| Kanojo to Kanojo no Neko This anime was on my PTW list for quite a long time. I decided to watch it thanks to WingKing's short anime spotlight. As for really short anime (only 5 minutes long) it's surprisingly good. Animation and art-style are really good (well, it's Makoto Shinkau work), the characters are really intriguing (the POV is a cat!) and the story is not bad either. Score: 7/10 Recommendation level: Worth the time to watch it. Bakemono no Ko Len is a half-orphan after sudden death of his mother. The whereabouts of his father are unknown, as his parents divorced when he was very little. He is about to be taken into custody by some relatives of his mother, but he dislikes the idea to the point he runs away from them. While trying to like on the streets he meets a monster (with bear face) that asks Len to follow him. At first he is reluctant, but when faced with the only other choice (taken back by the police to the relatives he doesn't know and do not like) he runs after the bear-monster. Soon he arrives in the monster realm, where he starts to be a disciple of Kumatetsu (the bear-monster) and is renamed by him as Kyuuta. It was really interesting and enjoyable movie to watch, but not without some flaws. But lets start with the good parts. The art-style might not be something special, but the animation is. It has one of the most impressive animation sequences I've seen in a long time (since Kara no Kyoukai, perhaps). Some of them looks like converted to animation from a live-action movie. The soundtrack might not be as great as the animation, but it's really good and does its job. The thing I liked the most in this anime where the characters. Kyuuta and Kumatetsu have a really unique and enjoyable to watch chemistry between them. Almost every aspect of their relationship (between master and disciple) is presented almost perfectly. Even the supportive cast is great, with Hyakushuubou and Jiroumaru shining the most. And finally the part I have mixed feelings about. The story consist of two parts. The first is introductory and world building, with great character development and enjoyable plot. The second is the expected drama, that felt a bit out of place due to lack of build up to it (in both the villain development and the romance progression). That said I still enjoyed it a lot. Score: 9/10 Recommendation level: Yes, but wait for a version with better subtitles. On-deck: Ginga Eiyuu Densetsu (progress 37/110). |
mozgowMar 29, 2016 10:11 AM
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| Key The Metal Idol One of the iconic OVAs of the 90s, KTMI is a rather odd mishmash of idol anime, light cyberpunk, and Pinocchio. Not exactly the typical setup for an anime, but it worked for the most part. With interesting characters, a great concept, some exceptional details of awesomeness, with robots plowing through everything in sight and a plot filled with intrigue, this was thirteen episodes of the best that the mid-90s had to offer. Unfortunately, it was a fifteen episode series. And those last two were doozies. Going from roughly TV-length to feature-film distance, Episode 14 was a muddled mess of straight infodumping that still managed not to explain some of the main points of the series. And the final episode continued the descent into nonsense, only to pick up right at the very last possible moment and end on a good note. I wouldn't say this was absolutely worth the effort, but it is an important part of anime history in its own right. Still, it managed to be more entertaining than not, so the final tally remains positive. Score: 7/10 Recommendation level: People going through and watching some classic anime. On-deck: Pretear |
on | Nerawareta Gakuen Before you start watching this, do not read synopsis on MAL. It contains way too many spoilers (it covers at least 2/3 of the movie). I watched it on a whim after seeing short gif in 'Help Identifying This Anime/Character' Thread. And I have mixed feelings after doing so. But lets start with the best parts. Animation and art-style are simply amazing. Vivid colours, gorgeous backgrounds and fluid animation sequences - everything looks amazing. But there's a fly in the ointment - some of the CGI does not looks as great as the rest of it. They are not bad, but noticeably weaker than the rest. Another great part of this anime is soundtrack and voice acting. The background music is used perfectly and seiyū had done exceptionally good job. Listening to the characters I could easily feel their emotions. Moving to the characters, most of them is good - not the best nor the worst I've seen - and did their job properly, so it was enjoyable to watch them. Two of the main characters, Natsuki and Harukawa, are the ones I would consider very good. I was easily convinced by their thoughts, feelings and personal drama. And finally the story. It consists of three parts. The first one is the introductory one, where we learn more about the characters, their feelings and dreams. This part was solid - nothing really great nor terribly bad. The second one is the explanatory one, where we learn the mystery behind the new transfer student. This was the weakest part - while I understand why and how things happened, it was explained too fast, with too many things happening in short time. The third and final part is the ending, where we can see a conclusion to the story. It was a very good ending. A little bitter-sweet but still satisfying. It could have even more impact if the second part was better. After all this words I have only one thing to add: It had potential to be truly great anime - great animation and soundtrack, intriguing start for the story and likeable characters - unfortunately it failed with the story... Score: 8/10 Recommendation level: Worth giving a try. On-deck: Ginga Eiyuu Densetsu (progress 56/110). |
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| Shin Shirayuki-hime Densetsu Prétear In a story as old as anime, a young girl learns to deal with her new step-family and accept her destiny as a magical protector of life itself. No. Really. That's the whole of the thing. Featuring one of the most obnoxiously energetic genki girls in the entire medium, Himeno serves as both a self-insert character for girls dealing with a difficult family life and a self-insert character for girls that just want to be someone special for once in their lives. The faux-reverse harem has two men with actual personalities, namely the tsundere Hayate and the conflicted Sasame, and is filled out by empty trope-carriers. The father and step-mother have one of the strangest relationship dynamics ever thought up by mortal humanity, trying to serve as both comic relief and a weird side-plot all their own. One step-sister is quiet and withdrawn, while the other can only be described as a stereotypical drill-haired ojou-sama. As for the plot... Honestly, it takes a bit to start rolling. The first seven or eight episodes are standard monster-of-the-week-style efforts where, in true JapanLOL fashion, Himeno transforms by literally taking one of the men inside of her and absorbing their power in order to win the day. The ball doesn't really start rolling until... Well, let's just say that a certain ex-girlfriend shows up to serve as the major fulcrum point of the plotline. The art and animation were good for 2001-era titles, but would seem as lacking by today's standards. The music was unremarkable and bland. And the voice work was pretty much average, with the sole exceptions of Takahiko Sakurai and Yui Horie being their usual excellent selves. But what astonished me the most is that it actually managed to entertain me in the end. The early episodes may have been a rather difficult slog, but they served well their purpose to properly introduce the character dynamics and motivations. That way, I was actually quite surprised that they went with that particular route once the plot twist finally got around to twisting. So while I could have used much less of the "you can't lose if you don't give up" theme, Pretear ended up being an actually decent watch. Rating: 7/10 Recommendation level: Tween-age girls and fans of the genre. For everyone else, Fushigi Yuugi is a much better option. On-deck: Wolf Children, The Case of Hana & Alice, and A-Channel. |
| Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete As I wrote in another thread, I watched it only because of other anime with Final Fantasy in the title :D The story of this anime is a continuation of the story from "Final Fantasy VII". At the end of the game our heroes defeated the evil guy and brought peace and balance back to the world. And they lived happily ever after... Well, that's what they thought would happen. But two years after the battle the world is still in bad shape. Everyday life is a continuous struggle for survival and some mysterious plague is spreading throughout the world. Our heroes, once united, now live separate lives. But another threat lurks in the shadows... As for the technical aspects, it's hard to say something bad. Animation, which is full CGI-based, is very good with quite a few really amazing parts. Soundtrack is made of the best parts of FF7 music and the voice acting is also really good. The story is not as great as in the game, but it's good enough for a feature film. The hardest to assess are the characters. If you watch this without playing the game first, you would not recognize the characters and their traits, nor would you know the meaning of some scenes. But if you played, and loved, the game, you would love the re-appearance of the characters. Their traits from the game are still there and there is some addition to Cloud and Aeris relationship (I know I should write it as Aerith, but for me she will always be Aeris). Score: 9/10 (includes +1 for heavy nostalgia feelings) Recommendation level: Only for game fans. Otherwise don't bother. Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo! (KonoSuba: God's Blessing on This Wonderful World!) The first anime from the Winter season that finished airing. Kazuma was a hikikomori that died performing the sole heroic act of his life. Or so he thought. When he died he didn't go to heaven but instead meet goddess Aqua, who mercilessly rid him of any illusions about his death. He was also given the chance to be reincarnated into RPG world with his memories intact and one thing of his dream (powerful weapon, amazing magic abilities or any other thing he could think of). As he wasn't able to choose one thing fast enough, Aqua started to mock him. Finally Kazuma was sick of her and, as a way to pay her back for the mockery, he choose her as the thing to bring with him to the new world. To his and Aqua astonishment the wish was granted. And so their adventure in the new world began... This anime was IMO comedy of the Winter season. The jokes were hilarious, as so were character traits and its use, and the interaction between main characters. One should not forget the self-awareness about RPG setting, references to other fantasy anime and the importance of high luck stat :-) I had really hard time deciding the final score for it. I had a really good dose of laugh while watching it, but the technical aspects of this anime are really average most of the time (with the exception of voice acting). Score: 7/10 Recommendation level: Very good comedy anime set in RPG world. On-deck: Ginga Eiyuu Densetsu (progress 62/110). |
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mozgow said: I had really hard time deciding the final score for it. I had a really good dose of laugh while watching it, but the technical aspects of this anime are really average most of the time (with the exception of voice acting). True, but in counterpoint to that.. 1. If I'm watching a comedy, I'm watching it for the comedy, not for "Unlimited Blade Works" quality visuals. As long as the animation isn't so bad that it's hurting the jokes (and it wasn't), I don't care as much about a few cut corners. 2. If you talk to the sakuga people who were following the tweets from the animation staff about this series (lucky them being able to read Japanese), it sounds like a lot of the looseness that people complained about was a deliberate style choice to fit the tone of the series. Episode 9 in particular, which seemed to be the biggest target of complaints, was primarily the work of Koichi Kikuta, who also happens to be the show's character designer AND chief animation director, and he's an animator who especially likes to work "loose" (he has a thing for big, floppy breasts too, which were also all over that episode). Here are a couple of other examples of his animation work, from Haikyuu and Princess Lover. |
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| I have no quibbles with your score at all. I've just seen a lot of misconceptions about the animation style of the series, with people thinking that it was rushed out the door or not completely checked over when that wasn't the case at all, so I thought it was worth pointing that out. My own assessment of the series is much the same as yours. The story was a lot of fun, and the jokes hit for me a lot more often than they missed. The cast of characters were probably my favorite thing about the show, especially Aqua and Megumin, and I liked the kooky chemistry they all had. The animation style is a bit of an acquired taste, though it does have some good visual gags here and here, and the soundtrack is entirely unremarkable. That all adds up to a 7/10 for me, and I'm definitely looking forward to season 2. |
