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Naoko Yamada has already established her strong presence in the anime industry thanks to her works such as K-On!, The Heike Story and A Silent Voice, a film of which that has become one of my most favorite films of all time. Thus, it was normal for me to look forward as to what she is making next - and that is The Colors Within. It follows a young trio (Totsuko, Rui, and Kimi, who all have their own problems, coming together for their love of music in expressing their feelings. This film was such a delight to watch.

Science SARU, who currently has Dandadan airing ... this fall, was able to deliver a wonderful-looking animated feature. You can see how the colors are being shown to depict the personalities of the three main characters and the combination. Whenever it features the different settings such as a library, island or a Catholic school, you can definitely get the vibe of where they belong respectively.

In terms of the characters, anyone can relate to any of the three characters. Totsuko, being the center of the story, sees the beauty in Rui and Kimi. Hence, it was able to encourage the other two main characters to also let their emotions flow through their love of music. Meanwhile, I can see most people relating to Rui and Kimi the most because of how hard it is to face their parents and tell the truth of what they are really going through.

As for the narrative, I was able to enjoy it despite having some bumps along the way. After watching it, I thought there was something missing like buildups towards important moments in the story. However, as I let it sit with me, I understood the approach of what Yamada was going for, thus, I was just simply watching the story of how Totsuko was able to bring two unlikely friends together. It was really just how they met and suddenly decided to form a band that made me say "oh wow, that quickly?". Still, I laughed a lot while watching the film too.

When it comes to the music, although I am not that much of an expert in saying what is good music, I will say that the three songs that they were making along the way and delivered in the final act are already in my playlist. Those are "Apology Letter: The True, The Good, The Beautiful", "Walk", "Amen, I'm Going Somewhere". That's all I'll say.

So The Colors Within is a solid work by Naoko Yamada. Aside from Look Back, it's always going to be nice to watch an anime film in theaters and I will look forward to what next project the director of A Silent Voice is doing next. Not as amazing as her previous work but it was still an enjoyable and relatable film nonetheless.

You know an anime is getting better when the production team puts a lot of effort into having great quality. And I think the Alicization arc of Sword Art Online has proven to me that loving this series since the first season made me feel happy that I did not regret watching the series.

In this arc, we follow Kirito as he is transported into a world called Underworld and must embark on a journey with Eugeo to find Alice who resides in the capital and retrieve her. Meanwhile, in the real world, Asuna and the RATH Company assist him in recovering his body after ... being injected by Johnny Black of the Laughing Coffin.

Kirito is once again amazing as from the previous seasons by being optimistic and determined as always to accomplish the goal but adds some sort of personality such as being a teacher figure towards Eugeo and a caring friend to him as well.

Eugeo on the other hand is the character that I really sympathize with because I see how broken and weak he is when he faces danger and yet he tries to overcome that belief by trying to be like or probably better than Kirito which makes their chemistry amazing.

Alice is also an interesting character and does resemble some characteristics of Saber from the Fate/stay night series. She has the intriguing backstory from a little girl who has broken a law and has turned into this mind controlled knight who must obey and do as she is told.

The villain Quinella also very much succumbed to power which is Quinella and I thought she was a very great villain in the story. Cardinal for some reason reminded me of Beatrice from Re:Zero and she was a good assistant to Kirito and Eugeo.

Even the characters that appear in only a few episodes were still effective such as the teachers of Kirito and Eugeo, their two followers, the envious students, the Integrity Knights as well as the unidentified armed forces in the real world adds some tension to the story.

One of my biggest praises from this series is that they managed to make both the virtual world and the real world engaging and interesting since both worlds are at stake.

In the virtual world, the capital is being governed by Quinella who uses her synthesis ritual to control the minds of the knights and weapons in her place in order to stay in power which made me feel like this series has become political which I thought was great. It also shows that not only Kirito, Eugeo and Alice must beat the antagonist but also stop a war between their world and the Dark Territory otherwise they will fail.

In the real world, the government is experimenting with the Soul Translator in order to create artificial intelligence that can kill which may be utilized in defense and war forces. However, lives are also at stake in the real world as unidentified military units come to raid the RATH's facility to hack into their system and also steal Alice but for a different agenda. So basically there are wars in both virtual and reality and everything is at stake and must be stopped and it adds to the tension of the story.

My most favorite episode from this series is when Eugeo saves their two followers from being raped by the students who seek vengeance and envy towards him and Kirito. I thought that part of the series hit me a lot on the personal level, especially how they define the laws built in their world to only be satisfied for those who made it and not for those who are in need.

