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Dec 29, 2008 10:55 PM
#1

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Feb 2008
5563
THIS IS AN ANIME ONLY DISCUSSION POST. DO NOT DISCUSS THE MANGA BEYOND THIS EPISODE.
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i was a bit disappointed with this seires, i was hoping for 12 kingdoms and wound up with Angelic Layer

still, not a bad series overall
Dec 30, 2008 6:42 AM
#2
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Mar 2008
106
Well i haven't yet seen ep 40, im at ep 30.. so far, the anime is horrid (imo)

And i really do mean horrid. Dialogue is written for children, story is retarded, characters are underdeveloped (and i don't mean biologically) and most of all Alice is just annoying.

My guess, this anime is not for adults... one can not compare this to Angelic Layer, but rather to something like Mahou Sensei Negima (which by the way, is far superior to Alice Chan ;)

Also something relating to the animation and style. Some people say its awesome? To me it looks completely cheap, most of the time they use animated stills and the character and combat animation is woody at best, and choppy at worst. Even worse, they use alot of very lame story elements (Pointing for example, at the prisoner dialogue in ep 28) where they do some kind of lulz-festivall

Dude A: "The world is going to end"
Dude B: "OMG, NO!"
Dude A: "Yes really"
Dude B: "OMG how terrible"
Dude A: "Oh you look for your son, i only know a girl"
Dude B: "A girl? How terrible!"

Thats about the depth of dialogue in this anime.. and i was beeing kind ^^

When the dialogue is not bad its about the depth you would expect from 8 yr old girls with magic. That is, no depth at all.

Edit: I actully would say this is the worst anime ive been coerced in watching so far. And i have seen alot (not boasting). I usually choose my anime very carefully, guess that failed me here ~.~

Still id rate it a 4/10 but i give it room to 5/10 depending on how it ends (although i think i can predict it )
eRe4s3rDec 30, 2008 6:46 AM
Jan 3, 2009 12:22 PM
#3

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Feb 2008
5563
Negima!? wasn't written for children, Angelic Layer was and while i think Angelic Layer was probably better, the overall feel of the two aren't that dissimilar (tho i could be mistaken since i haven't seen AL in about a year).

if you've only watched up to 30 then why are u posting here and not on the episode 30 thread?
Jan 13, 2009 10:42 AM
#4
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Mar 2008
106
I did not want to create a new topic ;) For such short episodes

Anyhow, after letting it sink in (and finishing it .p) i did rate it 6/10

In retroperspective i was a bit too harsh ;p
Feb 11, 2009 7:48 PM
#5

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Apr 2008
444
eRe4s3r said:
I did not want to create a new topic ;) For such short episodes

Anyhow, after letting it sink in (and finishing it .p) i did rate it 6/10

In retroperspective i was a bit too harsh ;p


Actually, I rated this 6 too. I thought it wasn't bad, it wasn't good, it was 'fine'.

Overall, I came into this series with high expectations, with the art style and the sense of wonder that initially made an impression on me in the beginning. However, the art style started to lose its consistency and the sense of wonder, while somewhat still there, suffered under the sense that there really was no big development underneath it to prop it up. For the most part the ending really came out as a deus ex machina in the end, with all the explanations and expositions coming out at the end (where in reality it would have been of the moment of least help) and the solution being as simple as 'hope'. (Ironically at a time in reality where Hope has been a major marketing tool).
Personally, I think the problems had more to do with the structure of the series, which was broken into 10 min episodes that prevents a story from having the momentum to develop into a satisfying climax. Still, as jacobpaige says, it's not a bad series overall.

My two cents. :)
Feb 13, 2009 4:36 PM
#6
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Mar 2008
106
Yeah, but with overall length of nearly 7 hours the entire story development was kinda meh. 10 minute episodes really do not work at all imo. I do not even understand why it was done? The anime gains nothing from the segmentation except lower ratings. And yep, the ending, the hope thing ;p Was kinda out there in a group i have for "some of the worst endings that don't resolve any issues"

6/10 is a good rating for this anime ;)

Ps.: Usually those kind of endings happen when theres no good writer though. Still theres worse anime endings ;p
May 26, 2009 8:42 PM
#7
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Sep 2008
54
they kinda skip around in the end. but it was still good
Jun 10, 2009 4:29 PM
#8

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May 2008
31862
I, for one, was not very disappointed.

