Hand Shakers

So I watched Hand Shakers because I heard it's the worst thing ever. Of course, this same thing is being declared about every series ever by people who have not seen every series ever. For this reason I approached it with the same skepticism I approach the "best series ever" claims. And once again the exaggeration was real, and Hand Shakers was more or less like the "best series ever".

Sure this series doesn't have many good things in it. It has lots of bad, but none of the bad in it impressed me in any way. It's not advanced awfulness, terribad clusterfuckery, not even ... nauseating shit. In fact, it just offers a mediocre view on bad. Series such as Code Geass and Clannad did an impressive job building all the depth and factors that made these series garbage in almost every possible way. Hand Shakers seems more like a parody of those. Instead of offering its own unique take on unwatchable trash, it rather seems to be made for ironic viewing without any seriousness

One important thing to note about this series is how it challenges the viewer's intelligent. The concept of holding hands is a direct middle finger towards all those "deep" and complex anime series where instead of the characters holding each others hands - the anime itself is holding the viewer's hand. This one doesn't do it. It couldn't care less if you fucking like it or not. This series is also a reverse-ripoff of Franxx with more subtle. I can totally dig into that. #not a pun

For a borderline softcore hentai, Hand Shakers does quite an impressive job with the boob wiggles and tentacle-like chain movements. The scenery is colorful, detailed, and the animation is nearly as glorious as in series like Kemono Friends, Houseki no Kuni, and Kingdom season 01, so it passes. The story on the other hand is definitely better written than Code Geass R2, and I highly enjoyed it despite it being a mixture of vomit and piss, so I can't complain.

When one accurately thinks of a masterpiece, one can only think of Hand Shakers. This isn't just the best anime I've ever seen, this is the best anime of all time.
With stunning visuals, fluid animation, incredible character designs and depth, and an eargasmic soundtrack, topping this would undoubtedly be completely impossible. There is nothing about this anime I could critique. I could spend hours alone lost in Koyori's eyes, for in them you can see the universe itself. The fluidity of the animation meshes perfectly with the classic anime-style character designs, which, by the way, with their stunning colors and intricate details, simply ... could not be better.
This anime has stolen a piece of my heart, and without it, I would be incomplete.

, I like this anime because it's unique on it CGI and animation. It's a fresh new story you don't see in anime like SAO or even Tokyo Ghoul.I like the characters except that one kid only, I love all the characters except that one kid.

I like the opening and the ending theme, but prefer the opening because it pumps you with motivation.

The fights scenes are brutal but great. I like how the main character have proper development unlike the former handshakers user.

I recommend you watch not too serious. That's all I can say.I enjoyed it better than other shows like Yojou ... Senki or maybe long stream anime like Sousei.

Ok so a lot of people are hating this anime i have no idea why. This is my personal opinion.
So I started watching this anime when the 4th episode had aired, and I was just trying it out because why not.

I really find the colours and how they contrast to be amazing as well as the animation that is what totally lured me in!
The story is unique to some extent, and I have no idea why but it always makes me want to watch the next episode!
I honestly did not think I would like this anime based off the description so ... give it a try!
I love the characters and I always wonder of the man girl will ever talk. I wont state any names because I hate spoilers!

This is my first review so thanks for reading!:)

so i have watched the couple episodes and ngl 9/10 for me graphics are epic and the way story is going i kinda see whats happening in it quite interesting if you ask me since i saw the ep it kinda reminds me little of no game no life big order and mirai nikki a bit which is great imo can't wait for ep 2 this is (minor spoiler) about a guy who met this girl who was asleep as she woke up she held his hand and became a hand shaker challenging other opponents those who win will go challenge god if i am ... right which kinda reminded me of no game no life a little but overall for now i say this is decent.

So Hand Shakers is a little weird at first (framerate being slightly higher and variable rather than constant) which may make some people steer away from it. Most the time the artwork is fine.

Supposed spoilers (theories) near end of post

I do have to complain about the chains moving from the first episode as it causes brutal screen tearing. Other than that it's art style for characters is pretty nice to look at.

Opening -- Song isn't bad, maybe a little pacy and lots of high motion.
Normal Animation -- Usually not bad some parts of the first episode were a little laggy.
Ending -- Song is another neutral ... thing but animation really isn't a big deal there due to lower key music tone.

How is the music in the background, well it complements it quite well the fighting sequences usually have more upbeat music in the background.

Now that I have finished watching the series, the story is definitely different, though the end leaves on a cliffhanger of meeting God?

Maybe an OVA (Supposed Episode 13 "Go ago Go") which is apparently a prequel seems to be focused on pre story stuff. Though this new character in it who is apparently called Kōichi from my research. This new character looks similar to that guy who was seen at the last seconds of Episode 12. I don't think a 20min OVA will cover the stuff after as well.

