No Game No Life: Zero

okay, time to write a movie review.
Before i start, few things to note.
I did NOT know anything prior going into the movie apart from what the original series has shown.
I have not seen the series in a long time, so i MAY get some facts wrong. And if i do, i'm really sorry about that.
ABSOLUTELY NO SPOILERS WILL BE GIVEN. I enjoyed the movie and i would hate to get spoilers about one of my fave anime of all time and i'm sure you would too. Ok, let's start.

Summary: Love NGNL? Of course you do! Otherwise, you wouldn't be here! In short, NGNL ... Zero and NGNL can be compared to black and white. Even if it is so, i enjoyed both of them a lot, though the movie a little less. That doesn't mean i hate it. I LOVED IT, just not as much as the series. However, if you aren't familiar with NGNL, but love kimi no na wa or koe no katachi, WATCH NGNL Zero. If you ARE a fan of NGNL, WATCH NGNL Zero!!!!!!!! It's a guarantee hit.

Story: Two words. FEELS TRAIN. Total, utter FEELS TRAIN. While NGNL is a happy, game playing anime, NGNL Zero is everything but. Nevertheless, the story is just as, if not more (depend on individual) engaging than the series itself. The story clearly reflects what Sora said, 'We'll leave fighting head to head to the lions. The weak have their own way of fighting'. The story is emotional, its heartbreaking, and in the midst of it all, inspirational. The movie intertwines so deeply with the original series that it just pushes the emotions within the viewers even further. Struggles, pain, desperation, hope, will, the movie perfectly describes it all plus a little something on the side (watch it to know what ;) ) It's a movie like no other, and trust me, it's even better than what i described. Tissues at the ready people.

Art: As with the original no game no life, the colors are still a little bland but in this case, it fits perfectly since it ties in with the war settings. Having that kind of artwork is perfect as it depicts the suffers of war exactly. Colors aside, the framework and minute detail is excellent!!

Sound: Now, here is where i MIGHT get berated for, but i have to be honest. The soundtrack doesn't really speak to me. Unlike the original NGNL, whose soundtrack hits the heart the first time it plays. With the NGNL Zero movie, the soundtrack is quite nice, but it doesn't hit me with much impact, apart from 1 distinct soundtrack (can't say which for spoiler purpose). Once you hear it a few times though, it hits home. It just gets a 7 for not being much of a first impression to me... Don't hate me!! T_T Oh, the ending theme is really nice though.

Character: Oh god the characters... SO MUCH FEELS. Again, can't say too much in order to avoid spoilers but let's just say if you love how Sora treats Shiro, you will love the two MC in the movie way WAY MORE. Sorry i can't say more guys, but trust me, you will be grateful i didn't say anything.

Enjoyment: I cried.... There, i said it.

Overall: If you are a fan of NGNL, WATCH IT! Fan of Kimi no na wa, WATCH IT! On board for feels train? WATCH IT! Got nothing better to do?? WATCH THE ******* MOVIE!!!!

I was initially worried about the pacing, but I believe that the makers did everything they can to prevent that.
It was slightly rushed, but there was enough room to immerse yourself in the characters and story.

Knowing the length of the novel, making 12 episodes based on it would have been a stretch, but I do think that it might have been better to separate the movie to two parts.

I am still totally satisfied with the movie.

Some things that impressed me was how they concentrated a lot more on the relationship between the Main Characters, and also how they artistically portrayed how their relationship changed over ... time.

Another part I was very surprised me was the final battle - a lot more spectacular than what I had imagined from the novel

Overall, I think this movie was pretty okay movie, I just don't think it was a great No Game No Life movie. What made me enjoy the original series as much as I did were the actual games. The idea of two characters wanting to basically conquer the world using weird games so they can beat God at a game of Chess was a great premise and the series had a lot amazing moments in it. When Sora played against Jibril in the original series I was almost floored because it showed that the series can do so much with this concept and I was ... excited to see where it could go.

The disappointing thing for me is this movie has almost none of that. It took the characters from the original, put them in a prequel movie and had very little to do with the series except for the opening and ending scenes. And honestly, on it's own it's pretty decent! The writing is good, you care for the characters, the soundtrack did the job and the animation and visuals were pretty! Although the color palette was a bit too much for me, but I had the same issue with the series.

