“Moe is when your heart gets a boner.”
-Urban Dictionary
As the reigning king of all that is cute and moe, it is no exaggeration that everything KyoAni touches turns into some of the fluffiest things in anime existence. Chuunibyou Demo Koi ga Shitai: Take On Me is no exception. As the latest entry into the Chuunibyou continuity, it can be considered as the 3rd season of the series, and might also be its ultimate conclusion.
Assuming that you’ve watched the previous seasons of Chuunibyou, this movie is basically just a continuation of the series. Fast forward a few months from the 2nd season, and it’s Rikka
...
living with Yuuta under one roof, doing their usual hijinks and having fun. That’s until Rikka’s sister, Toka, decided that she’ll be taking Rikka to Italy for some reason. So Rikka and Yuuta did what any sane(?) couple would do: elope and go a nationwide roadtrip around Japan. Hilarity ensues.
I can’t tell you much about the plot more than that, but what I can tell is that man, this anime is cute as fuck. KyoAni basically took that same charm and everything that made Chuunibyou’s 1st season good, and distilled that essence to perfection. Whereas the first season was about creating that relationship between the main couple, this movie is all about Yuuta and Rikka actually being a couple and doing couple things.
The movie delves deeper into the relationship of the two, showing us the thoughts that these characters have for one another, and fleshing out the chemistry that exists between them. It’s hilarious to see Yuuta’s thoughts and delusions go into more realistic and relatable territories of wanting to take the next step into their relationship, and showing that he wants to have those “moments” with Rikka as much as we want it to happen as the viewers. On the other side, it’s also entertaining to see Rikka act like her typical chuunibyou self, and the stark contrast of it to when she reacts to any romantic actions that Yuuta takes.
The comedy aspect of the movie is also on point. If you liked the comedy of the previous seasons, then I can assure you that the movie is in no shortage of the same type of gags. It’s the same kind of comedy with Yuuta acting as the Tsukkomi to Rikka’s Boke act, and they pull it off really well. I’ve had some really good laughs with some of the jokes in the movie, especially the ones where Yuuta tries his damn hardest to not lewd Rikka in his head. It feels organic, natural, and it’s definitely something that’s relatable. As for the side cast, they’re still the same funny people from the previous seasons. The interactions between Dekomori and Nibutani are still the same, with them fighting and trying to one-up each other in every turn, and failing in the funniest of manners.
Also, with all of KyoAni’s works, one has to mention the animation. It comes as no surprise, but my god this anime gorgeous to look at. With decades of experience in the art of Moe, KyoAni has really stepped up its game and has made some of the cutest character designs that it’s ever put out on the big screen. From Rikka’s adorable dresses to Nibutani’s chic outfits, it’s easy to see how much fun the people who made these designs had. Then there are also the few chuunibyou action sequences which the series is known for. They were fantastic, proving that the things KyoAni are capable of animating is not just cute girls doing cute things, but also well-choreographed and dynamic fight scences.
Fans will also delight in the fact that the movie is filled with references from KyoAni’s previous works. Things from Tamako Market, Musaigen no Phantom World, Haruhi Suzumiya, and probably other things that I missed can all be seen there, and it’s very satisfying when you recognize them. It actually makes me wonder if something like a KyoAni’s version of the MCU is possible, but that’s another topic all on its own.
With all that said though, these things aren’t the main reason that I gave this movie a score as high as 10. The main thing that draws me to this movie might actually be the most biased of reasons. Simply put, it hits home.
At its core, Chuunibyou is an anime that tackles the concept of growing up. Two seasons have passed, but in the end, the main underlying theme is still the fact that people need to grow up and leave their childish tendencies behind.
It’s been nearly 6 years since I first watched Chuunibyou. Back then, I was just a young teen. I spent many of my days watching anime, and vividly daydreaming about scenarios in my head whenever I wasn’t. I’d go with my friends, and together we’d hang out behind school, while roleplaying as our favorite characters. We’d throw punches, do kicks, shout names of special moves, and generally just act as if we were characters in a videogame like a bunch of idiots… And honestly, it was fun.
Fast forward to today. Final year of college. Majority of my friends have already graduated. Thesis looming in the corner. The pressure to succeed is mounting. Anime and manga are starting to lose my interest, as my focus slowly shifted to things more grounded in reality. All vestiges of my childish youth are slowly slipping away, and in its place, adult stress and responsibilities.
As weird as it may be, this anime, despite its lighter theme and genre, hit me harder than other, more serious titles did. As I the movie ended, I thought to myself “Eventually, they’ll grow out of it, just like I did. It’ll happen.”, and honestly, I know that they will. However, I found myself wishing that they never do. This story is a glimpse into a perfect relationship, a perfect world where there is no rush to change and adapt. It’s reminds me of the past, of my own youth, and how those were much better times. It’s a wonderful piece of fiction, one that resonates with me, and I loved every second of it.
As another person put it, Take on Me is KyoAni’s love letter to its fans. They took everything that we could’ve asked for in a sequel and actually gave us what we wanted, and more. All in all, there’s really not much that I can complain about in this movie, or rather, I have none to speak of. It’s a wonderful conclusion, and I personally think it deserves the best of praises.
|| Thanks for reading! It’s been roughly 4 years since I last wrote a review (which is coincidentally, for Chuunibyou 2nd season) and I’ve honestly forgotten how fun it is to do one. If you have any comments or simply want to have a discussion, feel free to leave a comment at my page. ||
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Jul 27, 2018 Recommended
“Moe is when your heart gets a boner.”
-Urban Dictionary As the reigning king of all that is cute and moe, it is no exaggeration that everything KyoAni touches turns into some of the fluffiest things in anime existence. Chuunibyou Demo Koi ga Shitai: Take On Me is no exception. As the latest entry into the Chuunibyou continuity, it can be considered as the 3rd season of the series, and might also be its ultimate conclusion. Assuming that you’ve watched the previous seasons of Chuunibyou, this movie is basically just a continuation of the series. Fast forward a few months from the 2nd season, and it’s Rikka ...
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Mar 31, 2014 Mixed Feelings
There is no sequel to Chuunibyou Demo Koi Ga Shitai!
