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Apr 6, 2015
Tirelessly peddling, constantly looking forward, and triumphing over great mental and emotional fatigue to reach one’s dreams is what Onoda Sakamichi accomplished, and all while having the greatest time of his life. Yowamushi Pedal in its entirety is not about attaining selfish desires, instead it portrays the struggle to reach what seems unattainable, a dream, and using a road racer (aka a fancy bicycle) as a metaphor of always looking ahead in life masterfully ties it all together.
Blindly going into a sports anime with no prior knowledge about the sport and coming out with a strong passion and excitement towards it is something that
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makes this genre of anime fascinating and valuable. Yowamushi Pedal has completely changed my perception towards road racing, as now I perceive it to be a very exhilarating and respectable sport. It is the portrayal of road racing and the blood, sweat, and tears that each rider experiences throughout their journey that captivated and immersed me in the story line. However, the sport alone is not the anime’s only selling point, but it is the determination and courage that the athletes relentlessly endure in order to accomplish their dreams, and to help their teammates accomplish the same, that motivates me to enthusiastically pursue my own dreams without looking back.
The story in season two begins in the middle of the final three day long road racing inter-high tournament and continues right where season one ended. The story is fairly simple, to win this major race in order to fulfill the dreams of each team member, which is to become stronger and become completely enthralled in what they love the most—road racing. But this simple premise really is something that I love about this anime. The straightforwardness of the overall story line allows the audience to focus on the race and the adversity that each character faces, not only for the athletes on the main team (Sohuku) but also for several rival teams. What each character maintains throughout the anime is their charisma as each individual is memorable and has unique traits, which is a common method used in action and sport orientated anime. The story is very thrilling, inclusive, inspiring and the balance between humour and seriousness allowed me to enjoy both the anime and the sport of road racing.
The characters are not particularly developed but this does not detract from the overall attraction towards these characters. The development of one character is not important in Yowamushi Pedal compared to the development of the team, as road racing is portrayed to be mainly a team sport, therefore the growth of certain characters only add to strengthening the team as a whole. The main character, Onoda, is a very inspiring individual as he is first introduced in season one as one of us, an anime loving high otaku, but becomes quickly fascinated by the road racing team at his high school. The fact that this athlete is a typical otaku who has no interest in sports prior to discovering road racing is quite shocking because most sports anime revolves around a strong and masculine protagonist. On the other side of the spectrum we have the main antagonist of the anime, Midousuji, who is literally portrayed to be a snake riding a road racer…I honestly don’t understand how the producers came up with such a vile character, but to be honest it was pretty hilarious watching him frustrate the other riders and probably the entire audience.
Who doesn't love bright and bold animation to go along an inspirational and amusing sports anime! The bright colours used to individualize each character and team with the constant vivid scenery really brought the fresh and comforting feel of summer. The use of intense colour beautifully reflected the characters attributes and aura throughout the second half of the tournament and the style of animation was very straightforward and direct like the plot. It was obvious that some parts of the animation did not entirely allow the audience to completely enjoy certain scenes due to a lack of detail, however as the producers were limited with a strict budget I couldn't ask for more. I was never once disappointed by the atheistic of this anime as it allowed me to feel the excitement and joy that Onoda felt while pushing forward towards his dream.
The soundtrack was very uplifting and exciting which complimented the intensity of the sport and the emotions of the characters. In addition, the main OST of the anime really was well constructed to build the sense of determination and hope in the emotions of the characters, and allows the audience to develop a strong connection to this particular soundtrack.
Yowamushi Pedal for the most part follows the typical story line of any sports anime, but what makes this anime promising is its ability to inspire any individual to keep looking forward and pedal harder, because a dream can become reality for anyone.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Apr 1, 2015
Trying to fathom what lies in the afterlife is sometimes frightening because we can never know what we are going to encounter, if anything at all. Death Parade uses this as the foundation to their story by portraying how humans are able to reach either heaven or hell, or as explained in this anime reincarnation or having your souls lost in abyss. Death parade uses this concept to bring about a much more important topic--the value of life.
Story: 9
What makes this anime intriguing is the portrayal of humans becomes chosen to be reincarnated or become lost souls depending on their sins they committed during
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their lives, but ultimately it is the main character Decim who controls the fate of the humans who pass on. Decim is a lone bartender who works at a mysterious bar called Quindecim, which is the intermediary between life and the afterlife and the place where the fate of the dead are determined. It is always both fascinating and frightening to imagine what occurs in the afterlife, and the ability for this anime to seem very realistic is intriguing, despite taking place in an unusual setting. Of course humans are incapable to actually knowing what occurs in the afterlife, but this does not undermine the storyline, instead it allows the audience to become introduced to many unique and captivating concepts, thus allowing us to tap into our imagination and become free from reality. Not only is the premise of Death Parade intriguing, but each individual story that is told in this partially episodic anime is well constructed and heart wrenching. Most episodes consists of two individuals who are forced into playing a game to decide their own fate of either ending up in heaven or hell, and the background stories for each character really makes you want to shed a tear. What truly excites me about this anime is that the anime seems very simple at first as it is episodic and the same events repeat with different characters and games, however once understanding more about the storyline you begin to learn more about human nature and the value of life, which is invaluable.