It makes me think a lot as well in the real world as to how laws are made by the government just for them to be in power which also connects to how Quinella created her own weapons and integrity knights to ensure that only she will have the power and no one else. Injustice happens amongst the public if it benefits their own agenda and belief. And if no one discovers that, we are all blinded with fake justice that exists in the country.

It has come to my attention as to how beautiful the animation has gotten to the point that it has fully upgraded itself in solidifying the great visuals which combine with the action sequences very well. The sound mixing and editing has also improved along with its great music from new and returning artists of the series. The way they improved a lot on the story has gotten better with great action sequences and emotional and endearing moments of the characters.

The third season of SAO is 9/10 because I have no major complaints that much since I had an amazing time with this season. It made me love the series as much as I have from the start. I felt a lot for the characters, the story was amazing, the art style and visuals are better than the previous seasons.

For those who have watched SAO since 2012 and have gotten this far, congratulations because you are watching an amazing developed anime series already.

Ride Your Wave is a 2019 Japanese animated film directed by Masaaki Yuasa (The Night is Short, Walk on Girl, Tatami Galaxy and Devilman Crybaby). It follows a story of a female surfer named Hinako who is still unsure on what to take up in college and has a hobby of surfing. In a fire incident, she is rescued by a firefighter named Minato. The two eventually developed romantic feelings for each other and discover the different sides of their personality. With an unexpected turn of events that occur, Hinako’s life changes.

I loved Masaaki Yuasa’s previous works mentioned because of how artistic and original his ... animation is and by doing so, I gave his film a watch. During the first half of the film, I felt a little bit worried because the story seems a bit predictable at first and would kind of be a romantic comedy film. However, in the second half of the film, because of that one event, it made me hook to the film even more. Throughout its running time, I felt somewhat good as to how the story unfolds with Hinako and how she deals with the situation she is facing as of the moment. The story itself still managed to keep itself solid from the beginning to the end.

The characters in the film were also good. I loved how the film fleshed out its two main leads, Hinako and Minato, a bit more so that I could get to know more about them. They are both definitely carrying this film fully throughout its runtime which makes me interested in them more. The message of the film is what made think of the movie a lot because of how it leans into the theme of “finding your wave”. It symbolizes how a person must learn how to discover his or her own path in life despite the tragedy that one must accept in order to overcome all of it. The way how they depict the mutual love between life and death is something that will remind me how people will always be watched by their loved ones in search for meaning of life.

Its song “Brand New Story” is definitely the song that may catch the attention of the audience more. It is very catchy and gives a boost to the film. Both versions of the song in the film: Hinako and Minato, and the original band were great to listen to. The animation is great and the studio Science Saru managed to do a job well done with its beautiful effects of the background such as the ocean, fire and sky. Yuasa’s direction, although it wasn’t as amazing as its previous works as mentioned in the first paragraph, was still great all in all.

Ride Your Wave may not be much of a memorable film but it still deserves attention to the anime community. The film will make you think a lot about your relationships with your friends and family that defines how happy or successful your life will be. Masaaki Yuasa’s film has done a great job in telling a story that the audience may not expect at first look. The animation and art style are as what you can expect from Yuasa’s great previous works. It is a sweet romance anime film that will make you smile and cry at the same time throughout the film.

A Whisker Away is a 2020 Japanese animated film released on Netflix on June 18, 2020 directed by Junichi Sato, who served as director of the first two Sailor Moon anime series. The film follows Miyo Sasaki as she struggles to capture the attention of Kento Hinode in their school. Because of that, she decides to transform into a cat to get deeper connection with him as she discovers his other side of his life. I finally got to watch this movie today after receiving news of its announcement before its release date. As a cat lover, I am very interested in how this film ... involving the cat element would play out.

The story focuses on how Miyo Sasaki gives out all of her efforts in being the apple of the eye of Kento Hinode, despite him not reciprocating his feelings for her. Whenever she thinks of ways to call out Kento, I would usually cover my face with my hands, knowing how embarrassing she is doing to herself yet she doesn’t fear to get embarrassed because of her strong feelings towards Kento. There are times that Miyo Sasaki enjoying in being a cat as Taro, which symbolizes escapism – running away from all the problems she encountered in her life including with Ms. Kaoru and her mother’s abandonment, while also serving as a key to get to know Kento a lot more. Kento Hinode, on the other hand, also has struggles in his life that he wants to do in his life while also trying to understand the feelings Miyo Sasaki is trying to say and at the same time, discovers the true story behind her smile on her face. The rest of the supporting cast were handled well in the story such as Yoriko Fukase, longtime friend of Miyo, Masamichi Isami, friend of Kento and Miss Kaoru and Miyo’s Dad.