It does not exist…. Or at least that’s how it should have been. Unfortunately, KyoAni decided to make Chuunibyo Demo Koi Ga Shitai! Ren, a sequel for an anime that's one of the best of its genre. When a sequel is created for any concluded story, it is akin to flipping a coin; It can either improve and provide a wonderful expansion to the story, or ruin the story and fall flat on its face. Sadly, the latter happened to Chuunibyou Koi Ga Shitai! Ren. The most concise reason as to why that is, is simply because ... it was completely unnecessary. The story of Chuunibyou was already done. Finished. Concluded. But then KyoAni had a great idea that maybe they shouldn’t end it there. And the finished result? A supposedly romantic rivalry between Rikka and Shichimiya, Yuuta’s old friend. Well I have to admit, the thought of a love rivalry is a pretty good concept, and it could’ve honestly worked. However, the fault here lies in the fact that none of that actually happened. Instead, we were given a subpar plot which revolved around Rikka and the gang just finding the newest ways to mess around, without actually having anything to add to the plot. In fact, over half of the show was just about the cast doing their weird chuuni things and making comedy, which surprisingly isn’t as funny as it was in the first season. There was no direction to the plot, and so instead it went all over the place, ranging from beach episodes to napping contests, which basically made everything feel like filler. And the rest of the season? Well, it was spent doing an incredibly rushed and contrived love triangle between Rikka and a new character named Shichimiya, and believe me, it wasn’t good at all in the slightest. That’s because it just… happened. Yes, there was some foreshadowing, which in this case was brought about by Yuuta’s complete insensitivity to romance. However, when the romance part did happen, it was like: Development, Climax, and Resolution, all in 4 episodes. In other words, the pacing was utter garbage. So as I said, the romance just kinda happened. Also, another downfall of this anime is in the character development, or the lack thereof. From the start of the anime to the very end, there was very little changes in the cast, if any at all. In fact, the only noticeable change in the characters is the fact that they are now a lot more chuunibyou-ish, and all of them have started to participate in those chuunibyou battles. Other than that, there isn’t much to be said. And the new character Shichimiya? Well her sole purpose in this anime is to provide a rival for Rikka to compete against and to add another chuunibyou character. But as with the rest of the cast, she is just a dull character, and even moreso than the rest of the them due to not being in the prior season. So pretty much the only good thing I can say about Chuu-2 Ren is that its animation was amazing. KyoAni may not be the best when it comes to storytelling or plot writing, but they sure are the best when it comes to animating stuff, as it has been proven time and time again. The animation for Chuu-2 Ren was smooth, clean, and very modern. There were no flaws or stutters as far as I can tell, and the fight scenes were just jaw-dropping. But then again, this is KyoAni we’re talking about, the same people who can animate water and make it look gorgeous beyond words. Other than that, there’s also the music. The opening of Chuu-2 Ren, VOICE by ZAQ and its ending, Van!shment th!s World by Black Raison d'être are both very energetic J-pop songs. They are very much fitting with the theme of the anime, and are both quite catchy. So, did I enjoy Chuunibyou Koi Ga Shitai! Ren? No, not at all. It’s an anime that lives off the popularity of its prequel. A horrible continuation of what could’ve been a good ending. That’s why I cannot give this anime a score higher than I did. It’s not as funny and doesn’t have the same romance its prequel had, nor does it provide a good continuation for Chuunibyou, and is overall a bad anime. So, does Chuunibyou Demo Koi Ga Shitai! have a sequel? Unfortunately it does, however I deny its existence. ~First and foremost, thanks for reading my review. If you have any comments regarding my review or just want to have a discussion, then leave a comment at my page. I will greatly appreciate it. =)~
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Dec 24, 2013
Kyoukai no Kanata
(Anime)
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*to those who are too lazy to read and just want a quick summary, skip to the final paragraph*
KyoAni has always been famous for its heart-wrenching and tear-jerking series. Stuff like Clannad, Air, and Kanon has been the stuff of legends among anime enthusiasts and otaku alike when the subject of romatic dramas come to mind. But then comes along Kyoukai no Kanata, an anime that is something seemingly focused on fast-paced action and adrenaline-inducing fight scenes. So seeing KyoAni’s repertoire with anime, it becomes quite obvious that Kyoukai no Kanata is something that is somewhat new to them, like something akin to an ... experiment. With their decision to do this, it became pretty clear that KyoAni are trying to expand their horizons, so now only one question remains: did they manage pull it off? Technically speaking, KyoAni has done quite a few of action scenes in the past with an anime called Chuunibyou, so needless to say, they had the animation aspect down. But then again, KyoAni has been quite famous for making quite a lot of high-quality works, so that much is a given, although there are those instances where the mouth doesn’t sync properly with the voice of the character, but it’s nothing too serious. The same can also said for the opening and ending sequences. The opening, which is also named Kyoukai no Kanata after the title itself, was a J-pop song sung by by Minori Chihara, is quite fitting to the anime. An upbeat song which sets the mood quite well for the ensuing action. And on the plus side, the actual scenes in the opening itself also doesn’t reveal anything about the plot at all, which is nice. The ending, named Daisy, is more of an electric kind-of song which was made by STEREO DIVE FOUNDATION. To be frank, I have no other words to describe this song other than that it is just awesome. It’s one of those songs that are so damn catchy that you’ll want to listen to it until you hate it. Now, there’s only one thing that I can complain about art in this anime, and that is the obvious lack of inspiration when it came to the character designs. Seriously, how bland can you make a character look? The male lead, Akihito, looks like a background character from Baccano, the female lead, Mirai’s only memorable feature is her glasses, and only because Akihito mentions it every single episode because of his glasses fetish, while the other characters look like they were taken out of a “cookie-cutter guide to making anime characters”. Speaking of characters, one of the problems of Kyoukai no Kanata are the character’s characters themselves. If I were to put it in one word, I would say that they were all boring. The main male lead is a high school student with a glasses fetish and the female lead is a childish and perpetually flustered girl who just has to end every sentiment with “Fuyukai Desu~ ”. Now add to that the main supporting male who has an Imouto fetish and his sister who is a classical tsundere, and you have the most lackluster and uninspired cast of characters to ever appear in a KyoAni work. Now, that would’ve all been fine if it just starts out that way, but then they each develop into their own unique characters, but unfortunately no. That doesn’t happen. Well, is sorta does but it just doesn’t… feel right. You see, the character development of Kyoukai no Kanata is somewhat romance-driven more than it is plot-driven. It’s the kind of development akin to that of Kamina and Simon, where a brief dialogue between characters is what triggers changes in the characters. But the thing is, even when such developments happen, and you know that it happened, you just don’t feel the development. Let me give an example: Main heroine Mirai goes through a horrible experience with Main male lead Akihito. However, as soon as said experience is over, the way Mirai talks, walks, her actions, and her way of thinking are virtually unchanged. You know she’s different from before, but due to KyoAni’s insistence that the show should be Moe, her actions, way of thinking and talking are made to look as if none of the crap she’s been through happened. In fact, it wasn’t until 2 or 3 episodes before the ending of the anime itself until we saw the actual effects of the developments on the characters, which was damn disappointing. As for the plot, well it was pretty much one of the biggest disappointments of this anime. Now don’t get me wrong, it’s not that it’s bad or horrible. Quite the contrary actually. The plot of the anime was as complex as any decent anime out there, and to be perfectly honest, the plot was actually effective enough to give Kyoukai no Kanata a bit of much needed suspense. However, what bogged down Kyoukai no Kanata’s plot was the presence of innumerable plot holes. And when I say innumerable, I do mean swiss-cheese-plotholes innumerable. The plot left far too many questions to be asked but barely even answered