| Re:Zero - Starting Life in Another World 2nd Season Part 2 (2021) - the concluding part of the second season bringing the Sanctuary arc to a close. There was a lot of dialogue and delving into the characters past memories in this season, but for me it just added to the rich depth of the world and it's characters. Beautiful imagery, music and animation combined to make this season even more memorable than the first. This show focuses heavily on it's character growth and development, and this season delivered that in spades, notably Emilia, Beatrice, Garf and Roswal. The trademark gore and violence in the series is integral to it's story and it isn't overplayed as misery/horror porn too often. All in all, it was worth the wait for this second season (both parts). This is one show that doesn't benefit from the weekly airing schedule. It's so emotionally impactful and dense that it needs to be binged watched or in stages imo. Definitely a show I'll be re-watching from the start soon. A praise-worthy 9/10. |
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The 2nd batch of old and unusual hentai titles and some obscure trash OVA. The one “real” show I watched is xxxHOLiC and it’s great. It’s cut from the same cloth as other episodic shows personifying human psychology as supernatural entities like Mushishi, Natsume Yuujinchou, Hanada Shounen-shi, or Monogatari Series. Anybody who liked one of those should give it a shot. I save the 8/10 for season 2, as on paper it seems to be even better than S1 – which comes close already.
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inimApr 6, 2021 12:16 PM
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| UFO Princess Valkyrie & Bridal Training Special (2002) - a sci-fi rom-com about a Princess called Valkyrie who accidentally kills Kazuto when her ship crashes and so gives him half her soul to keep him alive. This causes Valkyrie to regress to a child-like state physically and mentally. However as Valkyrie and Kazuto spend more time together and get closer she is able to transform into her original adult form when their hearts combine (and they kiss). Kazuto instantly fell in love with the adult Valkyrie, but has to look after her child form. Set in a bath house there's lots of fan service and nudity. Some fun supporting cast members and all the usual cliched troupes follow. This show is similar to other rom-coms where an alien princess appears into our normal MC's life, such as To Love Ru, Heaven's Lost Property or DeaRs. So if you liked those types of shows, you'll likely find this series entertaining. An easy to watch early 2000's rom-com, a high 7/10. The Quintessential Quintuplets (2019) - a wholesome harem romance where we follow our protagonist Fuutarou's attempts to teach 5 quintuplets. This show has a very similar feel to Bokuben with the common theme of teaching. The unique feature of this show is the fact that the story is being told by Fuutarou, reflecting on how he met his wife on their wedding day. His bride to be is one of the quintuplets, but we don't know which one as they all look identical (only the hair style and accessories differ from sister to sister). With so many possible love interests in each of the 5 sisters, the show took a while to get going, especially to advance the romantic parts of the story. It's an interesting premise and an easy-to-watch popcorn rom-com. My guess for the bride is Miku or maybe Itsuki as an outside bet. Bright colours and catchy OST, the animation was adequate but not especially noteworthy. A mid 7/10. SSSS Gridman (2018) - a sci-fi mecha made by Studio Trigger. We follow Yuuta, Utsumi and Rikka as they battle against an unknown threat that keeps letting kaiju loose in their city. Episodic in nature for the most part, every episode sees the Gridman Alliance face off against a new kaiju, whilst working to uncover the identity of their adversary and stop them. The animation in this series was stunning, especially the battle scenes. The music (not the OP/ED) was awesome and made the watching experience so enjoyable. Really polished production values. The over-arching story was quite confusing at times though. This show is an homage to the older tokusatsu (live action using scaled down cities and kaiju vs robots) series of the same name that aired in the 90's. A high 7/10. The Way of the Househusband (2021) - a Netflix original series based on a popular manga about a former Yakuza who becomes a husband and devotes himself to being the best husband he can be. This series uses mainly static animation panels with only moving mouths, so no actual action. A funny parody, a solid 6/10. Canon Busters (2019) - a Netflix anime which follows Philly the Kid on a space Western type adventure. Philly meets up with a couple of robots and they go on a mission to save a Royal Prince who is missing after his nation was attacked by an evil Alien Overlord. I went into this show with low expectations, just starting it because it looked interesting and I was mildly surprised. The story is episodic in nature for the most part with the action ramping up in the final few episodes. There were some cgi mecha battles, that looked a bit out of place, but overall the world building and story were intriguing. A genuine action adventure, the story jumping from place to place. New sci-fi worlds and settings each more strange than the last. A nice surprise, a mid 7/10. |
23feanorApr 10, 2021 11:16 AM
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I was lucky this time and to my own surprise found two shows I instantly fell in love with: Gall Force and Simoun. A third one which earned my respect as hidden gem because mature hard sci-fi is a favorite of mine and rare in anime: Space Fantasia 2001. All three are highly recommended, though none of them is mainstream or even a typical anime. Simoun in particular is slow, dialog driven and atmospheric character drama and seems to be hit or miss according to what I see in friend ratings. In any case make sure to give it time, best is 8 episodes, before dropping. The start is slow if only because the world is truly unique and the cast is extra large. Takes time to set it all up but eps 8-26 are pure bliss then.
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inimApr 10, 2021 3:35 PM
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| Special essay edition, about the of art Satoshi Urushihara, God Emperor of naturally jiggling and wobbling anime tits and ass. I've recently discussed Lady Innocent which is all out hentai (Rx) and given the freedoms that brings is the pinnacle of Urushihara character designs. For those who need both types of plot, the R+ boobs prominently featured in Plastic Little come close, design and physics are identical. Another close contender is his character Emu Hino, a fantastic take on the Yamato Nadeshiko stereotype. It may not be for everybody, because she co-stars in notorious exploitation flick Crying Freeman which is violent and borderline porn. Early specimen of his work can be traced down to Legend of Lemnear: Kyokuguro no Tsubasa Valkisas, but the shoe string budget takes it's toll on animation quality and fluidity. The artwork is still quite amazing given this limitation. By co-art directing the visually stunning Five Star Stories Urushihara made clear he can do so much more than just anatomically correct females. There's more: His most famous work is Bubblegum Crisis which sets the gold standard for 80s "ass-kicking girls with powers" animation. Related reviews: https://myanimelist.net/forum/?topicid=101994&show=2200#msg62662987 (Another Lady Innocent) https://myanimelist.net/forum/?topicid=101994&show=1900#msg59854721 (Crying Freeman) https://myanimelist.net/forum/?topicid=101994&show=2150#msg61738860 (Bubblegum Crisis)
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inimApr 12, 2021 5:00 AM
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| @inim I also really enjoyed Simoun. I saw it as part of a Mid 2000's r/anime group watch, which introduced me to many shows I wouldn't have watched otherwise (Mai-Hime and Ergo Proxy were another couple). I still remember the music and beautiful still pics they would show during some episodes, lovely pastel water colours. The ending could have been better, but overall the atmosphere was superb. Gall Force looks interesting, I've added it to my ptw list so thanks. Will give it a shot someday. |
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| Agent AIKa (1997) - a 90's OVA set in a world where a catastrophe has caused most of the world to become submerged under the oceans. The story follows a band of scavengers who recover artefacts from the now sunken cities and places out of reach. The team is headed up by Aika Sumeragi who has an unusual capability to transform, that greatly increasing her fighting ability (the transformation also happens to remove all her clothes). Lots of action, plenty of fan service and almost constant views of panties, all action is followed from low camera angles to make the most of the nearly all female cast (especially the villains). The story was interesting, but i came to watch ecchi action and wasn't disappointed. Ecchi fun and action, a low 7/10. |
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23feanor said: That one is sitting on my PTW forever. Bennett the Sage, one of my favorite anitubers, put it this way: "Until you’ve seen Agent Aika, you don’t even know the meaning of the word “panty shot”." Priority for that OVA increased :DAgent AIKa (1997) - a 90's OVA [...] Lots of action, plenty of fan service and almost constant views of panties, all action is followed from low camera angles to make the most of the nearly all female cast (especially the villains). There are 83 of them in episode one, and 92 in episode two. Which means: about one panty shot every 20 seconds. World record, afaik. Two recommendations: Bennett's review video, starting at 7:30. He edited together all 175 panty shots of eps 1-2 in a 3 minute montage. Glorious, i was laughing tears. Second, there is a full TV series by the same creator, same style, same panty shot count. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6K_JHLdM4Mc https://myanimelist.net/anime/321/Najica_Dengeki_Sakusen |
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inim said: 23feanor said: That one is sitting on my PTW forever. Bennett the Sage, one of my favorite anitubers, put it this way: "Until you’ve seen Agent Aika, you don’t even know the meaning of the word “panty shot”." Priority for that OVA increased :DAgent AIKa (1997) - a 90's OVA [...] Lots of action, plenty of fan service and almost constant views of panties, all action is followed from low camera angles to make the most of the nearly all female cast (especially the villains). There are 83 of them in episode one, and 92 in episode two. Which means: about one panty shot every 20 seconds. World record, afaik. Two recommendations: Bennett's review video, starting at 7:30. He edited together all 175 panty shots of eps 1-2 in a 3 minute montage. Glorious, i was laughing tears. Second, there is a full TV series by the same creator, same style, same panty shot count. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6K_JHLdM4Mc https://myanimelist.net/anime/321/Najica_Dengeki_Sakusen Interesting video from Bennett the Sage, thanks. Not sure where i picked Agent Aika up from, maybe a youtube video that mentioned all the tits n ass probably. I just wanted some easy to watch ecchi action and it delivered. I really like the Aika type (Harumi from Irresponsible Captain Tylor is another great example), simple light brown hair, usually worn up, with blue & hints of brown eyes, i think she looks like a sexy milf, but without the mum part. A mature looking business woman type I suppose. Anyway that's part of what drew me to watching Aika. The story was better than I expected tbh. |
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| Chaika - The Coffin Princess (2014) - a fantasy adventure based around Princess Chaika, who is the assumed daughter of Emperor Gaz, the eminent sorcerer and ruler of the continent for 500 years, who was defeated 5 years ago by a cohort of Heroes. Now his daughter, Chaika has appeared and recruited Toaru and Akari to help her recover his remains. If the defeated Emperor was a mystery, his daughter Chaika is even more so with her missing memory and copies. This show had a surprisingly detailed and thrilling story, which gathered pace to an action packed final few episodes. This show is largely action and adventure oriented, but with moments of comedy. It has a romance tag, but I'm not sure why. There's some affection between Toaru and Chaika, but Akari has an equal claim on Toaru that she doesn't appear willing to give up and the show makes this a recurring gag, but I wouldn't go so far as to say there was an evidence of romance or romantic feelings. A decent, action filled fantasy adventure, a high 7/10. |
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| Horimiya Uncommon rom-com, not bad for the story that ends in episode 6. The second half practically is filler, mostly beta-coupling. But anyway 7/10 Uma Musume Pretty Derby S2 Somehow raised horse-women win their races. Now we know that will overcomes chronic trauma. The second season is even worse than the first. (5/10) Bokura_no Is it mecha? Not sure. If it lasted half it would be better. And the squad is too big. Two-thirds of episodes is an unrelated flashbacks of anonymous. Worth watching but too boring at the beginning (6/10) |
I've completed the Gall Force franchise, 5/9 entries in this posting are related. My overall recommendation would be to watch arcs 1+2 and the comedic special "Ten Little Gall Force" and then go home. The quality of arc 3 is far below the others, and arc 4 is basically a simplified remake of arc1 - which at that point you already know. It has it’s own charm, but is "fans only". I'd count myself in there, the difference is large enough to justify watching both versions.
