Ikebukuro West Gate Park

This anime is alright. It is basically just about a guy who helps solve issues for a gang in Ikebukoro. I enjoyed the first 2 episodes but then it felt like it just gives you pointless filler for the next 2. This show only has 12 episodes planned and they already waste 2 on episodes that I felt was a waste of my time. I also don't feel like I am getting a semblance of an actual plot. Just: bad things happen, mc investigates bad thing, and him and gang get rid of whatever it was that caused the bad thing to happen. That kind of story is fine but I need an overall plot to stay invested and I am not getting that here.

It is a 5 from me. Characters and idea is interesting but without an overall plot to follow I don't feel like continuing the series

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So far this season has plenty of outstanding series both in action and episodic slice of life, such as Majo no Tabitabi, Tonikawa, Jujutsu Kaisen and Akudama Drive. Considering that Ikebukuro has exactly this same two genres, and maybe drama, as it's main highlights, it's covering a niche that is fulfilled with other shows that I consider better overall, and that makes for a pretty mild and average show for the season it's airing, and that I would only recommend for people that really like the 'street gang' vibe or that are here just to see some hot dudes having badass and beautifully animated fights against some bad guys that no one cares. But well... the series is not unbearable either.

Story - 5

The anime follows episodical conflicts that somehow involve our MC, Makoto, and the street gang thematic. So far we've got some drug dealers, some vandals hired to put pressure on exploited employees of a restaurant, the cringiest youtuber that you'll see in your goddamn life and a retrospective murder case of a gang leader that was so far the best and most human. Structure of 3 first chapter is almost the same, like 'there is a trouble, we investigate the trouble, some twist happens and it ends up with the badass gang beating the shit out of the bad guys'. In the first two chapters is acceptable, and the ending scene of episode two might be the more cathartic so far in the anime, but by the third episode it got really tiring. Thankfully, it changed on chapter for so maybe we can hope for more variety on new stuff. By now, it's just mediocre.

Characters - 6

Excepting Youtuber-san from episode 3 that I don't even dare mentioning here, the characters are pretty neutral. I mean, they're mostly cool, and some of their design makes me really question my heterosexuality (specially Red Angels leader), but the only glimpse of development to anyone of them just showed up on episode 4, so not much to highlight here.

Art - 8

Doga Kobo is one of the studios that, when I see their making an anime, I'll made sure to check it out, since they almost never miss (btw two of my three favourite anime, Yesterday wo Utatte and Yuru Yuri, are produced by Doga Kobo). The studio may be mostly known by moe and comedy such as Nozaki-kun or Gabriel Dropout, and having director of Senko-san in charge of the anime must seem to confirm this impression, but they're more mature and serious style is just as good, if not better, as the moe one. Direction is not stellar, but it's incredibly solid, and animation is always consistent and fluid. The anime is not as sakuga-packed as Jujustsu Kaisen, but it does never feel lacking either, so it looks genuinely great.

Sound - 8

OST is very nice, specially enjoyed the jazz tracks on ep 4. Sound desing is correct too, nothing special but pretty consistent from what I noticed. The thing that made me classify sound as very good was the incredible opening, Needle Knot. The song has a punk rock style which I really enjoy and the psychodelic visuals are a great complement to it. Prossibly best op of the season.

Enjoyment - 5

As I said before, the anime is just fine at the best 'till now. I really disliked ep 3 but the others were a fine watch, nothing outstanding but nothing that made me drop it either.

Overall - 6

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Well to start things of, I feel that it has an interesting story and plot to it, but it just doesn't catch my interest. With the passing 4 episodes on I found it's story interesting because it talks about how this dude, our MC goes around Ikebukuro to solve all of it's problems and all. the characters are good but they don't really catch your interest in them.

I technically heard this from Joey (The anime man, which you should subscribe and like his videos) as he sung praises of it, I felt excited about it, but when it came out I just didn't feel for it. (I will be continuing to watch it and see how it goes never know when you might get that one episode which changes your perception of it)

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