Old avatar and sig retired for now.
Jul 27, 2009 12:18 AM
#9

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Dec 2008
539
While I can understand the disappointment in this series for some people, I was not disappointed. I went into the series with no expectations and came out pleasantly surprised. The last couple of episodes did feel rushed to come to a conclusion and the build-up to the end gave me anticipation of something much more exciting than what actually occurred.

I decided to give this series a 8/10 because not only did I like the unique way this magical girl story played its way out compared to most magical girl series, I fell in love with the characters (Sheila in particular), and did have several moments of happy squeeage. So, yeah, I did enjoy the way this anime looked and felt. I especially liked the history on how the warlock world differed from the witch world, and their fears of the human world inspiring Alice to prove them wrong. It had its share of dark moments and then silly, fun moments that made me smile. I even liked the "next episode" previews that don't even really introduce themselves as such; just clues into what the key elements are for the next episode. My only (slight) bummer was I wish the conclusion with black magic taking over was dragged out for just two more episodes. (Though how a script could be set up for that, I'm not sure - I suppose it would make me feel more satisfied in the ending with a worthwhile, somewhat lasting conclusion to match its rising action.)

Oh, well. I liked the series enough... onto the OVA!
Oct 5, 2009 1:22 PM
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Apr 2009
2
I agree with er4s3r this anime sucked ass! It tops my list of worst series that i've watched till the end, together with Cyborg 009.
The art and style of it is really wonderful though. Being a Studio 4C fanboy as I am, I'm really dissapointed... I gave this anime 4/10
Nov 19, 2009 12:04 PM

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Jul 2007
164
Decent anime. Quite rare to see such an interesting storyline for Magic Girl anime (besides MSLN). Only the story really stood out for me.

As for the ending, its decent, nothing special nor disappointing.

Story 8/10, rest 6/10. Overall 7/10.
Feb 23, 2010 11:50 AM

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Feb 2010
5
Is there going be more or does the whole thing stop after 40 Eps? Is there A second Seasons??
May 12, 2010 10:44 AM

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Apr 2010
86
I actually thought that this is one of the most underrated anime I have ever seen. It did have a childish appearance and story, it was fairly predictable, and I agree that Alice was annoying. But if you really think about it, there are a lot of important themes presented here. I liked the animation style. It's nice to have something that is different every once in a while. And considering the short length of the episodes, they did very well telling the story. It was definitely fast paced. I really enjoyed this anime. I'm torn between 8/10 and 9/10 for now.


Dec 1, 2010 10:13 AM

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May 2008
170
I'm kind of up in the air about this one too. The art had some crappy moments, but the aesthetic was interesting overall. Story was... both simplistic and novel. I feel like the series really started picking up at the end, though. Guess I'm going for a low 7 on this one, though may end up changing that on a re-watch.
Feb 4, 2013 8:05 AM

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Oct 2008
1007
The ending was a little cheesy, but I thought the story for the most part was great, the characters aren't great though. Also this is very different from your average mahou shoujo, so give it credit for that. The animation was really good and the artwork is pretty original.
Overall an underrated gem imo. I'm watching the OVA next.
Mar 14, 2013 8:40 AM

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Oct 2007
3471
I think this anime being written by an idealism. There are too many time where Alice ignored every logic/reason and just start yelling magic this magic that without giving the situation she was in. And there are too many things that can even explain like how a man from Human world and don't know magic yet understand magic better than a magician.