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| I finally marathoned what probably is the most notorious anime franchise in existence: The Urotsukidoji pentalogy. Ironically while almost everybody has heard "things" about it and starts to whisper when the title is mentioned, only 1 of 174 friends (other than myself) actually completed it. It's definitely a tough watch even 34 years after release because there’s no denying it features depraved, highly sexualized violence galore. But also a genuinely original and good story. It aged damn well, I can only imagine what impact that must have had back then. The first OVA and the movie are up there with fellow body horror staple Akira and in both animation and writing quality. It goes downhill in the later seasons, though, to the point of the 5th season being never completed. I was very skeptical about Urotsukidouji first because of it's notoriety, but turned into a real fan of the early parts. It's the magnus opus of the ero-guro genre. Which isn't about snuff, gore and mutilation like many use the word. Wikipedia: Ero guro (エログロ) is an artistic genre that puts its focus on eroticism, sexual corruption, and decadence. As a term, it is used to denote something that is both erotic and grotesque. [...] In actuality the "grotesqueness" implied in the term refers to things that are malformed, unnatural, or horrific. Items that are pornographic and bloody are not necessarily ero guro, and vice versa. The term is often used incorrectly by audiences to mean "gore"—depictions of horror, blood, and guts. In the West, artists such as H. R. Giger (Aliens) and David Cronenberg (Naked Lunch, Videodrome, Scanners) are doing the same thing. Another aspect is the story and writing, which is in the cosmic horror genre - like Madoka Magica, Berserk, or Devilman Crybaby. The genre defining writer here is of course H.P. Lovecraft. But Urotsukidouji takes the setting and owns it in the Asian way. I won’t spoil the ending, but that is something which couldn't be written by a Westerner. It has themes of rebirth as in Buddhism and a cyclic world concept from Hinduism. That combined with a touch of Lovecraft's nihilism and you get a unique world.I kid you not: the movie cut of the first installment is a genuine masterpiece, which I lovingly call "Hieronymus Bosch - The Animation". It has 32 minutes of the most depraved sex and violence of the OVA version removed, giving it a R+ rating - no longer hentai. It can still see hentai's house from where it lives, though. I recommend to watch the movie cut to everybody interested in the history of anime, high quality hand drawn animation, and fans of body horror and occult plots. The first 30 minutes are boring, but oh boy the bombastic twist ending. Most of the franchise has been placed on various national black lists. In my native Germany it was on the federal movie index for the protection of youth for 25 years. Only in January 2020 the franchise was completely rehabilitated and can now be commercially distributed uncut without legal constraints (of course to adults only). I'm not sure about other countries.
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inimApr 19, 2021 12:11 AM
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| Wonder Egg Priority (2021) - a psychological drama trying to reveal the inner workings of teenage girls and the terrible impulse that leads them to commit suicide at such a young tender age. The main focus is on 4 girls who have all lost someone dear to them through suicide. They discover that they can go into a dream world and if they fight to protect vulnerable girls from their abusers, then there's a chance that they can get back their lost friends. They find each other and we learn more about these 4 girls and the pain they have gone through. There's some great surreal animation and world building in this series and the fights are dripping with gorgeous sakuga at every opportunity. Sadly the final episode has been delayed until June so there are a number of unanswered questions and plot points that need addressing. Despite that this was a powerful watch. The dark horse of the Winter season, a straight 8/10. |
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| Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu (2003) - a continuation from the first season but without the mecha element and solely focused on the school lives of the titular characters, Sergeant Sagura and Chinami, and his ongoing mission to protect her from all harm, perceived or real. The comedy is funny, mostly over the top slapstick taking advantage of Sagura's excessive use of military equipment and tactics for everyday problems, but I felt this season was missing something without an actual plot to follow. I won't be picking up any further series from this franchise. A high 6/10. Kiniro Mosiac: Kinmoza! (2013) - a SoL cgdct show where the MC, Shino, has a home stay in England and meets Alice, who then decides to move to Japan to be with her best friend. Lot's of broken english in this series and contrasting how the girls from different countries view similar experiences. Light and fluffy, but not especially memorable or funny (apart from episode 12 when we get a story come to life). A high 6/10. Slayers Great (1997) - the 3rd movie in the Slayers franchise and we continue following Lina Inverse and her rival Naga the Serpent on their journey. This film had the usual high production values and flashy animation along with the standard bumbling duo and chaotic storyline. Not quite as much energy and hilarity as usual, but still fun for an hour. A mid 7/10. Slow Start (2018) - a pure cgdct show with an all female cast where the MC, Hana, is forced to start high school a year late due to an illness. Hana is very nervous of the fact she's been held back a year and thinks it'll ruin her high school life if anyone finds out. Spoiler, it doesn't, and she meets some great friends and they have fun together. A lot of yuri-baiting in this series with one episode a real eye opener (one of the 4 MC's, Eiko, the most extrovert of the little group who openly dates girls at her school, sleeps over at her teachers house and wakes up having being been hand-cuffed by the teacher, there's a 'normal' explanation, really). Normally with most cgdct shows like Yuru Yuri, Hidamari Sketch and GochiUsa there's hints at yuri action with a subtle nod and a wink to the audience, but nothing is ever overtly mentioned or shown (excluding Chitose's fantasies in Yuru Yuri). In contrast rather than a subtle wink and nod, it felt like this show would suddenly pull up it's top and flash the audience, not bothering to be subtle at all (the end cards show scenes that would never have gotten into the anime and give an idea what the show directors would have loved to include). This seemed out of character with the rest of the show, especially the cute and innocent MC, Hana, who looked bewildered and horrified when some of these yuri moments happened in front of her. Pure cgdct fun with some indecent yuri bait thrown in, a high 6/10. Jubei-chan the Ninja Girl: Secret of the Lovely Eyepatch (1999) - a late 90's action series about a 300 year grudge between different sword styles that is passed down to modern day. Our reluctant protagonist, Jiyu Nanohana, transforms into the notorious Yagyu Jubei when she wears the Lovely Eyepatch. However this leads to her normal and boring life being turned upside down by crazy ninjas who want to take Yagyu Jubei's title of top swordsman. This series should have the parody tag, it's absurd comedy is very funny. The show uses repetition to build expectation then does a 180 down the road. The animators use lots of interesting techniques, such as drawing the side and supporting cast deliberately badly once they've played their part in a scene (like a play-school kid that can't draw and colour inside the lines bad), something the side cast comments on frequently and breaking the fourth wall. For a comedy there was a fair amount of drama and touching moments, especially concerning Jiyu's relationship with her single dad after the death of his wide and her mother. There was plenty of sword action and fight scenes in each episode so the show had a moderately fast pace. The supporting cast played a large part in making this show so much fun to watch, notably the trio of Bontaro and his goons, who are more like his care takers than the followers he thinks they are. The show does start a bit slow but it has a terrific ending that contained some unexpected twists on top of all the obvious ones. Started slowly but gradually built to a crescendo and exceeded my expectations, a very high 7/10. Slayers Gorgeous (1998) - the final Slayers movie featuring the adventures of Lina Inverse and Naga the Serpent together. The Lina and Naga collection of films follow a predictable pattern. Lina and Naga find themselves in the midst of a conflict, usually between noble family members. Naga and Lina then each take a side and are thus able to fight against each other as rivals with gusto. A larger enemy will appear and they will band together to fight them and win. This film was no exception to the Naga/Lina rule of films. Another glorious example of cell animation with high production quality. Being the final film depicting Naga as a main character, it looked like the animators took special attention in Naga's design and appearance, particularly her facial features in important scenes. I've loved every minute watching the Slayers films with Naga and Lina, they have been a riot to experience. Action packed fantasy comedy, a high 7/10. |
23feanorMay 1, 2021 9:22 AM
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inimMay 2, 2021 4:50 PM
