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Sakura Hall is a pretty average show that is packaged as a Toradora spiritual successor with a warm color palette. In some ways, the series almost makes true on these claims: the characters are have pretty moving roles in the show and the stylistic choices do pay off in the long run. But it misses the mark on the fundamentals of film-making and can lead the audience to be completely uninvested in what the show trying to convey.

Namely, the show is about few things. Chasing genius, messy relationships, and a feeling of community. I think that Sakura Hall fails to deliver on any of these ... in a meaningful, consistent way. Sure, the show has some decent moments that leave the audience feeling fuzzy, but these really don't come all too often, and are in fact overshadowed by the scenes that are trying to deliver the feels that just... don't. Just to make a point, the most memorable scene in the show to me is when we first meet Akasaka -- and I only like it because it's hilarious! The series just can't deliver on the themes in needs to. It is not exactly the fault of the plot, but more of how the plot gets put into action. Which means it ends up being both a writing and character issue. And even if those were cleared up, we shouldn't pretend Sakura Hall is an aesthetic marvel. The art is mostly average and the sound is good at best.

I might be a little biased. This series took me a while to slug through, because it just wasn't holding my interest. However, it is a series that should, in theory, be very dear to my heart. I've done the whole "I wanna make a video game" thing. In college, the people in my dorm were very dear to me and being separated from them took a big toll on me. I have trouble chasing genius every day. But maybe my familiarity with this subject is the reason that I am not too fond of it. And remember, it isn't even that I hate the show, just that it is kind of boring and doesn't do a whole lot for me.


[Pros and Cons]
[+] Inspired color palette.
[+] Sound design.
[=] Voice acting.
[-] Character design, poor keyframes, often choppy animation.
[-] Fails to sell me on its points of interest.
[-] Characters do not play well together.


[Pretty Colors Does Not Mean Good Art]

One of Sakura Hall's defining visual features is the warm, soothing color palette. It works as a boon for the series, that's for sure. But art has to do more than that to be good. Sakura Hall also has several consistent, visual flaws. The character design is pretty bland. This is not really something to argue about. Misaki and Soraka are so remarkably unremarkable in their design that it's laughable. The other characters don't do a whole lot better. Characters also just often look weird. Keyframes struggle to be consistent. And, of course, the animation is just choppy and not very enticing.



[Convince Me]

None of the themes in this show seem to carry much weight to me.

For instance, one of the themes is chasing genius and working hard to achieve something great. The show doesn't actually do anything to show this process. Sure, we see Sorata make board presenting and maybe think about his game pitch, but I've never really felt the specifics of how he is improving himself or his product. Compare this to something like Haikyuu, where development is slow, intimate, and extremely impactful for the viewer.

The couples are lame. I never found myself rooting for any of the characters to be together at any point. This is a byproduct of the characters being not too good. But seriously, what are these couples?

The characters. These characters barely seem like friends at all! They just are not fun. Compare to Toradora's characters, which have their share of complicated relationships, but are at least exciting and you can see why they get along with eachother. You have Kushieda and Kitamaru who are just fun to be around all the time and have connections with the rest of the group. Sakura Hall has... Misaki? She is pretty fun. But Sorata, Nanami, Jin, and Akasaka just usually aren't too likable, just boring. For instance, I couldn't tell you the first thing about Jin and Akasaka's relationship, even though a prevailing theme in the series is a feeling of community. I actually think Mashiro has some funny moments, but these moments are often at odds with the rest of her character since she is often painted as the socially inept genius. The characters are at least distinct and have roles, but they pretty much never sell me as being romatically or even platonically compatible with each other, which is a huge issue for this type of story.

These issues are prevalent everywhere, but it could just be a 'me' thing.



[Rating]
Story: 3
Art: 6
Sound: 7
Character: 4
Enjoyment: 3
Overall: 4

It's the Endless Eight. And a little extra. It's got a reputation. Many people think that this entry in the series is just worthless. It's not. It has some things going for it. I don't even think the idea of running 8 similar episodes back-to-back is that bad, so long as it is executed properly and has a good payoff. In this particular instance, the payoff just isn't there. For the other episodes, they definitely felt less entertaining than the best episodes of the original series, though the filming process episodes pay off in spectacularly in the Mikuru Adventures episode. The characters also don't get ... a ton of love in the series, which, while not necessarily a 'strong' point to the series, is still meaningful. You get less of Kyon's eccentric monologues and less of Yuki being super sick, and that sucks. Really, Haruhi 2009 just ends up being more boring than the original series, and that's a bummer.



[Pros & Cons]
[+] Marked increase in art quality. Still never really 'exciting', but always clean and can hit certain moods.
[+] Sound design still good.
[+] The film production episodes make Mikuru Adventures of the original series just insanely funny.
[-] Characters don't get a whole lot of love.
[-] Overall, story is bland.
[-] Endless Eight does not have the payoff it needs in order to be successful.



[Endless Eight Structure]
There are warranted complaints about the Endless Eight structure. Mostly under the premise that there is no real reason to subject an audience member to that level of asinine plot structure just so that the series can achieve some level of notoriety or novelty. In this case, I agree. But that is only because there is no payoff, not because the idea itself is poor.

