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The Japanese always try to be innovative in some way. For example, in this series called "Iwa Kakeru", they showed off their incredible qualities to be able to create yet another sporting anime, focused however on a lesser known but more extreme sport, called "bouldering" (or rock climbing). reality is a modality that will be shown only once, unlike climbing (ie climbing on an artificial wall and therefore safer and less demanding). All the competitions and events will in fact deal with this last discipline.

Produced by the studio Blade (of which nothing is known) “Iwa kakeru” is an anime with a very simple plot. One ... girl, named Konomi Kasahara, is a first year student of Hanamiya school, looking for something fun to do. In her past he has done nothing but play video games for most of her time (yes like "Sora" of no game no life) and for this she decided to change the air. On a day like any other, she meets another very athletic student, Jun Uehara, who is trying her hand at "climbing" in the open air. Konomi, from the very first moment, seems interested in the subject and, after trying to climb in person, she decides she wants to join the club. Initially taken as fun, Konomi, together with Jun and two other girls from the club, will be able to prove her skills, together with the desire to be able to reach and win the national and world championships in the future.

On a technical level, the series is done well; it doesn't drop much graphics, the characters are done decently, and the movement of the bodies is quite fluid. There is a lack of detail in some scenes but manages to balance it all with good overall quality. Unfortunately, thanks to the various directorial choices, the anime was unable to take advantage of the opportunity to give us a good impression on the setting, which could be asserted, especially in a sport that is very close to nature. Instead the "character design" turns out to be simple and sober, typical of souls not so meticulously studied.

In the anime, there are many characters with fairly similar behaviors, many of which present themselves as fluctuating and slightly obsessive, characteristic of those who want to rival their nemesis or those who want to discourage others. There is not a great characterization although, over the course of the series, we will notice changes in the characters that will make the series, from a certain point of view, better to follow. It therefore tries to be mature and free from too much comedy but, despite this intent, unfortunately there are many annoying and meaningless figures that make it, at times, less convincing. In addition to this we must consider the unbalanced attributes of the protagonist, who proves to be dull and unable to make the viewer seriously reflect on her path of psychological change that takes place in the flow of the episodes. Trust one thing anyway; the anime is represented as an ecci but there are only a few curvy girls. There are really no spicy situations, and if we think we find them we realize that they are simply scenes inherent to the plot and not at all embarrassing.

As I pointed out earlier, the direction makes some risky and rough choices, which unfortunately drastically drop the quality of the series. In many cases we will observe sudden changes from one image to another, without being given the right time between the two. In this case, the anime gives a lot of importance to competitions and in fact almost all the improvement of the skills takes place exclusively on those occasions, leaving everything else marginal, represented with simple and insignificant training. This could be a subjective opinion but it is undeniable that the prevalence of races already from the second episode really makes the sport itself seem not very serious. A problem perhaps given by the plot of the manga or by the choice to focus only on the sports part. In any case, the script is not of a high standard, but the anime manages to mesh a lot between one action and another, and therefore to keep the viewer quite awake. In any case, the anime is not complete anyway and the ending, made too quickly, necessarily takes us back to a second season.

I don't know whether to recommend or not to Iwa Kakeru because she actually lets herself be watched, even if she has a very superficial plot. So I would say that the work can be seen mostly for entertainment purposes only or to superficially get to know the world of "climbing".

But I must say that it has its own moral: despite our proven abilities, it is possible to suddenly fail and psychologically collapse from one moment to the next, especially when you have other thoughts of a different nature than achieving your goal. We can have all the help we want, but it is in solitude that the final decision is made: to give up and dedicate ourselves to something else, or to regain confidence in one's potential.

Have we ever made a promise to ourselves? It certainly happened to everyone. Promises that may relate to both what we would like to do in a certain future but also secrets that have led us to hide some of what we do not want to show to any of ourselves. In the work called Kakushigoto, this theme of "promise" predominates, which turns out to be the generating fulcrum of the whole story. Based on the manga by Koji Kumeta, the story (set in a Tokyo neighborhood called Nakameguro) tells the story of his father and his little girl after they lost their mother in ... an accident. In their relationship, however, there is a rather unusual fact: the father, in order not to reveal his profession as a mangaka, lies every day to his daughter masquerading as a "perfect father", so that she can grow up in a healthy environment. This is because the protagonist draws manga of a "certain caliber" that talk about uncomfortable and erotic situations, a genre that could basically highly upset a little girl.

