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Oct 23, 2022 12:44 PM
#1
Anime Guild - Summer 2022 Review Event Bucchigire! / Shine On! Bakumatsu Bad Boys  Geno Studio, why, why, WHY??? Why were you chosen for this BS instead of continuing your bread-and-butter production that is Golden Kamuy? This is something I'll never comprehend. If this show has some resemblance that others have gone wrong, it's the word "Bakumatsu". ICYMI, Studio Deen did a 2 season, 24-episode run of Bakumatsu back in 2018 and 2019, thinking that it would help set its game-centric precedence into attention by being a sci-fi action-adventure series. IT SUCKED ASS. And 3 years later, courtesy of Kono Yo no Hate de Koi wo Utau Shoujo YU-NO and Zero kara Hajimeru Mahou no Sho's director Tetsuo Hirakawa, we are presented with yet another Bakumatsu series, this time being a historical, action samurai series that also sucks ass. Did people never do their homework to tell that the formula was a one-and-done thing that never took off? Albeit the one thing that this Bakumatsu did different was to incorporate a bunch of criminals and legalize them with the Shinsengumi name of legends past that's just for show. But then again, character development is just bare-bones basic to the point that there's nothing noteworthy about any one of them, save for the red-haired spike that is Ichibanboshi who can act stupid at times (giving him the nickname Dumboshi), which gives him the generic MC look of familial struggles and whatnot. Also, the evil isn't really all that evil, is just tropes copy-pasted to give it a plot and nothing else. The only character of interest would be Akira, despite being a female and given a male's name, the Shinsengumi always embraces gender equality, so everyone is equal. And also, she has a love line with one of the characters, so yeah, take it or leave it. Also, this is worth noting (that now, feels like a stretch) that if Heisuke Todo looks like a certain Yoh Asakura, you'd be right as Hiroyuki Takei, the author of Shaman King, provides the original character designs, which everyone gets a unique look other than the Shinsengumi supervisor himself. Otherwise, even if this anime has big names like music composer Yasuharu Takanashi and Takanori Nishikawa of T.M.Revolution helping out in the sound department and the high-octane OP respectively, the crux of the matter is that Bucchigire! is just a bad show throughout, and the biggest sin is taking Geno Studio away from Golden Kamuy (which the newest season coming out this Fall is handled by Brain's Base instead), which feels like a painful knife's jab directly onto the heart that's slowly killing from within. But to be fair, the production is decent with unique designs done, so that's not totally a wipeoff, that however, does not take the message away of "one man's trash is another man's treasure". In the future, if you see buzzwords like "Bakamatsu", run away. Avoid it like the plague. That is all you need to know that shows like these are gonna waste your time and thinking why people like to do crappy originals and greenlight them just to fill the satiation for more original stuff. Bucchigire is the kind of anime you can watch only if you’re willing to shelve your brain cells for 20+ minutes a week. Seven criminals that look like walking crayons are recruited to fill in the suspiciously newly vacant positions in the Shinsengumi, a group tasked with protecting the shogun and maintaining peace. Like a lot of other original anime, Bucchigire initially falls into the trap of introducing a bunch of characters at the same time and expecting us to care about them. However, several of these crayon characters have compelling stories. And even if they don’t, at least they’re funny; the main character’s hair looks like that yakuza from Shaman King, and his name is literally Ichibanboshi. Also, I like how they modify their swords RWBY-style. The sword is also a gun, or an electric staff! And the gun is also a sword! Flashbacks have red and cyan triangles (think of 3D glasses) as side panels, which is off-putting. It’s like weird curtains for a rakugo show. Given the samurai-era setting, it’s not a bad idea, but the color scheme doesn’t match that vibe. It’s especially weird when the flashbacks involve little kids watching violence or some other sad backstory. Bucchigire may not be a good anime in terms of plot or writing, but it’s entertaining. And the characters may be tropes, but they have vibrant designs and fun chemistry. The girl who cross-dresses as a samurai and the guy who cross-dresses as a geisha are a cute ship. Also, props for gender equality in the Shinsengumi. ^^ Dungeon ni Deai wo Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darou ka IV: Shin Shou - Meikyuu-hen / DanMachi: Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? IV (Season 4, 1st Split-Cour)  Danmachi is back! It went back to its roots this season with just a good old dungeon adventure, and I think that's what it needed. It was really nice to see Bell and the gang grow as a group together. What I didn’t expect is how gruesome this season ended up being, which really supported the anime with how the story was progressing in the latter half. It was pretty enjoyable all things considered. Art: 8 The art as expected was good this season. The animation during most moments was smooth, and the character designs are also fun to look at. The ost absolutely smacks, honestly most of the music in the anime is pretty good aside from the opening I thought it was okay. Honestly, a pretty good job because the art would match the dark tone this season was trying to set. Characters: 6 Here me out, I believe that Danmachi struggles with the too many side characters problem. The world-building of this anime is phenomenal, and some of the characters are really well written and go through some good development, but unfortunately, that also means some characters are a little flat and uninteresting, which kind of felt like half of the cast this season. By all means, they are bad, just when certain characters were on screen, I felt uninterested at times. Also, the new characters that they introduced aren’t exactly that interesting. As for Bell, I mean he is still bell. He's pretty standard all things considered. Story: 9 I loved what they did this season, by going back to Bell's original goal of going through the dungeon. I also love the events that took place to lead this season to its climax, and the climax itself was really well done. If only the first couple of episodes weren’t as slow then this score would be higher, but my interest definitely took once the second half of this season started. Overall, I thought this was an improvement from last season, so ill give it 8 firebolts out of 10. If you're still here by the time you're reading this short and sweet review, there's no need to actually do a recap on the prior seasons, to which if otherwise, please go back and watch the 3 seasons, then come back to this one. The ever so popular LN that is Fujino Omori's DanMachi that's coming back for its 4th season, and potentially the largest since this was first announced to be a 2-cour series (which later became a split-cour), drives the audience back to Volumes 12 and 13 of the LN (for the 1st half) where the Hestia Familia under Bell Cranel and his gang of adventurers from all across various Familias, join forces to tackle the Dungeon's new unknown: the Lower Floors which contain this signature point called the Great Fall, that encapsulates this huge waterfall that's estimated to be 400 meters wide and twice that in length, marking its beginning which lasts from the 25th until the 27th Floor. And this is said to be the most dangerous floors that adventurers must be at least Level 4 before they can explore this side of the Dungeon, or otherwise it's one-hit KOs, and survival is only barely scraped by the least of coincidence and luck. The only things to note in Season 4 going forward, is that aside from the LN author himself helping to supervise on the pacing of this 2-cour long story, just about the only new character that's introduced so far is yet another Xenos creature: Marie the mermaid, which like Wiene in Season 3, is yet another female that follows Bell Cranel's never-ending "salute" of picking up girls in the dungeon, though her use case isn't really that much known yet aside from falling in love with Bell after saving her from a strong monster. So, take it as you will about the usual DanMachi trope that's already a mainstay from the very beginning. Regardless, everything that I've mentioned in prior seasons can be taken here with J.C.Staff's already great production, plus the OST, with sajou no hana's OP and Saori Hayami's ED for the 1st half, which all are pretty good. I mean, if you're enjoying DanMachi or vice versa, it's a no-brainer for anyone who is still keeping up with the anime to go ahead and continue the progress. 1 whole bunch of nothing happening on what was supposed to be the most intensive ark of this series related to character and story development, with almost everything that happens feeling like it could have been condensed and fitted into a 90 min movie. First it starts with a very long, slow and boring recap of how strong their family bounds have become, with not much to be shown related to progress, while at the same time filling every scene with what i will call BRDs, or just "boring repetitive dialog"; and filler content, a trend that makes a comeback through this season right up until the very end. Then it starts the first plot, a prey and predator game that separates the MC from his group with the intentions of developing their independency of each other, while trying to show if they can handle themselves without their carrier/supports, that would have worked well if not for the BRDs folowed by a somewhat lacklusting fighting choreography that progressively feels overused, with a problem that i will sum up into being flashy fast fighting movements, that lacks any proper animation or impact to match the sound effects being used. We get now to a pause with more filler content and BRDs, leading up to the next plot, an incursion to go after a strange assassin, that is more well elaborated than the last one, with a very interesting revelation and plot twist in the end, but still have the same problems, also being filled with BRDs and lackluster fighting scenes. Then it leads up to the final plot of this season. A powerful mysterious unstoppable monster that needs to be stopped, but not without first delivering some more BRDs, and even though being the final fight scene of the season, it still has the same fighting choreography problems. All of that finally ending up with a cliff hanger for the part 2... Also, every episode of this season ends up with a cliffhanger... Each episode of this season simply just feels like pain to watch, with almost nothing is being developed, lots and lots of scenes wasted with fillers and BRDs, the fighting that already wasnt exactly that great of a thing, now somehow became even worse, and it didnt even ended up in a properly way, i will still need to wait even more just to see what happens in the end. Without any doubt this was simply one of the worst seasons for this series. But i still am anxiously waiting to watch part 2 though. Engage Kiss  Engage Kiss was one of two A1 pictures anime originals this season, and unfortunately, I have to say that it kind of disappointed me. It's not that it's bad, but there were some pretty big pacing flaws and just flaws with some of the characters and the story in general. To me, it was an anime with a pretty promising concept that failed to deliver on its potential. Art: 8 One thing I can’t take away from it though is the fact that the art is great. I thought the character designs were a bit generic, but the animation was really stellar. Every fight scene was also pretty hype to watch. I do think the music was kind of just okay which is my biggest issue with the art. Characters: 7 Personally, I’m a bit torn with the characters. I think some of them like Miles, and Ayano were done really well, but I can’t stand behind the MC. The main character is genuinely not a good person, and I think defending him is okay, but not the number of times they did defend him throughout the anime. But it's not all bad with Shu, as I think some of his choices are a little justified to a point, and his backstory is genuinely depressing, but sometimes I felt like he went too far. Story: 5 To be honest the story felt like lost potential, too inconsistent. I think there were a lot of good moments with the story, but it felt like they tried to fit too many things within the 13 episodes. I think this anime would've been a lot better if the pacing issues were solved and it just had more episodes to really explain each event that happened because at the end of the day it just felt like the anime jumped around too much which could lead to some confusion. Overall, it wasn’t a bad anime, but it could've been a lot better. 6/10 Imagine taking a French fry and putting sugar on it. Imagine getting a bowl of cereal and pouring orange juice into it. Imagine eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but the jelly was replaced with mayo. Now grab a plate and put all these foods together and eat it all. Are you utterly confused by what I just said? That's how much I felt confused watching this show. This recipe is what I call the “Engage Kiss”, which was a plate of every trope imaginable in the most nonsensical and dumb ways sometimes, plus a lot of plot points crammed together. Harem, check! Cute girls, check! Demons, check! Dumb waifu wars, check! Ecchi, check! Little sister, check! Rip-off Naofumi, check! Say hello to yet another A-1 Pictures original airing this summer season, and once again, the animation and music did not miss. Everything else though, had its share of frustrating and generic moments. This show really does not start well in my opinion, and because of that, it really lost me for a good chunk of the series, except for a few very good episodes, which made this a passable series overall. If you were wondering which A-1 Pictures original from this season was better, it would easily be Lycoris Recoil. Funny enough, I’d thought for sure it’d be the other way around, but guess I was wrong. My grading criteria: Story: /25 Art: /10 Music: /10 Characters: /20 Enjoyment /15 Thematic Execution /20 STORY: 9.8/25 To give a quick overview first, this show takes place in Bayron City, a rather futuristic and extravagant looking place that strives to give every citizen a lavish lifestyle. However, for wannabe Shield Hero MC Shuu Ogata, that is not the case. He struggles to make ends meet, and is taken care of by his demon partner, Kisara, who holds down the fort and takes care of chores. These two work side by side along with the military forces to take down demons who pose the biggest threat to the city. In order to gain enough power to defeat these formidable creatures, Shuu and Kisara must kiss for her to turn into a more powerful being. This arrangement comes at a cost for Shuu, and it whittles him down bit by bit throughout the story. So, this seems interesting right? So it seemed, but this show has quite the identity crisis in that instead of having some world building for us to understand how the city works and why the demons are here, it focused a lot of the romance aspects instead, of a lazy deadbeat and his harem who for some reason are smitten with him. To be honest, an exposition dump of why the demons were here would have been better than whatever was presented. In a show like this, you would expect that the romance would come second, and the story come first, but nah, let’s just have girls getting jealous for a big chunk of the show. There are some good parts about the story, and some emotional bits too, and while the emotional scenes were honestly executed well, if everything was developed properly, it would have hit even harder. Otherwise, the plot is quite ambitious, but because of a lack of world building, nothing felt very significant, it just felt like many things crammed together in an attempt to make a good plot but felt like a pile of things that didn’t mix well, just very messy. ART: 8.9/10 The animation is quite worthy of praise. The action is fluid, and the character designs are decent, except for Naofumi 2.0. The colour palette also works well. Lots of pinks that give the show its uniqueness. MUSIC: 8.4/10 The sound is pretty solid too. The OP and ED were both great songs, and the soundtrack fit well in each scene. CHARACTERS: 9/20 The character development in the show was quite abysmal, because first of all, there was so little backstory, so we had no idea how why all the girls like Shuu, and that made it hard to justify their motives. Kisara was the cute character, and helped Shuu make ends meet, and was also the military’s biggest weapon in countering the demons. Ayano was the more mature character who also played a role in fighting the demons. Some of the supporting cast felt more well developed than the mains honestly, especially Miles, who was Shuu’s caretaker when he was little. Shuu, while he starts out being extremely frustrating to watch, ends up being a solid character in my opinion, but all his goodness came at a point where I already lost most of my interest in the characters. ENJOYMENT: 8.7/15 There were good moments in this show, but few and far between. I did enjoy the action sequences too, but not much else. Pretty average throughout. THEMATIC EXECUTION: 8/20 Like I have mentioned throughout, the lack of world building made a lot of the themes dull, and the plot points insignificant and I just found myself not caring a whole lot. The show attempts to make you feel a wide range of emotions, but it doesn’t work out very well. OVERALL: 52.8/100 There is some minimal enjoyment to be had here, but there wasn’t a whole lot to enjoy except for the action. If you like waifus, go ahead and give this a try, but the dysfunctional plot had me bored at times, although there were a few great moments in this show. I don’t exactly know what we were served up here, but it ends up just feeling messy and tropey. Engage Kiss is a great example of how A-1 Pictures’ original shows can be really inconsistent. Whereas Lycoris Recoil was a really good time with fun action and characters and able to balance between action and slice of life. Engage Kiss is a more confused show that has an equally cool premise to Lycrois Recoil but is worse than the sum of its parts and struggles with knowing what it wants to be and unlike the Lycoris Recoil, can’t balance out the two. On one hand, it’s a cool daemon hunting action series. On the other hand, it’s a love triangle rom-com featuring a Tsundere and a Yandere (well, more like half assed imitations of those stereotypes). Plus, there is also a lack of direction as to where the story wants to go and it kind of ends in a sort of, potential sequel, kind of way. The animation though for this series is good. The action is nicely done to make the fights fun. But this series really is a “turn your brain off kind of anime” where you can get some enjoyment, but this show had potential to be a really fun time, but it ended up being just fine with problems that the show fails to address. Story: 4.5/10 Characters: 5.5/10 Animation: 7.5/10 Sound: 6.5/10 My Personal Enjoyment: 6/10 Overall Score: 6.0/10 Recommendation: Consider it Extreme Hearts  Extreme Piss, the Queens (or rather, Princesses) of Hearts of a formula already done before, but that it is also subpar. People just don't learn, that's the hard-and-fast rule and unfathomable truth. As I would like to call it, the now famous Uma Musume formula of involving sports and idoling, CGDCT style, it certainly has seen a major success incorporating such a genre that back then, didn't have a lot of competition. And CyGames definitely took advantage of that formula by being the first anime adaptation of their popular mobage game to do so, such that it was the precedent going forward. And many similar other tried to replicate this exact styling from the likes of "PuraOre! Pride of Orange" and now this show, but it's very clear that the concept didn't work out as it should, being a novel concept on paper but forgetting about everything else that came with it. And this is exactly what Masaki Tsuzuki, the creator of Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha and Dog Days did, that try as hard as he might to hope to make a splash, but like the useless Pokémon Magikarp that takes long enough to evolve into a Gyarados, this show couldn't evolve from having a now generic formula, with basically nothing unique to show. I do love underdog stories, and Extreme Hearts' story plot shows a newbie group's rise to fame: Team RISE, consisting of team leader Hiyori Hayama, members Saki Kodaka, Sumika Maehara, Yukino Tachibana and Lise Kohinata, does feel just that. The always enthusiastic team leader, Hiyori has actually made a name for herself as a guitarist, but even with a solo debut, that's still not enough to break even. That's where her one and only fan Saki Kodaka comes in to persuade her not to give up music, for this competition/tournament for idol groups that's known as Extreme Hearts provides her another avenue to use her talents in a better way. Subsequently, with the rise of the team, comes more girls that bred from the necessity of evolving the team to greater heights: Sumika Maehara with her knowledge on Hyper Sports, Yukino Tachibana in baseball and last but not least, Lise Kohinata...in just making the team complete in numbers, that's all. That to me, screams inconsistency, though props must be given for having members that are of necessity other than just a want "because I'm a fan". The other girls of rival groups, yeah...it's just how PuraOre! did the same thing to satiate the tastes to generic boringness, though there are some that I like. Case in point: the 2-member team Snow Wolf compromising of Michelle Jaeger and Ashley Vancroft, both dedicated to their craft of robot manufacturing and making the world a better place. It's just absurd how an even smaller side group like this ironically is my favourite team, though they ultimately become assistants to Team RISE, which isn't all that bad. Honestly, director Junji Nishimura has recently been in a rolleroaster of shows that director-level or not, hasn't really been working things out for him. Being the director and one that has the most input on Mamoru Oshii's Vlad Love, it's a very unique take on the madman's creative side that however, just feels like it's a "style over substance" show. And most certainly as studio Seven Arcs's in-house director, shows like Bermuda Triangle: Colorful Pastrale really only cater to the kids style, and I'm left wondering if like Extreme Hearts, he's gonna screw up the upcoming anime adaptation of Mato Seihei no Slave (which the original source material is actually quite good). But I can only judge what he has now, and it's starting to feel like Junji Nishimura is feeling his ripe old age whom he is at the limit of making good decisions and leaving everything else to his production staff team. And truthfully, it is sad and a shame. The OST...forget it, it's the same generic idol-ness that doesn't really stand out in its uniqueness, or might as well that I say that character-centric songs are somehow getting worse, at least it is to me. I've already said this once in my PuraOre! review, but like a certain Touko Machida, Masaki Tsuzuki's writing prowess is leagues behind the times, and although the enjoyment may have sufficed with both Nanoha and Dog Days back in the day, Extreme Hearts is a comeback that honestly, it's better off without in its entirety. Just don't waste time on this show unless you have a penchant for similar shows like these that you'll enjoy, no matter its overall quality. |
KANLen09Oct 24, 2022 7:04 AM
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Oct 23, 2022 12:44 PM
#2
Fuuto Tantei / Fuuto PI  For someone who has no experience with the Kamen Rider series, I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Sure, they don’t take their time to explain who these characters are, how they met and how they acquired their powers. But even then, it’s still a good time. The action is solid, the characters are likeable and it does have some fun with its detective plot that can leave you hooked to watch the next episode. While it expects you to know about this series, you can know next to nothing and still find enjoyment about it. It’s basically good on its own, something that the RWBY anime struggled to do. It becomes another entry for what has been a quietly good year for super sentai shows. Story: 6.5/10 Characters: 7.5/10 Animation: 7.5/10 Sound: 7.5/10 My Personal Enjoyment: 7/10 Overall Score: 7.2/10 Recommendation: Watch it Hataraku Maou-sama!! / The Devil is a Part-Timer! (Season 2)  After so many years, it finally came back!!!!!! However, it was unfortunately not as good as everyone hoped. Unlike the first season, this time the anime likes to fall flat at times, and the comedy, in general, isn’t as enjoyable. It kind of feels like it can’t choose when to be serious or funny at the right times, which wasn’t an issue during season 1, so this anime being underwhelming was honestly a bit of a surprise. Other than that, the main storyline this season just kind of wasn’t that interesting. Art: 5 This was kind of a letdown. For an anime with this much hype, you would think the art would be a little better. For starters, the music really wasn’t that good this time around as I didn’t really enjoy the opening, ending, or ost. Then there's the new character designs and art in general, yes, it's a cleaner art style, but it makes the characters seem blander. The worst part though is the animation. At times it just looked downright bad. I just expected it to be better overall. Characters: 8 The one saving grace for this anime is the cast. If the main group didn’t mesh as well with each other as it does, then this anime would've been a lot worse. The characters are still really enjoyable to watch, and we get some development on them throughout the season, but unfortunately, the comedic timing on a lot of the jokes just wasn’t that good which makes me downgrade the score a little. Story: 5 I’ve got only one word to describe the story this season and it's boring. Unfortunately, the serious directions that this anime tries to take dont hit that well, and with the antagonists being kind of goofy when the jokes dont hit, the show just becomes uninteresting and bland to watch. I really wanted more from this anime, but I can only give it 6 Yesod shards out of 10. It’s been a season of long-awaited sequels, with Classroom of the Elite Season 2, and Overlord Season 4 coming back after 5 years and 4 years respectively, and for this show, IT HAS BEEN 9 WHOLE YEARS since Season 1. It’s great that highly respected titles in the anime community are making a comeback after years of waiting, and that might inspire future sequels to come, for shows like No Game No Life, or Land of the Lustrous for example. The Devil is a Part-Timer was a top-tier isekai I watched perhaps a year ago for the first time. It had a solid premise, good comedy, and was animated by studio White Fox, a rather top-tier studio. When Season 2 was announced, and that there was a studio change, to Studio 3Hz, I was skeptical, but of course I’d give it a try. The character designs were certainly a step down from Season 1 (which already didn’t have the greatest designs), and with time, the animation degraded immensely. It wasn’t just the production that took a nosedive though, the plot did too, and it became quite the snoozefest at times. My grading criteria: Story: /25 Art: /10 Music: /10 Characters: /20 Enjoyment /15 Thematic Execution /20 STORY: 7.5/25 Was this show always this slow and was it really a slice-of-life? There were a few interesting plot points to be explored, but they never really went to solid detail with them. There was the introduction of a new character, Alas=Ramus, who was the new Anya Forger of the season in her cuteness, but where she came from, and who she really is, wasn’t really explored well. I remember that Season 1 at least had some fight scenes and villains, but in this season, there was barely anything going to advance the plot, a lot of meandering, random romance elements, and not enough mention of Heaven or Ente Isla to keep things intriguing. This was not the show I remember; I don’t remember it being this boring. ART: 3/10 The character designs don’t really feel like designs you’d see in a fantasy anime, but more like designs you’d see in CGDCT or slice of life show. They also looked very flat and round at the same time, which was weird. The fight scenes were very disappointing, with a lot of still imagery and janky movement. The production continued to degrade with time, and even simple movements became very awkward. MUSIC: 6.5/10 Not very stand-out at all, OP and ED were your sub-par songs, and the soundtrack was quite unnoticeable. CHARACTERS: 7/20 The characters were very flat this season, with not much development whatsoever. There was a huge emphasis on romance (even between side characters), and that was quite insignificant and unnecessary. With a weak plot, the characters wouldn’t be very good either obviously, or none of them really added anything to the table this season. ENJOYMENT: 6/15 Quite the snoozefest at times, considerably more boring than Season 1. THEMATIC EXECUTION: 7.5/20 I mean, the comedy is still ok, but everything else, such as the romance and action themes were in the mud this season. It’s mostly the bad production that hurts how the themes were executed, but the plot has really degraded as well, and with that, you can’t expect the themes to be done right. OVERALL: 37.5/100 A huge shame honestly, 9 long years, and this is what fans got. Should this season have been made in the first place? Yes and no. There’s some nostalgia to be had here, but not much more than that, and with the supposed bad LN ending that fans were talking about from what I heard, right now, this series is in the mud, and that’s just incredibly unfortunate. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a sequel to be requested more, only for it to be hardly talked about quite like The Devil is a Part-Timeer! Season 2. Considering it’s been 9 years since Season 1, you would think people would be hyped watching it but man does this feel like a disappointment. The most significant thing the change in animation and it does not look good. The characters just don’t translate well into the new art style and some of the frames just make them look ugly. The story feels lacklustre as it feels like we don’t know where this story is going; moving from one quick arc to another with not much reasoning why it is here. The characters are still likeable, personality wise but they don’t develop and still act like they usually do and while I like the inclusion of Alas Ramus, she feels less relevant as the show goes on. In the sound department, there’s nothing of note with the OP and ED feeling like they are rehashing season one’s. The show just feels cheaply made and makes me question why bother if you aren’t going to put the effort in? It’s a sequel that’s entering an oversaturated genre. What might have worked back in 2013 will not work here when we are spoiled for choices. Sure, back in the day when the Isekai genre exploded with the release of SAO and the idea of Iseakai’s were still novel, this show was one of the best Isekais. Now, with arguably better Isekais like Re:Zero, Konosuba, Overlord, Youjo Senki, Mushoku Tensei, Tensei shitara Slime, Drifters and Iruma-Kun. Hell, better reverse Isekai, like Gate and Re:Creators. Season two makes you question whether or not season one was a product of its time and that’s something you do not want to think of. The fact we are getting another season means they are on board to continuing this, but I just fear this series is going to end on a negative feeling if this keeps up. Which I fear will be the case. Story: 4/10 Characters: 5/10 Animation: 3/10 Sound: 5/10 My Personal Enjoyment: 5/10 Overall Score: 4.4/10 Recommendation: Don’t Bother Isekai Meikyuu de Harem wo / Harem in the Labyrinth of Another World  Harem in the Labyrinth of Another World is your pretty standard isekai with its own *cough cough* hanime flair to it. Now to be totally honest with you I think this anime is pretty average. It doesn’t really do anything that special and if you decide to watch it there are a stretch of episodes where it felt like basically the same thing happened in each of those episodes. Art: 8 The anime is pretty appealing to look at, the character designs are pretty solid as well. The animation is surprisingly not terrible either, not many complaints to be had here. And for those that came for the ecchi, those scenes were also well animated. Sound: 7 The sound design is solid, the action scenes were accompanied well by the sound, also the background music usually fits each scene well. Other than that, the ending was a bop while the opening was okay. Characters: 5 I’m not going to lie to you the main female lead carries. The MC of this show is actually a terrible person, and while at times I found it genuinely funny how bad of a person he was it didn’t necessarily help my entire outlook on the guy, and it can get a little hard to really back some of his actions. Also, they take a little too long to introduce certain characters which does contribute to some of the episodes ending up boring. Story: 5 This has to be my biggest flaw with the show, the initial premise isn’t bad, but it's just the pacing. Once he completed his initial goal the anime ended up falling a little flat and seemed like it kind of had no direction for a while. And as good as the ecchi is, that doesn’t really change the fact that it almost felt like the same routine was happening every episode. So, in my honest opinion if you're coming for the ecchi you'll probably like this show, but if you're not it's probably a skip for you. "In the beginning, the anime gods created the Heavens and the Earth in the form of Interspecies Reviewers, the "men of culture" anime that would define the new decade of the 2020s. But then came Redo of Healer a year later, which made the earth formless and empty with its over-the-top violence and gore, and darkness covered the deep waters, and the anime gods were hovering over the face of the waters. And the anime gods beckoned, "Let there be light," and there was light. But what they saw is that Isekai Meikyuu Harem's light, now released, was tainted in blood and sexual innuendos, and they separated the light from the darkness." - Genesis 1:1-4, if written by the anime gods Out of the shows that aired in the now passing Summer season, it's safe to say that we were all anticipating novelist Shachi Sogano's Isekai Meikyuu Harem a.k.a Harem Labyrinth in Another World for nothing more than to have our seasonal dose of the degenerate taste and feast for the eyes. Well, we got that and more...which basically comes off as "so bad it's good" kind of show where there're a lot of factors working for and against it, and that'll ultimately be the make-or-break point if you do plan on watching this. Well obviously, I did (and so are you), so let's get to it for a breakdown, shall we? So first and foremost, an Isekai works the same way as what you would expect; the Meikyuu a.k.a labyrinth segment being one of a slow burn of grinding for experience; and a harem, which I don't really need to explain it, yes? And this is what casually happens to Michio Kaga, after randomly being Isekai-ed like just any other unassuming protagonist. Except that he instead faces a Seirei Gensouki-like situation of being a newbie but having to commit murders and decapitation of people due to witnessing a horrific killing spree of bandits to ordinary townsfolk (or NPCs for that matter). Of course, what's an Isekai without the MC being OP, and this is definitely the case for Michio here, having to face the brunt of a PTSD-inducing shock seeing blood spats just about everywhere, and weirdly enough, loving the end result of it. So think of Redo of Healer's Keyaru, but at least a mentally sane version of him after collecting his thoughts and regarding that the fantasy world he's been transported to has no rules bogging everyone down, and everyone's a free man until proven otherwise. Michio's next task is to find adventurers to support his camaraderie of adjusting his life to a new world, but instead, finds slaves trapped by slave traders awaiting to be sold for good prices. Of course, being the good guy that Michio is, would enquire one such trader (by the name of Alan) for help on his next navigational points, and Alan reveals of a labyrinth that would help set off a good starting point for Michio. But being cashless with only experience backing him up, Alan then decides to recommend buying a slave to aid him in his endeavours, and also "Sweet Home, Alabama" virgins as sex slaves, just because why not. They are good for companionship and sex anyways, so there's no limits to how far one could go. It's the offer that put Michio on temptation to purchase one, and this sets the course for the series' progression further dowb the road. Not gonna lie, Isekai Meikyuu Harem (at least for this initial season) may feel like a slow burn, but it's not like Shachi Sogano is stupid enough to basically make a fantasy world version of World's End Harem and call it a day. In fact, the labyrinth segments are actually worth more than the sexual parts, and his idea is to make the labyrinth section a necessity to get to the harem stuff, which depending on your tolerance for patience, can feel like things are happening that slowly builds up to its own climax moments. And that certainly was his modus operandi for Isekai Meikyuu Harem, for Michio's engagement with his very first sex slave, the beastwoman Roxanne (which she is even more tasteful in the anime than the LN) helps to build the codependent relationship between the two, albeit at a snail's pace. And this is where most people have a mixed reception of the show as it progresses on the actual plot as compared to the "plot", which makes you feel like you're actually playing an RPG game and earning rewards along the way to purchase secret bonus items. Honestly though, this feels refreshing to watch and admire, but at the cost of pacing (which is pretty fine from what I can tell following the manga version of the LN) and waning interest for more girls to come and fill up Michio's family of a harem to get to the full-on degeneracy. Michio himself seems like a very cautious person who has thought through each and every plan and strategy, whether it be in the labyrinth or perfectly sound at home. Roxanne is a beastwoman of beauty, perfect with the dog-like ears and tail, which makes her alluring side more pretty than what Michio had initially bargained for with a hefty amount of a price. And for the most part, these two work like husband and wife: the perfect embodiment of a master-slave relationship that is aware of the ridges of satisfaction yet work in harmony so much to appreciate one another's presence, it almost feels surreal living the kind of life one would've thought of in a fantasy world. And yes, despite the key visual showcasing other girls that would be to come in Michio's harem, it definitely is a shame to exchange more characters for the subservience in plot, and I feel that a Season 2 will give this show more justice than its wonky beginnings. Being the "Men of Culture" studio, Passione under freelance director Naoyuki Tatsuwa (who's done 2018's Yuri drama cringefest Citrus and this season's mobage adaptation Warau Arsnotoria Sun—!) just feels very lacking, it gave the sign that it was content for the production to be this way: an average Isekai show with much action but not enough prowess to offer in any way of animation. But then again, there were other sacrifices in the way that either way, would not have made this show being the stand-out figure it is, other than what the degenerates all came here for. It honestly just looks subpar, almost close to the point of being bad. The OST...also is another area where it could've been better. If you would've told me who Shiori Mikami is, I would have no idea other than her stand-out character roles like AOT's Krista Lenz and Yuru Yuri's Akari Akaza. In fact, her last theme song performance was all the way back in 2015 with the Yuru Yuri series, and this comeback of an OP song...just feels like a waste of a talent, to be frank. To me, it's one of the worst OPs of the season for being a snoozefest, that's all I can judge it based on. But what is NOT a snoozefest is the ED song between Michio and Alan, and I certainly did not expect that both Taku Yashiro and Kenta Miyake would nail the song-convo hybrid formula so perfectly that it pays homage to Interspecies Reviewers's YMCA-ish rhythmic vibes of its now memeified, but still cultured OP. If I had to compliment this show on THE one thing that made it stand out, it would be the ED, which has grown to be my No. 1 ED song of the season (and maybe the best ED of the season) HANDS DOWN. It's a certified banger of a song, bar none. If you still want to watch a Hentai, then Isekai Meikyuu Harem unforuntately isn't the go-to show for your "peak degenerate" tastes. It's classified as a more serious "(actual) plot than plot" setting, and for a change, this puts into the question that both anime-onlies and LN readers have for the longest time: if there is "harem" in the title, why make it such a way that it takes second place below the precedence of the whole dungeon-crawling, labyrinth headspace? The answer we will never know, but if this show does get a Season 2 (which cross my fingers, I wish it does), this harem adventure is but only just the beginning of a long journey for Michio Kaga and his family of sex slaves. This ain't peak degeneracy, not just yet. It still needs a lotta cooking in the process, and that'll determine the success of the source material through the now current mediocre anime adaptation. Passione only really know how to make two kinds of shows, ecchi series and horror series. Their experience in the ecchi department shows in this series. They clearly know how to do fanservice from the character designs and how they animate it and let’s not forget the sex scenes that remind you that you need to watch these things uncensored. But fan service is really only what it has going because is was a boring show by the end. The show has interesting ideas with its RPG mechanics and how it uses them, but executes in a boring, unexciting way. The two main words in the title, “Harem” and “Labyrinth”, is severely lacking. The harem is non existent, only getting a couple of flash forwards and that’s it. They introduce Roxanne early but don’t expand the harem until episode eleven, the second to last episode and don’t meet the rest of the girls until the credit sequence in the last episode. The Labyrinths are boring and feel the same with the enemies being unexciting. It’s a show you watch for the fan service but the problem is that there is little plot to keep your attention span watching this show. It’s basically boils down to get a harem and go out adventuring, your bog standard Isekai plot. Without an engaging plot, you are just going to get bored and skip to the fan service scenes like when watching a Hentai. In that aspect, it’s not a bad show but lacks in so many areas that you might as well call it a borderline hentai. Story: 2.5/10 Characters: 3.5/10 Animation: 7/10 Sound: 5/10 My Personal enjoyment: 4/10 Overall Score: 4.4/10 Recommendation: Don’t Bother Isekai Yakkyoku / Parallel World Pharmacy  Pathology expert dies from overwork and gets isekaied into a magical world, where he becomes basically the god of medicine, can create drugs from thin air and can identify any illness just by looking at people, and throwing random illness names until he finds the correct one. Isn't a comedy nor a deep complex or intriguing show, just a weak, generic and superficial show, that dont even bother with exploring its own themes. I dont think you can even say that this show explores the topic of medicine, from how dumbed down and shallow it depicts and approaches the theme, being summed into basically using some medical and pathology related names, and once and the mentioning a very basic summary of some illness story. But if you remove the doctor background, you get a generic isekai with an OP MC that solves anything and everything is by its own, without any major real threat to him or anyone else around him. The Characters are shallow generic stereotypes of their roles, with no real personality or purpose out of just being an excuse to fill the world and the supposed MC progression, that its non existent. The story is poorly written and not that well developed, nothing being done by the MC pays off or feel deserved, the motivations werent clear, the antagonists didnt go far from just being the generic greed stereotype, nor they were even well established. Everyone just do the binding of the MC, despite he just being a literal child, that some people know its a god, and there is no high stakes when god is solving every problem for you. I was expecting something at least akin of the Ascendance of a Bookworm, or maybe in the same level as Thermae Romae Novae, or any other show that at least really tried to depict and describes the raw process of doing things in the past, but not even a somewhat engaging story i got. It's just a boring inexpressive and uninspired isekai that don't even bother into engaging its own proposed themes. AniManga fans: "I'm sick and tired of seeing the same Isekai tropes over and over again. It's time for a new property to stand out." Liz Takayama: "I hear you back there, so why not give my only work a try? Hope it might surprise and please you." In all essence of the novelty, novelist Liz Takayama with her only work that is Isekai Yakkyoku a.k.a Parallel World Pharmacy has been a delight to read in both the LN and manga, now translated into Diomedéa's anime adaptation that has come this season. For better or worse, this Isekai really stands out in its own clever way, even if its themes are borrowed from one similar premise that still doesn't hamper the writing abilities to make it one's very own work, that truly excels in its own pathology as (probably) the first Isekai in Syosetu's lineup to focus on medicine entirely. Yeah yeah, there is that drugstore Isekai that came out earlier, but it's not like an actual medicine premise in both theory and practice. Rightaway, you could already see a Parallel to another World with the only difference that Pharmacy is involved, and not a Bookworm. By the way, there's no pun intended on this, but it's also no mere coincidence as both Isekai Yakkyoku's Farma de Médicis and Honzuki's Myne have a similar backstory, where their real-life selves passed away due to a life-threatening incident, to the point of reincarnation as a younger self with all of their real-life "knowledge is power" memories fully intact. In Isekai Yakkyoku's case, it's about a medical researcher who succumbed to his overwork while finding a treatment on his deceased sister's behalf with tumor being the root cause, only