"A Legend is but a tale of a beautiful lie."
Apr 17, 2013 3:54 AM

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Apr 2012
4896
Great series. I can understand people not liking this show regarding to the kind of static animation, but because of that, it has one of the most original directing I've seen, with lots of fadings, juxtaposing and ellipses that I thought worked quite well with the fast pace. The design is also highly stylish, while the composition of every frame is a work of art. Plus it has a rich universe with lots of twists and tremendous voice actors. My only complaint is with the rushed ending (I wish they had detailed more how saving Eva also prevents the destruction), but I can forgive it.
EratiKApr 17, 2013 4:08 AM
Aug 23, 2013 8:32 PM
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Jul 2010
188
eRe4s3r said:

And i really do mean horrid. Dialogue is written for children

This anime is for children for God's sake. What did you expect, a philosophical treaty about the meaning of reality?

eRe4s3r said:
story is retarded

There's a retarded here, but it's not the story, but the one watching children's animation and complaining about how it's "written for children".

eRe4s3r said:
My guess, this anime is not for adults...

Oh my God how did you get to that conclusion? You must be a genius! Did you notice that this was broadcasted in a time-slot aimed at children? What an amazing discovery!

eRe4s3r said:
one can not compare this to Angelic Layer, but rather to something like Mahou Sensei Negima (which by the way, is far superior to Alice Chan ;)

Mahou Sensei Negima aired every Thursday at 1:00-1:30 am, which means it was an anime aimed at adults. What kind of retard compares anime aimed at children to midnight hardcore otaku series?
Apr 19, 2016 12:37 AM

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Sep 2010
201
Jidan should have stayed dead lmao. 5/10.
Apr 25, 2016 1:01 PM
めんどくさい

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Sep 2011
2874
I don't think it was bad, but it also wasn't good. It started out well, but by about the halfway point I started getting the feeling that I was missing parts of the story, and that feeling never went away.

The animation was at times very good, but also very inconsistent. Most noticeably to me the faces of the main characters changed such that I wasn't sure they were the same people.

But for me the big problem was the story. Even if it was aimed at kids, just because it is aimed at kids doesn't mean it has to be choppy, lack transition, and use dialog that seems out of context. And I thought the climax was both terribly rushed and very anti-climatic.
Mar 17, 2017 12:11 PM

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Feb 2014
1733
Well everyone, we have found the cure-all to the apocalypse: chestnuts!

Wow that anime certainly caught me by surprise. Even 10 episodes in, I wasn't expecting that much even 10 episodes in (granted the episodes are short), but by the time they started heading to the Warlock realm, it got really interesting. I really liked the world- and story-building, and overall I liked the sense of originality and genuine storytelling. The characters and their developments were pretty interesting too. I wasn't too crazy about the ED, but I really liked the soundtrack overall. The backgrounds were pretty well done, and while the animation was different, there were some points where frankly, it was terrible. The pacing got pretty weird at points too, and sometimes the transitions felt very rushed (like right after they saved Eva at the very end). That being said, I really liked it and I'm glad I started it! 8-9/10 :D
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Apr 19, 2017 6:24 PM

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Sep 2013
1194
Not feeling great about this show. The show started with really interesting art and animation and as it progressed it just became more and more basic with some really ugly parts. The pacing was an absolute mess and everything about the story essentially revolved around "I could tell you but there's not point."

So many of the problems they faced would have been negligible if their primary action wasn't "I don't need to tell you this, it wouldn't make a difference."
Jul 31, 2017 4:18 PM

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Sep 2012
49
I really like this anime but i didnt really get the end at all. I understood Alice being 'mahou no hikari' but how did she came back from human world? why her dad was alive? i get that when she got lost in the interdimensional sea she came back in time so in the humanan world it was like she never left, but her dad didnt came home in like 35345 years, i dont get itttt. I get that using chestnuts she could bring Eva back but that would only stop the Black Magic, not the world destruction, so HOW THEY STOPPED IT? i really need a more deep explanation about this, they skipped crucial scenes, the end feel way to rushed and hard (impossible) to understand :c
Sep 26, 2017 11:11 PM

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Sep 2013
3373
Finally over....ugh...