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| Hyouka (2012) - a mystery SoL show following four students in the Classic Lit club as they pursue all manner of riddles large and small. There is no connecting story but we get to experience some degree of character development throughout the show, mainly our chief protagonist Houtarou Oreki, who at the beginning is on a drive to expend as little energy as possible, especially when it concerns other people and not himself. Eru Chitanda is the unique aspect of the show and the main antagonist. It is her curiosity that drives the other Classic Lit Club members, Oreki, Satoshi and Mayaka to uncover the mysteries they encounter, usually with twinkling eyes and her catchphrase "i must know". The show is slow paced and formed with small arcs taking us through the series. Stunning animation from KyoAni and some impressive, thought-provoking directing with the use of camera angles, music choice and shot composition. A must watch for any KyoAni fans. A mid 7/10. Nurse Witch Komugi + Special (2002) - a magical girl parody, this original OVA follows Komugi who is a cosplay idol by day (known as Mugi Mugi), but secretly transforms into a Nurse Witch to fight off viruses sent by the evil Ungrar, the King of Viruses, and his minions. If you've seen Yuru Yuri and remember the Mirakurun show that Kyoko loves, this was likely the inspiration for that show. It's daft and tries a bit too hard sometimes, but otherwise made me smile with it's self aware jokes about anime and its attempt to subvert the usual tropes (ie how main characters never die so Komugi thinks she's invincible in the early episodes). Komugi and her rivalry with Koyori, her classmate but also one of Ungrar's minions, is actually very funny to observe, mostly Koyori. A straight 6/10. Plastic Little: The Adventures of Captain Tita (1994) - an OVA that i decided to pick up after reading @inim's review having never seen any of Urushihara's work before. A short, fast paced sci-fi escapade where our MC, Titia meets a mysterious girl in trouble and helps her out, leading to her ship and crew being chased. The animation quality, especially character design was stunning, and not just the boobs, which were on par with the real thing, I've never seen such detail on animated boobs. The faces were detailed also, with full noses and distinct facial expressions. A feast for the eyes in all senses, a mid 7/10. Magic Knight Rayearth (1994) - a shoujo series about 3 girls who get whisked off to a save a magical land. Princess Emeraude calls Hikaru, Fuu and Yuumi to Cephiro to save their world which is falling apart. The girls go on a quest to become Magical Knights so they can fulfil Princess Emeraude's wish to save their world. The majority of the show is very simplistic and formulaic in nature, but the simple story of three girls forming a new friendship in adverse conditions was endearing to watch. There was a fun fantasy element of this show, all the parts you expect from a good adventure; a mage & magical creature to guide them, finding weapons, beating adversaries along the way and getting stronger. The world of Cephiro is guided by the principle that the power of the heart can guide people and believing strongly enough can lead to overcoming anything. The world is kept in balance by the prayers of Princess Emeraude, whose pure heart and prayers keep things peaceful. The OST for the show reminded me strongly of older games of Zelda, with that synth 90's vibe and simple beats, and didn't fit particularly well for the show. However, the music got dramatically better in the final arc over the last 4-5 episodes during the last battle. My initial impression of this show was that it could easily be for younger kids, but then there were moments where the girls were badly beaten and injured and the ending was not kid friendly at all. The twist at the end was not wholly unexpected, but was well thought out and executed, keeping the audience largely in the dark until the final reveal, with few actual clues. It hit home harder than i anticipated and raised my overall enjoyment of the show. I was going to score this show a mid 6, but the decent ending raised it to just a 7/10. I'll be watching S2 at some point. |
23feanorMay 8, 2021 8:47 AM
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| Blade Dance of the Elementalers (2014) - a supernatural type harem/ecchi show following the much used formula of a lone male placed into an all female environment due to their unique talent or skill. Our MC, Kamito has the power of an elementaler, which is normally something only women can wield. He's not too wimpy or too macho, or lecherous, or boring, Kamito is largely fixated on finding his spirit partner that he lost years ago after the last Blade Dance. Kamito is one of the reasons I quite liked this series, usually the male MC of harem/ecchi anime are so boring or copied that they instantly turn me off a show. Apart from the ecchi element, the story was fairly intriguing and the settings for the action kept me interested. Kamito has mysterious powers and needs to fight in the annual Blade Dance tournament. There he will come up against the kingdom's strongest fighters, all vying to have their own wish granted if they win. Clean cut animation with catchy OST, the ED in particular is an ode to girls thighs and highlights in great detail the legs and thighs of every female character. Fast paced supernatural action and self insert male fantasy, a very high 6/10. Demon Slayer Movie: Mugen Train (2020) - a continutation of the story from S1. Tanjiro & co help the Demon Slayer corp out by investigating disappearances on a train thought to be caused by a demon. They are joined by a high ranked Hashiro Demon Slayer called Rengoku, a flame wielder type. All the usual superb animation you'd expect from Demon Slayer and Ufotable, fast paced with a linear story. The first part of the story was pretty standard but the final battle was worth the wait and elevated this film from good to something entirely more engrossing. Powerful ending. Believe the hype, a solid 8/10. Horimiya (2021) - a wholesome romcom about the lives and loves of a group of high school students The show mainly focuses on the titular characters, Hori and Miyamura in the first part and their romance, the second half of the show follows the supporting cast and their respective love interests and friendships. Like Tonikawa this show portrayed romance and intimacy in a fairly realistic manner, or more realistic than most anime which show idealised or fantastical notions of romance, including what happens after the initial confession, just the lives of two people living as a couple. Hori and Miyamura's relationship and interaction is one of the best depictions of a couple I've seen in anime, especially for high school students. The art, colour palette and OST are particularly impressive, the OP especially. A weaker latter half took the score down to a high 7/10. Revolutionary Girl Utena (1997) - a masterful tale of adolescence with a touch of fantasy. Our protagonist and self proclaimed prince, Utena Tenjou joins Otori Academy where she meets a host of colourful characters and gets drawn into a strange world of duels for possession of the Rose Bride, Anthy Himemiya, who holds the keys to bring about the Revolution of the World. This show has many parts and is more complex than any other anime I've watched. The first part (up to ep 15) is much like most anime, with many comedic moments (a curry that swaps peoples bodies and a fashion ornament that transforms the person wearing it into a cow), but the later portion deals with the uncomfortable issues of abuse, predatory behaviour, premeditated manipulation of young vulnerable adolescents and betrayal. Every conceivable manner of adolescent relationship and coupling is examined throughout the series. I feel like now I've watched the show, i need to reflect and understand what I've seen, as there's so much rich symbolism and allegory in this show that i haven't even scratched the surface of all the hidden meanings. A satisfying but bittersweet ending brings the show to a wonderful, crashing crescendo in the final few episodes. I admit I found this show tough to complete and pushed myself to watch one episode per day for the majority of the show (eps 15 onwards), mainly due to the dark psychological aspects the show deals with (thanks to @inim for his encouragement and providing additional material on the show). This shouldn't put first timers off as this show has the best music and visuals I've ever seen. The strange OST and visual metaphors are used to magnificent effect, in a completely unique way. This show is a must see for any anime fan. I scored this show a high 9/10 and the only reason I'm not giving it a perfect score is due to the troubling nature of the show and the fact I struggled to get through it, but that's just my preference for light hearted shows. The Hidden Dungeon Only I Can Enter (2021) - a run of the mill harem/ecchi show set in a fantasy world. Our protagonist, Noir, gets an OP skill that allows him to enter a hidden dungeon and learn it's secrets and obtain it's treasure. He gets help in his journey from a gaggle of cute girls, who all help with his quest. Lots of fan service, no real plot, i could only watch this show weekly in small portions, a low to mid 6/10. Revolutionary Girl Utena: The Adolescence of Utena (1999) - a film covering the events from the show but in a much more compact form and with an edited version of the story. The setting and characters were mostly the same as the tv show, but with some subtle differences, mainly in Anthy Himemiya, who was both more girly and took a more prominent role, especially in the final action sequence, a car based escape from her imprisonment. The fantastical element of the show was also heightened in this film, making it seem like Ootori Academy was in a self contained fantasy world. This seemed like a directors version where the film wanted to include aspects that were left out of the tv version of the show, namely emphasising the attraction between Anthy and Utena, as well as exposing a sexualised side of the story. In essence showing the audience events that were too sexual to make it into a PG-13 tv show. Hence a much happier ending. A useful addition to the tv show, which due to rating constraints wasn't able to depict the full extent of non standard relationships. Well produced with beautiful animation and similar OST from the show. A high 7/10. |
23feanorMay 19, 2021 12:59 AM
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| Ookami to Koushinryou It was entertaining at the beginning. Kinda trade an financial detective in medieval era. An interesting and dynamic first season, the second season simply three times slower. What took two episodes in the first takes half a season in the second. [s1: 7, s2: 5] S1 is considered an anime classic. Glass no Kamen What a shame, absolutely the same story. Young girl is tutored according to the Stanislavsky system. More or less it looks real, I was really astonished. Gripping story with almost no slack. Only the last arc confused me: I can't believe they start a play without rehearsal. After this arc story turns to crap (or from theater to cinema). I dropped it when all the roles was taken from main heroine and given to her assistant. May be I'll give a chance to this story later (in a twice speed) only to be sure that the story leads to nowhere. Or may be not (6, first cour ~8) Disappointment as is. ps still watching. 28 episode is a climax of a special arc, I think it made for the sake of cleaning. 2ps anyway it leads nowhere. |
jdvzMay 24, 2021 11:36 AM
