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[8.0/10]
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Banana’s as hammers, deadly bonding exercises, and enough tears to melt the polar icecaps, A Place Further Than the Universe has a lot to say. A girl’s trip across the globe to come to terms with a dead family member to lighthearted banter in a tent as the wind whips against the fabric. Smiles that drip emotion, and the concept of having friends. The reaction of leaving a friend behind, and the feeling of melancholy as you stare into the night sky. If life’s a bitch, you better do what you can to woo her.

Universe is a series about friendship. The writers make that ... clear almost immediately and that bus does not stop rolling until the credits do. Every episode focuses specifically on different kinds of relate-able problems a group of newly bonded people may go through. From clashing personalities to tepidness to forcing one another to evolve in some way. It is a friendship of good, as Aristotle would say. The friendships that bloom here are oriented around each person bringing out the best qualities from one another as well as teaching each other new ways of being good people. This stems from equal ethical grounds.

If you know anything about my reviews then you would probably know that stories about friendships are incredible near and dear to me. I relate to them more than just about any other narrative archetype, and thankfully this show does it very well, even if it does hit a few icebergs along the way. There are endearing characters mixed in with some genuinely subtle developments that occasionally get lapsed by hammy insert songs that do nothing but detract from the overall emotions that are trying to be presented. While subtlety in character expression is in spades, there is virtually no subtlety to be had in character emotion. Specifically, characters introducing their emotions to people. Tears flow like angry waves crashing against the shores of unsuspecting viewers. You either buy it or you don’t. Or, like me, you are in an awkward place in the middle fidgeting uncomfortably as one scene lasts just slightly long enough to become something I would call saccharine and melodramatic. Universe doesn’t hold back, and when the writers rev up the emotional ballistae get ready for the armoured defences of your heart to either crumble like sandcastles, or, in some cases, become calcified from the constant barrage.

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[Presentation, Art, and Music]

What can I say? It’s good. Actually, scratch that, it’s pretty damn great. Specifically, the animation. I was never a huge Madhouse fan as I felt like they lack a cohesive style I can attach myself to, but man-o-man are there moments here of solid presentation that stick with you. The animation is solid throughout with a distinct style that I slowly fell in love with as the series progressed. Now I wouldn’t call the directing exceptional, I will, however, call it solid. Atsuko Ishuzika gets two big thumbs up from me, especially since she as responsible for No Game No Life which I, well, hated. She rebounded like a warmed-up squash ball and hit me right in the pecker with some imaginative sequences that brought new life to my cynical, shrivelled soul.

Now don’t expect shot composition that you haven’t seen before because this anime is very much like the other dramas that you’ll see in that regard. We get the usual flair of profile shots with tears rolling down cheeks and the classic oh-so-lovely low-angles that these kinds of series seem to latch onto like a baby to a tit. While those dramatic elements aren’t shining, the editing for comedy does. To my surprise, this series is quite funny and not in the endearing “oh it’s cute” kind of funny, but rather the hearty belly-laugh-on-occasion kind of funny. That can be chocked up to solid animation, editing, and a clear care for comedic timing that is just impossible to find in some anime.

There is quite a bit of CG work here and I will gladly say that it isn’t bad at all. Some of the ship shots are pretty great and give me an immediate Titanic vibe. The cars can look a bit synthetic but thankfully they aren’t prevalent throughout the majority of the series. Some of the shots looking over the landscape look spectacular as well, and there is a very interesting realism to the close-up shots on objects.

The music is no slouch, either. It’s far from that lanky kid that wants so badly to play dodgeball with you but ends up getting his ribs shattered by a good throw from Rex, the muscular kid failing Algebra. The opening, which is animated spectacularly, also features a decent pop track, although I can’t help but feel as though it blends in with the other anime songs of its ilk. The background tracks during this series are strong, though. Universe seems to really love its insert songs because these few tracks are almost played on repeat from episode to episode, but more on that later. Overall, the music here is solid, especially the catchy ED which I found myself watching constantly because the series can’t help but include a post credit scene.

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[Story, Characters, and Cute Girls Doing Surprisingly Serious Things]

Want a way to get your stomach pumped? Take a few bottles of Smirnoff, grab a shot class, plop down at your desk and begin scrolling through the reviews of this series. For every sentence that reads vaguely like “I’m not usually a fan of Slice of Life/Cute girls doing cute things shows but…” take a shot. Don’t blame me if you can’t stand up after a few minutes.

A Place Further Than the Universe isn’t a slice of life show. More importantly, it’d be hard to even call it a “Cute girls doing cute things” … show. Which is a dumb label to begin with, but so be it. This is because it is very clearly a drama. These aren’t girls doing cute things. Well, sometimes they are, but the majority of the series we get a stream of drama mixed in with growing relationships which results in endearing character dialogue. Almost every single scene within this series is focused on building up conflict and eventually resolving that conflict. Even the scenes that feel somewhat pointless and only there to either be comedic or just cute, these cuts often end up becoming useful to understanding the characters. That’s kind of why the CGDCT label is so stupid. A good series knows how to implement every scene well enough that it grows your attachment to the characters involved and ultimately doesn’t just come off as a cynical cash grab to lonely boys who want to feel attached to cutesy female archetypes.

Let me break it down, though. Kimari, our protagonist, is a peppy girl who regrets not really doing anything with her life. Especially as she begins rounding out her years in high school. She wants to do something memorable. By crazy circumstance, she runs into Shirase, a taller, emotional, yet reserved girl who is saving money to go to the Antarctic because that is where her mother died three years ago. She clearly has some unresolved issues regarding her mother’s passing and I think that it is handled with care, nuance, and beyond all else, realism. Then we begin running into the other two girls that join them. The utterly impossible-not-to-love Hinata, who is energetic, short, and not attending school. For reasons I won’t spoil, she gets the most subtle and well-delivered arc in the series. Lastly, we have their “in” for Antarctica, Yuzuki, who is a child actress that has an unfortunately rigorous schedule preventing her from making friends or acclimating to high school life.

Through these circumstances they band together and decide to go to Antarctica. Every character’s motivation is exposited within the first four episodes. We understand why they are doing what they are doing. From then on, we get very specific looks at each character’s experiences. Not only on the trip, but on their journey as people. We learn more about those motivations and what drives them. This is good, blunt, and focused characterization that I don’t get to see enough of in anime. As I said, Hinata specifically gets an incredible subtle arc that culminates in immense satisfaction due to the subtlety of its introduction early on in the series. Universe is presented through the eyes of Kimari, however, she is not the main protagonist. That honor goes to Shirase, which is understandable since her arc is not only the most emotionally resonant as a concept, but it is ultimately why they are going to the Antarctic of all places.

There is also some clever subversion with archetypes going on within the series as well. The generic “cutesy” girl, Yuzuki, almost instantly reveals her hatred that kind of aesthetic. The reserved one has explosive emotions and attachments. The overly-excitable one, Hinata, is actually the wisest and, hilariously, dishes out some of the most memorable quotes in the entire series.

The first aspect you’ll notice, I think, about the characters is that the voice acting here is spectacular. It took me a bit to realize just how decked the voice cast is and this show uses them so well. Every voice actress seems attached to her role and it creates for engaging performances. This continues to the secondary’s that they meet along the way, especially Shirase’s mother’s friends who become big players later on in the series. Gin, the deceased mother’s best friend, is a highlight and her arc is not only devastating to people who have lost dear friends, but her subdued performance is a perfect contrast to the occasionally childish emotions experienced by the main four girls.

Universe, as I’ve mentioned, really loves its insert songs. This is where we run into the biggest issue with the series and something I could easily see turning people off. Every episode ends on an emotional stinger. Every. Episode. That means that even when it can feel somewhat unnecessary, we get blaring Japanese vocals shoved down our throats like hotdogs at a state fair. We gluttonously devour these inserts, whether we want to or not. Unfortunately, I’m one of those people who felt consistently turned off by just how cloying a lot of these moments felt and when the series actually did build up to a bombastic emotional eruption, my receptors, if you will, were already dulled from the previous episodes where those moments didn’t feel earned or even necessary.

We go from a scene of them running around and seeing waves getting this huge, saccharine insert song to that same damn song being used for a truly powerful stinger at the end of, let’s say, episode twelve which will leave many unprepared viewers utterly bawling their eyes out. I don’t get why they chose to do this. These emotional stingers need to be used sparingly. Not every episode. The writers seemed to have prioritized quantity over quality when it comes to emotional moments and it occasionally makes for a numbing experience when you watch these girls start crying in each other’s arms over the most random, senseless shit. I get that they are young and emotional, but damn, relax.

This show has some pulpy elements because of this infatuation with the saccharine. You either like it or you don’t. I could usually sit through these moments because I developed a frightening, almost immediate attachment to these characters, but if you don’t then these scenes might honestly break the series for you. I’m happy to say that not a single one them is weak as a character in any way. We get so many loveable and relate-able character moments from the cast. The melodrama can be obnoxious, but it is far from unbearable on most occasions.

The series ends on a decently high note. As in, it’s very saccharine and feel-good, even if there is some bitter-sweetness to the departure. We, as viewers, are assured these girls will stay in contact and there is even a fun little tease at the end for possibly more adventures. I know for sure that I’ll be on the lookout for more of these girls.

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[Finding the Sky]

Yeah, so the series is great. A Place Further Than the Universe is corny and saccharine but it gets you so latched onto these four girls that you just don’t want to let go. I was almost immediately with them on the journey, right there on the train, plane, boat, and snow. While the focus on cloying emotions can often feel forced or even pandering, when the series wants to nail the climax it really, really nails the climax. If you view yourself as someone who cries often over television then you should watch this series with some napkins. Later on, especially, there are some surprisingly powerful moments that pick-axed their way to even the coldest hearts such as my own.

If you’ve read my reviews then you’d know that I’m a huge sucker for friendship stories. They always seem to resonate with me more than romance or revenge or any other kind of narrative archetype. Friendships seem so close in the least artificial way possible. To create a true connection between people, especially one that doesn’t rely on a sexual attraction takes a kind of nuance in the writing that so many writers simply can’t produce. When it’s done well, like here, you feel a kindred connection with them because friendship is so notoriously vague and hard to define as a concept. It’s just a connection. Mutual benefits. Loving being together. Learning from one another. While Universe’s outlook is undoubtedly expressive, for some it may even be overly expressive to the point where it becomes unbelievable. For me, personally, who’s experienced and continues to experience these kinds of bonds grow, I became fully engrossed within the narrative.

