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Apr 13, 2019
Agh, I read like twenty reviews on here of varying caliber before I just decided to watch it myself, as I think this is just that kind of anime. This is a mysterious anime and in general, you'll just have to watch it for yourself. Seriously. Go watch it. Love it or hate it, you'll enjoy yourself.
Right, this is a weird anime. The story is not one hundred percent linear, and often uses different character perspectives as well. I think this works quite well, as often times you can figure out the mystery for yourself, as opposed to there being a case of the ol'
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Sherlock Holmes explain-everything-as-the-falling-action. The downside to this is that the show kind of demands that you pay attention to it. I mean... this isn't a comedy... so, yeah, you have to use a couple brain-cells while you watch this show. This isn't some slice-of-life show to fill the void in your barren, hollow life.
That being said, I was hoping for the show to expound a little more on the philosophical themes that it brings up. While the moving parts that form the plot are well oiled and enjoyable, there were times that I was left asking for meaning, not just motive. Don't want to spoil, so again, that will make sense when you watch the show.
As for the art and animation, it's Madhouse. At the time of this writing (April '19) you only have to look at how people are reacting to JC Staff replacing them on OPM season 2 to get an idea of how good they are. While true action scenes in the show are sparse, they are beautiful, and honestly, so is everything else. It's good, y'all. I've seen a review that called this show gory, and it must've been from the Catholic Mother's Organization. This is not Devilman Crybaby, don't worry.
I also found the sound (Shouji Hata) and music(Kensuke Ushio) to be beautiful. The sound editing and effects (there are dramatic moments where it is cut so perfectly) are great. And the soundtrack is something I can't wait to get my hands on, just to listen to it over and over.
The characters? Well, they feel realistic, however, some are not quite as fleshed out as I would've liked. Presumably there's more in the light novels, however we're talking about the anime here. That is the downside of the ensemble style storytelling, after all. Even the titular Boogiepop doesn't really appear in some episodes. Well, it comes down to taste and preference, as when you watch your favorite character might be one that gets a lot of screen time. There's no "waifu" in here for people to jerk off to and then promptly forget about, if that's your thing. Hey, I already said it wasn't a slice-of-life show...
Enjoyment: Well, this is the category that I think most people really get hung up on. As I said before, you do have to be thinking about what is happening while you're watching. This is a good show to watch over a week or two, so you don't forget what happened in the last episode when starting the next. I imagine this soured some people's perspectives on the show. I don't want to make this review conditional, but I would also recommend watching the episodes close together. this show is binge-worthy.
As for me, I was told it was similar to Serial Experiments Lain, so maybe I could use that as a frame of reference for you, dear reader. This show is similar to, but also far from, Lain. It's hard to explain. If you enjoyed Lain, you'll have a good time with this show. At the same time, this is not as complicated a show. So if you're worried about things in it going over your head, don't be. It is certainly not a waste of your time.
To conclude, I recommend this show. I recommend it both to my fellow Lain Lovers as well as any mystery fans. I find it hard to give this show a score. Reviews are for products, not art. I personally think it's a "Masterpiece,"(10) however, removing my subjective feelings I'd say it's "Very Good" (8).
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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May 2, 2018
"RideBack" tells the story of a young girl and her friends struggle against a somewhat evil government using cool transforming motorcycles with arms. This anime falls into the "so bad it's laughably good" category, so I'd only recommend this if you like to chuckle at trashy television or if you're a diehard Madhouse fan. Full review follows. It does contain minor spoilers.
Anime that use heavy CG animation tend to be easy targets, but let me start this review by saying the animation quality in this show is fantastic. During my time watching this show, I don't really remember any scenes where I thought "god I
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hate CG" like I usually do. The RideBacks are all shiny, with varying textures and intricate parts that make them interesting to look at and even more satisfying when they are fighting and racing around.
And of the course the traditional 2D is all up to standard as well, with no glaring errors, but no big surprises either. Madhouse is known for producing quality anime, and their reputation should not be tarnished because of this show. The big problem with this show, is that the quality animation is attached to a god-awful story and forgettable characters.
There's nothing inherently wrong, in my humble opinion, with a good old fashioned "innocent-person-caught-up-in-revolution-against-dystopia" story. The thing is, for this story, they forgot to explain why the government is evil. Sure, we know from the get-go that the Colonel character is evil, but only because we are TOLD. Why couldn't we be just be shown a backstory where he kills a bunch of innocents for the GGP, the evil government? Why don't we see anything evil actually being done by the GGP? Every major evil act feels like it is carried out by the Colonel, as opposed to the organization he works for. This makes it really strange when our main character, Rin, gets dragged into the fight against the GGP- when we are also told that other characters are actually.... just fighting against the Colonel.
Speaking of Rin, this kind of story needs a main character who we can actually get behind and root for. Someone who has their own strength, and doesn't just get pushed around. Basically, anybody except the character they actually used. Rin rides a RideBack for the first time because somebody tells her to. She joins the club and rides in a race because someone told her to. She fights... because someone tells her to. The only decisions she makes on her own, are stupid ones. She initially becomes targeted by the government BY ACCIDENT, because she couldn't wait for the GGP to save her friend from terrorists, and instead of standing down to the GGP after saving her, keeps running away. You know, like a criminal would. She decides to give up on RideBacks... because she made one guy cough up blood?
