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Jun 25, 2022
In a display of happiness and enthusiasm, the second season of Love Live Nijigasaki is a welcome return for the series. It not only manages to capture everything that made its first season shine but also expands on its many themes and ideas all while continuing to set itself apart from the other entries of this franchise.
There are oftentimes certain expectations when it comes to each iteration of Love Live. One might assume that certain familiar story beats would be prevalent within each version or that each series must follow a similar storyline but this is not always true. And while Nijigasaki may not have
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the same level of tearful or dramatic storytelling like its counterparts that older fans may look for, it makes up for it by doing its own thing and excelling at it. It still maintains many of the core aspects people love about the franchise in being a charming and inspirational story with cute slice of life yet doesn’t resort to many of the stumbles its counterparts make and that’s what I feel makes it so special and unique.
Given the nature of the first season, it was difficult to imagine where they were going to take the story. Would they go down a similar route of having dedicated episodes for each solo idol or would something change? As much as I liked how they handled individual character episodes before, it seems the show had some different ideas this time around. The story picks up around where we left off with the school idol club riding off the heels of the School Idol Festival and given their immense success, they decide to host another one. But there are many hurdles that lay before them before they reach that point as they now have to face adversity to their beliefs as solo idols. We see the debut of three new girls to go alongside our main group in Lanzhu Zhong, Mia Taylor, and Shioriko Mifune and they play a significant role this season.
Lanzhu Zhong is an exchange student from Hong Kong who transferred to Nijigasaki High School in order to become a school idol. However, she has no intention of joining the idol club as her ideals don’t exactly line up with that of our main group. While in the first season we saw the main group receiving support from others as well as interacting with their fans, Lanzhu deems this to be unnecessary claiming that connecting with fans and viewing them more as equals will hold her back and instead treats them as mere spectators made to admire her from afar. Being a perfectionist who loves to express herself with confidence, she wants to be someone who captivates more than anyone else while bathing in the spotlight alone and even thinks she can outperform the school idol club during the next School Idol Festival. This paints her as a sort of competitive rival who challenges the school idol club in what they believe in as well as Yuu in particular, saying she is better off leaving the club entirely in order to fully pursue her dream in music since she isn’t an idol.
Mia Taylor is also an exchange student and is what some may label as being naturally talented at music and a prodigy having skipped grades and is seemingly quite smart. Coming from a prestigious music family, she seeks to write songs. Throughout the course of the show, she utilizes and relies on Lanzhu in order to spread her songs and gain recognition as well as gives Yuu some advice while she is in the music course. Mia also happens to speak fluent English to go alongside her Japanese (due in large part to her voice actress being part Australian) which is something I rarely see in anime. I found it commendable how every remark she makes in English would oftentimes be surprising at first yet would simultaneously feel as if it flows naturally with her conversation rather than being out of place.
Shioriko Mifune is someone who begins working with Setsuna in doing Student Council business. She steadily becomes more involved with the school idol club’s antics and provides support whenever she can while having a strict belief that she needs only do what she knows she can do best. She also has a family member who plays a role in shaping how she views idols.
Like with the previous season, Nijigasaki continues to characterize in subtle and natural ways while not merely resorting to one particular character trait allowing for easier understanding and relatability to these three new characters despite whatever personal goals, motivations, or struggles they might have. Their addition to the cast feels rather seamless as they make themselves relevant as the series goes on with their own arcs and backstories while not taking away too much screentime from everyone else.
As for the rest of the cast, while each of them received an ample amount of development and characterization in the previous season, this season expands on it. They now have to prove Lanzhu wrong and that there’s value in being helped by others and connecting with them, especially fans. But how will they go about doing so?
The Nijigasaki group has been one that focused more on the individual with each member having their own color corresponding to them in order to stand out. But now the idea of overlapping colors is introduced and with it comes the incorporation of subunits. Now subunits have always been a thing in Love Live from µ's and Aqours, however, it has never been implemented into the actual story before as far as performing goes and has largely been a non-anime aspect of the franchise. For those unaware, a subunit is essentially a smaller group comprising only a few of the members. In Nijigasaki, these units are aptly named QU4RTZ, DiverDiva, and AZUNA and much like with each solo idol song, each subunit carries with it its own style of music and performance. I found this aspect to the show to be particularly interesting since it not only gives them an answer to Lanzhu’s call in letting them reach out to her in different ways but by already being solo idols, they earn a lot more freedom and flexibility in what they can do when expressing themselves. They are able to expand on their group dynamic and relationships with one another and create an entirely new color by understanding and bringing forth each of their individual strengths. It also now gives the characters a new perspective and plays well into the overall themes in that despite being solo idols, everyone was great at observing others yet struggled at seeing themselves and being honest in order to move forward and we saw this many times in the previous season. With the element of subunits (as well as some other events later on) now in the story, it should be noted that the pacing has noticeably been slowed down in several of the episodes which is a bit of a contrast when compared to the more brisk pacing of the first season. The focus is not just on a singular character but on many as we view each of their perspectives and how they handle transitioning into a small group setting. The girls continue to grow and learn new things about themselves through each other and the idols aren’t the only ones who develop either. Yuu does as well.
When the school idol club helped her find her dream, Yuu joined the music course in order to play piano and write songs but she finds herself struggling quite a bit having to ask for advice. Both Mia and the idol club give differing opinions on what she can do and Yuu inevitably has to decide what strategy fits her best as she wants to prove to Lanzhu that she can accomplish her goals her own way while being a part of the club and give back to everyone who inspired her.