to find himself reincarnated as 10-year-old Farma de Médicis, who said family thought that he died being struck by lightning and suffering a coma that he could not awake from. However, Farma discovers that he has been granted a divine blessing (also called a Divine Art): Panactheos, the God of Medicine, which is common with the medieval culture of the parallel world's nobility in the San Flevue Empire. And this steels Farma's resolve, as with his divine blessing and his retained knowledge of modern medicine, to revolutionize the Parallel world's medical advancements and make proper treatments affordable for the everyday citizen. So, in every sense of the word, while Myne focuses on bringing books to the masses, Farma is doing the same for medicine, which in the Isekai world, is only present to the nobility. And this will really set him and his Parallel World Pharmacy apart from the Empire's many pharmacies that are stuck to the old colonial rule. Farma's de Médicis family of nobility is most certainly one to be liked, with parents Bruno and Beatrice, the former of which is not just his father, but a patriarch, an archduke, and the president of the Saint Fleuve's Imperial School of Pharmacy. That's how Bruno is deeply respected within the confines of the nobles as one of the forerunners, spearheading the Isekai world in the world of medicine and its medieval, yet calculated advancement that's all too similar to people like Friedrich Sertürner and William Procter Jr. And like every traditional family, especially when it comes to a business, the children must be expected to follow in the footsteps of their parents, as is the case with the father and son Bruno and Farma here. But with the reincarnation, Farma has clearly surpassed whoever he was before the lightning strike that sent him into a coma, and infused with the riches of knowledge on medicine, that even with adversity, is not willing to back down if it means the safety of everyone either nobility or citizen. Of course, how could Farma work all of this by himself, and there're 2 people to help him out: Eléonore "Ellen" Bonnefoi and Charlotte "Lotte" Soller. The former is his personal tutor who was surprised that Panactheos was within him and subsequently aided him in his endeavours, while the latter is a maid servant of the de Médicis family and simultaneously his childhood friend. On that note, I should really thank the heavens that the "childhood friend" trope here is nothing more than just wholesomeness of "being aware but not intentionally a need" to shape their relationship just on a master-servant level. That blissful feeling also trickles down to the visuals and animation, which Diomedéa did a really good job upon. ICYMI, the same studio also did Seijo no Maryoku wa Bannou Desu a.k.a The Saint's Magic Power is Omnipotent, which is another "Saint"-like show that also features medicine that aired in Spring last year (which is coming back for a Season 2 next year), so it's definitely in the right mind and sense that this is Diomedéa's current groove and work productivity to boot. Despite this and said show with practically the same in-house staff team but a different director (DomeKano's Shouta Ibata for Seijo Bannou Desu, Happy Sugar Life's Keizo Kusakawa for Yakkyoku) and I hope that whatever is to come of this work ethic of incorporating similar shows into the studio's work biography, the trust is that it'll work out well. What's more to say that the music really fits the show's DNA like genetic links forming its unique 23 pairs of chromosomes. Like Kinsou no Vermeil's OP, Kaori Ishikawa has made another OP that's a graceful compliment to the anime's experience, as did Little Black Dress's ED. But, even if the OST isn't really the highlight of the show as a whole (I would say it's one of the weaker aspects of the show), it still manages to deliver in its own medicinal way possible, and that is more than enough for what the show requires. Overall, I just really love Isekai Yakkyoku's overall vibes that it presents to the table, knowing that itself is a stock Isekai with the same tropes that everyone has seen about a billion times now, but knowing where to exude with its signature ingredient (medicine) that's just makes it all the more different and definitely not your standard Isekai. Props should be given to Liz Takayama for her inept writing abilities to invoke that special feeling while not over-whipping the known Isekai tropes to make for a compelling watch. Furthermore, it's endorsed by the Japan Pharmaceutical Association, which the anime was a part of its campaign to bring awareness to the professions and practices of the pharmaceutical field, so this easily creates a win-win solution for all parties involved. If not for Isekai Ojisan (which sadly its remainder has been delayed to Fall), Isekai Yakkyoku really shone above and beyond as both the 2nd best Isekai of the season and definitely one of the better Isekai I've seen in 2022 alone, and you can testify about it yourself as you let the show soak in its unique medicinal traits that's deeper and more technical, but without sounding too complex and looking a lot more on infotainment. It's a damn good watch, I'll give it that. I would say that this was the second best new Isekai to come out this season behind Isekai Ojisan, but the competition wasn’t exactly strong, or even good for that matter. But what does that mean for this show. Well for what it’s worth, I do think this show is good. It is one of the rare occasions where the overpowered nature of our main character, Farma, can actually be a hindererence at times rather than a blessing. It tries to find ways to add obstacles that can be out of our character’s control, so they don’t steamroll through everything. I also like medical aspect of this show that gives it its own identity and add obstacles you don’t get in Isekais. In terms of production, it’s very much a Diomeida show. Very solid but nothing spectacular. Same goes with the ost as well except the OP which I think is very generic and very boring. Overall, I don’t think it’s a spectacular show, but it is a very solid Isekai that has good ideas and plot elements backed up by a solid cast of characters and solid production values. It’s just a very solid show. Story: 7.5/10 Characters: 7/10 Animation: 7/10 Sound: 6.5/10 My Personal Enjoyment: 7/10 Overall Score: 7.0/10 Recommendation: Watch It Jashin-chan Dropkick X / Dropkick On My Devil!! X (Season 3)  If there was a show that I would proclaim having "a bloody good time" at, it would be Jashin-chan Dropkick, and 2 seasons later with a 2-year gap on each release, with Season 3, it's still the same show I remember with an insane record for being crowdfunded by the people, for the fans. Guess this goes to show that even anime can be made with the dedication of its people. The Snake Girl and her "minions"...er I mean her dominator and friends are back with yet another passing realm of 2 years, and to make things better for Season 3, Hatsune Miku is here to join aboard not just as a cameo, but being of a meme advertising material of screenshots for people thinking what is this show all about. And it certainly got its popularity being the only constant even when the jokes fell flat at times. However, like some of you whom have stuck through the series since its inception in 2018 as a dark, supernatural comedy that was a legit surprise when it was released, Jashin-chan Dropkick is still that insane show where people have fun killing and spreeing the hell outta the happy-go-lucky but deceptive Jashin-chan, and none is so the wiser with Yurine Hanazono being her babysitting guardian to take care of and pummel her if she goes by left. The cast of Jashin-chan Dropkick has always been both the source material and the anime's shining point, and they are still hilarious to watch, though "gullible" is the word to use when the cast has grown up learning to live with Jashin-chan's extremist personality of dodges and finger-pointing for this long. Regardless of how the Snake Girl has treated them with animosity, she is still being regarded as the family between the devils and angels, and it shows from Medusa still being the unequivocal ATM to the cheap Pekola doing some job hopping, hoping to earn enough just to live by daily. The "same same, no different story" carries on with the production staff's crazy antics over at Nomad, as did the same for now 3 seasons straight, which is the baiting constant to go atypical with whatever it desires to showcase, and it never gets old. Though in the case of the OST, I would say that while halca feat. Aina Suzuki does a decent job on the OP that's just as good as Season 2's OP (that both can't dethrone Season 1's highly nostalgic and god-like entertainment excellence of an OP), the ED by VTuber KAF and virtual singer Kafu is the best out of the 3 seasons, bar none. So, decent OP, and vice versa on the ED. There is just something special about Jashin-chan Dropkick that stands out on the myriad of the anime space. More than its crowdfunding success and its crazy-ass marketing tactics (which this season's mindless brandishing of Hatsune Miku gets people talking for attention, more than the whole "escape across Japan" tourist arc), the series itself that's based on a web comic as consistently impressed to those whom like it, and this trend has never stopped since the anime adaptation begun. Love it or hate it, Jashin-chan Dropkick is really enjoyable if you turn off your brain to loose scrambles if you can take its dark, supernatural, and definitely a satirical take on the outlook of life. Be it a runaway journey across the country or back at home, it has its ups and down, but make no mistake that this series is a modern cult classic in the making, and I for one, will not stop brandishing its wild success. Will there be yet another crowdfunding for Season 4? Who knows, but if it gets greenlit, I will lift up my hands to the anime gods and say: "Let the praises ring". |
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Oct 23, 2022 12:45 PM
#3
Kami Kuzu☆Idol / Phantom of the Idol  Idoly Pride X Budoukan, Uramichi Oniisan edition. Never thought that the mish-mesh of those formulas would work so well. Idol shows. You might've heard them aplenty, much less seen them in action, even if it's clips on YouTube showcasing how much of a juggernaut genre this is in Japan, and there is absolutely no shortage of them since it's a cultural phenomenon over in the Land of the Rising Sun. But, amongst the many copy-and-paste plans that have little to divide and stand out, how mangaka Hijiki Isoflavone managed to shine through with a story that sounds so typical, yet looks so paradox, is certainly baffling. And in the midst of a small following to the lot of you that watched this show, can most certainly say that you've enjoyed this in some capacity, this is my huge surprise in the lacklustre Summer 2022 season to say that I really enjoyed this. A LOT. And I'm not kidding. Usually, idol stories are just basically a bread-and-spread affair of repeating the tropes that the somewhat idol genre has been maligned for but not talked about a while lot, but in a very simple way, Hijiki Isoflavone incorporated 2 things: adulting, and the paranormal. And the adulting ranges from this boy pop duo ZINGS, which comprises of the youthful Kazuki Yoshino and the adult lazy-straightlaced Yuuya Niyodo. While Yoshino has a lot going for him with his looks and childlike voice that would be enough to earn big amounts of fans, Niyodo is the complete opposite with his darker, bass-like voice that just screams total laziness and uncharacteristic for the idol industry: a sloppy, half-assed personality and hostile behaviour towards his fans, that he is the plague of the duo whom just wanted enough to quit being an idol. The unique plot twist, is that Niyodo encounters another idol: the beloved and popular singer, 17-year-old Asahi Mogami, whose life was tragically cut short due to an accident, robbing her of her prime days of idoling. Having been dead for a year, she desperately wants to get back into the industry, but she has nowhere else to turn to being a ghost...and that's where Niyodo enters the scene with a clear win-win situation on Asahi possessing Niyodo, showcasing his vibrant side that definitely is a total 180 to shock fans with ease. This is the journey of Niyodo and Asahi as they venture through the lifeblood of the newbie, but fledgling ZINGS as the joining of forces between yesterday's real star and today's dirtbag, initiates the Phantom of the Idol's story and their rise to decent fame. On hindsight, a ghost and a living human for a comedy seems like a recipe for disaster, but how Hijiki Isoflavone weaved this intricate comedy can only best be described as a niche of sorts, very similar to Uramichi Oniisan. The story itself has some funny elements between Niyodo and Asahi, and each of them already had their charm from the get-go, that with the ghost possessing collaboration of an idol who's pretty much done with his job and the idol whom died but still wants to continue her legacy even after death, brings about the comedic tones that's just oh-so-perfect. Even more so with Yoshino being tagged along as the other half of ZINGS, try as hard as he might to convince the lazy, Uramichi Oniisan-influenced Niyodo to perform at his best, it depends on his mood to get over and deal with it, and that's already saying about his childlike voice that pleases the ears of the many. But don't go for a sec thinking that ZINGS are the only people that make up this show, because what makes it more engaging and entertaining are the side casts that amp up the insane comedy strikes that at times, can be a hit or miss. Manager Hitomi Shinano is the one that glues the duo together; the Niyodo (Hardcore, Happy Three Friends) Fan Club of Kasenjiki, Tsugiko and Shigutaro is a wild goose chase of having their post-night bar activities and analyzing each and every of Niyodo's actions and fantasizing to the insane degree. God I love the trio's unkempt dedication and endless praise to the dirtbag. And last but not least, where there's the main idol group, there'll be veteran groups, such as the case of the boy idol band Cgrass and its strange leader Hikaru Setouchi, whom has been the hardcore fan of Asahi's enough to sense the Phantom in Niyodo and clash the psychological battle of not being found out. Every character does at least make sense, from Niyodo's Uramichi Oniisan to Asahi's Idoly Pride, and the Niyodo Fan Club's Budoukan vibes giving the show its run for the comedy, which is definitely not for everyone, that it takes a certain level of people like you and me to enjoy the simplicity of a story that has the comedy driven in its own length of hilarity. I do feel that the need for CG in idol shows have since become the overrated usage, and this perception will not change for future idol shows going forward. Sadly, what Studio Gokumi has done here is only a touch above the average mean with somewhat mediocre but "acceptable" CGI for the dances, which to be honest, I would be happy if it didn't came with it just to save a measure of the insanely expensive anime production cost. Elsewhere, everything here just seems like an ordinary low-tier show that has been given a relatively small budget to work with since the anime didn't really set on fire for being just your oh-so-typical idol show with a unique twist, that come what may, will not change the perception of the majority out there. It's just alright and serviceable for a standard such as this. But where Kami Kuzu☆Idol really shines is in its songs, which is for the par of course, its own set of songs that have been curated for this sole purpose. Both Fumiya Imai and Shun Horie did a knockout job on their part as the main duo ZINGS of Niyodo and Yoshino respectively, given that the former is best well-known for Given's supporting boy Hiiragi Kashima and the latter, one of my favourite characters in a while: Dragon, Ie wo Kau.'s scaredy-cat dragon Letty (and KanoKari's simp Kazuya unfortunately). Even Nao Touyama as Asahi Mogami has had her share of fun being the ghost idol and also with one of her ED songs. Speaking of the OST, ZINGS's OP, holy wowsers is it very catchy and fun to listen to, and I'd be glad to put this amazing song on repeat for days on end, definitely one of my top OPs of the season. The many scores of ED songs range from decent to good, and I'm fine with all of them either way for a different mesh that serves up "bang"s (though not to the point of banger). All in all, I still thought that Kami Kuzu☆Idol a.k.a Phantom of the Idol would've been an underappreciated show, given the many tropes and its kinda lackluster freestyle way of storytelling. But this is part of the charm why this show works, and I for one, as mentioned in the beginning, embraced it and came out with a smile on my face. Maybe not the show that I would remember a season or 2 after it finishes, but all I can say is: thank you Kami Kuzu☆Idol for lighting up my sweltering Summer 2022 seasonal run, that despite the short 10-episode runtime, I didn't feel like I've wasted my time watching a show that's for the very niche. And even if you come out with a different feeling that this show isn't so much worth your time, if you just wanna chill out to idols and ghost possessions, the wacky comedy style, it'll do. Let's ZING! ZING for Smile! Kanojo, Okarishimasu / Rent-a-Girlfriend (Season 2)  The most infuriating show to many has come back, and this may as well be my hot take of the season, but I genuinely thought that Season 2 was good. I know just as much as the next person that this anime has some really bad flaws, but in my honest opinion, this season improved on a good amount of those negatives from season 1. The biggest one is Kazuya, yes Kazuya still has his moments where he is just a complete degenerate, but I can’t sit here and say that he did not improve at all from where he was last season. Plus, as much as a dumpster fire it can be, it still manages to be enjoyable to watch. Art: 8 It's the same animation and art Season 1 gave us. It's really solid for a rom-com, and all the character designs are plenty enjoyable to look at, while the animation is pretty clean. The characters blush so much though. Sound: 8 Hear me out, the opening kind of bangs, and the background music that comes with his anime always seems to fit the awkward tones that the anime gives off. Solid overall. Characters: 7 I know I said that Kazuya improved a bit this season, and while that is true, the characters as a batch can still be kind of annoying. I think Chizuru was great, especially the development she went through, and Kazuya went from bad to okay, but aside from that Mami is trash, Sumi can’t speak, and Ruka is legitimately a lunatic. But most of the season revolved around Chizuru and Ruka so it gets a good score. Story: 7 I think the background we got with Chizuru was phenomenal, but aside from that, this has to be my biggest negative. The story barely progressed. Like we got some good Kazuya and Chizuru moments, but there are still so many things that have been left unresolved. I still enjoyed it watching it though. If I were to assign a purpose to this show, it would be a grim reminder of how far gone some of mankind can be. Why do people seek romantic relationships so much, and get so discouraged when they can’t find someone? It’s simple. Each person has their inner narcissist boiling inside them. Everyone wants to be loved, for people to look at them positively, to be noticed. How do people try to solve this problem? They seek “cheap thrills”, instead of improving themselves. One’s youth has many paths, but some just search endlessly for relationships, instead of doing much more healthy things. Kazuya is a great example of this type of person, someone that no one should aspire to be. Alright, enough life talk, let’s get to this anime! Welcome back you degenerates! I can’t believe so many of you are back to enjoy the trashiness that is Rent-a-Girlfriend! The worst thing is, we know it’s trash, and still we come back for more. Are we starting to become as degenerate as Kazuya? Oh no… I can’t believe I have to say this, but I wish Mami showed up more this season. The reason that Season 1 was mildly enjoyable was because of all the drama, and the hate that the fandom had towards her. Her character felt quite watered down this season, and “mild”, which was unfortunate. Without all that drama, this season just felt like a generic romcom built on misunderstandings, and was kind of boring, to be honest. Well, there are some good points as well, (cough cough, Sumi), and it oddly feels like the inevitable next season might inspire just a teensy bit of hope. My grading criteria: Story: /25 Art: /10 Music: /10 Characters: /20 Enjoyment /15 Thematic Execution /20 STORY: 3.2/25 The story is a mess, and we expected this. Misunderstandings just aren’t a good formula to tell a story and watching Kazuya trying to diffuse them was just cringey. It’s hard to understand why the girls even put up with him, but that’s just how it is. Kazuya, you really don’t need to explain everything you do to everyone, unless it’s Ruka, I don’t think any of them care that much about your activities. It really could have been much better, if more of Chizuru’s ambitions towards her acting career were shown more, and if the emotional moments with her grandma were handled with more care. ART: 7.5/10 It’s not fantastic, but vibrant enough to look good. No complaints about the animation overall. MUSIC: 7.6/10 It’s hard to the top The Peggies, but the OP this season did somewhat grow on me as the season went along. The ED was rather tame compared to the hilarious one in Season 1. CHARACTERS: 3.7/20 The terrible character writing basically makes me want every character to lose in their lives, except for Sumi. I’ll talk about my thoughts about each character briefly. Chizuru was rather boring to watch this season, to be honest. We knew from Season 1 that she wanted to pursue a career in acting, and we didn’t see a whole lot of that this season. She has her moments as well, since her grandma was in the hospital, which showed her vulnerability. Why does Ruka even want to be with Kazuya? She was literally thrown to the wayside, but she still clings, and made bold moves this season. I’d feel bad for her, but apart from her love for Kazuya, there’s not much that makes her character stand out. There wasn’t enough drama this season, because Mami wasn’t prevalent. I know most hate her, but she was the source of entertainment, creating division and discussion. Hope she shows up more. Sumi’s my favourite character in this show, because she’s what makes the plot advance. She’s a genuinely good companion, and when Kazuya’s around her, Kazuya has to be more responsible, and I believe that Sumi brings out the best qualities of Kazuya. It’s a shame she’s not the main character though. Kazuya? He’s still trash, most of the time. Sumi, save him please. ENJOYMENT: 2.2/15 It’s not funny, it’s not trashy enough, and it’s cringe. When Sumi’s on the screen though, it’s awesome. THEMATIC EXECUTION: 2.8/20 I firmly believe that this show could have been so much better if the themes were executed better. If you want to be trashy, do it to the max. If you want to be emotional, do it to the max. Instead, they throw in jokes when Chizuru’s grandma was ill, and whenever there could be a sign of plot progression, it just never happens. OVERALL: 27/100 I didn’t expect this to be good, but I expected more from this season. It had the potential to be decent, if Chizuru’s acting career took centre stage, and if Kazuya cleared some misunderstandings. Instead, we just got a generic, trashy romcom that was hard to sit through. I do think though, to be a bit more optimistic, that next season (which has been announced), might be better, because believe it or not, Kazuya does sometimes reflect upon his actions, and that could be interesting. “Why am I here? Why are you here? Why are we still here? Just to suffer?” Well Miller, I’ll tell you. It’s been a while that I did a full review of an anime that I knew was going to be s**t. Listen, season one had an interesting start but as the season went on and we got exposed to Kazuya more and more with even more waifu bait, combining with an ending that was so on brand with the series, it wasn’t really shocking. It played a lot of rom-com tropes and clichés that it really had little originality besides its premise. Which never really got expanded on that much. Season two looked to continue where season one left off (in the wrong direction) and I didn’t really care to begin with since I knew it was going down hill before it even aired. But I watched it anyway and the best way to some up why I decided to watch season two was, “F**k it, why not?” Now after watching it, I find myself asking the question I had earlier, why am I here? I originally planned to do a review on Summertime Render instead of this, but the calls of roasting this show were strong and well, here we are. The show takes place right after Season 1, where it ended in a way that helped returned to the status quo. After that, Kazuya goes back to his usual routine of thinking how to get with Chizuru, overthinking everything and wa**ing to kingdom come (no pun intended). That’s it really. There is no major plot development happening as it pretty much follows what it did in season one. For better and for worse. Season two makes me question what exactly is the plan here? It very much feels like we are going in circles here with Kazuya and Chizuru’s relationship and pretty much goes for a “will they or won’t they?” approach when we pretty much know they will, they are just dragging this obnoxiously long because it’s so obvious; also taking in the fact as to how tropey this show is as well. This all leads to a lot of boredom and frustration because despite we already know the obvious, it doesn’t go anywhere. It tries to lead these little threads dangling like something will change or surprise you, but it just fails to fool you. It fails to subvert your expectations because trying to go against the tried but true formula will hurt its marketability. This was becoming a problem by the end of season one and it’s only been exasperated here. The main reason though I and I’m sure many other people, hate this series is our main protagonist, Kazuya. Kazuya was already feeling like one of the worst protagonists in rom-com anime but this season all but confirmed that not only the worst rom-com protagonist in anime, but one of the worst protagonists in anime period. Almost everything he does is infuriating as he continuously digs the hole he dug himself into and continues to dig. His constant doubts, constantly overthinking the situation, his complete obliviousness, constantly trying to lead Chizuru on, even though she ain’t biting, constantly leaving Ruka hanging that she may have a shot. Think every harem protagonist cliché and Kazuya is bound to have it. He does things that continuously infuriate me, and the way treats other girls makes me question what they see in him. He’s also hardly straight with them and refuses to try and set those things straight as doubt constantly creeps in and before you know it, the hole is getting deeper. Mate, look, I know rejection is hard and you have already been through it, but you not just coming out and saying it is only making it worse for not only yourself, but the people around you. He’s just keeps digging and digging until he has become ingrained. He has become ingrained into the hole and cannot escape. He does try at one point to change things but plot convenience means he’s still stuck in that hole. But it’s not like the girls are innocent in this too. Chizuru was a hardcore tsundere in season one and her tsundere tendencies have died down in season two but they have left a void in her personality to a point where she shows little personality for the majority of this season. She normally reacts to things with a shrug expression, acting like even she doesn’t want to be here as well. Yeah sure, she reacts in the obligatory, emotional scenes to get a tear jerk reaction but for most of this season, she is devoid of emotion. Ruka seems to be more clingy this season as she forces herself onto Kazuya even though she knows damn well he likes Chizuru more. Granted, it doesn’t help that Kazuya is leading her on to think she has a shot. Now if you were to ask me what camp I would stand for this show, it would be camp Ruka. After this season, not so much. She has become more irritating and should really look for someone else because her constant obsession to get Kazuya to love him back is not going to work and we, the viewer, know that. But she goes so far as to blackmail Kazuya to get what she wants, fully aware that it hurts the people affected, INCLUDING THE PERSON SHE IS TRYING TO DATE. So it just comes across as annoying and act as the other option. Again this isn’t strictly her fault, but to say she’s not innocent is wrong as she tries to sabotage things so she can have Kazuya all to herself. Sumi is just there, again. She arrived late into season one so we didn’t really know much about her except that she is really shy. In season two, it’s pretty much the same, she’s just there to be a cute face. I’m also joining her camp now because she hasn’t done anything wrong, YET. But to be honest, I believe she will continue just there to be cute so I have more confidence in my choice. Mami’s screentime is reduced from season one as she makes infrequent appearances and it’s usually only to stir trouble by checking on Kazuya and see if she can try to belittle him for what he is doing, even though SHE’S TOTALLY RIGHT. The problem is that she comes across like a complete b**ch while doing it, so she becomes just as hateful as the people she is belittling. Another problem is she has nothing to do with Kazuya any more since breaking up with him so why she going out of her way to do it? Is she merely a plot device to see what Kazuya is doing is wrong? Or is it to take out her problems on someone else? If either both are so, it doesn’t feel like the message is coming across well. She played the, “character you love to hate,” mould well but then you see Kazuya on screen doing more and more bad s**t, her main defining trait doesn’t lead much of an impact so she still acts as a b**ch but not in a meaningful way. All these girls besides Sumi have had their problems as characters grow and they seem to be developing new ones as well. It continues to get more and more degrading as time goes on. Not helped by the fact that Kazuya continues to be a piece of s**t and doesn’t fix the problems that he, himself, has created. It goes on and on to the point where the narrative basically boils down to how far does the hole need to go? Who in their right mind thinks that characters performing actions that only make you dislike them (and not in a good way) and not sensible humans would make for an interesting narrative? Can someone please get Sumi out of this s**tstain of a show before she might become a disliked character as well. In the animation and sound department, nothing really has changed from season one. The animation is still mediocre at best but the character designs for our female leads are still very pretty. Say what you want about their personalities, at least they are designed to be drop dead gorgeous, with good fashion sense as well. Soundtrack still remains good in my opinion (one of the very few high points) with it trying to capture these emotional scenes better than the characters, but feels wasted in a show that fails to invoke any emotion other than hatred and apathy. Which leaves the opening and the ending. The opening from season one was actually a really good opening with it being visually solid and gave you the impression that this would be a fun show full of lively characters. While only half of that was sort of true, the OP was still a fun one. Season two’s OP however feels like a poor imitation of Season 1's OP. Titled, "Himitsu Koi Gokoro" by CHiCO with HoneyWorks, it pretty much follows the same beats, except it’s not done as well. It’s not as lively or catchy, nor is there much energy into it. It reuses the same scene when the chorus kicks in and uses a scene from Season 1 to, I guess, match up the lyrics for the song but fails doing so. This feels so inferior that it actually matches the quality of the show. The ED is just a collection of still images having the four main girls be centre stage. Titled, "Ienai feat. asmi" by MIMiNARI, it feels like a wasted vocal performance of an ED that just looks quite bland in what I can only describe as an alternate universe where Kazuya doesn’t exist, and the four girls get along because of it. Granted, it does bring out the girl’s cuteness, so I’ll give them that. It is better than season one’s ED where Kazuya was figuratively jacking it (unfortunately not in San Diego) because the only thing good about that ED was its symbolism. This review was honestly a review of not just season two but also the building gripes that I had of season one and it honestly felt like a review of both season one and two. Season two seems to take season one’s problems but only increases the intensity of them while also creating new problems that this season created. It slowly becomes a rabbit hole of aimless story direction and unlikeable characters that only gets worse the more you think about it. With that in mind, I just want to say this: I’m done. I’m done with this s**tstain of a protagonist that treats the people around him poorly and makes decisions that only get worse. I’m done with a plot that contrives its way to keep the girls around this pathetic protagonist while having no idea what it wants to do next despite knowing where it wants to end. I’m done with these girls that do things that only make you want to hate them and are simply pretty faces used to sell waifu figures. I’m done with a series that treats its audience like f**king simpletons by appealing to the lowest, degenerate graphic through clichés and tropes that they know work but don’t do anything to subvert or change to make it feel more unique. Listen, I’m not saying that I’m above it and I’m not a degenerate. Far from it, I have recently watched Monster Musume. I’ve sat down and watched episodes of Harem in the Labyrinth of Another World and Vermeil in Gold this season. What I’m saying is that it doesn’t try to be anything but appealing to the lowest common denominator that it knows we can be suckers for. Hell, it got me to watch this s**tshow again, but that was because I wanted to see if it would get worse and it did. From what I can gather as well, it would seem that it is going to get worse from here. We’ve still yet to reach THAT CHAPTER yet. You know the one, the one that exploded on Twitter and it ending with Kazuya posing for the cover of the next Nirvana album. That will probably bring me back out of sheer curiosity to see how it gets animated. But for now, I’m done. If you are still able to sit through and watch this series beyond this season, well more power to you mate, you clearly have a higher tolerance to this than I do. But I will be one of those people who will wash their hands and say, “I’ve had enough.” Story: 1/10 (A story that feels aimless and is trudging through mud at a ridiculously slow pace with what feels like little progress.) Characters: 2/10 (Sumi is the only you can like because she hasn’t done anything that would make you want to punch her in the face for being a bad person.) Animation: 5/10 (Animation is still painfully mediocre but the character designs are still on point.) Sound: 6/10 (Soundtrack is still good but hampered by a slightly worse OP but a slightly better ED.) My Personal Enjoyment: 1/10 (I’m done) Overall score: 3.0/10 Recommendation: Don’t F**king Bother Kinsou no Vermeil ～Gakeppuchi Majutsushi wa Saikyou no Yakusai to Mahou Sekai wo Tsukisusumu～ / Vermeil in Gold  Kinsou no Vermeil a.k.a Vermeil in Gold's the spiritual sequel to Zero no Tsukaima...and truthfully, I would rather just re-watch the former series all over again than hobble over this decent-to-good show, because it's playing with my feelings like a boobs see-saw as the fulcrum. I have a very heavy bias for (Rest In Peace) Noboru Yamaguchi's Zero no Tsukaima a.k.a The Familiar of Zero. Heck, this was the very first anime I've ever watched back in my teenage years of adolescence, and still to this day it's immense classic nostalgia even after a decade and years to come. The reason why I say this is because mangaka Kouta Amana's work is just an exact copy of it, save for the gender swap where the male becomes the master, and the female becomes the familiar that's summoned from wherever the magic foretolds creatures to come forth and make a contract between master and familiar. And truth be told, this is just the overarching story that's just copied and pasted from the similar source, from being an undulated harem magnet to fighting evil with good's magic powers, and this concept while groundbreaking at the time (before it was even called Isekai) certainly got stale as time passes, and such stories like these are considered bland now with no room to spare for originality. Honestly, I don't know how the dude got his influence, but there is an inference point, and sad to say that it's kinda a generic, shallow one. The most important focal point is the interactions between the master and the familiar, and I would say that between the genius student Alto Goldfield, whose constant A stars earn the admiration of the entire Ortigia Academy of Magic, and his familiar of a voluptuous boobie succubus female demon named Vermeil that's sealed in a grimoire for 200 years, the fateful moment of rapture with her release certainly brings colour to Alto's life, both externally and sexually with the innuendos. Alto has a harem, and that only exists in the form of his childhood friend Lilia Kudelfeyt, who tries her best to designate herself as his "lover" by surrounding Alto and scaring the other girls off, including Vermeil. Truth to be honest, Zero no Tsukaima does the formula much better by being in the same ecchi, fantasy realm of interest and entertainment, though I'd reckon that this show also done the same tried-and-true, only to end up having a mixed result. Of course, Alto himself is a wimp who does what he does best: being a pushover to the point of edge where he's just like a fanservice character awaiting to expose either Vermeil or Lilia's ecchi moments. But when it comes to the guidance of magic, he becomes a different being altogether, being able to channel all that mana that's thanks to Vermeil's demonic powers that hasn't been seen since the calamity days. And this is not without merit, for Alto turns from the annoying to the selfless character, understanding that he is fighting on Vermeil's side and also loving her like just how a master would to its servant. So, there is both good and bad sides to the MC. And while the motive is just stereotypical for the time given the formula, it's almost insulting now that there's no depth to it. Everybody else seems stereotypical for its premise, even the villains, so it being based on a tried-and-true formula that's actually well-paced to the manga's first 4 volumes, likewise, there's good and bad when you can see it. For a first try at the scale of TV anime production, Staple Entertainment did surprisingly well, and I would say that the decent effort actually rivals many other low-budget studios and pitting against quality that it puts thse low-tier studios to shame, that's speaking volumes for a predominantly Hentai studio for a start. There's actual work being put through its paces, and even if the production staff team are a bunch of no-names, they actually captured the essence of the manga and adapted it to the T, which is great to see. Even when there's sakuga being planted in the action, it doesn't waver, and as I've said before, for a very new studio with only a single Hentai work to its name, the hope that more people will be aware of this studio source exists to request to do more contractual work on anime, please. It's better than what we bargained for in its genericness. Song-wise, this is one of Kaori Ishihara's better efforts, given that she's helming 2 songs this season: this show and Isekai Yakkyoku. Both songs are decent as per her quality of average-to-decent songwriting, and I would take it or leave it. The surprise however is Mili's ED, which comes in a foreboding tone of solemn and relapse of anchoring the torments of Vermeil's life from young till her current days. But I still think that the OST is so-so, so let's just leave it at that. I would say, if you desire the days of Zero no Tsukaima, but don't want to tread through the seasons from start to finish nor want to actually watch it in the first place, this is a somewhat decent alternative that unfortunately doesn't stand out for more than just a guilty pleasure that can make you feel deep at times. It's as if it's trying to bring back a trend that was once popular that with the invigoration of the Isekai genre (that killed this trend) that made it fall. This ain't so much a rarity nowadays, but clustered into the fantasy genre that no longer goes well with the times. It's an acquired taste, I would pretty much summarize it that way. Vermeil in Gold was ultimately a fun time but was also a show that carried some notable flaws. There’s no denying it’s another degenerate show and has a lot of degenerate qualities that both makes this show fun to watch but also holds it back when it gets forced in at random intervals. The story as well is a bit aimless with not having a clear direction where it wants to go and is very much a see what happens kind of plot. It also doesn’t really make much use of its setting and world and falls under generic high school with a magic twist. The cast of characters are simply alright. Their likable but there is nothing that makes them stand out and one of the main elements of this show, the relationship between Alto and Vermeil doesn’t have that good of chemistry despite both being somewhat enjoyable characters. Plus, the villains are completely forgettable and don’t leave a lasting impression. The animation is above average with the fanservice being solid and the soundtrack is just fine, it does its job but nothing special. The real standout is the ED where Mili puts in another great performance and feels out of place when you first start watching it but makes more sense as the show goes on. Despite everything though, it is a show I would say outperforms its uninspiring parts to a fun time but does nothing special to make it stand out. Story: 4/10 Characters: 5/10 Animation: 6/10 Sound: 5.5/10 My Personal Enjoyment: 6.5/10 Overall Score: 5.4/10 Recommendation: Consider it Kumichou Musume to Sewagakari / The Yakuza's Guide to Babysitting  Gokushufudou, Hinamatsuri or even Spy X Family, the wholesome Yakuza family version...but is it all true as the source material implies with the same tropes? This is the first anime adaptation of a Micro Magazine Comic ELMO title, and mangaka Tsukiya's only work that once got its start as a web manga posted on the author's Twitter and pixiv accounts under the title "Gokudou Musume to Sewagakari" (you can see the Gokushufudou semblance here). Regardless, as much as Yakuza families go, there have been some that has made the rounds with their inert similarities with one another, taking one aspect and fusing it with the other in the author's own ways. Gokushufudou showed how a high-ranking member operates his life by putting both work and private life separate; Hinamatsuri has the same babysitting fare but with comedy that is just oh-so-perfect; and Spy X Family brought the family dynamic to the table. And Kumichou Musume to Sewagakari a.k.a The Yakuza's Guide to Babysitting is just that: a guide for Yakuza members to also be productive members of society while hiding their identities as a secret that's known inside and outside the household. It is by no means a new type of show, but at least it gets the job done about a Yakuza being heralded as the one who's meant not to be trifled with, experience a 180 of a character change with his boss's daughter for babysitting. This is exactly the case for the Yakuza Crusher "Demon" Toru Kirishima, being the right hand-man of the Sakuragi Family under Kazuhiko's control and introducing his 7-year-old daughter Yaeka for a literate babysitting job. That's it. No whimsical plot premises, no over-convoluted setting, just pure familial goodness, and for the most part, it's just "fine" that's nothing amazing, but still, this can be a pretty good time waster (to which I'm kinda regretting a bit on the inside). Everyone inside and outside of the Sakuragi Family is at least interconnecting to one another, save for some bad apples that have tried to retaliate to the Sakuragi Demon that is Kirishima. Both Kirishima and Yaeka has the aforementioned father figure-cum-daughter feel, which can look wholesome, but this is where the "nothing happens" syndrome really hits the source material like rocks befalling onto a garbage can of a shallow premise, being an echo-chamber to reiterate the same pointers again and again. At least for the other assistants (or minions) under Kirishima rather, I do quite take a liking to his right-hand man and close buddy that is Kei Sugihara. He's such a hilarious idiot that's a sight to behold, unconsciously playing along with Kirishima's antics, and you could feel the difference between his conversations with him, Kirishima and Yaeka. Even rival families (one obnoxious character comes in the form of Yuri Mashiro) and close friends like Aoi Tochiro made their presence feel felt in the face of Kirishima's overall life that's just a matter of unforgivings for his past erratic behaviour. It gets a deserving pass overall for being just OK at best, and that's not saying much. But otherwise, the show has a pretty consistent production phase along its run thanks to the studio co-collab between feel. and Gaina (formerly Fukushima Gainax), and as you would expect of a light-hearted show, it gets all of its notes right from the get-go. This trickles down to the OST of being a "fine and OK" level, though uplifting, they are not as memorable when the show wraps up. Yes, while that may not be a bad thing as it could help construct the family dynamic as both the source material and anime now as should, as Gertrude Stein puts it: "Repeating is the whole of living, and by repeating comes understanding, and understanding is to some the most important part of living.", but as Rose Wilder Jane puts it: "Constant repetition dulls receptivity.", and it's a shame that the latter is what I felt while watching the show. I like shows that have a family-found rhethoric (a la last season's Deaimon), but for some reason, Tsukiya's Kumichou Musume to Sewagakari...really doesn't bring anything new to the table, and that I feel is a mistake to repeat the tried-and-true formula without something that will make it stand out amongst the crowded space of similar works. It can be decent at spots, and that's the lingering on my tongue to say that it's fine, it's OK. Take it or leave it, it's your choice. Family. It’s the essence of most of my emotion nowadays, and in modern media, any type of