half of them. Add to that an ending that literally left my jaw hanging not because of how good it was, but because of how, for the lack of a better term, fucking stupid and illogical it was. With all that said though, I do believe that there is but one single culprit with regards as to why Kyoukai no Kanata turned out the way it did, and that is the length of the series. When I finish watching Kyoukai no Kanata, the very first question I asked was: Why wasn’t it longer? Seeing how intricate and the amount of potential the story had, it was so obvious that 12 episodes wouldn’t cut it. It was a story that probably could’ve shown its full potential had it been around 24 episodes, but due to unknown reasons, whether it be the budget or whatever, KyoAni decided that it should be a 12 episode anime. A shame really, as anyone with a good knack for seeing a decent story would be able to tell that Kyoukai no Kanata has a very promising plot and a beautiful concept. However with the way it was presented and the numerous plotholes it created, it became nothing but a bundle of potential that never managed to develop. Kyoukai no Kanata was an anime that could’ve been so much more. It had the makings of a great anime actually, with the perfect premises and concept to become a modern epic. However, due to the fact that it only lasted for 12 episodes, it wasn’t able to use its full potential. And for that, I give it a score of 7; It’s an average anime. Watch it if you feel like you don’t have anything better to watch. Despite being imperfect, it is still interesting enough for the average anime fan to enjoy, especially if you’re a moe fan. So to provide a quick summary of the pros and cons: +Animation is beautiful. Smooth, clean, and overall very well done. As expected from KyoAni. +Soundtrack is marvelous. The OP is good ol' J-pop. The ED is a bit on the side of electric music. Both are energetic pieces that suit the anime well -There are times when the mouth doesn't sync properly with the voice;happens when shouting. -The character designs were a bit uninspired. Too plain, and definitely not something that sticks out. -The anime is too short. As good as the premise, concept, and plot is, the fact that they tried to cram everything into a 13 or-so episodes made the story suffer greatly. -Even though the anime was short already as it is, KyoAni still added a damn filler episode. ~First and foremost, thanks for reading my review. If you have any comments regarding my review or just want to have a discussion, then leave a comment at my page. I will greatly appreciate it. =)~
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Apr 25, 2013
Shinsekai yori
(Anime)
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*to those who are too lazy to read and just want a quick summary, skip to the final paragraph*
Wordy, confusing, dark, yet strangely compelling. These are the words which perfectly describe the experience I had from watching this anime. Shinsekai Yori, or From The New World , is an anime adaptation of a visual novel of the same name. To tell you frankly, this review has taken quite some time to write, simply because I found it hard to put into words as to why it is good. Either way, I will still do my best to write this review, and to start off ... let me provide you with a simple overview of the plot. Shisekai Yori is an anime set a millennium into the future, in a seemingly utopian society where the remaining humans have finally unlocked the power of mind over matter, which they refer to as Cantus. During a field trip, Saki, the main protagonist of the story, along with her four friends discovers an ancient recording device left behind by the past civilization. With the revelations they found, their adventure begins as they are captured by Queerats, another race of beings which resembles humanoid molerats. So, what exactly is good with Shinsekai Yori? Well, to start off, let us discuss the plot. If you read the summary carefully, you might notice that it actually resembles an adventure type anime. However, that is not the case. Shinsekai Yori is a psychological anime that focuses on the philosophical aspects of the story (which I will be discussing later), despite the fact that it is tagged under horror, which I think it is not. Shinsekai Yori is an anime where you really have to put some time into it to enjoy it. The anime is quite slow; it only gets interesting at episode 3 and the plot only picks up at episode 9 or so. So yes, it does have quite a slow start, but once it gets rolling, it really hooks you in with its wonderfully executed and spontaneous plot. It’s the type of anime where when things get serious, they really get serious, And just as you’re breathing your first sigh of relief after the end of an intense plot arc, things kick into high gear again making it a thrill to watch until the very end. But despite the plot being spontaneous, it was complicated enough to give off a sense of mystery. There are times when you just have no idea of what’s happening until it hits you in the face. Personally, I found this to be quite refreshing: To not be able to tell what will happen next and just watch plot unfold and reveal the answers to your questions. Though even with all those things, the best thing about Shinsekai Yori’s plot still lies in its philosophical undertones. It portrays to us in a serious manner sensitive topics such as racism, slavery, human sexuality, and even democracy. These philosophical undertones are what makes Shinsekai Yori shine; It can make you think about the implications of those things in real life just like any decent and self-respecting Sci-fi title has. And what’s more, it shows us circumstances where we can’t help but feel pity to the oppressed and hate for the oppressors. Shinsekai Yori is the type of anime that makes the viewer empathize with the characters despite us viewers never having really been in that situation. This alone makes such a great anime, as it leaves a huge impact on whoever watches it, making it a memorable experience to all those who’ve watched it. As for the characters, I’d say that they are nothing less than wonderful. The main characters were truly unique and fleshed out, and had good personalities to boot. Now, what really made the characters so interesting is that you can see how they changed over time. You can see them turning from flat and boring characters into interesting people each with their own uniqueness in terms of their philosophies. Speaking of uniqueness, well the characters themselves weren’t all too unique in a sense that they could possibly still be fitted into some character archetypes. Take Shun for example. He’s the silent type who speaks only when needed and when he does, he speaks in an intelligent manner that you would expect from the seemingly smartest person in their group. Does that sound familiar to you? But despite that, the characters do change into unique characters as I’ve mentioned before, and that’s what counts. And also, I would like to give a special mention to the antagonist of this anime. As to not spoil the plot, I won’t tell who it is but I for one think that he is one of the greatest antagonists ever created. Now, one of the things that really caught my attention about him was his personality. He was what you would call a trickster, the type of character who you have a very bad feeling about and yet he seems to be unlikely an enemy. He made use of the protagonists and played them for fools, while being so seemingly friendly and down to earth which made him so interesting. Also, despite being the antagonist, the reason as to why he was fighting was very reasonable that at times I found myself even supporting him. It wasn’t like in other anime where the antagonists are being asses for the sake of being an ass, in Shinsekai Yori the antagonist was being an ass for a very reasonable reason. Kind of like how Yagami was such an ass despite having good intentions. And to top it all off, Shinsekai Yori also has a pretty decent animation. It was animated by A1 pictures, which also animated SAO (which despite having a bad plot, you gotta admit it had great animation) as well as other famous anime as well like Magi, Fairy Tail, Kuroshitsuji II, and Ao no Exorcist. The music was also great. The BGMs were the type of foreboding music that sounds like people chanting and gives a wonderful atmosphere when needed. Also, the first ending song, Wareta Ringo, was just addicting and has been stuck in my head for a couple of weeks now. Sadly, they don’t have an opening sequence, and just start off with something like a 30 sec recap of the last episode. Now one last thing, and this one is the thing that has sparked a bit of controversy among people (or at least, between me and my friends), and that is the presence of Yaoi and Yuri in the series. If you are the type of person who cannot handle seeing tongue action between two men, despite the fact that it isn’t done for the sake of fanservice, or even better, girls kissing each other, well, watch it anyway. These things are not detrimental to the plot (though it was mentioned why this happens in the first three episodes if you read carefully) and therefore would not affect the overall experience of watching this anime. So with all that said, what is the verdict for Shinsekai Yori? For me, I found it to be quite heck of a ride. The plot was well-written and executed, the undertones were mind boggling and the characters were a joy to watch. Despite that though, it is far from perfect and there are some bad in it like how it had a slow start, a complicated story, and Yaoi. Personally, I found it to be one of the more interesting anime of this past year. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a decent psychological anime that revolves more on philosophical themes rather than gore. To provide a quick summary of this review, here are the pros and cons of this anime: +Plot was well-written, well executed and spontaneous. +The philosophical undertones of the story were very interesting to say the least. +The characters were fleshed out pretty well and the character development aspect of this anime was superb +The antagonist was very noteworthy and had a great impact because of his goal. +The animation and music were decent. +Yuri XD -The first few episodes had a slow start to the point that it seemed like nothing was happening -The plot was hard to understand and pretty complicated at first. -Some of the characters can be fitted into character archetypes. -Yaoi (?) ~First and foremost, thanks for reading my review. If you have any comments regarding my review or just want to have a discussion, then leave a comment at my page. I will greatly appreciate it. =)~