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| Ookami Kodomo no Ame to Yuki Just another girl-meets-boy, girl-catches-boy movie out of Japan, Wolf Children struggled against its different setup and returned to a plain generic anime. And it's a shame, too. It started off so well, particularly in that they didn't just show the romance starting and leave it at that. The main problem with this is that the plot twists are incredibly predictable. Once all of the pieces are in place, the typical patterns just seem to naturally fall in line. When you see Yuki's character type, you know what's going to happen. When you see Ame's character type, you know what's going to happen. When you see the transfer student's character type, you know what's going to happen. It is pretty much a straight-line setup, and it's a bad thing whenever an anime gets this predictable. The only saving grace was that it was absolutely and stunningly beautiful. There was no holding back with the backgrounds and the setting, showing the beauty of rural Japan in all of its glory. Score: 7/10 Recommendation level: For fans of beautiful scenery. Hana to Alice: Satsujin Jiken Now this was a movie. It took the stereotypical New Transfer Student scenario and stood it on its head with amazing results. The characters felt like they were actual people rather than drawings on a screen, assisted greatly by a suite of voice actors that dared to sound like normal humans and not anime characters. The story was filled with little moments of "Well, THAT wasn't what I thought it would be" that kept me focused on what was going on. The stunningly beautiful backgrounds from the Polish-born Mateusz Urbanowitz made me think I was sitting here watching a Shinkai Makoto movie. And the resolution was just about perfect. The only thing that kept this from going higher was the character design. It was far too plain for the characters they were portraying, and frequently stood in shocking contrast to the backgrounds. If it wasn't for this mismatch, I could have had a new top-five favorite movie. Score: 8/10 Recommendation level: Absolutely. A-Channel There's only one word available to describe this: comfy. It's almost like Yuyushiki and Sketchbook had a baby. That's exactly how comfy this anime is. Everything about it enhanced the comfy nature of show. From the character's natures to the art work, from the background music to the settings, it all worked to secure the iyashikei feeling. No more and no less. Unfortunately, it hadn't quite matured enough. A-Channel started to collapse into mundane normalcy before the end, losing its magic and becoming just another plain SoL. Still, for people looking for a new healing anime to add to their chart, you could do worse. Score: 7/10 Recommendation level: A hot toddy and a fluffy robe. No Littering After watching all of this quality anime, I felt it was time to hit the other side of the spectrum. And nothing says "opposite of quality" more than this second effort from the maker of Shitcom. Yeah. You know where I'm going with this, don't you. While not as scatological as Shitcom, No Littering was still pretty damn bad. Unfortunately, with a running time of only one minute, it'd be more time-effective for folk to just watch it rather than read the paragraph. Score: 2/10 Recommendation level: Trash. Vampire Holmes A no-excuses-made advertisement for a mobile game, this is a simple Flash-animated short about a detective in London not named Sherlock Holmes. This is not for the casual viewer. Only those experienced in shitwatches should even consider attempting this insultingly bad anime. And even then, it is better to just avoid it altogether. Score: 2/10 Recommendation level: On-deck: Code Geass. Finally. |
| Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion Yes, one of the most popular anime in the Western world is finally up on my queue. And I have a split opinion on the first season. On the one hand, the worldbuilding is exactly what I look for in an anime with richly detailed societies and pleasant background information scattered throughout the show that actually feel slike it is set in a world rather than the usual the-world-ends-where-Japan-ends like is normal for series of this stripe. The art and animation were at least acceptable for the time, and were frequently exceptional. The background music was unobtrusive yet, because of that, no track in particular stood out. And the story was rather unwieldy but had enough oomph behind it to be able to at least carry the first half. Unfortunately, the characters were the massive failing. Every single one of them was one-dimensional. All of the significant actors had their own goals, and everything they did was to further those goals. And yes, that does include Lelouch himself, who was about as deep as a sidewalk puddle. Even in the midst of the pleasant side stories about goofing off at school, they never varied in their single-minded push towards the resolution. And the large cast continued to grow out of proportion to the story, leading me to a sense of what was still to come. Yet it didn't quite break down into becoming unenjoyable. Yet. Score: 6/10 Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2 Almost immediately after starting R2, I realized that my worst fears were about to come true. All of the problems that were starting to poke through about the story went straight to the maximum. As it went from muddled mess to incoherent plans and straight onward to plain old incomprehensible babble, the season as a whole dove straight into "This is boring me." territory. Not even the major mecha battles with dramatic fight choreography were able to keep my attention for long at least partly due to the massive amount of plot armor those pilots were fighting behind, and that's far from a good sign. Yet in a case like this, an anime can still be pulled out of its nosedive by a suite of strong characters. Too bad these weren't the characters to handle that task. What started off as one-dimensional characters quickly changed to being extremely inconsistent as they appeared to jostle for position within the plot. Normally, a series filled with backstabbing and turncoats would be right in the middle of my interest zone, but these characters were incapable of convincing me that they should be taken seriously. The only bright point came from the finale. While it was the usual grandiose plan that I've come to loathe over the 50-episode run, it was at least capable of dragging my full attention back to the task at hand. And even better, it definitely brought the series to an absolute full-stop in the only way that would actually work. Score: 5/10 Recommendation level: Anyone over the age of 30 should avoid this at all costs. Just about everyone under the age of 15 will find their new favorite anime. After getting burned on the popular anime, it was time to dip into something a lot more obscure. And when browsing the Space genre on MAL, I definitely found one that fit. Moonlight Mile After conquering the seven summits of the world with an ascent of Everest, a Japanese construction worker and a US Navy pilot find a new mountain to climb. So which one of them will get to the Moon first? While not great on the animation front, the art was at least passable just so long as they stayed off of the CGI. Whenever it went full CGI for an equipment scene or a long pan, it was to the point where I was reminded of the brutal hackjob performed on GITS 2.0 to justify a new theatrical release. The characters are at least normal... Well, some of them. Well, maybe as normal as astronauts can get. Though unlike most anime, this at least doesn't pretend that sex is a taboo akin to cannibalism. But what stood out for me was the story. Filled with little details that aren't normally in the press releases, this is a treat for anyone who has an obsession with space exploration and aerospace. From a certain airline that flies out of a single terminal in Las Vegas to the traditional salute to Yuri Gagarin before boarding a rocket in Baikonur, it is obvious that this was written by someone with a love for anyone crazy enough to strap themselves on top of a controlled explosion. Entertaining and occasionally thoughtful, Moonlight Mile is something that should be appreciated. Score: 7/10 Recommendation level: Yuri's Night celebrations and fans of Space Brothers. On-deck: Moonlight Mile 2nd Season and Crest of the Stars |
| A little bit late than usual, but here it is :-) A lot of seasonal anime finished airing last week, so this will be a long list (you have been warned). Ojisan to Marshmallow (Ojisan and Marshmallow) Hige Habahiro is a huge marshmallow fan. He would do almost anything for just few of them... This one was definitely short comedy of the winter 2016 season. The gags and jokes were hilarious, the two main characters (Hige and Wakabayashi) are easily likeable and really enjoyable to watch, and the animation is not bad either. It did its job as really short and funny series :-) Score: 7/10 Recommendation level: Not only for marshmallow fans :-) Boku dake ga Inai Machi (The Town Where Only I am Missing) Fujinuma Satoru has a strange power that allows him to repeat some events to prevent the bad outcome. One day, after returning from work, he found his mother, who was visiting him, dead in pool of blood. Before he could do anything police arrives and assumes that he is the culprit. He tries to escape only to fall from high place. When he comes to the senses he is back in 1988 as an elementary school student... I don't know if this was the AOTS, but it was the best one I watched. Animation and especially art-style are simply amazing (well, that's A-1 Pictures for you :-)). Vivid colours and detailed backgrounds are the best part of it. The soundtrack is not bad either and it's used as it should be used (to strengthen the feels of shown scenes) with opening and especially ending songs being very catchy. The characters, on the other hand, are only very good :-) The main character, the supportive cast and their interaction are really pleasant to watch. The weakest part is the story, as the "mysterious" killer is way too obvious right from the start. If it was a longer series it might be much better, but I would not complain about it, as it was still a good mystery story. Score: 9/10 (more like 8.8) Recommendation level: Definitely worth watching. HaruChika: Haruta to Chika wa Seishun Suru (Haruchika: Haruta & Chika) When it started I expected it to be about brass band club with some mysteries as addition (as the tags suggest). Unfortunately (for me) it was about mysteries with brass band as plot device connecting episodes. It was not bad, but I expected something else. As for the technical aspects, animation and art-style are very good, with quite a few really amazing parts. Soundtrack is also very good (well, there is some brass band in it after all) and so are characters. Too bad the story is episodic, with mystery of the week theme... Score: 7/10 Recommendation level: Only if you are looking for new mystery anime. Kanojo to Kanojo no Neko: Everything Flows (She and Her Cat: Everything Flows) This one was really short (4 episodes of 7 minutes each) but at the same time really touching. The main character and the one used as POV is a cat named Daru. The story is told from his perspective and we learn more about how cat sees his owner and the world. The animation is very good (Shinkai Makoto anyone? :-)), there is some soundtrack and the characters and story are really enjoyable. It could definitely be a longer series :-) Score: 8/10 Recommendation level: Yes. Gate: Jieitai Kanochi nite, Kaku Tatakaeri 2nd Season (Gate: Thus the JSDF Fought There! Fire Dragon Arc) The so called second season of GATE. The quality of the series is the same as in first season. Very good animation and soundtrack, some amazing characters and really good story. Add some epic fighting scenes and what would you need more? :-) Score: 8/10 Recommendation level: GATE :-) Shoujo-tachi wa Kouya wo Mezasu (Girls beyond the youth KOYA) Houjou Buntarou is invited for a "date" by Kuroda Sayuki. There, after long and entertaining day, she tells Buntarou that she has something important to say. He assumes she is going to confess, but instead she asks him if he could help her make a bishōjo game... The story, that starts with girl asking a boy to make a bishōjo game, could not be bad. And it fact it wasn't, moreover it was really interesting to see how the team would struggle to make the game. The characters and interaction between them were very good. Animation and soundtrack are not bad either. It had potential to be better if it was longer and characters had more screen time and development. Score: 7/10 Recommendation level: If you in a need for good comedy anime. Heavy Object The war as we know it changed drastically when one, small country developed new weapon - the object. It has enormous fire-power and amazing defensive capabilities - it is still operational even after nuclear blast. So the world has been divided a new and every power has at least few of these objects to fight other objects. But there is one guy, Qwenthur Barbotage, who dares to fight against objects with his bare hands... This one started airing back in fall season and was really interesting to watch. Animation is a mix of 2D and 3D CGI (a lot of CGI) that looks fairly good. Soundtrack, on the other hand, is the best part of this anime. Characters are overall good (the MC is IMO a bit too smart - there was only one case when I could catch up with him :-P). Score: 7/10 Recommendation level: Maybe, if you have nothing better to watch. On-deck: Ginga Eiyuu Densetsu (progress 73/110). |
mozgowMar 29, 2016 10:07 AM
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| And now for my own seasonal rundown, sorted into tier listings as usual... S-Tier * Akagami no Shirayuki-hime 2: Purely magical from start to finish, this is among the new standards for what I will look for in any given shoujo anime. Period. From the wonderfully written characters to the little details about the world, I'm firmly in love with this series, and will be among the first to say "SEASON 3 WHEN" at any given opportunity. * Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu: Also known by the easier-to-pronounce name of Anime Of The Season. Between the amazing characters and the incredible storytelling, it was hard not to put this at the head of the list. And when you take into account the excellent music and the spot-on characters, it's a wonder why it doesn't go even higher. Alas that a weaker final episode kept it out of consideration for the rare SS-Tier. A-Tier * Boku dake ga Inai Machi: It challenged for AOTS honors for most of the season, but two exceptionally weak episodes in a row killed off that aspiration. Still very much an anime worth watching. * DRRR!!x2 Ketsu: Just another day in old Ikebukuro, isn't it? Though the finale felt a bit weak to me, I still love the series. * Hai to Gensou no Grimgar: A much more comfortable fantasy-world anime, and the best so far to be released. At least, the best that I've watched. A pleasant experience to watch a bunch of non-OP characters that have to work to get stronger rather than simply burning through everything without breaking a sweat. * Kanojo to Kanojo no Neko - Everything Flows: Aptly named, as every tear flowed. A must for all cat servants. * Ojisan to Marshmallow: Face it. If it was just a bit longer, this would have been a contender for AOTS honors. A very comfy office romance from start to finish. * Utawarerumono: Itsuwari no Kamen: This is probably the weakest 8 I've given in quite some time. Between a mixed bag of characters and the awkward plot setups, it was easy to find faults in this one. Yet the intriguing world and entertaining writing kept me coming back for more. B-Tier * GATE 2: A fun little romp, though not quite as fun as the first season. Also suffered from a final episode that was weaker than the rest. * Mobile Suit Gundam - Iron-Blooded Orphans: Great action and a pretty damn good setting, but amazingly weak characters. If I had a dollar for every time someone said that they had to get stronger, I could buy my own Gundam Frame. And, worst of all, Mikazuki has less personality than Inaho. This rating might wind up being too generous, and is more than capable of being shoved down to the C-Tier. * Oshiete! Galko-chan: Another fun little romp, this one through the life of a well-endowed gyaru and her friends. What made this more special is that it didn't shy away from the messier parts of being female and wasn't afraid to go where few other anime have gone before. I was inclined to put it in the A-Tier, but the unexpected backstory in the final episode kind of wrecked that idea. C-Tier * Heavy Object: We had a decent buddy-cop story, but that's all the good I have to say about it. From the crappy writing to the unnecessary blatant fanservice shots, this took what could have been a great concept and dumped it into a dumpster fire out back. If it wasn't for the banter between Havia and Qwenthur, it would be completely unredeemable. * Musaigen no Phantom World: Joining Chuu2 as the worst KyoAni offering, this had absolutely nothing going for it other than Reina. (And no, I didn't misspell Mai there.) Weak characters are the Achilles heel of this one, and the monster-of-the-week format did not help matters at all. Still beautifully KyoAni, but barely pixel-deep in quality. * Ooyasan wa Shishunki!: Just a cute little SOL, its only problem was that there was nothing behind it. If they had only done more background for the adults in the show, I would have been more inclined to give it a higher rating. * Schwartesmarken: It tried to be a smart political thriller set in the midst of the Cold War, yet failed miserably on a number of levels. Definitely does not serve well as a gateway to the Muv-Luv universe, which is another problem I had with it. Add in a number of weak characters, and the result is that this one just got overrun by the BETA. D-Tier null F-Tier * Sushi Police: From the gods-awful CG to the even worse writing, I felt like this title needed a call to the Anime Police. I would rather eat week-old sushi than recommend anyone attempt this anime. Truly a miserable experience. On-deck for Spring 2016: * 12-sai.: Chicchana Mune no Tokimeki * Bakuon!! * Boku no Hero Academia * Bungou Stray Dogs * Flying Witch * Haifuri * Joker Game * Kuma Miko * Kuromukuro * Macross Delta * Pan de Peace! * Sailor Moon Crystal - Death Busters Arc * Sansha Senyou * Shounen Maid * Tanaka-kun wa Itsumo Kedaruge * Unhappy♪ |