Characters: 9
The main character, Decim, is a very interesting individual as he is portrayed to be a very mysterious and serious character. As the arbitrator of who is permitted to become reincarnated he is forced to maintain a very strict and unwavering attitude and thus the audience come to first believe that his decisions are always correct. However, as the story unfolds we come to understand that Decim is not perfect through subtle mistakes and gestures and is portrayed to have many human characteristics, and by the end he transforms into an entirely different character. Onna is Decim’s new assistant and she adds a very human element to the story by being highly influenced by the tragedy of the lost souls compared to Decim’s unsympathetic attitude. The souls who enter Quindecim to have their fate determined is the strong point of this anime, because these characters are well developed despite having only one or two episode dedicated to their story, as this anime is for the most pa rt episodic. Each of these characters has a very depressing backstory that forces the audience to build a deep sense of sympathy towards them which adds to sparking more emotions as we watch these characters cope with their tragic situation.
Animation: 8
The setting for this anime is limited to Quindecim for the most part but the detail in the animation for this setting is unbelievable. The animation does not particularity stand out but it does effectively complement the serious tone of the anime by having a broad range of colours and shades that makes the story seem more realistic.
Sound: 9
One of the most memorable parts of this anime is the very upbeat and glorious opening theme as it contrasts to the overall depressing and serious tone of the anime. This opening puts the audience in a very happy and excited mood which allows us to have some sort of relief from the very emotional story.
Enjoyment: 10
Death Parade is a very unusual anime is it explores very complicated concepts while making it very easy to understand. Despite having a very depressing premise to the storyline this anime does portray a sense of hope in humanity by exploring the virtuous aspects of humans in addition to our sins. I have been very engaged in the story and characters throughout the entire series and I recommend this anime to those who want to watch a very unique, meaningful, and emotional anime that tries to portray the value of life.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Mar 29, 2015
Akatsuki no Yona’s impeccable portrayal of a heart wrenching story of a lovable protagonist, Yona, the princess of the kingdom of Kouka, who overcomes her personal anguish for the greater good of her people is one to cherish. What made me deeply drawn to this anime was the thrilling adventure of Yona and her bodyguard Hak as they set foot on their journey to find the four dragons in order to protect the ones that Yona loves—her citizens of Kouka and her friends from the seemingly evil and newly founded king Suu-Won (yes seemingly as we are unsure of his motivations for bestowing tragedy onto
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Yona).
Story: 8.5
From the very beginning I was drawn to the story as the sudden change in tone from being cheerful to a heart wrenching one was beautifully portrayed in the first few episodes. However, this sense of depression was relieved through the hopeful storytelling of a feeble and ignorant princess becoming independent by finally gaining insight towards the corruption of her kingdom through her thrilling adventure. What makes an adventure story exciting is the thrill of discovering new characters that the protagonist meets along their journey and discovering who these people are, what their upbringing entails, what powers they possess, and most importantly what affect will they have on the story. Akatsuki no Yona used this element of the adventure genre almost perfectly by using the interesting characters of the four dragons, Yun, and the priest to add depth and excitement to this anime and to further develop Yona’s character. In addition to the plot, the method of storytelling elevates the audiences’ curiosity and interest from the very beginning, as the anime vaguely introduces the various characters and their powers and Yona’s strength as a leader in the opening scene. This clever method of storytelling allows the audience to be put into state of confusion, yet allows them to develop a strong sense of curiosity, ultimately becoming completely consumed by the story.
Characters: 9
The strong point of this anime is the characters as I explained before an adventure/action anime is centered around the development of the protagonist and his/her companions. Each of the characters in this story had a purpose, which was disparate motivations to follow Yona on her adventure, and this allowed each character to have depth. Hak and the four dragons are powerful and brave warriors which already appeals to the audience, but each of them have a different reason to follow Yona on her journey of self-discovery which strengthens the sense of camaraderie and complements the uplifting tone to the anime. However, the major character development and the aspect of the anime that appeals to me the most is the depth in Yona’s character. Seeing a powerless, frail, and cheerful girl being struck by misfortune and being forced to overcome all of it riles my emotions and immediately brings a tear to my eye. But it is Yona’s ability to escape her sheltered world as a princess and face adversity using her own strength that connects to the audience. It is the fiery passion that Yona gains while maintaining her emotional fragility that makes me pray for her triumph over her many difficult trials that gives dimension to this anime.
Animation: 8
The animation is not particularly unique but it is fluid and matches the adventure genre by having very bright and memorable character designs and animation. What appealed to me specifically was the strength and force that the animation had during the more emotional and important scenes as various colours, images, and textures were used to really portray the strength of certain characters, especially Yona.