And while Nijigasaki now focuses much of its attention on miniature group arcs, it doesn’t completely shy away from still excelling on its individual character ones. Each main girl gets a distinct focus at some point this season but Setsuna, being one of the more noteworthy and significant girls of the cast, receives in my view one of the strongest episodes of the series. She is someone who has been struggling to maintain the secret of having two different identities: one as the responsible student council president and the other as an enthusiastic school idol and the way in which she is able to handle this provides a rather surprisingly mature and emotional but fitting closure to her arc as well as a notable stepping stone for how the rest of the story will be impacted from that point.
The side characters also see much prominence having become fans or appreciators of the Nijigasaki group. It feels like there is a concise network amongst the different schools where they can rely on one another in times of need or to arrange certain school events. There were a few moments though where I felt some of their introductions were a bit out of place with their presence being made merely to solve certain plot elements.
The artstyle has remained consistent across both seasons with character designs and highly detailed backgrounds. As far as performances go, there was a part of me that thought going into this that it would not be able to live up to the same level of quality as the previous season. Thankfully that was not the case. Studio Sunrise continues to deliver with Love Live Nijigasaki having some of the most smooth, gorgeous, and visually stunning use of CG and animation quality in the franchise. I simply cannot praise the animators, the directing, or the storyboarding enough. Despite having a complex arrangement of scenes (particularly with the subunit performances), each one flows well into the other with the same level of robust choreography, cinematography, and dynamic camerawork as the first season as well as maintaining the aspect of being like a music video. I particularly appreciated all the little references and easter eggs they sprinkle throughout the songs that more hardcore fans will recognize (like of other Nijigasaki songs not shown in the anime or of the girls in different outfits). It’s a nice touch.
Being from a well established idol franchise, Nijigasaki has incredible music, both solo and group. There is a noticeable difference in the feel between the two types of songs. Solo songs largely reflect the nature and personality of the idol who’s singing (like Lanzhu’s invigorating performance about being at the top) whereas group songs have a mixture of personalities incorporating a multitude of themes. While one may prefer one over the other, I think subunit performances still carry a lot of the vigor, energy, and charm that one would expect from a solo song. They feel a bit reminiscent of the other series for which group songs are the norm. My only real complaint about the music is that we didn’t get a full version performance of a certain Lanzhu song that came for a short while. The voice actresses excelled in their roles both with portraying their characters as well as singing every song with passion and enthusiasm. Soundtrack is still utilized well throughout particularly in the more lighthearted and comedic segments which there are plentiful amounts of. The implementation of song styles for OP and ED mirrors that of the previous season with the OP: Colorful Dreams! Colorful Smiles! being an upbeat and enthusiastic song with gorgeous visuals to kick off every episode while the ED: Yume ga Bokura no Taiyou sa is a more quiet track with a somber tone and childlike drawing visuals reminiscent of Neo Sky Neo Map.
With everything said, I believe this is an excellent season and a fitting continuation to Nijigasaki. While its story may be simple in nature and the pacing is a bit slower this time around, the ways in which Nijigasaki is able to portray its entire main cast and their issues to go alongside its excellent use of themes without resorting to much drama is something I feel makes it stand out even amongst the other entries of this franchise. When the first season of this show arrived, many viewed it as a breath of fresh air as it brought several new things to the table and mixed up the typical Love Live formula in various ways. Now with the second season, it continues to do so, this time incorporating new and innovative aspects even to itself. The cast has grown larger in size and yet it still manages to give the new girls adequate time to shine and characterize them in genuine and meaningful ways while not neglecting the screentime and development of everyone else. It’s noteworthy how far the Nijigasaki girls have come from their beginnings where they each had an episode dedicated to them and how they now deal with the new challenges before them. There is a sense of progression and it’s quite sad knowing a journey like this has to end at some point since this is one of the most lovable casts I’ve seen.
Experiencing Love Live Nijigasaki has been some of the most fun I’ve ever had with an anime and it’s a show I initially went into with some hesitation. But by the end, it’s proven to be something quite special. There’s meaning, there’s fulfillment, and there’s heart in the journey these girls go through.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Aug 2, 2021
The Precure franchise has been one that I have been struggling to get into for quite some time. My main issue always stemmed from its repetitive nature and monster of the week format that kept causing me to lose interest in each entry. But now having finished Star Twinkle, I finally understand that the series can be far more meaningful than this.
Compared to the other Precure entries, this one has an outer space theme which immediately intrigued me. I generally enjoy stuff with space travel and themes about constellations and this show uses this concept well. The bulk of the show features our main characters
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traveling from planet to planet gathering star color pens. What impressed me the most about this was that despite there being 12 pens total, the process of obtaining them did not feel tiresome. This has always been something that bothered me about the franchise. After a point, it always felt repetitive and samey but this show managed to avoid this issue. Every planet they go to has its own unique quirk that keeps things interesting. They all felt distinct from one another with their own set of unique aliens. Along the way, our characters grow and learn new things about these worlds and learn to appreciate them which plays into the shows themes.
Like most Precure, the characters in this show are all likable and we get to see them face their struggles and overcome them in meaningful ways. Lala adds an interesting dynamic to the story as she is an alien and has to learn to adjust to life on earth. It was interesting to see how a hypothetical alien viewed us from their eyes. Overcoming self doubt and learning to understand other species are prevalent throughout the show. There is ample time spent on the girls' development and we also get to understand the villains in the story with time to sympathize. These emotional tempos are felt especially so in the second half as our characters are set to find their own hidden powers. Another positive aspect was the plot device usage of the fluffy creature who in this case is named Fuwa. They never felt like an annoyance in the story nor did they feel like an overwhelming burden that took away valuable screentime from the other characters.