| Moonlight Mile 2: Touch Down Continuing directly off the previous season, the adventures of Goro and Lostman keep going. Now set mostly in orbit, Moonlight Mile focuses more on Goro, seemingly the less interesting of the two, rather than the Space Force captain Lostman. But, as many a veteran out there will tell you, being in the military is mostly long periods of boredom followed by brief moments of excitement (and typically even longer periods of being dead), Lostman gets just enough screen time to let us see the interesting developments while also allowing us to skip the boredom parts. Meanwhile Goro keeps on chugging along with finishing preparations for the lunar mission, saving silly girls, and training in the most exotic locales that NASA can come up with (Which admittedly is a seafloor training facility. Because it's still NASA.), enduring a solar storm, and dealing with a crisis inadvertently triggered by Lostman. You know. Just another boring day in the life of an astronaut. Except, of course, for when it isn't. I think what impressed me most was the technological. With the exception of what Lostman uses, all of the technology is plausible on the near-future timeline. Any future lunar colonization project would look almost exactly like this, and much of it is actually similar to current research being performed. So if we ever finally get off this rock and start skipping out to the moon, this will either be quaint or prescient depending on the route we wind up taking. As for the more technical aspects, the second season continued everything from the first with no drop in quality. The character design is just as GAR, the vehicle design is just as blatantly CGI, the sound and voices remain the same, and the watchword seems to have been consistency all the way through.. All in all, the series did what it was supposed to: make me interested in the manga. Unfortunately, it is in hiatus right now and will remain so until the author is finished with a little project known as Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt. Score: 7/10 Recommendation level: GAR fans, Thunderbolt fans, and anyone interested in space. UFO Gakuen no Himitsu A group of high school students need to find a project topic. And just when they are about to give up hope, the perfect subject falls in their lap... after a close encounter of the third kind. This is not an anime to enjoy. This is an anime to run away from while screaming at the top of your lungs. The characters are about as detailed as a line drawing. The voice acting and music were more apt to grate on your ears. And worst of all, the plot was like someone took a crackpot religion and adapted their theology in an effort to teach everyone their glories. Which, come to think of it, is exactly what happened. This is the direct product of the Happy Science cult that rose in Japan in 1991. And all of its mainstream (to use the word so loosely as to remove all definition from the concept) theology can be found right here. So that alone should tell you something about this anime. Score: 2/10 Recommendation level: I wouldn't. Unless you're an anthropologist that studies obscure cults, there is no reason to watch this. Ever. Period. No. Gakusen Toshi Asterisk What with the recent flap about Digibro, I figured that it would be easier to just watch this one than sit through his 14-part series about why The Asterisk War sucks. Plus, if he turned out to be wrong on a dozen different levels like with Erased, I'd be set up for the second season. So it's a win-win if I'm right. I wish I had been right. From sloppy writing to bland characters to animation that is just flashy enough to hide most of its shortcomings, this anime was a mistake on so many different levels. The plot was obtuse, using reveals so awful that should have been done so much better. Every person that you see on the screen is little more than a naked trope-carrier, having almost as much depth as a rain puddle, to the point where referring to them as a person is an insult to personhood. Even the character design was overused and repetitious, with the lead female sharing the same face as Kirito's GGO design. And the saddest part? I actually wanted to go into this and enjoy things. I wasn't expecting a life-changing experience or anything. I just wanted a simple popcorn show to put up my feet and relax for a bit. Alas that this failed at even that simple a task. Score: 3/10 Recommendation level: Only if you don't know any better. On-deck: Crest of the Stars. |
| Long post ahead (you have been warned). Akagami no Shirayuki-hime 2nd Season This is as good as the first season (technically it's not, but MAL knows better :-)). Great art-style and fluid animation, very good soundtrack. Very good characters and really good story. I wouldn't really mind if there were another season of this :-) Score: 8/10 Recommendation level: One of the best Shoujo anime out there. Ao no Kanata no Four Rhythm This was the biggest disapointment of the last season. It had everything to be successful, but failed miserabely. The art-style in this one is very, very good. Animation is not bad either, with flying sequences being really amazing. The soundtrack is good, with some parts of it being noticeable better. And now the part where it failed the most - characters and story. Hinata Masaya is supposedly the main character but he has not that much screen time nor character development. What's worse, he is equally bad as a supportive cast. It seems like the creators of this show didn't knew what to do with him (and not only with him but with lots of other things too). The real protagonist of this series was Kurashina Asuka, as she had more screen time and a lot more development. It was really enjoyable to watch her as she progressed in the FC. Her, and other FC-club members, fights in FC were the the only enjoyable part of the story. Speaking of the story, it tried to do too many things at once, ending doing nothing properly. They tried to put some comedy, romance and drama into it, but none of this was even decently good. They should focus only on FC, as it was really good. If they really wanted to add something, they should choose only one from comedy, drama and romance, and do it properly. Score: 7/10 Recommendation level: If you are looking for something good-looking with some sports content. Dimension W This one was much better regarding characters and story than Aokana. The two main characters were really enjoyable to watch and their interactions looked realistic. The story was nothing really unique but it was properly, without too many noticeable flaws. The soundtrack on the other hand was really good. The thing I have the most mixed feeling is the CGI animation. There were some parts that looked really great (some of the fighting sequences) but there were also some really awkward (cars and some backgrounds). Score: 7/10 Recommendation level: Good and enjoyable action-packed anime. Hai to Gensou no Grimgar Now this was really something else. I started watching it as yet another "transfered to RPG world" anime. Oh boy, how wrong I was. At first it seems to be so: characters are moved to the RPG world without memory of their past lives and starts their adventure. Well, that what they might thought, but soon the world verified their expectations in a very negative way. Right from the start they are literally (and not only figuratively) fighting for survival. Earning enough money to have a decent food is a tedious task. And eventhough they protect the city by fighting against monsters, none seems to care if they live or die. But not only the story is very good, but so are characters. They do not have any amazing powers, nor the are perfect in any aspect. They have flaws as normal human beings. And finally something I enjoyed the most - art-style and soundtrack. This anime has one of the most amazing art-styles I've seen, ever. Those waterpaintings in style backgrounds are simply georgous. The soundtrack is also amazing, with perfect use of some inserts songs (there are quite many who say the insert songs ruined the mood of the series; I personally loved them (maybe becouse I love SoL anime?)). Score: 9/10 Recommendation level: The best anime set in RPG world. Ooyasan wa Shishunki! Another short comedy from last season, but much weaker than Ojisan to Marshmallow. It's basically about middle-schooler who is a landlord and the people who live in the house she owns. And there is cameo from Komori-san wa Kotowarenai!. Score: 6/10 Recommendation level: Maybe, if you do not have anything other to watch. Musaigen no Phantom World Oh man, this series had potential, as it was shown in the last two episodes. If it was the same for previous ten episodes, it could easily have a score of 8 or even 9. But for reasons unknown they wasted ten episodes for some random, unconnected stories. Animation and art-style are really good, as is the soundtrack. Characters are easily likeable and enjoyable to watch. But that non-existent story... Score: 7/10 Recommendation level: Only if you really want to see how wasted potential looks like. Bubuki Buranki Yet another full CGI anime, and fairly good too. It had really great start (with some studio Ghibli feels) but later switched to action-packed theme. It has the best opening song from the last season, IMO. Some of the characters are great, some are noticeable weaker, but overall are really good. The story also has some better and worse parts. Score: 7/10 Recommendation level: Another good and enjoyable action-packed anime. Glass no Hana to Kowasu Sekai This is what I call a movie. And I watched it only because it was available on Crunchyroll, LOL :D The story follows Dual and Dorothy, two anti-virus programs, as they help to preserve VR data of human world. One day they meet mysterious program (or virus) that introduces herself as Remo. Animation and art-style are really amazing in this one. There were quite a few scenes where my jaw literally opened in awe. Soundtrack, sound effect and voice acting are also top-notch. Characters are really enjoyable and the story is not bad either. Some say it might be too confusing for non-technical people (which might be true) but once you understand it, it's a really good story. I was really close to gave it a 9, but what it lacked IMO was the bonding between characters (there were some scenes focusing on it, but they were too short IMO). Score: 8/10 Recommendation level: Yes, it's only one hour long. Teizokurei Daydream This one was unexpectly good. The thing that surprised me the most was the animation quality. I have to admit I didn't expect it to be so good. The story is also quite unique (private agency solving cases that involve ghosts/spirits). I really wish there were more episode of this... Score: 7/10 Recommendation level: Some really good mix of Ecchi, Horror and Supernatural elements. Hai to Gensou no Grimgar Special Episode 2.5 of the main series. Well, what can I say. It was full fan-service episode. Nothing more, nothing less. Score: 7/10 Recommendation level: Only if you are in need of some great-looking fan-service episode. On-deck: Ginga Eiyuu Densetsu (progress: 85/110). |
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| Seikei no Monshou Frequently mentioned whenever the topic of space operas comes up, Crest of the Stars is one of those titles that are only occasionally watched. While I liked much of what I saw, I have to say that there were a few very apparent problems. The series is more of a prequel, a setup for the later 25-episode Banner of the Stars sequence, than it is an independent series. And as such, it does very poorly on one of the qualities I look for most: resolution. Much like Durarara's Shou and Ten seasons, Crest leaves many more open questions than it gives answers. The other major problem I have with this one was the portrayal of the conflict in extremely black-and-white terms. Everyone who was opposed to the main duo was either clearly evil or suddenly revealed it with a dramatic personality shift. Everyone who was allied to the main characters were presented as being good and wholesome, even if there was the occasionally misguided soul. The dichotomy felt almost Randian, and that's not exactly a positive comparison for me to make. Yet this is not to say that there was nothing positive about it. The banter between Lafiel and Jinto was fun to watch as they figured out how to work with each other. The action was decently presented. The art and animation are fairly standard for the late-90s, though not nearly as crisp as it could have been. And the worldbuilding felt like we just grazed the surface of what was available, even with the little monologues at the start of most episodes. And as a final positive, it at least introduces a hint of a grander theme regarding the nature of humanity. It may be in rather simplistic terms, but it is indeed there. And I'm actually encouraged to see what kind of conclusions they try to draw from it. Entertaining and enchanting, this is a pretty good mid-level space opera. With it being not as much of a shounen-in-a-space-opera-wrapper like Heroic Age, Crest of the Stars is for people who want a bit more meat to their series but don't want to dive all the way into something like Legend of the Galactic Heroes. Score: 7/10 Recommendation level: Fans of Terra e... On-deck: Kuuchuu Buranko |