Pair that together with writing that ranges from good to exceptional and presentation that I can only say surprised me in how engaging it was, I think we have a series that is worth remembering. I call it like I see it. This is easily one of the better anime I’ve seen and clearly had so much passion behind it. I can see myself thinking about the series and raising the grade simply due to missing having these characters on screen. It wasn’t just the dynamic elements of having four people bounce off one another that was solid, or the fact that there was some pretty great character animation, it was the depth to which these characters are written which is truly surprising. They aren’t just a summation of traits, but rather a summation of experiences we saw, which makes their growth so much more endearing than it has any right to be.

A Place Further Than the Universe delivers what I can only call good character drama. Something rare in anime. Sure, there are a bunch of cute girls doing cute things sometimes, and sometimes doing funny things, and sometimes doing sad things, and hell, sometimes even doing nothing. Ain’t that just life? None of it struck me as cynical or corporate. I’ll leave off this already long review with my favorite quote from my favorite character, Hinata. It encapsulates the tone and ideals of this series perfectly.

“If you can still turn back, it’s not really a journey. When you hit the point of no return, that’s the moment it becomes a journey.”

[6.0/10]
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Ever spend the afternoon listening to those lo-fi hip-hop playlists on Youtube? The ones that play a long playlist of relaxing instrumentals over gifs of animated characters either studying, reading, or floating in outer space? If so, then you have probably experienced, through audio, the kind of feeling that Yuru Camp embodies and presents to you. The chirping birds and licking of river water as it wraps around the rocky shoreline. A group of students out at campsites, under no threat, in no danger, with no drama, cooking food for one another and conversing about what they value. The term here is “laid-back”, and the ... show translates that for its title.

The series here follows Shima Rin as she camps out in various locations around Mount Fuji, from lakes to open fields. Along the way, she meets Nadeshiko, a spunky, goofy pink-haired girl that has a similar, yet louder passion for camping. Later, we realize they go to the same school and lo-and-behold there is even a camping club, because of course there is, with a few other equally cute girls with a seemingly diehard passion for sleeping in linen huts outside. That’s our story. No less and no more.

From here we venture into their day-to-day lives. Without the burden of classes, social interaction, or growth for anyone but maybe Rin towards the end of the series. It really feels like a flatline in the best possible way, I suppose. As in, the line here is “comfort” and the series encapsulates that comfort as well as it can within the parameters it draws. These parameters being the set locations during the winter in the small vicinity around where these characters live in Japan. It isn’t for everyone but fortunately, it offers a lot to the crowd that really seems attached to the iyashikei presentation with a healthy dollop of feel-good humor.
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[Camping Under the Stars and Presentation]

Funny faces, chibi inspired designs, and crackling campfires, Yuru Camp isn’t going to blow you away visually. Much like the rest of the series, it often has an air of decentness that you can’t help but acquiesce to after a few episodes roll by without your notice. That’s kind of the charm of it. The character design is serviceable, without many standouts. Each girl has the expected wide pallet of hair-color and generally looks alright. Where the series, and the people making it, clearly put the most thought into was the honestly great variety of outfits worn. Now each one is a variation of winter-clothing, but they were never ridiculous or unbelievable and, throughout the runtime, each episode seemingly had a unique selection of designs to attach to these characters. Good stuff all around, here.

The music is also not anemic, thankfully. The opening is catchy, the closer is quite frankly the best track in the series, and there enough background tunes to keep you engaged and on occasion bob your head to. Similar to those lo-fi hip-hop beats, that kind of melodic, unobtrusive, and relaxing feeling is injected into the soundtrack.

There is also nothing licentious here. Everything doesn’t feel like it is there to sell sex. While this is something I hate to bring up in every anime I seem to review, it is a problem that just plagues this medium. While this series is easily pandering to a certain crowd, it’s not doing so through sexual means and is never obnoxious about it and I will gladly take a series that doesn’t drill sexual fanservice into your eyes every chance it gets. The entire thing feels wholesome, and a focus on sexualization would undermine that. The creatives seem to understand this and avoid it. Even the scenes in the hot springs are very neutral and don’t have anything sleazy under the hood. Thumbs up for that.

Overall, the presentation is solid. I might even call it above average. It is where I expect a show like this to be. The directing is generally unremarkable, but the music and the decent production more than make up for that. The voice acting didn’t blow my socks off but thankfully it avoids being shrill and loud.
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[Narrative, Characters, or Lack Thereof]

Deadpan high schoolers, eccentric glasses, and alcoholic teachers with seemingly no care for students, there really isn’t much to latch onto in this show. Of course, that’s my opinion and I’m sure for some just the serene experience of the whole thing can be enough. The atmosphere here is exceptional, but the characters that inhabit the atmosphere are about as normal as they come. Each one possesses a very minuscule amount of quirks or habits that didn’t do much to intrigue me. While you could argue that’s the point and the series wasn’t trying to intrigue me, I can’t help but feel like they could’ve done more with these characters.

Of course, a show without a shred of conflict is just that, though, a show without a shred of conflict. Conflict grows characters and the deepest conflict here is often running out of food to eat. Again, that’s the point, but there really should’ve been more to the characters that we got to learn about as they bonded together. These girls, the four specific ones that took up most of the show, don’t change or give us, the viewer, anything to chew on other than pretty scenery and delicious looking food. Which is a plus, the food looks great and watching cute girls eat food is something I will unabashedly indulge in (especially when it isn’t obnoxiously over the top). Even Rin, our protagonist, who goes through the biggest “arc” of the series doesn’t get much to think about or ponder.

The lack of conflict is a flaw in entertainment value, but a flaw that I think will easily be looked past by the people specifically looking for a series that doesn’t have conflict and is an iyashekei. That’s kind of the sharp-end of criticism, though, the flaws I see are often not what someone else sees. The nonchalant atmosphere is nice to sit back and enjoy, however, I doubt I’ll be thinking back to this series as something memorable or worth revisiting.

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[Conclusion]

Do you want an overtly wholesome parade of cute anime girls camping? The comedy here isn’t in abundance, but it’s there. It’s okay for anime comedy, too, occasionally making me breath air out of my nose. Yuru Camp relies on expectations more than anything. What do you want and ultimately, what engages you as a viewer? A lot of the flaws here, beyond some of the awkward CG vehicles and weaker animated segments are exceedingly subjective. It’s hard to argue that this series isn’t feel-good and it’s almost impossible for me to say I didn’t like a good portion of it. Even the slower moments were relaxing as all hell, and while the ideas presented here may feel myopic to some viewers, none of it felt tepid. Even the truly “laid-back” moments, which manifested in five-minute segments of almost no dialogue, relaxing music, and maybe some monologuing, are relatively easy on the eyes and will, on more than one occasion, make you feel what this show is trying to make you feel. Comfortable.

Oh, and camping. This series makes you camp. Regardless of interesting characterization, what Yuru Camp does most well at is the meticulous creation of the scenarios at hand, here. A lot of the series is based on easy-reveals and drama-less conflict-resolution that feels good. For example, your hands are cold because it is cold out. You take your hand warmers and place them in your hands and exhale happily. That is a drama-less resolution, especially when one of your good friends walks up behind you and passes the hand-warmers to you and you smile and greet them.

This continues simply with the fact that the original creators of the manga this series is based on smartly made it set during the winter. A cold time that can often feel lonely alone. So of course, Rin, our lone-warrior of cute camping girls, ends up coming around and finding friends to camp with. Of course, there will be multiple scenes of snuggling up with yourself in a sleeping bag and cosplaying caterpillars. Because that’s cute, and you can probably imagine just how warm that feeling is and in turn you are suddenly in a place of comfort and relaxation. I commend the series for these smart creative choices that made for a better watch.

Then it’s the minuscule details to continue this streak of excessively unrealistic but ultimately satisfying interactions. Such as texting your friend at night and getting a response immediately. It almost never happens in the real world but damn it if it doesn’t feel good when it does happen. Sharing a vista with a close one. Cooking food for someone and ultimately getting that favor returned by them later. Sharing a laugh. Admiring a sunset. Looking over the lake and not caring about tomorrow because hopefully today will last forever.

These are all great qualities and don’t let my above-average score fool you. If you are seeking something like this, this may be the best show of the season for you. It is very time-oriented. If I was going through an excessively difficult time in real life and I threw this show on, at night, by myself, I would have most likely enjoyed it even more. Note that. Value what you value and don’t let this wholesome series slip by you.

[9.5/10]
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The duality of yourself. A creature which, through no fault of its own, dons many masks, many personalities, many interpretations. How do you act on your first date? How do you act on your fourth? Is it different now that you are comfortable with one another? Can you finally be who you truly are? The idea of duality is what Satoshi Kon strived to analyze through his filmography. This idea, that the life you live isn't just one experience, one person, but many that live alongside one another, battling for control.
In Paprika, one of the greatest anime films ever, we see Kon at his ... most dreamlike, but ironically at his most lucid as well, explaining his beliefs in the bluntest way he ever had before.

Drawing truth from fiction, drawing reality from dreamscapes, drawing anything, at any time. Paprika feels like a piece of his soul that has stayed with us after his untimely departure because it very much feels like his story more so than any other film he's ever made. The character Toshimi, specifically, reminding me so much of Kon himself, a man who's constantly weighed down by his past, reminiscing about what he became. It very much felt like a part of Kon, one of his personas.

And so I sit years after I originally watched this film and, with fresh eyes, consume it once more. Devouring the frames with hearty indulgence and nearly suffocating from Kon's own decadence. A film which inspired Hollywood blockbusters and young, unknown creatives alike. Put simply, a feast for the mind and eyes, Paprika is a testament to the power of animation.