The idea itself is functional, and in fact maybe great. If episodes are nearly identical, our brains will ideally amplify any differences or oddities we see. This setup provides a great environment for audience members to do their own detective work and gather their own conclusions about the puzzle at hand, whatever that may be. At the end of the cycle, the path to a resolution can be revealed, and it can be very dramatic. Also, the audience gets to see how their conclusions measure up to the real thing. I think this structure has loads of potential.

So where does Haruhi go wrong? First, it is impossible to draw conclusions. Events happening are pretty much the same, there is no trial and error done by Kyon or the rest of the cast, so there is no way we can get a handle on what Haruhi is regretting. Second, the payoff is too small. In essence, the reason why Haruhi doesn't want summer to end is very touching and significant, but it doesn't come across that way in the series. If Haruhi could fix these things, I think Endless Eight could be great!



[Rating]
Story: 3
Art: 7
Sound: 7
Character: 3
Enjoyment: 3
Overall: 4

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is a unique show. It doesn't really play by the rules. Sometimes this pays off, and sometimes it doesn't. I imagine that this is the heart of why the community is so divided when it comes to this show. The show just isn't always good, but sometimes knocks it out of the park.

I'm just going to make this quick

[Pros & Cons]
[+] Kyon is great. An esoteric, monologue-heavy character that seems like a template for cult classics to come, like Tatami Galaxy and Bakemonogatari.
[+] Sound design is pretty good. Makes select moments really pop.
[+] Some truly great moments. The concert, ... Day of Sagittarius, Mikuru Adventures, and the finale stick out.
[+] Solid off-brand comedy.
[=] Art does not disappoint, usually clean. But doesn't really impress either. You can start to see shades of KyoAni's more current style being developed.
[=] Yuki, Koizumi, Haruhi.
[-] Asahina.
[-] There's just a whole bunch of stuff that doesn't quite work comedically.
[-] The first half of the series, where they explain the backstory of each of the brigade members, is pretty boring.


[Rating]
Story: 5
Art: 6
Sound: 7
Character: 6
Enjoyment: 6
Overall: 6

Alright, here it is. If we were judging based on the title of a series alone, this would be it. The competition is over. Peak degeneracy. And even in theme, this series is pretty degenerate. But that doesn't stop it from being a pretty decent show. It is a show with pretty bland characters and an average story that is really just dragged across the finish line by its presentation, and particularly its sound design. And that isn't a bad thing.

It turns out being a reasonably good watch, but it is lacking an identity. I still have trouble placing what this show tried to achieve. ... For instance, it could be an action show, but the monster art sucks and the action direction isn't good either. It could be a character development show, but most of the characters are just harem members. It could be a plot show, but nothing really gets explained. It is just easier to talk about this in segments. So let's dive in.


[Rating]
Story: 4
Art: 7
Sound: 9
Character: 3
Enjoyment: 5
Overall: 6



[Story: 4]
The premise is that this guy, Bell, wants to be with this girl and get recognized as a hero. And stuff happens. It is very simple, which is fine. Probably good, even. A lot of the time, that's just how life is. There is no need to begin with something that is only confusing, so this series starts off with a simple premise with the intention of ramping it up later. Really, the story does a decent job hitting beats and setting up important climaxes that resonate with the audience. Of course, it has its fair share of issues.

One major issue lies with Bell's character. More on that later, but his design in terms of the world is broken from episode 1, and it makes it hard for the audience to get on his side.

Another major issue is the constant promise of depth in the story, without it having come to fruition. There are many characters and world mechanics that are just big question marks. What is the connection between the gods and the adventurers? Why are they sent down from heaven? Why does the dungeon exist? Why is Bell significant to this? None of these questions get answered or even explored in the run of the series. Yes, it is the first season, but this is not how you build an engaging plot.



[Art: 7]
I have a difficult time evaluating the art. Most of the time, the character art looks pretty good! The design could use some work, but the character animation is livelier than most. The background work ranges from good to average. The direction is mostly standard but it looks good.

However, a big hurdle for the series is the action. The monster art sucks, and pretty consistently. This is a big pain for the show. Sure it isn't Log Horizon bad... but it is pretty bad. Sometimes the monsters are CGI, and they look awful, and sometimes the monsters are just drawn poorly and not well-realized. The prime example is the silverback. Beyond this, the directing seems to have a hard time actually showing the action and instead relies on quick cuts and effects to engage the viewer. This drags the action down. Sometimes the action can get by on its level of spectacle alone, but this generally is not well-animated and cannot even hope to reach the level of something like Gurren Lagann, the ultimate spectacle action piece.



[Sound: 9]
The sound design is the shining star of this series, and its not close. It feels like most of the series is scored moment-by-moment, which, while I do not expect is the case, is a magnificent feat. The is music playing very often, and it always seems to fit with the mood of the series and drastically improve the watch quality. The sound has interesting effects for objects and movements that are usually forgotten, which adds an extra layer of immersion to the production. Small pitfalls are the voice acting, which is only fine, and maybe the bass on some of the boomy sound effects. Still on the fence about that.