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Mar 13, 2013
Toaru Majutsu no Index
(Anime)
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*to those who are too lazy to read and just want a quick summary, skip to the final paragraph*
One of the greatest battles that mankind has ever witnessed is the battle between science and religion, a battle that is still being fought today. So just imagine, what will happen if people with supernatural abilities existed and both these sides got hold of people whose special abilities that are nothing short of miraculous? So how exactly does this relate to To Aru Majutsu no Index? Well I suppose a short summary of the story is in order. Now To Aru Majutsu no Index (which I would just ... refer to now as Majutsu no Index) is set in a world where both science and magic coexist. Kamijou Touma, you regular high school kid lives within a place called Academy City, the so called “utopia of science” as well as an utopia for a new type of people known as ESPers, people who can have supernatural abilities by controlling the laws of science. Kamijou Touma, being a student in the Academy City, has a strange power called “Imagine Breaker”, a skill which allows him to dispel anything magical or is a product of ESPer powers. On the other hand, there is Index Prohibitorum Librorum (or Index for short), a nun who has the superhuman ability to remember virtually anything and has memorized in her mind 103,000 grimoires concerning magic that is prohibited by the church or is otherwise just far too dangerous to be used. One day, Touma found a starving Index hanging in his balcony after being chased by mysterious men, begging him for food. This is where the story starts as Touma finds himself in the middle of all the problems concerned with letting a walking manual for destruction live in his house. Now, you gotta admit, the idea of science and magic clashing against each other is a pretty freaking good concept, and a good concept always mean a good anime right? Well, Majutsu no Index had pretty much everything that a good anime has: a good concept, interesting premises, and a recipe for romance. Unfortunately, it failed to use its full potential as an anime because of certain mistakes made by the producers of this anime. So let’s start off with the story. As I’ve said, Majutsu no index is set on interesting premises yet it failed to fully utilize all of its hidden potential. You see, one of the biggest problems here is, or the lack thereof, of a main antagonist because what happened is that the anime was split into two sides : the magic side and the science side. The magic side is the side concerned with magic aspect of the anime. The plots concerning this side usually just revolves around people who are relentlessly trying to kidnap Index to learn the secrets in her head and wreak havoc upon the earth, those who want to save Index from her perfect memory, which they claim would kill her if they don’t brainwash her every year since she would remember every detail she sees and ultimately overload her brain, and the church which is responsible for pretty much all of Index’s problems. And obviously, it’s Touma’s job to protect Index which he usually does by talking and punching the said magicians into submission. Though that way of solving things isn’t really all that bad, what really makes the magic side so terrible is that it’s quite episodic when it comes to plot. The plot from one arc to another just doesn’t add up and that makes it quite terrible: the fact that it has no continuality. The science side on the other hand, is a heck lot more interesting in terms of plot than the magic side. It revolves around the concept of leveling up ESPers. You see, the thing with ESPers is that they are ranked using levels, starting from level 0 (which is by the way, Touma’s level) and above. This is done in order to measure how strong an ESPer is with level 0 being weakest, virtually having no powers, and those with higher levels having stronger powers. The current highest level ESPers have been able to attain is level 5, a title which seven different people in Academy City hold. The story focuses on two of these level 5 ESPers, namely Misaka Mikoto, who was the ability to control electricity and is a friend to Touma, and The Accelerator, who can control and redirect vectors at will. What happened is that Academy City decided to create the first level 6 ESPer, and there are only two ways to do it: Either have a level 5 ESPer kill roughly 128 other level 5 ESPers, or to have a level 5 ESPer kill 20,000 level 3 ESPers. Seeing as they only have seven level 5 ESPers, they opted for the other method: have a level 5 ESPer, namely The Accelerator, kill 20,000 level 3 ESPers. Now the question is where do they get 20,000 level 3 ESPers? If you haven’t noticed by now, yes, I am biased towards the science side of the story but there is a good reason for that. As I’ve said, what this series lacks is the presence of a main antagonist, and what the science side gives is just that, along with a solid plot. On the other hand, the magic side is, as I’ve mentioned, quite episodic in nature, jumping around from one antagonist to the other and having no clear goal as to where it would lead the story next after one conflict is solved. This is one of the biggest downfalls of Majutsu no Index and is one of the main reasons as to why it fails to live up to its potential. Another problem with this anime is that the magic and science side of the story almost never crosses each other, despite the fact that they should be two sides of the same coin. This is especially annoying from time to time because it causes quite a few plotholes in the story. Another one of the problems with Majutsu no Index lies in its characters. I’m not saying that they are bad, it’s just that they are so cliché it hurts. We have Kamijou Touma, who’s definition of unlucky is seeing naked chicks and getting “in touch” with the ladies (gee, I haven’t seen that before), Index, who is your regular hyperactive loli, Misaka, nicknamed biribiri, who is your run-of-the-mill tsundere, and others who would take too long to mention. But of course, that isn’t the real problem, as cliché characters can still be interesting despite the fact that they are, well, cliché. The real problem is that the makers of the anime desperately try to make Touma, the main character, look badass when in fact, he’s not. And for the sake of doing this, they pretty much confine most of the other characters to the sidelines. This becomes very apparent during the latter half of the show, when pretty much every problem ends up being solved when Touma punches the antagonist in the face. But of course, not all of the characters are bad. Take Accelerator for example. Aside from being the main antagonist for the majority of the science side plotline, he is also the one of the few characters that received a noticeable amount of character development. As the story introduced him as an evil psycho who is willing to kill tens of thousands to gain power, he was later shown to have a softer side who cares for others more than he seems .Other than him, most of the other anime characters just receive minimal amounts of development, maybe aside for one more character though discussing her here could spoil the story. So far, the only redeeming feature Majutsu no Index has is in its animation and music. The Art was just the way I like it, clean, smooth, and shiny just like most of the newer animes today, though there are times when the movements seem a little bit choppy but this is barely noticeable and doesn’t really affect the overall experience of watching this anime. The music on the other hand is just plain freaking awesome. The first and second openings, both J-pop songs, where sung by Kawada Mami which are in my opinion, just perfect for the theme of the anime: fast-paced and somehow had a futuristic tune to it. So overall I’d have to say