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[Waking/Dreaming]

We are vessels. Our bodies are objects moved by the mind. The mind being an inexplicable source of coding and crackling synapses and nerve-ends that not only speak to itself but to everyone around us. Limited only by ourselves. When the vessel rests, the mind doesn't. The mind, for whatever reason, wanders into plains that are otherwise unexplored. A dreamscape that is as undefined and inexplicable as anything we can imagine.

The idea that every object that blinks into our unconscious while the vessel is awake somehow plays a role in the dreamscape is an interesting discovery. We cannot create a face, we cannot create another vessel through ideas, so it must come from experience. And that experience shapes the entirety of the dreamscape that we inhabit once resting. This dreamscape that not only exposes our inner-most fears and desires but eclipses our understanding ten-fold.

Now imagine you had a device to experience your dreamscape vividly, lucidly, without the restrictions of fleeting memory that takes away these momentous experiences. Now imagine you could use this device on anyone. Seeing everything that they are without the barrier of tact, shyness, and reservedness. You can strip someone bare with this device and see their other side. The side that is uninhabited by worldly concerns.

Paprika is that. As a character, and as a film that is titled after the character. Paprika is Atsuko's alter-ego, her unhinged, dream-fueled, pixie. The savior. The kind of person we could be if we were living without a whim. That person who she wants to be, at least when her vessel is dormant. However, that is someone she can't be because she has a job, she is weighed down by obligation, by ethics, by tact, by everything that makes us self-conscious humans.

This device, the DC-Mini, is that fuzzy screen into a world which we don't understand. The story that is at the center of Kon's metaphor is simple. The DC-Mini was hijacked to commit a form of mental terrorism that infuses dreams with one another and ultimately drives people mad. We are taken on a whirlwind journey through dreamscapes, confusing reality with dreams and vice versa. Through this we see ideas form that otherwise wouldn't exist, and the blueprint for inspiration to arise.

As we follow Atsuko and detective Toshimi as they battle themselves and the terrorists, we begin to unfurl Kon's incredible work in subtly establishing what it means to be us. What we can learn from something that isn't real. Which, for me, is the main point of this film, the meta-commentary, the fourth wall breaking concept that changed the way I perceived entertainment.

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[Color, Sound, and Experience]

This is Madhouse's best work bar none. They are responsible for all of Kon's films and they are at their best when working with the mind of the auteur. Colors are vivid, the animation is plentiful, and the experience is unforgettable. It isn't necessarily "mind-bending", as someone may say, but it isn't supposed to be.

It is supposed to be enveloping, like a cacoon. The first scene expresses this idea perfectly. We are taken through an incredible amount of sequences in a short span of time that show exactly what the dreamscape is capable of. From scene to scene with impeccable match-cuts by Kon, only to end it with an astounding introduction credits sequence to match, as Paprika dances through the streets of Japan and becomes real, in a sense.

Susumu Hirasawa composes one of the best soundtracks ever, as well. Particular tracks stick with you for years and match scenes perfectly. My favorite being "Parade", a cacophonous mixture of synth and vocal-chopping that is unlike anything I've ever heard and is reprised multiple times throughout the film in jaw-droppingly eccentric ways.

Lastly, I can't mention presentation without Kon's utterly unbelievable storyboards. If you have never looked up this man's storyboards then you are missing out. Coming from a Manga background, his storyboards are bursting with life and often consume more than one "frame" at a time, blending into one another. This creates for incredibly detailed frames that are replicated by the Madhouse staff. They are astounding. I could go on about the dream sequences, but I rather mention a somewhat overlooked segment, when Atsuko goes to investigate the small apartment of one of the suspects. This apartment is overflowing with creepy dolls and knick-knacks. The detail in every cut here is unlike anything you'll ever see.

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[Truth from Fiction]

The theme of the waking world and the dreaming world has been well-researched and analyzed by many. I think Kon, choosing to adapt work with these ideas is no coincidence. He's a man that is clearly thinking inwards, expressing himself through the products he meticulously created through years of hard work. I see him in every frame, and to a certain extent, every character, because I feel like he is seeing himself in his own creations as well.

I want to talk about the idea of truth from fiction, and what exactly makes that such a powerful statement that is exposited towards the end of the film. Sure the climax is huge and blockbuster-like, which is honestly one of the only elements I can truly criticize from this film, the idea that ultimately stuck with me the most is that of fiction leaving an impact like no other. Kon is deservedly meta in this film. As in, a lot of parallels are drawn between the movie and movies all together. From the dreams of Toshimi involving his past as a wannabe director to his dreams being surrounded by film and those films being Kon's own work.

We derive information from these moments. The themes in entertainment stay with us more so than any kind of indoctrinated lecture on morality we might hear from our parents or teachers in our school. Entertainment is a form of positive reinforcement. It teaches through enjoyment (or lack thereof) of a product. One of my friends cites her fascination with Harry Potter as a child as one of the reasons she became who she is. She molded herself to fit the kind of person she thought would be heroic within that world, and that world is exactly what inspired her to be such a great person.

I can say the same about myself and other pieces of entertainment. And while I may not be a great person in the eyes of some, I do think I harbor morality, and logical ethics, not from reading Aristotle or Hobbes, but from seeing their ideas manifest in contemporary products that influence me without knowing. And that is exactly what Paprika is commenting on. Influence through the unconscious, because dreams are the unmistakable explosion of the unconscious, letting everything we have soaked up within that day, week, year, decade ultimately show itself in incomprehensible forms that only our unconscious can learn from.

As time elapses, we, without our own knowledge, grow from that. Establish ideas from that. Gain new insight from that. Look no further than the most influential piece of entertainment on the planet. The Bible. How the ideologies it popularized ripple throughout the entirety of the world, making itself visible in every facet of culture. Whether you are atheist, Agnostic, or religious, the holy texts and their most core and relevant values have influenced you whether you like it or not. To a lesser extent, that is exactly what every kind of entertainment does.

That is what I take from Paprika. Not just the theme of the duality of myself. Whether that be the way I act anonymously, on the internet, and in person, on the street. Or the way I am with friends versus strangers, or the way I conduct myself professionally versus casually. Where different situations warrant a facade, a mask which the majority of us wear daily. See that mask crack and fall apart once you close your eyes and let your mind run. Run into the deepest, most depraved crevices of your lusts, of your fascinations, of your ideologies. Let it erupt into fireworks of ideas, insights, and evolutions. It is unhinged.

That theme, that theme specifically, isn't even what makes Paprika so great. It is the commentary on entertainment as a whole. The truth we see in fiction. The truth we see around us, and realizing that it is no different. It is one and the same. That is, in a harrowing sense, what we are as humans. Without that, our life would not be a life of a human. It would lack ethics, it would lack morals, it would lack logistics, everything that separates us from the animals we see. Without that, our life would have no spice. No Paprika.

[6.0/10]

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Y'know what? I think this OVA was better than the majority of season two. It brought back a lot of the charm that I missed with Konosuba's second outing and instead of recycling the same jokes and creatures, they ended up giving us a cute story that was just good enough, in my opinion.

Season two was bogged down by stale character dynamics that were already getting old in season one. It also didn't employ any of the tactics its similar sitcom brethren tend to add to their second seasons, such as an additional cast member or a small over-arching narrative. Instead, we got the ... same old stuff. To the point where the series was re-using creatures from the first season to virtually the same results. It was a bit of a bore. While it improved as it went on, it was still disappointing when compared to the first season.

With this OVA, it provides exactly what I've missed in this series. Goofy antics and characters in a slice-of-life adventure, but also some originality. While the dynamics are as banal as ever, what ends up elevating this episode is the frantic pace and constant progression of the isolated narrative. From the rather mediocre second season, we get a surprisingly sweet detour with the OVA that thankfully doesn't focus on the unbearable fan-service that the first season's OVA became plagued by.

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[Robots, Masochism, and Fangirls]

This story starts with Kazuma realizing that his reputation has increased in this starter-town. So much so that he even has a fan now! Her name is Ran and her design is utterly hideous. Distractedly so. Konosuba generally has solid, if a little lazy designs, but this character who plays a solid secondary role in this episode was difficult to look at. Regardless, she's there to create the main conflict for Kazuma.

She explains how much of an inspiration he is for her, and in regular Kazuma fashion, he lets that get to his head. He flaunts his successes. Firstly, being the eradication of a massive golem, and the second being the excavation of some secret ruins. This of course leads to two separate, yet equally entertaining flashbacks that make up the meat of the episode.

We even get some potentially cannon lore about the previous, Japanese visitor that roamed this world before Kazuma, which was fun. The story, in predictably comedic ways, ends up creating some solid sequences of both action and banter that, while undoubtedly cliche for the series, are ultimately fun enough. That's the easiest way to describe the OVA. Fun enough. It isn't standing out in any way, but then again it is a comedy anime and it is an isekai and it does have fans to please. If all those things add up to something it is relatively predictable humor and character interactions.

If you weren't a fan of a screaming blue-haired god or an eccentric loli or a masochistic warrior, then I doubt you'd enjoy this. There isn't much new here. But there is a charm in the old, especially during the glimpses where I felt like I was back in the first few episodes of season one, seeing these characters for the first time and truly loving this series. While these moments didn't last long, they were there. One such moment involved some wicked banter before the Golem attacked. While I always seem to shit-talk this series for its less-than-creative character dynamics, when these four are stuck together and are bouncing off each other, there is enjoyment to be had. It's only when they become separated where you begin to truly see just how shallow these characters are in terms of the kinds of insights and reactions they can provide.

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[Key Frames, Smears, and Color]

The animation is in-line with the rest of the series. They thankfully don't rely on goofy faces taking up the majority of the punchlines because while that felt unintentional and funny in season one, it quickly became overdone and forced in season two. The animation here is as cartoony as the series usually is.

Low-detail models and wonky over-exaggerated character animation has always been the highlight of the presentation in this series. Their use of smears in the fill-frames is great and makes for really elastic and entertaining models to play around with. The presentation apart from that is very mediocre, of course. We still have a plethora of generic backgrounds that don't have any actual, interesting detail to them and of course the less-than-impressive directing.

I do want to shout-out the editing though, as it is quite good here. There are a few jump-cuts that got me to breath air out of my nose, and that's a good sign. Konosuba's abrasive music queues are still there and still hit-or-miss. We get some good moments where the music cuts and the character delivers a stinger, we also get the same swelling choir that we've gotten a hundred times before. These just get somewhat old.


