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Note: I have not read the source material (manga), so this review will be based on the anime alone.

The only word I could use to describe the world of Houseki no Kuni (Land of the Lustrous) is “bizarre”. It certainly takes an amazing amount of imagination and a dose of craziness to come up with an unique world like this, but I can’t help but feel that this is also exposed as the anime’s weakest point. It took a lot of time and effort to explain even the basics of how the world works, and even then the world feels difficult to understand. This is ... not helped by the fact that unlike sci-fi or fantasy worlds based somewhat on reality, the viewer can’t populate the background of Houseki no Kuni with activity. It's just a barren world that is hard to believe in.

This overly simplified world is contrasted with a huge ensemble of mostly forgettable characters, often appearing for only a few seconds at a time. This is not helped by the fact that they have long and convoluted mineral/gem names, making them even less memorable. When a character is promoted to the center of the story, they feel as if they serve no further purpose than to forward the plot, and (with the exception of one) become irrelevant within two episodes. The main character Phos is the only one with any semblance of development, but while its shift from from beginning to end is striking, barely anyone else mattered.

The ending is obviously incomplete. While there is a nice connection to the beginning, ultimately it shows you the door to its manga continuation more than anything remotely satisfying.

It's a unique story for sure, but as a whole I don't feel like it's gone anywhere in these 12 episodes, and an overall disappointment.

The art of Houseki no Kuni is marked by its generous use of 3D animation, which is both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, it presents the textures and reflections of the gems very well, and makes for some VERY dynamic fight scenes, but on the other hand, facial expressions and tiny movements (such as head tilting) feels rigid and unnatural.

That said, this is still probably one of the best and most extensive use of 3D animation I’ve seen so far, and it would be hard to imagine some of the scenes (especially towards the end) without it. But I wouldn't rate it as an unmitigated success -- whether or not it's good is still pretty much up to personal tastes.

The OP and ED are nice, memorable tunes that aren't too generic, but it's the OST and insert songs that shine here. There's an varied selection of styles, and many of the tracks fit the mood of the scene nicely.

In the end, Houseki no Kuni is a puzzling anime for me: Puzzling world, puzzling story, puzzling characters, and a lot of it remains unresolved till the end. I would suppose the Manga would provide a lot of answers to my questions, but as a non-manga reader, it's hard to give it a more satisfactory score until the second season is out.

Note: I have not read the source material (novel), nor watch the previous anime adaptation, so this review will be based on the 2017 adaptation alone.

Kino no Tabi follows the titular Kino and her motorcycle Hermes as they travel from country to country. The appeal of the series supposedly based on the uniqueness of each country they visit, rather than some overarching grand adventure, so apart from some recurring characters, there is very little connection between the episodes, and indeed from what I heard it’s neither in the order of the original novel, nor in the order of the previous adaptation.

Therefore the enjoyment of the ... series rests on how interesting or thought provoking each individual country/story is. While I had high expectations , in general the stories fell rather flat for me. A couple of them could probably be considered “memorable”, but most range from mediocre to forgettable. And even the memorable ones are hardly masterpieces, just more unique than the rest.
This is not helped by the fact that each story has to be either one episode or half an episode long, which makes some of them feel slow and drawn out, while others feel too fast and hurried.

The ending, however, was just... bad. I'm not really how sure how they can close of a series in this format, but episode 11 seems like a much more fitting ending than 12, which consists of bizarre story followed by Kino murmuring half-asleep about where travel begin and ends. It's just... completely anti-climatic.

Kino travels through a myriad of different settings, from rural to urban, from ancient to modern, from land to sea. It could have been a great visual feast, but instead Kino no Tabi choose to use a drab, faded, one-look-fits-all type of feel. It works in the sense that the world feels coherent despite the different settings, however it takes away the uniqueness of each different country, and make them all feel like clones with minor adjustments.

Character animation is somewhat stable, however there are serious problems with certain animated sequences, particularly the 3D ones -- oftentimes the framerate is so bad that it feels like watching a slideshow rather than an animation.

The OP, ED, and OST as a whole is largely forgettable, and nothing from the OST even pops into mind. It's just... bland and boring like most of the show.