Aside from the outer space theme, what really sold me on this series are its visuals. Yes all Precure shows look great in their own right but this one has a vibrant lighting and coloring to it that made it absolutely stunning to look at. The transforming sequences are gorgeous which showcased the new-age aesthetic of modern day Precure. The song they sung during these made them all the more upbeat and enticing which added to the excitement during these moments. The character designs are all markedly well designed and stand out. The aliens and princesses all looked interesting too. Overall a stunning show to look at from start to finish. The sound and music also stood out to me and were utilized well playing into the mysterious yet adventurous tone of the show.
Overall this may have been the most enjoyable Precure I've seen. The usage of the outer space theme was executed well and the plot stayed fresh without feeling overly repetitive. While this may not be everyone’s favorite Precure, it managed to do many things right that set itself apart. The combination of stunning visuals and endearing cast sold me on this series as something more than worth the time to watch.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Mar 29, 2021
Why can’t Azur Lane just be this?
I won’t beat around the bush here. These are basically ecchi fan service shorts. However, what makes this stand out compared to the main series is that it leaves out all the drama and action while effectively showcasing the very thing that makes Azur Lane so appealing in the first place: its cute girls.
The series boasts itself an ensemble of likable, well-designed characters which is obviously the biggest draw. All the girls are undeniably cute and very attractive. Their personalities, though admittedly catered towards the male demographic, are kind of charming as they work well in a non-hostile environment
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and that in my opinion is what makes this short little series such a pleasant watch. I would even say it's vastly superior to the main show itself in that there's no action, no jarring CG, no high octane moments or ridiculous plots. It's just a pure slice of life as you primarily follow the group of Laffey, Javelin, Ayanami, and Z23 going about their daily routine interacting with the other characters of the show and learning more about them in a more lighthearted and friendly way. Cooking, cleaning, relaxing, bathing, just having fun...it’s all here. Sure there’s nothing amazing with the animation or the story but it’s serviceable for what it is and doesn’t try to cram in too much.
Perhaps you had some mixed feelings towards the main show itself but still liked the characters and their designs and just wanted to see them doing cute things. If this sounds like you, give this a try. It's short but sweet and if that's what you seek in your anime, you can’t really go wrong with this one. Of course, this is moreso for people already familiar with the series so it's best to have some knowledge of it. I for one wouldn't mind seeing more of this if there ever was a continuation.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Dec 26, 2020
“The tiny melodies blend together (Our Colors)
Let’s paint this arch, now. It resonates throughout the city (reaching for far blue sky!)” - lyrics from Nijiiro Passions!
This show came as quite the pleasant surprise. Given the nature of spinoffs, it’s not unusual to believe that they rarely ever live up to or exceed the quality of their original counterparts and tend to fall short. But that is not the case here. Along with having several noteworthy changes and improvements, this installment to the Love Live franchise came in as something incredibly refreshing and serves as an excellent starting point for the girls of Nijigasaki.
As someone who’s
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seen the previous Love Live shows, I had some anticipation going into this. The original laid the groundwork for school idols thanks to the influence of μ's and while Sunshine shared many similarities in its story and structure, there were certain aspects about Aqours that were able to stand out. Naturally the prospect of another entry got me interested in wanting to see how it would stack up. There were some mixed feelings when seeing the change in art style but upon watching the first episode, those worries were quickly put to rest. This show has not only been able to meet my expectations but somehow managed to surpass them. THIS is how you do a spinoff.
Love Live Nijigasaki is the third animated series in the franchise following the previous titles School Idol Project and Sunshine. Though unlike the latter, which sought to follow closely behind the footsteps of the original, this entry has its own separate story with no callbacks to past shows or idol groups which is a breath of fresh air. It shows that the series is willing to be innovative with trying new ideas instead of going for more repetition which already makes this show feel more distinct. One criticism that many had with regards to Sunshine was how closely it tied itself to the original despite being its successor. As a result, it ended up following many similar story beats such as the school closure plot point all while drawing constant mention and praise to the previous group: μ's. Nijigasaki on the other hand, sets itself apart by beginning with what I would say is a stronger and more impressive start than either of those two shows.
Instead of starting out with trying to become school idols in order to prevent their school from shutting down, this time it's finding out why the idol group that was already established in their own school decided to disband. With this change, it allows for the show to focus more on exploring the different aspects about being an idol such as expression and being able to connect with fans rather than having a constant worry over our heads (Besides, this school is so large and robust anyway that it doesn’t need to worry about closing its doors). It eases us into the mindset of the girls and what being a school idol means for each of them whilst providing meaningful characterization instead of having them simply become one because of an outside threat. This is helped by the less arduous process of recruiting members as many of them were already part of a smaller group. This also allowed the show to feel more grounded with its story and characters as well as its handle on drama. Each of them is presented with the question of what they want to invoke to their audience which provides for some variety. All of them have different answers yet none of them are incorrect as the appeal of idols vary from person to person. Compared to the more ambitious starts of the previous shows, this story starts out as more simple and intimate with wholesome character interactions between the two main leads Ayumu and Yuu as well as a brief glimpse of the other girls. After being inspired by their first performance, which was done by an idol from their own school rather than another, they seek to understand what caused the idol club to disband and try to reestablish it. Later on it becomes about how each girl in the show will try to stand out as individuals as they strive to become school idols. Understanding other people’s viewpoints, being honest with oneself, and accepting the different sides of your identity are all obstacles they must face in order to get there. While the lack of a familiar looming threat such as school closure did cause the show to feel more open ended and lighthearted overall given there’s less stakes involved, it also allowed for some flexibility as we steer away from the somewhat tired narrative plot point giving Nijigasaki its own unique flavor which many may find to be a welcome change.