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I'm quite happy with the way this OVA turned out! It could've easily been yet another pandering bore like the previous one, and it could've easily been just as boring as a lot of the first half of season two was. Instead, we got twenty-five minutes of frenetic moments that while yes, undoubtedly rested on this series' previously established laurels, occasionally recaptured the essence of what made the first season so lovable.

The series was never laugh-out-loud funny to me, but then again most shows aren't. It was always quaint and easy to enjoy. I hope that if we do end up getting a third season, that it follows route with the OVA and delivers more quests, more adventures, and less redundancy and repetitiveness.

[5.5/10]

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It would be natural to compare Kids on the Slope to Your Lie in April. Both series came around the same time, have a relatively similar premise, and are romances with the backdrop of music. I was wholly disappointed in Your Lie in April due to the writing, the hamfisted dialogue, the lack of nuance, the characters, and the inability for the series to let music breath and tell its own story.

So, with that knowledge, I was cautious going into Kids on the Slope. I was aware that it was a similar, romance-driven series that utilized music to occasionally back-end certain plot elements. I ... understood where this show was coming from. Unfortunately, I still couldn't help but feel disappointed with the fact that once again, this was an anime that simply refused to promote the elements it clearly excelled at.

Instead, Kids on the Slope regressed in its middle half and ended up only peaking its head from the fog of boring writing in the last couple episodes. This series Started off strong by establishing characters who I found quite endearing, such as the rambunctious and rough Kawabuchi. Our protagonist, Nishimi, who was never the highlight, struggles with the move to a new school in a new town. These characters were easy to buy and the friendship that springs up was decently believable. I liked how our protagonist had trouble fitting in due to his wealth, rather than the other way around. It created an interesting dynamic.

They ended up forming a small jazz-group that jammed out in the basement of a jazz shop. Nishimi was on the piano, Kawabuchi was on the drums, and Pops, the owner of said shop, was on the bass. It was a neat little idea that, for lack of a better word, felt cozy. Occasionally a fourth member would come over from Tokyo, Junichi, who would whip out the trumpet and jam out with them as well. These moments were the show at its best. We had character growth, some light-hearted comedy, and infinite potential for realization. Are they going to form a band? Will music help them in their personal lives? Will they grow closer to one another through their mutual interests?

Nope. None of that happens. The series chooses to focus on the romance. More specifically, a quasi-love rectangle that is as frustrating as it sounds. The majority of the series was light on music and heavy on melodrama, and while the melodrama was somewhat more palatable than the tedium that twenty-four episodes of Your Lie in April made me sit through, it wasn't without its utterly baffling and cliche moments. Miscommunication, characters unable to speak to one another, needlessly angry outbursts over nonsense. It was all the teenage romantic bullshit that I've seen too much of.

Which is all the more frustrating when it back-ends a genuinely good story of friendship between our two protagonists. It is ultimately such an annoying experience because friendship is honestly all someone needs to make a story interesting. The romance here felt so forced and injected simply to have drama suffocate this potentially engaging series. It wasn't bad, in fact, there were a few inspired moments that brought this show past its mediocrity when it wasn't getting bogged down by the romance, but it was far from as good as it could've been.

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[Characters, Story, and Music]

This friendship between Kawabuchi and Nishimi is the chain that grounds the series. It is also the beating heart of some of the most frustrating moments when their friendship is tested because of miscommunication and totally irrational, stubborn moments. Maybe Japanese boys are different but seeing two teenagers discuss girls was such an unsual experience in this series because they were being needlessly vague about their interests.

When I was a kid and I was discussing my infatuations with my friends, I was blunt and clear because, at the end of the day, we were two guys having a good time and talking about the girls we like was a quintessential teenage "thing". Especially when clarity is deathly important to avoid clear conflict. These hair-pulling moments where our protagonist could've avoided two episodes of bitching if he was clear to his friend is the biggest fault of the show. I simply couldn't enjoy the majority of these moments.

This is a bummer because there is a lot to enjoy here. The music, for one, is great. Unlike Your Lie in April and its incessant monologuing over every single musical moment in the series, Kids on the Slope was so smart to actually let its tunes breath. The moments where these characters are jamming out with one another and we see kinetic, frantic editing, hopping seamlessly from one instrument to the next, mixed with properly awesome animation is beyond entertaining. It's everything I wanted! I'm not a huge jazz-head, but seeing these scenes animated was flat-out exceptional. Specifically, the drumming had some ludicrously well-animated cuts.

As I said, these moments are few and far between, especially during the middle-half of the show, where episodes drag on seemingly endlessly as one romantic interest fades and another blooms. One moment, Nishimi is walking down the street and monologues, "why can't we stop falling in love with each other?" I don't know! Why can't you? The idea that romance is needed to make anything interesting is such a cliched, old idea that I can't imagine why they have to force these characters in these situations. I was a teenager, I remembered the moments of infatuation, and then I remember waiting a few weeks and those feelings faded and I realized they were simply infatuations. There were no big, emotional, tear-soaked outbursts that defined my life and that's perhaps why I can't relate to these kinds of melodramatic shows.

It's just boring. Even when the series begins wrapping up and getting into the final three episodes, injecting some much-needed life into this wilting flower. I was already kind of soured to the experience. What I did appreciate was the subversion in the last episode, where instead of going the obvious route they pulled a fast one on the viewers and we got a somewhat melancholy conclusion. Unfortunately, it was reverted, somewhat, however, I was okay with it since it focused more on our protagonist's friendship than it did on convincing us that these fifteen-year-old boys were experiencing true love.

The main love interest here is Ritsuko and I just think they dropped the ball on her character. Not only was she simply not developed at all, but she lacked any distinguishing personality traits that were so good in characterizing the other two protagonists. But frankly, her flaws were awful. Not in the sense that they made her unlikeable, but rather that they were the same flaws that every character like her has. She's shy and soft-spoken. And this is pushed to an extreme with her voice actress seemingly trying to make her voice as squeaky as humanly possible. That didn't help. I swear I was listening to a dog-whistle in a few scenes.

The conclusion and semi-twist that occurs does help her character a little, but at that point, it is just too late. The same can be said about the majority of side-stories here. The only one that had any actual impact on the character's and their development was Junichi's detour which occurred in the latter half of the series. It was decent. The biggest positive here is that it trimmed down this love-rectangle and made it more palatable. Every other side-story was just pointless. Nishimi has father issues that seemingly resolve themselves and are made to seem like a bigger deal than they were. Kawabuchi also has father issues which kind of play themselves out by the end. These stories really go nowhere.

Is it too much to ask for a series that focuses on the music if it wants to be considered a "music" show? Not only that, if you don't want to constantly be music-oriented, that's fine, but at least fill these gaps with entertaining material. Don't montage past the actual music-bits in favor of making room for yet another confession near a train. I swear, in this short series we had around four scenes that all had some kind of love-oriented moment in a train, where one character was looking from a moving train while another was looking at them from the station. Not only is that just a flat-out cliche at this point, but to use it that many times? Come on.

Overall the story here isn't all too engaging. It is serviceable if only because of the endearing friendships created. Friendships, as the series so bluntly puts it, last forever, and that is more resonant to me than some puppy love melodramatic bullshit that plagues these kinds of series'.

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[Presentation]

It's good. The art is consistent in quality and while the character designs aren't stand-out by any means, they are decent enough. The animation is okay until it comes time to flex those muscles in song and it becomes pretty incredible. The first moments we see Kawabuchi pick up a set of drumsticks and begin is so great because I wasn't expecting such a dedication to animating the drumming.

It felt like they had a separate animator come in for these moments as it was like I was looking at a different show. There was a lot of smears in these moments too, which further emphasized how dissonant the drumming scenes were from the rest of the series and its animation. Which isn't really a bad thing, I'm just happy these scenes were here because they brought some life into the jazz.

Apart from those specific moments, the presentation is consistent throughout. I can't say I saw a single episode where I could say was the "one" where they were clearly trying to save time by not animating as much as they could just to make room for the next musical moment. But even admitting that I can also say that there weren't enough musical moments to even warrant an episode like that in the first place.

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[Conclusion]

It is okay. I'm hard-pressed to say anything more than that. I'm happy that it turned out better than Your Lie in April in just about every way. The presentation was more consistent, the music was actually listenable because they decided to not speak over it, and the characters were significantly less frustrating to deal with. While it was covered, head to toe, in rampant romantic cliches, and they undoubtedly lowered my final score, they weren't enough to fully make this series something I regret watching.

Kids on the Slope didn't have enough of the slope. They brought up this hill a few times, however, it just wasn't enough of a theme to tie this show together. I interpreted it more as a metaphor for life rather than a literal slope they had to climb every day to school, but regardless, it could've been a bit sharper. What resonated the most with me, as it often does, is the friendship these characters experience. Dramatically, this series is at its best when it is dissecting friendship and the feelings one feels when they believe their friends are drifting away.

This element more relatable to me, because I personally can't relate to endlessly crying over high-school crushes when my relationships in high school were always a bit more relaxed and enjoyable than these endlessly melodramatic ones are. If you are looking for a series that is more romance than it is music, with more melodrama about being afraid to admit your feelings for someone than anything else, then Kids on the Slope might be perfect for you. It is wholly better than Your Lie in April simply because it didn't feel as though it was trying to wring tears out of me and failing miserably. It did have moments of inspiration and some genuinely touching scenes towards the end of the series. Unfortunately, Kids on the Slope struggled to climb that hill, as it was chained down by the weights of melodrama and unneeded romantic conflict.

[6.0/10]

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Humanity has Declined left me puzzled. Not necessarily out of confusion of whether I enjoyed the show or not. Spoiler, I did, but because I can't help but feel that if this series was more geared for "me", as someone with taste and emotion and certain biases, I would've down-right loved it. I think the best way I could describe Humanity has Declined is that of an audacious delight. Audacious because of the downright fascinating narrative choices, both in story and structure, and a delight because when everything wraps up at the end you are often times left going, "that was clever!" A series thats ... biggest flaw in my eyes is simply its creative deviations from what I prefer, which is the softest criticism I could ever air towards something, as my taste isn't necessarily the only thing good in the world.