In the end, I’d probably rate the best stories 8/10, and the worst ones 3/10, and the ending 1/10. The series as a whole would sit somewhere at 5/10.

Note: I have not read the source material (manga), so this review will be based on the anime alone.

Girls’ last tour follows two girls, Chi and Yui as they wander around a post-apocalyptic wasteland scavenging for food, fuel, and pondering about life in general. Despite having a fantastic world setting, the actual story is presented in a more slice-of-life way, with each episode containing one or two short stories with a theme.

The fact that this vast, amazing world is so underutilized is such a pity. We see what appears to be a far-future city built in multiple layers, each layer with a rather distinct design ... and style. There are also numerous locations from factories to residentials to food production facilities the girls explore, but in the end they serve little more than as backdrops to the mundane life or occasional philosophical musings of the girls. There’s certainly nothing wrong with creating a huge interesting world but not using it, it just strikes me that the stories completely pales compared to the world around it.

In typical iyashikei fashion, the world around the girls are perilous, but they’re never in any real peril -- though the same can’t be said of the people they meet. Many stories focus on the girls coming across some remnant of the old civilization, and imagine what life used to be like in hilarious but simple ways.

The art complements the mood and story well, but nothing extraordinary. There are some interesting use of 3D sprinkled in, especially when the girls are on their tracked motorcycle, and while noticeable, it's a far better implementation then some other talking motorcycle of the season.

The music is likewise relegated to providing a moody backdrop, and as such none of the tracks stand out in particular. The sole insert song (Amadare no Uta) was introduced in a very memorable fashion, however the extensive use of it afterwards (twice more in other episodes with minor variations) lessens the impact quite a bit, especially when the lyrics no longer matches the scene. The OP and ED are generic feeling Japanese pop songs, and does not serve any apparent purpose to improve the anime itself.

The ending sort of answers most of the most glaring questions, but isn't the most satisfying nor complete. I wouldn't know the 12th was the last episode if it weren't for MAL telling me. On the bright side, this leaves it open for more seasons?

The girls have some nice chemistry between them, and there are some interesting thoughts sprinkled within, but I don’t recall an episode that struck me deeply or profoundly, so it’ll have to settle for a mediocre score.

Story (27/30):

The first thing that sets Made in Abyss apart from the rest, is its story and world building. It is a rare true adventure story, where the plot advances through individual interactions between the characters and the environment, instead of some overarching ambition or goal. This makes the plot very unpredictable -- unlike, say, a tournament arc commonly seen in shonen type stories, where it’s more about how rather than if the protagonist will win, surprises lurk around every corner in Made in Abyss, and things could turn ugly at the whim of the author.

The general story is in three arcs, with a ... couple of standalone episodes in between. The first arc is an exemplary introduction into a fictional world, and the third arc has an impactful and emotional story. Comparatively, the second arc falls rather flat -- it’s still above average, but with the bar set so high by the first and the third, it’s hard not to feel that the second arc is somewhat weak in storytelling and slow in pace. That said, the third arc, especially the 47 minute long final episode, was so amazing for me that I’m willing to overlook the shortcomings of the middle section.

But the real problem lies in the fact that with only 13 (technically 14) episodes, the story is nowhere near complete. From a broader perspective, it feels like just the prologue to a grand story. If we get stories as amazing as the third arc in the upcoming seasons (and there’s every indication that’s the case), this anime could very well achieve legendary status. But as it is, the journey has just began, and there are more questions about the world and the characters than answers. For that, I must deduct some score from the story.

Made in Abyss managed to build some very memorable characters despite not giving them a lot of screen time, but due to the nature of the plot device (the Abyss), our protagonists are required to leave everyone behind as they travel forward. This leaves very little room for other characters to develop, and often feel like they only exist in service of moving the plot forward. The departure scenes do carry more weight as a result of the inability to backtrack, but it also comes with the knowledge that we’re very likely never going to meet any of the characters again. The end credits managed to remedy this to a small degree (which is no small feat), but you can’t help but hope they could be developed further.