But, really. Without the sound, I think this series goes nowhere. Just having the proper sound actually improves the narrative itself. The saving grace --
and really the spiritual essence -- of the series itself.



[Character: 3]
Most of the characters are throwaways, are unexplained, or just disappoint. Let's just get into it.

Bell. A hero/leader character. That's all fine. I've seen plenty of these types of characters that I like. But Bell is average at best. Let's see how it all stacks up. Bell's tragic backstory is that his family died and he is too weak to join a familia and be with the girl he has a crush on. I'm fine with backgrounds like this. Look at someone like Deku from HeroAca. While not really one of my favorite characters, his backstory is pretty similar and he is at least a character I can resonate with. Where does it all go wrong for Bell? He is sad because nobody wants him and nobody is there for him, because he is weak. But at the same time, literally EVERY WOMAN IN THE ENTIRE SERIES, THE ENTIRE WORLD, WANTS TO HAVE HIS BABIES. Right from the start, too. Before he even unlocks his true chick magnet potential. Sorry, but this is such a strong inconsistency. It creates the huge divide in what the backstory tells us Bell is and what Bell actually is. And do to this arrangement, we have a hard time connecting with Bell as he improves or slays big baddies, because it doesn't mean as much.

Then there are the role players. Most of these characters are throwaways. Some of them get decent development and are sort of interesting... but mostly not.

Then there are the mobs. This happens often in anime, where the mobs have a drastically over-the-top sense of morality. For instance, the mean enemy adventurers in this series. Their portrayal is so simple, brutish, and unfeeling that is completely pushes the audience away from trying to understand this group as characters. That just isn't how people are in the world. Same with the droves of women trying to get with Bell. That just isn't how people are, and to misunderstand that is big blunder.



[Enjoyment: 5]
This is a very, very easy watch. Sure, there is a lot of stuff going on that isn't too memorable or interesting. But there are plenty of exciting, triumphant moments, too. The slow points are bearable. Most of this, maybe all of this, is due to the sound design and OST work. It can't be understated. Realistically, the action sequences are rarely strong enough to support an action series, the characters and rarely strong enough to support a drama series, and the plot is too undiscovered to support an adventure/thriller series. But good sound work can do so much to subvert these issues.


[Overall: 6]

It's no secret that KonoSuba, before all else, is a crowd favorite. I think there are few, if any, that will say KonoSuba is a masterpiece or a triumph of anime. But many are quick to name it as an example of successful comedy in the modern era. Going in, I expected something creative and fun, with a tight script and deeply comedic characters. KonoSuba is not that. It does not do a whole lot new and fresh with comedy. It is not 'smart' humor, but instead 'trashy' humor. And I mean that in the kindest way possible, but it certainly keeps me from building ... a full appreciation for the show. I just don't find it that funny. It doesn't keep me guessing. It is predictable. Some praise this show as a parody of the isekai adventure genre, and while that may be true, KonoSuba does too good a job of spoiling its own jokes for it to be received as anything but dumb humor. Not that there is anything wrong with that.



[Rating]
Story: 5
Art: 6
Sound: 5
Character: 4
Enjoyment: 5
Overall: 5



[Story: 5]
For comedy shows, rating the story is different. The show is just a hodgepodge of RPG-related events happening. In a drama, that is usually a poor formula because it lacks tension. But in a comedy, the story should be judged on how it works as a vehicle for comedy. And in that sense, the value of the story is intrinsically linked to the value of the comedy being presented. Often enough, episodic adventures work just fine. In this case, the comedy is mostly character-based. But so much of it is just based on the tropes that the characters embody. The tropes are really only surface deep, so there is certainly not a lot of comedic depth to enjoy here. Any situation that allows these tropes to be 'activated', which is really any situation with a powerful enemy, is enough to reach this show's desired level of humor. And that's what the plot of the show does. Pits the main cast against random enemies or conundrums and lets the characters' tropes fly. Which is, like, totally alright. But really just average.



[Art: 6]
KonoSuba is at its best when it has warped faces, ragdoll physics, and floppy bags of flesh. While the series sometimes achieves this, it also manages to blur the line between what is visual comedy and just a failure to execute. Forms are flubbed often and things can often look jagged and strange when they have no reason being that way. As a point of comparison, you can see visual changes in physics and forms work brilliantly in a series like One Punch Man. In that series, this technique is unquestionable effective, mostly due to the artistic execution and the deliberate nature of the transformations. KonoSuba lacks this sort of execution line most of the time. Beyond this, is like... pretty good usually.



[Sound: 6]
As a non-fan of KonoSuba, I imagine that many people find this series so enjoyable because of the absurd sound and voice acting. This is really dialed up to 11. Deliveries are brimming with energy and there is a ton of random sound effects that the characters make. I sometimes find this funny. I sometimes find this annoying. But I can understand why some people could have this as their favorite part of the show. Beyond the voice acting, the sound design and OST work is just standard.