Overall it is a work that contrasts comedy with seriousness, trying to make less monotonous those events that resume the life of the protagonist, acting to carry out his usual duties as father and artist. A gimmick that initially does not start well, due to a presence, too coarse, of excessively comical scenes, which however then tend to balance with dramatic and mysterious elements, as the series thicks. The protagonist is in the end a person like all the others, with his flaws, which are highlighted especially in those events that show off his work and the dialogue he has with his colleagues. The relationship with these is quite different; in fact, she doesn't need to hide those feelings she hides whenever she tries to keep her secret in front of her daughter. In the various scenes, therefore, the comedy is smoothed by a certain sense of fatigue and worries that the protagonist will face, in order not to be crushed by it.

The style is certainly not canonical and also reflects the light-heartedness of that normal life that we do every day. Minimalist and essential, the design is not very detailed in the faces and environments, with a fairly minimal presence of breathtaking scenes that make the places represented unforgettable. Nevertheless, color has an important action, that is to communicate to us the essence of the work, presenting itself, almost never, neither too bright nor very off. Color also wants us to enter a common, calm world, with an unusual hint of nostalgia.

Moreover, the games of shadows and lights also make a lot of use in this series, representing in a few moments what we can call "the mask of the individual". Dealing with the pain of a loss and at the same time raise a daughter without missing anything both love and necessity, is a difficult task for one person. The contrast between desire and necessity is inevitably another fundamental theme that can be found by seeing the soul.

I also appreciate the music that fits the context, sufficiently. Above all, in its musicality and words, the opening of Flumpool "Chiisana Hibi" which speaks of the fact that we must always look for a way to achieve our desires, despite the problems related to our choices implemented in the past.

As a final consideration, I can say that Kakushioto is an anime that effectively manages to leave a trace in our hearts of the topics covered. Could we have done better? Perhaps, but at least the memory of having lived, in some way, with the "real" problems of these protagonists, which can resemble those with which we ourselves live in our world.

Desires, indissoluble loves, hopes for a better future, happiness in being alive. This is what we will find in Kakushigoto.

It is a 2020 anime from shuka. Mainly he talks about meeting Seigi, a student studying at university, and Richard, a foreign jeweler. After meeting, Seigi asks Richard for help in identifying the provenance of a ring, received after his grandmother's death. It turns out that the ring was stolen by her grandmother herself. Together they manage to find the real owner of the ring. The situation, however, turns unexpectedly to the best, and Seigi, with his benevolent action, receives forgiveness from the victim, allowing his grandmother to rest in peace. Seigi, having been interested in both his work in particular the stones concerned and ... his method of investigation, will cooperate with him as an aide. On many occasions, however, he will not only see Richard identifying stones but will resolve with him various cases including those that need to be solved on the spot. Seigi will eventually have such a high understanding with Richard that he will be able to solve his mysterious family situation.

Being an anime of investigation, which purely relies on the psychology of individuals, I cannot dwell on the specific cases. I can say, however, that in the anime it is present, quite extensively, the relationship between the trader and the customer. He is not a mere seller of items. We talk about precious stones with a certain value, so we expect a mutual professionalism from the jeweler. The customer, on the other hand, will have to start a dialogue in order to better understand his decisions about the stone to choose, all based on his economic situation. So there is more experience between the two than usual commerce; dialogue of understanding, and also sometimes of trust. In the anime, however, a more intense investigative component is added precisely to represent more of the usual daily life and make the viewer more enticed to watch it.

The episodes then present themselves as self-concluding with the difference of the first and last that refer instead to Seigi's personal matters. It is not always possible to like the trend of episodes that can be slow due to the almost total absence of action. But I really appreciate the psychological component that proves consistent and effective in every situation. In addition, various stones are seen in the course of the anime and sometimes they are studied in a particular way. In particular, I appreciate the protagonists, who present themselves with a serious and decisive tone, in a setting both university and work.

Unfortunately, the manga from which this work was derived is not finished. The series finale, in fact, is hurried and shaky. I recommend the vision to those who seek a calm and peaceful experience that also results in the desire to understand more deeply the world of stones and how they can affect our lives.