The show instead focuses most of its attention purely on character development and with it comes the concept of solo idols which was interesting to see as it adds a new dynamic to the series and to the way live performances work. Nijigasaki is putting more emphasis on the individual, with each girl having their own color that corresponds to them, instead of the group which results in them not actually having a group name like in the other entries. While the show does fall into a formulaic rhythm with each episode focusing on a different girl who would inevitably get their own song at the end, repetition doesn’t necessarily mean bad here as it gives us something to look forward to. This is mostly because each episode feels distinct from one another being able to stand on its own merit with each character having their own problems unique to them making it interesting to see how it unfolds. They all get a chance to shine and develop this season which is something Love Live hasn’t done before. One of the biggest flaws with past entries was that there was not enough time spent fleshing out all the characters by the time the plot started rolling along. With such a large cast, there would usually only be a few characters who get their own episodes per season leaving the rest of the cast feeling both underutilized and underdeveloped, but here they all do.
Another interesting change to the series are the visuals. How does it compare?
Well to put it simply: it’s utterly gorgeous. Love Live has maintained a similar look for its first two installments, but here the art style is distinctly different especially in terms of the character designs which come off as less shiny but more vibrantly colored and crisp. Some of the background art coupled with the lighting in this show are absolutely superb and exceptionally detailed making some scenes really pop out especially during the performances. I was particularly awed by the setpieces used during some of the songs which all have a strikingly rich color palette like Ayumu’s glorious pink stage. While the general look of previous entries are fantastic in their own right (not to mention that I have a strong fondness towards it), the style chosen for Nijigasaki works surprisingly well especially with the CG. Studio Sunrise, having made the previous Love Live shows, truly stepped up in quality for this one. There’s no jarring CG, no awkward movement...it’s clean, smooth, and gorgeous. The CG in this franchise has sure come a long way and now it is some of the best I’ve seen compared to most anime out there coupling amazingly well with the 2D. There’s some incredibly stunning and fluid animation and several unique visual effects that are a first for this franchise as evident in the first song of the show: CHASE! with its interesting but effective use of fire effects as well as many others. The series made some notable improvements here.
With that said, Love Live is not a show that will impress you with having complex ideas or a deep intricate narrative. It has a simple and fairly straightforward story but more importantly, it is a character driven show first and foremost with the aim of eventually becoming school idols in order to achieve their end goal. If you don’t like the girls, then you probably won’t like the show. As for me...there was not a single character that I disliked or found underwhelming. Even the side characters, which mostly consist of fangirls that the main cast garnered over time, eventually became a welcome and benevolent presence whenever they were on screen. It can be a difficult task having to adjust to a completely new cast of characters if you already have an attachment to either, both, or even neither of the previous groups. However, I found it rather easy to get invested in the cast of Nijigasaki. Naturally when you find one girl you like in the group, you want to find reasons to care about the others and the show does exactly that. It does a fine job of portraying them in a more subtle and natural way with relatable issues which made the girls here endearing and fun to watch without being overly obnoxious or unlikable and not feeling like shallow characters. They have some depth to their personalities and have more going on with them than meets the eye instead of merely identifying with one particular character trait or cliche. No one is constantly spouting deadpan one liners even if they were somewhat cute or comedic before. But that’s not to say the show isn’t without its humor. The funny moments can be utterly hilarious with the characters being fun and goofy with playful banter whether that be hanging out in the club room or working hard on becoming school idols. Coupled with good dialogue, interactions are unique and quirky without feeling overdone and this leads to the show having a smooth and energetic pacing throughout which complements well with the lighthearted tone. The voice actresses really did a great job in bringing these characters to life adding a bit more detail and personality to them such as the subtle playfulness in Kanata’s voice when she’s sleeping or the little mumbles and outbursts from Kasumi whenever she’s feeling frustrated.
Handling of character drama has shown great improvement compared to previous first seasons as they feel genuine and built up with resolutions that feel more down to earth while not being forced down my throat with excessive melodrama or unnatural reactions. But it’s not smooth sailing all the way through as the conflict in the last few episodes felt uneven at times and a bit out of place given how far things went which clashed with the consistently toned down nature of the rest of the show. While it did provide some interesting and insightful context to the mindset of a certain character, there’s a lingering thought that it could’ve been handled in a less bothersome way.