There is nothing I could say a lot about of the film in terms of the animation is which I think is very good enough to look at. The music of the film is also just simply good and nothing much to ponder further on. The lines of the characters made it emotional just to listen to which is why there are already memes from the scenes of the film especially from Miyo Sasaki and Kento Hinode who gave such sweet words to each other. There is nothing much I could say special about the aspects of the film that much aside from the characters being the strength of the film. Everything that needs for a film to be enjoyable is what I all found from A Whisker Away.

As for flaws, while I was watching the film, I can’t help the fact that it gave me a lot of vibes from Studio Ghibli’s The Cat Returns, which is a spin-off from Whisper of the Heart. Due to the fact that there are a lot of cat elements, it was the first film I ever thought off. There are also times that the romantic scenes felt somehow cheesy sometimes that even I thought it was somewhat awkward. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that A Whisker Away cannot stand on its own. And in the end, I was still entertained with the film as much as a simple anime lover and film critic.

Overall, A Whisker Away is nothing but a feel good romantic fantasy anime film that any people can just enjoy. People should just watch this film as something that you might want to see especially during the quarantine. Try to jut lower your expectations towards films such as this because it may just downgrade your experience with the film. I do recommend any anime lovers who are just looking for good anime films to watch since it is hard to look for other films to be looking out for since majority of them are being pushed back or postponed. Thanks to A Whisker Away, I had a good time during this quarantine.

The second season of Sword Art Online (or also known as Sword Art Online II) was released in 2014 and same as the first season, I finally got the chance to re-watch the whole season in only two days. The big reason as to why I decided on doing this watch analysis on this season is because of numerous people from friends and anime YouTube creators saying that the second season is the weakest installment in the series.

However, as I carefully analyzed the execution of the story and character chemistry in the season, I am in the opposite and leaning into the positive side. Season ... 2 felt more coherent and compelling than the first season in its storytelling and character development, most especially towards Kirito, Asuna and Sinon, with the latter shall be discussed further. Like the first season, I had such a great time watching this series and felt that this was a great installment to the Sword Art Online series.

Let’s start off first with the first arc Phantom Bullet Arc which was the best arc in the season as it sets off like an agent mystery type of feel when Kirito is asked by an investigator to look into the suspicious killings in GGO with the assist of Sinon. It has outstanding background visuals which reminds me of Blade Runner and Ghost in the Shell all at once.

Sinon was by far the major reason as to why I fully enjoyed the episodes because of how intriguing her childhood is and her relationship when it comes to gun skills as well as coming to terms with virtual and reality. Kirito as always gives impressive action sequences and I love how they decided to turn Kirito into a girl wherein I thought was kind of funny and cool to look at, most especially I can’t stop imagining him as Rey from the Star Wars sequel trilogy due to the photon sword sequences.

My only issue with the arc is that there is this one essential part from Kirito’s experiences during the Aincrad arc going back and forth and people might wonder as to why it wasn’t featured in the previous season.

Next is the Excalibur arc wherein the gang must return to ALO to get this sword called Excalibur to return the place in peace. This is probably the part wherein I found the episodes to be entertaining yet was not that effective in keeping me attention in its three episode arc. There are also times that you can see a lot of plot holes and illogical narratives that occur, especially in the final episode of the arc wherein physics seem to disappear when it comes to objects falling down. The only thing that kept me entertained was how they decided to unite the main and supporting cast Kirito, Asuna, Lisbeth, Klein, Silica, Leafa and Sinon in this Adventure Time feel journey. As a side story, it was still good overall.

Lastly is the Mother’s Rosario arc as it focuses more on Asuna as she is invited by a party named Sleeping Knights, led by Konno Yuuki, who must have a last amazing journey in order to have their names engraved on the board to let gamers know that they participated in the game. In this arc, the chemistry of Asuna to the Sleeping Knights made her realize that gaming should be a fun thing to do in the virtual reality rather than what they have witnessed during the Aincrad arc.

The argument between Asuna and her mother depicts the reality of how parents see gaming as a bad habit and their worry for their children’s future in their college choices. This arc was more emotional than the first two and it was a great thing to focus more on Asuna’s character development as she fights for herself not only for party members in the virtual world and fights for her right to choose her own life in college against the wishes of her mother. Also, if you thought Avengers: Endgame has done the most popular kneeling down position, Sword Art Online has done it first. (laughs)

Sword Art Online II was still an entertaining and great season for the Sword Art Online anime series. I disagree with some people who think that this season should no longer exist because it only downgraded the quality the first season left off. For me, the second season was slightly an improvement for the first season in terms of coherent story in each arc though the background music seemed repetitive that seemed like the people behind the music have run out of new ideas for it.