I do suggest this movie because it's a fairly enjoyable watch, I just would've preferred an actual No Game No Life movie where they show off the games, progress the story and the creativity in the series. But you should still totally watch it legally so we may actually get a season 2!

it was all about humanity , and the existence , but in anime style , i think the show was great most of the movies cuz of the bunch fund thing you know. a robot wonders what humanity is and these emotional things , cuz of humans are non known creatures ,like they just resistance to impossible and some times they truly win , so that was a great movie i've ever seen cuz of the big part that bunch thing y know, but no matter the show is how beatiful , it wasn't a masterpiece , but the movie is truly interesting so ... u might be gonna like it. thats a review have a time can be called good for you

Just finished wiping my face of the tears from that last half an hour. Compared to the show before it, the movie is a completely different experience. Even though it's a prequel, and Shiro and Sora dont appear until the end, it has an extremely good reason for this. If that wasn't what you wanted, I still highly recommend watching it as it ties very well with Stephanie, Shiro and Sora's backstories. Although you may hate Jibril for a bit after watching this.
I would love to describe why I love this movie so much, but I ... I just can't. It would ruin the movie ... to explain why.
The development of the two new main characters is done very nicely throughout the story with a few tie-ins to the character in the show. The story contributes to the original show in a way that is instantly noticeable from the start but, unfortunately, feels a little forced at first glance. The movie does help fill the hole from the lack of a season 2 and will conform the spot for No Game No Life in my favourites animes.
First review, so go easy on me :)

Spoiler-free review:

This was overall a pretty solid movie. If you liked the TV series of No Game No Life, then you'll probably like this one.
It takes place as a prequel to the anime series, set in the warring time period before Tet became the true God of the world.

Story 7/10: The story hit most the points of a good plot. It had an engaging introduction, effective rising action, a jarring climax, and a beautiful ending. Its biggest pitfall is the lack of consistent tone. The movie finds itself with a much darker story and art style than the show; consequently, a more somber, ... serious tone accompanies the the story to great effect... most of the time. Despite this direction, the clear influence from the very lighthearted TV series weasels its way into moments, breaking the building emotion and tension with, to be frank, very niche humor. In pandering to both the movie's vision and to the fans coming from the TV series, it breaks much of the development. In addition, weak character writing finds itself playing a negative factor. What would otherwise be a very impactful movie finds itself in an awkward situation.

Despite that, the strengths of the movie's story are clear. It is most similar to the hero's cycle in that the story primarily follows the developments of the main protagonist, Riku, and how the story unfolds around him. The story questions motivations in their relationships with values and does a good job of exploring the depths and peaks of such a topic. In the main character's transitions between despair and hope, the story is told through the mannerisms and thoughts of Riku. In addition to the success of the story's thematic goal, its more grand story line is also a sight to behold. Even if one focused only on the action, they would still see an epic war unfolding with great animations. All of that grandeur actually compliments the more sensitive aspects of the story. Overall, the story is definitely good, but definitely not outstanding.

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Art 9/10: The TV series already had an innovative color palette and distinct art style. The movie takes that stunning color blending to the next level in this movie. In accompaniment of the darker setting of the movie, the bright colors find themselves being used more sparingly. It's this contrast of beauty even in darkness that sets both the tone of the movie and forces the viewer to exclaim in admiration. All these stylistic decisions and implementations definitely help build the world in ways that dialogue and narration can't do. The more explosive animations are definitely on point as well. The character movements are fluid when it matters, and the artists clearly don't shy away from incredibly ambitious tasks. As the movie is heading towards the end, during the climax, the animations are absolutely incredible both in scale and effect. While the movie isn't groundbreaking, it is a celebration of what can be done by a great studio with time and effort.

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Sound 8/10: The movie has a beautifully dynamic soundtrack that has something to accompany every mood and setting that is created in the movie. The OST has a few identifiable themes that create parallels in scenes that add to the meaning of the movie. When not taking a deserved role at the forefront of the scene, the soundtrack serves as a great backdrop. Again, however, the inconsistent tone of a few scenes greatly detracts from the ability of the movie to properly build, soundtrack included. Despite that, both the soundtrack and sound design are solid. On a personal note, the "theme song" played only during the ending was fantastic. The feel of the song simply nails all the emotions that are inspired by the ending and gives them finality. The credits were, for me, an integral part of the ending of the movie for that reason alone.

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Character 5/10: The only two dynamic characters of the movie are the hero and heroine, Riku and Schwi, and we only really get to see and explore the character of Riku. After all, for most of the movie, Schwi is never the one deciding how to push the plot along, but Riku is. The movie's use of characters is overall lacking and weak. Much of the dynamic between the characters is drawn from the TV series, and without that background, it may seem rushed and a little contrived. In addition to that, the recurring problem of inconsistent tone aids only in weakening the development of these characters as well. It is only the usage of Riku and his growth that pushes the otherwise stale characters along the in the grand plot.

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Enjoyment 8/10: I liked the movie. I believe it accomplished its goal in attracting the TV series' fans and catered to them well. Though a part of me wishes the movie could be entirely free of these influences, I know that I enjoyed the movie for all it was. Whether you come for a bit of humor, for a little more No Game No Life, or whether you come for a serious and touching story, you will likely find what you're looking for. Though not without its flaws, it was a very good movie, and I could see how, especially for some in the anime community, it would be a great movie.

Thank you for reading my review.

The rare occurrence where not only is the sequel/prequel better than the original material but would be improved by just not having the original material at all and being free of it I can't properly say how much better this movie is compared to the series, but I'll try.

Lets start with the elephant in the room, the world !!! It's believable. You buy into it right from the start and there's little if anything to pick apart about the premise. There's a world fighting it's final war, humanity is weak, it has nothing going for it, and it's about to be wiped out. What's more ... the humans are really damn unhappy about this.

