. In contrast the animation and the direction are probably the main reason of the popularity because they're stellar. The visuals in the EDs and the OPs are also of high quality.

In conclusion, the show looks really good, but man I would be lying if I said I would still remember it after a year.

"Episode 28 - It would be embarrassing when we met again."
I doubt we ever will tho.

Texhnolyze (Anime) add (All reviews)

Apr 1, 2024

PrivateJoe

Not Recommended

Texhnolyze presents a slow and dark journey through a dystopian world. The first episode sets a tone of bleakness and confusion, alienating most viewers with its sparse dialogue, slow pacing, and dated animation (only available in 480p). However, the following episode has much more dialogue and the pacing does eventually gain momentum several episodes later.

One surprising aspect of Texhnolyze is its influences from Western culture. Drawing inspiration from sources such as Christianity, the Bible, Friedrich Nietzsche, Plato, and Edward Hopper's paintings. Additionally, parallels with Ghost in the Shell are evident, as both explore the darker implications of technological advancement and share similar aesthetics.

Still, even though ...

Udon no Kuni no Kiniro Kemari (Anime) add (All reviews)

Apr 1, 2024

PixelBrush

Recommended

I went in expecting another generic food anime, alongside some shape-shifter shenanigans, but instead I discovered the most heartwarming slice of life anime I've ever seen. Poco is plain adorable, and the story develops surprisingly naturally, considering the supernatural circumstances. I wish there was more to this story, but unless I read the Manga, I doubt I'll find anything more. Highly recommend it to anyone who wants to feel the need to get up and hug their loved ones.
The Art style is simply incredible too, always having this radiant warmth to it, like the pastel drawings of a child, similar to Studio Ghiblis Ponyo.

Dark Gathering (Anime) add (All reviews)

Apr 1, 2024

Basjohn

Recommended

Preliminary (14/25 eps)

Did you know Ghosts can bleed? Turns out they haemorrhage rather easily.

And while I'd like to leave this review at that, minimum character limit isn't having it, and I need to either stall for dramatic effect or elaborate slightly, evidently I'm doing both but it would really help if MAL listed those minimum characters so I didn't just keep trying over and over and over and adding tedium. Oh right right, review, blood. Blood stuff?

Seriously though, I've never seen so many ethereal things vomit blood, lose organs or dog walk someone with their own intestines until this.

Worth a watch and a little patience, just ...

Mashle: Shinkakusha Kouho Senbatsu Shiken-hen (Anime) add (All reviews)

Apr 1, 2024

CyberXane

Recommended

If you've seen Season 1, you know how silly and crazy this anime can be. Season 2 adds on even more silliness and craziness and does it arguably better than S1.

Let's start off with the music. I mean, the opening is the #1 hit song on the global charts on YouTube and has been for a few weeks now. The opening is that great. I hope it doesn't die down now that the season is done.

Now, onto the show. S1 was more about Mash getting the requirements to go do the divine visionary trials. This season is about him doing the trials along with his ...

Ore dake Level Up na Ken (Anime) add (All reviews)

Apr 1, 2024

Bafflees

Not Recommended

Do you enjoy decently animated fighting scenes and don't care about anything else? Then I highly recommend you stop reading this and start watching already!

Still there? Great. Apart from the fluid animation during fights, this anime has no redeeming qualities at all.
The characters are all unbelievably bleak. Of course, it's called SOLO Leveling - still, after watching all 12 episodes during the last three months, not a single character of this anime lingered in my mind for even a second. Jin-Woo goes from a timid, weak dude to a cold-hearted Gigachad with a flat, deep voice in the matter of about 4 episodes. That's all ... the character development there is - he carries his husky tone and ice-cold mannerisms all the way through the finish line. His sister, like all the other characters, seems to merely exist as reason-givers or stepping stones. Why does he fight? For his sick mother and for his sister, of course... right? It's hard to believe this, given his complete refusal to engage in friendly, light-hearted interactions with others. Even his oh-so-beloved sister only gets the cold shoulder from him whenever she tries to talk to him. Why should the viewer care for Jin-Woo's quest if he himself doesn't seem to care in the slightest for anyone or anything?

Then there's the world-building. I don't even need to go into much detail here. It's just the world we live in, but there are portals to mostly gloomy, fantasy-like dungeons. Some people awaken to powers that can neither get stronger nor weaker; a bit like in a caste system, you're forever locked into your rank. They have to go into the dungeon portals to slay the monsters, keeping the world safe from them and earning some bucks. It's not all that creative, and there hasn't been a single surprising moment. The world goes on as usual, but there are portals now. It doesn't seem to change society in the slightest. To top it off, the whole story unfolds in one place - a grey, anonymous city with nothing interesting to see.

This point is so important to me that it deserves its own paragraph. Everything looks SO boring. There's the city and there are the dungeons, which are mostly just caves with no interesting features. Visually, this whole anime has no imagination at all. It completely lacks character and beauty. Why do even the fantasy world caves have to look so dull? Even Sword Art Online, a show often cited as an example for how not to do... anything, gets this right!

And the show can't even make up for it with an interesting plot. The main storyline is basically "Jin-Woo has to become strong and faces some obstacles". Even the fact that he's the only one able to level up and get stronger isn't particularly interesting, as it doesn't seem to have any implications or downsides. It's just... there, instead of being presented as a mystery of some kind. Hell, if something like that happened to you, you'd be dying to know the "why" and "how"! Jin-Woo however just accepts it as it is, confiding in no one, never trying to find out if anyone else experiences this...

What makes it worse is that it takes itself extremely serious. I don't mean to say every anime has to include comedy of some kind - but Solo Leveling just doesn't contain any light-hearted moments at all. The only thing that made me chuckle was the sudden transformation from weakling to muscular chad - but even that seems to have been intended as a serious matter. His surroundings at least accept it as the most normal thing ever, even though one can barely recognize him after this.

The opening is just utterly silly - "Now I'm racking up the kills - I got to pay the bills" probably sounds like a cool line when you're about 10 years old. Yet, one could say the lyrics are kinda revealing - they're about as deep as the show itself.

I can only advise anyone with any standards at all not to give this series a chance. It's not even bad in a funny way, but rather a slugfest lasting 12 episodes, interspersed with decent but basically meaningless fights.

Fullmetal Alchemist: The Conqueror of Shamballa (Anime) add (All reviews)

Apr 1, 2024

xPinkyDash

Recommended

A fantastic movie to complement a fantastic series. However, main antagonist's motives are ridiculous, so the whole war aspect is a bit forced. I can't help but feel that this would've served better as an entire additional season. 1h and 44min is not enough here. The story is so unique but lacks that last bit of waterproof plot development that would've made things come together more nicely.

Otherwise, great movie if you've watched the series. Animation is extremely well done, art style is unique and looks awesome. Also, the ending song is catchy as hell. Give it a shot if you already like Fullmetal Alchemist, otherwise ...

Mahou Shoujo ni Akogarete (Anime) add (All reviews)

Apr 1, 2024

Darkzepheran

Recommended

Where to START???

I´m not gonna lie. I had my doubts about watching this, but since I heard it´s an echii with a decent story I had to give it a go.
Upon watching the first episode I honest to god thought I accidently started watching a hentai but to my surprise this very close hentai had a good story with some decent characters that kept me entertained through the first episodes.

Utena altho the defnition of a masochist is a very likeable character, her personality is very shy and timid girl that doesn´t want to stand out, however you will soon find that she has a extreme ...

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