Welp time to go back waiting for Index III or the next season of Railgun

Okay, I will just say one thing. This is amazing. No sarcasm. Haters come and convince me otherwise. The sound is amazing, back in 2017, you wouldn't find anything like it. The CGI effects are much much better than what I would find in Arifureta Shokugyou de Sekai saikyou. The producers have the balls to try something new with this. No one wants harem, the anime delivered a no harem for you. You wanted a good plot, it gives you a plot that stands out from other anime. Your powers are your personalities. This anime doesn't portray depressing shit you would find in other anime. ... Just enjoy it. Yea true, this anime portrays big tits bouncing in a comical fashion, but can't you say that about other anime? Overall, this anime is good, and if you have myopia, don't watch it. I can say for sure, I enjoyed the fuck out of it. Come and tell me otherwise. Fight me.

There are Slight spoilers mainly for character analysis.

Plot

The premise of handshakers is nothing new to the anime world. Anime's featuring characters that have some kind of power are one of the most common type of genres within the anime world. From the outside this anime can be said to be anything but special but what drew me to Hand shakers was the concept behind it and its story.

Hand shakers takes place in the city of Osaka sometime in the near future and follows the life of Tazuna Takatsuki a high school student and who whether through fate or something else meets a ... mysterious girl called Koyori. Their meeting which coincided with the touching of their hands transported both to an alternate dimension where they meet the being that resided there where their bonds as hand shakers are forged and their powers are born.

The overall plot of the series story revolves around the use of the powers called Nimrods that Tazuna and the mysterious girl Koyori gained from their little trip to that dimension and use that to grant their shared wish by beating every other pair that too have their own powers that are derived from their bonds with each other. As the nimrods are born from their shared bonds with each other the bond that Tazuna and Koyori forge and improve as the series goes is one of the main themes of this story.


Tazuna

Tazuna played by veteran voice actor Soma Saito is one of the main characters of the series and is the main hero of the series. A kind and caring person that’s also honest to a fault Tazuna is the image of a standard Japanese teenager. A high school student that has a knack for mechanics and repairs Tazuna loves to repair stuff whether it’s a simple thing like a MP3 player to a car he can with enough time be able to determine what’s wrong with it. As a result of this talent of his however Tazuna has more focus than most people but this is offset by the fact that this trait also makes him unaware of whats happening around him. In the beginning of the series Tazuna thanks to an errand encounters the series main heroine Koyori who lies unconscious in a room that Tazuna encountered upon. A mere touch of her hand eventually resulted in Tazuna and Koyori becoming Hand shakers after encountering the being that resided in that space.

In the beginning Tazuna did not believe much in the role of a handshaker and wanted his life to remain the way it is. Additionally, because Tazuna has a personality that can be best be described as non-violent Tazuna in the early battles wanted to avoid combat at all costs. However, as the series progresses and he is made aware of the consequences for not just him but also for Koyori of not winning this contest his attitude starts to change. Tazuna starts to fight hard yet at the same time fight smartly. While being kind and caring towards not just his friends and classmates but also to Koyori, Tazuna is also quick thinking and can easily see the different situations that can arise when in combat. This quick thinking also allows him to sometimes come up with tactics that others haven’t accounted for during battles with other handshakers which had the effect of making some of their fights interesting. In combat Tazuna’s Nimrod takes the form of a large number of gears that can either be forged into either a sword for offence or a shield of gears for defense. Generally, his tactics are a mix of defensive strategies mixed with precise strikes on the enemy’s weaknesses.

Tazuna’s bond with Koyori is one of the main points of the story for this anime and can be said to be one of the central points. At first Tazuna’s relationship with Koyori can be termed as awkward because due to the fact that they have to hold hands as per their bond both to maintain their powers and also to keep Koyori alive. This inevitably causes problems both at home and at school. At first Tazuna’s first impression of Koyori was that she was a beautiful if silent girl that seemed to have a past that she didn’t know about. As the series progresses however and Tazuna’s bond with Koyori grows in power Tazuna begins to understand Koyori more as she learns new things and learn about the things that are in this new world of hers. As their bond increases which also gives them more power their relationship becomes closer as they come to care about each other more. This however had the effect of Tazuna becoming more protective of her which I thought was nice to see.

The character of Tazuna I though was an interesting character. While he may look like an average teenager the evolution from a reluctant combatant to one that not only fights well but also smartly while trying to grant the wish to his beloved was nice to see. Soma Saito I felt did a pretty good job here.