Thumbs up A++ for the world. Everything about the film conveys it's reality to you. The music, the art, the dialog, everything just sells the world to you. The color palette is dark and somber. The backgrounds and artwork really hit that during the apocalypse feel. Just looking on them you know these people are being ground down into the dust. The characters even when they are at their most optimistic are laughing in a graveyard soon to be occupied by them.

The characters leave little doubt they are going through hell. There's all kinds of stress related problems showing and almost everyone is clearly on the edge of breakdown.This is well used by the story. The despair renders the otherwise difficult to believe changes in relationships believable. There are a few weak spots but the overall is still incredibly solid.

The plot. It's really good. A bit hard to swallow in places. It depends too much on the idea that everyone who isn't a MC is an idiot. It's not as bad as the main series but it sure as hell is there.The other parties are freakishly easy to manipulate. One of the enemy groups is placed in the point of, "Oh we were trashing the world for no particular reason", the only reaction you can have is WTF ???. It's still very good, but it could have been more maybe a lot more.

As I said at the beginning this could have been better without the baggage from the series. The world rules from the series are plain stupid. There are characters that really needed to receive well deserved fates but wind up getting to be cheerful psychopaths to the ends of eternity. There's the need to square the movie with the events of the series, and there really isn't any satisfactory way to do it.

Minor Spoilers FOLLOW. It's not a spoiler if you watched the series.
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The aftermath that follows really goes to crap because it has to be consistent with the original series. Shifting from the movies world to the game world instantly is too much. Way too much when you consider the problems in the series world. (see my review for more details). .

First dealing with the Human/ Nameless Race. These people have truly gotten the shite end of the stick in this war. There's only handfuls of them left and somehow they managed to put this idiot of a god in the driver seat so what does he do. He gives the human race an effing NAME !!!. Gee thanks, the Nameless Race at least hand some style as a name more than garbage name Emanity. Before they at least achieved everything they had on their own, after their only their by the grace of Tet, and their name isn't their own anymore gee thanks. The humans are left still as the weakest race at the mercy of other races for the next 6000 years till the idiot notices, that wow it didn't work well and maybe he should try and do something. SMH!!! So yeah if the movie wasn't a prequel, and just left the ending open that would have given this at least half a point.

Next up, hey all the races who ruined the world, get their lands restored replenished and don't have any consequences. What's more all those lands you conquered and ruined, have them back green and lush, no harm no foul. Ehh any war criminals cough**Jibril***cough no worries, it's all in fun.

Finally the killer, nobody gets to know or remember how this all happened, except when Tet decides to torture small children by putting blanks in their memory.

Yeah if it weren't for the baggage from the series, this would have been at least a 9, could have been a 10.

First things first. My "reviews" system is explained on a blog entry. Which can be found through my profile.
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Every section will have a little comparison to NGNL series
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✦Story
Hard to explain the story as it was quite a ride. But to keep it general, it was very rich storytelling. Large spectrum of emotions were felt from it. But the general gist is struggles of mankind in a world of chaos between superior races. And anomaly of superior race is essentially the start of a plot in here.

I found that the story was conveyed in a very exceptionally good and powerful way. The emotions of main characters ... and the goal and thriving will towards it were extremely well put.

As well, the story is essentially a very bittersweet romance. Which I cannot really open up as topic in a review as it would be in any way a spoiler.

But I can one thing for sure, I did tear up on multiple occasions. Meaning it was just superb. Another but probably obvious thing I can mention it takes place far back in history of NGNL story. I do have to mention that few things kinda remained mystery or a question mark for me, but those would be spoilers to mention so sadly I cannot mention them. But that simply means that world is build up nicely and important factors of the story were conveyed just superb, yet still there remains mystery and sense of wonder about lot of things. It would haven gotten perfect score from me if few of these "?" I had, would have gotten answers.

Now to comparison part of the movie and NGNL series. I do love this movie and series equally as much. While movie excels at dark, depressing world and plot with a bittersweet romance and underlying tone of road of joy. The series excel at bright tuned, joyful and fun world with darker undertone. But both are just wondrous. They simply are different. I cannot say this movie was "better" or "worse" it simply was as superb as the series. Only difference is that is has different sort of story, world and emotions that are the essential "goal" here.

✦Art & Sound
Art & Animation is superb, it's darker but still grand. The action, magic were just on a very grand scale. But it was very powerfully presented, thus it was simply spot-on. Also a lot of interesting designs on characters, spells and some other things.

Music I loved as well, but I do hate the movie format encoding. The whole "quiet vocals and loud effects" is pain in the butt. I'm sad that up to this day sound isn't encoded in more of a pleasant way that would make viewing experience pleasant as in cinemas. Point being it, OST I heard was superb, but there were bunch of moments were I simply barely could hear the music. Maybe it's more of technical issue, but nevertheless that made be drop a score by 1 point.

As for comparison, I found series OP being much better, but rest of the OST was still great in both.