| High School Fleet (2016) - a maritime cgdct action show along the same lines as Azur Lane and Kancolle, however, the girls in this show live and work on board ships rather than being ships themselves. In a future where a large part of the earths land has been submerged leading to civilisation becoming more nautical, the navies of the world have grown and created an organisation known as the Blue Mermaids, who are a joint force of all female sailors patrolling the worlds water to keep them safe. We follow the adventures of the crew of the Harikaze during its turbulent maiden voyage with it's new student crew. Although there are some cgdct moments, this show had a good story with hints of mystery and lively action. The large cast, with a plethora of the usual character types, worked well together to recreate the sort of camaraderie associated with crews who work and live in close quarters. There's a lot of cgi for the ships and water battles, and it looked ok tbh, ships and military hardware is one area where cgi can work fairly well. There are plenty of cute character designs for all the women sailors, but they don't feel like waifu bait like the cast of Azur Lane or Kancolle. Decent action and a good story, a very high 6/10. |
23feanorMay 25, 2021 9:12 AM
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| Maid-Sama (2010) - a lighthearted shoujo rom-com centred around the relationship between our protagonist, a strong willed girl called Misaki (or Misa as her maid persona) who is the student council president at a school populated by mainly boys, and her admirer, our antagonist, Usui. Misa works in a maid cafe which gives the show plenty of chances to show the cast in maid outfits and gives a setting outside school. The romance is very poor, Usui declares his feelings for Misa very early on, but Misa doesn't believe him and is too busy with work and school to deal with romance. The taming of the shrew is an apt analogy for this show as it seems like the romantic plot of this show is following Usui is his quest to tame Misa and persuade her that his feelings are genuine and not 'perverted' as she always claims. The majority of the show is lighthearted anime comedy, with fun secondary characters and subplots (the Moron Trio being my favourites). Simple animation with good use of chiibi designs and water colour backgrounds. A fine, easy to watch comedy but lacking in the romance department, a mid 6/10. A Silent Voice (2016) - one of the most powerful anime films I've seen looking at the complex issues of bullying, atonement and coming to terms with yourself as you grow up. I'd been putting this film off as I'd heard how emotionally draining it was and it every bit as dramatic as I anticipated (not quite Anohana or Clannad levels of sad but close). This film deals with some dark and troubling issues and is not an easy watch, however, by the end I was left with a feeling of catharsis and joy. The writing , pacing, animation characters and character development were all top quality. The story follows Shouya as he grows up and his relationship with Shouko, a girl with hearing disability that he picked on when they were in elementary school and how this affected both their lives for many years to come. Given that Shouko can't speak, she is one of most expressive characters I've come across, KyoAni did an amazing job of conveying her thoughts and feelings through facial expression and body language, something that's not too easy with animation, but they executed it flawlessly. The secondary characters were all equally as strong as the main characters of Shouya and Shouko, the school friends, parents and family were all superbly rendered as rounded people, not just background set dressing. A theme of this film i got was life can be tough for everyone, so try and be kind to everyone you meet as we're all fighting our own battle (i know this is para-phrasing a quote from Plato but it seemed an apt description). A bitter sweet tale that takes you on an emotional rollercoaster, a high 9/10. I Became a Black Gal So I Fucked My Best Friend (2021) - this seasons R+ series (i saw the longer 6 mins uncensored version) about a couple of guys, Rui and Shion who enjoy going out together and picking up women. One of these women, upset at being replaced so quickly, gives Shion a drug that turns him into a women (he's a tanned guy so becomes a gal type, one of the cutest gals I've ever seen, her cute expressions melted my heart every time). This has unexpected consequences and starts something between Rui and Shion, both as a gal and later as a guy. The show was unusually palatable for a gender bending story and I didn't mind the guy on guy scenes, it didn't detract from a sweet story. A mid 6/10. Bubblegum Crisis (1987) - a sci-fi OVA series (40-50 min ep length) set in a futuristic Tokyo. We follow 4 women who come together to form the Knight Sabers, a vigilante group that fights to stop the spread of dangerous mecha tech being developed by mega corporations with no moral compass. The series was episodic in nature with each episode having a different director, so each had it's own theme and narrative structure. The main similarity was the trademark 80's music in every episode, mainly synth and pop rock, often used over a montage or action sequence. I will usually opt for an English dub if there is one available, but in this instance I watched the original version with subtitles due to it's clear advantage in quality, although the English songs in the dub were on par with the originals sung in Japanese imho. Being an OVA the animation is impressive with futuristic cityscapes and plenty of mech fighting action. A forerunner to films like Akira, this show has a gritty feel, but the lively nature of the characters alleviates the show from becoming too gloomy or dark. A worthwhile show for any anime fan looking for the origins of cgdct action or cyberpunk, a high 7/10. True Unrivalled Love Princess: Maiden's Rebellion (2010) - the 3rd and final season in the franchise based on an eroge game set in Ancient China and the warring kingdoms. The final season sees the stakes raised and all the characters we've met so far make an appearance in the epic final battle to stop an evil mage from using the terracotta army of a dead emperor to put himself in power. Before that our main cast, Rin-Rin, Aisha, Ryuubi & co must travel the country to find as cure for a poison that's turning a friend into a cat The story and action was surprisingly good, a fast paced adventure in the first part, and a decent build up to the final confrontation in the latter portion of the show. The well conceived plot used all the vast cast and allowed each to show off their strengths, whether strategy, stealth or fighting ability. Hardly any fan service in this season due to the serious nature of the finale, although there's always the odd panty shot and constant focus on the relative size of all the women's breast (not least by themselves as they all partake in sizing each other up to determine the informal pecking order for breast size). The colourful setting, fun characters and hints of yuri have made this a really enjoyable series and one I'm sad to finish, although I still have an OVA I've saved. One of the most entertaining all female, cgdct action shows I've seen, a solid 9/10. One Piece: Baron Omatsuri and the Secret Island (2005) - I wanted to try out a One Piece film and had heard this one was worth checking out as it was directed by Mamoru Hosada and had a unique look including character designs. I also wanted to watch some One Piece in sub as I always watch the series in dub and personally I much prefer the dub after contrasting the two, the English VA work better for their assigned character roles. We follow the Straw Hat crew to an island advertising it's special events, cooking, girls and a beauty spa, so everyone wants to check it out despite Usopp insisting it's a trap, and it is. I'm often surprised by how cruel and depraved some of the story lines in One Piece can be, this one touches on a bitter man ripping other pirate crews apart and killing them one by one just because he lost his crew years ago, but in a round about way and with animated affects so it doesn't seem as evil as it actually is. A fun, action filled film, not quite Slayers level of fun, but ok, a very high 6/10. Pretty Guardians Sailor Moon Eternal The Movie 1 (2021) - I've wanted to check out the Sailor Moon franchise but the original series is fairly long (also decided to try the anniversary show Sailor Moon Crystal from 2014 that is a prequel to this movie). I saw this movie on Netflix so thought I'd give it a go. I don't know any of the background, but it's easy to pick up while watching. The Sailor Guardians have to defeat an enemy, Queen of the Dead Moon seeking to take over the world through nightmares and their Moon Circus, which grants peoples' desires. Standard magical girls against evil villain trying to take over the world. Nice animation and an easy watch even for someone not familiar with Sailor Moon. A mid 6/10. Pretty Guardians Sailor Moon Eternal The Movie 2 (2021) - the final film in the Dream Arc. After building the story in the first film this film was fast paced with lots of action and ever changing locations. Lots of lore from the franchise (different realms and references to past events from the tv series), quite over whelming and confusing at times, but not so much that it wasn't enjoyable, even for someone new to the franchise. Some really beautiful animation, especially for the fights and character transformation sequences. Lovely character designs for all the Sailor Guardians. A vaguely interesting story, making use of all the usual magical girl troupes, with themes of friendship and following your dreams, the staple shoujo formula. I'm looking forward to checking out the prequel series from 2014 after watching these films. A fun introduction to the iconic Sailor Moon, a mid 7/10. |
23feanorJun 6, 2021 1:23 PM
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23feanor said: While she hasn't written the story (manga based), Naoko Yamada strikes again. High time for her "Liz & the Blue Bird", which is even better.A Silent Voice (2016) [...] The writing , pacing, animation characters and character development were all top quality. 23feanor said: That's interesting, just the other day I was choosing between S1 of this show and Oda Nobuna no Yabou with a similar setting (Chinese early history with cute girl cast in male roles). Beside ecchi-ness (R+ vs. PG-13) they seem to have a lot in common. In case you want to give Oda Nobuna a shot, I'd be very interested in the direct comparison.True Unrivalled Love Princess: Maiden's Rebellion (2010) One of the most entertaining all female, cgdct action shows I've seen, a solid 9/10. 23feanor said: Another question I researched myself recently, so this is valuable info. I've ended up with the decision to watch the original show, as critics say while it is not very true to the manga and the animation isn't really good, it has a unique charm in and by itself. I may use this excellent guide to get through the show a bit faster. In the end the really interesting seasons are 2 and 3 (R and S), in which Ikuhara basically tested out the limits of 90s PG-13 TV anime and got reprimanded by the studio repeatedly. He got angry, completed his contract with a half-assed 4th season (Super S), and moved on to ... Utena. Which in many ways is the real 4th season ;) I'm undecided if and to what degree I'll reduce fillers with the per-season guides, but what I hear they are excellent tools.Pretty Guardians Sailor Moon Eternal The Movie 1 (2021) - I've wanted to check out the Sailor Moon franchise but the original series is fairly long |