[Character: 4]
The characters are really just tropes. This alone does not make them effective parody tools. Hell, just coming off of Chunibyo (and liking it quite a bit), I found Megumin's character to be a little insulting. Each of the characters can be summarized in one sentence. The humor that the each offer has very little diversity. But, they each are effective at a decent amount of the time.



[Enjoyment: 5]
Sometimes funny, sometimes not. Mostly because there is so little variation in comedy. Is there a fight happening? You can be certain that Darkness will get turned on at the thought of it. You can be certain that Megumin will use explosion magic and fall over right after. Sure, sometimes the situation changes, however barely, but the crux of the comedy remains, and just gets dull. For instance, when Darkness was first introduced, I thought she was pretty great. But you get numb to her trope almost immediately.


[Overall: 5]
That's all, folks!

I did not finish this show, but I can't imagine much changes as it moves forward.

Assassination Classroom is a series that tries to do a whole lot. If a series like this wishes to have a strong connection with its audience, it must succeed at most of what it does, because any individual thing that it succeeds in happens so sparsely that it cannot carry the rest of the series alone. AssClass just sort of drops the ball on execution. While the series has solid presentation and is generally funny, it is also clogged up with junk that doesn't mean a whole lot to the ... audience.

[Story]
The basic premise itself is great! This alien guy blows up the moon, and threatens to blow up the earth in one year's time. He is so fast that he can't be killed, but makes a deal with the government to work as a teacher for a certain class so that he can be supervised and a secret to society. This class is a group of misfit toys, the bottom of the barrel in their school. But Korosensei (the alien) happens to be a great teacher who strives to really help the kids succeed. Both in academics, and in trying to kill him. There are many themes available to touch on, and the show does take advantage of this. There is...

- The action of the assassination attempts.
- Learning background and helping individual members of the class.
- The class' role and adversity as a section of the whole school.
- The backstory of Korosensei.
- The humor of the characters and situation at large.

However, these mostly start to fall flat. For instance, the assassination attempts lack agency because there is never any consequence. Korosensei is both invincible and does not enforce consequences on his attackers. The individual characters are very flat, not much beyond pure tropes. A large component of the series is just doing character studies where Korosensei helps the students be more comfortable with themselves, but the characters are weak enough that the audience does not really care. The school has a morbid, inaccurate portrayal of morality in a class-based-system, which makes the adversity of class 3E feel totally fabricated. Korosensei's backstory seems compelling but is really only teased at. The humor in the show is decent, but at the same time it is mostly the same gag -- Korosensei is fast and can do random things in the blink of an eye.

So really, though a bunch is happening, it devolved into something like a student/assassin-of-the-week show, with no end, growth, or substance in sight. Many things could be done to fix this, and it isn't to the point where I believe AssClass S2 couldn't be saved, but it isn't worth continuing for me.



[Art & Sound]
The presentation in the series is good and hardly ever flubs. It has an interesting style of drawing characters, where their outlines make them seem like stickers... but in a good way. There is really nothing bad to say about the art, but I guess there is nothing amazing about it either. Sound design is standard but good.



[Character]
Korosensei is the lead, and really the only character. He is entertaining, and potentially has a compelling backstory that will be revealed in an organic way. That's great. But every other character so far is just straight out of Tropesville and very bland. Just look at the 'main character', Nagisa. I've never seen so much of a blatant self-insert. This character literally does nothing. Beyond that, Nagisa's look is neither typical male nor typical female, allowing her to work as a surrogate for a wider fraction of the potential audience. Come on, why do you need this in the show. This is just one character, but is really an example for what the show tries to do. It just shotguns these weak woe-is-me characters at the audience, and hopes that a few of them can stick the landing. Do better, anime.


[Enjoyment]
The series is generally funny, by virtue of Korosensei and him alone. But this is sort of offset by the rest of the junk going on that isn't really possible for the audience to connect with.


[Rating]
Story: 3
Art: 8
Sound: 7
Character: 2
Enjoyment: 5
Overall: 5

In a world of shitty isekai's, there's gotta be one that's actually good, right? Log Horizon is... not quite that.

Log Horizon is a series that, while not that good, does have a few things going for it. Notably, the strength of the narrative and its use of MMORPG mechanics as plot devices. However, these advantages are smeared by a mess of poor presentation and stiff characters. I can see why somebody could be captivated by a show like this, but so many elements hold it back from being anything beyond but just-another-isekai.



[Rating]
Story: 8
Art: 3
Sound: 4
... Character: 3
Enjoyment: 5
Overall: 4


[Story: 8]
The story is, without a doubt, really well constructed. That is, until the final arc. But let's list what is great about the story at the start!

- Shifts in the plot don't feel random due to proper foreshadowing.
- Offers perspective on both high-level and low-level players
- Uses MMORPG elements properly as plot devices.
- Keeps audience informed about the rules of the world.
- Great understanding of political and economic response to social change.
- Has a pretty good sense of agency and pace.
- Gives opportunity for growth to many characters in a way that feels natural (though the characters are too weak to support it)

... and more. I would nearly give the plot a 10... before we get to the last chunk of episodes. Coming in, we finish a nice battle arc but don't really settle the 'final boss', which the audience definitely expects. Instead, we go into this strange romance arc which is incredibly boring because THE COUPLES SUCK and also this strange scheme-discovery arc which is also weird because all it really does is set up the next season. This really makes the last 7 or so episodes lack any real sort of interest when it makes the most sense to just finish off the action and set up these events better.