that To Aru Majutsu no Index is more or less an average anime. It’s an anime with a good concept and interesting premises, it just happened to have been unable to fully utilize its full potential. Still though, that doesn’t mean that it’s a bad anime. It does have moments where it shines and shows some pretty amazing scenes. Unfortunately, it couldn’t maintain that level of goodness throughout which becomes one of its downfalls. So this isn’t really something that I would personally recommend, but if you’re stuck with nothing to watch, or maybe you’re one those who have a liking for shounen animes with a little bit of romance here and there then why not give this a shot. Who knows, you might come to like it more than I did. So to provide a quick summary, here are a list of pros and cons: + It has a good concept: Science against Magic +The openings, both sung by Kawada Mami, were awesome J-pop songs +The art was clean and smooth +The Science side of the story had a good plotline +The Accelerator is just a badass antagonist -The anime was unable to use its full potential and due to half of the story, the magic side, being terrible -The makers of the anime were trying too hard to make the protagonist of the story, Touma, look badass despite the fact that he was not -The animation can get a little choppy at times, though this isn’t too noticeable -The characters are quite cliché ~First and foremost, thanks for reading my review. If you have any comments regarding my review or just want to have a discussion, then leave a comment at my page. I will greatly appreciate it. =)~
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Jan 18, 2013
Death Note
(Anime)
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*to those people who are only looking for a quick summary, skip to the end*
If you happen to get a power that allows you to kill anyone, regardless of who they are, for as long as you know their name and face, what would you do? Most people would probably use it for their own selfish desires, like to kill that noisy neighbor who doesn’t know where his own lawn ends, or that slave driver of a boss that just piles up more and more paperwork on your desk, or maybe even that fat bastard who won’t pay his debt. Regardless of your answer, I ... guess that every one of us has someone in their mind who you think should just disappear. This is the very same circumstances that happen in Death note. Light Yagami, an exceptionally smart student happened to find a notebook entitled as Death Note. Thinking of it as a prank, he decided to test it out and surprisingly, he found out that it’s real. Having a strong sense of justice, he decides that with this power, he shall create a new world order, and started his work by killing every single criminal in the world. I know what you’re asking right now, is Death Note any good? The answer to that is yes, it is, and the reasons are that: Death Note has pretty much one of the most well thought out and complicated plots out there. It tells the story in such a way that it makes you want to keep an eye on every single detail as it might be the next thing to surprise you. Second, it makes use of very complicated yet very plausible logic that just leaves you thinking if it really makes sense. Lastly, it makes use of the element of suspense most of the time, leaving people glued to their seats while awaiting the next big revelation. Now, if you haven’t guessed yet, the thing that makes Death Note such a great anime is its plot. It makes you think deeply into the situations that the characters Light and L is thrown into, and when you try to predict what will happen next, most of the time you’ll come up with the wrong conclusions. This is the thing that makes Death note such an engaging anime. There are some people out there such as myself who find it pleasurable to try and guess what will happen next in the story, and when you do get it right, it gives a lot of satisfaction. And since Death Note is of the mystery genre and all, it really delivers well in the mystery part. Now, another thing that makes Death note so great is its unique perspective of the story. Instead of showing the story through the eyes of the good guy, L, it shows the story through the eyes of Light Yagami, one of the very few utter assholes that I’ve come to respect. He is in a nutshell, an evil anti-hero who is hell bent on creating a perfect world by committing mass murder. Seeing the story through the eyes of the evil MC can make you think about whether what he is doing is actually right, unlike in other animes wherein when the story is shown through the eyes of the good guy protagonist, the story seems to bias to the side of the good guy MC. But of course, as with all anime, none are perfect. Although this really isn’t a hole in the plot or a mistake by the creators of the anime, some people (most of them haters) points out that the story is too, well, perfect. They like to point out that everything just flows too smoothly, especially the plans that Light carry out. After reading the manga and watching the anime, I have also come to notice this. I’d like to reason out though that this is an anime, not real life. Seeing those plans unfold in seeming perfection is one of the most enjoyable part of watching this anime. If you take that away then Death Note would lose at least 50% of its enjoyment factor. Also, after the timeskip somewhere in the middle of the anime, the plot suddenly seemed to have dropped in quality a bit due to a major plot twist, though it might just be me. Despite that though, Death Note still has one of the best plot out there, and I’d like to see someone say otherwise. Along with a wonderful plot comes an even better set of characters. From the evil scheming bastard MC Light Yagami to the good guy detective L, every character is just perfect. They are very well developed, with complete personalities and their own philosophies. You can really feel what they are thinking of despite both main characters being slightly despicable in their own way, you just can’t help but agree with them in some points. These things can really make the characters grow on you, and seriously, you’ll really come to love them. Another thing that I’d like to mention again is the fact that the roles of the antagonist and the protagonists were switched, making Light the main character and L as the antagonist. Now, the great thing about this is that the viewers are actually given insight into the mind of the evil MC, and unlike in the other animes wherein the MC just spouts nonsense about justice and peace while the author just hopes that the viewers will take such ideals with a grain of salt, Death Note actually takes time to try and explain the reasons as to why the MC actually does that and even provides us with his philosophies and beliefs. This is one of the things that make Death Note a couple of notches better than other animes. Also with regards to the how smoothly the character development goes, I’d say that they did a damn well job. The pacing was just perfect. You can really see the transformation from a simple high school student that firmly believes that cleansing the world of criminals is justice to a half-mad genius who has a god complex. Now another thing that I would like to mention is the animation and music of Death Note. Although these things are not really needed to make a good anime, I’d really have to say that Death Note’s animation has aged pretty well. Made during 2007, its animation is still pretty good by my standard, all clean and slick. So to those who have phobias of 90’s animation fear not, it won’t kill your eyes. As for the music, the background music really makes things a heck lot more epic, especially during those scenes when Light is sitting in front of his desk and writing the names of criminals like a BAWS, then an orchestra-playing-epic-music-and-a-choir-starts-singing-in-Latin-or-some-other-laguage-I-can’t-understand type background type of music starts playing. Also, the second opening was really unique. Freaking screamo will really get you pumped for the stuff that will happen next. So to conclude everything, I’d just like to say that Death Note is an exceptionally good anime. It has a beautiful plot, great characters, is quite long, about 37 episodes so you’ll be able to enjoy it thoroughly. For those people who are into detective and mystery type anime, I highly suggest watching this .I swear you won’t regret it. As a summary, these are the pros and cons that I pointed out in my review +Plot is really complex with lots of twists and turns that really hooks you in +The Main characters are without a doubt, some of the most interesting characters out there, with personalities and beliefs that are well developed +The suspense factor is great throughout the anime +The intro and BGM were both very well done +Quite unique by the fact that the anime was shown through the eyes of the Antagonist -Gathered a few haters who claim that the story was too unrealistic because everything in the anime goes too smoothly -has 1 filler episode ~First and foremost, thanks for reading my review. If you have any comments regarding my review or just want to have a discussion, then leave a comment at my page. I will greatly appreciate it. =)~
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Jan 2, 2013