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| @inim wow a real treat for me to wake up to this morning thanks. The Ambition of Nobuna is something I haven't heard of before and looks very similar to Koihime Musou so thanks very much (there's also a dub which is great). Will let you know how they compare. Same with Magical Nyan Nyan Taruto, another show that looks interesting and has a dub. And finally I had no idea Scissor Seven S3 was out, although the dub isn't out yet, as it'll be done by Netflix. I really liked the dub so will wait for that to drop. |
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| Eden (2021) - a short ONA of 4 episodes about a world where humanity has died out and the earth is managed by robots. Into this world a human girl is found by the robots, released from suspended animation. The robots raise her as best they can in the circumstances, but she wants to know what happened to humanity and will they ever return? Cgi based animation isn't as smooth and seamless as most modern anime, but still an intriguing short series, mid 6/10. @filifjonkan Tokyo Ravens is on my ptw list, had heard it's a good magic fantasy show, disappointed to hear about the poor ending. Heaven Official's Blessing & Special (2021) - a Chinese anime about Heaven and it's inner workings and bureaucracy. We follow Xie Lang, a new god to Heaven as he is asked to follow up a few matters on behalf of Heaven in the earthly realm, such as looking into shady actions where ghosts or evil spirits have been corrupting, kidnapping or killing people. The character designs fall into a few categories, male gods, female gods, who look incredibly similar to young male gods and normal human people or peasants. It could sometimes be very hard to distinguish between all the myriad of gods and their assistants and this hampered the story at times. However, the final arc was a detailed story about a past grudge between two desert kingdoms and was a riveting conclusion to an intriguing setting with big secrets about possible corruption in Heaven being uncovered. Beautiful animation and superb atmospheric music. There is a slight BL edge to this series, but it's never overtly mentioned and doesn't detract from a great watch. A high 7/10. Aria The Natural (2006) - carrying on from the first season this magical SoL series follows Akari, Aika and Alice as they continue to train to become Prima Undine's in Neo Venezia. This season felt like a huge jump in the quality of the stories and at times had magical moments akin to a Ghibli film or Mushishi, where fantastical animation and touching music combine in true moments of splendour. The choice of Undine in training in a place like Neo Venezia was a genius choice, it allows almost limitless opportunities for mini adventures and stories with a host of potential characters that can be used as they visit or live and work in Neo Venezia. This season had a noticeable increase in the number of fantasy elements, in which Akari and President Aria always feature, often with the cats and their cat deity, Cat Sith. This mixes well with the sci-fi setting of Aqua, a terra-formed Mars, even though it shouldn't. The OST for the series was beautiful, everytime I heard that OP it felt like a soothing balm for the soul. The character development and interaction between the main characters was well crafted and you could feel like these people were growing, both physically and emotionally before your eyes. It is for experiences like this that i enjoy being an anime fan, the pure joy and calming effect this series had was unexpected. I tried to truly savour each and every episode, putting me in mind of savouring every bite of a delicious dessert. I remember enjoying the 1st season but this season was markedly improved and a pleasure to watch from beginning to end, I didn't want it to end. Of course if you don't like SoL or cgdct, (although i wouldn't class this as the typical cgdct show as it has a large mixed cast with hints of romance), then you may not like Aria. But for everyone else, this show is a gem. I've heard it said that Aria is a show for elitists, if so then those elitists sure have good taste. Imho Aria the Natural is a SoL masterpiece, a 10/10 (my first of this year). Hellsing Ultimate (2006) - an OVA with longer episodes (40-50 min) that follows the Hellsing organisation and it's task to fight against the undead and supernatural, with the help of Alucard, a vampire himself. Action packed and full of violence and gore, this show is thrilling from start to finish with all out fights and huge city scale battles. Lots of big personalties make all the confrontations a dramatic watch. Some nice animation and a fitting operatic OST, along with some great VA make this a memorable watch. Completely over the top, blood soaked action, a solid 7/10. |
23feanorJun 19, 2021 5:35 AM
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| Finished watching Vivy - Flourite Eye's Song today. This series was an interesting ride but not necessarily for good reasons. It started out okay but then things got difficult. The very beginning of the series started off well. Chaos and mayhem is occuring and someone hits a button and bang, the viewer is back in time. We meet the main character, an AI driven doll on a mission to sing to everyone and her time travelling persistent AI guide. From there on, stuff happens. From there on the viewer is dragged through two episode arcs with heavy handed plot twists and expositions. After a couple of arcs I started feeling that the writer was a sadist and the viewers had to be masochists. Near the end I could imagine the writer/writers screaming "ISN'T THIS GREAT! ISN'T THIS CLEVER! YOU AGREE, YES!" at their captive audience. Really. I believe there are a lot of people on MAL who watched this series who agreed it was all great and wonderful. I just got tired of being clubbed over the head with the constant out of left field plot reveals and twists. I found it ironic that a series that used songs and music as a central plot device suffered from lacklustre songs and music. I cetainly have no intention to give the songs from this series repeat listens. To me, they're bland and cliched. Ninety minutes after watching the final episode, I can't recall what the melody to the climatic song of the series is. All in all this series was one big trope played out with forced sentimentality, deus ex machina like plot elements, and possibly intriguing characters. Artwork, designs, and action scene direction are good but not enough to nudge my score for this series up. 5/10 |
deguyJun 20, 2021 1:19 AM
| @deguy Sorry to hear you didn't enjoy it that much. I haven't seen the last episode yet, but I've been captivated by Vivy from the beginning and really like the songs, have listened to them on a playlist. If the ending hits the mark this show could be a 10/10 for me, I'm still on the fence about the score but it's been that positive of an experience. We all have different tastes and I always like hearing other peoples' views. |
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deguy said: Finished watching Vivy - Flourite Eye's Song today. This series was an interesting ride but not necessarily for good reasons. It started out okay but then things got difficult. The very beginning of the series started off well. Chaos and mayhem is occuring and someone hits a button and bang, the viewer is back in time. We meet the main character, an AI driven doll on a mission to sing to everyone and her time travelling persistent AI guide. From there on, stuff happens. From there on the viewer is dragged through two episode arcs with heavy handed plot twists and expositions. After a couple of arcs I started feeling that the writer was a sadist and the viewers had to be masochists. Near the end I could imagine the writer/writers screaming "ISN'T THIS GREAT! ISN'T THIS CLEVER! YOU AGREE, YES!" at their captive audience. Really. I believe there are a lot of people on MAL who watched this series who agreed it was all great and wonderful. I just got tired of being clubbed over the head with the constant out of left field plot reveals and twists. I found it ironic that a series that used songs and music as a central plot device suffered from lacklustre songs and music. I cetainly have no intention to give the songs from this series repeat listens. To me, they're bland and cliched. Ninety minutes after watching the final episode, I can't recall what the melody to the climatic song of the series is. All in all this series was one big trope played out with forced sentimentality, deus ex machina like plot elements, and possibly intriguing characters. Artwork, designs, and action scene direction are good but not enough to nudge my score for this series up. 5/10 23feanor said: @deguy Sorry to hear you didn't enjoy it that much. I haven't seen the last episode yet, but I've been captivated by Vivy from the beginning and really like the songs, have listened to them on a playlist. If the ending hits the mark this show could be a 10/10 for me, I'm still on the fence about the score but it's been that positive of an experience. We all have different tastes and I always like hearing other peoples' views. Just finished the show this morning, so here's my €0.02, which is somewhere in the middle between @deguy and @23feanor's takes. I agree there is nothing new in the story for a veteran and fan of the cyberpunk genre. Vivy takes story and setting elements from genre classics such as Mardock Scramble, Planetarian, Saishuu Heiki Kanojo and most strikingly Key the Metal Idol. It puts them in a blender and skins the new result with high gloss recent production technologie and values. The bad news: a one cour show loses depth and nuance with that much story in so little time. The good news: The result is far better than Psycho Pass, the previous attempt to revive the cyberpunk genre for a young generation of viewers. Who won't necessarily know even "The Matrix", leave alone freak shows like Serial Experiment Lain. Overall, Vivy feels like the children's TV version of Westworld (2016) which is high praise. because that AI themed show is on my short list of best 2010s TV shows. Viviy is not as mature and deep, but it has to do it with a fraction of the run time and needs to sell merchandise (Vivy is moe AF for a reason ...). Under that constraint it does it's best and a bit more. In the era of smart phones and omnipresent AI apps running on them much of the old cyberpunk nobody over 20 will be impressed by or capable of understanding the scenarios of most 90s cyberpunk. The future of those shows is what current coders actively work on, or even already in the past. So picking the "hard core" issues of AI is the right thing to do. Emotions and the Technological Singularity. With my CS degree hat on, that's done fairly realistically (for a kids show). And there's hope that with new life in the genre the "really deep and mature" genre entries (Texhnolyze, Serial Experiments Lain, Ergo Proxy) and the trashier fun ones (Mardock Scramble, Key The Metal Idol, Planetarian) find a new audience and lead to more cyberpunk being produced again. On the formal side, here's my tag note review and a link to a recommendation I filed. https://myanimelist.net/recommendations/anime/1457-46095 Vivy: Fluorite Eye's Song (2021) - "Metal Idol" themed soft cyberpunk keeping a good balance between depth and complexity, crisp action animation and it's single cour runtime. The story follows events (as mini arcs) leading to the gain of full AI consciousness and co-existence with humans. (6/10) |