But you know, all stories can be saved by having an interesting, well-rounded supporting cast with interesting designs. So not this story! Their designs are generic and forgettable, and I actually kept getting one characters name wrong right up until their death- whereupon I actually laughed out loud. Of the only two characters I found interesting, only one was even actually named out loud! Kiefer is the edgy white-haired rebel who's kinda just cool, but at least he was fun to watch. Similarly, Misao, whose name I literally had to look up on AniDB, is the sassy subordinate of the Colonel, and is also just a treat in the few scenes she's in. The rest of the characters either do nothing (Shoko and the the RideBack Club boys) undergo boring, cliche arcs (Tamayo and Okakura) or are just plain stupid and annoying (Suzuri).
Credit where credit is due, the music is really nice. The piano heavy score does it's best, but it's put over a story that doesn't deserve it. It's present at all the right moments, and their are no pieces that stick out as weak or annoying.
So how do I quantify this as "so bad it's good"? Well, I'd say the editing. See, I wouldn't count this as animation quality per se, it's more some of the technical aspects. For example, there are plenty of awkward scenes that end with just a long shot of a character's face, and their are many cuts between scenes that just feel tone deaf. If you can laugh at these kind of things easily, you will probably have a good time watching this anime.
The only other way I'd watch it again is intoxicated.
Tallies:
Story: 0/2
Art: 2/2
Sound: 2/2
Character: 0/2
Enjoyment: 0/2* (2/2 for the B-Anime Lovers)
Overall: 4/10
Closing remarks:
This anime has a cool concept hindered by it's story and characters. It's hard to enjoy unless you like watching bad anime, in which case you may find it to be a 6/10 instead.
Reviewer’s Rating: 4
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Dec 19, 2017
Short version: Do you like awesome, beautiful fight scenes? Are you willing to sit through what this show thinks is a "story" and a "harem" to get to them? Then you should watch this. People who like serious stories alongside action have much better options.
Long version:
I didn't have many expectations for this anime, going in. I knew there would be story elements and references to the first Negima! series that would go over my head, since I have not seen it, nor have I read the original manga. However the title's branding as "UQ Holder", as well as the strength of the first episode,
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drew me in. So that's my perspective- if you're an OG Negima fan you may want to read someone else's review.
Let's start with the sound design. This, I feel, epitomizes the show. The SFX do their job, with only some of the more powerful spells used later in the show sticking out to me as memorable. The music too, chugs along with the show, dutifully getting intense during fights, hopeful when the characters reach some important revelation, yada yada yada. It's... just good enough. It manages to step over the bar, but it's nothing to praise either.
The art is amazing though. This anime is simply gorgeous to look at, and it doesn't feel like there are many cheap tricks to avoid animating things, either. There is an action scene every episode, and although it isn't always a fight, it keeps the early episodes from feeling like exposition dumps. However, the story itself is a major let down.
It was so disappointing to watch a somewhat unique story trainwreck into a convoluted, rushed mess. Frankly, the UQ Holder (think Immortal Magic Justice League) part of the plot is swept under the rug so quickly, it seems to exist solely to justify the graphic torture we watch the characters undergo. Having a plot that includes "all of the main characters are immortal" is a great way to play the balancing game of "Serious Philosophical Ideas" and "Dumb Anime Bullshit," because it takes the tension off, so it's more believable when characters are joking around in one scene, and fighting seriously in the next. But no, it starts sloping down when the show just tosses "deep" questions out (such as, "Is it worth it for an immortal person to make friends with a mortal, knowing that they will one day die and be left alone?") and just straight up forget about them.
It then takes a complete nosedive when the main plot inevitably becomes "main character is going to be absorbed by the bad guy! Oh no!", which not only makes the story feel generic, it turns that unique plot point and just makes it an excuse for what is basically torture porn. The characters all suffer big time, and I found it unsettling, even having just watched Texhnolyze before watching this show. Again, this could've been an outlet for philosophical expression, but it just feels distasteful, even if I didn't like the characters, either.
The characters are another low point. There are seriously about 300 characters who give their full names out, and about ten of them show up more than once. Of those, four of them are on harem duty, fulfilling their cookie cutter tropes and little else. The rest are barely developed, having one cool fight scene apiece, and otherwise they rotate out for expositional dialogue.
But I still found it in me to finish this anime, and you will too, enjoying yourself somewhat if you are a ACTION/FIGHT SCENE JUNKIE. I kept watching because the fights are among the best I have ever seen in an anime, and I could just switch my brain off during the rest.It's pretty brain dead anyway.
Individual scores:
Story: 0/2
Art: 2/2
Sound: 1/2
Characters: 0/2
Enjoyment (FIGHT SCENE JUNKIES): 2/2
Overall score: 5/10
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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