familial bonding just hits me in the feels, every time. We saw little tidbits of that in this show, and I only wish they executed the importance of family even better, but it’s alright, because Kirishima and Yaeka’s relationship is pure sweetness and wholesomeness to the extreme. Babysitting shows always remind me of Hinamatsuri, a wonderful show that was wholesome, emotional, and extremely funny, and it’s hard not to compare the two shows. What this show lacked was a more creative approach to humour, and while it’s very wholesome, it felt unfocused and the story didn’t flow very smoothly, but I enjoyed what we got. My grading criteria: Story: /25 Art: /10 Music: /10 Characters: /20 Enjoyment /15 Thematic Execution /20 STORY: 14/25 It’s very sweet, and I can’t emphasize that enough. The relationships are sweet, the dialogue is sweet, the personalities of the characters are sweet. It didn’t have much else to tell though, and while it tried to go in a darker route at times with all the yakuza shenanigans, the tonal shifts felt awkward, because we’d have a set up for darker times ahead, and then proceed back to playing in a playground in the next episode instead of following the dark storyline. It just felt disorganized and unfocused. It felt like a lot of set up at times with no clear conclusion. The villains were kind of just all over the place, and they felt underwhelming as well. Overall, there isn’t much to write home about the plot, there are just many cute moments and honestly, I’m ok with the simplicity, but I wish the darker moments were executed in a more clear fashion. ART: 6.8/10 Not the biggest fan of the character designs, but they’re alright. Nothing special in terms of animation, it just works. MUSIC: 7/10 The soundtrack is pretty simple, and fits the tone of the show well. While I didn’t enjoy the OP and ED very much, it still works for the show. Nothing too special. CHARACTERS: 13/20 There was a lot of potential with the characters, but in my opinion, just not enough time to flesh them out. If we get a season 2, I’m sure that they’ll be better developed. The cast of characters are fun to watch, and wholesome to the max. Kirishima, the babysitter of Yaeka, probably had the biggest change within himself. He was a cold, and rather brutal yakuza member, and after being tasked with taking care of his boss’s daughter, he became nicer, and learned how to be more responsible. Sugihara existed for decent comedic relief, though his bits did get a bit repetitive as the show progressed. There were some emotional moments too, and a few backstories that were engaging to watch. Each character had their own pasts and some of them had a rather dark one. With more time, I’m sure the characters will keep gaining depth to them and feel more interesting. ENJOYMENT: 11.5/15 I loved the wholesome moments and the family moments; they always get me in the feels. THEMATIC EXECUTION: 14.5/20 They were going for wholesomeness, and they did that very nicely, the theme of babysitting was really hammered home. The darker moments felt a bit short at times, but some of the moments hit pretty hard, and it would have been better if the darker moments were in consecutive episodes rather than sprinkled in every once in a while. OVERALL: 66.8/100 If you like wholesome shows, I’d gladly recommend this. While it definitely wasn’t my favourite show of this nature, it achieved what it was trying to convey decently, it just lacked focus. That said, I enjoyed my time watching this, and I’d love to see more of Kirishima and Yaeka having the time of their lives together. This show was definitely some heartwarming fun with plenty of sweet, family moments. It is another subverting Yakuza themed anime by giving it a twist that one of the members who lacks some humanity so they must take care of the boss’ daughter. Yet is manages to pull it off really well by having very likeable characters. The growing bond between Kirishima and Yaeka was the main highlight of the as you can see how these two influence each other to help them grow out of their respective shells. It helps having a good supporting cast around them to affect their lives as well and help give more life the narrative since it is a very character driven plot. Put it helps keep it engaging. It’s a solid good time that can provide good feels with a prime candidate for best boy this season with Tooru Kirishima. Very good recommendation for those who liked shows like Spy x Family or Hinamatsuri. Story: 7/10 Characters: 8/10 Animation: 7/10 Sound: 6.5/10 My Personal Enjoyment: 7.5/10 Overall Score: 7.2/10 Recommendation: Watch It[ Kuro no Shoukanshi / Black Summoner  EHHH...how many generic Isekai anime adaptations are we gonna have in each and every season until the folks in Japan realize that the forumla's starting to get stale? Certainly no, no not one, because it's all the good rage in the East while everywhere else in the world is getting dysfunctional at this stage. And for one Doufu Mayoi (which I believe is the pen name for the author, and also, I just like that the given name is literally Doufu "豆腐", which means "tofu" in Chinese), his first-ever work that is Kuro no Shoukanshi a.k.a Black Summoner which got its start as a Syosetu title in 2014 before being a serialized LN in 2016, certainly was telling of a time where a lot of other authors were concocting their various Isekai ideas as well for a trial start. From the likes of Ryo Shirakome's Arifureta which debuted a year earlier in 2013 to Dojyomaru's Realist Hero debuting the same year as this show's web novel, it was untested waters when Rifujin no Maganote's Mushoku Tensei was the unbeaten domineering Isekai title at the time for at least 2 years. It was definitely a trying time for all to see what could capture the attention of the Japanese folks, and Black Summoner was one of the few that thrived that is now 17 volumes long and ongoing. But numbers alone don't tell the success of the source material, and rather it leans on the story plot, which is just a skimpy Kirito rip-off travelling in a world that he was just Isekai-ed to, and making his establishment based on what he has going for him. And for Kelvin, he is just that same boring, cliché and OP MC that you've seen a million times over with no originality put whatsoever. Only except that he is a reincarnated Summoner, a class job that is practically unheard of but to the certain few in the fantasy world that's known for being the strongest: the S-rank notion of powerful abilities in exchange of his real world's memories. And in his class, he's the best battle junkie: someone who's always looking for a worthy fight with powerful adventurers and monsters to tackle with. This is what makes Kelvin unique. How Kuro no Shoukanshi a.k.a Black Summoner went is by the best of both worlds, and by that I mean that it combines this season's Tensei Kenja no Isekai Life and Isekai Meikyuu Harem's formulas into one with the whole monster tamer thingie-a-bob and the OP MC purchasing a slave and having a harem of his own (though it's not explained explicitly). Oh, and some other shows like Fantasy Bishoujo Juniku Ojisan to for the whole Isekai "god" angle (that thankfully ain't a criticism-based one)...and I think that's it. It honestly sounds like a wishy-washy premise, yet how novelist Doufu Mayoi envisioned this work to be, it's one of a typical slow burn, something that like Isekai Meikyuu Harem was going for in terms of its pacing, which to be honest isn't a bad thing, and it opens the opportunities for a future season to come. But why watch mediocre trash Isekai like this when you can spend the precious limited time watching something better, like Mushoku Tensei? Kelvin's party of members isn't all that bad either, in fact they are quite decent. Starting off with the monster tamer's side to contract (which really looks a lot like Pokemon but different), we have the blue monster slime that is Clotho. Sure, it doesn't have the same personality as say Tensei Slime's Rimuru Tempest or the batch of slimes in Tensei Kenja no Isekai Life, but I quite like its own unique personality that always never fails to put a smile on my face. Next is the unequivocal trope of "elves being slaves to torture and sell" that is Efil. Honestly, this idea is getting more overused and more often than not, brings a sour taste with it, but with Efil, Kelvin raised her to become an archer, so that's character development. Next is Gerard, a Blackghost Knight, bound to Earth by the pain and anger of losing his wife and kids, and fights with Kelvin in some dope-ass (well, not really) CGI to become his 2nd contractual monster. After that, is Sera, the daughter of a demon lord (or demon king in this case). It's as typical as it comes to be on a master-servant level after some fights or so. The other gap to fill comes from Melfina, the Goddess of Reincarnation, the same goddess which brought Kelvin into the fantasy world but hidden from view as an interactive game menu. Together, the S-rank Summoner and his 4 party members, plus one Rion, travel across their land, seeking for wild adventures and as per Melfina's direction to improve the summoned Heroes (because it ain't an Isekai without one) to face their fated destiny to defeat the Demon Lord. Just interpret at how antiquated all of this looks like, it's just your standard stereotypical and generic Isekai with nothing unique to offer. Where everywhere shines in its mediocrity, the same story could be said about its production. This is easily one of Satelight's most recent low points (same as is with last Fall's Sakugan), and the studio really hasn't had a hit since Winter 2020's Somali to Mori no Kamisama a.k.a Somali and the Forest Spirit and the Symphogear series At this point, I'm thinking that it's the beginning of the end for the once prolific studio. This show easily screams of a low budget production, and that could be why Gerard is the only character that acts in full-on 3DCG. I wouldn't say it's a shame, but that it wasn't that impressive to begin with in the first place. What's not a wish-wash is definitely the music and its kinda subpar OST. The OP itself is amazing, courtesy of popular Vocaloid producer Kaikiri Bear that just recently launched her newest project under the name "RetBear", an “anonymous” unit that she is paired to with a different unknown vocalist for each song. And this is evidently shown in the OP, smeared with the psychedelic visuals coupled with the unknown vocalist 10fu's high vocals that's tuned exactly to the pumpin' beats. The same story goes to the ED, which Minori Suzuki has been hitting banger after banger songs, and the 2 renditions of her song "Wherever": the earlier original which helms the majority of an instrumental melancholic feel, and the later full-on vocals (which is the remix version) that brightens the song more, both versions are great, though I will opt for the original version instead being a very musicality person. When all is said and done, an Isekai's an Isekai, that's the hard-and-fast awful truth, and this show is really nothing special from the story to its characters. It just all speaks genericness, and if this does get a Season 2, it may still be the trashworthy Isekai, but I'm willing to see what lies ahead that actually is accountable and tallied towards its popularity in Japan. But for now, it's just a cake walk with no challenge that can be taken seriously, and this is just about as diminishing as the overall show can be. |
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Oct 23, 2022 12:45 PM
#4
Lycoris Recoil  I’m going to start this with a quick shout-out to A1 pictures for doing a really good job with this anime original. Lycoris Recoil seemed to be the surprise of the season for many as it quickly shot up in popularity. I must say that at first, I was skeptical but with a really solid second half of the season I have to agree. The anime did a great job with just developing a story and getting us attached to the characters while still delivering those deep heartfelt moments. Now it's not perfect, but it was a really enjoyable watch. Art: 10 The art in this anime was phenomenal, the character's designs were really creative and enjoyable, the animation was smooth with its movements and fight scenes, and the music would always deliver. All backed up by really good voice acting too. Just watching the anime was a pleasure to my eyes. Characters: 9 So, I can't lie I almost gave this a 10. As I think most of the characters were developed really well in a short time, and there is so much much good chemistry behind each one. I think the protagonist duo is excellent and was always enjoyable well they shared the screen, but I also think characters like Kurumi and Mika were also done really well (Mika my personal favorite). But the one minor flaw that I have is that I personally thought the main antagonist Majima could have better motives for his actions and I thought he was okay at best in my personal opinion. Story: 8 Now this score may seem a little low but it's because I really think this anime thrives with the characters more than anything else. I didn’t think the story was really where my enjoyment came with this anime, and so with Majima being the main driving force of the story, I thought it was good but not great, however, the subplots that were intertwined were a lot better, especially the stuff surrounding Yoshi. Overall, it's a good watch I’d recommend to anyone. 8/10 Mother's Basement: "John Wick, But Make it Anime", where Geoff Thew embraces the "stupid awesome" John Wick-like vitality of the anime. The Canipa Effect: "Lycoris Recoil is an Ideal Original Anime", where Callum May highlights the production team behind Lycoris Recoil to see what makes an ideal original anime. Hideo Kojima, creator of Metal Gear: "I stumbled upon Lycoris Recoil by accident, AND I LOVED IT." The show's title being accidentally discovered, that's reminiscent of the critically acclaimed 2021 film "Licorice Pizza" (“Licorice” and “Lycoris” are spelled identically in Japanese: リコリス in Katakana) while actually searching on Amazon Prime for the multiple Academy Award-winning film CODA. To only then read the synopsis about a girl working in a cafe with a license to kill, and thinking to himself if this is typical of Japanese anime standards, by which at that time, he already surpassed the 3-episode rule and was catching onto Episode 4 (where it was the now-iconic episode with the pair of boxers and the aquarium "date" with Takina's fish-posing "Sakana"), and made him remember when was the last time he went to an aquarium. In the end to finally close out, saying that he's definitely watching the rest of the show going forward. He's even now endorsing the anime's LN spin-off Lycoris Recoil: Ordinary Days (which has just recently released in Japan), commenting that: “I’ll Recoil my Lyco-like genes!“ These are just some YouTube videos and a Twitter tweet that have been making the scenes since Lycoris Recoil came out, and it's safe to say that in a sequel-heavy season that's full of long-awaited classics returning years after their original seasons first came out (only two are better but the rest are duds), this has been the anime, and I mean THE anime that has consistently charted as a top show of the season. Yes, that sequel gold medal belongs to the 2nd season of Made in Abyss: Retsujitsu no Ougonkyou a.k.a The Golden City of the Scorching Sun, but I'd argue to say that LycoReco (the show's title shortened for speakeasy) makes it on par being the show that's a no-brainer competition for Summer 2022's AOTS (and objectively AOTY masterpiece material). The 1st secret to LycoReco's wild, immense popularity and success is a great story and premise. And to put it simply, there is just no equal against LycoReco's setting, thanks in part to Asaura, the mangaka of Ben-To, and to date, his only reputation work that got a decent anime adaptation courtesy of David Production more than a decade ago. And as one such reviewer put it: "Ben-To is philosophy. Ben-To is art. Ben-To is everything, but bad for your health." Ben-To (that's a moniker for the iconic Japanese Bento food box) features an all-out action about a male MC and girls fighting to do whatever it takes to buy unsold bento boxes at discounted prices, and friend or foe, this battle fighting for honor, pride and dinner, there's only winners and losers in this frantic battle and the learning point of what it truly means to fight for food. Now take a look at LycoReco, and it's just about the same, or dare I say it's even better featuring Hideo Kojima's reminiscent Metal Gear trademarks of stealth and anti-terrorism themes about a secret organization/agency ("DA", Direct Attack) that keeps its setting of Japan crime-free that's doing a better job than the typical municipal police corporation, with their agents being girls that are orphaned and trained to their standards, giving them the "Lycoris" badge trademark that certifies them, that like a fire that should be put out immediately, to carry out assassinations with none the wiser. All of this is naturally made like cover-ups so as to not spread fear to the public and keep Japan safe and sound, but it also begets those in full rebellion over this top-secret "spy" agency to by hook or by crook, expose DA for their "nonchalant" claims about a "safe" Japan that isn't much discussed about until being made publicly with their terrorism acts. It's definitely a neck-and-neck experience of asking yourself: "Which side should I side on: the people working behind the scenes that I do not see even if they are perfectly camouflaged within the everyday groups of civilians, or the people inflicting and causing damages just so they could give a spotlight to those that have been working for their own purposes?" And regardless of what you think about both sides, they are both legitimate to exercise their own duty to preserve both peace and conflict respectively, no matter what it takes to brandish a whole new Japan according to their rules. And this honestly, just throws Ben-To's source material out of the wall, and Asaura may have found his one and only prized possession instead, 11 years after Ben-To came out for everyone to spike LycoReco with over-the-top (and moon), notched-up greatness. The 2nd secret to LycoReco's wild, immense popularity and success is endearing and beloved characters, with the designs provided by Imigimuru, the mangaka of one of my all-time favorite manga: Kono Bijutsubu ni wa Mondai ga Aru! (KonoBi) a.k.a This Art Club Has a Problem! At the start of the show, we are presented with Takina Inoue: an accomplished DA agent, whom amidst her serious and confident spirit, only demands perfection with her immense skills, and will constantly step in to finish the missions as a lonewolf. But when something like an extermination of enemies that's all in a state to save her teammate goes awry, she indiscriminately put everyone's lives on stake, that ultimately resulted in her immediate dismissal for neglect of duty. Down but not out, DA's Commander Kusunoki sentenced her to work at LycoReco, which looking from the outside, does look like a typical-looking cafe. But inside it, is another working branch of DA that houses the following: the Afro-American manager Mika, the typical worker Mizuki Nakahara, the skilled hacker Kurumi (also known by her codename "Walnut") and the lovable GOAT that is Chisato Nishikigi. LycoReco's manager Mika is a former DA instructor who left the agency for his own reasons, and this is in effect thanks to the other entity that would come to be known as the Alan Institute, an institution that conducts experiments to eke out only the best and greatest people that are worthy of its name. So, think of this as something very similar to You-Zitsu a.k.a Classroom of the Elite's "White Room" of sorts. Together with the cafe's regular customer that is Shinji Yoshimatsu, both men and Chisato share a bond that would help the latter to grow into the fine assassin that she is now, though their initial promise is to make Chisato as a mass weapon of destruction that Mika backed out of due to his change of heart. The cafe's worker Mizuki, she's just your typical lazy bum, but it's not like she's the average character, NOPE. Not at all. Instead, Mizuki is a fun addition to LycoReco's crew being all that "extravagant" of wanting to live the life of a married woman and not a spinster, even going as far as to get a job at DA in the hopes of getting married. But in all honesty, Mizuki's unmarried gag punchline is just as wholesome as it is hilarious to watch being everyone's joker that at times, excel at what she does and helps with the crew as much as possible. Kurumi or "Walnut" on the other hand, she is a reliable lonewolf hacker whom was once responsible for hacking on DA's AI system Radiata (which is known as Lycoris radiata a.k.a (Red) Spider Lily, which its name is credited as the anime's original work), but due to competition, risks her life to request asylum to be transferred to LycoReco at the cusp of her killing, initiated by yet another rival hacker, the Alan Institute's robot-shaped headgear worn Robota. Both her and Robota are great hackers in their own right, but they operate on both extreme ends in the typical fight against good and evil. That brings us all to the GGOAT/GWOAT (that stands for Greatest Girl/Woman of All Time) that is Chisato Nishikigi. Chisato is in all essence, why LycoReco works as a show; as a concept; as one that has consistently wowed us and putting a showstopper for all the world to see; and definitely one that has earned its immense praises globally. Starting off with her origins in DA, Chisato is known as the agency's most prized possession, the greatest agent in its history to date. Due to her upbringing thanks to both Mika and Yoshimatsu in the Alan Institute, Chisato is to the point of being a "superhuman", where her point-blank range bullet dodging is her most signature trademark, and instead of real firearms, she uses rubber bullets so as not to carelessly take a life and call it a day. There are more mysteries to Chisato, but one that must be spoken is her familiarity with LycoReco's antagonist character: Majima. Unlike Chisato siding on the terms of the good, Majima is just straight-out a villain that's akin to MHA's Tomura Shigaraki, one that's hell-bent on exposing DA to the ends of the earth, no matter the terrorist stunts, and certainly no matter the cartilage and damages done just to get his point across to seek for a "balance" in an otherwise artificial-looking peacekeeping world. And like "Walnut" Kurumi working for LycoReco, his backup helper is Robota, so both sides are equally matched when it comes to technical prowess. But most importantly (and THIS is the CRUX of the show), you can't have LycoReco with Chisato alone being the front girl always at their service. That is where Takina comes in after Commander Kusunoki's dismissal command, and at first glance, the disparity between the playful and the serious creates an inner conflict that the former cannot get rid of due to her stubbornness and unwillingness to compromise. Overtime, Takina slowly grows used to LycoReco's business as both the alternate DA branch's forward and as a cafe itself, selling both Western and Japanese sweets to the unassuming public. This fresh take for Takina also provides immense character development to Chisato, that instead of being an ill-bred infectious rodent thanks to her teammates Fuki Harukawa and Sakura Otome (former team leader and replacement respectively), she subsequently gave in to Chisato's whims, and slowly and surely, Takina has become the "Yuri-like" character that's a perfect complement to Chisato, going from being hated to being just as lovable as the former. Honestly, say what you will about the Yuri-ness of Chisato and Takina's relationship, but they're like a dream team that was born out of a necessity. It's just a case of a flawless execution. The 3rd secret to LycoReco's wild, immense popularity and success is the amazing production that's featured in the show thanks to A-1 Pictures, really giving it their A-1 grade trademark. And this is a bit of a wild story, as when Asaura's former editor-in-charge had a meeting about SaeKano with Shinichiro Kashiwada (studio producer, that we would come to know of as the other A-1 Pictures original anime "Engage Kiss" also airing on Saturday), he talked about Asaura's works, "This guy is yabai (crazy)." He (former editor-in-charge) then introduced Asaura to Kashiwada, which the former later received an invitation of a new anime project, being that the latter had read his 2013 LN Death Need Round (the 2nd most popular after Ben-To) which is a "girls with guns" work. Asaura therefore decided to include guns in the new story, created the main characters and the world view, with some deliverables including the synopsis and a few short novels. But this is not all, for the replication to real-world scenes is also what makes LycoReco interesting, such as the case of some scenes taking place in Sumida, Tokyo and featuring Kinshicho Park, Sumida Aquarium, the water bus on Sumida River, aerial view of Ryōgoku, etc. It's this attention to detail that also makes the show stand out. But in the midst of crunch time, it's the staff team that could only make all of this possible, and this is wired down from the hands of one Shingo Adachi, who is making his directional debut after working as both character designer and chief animation director of the Working!! series and his most recent work of SAO: Alicization and Ordinal Scale. And truthfully, Shingo Adachi got all the bang for his buck, and definitely even more for the outta-the-wazoo ridiculousness that is LycoReco, yet is also much subtle and provides the kick and depth of flavour that you can only wish to see in high-quality anime production. And beneath him, you also cannot discount the efforts from chief ADs Yukari Takeuchi, Go Suzuki and regular AD Tetsuya Takeuchi. It's just that amazing to finally watch an anime that feels like not a minute, or rather a single second that's bound to be wasted because of filler padding. Everything works for its purpose, and Shingo Adachi's production team really knocked it out of the park to the point of a Home Run. The 4th and final secret to LycoReco's wild, immense popularity and success is the music, and I shouldn't really miss this out, the VA performance as well. Chika Anzai as Chisato (Hibike! Euphonium's Reina Kousaka or even Grand Blue's Best Girl Chisa Kotegawa) and Shion Wakayama as Takina (Takt Op. Destiny's Destiny), you couldn't have asked for a phenomenal job for these VAs' dedication to their craft. And this is especially for the latter: Shion Wakayama, despite being a rookie VA for 3 years at this point, other than her voice that sounds a lot like Ayana Taketatsu or even Ayane Sakura a.k.a AyaNeru, she gave it her all, and that reward is trickled down towards the audience for her spectacular vocals that both drives Takina's cutesy and overwhelmingly stern traits that are perfect contrasts to her double-sided character (the now-iconic Episode 4's "Sakanaaa" is one of them). While this is only the 2nd work for music composer Shuhei Mutsuki, it's sound director Kohei Yoshida (also on his 2nd work, the 1st of which did one of the modern anime greats that is my 2022 AOTY Odd Taxi) that does all the directing to sound like as Geoff Thew puts it: "John Wick, But Make it Anime". Also, it's finally great to have ClariS and Sayuri come back for the OST, especially ClariS because much of their work has only been Hataraku Saibou! and the Madoka Magica spin-off that is Magia Record for the past 4 years. Together with Shadows House Season 2's ED, I'd think that their OP "Alive" is a great return to form as one of the great Anisong artists, and one of (if not) the best OP of the season, hands down. Same with Sayuri's ED, this is what I was expecting of this now famous Anisong artist. Also, if you haven't caught on yet, the cute kicking scene between Chisato and Takina in the OP is actually a reference to Rob Reiner's 1986 film Stand By Me, which is the adaptation of Stephen King's 1982 book novel The Body and Ben E. King's 1961 song of the same name. It's certainly NO coincidence as both the film and song are timeless classics, and one would assume that Asaura and the folks at A-1 Pictures were looking for 80's and 90's action movies to get ideas from, and probably have watched this classic to make this reference. Nevertheless, it's a small detail, but one that has come to be endeared (including myself) by the hearts of the many as being one of the many icons of LycoReco. All of these that I've mentioned sounds like an endless exposition of Lycoris Recoil. But, you can't take away that absurd feeling knowing that newbies like Shingo Adachi (directorial debut), Imigimuru (character designer debut), Shion Wakayama (3 years of VA-ing), Shuhei Mitsuki and Kohei Yoshida (music composer/director), and everybody that deserves to be mentioned are now paving the way for new innovative and creative originals for all of the world to take note of and watch, because this is absolutely bonkers that such a team that's going out of their comfort zone to concoct such a work is just mind-baffling. And especially for originals where there 99% of the time is a one-and-done story with no sequel to boot, it's a huge risk. But Shingo Adachi had one thing going for him: trust. A trust that his team is able to pull off whatever the show has its semblances in from the all-out action to its symbolism of the Spider Lily. And it did deliver to the highest and rock-solid pedigree that is on par with Made in Abyss's 2nd season as its equal sequel counterpart. Seriously, we all thank you: Asaura, Imigimuru, Shingo Adachi, and all the others for creating this great show. To reinistate the whole point again: Lycoris Recoil is like what Geoff Thew calls it "John Wick-like stupid awesome"; Callum May praises it for being "an Ideal Original Anime"; and Hideo Kojima burning his money for something that he would not have picked up if it was just a mere coincidence, to being an immense, hardcore fan that's sharing all the love to other fans that's all the rage now in Japan. And to me? This is THE Odd Taxi of 2022 (despite having some problems with it that keep it being being a masterpiece). Sure, you have Chainsaw Man coming next season, but right now, it's undoubtedly THE Anime of the Season and Year to beat. And originals going forward can't get much better than this (or is it?). This (like Odd Taxi) are definitely the Holy Grails of original anime, one that's creative enough to leave a mark, and we all now bear that Lycoris badge to signify our earnest loyalty to LycoReco. Lycoris Recoil is what we aspire to see of original anime, it's a passion project that has effort put in that feels like it delivered, and then some. Really wonderful and beautiful, one hell of a job well done. “You’re gonna become sad just so you can meet someone else’s expectations? That’s boring.” - Chisato Nishikigi Is there such thing as true peace in the world? Even if peace doesn’t exist though, should we be despondent and grow cynical of anything and everything? Lycoris Recoil, while at the surface, is about cute girls with guns, fighting terrorism, its true identity is trying to tell us, the viewers, how to approach living in a world where things aren’t as uplifting as they seem. It’s about a whole lot of things, such as how to live your best life every day, and how to live for yourself, and not for others. The main characters, Chisato and Takina, come from different walks of life, and have polar opposite personalities. Chisato is very positive and never lets anyone keep her from being as happy as possible, while Takina is very steely and keeps to herself. After these two meet each other and work together, you can see their personalities develop, and it makes for such brilliant chemistry that warms my heart. I have to admit, I dismissed this show as a “cute girls doing cute things at a cafe” show and didn’t even watch it at first, but after seeing the response in the anime community to this show, I had to try it out. The striking balance between slice of life and dark elements really works well. My grading criteria: Story: /25 Art: /10 Music: /10 Characters: /20 Enjoyment /15 Thematic Execution /20 STORY: 19.3/25 The plot itself isn’t the strongest, as it can get quite ridiculous and nonsensical at times, but for this show, I think that’s fine. It’s more of the story about Chisato and Takina, rather than the overarching plot throughout the series. However, to give you a little overview, the plot is set in modern (or possibly futuristic) Japan, where a false sense of peace is instilled among the citizens. In fact, crimes and terrorism have never been more prevalent, so, to counteract this issue, a syndicate called Direct Attack (DA), raised orphaned girls called Lycoris, to assassinate these criminals. Following a mistake in action that resulted in danger, Takina Inoue, a Lycoris with great skill in battle, gets her transferred out of DA and into LycoReco, a cafe with a twist. It is here that she meets Chisato Nishikigi, a happy go lucky, but prodigious Lycoris. While Takina wants to do whatever it takes to get back into DA, Chisato teaches her that life is more fruitful than just killing, and that life can be beautiful. It’s the chemistry between characters that shines the brightest, and the plot is alright too, with its share of tense moments, combined with some cute slice of life elements. Some shows fail to execute these tonal shifts effectively, but Lycoris Recoil does these shifts in a very nice way. The slice of life elements get you invested in the characters, the comedy is fun, but the tense moments have you at the edge of your seat, wondering about each character’s fate in apprehension. The best thing is, this is an anime original, so no one knows what’s truly going to happen, and that’s the best part, the speculation, the potential deaths that may or may not happen… ART: 9.1/10 A-1 Pictures have really been on their game recently, with Kaguya-sama last season, and 86 last year. The animation is pretty solid, with vibrant colours and darker colours for different atmospheres. The action sequences are also done well. No complaints here. MUSIC: 8.9/10 The music compliments the show well, with slice of life music when it’s calm, and nice action or sentimental music when it’s serious. The opening from ClarIS is pretty good, and it gives a sense on how the show is going to go, and Sayuri’s ending was one of my favourites this season. CHARACTERS: 19/20 I believe it is the characters that are most worthy of the utmost praise in this show. Chisato’s character is brilliant, plain and simple. In a way, she lives as positively as I aspire to. She doesn’t care about the opinions of others, she doesn’t worry about things she can’t control, and she’s an incredibly positive influence. She has an interesting trait, which is valuing people’s lives. She doesn’t shoot to kill, contrary to any other Lycoris. She sees the value of human beings, because of various reasons in her past. While some people might get frustrated over her “stubbornness” not to kill people, it’s really a good writing decision in my opinion, as it’s a distinct personality that makes for good plot points. Takina, on the other hand, is a realist that desires results. She isn’t the most talkative, isn’t the most happy go lucky, and certainly isn’t as carefree as Chisato. Through working with Chisato though, she undergoes some changes in her lifestyle. She slowly opened up to her, trusted more people, and even developed a love for people. It goes to show what a positive influence Chisato can have on people. Aside from these two, the side characters and villains are alright as well. Kurumi and Mizuki have their comedic moments, and contribute a decent amount to the action. The villains are also quite memorable, because they have interesting intentions, and felt multi-layered. ENJOYMENT: 14.3/15 Most episodes were very enjoyable, even the slice of life moments. Every moment added to the story and I loved the chemistry between the characters. THEMATIC EXECUTION: 17.8/20 This show executes themes quite well, ranging from comedy, action, and emotional moments as well. The comedy works so well in this show, and for that, the voice actors are to be praised, as you can tell they’re passionate about their work here, and probably had quite the fun time recording their lines. The action is nicely done, and has tense moments. The emotional sequences, when they occur, are hard-hitting and feel significant. The one small flaw has to come from some of the more ridiculous bits of “plot-armour”, and no, I’m not talking about Chisato’s ability, it’s more the events that occur, such as the timing of certain events that were questionably executed. Overall, still quite thematically brillant. Great balance between the light moments and the dark moments, with tonal shifts that didn’t feel awkward. OVERALL: 88.4/100 Definitely one of my favourite shows from 2022 so far, and one of the best cast of characters I’ve seen this year. While it isn’t completely flawless, I still enjoyed it through and through. A-1 Pictures continues to deliver, and it’s great to see! Alright, time to see if I can create that LycoReco signature parfait… A-1 Pictures have always been inconsistent when it comes to the quality of their original shows, for every unbridled beauty like Anohana, there has been unmitigated disaster like Aldnoah.Zero (more specifically, part two) and there is no better example of this like this season where we have two new original shows where they are both on different ends of the spectrum in terms of their quality. Those being Engage Kiss and the anime I am reviewing today, Lycoris Recoil. An anime that pretty much blind sided us as to how good it was. Not to the same level as Paripi Koumei was in the spring season this year, but I think general consensus see this as the surprise show of the season. So yeah, cats out of the bag, I think this is a really good show and I’m here to tell you why. So let’s begin the review of this new original anime by A-1 Pictures, Lycoris Recoil. Shall we? Story: 8/10 Japan’s crime rate and terrorist attacks at an all time low thanks to the actions of Direct Attack, or DA for short. An organisation that uses orphan girls as assassins to eliminate any threats. Takina is one such girl who gets into trouble for performing one very questionable action that causes her to be penalized with insubordination and reassigned to a subsidiary of DA, LycoReco, a cafe in disguise. There she meets Chisato, an amazingly skilled fighter who refuses to take a life. From there, Takina must learn to get use to her new life and also learn that there is more to life than just being the one to end them. The show is essentially split into two different kinds of shows that try to congeal into one another. One half is pulse pounding action where being hesitant for one second could lead to your death, whereas the other half is Slice of Life yuri bait (And they REALLY want us to take the bait) and the budding relationship between our two main leads Takina and Chisato. Two genres that shouldn’t work together but have proven before that they can. It’s always about the execution after all. Here it’s executed well because both genres don’t treat each other like foreign objects. They are both integral to the show’s character development and also helps with the show’s pacing. Sure, going all action, action, action is fun but that requires that the foot is never left off the pedal and Lycoris Recoil doesn’t want to do that because it wants to savour those character moments outside of all the action. The first episode is a great example of this, it starts out all action to get an idea of how DA operates, but then it slows down to reflect on what just happened and when it does, the action ramps up again but in a more different light this time because you have a different perspective on things now. This is reflected across the entire show because there is one central theme across this show and that is, “There is more to life than just taking it.” The message is reflected in both the story and how our characters grow as the story develops through both how DA operates and Chisato’s more free spirited nature and outlook on life. Chisato has broken out of the of the more narrow minded nature of the other girls of DA so her outlook on the value of life reflects on someone like Takina and the story as a whole. It’s also where the two genres work well together because now you have two clearer viewpoints on the value of life. But the best part is that it doesn’t constantly beat you over the head with it. It’s done more subdued and it’s something you can pick up on as the show goes on. Is it perfect? No. A couple of times, the transitions between the two tones is rough and it’s message is on the nose about it in the first couple of episodes but that is, more or less, to help set the message so I can excuse that. One thing you can criticize though is how the show tends to wonder about in the Slice of Life moments of the show as it can feel like it’s trying to fill up space before the next major plot development happens. But they provide some very needed character moments that honestly help make show better and showing the growing relationship between our two main leads. Characters: 8.5/10 Chisato and Takina are very much Yin and Yang as they both have different personalities. When we first meet them, Chisato is very much a free-spirited, sometimes carefree person who sees more to life than just being an assassin, whereas Takina is more of a straight-laced, to the point person who sees little, other than what she was raised for, killing dangerous people. Two different people taking different life choices but what makes this work is how their relationship is portrayed. Takina doesn’t know what to do outside of DA so Chisato sort of guides her the glories of being more than just an assassin and being more like an average, teenage girl. This is where the Slice of Life elements kick in because now we have a vessel for the show explaining its message and show it off through great character moments. The crucial element in this is their chemistry with one another which is this show’s greatest strength. Chisato and Takina’s chemistry with one another is really good and is the highlight of the show for me. Not just how they interact with one another, but also how they grow with one another, mainly Takina. To see her come out of her narrow minded shell and open up more and more to be a more lively person is an aspect in the narrative that I liked more and more and its kind of subtly done because they don’t tell you she’s changed, you just easily pick it up as the show goes on. It does help that Chisato’s personality is very infectious as she just oozes charisma with her lively attitude and outlook on life. When the majority of the cast is very straight-laced and more mature, having someone who is just carefree makes her a very obvious bright spot for the people around her to have their lives change and seeing Takina change throughout the show from being around Chisato makes her personality stand out more and make us care about her more. That’s not to say she can’t handle herself in a fight, if anything, it’s the opposite. She’s a very skilled shooter that can somehow dodge bullets by reading muscle movements and fire non lethal bullets that don’t pierce skin but can pierce through metal. Is it stupid? Yes. But is it cool? Also yes and gives her that excuse for her cocky attitude because we know that she can back up her talk. So with a character with loads of charisma and charm; combined with the combat skills of Jason Bourne (because everyone else has used the John Wick comparison) and can dodge bullets like she’s in the Matrix, is there any wonder why she’s general consensus best girl this season? What also helps is the strong supporting cast of LycoReco to lift them up, with Mika acting as the father figure for Chisato, Mizuki being the responsible older sister and Kurumi being the know it all, little sister. Putting Chisato and Takina into the mix and they act like one big happy family that you end up caring about and they each play a good role to flesh out LycoReco and care about the Slice of Life aspect more. That being said, the members of DA we know about are a bit lacking in the personality department besides the standard ones. Like, there seems to be beef between Chisato and her former partner Fuki, but it doesn’t goes as far as I would’ve liked, with Sakura, Fuki’s new partner, being along for the ride for the most part. The Antagonists are interesting. I couldn’t care less for Robota as he mainly just whines and brags his way through the show, but Majima is more interesting. Besides being of the aggressive type, he’s interesting because of the one connection with Chisato, their ties to the Alan Institute, an organisation that helps people but also gives them a new, secret purpose in life that they don’t know about and at times, you ask what is his game? What does he want out of this? And it makes for an interesting foil for DA and our two main leads. He’s resourceful, he’s intelligent, he has clear motivation and goals. He really does make for a clear antagonist for the series. There is also another, quote on quote, “Villain” that also has ties to Chisato but I won’t say who due to spoilers but that person is also very morally grey. Clearly, that person does things that are bad that make you angry, but there also things that are also good deeds and thinks of the bigger picture Animation: 9/10 The animation for Lycoris Recoil is great. When it’s time to showcase some action, the show brings its A-game with it being fast and intense with the photography being able to capture the right moment at the right time. Which ain’t surprising when you look at the staff. Shingo Adachi, the director of this series, has plenty of experience with working with the SAO series as Animation Director up until Ordinal Scale and Tetsuya Takeuchi who helped him with SAO Season 2 as well as other shows like Bleach and Naruto. Say what you want about SAO, its action was always really good, and you can see what they’ve learnt, along with their other works, being applied here. But it’s not just the action, it also comes alive with cute character moments, like when Takina beats Chisato at Rock, Paper, Scissors and don’t tell me you didn’t go “ahhh” when she does her celebratory dance, I know you did. The animation does come alive when the action comes calling sure, but moments like that just showcase the animation is consistent across the board and doesn’t cheapen itself for quick laughs. Character designs as well are also good and they transition quite well between Slice of Life and Action. They don’t look jarring and are able to maintain themselves from being cute to badass action hero with the art style as well looking very clean and polished to round out the how great the animation, as a whole, is. A-1 Pictures bring a high standard for the most part and regardless of the genre, animation is never really something a criticize whenever something comes out of that studio. And having two people who know what they are doing leading it just means that it would’ve been shocking if it wasn’t this good. Sound: 