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| Record of Lodoss War (1990) - an OVA based on a Dungeon's and Dragons RPG (the old ones with real dice, not on a computer). This show is the classic version of swords and sorcery high fantasy with all cliched troupes included. A typical quest to save the world from the forces of dark (dragons, warlocks, goblins and creatures of dark etc) ensues with a party consisting of a mage, priest, elf, dwarf, rogue and our young aspiring hero Parn. The animation isn't consistent but has some decent fights and beautiful fantasy settings and backgrounds, reminding me a lot of Berserk 97 with it's colour palette. The music is fitting for the fantasy genre and adds to the feel of the show. Some problems with pacing and the story jumping to the noteworthy or action packed moments, (glossing over the mundane moments that often help to balance out an overly action dense show), detract from what was otherwise an enthralling watch. I'm a big fan of high fantasy, and this story reminds me heavily of writers like Terry Brook's Sword of Shannara or some of Anne McCaffery's Dragons of Pern books. A show worth investigating for lovers of fantasy, a mid 7/10. |
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| Dragon Goes House Hunting (2021) - a tale about a cowardly dragon that can't fly and is kicked out of his family lair so has to go on the hunt for a new home. He runs into a specialist realtor for monsters, none other than the Demon Lord himself. This show has a SoL feel (no SoL tag though) and started off quite slowly in the first few episodes, only focussing on the house hunting, but it picked up and began to expand into the lives and history of the people they meet and the places they go. The main fantasy troupes are turned on there head in this story, and told from the side of monsters, who come across as beleaguered creatures trying to get by and lead their quiet lives, and would do but for being constantly harried by wilful heroes always out to kill them and make money from their dead carcasses. Loose MMRPG themes used for world building. Neat well drawn character designs, rather than the simplified ones commonly used in anime, give the animation and show an authentic fantasy vibe. Catchy appropriate OST. A light hearted fantasy tale about a dragon, a high 6/10. Combatants Will Be Dispatched (2021) - a fantasy/sci-fi mixed story with a sarcastic tone and self deprecating humour from the writer of Konosuba. The story follows Agents Six and Alice, members of the evil Kisaragi Corporation who are in the business of world domination on every planet they can get their hands on. These two are sent to a new world where magic is prevalent along with ancient technology and are tasked with over throwing the current demon lord. They infiltrate a kingdom and join the army in the fight against the demon lord. The main bulk of the show sees Agent Six becoming the Commander of a bunch of misfits and the missions they go on as they slowly take over the world in the name of the Kisaragi Corporation. At times this was very funny, but it didn't quite fulfil it's potential and too often relied on crude humour that didn't always hit the mark. Agent Six and Alice are supposed to be evil, although they aren't very good at it and most of the humour derives from this fact and how they are perceived by others. The main cast of characters were all unique and combined well as group for comedic effect. Colourful and striking character designs as well as a mix of fantasy and sci-fi meant that the stories, places and world building were always fascinating. Smooth clean cut animation, a good show that could have been great, a mid to high 7/10. Seven Knights Revolution: Hero Successor (2021) - an anime based on a game in which the world is plagued by evil creatures known as Physis. To combat this and find salvation for humanity the Seven Heroes are formed, each takes on the heroic spirit and powers of a historic hero (just like the Fate franchise). Our MC, Nemo, has the powers of a Successor but it isn't one the seven known heroes, so who is his hero and where did the powers come from? I didn't expect much from this series and it was a pleasant surprise with some twists that i didn't suspect. The usual clean cut animation with the use of cgi for the monsters. Some really good character designs for the transformed heroes, especially Shirley with her military uniform and hat that reminded me of Altair from Re:Creators. Some good action and fight scenes from the start made this a past paced watch, although the middle of the series did slow down and covered the school life for the heroes, your typical prestigious anime academy. Surprisingly well directed seasonal game based show, a very high 6/10. Vivy: Fluorite Eye's Song (2021) - a sci-fi anime original and this seasons dark horse. The story follows Vivy on her 100 year quest to prevent humanities destruction by AI's in the future. The show was composed of mini arcs, each comprising an episode or two and were in a new time and involved new characters, apart from Vivy's AI companion from the future, Matsumoto. The story follows Vivy and her mission to "sing with all her heart" and delved into the subject of what made humans tick from the perspective of the many AI's we met. I found this fascinating as the human writers are attempting to codify the human condition from the point of view of an AI, or how an AI might come to such a conclusion about where the line between AI and sentience begins. This show reminded me of a tv series called Humans we have in the UK and the anime Plastic Memories, which both explore similar themes on how humans and AI co-exist. The songs in Vivy were sublime and i was captivated by the OST for this show. The flawless animation was outstanding and gave the show a polished feel. Plenty of action and grand, elaborate settings rounded off this masterful sci-fi anime. A brilliant final arc and finale capitalised on the early potential this exhibited in it's early stages. As close to a perfect show as is possible to get, without being a masterpiece, a very high 9/10. Show By Rock!! Mashumairesh!! (2020) - a music anime based on a mobile RPG game. Not sure why I picked this show up, just a whim based on the cute character design, animal girls (fox, cat, dog etc) that remind me of Nekopara. It's simple premise of a girl band being formed and the friendship that is born is nothing new. Everyone apart from our main and supporting cast are small chibi animals, and the world is juvenile with nothing untoward ever occurring. I picked this up for the cute girls, but the story also follows a male band, who were annoying at first but slowly grew on me and eventually won me over with their standoffish nature and grudging friendship. It's colourful and the music is catchy. A low to mid 6/10. Don't Toy with Me, Miss Nagatoro (2021) - a SoL series about a dysfunctional relationship between a shy senpai and his junior, Nagatoro, who is constantly teasing him. When i initially saw this show I thought it would be similar to Uzaki-Chan Wants to Hang Out, but this show was so much more, with the relationship between our shy Senpai, and Nagatoro, who comes across to her friends and others as brash and bold, is actually quite shy when it comes to romance and intimacy. I liked Uzaki-chan as it was set in college and work environments, and anticipated this show being inferior as it was set in school, mostly in the art club room, but that wasn't the case at all. We had a variety of settings, even some fantastical ones where the cast was imagined in a fantasy video game, and the obligatory beach trip. Nagatoro is in the same boat as her Senpai and hasn't had much, or any, romantic experience and deflects attention from this by teasing her Senpai about his lack of experience labelling him a "gross virgin" for all his perceived lewd thoughts. What i didn't expect was to see these two draw closer together in a sweet and wholesome manner, eventually leading to them developing a special rapport, albeit in a clumsy fashion. Senpai, who's name is Naoto, is a good artist so the story has lots of artistic influence and the animation has a unique style with the exaggerated facial expressions, clearly drawing on the author's history of drawing doujins with all the innuendo and ecchi aspects you would expect. The supporting cast is mainly used as the chief antagonists to push the story along. They are stupid, loud and hilarious, Maki and Yoshi with all their antics, aware of Nagatoro's feelings for Senpai and half teasing her, part jealous and part comedic relief. The first episode doesn't showcase the best of this show, and is when Nagatoro and Senpai are still strangers, so if you try this show, give it at least a few episodes. This was the first show I picked up every week after it aired and would love to see a 2nd season. An unexpectedly sweet rom-com, in the words of Gigguk (anituber) "I came for the smug, but stayed for the smiles", a solid 8/10. I've Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level (2021) - a cgdct fantasy isekai about an over worked lady who is taken pity upon by the gods and reincarnated as an immortal witch in a peaceful highland cottage to live out a long and happy life. After 300 years of killing slimes, our MC, Azusa, known as the Witch of the Highlands, has maxed out her power levels and become famed, despite her best efforts to remain unnoticed to preserve her peaceful existence. This leads to a number of people of all races; dragons, elves, slimes and demons, to seek her out for one reason or another as she is the Strongest Witch in the World. As a result her family of one becomes a family of many and continues to grow throughout the series. The stories, people, places they visited were all bewitching, funny and appealing. The interaction between the large family cast was never dull or forced. Sometimes you feel that shows include personalities to meet certain troupes (ie the genki girl, big breasted, tsundere, kuudere, cute loli etc), but that wasn't the case with this show, every member of the self-styled family all had their place and brought something to the group. The colour palette and world was exciting but never too much. There were some moments of drama and danger, but always tinged with humour. This was one of the most competently created and executed cgdct shows I've ever seen. A masterclass in making an engaging easy to watch, relaxing show. Tbh I'm not even sure why shows like this still use the isekai model and include the reincarnation part at the beginning. It would've worked just as well without knowing the MC was someone reincarnated from our world after being worked to death, literally (she died at her desk). A superb easy-to-watch cgdct fantasy type show, with top quality stories, places and characters, a low 9/10. |