It was as though it had multiple clashing personalities that fought for and against my love. On one hand, as I've said, it was incredibly audacious as a product, and pretty much, unlike anything I've seen. It had an exceedingly strange narrative structure, where its chronology was backward. On the other hand, it had surprisingly little character to it. Apart from the nameless Watashi, our candy-haired protagonist, who was established fairly well as the series went on, albeit not incredibly, she was virtually the only character who felt at all placed well within this series. In a thirteen episode show, where we burn through multiple characters in short two-episode arcs, I would expect more characterization from these established secondaries. Unfortunately, characters like Watashi's grandfather and employer whom she works for, who doesn't even have a character page on MAL, is almost non-existent in characterization. He appears quite often too!This issue extends throughout the majority of characters and I ultimately felt wholly uninterested in their scenes together.

The art had some gorgeous backgrounds yet somewhat lackluster animation, especially for such a short series. Once again, this duality clashes with my taste, and ultimately, just the way the story and characters played out wasn't to my taste. If these negatives seem to be a bit too strong then you have to understand my surprise at actually enjoying quite a bit of this series. Yes, because of its risky structure, sure, but also some genuinely inspired moments of both creativity and design. There were certain arcs that through me through multiple hoops only to have me land on my ass with a giant smile.

Let's look at that.

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[Character, Narrative, and this Crazy World]

Humanity has Declined has us follow this nameless protagonist, Watashi, translated as "I" in Japanese, as she describes situations at her job. She just so happens to have this job in a post-apocalyptic earth that had humanity, literally, decline and get destroyed, only to have this odd, distractingly cute fairy-race spring up. These odd creatures, standing just a few inches tall, are capable of sustaining themselves on everything fun, and when they are having fun, they reproduce, funny enough. They also just so happen to posess some pretty powerful kinds of world-altering magic that plays a role in every single arc in the series.

With this crazy, almost ludicrous setting to back-end this show, we visit Watashi and her less-characterized companions in their surreal and occasionally well-crafted adventures. From being stuck in a banana-infused time-loop to becoming trapped in a manga panel, there are a surprising amount of twists here. This series is as much a mystery as it is semi-dark comedy and fantasy adventure. Sure certain arcs really miss their mark, like the tedious space-explorer-robots-turned-humanoids arc that dragged and wasn't all too engaging, but overall this was impressive to me.

The narrative here, more so than anything else, shines. There are moments where you are completely and utterly lost. And that's clearly intentional. The creators chose to order this series in a strange chronology so we get introduced to this world in the opposite way these characters do, which creates for some odd whiplash at the end of the series. Even if there are certain moments of inspiration that come out of this structure, and certainly it had it's clever stings here and there, it ultimately didn't leave enough of an impression to feel integral to the way Humanity has Declined is presented.

With these off-the-wall narratives you might get frustrated at trying to figure out what exactly is happening. Which ended up happening to me, as I would pause the episodes and try to wrap my brain around why these events were placed the way they were. I'm happy to report that at the end of every arc we would get a natural resolution. Specifically, the timeloop arc being probably the funniest and most clever out of all of them, as we not only get a hilariously cheesy pun as the climax but also some authentically amusing mystery writing with engaging imagery to boot.

The arc that really ended up making me wary of this series is the "trapped-in-a-manga" detour. Which ended up being my favorite arc, as it was undoubtedly the most entertaining, but also, unfortunately, was easily the reason why this series never quite connected with me overall. This is where the actual issues with this series, more so than the character writing, really became clear to me as a viewer with heavy biases toward what I watch, as anyone would have.

I like my series to be thematically, and tonally coherent. When I say that I refer to the fact that while this series was, at its root, a fantasy-mystery-comedy hybrid, it really struggled with tying this world together. Being a surrealistic comedy, to me, isn't an excuse to shoehorn elements into a series that basically never get elaborated or even entertained as an actual element in the show. I don't think this issue I have is necesserally a flaw for certain people though, and it's hard to argue for or against because it relies so much on personal taste.

To make it even more clear. This issue I have with the series is something that I fully expect some people to not have at all, in fact, some may even encourage it. As surrealistic comedy is rare to come across now adays. I just think the surrealistic aspects of this show weren't bountiful enough to become a defining element of the series, and when utilized, they really didn't fit. Like, at all. Even the headless, feather-less chickens being a corporate entity, because yes, that's a story in this series, is surreal and wacky, and fairy magic is loosely defined on its utilities, but I feel like if we are to find verisimilitude within this world we need an element to rope these surrealistic moments together.

So we have characters being stuck in a manga panel. I love it. It provides some entertaining, meta-commentary on mangas and we get to see the cliche of these light novel and manga authors consistently jerk themselves off over how 'different' they are. I'll take it because meta-shit is tons of fun. But, lets take it a step further. This is obviously fairy magic to create what the fairies survive on. That in and of itself is pretty surreal and strange, even within this series. But that step further needs to also elaborate, to a certain extent, why these events don't permeate throughout the world!

The rest of the world seems to be normal, as in, the remaining humans living with one another and fairies hiding in plain sight. But you'd think that with this mind-bending and world-altering magic, we'd see more of it! No? I just found the entire thing to be a bit too much to fully grasp, especially with how loosely defined it was.

Even with that said though, the stories here were genuinely good, and apart from one, were all captivating in some way or another. It wasn't laugh-out-loud funny, but each arc definitely had a moment that made me chuckle fairly hard. Which is more than I can say about the majority of anime comedy I have the displeasure of watching. I think if you don't particularly care about this element I just criticized, then this show could truly be a hidden gem for you.

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[Art and Sound]

It's good. As I said, the art here is a it of a mixed bag. The backgrounds and general aesthetics here are solid as hell. In fact, they are downright excellent. Unfortunately, there is some lackluster animation and not many sequences of overly-impressive animation either, which is unfortunate for how short this series is. Overall, it's fine in the animation department. The biggest complaint in its presentation is its uninspired character designs. Even our protagonist took a bit to get used to for me. From her voice acting to her actual design, she was overall not too appealing to me. Thankfully, as the series progressed, she grew on me.

The character design overall struggles, though. From the secondaries to them majority of the fairies and characters, there is just too much banality in a world that is so focused on the surreal. If they really wanted to juxtapose the surreal elements with grounded designs then that would make sense, but our protagonist has fluffy, bright-pink hair, so I doubt that's the intent either.

The music is quite good, though. I rarely like anime music as it often just sounds the same to me. However, Humanity has Declined has some memorable moments. From the very Monogatari-esq mystery stings that occur every so often to the actually quite catchy opening and closing, these are elements i'm happy to praise!

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[Conclusion]

Overall, I hope you understand why this series can be confusing for me. Not from an enjoyment aspect, but from a recommendation aspect. If this series had more elements tailored towards my personal taste, I would have most likely thought it be one of my favorites. But, simply due to the audacious and surprising structure and stories told with remarkably well-crafted mystery stories, we have a show that totally nails certain elements.

I think this kind of thing can't be said about a lot of shows. Humanity has Declined feels like it is in a perpetual tug-of-war in my mind. One side is pulling for me to love the truly inspired elements, the other side is fighting vigorously for me to critique some of the design elements and even the overly-loose and limp interpretation of the more interesting aspects of the world. If you can look past that, and I don't mean that in a derogatory way, you will find a hidden gem with this series. It is genuinely, even when battling against some of my tastes, a lot of fun to watch.

I've been doing my best to not spoil some of the engaging moments seen here because I think they are best experienced through watching, not reading. It's a semi-dark comedy with a mystery slant that does not disappoint. Even if it doesn't look like "your kind of thing", hell, even if it doesn't feel like "your kind of thing" from your initial venture in, I recommend sticking with this short runtime for you may surprise yourself in what you end up taking out of it.

[7.5/10]
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A testament to the episodic format, Little Witch Academia is, at least in the first half, closer to a Saturday-morning cartoon from the west than it is any anime that I've seen. It made me nostalgic. Nostalgic to moments, years ago, which I hardly even remember. The lazy, early mornings, having a hand resting on my shoulder slowly pushing me awake. My eyes fluttering open and the sight of a loved one telling me to get my breakfast. Running down the stairs and being greeted by a bowl of cereal and my favorite cartoon.

Put frankly, the first thirteen or so episodes of Little Witch ... Academia were exactly as wonderful as "The Enchanted Parade." This first half was the most wholesome and enjoyable experience I had in anime since I watched Nichijou. It felt as though, through my older eyes, I was thrust into a new, quirky world that I got to uncover through the images shown and through the experiences of our protagonist. It was so rewarding to appreciate the intricacies that Trigger is known for, the tiny details that would ultimately go unnoticed by anyone who isn't keenly paying attention for them.

The utterly amazing character designs which I praised endlessly in my "Enchanted Parade" review. The wonderful, lively, eccentric character animation that fully breathed life into every soul that enters Luna Nova. So much so that recurring tertiary characters were often more memorable than the majority of secondary characters in other shows. While the series didn't have the kind of consistent animation of the OVA's, what I really enjoyed were the few episodes that clearly had the most visual effort put into them.

The first half was pure joy. However, what detracts from the show was a second half that really struggled in creating an actual narrative to follow. The narrative it did create was at best, serviceable, at worst, everything I don't like about action anime. From an absurd, over-the-top, nonsensical climax that is rife with plot-holes and contrivance, to a lack of secondary characters and actual, emotional connections. The second half wasn't bad, per say, it was just such a drastic turn from the wonderful and endlessly love-able first half. Little Witch Academia is a family show with exceptional characters, and I felt like it's attempt at a more focused narrative didn't deliver as much as I would have wanted.

Little Witch Academia, towards its final stretch, buckles under the weight of expectation. When creating an anime you are expected to have these bombastic resolutions, where the soundtrack flairs and the characters yell loudly and tears are shed and while I do, honestly, adore these characters and felt completely empathetic towards them, all of these potential emotions were drained out by how grandiose and absurd the finale ended up being. From happy slice of life to world-ending threat in the span of a few episodes.