Koyori

Koyori played by veteran seiyuu Sumire Morohoshi of Bungou stray dogs fame is one of the main characters of the series and is the main heroine of this anime. A mysterious girl that Tazuna stumbles upon while exploring a lab that he had been summoned to Koyori is in fact a hand shaker who had lost her partner in the past. By inadvertently touching her hands with his a bond between the two of them is established and both become hand shakers. Personality wise Koyori has two different personalities that is developed as the series goes on. Koyori’s initial personality which lasted from the time she woke up and right up to she gained her own nimrod was very timid and she seemed to be reluctant to fight very much like Tazuna. At this stage, she was also very quiet and had problems interacting with others partly from the fact that she didn’t trust people that easily. However, as the series goes on Koyori’s personality changes as she fights more with Tazuna and her understanding of him improves which also had the effect of improving their bond as well. As a result of this Koyori becomes more trusting of others, more willing to express her own thoughts and more honest with her feelings towards Tazuna. At first Koyori didn’t actually speak and usually communicated with gestures or facial expressions. This made it hard for Tazuna in the beginning to figure out what she wanted at times. However after gaining her voice back during one of the later battles Koyori was able to express her emotions and feelings much better. Throughout the series we can see that the bond that Koyori shares with Tazuna is important to her because in addition to keeping her alive it also allows them to improve the power that they have as the bond is directly affected by the trust they have with each other. While trust is important ultimately, it’s the feelings that Koyori and Tazuna have for each other that actually makes them more powerful as they fight more battles and overcome the increasingly heavy odds that are laid against them. The love story between them I felt was well done and flowed pretty naturally.
All in all, I thought that the character of Koyori was pretty well designed and that her seiyuu Sumire Morohoshi really did a great job portraying her.

Chizuru and Hayate
Chizuru Mitsudera played by veteran seiyuu Sumire Uesaka of Myriad colors phantom world fame and Hayate Azuma played by veteran voice actor Kaito Ishikawa of Occultic nine fame are fellow handshakers that Tazuna and Koyori encounter as they embark on their quest and are the second pair that they face. Chizuru and Hayate are actually adults that run their own company that deals with new technology that are being leased to places like schools. In this regard Chizuru is the boss of the company while Hayate is the subordinate. Personality wise these two though they have a close relationship as both friends and confidants have different personalities that often clash with each other which is used for comical effect in the series. Chizuru is a serious but cheerful young woman that’s very capable and efficient at her job. Her most notable trait is that of her height which is short to the point that she’s often mistaken for a child much to her chagrin. In the comical arguments that often erupt between her and Hayate Chizuru often makes witty comebacks to Hayate’s comments which is usually pretty funny.

Hayate Azuma is Chizuru’s partner and also co-worker and helps manage the day to day affairs of the company while also accompanying his boss for business meetings. Compared to Chizuru’s serious and hardworking nature Hayate’s personality is the complete opposite in that he has a more laid-back personality and generally is pretty easy going. Due to his tall height and the fact that he can stand both tall and straight Hayate is often mistaken by others to be the actual boss of the company with Chizuru if she’s present being often mistaken as the new girl instead. This is used for comical effect during the series and it’s always something that’s amusing to see.

As with all handshakers Chizuru and Hayate have their own wishes that they wish fulfilled once they manage to beat all the other handshakers. This wish was a result of the injustice and the way that they were treated when they first came into the world of the adult working world. I felt that their wish was actually a pretty worthy one and one that I wouldn’t mind seeing. All in all, I felt that the characters of Chizuru and Hayate were well designed characters that contrasted greatly with the first pair in that they had a decent reason and motivation to fight for. I felt that Sumire Uesaka and Kaito Ishikawa did an excellent job portraying their respective characters here. Of all the pairs that fought in the series Chizuru and Hayate are after Tazuna and Koyori probably one of my favourite characters as their interactions with each other are just hilariously funny.

Riri and Masaru

Riri Houjou voiced by veteran seiyuu Ai Kayano of Tales of Zestiria the x and Anohana fame and Masaru Houjou voiced by veteran voice actor Ayumu Murase of elDLIVE fame are fellow handshakers of Tazuna and Koyori that they encounter on their quest and is the third pair of hand shakers that they face. Riri is both the student council president of the school that Tazuna attends and a classmate of his and as a result is someone that Tazuna knows very well. Riri who likes to be called Lily for some reason has a cheerful personality and one that is best described as a big sister type personality commonly seen in anime. When in school and in student council president mode Riri is calm, cheerful and confident and composed however this personality of hers change when she’s with her younger brother who she adores and dots on. Riri has a rather unique hobby which is that of divination in which she makes of use of tarot card reading to determine the fortune of someone. Like Tazuna Riri is someone that dislikes violence yet she and her brother like every other hand shaker has their own wish that they wish fulfilled and as such even if they have to face someone that they know neither will step back as both want to achieve their wishes.