It featured a great character Sinon in which in my opinion is one of the best anime girls I have seen because of her strong sense of overcoming one’s fears and reality. The depiction between virtual world and reality was also more recognized than the first season and gave a lot of amazing and emotional moments that I’m sure I will never forget. Overall, Sword Art Online II is a great season for the right people.

SWORD ART ONLINE SEASON 1 REVIEW
(Minor spoilers ahead)

The first season of Sword Art Online was released back in 2012, having seen that series a long time now for about more than three years ago. Finally, I got the chance to re-watch this anime series for only two days to see how this series still holds up in 2020. The reason as to why on giving this anime another go is that whenever I always search up on YouTube about Sword Art Online, the first results that would most likely appear is from popular anime YouTubers. As a result, I felt antsy towards myself thinking whether ... or not the way I reviewed the series was right back in 2012 because I thoroughly loved Sword Art Online and has since then been one of my favorite anime series of all time. And so that is why I gave Sword Art Online a second watch to see whether or not my judgement of the series will change after hearing a lot of opinions from popular YouTube people and from my friends and what do you know, I still love this series.

Sword Art Online has not only been my gateway anime series, but as well as made the reason why I loved anime in the first place. Almost everything about the first season of Sword Art Online did a great job in handling the psychological effects a person can face while being trapped inside a virtual reality game such as suicide, depression and emotional breakdown which was very intriguing for the series to do. The animation of Sword Art Online done by A1 Pictures is absolutely stunning to look at as if you are in a virtual gaming world that knows how to utilize some gaming elements from real life gaming and every element in the background were done nicely. The way how you see the characters interact with people and objects does make it feel like an MMORPG game. The first half of the season was very good as it focuses more on Kirito’s challenges between gaming and reality while the second half of the season focuses more on his chemistry with Asuna and Suguha in which almost each episode did not bore me at all and doing anything else while watching.

One of the series’ biggest strengths is Kazuto “Kirito” Kirigaya who is one of the most badass characters I’ve seen and I can’t help but relate him to Guts from Berserk because they both have similar qualities such as sword skills, cold personality and anti-social in early episodes but slowly develops to becoming more social to the people that wants to be with him throughout the game and tries to overcome the fear of losing his party members by using all of his efforts in sword skills. Asuna Yuuki was also very impressive with how she handles her personality: one is being her badass side in the early episodes but then softens up because of Kirito’s feelings towards her which is why they make both a great anime couple. Suguha Kirigaya / Leafa, the cousin of Kirito, I definitely sympathize for like I feel the problem she is going through towards her relationship towards Kirito that I wish she would eventually give up those feelings in order to be happy. I got to relate to all of the main characters so much that I relate with them so much that I wish they will always win in every situation and obstacle they face. The rest of the supporting cast were also great whenever they appear in the series such as Klein – the first player Kirito meets, Yui – a support character with an artificial intelligence, and Silicia – a beast tamer, Lisbeth – a proud blacksmith.

As for flaws in the series, I noticed the pacing in the first half of the anime series felt somehow complex and more episodic in a way that the flow of the story executed made me very confused at times. There are also some narrative plot holes that sometimes there is something wrong with how the characters do something that may seem impossible and unbelievable that would leave me skeptic towards it in the first half. People may also feel that the supporting cast does not get big attention that much in the series which may be a big criticism for them. However, for the latter problem, I felt that the series did a pretty great job in focusing more only on the three main characters (Kirito, Asuna and Suguha) but mostly on Kirito, because what they did is that they explored on the psychological impacts that the three leads receive because of the virtual gaming. It has the same situation such as films like Ad Astra, Uncut Gems, and The Invisible Man, all of which explored just the main protagonist that carries the enjoyment throughout the film which I think is an impressive thing to do: more like a character study.

Overall, I had such a great time re-watching the first season of Sword Art Online that even made me defend the series more because of the hate that the series doesn't actually deserve. For those who are calling the series as one of the worst in the anime industry, this is not even close to Mars of Destruction and Skelter+Heaven and is one of those great anime series (especially if you finish season 3 which I will do a review later on). I just watched this series with no expectations yet have a standard towards liking an anime and the first season did not disappoint me at all. As the more I enjoyed watching the series, the more its flaws subside and had no problem watching the series at all. Sword Art Online is one of those anime series that I think if people did not overhype the show too much, it would not be considered as an overrated anime by the toxic anime community in the first place. I am not saying that this show is perfect in all aspects but I feel that this show deserves decent respect and greatness towards people who can truly like or might even appreciate this show, please give the series a chance and don't judge a book by its cover. I am very glad that Sword Art Online has been one of those great series I have watched and is definitely in my Top 100 Anime Series of All Time.