| This time the list is really short :-) Strait Jacket I asked MAL users for recommendation for anime with both magic and technology. This was one of the recommendations. The story is set in world where magic is being developed and used as any other technology. But it can't be used freely - if someone tries to do so, he/she turns into monster (literally). To use magic a technology called "mold" has been developed. To deal with cases of abusive use of magic, when someone turns into monster, Magic Administration Bureau (MAB) has special force of "tactical sorcerers" - a people who can cast spells with the help of "mold". The start was nothing really special, but each subsequent episode was better, and when episode 3 ended I was disappointed that it was the end. The story might seem simple (and in fact is not really complex), but what I found really intriguing was the setting. A world where you can use magic (who wouldn't want to cast spells? :-)), but the cost is really frightening - you can literally turn into monster. The characters were really enjoyable to watch and their actions seem logical and expected. The other thing I was pleasantly surprised was animation quality. Most of the time it was only good, but there were few moments where I was really impressed. Soundtrack is also really good, with right tones playing in right moments. Too bad it's only 3 episodes long. Score: 8/10 Recommendation level: If you looking for unconventional use of magic. Ojisan to Marshmallow Special I was checking CR for the exact time when new episode of Re:Zero will stream, and I noticed that there is episode 13 for Ojisan to Marshmallow. I was wondering if this was start of new season, but it turned out it was just a special episode for the show. As for the episode it was quite good. I had good dose of laugh so it fulfilled its purpose :-) Score: 7/10 Recommendation level: Ojisan to Marshmallow, what else? On-deck: Ginga Eiyuu Densetsu (progress: 100/110) |
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| Kuuchuu Baranko One of the weirder anime out there, and not only because of its subject matter. Visually, this one was very... Well, I guess just leaving it at "very" is appropriate. From bright psychedelic colors and imagery to the somewhat off-putting character designs, this series was an art-school entry from start to finish. (Though I've got to say that Mayumi is officially Best Nurse. Seriously. Even rotoscoped, she was just what the doctor ordered.) And while the animation was clear and crisp, it seemed to take a back seat to the art director's obsessive need to include every visual trick in the book with six different character designs across only two characters. On the writing front, it was curious to see how well the handled the actual topic at hand. Taking place over the same week in late December, a wide variety of problems are introduced to the general public. On the minus side, they are all solved in the usual nonchalant fashion common to anime. On the plus side, they are mostly very common and normal scenarios that I could easily see happening. (Yes. I did say mostly.) And as an added bonus, you got to see how many of the patients in question interacted with each other without even noticing it, bringing home the oft-misunderstood point that even the seemingly normal people out there have the same types of problems. One of the severe negatives of the show, however, was the comedy. Always a hit-or-miss prospect even in the best of cases, Kuuchuu Buranko's humor fell flat the vast majority of the time. Registering barely a grunt from me at best, it's not exactly something I would consider for someone looking for an actually funny show. Score: 8/10 Recommendation level: Yes. Even if you don't laugh. Bubblegum Crisis Slowly making my way through the classic 80s OVAs, I felt it was time to get through another really iconic series of the era. It's difficult to talk about the specifics of the plot without dipping heavily into the spoilers category, but the general gist of things is relatively simple: a group of beautiful girls wearing power suits go up against combat robots in a futuristic vision of Tokyo. The stories themselves are actually pretty good, even by today's standards, and would be comfortably familiar to regular viewers of the medium. And all of the old cyberpunk themes are in clear evidence, from the dedicated amateurs showing up the professional police to the megacorporations that would do anything to turn a profit. Add in a bit of international intrigue, and you see a series that is good enough to stand the test of time. Unfortunately, that can't be said about the art and animation. Visually, this is pretty much normal for the era. From the typically disasteriffic fashion sense of the decade to the retro-futuristic cityscape, it may be visually distinctive but it isn't unique at all. And while there are times of merely wonderful and fluid animation, there are many more examples of awful framerates and out-of-order cels that make it jumpy and awkward to watch. Presentation-wise, however, was a real mixed bag. While the sub registered well with the purist mentality, it suffered from the run-on subtitles. One of the greatest innovations of the modern scene is the distinctive subtitle where you can easily determine what is being said and whom is saying it. Yet in the 80s they just threw it all on the screen as best as they could, and it is pure suffering to have to sit through all that again. On the other hand, the dub was... an 80s dub through and through. From lower-than-porn-tier acting to horrendous voice work, there were very few bright spots to cherish. One of those was the redubbing of absolutely all of the songs, from opening to ending to inserts, coming out on the plus side of the trend of surprisingly good dubbed music. Score: 7/10 Recommendation level: Anyone interested in the history of anime. For everyone else that just wants to watch an 80s OVA, go with Parasite Dolls instead. On deck: The World Is Still Beautiful |
| Did you also watched Bubblegum Crash? The original series left way too many unanswered questions and this was made to finish some of the plot lines. |
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| Not yet, moz. It'll be one of those things I'll get around to watching one of these days, just like Maria-sama ga Miteru 3rd Season or Eikoku Koi Monogatari Emma: Molders-hen or Nekomonogatari: Kuro or Little Busters Refrain or... Well, I've got a lot of those "one of these days" titles floating around. But in this instance, I think I'm a bit 80s'd out at the moment and need to spend a while watching more current titles before going back to high school revisiting that decade. |
| I know it all too well :-) When I joined MAL I had a little more than 100 completed (115 or so, I think) and less than 100 on PTW list. Now I have 350 completed and more than 600 on PTW :D And what's the worst, most of them are really good ones :-) And I still say to myself: "I will watch it, someday..." :-) |
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| Ginga Eiyuu Densetsu (Legend of the Galactic Heroes) Took me a bit longer than I expected, but it was worth every second :-) Epic is not good enough to describe how magnificent this series is. Right from the start it throws you into interstellar conflict between Galactic Empire and Free Planet Alliance. FPA is a republican democracy founded by refuges from the Empire some 400 years prior to the events of the anime. Empire is an absolute monarchy ruled by Goldenbaum dynasty that attacked the FPA as soon as contact has been established. So it might seem that FPA are the good guys and Empire are the bad ones. But the truth cannot be farthest from that. Both sides has own reasons to fight for victory in this never-ending war, and the series presents both, good and bad, sides of both forms of government along with great leaders on both sides. And it wouldn't be long before you will hope that those great leaders should meet and talk to each other, instead of trying to kill each other. But those great leaders or "legendary heroes" are not the only ones who are great. There are literally hundreds of supportive characters and almost every single one is unique and well portrayed. Without such characters (like Poplan, Attenborough, Merkatz, Mecklinger or Rubinsky) it wouldn't be so entertaining to watch. Those characters add life to the vastness of space and feel of realness to the world. You will be crushed or rejoiced when some characters die (and there is a lot of death in this series). Animation and art-style are overall very good, but be advised that it start really weak in this aspect (even for 80s era) but it improves a lot on the way, and in the final episodes it's the top quality of late 80s, early 90s era. Soundtrack is one of the best ones I've heard in anime so far. Opening and ending songs are just amazing (I didn't even dare to skip a single one :-P). Score: 10/10 Recommendation level: Absolutely, but beware of PADS. On-deck: Eroge! H mo Game mo Kaihatsu Zanmai. |
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| Soredemo Sekai wa Utsukushii At its heart, this is a fairly typical romance. The "girl meets boy; they fall in love" story is as old as time, and anyone who enjoys that kind of thing will be happy with The World Is Still Beautiful. From the strong female lead to a male lead that grows on you, the main couple is a joy to watch as they come together. And I really wish it had just stayed with that the entire time, as the side elements served as more of a distraction than it did as an enhancement. From the politics to the religious element to the family disputes, they kept on removing the attention from the growth of the relationship with senseless side problems that seemed more like they were thrown in randomly than as a coherent story line. Artistically, there was nothing really special here. Particularly for an anime that only came out two years ago, it looked more like a something that was drawn ten years ago. And the insert songs were simple, though very beautifully sung, and fit well with not only the scenes but also the themes. Score: 7/10, and almost an 8/10 Recommendation level: A slightly weaker version of Akagami no Shirayuki-hime. Little Busters: Refrain When I watched the first season a year ago, I found it remarkable that all of the side characters were unremarkable as a whole. With maybe one exception, they were simply there to give Riki something to do as he white-knighted his way through the school dorms. And with Refrain, it was obvious as to why when all but two disappeared except for the occasional cameo appearance. Even the main characters were still a mixed bag, with Masato and Rin still being one-note players and Kyousuke diving straight into intolerable territory before the end. The first arc with Kuruyaga was probably my favorite of the season, as it shows a lot of development not only for Riki as a main character but also for Yukio herself. Not only that, but it helped to set up the reveals later on in the show in a way that was both obvious as well as unintrusive. Alas that the middle of the series was a downward trend. The transfer arc was poor. The rebuilding arc was iffy as a whole. And while the final sequence of reveals about the secrets of that world was intriguing and even occasionally moving, it left far too many questions unanswered. And then came the final episode. Showing the culmination of Riki's character development, it was almost damn good... At least until the final scene, that is. Just as much of a mixed-bag as the first season, LB!:Refrain up-and-down all the way through. Score: 7/10 Recommendation level: Charlotte is more consistent. On-deck: Oniisama e... Geeeez, moz... Sure do know how to mix it up there! |
OffColfax said: Well, someone has to ;-)Geeeez, moz... Sure do know how to mix it up there! But seriously, I think it's good enough to have a short review of its own :-) |
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| A bit later than usual, but here I am :-P Eroge! H mo Game mo Kaihatsu Zanmai I have to admit I had a high expectations for this one. Hentai with a rating of 7.7? It must be really good. And in fact first two episodes were brilliant :-) Very high production values (even some normal anime could learn how to make animation and soundtrack), lots of great comedy moments and likeable characters. So what went wrong? Well, each episode after the second one was worse than the previous. At first it wasn't something bad (episode three was still solid good), but with each subsequent episode it was worse and worse. And it hit the bottom with episode five. The sixth one was better than fifth (well, it would be really hard to make something worse than that) but it did not save it from losing points on my rating scale. Score: 7/10 (only thanks to very high production values) Recommendation level: Mixed; first two episodes: yes, the rest not so much. Oneechan ga Kita Oneechan ga Kita Special Found this one on Crunchyroll as recommendation for "Luluco". This short series made me burst out laughing quite a few times. There is no story so to tell, but characters are easily likeable. The only thing it lacked to get higher score from me, were higher production values. Score: 7/10 Recommendation level: Worth 52 minutes of your life. Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu This one was on my initial list for Winter 2016 season, but I didn't gave it a chance... and now I ashamed I did so :] This anime is simply amazing and I was really close to gave it perfect score of 10/10. But what it lacked was a bit better animation quality. But don't take me wrong, there is nothing wrong with the animation as it is. It fits this kind of story and I really can't complain about it. But for a higher score it needed to be a bit better. Everything else in this anime is amazing, truly magnificent and just unforgettable. Soundtrack is the best one in Winter 2016 season and one of the best I've heard, ever. Sound effect and voice acting is equally great with VA deserving an Oscar or some equivalent of it. Thanks to that characters really feel like real people and their performance at rakugo is amazing (I know, I overuse that word :-P). I didn't expect to laugh out loud while listening to rakugo (as there is not much to watch there), but I did so a lot (actually I lost count how many times :-P). If I knew some Japanese I would listen to real rakugo (as there are some available on youtube). Score: 9/10 Recommendation level: Absolutely. On-deck: Seirei no Moribito (I was going to watch Neon Genesis Evangelion, but once I saw I would have to wait six hours to get my hands on remastered version, I decided to watch something else first; but NGE is coming next :-)) |