23feanorJun 27, 2021 4:38 AM
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| Acchi Kocchi Unfunny comedy, characters were stolen from Lucky Star. Can't get this genre at all (4/10) Idolls Short story about 3d idols. Too many openings and endings for an eight-minute episodes. The story is unpredictably amusing, but only for the fan of the genre (6/10) Suzuka Decent sport anime turns into romance. Such a mess, they completely forgot about sport part in the second half. Anyway it has a good story and well-developed main characters, but background is absent. (6/10) Psycho-Pass Great cry and little wool. This is bad. For the first couple of promising episodes (6/10) Wonder Egg Priority Mahou shoujo mixed with Alice in Wonderland. I like it, but still waiting for the last episode to estimate (temporary score 6/10) Ijiranaide Nagatoro-san Funny. But empty. Only Nagatoro herself is worth watching. But really funny. (6/10) Zombieland Saga Revenge Very good sequel. I think it was impossible to continue the story from the original series, so they added a new challenge and build everything around it. Not as amazing as the first one, but good (7/10) Hige wo Soru Soshite Joshikousei wo Hirou Age gap romance. Sad and kind. Very sympathetic and developed characters. (7/10, but still thinking. They'd better improve flashback about bullying, it was too much plain) |
| The Seven Deadly Sins: Dragon's Judgement (2021) - the final season of the archetypical fantasy show. The previous season set up most of the story so this season started with furious action and didn't slow down until all the separate storylines were brought together and concluded. This season didn't suffer from the poor production issues like S3 that saw some terrible animation quality in a few scenes. A large majority of this season was taken up by large scale fights all according to the standard shounen escalation principles. Plenty of decent sakuga showcasing the epic power-ups and hidden powers that mark final seasons of a larger franchise. I thought the story was brilliant, at heart a touching romance of two lovers kept apart by the gods and their fight to free themselves from that curse, along with the help of their comrades, the Seven Deadly Sins. Gods, angels, demons, Camelot, Merlin and King Arthur, all set in medieval style Ye Olde England, all the things that come to mind when i think of a typical fantasy. This franchise has created a new chapter in that old tale, with it's own inventions, namely the namesake of the show and our heroes, The Seven Deadly Sins. There was a large focus on the team coming together and helping each other overcome a goal that individually would be beyond their reach. Everything was nicely wrapped up by the final episode and we got the usual happy ending. A satisfying end to an under appreciated medieval style fantasy franchise, a high 8/10. The Saint's Magic Power is Omnipotent (2021) - a fantasy romance with a heavy shoujo feel but no shoujo tag. Our MC is summoned to another world, however she is summoned alongside another younger, prettier girl who is assumed to be the Saint the country needs to beat back evil monsters that are plaguing the countryside. Our MC, Sei, is thus released and builds a comfortable life in this idyllic capital at a research institute for potions and herbs, where she happens to find herself surrounded by young handsome men. This show had a lovely SoL feel set in medieval or renaissance Italy era of small city kingdoms. Some beautiful settings and animation made this series a visual feast. Slow and soft OST with some ballads for the OP and ED topped off the dreamy atmosphere of the show. The story was a typical romance, a shy girl, unused to male attention is placed into an environment out of her comfort zone and you watch her bloom with confidence and find joys in life that she never knew before in our world. A large part of the show is Sei exploring the new world giving the audience a virtual tour of this enchanting fantasy setting. There's a nice mix of pacing including some action scenes where Sei joins an expedition to root out the evil miasma and monsters that are running free in the deep woods. A slow burning cinderella style romance, a very high 7/10. Wonder Egg Priority Special (2021) - the delayed final episode of the series, the first part of which was a recap of the events leading up to the present. The concluding part felt forced, confusing and didn't sum up the overall feeling of the show imho, although it wasn't quite as bad as it's very low score suggests (5.19 as of writing now). Each of our 4 MC had their stories finish and we saw their lives after their adventures together finished (Momoe was covered very little in this final episode compared to the others). A disappointing finish for a superb anime original with creative action packed stories, a mid 6/10 for the special. After Being Rejected, I Shaved. Then I Brought a High School Girl Home; Higehiro (2021) - a dramatic romance about a high school runaway, Sayo, that meets a kind stranger, Yoshida, who takes her in and the bond they form. This felt a bit like a soap opera rather than an anime, the quality of the writing and characters was some of the best I've seen when tackling a sensitive topic such as teenage runaways and how they can fall through the cracks of society and become vulnerable and abused. Our MC, Yoshida, was one of the most sensitive and level headed male leads I've come across, yet he wasn't dull and had a distinctive personality, not just a self-insert type of cliche MC we see so often in anime. Yoshida is very aware of Sayo's young age and the traumatic situation she's been placed in and his understanding mature approach was so tender to watch. These two both bolster each other and develop a companionship that was heart warming to observe. As the title implies, Yoshida had a crush on his boss, Gotou, and just prior to meeting Sayo on his way home, had confessed his feelings for Gotou whilst on a date. She rejected him. So the story starts when all the chips are already on the table, we know how Yoshida felt about Gotou, and we think we know how Gotou feels about him (she tells him she has a boyfriend). From this starting place the story gets tangled and interesting quickly. I honestly wasn't sure how it would end and who might end up with who, which again isn't usual for most anime where it's normally clear from the start who the main love interest is. An unexpectedly touching tale about companionship, love and the importance of family, a high 8/10. Osamake: Romcom Where The Childhood Friend Won't Lose (2021) - I usually try to avoid rom-coms in a school setting, but this one was very funny. Our MC, Haru, was a child actor and although he retired his past connections through the world of acting reappear during his high school life. Similar to Higehiro this season, this show gets some of the heavy impact moments (dramatic love confessions at a 'confession festival' at school, wow no pressure when confessing on stage in front of the whole school then) out of the way early on. By having the confessions laid out early, our MC Haru and the 3 love interests, Shiro, Kuro and Momo, know where each other stand romantically. This leaves the remainder of the series for each of them to try and out-do the others and catch Haru's attention. This may sound like any generic plot for a romcom but the VA for the series were outstanding. I recently learnt that the VA for the 4 MC's all know each other irl and are good friends, all being popular seiru, and it shows through their performances, they sound like they're having fun. There were a few serious and sobering moments in the series, but this was foremost a witty comedy, which added some of it's own takes and twists on a rom-com where multiple love interests all compete for one person. Having Haru be a former child actor (not very unique) and the use of youtube to stage his come-back (haven't seen before, so pretty unique) in the show gave the show an interesting twist/USP. Usual clean modern animation and catchy OST round off a witty and engaging rom-com, a high 7/10. Aria the OVA: Arietta (2007) - a stand alone episode about Akari and her fears for the future when she finally achieves her dream to become a Prima Undine. I thought I'd seen most of Neo Venezia, but it felt like the animators went over and above on the animation for this OVA, it looked stunning. The show culminated in Akari and Alicia climbing the Campanile tower to get an overview of the city at night, it was breath-taking, a heady emotional mix of animation and music that effortlessly strikes a cord with the heart. Continued high quality from this gem of a franchise, a solid 9/10. |
23feanorJul 4, 2021 5:51 AM