Masaru is the younger brother of Riri and is a 12-year-old boy who has a talent for card games. Personality wise Masaru is a calm, collected and mature person who despite the age difference actually looks out for his sister even though it should be the other way around. Masaru can be quiet and slow to trust people especially strangers but he’s the type of person that will open up to someone once that person has proven he’s not anyone dangerous or untrustworthy. Masaru’s talents for card games is not just a hobby that he takes part in for the fun of it though and instead forms a part of his Nimrod as well. Though not as developed as pairs like Kodama and Hibiki and Chizuru and Hayate the pair of Riri and Masaru are still pretty interesting characters with much of this coming from Riri’s interactions with her brother and the fact that she’s always being embarrassed by him. I felt that Ai Kayano and Ayumu Murase really did a good job portraying their respective characters. Being able to use his hobby as his nimrod though was an interesting design decision on the part of the writers here.

Kodama and Hibiki

Kodama voiced by veteran seiyuu Mikako Komatsu of Re Creators and Tales of Zestiria the x fame and Hibiki Moriyama voiced by veteran voice actor Tomokazu Sugita of Kanon and Buddy complex fame are fellow hand shakers that Tazuna and Koyori encounter as part of their trials. Kodama is a popular idol singer that is recognized by her fans for her use of prominent proverbs from famous people as well as her singing ability. Personality wise Kodama is a cheerful, positive and self-assured person that can be overconfident at times. Though not underestimating any of her enemies Kodama can however be smug at her opponents Kodama has real skill in combat as in the story she was able to hold her own against every one that challenged her. Kodama’s fighting style is very different to what the other handshakers make use of as part of their fighting techniques in that Kodama’s are more akin to being at a concert as her moves while certainly hard-hitting look like the finely tuned dance routines that are seen at concerts. Due to her experience Kodama and Hibiki can be said to be the first real challenges that Tazuna and Koyori have to face in their journey. Kodama’s most prominent trait is probably her use of famous proverbs that she often uses whether in battle or outside of it.

Hibiki is the manager of Kodama and also a handshaker whose main role is to support her. Though in the support role Hibiki isn’t a pushover in a fight as he is very much capable of launching some rather strong attacks that can be surprising given his role. Personality wise Hibiki is calm, polite and positive and even during combat tends to stay focused for his role of support for Kodama. The relationship between the two is very much like that of a manager and idol in that Hibiki helps manage the activities of Kodama while also helping to both support her in battle and to motivate her both in and out of it. From this it can be seen that apart from being a manager and performer Kodama and Hibiki are also really good friends from their actions as handshakers and also from the past memories that were shown in the series. As with all handshakers the power of a handshaker was gained by Kodama and Hibiki thanks to the hardships and challenges that both experienced. In this case the challenges came from being looked down and disregarded by both their fans and the companies that managed them despite the hard work that both have done. As a result of this injustice that also serves as the team’s main motivator Kodama and Hibiki can be said to be fighting the hardest to achieve victory in order to enter the other dimension and have their wish granted.

The character of Kodama I felt was actually pretty done and designed as though she appears to be a girl that’s slightly older than Tazuna and Koyori the hardships and challenges that she has faced in her career has hardened her so while she still retains her trademark positive and upbeat nature that defines her it can be said that she knows what the reality of life is and how unfair that can be to people. As a result, she can be seen as a good contrast between Tazuna who though as determined as she is doesn’t have the same wealth of experience in life that Kodama has seen. In a way, the fight between the pair is very much a clash of ideas as it is a clash of arms. All in all, I felt that the character of Kodama was an interesting character and that her seiyuu Mikako Komatsu really did an excellent job portraying her.

Bind and Break

Bind played by veteran seiyuu singer Yoko Hikasa of the Devil is a part timer and High school DxD fame and Break who is played by veteran voice actor Jun Fukuyama of Code Geass and Rail wars fame are fellow hand shakers of Tazuna and served as the first opponents after Tazuna and Koyori become hand shakers. Though their appearance in the series was relatively brief it can be seen that the relationship that the two had was very different to the other hand shakers that are present in the anime. In their relationship, it can be seen that Break is the master here who makes use of his partner’s ability by tormenting her which I found to be slightly disturbing. His attitude towards her rather than being caring and understanding seems to be the opposite in that he seems to view her as something akin to a tool instead of a human. Despite that it seems that doesn’t seem to bother his partner Bind as she seems to be both close to and devoted to her master. Despite their flaws the pair of bind and break managed to serve their intended purpose in the story by showing Tezuna and Koyori just the types of fights that they will be expected to face now that they have become hand shakers. It also taught them that brawn and might are not the only thing that can lead to a victory as intelligence and tactics are also things that need to be considered which is best shown when Tazuna and Koyori used this to win against them.