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[Character and Narrative]

Similar to my thoughts on The Enchanted Parade and the first OVA, the characters in Little Witch Academia carry this show. But that's exactly what characters do. A great story doesn't make good characters, good characters make a great story. In fact, characters are perhaps the single most important element of a film or series. Without them, even the most captivating world would be dry and witless. What carried me through this series' less interesting moments was always just how attached I was to the characters.

Specifically Akko, who at first reminded me of Yuuko from Nichijou, with her blind, ditsy optimism and relentless energy. I loved her arc, hell, I loved her. She's the best. I eagerly followed some of the forums from episode to episode as I watched this series, trying to see what people were saying as it aired, and to my surprise I saw such a negative outlook on Akko and her entire arc as a character.

From what I saw, people not only expected, but wanted a character that was more overpowered, more capable, smarter, and all these elements that define the majority of anime protagonists. From what I saw, for some crazy reason, people were criticizing Akko for actually have admitted flaws. I think once I saw that, I quickly understood just how different my opinions and expectations for the television I watch are, especially when compared to the more broad anime audience. I was baffled by just how many people didn't even bother to appreciate what Trigger was going with her with character. Which honestly made me realize exactly why the second half, which I didn't like remotely as much as the first, was better received by that audience. They wanted the loud, abrasive, bombastic action where the protagonist pulls out massive, overpowered moves that solve world-ending conflicts. Meanwhile, I just want a cute, wholesome series about friends overcoming conflict that feels grounded in a charming, magical world. Because that's what this series was!

To continue to address Akko's characterization, this young Japanese girl, who has absolutely no history of magic in any of her family, is the first student in Luna Nova without said magical background. Luna Nova being the Hogwarts of this universe. Unlike a character like Harry Potter, who was always destined for greatness and came with powerful talents, Akko was relatively hopeless, even after she found Shiny Rod, a celestial staff that was once wielded by her hero, the entertainer, Shiny Chariot. Even with this potentially powerful weapon, she still endlessly struggled through her schoolwork, and that was the prominent focus of the first half of this series.

While the initial episodes were episodic in that they contained a narrative that was resolved within that episode, the over-arching story was about school and learning. Which I think the majority of people can relate to. Akko entered this school trying to be like her hero, however, she didn't posses any of the knowledge to actually succeed. In fact, she was abrasive and downright stupid in a lot of her beliefs. Akko thought that she could succeed simply through believing, and that made her almost drop out. This arc, following her rude awakening and the ultimate catharsis felt when she finally put wand-to-magic and began to truly work hard was infinitely more appealing than any other story-focused element delivered in this series. Not only because it was a story that felt grounded, yet delightful because of the world it is set in. But because, through this episodic half, we got an insight into Akko's attitudes and the obvious flaws within them.

Like it or not, this is neat characterization. You can't succeed through just believing. You have to work hard. When Akko ultimately does, we, as viewers, finally get to see her using the magic she learns to succeed in more difficult tasks and we grow with her. This connection that was formed between viewer (me) and the protagonist was wondrous because of this. This is without even mentioning just how great some of these side-stories are, especially since a lot of them focused on the wonderful secondaries. The surreal Sucy-episode, where we got to see the inner-mechanisms of the most mysterious student's mind, all storyboarded by the venerable Hiroyuki Imaishi from Gurrenn Lagann and Kill la Kill fame. Other stories include some fun cartoon tropes, such as the love potion, and others are simply there due to the world created, such as broom-races, which end up being some of my favorite outings of the series. Not only because it clear just how much effort was put into animating these episodes, but because they all exuded so much character and fun, providing that nostalgic feeling I talked about.

A lot of Little Witch Academia's plot elements are hinted at through background details and surprisingly subtle character moments. Which is great. I think these moments work so well because of how invested we are in these characters.

There is a lot of subtext and meta-commentary in this series too. The more obvious ones being gags in reference to other Trigger shows, like one episode paying total homage to Gurrenn Lagann, to other moments referencing various western cartoons, which is natural since Trigger seems to have an infatuation with them. There is meta-commentary on the state of critics and reception and negativity within the entertainment industry, too, which wasn't too subtle, but was fun to have none-the-less. A permeating theme of characters, which were entertainers, being driven to brash decisions based on the reception of their audience. The parallel here being to the entertainment industry within the real world. This felt so preposterously ironic because It felt as though this series was victim to that too. I felt much more passion in these more episodic stories that built towards the end-goal in the first half, and the few we had in the second half, than just about anything within the main narrative of the series.

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[Visuals and Sound]

Similar to most Trigger shows, the character design here is amazing. I won't go on about this, since I'm pretty sure I wrote a whole thesis on it in my Enchanted Parade review. The design is, ultimately, perfect. The way each character is characterized through distinct eyes is wonderful. The lines are pretty thin and the designs are simplistic in the sense that the characters themselves don't harbor an immense amount of detail, which makes character animation easier and it actually breathes more life into these characters. Giving them all unique attributes through animation.

The animation, while not remotely as impressive and consistent as the OVAs, was pretty good overall. Certain episodes looked utterly breathtaking, such as the the Sucy episode that I'm sure is a fan favorite of many, the broom-race episode, and even the Wild Hunt one. As I already said, these more episodic moments were filled with passion for the product, and it left me feeling as though this was what the creator wanted to do the most. Which I wish he had, and didn't pander to the fans that needed some kind of silly, shoehorned narrative to strangle this series towards its conclusion.

The sound was solid as well. There were certain stings that were more memorable than others. The first OP and second ED were solid as well. The more classical swells in the emotional scenes were surprisingly poignant, though, although I think the reason a lot of the emotional scenes were so affecting was due to the characters and not the music.

What I do want to point out is that the voice acting here is generally pretty top-notch. I'm not one to constantly notice Japanese voice acting as easily as I can notice exceptional performance in English television and film, however, here it is very clear. Especially Akko's voice actress, Megumi Han, is spectacular in her role and provides so many amazing inflections and cadences. She's a true standout.

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[Conclusion]


The first half to Little Witch Academia is unrestrained near-perfection. It was a testament to the wonders that an episodic show can do. Just because something is episodic, narratively, doesn't mean it can't have character growth, and seeing Akko go from optimistic believer to optimistic doer may have been the single most inspiring thing I've seen on television in years. I was genuinely inspired by this this ditsy girl, and I think that alone warrants huge praise, since my hard, cold exterior is hard to break through.

The second half wasn't without merit, as some of the episodic stories were great there, and even some of the more cliche story beats within the main narrative were emotionally powerful simply due to the connection already established with our protagonist and her professor, Ursula. I think their bond, as well as Diana's arc, carried a lot of this series' weaker elements. Speaking on those, the finale was too over-the-top for me. I think it wasn't properly built up and the entire thing felt much too stupid. A bombastic, trigger-esq finale for a series like Kill la Kill was natural since the series was absurd and over-the-top from the get-go, but here it just felt shoehorned. The final scene in the finale was great, but that's because it was restrained and pulled back to the character beats we fell in love with at the start of the series, pulling Akko's wonderful arc closed in a somewhat messy, yet cathartic way.

I hardly even had to touch on my other negative of this series, the romance elements, but this problem, while semi-persistent, was never too distracting. I honestly feel like romance didn't belong in this series. While thankfully it wasn't as distracting as a lot of anime is, with endless, exploitative lesbian-bait and senseless fanservice, which this show thankfully had none of, the tame romance was unnecessary as well. Although I think my view on this is slightly skewed because of how obsessed with romance the fans are, from "shipping" characters to constantly reading into every scene as if it has something to do with the creators trying to hint at these characters falling in love. It was just needless. That being said, it didn't actually play a huge role and I never felt as though it fully ruined anything for me.

Little Witch Academia was an excessively fun experience. While the second half dips in quality due to the series losing sight of what made me love it so much in the first place, the episodic first half built such a strong connection to the characters that I was still wholly invested in the majority of this show's cliched story. It wasn't as good as The Enchanted Parade OVA, which promptly blew me away, but it had it's own positives as well. More characterization of the side characters, specifically Diana who was more of a main character by the end, and a deeper look at what makes this intriguing world tick. I loved that. Trigger's focus on minutia shows, and the elements that were left subtle were incredibly rewarding to notice.

The entire series was reliant on its characters though. I'll repeat once more, every character in this show is great. Even the love interest, Andrew, has his own set of interesting character-related emotional battles to fight that I actually felt connected to. Each character, or, in this case, person, brings something unique and interesting to the table. While the climax left me a little high and dry, the conclusion to these character arcs still left me feeling warm inside. Watch this series, not for the world, not for the animation, and definitely not for the story. Watch for the characters. They will live in your mind forever, and you wouldn't want it any other way.

[9.0/10]

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Going through the OVAs for Little Witch Academia before I dig into the series is exactly what I needed during a lazy afternoon. Mixing childish Sunday-morning nostalgia and utterly impeccable presentation, LWA's second OVA, The Enchanted Parade, is an utter joy to experience. With explosive character animation, beautiful design, and endlessly love-able characters injected into a Harry Potter-esq modern world breathed new life into me.

We follow Atsuko "Akko" Kagari, an adorable optimist that struggles with her witch schoolwork yet, with the support of her two equally cute friends, Sucy and Lotte, ultimately succeeds where it matters most. It's a story that is as old ... as time, really, the idea of our protagonist being an underdog and forced to work with friends to become better. Yet, when done right, this story is as timeless as it is old. Especially when you get so many unique voices and solid direction into the mix.

That's exactly where LWA succeeds in its narrative based storytelling. What it is sharing with us is somewhat generic and simplistic, but the way it goes about sharing is what stands out. If you aren't as much about aesthetic as I am, then you may disagree with me, but I see not only potential, but realization within the world in front of me. That's more than I can say about the majority of television I watch.

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[Aesthetic, Narrative, and Character]

I don't usually lump all of these categories together, yet I think they all play off one another. The first OVA from 2013 was enchanting and beautiful, this OVA is on a completely other level, in my opinion. I expected the beautiful people at Trigger to tone down the fidelity of animation with this almost hour-long project, yet they upped the anti. My jaw was agape the majority of my watch, so much so that the ice-cream I was supposed to be eating melted.