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
(Anime)
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*for those people who are too lazy to read, skip to the end*
The big three: Naruto, Bleach, and One Piece. You have probably already watched these three anime or they might have even been the ones that got you into anime. Now, what do they have in common? That’s right, they’re all from the shounen genre. Now, the thing is, most of the shounen animes today almost always follow a preset formula in terms of plot, as if they copied it right of an instruction manual. The formula usually goes like: Badass MC appears, Badass MC gains friends, Badass antagonist appears, Badass MC gets his ... ass handed to him by antagonist, Badass MC gains power-up, Badass MC kicks the antagonist’s ass, then rinse and repeat. If you’ve been paying attention to most of the anime you watch, you’ve probably noticed this already. Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood, on the other hand, despite being a shounen anime doesn’t seem to be like this at all, in fact, it is quite the contrary. If so, then how is it different? Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood, which I will just abbreviate to FMA:B, is different by the fact that it doesn’t follow that retarded plot formula above. It actually has a well thought-out and gripping plot with a great balance between action and comedy. For starters it doesn’t just go like the regular Going-on-a-adventure or I-need-to-protect-my-nakama shounen type anime. To provide a short summary of the story, it is about Edward and Alphonse Elric. They are two brothers who live in a world wherein a certain type of people called alchemists, people who can transmute anything into something else using a transmutation circle, which is basically a circle which contains a set instruction inside, for as long as it obeys a law called the law of equivalent exchange. Now, the Elric brothers lost their mothers at a young age and decided to try and use alchemy to “transmute” her back to life using ingredients that make up the human body, but unfortunately, a human transmutation is not only prohibited by human laws but by the very laws of god, as a human soul is priceless. So instead of getting back their mother, God took Edward’s arm and Alphonse’s entire body as a toll, and Edward was forced to sacrifice his leg in order to transfix his brother’s soul into a metal body. Not everything is for naught though, because being able to see God and “being dragged through the gates of truth” and living to tell the tale offers a very handsome price: the ability to transmute without the use of a transmutation circle. Then, they proceeded to search for a way to regain their bodies and the solution they found is the Philosopher’s Stone, a legendary object which allows one to disregard the law of equivalent exchange. In their search, they became state alchemists, a group of alchemists who are employed by the state as human weapons. And with that, their adventure begins as they discover the secrets behind the nature of the Philosopher’s Stone. Well, no, adventure really isn’t the proper word for it. It’s more like chasing rumors to see whether they can find clues to see how to make or where to find a Philosopher’s stone. Now, onto the actual review. The thing that separates FMA:B from other shounen anime is its plot. Unlike other shounen anime that consists of loosely related arcs (think One Piece or Naruto arcs), FMA:B consists of several arcs which are closely related that serves to introduce bits and pieces of the story which at the end will all come together to form one complex plot. This is one of the strong points of FMA:B. The story seems a little slow at the start but once it picks up it really gets going. First it introduces the main points and the basic concepts of the story then proceeds to create conflicts which will keep on adding to the suspense of the story. Now, another thing that sets FMA:B apart from others is the way it answers the questions in the plot. Whenever it raises a question in the viewer’s mind, it usually answers it sometime later, but it also raises another question. This kind of technique makes it so that those who are watching it will always be at the edge of their seat, awaiting the answer to their questions. I know I was at the edge of my seat while watching this, and every time they answer a question and I decide to try and sleep, they leave a cliffhanger at the end which make me want to watch more, and that in itself is a very strong point since it can keep you glued to your seat. Despite this fact, they still manage to answer every question they raise, leaving no plotholes in the story for as far as I can tell. Another great point of FMA:B is the good balance between the action and comedy. Despite being somewhat serious during the middle and end part of the anime, it still has those moments that can make you laugh and smile, despite the fact that the tension and suspense in the anime is already near its peak. To put it simply, FMA:B knows how to and when to put a good comic relief, and that gives it another point. Still, as with every anime, none of them are perfect. The only thing that I can deem as an imperfection in this anime is the fact that it sort of went overboard during the last 4 or so episodes, only to result in a somewhat anticlimactic defeat of the main antagonist. What do I mean by overboard? Well, to put it simply, it sort of went DBZ with laser beams flying around and that kind of stuff, although it was nothing major, just something I would like to point out. Along with a great plot, FMA:B also comes with a great set of characters. To be frank, the character design of the MC character Edward Elric isn’t really all that unique, just your regular noisy kid who firmly believes that killing is bad. This doesn’t mean that he stays that way though, as another one of the great points of this anime if the fact that not only does the characters develop beautifully into fleshed out characters, each with their respective personalities, they also do it smoothly. The anime takes its time to carefully turn them into what they will be, without any sudden developments happening out of thin air(think Sasuke). And here’s something that completely sets it apart from the other animes. The antagonists themselves are developed so well that you actually feel sorry for them. Despite the fact that you will probably hate them at the start of the series due to them being complete assholes most of the time( which is also another good point, since they are antagonists), over time you will come to love them and even feel sad after their deaths. And I don’t mean that they pull a “Severus-Snape-actually being-a-ally” type of sad, antagonist death, I mean that they actually touch your heart during their last moments due to them finally realizing what they truly want. I personally found this as the strongest point of FMA:B, since of all the animes I’ve watched, only in this one did I ever feel a saddened due to the death of an antagonist, wherein in most cases I would just laugh like a maniac due to the horrible fate they suffered. And like always, there’s the animation and music. While not being that important, I got to give them props for being thorough with their animation. Unlike some others wherein they just loop a scene of the two people hitting each other, they actually took time to choreograph the fights scenes and the end results are just dazzling. Not only that, you can also see the sheer amount of detail they put especially in things like Edward’s prosthetic arm when Winry is fixing it, and like in Envy’s true form and inside GreedLing’s mind. Of course, the music is just about as good as the art. The OP’s are all catchy, although I wouldn’t have time to describe each of them because there’s a lot of them. Also, the BGM is really something else. The way they match the scene they’re played in is just wonderful. Not to mention, they can also get your blood pumping, as if it’s a BGM in a boss fight scene in a game. With all of that, I can assure you that Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood is the best shounen anime during these recent years. I highly recommend watching it and I’m willing to bet my pride that it will not disappoint. Also, unlike other shounen titles, FMA:B is filled to the brim with action and doesn’t tend to drag things out, hence only 64 episode, which is quite short compared to the other, more known titles out there, so why not give it a try? To provide a quick summary of the pros and cons: +Good plot +Almost all the characters are well-developed, antagonists included +No plotholes +Great animation with beautifully choreographed fights -The last fight at the end was over the top, only to end to the anticlimactic death of the antagonist -Some of the antagonists are more lovable than the MCs(not really sure if a con or not) -Nothing else really, except that the sheer number of badass characters in this anime can cause you to get jelly ~First and foremost, thanks for reading my review. If you have any comments regarding my review or just want to have a discussion, then leave a comment at my page. I will greatly appreciate it. =)~
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Dec 20, 2012
Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai!
