I've been meaning to review this one for such a long time already, but Azumanga Daioh is probably my favorite anime on the entire planet. There is no other series that has warmed my heart quite like this one, despite it barely having a plot to call home with. What it does succeed with the most is having some amazing characters that will stay with you until the end. The oddball sense of humor sprinkled in throughout the anime is extremely whimsical and it can be down right funny if you're into the humor that this anime provides. Some of the jokes might not even
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make you laugh all that much if your sense of humor isn't too down to earth. For some anime fans this series is just nothing more than just slow paced nonsense with no story at all. But what's here is worth spending time with for the 26 episodes that are provided for you to enjoy.
Azumanga Daioh's main cast of characters are fantastic because they all display so many fun personalities in one go. Chiyo is our main protagonist throughout most of the time. A ten year old child prodigy who's practically terrified of everything that she sees and is usually seen as the scapegoat from the bigger high school students. Osaka is the slow patient type who doesn't take everything seriously and just goes with the flow in life. Sakaki is the quiet type who seems a bit rough on the inside at first, but once you get to know her love for cats, she begins to open really open up more as a character. Tomo is the abrasive type to rush into any situation that she sees, also a massive loud mouth who's not afraid to get into any trouble. Yomi is probably the most serious out of the entire group, as she's always worried about maintaining her weight at all times and trying to keep up being the smartest one in the group. Kagura joins up with the main group a little bit later into the anime, she's also the super athletic type who wants to prove herself with how good she is at the sports she is committed to. The six main high school girls all have a lot to show throughout the anime. Plus, the teachers like Yukari and Nyamo are constantly butting heads at each other for no reason whatsoever other than to prove a point that one can give a better lesson to their students. Then, there's Mr. Kimura being the token weirdo and one of the few male characters found within the story. Let's just say, he's got a lot on his mind.
If you've seen plenty of slice of life anime's at this point in time. Then you absolutely know what to expect. The characters might not be the most original you'll ever see, but they definitely know how to display themselves.
Azumanga Daioh's short story presentation seems like a terrible idea to put into anime form, but it honestly gets the job done to set a humorous impression that'll have you laughing from time to time. Some of these gags don't even last more than a few minutes at best and then the show moves on to another joke right away to keep the viewers interested, despite the fact the anime is meant to be taken at a very slow pace, since it is a slice of life after all. Experiences like seeing the group take a vacation to beach house and then having Tomo lose the keys intentionally to make their lives harder. Having an uncurbable case of the hiccups, wondering about how Chiyo's pigtails can defy gravity or how Sakaki can get the attention of a cat who despises you so much. The short stories in Azumanga Daioh are all intentionally done in a genius way that really leave the viewer in a happy state. These segments are all a part of the funny and nonsensical experiences that come with the anime loveable charm.
Azumanga Daioh's anime adaptation is now two decades old at this point in time, the art style and animation have aged a lot since 2002. But I think the simple visuals get the job done for the aesthetic that the anime is really going for. The simple watercolor styled art backgrounds and basic high school setting visuals aren't much to write home about, but they are a very nice part of the background. Japan is visualized very well in the show and it captures the spirt of the culture very well. The music provided in the anime is all very relaxing. Traditional instruments like flutes and guitars are all melded into the OST, which sets the simple mood that the anime is going for. The intro theme is a happy high energy showcase that gives a sample on what you can expect to happen throughout the anime, while the ending theme is a quiet but calming piece that's makes you reflect on what you saw during that episode.
I have a huge soft spot for the English dub, I gotta say the voice acting provided for the characters really hits the nail on the mark. Chiyo's childish personality, Tomo's energetic pace, Sakaki's quiet tone, Kagura's competitive demeanor or Yomi's cool but collective nature are all on display perfectly in the English dub. With the most notable being Osaka's southern accent, it is hands down the most hilarious thing I've ever heard and I gotta say it really suits her character extremely well. I know the argument for sub vs dub is still being fought to this day with so many different anime's But I think Azumanga Daioh's English dub is extremely underrated to no end.
Azumanga Daioh is an anime I highly suggest you check out if you wanna see a slice of life series that really hits home in the best way possible. It is hands down my favorite anime series of all time. Sometimes, an anime doesn't have to provide a lot of story or a massive journey to get its message across at full force. Sometimes, it is all about the moment that you are currently in and Azumanga Daioh does that perfectly. Definitely consider sitting down with this series.
Feb 28, 2022
Azumanga Daiou The Animation
(Anime)
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I've been meaning to review this one for such a long time already, but Azumanga Daioh is probably my favorite anime on the entire planet. There is no other series that has warmed my heart quite like this one, despite it barely having a plot to call home with. What it does succeed with the most is having some amazing characters that will stay with you until the end. The oddball sense of humor sprinkled in throughout the anime is extremely whimsical and it can be down right funny if you're into the humor that this anime provides. Some of the jokes might not even
...