8/10 The soundtrack is also very good for both sides of the show. It’s able to hit on those somber moments and the more intense moments throughout the show. But the most significant aspect of it though is the timing and being able to know which lever needs to be pulled to get the most impact. It can start out normal, moving at regular pace, then you slow down but you keep the guitar playing to know something big it about to happen and then “BAM,” the violins start kicking till overtime. This show has those kind of moments and is able to nail the timing on them to match the what is happening on screen and being able to do it in multiple kind of scenes is pretty impressive. It does its job of enhancing a scene really well but is able to elevate itself through its timing. Now it ain’t perfect all of the time, there were some moments in the show where the timing of was off. But for the most part, it is able to successfully do this. The opening is also really good. Titled, "ALIVE" by ClariS, the opening is able to hit the right pitch to balance out the two tones of the show. This is applied to both song and visuals but leaning towards the song because it hits the right notes at the right time without sounding like a completely different song. The visuals are also very good, keeping up the consistency of the show’s animation and the characters animate really well in this. It is able to capture the bond between our two leads and showcases what kind of character they are while not sacrificing pacing to do so. Overall, a very good OP. The ending as well is also good, but it’s one of those EDs that I know is good from an objective point of view but didn’t think much of it subjectively. Titled, "Hana no Tou" by Sayuri. It’s a good animated ED with a song that is able to lighten up the mood and again, capture the personality of our two main leads very well. But there is one critique which is that a couple of times, the transition into the ED doesn’t work well with what is currently on screen to wrap up the episode. It also uses scenes from the episode that just aired which always rubs me the wrong way whenever OPs or EDs do that. Other than that though, it is a solid ED but I will probably remember the OP more than the ED. Conclusion Lycoris Recoil is a great time with a fun plot, great characters, consistent animation and a well-executed soundtrack, essentially a well-rounded package that is able to nail every core aspect of an anime. It takes what can work and what we are suckers for and makes it fun and enticing that is able to intrigue you with interesting storylines, while also having some dumb fun and being able to strike a balance with both without it being jarring. Compare that to A-1 Pictures other original anime this season, Engage Kiss, which feels like a show that has struggled with its identity and nowhere near as good chemistry between our lead characters and you can see the contrast between these two shows. Lycoris Recoil takes what it knows can work and executes them to make them better than what it would initially seem. It’s honestly between this, Made in Abyss season two and Cyberpunk: Edgerunners for anime of the season for me. Also add two more girls to add to, what will be, a clusterf**k for best girl of the year. It is a really fun time and I highly recommend you watch it if you haven’t already. Original anime rarely pans out well, but I think it’s safe to say this one did. My Personal Enjoyment: 9/10 Overall Score: 8.5/10 Recommendation: Go F**king Watch It Made in Abyss: Retsujitsu no Ougonkyou (The Golden City of the Scorching Sun) (Season 2)  The kid gloves are off. Although some people still do, we can’t pretend this is the happy go lucky journey down the Abyss that we thought this show was going to be back when Season 1 aired all the way back in 2017. One thing that hasn’t changed since then is my undeniable intrigue I have with this series. The adventuring, the stunning scenery, the immaculate OST, the characters, basically everything resonated with me, and with this season of Made In Abyss, that was no different. Since this show is about children, I can relate it to my own childhood to some extent, so I’ll tell a quick story. I loved the outdoors a lot as a kid, and still do. I enjoyed hiking and camping a lot, just the wilderness in general, though I didn’t know the necessary worldly survival skills like making a fire, or using a compass. One, scorching summer afternoon, I went on a hike with my friends and parents, into quite a large forest. We walked and walked until “Two roads diverged in a wood”. Being my adventurous and fearless self, “I took the one less traveled by”, albeit with a couple people. It was a maze of trees, and a winding road, far different from the other road, that some of the others from my group travelled on. Knowing that forests were home to such creatures like bears, coyotes, and the creepiest of creatures, I still felt like the happiest little kid in the world, prancing down the forest like nobody’s business. The sun set, and we were set to return from where we came from, back home. However, in our inexperience of the outdoors, we got lost, in the night. We wandered and wandered with seemingly no exit from the vast forest. Hearing the creatures around me, I felt for the first time, a sense of fear, that something might attack my unprepared, vulnerable self. In my fear, I tripped on a branch and injured my leg a little bit. Eventually, my group found the exit, and although those gruelling hours of being lost were some of the toughest in my life, I never stopped being excited about the unknown. And that’s because I started to learn, that there will always be ups and downs in life, and whenever you mess up, it’s always a chance to learn new things, new skills, such as how I could not get lost in a forest next time. The characters in Made In Abyss do much of the same thing, they have encountered their fair share of troubles, but it never gets them down, they learn from the troubles, and have undeniable courage to tackle whatever the Abyss throws at them. At its core, Made In Abyss is a tale of a life’s journey, and one’s slow but sure maturity. My grading criteria: Story: /25 Art: /10 Music: /10 Characters: /20 Enjoyment /15 Thematic Execution /20 STORY: 24/25 This season was a very interesting one to me in that although it’s very self-contained in the Golden City, it tackles the journeys of the past and present, the past being the first adventurers who ventured into the Golden City, the Ganja Squad, and the present being the characters we all know, Riko, Reg, and Nanachi. It further splits into different paths, as each character from the present has their own set of experiences in the Golden City, and each learn vastly different things, and encounter varying things, good and bad. The darkness is instilled in the story from the first moment of the season, and never turns back, yet there are some light moments in the series as well. The Golden City is home to a village, which has their own culture, such as currency, and language, that serves as a very intriguing exploration element that feels as good as the first season, where Riko and Reg explored the wilderness, this time, they explored a city with its own lightness and darkness. For characters from the past and present alike, the Abyss still remains as great metaphor of one’s progression in life. The fact that the sixth layer of the Abyss represents “The Point of No Return”, hammers home the fact that we as humans, only move forward, not back. We can’t go back to being the starry-eyed children we once were, and no matter how hard life gets, we must persevere and find new ways to improve our life and survive. No matter what mistakes we made, we can’t live in the past, because like the Abyss, the real world doesn’t wait for us to get back on our feet and recover. The real world presents us with a barrage of puzzles to solve every single day, so if we get weighed down by our past regrets, we’ll get swallowed up by the curse of the Abyss. ART: 9.6/10 Still very visually appealing with great scenery and I love that they didn’t hold back in the dark moments. The visuals in those moments looked blood-curdling, spine-chilling, and that is what Made In Abyss does so well. MUSIC: 9.7/10 The music by Kevin Penkin instills a great sense of atmosphere, and is very resonant. It’s tempting to listen to it again and again because you can just close your eyes and imagine yourself on an adventure (though maybe don’t imagine what happens in Made In Abyss, or you’ll have trouble sleeping). OP and ED are also very nice, especially the ending by Myth & Roid, which was my favourite this season. CHARACTERS: 19.5/20 The characters continue to be quite the treat to watch. Riko continues to be a character with a ton of heart and a great willingness to persevere no matter how unforgiving the Abyss is. Reg’s backstory is intriguing, and Nanachi has her share of moments, some of which were quite emotional. The characters from the past, the Ganja Squad, had a whole bunch of great characters as well, quite a few that stand out such as Vueko, Irumyuui, Wazukyan, and Belaf. Each have their own struggles, some more than others, and their personalities are quite interesting, ranging from a willingness to do anything to help himself and others survive, to harboring a feeling of guilt that was so great that he couldn’t go on. It’s a very wondrous cast of characters, who each have their backstory told in a very fascinating way, and you feel for every single one of them. There is also no real villain in this story, though I can argue there wasn’t one in Season 1 or the movie. Sure, there are antagonists who oppose the main characters, but they each have their own reasons, whether it is a love for their loved ones, or an appetite for human advancement. There are a lot of morally repugnant themes in this show, but they all have a reason in which to do such unthinkable things, and that’s what makes each and every character special, even if you come to hate them. ENJOYMENT: 14.8/15 Although it’s frustrating that there are so many questions asked, but not enough answers, the show brings about a sort of odd excitement not found in any other show I’ve watched. My immersion was always strong, and every detail in the show is spectacular. Phenomenal. THEMATIC EXECUTION: 19/20 The themes are so well executed because each character is interesting. Another reason is that they never hold back from showing us morally questionable things, whether it is excessive gore, or very grotesque imagery. It really shows us the unforgiving nature of the Abyss, and that is simply amazing. Sure, there are some rather dumb things that happen, such as the toilet humour, but that’s just a minor tonal shift issue for me. OVERALL: 96.6/100 This was an instalment to the Made in Abyss series that felt even better than the first. It’s a great tale of one’s maturity, and it resonated with me a lot. You feel the characters’ fear, you feel their emotions, you cry with them, you smile with them. There is still much to unravel in this adventure, and we probably won’t see another season of Made In Abyss for quite some time, but whenever we get it, I’ll want to be the first in line to witness what comes next in this emotionally damaging journey that I love so much. To everyone who read this to the end, I truly appreciate it. I’m not exactly surprised by how good Made in Abyss was because it’s one of those shows where you expect greatness and it delivered. It continues on the themes of the show while throwing a couple of new ones exclusive to this arc. The dark undertone continues to give it a more gruesome feel to it. But what makes this season enjoyable is the world within the world, this new city filled with weird yet wonderful people that makes you want to know more. The subplot about the previous explorers was also really good, with one dark twist near the end of that plot that makes you go, “woah”. Again, love the characters in this and there is a very well used villain except it’s not really a villain but it’s just that persons nature to do so. It’s just people trying to live. Animation is still great and Kevin Penkin still provides a terrific soundtrack. So yeah, I’m not shocked it was good because there were no signs it wouldn’t be but it is one of those shows you know it’s good and you’re glad it’s still good and the series as a whole is still worth your time. Story: 9/10 Characters: 9.5/10 Animation: 8.5/10 Sound: 9/10 My Personal Enjoyment: 9/10 Overall Score: 9.0/10 Recommendation: Go F**king Watch It |
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Oct 23, 2022 12:45 PM
#5
Mamahaha no Tsurego ga Motokano datta / My Stepmom's Daughter Is My Ex  Domestic Girlfriend part two came out (Only Joking). My Stepmom’s Daughter is my Ex had a weird premise to get behind, I won't lie, and although I could see why a lot of people would have a hard time watching this, it genuinely had its own little charm as both MCs have their own issues and are not over the past relationship that they had, and this anime does a good enough job at explaining their backstory with each other and their own personal flaws. However, unlike its similar counterpart Domestic Girlfriend, this anime didn’t really suffer from moments that were really hard to watch, but it was more that it suffered from genuinely really boring and uninteresting stretches. Art: 7 The art is good for the type of show this is. The animation isn’t anything special, and to be honest, I’ve seen better character designs in the past, but the anime is very dialogue heavy, and the colors popped out really well so I can cut it some slack. Sound: 6 The overall sound design was fine. It wasn’t bad, just not really memorable. I can say the same for both the opening and ending as well. The background music throughout the show wasn’t great either, but it's not annoying and didn’t affect the anime negatively in my opinion. Characters: 7 Both of the main characters are good in their own right, as I said before the anime does a good job at expressing their flaws, and in all honesty, they act how you would expect teens to act (minus the stepsibling part). I also think Isana is a good addition as she improved the overall pace of the anime, but everyone else kind of falls flat for me, and when they are on screen doesn’t really provide that much entertainment. Story: 7 The story actually isn’t that bad. I think the characters go through some decent development and they did a really good job at showing the complexity of the ex-couple's relationship, and what feelings they still may or may not have. If it wasn’t for some really boring stretches, I think this genuinely could've been even better. Overall, it's an entertaining quirky anime that yes is a little awkward, but not a bad watch at all. Oh good lordie, it's Project No. 9 and in-house director Shinsuke Yanagi back at it again with yet another school "romance" setting that seems to be one of the main traits of the studio when it comes to chosen works adapted. It was the same plot with the school drama that is Jaku-Chara Tomozaki-kun a.k.a Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki in Winter last year, and now since another year has passed in the Summer, we're back into what seems like a bread-and-butter trait groove of a rom-com about a couple breaking up, then to only be intertwined by the red thread of fate to be stepsiblings in a remarriage. To be fair, people can fall out of relationships for 1001 reasons, and that seems to be many a case of a pretty stereotypical relationship: boy meets girl, they fall in love, but due to some complications and disagreements, either one breaks up with the other, never to see each other again for a lifetime. But while this applies to each and every couple being a potential red flag, this isn't the case for Mizuto Irido and Yume Arai, for when each of their parents remarried one another (Mizuto's father Mineaki and Yume's mother Yuni), they sorta "upgraded" their statuses to be stepsiblings in the lawful case of a new family reborn, all living under one roof (a la Domestic na Kanojo a.k.a Domestic Girlfriend). Since this is just the case of an ex-lovers' spat turning into one that's closer and more familial, there is bound to have cringeworthy moments between the two that feelings will still get in the way of one or the other...which in this case, most of the time, is from Yume with almost little to no resistance whatsoever. For a trivia (since it's just a rather lethargic decent premise that's a direct copy from Domestic na Kanojo but thankfully without all the incest), something that's only barely foretold (that exists in later volumes that's not covered by the anime) is that both Mizuto and Irido are actually born on the same day, and this is by no coincidence. In an interview with the novelist Kyosuke Kamishiro, he intended that for Mizuto and Yume's relationship to work against one another, and this is by some clever facts (the same way to get you to read the LN further): - The names are not made up randomly. Their first names - Yume's "oil" (pronunciation of oil (油) is yu in Japanese) and "water" and Mizuto's "water" (mizu means water (水) in Japanese). And if you know your Chemistry, oil floats in water because oil has less density, which also implies that Yume isn't a dense character, as much as Mizuto is one for sure that frequently shows his awareness. - The surnames of Irido, Ayai and (Isana) Higashira come from Conan Doyle who's famous for the Sherlock Holmes stories, with "Irido" being almost an anagram of "Doiru" (which is the Japanese pronunciation of Doyle); Yukito Ayatsuji a.k.a mystery-cum-horror writer Naoyuki Uchida (only the word Aya (綾) is taken), and Nisio Isin (while Nisio is the surname, it literally means "west tail", the opposite of Higashira's "east head"), respectively. - Mizuto and Yume's birthday is set as November 3rd, which if you know your prime numbers, 11 and 3 can only be divided by themselves. And (this is important) in the Japanese context, cannot be "separated" ("割る" (Ware-ru) means "to divide" and "to separate"). For the most part, even if Domestic na Kanojo's premise is copy-pasted here, this show acts like a stepsibling (no pun intended) to Jaku-Chara Tomozaki-kun, and I feel that given the similarities in the patterns of the staff involved, the urge to can't help but realize that this sorta creates a match cannot be unseen. Engaging with the MCs, you can definitely tell the similarities between Mizuto being the male version of Fuka Kikuchi and Yume being Minami Nanami, right down to their personalities. I mean, all that was seen in the anime can inherently be a direct reference to just about anything, and if otherwise, made me feel like I was watching a rom-com version of Tomozaki-kun at best (though the former is better, but not by much). Even down to friends like Akatsuki Minami, Kogure Kawanami and Isana Higashira (which she definitely is a direct copy of a mix between Fuka Kikuchi and Aoi Hinami that interchanges between her softer bookworm self and outgoing personality), given the choice of director Shinsuke Yanagi, he would've done the same to re-enact them as close as possible towards the formula that has been done before to decency. Looks like the curse of finding source materials that are just alike one another to adapt just will not go away, and this is signaling the unkempt case of the director's choice made here. Above all, don't forget that this is Project No. 9 we're talking about here, and just like said show, it hits where it matters the most and is fairly consistent for the most part, especially the character models and showcasing their different personalities. And to which I say, it's a decent job done. Unsurprisingly, the OST is just about what I would expect, of similarly-specced shows under the studio's belt that almost exclusively has the girl group DIALOGUE+ locked down for the various OPs, and this is no different for a decent-to-good OP. Harmoe's ED however, has that fleeting feeling of magical sense that's the vanilla version of Happy Sugar Life's ED, and sounds both cutesy and fun with 2 contrasts to its song with smooth undertones and a beating rhythm, at that first I hated it, but eventually grew to love it. Unironically one of the better EDs of the season if you ask me. Despite of how novelist Kyosuke Kamishiro does want to spice his story up, the takeaway is one and the same: the crux being that relationships are a messy business of feelings and emotions enclosing one's identity of a love-hate affair, and it's never easy to dodge superficial questions to really question if the love even exists to begin with. And even if you have or have not fallen in and out of love, as much praise as I would want to give for showcasing a somewhat realistic approach to relationships with the dash of comedy, it just went nowhere with the development and kinda just flails like petals on a flower being plucked, saying "Love me, love me not". TsureKano has a bit of an identity crisis, but at least it's aware of what it wants to be. And I can only say that while it got the job done, it wasn't as enjoyable as it should be. Orient: Awajishima Gekitou-hen (The Battle of Awaji Island Arc) (Part 2)  Orient has finally come back from its wonky 1st split-cour in Winter, and has it changed my perception of how Shinobu Ohtaka has progressed as a mangaka? NOPE, not one bit at all. With Part 2's arrival covering the 4th arc of the manga from Volumes 6 through to 13 (God, that almost looks like the anime is rushing, but the adverse is true becuse the manga chapter panels are getting shorter) showing the Awajishima Gekitou-hen a.k.a The Battle of Awaji Island arc, featuring the Kanemaki Band trio Musashi, Kojiro and Tsugumi descending onto Awaji Island to learn more about Kojiro's past. Pretty standard and typical Shonen fare. So, first things first. It's nice to see Musashi have a change of heart thanks to this character called Michiru Saruwatari, whom the trio first encountered right at the end of the 1st half of the series being attacked and captured by an Oni, only to be rescued by them. Despite being a damsel in distress, Michiru, for some reason, doesn't communicate because she's too shy, and letting both Kojiro and Tsugumi fight over her to get her to talk frustrates the hell outta Musashi out, and she finally opens her mouth because he remembers her name. But at the time, and despite the growing intimacy between the two, they were both travelling in opposite directions, so that's where their initial separation lies. It's not until the Awaji Island Recapture Operation arc that this girl would come back again after the trio banded with other Bushi bands to form the Uesugi Alliance in order to take down the famed 8-headed dragon Yamata no Orochi, one of the 5 strongest Onis in the series and the feared green Kishin who has occupied Awaji Island. But to Michiru, she has one more problem up her sleeve: her own father Yataro. Like Shiro Inukai, Nanao Inusaka (both of which were seen at the end of the 1st half) and Seiroku Inukawa, Yataro Inuda is also a member of the Obsidian Eight, whose purpose as you know is to extract the Obsidian Goddess out of Musashi. And this father expects a lot from his only capable daughter, seeing that she like any Bushi, wield a Kitetsu Blade, and named her after being his 3000th creation. But knowing that Yataro would do anything to capture Musashi, the burden lands on Michiru to inform Musashi and the others about the impending doom on Awaji Island, and the stage is set for the immense conflict bound to happen over the course of the 2nd half. In all essence, you should expect from the somewhat subpar showing of the 1st half to be carried over here, that's a mainstay. The only thing that's improved here is Shinobu Ohtaka's story elements that come now with high stakes given that the Obsidian Goddess is pretty much in peril in spite of Musashi who still has no clear idea how to fully utilize its power, that is until now. And despite the Kanemaki trio not making a lot of screentime in the latter half, some people do are given the spotlight instead, like Tatsuomi Uesugi: the unrivalled leader of the Uesugi Band/Alliance and one of the 5 Grand Generals of Hinomoto, and Akihiro Shimazu of the Shimazu Band. They stand out for their own reasons, are given ample screentime to work their issues out and experience character growth. This is the same for Musashi as he is being shifted to the forefront, he's still the same bragging boy, but changed for others and most certainly Michiru for their budding relationship. The OST sounds more or less just about the same (Da-iCE is just Da-iCE), though like with Wataru Hatano's 1st half's ED, Gakuto Kajiwara's 2nd half ED is on par as well for being as enjoyable. At the end of the day, it's no doubt an improvement. But really though, it's not by much. Overlord IV (Season 4)  Bone Daddy and his goons are back, and they are twisted as ever. This season had a much slower-paced set of events, which was actually a nice change as we got to see the story conclusions of multiple characters. I also think that this season had easily the darkest tone out of all of them up to date, as we saw a ruthless side of Ainz that was teased, but not shown to this amount before. It's another solid season in the books for Overlord. Art: 7 The art was good, it's nothing groundbreaking, but I'm willing to give that a pass since this season seemed more political. The character designs are still fun and creative, and the music absolutely SMACKS, but overall, it was good, but not great. Characters: 9 In my opinion, this was the best part of this season we got to see some more points of view for each character. We got to see more development for Ainz as well, whether it be good or bad, but what really carries this is the Princess. What they did with her character is great, and the way they concluded her story was even better. It was very enjoyable from a watcher's perspective. The reason it is not a 10 is that I felt like they built up some characters that were going to have a bigger role, but in reality, had one episode to shine (Pandora's Actor). Story: 7 Like I said before, this season was much slower paced, in my opinion, is focused more on the characters than the actual set of events that happened, which is perfectly fine, but on the flip side that also means when there are characters on the screen that dont really do much to contribute, watching it can be boring at times. However, overall, this season was still very enjoyable. I’d give it 8 Bone Daddy’s out of 10. SASUGA AINZ-SAMA! For the 4th (and possibly the final) time. It's been a long while since we've ever anticipated anything new about Overlord...well, ANYTHING besides the Isekai Quartet "spin-off" chibi series that for some reason, has progressed much faster in the 4-year gap since Season 3 came out. YES, you heard me right. Season 1 came out in Summer 2015, EXACTLY 7 years ago, and then Seasons 2 and 3 in quick succession in Winter and Summer 2018, which was a terrible mistake for Madhouse since it was basically crunch time that ultimately landed on subpar production values that are abysmal for Overlord standards. The Sorcerer King Ains Ooal Gown ONLY demands the best of the best, and thankfully, after 4 long years of abstinence that Madhouse is entering a new revival, the production team has pulled a 180 on us to say that "Thou aren't gonna be on par with You-Zitsu Season 2's standards where all mistakes shall dolt continue!" and learnt from their missteps to finally give us Season 4, which could arguably be the most important and exhilarating season of Overlord to date. So, with Season 4, we enter Volumes 10 (The Ruler of Conspiracy), 11 (The Craftsman of Dwarf) and 14 (The Witch of the Falling Kingdom) of novelist Kugane Maruyama's LN with Ains Ooal Gown's coronation as the Sorcerer Kingdom's Sorcerer King, ready to transform his kingdom into a utopia, a thriving world with various races that will submit to his authority. On that note, you might be wondering why Volumes 12 and 13 were skipped entirely, and that's because both volumes focus on The Paladin of the Holy Kingdom arc, which was announced last year that alongside Season 4, the series would get its 3rd film that would adapt both volumes. So, think of it as sorta like a canon event that happened before the 2nd half of Season 4, but again like the actual season itself, has been some of the most brutal and devilish moments of the source material yet. Nevertheless, it's pretty much assumed that LN readers were dying to see these moments animated as the Sorcerer King Ains lays his plan of his own ideal utopia, seeing that his own Sorcerer Kingdom was severely lacking resources and adventurers. And the next target he's locking his eyes onto are those that aren't seen by the wayside (the creatures not yet tapped upon) to the bigger fish that is the Re-Estize Holy Kingdom (not the Slane Theocracy as Crunchyroll somehow messed up the translation). The return of Ains and his Floor Guardians are always the highlights of Overlord, but also not forgetting people like the Blue Rose adventurers and the people of the Holy Kingdom as they play a part on Ains's puzzle-piecing plan to make his name known all over the world. Failure to do so, then death is imminent either way. This is truly Overlord at its best, and it's a great return to form. That return to form is supported by Madhouse getting better at their craft, especially on the CGI front that after Season 3's heinous job done, it becomes more tolerable and isn't jarring to look at, a good job on that. Also, Season 4 has just about the improvement made back to the usual Overlord standards of visually looking at its very best. It's the same story on the musical front as OxT is back for another OP, and it sounds just as fantastic as it should be. Things get more impressive for former MYTH & ROID member Mayu Maeshima, as "No Man's Dawn" could potentially be the best ED ever in Overlord's entire OST. It's a no-brainer at this point if you're already deeply ingrained into the Overlord franchise that's now 3 seasons and 2 movies in, plus the Isekai Quartet chibi series. Every season feels like a bloodbath, and it only gets bigger and better one after the another, all culminating into a huge battle fest that is Season 4. Ainz Ooal Gown's story is badder than life, and glory to Nazarick and the Sorcerer King. Simply underwhelming. I just dont know if the Overlord formula is exhausted, or if this is simply just a bad adaptation Its just like a festival of poorly made choices, over investing into side stories that dont properly develop anything, nor lead up to anywhere, while at the same time leaving out several other very import events, that could have given not only propper contexts and reasoning to several things that were happening, but also make many others lot more interesting and satisfying to watch. For most of the time everything seems to end up being just confusing, lacking the proper context, with everyone ending up looking dumber than what was previously shown, due to the lack of a proper build up for the events tha lead to that, with several plot reveals looking outof place or falling flat, like the final one; also making most of the characters look completely out of their personas/characters. Even the fight choreographies show that they completely missed the point and lacked the thing that made it somewhat different from the rest. Like in the First season, the thing about the fights were about being cautious and preemptively making hidden moves, while attentively looking at the opponent reactions and strategically reacting to them, measuring their powers and reacting properly, this all while at the same time giving the opponent the feeling that they have the edge, when we already know that the MC and his friends were just somewhat cruelly exploiting them for intel. But in season 4 every combat begins and end in the same generic formulaic way of Antagonist sub estimating OP character power, OP character does OP thing and antagonist/his army died/lost in the most stupid/humiliating way possible. No strategy, no tactics, no preparation, no intel, not even giving the opponent the illusion of having control. Even the supposed battle were it all happens, end upjust being weak, underwhelming, not showing the true potential of both parties scheming and strategizing against each other, but only a generic dumb battle, that superficially look smart only because of the reveal after it ends Overlord IV just managed to beat Overlord III on how weak and lacklusting it had become. Fans and haters of Overlord all know that Ainz is probably one of the most overpowered isekai protagonists out there. In this season, that is no exception. This series follows a similar formula throughout its run, and that formula is “People underestimate Ainz, and then get slaughtered”. This time around, the characters are actually somewhat catching on that, yes, Ainz is nearly unbeatable, so maybe we should work with him instead. To me, I think that the change in formula made the series a bit boring, but there were also quite a few other issues that presented themselves in this season. My grading criteria: Story: /25 Art: /10 Music: /10 Characters: /20 Enjoyment /15 Thematic Execution /20 STORY: 11.2/25 The story isn’t by any means messy, it’s just that I struggled to care about the plot this season. In the previous seasons, we saw a whole lot more emphasis on side characters and their developments, which was great. From the Lizardmen arc in Season 2, to the Two Leaders arc with Enri and Nphirea in Season 3, say what you will about the arcs, but personally, they just felt way more impactful than whatever what shown in this season. This season focused a lot on Ainz taking over kingdoms and empires, for his goal of destroying the Re-Estize kingdom. There were a lot of political strifes and discussions sprinkled throughout as well, but it felt so insignificant. The jump from arc to arc felt very self-contained and not connected enough, which really lowered the significance of Ainz’s opposition throughout the series. Sure, there are some plot twists, and some rather satisfying and shocking moments, but I didn’t take much away from the plot this season compared to the other three seasons. ART: 7/10 This show still looks a tad mediocre, but the CGI was slightly less prevalent, although clearly present. Not as jarring, but not the best still. MUSIC: 8.4/10 The one thing that Overlord has kept consistent throughout the years was its music. The OP and ED were pretty solid once again, and worth listening to over and over. CHARACTERS: 10/20 The characters from Nazarick never really intrigued me a whole lot, and with the focus being on them a bit more this season, it felt much more boring to me. Ainz is still the same as over, though he seemed more cold this season, Albedo is still her same fun self, Aura and Mare are still powerful, overall just much of the same. One key difference which felt a bit shocking to me was how “childish” Shalltear felt in this season. At some points, she felt like a newcomer learning the ropes of how the Nazarick group functioned, which was kind of weird. It was great to see Pandora’s Actor getting a chance to shine this season though. Once again, I found the side characters and opposition of Nazarick more interesting, from Jircniv, Zanac, and many more, it’s always fun to see the futile schemes of Ainz’s opposition. ENJOYMENT: 9.5/15 There were some exciting moments, but a lot of it was boring, which was unfortunate. THEMATIC EXECUTION: 9/20 A key element in Overlord is how they execute Ainz’s supremacy over every other group in the world, and this time around, it felt really flat. The deaths that Ainz caused felt too quick and easy, and lacking in intrigue. Didn’t really feel for anyone, since the characters weren’t exactly developed very well. OVERALL: 55.1/100 It’s always fun to watch the futile struggles of Ainz’s opposition, but I wished they focused on the opposition more to be honest. We know how powerful Ainz is, so I’m ok with him getting less screen time. The side characters are in my opinion what makes this show more compelling, and I felt considerably more bored of this season than any other. The movie will be coming out later on, so I’ll be sure to give that a watch when it comes out. Papa Bone Daddy is back ladies and gentlemen. After 4 years, two seasons and a movie of Isekai Quartet and watching so many clips of the first three seasons, Overlord is indeed back. Now it goes without saying that I freaking love Overlord. I love how it constructs its world, it makes a story about overpowered characters enjoyable and is fleshed out by a large yet distinct cast of characters that are capable and have a purpose. It also is one of the best villain centric anime and makes them interesting and entertaining. Now sure, it ain’t perfect. Not every arc in the series hits equal highs, not all characters are interesting and the animation seems to get worse with every season. But Overlord gets what it does right so damn well. It makes for a really good anime in my opinion. So much so that it has become a top 5 favourite anime of mine. I even started listening to the Light Novels on Audible; currently on Volume 3 at the time of writing this review. So it’s fair to say that Overlord IV was my most anticipated anime this season. Now, there were some things I wanted to see in this season in particular which I will tell as the review comes goes on, but I also didn’t want it to lose sight at what makes this series enjoyable for me, especially since it has been a long wait. So let’s bow TO THE GREAT SORCERER KING HIMSELF, AINZ OOAL GOWN as I present my review for Overlord season four. Let’s begin, shall we? Story: 7.5/10 I will keep spoilers to a bare minimum but I imagine those reading this review are along for the ride like I am. But to summarize the setup, the sorcerer kingdom has been established and Ainz is looking to attract adventurers and traders to the kingdom and to patch up things with the Re-Estize kingdom. He also wants to look for the Dwarven kingdom for his curiosity of rune smithing and the resources the trade agreements will bring. As is tradition when it comes to Overlord, world building takes top priority. Now that Nazerick and its denizens are more well known now, we need to see how the rest of the world reacts and responds. You obviously have the Re-Estize kingdom trying to maintain stability after what happened in season three, the Baramuth Empire and it trying to keep it’s relations between the Sorcerer kingdom and the Slane Theocracy balanced on good terms and the Slane Theocracy watching from the sidelines figuring how to deal with Ainz and his forces. The Slane Theocracy is the one that has gotten the least attention over the past three seasons and little has changed, although we find out more about their leaders, how they deal with things and their relation to the Empire, but I was hoping we could see more, especially with the two characters that were introduced at the beginning of season two and we still know nothing about them. To be fair though, it does sound like the Slane Theocracy will get more focus in the movie so that’s a wait and see. For now though, while it’s nice we got to know more about them, it just doesn’t feel like it’s enough. As for the arcs, there are three this season. The first arc is a nice continuation from the last arc of season three and seeing how these nations reacted to the might of Nazerick and the establishment of the Sorcerer Kingdom. The second arc is focused on the dwarvern kingdoms and it’s honestly the weakest part of the season for me. Finally, the last arc addresses one of my expectations that I will get into. Starting with the dwarven arc, it does continue to show one of Overlord’s biggest strengths, it’s world building and giving it the time to let us see this world more and giving us good reasons for doing so. But in execution, it’s not done as well as previous arcs in the series. It’s mainly because of how it establishes these new characters. Overlord has a large cast but why that is hardly a problem is because of how they make use of their screentime by picking up things from their personality and thoughts without dragging it on and using them in the right moment to help establish them and giving them their own moment to shine, regardless of it being brief or not, to make them memorable and recognisable when they are on screen. For example, while Zaryusu Shasha has hardly appeared after the Lizardmen arc in season two, he still had his moment to shine when he fought against Cocytus to make him memorable and recognisable in later seasons. This arc lacks that, it lacks that kind of character moment that makes them recognisable. Not to say there aren’t any, probably the closest would be the leader of the Quagoa (a subterrian race at war with the dwarfs), Pe Riyuro and his tough decision he had to make for the sake of his people. But the dwarves don’t have that really, even though the focus is on them. Despite it being paced well and having some nice brief character moments, mainly with the denizens of Nazerick, it is an arc that doesn’t reach the highs of the series best due to it lacking that moment to make the characters stand out. Not to say they aren’t memorable, but given how Overlord operates, they might not get the time they need. That also doesn’t mean I don’t think they can’t get their moment to shine. This season has proved it can happen with Prince Zanac. But for now, you can recognise them but they lack a compelling moment to make them truly stand out. As for the other two arcs, they both address one of the things I wanted to see this season do and that was give a sense of payoff to all of this world building. This is because this series is focusing on building its world and has nothing really to make use of all this world building The second arc was obviously to continue that world building but the first and third arc this season was more focused on delivering that payoff. We now see how the main three human nations react to a force that is overwhelming and what their best course of action is and does this by using its established characters while giving us some new ones and see what the next course of action is. This is what makes these two arcs work because of those characters and world it developed and uses them to make a big impact on the plot. Even more smaller details like how Ainz (not Momon) uses Clementine’ Stilettos in a gladiatorial fight. It takes its world building, characters and story moments and uses it in exciting ways to make these arcs fun to watch because now you are just seeing this all unfold and because it took its time to show it, it leaves a more lasting impact. (This is going to be a long review for me to do, isn’t it?) Characters: 9/10 Overlord’s other main strength has always been its characters. Overlord has never always focused on Ainz and likes to showcase the other characters of this world as well to help establish what this world is like and it has always been for the better. It helps change perspective on things from a different pair of eyes as to how they would react to a force that is beyond them and wonder if they will make out of this unscathed and wish the bad people get f**ked up for something we know they shouldn’t have. Following overpowered characters everywhere will eventually get boring so how about we look at it from another perspective, get to know them better and pray for their lives or wish they were killed if they deserved it What also helps is that they don’t throw everything at you, so you know they still have tricks up their sleeves. It what keeps Overlord’s overpowered characters refreshing and doesn’t fall into the traps of other power fantasy Isekai. Season four is no different. It still follows other perspectives as you will see but now the situation is on thin ice as anything could happen to provoke the Sorcerer Kingdom. One spark could set up a bomb that would annihilate everyone and now you see some characters trying to think their way around this, while others are just f**king things up for themselves and the people around them. The three main characters that stood out this season was also the standout character from each arc. Like I didn’t do it on purpose, it just kind of went that way. So the first standout character from the first arc is easily Emperor Jircniv mainly because of his growing paranoia. It was very funny seeing him losing his mind due to him being downright terrified of the might of Ainz and the rest of the Socerer Kingdom. It was also a good continuation point after season three as to how he would react to what happened at the end of last season. Seeing a man who was prideful and smartly aware now has been reduced to the opposite of that was very entertaining as you now see how the power of Ainz Ooal Gown is affecting people who have lived to tell the tale. It addresses another thing I wanted to see this season is how will the people of this world who don’t bow down to Ainz react to a force that is seemingly way stronger than them and seeing Jircniv losing his mind to fear and paranoia is exactly the kind of thing I was looking for. Even if the truth would be muttered, he would still doubt it to be true and it’s nice to see one of my favourite characters from season three continue to be one of my favourites. The second arc’s standout to me was Shalltear. After her blunder in season one that turned her into a glorified chair in season two, seeing her trying to redeem herself was really the main selling point of this arc for me. You could tell that she really is trying to take note of everything Ainz does to make up for her mistakes but also do what Ainz wants his subordinates to do and that’s think freely for themselves, which Shalltear also takes to heart. It just goes to show that its not just the characters outside of Nazerick that makes this cast feel lively but also the residents of Nazerick as well that help round out this cast and actually gives them excuse to have reasonable character development to monsters who don’t need to get any stronger and need other ways to give them growth. The third arc’s standout is Zanac, prince of the Re-Estize kingdom and is probably the most distinct character this season because my word, there has been a complete 180 turnaround of his character. In season two, we were introduced to him as a snobby, greedy, fat b**terd of a Prince that you wouldn’t mind seeing perishing. This season though, a completely different perspective of his character, showcasing that he is a dauntless man that when push comes to shove, he will do what is right. It shows why the show’s focus on its supporting cast is just as important because without, you wouldn’t really care what happened to him and he would just be another name for Ainz and co. to roll over. But the fact we are given the time this season; we see his resolve, it changes your outlook on not just him, but all characters like Brain Unglass starting out as a thief in season one to a fearless warrior by the end of this season. Zanac is a prime example of this season however and is one of the highlights of this season as one of its standout characters. That’s not to say the rest of the cast wasn’t enjoyable. Hell, for the criticism I had for the second arc, I still liked the characters that