✦Character
Essentially we have the same 3 main characters as In the series. They have very similar traits, but simply different history, development and finale.

Some things regarding the characters came as a pleasant surprise to me. But overall I felt that characters were with amazing presence and superb emotion deliverance. I did simply adore the romantic aspect, it was very powerful but sad and at the same time it also gave me few questions I simply would have wondered if the story would be more "lengthier" .

But aside that, aside some nice characters I did kinda except, but still came as a surprise in a good sense. "Filler" characters were "just to fill in some empty spots" enough. It isn't bad thing, just a bit funny.

The comparison part would be simply about main cast. And they are equally great. Just TV series had more time and more characters, thus TV series having bunch of enjoyable side-characters isn't a surprise.

✦Enjoyment & Overall
I teared up on multiple occasions. That is enough for me to mark it as "highly enjoyed" Anime. Not a single moment was there where I would feel like skipping. It was constantly emotional or powerful.

This anime shall go into my list of favorites as the series did.

Art is 10/10. Beautifully drawn, excellent use of cgi, and it really just looks amazing at all times

The problem with this movie is that they leave alot of unanswered questions due to there simply being too much story for too little time. They try to cram this massive scale saga into a 2 hour run time and it just doesnt work. What we end up with is a disjointed mess that wastes screentime on a romance, then when it finally decides to tie up all the war storyline, it begins scene skipping leaving you sitting there asking wtf is even going on. Were bombarded with ... imagry and little to no explanation of what that imagry is

Negatives aside, the characters are great (although the side characters barely get any screentime), it was a very entertaining movie, and seeing the old NGNL cast again on the big screen almost brought a tear to my eye. Im giving this movie an 8 because it was a quality film. If they had explained everything we were seeing at the end better, i wouldve given it a 9 or 10.

Wanted to know how the "Great War" Jibril was harping on about in the original series was actually like? No Game No Life: Zero.

No Game No Life: Zero sets itself after the events of the first season of No Game No Life BUT is actually a prequel told by Tet recalling the events before Disboard was what it turned into to Izana.

Mild Spoilers ahead...

This prequel setup has a couple of already-known problems it got itself into and made LA a bit skeptical of the movie's intentions at first. Well a prequel's problems is simple, that of "knowing what's gonna happen" and to that, LA says ... that YES all prequels has this stigma against itself BUT No Game No Life: Zero somehow makes the predictability of itself slightly unknown as far as LA sees, this is all due to our main protagonists of this movie Sor- Riku and Shi- Schwi and their motive in being the underdogs to defy all the powerful races and claim the Suniaster, an all powerful device that can rewrite the world to their own.

Atmosphere-wise, No Game No Life: Zero has in itself a different tone to the first season, this is pre-Tet thus war and carnage ravaging the world because the races all are vying for the Suniaster is a given and it's even shown in the animation style, from the original series' bright playful tones are instead now the muddy grungy styles used to show Riku, Schwi and the "Immanities" situation with the occasional bright tones showing of hope. This also means, not many "actual games" are shown like No Game No Life's flavour due it being pre-Tet, that and little to no fanservice and comedy which was wise of No Game No Life: Zero considering the situation the movie is like, though a rare few times comedy was utilized was for the movie to breathe a bit.

So who is Riku and Schwi, well Riku is an underdog of Immanity wanting to "win" for once when he happens to come across Schwi, an Ex-machina wanting to know how the heart works, and yes if anything Riku and Schwi are somewhat copies of Sora and Shiro from the original series, with "similar" goals in mind but vastly different personalities. Schwi develops over this movie, find some revelations about her and we even see a relational growth between Riku and Schwi. Riku might be VERY similar Sora in a ways but he develops as well from the depressed loner type to the more confident underdog strategist. Relationship-wise LA definitely sees Riku and Schwi's relationship in a positive light as for one, different species and different world-view at the same time, that and the relational growth (aka. marriage) isn't taken to be a big thing as both Riku and Schwi has things to do in order for Immanity's survival, so though there is romance in No Game No Life: Zero, it's not the focal point of the movie.

Being a prequel movie must mean some world building right? No Game No Life: Zero world building pretty much tells us how Immanity was formed, how the Great War ended, the Pledges being created and Jibril's interference with it all (no seriously) all in the viewpoint of Riku being in the underdog's seat.

Animation-wise, the animation done by MADHOUSE was amazingly good as LA already prefaced about the atmospheric it is with it's styles, but also the rather good character designs even if the majority of the cast are similar designs to the original series' counterparts just with a few added on or different costumes, but nonetheless with the beautiful backgrounding work, brilliant fighting sequences and "near" copy and pasted character designs BUT looks different at the same time, MADHOUSE outdid themselves in the animation department.

Voice acting wise, the voice actors are essentially reprising their roles from the original series BUT dual acting as another character at the same time, to that LA will say that is great (even if the characters are near carbon-copied but still different characters nonetheless). The three special MVP's would go to Yoko Hikasa, Ai Kayano and Yoshitsugu Matsuoka as Couronne Dola, Schwi Dola and Riku Dola respectively.