(Anime)
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*to those lazy people who just want to see a quick summary, just skip to the end*
I’m pretty sure that no matter who you are, where you live, and what you’re stature in life is, you’ve once dreamt of the supernatural. You know, like having special powers that set you apart from others, or living in a floating castle in the sky. But of course, regardless of that, there came a time when we all decided to forget such delusions and become a proper part of the society. Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai, otherwise known as Chuu-2, is an anime that focuses on such delusions. ... Chuu-2 shows us the story of Yuuta, your everyday, run-of-the-mill, high school teenage boy. Or so he seems. In the past he seems to have been infected with one of the most widespread, embarrassing, and even humiliating disease of all time, and that is Chuunibyou. Chuunibyou is something that every normal person has gone through in his life, and that the delusions that come with the developing of one’s mind during the second year of middle school, and thus the name Chuunibyou. Now, the thing is, each case of Chuunibyou is different from one person to another, and Yuuta happened to have a really bad case of it, making him act out his delusions to the point of going to school in costume fighting enemies that don’t exist. But as with every person, he soon realized what he was doing, and became slightly traumatized with embarrassment. So, after graduating middle school, he decided to put everything behind him, and start fresh in a school where nobody knows of his dark past. Now, here comes Rikka, a person who, even until high school, still has her Chuunibyou. With her discovering Yuuta’s hidden secret, she drags him into all sorts of situations, and so the story begins. With that short summary of the story, you might be asking “what is so great about this anime?” First off, it is literally one of the funniest anime I’ve ever watched. Everything, from the epic fight scenes that Rikka imagines down to her reactions when Yuuto hits her in the head is just priceless. What’s more is that the jokes they tell not only makes you laugh, but actually hits you right in the face. Chuu-2 shows us what we were when we were young and still unembarrassed with our delusional dreams for the future. It gives you a feeling of nostalgia, like you can almost be certain that back then, you also thought of being a hero of justice or something like that. So to make a long statement short, not only is it funny, you can actually relate to the things that they are doing, or even the way they think. Another thing is that the plot itself was straightforward. It doesn’t wander around from this to that but just focuses on both Yuuta and Rikka, the two main protagonist of the story. It shows their lives just like any self-respecting slice of life anime does, with a little twist in the middle when the anime starts to pick up speed and transform from a comedy slice of life to a somewhat romantic drama. What is really amazing about it though is that even with that transition, it still managed to stay true to its concept. At the start it was about some high school students with Chuunibyou and in the end, it still was. Even if the transition made it more serious and dramatic, the core concept was still there, and that is about these students trying to let go of their delusions. Lastly, the thing I liked the most about this anime is its conclusive ending. Although this might not be really good because it lowers the chance of Chuu-2 having a second season, it’s still better than leaving us hanging. The ending left no plotholes, and is overall solid, leaving a warm and fluffy feeling after watching the entire series. Aside from the plot itself, one of the things that make Chuu-2 so great is its characters. Each one of them is them is unique in their own way and is refreshing to watch. Rikka for example, is the main source of the gags in the anime due to her extremely unpredictable nature. She is the kind of character who is usually creates the complications and problems in the plot and is also the love interest of Yuuta. Yuuta on the other hand is more of the straight man who usually solves and stops Rikka from doing embarrassing things. Aside from that he also once had Chuunibyou and called himself “Dark Flame Master”, which caused him to be the center of some gags throughout the anime. Aside from them, there are also a few supporting characters, namely: Dekomori, Rikka’s best friend and apparent servant, Isshiki, Yuuta’s best friend and a source of comic relief in the story, Nibutani, the beautiful class rep. and a school idol who used to have Chuunibyou and called herself Forest Summer, and the last one, Kumin, their sempai who just likes to nap. Now, this is where Chuu-2 really shines. The characters are just perfect for the premise of the story. They’re funny, cute and most of all, relatable. Along with, the character development is also pretty smooth. It can be quite sudden, but it’s not without proper cause and is justifiable. And of course, there’s always the animation and music. Although having beautiful graphics isn’t really crucial to making a good anime, but damn this anime is really animated really well. Everything was smooth, no inconsistencies as far as I can tell, and is pretty much just eye candy. And those fight scenes. Having been spawned from a Chuunibyou’s imagination, it can be really over the top sometimes, but it’s really good enough to rival those of some shounen anime. But of course, since it was done by KyoAni, which is known for its high quality animations, this is pretty much a given. The music is also just as good. Heck, you can even watch the anime just for the music itself, although I really wouldn’t recommend it. The opening, Sparkling Daydream, is an lively and upbeat song which can pretty much give you a general idea of the comedy and chaos that’s about to ensue later into the episode. The ending, Inside Identity, is more of a j-rock song which is also pretty catchy as well. So overall, I found Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai as the best comedy/romance anime of 2012 and one of the best of all time. I highly recommend it to everyone, especially to those who have a soft spot for romcoms. But still, regardless of your taste in anime, it’s only 12 episodes long, so it won’t really take much time, so why not give it a try? After all you might come to like it. So to provide a quick summary for those lazy people who have another serious disease which they commonly abbreviate as TL;DR syndrome, I’ll just list the pros and cons of the anime. +Funny +Easily Relatable +Fairly straightforward but highly entertaining plot +Conclusive ending +Stays true to its concept/doesn’t try to be what it isn’t -Due to the story being straightforward, the plot can be somehow predictable -If you hate moe, you might not like this -Can cause hysterical laughter which leads to lightheadedness and stomachaches ~First and foremost, thanks for reading my review. If you have any comments regarding my review or just want to have a discussion, then leave a comment at my page. I will greatly appreciate it. =)~
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Dec 16, 2012
Durarara!!
(Anime)
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Life in the big city. Imagine yourself as an average high school teen who’s finally going to live alone in a new, unfamiliar, and hostile environment with gangs out on the streets, a supernatural serial killer lurking at night, and a headless biker roaming the streets. Doesn’t sound so easy, does it? This is the exact situation Ryuugamine Mikado was thrown into. Because of wanting to see his old friend, Kida Masaomi again, he decided to go and study in Ikebukuro. Unknown to him, Ikebukuro is actually a hub for gangs and unexplainable happenings. Durarara! revolves around these happenings as the main character Mikado tries
...
to cope with his current situation and inevitably gets dragged into the troubles that this city hold.