were introduced with the standout being Hejinmal, a bloated frost dragon who was smart enough to know that he didn’t stand a chance against Ainz and co. And then there is Philip, a poor noble and a complete delusional and cocky b**terd who thinks he can eventually get what he wants, even trying to win the favour of Albedo when we all know that he essentially planting his own death flag. Characters that have already been established get good moments. Albedo seems to get thirstier with each season and it’s very cool to see her and princess Renner hit it off. Ainz still seems to be winging it and it seems to get funnier with each passing moment when the situation gets bigger and more complex with the usual, “SASUGA, AINZ-SAMA,” to top it off. I could go on and on about other characters like the members of the Blue Roses, the Dwarfs, the other floor guardians of Nazerick, Pandora’s actor, but I think you get my point. All characters, no matter how relevant to the plot, can leave a lasting impression that will make them recognisable later down the line. While Ainz is the central character in all this and still easily stands out as one of, if not, the best Isekai protagonist in anime, it’s the cast around them that helps make this truly special. But like I said a couple of sentences ago, what makes Ainz just as good in this season as in previous seasons is that now that the situation is escalating, him basically going along with it is causing him more trouble than its worth and actually gives him a new different kind of challenge, rather than a straight up fight because we will know who would win. (Yep, it’s going to be a long review) Animation: 6.5/10 Animation was going to be interesting to watch because Overlord was slowly dipping in that aspect due to the increase use of CG that looked like ass. It was one of things I wanted to see this season was were they going to improve the CG? I can say though they have improved in some aspects in the CG department but in other ways, it looks like they’ve gone back to things we hated about it. Some of the CG problems last season had reared its ugly head here as well, with same face soldier syndrome that plagued last season has also appeared this season as well, although less egregious than last time thankfully. But there are some notable scenes in this show where the CG has improved when its less focused on massive blobs and more individual characters. The big fight in episode twelve is the big standout here where it has noticeably improved so it is actually a fun fight to watch. In terms of traditional animation, Overlord as always been solid in that department with the character designs as well helping them be more distinct from one another, although drawing them at a distance has not yielded best results. In summery there have been some improvements in the animation department but some things still hold them back. Sound: 7.5/10 Soundtrack pretty much remains the same, being a grandiose feeling ost that can really sell a scene but also stand out in its own way. Here, it’s no different, it’s still used well and it still does well to enhance the scene its being used. It just sells the might of Nazerick by having something loud to tell you who is the real power here. But also have more light hearted soundtrack when it wants to step back and relax for a bit. One of my criticisms in season three though was the lack of standout new tracks. Here, it’s no different because the ones I remember being used this season, were the ones that were being used in previous seasons. Well, besides the one that played in the final episode. It’s still a great OST, don’t get me wrong, but it is still a gripe. In terms of OP and ED, unfortunately, MYTH & ROID are absent this season which feels like a crime if you ask me. Their EDs were good while the opening from last season, “Voracity” was the best Overlord OP out of the three. Thankfully though, OxT makes their return with their best OP for Overlord to date. Titled “HOLLOW HUNGER,” this is probably the best I’ve heard from Oxt and I like it over the other two they’ve done because they don’t over rely on using vocaloid when singing the lyrics to the point you don’t know what they are saying like in OP 1. Listen, I like “Clattanoia” but that OP is starting to age quite badly in my opinion. And I think it’s used at the right tone, unlike OP 2, “Go Cry Go.” It strikes a nice balance if you ask me. I also love the instrumentals here because it’s pumping you up but also sound like something you would not usually hear from OxT. It’s smooth, it’s cool, it’s something that you want to learn how to tango under. This is something I can listen to again and again and not be fed up with. In fact, I have. Visuals as well are solid, showcasing its cast in fun ways and provides some brief but good action. If Yofukashi no Uta’s OP didn’t exist, this would be my OP of the season. Is it better than season three’s, “Voracity”? That’s up to debate really because it’s damn close. Okay, so technically MYTH & ROID are not doing the ED but we do have a consolation prize with Mayu Maeshima, the original singer of MYTH & ROID and did the first ED for Overlord. Now she has done the performance for this this ED, titled "No Man's Dawn". Honestly though, I think It’s the weakest ED in the series. I’m not saying it’s bad but compared to the other EDs, I enjoyed this one the least. The artwork is still gorgeous to look at but that is a given at this point. I just feel like they ain’t creative with this one, showcasing the members of Nazerick in expressions that we already know what they are like, but does it in a way that feels plain. It lacks a bit of chaotic energy, or in the case of season three’s ED, a foreboding feeling (God that ED was so good). Maeshima puts in a good performance but the lack of creativity in the visuals hurts the performance more than it helps honestly. But it is paced and timed well to help make it better. Like I said, it isn’t a bad ED, far from it, but compared to the others, it feels like the weakest. I didn’t think they were going to top season three anyway. To me, they peaked there. Conclusion: Season 4 of Overlord provided me with what I was looking for this season. Some needed payoff, the continued world building filled with interesting characters and some improvement over the CG. The only thing I would say is a miss is probably new pieces for the OST. It did stumble in the second arc but was still solid and the other two arcs were really enjoyable and reminded me why I loved Overlord, it’s world and the characters in it. They really are the main selling points and there are few shows that will take their time to get to know their large cast of characters and give them some depth and character development. It makes what happens to them more meaningful and provides a bigger impact than it normally would. It just makes me happy as a big fan that Overlord is back and also maintains the quality of enjoyment that was also provided in previous seasons. It really puts a smile on my face that we got more when it seemed like it wouldn’t happen, considering it was a rarity for Madhouse to do more than one season. The question is now is where do we go from here? Well there is a movie scheduled to be coming later down the line that will cover volumes 12 & 13, whereas this season covered volumes 10, 11 and 14. Side note, they better up the animation again for the movie. They can’t expect to get away with that quality. Then we may get an announcement of a possible season five two or three years down the line, since there are more volumes to cover but only two haven’t been covered yet. They might just wait until the light novel is finished to wrap it all up. Honestly, I’m not going to say where this one ranks among the rest of them, because it’s right to treat them one collective package that is needed to understand the whole picture that this series provides. One aspect briefly touched on one season could be expanded in another. Overlord still remains one of my favourite anime of all time and I fully believe in saying that this season is worth a watch for people who like this show. Sure, it won’t change people’s minds that already down on this series but to each their own. I liked it and that is what matters to me. My Personal Enjoyment: 10/10 Overall Score: 8.1/10 Recommendation: Watch It (Jesus Christ that took a while to do. This is actually my longest review now. Editing going to be a pain in the ass isn’t it?) (Update: Not as bad as I thought it would be.) Prima Doll  "Metal statues which resemble living human girls. They understand the mind and have an inner voice." This is the tagline for Prima Doll, one of the more recent mixed-media projects to come out of the legendary VN studio that is Key/Visual Arts that has little to no Jun Maeda involvement with it, most certainly after the disastrous Kamisama ni Natta Hi that just broke the good streak like wildfire. But, even with or without Jun Maeda, Key itself as a name has already been driven to the ground and never been the same since the somewhat tumultuous premise of an outer-world space with Rewrite, and that's where Prima Doll comes in with one particular common novelty that I'll get into later in the review. But first, let's not get too deep yet, and understand what Prima Doll is all about. It's basically mechanical dolls (known as Automata) that was created to be in aid to fight against a war, and that war has long since passed and gone for good (with remnants awaiting their time of resurgence). Beneath those cracks, however, is an army of Automata restored and repurposed for this somewhat out-of-place cafe called the Kurotantei a.k.a The Black Cat Café and relegated to wearing kimonos and serving duties just like your typical cafe, supposedly helping these Automata to let go of their past and embrace the new life they're called to do. Have some fun, sing, and serve people, that's the goal of the Black Cat Cafe with its owner Nagi Touma, who's an engineer whom knows his (or rather her) ways of restoring broken Automata and giving them a new sense of purpose, one reset and reprogram at a time. And the Black Cat Cafe display no short of its CGDCT moments, which I'd argue that it while it doesn't proclaim itself as one, it helps to bring people into a post-war congruity back into the new normal. It's a see-saw case of "seeing is believing" that the overall impression can sweeten or sour the show's antics in the long run. And this aspect is where it makes AND breaks the experience of Prima Doll, as shown by the various Automata that got restored through Nagi's delicate engineering craftsmanship: the pink-haired Haizakura with an overwhelmingly positive spirit to sing her heart out; the black-haired Karasuba which has the potentials of a combat doll and a loyalty-based one at that; the white-haired Retzel who's more of a casual smug than anything; the blonde-haired Gekka whom is akin to a kid being transferred to foster families to only know of their real existence as not they are whom she thinks; and finally the blue-haired Houkiboshi, the "mother" caretaker status of the mechanical dolls. Together with Nagi and its helper the orange-haired kid Chiyo, their new livelihood days at The Black Cat Cafe shaping their new memories, certainly everything has it going for them in the new peacekeeping regime. But as is Prima Doll's existence to justify its tagline, the "metal statues which resemble living human girls" and "understand the mind and have an inner voice", this is where its plot that's written by the serial novel authors Kai and Toya Akano really comes into play. The metal statues obviously signify the mechanical dolls a.k.a Automata which have a semblance to ordinary living human beings, girls for that matter which are raised under the environment that is unfamiliar to them that takes Nagi's toll to reset them, nothing is ever perfect, and some like Haizakura has memories of the war lingering in the back of their minds, though she tries her very best to put the past behind her, which is a good thing. This is where the understanding and inner voice rhetoric comes from and is basically their character development in the entire anime. And for better or worse, it looks and sounds like fuzzy balls trying to create the impression of a post-war situation where peace has finally come to drag its paces, until someone has to instigate the war again in their disbelief. Nevertheless, its justification of the CGDCT moments create both a good distraction and a newfound sense of purpose for these mechanical dolls, barring their manufacture within a class/generation of Automata that are designed like a rank-and-file system to take command and control of when things go south. For that to match, I think that the character cast did their roles very well, and that's the performance of veteran Seiyuus to invoke both moments of sheer happiness to downright despair. The common novelty that I presurfaced in the beginning of the review is thanks to director Tensho, who last directed the 2016-2017 anime adaptation of one of Key's now-dated VN Rewrite, that at the time, was produced with 8bit. Now that he has his own studio in the form of Bibury Animation Studios, Tensho is able to truly make this show his very own, adding his stereotypical flare into the show. But as just it is with last season's Black Rock Shooter: Down Fall that garnered more negativity than positivity, and if you look close enough at the decisions made between both shows, I'd argue that both are one and done the exact same, where feelings and emotions completely overshadow the plot, and most certainly one of Key's mainstay tropes of "hitting hard and crying onion tears" where it matters the most. Otherwise, the production is fairly consistent for the most part, and while the OP is a nice melodrama of a song, the various EDs however, I get that notion that while they are nice character songs for the most part (composed by Jun Maeda himself), it felt lacking. And I think that where the Achilles' Heel lies for Prima Doll is that it's trying way too hard to be a Key/Visual Arts title that sticks to its tried-and-true guns of methodological storytelling that has worked for years. That, with Tensho's directing (that honestly has gone from bad to worse), it makes you feel that the show desperately NEEDS to garner attention, and then forgetting to lay the rest of the foundation with that one permeating ability to buy into the hearts of the audience through the overflowing of emotions. It certainly worked before, but times have changed, and that formula does not work now. Getting sideswiped as a mixed-media project and with a director that seemingly know what's he's doing, it's a shame that it could've been better, but trying hard is never enough in this day and age. Simply put, Prima Doll has a hook, but it constantly misses the target and its objective so much that the evoking meaning of happiness turns into straight-up stupefying boredom. Love it or hate it, make your choice. Prima Doll has Key's stereotypical emotions no doubt, but everything else was lackluster. |
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Oct 23, 2022 12:46 PM
#6
RWBY: Hyousetsu Teikoku (Ice Queendom)  RWBY: Ice Queendom is the fanfic writer’s dream of cramming a whole season into three episodes and then adding their own ideas. Whether it works depends on why you’re watching. This is not a remake of the original, unless you’re only watching the first three episodes. Even then, the anime takes quite a few liberties. OG RWBY was about the fight scenes, while Anime RWBY emphasizes the voice actors. As a result, there’s a lot of dialogue exposition that answers questions you never had: What did Ruby talk about when she visited her mom’s grave in the Red Trailer? Why was Weiss battling a giant knight? What was Ruby doing at From Dust Till Dawn? I like the thought put into earlier introductions and mentions, but the rapidfire pacing got rid of some of my fave moments, like Ozpin sipping coffee while watching the new students get catapulted, and the iconic gunchucks. There are still moments where scenes take time, mostly with Giving Soft Looks™. But mostly, the anime breezes through the original to explore its own ideas. Almost the rest of the season takes place in Weiss’s dream. That means characters appear how Weiss sees them, which results in cool outfit designs and fun weapon changes. Also, the animation is fluid in climactic action scenes. Outside of these scenes though, the anime overuses split screens to the point that it’s sometimes like reading a manga. If you’re okay with almost a season of a fanfic-worthy Weiss-dream arc, you’ll enjoy RWBY: Ice Queendom. But if you want less character and more action, just watch or rewatch the original. ^^ On an international stage, it's of utmost doubt that Western media would have enough influence to trickle its presence down to Japan, and throughout the decades many have made its way into various forms of media. But anime? Never in a million years...that is until now with (Rest In Peace) Monty Oum's highly praised animated series that is RWBY. And yes, even though RWBY had already made its influence on Japan years before, it's for the same exact reason that Japan LOVES the hell outta RWBY, so much so that Ice Queendom was commissioned and was in planning for a few years before it got the announcement in early of this year. ***Side note: You can read the ANN interview (which was well documented) on the development of Ice Queendom, and normally the details are filled here, but there's so much insight to share that I will spare the explanation in this review (some excerpts will be taken and reviewed here). It must be said that every die-hard RWBY fan will tell you to go watch the original 3 volumes in its entirety, and this is mentioned with merit that this "canon-adjacent" series tries to pump as much content as it does, trying to ensure in a way that the introductory stages don't feel rushed (which it certainly does). And as scriptwriter Tow Ubukata and executive producer Mitsutoshi Kubota mentions in the interview, that the first 3 episodes a.k.a the 3-episode rule is the trickiest to lay down the narrative since the original RWBY actually took time to flesh out its story and pacing beats, and all of this (Volumes 1 to 2, scraping Volume 3's beginnings) to be cut short in 3 episodes of 20 mins runtime each (minus the OP & ED) isn't a cinch and was at times, hard to overcome and quote "almost like we were making a (recap) movie". It's only at Episode 4 onwards that the Ice Queendom's story starts, and this is stereotypical fare for anime standards, and progress the story however they wish according to the concepts that were laid down by the scriptwriters. And for better or worse, the scriptwriting in RWBY: Ice Queendom may have been its own Achilles' Heel into trying to make RWBY an anime where all people can enjoy despite its origins. First and foremost, the segregation between "Dust", "Semblance" and pure magic for newcomers (like myself) would've been better integrated if they had more time to flesh this pointer out (which they did only basically describe but didn't explain no more), and then again, only the die-hard RWBY fans can easily identify which is which. Secondly, the Grimm is and always has been the core feature of RWBY, and Tow Ubukata's version of a "Nightmare" Grimm that branches out a newly developed side story certainly is no gold, no silver nor bronze at best, but just getting Rooster Teeth's approval for a self-contained series is just good enough, which basically hints that people crave for more RWBY content, even if it's a spin-off or what-have-yous to at least earn the commendation of the new fans. This is especially hinted towards established RWBY fans whom already have a firm grasp on the Grimm, and the Nightmare Grimm that's keeping it true to the Rooster Teeth formula while being the basis for the new story, certainly helps set a story path to come for Ice Queendom. Don't get me wrong, the belief that Gen Urobuchi is still "the man, the legend" himself that has created countless memorable series over the years, but the fact that he's largely worked like a freelancer who's more into animation concepts since the mid-2010s (as is such the case for Ice Queendom here), there's a noticeable gap to fill. And this leaves the scriptwriting work to others like Tow Ubukata, whom was a cinch for freelance director Toshimasa Suzuki, who has worked with him in the past on Soukyu no Fafner (Fafner in the Azure) and Heroic Age, and the stage is set for Urobuchi's concept story that would turn out to be Weiss's dream sequence of her own Ice Queendom reign. So, a recap if the gist isn't understood: Gen Urobuchi on the concepts, and Tow Ubukata (plus the rest) on taking all of the concepts and making it into a cohesive narrative while adding his own ideas. Obviously, in terms of production focal points, there is a distinct divide between both Western and Japanese counterparts, such as is with the case of racism and discrimination between Weiss Schnee and Blake Belladona, something that is not widely shown or emphasized in Japanese media, and certainly something that's very new in terms of concept for Ubukata and his team. And taking thos into focal aspect on Ice Queendom, it was done decently to show the disparity between Weiss and Blake being that of the discrimination between humans and Faunus (creature-like humans). As for Weiss's dream sequence and introducing the standalone character that is the professional Nightmare Grimm hunter Shion Zaiden, I don't know about you, but even by anime standards, say what the staff will about concocting a great story that'll satiate old and new fans, it's certainly a mixed bag towards the average side. Trying to nail a canonical story within the space of the remainder of 8 episodes feels like a chore to watch that's largely no thanks to the amount of padding, which might suggest that Tow Ubukata's story is "all show and no go/substance". I would've liked to believe that this story should have been just as grand, or at least matched to Monty Oum's standards of storytelling despite the cultural difference even if the original creator isn't around anymore and supervised by series writer Miles Luna, together with the production team with original character designer Huke (who's the original creator and character designer for Black Rock Shooter). But like said series, it's hard nailing what a side story wants to be, and for established classics, it almost screams like there shouldn't be any room for error, and unfortunately for both, Ice Queendom (like Dawn Fall) got the short end of the stick as a standalone series that's "connected, but not connected" to the main plot. This spatial disconnect also takes a nosedive in the production schedule of Ice Queendom. Due to COVID, the staff were all working separately, and this is apparent in the final product's showcase where there are many inconsistencies with its overall presentation, despite the fact that it's Shaft at the helm of it all with its unique levels of "in your face" sakuga and animation to boot. However, when even the OP has to use recycled assets from the show to showcase its best efforts, I think this speaks for itself of the endless arguments that "animation didn't carry the show" (and so too, did the story), something which cannot be revised. It's such a shame, that it took 9 years for RWBY to reach from wonky-ass Ameerican-ized 3DCG to stylish 2D with the CG mix, and then even again got me thinking that how Monty Oum animated it (that was really ahead of its time) just looks so much better than the 2D treatment that it got here just for flashes and hooks. Where Ice Queendom didn't skimp out was with the OST, which certainly was one way to make it a Japanese Nippon-ified version of RWBY for the fans at home. It wasn't a surprise that Ice Queendom was actually hyped up before the pre-screening the week before the official release, and the best thing that came out of it was the involvement with Ryo Takahashi's Void_Chords for the OST, with a specialized song for the OP, which actually slaps. "Beyond Selves" is just perfect at how I imagined RWBY was like in the transition from the US of A to Japan, which speaks volumes for the fans in Japan to get a banger of an accompanying OST just to energize its action. Saori Hayami's "Awake" for the ED, I thought it was fantastic as well for literally being the Japanese version of Whitney Houston for high-pitched insane-but-clear vocals that's a novelty to be praised. When it all comes down to it, RWBY: Ice Queendom is in a league of its own. And what I meant was barring all of the various media affiliated with the IP, this standalone story just allows me to take notes that animation isn't gonna carry the entire show if even one aspect of it screws up a.k.a a shallow story, some janky character development etc. The era of Shaft being the standard of animation when everything else is shallow has long since gone, and good luck trying to convince global fans that RWBY will always be superior in its home country. A better analogy would be this: You think that the Earth is flat, but you ain't seen how the Earth is round yet a.k.a the disparity of differences between Western and Eastern media. Ah, Studio Shaft, how I loved you. From the Monogatari series, to 3-gatsu no Lion, to Madoka Magica, I have enjoyed many of the amazing shows from Shaft that really pushed the boundaries of animation and storytelling. Let’s be real though, they haven’t been on their A-game for a while, and although RWBY’s visuals are a clear improvement to the original from Rooster Teeth, I can’t say that any other aspects were all that impressive and immersive. This show is a bit of an enigma to me, because it feels drawn out and rushed at the same time. The first couple of volumes were rushed in the beginning, then we’re in the same setting for basically two-thirds of the entire series, and the pacing of the fights and the conclusion to the entire thing felt so quick. My grading criteria: Story: /25 Art: /10 Music: /10 Characters: /20 Enjoyment /15 Thematic Execution /20 STORY: 10/25 The story is quite simple to understand. The world is being ravaged by the Grimm, which are nightmare-esque creatures that seek to put humans and the demi-human Faunus under their spell. Academies were established to train young people to hunt down the Grimm, to protect the world. 15 year old Ruby Rose always aspired to be one of these hunters, and had dreams to go to the prestigious Beacon Academy, but being too young, she couldn’t, until she fought off robbers and caught the attention of the academy headmaster. This first part was probably the more enjoyable part of the series, and then after Ruby entered the school, Weiss, a member of team RWBY, fell victim to the Grimm, the main characters entered her dream, and found an entirely new world inside there. The power systems, the action, and the little backstories that we learned about were interesting, but since most of the show took place in this dream, it felt quite bland over time. The biggest issue in the narrative lies in the pacing. The pacing at the start was excruciatingly fast, to adapt the first few volumes of the original RWBY series, and then, the pacing was a mix of being rushed and drawn out, as the dream sequence lasted for quite some time, and any resolution and conclusion felt half-baked and too simplistic. ART: 8.5/10 Although not perfect, the animation was probably one of the stronger points of this show, especially at the start of the series. There were definitely some signs of degradation in the quality as the show progressed, with blends of 2D and 3DCG which felt awkward, but overall, I enjoyed watching the visuals. MUSIC: 8.3/10 The OST hits hard in the important moments, and it’s solid, but the music seemed a bit underused. The OST direction could have been handled a bit better for better immersion, but it wasn’t bad. The opening from Void_Chords was okay, but compared to something like the OP from Princess Principal, it felt a bit lacking. The ending from well sung by Saori Hayami, though I wasn’t the biggest fan of it. For a series that was heavily praised for its OST, I can’t help but just be a little disappointed. It’s still decent though. CHARACTERS: 8.5/20 There’s nothing inherently wrong with the characters themselves, but I just found them very boring to watch. The traits each character has are very simplistic and don’t have enough depth. I think that some things could have been flushed out a bit better, such as Weiss’s backstory, or the relationship between the humans and the Faunus. Overall, quite forgettable characters, and I would imagine the original series wrote the characters a bit better than this series did. ENJOYMENT: 7.5/15 I enjoyed some of the action sequences, but I found myself checked out at times, as I didn’t enjoy some of the pacing. THEMATIC EXECUTION: 9.5/20 The pacing once again hurts the execution of the themes of the show. Like I said, some elements could have been flushed out more, and while sakuga can save the show a little, it can’t save it all. OVERALL: 52.3/100 I have never watched the original RWBY by Monty Oum, but for one, I can say that he’d probably be proud of the visuals. The ideal combination would obviously be using these levels of visuals with the original storyboarding from Rooster Teeth. I can’t speak on which version of RWBY is better, but what I can say is, this anime was quite the up and down ride, and quite the average one, so RWBY fans, maybe just stick to the original. After a long time, RWBY finally got an official anime adaptation and pretty much was the main draw to this was the fact it got that anime adaptation. It was also going to tell an original story which made it more interesting. While you can technically watch this RWBY with next to no knowledge, it is pretty clear this anime was made for fans. It glosses over the first volume in three episodes and cuts all the character development and chemistry to get to its original story and where the problems kick in. Now it does have good points. It still has likeable characters, the art style has translated well, the soundtrack is really good and the vocal performances were well casted. This is how I imagined these characters would sound in Japanese. But it also has some big problems. The story is a slog with its pacing being inconsistent. It blitzes through the first three episodes then drags for the rest of the season with a story that should last four episodes but is double in length and it shows. The characters, while likeable, have no development and don’t change. The animation is also fairly inconsistent. For the most part, It looks really good and shaft have brought their A-game for the most part. They do phone it in at times so they can’t keep it consistent. Overall, this anime is a definition of a “consider it” anime. If you are a fan of RWBY, you can check this one out if you want more RWBY. For the rest of you, I’m very hesitant to stay check it out because it is a slog and requires you to already know and like these characters to enjoy it. Story: 2/10 Characters: 5/10 Animation: 7.5/10 Sound: 8/10 My Personal Enjoyment: 4.5/10 Overall Score: 5.4/10 Recommendation: Consider it Saikin Yatotta Maid ga Ayashii / The Maid I Hired Recently Is Mysterious  This show is the epitome of knowing everything that has been done with the genre, yet making an almost inferior version of it because the creative juices have all but been squeezed out to nothingness. And in case you didn't know, this Summer's Saikin Yatotta Maid ga Ayashii a.k.a The Maid I Hired Recently Is Mysterious is the 2nd anime adaptation of mangaka Wakame Konbu's works, the 1st of which was last Summer's 2-cour, 20-episode long Jahy-sama wa Kujikenai! a.k.a The Great Jahy Will Not Be Defeated!, which was enjoyable to a certain degree with its comedy and whatnot. Sadly though, what this show offers to us is nothing more than just endless, pandering bait of the tropes done before, but un-"sus"-piciously worse in every aspect. The "teasing" sub-genre has seen its many fair share of really good ones, the likes of Souichirou Yamamoto with the Takagi-san franchise and the same season's Soredemo Ayumu (which is just a character swap), and the one that this show will be most compared to: mangaka Koharu Inoue's Shinigami Bocchan to Kuro Maid a.k.a The Duke of Death and His Maid. But there is a fine line to draw where the teasing goes way above and beyond to the point of being extreme, and unfortunately for Wakame Konbu, he did what the formula has been long orchestrated before for years, only for the audience to be more pissed off at it. So, let's be real: Yuuri, the young boy that survived a horrific car accident that left both of his parents dead and him being home alone, he is a tough nut to crack being one that is bullied and left to his own devices to sort out his own feelings. It's hard having to micro-manage both the servant and the mansion that he can only call home, that's his safe haven...that is until this mysteriously beautiful, dark-skinned maid called Lilith enters his life, seemingly having a connection with his parents and taking it upon herself to take care of the young master. And the running gag is that the young master finds the maid incredibly "sus" (because that's a thing) due to her behavioural actions and intimidations of the rom-com between a child and an adult. Like, I get it when this is done in Shinigami Bocchan where both Bocchan and Alice are of the same age, and are acquainted well enough to make their teasing game more entertaining and comical. But in the case of Saikin Maid, all I see are just subpar cringefest gags of Lilith having to constantly run her mouth towards Yuuri and tease him romantically to no end, engaging the "will they, won't they" rhetoric. Like, would you believe it if this was done in real life? That would be called blasphemy, and a cardinal sin, even if this is all "make believe" fashion. Also, Yuuri is just plain dense, that's all. Nuff said, unless the point needs to be emphasized that he really doesn't know what's going on, and always plays second fiddle to Lilith until he understands the point, only to follow up on her gag. The other supporting characters are nothing like what I remember from Jahy-sama when it comes to the traits, they seemed like two exact complete polar opposites from one another. You have Yuuri's classmate and close contact Tsukasa Gojouin with her butler Fujisaki, and believe it or not, their role in this show is just meant to belittle the fact that this show has neither style nor substance, and are only created to show the affiliations to both Yuuri and Lilith in the most "bearable" of terms possible. Take Gojouin for example: she is an "advocate" for the forbidden relationship between the two leads that stems from her being a fan of romance manga and novels, she's the "thirsty sister" that just wants to imagine where the wild things are with the master-maid relationship. Thank God there's Fujisaki to stop her, and out of everyone, she's the most calm and collected character of the bunch keeping Gojouin in constant check. Fujisaki's the "gatekeeper" of anything and everything, so I'm glad that her character exists to bond the rest of the cast together in some form and function as the only sane person in the lot. Unsurprisingly, it's Silver Link back at it again with subpar in-house director Mirai Minato on his 2nd rondo with this show after Jahy-sama. At least I would admit that Jahy-sama is supposed to be paid more attention to detail given its 20-episode runtime, and since recently there has been more of the studio's collab work with another minor studio Blade, I can't really tell if they ever improved the line work to begin with, or could it be that Silver Link has consistently produced good and bad shows in a never-ending cycle. At the very least, it seems that this show is used to train a relatively new director (Misuzu Hoshino) under Mirai Minato's tutelage, but as we all know that quantity does not equal to quality, and this one is just a pure bad pass wth the bare minimums of actually getting the job done. It's the same story with the OST, it's very forgettable and there's nothing noteworthy to be talked about. Just like Shinigami Bocchan, Saikin Maid has its wholesome moments, but to the extent of getting towards its objective is one that cannot be displaced, for where the destination lies is how the journey to get there is done, and this has already brought in mixed comments when it comes to author Wakame Konbu's way of expression in this show. It's definitely way different from what I was expecting to be: a Shinigami Bocchan version of Jahy-sama, only except that the charm wears off faster than it could remain, with the majority finding this to be pure bad and the minority enjoying for what it truly is. I can only draw the line in the middle like Humpty Dumpty, not knowing where the egg will fall in this one, though the reckoning that it'll lean more towards the bad side. It's just mediocre, that's all. Shadows House (Season 2)  The anime continuation of the duo mangaka Soumatou's Shadows House, and the single-handed question that's popping up on everybody's minds is that: "Where do we go with that supposed mixed reception of the anime-original finale of the prequel?" And I would say: "Please be patient, the production staff know what they are doing with the author's supervision." To ace the progression of the manga into anime form, what we started off with Season 1 sets out the beginning that the entire Shadows House was made for commune between humans being bought off to this big and huge house and their Shadow masters vying for the top spot of their own ranking, thus labelling the Shadow-Living Doll master-servant relationship where the Living Doll acts like his/her Shadow master would. Overtime we get to see more characters and who's boss in the House that would create its own rank-and-file system of the Adults and most especially the Star Bearers, guarding the House close like a nice wineskin that's wrapped in elegance. And it's not until Season 2 now that we also find out that this Shadows House is not what it seems, full of tension, mysteries and downright horrifying situations that would cast a dark light over what truly is the will of submission in the conquest for young Shadows to be accepted into the family, and most certainly it did for the most part. Manga readers especially, complained at the prequel missing out one of the key characters that would come to redefine what Shadows House is truly all along, and due to time constraints, it was left out and uncertain if a sequel would be in production to bring back this character. And now everyone can rejoice, because Season 2 focuses a lot on the entity that everyone has come to know now as Master Robe, the one who's orchestrating the behind-the-scenes notion on showcasing the deft hand of the House and its true infamy of the whole Shadow-Living Doll relationship, that is only privately known to those who went through this egregious process. And most certainly what was presented here labels Season 1 as the cake's base foundation while the sequel here is the icing on the cake where all hell broke loose, and everyone (or most of them) in this juncture is aware of the effects of what's about to come. The coffee soot mind manipulation of the Living Dolls in perfect consignment to the Shadows House is also a distinct feature of the sequel here, and like the Shadow-Living Doll relationship, is also part of that involvement into the lore of what the House buys for in terms of forced and filtered loyalty. And if you see it from an overall perspective, Season 2 here really shines upon the hidden darkness of the Shadows House, which is basically an exposé of how the entire Shadows family operates with Lord Grandfather, that churns down to a "dead or alive" decision for all. Either you live with it, or willingly die against its terms and conditions. Otherwise, Emilico, Kate and their group of Shadows and Living Dolls are pretty much consistent as per Season 1's standards, with more characters to boot now considering that the route to the House's exposé has the gang inquire more pairs to figure out their roles in this entire endeavour, which helps fill in the intel that had missing puzzle pieces since the very beginning of the story. It certainly is not pretty knowing more about the House and having speculations across the board and being the most viable targets from the Adults and the Star Bearers' point of view is just as lucid as it was like in the prequel, so the lore of mystery never gets old with more answers to fill up the questions raised as they go. Unsurprisingly, CloverWorks's production also keeps it consistent with the visually dark undertones, something that's especially way more excessive here due to the story plot that encroaches disagreements to plain-out action with much soot. This is par for the course that the anime has took on with the manga's progression, and to see it animated in its sheer horror is absolute bliss. On the music side of things, ReoNa's OP is good, but comparing with her Season 1 juggernaut of an ED, it's night and day. But what I'm most excited about is ClariS (with a new member) finally coming back to produce more songs, and "Masquerade" is a return to form in regard to the duo's signature rhythms (though that LycoReco's OP is pure masterclass). Above all, Season 2 improved on the one sole key difference with the story linkage from Season 1, and they couldn't have done it without the author's help. That said, both seasons are just as engaging, and the sequel easily edges out the prequel in terms of unwrapping its overall mystery with the tone of its storytelling. That's not to say that what we got with 2 seasons of Shadows House ain't bad, but we just want more, and that's where I'll lead you to continue reading the manga from where the anime left off, because it's that engrossing for a rare, full-colour manga. Take the advice: watch the anime, then continue the manga. The interest never wanes in the exciting deliration that is Soumatou's Shadows House. There is little doubt in my mind that Shadows House continues to be one of the more unique and stylistically sound series in the anime medium these days. The gothic and Victorian setting, mixed with dark mystery and rather lighthearted comedy is quite the balance, and it just works very well. Now, don’t tell me that you weren’t worried for how this season was going to play out after that rather sub-par last three episodes of Season 1. Knowing what CloverWorks did for Yakusoku no Neverland Season 2, we know their track record when it comes to deviating from the source material, but luckily, it seems we got back on track, and Shadows House is once again receiving the adaptation it deserves. While this isn’t your popular high-budget title, it made the most of what it had to create a rather captivating show nonetheless. My grading criteria: Story: /25 Art: /10 Music: /10 Characters: /20 Enjoyment /15 Thematic Execution /20 STORY: 18/25 Big improvement from Season 1 in terms of the writing. The mystery elements are handled well, and there are good plot twists as well. Some new plot points were introduced which were very interesting, such as some more finer details about the scorches, soot sickness, some backstories about the past of the children’s wing, and we get to know more about the living doll and shadow relationship. It’s a well done story that ties up most of its mysteries neatly like a package, and it makes sense as well. With mysteries, explanations and exposition are key, and most, if not all the mysteries and backstories were handled quite well, and had decent depth to them to make it quite the engaging watch. It’s also not very difficult to understand, which is good, because many mysteries fall into the trap of thinking the more difficult it is to guess the outcome, the better. This show isn’t very ambitious with its mystery, and that’s fine, because the journey was an engaging one, and that’s all that matters. ART: 8/10 The animation is well done, the scary scenes are done well, and the colours are good. The budget doesn’t seem very large, but what we got here was sufficient. MUSIC: 8.7/10 It was always going to be a tough task to top ReoNa’s incredibly catchy ending, “Nai Nai” from Season 1, and while this season’s opening and ending weren’t as catchy as that, it still captured the atmosphere quite right. The soundtrack itself isn’t all too impressive on its own, but it still works wonders for the show’s atmosphere nonetheless. CHARACTERS: 15/20 The characters had more depth and development this season, and that’s great to see. Kate remains a joy to watch, as she used her intelligence well, and had a lot of tricks up her sleeve to ensure that she would survive in the shadows house. Emilico is also such a wholesome, happy character, and very curious about things as well. They say “curiosity killed the cat”, but sometimes, it’s because of her curiosity that people are saved. John continues to be excellent comic relief as well. However, the side characters also had a large role in this season, and they were arguably the more compelling characters from this season. ENJOYMENT: 12.3/15 Really had a good time with this season, as it was just so much more compelling overall. THEMATIC EXECUTION: 16.2/20 Another thing I have to praise is how thematically sound this show is. The tension and suspense build with every episode, the characters are mysterious, and you genuinely might worry about what the characters might have to go through. The horror elements are also executed very well. They don’t hold back on the scary elements, and that’s great for immersion. Sometimes, you might even be on the edge of your seat. I will say though, one small gripe I have are the tonal shifts, and this was also present in Season 1. In a tense moment, sometimes, a comedic bit would happen, which would break the suspense. The comedy is usually done well though, it’s just sometimes a little awkwardly placed. OVERALL: 78.2/100 A solid improvement to Season 1, and I’m glad this returned to form after the rather rushed end to the first season. It was tense, the characters were compelling, the backstories were told well, and the resolutions make sense, and are quite satisfying. If you were worried about how Season 2 was going to go, I can assure you, this season was some quality stuff, and I can’t wait to see what comes next. Shadows House was definitely one of the more underrated anime from last year as it was caught in a stacked spring season. But I’m glad it did get a season two because it needed one. There was so much more to tell and felt like we were just scratching the surface. Season two capitalizes on this by placing more emphasis on the mystery of the house as well as having a more detective element to it. It also greatly expands the cast and honestly for the better. I really enjoyed the new editions to the cast while also keeping the cast from season one just as enjoyable. Cloverworks is also able to maintain the animation quality and ReoNa is able to deliver with the opening this time. I did like the character development more in season one though than season two and once again, there seems to be plenty more to tell, but it was shocking honestly this got a season two so I wouldn’t be surprised