Now onto the girls themselves who make up the wonderful cast of Nijigasaki:
First Years - Kasumi serves as the cute lovable goofball of the group. I won’t lie when I say that she might easily be one of the funniest and most entertaining characters I’ve ever seen. I appreciate the studio for going the extra mile in emphasizing and exaggerating her movements and facial expressions by adding in some nuanced animation in many of her scenes to strengthen the fact that she’s over the top and hilarious. While there are some obvious similarities that can be drawn to Nico, there is a bit of distinction between them. Kasumi strives to be the cutest idol but doesn’t put up a facade or have an alternate personality. She might be overenthusiastic and flamboyant at times (albeit for comedic purposes) but she is self-aware about other people’s feelings and deep down, she can be helpful to her friends and pull through when it matters. Rina is someone who is good with using technology and has excellent programming skills but she has difficulty expressing her emotions and making friends. She is a unique character to the series being the first who covers her face during performances. Shizuku has a passion for acting and because of this she is in the drama club. But below her calm exterior lies someone who is afraid to show and express her true self to others. The way in which the show portrayed her inner monologue is commendable as it works well both visually and thematically. As far as first year trios go in this franchise, I find Nijigasaki’s to be quite compelling as their character growth is apparent and carries over to the later episodes with a lasting impact. Rina and Shizuku’s episodes in particular coupled with their performances and songs were the ones that stood out to me as some of the strongest in the show and perhaps the franchise as a whole.
Second Years - Setsuna is a standout character as she is a stunningly beautiful and passionate girl who performs in the first episode and is an inspiration for Ayumu and Yuu. She has a serious and hardworking side to her but also an energetic and vibrant personality. Plus she happens to be a fan of anime which earns some points in my book. Now concerning Ayumu...one may be led to believe that she serves as the lively leader of this Love Live group like how Honoka or Chika were for theirs, however, she is not at all similar to either of them. While those two characters shared attributes of being energetic and poised on becoming school idols, Ayumu is more shy and easily embarrassed. I would say that her friend Yuu serves the leadership role better and actively does so throughout the show. While she does have a strong attachment and reliance towards Yuu, she is a rather sweet and adorable person especially when she’s doing the Ayu-bun. Ai is the helpful and friendly athletic type. She has a strange affinity for puns though thankfully, this quirk of hers is not overused. With her laid back personality and positive attitude, she provides an added level of fun and liveliness to the group.
Third Years - Kanata has an easy going and playful personality. She seemingly looks like a girl who only loves to sleep a lot and is not particularly flexible but there is more going on with her that results in this. It paints her as a far more interesting character than at first glance. Karin is a model with a more mature and cool headed personality who sort of serves as the Nozomi of the group i.e. the big sister figure who quietly watches from behind the scenes which is a welcome homage to the original. Despite her calm demeanor, she has a sweet and more innocent side to her. Emma is a girl from Switzerland who loves eating food. She has a kind and understanding personality which allows her to play a more supportive role in the group.
Normally that would be it for the main cast, but in Nijigasaki there are now 10 main girls instead of the usual 9. It seems Love Live has indeed added one more to their already copious roster of female characters which at first glance would seem rather trivial but the way she’s utilized in the story is quite intriguing. Yuu more or less serves as a self-insert lens for the audience as well as someone for Ayumu to bounce off of. She is all about supporting her best friend and everyone else in the group and that can also be said for any fan who wants to cheer for these girls’ success. But she is not just a blank slate or a useless character. Even though Yuu herself does not want to become a school idol, she plays a pivotal role in bringing together several members acting as both a voice of reason and of motivation leading to some emotionally satisfying moments (and building up her harem all the same). She has a likable and charming personality while being reliable which makes her interactions all the more meaningful and in some cases absolutely hilarious.
Of course it wouldn’t be Love Live without the music and suffice to say there are some straight bangers in this one. While there are some that stood out to me more than others (CHASE!, Solitude Rain, etc.), I somehow found myself listening to all of them an unhealthy amount of times. Now I liked quite a few songs from both the original group and Sunshine, but this...just hits different. Compared to previous entries which had primarily group songs, Nijigasaki focuses more on the individual with solos for each character reflecting their own ‘color’ and personality. This is even more emphasized by the different types of music they sing and their styles of performance such as the vocaloid-esque display from Rina or the stunning theatrical from Shizuku which all showcase the exuberant appeal of idols. Each one feels like a music video with its aesthetic, lighting, visual cuts and dynamic camera. As expected from this series, there is a keen eye for detail in the directing and choreography as well as overall fluidity with hair, mouth movement, and facial expressions. Everything matches up well with the lyrics. Since the main theme seems to be the girls coming together to represent a rainbow, the songs themselves signify each member being honest with themselves, moving forward, and ultimately accepting what they can bring to the group as a different color and standing side by side. That being said, while the new style is extravagant, it is noticeably different from past entries as most of the songs are not performed in reality but rather in a ‘dreamlike’ world where visuals are exaggerated. There also isn’t the familiar group song setting. In previous shows, the girls from μ's and Aqours had the capability of bouncing off one another. Here they have to perform alone which they do address in the show and have legitimate concerns for. But despite the fact that they are performing by themselves, I never got a sense that it was an inferior experience to past shows because each individual was able to stand out thanks to the emotional support from the other members of their group and the gradual buildup of their characterization from each of their arcs. Credit to the show, everyone seems to be on equal footing making it feel all the more worthwhile to believe that if the time comes for them to perform together, they can all stand proudly as school idols. Coupled with smooth and improved animation and amazing performances from the voice actresses, every live show is distinct and riveting. The OP “Nijiiro Passions!” is bursting with energy and excitement coupled with gorgeous visuals and for lack of a better term ‘pizzazz’ while the ED “NEO SKY, NEO MAP!” has its somber yet uplifting tone with vocals from each character giving the episodes a strong sense of closure. Both are worthy additions to an already stellar lineup of OPs and EDs in this franchise. The soundtrack is also great as it fits the upbeat and energetic scenes as well as some of the more somber moments pretty well.