Makihara
Makihara played by veteran voice actor Shoutaro Morikubo of Naruto fame is one of the main support characters of the series. A scientist that worked at the university that Tazuna visited and where he encountered and met Koyori Makihara is a researcher whose research is focused on what he calls the hand shakers phenomenon. Though Makihara has a serious side to him when he explains new developments that affect both the world and Tazuna and Koyori his default personality is rather laid back and relaxed which often causes him to be disregarded by Tazuna and Koyori at times which is comical every time this happens. Makihara’s main role in the series apart for providing support to Tazuna and Koyori also consists of watching over Koyori who he was charged with monitoring and document the changes to her as her bond with Tazuna improves and advances. A recurring trait of Makihara’s is his rather over the top expressions that he uses when told positive things or being made aware of good things which I found comical.

Nagaoka and Mayumi

Daichi Nagaoka voiced by veteran voice actor Kenjiro Tsuda of Attack on Titan fame and his partner Mayumi who is voiced by veteran seiyuu Ai Kakuma of Asterisk wars and Clockwork planet fame are fellow hand shakers that Tazuna and Koyori face near the end of their journey. A mysterious character whose appearance in the plot leaves more questions than answers made even more so by the cryptic comments that he leaves before vanishing. This had the effect of making this character even more mysterious. The reveal of his characters true role in the story and his connection with not just Makihara but also with Koyori’s past was however a well-executed move. Personality wise Nagaoka is a calm, aloof and analytical person that has a degree of intelligence in him that reminds you of a scientist. Yet this is offset by the fact that Nagaoka seems to have problems conversing with people in that due to his limited social skills he has trouble coming up with smart answers or converse with people that he hasn’t seen for some time. Nagaoka’s main personality trait that defines him however is that he is someone that is extremely driven and determined to achieve his goals to the point where he will use any and all means to do so even if these means are underhanded or evil.

Mayumi is Nagaoka’s partner and fellow hand shaker and in physical appearance looks very much like Koyori because they are related. Like all hand shaker’s Mayumi is very loyal to her master who in this case is Nagaoka however it can be seen that rather having a bond that is built from mutual trust and genuine feelings their bond seems to be built on something else entirely. Due in part to how Nagaoka helped maintain her life Mayumi has very limited personality besides her loyalty however it can be seen with her attacks that she seems to be rather childlike in that she seems to like playing with toys like balls. However, this doesn’t mean that Mayumi doesn’t have a personality as though she may be quiet she can still speak and from this we can see that while she is obedient to her partner she also has the capability to make her own decisions especially if it clashed with her core duties of protecting her partner. Mayumi’s other personality that she recovers near the end of the series is slightly different to her other personality that was born of how she was treated by her partner. In this personality though she retains her loyal nature Mayumi is a bit more understanding and talkative and not afraid of embarrassing her partner. This personality I felt also made her look more positive which is different to her other personality which was a bit gloomy.

Like all handshakers Mayumi and Nagaoka also have their own wishes that they wish to be fulfilled and in this case, it’s to continue the work of Nagaoka’s teacher and Mayumi’s father. The defining trait about Mayumi is that because she has no emotions and no personality she will usually use the more direct methods to settle her fights and in away actually resembles Koyori when she was still in her old self. Mayumi’s nimrod within the series is rather unique in that it takes of the form of a ball that can be used to create countless other balls that can be used to encompass an area where Nagaoka’s attacks can reach.

Arts and animation

The art style that was used in this series I felt was pretty good and both the environments that were shown as well as the designs of the individual characters was well designed and implemented. In particular the character design for Koyori and Kodama I though was pretty good. Koyori’s design can aptly be described as the sleeping beauty as true to her persona she is someone that was created and born into this world a long time ago in the past which meant that there are few girls in this period that can be compared against her. With the persona of Koyori being someone that has been asleep for a long time I thought this design of hers really matched her. Plus, Koyori’s design really made her look really cute. The character design for Kodama was also another one that matched her persona yet one that also emphasized on the fact that idols should be approachable to the people. The resulting design I felt was nicely done and the different shades of colors that she had on her outfit contrasted nicely with each other. Another thing that was noticed in regard to the animation is how clear everything is especially when they show the city scenes. The details that are present in these scenes was nicely done. With regards to the combat scenes I thought that they were well done and clear enough in that we as the viewer were able to see clearly what was going on in the battle itself. The animation of individual characters and scenes I felt were also well done.

Music

The opening theme for the series I felt was pretty good and helped set the mood for the series while also having a good tempo. The music for individual scenes within the series was well done and felt appropriate for the scenes that it was used in. The ending theme for the series however is different to the opening theme in that it seems to be more focused on Koyori and her struggles in life and as a result has a rather somber tone to it compared to the upbeat nature of the opening theme. However, I do like the contrast between the two though and I can clearly see what the intended effect the animator clearly intended with their choices.