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| Oniisama e... When thinking about this series, it is almost impossible to not draw a lot of connections with an anime that came out 13 years later: Maria-sama ga Mitteru. Exclusive private school? Check. Plain and normal protagonist? Check. Exclusive group inside the school? Check. Strong yuri overtones? Check. Interpersonal drama? Check. With these major connections in plain view, I expected that I would love Oniisama e... just as much as I did Maria-sama ga Mitteru. And yet... I didn't. The major problems stem from the actual execution. Shoujo romances are notorious for being slow, yet Oniisama e... is glacial even by that standard. It took a full 20 episodes before I was finally able to engage with the story. There was far too much emphasis on the Mean Girls trope suite for my taste, and the entire first half was steeped heavily in every single aspect of that. Backstabbing, jealously, petty cruelties, and all of the other aspects of typical teenage girl dramatics is in full effect. And just like high school itself, it feels inescapable to the point where it took me twice as long to watch the show as just about any other 39 episodes of anime I can think of. Yet once the worst of the high school girl drama is done, what we find is an intriguing and detailed story. As the characters reveal their motivations and histories, they slowly turn from being simple trope carriers and become a group of real characters that are much more than they seemed. They grow, they adapt, with love gained and love lost they change into well-rounded human beings. Or at least most of them did. You know... Just like high school. Another entry on the negative side of the tally board would be the visuals. Simply saying that it did not age well is an understatement. Between the ubiquitous stutter cuts to the dull washed-out colors, this is not something that is a treat for the eyes. Nor is it a treat for the ears, or at least not with the copy I laid hands on as it had some rather obvious deterioration of the sound. All in all, this is a title that gets much better from the start to the finish. And if you give it enough time, it will reward you. The trouble is whether or not you have the patience to deal with Score: 7/10 Recommendation level: Fans of mean girl shows. After all that heavy drama, I needed something a little lighter for a palate cleanser. You know. Just some sweet empty anime calories to help clear the mind. And I thought I had one in Dagashi Kashi In the middle of a remote village, there lies a legendary candy shop run. And one day, a visitor arrives... If I have a single thought about this one, it is simply "a swing and a miss". Everything about it would have been better if they had just connected the right way. The candy lore would have been more interesting if it had been presented differently. The characters would have been more interesting if they had been explored differently. The light romance would have been more interesting if it had been shown differently. All they way across the board, there would have been such wonderful changes if it had just been a little bit different. One of those changes would have to be in the basic demographic itself. If the show had been presented as a seinen slice of life, it could have been mentioned in the same breath as something like Barakamon. Yet its insistence on holding so many shounen comedy tropes as being central to its format made it fall flat on its face more often than not. On an as-is basis, what we have is a mildly entertaining series that simply did not live up to its ideas. Score: 6/10 Recommendation level: Not really, no. On-deck: Someday's Dreamers |
| Seirei no Moribito (Guardian of the Sacred Spirit) I had it on my PTW list for Anime Watching Challenge but was going to watch it some time later. Decided to watch it only because I had to wait for NGE re-mastered version :D And once again I watched a great anime due to some really weird reason :-P The art-style might be a bit odd, but the longer I watched, the less it mattered. Animation, on the other hand, is really amazing. I think the last time I watched anime with so much attention paid to little details was "Yuuki Yuuna wa Yusha de Aru". When was the last time you saw an anime where pupil changes size due to light or emotions? That was the most impressive thing in the animation but there are other almost equally great. If it wasn't enough, soundtrack is even better than animation. Background music is simply beautiful and so are OP and ED songs. Voice acting is also very good so you can easily feel emotions of the characters. Speaking of which, there are some really amazing characters in this anime. First, we have Balsa, a female bodyguard and spear-wilder, in a world dominated by men. She is strong, both physically and mentally, but didn't lose completely her feminine side. Secondly, we have Chagum, a second prince of the New Yogo Empire. At the beginning he behaves like a price, but surprisingly he's not annoying. Then we see him as he grows to became stronger (again, both physically and mentally). Thirdly, we have a bunch of supportive cast, which is not a "background" for the main cast. Each is unique and feels like a real person. And fourthly, the antagonists of the series are not evil. Everything they do, they do convinced that this is the right thing to do. The only thing it lacked a bit (and hence do not have a perfect score of 10) is the story. The first few episodes and last five or six are really great (and the last episode is just pure perfection). The middle part dragged a bit with more SoL type of story. It was not bad, but was noticeable weaker that the rest. Score: 9/10 Recommendation level: Watch now or just add to your PTW list. On-deck: Neon Genesis Evangelion |
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| Mahoutsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto A very different take on magical girls, Someday's Dreamers breaks most of the tropes and traditions you would think of when someone mentions the genre. It's not set in high school, there is no grand evil to fight, there isn't a large team of girls, and there aren't even any traditional transformation scenes. Instead of watching girls come into their powers, we follow a young mage that comes to the big city to complete her official training. (Similar in theme to the currently-airing Flying Witch.) Instead of watching girls struggle to understand the new world they have been thrust into, we see a young girl manage her way through the bureaucracy that always rises to issue rules and regulations. (Similar in theme to ABe's obscure NieA Under 7.) Instead of there being a grand crisis that needs to be fought through, we see a simple story showing someone's typical run of mistakes and successes found at the start of a professional career. (Similar in theme to Shirobako.) It is this different combinations of themes that makes Someday's Dreamers worth watching. As a change from the usual, it was highly effective. Add to that the simple background music and the gentle storytelling, and you have an anime that is a lot more than the sum of its parts. And that is a good thing, as some of those parts were fairly lacking. The stories themselves are rather simple and linear. The character development is far from satisfactory. The colors are faded and washed-out even for an early-00s title. And while it is funny enough when it chooses to be silly, it is much less effective when it tries to be dramatic. This is still a very welcome change from the usual anime. It's nothing earth-shaking or idea-shattering, but it is a title worthy of a watch. Score: 7/10 Recommendation level: A light relaxation anime. Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt This fucking anime, man. It's one of those things that is almost impossible to review without degenerating into repetitive cursing and fart jokes... if only partly because the two are frequently a part of the experience. It is stupid, inane, vulgar, and heavily Not Safe For Work for every single one of its thirteen episodes. Which, come to think of it, was the entire point. If I have to pick a single word to describe this, it would be "unconventional". (No. Not "fuck". Though that would be my second choice.) From the characters to the art style, from the story to the attitude, it was as if Gainax walked into the meeting room and said "Everything they expect us to do? Yeah, let's not do that." Most of the episodes worked well, but there were a number of them that were flat and awkward. Part of that came from them simply being so boring that not even a sign from God could save them, but another part came from the one major problem I have with the series, which is the two-mini-episode format. That rarely works for me, and I find it to be a massive disconnect whenever it happens. (coughNisekoi:cough) I always prefer these shows to either go all the way or change the entire format to a half-length title. And for a lesser anime, it would have been a fatal flaw in my book. But what saves it from that problem were the characters. Panty's sex drive. Stocking's sweet tooth. Garterbelt's... Ummm... Garterbelt. Brief's insertion of normality. And the mirror image of Scanty and Kneesock offered a wonderful comparison between the two major duos. For anyone that likes character-driven comedies, this is absolutely one that is a must-watch. And the dub? Black Lagoon level of awesomeness. For the sake of curiosity, I watched the first episode in the sub just to see what it was like. And the only way to describe the dub in comparison would be that these jokes go to eleven. The who's-who dub cast took what was already a damn funny anime and cranked it up another notch. Score: 7/10 Recommendation level: Stocking is Best Girl. Fite me. |
| I started to watch "Angel Heart" and even though many of the reviews state that you didn't need to view the "City Hunter" series to understand what was going on, I found out by the 3rd or 4th episode that I needed to re-view "City Hunter" in order to "get" what was going on. Been working my way through the assorted series, slowly but surely, to finger out the relationship between City Hunter and Angel Heart. While I have been enjoying the various antics of Ryu and Kaori and have finished the first series, one can only watch a few episodes of the "Mokkori Man(iac)s" antics before having to switch to something else. Anything else!! (episodes of Red Dwarf or MP's Flying Circus... Anything!) Been watching it streaming over at Animegg, which is why it's not on my list and may not get there unless I break down and d/l it later. If it was on my list, the first series would get a solid 7/10 (here and AniDB) and the second (so far) a 7 as well (7.5 AniDB score). The second series seem to be developing the various characters and the folks they interact with much more than the first series did. One of those old school animes that is not so much a "must watch" but certainly a highly recommended watch franchise. More on "Angel Heart" when I pick her back up again.☺ |
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| Forgot to post it last week (LOL), so this one will be a bit longer :-) Little Witch Academia: Mahoujikake no Parade This one was on my PTW list for a while. Decided to watch it after crossover in Luluco episode 8 :-P I could write it was done by studio Trigger, but it wouldn't show how good it was :-) Animation and art-style is typical for Trigger and fit this kind of show perfectly. Some parts of action sequences are simply amazing and you could only watch them with awe. Soundtrack is also really good. It's not the best soundtrack ever, obviously, but it's good enough and fits this anime. The best part of this anime, IMO, are the characters. Each feels unique and have some interesting quirks. So we have Akko - a girl that lacks some confidence in her magical abilities but is always cheerful and tries her best; Sucy - a bit grumpy and sarcastic girl that have some kind of fetish for (deadly) potions but really cares for her friends; Lotte - the "brain" of the main trio that tries to act rationally; and finally Diana - a hime-type character that thinks very highly of herself but when it is necessary she does not hesitate to help Akko. The weakest part is the story, that is predictable with only minor plot twists. But it doesn't mean it's a bad story. Well, the mix of characters and the story is the most enjoyable thing I've seen in a long time :-) Score: 9/10 (includes +1 for unmeasurable enjoyment) Recommendation level: Definitely worth giving a try. Harmony I don't remember when or why I added it to my PTW list, but as I was in a mood for a movie, this one was the first that looked interesting enough to give it a try. And I wasn't disappointed. The first thing that is noticeable right from the start is the use of 3D CGI animation. Which surprisingly doesn't look half bad. There are some parts that look bad, but most of the time it's really, really good. And it allowed the creators to use some interesting camera movements and angles. Soundtrack, on the other hand, is only good. I noticed it was there but nothing worth remembering. But the sound effects and voice acting is on completely different level. It's obvious that this is the part where the sound budget was spend. And finally the best part of this anime IMO - characters and story. While the characters are not the best one I've ever seen in anime, they are portrayed and feel as real people. It's really easy to feel for them and feel their emotions. Similarly the story, while not being the most unique one I've ever seen, it's done almost perfectly. The only (minor) complain I have is that some parts were rushed a bit, while other were dragged. Score: 9/10 Recommendation level: Yes, but probably not for everyone as the story might be a bit confusing. Neon Genesis Evangelion My mind is blown - this is the shortest summary I can give after watching it :-P But let's start from the beginning :-) Animation and art-style are amazing. Knowing that everything was hand-drawn is even more mindblowing. The same goes for the soundtrack, which is used brilliantly throughout the whole series. Characters are one of best, if not the best one, I've ever seen in anime. I thought the same for the story up to last two episodes. Then why I didn't gave it a perfect score of 10/10? Well, it's because of those last two episodes. This is probably the worst ending this anime could have. While it's not a bad ending per se, it's totally out of context and without proper build up. I knew about people complaining about the ending, but didn't expect it to be that bad. Score: 9/10 Recommendation level: Only if you are prepared for the worst ending ever. Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion This movie was created as the real ending to NGE. And it is a much better ending than the original one. Some things are still out of nowhere, some other are still confusing, but overall it would fit the original series more. If NGE had this kind of ending right from the start, I would gave it the perfect score of 10/10. Score: 8/10 Recommendation level: A must if you want to see a proper ending to NGE. On-deck: Itazura na Kiss (after NGE I need some comedy) |
mozgowMay 29, 2016 2:48 AM
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| Geneshaft In the far future, humanity tries to form a perfect society. Oops. This is a hodgepodge of concepts from start to finish, and few of them are properly explained. Genetic engineering, population control, gender control, ancient ruins, mysterious objects; and that's just the surface topics. If you're looking for exposition (and I was desperately looking for exposition) about most of these things, you won't find much aside from the initial scrolling text that outlines the society and the changes they made in the mid-21st century. For everything else, you have to play it by ear, and that's not at all easy. It was at least possible to read between the lines as to why the ships are crewed by teenagers. That was a refreshing change, albeit the only one. Visually, it wasn't anything special. While the character design was on the better side of okay, the vehicle design was anything but. And the mecha design was completely off the rails, making it look like a metal-cast Impressionist version of a Xenomorph rather than the more traditional mecha. (Plus the way the mecha was used was odd. With only one traditional-style mecha fight in the entire series, it was used as an overly-complicated gunboat for the majority of the time.) Overall, it felt like it was stumbling through the plot. It was far too complicated for its own good, and the need to squeeze everything down to just 13 episodes didn't help matters at all. It made for truncated conversations, simplistic debates, and more than one completely dropped plot point that was probably something important that we could have used to understand more of what was going on. On the other hand, they did not skimp on the character development. Except for the main, every major character changed from their initial position and grew as time went on. Hard edges softened, weak positions strengthened, and hazy details about their pasts became clearer. If they had paid as much attention to the plot as they did to character development, this could have been one of the all-time greats. Sadly, this will not be. While otherwise destined to be in the "meh" purgatory, it does have one saving grace: the soundtrack. Full of hard riffs and power chords, it was almost like they went out, grabbed a god of rock, handed him a guitar, and told him to just swing that axe like a damn madman. Which, come to think of it, is exactly what they did. Akira Takasaki has been the lead guitarist of the internationally-known metal band Loudness since 1980, and it shows. Score: 6/10 Recommendation level: Even with the music, it's still meh. On-deck: Choujikuu Kidan Southern Cross |