To sum up, Love Live Nijigasaki has proven itself to be a worthy addition to this franchise. It stands to reason that both Love Live fans and non-fans will likely find this to be a solid if not a fantastic entry and may end up being a little surprised by it. It certainly has a case for being the best. Despite whatever hiccups there were along the way, it was an absolute joy to watch. For newcomers, this can serve as a good starting point to the series as prior knowledge of past shows is not necessary. From the smooth and clean art style, improved animation, a different and fresh story, amazing songs, likable and memorable characters...it’s the full package. It improves on what the other entries lacked while also being distinct, having its own identity, and all while adding some new twists to the formula. It managed to implement all these changes yet none of them I feel were unwarranted and it was still able to maintain the charm Love Live has with its enjoyable goofy moments. Sure idol anime might not be everyone’s cup of tea but as someone who enjoys a more lighthearted show with cute characters that have a lot of personality and passion, this is one of if not the best I’ve seen. It managed to become a surprisingly meaningful experience and showed me that this franchise still has so much more enthusiasm to express.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Dec 26, 2020
Sometimes after a long day, I have the desire to watch something lighthearted and fun. This show continues to provide that.
It’s nice to see that in the age of sequels, GochiUsa has been one of those whose quality has not diminished. Despite years of waiting for another season and being made by a different studio this time around, the show has retained its charm and all of the things that made it great. If you’ve seen the first two seasons, you will know what to expect. It’s still cute, the characters are still funny and lovable, and it is still wholesome.
The look of the show
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is relatively the same with some showcase of beautiful artwork in many scenes. I particularly liked the Halloween episode where the streets had a gorgeous color palette with all the different shops and decorations. The background art of the town is still highly detailed and still makes me wish I could live in it with it’s comfy nature.
There is definitely a shift in focus on the school that the older girls attend as well as other areas of the town instead of just the Rabbit House cafe. There is a sense of progression with the characters despite the fact that this is just a cutesy slice of life. As the younger members of the cast, Chino, Megumi, and Maya get a taste of high school life as they scout the place which signifies that yes time is indeed moving in this story and the characters are getting older. We get to see them feeling anxious and worry about the future. It’s subtle but the slow development is there which is an element of the show that I really like. Sharo gets the whole alter ego thing going for her and seems to be more confident. If you’ve seen Yuru Yuri, there was a character in a tv show that resembles Sharo in appearance similar to how Chinatsu looked like Mirakurun. I love this addition to her character since she uses it for gags in many scenes and just embraces it plus her outfit is pretty cute. Meanwhile Chiya gets more development as she has a stronger relationship with Rize and Chino’s friends. Every member of the cast feels like they are on equal footing here and the moments of emotional merit indeed hit all the right notes if not more in this season. There are some new characters who get some screen time in the form of the other students at their school.
The OP definitely grew on me and became very catchy. It’s light and energetic and has a similar feel to the first two openings just a higher pitch. The ED is not my favorite in the series (that would be the second season’s) but it does have very pretty colors and gorgeous visuals.
Overall, it’s just more GochiUsa which fans should be excited for. The characters are still bubbly, cute, and air headed and the art style is still much the same. I like cute things and this show is the living embodiment of everything that can both give me cancer and cure it at the same time. If you liked the first two seasons, you can expect much of the same with just a little bit more endearment and progression by the characters.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Dec 18, 2020
If you went into this show expecting all sunshine and rainbows, you would be sorely mistaken. This is not your typical lighthearted fun adventure. Elaina’s journey is bittersweet and oftentimes filled with some truly dark and depressing moments.
The story centers around Elaina, a talented witch who happens to be a rare prodigy. She is coined the Ashen witch based on her long ashen colored hair. Being so young, she embarks on an adventure traveling from place to place encountering many people along the way who all have their own issues. There are many other shows this premise draws similarities to such as Kino’s Journey and
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Mushishi. While in Mushishi, Ginko would go around and help people with their problems, Elaina doesn’t necessarily do that. There are some exceptions but for the most part, she would just happen to stumble upon the misfortunes of other people and choose to not get directly involved. She is a morally grey character and this plays a role in making the show bittersweet and distinct. Not every tale ends in a delightful and happy way meant to teach you some important lesson about life. Elaina isn’t some champion of justice who tries to push her self-righteous beliefs onto others. She is for the most part blunt and distant with her interactions and personality. She is admittedly kind of full of herself, self-absorbed and can come off as a bit of a jerk. If something were to put her at risk with nothing to show for it, she will simply not bother and choose to avoid the issue at hand.
As one would guess the show is episodic in nature. Despite this, some of the side characters Elaina meets are recurring resulting in there being a sense of payoff with her encounters and progression in the story. Each episode features a new concept to keep itself fresh. In one episode Elaina could be in a civilization of people who can’t tell lies and in another, she would find herself in a decimated city with an angry fire breathing dragon roaming about. There is no shortage of diversity here. The opening song compliments this as it is a wonderfully light and soothing adventurous soundtrack with gorgeous visuals to ease you into the wonder of the show.
This show has some elements of intrigue but it is not without its faults. For one thing, it is a bit slow paced at times so if you are into more of the action stuff, this probably won’t be for you. This is very much a show about absorbing the atmosphere and setting. Unfortunately, while there were certainly some tragic tales and rather unnerving scenes, the majority of them did not invoke much of a reaction from me other than a bit of shock value or dread. I didn’t feel like there was a meaningful lesson to be learned by these tales other than “Oh, life is tragic” or “things are not always what they first appear to be”. It feels a bit monotonous and pointless.
