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Dec 19, 2024
Dandadan definitely leaves me confused when I try to describe whether or not I liked what I saw.
The first episode reveals everything Dandadan has to offer, both at its best and at its worst. The characters are extremely charismatic, the humor is very good, the animation is wonderful and, along with all of this, it is permeated by what is probably the most divisive theme of this work: the way the script deals (or fails to deal) with the characters being constantly targets of attempted sexual violence.
Starting with the compliments: I loved the protagonists Momo and Okarun from the beginning. They have clear personalities, charismatic
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characteristics and their interactions are excellent and each new character adds a bit of chaos and leaves their mark on the narrative.
The animation itself is incredible and, although many may get attached to the action moments, I was impressed by certain movements and camera angles that are very inventive. An example of this is a certain scene in episode 2 that involves a mirror in Momo's room. And Dandadan is full of moments like this that show that whoever thought of these scenes is very good at what they do.
And finally, the giant elephant in the room arrives: I won't give spoilers, but I think it's good for anyone who wants to watch Dandadan to know that this anime has some very uncomfortable scenes involving attempted sexual abuse. One character is technically abused off-screen while another character is almost abused at least twice. My problem isn't even having this kind of theme, the problem is how the script seems to give no weight to the subject. Like, in one episode a certain character is tied up half-naked and almost abused and in the other episode it seems like nothing happened to this same character or, worse, you're left wondering if the creatures that almost forced the sexual intercourse wear underwear...
Dandadan has everything to make me love this story, but there's this point that's like a kick pushing me away... I still think I liked this anime even with this cliffhanger at the end of the season that appeals to what I hated the most: a character is about to be sexually abused again. Dandadan is certainly a good exercise in discovering the line between how much a story can have something that makes you uncomfortable and yet you can still love it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Jun 13, 2024
Dungeon Meshi is one of those few anime that manages to improve with each new episode.
At first I have to be honest when I say that the beginning of Dungeon Meshi didn't capture me, the premise of a group of RPG-style characters going on an adventure didn't seem very appealing to me and it only got worse when I saw that the story incorporates it as an important part of the adventure the recipes made with the monsters our heroes defeat. The recipes at first seemed like a waste of time because for clear reasons they cannot be reproduced in real life and the moments
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when the characters stopped to cook made me think they were wasting time, as the initial reason for this adventure is to save Falin, a group mage who, when saving the rest of the group, ended up being eaten by a red dragon.
I'm glad I continued watching even after that first bad impression because with just a few episodes it's clear what an excellent story we're in for. The narrative is engaging and skillful in maintaining a satisfying sense of progression that is combined with extremely charismatic characters and finally, what I liked most is how Dungeon Meshi subtly and intelligently delivers information about the universe we are following.
It is not uncommon to see promising stories become mediocre due to not knowing how to deliver the information, as often, due to the author's lack of skill, weak resources are used, such as having X characters say certain information in an unnatural way or just a document with the information and that's it. Here, in general, little by little throughout the journey, themes and answers to secrets are revealed in random encounters and even in conversations between characters that happen appropriately. What do I mean by proper manner? It never seems to me that the characters bring up a subject for no reason and don't talk about it with someone who clearly already knows the information and finally don't hide information, because if something wasn't said it's simply because there wasn't an opportunity to do so, but as soon as the right situation arises, the characters say what is necessary.
The characters are another strong point of this anime. If at first it seems that we will have the typical hero and leader in Laios, a Marcille being an annoying mage but being the voice of reason for the group, a Chilchuck as a half-foot and nervous rogue or a Senshi representing a stoic dwarf you are right... . and you will also be completely wrong. The characters are that, but also much more.
Regarding the technical aspects, I have praise, the VAs are excellent, the soundtrack manages to create the necessary atmosphere very well, in addition to having great intros and endings. The art is a spectacle in itself because in addition to being very beautiful it somehow manages to be familiar and also original, managing to show many elements that have already been explored in other stories but with a certain touch it makes it seem different enough to make us feel that this is, yes, a universe of its own.
In short, I reached the end of the journey completely pleased with what I saw and with the wonderful feeling that I wouldn't change anything, all I was left with was the feeling that I want to spend more time with these characters and explore this world more. I recommend.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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May 17, 2024
Yamada-kun to Lv999 no Koi wo Suru is a story that I honestly started watching wanting not to like but in the end I feel that despite still having one or two things to complain about, this Romcom was very enjoyable to watch.