Voice acting

Voice acting for the series I thought was actually pretty good which is helped by the fact that almost every cast member that was in this series is a veteran with many roles to their name. In particular the seiyuu’s for the characters of Koyori, Chizuru and Kodama which are Sumire Morohoshi, Sumire Uesaka and Mikako Komatsu I felt did an excellent job portraying their respective characters. Sumire Morohoshi in particular is a seiyuu that I only seen in support roles until now most recently in Bungou stray dogs. The line that divides a support role and separates that from a main role is a large hurdle and challenge yet it’s nice to see Sumire was able to handle the job of portraying Koyori who is not the easiest character to play. Overall the voice acting for the series was pretty strong which helped make the characters that they portray more lifelike.

Overall conclusion

In conclusion Handshakers was an anime series that I really enjoyed watching when it first came on during the first anime period. To me the strong points of this anime was the overall concept, story, characters and the voice acting.

Although the overall concept of people gaining powers is not a genre that is particularly new in anime the concept and variation of it that was used in this anime I thought was interesting and well designed. The idea to make use of a bond that two people have created and share with each other as the main form of power within the series rather than the usual single person power was an interesting concept and a gamble as was the promise that by managing to defeat every other pair that have similar powers you will be able to enter the other world and have your wish granted by the god there. Ultimately this gamble did pay off and because this bond will get more powerful the closer one is to their partner it also provides a good means to affect some good development of the individual characters. The wishes part of the bond I felt was well thought out as each of the characters that were featured in the series though having different personalities all have one thing that they have in common with each other which is the wish that they would like the god in the other world to grant. Each of the characters no matter how positive they may be have had horrible things happen to them in the past that had the effect of creating the bonds with someone that share their pain and thus giving them the means to become hand shakers. Because each of these wishes are a result of the hardships that each character faces they are directly connected with the personalities of each character and can be said to be unique to each. Naturally as a fighting type anime the bond that the characters share with their partners directly affect how powerful they are as hand shakers with them becoming more powerful as they trust their partner more.

The overall story of the series revolves around Tazuna and Koyori’s journey to both discover the truth of Koyori herself as well as get to the other dimension to see the god there and have their wish granted by defeating every other pair if hand shakers that share their goals. Arguably the most important aspect of the story was Tazuna and Koyori’s meetings with the various hand shaker pairs that though their enemies at first quickly become allies once defeated. It is through each of their personal stories and wishes that one can see and understand the motivations for them becoming hand shakers. An important part of the overall story for the series is of course the bond that is forged between Tazuna and Koyori and its improvements as the series goes on. Though they had the most unusual of first encounters watching them get to know each other and see their bonds develop as they both find the motivation that they need for their quest was heart-warming. As was seeing them put the new powers that they gained from this bond to good use. Koyori’s past forms a part of the main story for the series but isn’t addressed until near the end of the series. This part of the plot I felt was actually pretty good and helped in explaining how she was created and the hardships that she went through that ultimately caused her to be put to sleep by Makihara.

The combination of an interesting concept, interesting story and reinforced by a talented voice cast and great characters made Hand shakers one of the better anime that I saw back in the first period. Though some of the characters I felt could have used some more development I felt that the series as it stands is an interesting one.

The reason for my hatred is that some time ago he wrote a certain story / novel with an exaggerated resemblance to Hand Shakers, the point is that I wrote it before I even knew that this existed, I decided to give it a try, and I found the animation more beautiful that I've never seen in the anime, it was as if they had taken my lore and adapted it to the anime, that made me feel ... well, sad, they did something I wanted to do, and they did it well! another thing is to take a premise and handle it badly, now ... if I take out that novel it will seem plagiarism, but in turn, the anime I love it! That's why my love relationship is hate. Well, I left that aside, so, here goes my criticism.

-Animation and Colors: Simply beautiful, a series that should be seen at no less than 1080p, the work in detail is excellent in terms of the foreground and even more in the fights, the weapons at first are representations of the Hand Shaker, in the case of Tazuna it is a kind of sword formed by gears, and the care to the movement and animation of this is beautiful, yes, it relies on a rough use of the CGI and for obvious reasons it is noticeable, but the own filter of the series with the colors it pays to spare, each character has a certain "control / corruption" of the world where the fights take place and each one uses a treaty of different color, which is in agreement with the character in course , they just hit right away.

-The attitude of Koyori: It seems somewhat ambiguous for a single point, but this made the difference between other series with clichés of the "silent girl" that normally appears in the Kuuderes... just in a certain chapter to defeat Chizuru and Hayate, it is shown that he has feelings and coldness is only part of the inability to speak, by giving that blow to Tazuna it shows that he has decisions with what he feels and thinks, and that he is not indifferent to the world that surrounds him, only to show That gains points to the attitude, it is not a Kuudere as it was seen at the beginning, and the knowledge that it has feelings gives the missing touch to that relationship, since it does not feel like a monodirexional relation (it took me a long time to invent a word).