Plot-wise, Durarara! sounds a cliché, half-baked anime which uses the same plot as those that have been used over and over again by the same genre. Although this is not entirely false, Durarara! knows when to add twists, variations, and innovations to its not-so-exceptional plot. First of all, Durarara! makes use of different viewpoints in telling its stories. Unlike other animes wherein the story is usually just seen from the viewpoint of the MC, in Durarara! it shows us the story through the eyes of the MC, his best friend Kida, the headless rider Celty, the killer Saika, and even some of the side characters. Along with that, they also tell the story behind each character, main or not. This gives Durarara! an incredibly detailed plot, which makes up for its somehow predictable twists. Another flaw of Durarara! is its plotholes. As incredibly detailed it is, it raised some MAJOR plot points and questions which it failed to answer at the end of the series. For a junkie for animes with good, solid, and concluding plot like me, this left a very bitter taste in my mouth. Don’t go throwing this anime into the bin just yet though, because just as I’ve said, what it lacks in plot depth, it makes up with plot detail. If you are the kind of person who likes well developed characters, you are sure to like this. As Durarara! is told using multiple perspectives, you can damn well expect that the characters are well fleshed-out. Each of them are unique, from the shy and timid MC Mikado, to the talkative mute Celty, you can expect a multitude of personalities to collide, bringing with it one of the strong points of Durarara!. Even with that though, the character designs themselves are pretty bland. Mikado looks just like any generic high school character from a random anime, Kido looks like you typical douche/funny guy, and another character, Shizuo, looks like your normal badass. Then there’s the art and animation. It’s quite bland compared to other animes, but it does the job. Although it might just be the actual art style, budget limitations, or just laziness, but I really don’t like when the animators leave the background characters uncolored. It’s nothing major, and won’t ruin the experience, but those little details can really cause the anime to look dull and lifeless. However, the actual animation itself is really good. Everything is smooth, slick, and shiny; just the way most animes now look like, so those with phobias with DBZ-style animation, you don’t have to worry. So, the final verdict is, Durarara! is an above average anime, but not exceptional. It’s just that the good points of it are being offset by its bad points. So yeah, I would recommend that you watch it, but don’t expect it to be a masterpiece. It’s a good thing to waste time on; it give you good entertainment for the amount of time you spend on it. ~First and foremost, thanks for reading my review. If you have any comments regarding my review or just want to have a discussion, then leave a comment at my page. I will greatly appreciate it. =)~
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Dec 1, 2012
Ookami to Koushinryou
(Anime)
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I wonder, what does it feel like to be able to travel all over the world and sit under the blue sky while making countless friends and acquaintances, and having a beautiful companion to witness all of it with you? Now, what exactly is Spice and wolf and how does this question relate to it? Spice and Wolf is an anime that depicts the life of Craft Lawrence and his fateful encounter with Holo, a wolf deity who takes the form of a young, beautiful woman. Together, they travel across the land as traveling merchants with their goal being to be able to reach
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Holo’s hometown, Yoitsu. So, what exactly is so special about this anime then? Well, to put it simply, Spice and Wolf is one of those rare gems that come along every couple of years or so. It is different from other animes in a way that it is of the romance genre, yet it shows it in a way that is quite different from others. That, along with a wonderfully written plot makes it a very unique anime that can both pique your interest and minds and at the same time give you the vibes that romance animes usually have.
You see, the plot is, as simple as it sounds like, is actually one of the most complex and unpredictable plots I’ve ever seen. The anime is subdivided into several arcs that each have their own separate story. Now, each of these arcs are seemingly simple and straightforward, but in reality, they can task your mind just by thinking about how things will end up. Each story has more twist and turns than a slum, like in one moment they are happy and smiling then suddenly one simple mistake and their entire situation turns upside down. it still manages to tie up everything perfectly though and is the way they solve these problems is what makes Spice and Wolf interesting. It makes use of economic principles(whether they are applicable in real life or just made up is beyond me) that can either amaze you or confuse you. Also, along with these events are the messages that make Spice and Wolf into the anime it is. These messages are subtle implications about things like how money corrupts men, how untrustworthy people become when faced with certain opportunities and other things which may sound a bit philosophical. Then there’s the romantic aspect of Spice and Wolf. I find it really entertaining yet very infuriating to watch the two main characters flirt with each other but their relationship seems to remain platonic. Sure, after a few episodes or so they start holding hands or so but other than that there really isn’t anything else. This kind of flirting though does have a certain charm that makes me crave for more. Speaking of craving more, I just can never get enough of Holo. She is one unique character that never fails to amuse; a beautiful, wise and quick-witted woman who has a distinct love for alcohol and apples. Then there’s the traveling merchant Craft Lawrence, a bona fide gentleman who has a great way with words and is Holo’s love interest. Every time these two are on screen alone, you can just be sure that a wonderful exchange of words is about to ensue. Along with these two characters are a bunch of other side characters that they meet in every arc then leave as they venture out. Unfortunately though, since only Holo and Lawrence are given enough screen time, only they are the ones with solid and unique personalities. Don’t get me wrong though, the side characters are not entirely dull and boring or anything of the likes, you just can’t really grow to love them as they don’t really stick around for long. This kind of character development does kind of fit the story though as Lawrence and Holo are both traveling merchants so meeting a multitude of other characters does benefit the plot in some way or another. Then throw in a bit of wonderful music and sceneries and you’ve got exactly what Spice and wolf looks like. The opening of this series, Tabi no Tochuu, is one of the most beautiful and emotional song I’ve heard from an anime. Then there’s also the ending, Ringo hiyori, which has a happy and energetic beat to it, and not to mention, it’s in English, something you don’t see everyday. The scenery is somewhat plain yet fitting to the theme of the storysSince the story of Spice and Wolf usually occur within cities. As such, most of the things you can expect to see are large brick buildings and markets cluttered by stalls with cloth roofs. When the occasion calls for it though, Spice and Wolf can surprise you with views ranging from vast wheat fields and rural sceneries that are based off medieval Europe to foggy, foreboding forests and quiet paths along the countryside. All in all, Spice and Wolf has done a great job being unique and staying true to its concept. It never strayed from the story and had a very intricate and mind-boggling plot. Along with the romance going on between Holo and Lawrence, Spice and Wolf truly delivers type of entertainment that hasn’t been shown in any other anime. it tries to both tease the mind by putting the characters into complicated yet conceivable situations and charm the heart by slowly developing the relationship between Holo and Lawrence. It has been a fun watch for me and for everyone who is looking for an anime that has a well constructed plot and a sweet, mature love story, look no further because I am sure that Spice and Wolf will deliver. Btw, don’t you just love apples? ~First and foremost, thanks for reading my review. If you have any comments regarding my review or just want to have a discussion, then leave a comment at my page. I will greatly appreciate it. =)~
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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