[Art: 3]
The art is not good. Generally, things look alright, but the line art and character portraits are really iffy most of the time. Character design ranges from average to poor, the only good one appears in the last episode. It also feels like the characters simply lack proper shading. Art of the various monsters is awful. Really lacking in the action department.

I'm taking a full point off for the egregious use of the glasses-adjust visual device. Happens so often. It is beyond stupid. Whoever thought this was a good idea should never be allowed to work in the industry again. Seriously, what are you doing?



[Sound: 4]
Voice acting is pretty stiff. Individual tracks and simple and do the job, but definitely repetitive. Otherwise, the sound design is fine.



[Character: 3]
Yeah I mean, these characters really don't have much going on. Shiroe and Minori have some moments going for them, but beyond that, the rest are just throwaways.

The series is particularly maligned by its inability to properly construct a romance, which it tries to do. Get Akatsuki out of the show. She literally did nothing after episode 5 in this series. She has no romance potential at all. What are you doing?



[Enjoyment: 5]
I finished it! The story keeps you engaged without the continuous use of cliffhangers, which is a testament to the strength of the narrative with all the other problems that exist in the series.



[Overall: 4]
Nothing left to say. Despite the strength of the narrative, I consider this to be a close-to-average show. That being said, those interesting in storytelling can learn a great deal from this series. But there is too much holding it back from being actually good.

Wow, what a surprise! I had very low expectations coming into this show, but those turned around as quickly as episode one. The promo art (yes, that's really all I knew about the show) sold it to me as some dime-a-dozen powers action show, but that's not really what the show is about... or is it?

Chunibyo is a show that strongly attaches itself to a very specific feeling -- that dumb alternate reality that you made up when you were in 8th grade, and the infernal cringing that you feel when you think about it now. This is such a familiar and relatable theme, especially ... to the otaku community. That means, from the get-go, this show is set up to succeed.

Of course, any premise needs the proper execution to be good. How does Chunibyo do? Well, when your premise is backed by KyoAni... you are in good hands. The visuals are high-quality and are, on their own, enough to capture the audience's attention. But we've gotta talk about the story. Critics will be quick to point out that Chunibyo undergoes a huge tone shift halfway through the series, turning quickly from a pure comedy to a light drama. I think both parts are handled well, but the characters aren't developed enough to hold up dramatically. By the end, this issue resolves nicely, and the first half is strong because the characters are more acclimated to hold comedic roles. I think that the story is actually very good, and the tone shift, though sudden, helps the series as a whole and creates a memorable commentary on the themes and characters.



[Rating]
Story: 9
Art: 8
Sound: 6
Character: 6
Enjoyment: 8
Overall: 8



[Story: 9]

The story is mostly a study on a specific frame of mind: chunibyo. That time when ninjas are still real, everyone else is a loser, and most people thought you were strange but you were too unaware to realize it. This is a time, I imagine, that is poignant for most of the anime-watching community. The plot of the series plays with it in a few ways.

In the first act of the series, it is a mechanism for comedy. Beyond the funny 'world-building', the show throws twists by giving certain characters different connections to their chunibyo and creates some humorous interplay between them. Right away you have Yuuta being associated with Rikka despite his attempt to escape the chunibyo lifestyle. And you also Nibutani being outed as a former chunibyo and creating a sweet dynamic with Yuuta and Dekomori. The story succeeds the best when chunibyo isn't just being used for the sake of laughs, but when it slots into the setting as a device, like when Rikka makes a ludicrous display for the drama department. Sometimes it is annoying, but often it is really, really funny.

Suddenly, the humor starts to die off a bit. You enter this romance/drama phase, which is good in theory, but the characters aren't really built for it. Yuuta, Nebutani, Dekomori, Isshiki, and Kumin don't really have enough going on to support this type of arc, so it's kind of a bummer. Not bad, but not nearly as entertaining as the comedy. That is, until the final episode.

The final episode just puts on a band-aid and makes everything better. In the second act, most of the themes revolve around how chunibyo is an escape from reality and that, to be living in a way that is compatible with the real world, you have to leave it behind at some point, the sooner the better. In reality, chunibyo has no purpose - it doesn't do anything. It's sort of melancholy and doesn't seem to address the fact that Rikka's chunibyo is really her entire character and it is both sad and confusing to see her go like that. The series turns this on its head by saying that everybody has their own chunibyo, a distorted sense of reality, even if it doesn't involve ninjas and magic. To call one reality more real than another is not untrue, but at least disingenuous. It is like saying that love isn't real, so there is no reason to bother with it. Realistically, it is just as real as chunibyo is. Furthermore, Yuuta learns that not only is chunibyo omnipresent, it has power. Chunibyo can actually do things for people, as his past as the Dark Flame Master gets rehashed beautifully so that he comes to a greater understanding of both Rikka and himself. Really, the final episode ties the series together nicely. So much so that I barely consider the off-beat drama episodes to be much of a detriment at all.