This project looks utterly astounding. From the gorgeous key-frames to the energetically pronounced and blurred fill-frames, there doesn't seem to be a single moment where Trigger had to time-save on this project, which makes it infinitely more lively. People seem to not understand just how much impressive aesthetic can actually do for the narrative. I wouldn't be remotely as attached and enamored by these characters if the way they were animated wasn't so lively and notable.

For the same reason I consistently praise Kyoto Animation for their exceptional character animation, I will say that Trigger stepped up their game notoriously for this OVA. If you don't know, character animation is the animation that is relegated to making a character's personality shine through the presentation. As in, giving characters unique animation that expounds or develops their established personality traits.

For example, Akko is an optimistic and lively girl, so her animation reflects that. She's constantly flinging her arms around, doing all kinds of wacky things in the background, even her walk-cycle is different than that of someone like Sucy, who is restrained and quiet. Something as tiny as a walk-cycle or the way she picks an object up makes all the difference. These differences shouldn't go unnoticed because they make or break characters for me. Beyond just the aesthetically incredible character designs which, at this point, is synonymous with Trigger's team, they offer not only a variety of characters, but a variety of captivating personalities through the way these characters are presented. Through their movement you learn about them, and that is so refreshing.

Especially when you realize that a huge amount of anime, especially television anime is very low on character animation. Most characters utilize similar movements and animations because that saves time, effort, and budget, focusing on elements a lot of producers or directors may view as "more important," when in reality, character is the most important and character animation should never be ignored.

Enough about the aesthetic. It's perfect. It is literally perfect. I wouldn't change a single thing about the way The Enchanted Parade looks. From the engaging world of the witch academy to the tiny details that are speckled through each students rooms, from knick-knacks to posters, giving you insight on who they are. The visuals here are beyond what I expect. They are cartoony to an extreme, but that is what makes them all the more unique within the current generation of anime.

When it comes to character, as in, the way characters are written, they are expressive simply due to the aesthetic behind them. Sure these characters aren't explosively three dimensional as people, but the base traits they were given are continuously expanded upon through the presentation and ultimately creates people I am charmed by. You see just how important aesthetic and minutia can be to get you attached to someone? It doesn't have to be intricately written character arcs with complex emotions, it can be something as silly as three base character traits and clear motivations all lined up well under the umbrella of care given by the people animating and writing this project.

The story of the Enchanted Parade follows Akko as she tries to show the cynical, human world just how awesome witches are, especially since the non-magical people aren't too into witches. What makes Akko instantly like-able is the fact that she comes from a non-magical background, making her not only relate to the non-magical humans she's speaking to, but giving her an alien-vibe within the academy she attends. She's the underdog you can't help but root for, and is a solid twist on the "outcast" trope.

From this motivation she has a rough go-about proving this. From kids meddling with her plans to having a cliched falling out with her friends, everything is predictable. But in this case the predictability works because these OVAs have done so much to already make me care about these characters. I can't bother being critical of the predictable scenario when I want these characters to succeed nonetheless.

What also resonates with me is this stories focus on friendship. Which always is significantly more interesting than romance. Romance, I feel, lacks nuance when done poorly, to the point where it feels obnoxious to sit through. I can't begin to express how happy I am that this project didn't collapse into marketable romance bait, which it easily could have. Instead it is about friends overcoming something and that just warms my cold, cynical heart.

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[Sound]

I can't say much about this. The music is really solid and isn't inserted into the oft-groaned at J-pop craze that so much anime forces into their shows. A sweet orchestral backing helps sell scenes well, and thankfully it isn't over-indulged within, making it not overpower other scenes. It's good. What I do want to mention is how superb the sound-design is, though. All these little elements add up.

Every crunch and explosion is cartoony and energetic. It fits the aesthetic but also the charming world that these characters inhabit. I think this is a hard balance to strike, trying to maintain this level of cartoony-ness whilst not becoming a bit too much to handle, which can often result in mismatched comedy and poorly executed punchlines.

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[Conclusion]

What can I say, I was thoroughly in love with this second OVA. The Enchanted Parade was nearly perfect to me. I think the biggest flaws was the cliched narrative and character beats that felt mandatory to strike, but even they are easy to look past because of how love-able these characters are. Not just from the unique voice acting and the utterly wondrous character design, but also the animation being so unbelievably exceptional. It creates a realistic connection to these characters that so much anime lacks.

These potentially caricature-esq characters get so much well-deserved life breathed into them from this undeniably passionate team of animators that probably slaved away over hundreds of hours of meticulous animation that was required just for some of the unnoticed cuts that seem to slide right past an every-day viewers radar. It not only injects characters with life, but the world as well, making me eager to see what else this series has to offer.

Little Witch Acadamia : The Enchanted Parade is what I want to believe the main series is going to be like. While I'm not expecting this level of unbelievable animation, what I do want is the continued focus on lively character animation and cartoony cuts that make me nostalgic, remembering waking up at seven AM for school, and chomping on cereal as my favorite cartoon plays on the television.

6.0/10

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Exploitation done right, Devilman: Crybaby is what I endlessly want the over-abundance of overly-pulpy overly-rediculous anime to be like. One of the only redeeming factors of Devilman, adapted by the venerable Masaaki Yuasa, is the astounding soundtrack. Everything else really doesn't shine as bright as I'd hoped, but what I got instead was a thoroughly unhealthy meal. A massive dollop of cheese mixed in with a hard-to-swallow cacophony and exploitation-era brutality that was endlessly easy to indulge in.

That's what a plethora of anime is missing. A medium which is often bathing in pulp, you'd expect these kinds of elements to really shine in many ... of the anime of this nature. However, leave it to the America-based company, Netflix, to do what I wish a lot of anime had the uncensored cojones to do. Indulge in ludicrousness. In the spirit of the 70s, Devilman really just is. It isn't a specific thing, either, it just is. Period.

With Yuasa-infused visuals lies a barrage of sex, violence, and rock and roll, or should I say synth-electronic dubstep-esq fusion. Quintessential marks of a long-gone era when the censors in Japan seemed lighter and the possibilities seemed tainted in grimdark nihilism. With sexualization that is as exploitatively hilarious as it is absurdly indulgent, you would never expect to see something like this in an anime nowadays. In fact, you'd be hard-pressed to find any nudity in television anime that isn't confined to the expensive blue-rays, and even then the nudity is often there for titillation and pandering fanservice. Censorship is a bitch, and if I were to praise Netflix for anything it is their willingness to go raw. And raw do they go with Devilman.

Guts spray across walls and skulls get crushed and viscera flies across white floors. The squishing sound-effects ripped from soundboards that sound a decade old are present, as well, which is as welcome as it is fun. There is so much present in Devilman that I wish a series like, for example, Re:Zero would have indulged in. A series that I heavily criticized for its blatant cornball storyline with an emphasis on death without the masochistic eye needed to make that kind of cheesiness engaging. Yuasa, with the backing of the uncensored Netflix, proves that the pulp that I often can't stand in anime can be put to good use. Every silly event piles onto the next, becoming a project that is messy in every regard, both in storytelling, characters, blood, and even seminal fluid on more than one occasion. And if anything, it's fun.

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[The Meat]

Not everything is twitching fingers and rolling intestines, though, as Devilman's absurdity doesn't stop with its exploitation-era-esq violence and sex. The story is utter and complete nonsense. That may be unfair. It is comprehensible if you try to look past the total and complete inanities and lack of anything resembling verisimilitude, but that doesn't mean it is even remotely palatable. I found myself scratching my head as much as I found myself groaning at how utterly haphazardly everything seems to be laid in place.

Character motivations struggle to mean anything. Hell, no character even has remotely realistic reactions to any situation. If their family dies, they may cry about it for a moment only to move on the next. Only to have another character break down in a prolonged sequence of tears at the death of someone else. Things often don't make sense, or at least lack any cohesion between written characters. This messiness drifts towards the pacing, as well. When I say pacing I use that term lightly. There is not pacing that I can see. The entire series is confusing. Some scenes drag endlessly to end up with no reward, other scenes simply slide by in a few moments yet end up playing a big role in the series.

Characters are introduced that lead you to believe they'll be important figures within the series arc, however, their episodes of introduction end in an ultimately minor role that does virtually nothing to move the story ahead. The last four episodes of the series are truly off-the-rails and can be classified as "so bad it's hilarious," but that's positive in its own right. I watched Devilman : Crybaby with my friends and we had a blast laughing at the multiple moments of really, really bad phonetic English reading from Japanese voice actors. Then, to our surprise, actual, legitimate Russian voice acting. The lack of any cohesion is seriously baffling and astounding at the same time.

There is a fairly large cast in this short, ten-episode anime and they end up somewhat blending into one another. This is due to the lack of characterization of a lot of characters. Deaths mean virtually nothing when everyone is expendable and no one is remotely fleshed out enough to be someone I saw myself becoming attached to. I do like the fact that Devilman didn't shy away from the nihilistic character-death. I found myself happy that these banal characters got fittingly violent ends, however, I feel like that isn't the response this series wanted to enchant me with.

My enjoyment stemmed from this unbelievable pulp more so than it did a compelling narrative, characters, or anything of that nature. Instead, a character I believe we were meant to like gets brutally murdered and yet I can't help but laugh because it is so over-the-top in every sense of the word. You know what? I'm not complaining. This grimdark edge-fest is fine as it is as a product of its time, and seemingly faithfully adapted from the original manga which, from what I've seen, was quite controversial for its time.

Which is why I can't help but applaud the audacious efforts of the series even if I can't necessarily enjoy all of them. Don't get me wrong, the absurdity in every episode got great laughs from me. The ridiculous moments are fully enjoyable. However, the show isn't anything but a collection of ludicrous moments highlighted by a signature art style from a great director. Everything else, apart from the previously mentioned amazing soundtrack, is virtually non-existent or honestly, bad.

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[Conclusion]

To keep this short, Devilman isn't good or anything I expected it to be. From a name like Masaaki Yuasa, I expected something less pulpy and stupid and more intense, exhilarating, and well-realized. Yuasa, after all, has made my favourite anime series ever, Tatami Galaxy. His style here isn't anything impressive, in my opinion. While certain sequences certainly look spectacular, they all pale in comparison to something like Tatami Galaxy's incredibly well-realized directing. I find that his style simply may not fit the product, or at least didn't feel naturally placed within a story like this.