| Nihon Animator Mihonichi It's a series of short anime made for anime expo. This time something different, as this is not an ordinary series :-P My reaction and score after each episode. #01 - I want MOAR :D Anime series when? :-) 9/10 #02 - Interesting concept and I wouldn't mind to see a continuation; 8/10 #03 - Amazing (and at the same time a bit psychedelic) animation; 7/10 #04 - Wow! This was just PV for a full movie, right? 9/10 #05 - This was a strange one; 7/10 #06 - That was really good short story :-) 8/10 #07 - Some kind of aftermath to NGE? 7/10 #08 - Amazing music video; I would love to see the whole story :-) 8/10 #09 - Classical mecha with modern animation style :-) 7/10 #10 - Really interesting with FMA vibes; 8/10 #11 - I would love to see full story in this world; 8/10 #12 - Amazing 3D CGI version of NGE! 9/10 #13 - Hmm... intriguing... 7/10 #14 - Typical Trigger craziness :-P 7/10 #15 - Great comedy; wouldn't mind full series :-) 8/10 #16 - That was interesting; 7/10 #17 - Very good sci-fi short; 8/10 #18 - Stop motion animation :-) 7/10 #19 - I would totally watch full series :-) 8/10 #20 - Sequel (or part 2) for #03; 7/10 #21 - Full movie when? 9/10 #22 - This would also be a really good full movie; 8/10 #23 - That was really something else... 8/10 #24 - I want MOAR! NOW! :D 9/10 #25 - This could be Marvel superhero movie :-) 7/10 #26 - Love this comedy :-) 8/10 #27 - I didn't know that dance can be so captivating :-) 8/10 #28 - Wow, animated manga! 8/10 #29 - Interesting concept for post-apocalyptic world :-) 7/10 #30 - Retro-like anime with modern animation; 6/10 #31 - Really good 3D AMV with fan-service :-) 8/10 #32 - NGE world seen from different perspective; 9/10 #33 - Giant Robot Expo? 7/10 #34 - Robo bailar la bamba :D 9/10 #35 - Wouldn't mind to see full series (also VHS style :-P) 8/10 Score 7.8/10 Recommendation level: Yes, but be advised that not everything is equally good. On-deck: Itazura na Kiss |
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| Choujikuu Kidan Southern Cross On the planet of Gloire, a branch of the human civilization has taken root and flourished. Yet they weren't the first... The third and final installment of the Super Dimensional titles, Southern Cross is a series that is even more steeped in the 80s than the rest of its cohort. And unfortunately, it is also the weakest out of the set. While both Macross and Orguss were able to carry their vision of an advanced technology, Southern Cross still had people using Betamax and tape drives. If it hadn't clearly featured spaceships, it could have easily been set on then-present day Earth and nothing could have told you any different. The characters are fairly weak, and any aspect of character development has been lost on the vast majority of them. One had a past to get over, and one had to get stronger to impress a girl. That was all, and they weren't even the main. Jeanne never changed as a main character, maintaining her essential core throughout and never wavering from her impulsive nature. As for the storyline, it was really kind of weak all the way around. Though it isn't exactly expected to have a logical storyline all they way through for a show that features an Itano Circus (though just barely), it is really nice to see one pop and be a pleasant surprise. With Southern Cross, it is better to just not expect anything grand or even coherent. The themes of the series, however, are in clear evidence. Just as with the other Super Dimensional titles, it is very clear what kinds of points that are being driven home: that civilian leaders are incompetent and power-hungry, that love transcends borders, and that technology serves humanity rather than the other way around. Unfortunately, the themes carried the plot rather than the other way around. With art and animation that are just barely below par for the era and a musical score that repeated the same five background tracks over and over again, Southern Cross is the weakest out of the three. Macross delivered a full alpha-strike, Orguss used what was left in the magazine, and that left nothing for Southern Cross but to stand there and pretend like it was shooting something. Score: 5/10 Recommendation level: Go watch Robotech: The Masters instead. This is a series that deserved the Harmony Gold treatment more than anything else imaginable. On-deck: A light and fluffy week with Mangirl!, Komori-san wa Kotowarenai!, and Natsume's Book of Friends. |
| Grenadier: Hohoemi no Senshi (Grenadier: The Smiling Senshi) I watched this as part of Monthly Anime Feature June Edition: Grenadier: Hohoemi no Senshi for U.A.S. :-) The story follows Tendou Rushuna, a very highly skilled Senshi, as she travels around the world to spread the teachings of Tenshi. On her travels she meets Kojima Yajirou, a highly skilled swordsmen and mercenary, whose past is somehow dark and mysterious. Will Rushuna be able to change his mind and convert him to the teachings of Tenshi, or his past will get better of him? Watch and see it for yourself. This anime had potential to be really great, if it only was a longer series (24 instead of 12 episodes). It had almost everything a great series should have, but it was too short to fully explore it. The world is rich, with a lot of history where each character has some background that one would love to see more of, and the setting is really intriguing too (a mix of wild west and edo period - something I don't think I've seen before). While watching it I had a feeling that there's much more to this world than the anime is showing me. Too bad it didn't get explored further. Animation is not the best quality 2000s' could offer (we had Beck in that season or Hachimitsu to Clover half a year later), but it's not bad either. It has some really great moments, especially during the fight sequences, but most of the time it's only good. Soundtrack, on the other hand, is really strong and is probably the best part of this anime (OP and ED are really catchy). From the characters only the two main can be considered very good, as they got enough screen time for characterization and development. The supporting cast is not bad, but would be much better if they had more time to shine (I would love to see more of Kurenai Touka background story, or how Rushuna was trained). And finally the story, for which I have the most mixed feelings. It started a bit random, with no clear plot, but gradually got better and the last couple of episodes were really great. Unfortunately, the overall story can be considered only good. Score: 7/10 Recommendation level: Worth giving a try. Terra e... (Toward the Terra) It really has potential to be great, but it was plain obvious that two hour movie was too short to tell such complicated story. The art-style might be a bit peculiar for some, but the animation quality is really high. Soundtrack is good (nothing really outstanding, neither terribad), as so are characters and the story. From what I read, the TV version is much better. Score: 7/10 Recommendation level: Nice addition to the completed movie list. Mayoiga (The Lost Village) I have to admit, I had quite high expectations for this one. Mysterious village? Huge cast? R-rated? They would definitely kill some of the characters (or at least I thought they would). Unfortunately it never happened. Even if someone was presumed dead, he/she reemerged later, totally unharmed. That ruined the only good part of the story, as the rest was average at best. There were way to many characters to gave all of them any good characterization and/or development and so only two main characters had good characterization and some development. The only really good part of this anime are animation and art-style. But it's not enough to save this anime from low score. Score: 6/10 Recommendation level: Only if you desperately need some mystery anime. On-deck: Itazura na Kiss |
mozgowJun 19, 2016 10:02 AM
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mozgow said: Terra e... (Toward the Terra) It really has potential to be great, but it was plain obvious that two hour movie was too short to tell such complicated story. You might find that the television adaptation of Terra e... did a lot better job at telling the story than the movie. |
| Mangirl! A bunch of young professionals who have no idea what they are doing? What could possibly go wrong! A group of ladies working at a publishing company decide to make a new monthly manga magazine out of sheer foppery and whim. Only one had any experience in the field, so the show focuses on the quintet as they learn the ropes of this particular part of the business. From recruiting authors to dealing with their rather odd eccentricities and even odder requests to pounding through a proof at the printer, it is a pretty fair glance at the ins and outs of the industry. Yet it is only a glance. This is a topic that really deserved a full-length series rather than a 3-minute short. If we were given something that was similar to Shirobako, people would talk about this anime for ages to come. Unfortunately, the short running time led to a bunch of corners being cut and all of the jokes being smashed together into similar groups. Though I should point out that it is fairly rare to find an anime where the main characters are in their early-20s as opposed to the usual high school antics. For that, Mangirl! has a special place for me. While high school is nice and all, it is very pleasant to see someone a bit closer to my own age range. Score: 6/10 Recommendation level: Shirobako-lite Komori-san wa Kotowarenai! This is what happens with a manga author can't decline a request from the publishing house. What we have here is a show that falls under the weight of its own fanservice. Our lead character is exceptionally... well-developed for a junior-high student. Taller than the rest of the class, more mature than the rest of the class, and with larger... tracts of land than the rest of the class. The difference was so much that if they hadn't told you straight out that this was set in middle school, you could easily assume that this was in a primary school classroom somewhere and that Komori-san herself was just a volunteer that drops in to assist during her free period in high school. It is this clash of visual cues that makes this show rather difficult to get into. Yet the story itself is really cute and endearing, where the lead simply wants to be as useful to as many people as possible. Never turning down a request, she helps absolutely everyone who asks for a hand: carrying papers, helping the volleyball team, finding lost items, and everything else under the sun. In this area, this is a completely adorable anime. If only it hadn't had that character design issue... Score: 5/10 Recommendation level: For the express purpose of filling out the character connection with Ooyasan wa Shishunki!. Or for getting Chris Hanson to visit. One of the two. Natsume Yuujinchou A supernatural slice-of-life that deserves its praise. A young man named Takashi Natsume has inherited a few things from his deceased grandmother: a few boxes of random items, and a list of names known as the Book of Friends where some of the owners of those names aren't too happy with being included. Oh, and the ability to see the Youkai that are complaining about being listed. So young Takashi has to deal with all of the supernatural problems all over again. This is a damn good series, yet it is impossible to talk about it without comparing it directly to Mushishi. Don't get me wrong. This is not a one-side-is-better argument, but instead more of a compare-and-contrast argument. Both anime deal with supernatural beings, the problems they create when dealing with the normal world, and the human beings around them. Both concentrate more on the random encounter scenario rather than the set-piece requests. Both have likable and personable main characters, wonderful musical scores, and plenty of pastoral imagery. And both have a fair balance between the more spooky side of things and the more peaceful side. Where they contrast is in the details. Mushishi is set in an undated past, whereas Natsume is set in the current era. Mushishi's Ginko is a wanderer roaming the countryside while Natsume's Takashi is centered in one general area. Mushishi has a more surrealistic art style for the mushi, while Natsume has a more comic art style for the Youkai. Mushishi has a supporting cast that is usually seen only once and, with very few exceptions, is never encountered again, while Natsume has most of its side characters making multiple appearances throughout the season. These are all differences of style, and not in substance. So if you love one of these series, you have very good odds of liking the other just as much. Score: 8/10 Recommendation level: An episode or two per day as a relaxation technique. On-deck: Cromartie High School |
OffColfax said: You might find that the television adaptation of Terra e... did a lot better job at telling the story than the movie. I know :-) It's already on my way too long PTW list :-P |