This issue is only elevated by the lack of proper character development and herein lies the main strength and weakness of the show: the personality of our main character. While on one hand, some people may find Elaina to be an interesting and charming character as she is simply a traveler who acts more like an observer than a justice seeker, others may view her as being relatively shallow and a narcissist. She more often than not doesn’t bother to help people despite having the means to do so and one can’t help but feel a bit of disconnect. But I do believe that this serves the story well as her lack of involvement in some of these tales gives the world a life of its own as we often don’t see the conclusion to several people’s stories even if a certain outcome was implied. Even with all this power and being a prodigy, Elaina is just as much an ordinary person as anyone else thus begging the question of “why bother getting involved in the first place if it’ll only cause me harm?”
The other witch who has a crush on Elaina has a relatively flimsy and one note personality. I didn’t find anyone from the main cast all that interesting. In fact, the only characters I could find any investment in who have some level of depth only appear in one episode while the recurring cast lacks any likability. They could have made things more interesting by having Elaina go through a bit of an emotional and internal psychological struggle. Instead, she comes off as someone who doesn’t care about the messed up world around her and turns a blind eye all while spouting obnoxious one-liners about how amazing she is. We also never really explore her psychology especially after the first episode where it looked as if that would be the case. Unfortunately, she just comes off as a self absorbed character who lacks any endearing qualities aside from being cute which seems to be more than enough of a selling point.
With all that said, the visuals are pretty incredible. There are countless gorgeous backgrounds that give more life and personality to the world. There is an attention to detail on small items that would appear on desks or cluttered rooms and some of the buildings in the city landscape. Some of the character designs truly stand out and are appealing like a few of the witches while others like random villagers and townsfolk or some minor characters are pretty forgettable and bland. Elaina’s design is overall fantastic and clearly the main draw of the show. Her dark witch outfit compliments well with her ashen hair giving her the aura of an imposing figure. She is inarguably very cute and definitely stands out among all the other characters. The animation is mostly stunning, capturing the feel of being a whimsical experience filled with magic and witches similar to what you would get from something like Harry Potter.
It’s difficult to parse what kind of experience one should expect to get out of Majo no Tabitabi as it almost seems niche. On one hand, it can genuinely be an enjoyable show to watch with its exquisite art and episodic variety. Seeing one tragic tale after another in a seemingly messed up world can be fun as you are never certain what will happen next. It might also scratch that itch that some fans of Kino’s Journey or Mushishi yearn for with a whimsical tale of adventure and uncertainty but at the same time rarely provides anything truly deep or inspirational that you’ll be thinking about down the line. The characters in this show also seem to be lacking in many ways making it difficult to invest in or care about them. But despite there being many flaws with the show, it can still be engaging if you become enthralled in Elaina as a character and whatever tale she finds herself in.
Reviewer’s Rating: 4
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Nov 2, 2020
I am tired of mediocrity.
Danmachi has never been a show that has stood out for its excellent story but for its first two seasons, it was at least competent enough to be watchable. But like many shows of its genre, it fails to understand how to keep itself fun. So what does the show do now? Mindless exposition dumps that take up half the episode followed by pointless gratuitous violence of characters I don’t care about followed by even more exposition. It attempts to build up tension and tries to make you care about all these monsters but all of it feels fake and forced.
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fail to see the appeal of the show anymore. None of the characters are all that interesting aside from maybe Ais and even she doesn’t have the screentime to make it worthwhile. The pacing is way too slow and there’s way too much talking. I could feel my brain slowly melting away getting five episodes deep. It’s no longer bearable.
If you had any doubts with the series before, stop right here. It’s not worth the time.
Reviewer’s Rating: 1
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Oct 26, 2020
Sigh...I really tried to like this show. I have seen all the other Yu-Gi-Oh shows to completion despite a few of them being a chore to get through but this is just the last straw.
My main issue about this show is rush duels. Quite frankly, I think they are retarded and uninspired. I mean come on. Summon every monster in your hand for free and next turn draw a fresh hand? If I was still playing the card game, I’d be infuriated because there’s no strategy or thought process in this. I’m sitting here watching the duels and in my head I’m thinking “man this
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is just not exciting or fun at all.” The show is just too goofy to the point where I can’t get invested in anything. I don’t care if the main characters win because why should I? Yuga is a boring protagonist because he doesn’t have any depth. All he wants to do is spread rush duels to everyone. “Of course he doesn’t have any depth. He’s just a kid.” I couldn’t agree more. Focusing on elementary school kids is the most uninteresting thing ever. What’s next toddlers? Might as well.
Regardless of this, Seven’s issue is NOT the show itself. The show is fine...as a comedy. It’s what it represents to the Yu-Gi-Oh community as a whole. Naturally older fans are going to look at this and think “this is childish.” What made the original 3 shows so beloved and memorable is that they had characters who were older than the target audience with some dark and mature themes. This is called instilling imagination because as we get older, we want to become duelists like our favorite characters in the show. Having characters who are the same age does nothing. You could take the duels away from the show and literally nothing would change. This is a light-hearted comedy show that just happens to have dueling in it. This isn’t Yu-Gi-Oh.
I apologize if this offended anyone who actually enjoys this show but from a diehard fan, this just isn’t worth the time. If I wanted to watch a goofy comedy show, I’d rather watch something else because at least I wouldn’t be disappointed in it being Yu-Gi-Oh.