Nov 28, 2020
JoJo no Kimyou na Bouken (TV)
(Anime)
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Jojo's Bizarre Adventure is a fan favorite as a manga series, to think that it took about 25 years for the original series to finally get a full blown anime adaption outside of minimal OVAs. but Jojo got the treatment it finally deserved as an anime. I never truly knew much about Phantom Blood or Battle Tendency at first. But, finally sitting down to watch the first two part's of the Jojo saga was an absolutely wild ride that I'm glad I got to take.
This era of Jojo takes place during two arcs. Phantom Blood takes place in the 1800's and Battle Tendency takes ... Apr 26, 2020
Death Note
(Anime)
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Death Note was an anime I originally only watched bits and pieces of on Adult Swim back when the anime was brand new in North America. I honestly had no idea what I was seeing but the clips I did see were really engaging despite knowing not too much about it. Finally, I sat down to watch Death Note in its entirety and I can fully say I am not disappointed at all. There has never been an anime I've seen with this much class, care and story put into it.
The story is all about a teenager named Light Yagami who stumbles upon ... Aug 3, 2019
Dragon Ball Z
(Anime)
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I don't believe there is much that needs to be said that hasn't been said before about Dragon Ball Z at this point in time. By far, the most popular anime on the planet and one that has stood the test of time. While some aspects of the original anime have aged really poorly, some features remain just as timeless as ever before. This review is mostly going to focus on the prespective of the Funimation dub. The Japanese voice cast is not my cup of tea at all and the Ocean dub never existed to me outside of that "It's Over 9000!!!" Meme that
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Jul 30, 2019
Street Fighter II Movie
(Anime)
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Street Fighter II set the bar for not only future fighting games, but also future anime movies. Loosely based off the video game series, this short but sweet action film follows from the perspective of Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li and Guile most of the time. Lots of different things are told throughout the movie, such as the scene where Ryu gave Sagat his scar throughout the beginning of the Street Fighter series. Chun-Li is also following the traces of M.Bison's organization known as Shadowlaw (Shadowloo in the video games). Lots of things during this film happen and you don't really have to pay attention. Remember, you're
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Dec 23, 2018
Hajime no Ippo
(Anime)
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Let me start off by saying the major reason I became a fan of Hajime no Ippo was because of a Playstation2 game called "Victorious Boxers: Ippo's Road to Glory", little did I honestly know that feint discovery I made back in 2005 would legitimately evolve into something much more than I could ever imagine. Hajime no Ippo is an anime that is truly all about rising to the top. It's about becoming a stronger person than you could ever be and you won't stop til you reach that goal.
The plot for Hajime no Ipoo is all about underdog Ippo Makunouchi. He is a ... Jul 23, 2017
Hokuto no Ken
(Anime)
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This series honestly changed my life.
Hokuto no Ken (Fist of the North Star) is possibly the most influential anime or manga series of all time for me. Every Shounen or Seinin series that came out afterwards owes themselves to the series. The two biggest influences the post Apocalypse film Mad Max & Martial Artist Bruce Lee mesh together so well for a series like this, it's mind blowing how well it all worked out in the end. Also just watch this in Japanese, the few English dubs that exist are absolutely horrendous and do not convey the emotion or tension that HNK feels. Do yourself ... Jan 27, 2017
Hoshi no Kirby
(Anime)
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So I'm gonna be quite blunt here, I've watched Kirby Right Back at Ya maybe two and a half times. Once fully in English & about halfway through in Japanese. Based upon a popular video game series by Nintendo & Hal Laboratory, the anime did it's own strange adaptation based upon the video games. There's one thing to note about the anime also, most notable the English dubbing company. Apparently, while some people claim that 4kids is the butcher of all decent anime *cough Sonic X, *cough One Piece.* With the Kirby anime, honestly to me it's not all that different from English to Japanese.
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Apr 19, 2014
Kenpuu Denki Berserk
(Anime)
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Here's the thing about Berserk if you have read the manga before watching the anime you may come away slightly disappointed. Most likely because the Manga is so much better when it comes to content. In fact while Berserk is a good anime, I think it is one of the best Manga series ever. The anime does try to adapt the Golden Age Arc in 25 Episodes which is quite amazing. The violence is still there with some of the blood toned down. But most of the storyline is still intact overall. But if you really want to get into Berserk watch the anime first
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Apr 14, 2014
Pokemon Diamond & Pearl
(Anime)
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There is so much wrong with the Pokemon Diamond & Pearl anime in every general way. Such cringe worthy dialogue and an awful attempt to make Pokemon's fan base even more childish then ever before. While also repeating the same formula over and over... The original Pokemon anime did so much for me as a child. Now we already know the video games were a perfect match made in heaven for both adults and children. While some people thought the Pokemon anime was take it or leave for many of us who did watch it, We enjoyed it to death. It had a lot of
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