So as much praising LA did with No Game No Life: Zero, was there any faults?...well the prequel debate though LA defends this, has some slight predictability if you've known the anime series and events it went through thus the climax of this movie is undermined by it if it clicked with you the result of the climax, that and LA would say that Jibril's appearance appeared out of nowhere and put a HUGE dent to Riku's plans, effectively causing the undermined climax LA was talking about. But just that ending wouldn't be enough for LA's ire as again...it's a prequel...it was kinda bound to happen in this case. just not the way LA was expecting was all.

No Game No Life: Zero's intentions was by in large to world build Disboard before the events of the original series, to put into detail HOW Immanity survived as long as it did and to give that motive, that hope to Sora and Shiro as they have been in the original series. Tet if anything granted Riku's wish that gave life in the form of Sora and Shiro and by that end, for a prequel movie...did a pretty great job world building, great character motivation and development and making a "prequel movie" have some reason to exist.

Sooo...for Riku's wish to be fully fulfilled at the hands of Sora and Shiro, MADHOUSE, can we get to actually see Immanity, the underdog win?, by giving us a second chance, a second season perhaps?.

Unlike the TV series' theme of outplaying opponents in law-binding games, the movie is instead a narrative of the past, of how the seemingly powerless god Tet emerged triumphant among the Old Deus. The seriousness is definitely turned up a notch, and while the comedy is not the same as the TV series', I thought the movie presented a stronger story.

The TV series is mostly linear: Sora and Shiro gain power by repeatedly outsmarting the other races in various games. The movie's story is more complex and layered. We're first introduced to one of the main characters, Riku. Humanity is caught in the ... middle of the Old Deus's war, and Riku is tired of human casualties. This doesn't seem to bother any of the other races, who look down upon humans. Riku meets Schwi on a scouting mission, an emotionless android that was exiled from her brethren for pursuing knowledge of the human heart. Schwi decides to stick with Riku to learn what human emotions are made of, and seeing no reason to reject her, Riku accepts.

It was incredible to watch the bond between the two characters. They motivate and inspire each other, which eventually gives Riku enough courage to propose a drastic plan: humanity will alter the war in their favor through espionage and spreading misinformation. What follows in the rest of the movie is how humanity achieves this with Riku and Schwi at the helm.

The art and sound were absolutely outstanding; the action scenes were really beautiful to watch. Anyone who is a fan of action will appreciate the work put into the animation.

Overall, I thought this was a fantastic movie. It is more serious in tone than the TV series, but provides an important foundation for the story of the current characters. If you enjoyed NGNL at all, definitely watch this movie, but it'd be a crime to see this movie without having seen the show first.

Simply said, this is the best anime movie I've ever watched. I know I am not an expert in giving a review on anime, however as a designer and as someone who really enjoyed this movie. I would actually write my first ever review out of excitement.


Story:
I really love the fact that it has been made in a simple transitional way.

Art:
The art is fantastic as always! I love that it is not exactly the same as No Game No Life S1, yet it is similar. I can feel and see the involvement in Art from when NGNL was released in 2014 and ... the movie 2017.

Sound:
I didn't have any problem regarding the sound. Moreover, it really felt amazing in the fights. Also, the sound made a great influence in the dramatic scenes. (No I didn't cry. Onions, onions everywhere).

Character:
I love the resemblance and connections made between NGNL:Zero protagonists & NGNL. It was really outstanding and creative.

Enjoyment:
I was most of the time on the edge of my seat. However, sometimes I had to pause for a second to fully grasp a situation.

Overall:
I truly loved it! To be honest, I wish I had known it was out there before now *2019*. I would've watched it in a cinema.

Watched in the US theater release. 10/05/17.

When I heard that NGNL: Zero was going to be in an American theater, you bet my inner weeb that I immediately ordered a ticket online and mentally prepare myself by rewatching No Game No Life while hugging my adorable Shiro body pillow.

After watching this movie, here are my thoughts. I'll try to keep it as spoiler-free as possible.

※ Strength ※
- Massive story change. This means that this movie is based on what happened in Disboard 6000 year ago. While completely changing the environment, character and vibe, NGNL0 still retain some of the signature characteristics from the original franchise. ...
- Action-filled. You aren't likely to get bored as the movie proceeds to bombard you with action-packed scenes that continue to blow you away. Although giving a slightly different feel, this movie still retain some of the key elements of Shiro/Sora.
- Art. Needless to say, the character design, artwork sceneries and background overlay are all incredibly well-made. A picture is worth a thousand words can be applied here. Bonus for taking advantage of the scenery and making it to beautiful, memorable moment.
- Music. The OST, soundtrack and background music are incredibly well-made. Along with the transitioning and proper execution, I was emotionally moved to ninjas cutting onions in front of me. These damn ninjas.
- Meaningful. No fillers, all of the plotline and development is, one way or another, necessary and crucial to the next "arc" of the chapter. Of course, that doesn't stop the occasional fanservices that the viewer may internally crave.
- Fighting scenes. Shoutout to Madhouse for those badass animations. Especially the fight between Jibril and Schwi. The impact of each move... You can absolutely feel it.