Reviewer’s Rating: 2
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Oct 25, 2020
Typically I am not one to watch or read many dark fantasy stories but Claymore was a rather intriguing experience.
The main focus of the story centers around an organization of Claymores fighting different monsters of varying strength and power. Despite what seemingly could become a rather formulaic plot, it manages to maintain a looming sense of mystery about the world slowly building on what's been previously established and adds many twists along the way keeping things unpredictable. There would often be moments of uncertainty if a character would make it out of a life threatening situation as there are many deaths throughout. The violence featured
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in Claymore, while at times can be a spectacle, is one that can instill legitimate terror. The story is markedly well-crafted as it manages to keep a consistent tone of being grim and depressing whilst maintaining believability. The flashback arc near the beginning provides a strong tether as from that point on, the story continues to build upon itself providing clear motivations for the characters. What I found particularly interesting was that the main character is not the sole initiator of the plot. There are many moving pieces in this world and sometimes there would be 3-4 events happening all at once creating some truly chaotic situations.
There are many interesting characters in Claymore. Clare is a strong but not overpowered protagonist. She is flawed in many ways and has a human side to her that makes her relatable and likable. Her growth is noticeable not just strength-wise but character-wise as well. There are many other companions that we meet along the way and while not all the characters get meaningful development, their interactions and motivations make them distinct and likable.
There is an easy to understand ranking system introduced which provides us a relative idea as to how strong each character is and how they match up against various foes which oftentimes instills a sense of awe and wonder as to how anyone is supposed to take down certain enemies. The power system is also rather interesting as each character has a special move unique to them that introduces some elements of strategy and tactics in the fights.
The artwork is one of the greatest strengths of the manga. While it does get somewhat confusing at times due to all the Claymores looking relatively similar in terms of hair and eyes, it doesn’t necessarily take away from the experience. The action and movement with speed lines keeps things engaging and fast paced. Many of the monsters, especially later on in the story have really complex and unique designs whilst also looking cool. There would often be showcases with a full page spread giving you a clear view at their features.
Overall, I absolutely enjoyed this manga and would highly recommend it to others who want a well thought out and compelling fantasy. While I tend to stay away from overly violent stories, this one feels tame. It’s dark but not too dark and knows how to build upon itself in meaningful ways both with its setting and its characters. It managed to keep me engaged from start to finish with its creativity, story twists, and amazing artwork.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Mar 28, 2020
This was one of the most bafflingly disappointing shows I’ve seen in a long time.
The original Madoka Magica was a show well-known for its contribution to the magical girl genre. Its unique visual presentation, memorable characters, and compelling narrative are what made it as engaging as it was. When I heard there was going to be a spin-off series, I was ecstatic and had high hopes going into this. Unfortunately what I was left with was a disappointing hollow shell of what could have been something more.
The more I watched, the more I came to realize that the story would not be going anywhere meaningful.
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Since Magia Record is based on a game, a lot of details get omitted which made this jarring to watch. Even if I had treated the anime as a standalone, it does not hold up well. Three things pop into my head that held it back the most and that would be boring exposition dumps, bland characters, and terrible pacing. Sure you could say that there were nice visuals and dark and twisted things were happening to the characters but so what? If I can’t meaningfully care about what’s happening on screen then no amount of artsy colors or dark imagery can salvage your show.
The characters are about as one dimensional as any I’ve ever seen. None of them are all that interesting or memorable which means that any time they get put in the spotlight in some scenario, I can’t find myself sympathizing with them. This is only heightened by the atrocious writing. Every episode is seemingly episodic or at least that was the impression I got from watching this with each new story arc centering around something dark and mysterious happening to the town and its people. The way in which this is presented for the most part however are characters standing around talking for half the episode discussing the plot of the story which makes it really boring and painful to watch. There is nothing I hate more than mindless exposition dumps and I found myself constantly losing focus throughout each episode. To make matters worse, there would be sudden transitions to janky fight scenes that seem so out of place. These occurred quite frequently and would be at random.
The “mystery” element of the show is not all that compelling either. Typically arcs end with a big fight scene of some kind with crazy explosions and girls running around screaming. Yeah we get it. Witches are bad, destroy them! I am honestly lost for words how massively uninteresting every episode’s progression and resolution were. This stays constant throughout. If you’ve seen one episode, you’ve seen them all.
Negatives aside I will say that this show is fairly nice to look at sometimes. The art and animation are well done in some of the fights and I am a fan of some of the character designs. This of course was meant to draw you in to get you to keep watching in hopes for something interesting to look at. If not for this reason alone, I probably wouldn’t have been able to watch all of it. I also enjoyed the soundtrack which at the very least engaged me for the few moments that it was running.
It’s truly a shame that this spin-off was so lackluster for me and possibly for many others. I was a fan of the original and really wanted to like this one too. The character designs were really interesting and the prospect of a side story was more than what I could have asked for. There was definitely some effort put into making it as dark and as mysterious as the original but the way in which it was presented was poorly done. The show doesn’t add anything that hasn’t already been established in Madoka, has a worse narrative structure, and less interesting characters. This is not to say that none of the story arcs had interesting things to say nor is it implied that they didn’t put the characters under intense scenarios. But in all honesty, do yourself a favor and avoid this entry. It can only lead to disappointment. It almost seems to me that in order to fully grasp the show, one would need to play the game that this was based on which is already a huge turn-off.
Reviewer’s Rating: 3
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