The story revolves around Kinoshita Akane, a 20-year-old university student who, after being dumped by her boyfriend, meets Yamada Akito, an 18-year-old high school student who, despite his cold appearance and distant behavior, ends up proving himself as a very kind person.
The premise is very simple and this type of story that involves a cold and often rude character but who in the
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end is someone very cute and misunderstood is something that initially made me create barriers to liking this anime, firstly because I don't like this trope and in secondly, the script seemed entirely based on a phrase that a friend of mine keeps saying and which is harsh but very real because according to him “the patience people will have with your unpleasant features is proportional to your level of beauty and/ or amount of money". Remove the beauty of the male protagonist and this story would be very different, but as it is a Romcom, I decided to ignore this aspect and saw that the romantic part was done in a very competent way and I really liked it, even though I still I had my friend's quote constantly playing in my head every time Yamada said something rude but somehow people ignored it. What saved this character for me was when I realized I could read the character into something he could be neurodivergent but I'll talk about that below.
Akane for some reason reminded me of Tohru's cute and desperate behavior from Fruits Basket, which in turn guaranteed my almost immediate sympathy. I actually wish the story showed more of Akane besides the romance part because apparently she has a social circle at college and I may have missed it but I don't remember seeing what she's studying. Overall, Akane is an enjoyable protagonist to follow.
Yamada improved a lot for me as a character when, apparently not just me, I started to interpret him as a neurodivergent person, probably on the autism spectrum, because it's easy to see how he stays hyper focused on the things he likes, has social difficulties due to a difficulty in interpreting other people's emotions and showing his own which makes him often hurt others as he cannot read the subtle hints that others give him, despite his gentle nature.
The secondary characters fulfill the supporting role well and don't steal much screen time, but when they do, they add a lot to the script, as happens in my opinion with the character Tsubaki Yukari.
In short, this anime managed to win me over even though I wanted not to because it is a story with a simple but well-executed structure and has characters that are pleasant to follow. Sometimes all we need is that: something simple and well done.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Mar 31, 2024
Shangri-La Frontier: Kusoge Hunter, Kamige ni Idoman to su is an anime with good ideas but between good ideas and errors the final impression on me was neutral.
In this story we follow the player specialized in bad games known as Sunraku who, after a long time trying all kinds of bad games, decides to play a virtual reality game known as the best game today, Shangri-la Frontier. This is the basis of the entire story since the anime.
The premise of a story that takes place in a game world isn't exactly new, but this anime pleased me at first because it didn't resort to the
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cliché of the protagonist being trapped in the game or taken to another world like any Isekai, however, this point is harmed when the author does not add any other form of risk to the plot. In both the real and virtual worlds, there is no risk of anything serious happening that could permanently affect anyone in this story, which means that all the scenes that should be exciting are empty because there is nothing at stake.
As this is not a story about risks, the plot could focus on the gameplay of Shangri-La Frontier but the author does this in a very frustrating way. When showing any kind of training, the lack of stakes makes it a bit tedious to watch because our heroes are going to get what they want and have nothing to lose if they fail, they can die all they want and nothing really matters. But if watching these training sessions already seems like a waste of time, it only gets worse when the characters almost always just say that they acquired a new skill off-screen and that it works in a very arbitrary way.
Our protagonist is a pleasant surprise as he is not the typical loser or edge protagonist, in fact from the little that the script allows us to see it is possible to notice that he has friends and is loved in his social circle, it is a shame that there is no narrative arc for he. Sanraku learns nothing that leads to personal growth or that leads to any change in perspective from the beginning to the end of the story.
The human secondary characters suffer from a lack of screen time in the real world because even with how little the story shows, I was really interested in finding out more about Oikatzo and Pencilgon. In the end, the character that had something closer to a development arc was Pencilgon but as we know very little about her and most of it is from other characters' statements, we can only believe that she changed but we didn't see that change.
The animation is quite decent because if it doesn't shine like some contemporary shounen anime, at least it doesn't displease. The fights, although they don't have very good choreography, are not bad to watch due to the quality of the animation, but they end up suffering from a lack of emotion due to the lack of risks that I mentioned before.