As a whole, I consider Chunibyo's plot structure to be only OK if judging it by classical standards. But Chunibyo does something different, and excels at it. Chunibyo doesn't build drama with sad moments in an arc you would expect. It confuses the audience and makes them feel like they are missing something... and they are. When it is revealed, it just makes sense. Audiences can reflect on the scenes which previously left them scratching their head, but now with a complete understanding. Chunibyo's story flouts the traditional tenets of storytelling, where action or drama mounts slowly and steadily, but it does so to great effect. Other series (like Your lie in April) try to accomplish something like this and show that it can be difficult to pull off. Feel free to ask me why I think Your lie in April's similar concluding plot device is much less impactful.



[Art: 8]
It's KyoAni. They have set the bar for what is considered passable art these days. Everything looks pretty good. Some character designs could use some work (Dekomore, and did Nibutani really need that dumb hair clip?). But the linework is crisp and the animation is smooth. The color palette is usually good but sometimes can be a little much. Has better action than most action shows. Hell, even the comedy, with its punchy cringe moments and sharp cuts, feels more actiony than most action shows. For anime, its a pretty unique take on visual comedy, which I love.



[Sound: 6]
Voice acting can be a little harsh and, while the individual OST tracks are fine, sometimes they can be terribly misplaced. During a somewhat melancholy scene, you'll have the fun, bouncy track playing. But the music can nail a moment and the voice acting is often more good than bad.



[Character: 6]
Tough category. The characters are, in general, comedically sound. They have enough spirit to make things interesting, even if a lot of it is just Rikka's chunibyo or Nibutani and Dekomori duking it out. Where the characters falter is in the drama scenes. By the time they start showing up, none of the characters are really built for it. The MCs even aren't too built for it.

Also, neither Kumin nor Isshiki really at all during the series. I really would have loved to see more developed or at least stylistic characters out of most of the cast. Something like the main crew from Toradora would have been a dream.



[Enjoyment: 8]
I generally really liked this show! The comedy isn't always funny, but when it's on it is tough to ignore. I've talked about the drama and the plot a lot... drama scenes don't always hit the mark, but by the final episode, looking back just gives you this unique, elated feeling.


[Overall: 8]
Maybe this is a little high but I admire what this show does differently. Unique storytelling, a relatable premise, and solid presentation take this show a long way, despite having a generally weak cast.

Revolutionary Girl Utena. I like this show, it's a good show. There's a lot to talk about when it comes to Utena, and a lot of people do indeed talk about it. There are countless analyses online about the allegory involved and how important that is to the series, and I can't really disagree with that. It is filled to the brim with themes of sexuality, abusive relationships, the loss of innocence, the gender divide, the meaning behind nobility, and so much more. However, there is much more that goes into getting the proper valuation of Utena. We still need to consider how it performs ... as a work of film, not as a work of ideas. I am of the opinion that Utena generally does a pretty great job. There are many weaknesses and question marks that go into Utena's production, but there are also so many bright spots. The good tends to outweigh the bad. But that doesn't mean Utena gets off scot-free.

Weaknesses of Utena include the repetitive, uninteresting plot structure, a few throw-in episodes that just do not congeal with the rest of the series, and a few lost characters. Strengths include various aspects of the presentation and mostly strong character development.

Something worth talking about is how Utena uses recycle clips and segments very often, at least a couple times an episode. How does this impact the series? For anyone who watches anime, this is not a foreign concept -- nearly every show has an OP and ED which, while we have accepted into requirements of modern anime, have the same function of 'setting the stage' for what's to come. So my analysis is that recycle clips and segments are good only if what comes next/during is worth signaling and creating an association with. In the case of Utena, we have a lot. There's the Kashira girls, the duel sequence, the Mikage elevator sequence, the student council elevator sequence, the End of the World sequence... It doesn't end! And there is little variation: each little segment is played out to its entirety each time. Firstly, I would love to see some variety in how long each segment is played out, something like how Kill la Kill handles its transformation sequences. Secondly, some of these segments are just... misplaced. The End of the World clips don't really signal anything happening except to close the segment. The duel clips are epic and cool but often don't signal the right type of environment, more on that later. The Kashira girls are usually fun but don't necessarily signal anything that the duel clips don't. So I think these are used both well and poorly in Utena, but I thought it worth talking about because recycled clips are taken to such an extreme level in this show.



[Rating]
Story: 6
Art: 8
Sound: 7
Character: 8
Enjoyment: 8
Overall: 8



[Story: 6]

The plot functions as a series of studies of the show's characters and all the emotional baggage that comes with them. In theory, this story does an excellent job serving that goal, but it just can't match up in reality. There are frankly too many duels. At a certain point, some of them begin to lose their meaning. I would say that this is also due to some character development that is not the cleanest, but that in itself is also due to the hurried pacing of the show. This is only exacerbated by the fact that the outcome of the duels are extremely predictable and offer no point of tension for the audience. Sure, the duels are mostly there to create an appropriate environment to exploore the characters. But with the ever-looming promise of the power to grant revolution and the End of the World, the audience has some expectation that these fights could serve as important plot points, which happen too infrequently.