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| Isekai Cheat Magician Episode 13 - Special (2021) - this was a very mediocre isekai from Summer 2019 that I do remember, but only because it felt like one of the most forced cookie cutter isekai shows I've ever come across. Some of the story was ok (i rmember some fairly interesting geo politics and Kingdoms at war, some employing demons and monsters), but boring, flat characters (especially the MC, a dull Kirito copy) really let the show down. So to get another episode was surprising. It was nice to look at but the story was the usual local isekai version of the Obon/Halloween/Day of the Dead festival, where the dead are able to mingle with the living for a night. I rmember Granblue Fantasy Adventure did a much better version of this style special than this show. A very average 5/10, I'm just a sucker for a fantasy world. The Unknown Girlfriend, Kemeko DX (2008) - a wacky sci-fi romcom following our put upon MC, Sanpeita, whose life gets turned upside down when a futuristic robot called Kemeko (who happens to be piloted by the girl he fell in love with 10 years ago, MM) suddenly appears declaring that she's his bride and they will be living together. The story comprises the usual evil super organisation, Mishima Electronics, trying to take over the world, who need a nanoball that was hidden in Sanpeita (without his knowledge) by his first love 10 years ago. This show reminds me of Brighter Than the Dawning Blue with really wacky episodes, but following a master plot and a large dash of romance. There's lots of fanservice and plenty of girls vying for Sanpeita's attention, much to his chagrin as he has no clue what's going on and can't get any straight answers from MM about why he's being chased by Mishima. Some great supporting characters really make this show, including a hilarious mangaka mum and a sister who gets overly hyped by special occasions. Then the childhood friend and 2nd love interest, Izumi, who provides most of the fan service along with her best friend Haya who has a rather warped sense of humour. The ending felt like a set up for a 2nd season, which never happened, rather than a conclusion to the first, which was disappointing. A typical crazy mid 2000's sci-fi show with a good helping of ecchi, a low 7/10 Darker Than Black (2007) - a thrilling sci-fi/supernatural mystery show that is set in a world where an unexplained phenomena known as the Gates appeared on two locations on the Earth. This gave rise to people with supernatural powers known as contractors. As a result all the intelligence agencies and power brokers of the world were looking for a way to gather and weaponise these people with powers to then employ them to further their own interests. We enter the story 10 years after the appearance of the Gates, where these inter agency conflicts happen in secret, unknown to the public. The main cast, Hei, Yin, Mao and Huang work for a shadowy group known only as 'The Syndicate' and carry out any missions they are given without question, such is the power and reach of the Syndicate that immediate obedience is expected. The show is broken up into 10 mini arcs of two episodes each, with the stories varying from simple infiltration into the world of the yazuka, to stealing proprietary new tech from a scientific research centres working on Hells Gate. There's a great secondary cast made up of the Police Safety Division and their captain Kirihara, who often gets dragged into the conflicts between these organisation as it happens on their turf. There are also reoccurring characters from the MI6, a private detective and his assistant and members of other terrorist groups. This made the story very dynamic and it was never boring with the setting and characters always changing every 2 episodes. The world building was superb and the characters all well written. The OST was a perfect mix for this thrilling mystery series and really helped create the shows overall feel. A decent ending rounded off a very good mystery series, although there are a number of questions I still have, but will hopefully get more answers in the 2nd season. A very well crafted world and setting for a mystery thriller, a solid 8/10. |
23feanorJul 16, 2021 6:49 AM
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| Animegataris interesting comedy based on anime traditions and stereotypes. The first part is a genre-parody with a lot of references. The second one it mostly absurd comedy. I can say two part are too much different, but this is the only one disadvantage. (7/10) Akiba's Trip The Animation ordinary ecchi stuff. I fell for a joke in the name on the poster. But this joke is best part of it. I can say the worst protagonist is here, he is absolutely dumb, tell me any name and I give you a proof why this guy is worse. That's all I can remember about this story. (3/10) Noir Entertaining and at the same time insignificant action. You can start from any episode and it'll be fine. Despite this the main plot is kinda unnatural. The story where the bad guy is bad because he is bad. So it gives you a pleasure when watching, but it's better not to think about the story (6/10) Touhai Densetsu Akagi: Yami ni Maiorita Tensai Mahjong detective story. Absolutely amazing first half, boring and overextended the second one. Unlike Saki basic knowledge of the game is mandatory, because the story shows some tricks and cheats. The second half has the same features but devellloooop it toooooo sloooooooooooooooow. Two episodes for tile selection is too much. (5/10) Osamake Romcom. Good concept, enough to pass the three episode rule. And then stereotyped harem without any sense (even without the ending) Bullshit. Only because the idea was funny I've added a point (2/10) (and remove it later, just because) |
jdvzJul 21, 2021 4:51 AM
| Galaxy Express 999 (1979) - a space adventure that follows young Tetsuro on his quest for revenge against the mechanoid that killed his mother. He meets the mysterious beauty, Maetel who agrees to take him with her into space, on the famous Galaxy Express, on the condition that he travel with her as her companion. The story was linear in fashion taking us from one exotic space location to another, moderately fast paced and with bouts of action included. A large focus on meaning of humanity, and losing ones humanity (by becoming a humanoid mecha) in exchange for near external existence. The OST with it's choral angelic singing with backing orchestra made a greater impression that the standard cell animation. This was my first experience of the Captain Harlock franchise, I hadn't realised going into the film that it was set in the Harlock universe. Some nice character development for Tetsuro and Maetel as the story comes to it's conclusion, along with a satisfying ending with a few unexpected twists thrown in. Puts me in mind of a version of Huckleberry Finn and his adventure down the river, but set in space and with a beautiful woman as the main travelling companion. Splendid space adventure, a solid 7/10. Darker than Black Episode 26 (2008) a parody episode where a number of seemingly random events, involving fan-fiction and allergy medicine bring our Syndicate gang and the police safety division together during the cherry blossom season, with some unexpected consequences. A low to mid 7/10. Himouto! Umaru-chan OVA (2015) - an extra couple of episodes set over the summer vacation. More Umaru being cute and lazy with her cola and chips is always fun, a mid 6/10. R.O.D - Read or Die OVA (2001) - a 3 episode introduction to the Read or Die (ROD) franchise introducing our main heroine Yomiko Readman, an absent minded bookworm with the supernatural power to control and manipulate any form of paper, earning her the moniker 'The Paper' at the British Secret Agency (British Library Special Operations Division) for which she is the key agent. A detailed world setting, almost steam punk in some of the machinery and technology we encounter, with James Bond type villain seeking to take over the world. This OVA intro series was fast paced with plenty of action and entertaining contraptions. Surprisingly deep and well written given it's short run time. The secondary cast of partner agents and the hierarchy at British Library Special Operations Division were all adequate and gave Yomiko and her co-stars the limelight. Satisfactory animation and OST gave this show a sexy, mysterious feel. A solid 7/10, am looking forward to finding out more in the tv series. Re Cutie Honey (2004) - a 3 episode OVA of 45 mins each. A 'magical girl' type show about the exploits of Cutie Honey, a nano-machine android who can change into 7 different forms. Cutie Honey fights against the evil organisation known as Panther Claw (whose leader, Sister Jill, is also a nano-machine droid), who send similar nano-machine androids to fight her. Plenty of action and echhi make this show lively, with a linear plot making this feel more like an extended film than a series. The animation is stylised reminiscent of some episode of Panty & Stocking, with simple backgrounds, although there is plenty of pretty sakuga moments during the fight scenes. Our MC, Cutie is a genki girl, bubbling over with enthusiasm and the desire to experience life as a human. The other MC is the head of Police Safety, Na-chan, who is initially frustrated by Cutie's lack of common sense when involved in city wide brawls against the Panther Claw's henchman that leave wide spread destruction in their wake. However these two become friends and help support each other through the fight against Panther Claw as the stakes rise considerably in the final arc. A well rounded, action packed and lol absurd funny OVA, a mid to high 7/10. Darker than Black: Ryuusei no Gemini Specials (2010) - a 4 episode special taking place after the events at the end of S1 and setting up the story for the second and final season. This special had faster pacing, more action and a higher intensity than S1. A decent bridge between season, a mid 8/10. |
23feanorJul 21, 2021 8:44 AM
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I used to post every 7 completed anime, but due to life changes my anime time is more limited now. So I'll post after 2-3 weeks the latest now, regardless of completed count in that period.
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wow! |
| Chronicles of Everlasting Wind and Sword Rain (2020) - I'd never seen any of these short (5 min per ep) Chinese cgi anime so thought I'd give one a go that caught my eye. The cgi can be jarring sometimes, but on the whole they have some beautiful landscapes, especially depicting the mountainous regions of China and surround bamboo forests. The story follows the last monk in his particular Taoist school on a mountain filled with larger flourishing schools, just after his master was killed during a demon raid. Our MC, Brother Zhang comes across a beautiful woman in trouble, Bai Bin Lan, who it turns out is a Demon Princess (unbeknown to our brother monk) and he takes her on as his apprentice as a Sister of his Taoist school. Together they go on many adventures weeding out demons and helping people in trouble, or uncovering conspiracies at the central Temple on the mountain. The constantly weaving story kept this show interesting, a fun novelty but not something I'd watch again, a low to mid 6/10. |
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