※ Weakness ※
- Lack of explanation. Although the world may be similar, the entire concept is complete different. The lack to properly explain situations, concepts and different races made it harder to sympathize and follow along as I found myself somewhat confused at some scenes. Unsure what the hell they are talking about.
- Rushed. To put an "entire season worthy" of anime into a hour-long short film is definitely a feat. Although expertly conducted, I could feel there were some instances that felt somewhat rushed in order to move on to the next phase of the plot.
- Deviation. I think the difference between a NGNL masterpiece and this movie is the deviation from the plot itself. Yes, the concept is interesting. Yes, the character is what we want. Yes, it is similar in some way. But the whole concept is somewhat... changed. One could call this a completely different anime if you were to switch the character up a bit. I think it's just lacking the NGNL pepper and spices necessary for that one final touch to make it a WOW-factor.

Would I recommend this? Hell to the yeah.
How many times did I tear up? Enough that the manly well is now dry.
Did you enjoy it? Wouldn't have missed this special day :')

Overall, I love the film. Love all there is to the franchise of No game no life. And who can forget the wincest between Sora and Shiro strikes again 6000 years ago.

BUT.

FOR THE SAKE OF OUR SANITY.

JUST GIVE US SEASON 2 ALREADY.

I had the pleasure of watching No Game No Life Zero in the cinema, despite quite the delay from its original release date, it's definitely worth the wait.

For your information, this movie tells of a prequel 6000 years ago, and it had little to do with the TV series from 2014. Hence, you can watch this without watching the TV series. But it's better that you watch the TV series since you will get a better understanding of the plot and world.

The movie had quite a good story, with some good world building. I'd rather have you watch it than tell everything. It's a shame ... that it had so much to squeeze into only 1 hour and 40 minutes, making it quite rushed and leaving almost no time to explain a lot of things and situation. However, the story flows so well despite it being quite rushed. It looks like they are more inclined to "Show, don't tell" kind of narrative that i have to say is quite successful, since there are not many things i was left to be confused about.

In its short duration, the movie put a lot of its focus on its character, more specifically, its 2 main character, Shuvi and Riku. You will get to see a lot of character development for those two, enough to maybe give you some sort of attachment to the characters. You will get to see less of the other characters, but it gave enough focus for it to not feel like they were useless or ignored.

If you watch the TV series, you know what to expect from the art. It's very similar, (you can see the characters are quite identical to the TV series) not that it's a bad thing. There's a lot of gorgeous scenes with vibrant colours and was very pleasing for the eye. The art and animation is truly well done.

The music was very good, different pieces fits well for different scenes, really helps with setting the atmosphere. Some tracks are really strong, but none really stand out for me.

There was some fanservice, in NGNL style (no genitals means safe, right?), but it may be off putting for some people. No worries though, you probably won't be bothered too much and forget about them while enjoying the movie.

All in all, it was a very enjoyable watch. There was enough time for the main characters for us to care about them, combined with good soundtracks and amazing art, resulting in the climax being really powerful.

I just can't, this movie was extraordinary! MADHOUSE knows what they are doing with this, the pacing, the story, the visuals, the musical elements, the sound, everything is almost perfect, I say almost since I believe in the philosophy that true perfection is unachievable. There is always something to improve and make even better, but don't let what I've said misled you, this movie is an outstanding watch for any regula anime or non-regular anime viewer.

I am clearly a fan of No Game No Life so I am bias of course, who isn't? But I can say this, that even as a fan No Game ... No Life I most definitely enjoyed watching this movie.

Simpler version far down below.

I have just finished watching this series in the cinema and I can definitely say that this movie was definitely worth my time. If you are a fan of NGNL, then you MUST watch this movie. If you only like the serious stuff in NGNL, then you also need to watch this movie. If you didn't like NGNL but want to give this movie a try to see if it redeem itself, then do not hesitate. This movie is truly a compilation all the good things about NGNL.

Now let us talk about the story. Now I am one of the people ... who actually liked the idea of Madhouse making a prequel to NGNL and not complaining because they didn't make a sequel. The story is kinda rushed in some parts, that's why I gave it a 7/10. It is rather hard to comprehend what's going on in the movie if you didn't pay full attention. But overall I still think that the script writer did a splendid job at compressing Volume 6 into a movie. Plus I have also heard good reactions from people who have read the light novel.

The art is beautiful. It got one step beyond the anime. It's just a pleasure to look at. The animation department also did an excellent job at animating this movie, especially the battle scenes. It just looks gorgeous.

Musics are well-placed in this movie. It added in a lot to the drama and also the action scenes. The theme song sang by Konomi Suzuki suits the movie well too. Voice acting is also pretty well done in this anime, added in a lot to the drama.