Next, we've got the Black Rose arc. I actually like this arc... but it doesn't really do anything for the story, and I would normally consider the story to be a pretty driving force in a series like this. We learn more about the characters and their admirers, but at the same time these revelations completely disappear after the duels, and the structure of the Black Rose sort of fades out after its arc has come to an end. It feels like a large disconnect that exists solely to show another 'revolution' of the cycle. I think that showing this is important, but there are more elegant ways to do so. It just creates a divide in the series that is completely uncapitalized on.

The meat and potatoes of the story -- being Utena's journey and the development of her relationship with herself, Himemiya, the council members, and Akio is great -- but we just aren't treated to this as consistently and effectively as we should be.



[Art: 8]

Now, with stuff by Miyazaki and Makoto Shinkai floating around, it is certainly not easy to review this type of art so favorably, but I think that Utena does enough to deserve it. As far as low-budget anime series goes, the presentation really is quite strong. With a little remastering, it could go a long, long way.

Utena has this sort of effortless, virtuoso-level character design that allows for any shot to be visually enchanting. Seriously. Something about the hair, uniforms, and body proportions of the main characters radiates a 'Golden Ratio' level of intrinsic beauty and, as long as the linework is on point, that sets the baseline for the series very high on its own. I've never wanted to be so tall and slender in my life.

We've also got the directing. It's awesome! There are a handful of little directing tricks that Utena uses that smooth out the whole presentation and make every shot interesting and never boring. Consider Chu. Yes, Chu. Watch how Chu behaves during the would-be-boring dialogue scenes. He not only entertains the audience but emits a sense of space and movement that is congruent to the conversation at hand. It is great to watch. Utena herself does something similar. In a scene without much movement, you often find Utena exercising and stretching. This is both consistent with her character, but also livens up the frame and keeps the audience engaged. And the series has other solutions when Chu and Utena aren't around, like the strange objects constantly present at the student council meetings. Beyond this little motion tricks, most of the success in direction can just be chalked up to solid shot composition and cuts. But the directing overall is solid and interesting. Take notes.

Something also worth noting is how the series handles intimacy from a visual standpoint. More than most anime, Utena has a real sense of touch. When the characters interact and express desire towards each other, there is a strong sense of physicality, closeness, power, and motion involved in illustrating the characters. It pays off, a lot. The characters seem very mature and sexually charged because of it, which plays into the series' central themes.

Not all is great for Utena's art. Sometimes the linework is shabby, and the forms are often flubbed. But generally, the visuals are quality.



[Sound: 7]

Man, I feel like I'm hardly ever able to offer a unique perspective on sound. Something I need to work on. The voice acting is good. The score is good, though its a little lo-fi (like all sound quality in those days, not a big deal) and select songs are pretty repetitive. The unique songs for every duel and the in their own interesting style is a welcome stylistic choice and it is well-performed. It has a sound-font that signals the duels but doesn't get repetitive since they aren't actually the same songs.



[Character: 8]

Characters vary. The main characters, Utena and Himemiya, are pretty good. Utena is just such a valiant, justice-driving force, more than really any other protagonists of recent memory. Himemiya does a great job of selling her alignments of indifference and complicity, though this depth stays under wraps for some time. Special mention to the unraveling of Utena's psyche -- that one scene where she worries about what to eat the next day is absolutely haunting.

The supporting cast is where stuff gets a little foggy. In some shows, the supporting cast doesn't matter too much, but Utena is really a series of studies on the damaged-goods side characters. It matters. Some characters are just a slam dunk, while others fail to make a huge impact. Juri is easily the best character of the bunch, probably because the trauma she provides is the most digestible and relatable. She belongs in the top echelon of supporting characters for all of anime. Beyond her backstory, she also has
among the set of characters, providing another outlet of a strong female character (evidenced by when Utena affectionately calls her senpai). Touga is also pretty good, but less so because of his backstory (though his night on the tower with Utena is touching) but because of his role as a power figure in the story. Miki and Saionji are both... fine. But they just don't get the gorgeous development that Juri does. Nanami is annoying, but that is sort of intended. Also the "Nanami Episodes", which don't really fit in with the rest of the series, gives the audience a distaste for her very presence early on. Though her duel episodes are par for the course. Akio is great. And by great I mean I hate him, but for all the right reasons.

Then there are the forgotten characters. It seems like a weird critique, but remember that these characters are heavily involved with the cast due to the Black Rose arc. I'd like to be able to better understand characters like Shiori, Keiko, and Kozue, but they still aren't bad. The real shame here is Mikage. I cannot understand why Mikage was so promptly evicted from the roster after his role was filled. It just doesn't make sense to me. He is such a unique and fresh interpretation of a deluded genius that is sort of heartbreaking to see. The same goes for Wakaba. I was drawn to Wakaba from the first episode: seeing her embrace Utena and be so torn up by having her love letter posted was awesome. But, beyond her onion prince saga, which was certainly good, it sort of ends there.