In short, Shangri-La Frontier: Kusoge Hunter, Kamige ni Idoman to su practically cancels out its successes with its mistakes, which gave me an experience that was neither good nor bad, it was empty and neutral. I don't see it as a waste of time to watch it, but don't expect it to leave a deep impression on you, whether negative or positive.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Mar 25, 2024
Dosanko Gal wa Namara Menkoi is an anime that delivers exactly what is expected of it.
In this story we follow Shiki Tsubasa, a high school student who is moving from Tokyo to Hokkaido. Arriving there, he soon meets a beautiful girl named Fuyuki Minami who helps him with the challenge of adapting to the new environment.
The story of this anime follows the pattern of animes of this genre:
1º a slightly shy protagonist with almost no personality, making it easier for the viewer to put themselves in the protagonist's shoes.
2º extremely beautiful girls, with breasts so big that they make you wonder how they manage to
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stand up and despite this they act as if they had never been praised for their beauty.
Now you may be asking me: is this bad? I'll tell you no, it's not. Dosanko Gal wa Namara Menkoi does not reinvent the wheel and delivers what the public of this type of content wants and even in a much more satisfying and less offensive way than many other conventional anime out there.
Many have already been through the protagonist's situation so it's easy to feel empathy for him and the fact that he doesn't have any major unpleasant characteristics makes this easier. The girls don't deviate too much from their archetypes but they take extremely out-of-character actions when they try to "flirt" and the quick fixation they all have with Tsubasa is typical of this type of anime but I legitimately liked most of them. I may not understand where so much love came from, but I really understand how the friendship came about, especially between Tsubasa, Fuyuki and Sayuri (another friend the protagonist makes in Hokkaido)
In short, this anime was a pleasant surprise, not because it was revolutionary but because it did the basics efficiently. The girls are pleasant and the protagonist, despite not having a strong personality, is at least likable because he isn't an idiotic pervert with his new friends.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Mar 24, 2024
Yubisaki to Renren is a very cute story that I really liked and will please most people who like romance, but my personal experience with deaf people and my expectations for it being a college love story made me like it a little less than I could have.
The protagonist of this story is Itose Yuki, a young deaf woman who after a brief interaction on the subway falls in love with Nagi Itsuomi who she later discovers is studying at the same college and the story develops following these two characters getting to know each other and discovering love.
The love story between the protagonists is
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very cute and it's nice to see the two interacting, but it required me to overcome the feeling that everything started too quickly or that something was missing. The scene in which the protagonists meet exemplifies this: Yuki is on the subway, receives help from Itsuomi with a boy who was asking her for directions without realizing that she is deaf and suddenly he puts his hand on her head and Kaboom, we have a Yuki is in love and for some reason the anime tries to sell this scene as ultra romantic when it seemed strange to me.
One point that is again sweet, but left me conflicted about how to feel, is the apparent lack of emotional maturity of some characters. It's very cute to see Yuki melting thinking about Itsuomi but at a certain point I caught myself thinking that especially the way the female characters in this story act is no different from the kawaii and shy way these characters have in high school stories. It's not something that really bothered me, but I see it as a missed opportunity since the characters being young adults didn't seem to make much of a difference.
Now talking about deafness issues, I will talk about things that for most people won't make the slightest difference and didn't ruin my experience but caught my attention. I would have liked to have seen more people around Yuki and how most of them don't even know the basics of sign language, because in my experience I learned a lot just by being around deaf people before even attending some classes to learn properly. I really found it strange how almost no one knows how to talk to Yuki and that apparently even her parents only talk to her by reading their lips, because how were they able to have more complex conversations when she still didn't know how to do that? Maybe the source material will explain this later, but it's something that caught my attention.
I could point out things I was taught that are very rude to do to someone who is deaf and that happen sometimes in this anime, like holding hands and covering a deaf person's vision, as it would be the equivalent of putting your hand over your mouth from someone, but the only big complaint I have is how unintentionally the script seems to validate the speech of Oushi, Yuki's childhood friend. Having our protagonist practically forgetting how to walk down the street and needing to be guided by the hand to avoid being run over because she's so excited to be walking with Itsuomi is a little frustrating, as is what happens when Oushi needs to intervene in a certain situation because Yuki apparently can't communicate to the salesperson that she is deaf and cannot understand what he is saying because he is wearing a mask. Deaf people, even by necessity, tend to be great at taking care of themselves and communicating even with people who don't know sign language and I honestly would have liked to have seen Yuki showing this even to counter Oushi's thoughts.