The only thing weak in this movie is the characters. I do like every one of them. But there are too few screen time given to the side characters, well indeed I know that this movie is just over 100 minutes long, but the plot needs the side characters' help so much and we barely even know anything about them. On the other hand, the main characters are well-developed. They are indeed likable. The relationship between Shuvi and Riku is cute and fun to look at (even for a person who doesn't like romance anime that much like me). The characters are not OP in any way, unlike Sora and Shiro, them two faces A LOT of DIFFICULTIES to achieve their objective. That's what made the likable and relatable.

Overall, I sure enjoyed this movie. Highly recommend it.

Simpler Ver.
Pros:
1. Less Fanservice more serious talk and drama.
2. Main characters not overpowered.
3. Story well-adapted
4. Gorgeous art and animation.

Cons:
1. Side characters lacks screentime
2. A bit too rushed making it hard to understand some plot points.

I have watched countless animes, and what I am seeking is someting special. If a anime makes me feel the soul of itself I will cry and laugh which rarely happens lately. But this is one of those rare gems that makes me cry and feel with the story as it´s unfolds. You can argue that it´s to short but I have never cried this much watchining anyting in a long time and that is why I rate it a 10. What I want that I am missing is like backstory to the world in more details like who created everyting and stuff like that. ... Like a backstory similar to the greek gods but more simplistic like how they created stuff and the reasoning behind it. They could have made a serie just explaining the past of the world in similiar fashion to starwars univers as the old republic.

Herein, I'm gonna talk about No Game No Life: Zero both in itself and in context with the NGNL series as a whole. I'll also touch on the analogous connections between NGNL and our actual world.

To start with the obvious, NGNL:0 is darker. (No duh, right?).
-Anyways, the darker color palette, from my perspective as an amateur artist, was an inspired choice. It was such a simple shift, but I haven't seen that many secondary adaptations pull it off.
-Regarding themes, the gravity of the situation means that the movie has to delve into deeper, more unpleasant topics. For example:
--The burden of leadership
--The impact of war at ... a personal level

Secondly, I just wanted to address one of the main critiques levied against the movie: the claim that the romantic sub-plot was forced/rushed.
-The romance reminded me of the 2013 film *Her*, with Joaquin Phoenix and Scarlett Johansson. It was an exploration of modern love and technology. So when I saw what was happening between Riku and Schwi, I couldn't help but be reminded of the plot of *Her*, wherein a guy falls in love with an advanced AI.
-Anyways, I don't think the romance between Riku and Schwi was poorly done. It could've used some more air time to breathe, but c'est la vie. I, for my part, was pleased to see a non-sexual romantic relationship. A relationship built on mutual growth and support. A relationship stemming from intellect and strength of character. It's something I sort of aspire to, really... So, I openly admit my bias here.

In regards to the other characters, I agree that they weren't fleshed out that well. Though, again, production constraints... But more importantly, consider the series as a whole, not just the movie. The focus is on the main cast in the present, and if re-positioned as such, the movie does a solid job of adding layers to Sora, Shiro, Jibril et al.
-Yes, a two-part movie series (with added detail from the creator) would have been a better adaptation, but that's a hard sell to investors. Ultimately, though, I'm happy for any adaptation at this point.

In terms of self-reflection, the film makes me think of our world during and after the 20th century. Along the lines of:
-WWI, WWII and the Cold War
-Post war reconstruction
-The scars of war that persist in the new century
Indeed, the Tenth Pledge now seems less like light-hearted commandment and more of a dire warning.

Anyways, that concludes my word vomit. Generally, I try not to score too far from the community mean, but this movie means a lot to me. Forgive me, friends, for the 1.5 ranking point differential (at the time of this review), but I have to give No Game Life: Zero a 10.

At the bottom under the review I have written MY OWN theories , explantations and the differences between 6th volume and the movie.
These differences theories and explantation have some spoilers about the movie and the story after 1st season of ngnl . You read only on your own


Before this movie I read the Light Novel 6th volume and also I watched twice in internet the record from the Japan cinema with bad quality 244~~ something like it without any translation .

Before I will write my review idk how others but the last scene in present between Izuna, Jibril , Sora , Shiro ... and Stepph always make me cry also in book made me cry.

REVIEW ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Story 10/10 :
It's the story about the great war which we heard in No game No life season 1 , it's the war between all races with no reason , no target no one from humans knows why is this war still exist , the story shows how Riku the leader of the humanity leads people and also how he attempt to finish this war .

Art 10/10:
Art of No game No life is so colorful and original which I really love even with this colorful art the horrible non stopping war was shown as a horrible war in which You don't know appear and also it show how terrible is war , what a horror has to experience every living being.

Sound 10/10:
Soundtracks were well connected with the animation , the epic sounds , the sad osts , the vocal osts .... I can't even describe them they are just ... You have to hear them on your own :)

Character 10/10:
Riku as a Sora but he is losing the "games" also he is much more idk impulsive then Sora.
Schuvi as S**** , she is just a machine who want to understand the emotions of the humans which we can see the result of succes or failure in this movie
Corone as Steph but much more clever and protective also much more sensitive.
Jibril we know her really well , Azriel - the oldest ( if I remember well ) Flugel .
Einzig is the main cluster/leader of the ex-machinas .
Nirvaren Shink the leader of the Nirvalen family and also probably as a leader of the elven nation.