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| Cromartie High School All comedies live and die by the sword of subjectivity. It doesn't matter if you are watching Monty Python's Flying Circus or Charlie Bit My Finger, The Office or The 2016 Presidential Debate, the success of a comedy is entirely dependent on a factor they cannot control: the sense of humor of any given member of the audience. And whether or not that particular bar can be cleared depends entirely on how many different types of people can be made to laugh. Sadly, Cro-High didn't clear the bar with me. I could tell when it was trying to be funny, but the jokes simply got too stale. They had their bread-and-butter comedy routines that were intended to hold up the entire show and keep people laughing, yet mostly of the same theme. Whether it was Freddie simply standing there, Mechazawa having issues, Gorilla being a gorilla, or just flat-out misunderstandings, these jokes kept on coming. For someone that found them hilarious, it was probably the greatest thing since sliced toothpaste. For someone that didn't, it was a slog. When Cro-High did get funny was when they took their established routines and turned them sideways. Pootan especially wasn't funny, but his time with Freddie was at least capable of turning a chortle. Mechazawa's problems got boring fast, but they got a lot funnier during the mountain pass sketch. Gorilla had almost no impact for me, but the sushi bit had a decent laugh in it. And it goes on and on, where I found the established routines a lot less funny than when they actually got creative. Visually, this isn't anything special. While there are a lot of fairly creative sight gags, standard definition didn't really help in that department. And while distinctive enough, the character design was fairly flat. The OP and ED were almost standard for comedy shows, though catchy enough for their purpose. All in all, I find it to be a decent enough show. It's just not for me. Score: 6/10 Recommendation level: If anyone wants training before watching a Nabeshin, this is your task. On-deck: Gunsmith Cats. And, seeing as how I'll be at 799 after the current season is done, I will start my 800th completed anime this week... in Monster. |
OffColfax said: All comedies live and die by the sword of subjectivity. It doesn't matter if you are watching Monty Python's Flying Circus or Charlie Bit My Finger, The Office or The 2016 Presidential Debate, the success of a comedy is entirely dependent on a factor they cannot control: the sense of humor of any given member of the audience. And whether or not that particular bar can be cleared depends entirely on how many different types of people can be made to laugh. On-deck: Gunsmith Cats. And, seeing as how I'll be at 799 after the current season is done, I will start my 800th completed anime this week... in Monster. By the by, the debates are not comedy. They are a horror story that makes Fri 13, Elm St., and H-Ween look like something you would read to your 5 y/o for a bedtime story. Enjoy "Cats", I always do. One of the ones I always come back to for a good time. Even the dub is worth listening to. ☺ |
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| A bunch of seasonal anime finished airing, so this will be a really long list :-P Hundred The weakest one I watched this season. It started really bad, with episode three being the worst one (it could be used as example how bad a harem anime could be). Later it got better, with some really good part, but still had way too many the bad/cliché ones. Animation and art-style are overall good, with some, no always good 3D animation. Soundtrack is also quite good, with the OP being one of the better ones this season (it's a shame it was wasted on this show). The weakest part are characters and the story. MC is representative for the indecisive protag-kun of every harem anime out there. Score: 6/10 Recommendation level: Only if you really have nothing better to watch. Gakusen Toshi Asterisk 2nd Season Another representative of the battle harem anime. This one is a bit better than "Hundred". This is the continuation of the previous season (well, technically it's not, but MAL knows better). I didn't notice if they made exceptionally better (or worse) than in previous season. Fighting sequences are really pleasant to watch. Soundtrack is also quite good. Characters are still a bit generic, but also have some uniqueness. Story is not the best ever, neither it is bad. Score: 7/10 Recommendation level: Likely only for those who liked the previous season. Bungou Stray Dogs This one took my by surprise. I have to admit, I didn't expect it to be that good :-) First thing, that is really noticeable to this anime, is the animation and art-style. Most of the time it's only good, but there are times where it's simply amazing. Soundtrack is also really good, and both, OP and ED, are one of the best this season. What I really liked is this one, were the characters. Not the best one ever, nor the most unique, but presented in a great way. Their interactions (and comedic moments those interactions crated) were simply great. The story is the weakest part, but still IMO it's still solid good. There is one thing I don't know what to thing about (and because of it I had hard time to decide the final score) - the awkward mix of comedy and seriousness. There were moments when the mood changed from laid-back comedy to very serious in matter of seconds. It would not say it was bad, but for me it was really awkward. Score: 8/10 Recommendation level: Worth giving a try. Project A-Ko Watched this only because of out new club face :D I have to say I really, really liked this one. I didn't had high expectations, but it pleasantly surprised me. Firstly animation quality - it's not the best animation of the 80s', but it still pretty damn impressive. Even some more recent anime could learn how good animation looks like. Secondly characters - again not the best of the era, but very enjoyable, likeable and believable. And finally the soundtrack - one of the best in all anime from the 80s' I've seen, and one of the better ones in all the others I've heard in anime. The story is the weakest part of this, as it's a bit too random for my taste. Score: 8/10 Recommendation level: If you are in this club, you must watch it. Uchuu Patrol Luluco Typical Trigger craziness - that's the shortest summary I could give for this anime. There's nothing exceptionally great in it, but the overall mix is damn enjoyable :-) The anime created multi-verse for all other Trigger anime, with Luluco as their mascot (Trigger-chan). Score: 8/10 Recommendation level: Best watched if you've seen a lot of Trigger anime. Bakuon!! I started watching it with the wrong expectations, but learned what this show is (and what it is not), so I could enjoy it till the end. And this show is a really good comedy, that uses girls riding bikes as a setting (nothing more, nothing less). Animation and art-style are good. From the sound department only the OP song is really good. Soundtrack is almost non-existent (there is some but not that much) and the voice acting is only good. Characters are enjoyable and there is no story so to tell (if you do not count some running gags). Score: 7/10 Recommendation level: If you looking for some good comedy. Netoge no Yome wa Onnanoko ja Nai to Omotta? In one aspect this anime is very good and really unique (a mix of high school and MMO tropes). On the other it's still generic school/harem mix. There's nothing particular bad in it, but the unique and really good parts were not enough for me to give it a higher score. Maybe if there wasn't the generic school/harem mix (only romance and high school/MMO mix), it could give it a higher score. Score: 7/10 Recommendation level: Interesting mix of high school and MMO tropes. Kiznaiver I had high expectations for this one. And while I can't say I'm disappointed, it's obvious it had potential to be much better. Starting from the best parts: Animation and especially art-style are great. I think this would be what people in the future will refer to as "the art-style of the 2010s'". Soundtrack and the voice acting are very good, so you could feel the emotions the creators wanted to show. What this anime lacks is the bonding with the characters. The characters themselves are very good, but we, the viewers, had too little time to bond with them (and feel for them later in the story). The story might be perceived as the weakest one, but IMO it's still solid good. Score: 8/10 Recommendation level: Worth a try, even if only for the art-style. Flying Witch This is my second favourite anime of the season (Re:Zero is the first :-P). It was a great watch from start to finish. An iyashikei anime on part with "Tamayura". Animation and art-style are not the best one, but the backgrounds are, and are simply amazing (I just learned it's called "Scenery Porn" :-)). Soundtrack, just as the backgrounds, is amazing and the OP is the catchiest one this season. If it wasn't enough, characters are also great. And I don't mean only the main ones, I mean every single one, even the cats (or cat-looking witches familiars). There is no continuous story, just daily life in every episode (with a bit of magic). Score: 9/10 Recommendation level: Just watch and relax. Wagamama High Spec It started somehow good, with crazy random comedy (I liked that aspect of it), but lost it's charm along the way. If it was just crazy random comedy from start to finish, it cloud be something good. Score: 5/10 Recommendation level: Nope. Not worth the time. High School Fleet Cute girls doing not so cute things :-) It was a good watch. There was nothing really outstanding, neither really bad. The animation most of the time is good, with some CGI (last episode was the best one regarding animation quality). Soundtrack is also really nice. The weakest part are characters and the story. There are too many characters, and so they do not get enough screen time for development or back-story telling. And the story is only decent. It has some good parts (the mysterious virus) but also not so good one (military ship controlled by bunch of high school girls). Score: 6.5/10 Recommendation level: Maybe. If you want to see cute girls doing not so cute things. Koutetsujou no Kabaneri The most hyped anime of the season and not half-bad either. But it had potential to be even better. Animation and art style are amazing. Fighting sequences, characters details, some of the backgrounds - all this looks really amazing. Soundtrack is only a bit weaker than animation. Background music is really good, and OP & ED are one of the best this season (it's hard to decided between it and Re:Zero). Characters, on the other hand, are only good. It's noticeable that they are well thought, have some feel of uniqueness and are likeable (well, most of the time), but they could be even better if it was a longer series. The weakest part is unfortunately the story. It really had potential to be something great if only the creators had enough time to dwell more into the settings and backgrounds of the world. Score: 8/10 Recommendation level: Steam-punk with zombies. Onigiri This one was a really nice short series. If there is anything this anime excels, it is the SFX. It's noticeable they put a lot of effort into this. The rest is average at best, but I enjoyed it a lot, hence the final score. Score: 6/10 Recommendation level: Maybe. If you have 56 minutes of spare time. Sakamoto desu ga? This had a very good start but got weaker along the way (which was somehow predictable). Studio Deen is not known for the best animation quality, but they made a really good job in this one. Moreover, they made few really impressive scenes animation-wise. Soundtrack-wise is nothing really great, nor terribad; it's what you would expect from this kind of anime. The most unique part of it is the MC, who could find a way out from every situation (no matter how ridiculous or surprising). Most of the time it is the source of really funny moments, but there are few times where it is a bit too awkward, at least for me. Score: 7/10 Recommendation level: The coolest guy in high school anime. Itazura na Kiss Finally managed to finish it :-P It was a great RomCom from start to finish. It is probably the first anime I've seen where the relationship is shown for a very long period of time. From the very early state in high school, through some early marriage and its problems, to the birth of the first child and things that came after that. But it wouldn't be so enjoyable series if not for the great characters. Every single one is great and really feels like a real person. And seiyu did equally great job portraying them. The story might seems simple (progress of relationship over longer period of time) but it's damn enjoyable to watch. The only thing I have some complains are animation and soundtrack. Animation is not the best quality 2000s' could offer (we had "Clannad: After Story" half a year later), but neither is it bad. The soundtrack per se is really good, but it's not used as often as it could (or should) be used. If not for this two things, it would probably have a 9/10 on my rating scale. Score: 8/10 Recommendation level: Absolutely. On-deck: Project A-Ko 2: Daitokuji Zaibatsu no Inbou (and probably the rest from A-Ko franchise). |
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| Gunsmith Cats Bullets, bombs, and babes? There are few things better than that. And GSC provides them all the way through with plenty of action to satisfy even the most 'Murican of tastes. With art that is faithful to the actual guns, cars, and city, it's as close as you can get to hauling ass in a Mustang GT500 during a running gun battle through the streets of Chicago without multiple felony convictions and no way to watch anime in prison. And nobody wants to be without anime. The main characters are fairly well written. From the tough and competent Rally to the bratty yet still competent May, these girls aren't anything close to what you would see in modern titles. Bill is the perfect smarmy smart-ass to play opposite the two leads. While many people complain about the big bad evil guy, I found [NAME REDACTED] to be an excellent example of the corrupt asshole stereotype. And even a couple of the side characters were quite well-written, though the rest of them were just extras that are more readily forgotten. As for the plot... Honestly, it makes about as much sense as random buddy movies made here in the States. It is designed for the action, rather than being worthwhile on its own. It feels a bit random at times, but it has the same general attitude as a summer blockbuster. In that way, it feels pretty damn familiar: nothing special, but entertaining enough to keep you satisfied that you didn't waste your time. And on the bright side, you're not paying nine bucks for a small popcorn. There is one real reason to watch this: the details. The guns are faithfully drawn to the point where even someone who couldn't hit a target with a laser sight can identify the differences. The Shelby Mustang is a perfect choice to bring out the perfect note of Americana. And the Windy City is brought to life like it is a continuation of the Blues Brothers. Even the smaller details like the great big S welded onto the GUNSMITH CATS sign speak volumes about the setting and the characters. And as a final word... The dub. Watch the damn dub. Period. Score: 8/10 Recommendation level: 'MURICA FUCK YEAH! Monster Status: 32/74 I'll give my full thoughts on this after it is done. But it has been a hell of a ride so far. |