The majority of the action scenes are either under-animated, silly, both, or just flat-out too dark, as in, lighting wise, making everything a chore to see or experience viscerally. If it weren't for how the series' reminds me of 70s and early 80s exploitation flicks I wouldn't be praising the positives as much. It has an almost refreshing amount of sex in it when compared to Japan-airing anime, where nudity is non-existent and sexuality is often childish or perverse. This, while far from mature, is at least so hyper-indulgent that it becomes entertaining. The sexual content here is just laughable, yet entertaining because of that. The same can be said for the brutally charming gore, as well, which doesn't always translate to compelling action, unfortunately.

The story and characters are the series at its lowest. While the story is at least somewhat entertaining due to its absurdity, the characters are far from fleshed out enough to be anything but walking cutouts, and while I'm sure it is different than in the manga in some ways, I can't say that the manga's approach, whatever it may have been, equal or not, matters to me in context of reviewing this series as it is. As it is, Devilman : Crybaby is is a completely entertaining mess that I'll gladly recommend to fans of heavy pulp and violence, which I feel should coexist with one another more frequently in the sterile, safe landscape of modern anime television.

[9.0/10]
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Wandering Son blew me away. A series that could've easily harbored so many of the negative qualities I associate romance anime with, such as an overabundance of melodrama, love triangles, and boring characterization was utterly subverted throughout this short, eleven episode run-time. So much so that I honestly felt surprised throughout most of my watch-through. While there is a love triangle, while there is melodrama, although thankfully it is reigned in, the characterization is far from boring and the writer(s) do an impeccable job with keeping you on your toes. This series doesn't go where I thought it would, as it spends it's run-time making ... sure you experience a believable story, rather than a concise, palatable one.

Relying on some beautiful, warm, watercolor art with expressive and shockingly exceptional animation, Wandering Son doesn't even skimp on its visuals, setting its tone immediately. This is further emphasized with slow, methodical editing that works symbiotically with equally slow and thoughtful direction. What initially looked somewhat generic slowly sprouted into visually acute, as the director cuts all music and lets scenes breath on their own, with a fair share of intentionally awkward pauses that emphasize the youth and confusion these characters are going through.

What Wandering Son succeeds so vigorously at is the ability to tell a lose-fitting story in this confined, semi-contrived environment. A school, where we pull back layers behind characters and everyone in this expansive cast gets their moments of humanization. The bullies aren't bullies, the goofballs aren't goofy, and even the quietest characters get to roar every once in a while.

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[Characters & Narrative]

Wandering Son follows Shuuichi Nitori, a boy with a knack for cross-dressing, and Yoshino Takatsuki, a girl with a similar interest. What begins as a fascination with the other gender's aesthetic blossoms into curiosity, love, and eventually inner turmoil that there really isn't an answer to. Nitori struggles with the idea of being a boy, what it means to want to be a girl, and how he'd go about being accepted. This is as much as a study on the idea of cross-dressing as it is the concept of being transgender, and that's equally surprising.

Color me cynical, but I was simply not expecting this kind of detail to be present in an anime. Especially not a television anime, a medium that I've constantly spoken against as pandering, sexist, and having an over-reliance on creating objects to sell rather than characters. Yet here I sit, in a medium that has a plethora of television shows all mocking the idea of cross-dressers, transgenders, or simply not even bothering to delve into it at all, letting them be and making them the butt of jokes. "Traps" and the like, being a huge cultural meme at this point. It was refreshing to see a take on it that not only examined the idea of being transgender, but doing it in literally the least exploitative way imaginable. That was, perhaps, the biggest subversion of all.

Nitori and Takatsuki meet a whole cast of different characters, a cast that is honestly somewhat confusing and vast at first. The first episode, while quite good, left me with a lot of questions and confusion simply due to how many people there were on screen and how different each one was. Each character felt well-placed, too, from the dramatic, soft-spoken, and vicious Chiba, to the totally love-able and goofy Sarashina and her almost parasitically latched-on friend, Shirai. What was so refreshing about this expansive cast is that each one had their list of flaws and positives, even the newer characters introduced at the mid-way point of the series after the new school year starts.

For example, Sarashina, a total goof and completely "open", in the best possible way, is initially incredibly divisive amongst this already established groups of friends as her abrasive and talkative nature lands her in hot water with Saori, who understandably doesn't appreciate hearing everything this girl has to say. But even Saori, who is, quite frankly, painted a lot like a villain at first in the show, is totally vicious and rude, yet that teen angst feels earned and actually well-established enough for you to see her side of things. Especially with the background we end up realizing she has with Takatsuki.

If i'm confusing you, then you know how I felt after the first few episodes, and this is only a fraction of the characters. Surprisingly, it all ends up falling in place. What first started as a somewhat obnoxious love-triangle between Nitori, Saori, and Takatsuki, where Nitori is in love with Takatsuki, Saori is in love with Nitori, and Takatsuki is just not romantically interested, ends up completely disintegrating into something significantly more interesting. Character and narrative-wise, the writer(s) take more than that extra needed step to make something as contrived and cliche as a love-triangle palatable, going so far as to totally subvert the notion and we end up in a position that is less romantic and more engaging on a narrative level.

As the venerable Dan Harmon said when asked on the concept of romance as a genre, "Romance isn't a genre, it is a topping. Watching the romance genre is like going to a 'salt' restaurant." I agree, romance struggles to be compelling all the way through, which is why it is often paired with comedy and other genres to make it more palatable. Here, what initially feels like a romance is at the backdrop of the more important narrative, the identity crisis that a lot of these characters end up going through.

Sure, it is somewhat contrived to have one character be gay, two be transgender, and so on. Yet it works here because each one has a different approach. Each one is faces their own demons, and in some cases, no demons at all, as Nitori's good friend hardly struggles with the concept of being attracted to other men, which is so poignant to me as someone who is critical and often expecting every ounce of melodrama to be wrung out of an anime like this.

Yet that never happens. In a way, Wandering son is very much like the anti-Your Lie in April, where I relentlessly criticized that series for having every single moment be this obnoxiously over-the-top emotional breakdown with sappy music and utterly incoherent philosophical babbling from supposed fourteen year olds. Wandering Son tones that down, instead of having kids remark on the nature of their situation with fake nuance, they instead speak to themselves bluntly, and you gain that nuance through the situations they are placed in and the way they react. Which is infinitely more clever and appealing to me. There are no huge, swelling musical pieces as the characters break down crying and confessing to one another. No. Wandering Son cuts the music, it lets you live in the moment as the characters are and experience what they are. Quite frankly, it's fucking awesome.

Even the romance in Wandering Son is often treated like a kind of puppy-love, and while puppy love is real for the puppy, it is what it is. It isn't the end-all of the series because it is tackling a significantly more nuanced idea. Ultimately, the characters shine the brightest in Wandering Son, and while i'm sure there is much more story to tell, what with the looming threat of puberty changing the field once again, as slightly examined towards the end of this series, the way Wandering Son ended felt great in its own way.

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[Aesthetic]

So this show is pretty much perfect in its aesthetic, there is very little I would change. Apart from a few moments towards the middle that felt rushed through animation, Wandering Son actually had pretty exceptional animation throughout for a small-budget television anime. In fact, it looked much better than it had any right to.

There was a warm watercolor aesthetic, where the background was blown-out and the sides of the screen were constantly foggy and white, almost dreamy, it looked great. There were moments of great animation, too, especially with subtle character-driven movements. Animation in general can't nearly be as subtly expressive as live-action, as you often have to resort to tactics such as narration or overblown reactions, yet in this case they really do portray some genuinely subtle moments through only animation.

The director, Ei Aoki, is outstanding in this series, too. I initially thought the endless loop of piano melodies backing the majority of early episodes was somewhat frustrating, but that loop eventually mellowed out and the director cut a lot of the sound from certain moments, letting them be punctuated by silence, which is a great aesthetic choice as a director. Some scenes were only music, others were only dialogue with no backing track. This made all the difference with these potentially melodramatic scenes ringing incredibly true for these children.

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[Conclusion]

I think it is needless to say that I really loved this series. It is one of my favorites and it came out of nowhere for me. There are flaws, such as the contrived nature of the plot at first, as well as the initial groan-worthy love-triangle that thankfully blossoms into something engaging. It is also blunt with its symbolism on many occasions, as there are some subtle, nuanced, symbolic moments that are unfortunately back-ended by unneeded characters explaining exactly what just happened.

Where Wandering Son shines is in its believable characterization of its kids. Sure they address these heady topics perhaps ahead of their age, but the way they do so is so natural and impressive that I can't help but commend this series. It doesn't rely on stringing emotions along or even trying its best to make you cry, because that's not what Wandering Son wants to examine. Unlike something like Your Lie in April, where it constantly tries its best to shove melodramatic bullshit down your throat until you choke some tears out, Wandering Son reigns these emotions in and instead tells a character-driven story about finding yourself and truly accepting who you view yourself as.

Characters aren't what they seem to be. As I said, bullies aren't bullies, even Nitori's sister, who is perhaps the most unlike-able character in this series due to her being "the bratty sister", gets some much needed, and surprisingly subtle characterization that made her believable. Not every character has to be someone you like or sympathize with, but as long as they fit the series and further establish your verisimilitude, you should appreciate their existence.

Love doesn't go as planned. Not everything works out perfectly. That is shown constantly throughout Wandering Son. There is no perfect ending where everyone ends up happily together with the people they have crushes on, in fact, the show effortlessly skirts that idea by refraining from focusing on it. Nitori and Takatsuki's similar yet separate struggles are at the forefront here, not any kind of romance you might expect this a series as emotionally in-tune as this to focus on.

Wandering Son is exactly what I want from my emotionally powerful anime. Characters make the story, not the other way around, and this series succeeds in that regard with flying colors. Beautiful execution on almost all levels. If you are looking for an anime that is willfully detached from the character-driven cliches of so much romance and school-drama-oriented series', then Wandering Son is perfect for you. If you want anime that is daring, ambitious, well-directed, and ultimately, subtly rewarding, then Wandering Son is undoubtedly for you.