Having said all that, I still liked what I saw and will recommend it to friends who like romance, I am fully aware that many of my complaints will not be noticed by the majority of the public but it left me with the slight impression that some opportunities were missed because the fact that I was following young adults didn't seem to make a difference and the plot felt much more like a story with a deaf character and not a story about a deaf person.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Mar 23, 2024
Kusuriya no Hitorigoto is an anime with a good story and that stands out for having a great protagonist guiding the plot.
This anime is a historical romance/drama in which we follow Maomao, an apothecary who after being kidnapped is sold to work in the cleaning services of the imperial palace, but after helping to solve a mysterious case using her knowledge as an apothecary, she is hired by a high-ranking concubine of the emperor and also ends up being called by Jinshi, an extremely handsome man shrouded in mystery, to solve problems in the palace using his knowledge and power of deduction.
The plot is usually
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episodic, with small arcs where mysteries appear and are resolved in a satisfactory way. Although these stories work in isolation, they always add information about how the local system works and develop the relationship between the characters, making it not rare and satisfying to see how acquired knowledge or an established relationship becomes important in future events. Mysteries in general are fun to follow and try to reach the conclusion with the protagonist.
Although it's not my case, I understand that some people may complain that the plot may seem a little unfocused, but I see these seemingly unfocused moments as just a preparation for future events so be patient, it will be worth it.
Even though I like the story, for me the highlight of this anime is its protagonist, she is very charismatic and carries the plot with her unconventional way. It is very easy to want to follow a protagonist who is always active and carrying out actions and even when she stops doing something or investigating something it is done intentionally, generally thinking about not getting into too much trouble, as the anime makes it clear that several moments like the Life is cruel and even more so with a woman.
Another attraction that I would like to highlight is that the story takes place in a fictional China from the past, which in itself is interesting because it opens up the possibility of getting to know aspects of a new culture and also of encountering new challenges arising from a social organization different from that what we are used to.
The art and soundtrack also deserve praise, I don't remember feeling displeased at any point and sometimes the combination of animation and soundtrack offers a true visual spectacle worthy of rewatching a few times.
Kusuriya no Hitorigoto was a pleasant surprise for me as it delivered much more than I expected and always left me looking forward to the new episode. I couldn't help but recommend such a pleasurable job.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Mar 23, 2024
Undead Unluck is a great battle shounen but it suffers from a beginning that displeased part of the public but mainly because it was distributed by Hulu.
In this story we follow Izumo Fuuko, a young woman who, upon meeting Andy, discovers the existence of people who can deny a rule in the world, she is Unlucky as she denies the luck of those she touches and Andy is the Undead as he cannot die in any way. With this information, both go on a journey to free themselves from their powers and end up encountering many challenges and hidden truths of this world.
Starting with a
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negative point, the way Andy initially treats Fuuko is questionable to say the least. Having a man grope a woman without permission is not funny and although this behavior didn't last for many episodes, it lasted long enough to alienate some of the audience.
But, after the initial discomfort, the plot really left me involved with each new mystery and information we obtain about the functioning of powers and the world in which our protagonists live. There were many times that after an episode I found myself thinking about how a certain power works or how to solve some mystery that appeared.
The characters in general are rich in charisma. Even Andy, who had no sympathy for me, became really likable, as did Fuuko, becoming more and more confident as the story progressed. I can say the same about the secondary characters, even those who have little screen time gained my affection because, in addition to having a striking appearance, their personalities and characteristics made me want to know more about them all the time.
And now the worst point of Undead Unluck is called HULU, the terrible advertising and distribution has greatly restricted the potential reach of this anime. At the time of writing this text, there are not even subtitles in Brazilian Portuguese (my language) and from what I researched, this problem did not only affect Brazil.
The art is very decent and perhaps because we are living with works like Demon Slayer, Jujutsu Kaisen and Sousou no Frieren, many don't give it the value that Undead Unluck deserves. The track is very good and delivers everything needed and will certainly not leave my playlist anytime soon.