| As I too have basically finished all of the one-cour shows from the Spring that I plan to finish (save Kaitou Joker 3 - I still have two episodes of that one left), here are my thoughts. Flying Witch – The first series of 2016 that’s going to be a definite “buy” for me once the DVDs are out. Great characters, great atmosphere, a pitch-perfect sense of wonder and whimsy – this was just my kind of series all the way around. Chinatsu was probably my favorite character of the Spring, and it also had my favorite OP of the season. As soon as I heard it I thought, “That has to be the same group that did Silver Spoon’s OP,” and sure enough it is. 8/10 (keeping in mind that 8 is the highest score I will normally give a TV series the first time I watch it) Joker Game – I like historical fiction and I like spy stories, and I found Joker Game eminently satisfactory on both counts. I would've preferred if it had given us a more overarching story rather than staying resolutely episodic from beginning to end, but that's just a small quibble with an otherwise consistently entertaining series. 7/10 Bungo Stray Dogs – I warmed up to this one as the season went on and I got to know (and like) the characters, even the Port Mafia people. Kyouka ended up being my favorite character, and episode 8 which introduced her (as well as finally giving Atsushi something to do besides tagging along with the other detectives) was not coincidentally when the series really started to pick up for me. 6/10, and looking forward to season 2 Incidentally, for those who have watched Bungo or are interested, this is a really good article that explores the backgrounds of the real-life authors (Dazai, Atsushi, Kunikida, etc.) who inspired Bungo's main characters and their abilities. For anyone like me who knew almost nothing about these people when the show started, it's really helpful for understanding both their characterization and some of the show's running jokes about them. High School Fleet – All over the map. Sometimes it was really, really good, and other times it was downright wretched. Overall I enjoyed it much more often than not, though, even if it couldn't live up to the quality of its main inspiration, Girls und Panzer. But I did like it better than KanColle. 5/10 Bakuon!! – On the topic of shows that couldn't live up to their inspirations, this oversexed K-On knockoff managed to accomplish two things: it made me laugh every week, and it made me want to watch K-On again. Hey, that's two more accomplishments than some shows had. 5/10 Space Patrol Luluco - More of Trigger being Trigger. I liked the first half of the series better, though. When they started visiting all of those Trigger-themed planets and getting super self-referential, it started losing me. Still an enjoyable show overall, though, and hands-down my favorite ED of the season. 5/10 |
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| @OffColfax I've seen "Gunsmith Cats" three times already, I think. But always with original Japanese dub. Maybe it's time to watch it for the fourth time, but this time with English dub? :-) |
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OffColfax said: Gunsmith Cats Bullets, bombs, and babes? There are few things better than that. And GSC provides them all the way through with plenty of action to satisfy even the most 'Murican of tastes. With art that is faithful to the actual guns, cars, and city, it's as close as you can get to hauling ass in a Mustang GT500 during a running gun battle through the streets of Chicago without multiple felony convictions and no way to watch anime in prison. And nobody wants to be without anime. The main characters are fairly well written. From the tough and competent Rally to the bratty yet still competent May, these girls aren't anything close to what you would see in modern titles. Bill is the perfect smarmy smart-ass to play opposite the two leads. While many people complain about the big bad evil guy, I found [NAME REDACTED] to be an excellent example of the corrupt asshole stereotype. And even a couple of the side characters were quite well-written, though the rest of them were just extras that are more readily forgotten. As for the plot... Honestly, it makes about as much sense as random buddy movies made here in the States. It is designed for the action, rather than being worthwhile on its own. It feels a bit random at times, but it has the same general attitude as a summer blockbuster. In that way, it feels pretty damn familiar: nothing special, but entertaining enough to keep you satisfied that you didn't waste your time. And on the bright side, you're not paying nine bucks for a small popcorn. There is one real reason to watch this: the details. The guns are faithfully drawn to the point where even someone who couldn't hit a target with a laser sight can identify the differences. The Shelby Mustang is a perfect choice to bring out the perfect note of Americana. And the Windy City is brought to life like it is a continuation of the Blues Brothers. Even the smaller details like the great big S welded onto the GUNSMITH CATS sign speak volumes about the setting and the characters. And as a final word... The dub. Watch the damn dub. Period. Score: 8/10 Recommendation level: 'MURICA FUCK YEAH! I couldn't agree more. Gunsmith Cats is one of my favorite titles by Kenichi Sonoda & since you liked the OVA series, I think you might like the manga series as well (Gunsmith Cats & Gunsmith Cats Burst). The stories are very good & you'll get to know the characters a lot more as well. Highly recommended. And yes mozgow, give the English dub a try. You won't regret it. ;) |
| Tales of Zestiria the X: Saiyaku no Jidai A prequel (or episode 00) for the upcoming series. And it does its job. It was a very good episode that made me wonder how good the main series would be. Score: 8/10 Recommendation level: Yes, if you're going to watch the main series. Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Break Time A shorts (or specials) for "Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu". They adds some additional info, that did not make it to the main series (like day is divided into hours), or show some random funny scenes (as the main series is quite dark). Score: 7/10 Recommendation level: Only if you are watching Re:Zero. Project A-Ko 2: Daitokuji Zaibatsu no Inbou Project A-Ko 3: Cinderella Rhapsody Project A-Ko 4: Final So I was able to watch all the OVAs in the A-Ko series :-) If you're looking for anime with the most genres in it, those three OVAs could be the best pick. There is action, comedy, school, romance, harem, ecchi, slice of life, supernatural, mecha, space and martial-arts (I'm certain that I missed something). There are so many things mixed up, that it's hard to not find something one likes :-) Animation is really good with quite few amazing sequences (mostly durig action scenes), soundtrack is just great (one of the key features of the 80s' era), characters are even more likeable and story is random as ever :D The mix is so unusual that I had a lot of enjoyment while watching it :-) Score: 8/10 Recommendation level: A must if you liked the first movie. On-deck: Futari wa Precure |
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| Aria The Avvenire Those three new episodes of Aria where more than I could handle :-) That was everything I loved Aria for, with upgraded animation and backgrounds (if those in the original series where not great enough :-P). Score: 9/10 Recommendation level: Beware of PADS. Battle Athletess Daiundoukai I don't even remember how did I found this one. I know I found it after watching A-ko, but don't know how, as it's not related to A-ko in any way :-P While overall animation quality can be only considered good, there are quite few really great or even amazing animation sequences or scenes. During the sports events some really unique camera angles and camera movements are used. Soundtrack, as expected from the 90s' era, is really good and does its job properly. The story is not the most unique one but it's executed pretty well. And now the thing this anime shines the most: characters. While in one aspect the cast it's not the best ever seen in anime, in other it's shown with the feel of realness (as one would expect the characters with such traits to behave in given situations) and the interactions between them are really pleasant to watch. While it certainly is not the best anime ever, it deserves a chance to defend itself. Score: 8/10 Recommendation level: Sports in space. On-deck: Futari wa Precure |
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mozgow said: Battle Athletess Daiundoukai I don't even remember how did I found this one. I know I found it after watching A-ko, but don't know how, as it's not related to A-ko in any way :-P While overall animation quality can be only considered good, there are quite few really great or even amazing animation sequences or scenes. During the sports events some really unique camera angles and camera movements are used. Soundtrack, as expected from the 90s' era, is really good and does its job properly. The story is not the most unique one but it's executed pretty well. And now the thing this anime shines the most: characters. While in one aspect the cast it's not the best ever seen in anime, in other it's shown with the feel of realness (as one would expect the characters with such traits to behave in given situations) and the interactions between them are really pleasant to watch. While it certainly is not the best anime ever, it deserves a chance to defend itself. Score: 8/10 Recommendation level: Sports in space. On-deck: Futari wa Precure The OAV was good enough that I have the retail version of it (one of the first ones I bought, IIRC). As well as the TV series, which is also well done, but somewhat sillier. The TV series goes into a slightly different direction, but tends to fill out the main characters a touch more than the OAV, as well as adding a few that aren't in the OAV. Ending was fun while not entirely unexpected. If you liked the OAV, the TV series is also recommended. |
OrlahEhontasJul 17, 2016 3:33 PM
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| Honobono Log A simple short about a young couple in love, this is one of the more natural romance anime I've seen. The dialog is so incredibly normal that I wouldn't be at all surprised if it was taken from a hidden microphone. Plus the subtle character building lets their personalities and interactions come out without the need for grand crises or conflicts. The art, on the other hand, is simplistic. With no detailed backgrounds and a minimalist character design, there is nothing to take away from the dialog. Yet there is also very little there to enhance the experience, and that is one of the benefits of the medium. Score: 7/10 Recommendation level: A simple love story. Monster 800th Completed Entry A brilliant neurosurgeon in Düsseldorf has every conceivable measure of success: a promising career, a beautiful fiancee, and a bright future ahead of him. And then one day, he makes a choice that will change his life forever. There are so many different layers to this title that it is difficult to find a place to begin. Do you start with the detailed background history of the series that brings post-Unification Germany back to life? Do you start with the well-written characters, each one following their own path and development? Do you start with the story, weaving a tale of intrigue and mystery throughout the country and beyond? Picking just one of these to feature is a monstrous task but, in the end, there is one option that stands out above the rest: Johan. Johan Liebert is my choice to be one of the best pure antagonists in anime. While others may be more detailed, such as the grand Reinhard von Lohengramm/Yang Wenli conflict, they can still easily be identified as co-protagonists at a glance. Johan allows no mistake in his identity. Every aspect of his persona emphasizes his nature, his malice, and his cruelty. Even so much as a single still shot of his face is sufficient to turn a seasoned anime viewer into the throes of fear, using techniques originally perfected by the great Alfred Hitchcock. It is this depth of personality that gives Monster its grand strength, and it is the mysteries of his origin that gives Monster its grand plot. And eventually, I reached the point where I had to ask the only question that really matters: is there any reason why this should not receive the full marks on my List? The art may not meet today's standards, but it was more than sufficient to carry the task. The music was a near perfect compliment to the scenes and the mood. The story was woven across faithfully-reproduced cities across Germany and even beyond Der Vaterland's borders. In category after category, it hit all the right marks and avoided the vast majority of pitfalls that could have lessened its impact. Score: 10/10 Status: #12 of all time Recommendation level: Mandatory viewing Panty & Stocking In Sanitarybox It's more Panty. It's more Stocking. What more could you ask for? Well... More than what we got, to be honest. This is a sequence of short vignettes that offer an additional taste of the main series, yet don't provide the time it takes to properly set up a decent punchline. There just isn't enough meat on this particular bone to cross the barrier into being actually satisfying. Score: 6/10 Recommendation level: Fuck it. You know what to do. On-deck: Kyousou Giga (TV) |
OrlahEhontas said: The OAV was good enough that I have the retail version of it (one of the first ones I bought, IIRC). As well as the TV series, which is also well done, but somewhat sillier. The TV series goes into a slightly different direction, but tends to fill out the main characters a touch more than the OAV, as well as adding a few that aren't in the OAV. Ending was fun while not entirely unexpected. If you liked the OAV, the TV series is also recommended. I plan to watch it once I finish Futari wa Precure :-) |
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| Imo, the good precure seasons are the ones from Fresh to Smile, though the early seasons have their followers. More specifically that is Fresh, Heartcatch, Suite and Smile. Go Princess also kind of runs on a similar format. Just that there isn't any real reason to specifically watch Futari wa Precure(s) since it's not like Sailor Moon where all the characters return to fight a new evil in every season. Which brings me to Sailor Moon. I just finished the classic series (not Crystal) and there probably would be a lot to say about 200 eps that I most likely won't be able to write down. Generally speaking I'm more of a precure fan since I like the family centric eps and the action as well as transformations better in it. Sailor Moon has more 90s comedy and boyfriend troubles, which kind of just works as a source for memes for me. The serious parts are fairly entertaining though, especially S went downright desperate. It was also the best season with the best grills. I also seemed to fall into the subgroups that likes SuperS, at least I preferred it to Stars. I guess it just comes down to liking Chibi-Usa or not. Personally I think she greatly redeemed herself in the franchise and had way more development than any of the main sailor senshi sans Usagi. Plus Chibi-Moon is always fun to watch. Stars kind of fell flat for me since I really can't get into the bishounen idols that are actually girls plus outcasting Tuxedo Mask and Chibi-Usa in favor of the Star senshi and Chibi-Chibi. The later in particular is basically just a pikachu who is waiting for her chance to serve as secret plot twist. Anyway, I had a good enough time with maybe 50% of the classic seasons. I don't think it is a must see, but maybe somewhat essential to magical girl fans, which I think I unknowingly became at some point. |
| I've finished a lot of series since I last posted here but I must say it took 3 1/2 years to finally finish Durarara!! LOL Since most people have seen it it's not worth making any statements except to say I'm a baka for taking so long. |
| What if the Hokey Pokey is what it is all about? |
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