Visuals (18/20):

The visual aspects of Made in Abyss are simply gorgeous. From the picturesque backgrounds, to the smoke and fog effects, to the smooth animation of fight scenes, everything is wondrously drawn. If I were to nitpick, however, the main characters (Reg in particular) isn’t drawn particularly consistent throughout the series, with his head shape morphing many times, often quite visibly. I personally have no problem with the chibi artstyle, but it does somewhat amplify these small discrepancies.

The one thing I can’t get over with, is how some of the monsters in the abyss are being represented. From what I understand later, the blurry, low definition design of certain monsters appear to be a deliberate design choice, but compared to the clear lines of other monsters and the anime as a whole, they look out of place and cheap. A minor score deduction from an otherwise beautiful anime.

Sound (20/20)

Even above the great visuals, is an absolutely amazing OST, and one I did not hesitate to purchase. Kevin Penkins did a stellar job composing a highly varied collection of tracks that are at the same time fantastical yet foreign, and it’s apparent that there had been a very close relationship between him and the production team to produce a soundtrack that fits some scenes extraordinarily well.

The show also does not hesitate in bringing the music to the foreground when necessary, and let the music drive the scenes and emotions. It is an integral part of why the first, tenth and final episode were as amazing as they were, rather than just an icing on the cake. The show also boasts some amazing sound effects and VA that further presents the care put into the effort.

The OP and ED, while being catching tunes in their own right, pale in comparison to the OST. I’d even consider them detrimental to the overall soundscape established by the show itself. This is one of the rare cases where I skip the OP not because it’s uninspired, but in fear of ruining the viewing experience.

Enjoyment (30/30)

It’s rare to come by an anime that delivers on all fronts, and it’s all the more welcoming in a comparatively boring season. This is one anime that probably works better binge watching, as the slower pace of the middle episodes become less of a problem.

Some have commented on the sexualize representation of children, but I personally see none of it in the anime, save for one gag in episode 2 that might have gone a tad too far. Otherwise penis jokes don’t bother me, and I find no other scene that is disturbing, or can be considered “sexual” in nature. The reactions of the children are in line with prepubescents who have just begun to explore what sex is, and there are no sexual/love interest relations with any adults.

It is one rollercoaster ride of emotions that will be remembered for a long time. Certainly the highest enjoyment to be had in years. Now if only we had a season 2...

Raw score (95/100) | Overall (10/10)

Note: This review is based on the anime alone. I have not read the source material.

Story (12/30):

Isekai Shukudou is nothing more than a collection of common Japanified western dishes (called youshoku), the people who like them, and the backstory of those people. The "another world (isekai)" setting allows for more fantastical story settings, but in the end most of the stories are rather shallow, and the focus inevitably turns to the food and what the inhabitants of this fantasy world thinks about them.

Characters from past episodes sometimes show up as backdrop or do limited interaction with new patreons, and on very rare occasions cross ... path in their fantasy world as well. But that's about the limit of a coherent story -- for the most part each story is short (half an episode) and discrete, which leaves a trail of undeveloped and forgettable characters.

While there are no serious faults, I'd give an under-average score for the lackluster story.

Art (10/20):

The art in this Anime does its job, but little more. The restaurant setting means that most scenes within are static, but there's rarely much action outside of the restaurant either. Characters are decently drawn, if a tad low on framerate. However, as a food-centric anime, it certainly did its utmost to ensure everything looks tasty, and the food has proper texture and "physics". I certainly commend it for this fact.

Sound (10/20):

There's very little to be said about the sound -- the OST blends nicely into the background, to the extent that you won't notice it's there, and totally forgettable. The OP and ED are standard fare for such anime, again neither one are particularly memorable.

Enjoyment (25/30):

For all its mediocre-ness, I actually enjoyed it more than many other anime. It's format and light nature makes it great to watch while eating (don't watch it without food nearby), and there's really no plot to remember or follow.

It also reminded me of how it felt like eating food in Japan -- just looking at some of them brought back fond memories, and I added quite a few things I'd like to try out on the next visit. That's certainly something rare to come out of an anime.

Overall (57/100 = 6/10):

The isekai restaurant setting could have been used to showcase many good stories, or even as a platform for some social commentary. But instead the focus was placed on food and food alone, which is a shame and IMO a lost opportunity. It had been somewhat enjoyable for me, but I'm not sure that applies to everyone.