[Enjoyment: 8]

Utena is a pretty good time, but it varies greatly by episode. For instance, any of the Juri episodes are great, as with anything developing Utena's relationship with Akio. Nanami's episodes suck and various duels feel uninspired and somewhat pointless. The action could often use some work and isn't too exciting, which is a bummer. Segments like End of the World and the Kashira girls can get irritating. That being said, there are many character moments like those of Utena, Himemiya, Juri, and Mikage that simply make you feel due to their depictions of both intimacy and heartbreak.



[Overall: 8]

Metaphor aside, Utena is still a damn good piece of film. It has tons of flaws, but in light of all the positives, you'd do your best to see it to the end. I can't agree with the idea that themes can make an anime a masterpiece, but sometimes you get the best of both worlds. Utena does a great job trying. Check it out -- I think we could all use a little meditation on the eternal, that which shines, and miracles around us.

Revolutionary Girl Utena: Adolescence Apocalypse. After what I can imagine was a great critical/commercial success of the original series (which I can say is rather well-deserved), the board thought it a good idea to create a movie that's... kind of a retelling, kind of an alternate universe... whatever. Cool! In theory. This Utena:AA deals with the same sort of spiritual themes as its predecessor, and maybe even does it in a more digestible way. I can see how others reviewers would give it a lot of mileage for its use of themes, symbolism, and generally good art and music. I tend to agree that these ... points are generally more good than bad, but there is a serious flaw with Utena:AA. It's just so god damn busy. Everything about this series is vying for attention at all points. It is a movie that completely fails to engage the audience because it lacks variation in tone. It is just exhausting to watch. Furthermore, while the memorable characters of the original series make an appearance, they fail to leave any impact besides an easter egg or two. While it visually and sonically sound, though even still cluttered, problems with pacing and characters really prevent Utena:AA from reaching the heights of its mother series.



[Rating]
Story: 2
Art: 8
Sound: 8
Character: 3
Enjoyment: 3
Overall: 4



[Story: 2]

The story is shit. In the original Utena, the story had problems of its own right, but at least it served as a proper vehicle for character development and expanded on profound themes in most episodes. Utena:AA throws this structure out the window and goes for something of an absurdist action/thriller. The problem lies in that the audience has no time or reason to build interest.

What does an audience member hope for or expect coming into the middle of this movie? None of the characters are particularly interesting anymore. Anything that these characters have done to give value to the story is in the original series, and even this is somewhat lost on the viewer since Utena:AA is set in some sort of an alternate reality. The plot has no direction of its own, as evidenced by the absurd, far-too-long car scene, and thus has little interest for the audience. There's just nothing going on here.

The movie also shows that it's got huge pacing issues. Both the Nanami scene and the car chase scene both last absurdly long and offer nothing to the viewer. They are neither insightful or exciting, humorous or entertaining. I point to these scenes as an example of the lack of vision and planning present in the movie, but this pacing issue persists the whole way through.



[Art: 8]

The art is pretty good! A little less Kingdom Hearts, a little more Monogatari. Backgrounds often highlight repeating forms or patterns and obscure colors in shadows or brights. The technicalities and polish are definitely a few steps above the original series, which is exactly what you would expect. But this doesn't really solve all the issues.

The art of Utena:AA is still super busy. Busy art is fine, but it can be difficult to direct around and I would say that art which is constantly busy only hurts it. In fact, I think that the Utena the original series still has better art than Utena:AA. Despite its improvements in general animation quality and smoothness, Utena:AA fails to pick up on its predecessor's fantastic directing or effortlessly virtuouso-level character design and shot composition. These elements are the more important, though less spoken of. Regardless, Utena:AA looks good and has a distinct animation style with enough polish to be worthy of praise.



[Sound: 8]

The sound is good. It is also busy. Not much to talk about here. It is nice to hear a rehash or two of some of my favorite Utena tunes. Classic cool 80s synth tracks. Voice acting is good. Sound design and effects are good.



[Character: 3]

Yeah... pretty bad. I generally like the characters in Utena, but in Utena:AA they were mostly gutted of substance. Miki, Juri, Saonji, Himemiya, and even Utena take a pretty steep hit: there isn't much personality or much done to develop their characters outside the broad events of the plot. Touga is neat in this, especially his little easter egg as the forgotten hero. I haven't put much thought into the significance of the that being Touga, but it feels touching given its reference in the original series.



[Enjoyment: 3]

Busy, busy. I pretty much felt assaulted by this movie. There is such a thing as too much. Some would say that, for the sake of allegory, it's worth it. But when making these sorts of statements, you have to consider whether it is right for the medium. Anime, sure, is more welcoming to this than most, but if all you want to do is present allegory and completely flout the tenets of film-making and crafting a solid audience experience, then maybe you should skip the allegory and make it a book instead.



[Overall: 4]

It looks good, it sounds good, but... it isn't good. This film doesn't really provide a ton of value outside its presentation and maybe some profound themes, but these aren't very accessible to the viewer and certainly are not worth the cost of such a poor execution of writing, pacing, and filmmaking.