But! Not everything is good with the series, there is a point that gives me a lot to think about, apparently the one who chose the plans or was drunk or wanted to get sick every time there is a monologue, that choice is strange, sometimes it is given an emphasis of greatness/smallness to the character, but at other times, deforms the shot to the point of saying "why?" They do not make sense, that takes me out of my head. I mean, is it necessary to try to make the viewer dizzy when it comes to watching the series? I say as you can see, curving the whole image while doing a panning is uncomfortable, just that, I do not know if it is a bad or good decision, I leave it in you.

Points against:

- Character design: Lolis, lolis, shotas and more lolis, why? make a design like that, more in a series of this kind, that's why I said that I appreciate moderating the fanservice, I do not see it necessary to be watching ecchi in a series purely of fights and plot, I already said it, it is appreciated, but it is uncomfortable see children fighting, and in itself, they touch issues of incest and obsession, now, the cherry would be child abuse xD. Although at the end of the day, well, they are mostly high school kids, but there is no excuse, the only Hand Shakers that look like adults are the masoca and Hayate, from then on they look like children.

- The brightness of the series: Another thing to which I do not find any sense unless I emphasize... why so much brightness? someone passed his hand that filter, I say, would not be wrong in certain situations... but at all times there is extreme brightness, or flashes of light, it may be for an artistic theme but it becomes more uncomfortable than pleasing to the eye , without a doubt, to omit most of the situations in which the characters have their own phosphorescence would make the scenes of monologues much more attractive... since already being in the subject, they are also enough

- Empty battles: This is complicated to explain, but, the battles feel empty, not lifeless, as I said above, the work in detail is brutal, but I do not know, the problem maybe is that they do not take more than one chapter to finish, I do not know, maybe it is something that can only be seen and not explained, but at the end of each fight you feel that something is missing, as if it really was not over, although the series specifies that it is not likely that someone I die during a fight, it's not the fact that we keep seeing the character, that's fine, I mean, it's strange.

Out of all that there are certain things that I feel I should talk but the truth is not too important to deserve a point, as the way in which Koyori wakes the nimrod, I liked nothing, and other things, but I think I better give a small opinion about the series in general, I already said above, without a doubt, the best animation I've seen in any anime, I am amused that people labeled this series as "Another cliché anime" yes, it is not bad to be inspired by a theme that is already known, I can name several animes like that, but even the best works are plagiarism of something else, the point is how you are going to handle that premise, and without a doubt Hand Shakers did it well, and the points that had to be to play better as the relationships of each couple or Koyori's own attitude, themes that other series displace, Hand Shakers did well, a series worth seeing, worst of all, is... THAT ALL THAT ANNOYING ME! It's a beautiful series, and I had a similar story if not equal, and someone already did well! I'm glad they knew how to carry a story in which I got stuck for years.

Warning: The review will contain spoilers

Here's an update review in YouTube. Don't is still mine and sorry if my voice sound shaky I'm just a poor college student that have no money to buy a mic and used my earphone as a mic....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8ViiGfxiIc&t=198s

If not then... Here's the script. Kinda I think....

Well… there’s one place I can put this anime.
Anime that everybody hates but I don’t category.
Story: Is a battle royal anime. The stories are inside the characters and the world itself of the show (For this case is the ziggurat, the world and the nimrod, the weapons). So for the characters stories I'm ... going to talk more about it as we go to the characters section. While the world itself, does leave us some mystery but it did explain as the series progress. Like, the changes of the ziggurat in episode 6 and in episode 8, where the ziggurat change and Kodama nimrod is in the ziggurat (Like literately), how did the characters enter the ziggurat?? Why does Koyori have the scar??

Now without more spoilers of the world. Let's move on to characters.
Characters: Like I say for story, a battle royal anime story comes from the world and the characters itself. So I'm going to organised from my least favourite pair to my favorite.

Break (Rei) and Bind: This got my least favourite because... Well... We don't barely know them...Like seriously... They fought Tazuna and Koyori in episode 1 and we didn't see them until episode 12. But give them some credit we do get some hints about why do they want to be a hand shakers in the last episode. But if I have to guess what is his story for the last episode. It have to be that they were in a band but they want to help others to get instrument but they are poor and do not have the money to help.

Mayumi and Koyori parents: I can understand that you don't want your kids to get hurt. But by god are they mean to their kids. Now the series did explain why and how they disappear. They are fighting with god and nobody knows what happen to them. Did they die?? Did they win?? Nobody knows... Why they got higher than Break and Bind?? Well... at least their motive make sense.

Nagaoka, Mayumi and Makihara: Hell, as we get some backstories not in the sense on why they are hand shakers but as to why the relationship between Makihara and Koyori. Mayumi and Koyori are twins and they were born as hand shakers. Not given by god but thye were born in the Ziggurat. While Nagaoka and Makihara act as a bodyguard for Mayumi and Koyori from other hand shakers. He still steal Mayumi in a comma because he wants to protect her and take good care of her.