if this got another followup. Overall though, it is a good followup from one of my favourites from last year and it’s nice to have because you rarely get dark slice of life these days so Shadows House brings something different that other anime don’t have. Would still recommend this series if you haven’t already. Story: 8/10 Characters: 9/10 Animation: 7.5/10 Sound: 8.5/10 My Personal Enjoyment: 8/10 Overall Score: 8.2/10 Recommendation: Watch It Shine Post  Idol shows are a dime a dozen, they are EVERYWHERE! From the Love Life! series to whatever you can think of being a fan of said genre with its many companies and subsidiaries. But more often a times, they can range from the songs to the drama that just serves as plot device to the overall main product. Such is the case with last season's Extreme Hearts from the creator of Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha being somewhat of a letdown being a subtle but mediocre character-driven story that sadly, reeks too much of the counterparts (a la PuraOre! Pride of Orange) that did the formula better, but not by much. Instead, it's shows like CyGames's Uma Musume: Pretty Derby franchise that provides the distinction that atop of its horseracing-cum-idol premise, it is a full load-down of its character-driven drama, and this season, it's Shine Post, Konami Digital Entertainment and Straight Edge's mixed-media project that boasts almost as much observance and excitement as it could get for an IP that pretty much only exists in Japan. Despite the premise being oh-so-repetitive towards the idol genre space, the one thing that will bug you is how eloquent the character writing is that it's so distinguished and well-thorough. Well, that's because even though Shine Post is a multimedia project, it got its start being a light novel series, written by Rakuda and illustrated by Buriki. And if you're the AniManga industry insider nut that I am, you'll know that these 2 people got their start with the now famous Bench-kun harem rom-com that is OreSuki. This will immediately tell you that Shine Post MEANS business, and it does not goof around with its character-driven story and realistic drama that's just as tightly controlled and enjoyable as it is in OreSuki. If you're the type of person that ABSOLUTELY hated how saturated the idol genre is now, Shine Post is the anime for you to deviate the setting for actual, greatly concocted characters that'll make you think twice about watching idol shows that have both style and substance to boot, and little of that usual fodder that maligns the genre to this day. Shine Post tells the story of an up-and-coming new idol group called TINGS, made up of 5 girls and stylized by their family names: Kyoka Tamaki, Momiji Ito, Haru Nabatame, Yukine Gionji and Rio Seibu. Out from the cusps of forming yet another idol group to saturate the idol scene even more, it's Manager Yuki Hinase and her ideals of "one's a company, two's a crowd, three's a party". And since more girls can be given their opportunites to be a Shine Post, why not take the plunge? As we all know, being amateur idols is one of the toughest moments because you have to start somewhere, and unforunately for these 5 girls, their spirit of camaraderie and teamwork got off to a wonky start due to distrust and fear of reprisal. That's where the new manager Naoki comes in, the distant cousin of Manager Yuki, and someone who has the ability to see people shining when they lie. Yeah, you think that that angle was weird to see people shining, but in formality, the somewhat unique trope actually works. Also, TINGS didn't start out as the 5-member group that they did, but in yet another stylizing methodology in the form of TiNgS, representing the fallout of members that arose with that same distrust angle (I shall not spoil this since it's something worth noting). While the 5 girls are new to the idol business (except one of them), Naoki is too, and he doesn't really know how to be their manager since his cousin Yuki just threw the job at him, leaving him to his own devices of how he wants TINGS to operate like a an actual professional idol group. But still, he took the plunge, knowing that with proper counselling and advice, he would lead the group to new heights, starting with achieving a 2000-people strong annivesary concert that will make or break (or rather, mold or disband) the group that only achieved at most, double-digit turnouts. And within the heartcries of a group that is immensely struggling to stay afloat, there comes one: leader Haru Nabatame's dream of people like her being idols, being the shining guideposts a.k.a Shine Post, to embrace idols as they are. Knowing Rakuda's exquisite writing ability in OreSuki also should give you an idea that everyone's journey into becoming idols are immensely different yet present their own sets of challenges as well like tough terrain. Some like TINGS's leader Haru Nabatame has for a part of her whole life, knacked into the idol industry with her friends who become one as well with the dream that they would debut and serve alongside each other to the fullest degree, while others like Kyoka and Rio have to start from scratch and learn from whoever's leading the charge at their own know-how. The amount of drama in Shine Post is so realistic, it doesn't try to sugarcoat anything and instead "BAM!"s you in the face about how tough the idol industry is, and the need to push and grow obscenely fast because one slip, and the world moves on without you ever knowing. This is the harsh life being an idol, and there's nothing but advancements as the days passes by, already planned to the next concert. And this is incredibly hard to be a Shine Post. In that stance, Haru's story is the full package here, and it'd be my due diligence to have you watch the anime as it covers practically the entire show's rhythms. Shine Post's production didn't skimp out either, and instead it embodies the entire idol setting to make it as grand as it could be. This is thanks in part to director Kei Oikawa, who he has helmed the Uma Musume: Pretty Derby anime adaptations of its now 2 seasons under P.A Works and Studio Kai, and knows well enough on what make idol shows work the charm. The latter holds much regard since it's the studio chosen to adapt this idol drama series, and I'm ostensibly glad that Shine Post got the Uma Musume treatment of a high-quality production that highlights the same exact tones with what Uma Musume Season 2 has been laid upon. So, it's experience that makes Shine Post look the way it is: as grandiose with lustre and eye-popping visuals to look the cut. Even the CG moments can feel worrisome, but in Shine Post you can rest easy because they too look great. Same goes with the songs, from the OP/ED and the OST, you can be assured that they also sound just as good from a star-studded staff team behind the scenes. With so few numbers following this show, I'm actually surprised that it never caught on towards the general audience, most possibly so because it's an idol show on hindsight, and I can already see the numbers dwindling because of that alone. However, Shine Post is the perfect example of defying expectations while using an almost universal premise to execute its objective. Ultimately, as Anatole France quotes it this way: "It is in the ability to deceive oneself that the greatest talent is shown.", in the exact same way, we got deceived by Shine Post thinking that it'll be the same-old, same-old, generic idol series, when in spirit and in truth it doesn't feel that way and has a certain charm that sticks on you from the get-go. If there has to be one idol show that stands out in the unlikeliest of situations, it's gotta be Shine Post. And I can finally say for certainty that Shine Post is THE idol show that I can recommend to those not to keen towards the idol genre. It's a cult following, but I'm glad to be part of that cult, it's the idol show to end all idol shows. Shoot! Goal to the Future  Shooto! When I'm with you, I can play better, because I love the way we work together! Be my gay buddy in soccer so that I can date you on the playing field! Can I? Please Shooto? PRETTY PLEASE??? This is a prime masterpiece example of how to destroy the semblance of the original source material, and for one, Aoki Densetsu Shoot! was at least a decent 90s soccer/football show that exemplifies its existence of anime trying anything to thrive back in its heyday. But Goal to the Future? More like Gay to the Heartstrings, because whoever was scriptwriting this original show most likely had a penchant for BL stories in sports, he/she succeeded for the most part. Giving us all the cringefest of a soap opera that mixes both human feelings and emotions, and sports altogether to create an experience that'll send your eyes and ears crying and bleeding onion tears to the point that you can't unsee it. Forget about what the synopsis is trying to tell you, it's just a premise. The real one is infused in every nook and cranny of "I'm lovin' it" levels of insanity and disbelief of how a soccer show can go all-out gayness, overloaded with the fact that everything else was non-existent from the character development, worse than subpar animation, the generic OST...just about everything is plain abominable. Hooray for over-the-top BL-ness involving soccer balls to SHOOTO! Doorraayyaahhhhh!!! You can betcha that Ao Ashi blows this out of the water, easily. |
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Oct 23, 2022 12:46 PM
#7
Soredemo Ayumu wa Yosetekuru / When Will Ayumu Make His Move?  When Will Ayumu Make His Move was about what I expected. It's a very wholesome anime that surrounds a pair of people that have feelings for each other while they play shogi. It's a nice relaxing watch that doesn’t really do too much apart from having really sweet moments. To be honest though sometimes it would become a little boring because there's only so much of the same thing you can really take. I wouldn’t necessarily call it bad, but I wouldn’t call this anime good either. Art: 7 I thought the art was fine, the anime is not ugly to look at and the character designs are good too. I’m also not going to really complain about lackluster animation because this anime is very diologue-heavy anyway, and it's just shogi so the animation was fine to me. Other than that I thought the music in the show was okay, it could've been a little better, but no real big complaints there. Characters: 6 I’m going, to be honest, I found it hard to care for any other character aside from the main duo, as they all felt a little one-dimensional, but the main duo has good enough chemistry to override that. I will say, I think they did a great job with Rin, as her story was probably the best and just plain realistic. Story: 5 The story of the anime kind of fell flat for me. I understand that Ayumu wants to beat Urushi in shogi for his own personal reasons, but as I said previously, there's only so much you can take of that. Of course, if you find shogi really entertaining then it might be perfectly okay for you. It's just that if the main duo didn't have good chemistry, then I think this anime would've been a lot worse. It also doesn’t help that the ending wasn’t great. Overall it was an okay watch, good wholesome vibes. 6/10 The year is 2022, and out of all the authors to get all the notoriety for attention, it's Souichirou Yamamoto. This madlad of a mangaka as you will know, is the aforementioned creator of Takagi-san, which the manga sold like hotcakes thanks to the now 3 seasons of the anime adaptation plus the movie that got released in mid-June. And this year alone, his fame shot up like infamy when we've come to know that 3 of his works will be released simultaneously seasonally, creating the "forehead trio" analogy of Winter's still excellent Takagi-san (Season 3), Spring's somewhat decent Kunoichi Tsubaki, and now Summer's "superior" version of Takagi-san that is Soredemo Ayumu wa Yosetekuru a.k.a When Will Ayumu Make His Move?. Finally, the "forehead trio" trifecta is complete, and how actually does Soredemo Ayumu fare to the juggernaut that is Takagi-san? I mean, come on, it's Souichirou Yamamoto, and if there's anything noteworthy to be made about this author, is that he can turn the impossible possible, which is exactly what was done for this show, which is just a palette swap of Takagi-san in the character department anyway. Simply put, Urushi Yaotome acts pretty much just like Nishikata and Ayumu Tanaka is a stern-faced expressionless version of Takagi-san, only that I'd think that where there merits to saying that this show is how the mangaka envisions it to be, then he definitely got that formula correct, but also with an actual plot to back it up. In this case, it's involving Shogi to progress their relationship from being club members to love interests, which I can definitely tell that it's a smart move to incorporate Shogi strategies and link them to the topics of love. Ayumu is definitely in love with Urushi, but aside from his stone-cold face, he has a motive: unless he beats Urushi in Shogi, he would absolutely NOT confess to her, and no matter how much he loses to Urushi in practice and tutorial games, his blunt personality actually makes for some giggles which trigger Urushi's many memeable facial expression on his conquest, which is not a bad thing! The daily interactions with said female MC make for some of the most comical scenes with the straightfowardness of Ayumu to the many "Pikachu surprised" faces of Urushi's bashfulness, and if they were to compete against the other Takagi-Nishikata pair, I would say that they're not necessarily better, but just in the different demographics of middle vs. high school that holds well in their own regard. The replacement for Takagi-san's 3 girls of Ashita wa Doyoubi in Soredemo Ayumu, comes in the form of close friends ranging from Urushi's classmate-cum-best friend Maki to Ayumu's childhood friend romantic relationship trope of Takeru Kakuryu and Sakurako Mikage, and the one girl that's even closer to him based on common interests, Rin Kagawa. Maki is voiced by none other than HanaKana, so you would know that she's a thing of beauty and someone that Urushi admired because she is developed with breasts (as compared to her flatboard chest). And she's a genuine friend that other than her teasing antics towards Urushi, is a nice compliment in the supporting section as well, always ready to help her best friend when it counts. Definitely a Best Winggirl status in the making. As for Takeru and Sakuragi, the former's quite a noisy brat that sticks closer to a brother with Ayumu most of the time and is in the library club. But it's that same place where he would be friends with Sakurako, whom he has a crush on, and the latter is a shy one who would often lead the former into hypnotism, being unaware of that fleeting crush feeling. These two "lovebirds" work together as a side couple of things, and in my opinion, they're much sweeter than the Takagi-Nishikata pair, which is saying something of their character dynamics with one another working out the way as is intended. Of course, for every one sweet person in the crew, there will be one bad apple, and this is in the form of Ayumu and Takeru's junior Rin, who's got her head pretty much filled with Kendo as she practices day in and day out, fulfilling her promise to beat her Senpai in order to gain his recognition. But as one might expect, the literal shift from Kendo to Shogi doesn't sit well with her, and like from Ayumu to Urushi, she'll often raise challenges in the hopes that'll attract her Senpai's attention, but of course, by then he has already been entrapped in the Shogi lore with Urushi. Overall, the character cast here is one of the standouts when comparing this with Takagi-san, and I would argue that this is much better. This greatness trickles down to the performance of the VAs, and one such fact that you cannot ignore is that this is newbie VA Kanna Nakamura's first-ever gig for both voice acting and the ending song (which character endings are a staple of Souichirou Yamamoto shows). And starting out here as a main role (which is HUGE for rookies) for Urushi, Kanna Nakamura is very talented, even to the point of sounding like an actual veteran Seiyuu, the likes of the Queen of Teasing, Rie Takahashi herself. Definitely looking forward to more of her roles, that's for sure. Youhei Azakami does decent, having that deep bass voice that he's known for to give Ayumu a somewhat aging young man's voice without sounding too adult-like, that's fine by me. Silver Link has recently been somewhat of a wonky record, from constantly having a conflicting see-saw motion this season with this show and the mediocre Saikin Yatotta Maid ga Ayashii. There's bound to be equalness from standing out and being generic, but for the most part, it gets the job done intended without any distinct qualities, and I'm fine if it does make the show stand out better that way. Also, it's been a long while since we've heard anything HanaKana worthy, and that OP song is a bop, while Kanna Nakamura's ED song is one and the same. Good marks across the board, I have to say. This then, brings me (and you) back to the initial question: Is Soredemo Ayumu the "superior" version of Takagi-san? If you think about it in the general sense, then the model answer would be: "Yes, it does". But after having seen both Takagi-san and Kunoichi Tsubaki, my own personal opinion is that first impressions are everything, and nothing can ever beat out Takagi-san in terms of raw experience (be it the manga or the anime). But, make no mistake that Soredemo Ayumu is the embodiment of undulated fun, and this to me, is 2nd place behind Takagi-san for just being that. It's a good effort nonetheless, and to properly close 2022's trifecta of Souichirou Yamamoto's 3 seasons whip of anime adaptations, it ended in a pretty good note. But this is just me, and I hope that you find this show more fun than I did, so obviously it's recommended. Ah, those fleeting youthful days where romance was always on our minds, and falling in love was one of the best feelings one can imagine. This show really does warm my heart, and gave me some of those memories, though I will be honest, I didn’t really enjoy this show at the start, but little by little, I started liking it more. The show is quite simple really, a middle school kendo champion, Ayumu Tanaka, begins his first year of high school, but didn’t join the kendo club, instead, he fell in love with Urushi Yaotome, the president and only member of the unofficial shogi club. Ayumu is a rather expressionless person, which kind of reminded me of Raido from “Aharen-san wa Hakarenai”, but bolder, and Urushi is your typical cute girl that blushes a lot when teased. In a way, it’s kind of the reversal of “Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san”, where Takagi would constantly tease Nishikata and make him blush. This resemblance is no fluke though, because they were written by the same author. My grading criteria: Story: /25 Art: /10 Music: /10 Characters: /20 Enjoyment /15 Thematic Execution /20 STORY: 15.2/25 The story is quite simple and relaxing, inoffensive and fun. It’s a whole bunch of teasing, a whole bunch of shogi playing, and a bit of slow progress in Ayumu and Urushi’s relationship. The teasing is rather uncreative and repetitive though compared to something like Takagi-san, as it’s mostly just Ayumu giving Urushi compliments, and making fun of her small size. I do wish there were more unique scenarios for the teasing and romantic moments, but I enjoyed what we got. The side characters were interesting at times with their relationships, but they weren’t extremely involved all the time. I also wish we would get a small, basic lesson about shogi in this show as well, as that could make viewers a bit more engaged. ART: 7.4/10 There isn’t a whole lot of movement in the show, but for the most part, the designs were alright and the colours were good. Nothing too special here. MUSIC: 8.2/10 The music compliments the show well and gives off a nice slice of life vibe. The opening and ending were also pretty solid, and quite catchy. CHARACTERS: 13.5/20 The main leads are good characters, especially Ayumu, because he’s completely willing to compliment Urushi all the time, and I wouldn’t imagine he’d be too afraid to confess his feelings. Urushi isn’t all too special, but she’s very adorable, and fun to watch. The side characters are also fun to watch, especially Takeru and Sakurako, who have an interesting dynamic. Another character I’d like to highlight would be Rin, who was also part of the middle school kendo team, and her interactions with Ayumu and Takeru are a joy to watch, and there’s some substance there. There are some backstories that were a tad bit emotional too, which is always a welcome thing. ENJOYMENT: 11.5/15 Cute and wholesome, pretty satisfying. THEMATIC EXECUTION: 14/20 The one thing I’d say this show lacks is creativity in comedy. Sure, it’s good, but it’s quite repetitive. There aren’t a whole lot of unique scenarios and settings. The thing this show does well is romance, because there seems to be genuine progress in the relationship, and it also feels very relatable to the vibe of high school romance, and I’m glad to see it. OVERALL: 69.8/100 For a romance anime, it delivers decently. In terms of works from this author, I’d still have to go with Takagi-san over this show, but nonetheless, this show is good in its own way, and features a good high school relationship, but it just doesn’t have that extra kick or uniqueness to it. That said, if there’s ever a sequel, I’d be happy to watch it. After all, who would say no to cute romcoms? Oh look another rom-com anime where it takes them forever to confess. The difference here is that they know they like each other but are too nervous to confess. It is also a dedicated Shogi anime to be used as the main plot device for this show. To its credit, the relationship between our two main leads, Urushi and Ayumu, was sweet and engaging. But the plot suffers from the slow pacing that is this relationship. Not every anime can do it like Kaguya-Sama. There is also a romantic subplot that was also pretty sweet as well. It’s also not really special from a production standpoint. It is a show that I didn’t really think much of but it does have its charms and I did like the chemistry between our main leads. It is harmless and has good qualities but also lacks a defining aspect to keep you hooked. Check this one out if you want to, just don’t expect anything too out of the ordinary. Story: 4.5/10 Characters: 7/10 Animation: 6/10 Sound: 6.5/10 My Personal Enjoyment: 6/10 Overall Score: 6.0/10 Recommendation: Consider It Tensei Kenja no Isekai Life: Dai-2 no Shokugyou wo Ete, Sekai Saikyou ni Narimashita / My Isekai Life: I Gained a Second Character Class and Became the Strongest Sage in the World  Isekai Wars: The Strongest Sage Strikes Back...or so you thought that it'd be better or at least decent. "Fool me once, shame on you. But fool me twice, shame on me." This is the best expression that is ought to be given to this contrived utter cliché of a source material, and this is given novelist Shinkoshoto's mindset of a sigma grind set author to pump out a new work each and every year since 2016 with the release of his very first series that got an anime adaptation in the beginning Winter of this year: Shikkakumon no Saikyou Kenja a.k.a The Strongest Sage with the Weakest Crest. And if you know anything about that show, it's basically a "nothing happens" show of the same overly used tropes you've seen about a billion times, but done on a very bare-bones level that's filled with all sorts of mediocrity. Fast forward to Summer and with Tensei Kenja no Isekai Life a.k.a My Isekai Life, all I can tell you is this: have the beginning section of the story skipped for no absolute reason why (exactly has how Shikkakumon started), and the main and tag-along supporting characters do a swap, ranging from a somewhat charismatic to an overworked, lifeless and emotionless Protag-kun, to support characters that are ousted and turned into helper creatures. And yes, you're reading that right, because this is all that the generic OP Protag-kun Yuji Sano has all that's going for him: a death in the real world that's basically laden to a reincarnation into what is now considered as one of the most stupid and illogical ideas used in an Isekai when the execution is just plain bad, get some monsters that somehow from reading a book, he's able to become a monster tamer and then be on his way. All of this happens for God knows why, because this has no story at all. Oh, I'm sorry, the story involves saving the world from the oh-so-trivial evil "Church is bad" cultist goons whom are SOOOOO desperate to take over the world. So cliché, so nice...NOT. Yuji Sano is the epitome of someone's bad dream of a wish-fulfilment reincarnation stage, because to be gone from the trenches of life is a benefit in and of itself, but the next life still doesn't grant him a bed of roses, and he comes into the fantasy world already chocked full of OP levels of magic strength, because why not. But when the main character displayed is emotionless and acts like a lesser version of Black Clover's Yuno that's blessed with power as strong as he comes, it gets trepidatiously boring after awhile. And truth to be honest, I admit that he does sound like Saito Soma when he gets serious (which VA Chiaki Kobayashi does a knock-out job), though at the expense of the belief or disbelief of maxing out powers like an MP meter drain was never once a bottleneck in the first place. But, the takeaway is that Yuji isn't a decent character worth watching, he's just a plot mover that personally I feel is more suited to the background, behind-the-scene tasks. He's not like Shikkakumon's Matthias Hildesheimer, whom is younger, displays much more personality, and is the perfect embodiment of a young, but not stooped down reincarnation wish fulfilment. But, this is not just all Yuji has going for him. Together with him are his most trustable allies of slimes and a white wolf they call "Proud Wolf" (because wolves are proud, yeah?) because mediocrity is the name of the game, and for someone who's continuously writing too many novels at any given time, it's clear that Shinkoshoto's idea only sells because Japan loves crap like these. However, as per Shikkakumon's standards, only one character is fun, and just like the red-haired dragon Iris doing her stuff in the background, it's the various slimes voiced by mostly amateur VAs around the ages of Gen Y-cum-Millenials, and they do provide the show's only source of entertainment to be useful to Yuji given his monster tamer skills...which come to think of it, why put out so much effort in the first place? I understand that it's to culminate experience, but there is a better way of getting noticeable, is this not true? But either way, it's a decent job for breaking the mold on a shell-shock state of the bare-bones story. It's not great, but not too bad either. After coming off of the somewhat mixed reception of Spring 2021's Slime 300 (that's another Isekai that IMO isn't generic at all), it pains me to say that even as a relatively new studio into the industry, Revoroot's production values aren't the greatest. Let's be clear: there were a lot of sacrifices when it came to the overall production with very limited animation, and even on that one episode where animators and artists go all out to create a bang (which it did to get featured on Sakugabooru), it just doesn't look all that appealing, but it did do just barely enough for the presentation to pass off as jobs being done. And let's face it, the AniManga industry only gets worse from here on out. Nevertheless, a show production being done is a job done, and what is presented here, it's fine but nothing to scream "noteworthy". Moving on. Easily the shining moment of the anime has to go towards its music presentation...or rather, just the OP/ED itself as the OST is just that unremarkable. Coming off from the heels of "Dragon, Ie wo Kau." with the medieval-fantasy like ED (which is still one of my favourites to this day), Non Stop Rabbit has once again given us a good song that at first, sounds just like a generic fantasy chord, but the appeal is that the more you listen to it, the more it is ingrained to the feels, and I certainly felt that slowly but strongly as one of the better OPs this season. And this same feeling trickles down to the slime-ful ED which is a heap that's chock full of entertainment and fun. There's even a reference to Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody if you look and listen close enough, the legendary song sequence is unmistakable. But overall, this is just your tried-and-true standard Isekai reincarnation fantasy formula, bludgeoned to no end with no originality whatsoever thanks to Shinkoshoto being a giga chad to simultaneously write as much as he can, with a formula that's as basic and bare-bones as it comes. There's just not much sophistication, and the series has lots of misses than hits affixing the one positive that Shinkoshoto is somehow getting the attention in Japan. This is just the equivalent of being a couch potato and doing nothing, and don't you ever bother wasting time watching this laden crap full of subpar mediocrity. Oh look, another Isekai where the hero has a weak power except not really and rolls through everything, this time with a family of slimes as his sidekick. Another reason why the Isekai genre is creatively bankrupt considering we already had this kind of show earlier this year with Strongest Sage with Weakest Crest. Hell, even this season with Black Summoner and this show pretty much having the same premise. Not worth your time. Teppen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! / Teppen—!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Laughing 'til You Cry  Here I am, questioning to myself again: yet another manzai comedy? And after the blandness that is Maesetsu! that only really speaks to the native Japanese (which everyone else will not understand), is Teppen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (And yes, that is 15 exclamation marks, the most after Keijo with 8) gonna be any different? In a hopeful way, I wish I do, because of all the manzai comedy that has been seen, Teppen is easily the best out of the lot that I remember, though not without its issues. We all understand comedy in all sorts of various ways. But when if it's one that's ingrained only to a certain demographic, that honestly is a bit hard to justify its existence to everyone else. And this is exactly what Teppen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! has going for it, being a Japanese manzai a.k.a stand-up comedy that's all the rage in Japan as a traditional pastime. Unfortunately, if you don't understand much about that, I can tell you that it's hard to really love this show for all that's worth of its various references and such. The basis for Teppen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! is exactly what it sounds like: a group of girls incorporated into a competition (the Teppen Grand Prix) from the views of 3 new and aspiring young rookies (Yayoi Sakamoto, Yomogi Takahashi and Yuzu Hosono) whom want to make it big with comedy, and finding themselves living together with other groups with their own quirks and features, all in the vying to win the competition with the best they could. And I'll say that I give marks for some originality that's done here to showcase the various groups according to their regions (Young Wai-wai from Kansai (region), Celebri-Tea from Tokai, Akudare Kingdom from Kanto, Invaders from Hokkaido, and Bullet Kunoichi from Kansai (area)) and fully establishing the real-life counterpart identities from where they come from, for all 15 girls. As for the part of the show that supposedly wants to make the audience "Laughing 'til You Cry"...well that is pretty much a mixed bag. You either love it or find it boring (as is my case) that some references will be generally understood, but for a comedy skit performance, it isn't as refined as say the CGDCT moments for the group that lives in Takako-so under the watch of "Onegai Muscle" rip-off Manager-cum-caretaker Seiji Tani. Throughout the course of the anime showing the groups' various skits (at least on my watch), most of them were quite boring but not stale, as per the motive to infuse comedy where it works best. To this I say, maybe you can understand the inference better than I do, and there're two sides to the comedy coin in this case. The most impressive I've seen from this show is the mixed usage of Seiyuus that for a large character cast such as this, they did their job well to retain the feeling of infused, fine comedy. And this is brought forward to the OP, which is the most creative that I've both seen and heard of others calling it a banger, and it's not without reason that its over-the-top goofiness allows to embrace its intentions wholeheartedly. And largely for that, it succeeded. May'n's ED isn't half bad either, now that I think of it, especially when the OST is that subpar and generic, there were a few standouts, though it honestly didn't make my experience watching this any better, even with studio Drive's whack-outta-the-wazoo like visuals, which also got the job done as it should. It's absurd, it's wacky, it's just comedy. And believe me, I've tried to like Teppen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and what it has going for it, but it's just boring and ludicrious to sit for 12 episodes expecting to understand references and body jokes, to the point of messing with my brain and thinking: "Comedy can be better than this, and it doesn't have to be limited after all." Teppen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!'s definitely not a snoozefest, but a sleepfest of a dream with sheep baaing question marks on top of my head, now that's more affirmative. Tokyo Mew Mew New ♥  A classic revitalized, though that's nothing compared to the AniManga scene of the constant sequel effect, and it's honestly quite average at best. Ask any die-hard fan of Reiko Yoshida and Mia Ikumi's Tokyo Mew Mew, and they would say that it's one of those shows that were once in the pipeline slew of the gaining classic Mahou Shoujo a.k.a Magical Girl genre of the early 2000s, right at the time of the immense success of Sailor Moon that has made its way into the West that has taken into effect for years. Of course, with the advent of Madoka Magica that completely turned and screwed the genre upside down, it's of no surprise that the genre has continued to evolve, even to this day with more tried-and-true tropes flooding its market just like all other genres nowadays. But what if there is a way to relive how the anime scene was like back then, and this remake which serves as the series' 20th anniversary is defintely part of that celebration...which was lukewarm at best given its popularity. But if the recent complete adaptation of the subpar reboot that is Hiroyuki Takei's Shaman King has taught us one thing, is that even if the source material doesn't sell like hotcakes nowadays, it uses nostalgic memorabilia to re-define the revingorating success it once had, though that ultimately amounted to the loss in overall quality just for the sake of "putting things right" of how the source material should be adapted. And yes, bar for the course that Tokyo Mew Mew New's rendition is going, it doesn't actually cover the entire manga, but rather, adds its own whimsical spin thanks to Yumeta Company's in-house director Takahiro Natori and series composer Yuka Yamada, which the latter has a knack for shows similar to it from shows like Koisuru Asteroid to the more recent Slow Loop. And in the sacrifice of having to adapt the entire manga (which would've taken another 12 episodes to do so, that thankfully has Season 2 coming next Spring), ultimately, this I felt was the better approach in trying to weigh between counterbalances of having a decent reboot than one that feels rushed. And even then, pales in comparison to Studio Pierrot's original 2002 rendition of covering the entire manga plus fillers in 52 episodes. The Mew Mews of Ichigo Momomiya (bearing the Iriomote cat DNA), Mint Aizawa (bearing the Blue Lorikeet DNA), Lettuce Midorikawa (bearing the finless porpoise DNA), Bu-Ling Huang (bearing the golden lion tamarin DNA) and Zakuro Fujiwara (bearing the gray wolf DNA), they are the stereotypical "Girl Power" team to save the world from the aliens whom had their home destroyed to smithereens, and Earth is their next place of interest to do the same evildoer stuff. Like you know, each and every Mahou Shoujo tried-and-true formula that predates Madoka Magica. This is pretty stereotypical for the time, and for the most part, the remake serves its purpose well by adapting only the first 3 out of the 7 volumes closely and sprinkling whatever the production staff wants to add into it, making it into a modern remake of an old property, plus new songs to boot in its decency. But this is the same reason where the remake also lost a lot of its luster by being a low-tier production of today's anime industry standards, that not only gives little to no respect to the original, but instead is made in such a way that provides a source of income invested into the project. It's just sad that old legends, whether popular or not, their status have been mostly being castaways of a time where anime was fun (and it still is to this day), but it's how the anime industry had grown up to become an exploitative industry of work that all works are regarded the same way, and to me, this is not how things should've been, but it is what it is. The general advice, as is any hardcore fan of said source material, would be for you to read the manga that's enclosed in 32 chapters in 7 volumes, something that's more feasible than watching the 52-episode anime (which can take too long). Good thing there's a Season 2 to continue for the fans who love this new iteration. Even if this is or isn't speaking out of nostalgic bias, as someone who really hasn't seen much of the oldies (but have enough knowledge about it), I guess the banter's true that "the original is (undoubtedly) better". I would just like to wish that the remake got the attention and respect that it truly deserves, but it just ended up falling flat on its face. |
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Oct 23, 2022 12:46 PM
#8
Warau Arsnotoria Sun! / Smile of the Arsnotoria the Animation  Sniff, sniff. What's that I smell? Mediocrity? Boringness? From a mobage adaptation that only exists to sell its IP in Japan and not the West? Hmm, smells about right of a rotten egg. The motive of mobage adaptations is to sell its narrative to fans, but this poses a big problem. 99% of the time, the mobages are region-locked so people elsewhere will not get to enjoy what it has to offer, but often at times this is counter-intuitive that the adverse effect is stronger than all the marketing effort has to offer. And in this season, the only mobage adaptation this season that's in the form of Nitroplus and Good Smile Company's Warau Arsnotoria is at best, a sleeper-fest. Right from the get-go, only one thing will strike similar to just about any anime fan, and you need not look far than the characters themselves, designed by the one and only Shinichiro Ootsuka, the original character designer and illustrator of one of the most celebrated source materials of all time: Re:Zero. The closest to this will be in the form of 1 of the main 5 girls, which are called Pentagrams in the Little Witch Academia-like premise in the magical academic city of Ashram, with Mell being pretty much a carbon copy of Petra, even down to the plus-shaped eye corneas. In the interest of time, this is just your standard stereotypical CGDCT, Slice-of-Life fare about girls living out their school lives imbued in magic and fun, one that shows a lot of the light-hearted side of the mobage and shows only a sliver of the dark segments. However, this is exactly the modus operandi of how mobage adaptations work, and honestly, I'm glad that we aren't seeing much "The Animation" shows due to the fact that it isn't worth marketing to the rest of the world which will indefinitely not make any profit for the original creators at all. It just isn't a viable work from a business standpoint, and this is the reality pertaining to the miniscule popularity of the established IP that must be greenlit to think of more avenues to draw in audience which would bring about sales. Sorry, ain't gonna happen with this one. I really wanted to love the Pentagram group of girls with the sniffing Arsno"Tori"a having the signature cowlick, the playful "Little Al"berta, "Pica"trix and Mell, along with the mature feeling "Abra"melin. But the antics, as well as the plot dragging towards the final stretch is the straw that broke the camel's back for me, though you may feel the same or otherwise. The only thing that's worth that love is the very happy-go-lucky sounding OP (which involves the 5 girls), which is a pleasant surprise and a really good one at that. The same unfortunately isn't true for the ED, which is actually BAND-MAID's guitarist/vocalist Miku Kobato and her Cluppo solo project providing very rich sounding vocals, that try as it might to please it only serves as like fluttering feathers in the sky. At the end of the day, it is what it is: a mobage adaptation, and it's an instant turn-off unless you're just barely acquainted with the source game to know what to expect. Just pass it up, this show ain't worth your time, only when it deserves your nap time to sleep in absolute comfort. Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e / Classroom of the Elite (Season 2)  Classroom of the Elite is back with its unexpected return, and while production as a whole went down, it came back to provide us more big-brain action like the first season backed by its entertaining characters and a really good climax. There are a couple of issues with this adaptation that I would like to point out, but it has nothing to do with the source material as I’m strictly reviewing this as the anime, not the light novel because I understand that there are some changes. Now as good as this anime is, it struggled from pacing issues toward the beginning and kind of just had a rough start to the season in general, also animation dropped as a whole. Art: 7 I can’t lie this rating would be a lot lower if it wasn’t for the quality of the last few episodes, but even then most of the season struggled from subpar animation. What I will say is that the music still continues to be great. From the op to the ost, was a pretty solid soundtrack. Characters: 8 Kiyopon is a cool mc. His ability to not give a damn about anything(at times) always makes him enjoyable to watch. Also, Ryuen is a good antagonist as well, however, his motives to his actions aren’t explained the best. Other than that the side characters have a surprising amount of depth to them. Kei is fire. Story: 8 The Story is a tale of two halves. I liked what they did with Ryuen, but as I said before it starts off pretty slow and felt a little rushed early to really close in on the final couple of events of the season, but at the end of the day what is important is enjoyment, and this series is always a fun watch. Overall I give it an 8/10 Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e (You-Zitsu) a.k.a Classroom of the Elite, is literally one sweet-ass heck of a LN written by Shougo Kinugasa that even 3 years after the 1st Year ended, it's still the cult classic that has cemented amongst readers as one of (if not) the GOAT LNs ever written thanks to its typical school premise, but involving high stakes of a psychological brain-inducing mess that when all comes together, makes for one masterpiece source material worthy of a read. Say what you will about Season 1, but I LOVE this show when it aired exactly 5 years ago in Summer 2017, thinking that as a newcomer into seasonal anime (back when Re:Zero had already finished airing, that single-handedly brought me back to anime), I would experience something very new and unique. And while You-Zitsu does deliver just that, even with LN readers lambasting the heck outta how both directors Seiji Kishi and Hiroyuki Hashimoto destroyed the anime adaptation by choosing to adapt later volumes in the literal 2nd half of Season 1, I still found it to be a great watch thanks in part to the GOAT character that is Kiyotaka Ayanokouji (literally Best Boy)'s way of circumventing through all of the psychological rules that Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School has to offer, Lerche's great animation (that back then was unlike anything I've ever seen before) and most certainly ZAQ's OP "Caste Room" which is still to this day, the perfect complement and a GOAT banger of a song (easily one of (if not) the best OP of the season at the time, together with Made In Abyss's OP). Of course, without the prior information that the anime heavily butchered the LN and as an anime-only at the time, I wished there was more to see of Ayanokouji's further psychological exploits. And lo and behold, in the beginning of this year, it was announced that You-Zitsu is coming back in the Maou Gakuin fashion of not just Season 2, but also Season 3 as well, that's set to complete the entirety of the 1st Year arc. Well...how much we have grown over 5 years to finally get a shot to roast and ridicule the anime adaptation more than just being long and much-awaited sequels. TL;DR: The production staff team NEVER learnt anything about Season 1's pitfalls and proceeds to ham the anime down even further. Season 2's continuation onto the adaptation of Volumes 4 (adapting the remainder) to 7, Ayanokouji, Horikita and the rest of Class 1-D evolves from test to test, most specifically Volume 4's VIP brain game, Volumes 5 and 6's sports festival, Volume 6's final exam, and to conclude with the biggest event of all: Ayanokouji vs. Kakeru Ryuen, the infamous head honcho-cum-hooligan of Class 1-C in Volume 7. Everyone has remained the exact same, though at the test level with the incorporation of non-important side characters that only add more fuel to the fire. Sure, like Season 1, those tests' rules are complicated as hell and don't give the audience enough time to take in what's happening only to then lose the plot altogether, but don't give the crap excuse that it can't be done due to time constraints (which they can only do so much in 20 mins, exclude OP and ED). To make matters worse, it's not a bad thing that the rest of the character cast stays the same and delivers on their aspects, but somehow the interpretation seems even worse than what I remember, despite having the same VA cast, to the point of being void characters with monotone personality (the worst offender being Ayanokouji himself, his voice seems darker and more bass now). Shougo Kinugasa's story plot is already amazing on its own, but now realizing the pain that plot pointers are even more lost in translation, it just derives the fact that the anime as a whole, even for Season 3 next year, is the "so good, it's bad" inferior version as a whole, with the manga version being the absolute worst. The absolute sin of You-Zitsu's anime adaptation will always lie in the production team. Despite both Seiji Kishi and Hiroyuki Hashimoto still within the team as chief directors, they got someone else instead to do their favour: Lerche's in-house director Yoshihito Nishoji, who directed the abomination of an SAO rip-off that is Shichisei no Subaru, and a fair few assistant directorial roles involving in Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun and Gyakuten Sekai no Denchi Shoujo. Needless to say, both chief directors were looking for another scapegoat because deep in their hearts, they knew that You-Zitsu's hardcore fans have thoroughly denounced the anime adaptation outright since its initial release. And the purpose of bringing it back 5 years later just to say "Oh, so yeah...eff it, we're going for quantity over quality by covering more material than our work would allow. And with some new staff members, hopefully our inequalities aren't just covered by us alone." HELLO??? Who do you think we are? Are anime fans to you, stupid and/or idiotic enough to not realize this? We are more knowledgeable and can sniff out your BS, y'know. It's unsurprising to say that Lerche didn't put an effort into Season 2, NONE AT ALL. Everything just looks drabber, even the darker undertones which are more than just "brightness" complaints of the audience not being able to properly see what's going on (especially during the cruise underbelly segments). Along with its fans, I should expect better given the gap of 5 years between Season 1 and now, but with the announcement that foreshadows the Maou Gakuin multi-season format, it's obscenely clear that production took a big hit, and at the very least, this move was definitely a mistake without healthy production schedules. The OST feels just right about at home, except for the OP and ED which I'm thinking: "How are you gonna top 2 brilliant songs that at the time, were bangers in their own right?" And I'm right to speculate that ZAQ would most probably come back for another OP, which don't get me wrong, "Dance In The Game" is a good OP, but it fits more akin to something like Kakegurui instead. And don't get started on the OP visuals, which are notches down as well for having song lyrics pop up on screen (Yofukashi no Uta did this as well, but at least it has creativity as a backup) and nothing more with imagery for what's about to come for the season. A nice foreshadowing, but ultimately an awful lazy effort. The exact same goes with Mai Fuchigami's ED...and nothing else to say about that. At this point, while You-Zitsu fans have completely given up on its anime adaptation, anime-onlys will most certainly have mixed receptions about the sequel and beyond into Season 3 next year, with no more hopes left that Shougo Kinugasa's work would ever be adapted to perfection. At least to me, right now, I'll see through it all with Season 3 to come and finish the remainder of the LN's 1st Year arc, but the original LN will always be the superior version, no qualms at all. TL;DR: Masterpiece story, worse-than-subpar animation, go read the LN. The title of this show is very misleading. I thought this school was for “elite students”, but instead, we had 4 classes of bozos participating in Among Us tests and school festivals. I’m not 14 anymore, so this isn’t as deep as I thought Season 1 was. After I finished Season 1 a few years ago, I was convinced that this was the smartest show ever with the best plot twists and the best protagonist in Ayanokouji, but now that I’m older, my views have changed. That said, as an anime-only for this show, I still found Season 1 much better than Season 2, in basically every way. The story for Season 2 was quite boring, with events that felt very dry. The characters weren’t nearly as good as Season 1, because it seemed like everyone’s IQ except for Ayanokouji declined so much, and I questioned some of their decisions in the story. I’m sure that some of you have seen the bad animation frames posted on MAL and on social media as well, so the production was quite messy at times. The OST was nothing compared to Season 1, which I loved. Nothing felt as well done as Season 1, and save for some cheap enjoyment and satisfaction, this was quite the disappointing season. My grading criteria: Story: /25 Art: /10 Music: /10 Characters: /20 Enjoyment /15 Thematic Execution /20 STORY: 11.5/25 The story felt quite un-psychological this season. Last season, at least the focus was on studying, and the point system, while this season, the plot material felt very dry, and the point system felt very insignificant. All the activities were built on these overly complex rules that was dumped on us all at once, and that’s never really enjoyable for the viewer. There are better ways to get us to think instead of thinking of rules all the time. It’s really the wrong way of being thought-provoking. The character drama felt very dry as well, as some of the backstories were very surface level. Perhaps this was the product of a rushed series, nothing really felt fleshed out enough to be interesting. ART: 7/10 A downgrade from Season 1, which would be expected given the number of episodes that Studio Lerche outsourced to other studios. It got better towards the end though. MUSIC: 8.5/10 Also a downgrade from Season 1, which had quite the OST. There wasn’t a whole lot of standout music in this season, other than the OP and ED, which I enjoyed a ton. CHARACTERS: 8.5/20 The character personalities in this show are rather blank, and with how rushed the show was, they weren’t fleshed out enough. There were a few characters that had rather awkward and out of place interactions this season, such as Sakayanagi and Katsuragi from Class A. They just showed up with not much build up, which was a bit awkward (perhaps a few skipped LN parts?). The biggest problem, however, is that in a school for “elites”, how much the intelligence of the characters dropped this season compared to the last. Horikita for example, being the top of Class D, fell into obvious traps, which was so uncharacteristic of her character. Ryuuen as well, while being an extremely violent person, didn’t seem like the dumbest person out there, but as a villain, he wasn’t that good. It seemed like he knew who the mastermind of Class D was, but then he didn’t know? That was quite disappointing. Now, I’ll also talk about the fan favourites, Karuizawa and Ayanokouji. Karuizawa in Season 1 felt like a lazy, spoiled girl who mindlessly spent her points on unimportant things, and fell off my radar real early. In this season, she works with Ayanokouji in the hope of defeating other classes. She has a bunch of secrets in her past, which I wished they fleshed out more. The romance between her and Ayanokouji feels somewhat rushed as well, since there isn’t much of a key reason for her to love someone, apart from getting protection. Ayanokouji is still a good character for the most part, as he creates most of the satisfying moments in the show. His character doesn’t change much, and that’s unfortunately a bit of disappointment. He’s probably the only reason this show is still watchable. ENJOYMENT: 11/15 With all my criticism, I still enjoyed this show, because the payoffs were quite satisfying, and who doesn’t like seeing Ayanokouji destroying everyone he meets? THEMATIC EXECUTION: 10.5/20 For whatever this show was trying to do, they execute everything decently, but with the show being rushed the way it was, the psychological factor of the show was not up to par, and felt very surface level. The violence and the romance, while not being the main focus of this season, felt better executed than the mind games to be honest. OVERALL: 57/100 Just comparatively blander in every single way compared to Season 1. It only felt satisfying to watch Ayanokouji mentally and physically destroy people who opposed him, but in the end, it just felt like everything could have been done much better, if the season had more episodes. Whatever Season 3 brings next year, I hope Studio Lerche learn from their shortcomings from this season. Yofukashi no Uta / Call of the Night  Welcome to the most stylistic and relatable anime of the summer season. Call of the Night is as good as it hyped up to be. I think we all had those moments growing up where we didn’t know what our point in this world is, so with that relatable belief sprinkled in with some vampire fun, it ends up making a really good anime. From the characters to the environments, to the story, everything was done so well. It was funny when it needed to be, and did a really good job when it dealt with some serious tones. In all honesty, it really surprised me. Art: 10 Stylistically speaking this anime had the best art of the season for me, and maybe even the best art of the year. For starters the animation was crisp, and if you weren't surprised by the good animation, the beautiful backgrounds of the nighttime atmosphere were done in a way that I've never seen before. It was really a pleasure to look at. Now you topple that with the banging music that this anime gives you along with the fire character designs and you get a 10/10 art score right there. Characters: 10 I originally had this score at a 9 because this anime has really strong characters, that you can just relate to, even the side characters were going through actual problems that we would go through in our everyday life which made them incredibly complex, but I thought that we didn’t have enough info of why our main characters are the way they are, both Kou and Nazuna. However that all changed as the show entered its later half, and we really got into detail about them. Honestly, almost everyone was so well developed in this short time span. Story: 9 Let's just say that the narrative overcame my expectations. The story is really good, I can not lie. I say this because after the tone shift of the anime, and once it started heading into the climax, it really grabs your attention and makes you want to see where it goes next, and the fact that the story is backed by excellent characters makes it even better. Not even mentioning the banger of a finale episode that we god. Overall this anime ended up being great, I give it 9 vampire teeth out of 10 Vampires exist everywhere: history or modern, enclosed in media where depending on the medium, they're either the most vicious "Creatures of the Night" or in some cases, sexually objectified because of their predatory bloodsucking and capability to use their prey to create offspring. One case example is the ever so "lovable" but cringeworthy Twilight series that has won the hearts of fangirls oogling not at the actual vampires, but the actors themselves, because you know, it's Hollywood and ABSOLUTELY nothing about it is shameful (and yes, even 10~15 years since its release, I still hate it with a passion). Ugh, definitely more in terms of emotional manipulation. In mangaka Kotoyama's case, it's definitely not just manipulation that he was aiming for, but paedophlia as well, concerning between the leads. But before we head off to the more discerning stuff, a short story about how this came to be. Yofukashi no Uta a.k.a Call of the Night is his 2nd series after Dagashi Kashi, which is a slice-of-life, rom-com series about Japanese candy and snacks, and a whole lotta ecchi sub-context despite the romantic subtext that's very prevalent in that series. And Yofukashi no Uta is unsurprisingly no different in that regard to an undeniable degree to which it functions as a vampire wife simulator, undoubtedly carried by the series' shove-in-your-face fanservice and inert sex jokes between the misogynies of its cast of characters. I personally haven't read or watched Dagashi Kashi to know much about the traits that Yofukashi no Uta picked up upon, but in many a case, the majority saw this show in a bad light, and honestly, it's not theirs to blame but towards Kotoyama's way of thinking and thought to concoct such a premise. And that premise, starts with Ko Yamori, a 14-year-old boy whom in the unforgivingness of daily life, discloses himself with insomnia and starts to trail on the night life of the streets, hoping to seek a deeper meaning into his life. And this is where he meets the "night-walker", the 30~40 year old-ish adult vampire that is Nazuna Nanakusa, hearing his worries and hoping to lure him into the night life, and utmostly, turn him into a vampire, because she is one. As ANN's Steve Jones put it: "Ultimately, Call of the Night lives or dies on the appeal of Ko and Nazuna's relationship." And this is very important because suddenly, the 14-year-old boy feels like he has found his "calling" in life, and despite having his blood already sucker-tacked on by Nazuna, he still lives within his own bubble that he wants to be a vampire, just like Nazuna. And the only way to do it is if he can fall in love with her, but due to their inadequateness when it comes to romance, lots of their dialogue are laced with long, winding, full of suck-heavy innuendo as Ko unashamedly embraces the "Call of the Night" and not questioning the legality of his night excursions as he becomes Nazuna's blood bag in between this relationship formed by outcasts whom have coincidentally found each other and seemingly aspiring to be mutual monsters. Let's just get the bad out of the way first: a 14-year-old and a 30~40-year-old adult, many would've called this out, especially for people who've been victims of paedophlia, because let's be real: everything presented in Yofukashi no Uta is just like Twilight but in anime form, sexually glorified to the max, so much so that it makes them feel uncomfortable. And don't be a dick to say that "you can't learn to tell the difference between fiction and reality." I'll admit that we all wear different lenses to see things differently, but you can't tell me that it's normal to see an underaged kid be together with someone who is younger/older (and vice versa). If anything, a recent case like Mushoku Tensei has proved that Rifujin no Maganote has a penchant on pedophilia that's rampant throughout his series, and detractors from everywhere (except Japan) have called him out for it. A vampire romance like Twiight is acceptable if the male and female lead were within the certain range where it's feasible, but for Call of the Night, boy, is this a hard pill to swallow for distaste. It's just that bad and they will denounce this anime in trying to hammer its over-sexualized themes for a loss in plot progression and character "development". However, if you (like me) are the type to turn off your brains to give Yofukashi no Uta a go, I would say it's quite the watch. I have a penchant for 14-year-old Ko, being someone who has lived through nights of insomnia in my young and rebellious teenage times where the night is literally where I feel like I'm called to live, just like nocturnal owls whom are only active at night. Someone who desires the calmness of the night life with the lividness of the dark sky, looking for something fun to engage in being in total freedom when the world sleeps and no one can restrict me. And no, it's not vampire related. That said, like Ko himself, the young me certainly cannot make decisions right, and it's only when he is forced into a corner to answer things that "cannot be believed" as reality, he shudders with his second thoughts at times, but slowly gained momentum for choosing to believe what he's doing will help him out of his insomniac race. That's the part I like about Ko, and his feelings towards Nazuna, other than the sex-crazied moments, is purely her innocence about romance to drive sexual innuendos just to get tantalizing moments of flushes from Ko, and not gonna lie, I love those moments that Kotoyama is able to flesh the character traits so well. The same goes with the other characters within the circle of friends (Ko's human friends of childhood friends Akira Asai and Mahiru Seki, the vampire-hunting detective Anko Uguisu, and Nazuna's vampire "friends" of gyaru Seri Kikyo, teacher Nico Hirata, nurse Kabura Honda, maid cafe worker Midori Kohakobe and Midori Kohakobe) as the night only gets more infested and invested on not just blood, but the whole "vampires birthing offsprings" business as well. And to be fair, like Dagashi Kashi, starting out as an anime-only really did immerse the experience for me as the already great source material has its fans, and the anime translated that to the highest pedigree, which is definitely saying something about the production values within Call of the Night. Liden Films is an average studio, no doubt about that. But what if you pair an average studio with people that have a much higher reputation who knows their craft all too well? This is exactly what is happening in Yofukashi no Uta, and it's thanks to directors Tomoyuki Itamura and (chief) Tetsuya Miyanishi. These two have worked together in previous anime, and you might know the former as the famed director for the Monogatari series (which also has its own vampire niches as well). After he left Shaft, Tomoyuki Itamura worked as a freelance director, and it's not until the most recent series that he caught a lot of attention: Jun Mochizuki's Vanitas no Carte a.k.a The Case Study of Vanitas, another vampire series that got an anime adaptation courtesy of Bones which recently wrapped up early this year. And being in the same realm about vampires, it's not a coincidence that he would be tasked with adapting Kotoyama's work, and true to honest: it's already better than the already great source material as acclaimed by its fans. What's also not a white-wash is character designer Haruka Sagawa's attention to close detail, and while some might say that Nazuna looks a lot sexualized than she is in the manga, you can't deny that that's pristine quality, going above and beyond for such a "dimly lit" series. The nightlife just oozes quality, and definitely makes you feel like you're like Ko being carried into the night sky by Nazuna, sinking in and capturing all the fine details of the nightscapes that's quite exuberant and lively from the looks of it. What a showcase of quality over quantity, and style that balances with substance. To me, where this show shines the most is in its OST, heralded by music director Yoshiaki Dewa and a certain hip-hop group called Creepy Nuts. Yoshiaki Dewa's name while not a mainstay, he has done several impressive works from the likes of Heion Sedai no Idaten-tachi and Shiroi Suna no Aquatope, and if it's anyting to go by, the upcoming Jigokuraku anime adaptation will be yet another hit of his. But creeping back to the nuts, it's a love affair between Kotoyama and Creepy Nuts, as they are the only J-pop group to be featured because of one reason: its influence on the entire work. If you do not know, Yofukashi no Uta was first a song released in 2019, to then be adopted by Kotoyama just the week after on his newest work based on the hip hop band's song of the same name, and now used as the ED theme song. It's been a while where the OST game has been this strong, and in this Summer season, Yofukashi no Uta has been one of the season's strongest, with both the OP and ED being a lyrical, yet psychedelic experience that's a sight to behold and listen, more than just completing the circle of creative camaraderie. Yofukashi no Uta a.k.a Call of the Night may make or break you according to your angles of how you see paedophilia within the midst of the show's underlying themes, but make no mistake that everything else was just splendid. It all just depends on which side you're on at, and any side is OK to love or hate the series for its imagery or flack. Ultimately, anime is fiction, and this is the embodiment of interests all wrapped on one cohesive package. I may have enjoyed this much, but maybe you do or don't, which is alright. This show ain't for everyone, that's all. The night is a very unexplored landscape for many of us. Some of us perceive it as dangerous and scary, and some others perceive it as a time to party, to let themselves go, and for most of us, we’re probably fast asleep. I’m sure a lot of you have experienced a time in life when you just didn’t want to fall asleep, perhaps because you weren’t satisfied with what you achieved in the day, or you feared what tomorrow will bring, but rest assured, in Call of the Night, the night is viewed as a beautiful time, and a time to release all inhibitions, a time to have the time of your life, so dream on, and imagine yourself in the wonderful dreamscape! Tomoyuki Itamura, the director of the highly acclaimed Monogatari Series, and the Case Study of Vanitas, is back again for yet another vampire themed anime, and what a job he did! The background composition looked absolutely immaculate, to the point where I have those purple skies as my phone wallpaper. The art direction really evokes a sense of imagination, as it allows us to imagine how alluring the night can look, and combined with great chill music from Creepy Nuts, the atmosphere is quite perfect for this anime. My grading criteria: Story: /25 Art: /10 Music: /10 Characters: /20 Enjoyment /15 Thematic Execution /20 STORY: 19.8/25 The story starts off relatively slowly, focusing on Kou Yamori, a boy who was quite despondent about his everyday life. He struggles to grasp the concept of love, and stops going to school altogether one day. Plagued with insomnia, he ventures out into the dark of night, and one night, he encounters a very peculiar girl called Nazuna Nanakusa, who has quite the belief about how people can’t rest until they release their inhibitions. Nazuna helps Kou out with his insomnia, and invites her over to her place, where she reveals herself to be a vampire! Having experienced this incredible night, Kou finds himself wanting to be in the night all the time, so he wants to become a vampire, but turns out, you gotta fall in love with a vampire to become one! The story itself isn’t strong at the start admittedly, as many episodes were focused on the bonding between Nazuna and Kou, along with other characters as well, some of whom that eventually find out about their relationship. Where it turned for me, in terms of enjoyment, was the fact that vampires, however attractive they look, and whatever fun it seems like they’re having, there’s a darker side to everything, and becoming a vampire isn’t the best thing ever to happen to a person. Aside from that, there are also a number of excellent themes this show tackles, such as how romance and friendships work, the sickness of the human condition, and every human’s inner narcissism, in that humans and vampires alike want to be liked, and paid attention to. A quick comment about the fan service now, because I know that’s what a lot of you will criticize. The non-vampire fan service is a bit much, but the fan service of vampires I think was quite necessary for the plot, to emphasize the beauty of them, and when we learn about the other sides of vampires, it really makes you think how such beautiful creatures can have such difficult lives too. ART: 9.8/10 The art is really quite spectacular, and definitely the thing that stands out the most. You can really see the experience of the director, and some sequences look as brilliant as some scenes in Monogatari, which is really saying something. The nighttime ambience is just done so well. MUSIC: 9.5/10 Also amazing, as the OP and ED are excellent both visually and musically, as well as the excellent soundtrack by Creepy Nuts. Great vibes, and it fits so perfectly with the nighttime ambience, heck, it even adds to the ambience. CHARACTERS: 19/20 Not only are the characters so fun to watch, their voice actors really do a great job. Nazuna’s such a fun character, really nailing the comedic aspects and also her badassery. Considering her voice actor, Sora Amamiya, voiced Chizuru from Rent-a-Girlfriend, and Nazuna, really goes to show how good her range is, and what different roles she can play. Now our other main character, Kou, is honestly a severely underrated character. From being quite the clueless and despondent guy at the beginning, to being able to stand up for others, and voice his opinions without holding back is great development, plus he was even able to gain some empathy for others. Even for his age, he feels oddly mature in a way, even though he is naive and misguided for sure, especially for skipping school as much as he does. One more character worthy of so much praise is Anko Uguisu, as her voice actor Miyuki Sawashiro really nails her character so well. The comedic aspects and the intimidating aspects of her character were done to perfection, and Sawashiro’s performance was incredible. ENJOYMENT: 14.7/15 I enjoyed this a ton, with the production and the characters, really impressive stuff. THEMATIC EXECUTION: 18.5/20 With the ambience of the nighttime, the imaginative theme of the night is really done to near perfection, while Nazuna and the other vampires create a sense of playfulness and have such a jovial tone to them. When the story picks up, the themes of danger and intimidation are also done with great care. Just such thematic brilliance, and while there are slight jarring tonal shifts at times, I never found that a glaring problem. OVERALL: 91.3/100 Probably one of the best non-sequel series of the year, as it creates such an immaculate atmosphere, and also featured some great characters and themes as well. Brilliant visual direction, and an engaging story near the end. This is a series I would wholeheartedly recommend, as it’s quite the easy watch. The night is short, walk on boys and girls! Anime director Tomoyuki Itamura has a knack of creating some very good vampire anime. This man is the mastermind of the Monogatari series and we know how popular and beloved that franchise is. He also has worked on another vampire series you’ve probably heard of named, Vanitas no Karte, which has been one of my favourite anime series to come out over the past year. But what makes them special is they are unconventional. They aren’t your typical vampire hunting series nor are they excuses to give your protagonists powers in a shounen anime. They subvert your expectations, are very amusing and very horny. So what does he direct next? Another vampire anime that is different from his previous works, being a more relaxed anime to chill out with. And you know what? I would say it worked. So let’s put on a vinyl and chill out to some music as I present to my anime review for Yofukashi no Uta. Or by its English name, Call of the Night. Let’s begin. Story: 7/10 Our story follows Kou Yamori, a middle school student who suffers from insomnia due to his lackadaisical nature and roams the street at night. He eventually runs into a girl named Nazuna and they start hanging out together. However, Nazuna turns out to be a vampire and Kou is interested by that so much that he wants to become a vampire himself, but in order to do that, he must be bitten by someone he loves, which he has no interest or experience in. The best way to describe the story would be low vibes. It’s not a story that is enticing or grabs you, but rather a story that basically just wants to chill and hang out. The best thing about it is that it works. For most of the show, it’s just having our characters just trying to find ways of having a good time at night and the night works to its advantage as well. Obviously, it was going to be set at night because, well vampires and its in the name of the English title, but it also gives a more relaxed feel to it. There’s no crowd, the roads are quiet and you can be alone with your thoughts until you find someone else alone to chat with. It could be just general things or chat about things going on with your life. The relaxed low vibes this show provides gives it a unique feel to it. It’s not trying to do anything ridiculous to try and stand out, it’s just trying to have a good time and enjoy that time you have right now. That’s not to say there isn’t much of a story going on. Obviously, you have Yamori wanting to turn into a vampire but by the end of this season, it ain’t that simple. It does at the start but as more things get clarified, it does make things interesting to throw a spanner in the works and change Yamori’s view on this. There are both benefits and consequences to becoming a vampire unsurprisingly but it never really takes them seriously. It just warns you about them and it’s Yamori’s decision if he ultimately wants to or not. It hardly becomes the focus of the story though, or at least, doesn’t take it that seriously because it doesn’t want to break the vibes this show provides. It’s both good and bad because it doesn’t make the show break character but never treats the real dilemma that seriously than it needs to be and can hurt the narrative. If anything, it tends to lean on the pros more than the cons and only really showing the cons near the end of the season. One last thing to mention is the writing and dialogue. I don’t really talk about this in reviews but considering that the show is having our characters hang out and talk, there is obviously going to be a lot of chatting. What would normally be boring ended up being enjoyable because they have interesting conversations about things. Could be serious, could be something trivial to just to have a laugh. It feels legit rather than artificial just to get these characters together because the plot demanded it. It helps with the whole, “hanging out”, vibe the show provides to keep face and not lose its identity. It would have been more boring if this aspect of the show didn’t provide interesting conversations between our two main leads. What also helps out is the chemistry between our characters which I will talk about next. Characters: 7.5/10 Yamori is definitely a solid protagonist. He’s not a protagonist I don’t highly of because he’s not really anything special, personality wise, but he doesn’t do anything that makes you want to hate him. Basically, your average middle school protagonist. He does have a good heart and is a naive to think becoming a vampire is that simple. So they do give him some things to help him grow as a character. Give him some interesting dilemmas to think about. He does have one flaw in his character and that he is unable to understand the concept of love, which adds another wrench in the plan of becoming a vampire. This is where I think the show struggles a bit. While it does clear a clear understanding that you can’t force this, it doesn’t stop to think why it’s not working? Yamori has no idea about it because he has no interest in love so him trying to force it and not working makes sense because it’s not how it works. But it doesn’t do a good job to reflect that clearly its not working and doesn’t really seem learn from it. By the second half, that aspect feels less and less important as other issues with becoming a vampire. It’s a shame because it’s a flaw in his personality that could grow from but it seem like the show cares about that and doesn’t progress as the show goes on. The cast around Yamori though is more interesting than him but makes it stand out is the chemistry between them. It’s not surprising though considering Vanitas also had terrific chemistry and while it is not on that level, they have interesting conversations that makes their bonds more interesting rather feeling forced. Which leads to our other main character, Nazuna. Nazuna is the kind of friend that just wants to goof around, drink beer and live a carefree life. Which is only elevated by Yamori’s more sensible nature to make Nazuna seen as more lively. It’s why I think the chemistry works because they only elevate each other and make their own characteristics stand out more and in turn, makes the dialogue more interesting. Having two of the same people wouldn’t work because there is no sharing of what they think or conflict for that matter because they will be thinking the same thing. It’s the basic principle when having two characters talk to have different opinions on certain things but can also agree on other things as well. This isn’t just with Yamori and Nazuna, it’s the entire cast as well. They all have personalties that bounce off one another and make them fun characters to know about and have agendas and ways to pass the time to make them stand out more. Obviously some more than others but the cast is a very well-rounded group and I pretty much liked all of them. Animation: 8/10 This is probably the best LIDENFILMS has ever been with their animation. Sure, it’s not the best but they do it in ways that make it look better than it is. This is the same guy who directed the monogatari series and you can tell he took liberties from that show and apply it here. The way the show frames its scenes with different angles and how it cuts from one shot to the next in quick succession. This is how the show gets away with it looking better than it actually is because it strikes rapidly to make it look like the animation is smooth but it is still pretty good. What really sells in the animation department though is the background art. It looks really good with the colours, how the night sky looks, it what helps give the relaxed vibe and it matches the tone of the show. To keep it low vibes, to make less serious and again, more relaxed. It switches its colours as well depending on where they are which is a nice touch. There are times where the show cheapens out for quick laughs and they’re fine. Some of them are effective others are just there. Character designs are simple but also effective and kind of reflect their personalties quite well. They look like what you would think they should look like with Nazuna being the standout, looking the most different out of all of them with her eyes, her slender body and her, “clears throat”, chest. Sound: 10/10 This is arguably this show’s greatest strength, its OST. It really is a fun ost to listen to in a night setting and feels very appropriate. It mainly comprises of electronic, low vibe hip hop and some synthwave in here as well and goes so well with the show’s direction and atmosphere. It knows how when it wants to be light hearted, it wants to be more serious or it just simply wants to be a good time. It just helps that it’s set at night that the soundtrack stands out more and It helps with the low vibes the show’s trying to establish. What also helps is the insert songs from Creepy Nuts in there as well to spice things up while also not losing its identity. A very good ost and a highlight of the show for me. Then there is the OP and ED that are both done by Creepy Nuts. I will just say, both of these have made me a fan and I would say they are OP and ED of the season respectively. The OP, “Daten”, is definitely the outlier of the ost because compared to the others, it’s fast, it’s loud but it is oh so fun to watch. I love the pace of this OP and it makes the use of the show’s colour pallet and framing well to help keep the same vibes in the rest of the episode. It translates really well to create a fun OP to watch visually. But that song is just a banger. It’s definitely the one part of the soundtrack that feels out of place but goes with the visuals so well. It’s something you would listen to if you wanted to go and party at night and you need to do it right now. It is such a fun OP to listen to and watch and is OP of the season for me. Same goes for the ED. Titled, “Yofukashi no Uta”, it very much is a counterpart to “Daten” because it feels more slower, more cooler yet retains some of the aspects from the OP and the show in general. The colours, the framing and keeping the same vibes. The visuals mainly consist of Nazuna looking for a fun time to mess around and while it isn’t as creative as the OP, it is still fun to watch. Fun fact, the original manga was actually inspired by this song, hence why the show and ED have the same. I’m not as confident in saying this is ED of the season because “Let You Down” from Cyperpunk: Edgerunners is also really good, but I do think the song factor for Call of the Night’s ED gives it the edge because it’s a banger like the rest of the soundtrack. Conclusion: Call of the Night is one of the best shows to watch at night, in bed, wanting to settle down and looking for something to help you. Specific yes, but you don’t have a lot of shows like that where you can relax and yet have something interesting going on. It’s just a show where you can watch people hang out at night with a vampire twist to it so that we have some kind of overarching plot going on. It almost feels like a niche show honestly by doing these specific things to get maximum enjoyment. But sometimes, best experiences are enjoyed in specific situations. The low vibe feel, the well written and acted dialogue, the ost, the colour usage in the animation department. This is the kind of show you watch when you want to relax. It has problems, the romance elements aren’t explored as much and the vampire dilemma isn’t doesn’t take itself too seriously when it needs to be at times. But it provides an atmosphere and vibe to it, combined with its enjoyable cast and you can still enjoy yourself watching these characters hang out and enjoy the night. Simply put, it’s a good time. My Personal Enjoyment: 8/10 Overall Score: 8.1/10 Recommendation: Watch It Yurei Deco  In the world of anime, the sky's the limit for creativity, for the ones that are created in its original structure with no source backing it up. But focusing on this season alone, while at most times with originals like the A-1 Pictures Saturday shows of Lycoris Recoil and Engage Kiss beckoning both form and function, together with style over substance (one good, one bad), where then should we draw the line between the two? And that my friends, is how Yurei Deco is constructed to be just that: a somewhat "style over substance" show that has a unique take on advanced technology. Through the watchful eyes of director Tomohisa Shimoyama and creator-cum-scriptwriter Dai Sato that involves little to none of either Masaaki Yuasa nor Choi Eunyoung's planning stages, Yurei Deco tells the audience about a world so far-fetched into the future, where VR and AR a.k.a Virtual and Augmented Reality plays a huge part into ordinary people's lives. The gimmick about this Tom Sawyer Island (which I think it's ingenious incorporating the "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" novel for a fascinating story plot) is that everything is done transactionally, by that which I mean that "Love" is the currency, and they are able to exchange it via this "Deco" device which allows free reign over their personalized avatars, governed by a strict system to ensure its safe use. But just like any well-oiled system, nothing is perfect, and the people that fall outside of this specification are labelled as "Yurei", people-defect within the cracks of a well-governed system. And to make matters worse, the Trojan Horse comes in the form of Phantom Zero, which robs people of their Love, allowing it to garner to a status of a game called the "Phantom Zero Nation" to lure normal, typical citizens into a wild goose chase of getting their own money stolen. Yurei Deco's focus stems on Berry, whom has a glitch in the Deco accessory installed in her right eye, and she's able to see things that normal citizens can't, which makes her more of an anomaly within her social settings. And that same anomaly is how she met Hack, a fuzzy-looking gargle-looking kid who is able to hack and traverse the Hyperverse looking for the next prank to bait. With Phantom Zero's appearance, things go heinously wrong for the duo, and with the team of rag-tag unusuals, this is the expedition of the Yurei Detective Club and their quest to subdue Phantom Zero and save the Tom Sawyer Island from further disintegration. For a start, Yurei Deco inches in on its fantasy and mystery elements well just like another Science SARU show (that's "Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!"), and though the tingling bears on my tongue to say that this show is not for everyone, it certainly was that to take a grain of salt to believe that anime could be anything the creators desired it to be. And that message certainly wasn't an afterthought, for it purposefully takes its time building up notes to create a cohesive story plot, even when it feels like watching episodes that are partial disconnects to the wonky direction of where the plot was going at times. But if there's one bad thing to point out of the entirety of this original anime, is that it can feel like it's a "style over substance" show that's a nod to Science SARU's unique visuals. And for a story to connect, it must have compelling characters to boot, and most certainly each of them has SWOTs in their own regard. The Chinese-looking Finn as the head of the Yurei Detective Club is smart and intelligent, but while his words are few and concise, he often works like a lonewolf, putting his trust on himself alone and looking at the others like they are tools for his greater purpose. The African afro-looking Hank is there just for show, though he keeps the Detective Club together as his motive. Smiley and Madam 44 aren't just members guiding Finn, Berry and Hack along, but they're family too that occasionally helps in times of trouble. And last but not least, there's Mr. Watson, though peculiarly dressed in a suit and donning a large cat mask that is a being of few words, that is unless he needs to talk through his notepad. A few fair chances of charismatic characters like Finn, Berry and Hack which allows for more of the childlikeness to come about, though it can feel flat at times. But aside from Hack being the most animated out of everyone who's unafraid of showing his likes and dislikes, a rag-tag team of misfits with an aim to expose the greatest danger that threatens theirs and everybody's home, it's a Tom Sawyer adventure that's worth the ride, both in and out of the Hyperverse. It's not surprising that for Masaaki Yuasa's own studio that is Science SARU, anime tends to go ham and wild, because it's a very distinct style that you would not find anywhere else. It feels animated and surreal of a world being guided by both VR and AR, so much so that it feels like a peak into the near "future of the past" like richness that can be made a reality. Yurei Deco definitely portrays itself as like Western-made cartoons, shows made to appeal to the younger audience, that it goes underappreciated at times. What can I tell you, it's Science SARU, so expect the unexpected and let the world just vibrate in all of its glow and wonder, which the show did good on that promise. The OST could've been better for Yurei Deco being a very imaginative, whimsical, yet down-to-earth, fantasy-like show. You don't always feel the effect of background music a.k.a BGM in many shows, but some take it to a more prudent level of priorities, and unfortunately in this case is where the anime suffers from retaining its uniqueness. While the ED that's a duo collab between Hack'nBerry's VAs are just decent, it's Clammbon's OP that really shouts creativity in the most psychedelic way (aside from sounding good) of engagement, popping out at where it matters most. It's unironically one of the better OPs of the season in my humble opinion, and I would gladly stand by it. All in all, Yurei Deco could've been a standout show with the likes of Science SARU's influence, but it's the storytelling that really matters, and this is kinda of a mixed bag between decent to good in spots. It definitely feels like a Dai Sato conceptualized anime that's just as bonkers coming from someone that's a creative madman, but here's some advice: Being complicated and being complex, doesn't mean the same thing. Recommended or not, just give this a try and see whether it does for you. If I were to describe this series, I’d describe it as a mixture of Ernest Cline’s “Ready Player One”, and George Orwell’s “1984”, but in a very kid-friendly sense. It tackles themes of a futuristic world of augmented reality and information control, and in a sense, it almost has me fearing if this kind of world is what we’ll see in the future. In a nutshell, Yurei Deco is set in a world filled with advanced technology where people see the world through “Deco”, which is a compulsory piece of equipment for citizens that allows them to see things in augmented reality. The other function of Deco is for the Customer Center, which is basically the government, to keep tabs on all its citizens. If you don’t have a Deco, you’re considered to be “dead” or “nonexistent”, or a Yurei, as this show describes the phenomenon as. The main character, Berry, has a broken Deco, so she can see some things that the citizens can’t see, such as the Yurei. Through this, Berry’s mundane life expands, and a sci-fi adventure of mystery and exploration begins. My grading criteria: Story: /25 Art: /10 Music: /10 Characters: /20 Enjoyment /15 Thematic Execution /20 STORY: 13.5/25 The story is interesting, and relatable to a degree, because there are quite a few parallels to modern society, such as the “love” system, which resembles social media likes and also seems like some type of currency or social status. It also has me thinking if the future could be like this, with higher-ups choosing what we see and don’t see. Heck, that might be happening already, who knows? Overall, it’s quite simple, as most of the series is focused on solving mysteries, and also, trying to figure out who “Phantom Zero” is along with the “Zero Phenomenon”, which reduces the love of every person and object down to zero. The issue I have with the story is that it’s rather underdeveloped. The love system and the world itself are a bit under-explained, and I think that took away from the intrigue I had at the start of the show. With the simplicity of the premise, it wasn’t very engaging all the way through, but it definitely had its good moments. ART: 7.4/10 I find the colour palette to be quite nice and refreshing, but the character designs left a bit to be desired. It has the Science Saru touch to it, and you can almost feel that Masaaki Yuasa was directing this, but it seemed a bit watered down and less jarring compared to his works. MUSIC: 8/10 The OST isn’t too noticeable, but there are some good spots of music here and there. Opening and ending are solid, and I enjoyed them as well. CHARACTERS: 12.6/20 The characters are pretty nice as well, and fun to watch. They each have their unique personalities, and in some cases, some emotional backstories as well. Berry and Hack bounce off each other pretty well, since they’re both curious, mischievous, and want to have fun. They even have unique ways of speech, which was pretty memorable. Finn was a good character too, with a good backstory, and I like the quietness of his character. Not much to really talk about here, since the characters are pretty simplistic. ENJOYMENT: 10.2/15 Not every part of the show was the most engaging, but I found some episodes to be quite the watch. THEMATIC EXECUTION: 12.8/20 I like what the show was going for, but sometimes, the themes just weren’t executed the greatest. I saw a lack of direction in the story themes sometimes, but this show executes the fun factor, and some of the tech factors decently. OVERALL: 64.5/100 This show was good, but it could have been much better with a bit more depth and a better direction to the story. Overall, just a simple, fun show that won’t have you at the edge of your seat or anything but will have you intrigued at times. |