I just realized it took me 6 months to get through this anime. I started in March and it is September now. I only watched episodes when I was feeling really brave and/or masochistic.
4/10
Maelstrom184Sep 26, 2017 11:14 PM

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Oct 27, 2017 3:13 PM
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Aug 2014
1693
Such a strange anime. It felt like every episode was a normal length episode cut to 9 minutes. Despite the resulting fractured narrative and fast pacing I still really enjoyed the show. I'm just left wondering what if.
Jun 12, 2020 9:43 PM

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Feb 2016
81
An absurd and outrageously accelerated final stretch, I am disappointed.
Sep 19, 2020 9:07 AM
Shalltear

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Apr 2018
34413
Decent last episode, she's finally reunited with her father, well overall it has an interesting world + some cool characters but I wasn't really enjoying the story because of the short format of the episodes, 8 min/ep is too short to properly do a followable story each episode
Mar 8, 2021 4:44 PM

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Mar 2016
2038
This series might have the worst storyboarding/planning that I've ever seen. That might sound extreme, but I cannot recall another time when I found myself as consistently lost as when watching this. Scenes are structured strangely and transition unexpectedly, and often the driving force behind scenes are oddly obscured or unclear. There's also no reason why a half-episode length show should be this jarringly paced. As for the characters, their motivations and behaviors are for the most part senseless. I understand that only a single idea animates Arusu's character, but it doesn't adequately explain why she behaves the way she does (this is true for the rest of the cast as well). As a main character, Arusu is simply uninteresting and unsympathetic. The plot has some cool ideas, but is awfully executed. Overall, I think the show is incoherent and weirdly structured, so much so that it takes away from the beautifully designed world.

I like the art, and I like a lot of the stuff the writers were playing around with, but I find this to be a very disappointing watch.
Sep 3, 6:00 PM

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Dec 2022
5301
Not often you see an isekai series that conclusively ends with the protagonist returning to their own world, so it was a pleasant surprise to see it in this one. Although, I do wish the process of Arusu committing to her return to the Human Realm was more drawn out, especially given her emotional connection with the other two girls. If the calamity posed by the dark magic was dealt with in the last episode, there may have even been time for an epilogue of sorts, but alas.

Highly enjoyable series that managed to promote its ideas in an appreciably unpretentious manner atypical of "dark mahou-shoujo" anime like this. Wouldn't quite call it a subversion of "escapist fantasy", at least in the sense that it displays some obvious cynicism on behalf of the writing towards the notion, as it instead adopts a more harmonious purview of the distinction between reality and fiction through how it represents the Human and Witch Realms respectively; the confidence that the experience in the Witch Realm instilled in Arusu to come to terms with the Human Realm (analogous for the real world), as well as the removal of the Curse of Eternal Youth that metaphorically codified the initially misplaced stubbornness of the girls best exemplified this point.

The highlight of the series was certainly the main trio though. Arusu, despite changing the least of the bunch in terms of her motivations and general demeanour, demonstrated subtle development in her maturity throughout the series, while still serving as the determined protagonist who was always looking to do what was right. Sheila, despite maintaining her serious aura for the most part, became more and more willing to help Arusu out when it counted, and even covered for her in situations where there wasn't necessarily a significant tangible benefit for her in doing so. And even as the most innocent and outwardly childish of the lot, Eva's penchant for self-sacrifice was frequently as endearing as it was troublesome, with the insecurity and low-self esteem she harboured even foreshadowing the plot of the last few episodes; it signifies that the people who are easiest to manipulate are, quite ironically, often the most sinless.

Regrettably, the pacing, not helped by the short 9-minute episodes, did constrain the delivery of the plot for the most part. There were many episodes where scenes abruptly cut to the next chronological event in sequence while omitting everything that led up to it, meaning the viewer has little time to get immersed in the mood or atmosphere of the scene before it ticks it off the checklist and then moves the cast to an entirely different location where we're filled in on the details in retrospect. Moreover, seeing Arusu's mother, Yoko, slumped over the table during the interdimensional vision segment of the last episode did make you wish that the impact of Arusu's absence in the Human Realm was afforded more time or attention.

Still, the general likeability of the characters, beautifully stylised setting, adventurous soundtrack and generally competent delivery of its core themes all impressed, so I can't fault it too much.


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Shaded Horizon


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Sep 3, 9:17 AM
It’s time to ditch the text file.
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