Masaru and Lily: Those 2 are incest relationship?? Or not?? Like nobody knows... Either way I'm not that bother with incest that much. I just treat it as normal romances. But the story with them are pretty relatable for me. I mean a smart ass sister and a stupid (Well... in term of his study). Does remind me of me and my brother. He being a smart ass while I'm not...
Now their story is to be together?? Nah, they want brothers and sister relationship in the world to be treated as normal romance. A quote from Yosuga no sora "Who cares if we are related?? Let them think what they want."

Tazuna and Koyori: The main pair, which I really like in the end of the series. The relationship between those 2 could be interesting. Tazuna is still having withdrawing symptoms for his sister death when he saw Koyori and treated her as a replacement for his sister until Nagaoka knock to his brain and say "Ding Dong bitch she ain't your sister". While he didn't have a wish... In fact he was just thrown into the world without any warning. I'm pleased to see some development inside him as to she isn't his sister but a different person. While for Koyori, I'm glad that she has a different story than Mayumi and she is a balancing act for Tazuna. Take their relationship as to Kuro and Mahiru in Servamp. I like anime that have character relationship like those 2 called me a sucker for that. It's because of that character interaction is why I like Tazuna and Koyori as a character.

Chizuru and Hayate: Now those 2 have one of the easiest character story out of all the pairs in the series. They were bully and we finally get a legit reason as to why a loli is a loli and why a wimp is a wimp. Is because of those reason is why I felt for them when they lose the fight between Tazuna and Koyori. I don't really want to go through their backstory as it is straight to the point and simple.

Kodama and Hibiki *BEST PAIR!!!!*: Those 2 are easily my favorite pair of the series as the story in them are pretty understandable. Not too complex but not too simple. Kodama wants to be the best idol but with lives gig getting cancel one by one. Her dream of being an idol slowly slip out of her sight until Hibiki came. Hibiki legit quit his job so he could train and help Kodama to become an idol. Not to mention, he became Kodama first fan as a boost for her confidences in her that she can do it.

Now after that long ass talk about the characters let's look at the art/ animation. Is studio GoHand... You know the K and coppelion people. While the background art and the 2D looks gorgeous. The CG looks... How should I put this nicely?? Bad...
Not to mention how they do camera movement for some felt shaky. Now they could fix the camera movement (and in fact I do pray they do fix it) by adding more in-between motion to make it look smother. Beside that... There's not much to talk about art/ animation. So let's move on to music.

Music: For the opening is sang by OxT which is famous for the overload, prince of stride alternative and Gekkan shoujo Nozaki kun opening. Which start out with a kick ass opening and a stellar guitar and amazing beat which leads up to the chorus which is kick ass. While the opening did spoil the whole damn thing. I don't mind as majority of opening did that. While the ED is sang by Akino Arai which is Amanchu! ed and Aria op. While is just a chill and relaxing song the lyrics after an amazing episode after the next. While the OST is able to bring out the mood in some with it's beautiful piano music and the soft calming drumming in it. Also Hand Shakers probably have the best OST of the season and if I got an opportunity to buy it I would.

Enjoyment: This is probably the best work GoHand has put out in years. (well... beside seitokai Yakuindomo). I'll never enjoy K, while for coppelion I got some mix feeling about it. It didn't make me understand the world the characters are in and that's a problem. While for hand shakers the world of the Ziggurat, nimrod and the characters motive are clear as day light to me.

Recommendation: Well... with all being say I give hand shakers a score of 8.0 and a recommendation to watch it. If you want a fun and extincting world building anime for this winter season. I highly suggest hand shakers.

Other recommendation will be K (I don't really recommend it tho...) and there's guilty crown which have which have a similar vibe with hand shakers about high schoolers in war between each other and giant sword.

what can i say this anime was beautifully done and I honestly don't understand why it gets such a bad reputation while the story does have holes it is beautiful none the less, the art is different and bright and in my opinion captures an art style I don't see too often that i really enjoy, and the characters feel real and emotional enough especially compared to series I would relate with this anime.
Please don't let all the bad reviews and mediocre rating keep you from watching an amazing series and what I believe is truly my favorite anime

Look at the beauty of this anime. And I mean it! (NOT sarcasm) The animation might be fairly okay, with the story and plot progression being...meh. BUT BUT BUT! Again, just look at the beauty of the art! I dunno 'bout others but the fluid animation is sooo relaxing and refreshing...I actually found it tough to make out a reason for such low scores. I mean, seriously. Why does this piece of beauty has such low scores?! I can understand if the reasons are the plot and story, but the art compensates it all!

So, being straight, I would recommend this anime to people who don't ... strictly analyze or critique plots on an anime and enjoy every aspect of a show. If you do, then trust me, you'll LOVE it.