Enjoyment 10/10:
I can't believe that someone can't enjoy it ... Even during reading the volume I couldn't move or even say something cause it's so enjoyable ,
after watching it I was butchered into my chair and thinking what to do next...

Overall 10/10:
This is the really well-done movie which is worth to see even if you didn't watch the no game no life , It's a movie which can show and also learn you that the impossible is only the word , everything is possible but you need a good plan , strategy and determination .
This movie is just a masterpiece which will smash your heart from chest and smash it to the floor :)

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DIFFERENCE 6th volume - movie--------------------------------------------

First difference is that in movie isn't shown how hard is for Riku sacrificing his people and also planning the future by locking his "Heart" also they didn't show his big potential of intelligence because in the beginning Riku describe by the sound of noises how big is this Demon which killed Ivan , also during reading Aka si Anse he told to Shuvi that he know ( If I remember well 4-7 languages.)

The next one is why Couroune know that Shuvi isn't a human and she wasn't surprised during the marriage is because during touching her back of the head when Shuvi first time went to the base of humans , she felt alot of robotic parts also she told that to Riku and Shuvi after giving flowers to Shuvi.

In beginning of movie Riku didn't say but when you look at the moment of this huge explode between his speech and showing the mystical play between him and invisible Tet , his parents took him from the window and sacrifice themselfs to save Riku , Riku doesn't remember his parents.

Shuvi by understanding the Emotions / Heart she had everytime "Errors" and only in the ending just right before her connecting with Einzig ( If I remember well ) she understood that these errors are truth emotions.

Ex-machinas before "stealing" the power of Zuibakus , Aka si Anses, and Heaven Bomb (?) , fought against Artosh for a little while during which they copied the Flugels "Teleportation" .

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EXPLENTATION ----------------------------------------------------------------

Why Sora , Shiro and Steph aren't the "REAL" reincarnation of Riku ,Shuvi and Couroune . Firstly Shuvi is a machine , her emotions , memory and everything is still living in cluster , because all ex-machinas have the same information among them . During 7th volume of light novel Jibril said that after dying the living beings in Disboard world are only going as spirits to the corridor of the souls to support the world , but the question is Riku was the LAST soul which went to corridor of the past world , or as the first soul which supports the new world ( Tet rules ) .


Why ex-machinas didn't save Shuvi even with their ability to moving really fast in quick time , probably Cluster decided that the information of the "Shuvi" unit is more important than saving her .

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THEORIES ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

As you know the ex-machinas has the same amount of information memory and experience because they are sharing each others the information is working like Kage Bunshin no jutsu in Naruto , but they are sharing in real time no after death like in Naruto.So probably when Sora and Shiro will meet the ex-machinas they will be surprised because they will have still Memories of SHUVI , and probably there will go a big "war" of words between them and Jibril . Maybe ex-machinas will help Sora as volunteers because they will see in him the "Reincarnation of Riku", or maybe after 6.000 years they were able to recreate Shuvi.

I am really sorry , If i make a mistake between Horou and the God with who Tet was talking , by describing Sora and Shiro that they will come for him \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ /
(I haven't started reading 8th volume of the ngnl ln , so if there wil be better info about it I will correct this theory \/ )
Because of the information in 7th volume ( Maybe I missunderstood them ) that Horou , this God with who is connected Miko , it was shown in the last minute of the 1st season , is Riku. After that what Tet said about him .
The possibility is that soul of Riku before went to support world as corridor of souls , Tet managed his souls into the God (Fallen Gods) Because it was said in the book ( not in movie ) that to create a New God in disboard , the God need only at least one Believer , so Tet can be a baliever of the "Riku" as God which can explain why he didn't forget about it.

Development:

The story takes place on the old Disboard, when all races were at constant war. Because of this calamitous situation, Riku, together with humanity plot against all the kingdoms to put an end to this limitless slaughter. Whatever it takes.


Script:


It covers the mythology created in the original work, expands the concepts of war and conflict between the races, shows both the horror and fear that war brings upon all peoples in a more mature and serious way. It distances itself from the comic and joyful tone of the original work. We can say vulgarly, a Seinen form of NGNL.

...
Art:


It is undeniable that the art of NGNL is wonderful, in this adaptation only raised the level further. They added more dynamics to the work, added effects to the spells, the games of light and shadow give a heavier content to the work. And of course, when colors occur it's a delight to the eyes.


Summary:


As said before, it's a more adult anime, having heavier themes and a dirtier tone, it's not a happy anime, so go prepared to leave the anime devastated or at least thoughtful. It is not mandatory to have attended the first work, since it sustains itself. A wonderful work that demonstrates the fine art of maturation. One of the best prequel/Spin-Off in a series I have ever seen.


Final note:
9/10