I'm happy to have given this anime a chance, despite the complicated beginning and having to overcome a barrier called HULU, the journey was worth it and I feel that the balance of it all is positive. This is definitely an anime I recommend.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Mar 22, 2024
Do you know the feeling of watching one of your favorite shows? This feeling is exactly what Sousou no Frieren gave me.
The story of this anime revolves around Frieren, an elf mage who was in the group of heroes who defeated the Demon King, but now she is faced with the reality that her friends will not live as long as she did and that perhaps she did not value the time they spent together. With this in mind, she embarks on a new journey with the aim of giving new meaning and better understanding the people she accompanied on the old journey, in addition
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to trying to connect with her new journey companions. To be honest, it's not that this is a new idea but, in my opinion, it is so well executed that it even seems like some themes have been renewed.
The development of the characters did not generate any complaints because everyone, in addition to being charismatic, behaves in a manner consistent with what is presented to us. They are the way they are and act the way they do for a reason, it never seemed random to me, plus most of them had the opportunity to face their dramas, which generally helped me become attached to most of them.
The art is something extraordinary, the settings in general are beautiful, the character design is neat and full of personality but what caught my attention the most was the extra care taken with the details. Even the pedestrians in the background of the scene are very well animated, the movement of clothes and hair is wonderful even when it is not necessary. I watched some episodes about 5 times in a row just to better see the hard work put into even mundane scenes, like characters lifting their skirts to sit in a chair or simply putting on a jacket.
The soundtrack is another point to be highlighted, as it perfectly matches the rhythm of this anime, in addition to taking us very well to the mood that the scene demands, going from a contemplative calm to the hustle and bustle of an epic battle, I can't imagine how they would do it a soundtrack that would better suit this anime.
This is an anime that didn't disappoint me at all, to the point where I'm not afraid to say that it's one of my favorite works of entertainment in general. This is definitely a story I will revisit regularly and recommend to my friends.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Mar 6, 2024
I waited a few months to write this review to try to be fair with this anime and luckily my opinion hasn't changed at all: this isn't the worst anime I've ever seen but it's the furthest my rating is from the overall rating on MAL.
Starting with the protagonists, we have Lu Guang, the quiet and calm guy, and Cheng Xiaoshi, the hot-headed and emotional guy. That's what they basically boil down to, it's not necessarily bad, but I'd be lying if I said anything about them that sparked any kind of sympathy in me.
As for the mechanics of time travel, it is quite interesting
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but as the rules are not clear and change all the time, don't worry about keeping information. If at one point the two protagonists were needed to travel through time, then they no longer needed it, if before they needed a photo, now a video frame will do, if before they needed to possess someone's body, then they no longer need it. ...Rules apply and change as the script requires.
Now getting into the plot itself, nothing makes sense. Two people offer a time travel service on the internet and demonstrate that they get results and are able to do what they say and know what happens? They are hired to recover a pasta recipe... There are no repercussions, the world continues as if it were normal. Not even those who hire seem to care that someone is traveling through time. The lack of reaction and repercussion is something that really bothered me.
The actions of the protagonists are another frustrating thing. Guang always withholds information from the public and his partner even if it doesn't make sense and on the other hand Xiaoshi is not just emotional, he is a complete idiot. A basic rule of every story with time travel is that you shouldn't change the past and it's no different in Link Click, where Guang warns that the current timeline could be destroyed if something too big is changed and knows what Xiaoshi does ? It's clear that he doesn't heed the warnings and always actively tries to alter the past.
Another frustrating thing is how the protagonists' power becomes as trivial as going to the corner store. If retrieving a pasta recipe isn't simple enough, how about going back in time, putting the entire continuity of our timeline at risk to hear what a friend's romantic interest said when she was too drunk to hear? This kind of stupid situation overshadows any attempt to be emotional, because although some stories have their value, I found myself thinking things like: Is this idiot really going to use his drunk friend's body to chase a suspicious guy down a dark alley?
I almost forgot about the visuals, it's not bad, but it's not uncommon to see characters' lips not match the audio and the movement varies greatly from very fluid to strangely stuck.
The story doesn't follow the rules it creates, the characters are not captivating and take stupid actions all the time and the lack of repercussion in the world is something that definitely cannot be ignored. In short, it was painful to watch, I literally had a headache during some episodes so I don't recommend it to anyone.
Reviewer’s Rating: 3
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