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Oct 23, 2022 12:47 PM
#9
Ao Ashi  THIS ANIME WAS GASSSSSSS! I can’t lie I didn't hear a lot about Ao Ashi before I saw that Production IG got it. That and the fact that we haven’t gotten a good soccer anime in a pretty long time, but this had to be the surprise of the season for me. It covered most of the boxes for me and is a really nice underdog story. I personally hope and can’t wait for a Season 2. Art: 8 So the actual animation was a little lackluster at times, but almost everything else was perfect. I think the art style really complimented the anime and the sport in general, plus the character designs are kind of fun too. Also, the music was really good. Everything fit really well from the openings to the endings to the background music. Characters: 10 The characters are what made the anime for me, from the complex relationship with his family to his new teammates, to even his rivals, every person that was introduced had a point and a story behind them. As for Aoi himself even though he can get a little annoying at times, he has his own charm and was a pleasure to watch...also Hana best girl. Story: 9 The story is what you would expect in a soccer anime except they go in much deeper with each part of the process. Without spoiling, what they did at first with how they surrounded a couple of episodes around his family was done so well that I had almost no complaints, and honestly, that's just for the pacing in general. The pacing is so good and I’m really glad this got 24 eps. Overall, I dont have much more to say, a really good sports anime and I’d give it a 9/10. As a sports connoisseur, I would like to ask you a genuine question: "When was the last time that we actually got a really good sports show, most particularly concerning about soccer/football?" Sure, you have the constant answers of either the modern Inazuma Eleven or the much beloved classic Captain Tsubasa series, but if both aren't your cup of tea, there should be something on the plane of a realistic, young adult-ish setting that showcases all the nerfs of growing in a soccer team. And no, I'm not talking about superpower types like Blue Lock (which is coming next season) nor this season's original "reboot" of Aoki Densetsu Shoot!'s "Shoot! Goal to the Future" which is just plain effing abominable. And we have long since waited for the coming that's released now in the form of Ao Ashi, a manga that since its release in 2015, is still to this day, quite popular in Japan with sales raking in with the latest volumes, and even won in Shogakukan's 65th Manga Awards held in 2020 in the general category. Ao Ashi can mean a lot of things, but most particularly according to its mangaka Yugo Kobayashi, Ao (青 in Kanji) means blue, which is the colour of the Japan National Football team (nicknamed the Samurai Blue) and simultaneously the team's 1st colours (or uniform attire), while Ashi (アシ) means feet. But while Ao also comes from "青春" (Seishun) meaning "youth" or "blue spring"), it also means "blue reed", which represents immaturity, and which is exactly showcasing the story of a young Ashito Aoi on his growing-up journey to play in a soccer team: the prestigious Tokyo City Esperion FC, which is based on the real-life J-League club Kashiwa Reysol, competing in Japan's top-tier J1 League football division. For a trivia, while the Reysol's main sponsor is Hitachi, Esperion's sponsor is Kaido. Both companies have similar mottos: "Inspire the Next" for Hitachi, and "Inspiration Works" for Kaido, despite the former being based in Chiba while Esperion is (clearly) in Tokyo. This is thanks in part to Naohiro Ueno who is a sports journalist, but also the manga's original concept creator and the supervisor/consultant to Yugo Kobayashi on replicating the minute details of soccer/football as closely as possible. So, all of the soccer action that you see in the Western world (UEFA, FIFA, Premier League etc.), you can expect to see it all here in Ao Ashi (which as of this review) is 29 volumes in and is still going strong. And most certainly with the anime's promotion thanks to famed sports studio Production I.G and its broadcast in Japan's national TV station NHK (specifically NHK Educational TV (abbreviated as NHK E), the sister service providing educational content), it wouldn't be surprising if Ao Ashi (like Mairimashita! Iruma-kun, also broadcast on NHK E) could be seen as a potential for a multi-season run for its edutainment purposes. But, backing up to Ao Ashi's premise. It's a simple "rags to riches" story about Ashito Aoi, this talented but difficult to handle boy who is interested in soccer and has been thriving in his home state of Ehime to take his dream into the international stage. However, the tryouts at potential soccer/football teams have crossed him out due to his unorthodox, self-centered way of playing the sport, and he is left with nowhere to go. That's where the rag-tag, messy adult by the name of Tatsuya Fukuda meets him at his downfall, and with a pep talk and an offer to join one of the most prestigous football clubs in Japan: Tokyo Esperion FC. Aoi doesn't make a hesitation to accept his offer and join the club that's brimmering with insane talent across the board, and despite the poor life of a family with a large cashflow sacrifice, with the talent he brings to the club, this is his life-changing story of a thriving changing soccer/football career. Ashito Aoi is akin to a lot of a lot of similarly specced protagonists who have walked the talk before, from the likes of Haikyuu!!'s Shoyo Hinata, Hajime no Ippo's Ippo Makunouchi and Diamond no Ace's Eijun Sawamura. All of them are pure talents at what they do best, but it's at their very own respective institutions that they engage the SWOT analysis: knowing their strengths, working on their weaknesses, improving on their opportunities and alleviating any threats that come their way, be it on an individual or team level with teammates that work alongside them. Yes, there may be not much of a plot to follow, but like every sport, it's essentially a character development story that's based on the protagonist, which in this case is Ashito Aoi and his endeavours in growing in Tokyo City Esperion, learning from the all-time greats and its bunch of team players, working out all the nooks and crannies of each and every strategy and plan, whether in agreement or disagreement that spikes out in celebration or arguments abound. This is the base foundation and hallmark of a growing protagonist, one that's not doused in generic Shonen traits nor tropes, just some pure sportmanship goodness. Similarly, for a growing protagonist to work, there are countless team members working alongside Ashito Aoi on his conquest to reach for the stars and take the world stage by storm, one match at a time. Namely (those that appear the most): Yuuma Motoki, Togashi Keiji, Tachibana Souichirou, Ohtomo Eisaku, Asari Matthews Jun, Kuroda Kanpei and Takeshima Ryuichi, along with the Esperion B Team's Coach Nozomi Date and naturally Tatsuya Fukuda himself, acting as the club's manager and head coach. It's a hard gruelling journey for each and every player (not just with their coveted numbers, Aoi especially with the team's trademark No. 10 in the B team), for everyone learns differently according to their positions that are given and tutored by Coach Nozomi and the fare few seniors overseeing their progress, mastering their crafts and skills to become the best players possible. It's the same when you see your favourite soccer/football players like Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Paul Scholes, Zlatan Ibrahimović and the like training to their very best and then replicating that same training onto the playing field which earns them their prestige titles and insane fame. And this is not just Ashito Aoi's objective, but is something that everyone shares as a goal, for individuality could only get you so far before teamwork becomes essential to reach for the stars. And like every team player, they do have their fair share of fans as well. For Aoi, other than his own family with his very supporting mother Noriko (honestly, one of the best mothers in anime), he/she comes in the form of Hana Ichijo, whom despite the different family name (which later got joint together), is actually Manager Fukuda's younger stepsister. Her essence of presence got its start as a football fan, someone whom she admires when she was young (which is actually Manager Fukuda) and supporting rising stars like Haruhisa Kuribayashi whom made his professional debut at the ripe age of 16, she's now dead set on becoming a sports surgeon with her vast knowledge on nutrition to help the Esperion players grow better. How she got acquainted with Aoi is merely a coincidence that he in his earlier stages would not stand out amongst the crowd to excel if he continues that way, and Hana famously proclaiming that she is his "first fan in the world" sets the journey of the two in the soccer/football space as through the thick and thin, the genuine and the misunderstandings (which has a hint of romance to it, but only as a minor thing), they both grow in their own individual ways, closer to one another but yet maintaining that distance as to not impede the protagonist on his way to the world stage. In some ways, they do look well together, but secretly inside, it's the Aoi × Hana ship that both the manga and (now) anime fans can look forward to the most. I really love Hana's character of what she brings to the table, and she is a dynamic dynamite girl whom Aoi could be proud of her standing and supporting by his side. Of course, there's the Esperion's sponsor Kaido Electric's daughter Anri Kaido, though she has inept on-the-ground experience to try and coach Aoi in improving his skills, none can touch the one-hit wonder that is his and Hana's relationship as the biggest fan and the constantly improving player. When it comes to sports shows, you can always trust Production I.G to go above and beyond to make justice or even exceed the experience of the source materials, as it always has been for Haikyuu!!, Kuroko no Basket and Tennis no Ouji-sama a.k.a Prince of Tennis. And Ao Ashi is certainly no different in the studio's ethos to always respect the roots of whatever they are adapting and keeping it to the high standards of consistency. Most particularly, this is newbie director Akira Sato's 2nd directorial work after Lay-Duce's 2018 show Release the Spyce, and he certainly has used the former to learn of his shortcomings and improve all of it on Ao Ashi, which it really shows. I would love to see him come back for future seasons to continue the great work, as is Production I.G doing a knock-out "GOAL!!!" job of replicating the feeling of exhilaration on the matches as realistic as possible. The music...eh, I would either take it or leave it as it definitely feels Shonen-ish at best. Don't get me wrong, [Alexandros]'s 1st Cour OP is a good song to kickstart Ashito's career and show his growth in the beginning stages, and Rinne's "Blue Diary" is a fairly good one in spots as well. But the 2nd Cour, while it has better visuals to back up, the OST for that is pretty forgettable. Think that I'm too used to Haikyuu!! once having BURNOUT SYNDROMES for an OP, and that OP slapped like power inflicting onto the volleyball. This is the minor nitpick and where the show falters, but not enough to diminish the enjoyment of the anime as a whole. I hope that this is only the beginning for more great things to come, because mangaka Yugo Kobayashi is definitely not slowing down on the weekly chapter serialization, and the anime at this juncture can last for at least 2 more seasons strong. Nevertheless, a great return to form for soccer/football anime...and gotta pass through the Blue Lock first before getting back into the Blue Reed's mature standpoint. Ao Ashi was a show that just got better and better and better and better till I was literally off my seat, cheering when they scored. Yeah, I really liked this series. Production IG have nailed yet another sport anime. The story about self reflection, facing adversity and grow from your mistakes worked brilliantly with the careful breakdown of how the sport of football/soccer is played. Characters that start out as quite annoying but transform into mature, smart and capable players. Their development has been handled with care and shows when they are on the pitch and throwing a few curveballs along the way helps this considerably. The animation isn’t the best and we know Production IG can do better, but the presentation and the photography is used really well to make up for it. Now I’m not really a big fan of sports anime, which is weird because I really should be enjoying them more. Ao Ashi proves that. It is executed really well and I highly recommend you watch it. Sure, being a sports anime might deter you but you shouldn’t ignore something that is worth your time. Ao Ashi is that. Story: 9/10 Characters: 8.5/10 Animation: 7.5/10 Sound: 7.5/10 My Personal Enjoyment: 9.5/10 Overall Score: 8.4/10 Recommendation: Watch It Kakkou no Iinazuke / A Couple of Cuckoos  Couple of Cuckoos was interesting, to say the least. The premise of them getting swapped at birth and their parents trying to force them to get married is definitely a first, but overall the anime had its fun moments but failed to really progress at all during the entire second half. If you are going into this show dont expect to get too much romance, because at the end of the day this anime is filled with a bunch of "will they, won't they" moments. Art: 6 To be entirely honest I thought the art style was fine. It wasn't bad, but it wasn’t entirely special. The facial expressions were enjoyable, but overall the character designs were okay at best. What I will say is that the music was pretty good. That caught me by surprise, but I thoroughly enjoyed both openings this anime provided us. Characters: 7 I actually think that the characters are pretty enjoyable. I think Hiro provides a presence in this anime that is needed, Erika has her charms, and Sachi is kinda your basic anime sister I won't lie. I think the characters gel really well together, if only they went through better development, then the anime would've been better. Story: 5 It pains me to say it, but the story was kind of eh. It's unfortunate cuz I didn't think the initial premise was terrible, and I thought the first couple of eps did a decent job at introducing all the characters, but keeping all things considered once we hit episode 12, it kind of feels like the anime is just dragging the conclusion for no reason. Overall I would give this anime 6 cucks out of 10. Rom-coms have been dozens aplenty since the AniManga industry's early days, with most of the memorable classics (e.g. School Rumble, Ouran High School Host Club, Lovely★Complex to name a few) to modern-day juggernauts (e.g. Hataraku Maou-sama!, OreGairu, SaeKano, Date A Live, NiseKoi) making the scene yearly with no signs of the genre slowing down and becoming one of the most popular genres for just about any AniManga fan. Yet, for all of what the rom-com genre has to offer, there have been more bad nuts also appearing (Masamune-kun no Revenge, KanoKari) to fuel the fire for distastes. And most particularly for one mangaka by the name of Miki Yoshikawa, her fame that came from the rom-com that's the much beloved Yamada-kun to 7-nin no Majo a.k.a Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches, I'm left baffling at how one of her most recent works that is Kakkou no Iinazuke a.k.a A Couple of Cuckoos literally turned into a NiseKoi that's gone too far and being dragged on to the point of being unsalvageable. But first, an educational lesson about cuckoos. Cuckoos are brood parasites, which means they have the tendency to find a nest from another species of bird that already has eggs in it, remove the other bird's eggs and lay their own there, letting the other bird species raise their young. In this way, the cuckoos trick the other birds into keeping the cuckoo eggs warm and caring for the young cuckoos. This is more exasperated in the West, particularly Germany that coins this term: Kuckuckskind a.k.a Cuckoo's child, meaning a child whose father is not his biological father, because the mother fathered it with another man and left the child and his social father in the belief that they were related by blood. This colloquially pejorative term as a cuckoo child includes a criticism of the mother who subordinates a child conceived with another man to her (spouse) partner; this designation may be perceived as stigmatizing by the child concerned. And this is exactly what Miki Yoshikawa had in mind when she wrapped up Yamada-kun to 7-nin no Majo back in 2017 and was just floating around releasing One-shots a.k.a standalone chapters. And of the 3 one-shots stories released in 2019, Kakkou no Iinazuke was the one that was well received enough to get serialized the year after. The story (or literary plot device rather) about babies accidentally switched at birth, only for them to be taken care of by the other family, until they've each grown up to tell them the truth that their biological parents were someone else. This is the case for Nagi Umino and Erika Amano, a boy and a girl fatefully picked up by the other's family and raised like their very own, until their sweet 17th birthday that the news is broke to them that despite being cuckoo children, they are forced to be in an arranged marriage (which in these days in Japan has dropped significantly and doesn't happen very much anymore). And almost immediately, both Nagi and Erika vehemently refused to this plan, but it's not like their parents are willing to give up either. With such a case like this, it's a "do or die" situation to proceed the relationship as a "tryout" with both Nagi and Erika being the wiser to see where it would go. The characters in Kakkou no Iinazuke, believe it or not, goes farther than just the NiseKoi situation of finding which girl holds the key to the MC's pendant and then calling it a day to declare the supposed girl the key to his heart as well. Starting off with Nagi, his biological Umino family is a family of the rich, with his father being a hotel tycoon, but thanks to the mix-up he was living a frugal life with the other family and being a close-knit son. In school, he the most stellar person always acclaiming to be that No. 1 spot that he is constantly losing the spot out to one such girl that he also has a crush on. In essence, Nagi has 3 things to worry about: marriage, school and family, and he does not have 3 clones to help him negotiate through troubled waters, because there is a girl each behind each of those situations that he has to balance with as well. I don't think I need to say this, but it's an intertwining web of perchances, misunderstandings and emotions that'll put Nagi on a stand to choose which girl is right for him. On the marriage side, there is the already aforementioned Erika Amano, whom she has distinguished herself as a popular social media celebrity and going to a girls' school, which has a strict non-tolerance of relationships. Both her and Nagi met out of a mere coincidence when she was trying to take videos that put her safety in peril, and Nagi assumed that she was in danger if she put herself that way to get some views (you know how this all goes). That mere coincidence hit the two off, until they were called forth for the aforementioned marriage arrangement, and making the matter worse, Erika was forced to transfer to Nagi's school upon the confirmation that she was hanging out with him. She would be what you call a spoiled brat, thanks to the mix-up that allowed her to live a high life, and initially against Nagi, the two being already living in 2 separate conditions (rich vs. poor) has them bickering like birds from both families agreeing to place them both in a commune house to stimulate conditions living together (like as if they're married already). But overtime, she has both softened and hardened her stand towards Nagi, with moves that slowly inch that Nagi would be her desired fiance to come. On the school side, you have Hiro Segawa, the consistent No. 1 student in Nagi's grade, and the girl whom Nagi wants to beat her in the literacy department just so that he could confess to her. Other than her family's job in a temple and working as a miko, she is the definition of a guilt-trip character, egging people on so that they could reach to that spot, only to tell them that "Oops, I didn't mean it! It's just meant for my entertainment to play and toy with your feelings, oopsies *tongue out*". And this is her relationship with Nagi, with the latter being forced to be better than her, only to know that she's engaged as well, but who knows if that is even true in the first place. All she does is guilt-trip over Nagi to lead him to believe that if they weren't "engaged" in the first place, their relationship could've been so much more than just school rivals. On the family side, Nagi isn't the only child in the Umino family. There is also Sachi, but based on her family name, she is in fact Erika's biological sister and stands in Nagi's family as the adoptive daughter. Sachi is the epitome of every family's rebellious kid, one who's unable to keep herself in one place, whether will it be following the family or being overly dependent on Nagi which arises on her brocon personality. Being away from Nagi feels tough for the kin who is seeing her brother already engaged with some other girl, and the best way to be close to him is to run away from home and live together with them? That sounds like some shenanigans move right there, and I guess the semblance of the brocon trait also helps her be aware of what's he doing also. But then again, we've seen so much brocon and siscon stuff in other shows, and when Sachi herself realizes that she is in conflict with treating Nagi either like a brother or a potential lover, that's where she begins to have dangerous feelings, which also pits herself in the direct line of fire against both her older sister Erika and schoolmate rival Hiro. I'm not surprised that chief director Hiroaki Akagi is handling this alongside Yoshiyuki Shirahata here, at least I can trust the former because he has directed the Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san series and others at Shin-Ei Animation, he's almost like a respectable in-house director who knows his talents well. The only exception is Yoshiyuki Shirahata, and this is his debut directorial work here, so at least for his first rondo, give or take, he still has a lot to learn. That being said, to air 2 consecutive cours in a row from Spring to Summer is already a risk given inconsistent production values (even more because of the studio collab with SynergySP), but I'm legit surprised that it has managed to keep at a fairly consistent level, and rare chances for me to spot any lackluster values in its long run. At the very least, its entertaining to a certain degree. The choice of OST was a little mixed, sadly. The 1st Cour's combination with Kiyoe Yoshioka (vocalist of the Japanese duo Ikimonogakari) and Sangatsu no Phantasia was a perfect introduction with striking visuals and seemingly the best efforts done out from both the OP and ED in terms of style and semblance of the song's narrations, it's almost an instant great start and finish to Spring's episode runs. But when it comes towards the 2nd Cour, I get that they were trying to go for the playful affair with sumika and Eir Aoi's song combination, but it just seemed so boring in comparison to the strong game set by the 1st half, I'm like: "Heck it, just let it finish already." Other than that, it was just decent on an impressive start, only to dip to a somewhat mediocre end. When it all comes down to it, Kakkou no Iinazuke a.k.a A Couple of Cuckoos needn't be this elaborate in its rom-com setting, but when you have something like a cuckoo bird business running around, it's gonna get messy. And since this is still an ongoing manga, like KanoKari, it has to pad on for God knows how long this love quadrangle affair needs to be resolved, and that's the sad life of a rom-com that doesn't have the luxury of knowing when it would end, except by the authors themselves. I was hoping to read the manga before the anime came out, but the adverse came true, and my gut instinct was correct. It's definitely a mid-tier series when it comes to rom-coms, though it has its decent moments as well. As for the choice whether to delve in the anime or the manga, I would suggest the anime first then the manga, but it goes without saying this: be prepared for endless padding. Sigh… Alright, where do we even begin with this one? First of all, if you actually finished all 24 episodes of this dumpster fire, like I did, I applaud your dedication, but sometimes I really do question the decisions I make, such as continuing to watch this week after week. Studious male harem protagonists have been somewhat of a repeating character archetype, like Futaro Uesugi from The Quintessential Quintuplets, or Nariyuki Yuiga, from We Never Learn. I am convinced however, that Umino Nagi is one of the worst harem protagonists that I have seen. He’s literally Kazuya, but gets good grades in school. He’s indecisive, and rather dumb for a studious kid. I felt like the author of the manga just gave up on keeping the source material at least at a decent quality, because the anime just stopped trying to be good as it went along. Just like the anime, you’ll also probably find that this review you’re reading will also drop in quality as it goes along, who knows? My grading criteria: Story: /25 Art: /10 Music: /10 Characters: /20 Enjoyment /15 Thematic Execution /20 STORY: 5.5/25 I’m not even going to question the whole swapped at birth thing, it’s animanga, and animanga does these stupid things, and we know this. Perhaps it’s just easier to turn your brain off and just appreciate the harem anime as it is, but it’s quite an infuriating show to watch. So, we can as usual, assume that every girl likes Nagi, even his little sister, and that’s to be expected. What angers me is why the girls try to play wingwoman for another girl when they clearly like Nagi in the first place? Guess romance is weird like that. The pacing is honestly slower than I imagined, especially in the second cour, where there were cliffhangers galore. Sure, there were some well done moments, but for the most part, it just wasn’t very well written or entertaining. ART: 7.7/10 The animation is fine. It’s colourful, quite a good job honestly. The character designs are quite decent. MUSIC: 8.3/10 I will say I enjoyed both OPs and both EDs, they’re honestly one of the highlights of this entire show. CHARACTERS: 5.5/20 I’ve already mentioned my disdain for Umino, so let’s talk about the girls in the story. First, there’s Erika, an “Instagram Influencer”, who lived in a rich household, and once she moved out to live with Nagi, she didn’t know how to do many things, and found a lot of mundane activities very new. She’s pretty inoffensive for the most part to watch, but her feelings for Umino were rather muddled. Then there’s Hiro, who was probably my favourite character, since it seemed like she might have a little bit of a good backstory, but her character writing was rather inconsistent. Sometimes she’s extremely kind, but sometimes she can come across as a bit overbearing and overly annoying as a character. Lastly, ooh boy, there’s Sachi. Why is she even in this harem? There was no need honestly, and she didn’t even have much of a role to play. Guess she made this whole show a bit trashier. ENJOYMENT: 3.5/15 I admit, there was a bit of cheap enjoyment to be had, and there were a couple very solid episodes, but most of it was a snoozefest. THEMATIC EXECUTION: 4.5/20 The themes were rather muddled, honestly. What were we trying to do here? Figure out why Nagi and Erika were separated at birth? Just have a slice of life harem? This show is so lost, and the directions they took in the second cour really lost me as well, as any sign of writing quality went completely awol. OVERALL: 35/100 This show was a mess, and it’s probably not going to end anytime soon, at least in the manga. I’d compare this show to a lost, misguided child. Someone, please steer this back onto a road of at least passable writing quality, please? Well, to be fair, I wouldn’t really care either way anyway… Well it was better than Rent a Girlfriend, but then again, alot of things are better than Rent a Girlfriend and this show was slowly starting go down in quality, particularly in the second half of the show. It was alright at first. It was pretty amusing, the main girls were cute, the main protagonist had a spine and was not a bumbling imbecile, things looked good for it to be a trashy yet fun time. Then things just started to drag on and on and it didn’t feel like we were getting very far. It's the typical cliche of slow burn romances but doesn't do much to alleviate that slow burn and it just ended up being boring by the end of it. There wasn’t really much done with the progression of the plot, plot threads that end up being unresolved and the only character that shows some type of growth is Erika. They all just kind of fall into archetypes with nothing to separate themselves from those archetypes. The animation though is solid and same goes for the ost as well. It ended up being a show that was just aimless, not knowing where it wanted to go or what it wanted to do. It’s even hard to recommend that you watch it if you like trashy shows but it went from trashy fun to just kind of being straight up trash by the end. 12 episodes, maybe, but for 24 episodes, not so much. Story: 3.5/10 Characters: 5/10 Animation: 7.5/10 Sound: 7/10 My Personal Enjoyment: 4.5/10 Overall Score: 5.5/10 Recommendation: Consider it Love All Play  Love All, No Play. Piss off. To wait more than a decade for a relatively unknown and underground work to get adapted, I really question who was in the right mind to green-light this project, given that there were already better alternatives like Liden Films's repertoire of badminton anime. This is novelist Asami Koseki's only work that was in Poplar Publishing (which publishes very old kids IPs from the 90s to the late 2000s) that was seralized from 2011 to 2014, and I'm just gonna assume that the sales figures for this were decent to OK (since it's "big" enough to get an anime adaptation), or is that some big shot wanted to see this come to fruition, and such is the case of Love All Play here. The only problem: Liden Films has redefined what to expect for badminton anime going forward with Hanebado! and Ryman's Club, and animation prowess certainly beats story elements to a point where the current trend has been stuck ever since. Love All Play presents itself as your sterotypical school sport, chock full of characters that are meant to grow on you as the series progressed from start to finish, and in the space of 24 episodes covering the entirety of the 4-volume novel (which is best assumed since this is a one-and-only job), it certainly has done that. The issue is that why is this only released now is just as baffling, as if it was released right at the tailgate of the novel's end in 2014 would be just about perfect to have an anime adaptation on it, but given how long this took to get one, I would assume that it's the connection to the recent Tokyo Olympics (which sure isn't the case) to then finally have a use case for this anime to come out, it sure was "years in the making" that got stale when it came out, and staying the same when it finishes this season. And even if it was released in the past, it would've been doomed from the start to be largely forgotten in time to come. Just about the only good part of the show was in its characters, which in their portrayal, were actually period-correct to the time when the novel came out: the bunch of newbies entering high school for the first time, being rookies at a sport for the first time, hanging out with friends and family, and especially the matches which help everyone progress a step further. And to be fair, this is old-school storytelling at its finest, though these days people (even myself) don't really care for the allure of the oldies and classics, unless if it's a well-regarded one (e.g. Rumiko Takahashi's Urusei Yatsura (All Stars) next season). And here to tag the story is the new group of rookies with Ryo Mizushima, Shohei Sakaki, Koki Matsuda, Taichi and Yuji Higashiyama, and Akira Uchida, the 6 newbies who found themselves being chosen by their school Yokohama Minato's badminton team, going through the normal pacing of practice after practice to improve and make themselves useful in making their school a household name from the ashes of sunkenness. Oh, and also enjoy their youth. I do find that the badminton team seniors, mostly Kento Yusa and Yusuke Yokokawa are both an annoying dirtbag and a respectful Senpai respectively, though overtime they do show well of their camaraderie with one another that's been in the works since they joined the badminton team. But the whole love interest section of the boys being cheered on by their classmates which raises the aspects of romance, while that is also period-correct to the setting, it unfortunately becomes a sore sight that I'd wish the focus went onto the actual badminton instead of the slice-of-life elements. But then again, this is school life at its most humble, so it's there. And most certainly is the whole "school goddess" thing of Ryo's sister Rika being the flower worth only the attention of Yusa. Again, no faults there, it's just how everything is brought up in the dailyness of school life. If this anime came out in the mid-2010s, then Nippon Animation and OLM's Team Yoshioka's collab would've served a nice niche since there wasn't anything to compare to at the time. But this is the 2020s, and it looks awfully outdated by today's standards with such a lack of emphasis on the badminton segments, which is the core function of the show. Even the OST sounds unimpressive at best (though I loved the 1st Cour's OP, that was really nice coming from composers from sumika). It's all-in or go home. Wholesome camaraderie aside in a competitive sports show that exists only on the school level, there's just not much going for Love All Play now, and I'm willing to bet that this show would be easily forgotten, both in its source novel and the anime in time to come, which is never a shame. What's a shame is that I felt like I've wasted 6 months of time watching this mid-tier show that should've came out a pretty long time ago, and then only to be left in its forgotten state. It's just boring by today's standards, and I want my precious time back. Summertime Render / Summer Time Rendering  We don’t like Disney...Summer Time Rendering is great! This anime that no one can get their hands on ended up being one of the best anime of the year so far. I thought the 25-episode length was the perfect amount of time to tell this wonderfully sewn-together story. It was an enjoyable ride from start to finish, with plenty of drama and action-packed moments. We got a real gem with this one. Art: 9 Now I dont think the art is anything amazing to look at, but it definitely fit the tone of the anime, the character design and art style would really mesh well with those gruesome and serious moments that this show brings. The animation was also really crisp, as the fight scenes had some great moments. The music was good too, the ending of the first half is such a beautiful track that I could keep on listening too. Most of the music in this show is great, not only that one ending. Characters: 9 Most of the characters in this anime are great. Especially Shinpei, Ushio, and Nagumo, however, there are certain characters that are a little harder to get attached to when they have more prominent roles, as they didn't get the same amount of development as some of the others, but with the main protags, and antags all being really well done, I dont really have much to complain about. Story: 10 This anime had the best story out of any other anime this season. With it having a good start, and a good ending too, to me as an anime fan, I couldn't ask for more. I thought the series length at 25 episodes was perfect, I thought the pacing of the anime was really good, and nothing ever happened where I felt it was a little too convenient. I think the entire storyline between the antagonists was really good, and as the show progressed it just got you more and more interested. Now I will be objectively fair, there were maybe two episodes sprinkled in the middle that was a little boring, but those were necessary to move the plot along in a reasonable manner. Overall, Summer Time Render was a banger and I would give it 9 shadows out of 10. The art of mystery is always a tough thing to achieve perfectly. It’s one thing to be suspenseful, a bit scary, and leave viewers at the edge of their seat, but to have the story done without convolutions or questionable points is what’s difficult. This show looks great, and is pretty good in showing off its brutal moments, but has its share of questionable moments that took away a little from the immersion. For the most part, this show was pretty good, but as it went on, it kept losing steam towards the finish and sputtered to an ending that probably could have been better. My grading criteria: Story: /25 Art: /10 Music: /10 Characters: /20 Enjoyment /15 Thematic Execution /20 STORY: 17.5/25 The story at first, was very engaging, and Episode 1 was a great hook to the series. The mystery of how Ushio met her demise before Shinpei’s arrival to the island was a good setup for the story. The investigation of the Shadows was interesting and had its share of suspenseful and horror elements that had me on the edge of my seat, and those themes were executed to near perfection. However, as the show went forward, while it did maintain a good chunk of its quality, I don’t know whether I could call this show too long, or too rushed. There’s a lot of dialogue and meandering, while the advancement of the main plot points went by in a flash when it decided to advance. In my opinion, for the most part, I think that it probably should have been in the realm of 30+ episodes to really flesh everything out. To compare the first and second cour of this show, both cours had its share of elements that were intriguing, and backstories that were a little emotional/messed up. Towards the end of the second cour, I could see the rather obvious contrivances rearing their ugly head, but it’s not bad to the point of me hating what happened at the end. Throughout the story, I could draw elements of Re:Zero, or Higurashi, though the comedy was ridiculous sometimes, perhaps comparable to something like Jojo’s, because those tonal shifts between action and comedy were so abrupt sometimes that it felt like that. All in all, this had an intriguing story at first, that started to lose me more and more towards the end, which was to be expected, though perhaps doing this show in a split cour format would have kept my attention a bit more. ART: 9.2/10 The animation was pretty good throughout, with its vibrant, yet dark undertones, and great sakuga in the fight scenes. MUSIC: 9.2/10 The OP and ED in the first half of the show were very creative, and I enjoyed those two a lot, and the OP and ED in the latter half felt more “normal”, but had some emotional weight in the final episodes. The soundtrack throughout matched well with the show. CHARACTERS: 15.5/20 Believe it or not, I was never wholly invested in the characters, because their overall development wasn’t that strong, but every character had their share of good moments. Shinpei is a decent protagonist, not the dumbest you can imagine in stories like this, as he tries to decipher mysteries and control his powers, but still makes questionable decisions, like telling the villains too much information, for example. He’s quite the dumb one at the beginning, but I’m glad he developed a sense of awareness and became a much more likeable protagonist near the end. Ushio was a strong character, but she was also the character who contributed to the most tonal shifts due to her bubbly personality, leave it to her to make a joke in a tense moment. Won’t spoil much more about the characters, but Mio, Haine, Shide, Hizuru, and others all had their moments of emotional weight and badassery to impress me. ENJOYMENT: 13.2/15 I enjoyed this a lot, but my enjoyment did fall off a little throughout the series. THEMATIC EXECUTION: 16.3/20 The horror and suspense elements were done rather well, as the eerieness and quietness of some scenes really had the edge of your seat, as the show waits for the perfect moment to cut that silence. The nightmare fuel wasn’t cut, and there was a lot of vivid imagery for sure, which is always welcome. There were some themes that were unnecessary, like some of the comedy, and the shots of fan service as well. OVERALL: 80.9/100 A quality show that I believe most people would enjoy, which is why it really was a shame that this show was locked behind Disney Jail, which limited a lot of the discussion that could have been intriguing. It has its share of convolutions and shock factor that didn’t feel very strong, but if you’re looking for an action and mystery series, this one would be a decent one to pick. Taking the best elements of both Higurashi and Re:Zero, Summertime Render was the kind of show I wanted after being thoroughly disappointed with both Higurashi Gou and Sotsu. It takes Higurashi’s supernatural elements and atmosphere and Re:Zero’s time looping and strategies to make an interesting, engaging, well throughout and gripping thriller series with twists, turns and intense moments that made it quite the ride from start to finish. Shinpei is a very good protagonist with the way he has to adapt to the situation and change strategies as he learns new things about his predicament makes for one of the best protagonists this year. Most of the cast is very likeable with the exception of Mio, I didn’t really care for her. The show has some interesting antagonists that make for good foils. OLM did a really good job with the animation where they could’ve easily put in less effort. The soundtrack as well is very atmospheric and very Higurashi like with how the tone changes when it’s played. This show does a better Higurashi than Gou and Sotsu did and I’m all for it. I love these kinds of shows and Summertime Render absolutely delivered and being 25 episodes, it was consistent as well. If you were like me that got burned after watching Gou and Sotsu, this should feel that void. Story: 9.5/10 Characters: 8.5/10 Animation: 8.5/10 Sound: 9/10 My personal Enjoyment: 8.5/10 Overall Score: 8.8/10 Recommendation: Go F**king Watch it |
KANLen09Oct 23, 2022 8:43 PM
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Oct 23, 2022 12:47 PM
#10
Non-Seasonal ᗝ丅ᕼᗴᖇᔕ Yojouhan Time Machine Blues / The Tatami Time Machine Blues  First of all, let me be clear here, this show is not a sequel for The Tatami Galaxy, but I highly recommend you to watch it to get the most out of this show. This review will be written in a way that assumes you have watched The Tatami Galaxy. This show was essentially a side story in the universe of “The Tatami Galaxy”, and for many fans of that show, this would be extremely nostalgic, seeing the likes of Watashi, Akashi, and Ozu back at it with their ridiculous shenanigans. At its core, this show revolves around the same aspects as the Tatami Galaxy did, themes about grasping what’s in front of you, and the fact that time only goes forward, and you can’t change your past mistakes. Though, where The Tatami Galaxy used a more philosophical approach to the whole time travel mechanics, Time Machine Blues uses it in a bit more of a comedic approach. In a nutshell, Watashi’s friend, Ozu, spills liquid onto the air conditioning remote in Watashi’s apartment, causing it to break down, and the characters have to find a way to fix it. Pretty dumb, I know, but for a show set in such a ridiculous universe to begin with, it works. The story is quite a lot to take in, and you have to keep up with the rapid speaking, but overall, it felt slightly slower paced than The Tatami Galaxy. Art-wise, it looks good, though it does lack the eccentricity of Yuasa’s style, but Shingo Natsume also worked under him for a while, so I did see some shades of that uniqueness, but not to Yuasa’s scale. The facial expressions are a joy to watch still. Character-wise, it’s very nostalgic, and everyone is quite eccentric in their own ways. Ozu is still extremely funny to watch at times, and each character has their own nice comedic bits to them. Thematically, it’s a bit all over the place, and it’s nowhere near as thought-provoking as The Tatami Galaxy, and that’s not the show’s goal. It serves a light hearted side story, and it does that well enough. Simply put, if you enjoyed The Tatami Galaxy, you’ll likely enjoy this as well. If you didn’t enjoy the original, then you won’t. This show was just a fun time, and there’s not much to take away from it other than that. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners  I’m honestly not surprised Cyberpunk: Edgerunners turned out this great. If you can get past the bugs and performance issues like I did at launch, Cyberpunk 2077 has a well told, gripping and engrossing story filled with characters you love and hate with interesting stories of their own and a city that honestly felt alive because of those characters. So it ain’t shocking that that translated well into this series. It was funny, it was tense, it was god-damn emotional and it was one hell of a ride. Night City has never felt this much alive and the characters are what sold it. All with their own quirks and agendas to make the characters you want to love but also love to hate. This never felt like it wanted to cash in on the… well I can’t really say success of the game considering the backlash but the point is that it felt like it wanted to tell its own story with its own characters. It’s also very much a Trigger anime and it shows in the animation department. Character movements are exaggerated, the action is bonkers, sometimes too ridiculous and they do use the same shot multiple times in scenes. But it is a well animated show. The soundtrack is fantastic, able to get you punped and tug at your heartstings. It does very much use tracks from the game but it is used really well. You won’t be able to hear, “I Really Want to Stay at Your House”, the same again after watching this. The OP is very symbolic and I never thought I would hear a Franz Ferdinand song in an anime. The ED however, *chef’s kiss*, is utterly fantastic and is a perfect song describe Lucy and what she is feeling. Makes me reconsider what the best ED from this season was. It is a fantastic anime and don’t need to play the game to enjoy it although it does expect you to know some things for clarity sake. Honestly coming out of nowhere to be one of the best anime this year. Story: 9/10 Characters: 10/10 Animation: 8/10 Sound: 10/10 My Personal Enjoyment: 10/10 Overall Score: 9.4/10 Recommendation: Go F**king Watch It |
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Oct 23, 2022 12:48 PM
#11
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