Sound: 9
The beautiful openings that perfectly reflect the vibe of the entire anime and the character of Yona, as she is the focus of the anime, captivated me entirely and are definitely worth listening to alone along with the various calming OSTs.
Enjoyment: 9.5
This anime has made me hooked from the very beginning and constantly made me wanting more after each episode. From the very first cliff hanger to the very final seconds of the anime I felt like I was on a journey alongside Yona and this is what gives adventure anime its value. The ending of the anime was slightly rushed and some characters, such as the antagonist, Suu-Won, wasn’t properly developed, but this only leaves the audience asking more questions and hopefully the second season (let’s all pray for one) answers them!
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Feb 4, 2015
“I’m a bud trying to bloom”- Ohana
The challenges and adversity that people face throughout life, especially as an inexperienced teenager, at first hinders their ability to move forward. However, through the process of overcoming these obstacles these individuals are able to better understand themselves and begin to grasp what they truly desire in life while finding a sense of belonging in the world. Hanasaku Iroha uses the common struggle to attain meaning in ones’ life as the foundation of the story and develops it through an enthusiastic and strong willed girl, Ohana.
Story: 8
Hanasaku Iroha describes a very simple story that revolves around the main
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character, Ohana, who is forced to work at her grandmother’s inn called Kissuiso due to unfortunate circumstances. Despite having a very simple premise this anime was able to captivate my attention from the very beginning as the atmosphere of the anime is very refreshing. The slice of life genre is usually underestimated at first because it is difficult to maintain the audiences’ interest through a story of watching the main character simply grow as an individual. This genre usually does not have any major plot twists, epic battle scenes, anything flashy, or any other type of method to immediately captivate an audience. But what it does have is the ability for the audience to easily connect with the storyline, and more than often we are able to see a reflection of ourselves in certain characters. Watching this anime felt like a breath of fresh air as the refreshing story, summer setting, friendly and caring characters, and beautiful music all blended together to set the perfect mood for the audience. Every aspect of this story comes back in portraying how Ohana grows as an individual in order to finally begin life with a purpose, which she is able to attain while working in Kissuiso, and watching this journey was very peaceful and emotional. Unlike most anime that revolves around high school students, Hanasaku Iroha was able to maintain a sense of maturity which provided the audience with a chance to better comprehend certain themes of love, friendship, family, and individuation.
Characters: 8.5
The character development for a slice of life anime is usually the strongest aspect, as the ability for the audience to form a connection with the characters is what maintains our interest. The anime is centered on Ohana’s journey to understand her goals and aspirations, and as her name suggests her ultimate goal is to bloom into a beautiful and unique flower. Despite most of the focus towards developing Ohana it does not detract from the main purpose of the story—to portray the strong bonds that holds a family together, and in this case the workers at Kissuiso. Ohana’s development is driven from her ability to easily form strong and lasting bonds with others, and this is used to bring everyone at Kissuiso together in order to create a very warm and loving atmosphere. One of my favourite characters in this anime is Koichi, who is introduced to be Ohana’s lover as he confesses his love in the very first episode. Sadly Koichi does not receive much development throughout the anime as he only appeared in few episodes. However, his ability to provide Ohana with a stable support throughout her many obstacles creates a very genuine and refreshing relationship between them and this always kept me wanting more. Ohana’s two friends that she first meets at the inn are Minko and Nako, and both of these characters complemented each other’s personalities very well which elevated the level of their development. Minko’s struggle to become acknowledged by the one she loves and Nako’s journey to accept her quiet and timid personality provides the audience with more opportunities to find connections with characters, and this further captivates the audience. Despite the fact that a single characters does not particularity stand out absolutely does not undermine character development, instead it allows for the topic of family to be better understood.
Animation: 9
Similarly to other anime produced by PA Works, Hanasaku Iroha’s animation is very attractive, beautiful, and in a sense soothing to watch. Every now and then in the anime there were scenes that would simply put me in awe due to the various techniques the animators used to elevate the art style. Another strong point of this anime is the amount of intricate detail that was incorporated into the backgrounds, primarily the nature landscapes.
Sound: 8
The sound beautifully reflected the overall cheerful and refreshing atmosphere to the anime through the various soundtracks, opening themes, and ending themes. However, I think that certain opening and ending themes is an acquired taste due to them being slightly different than the usual J-pop music, but I feel that this adds to the very rustic and original impression of the anime.
Enjoyment: 9
I recently re-watched this anime and when finishing I felt excited for knowing that I will watch this again sometime in the future, because I was completely drawn into the uplifting and inspirational story. For those who find it difficult to establish a sense of meaning in their life and would like to better understand themselves as individuals, this anime provides them with some insight. For those who simply want to watch something that will put a smile on their faces, this anime will definitely do so. Hanasaku Iroho is special to me because I was able to learn that every person has a different way of overcoming adversity in order to finally reach an understanding of their innermost aspirations; and when this becomes clear they are able to finally “bloom”.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Feb 2, 2015
A complete and marvellous love journey between two very interesting and compelling characters is a rare gem. However, Golden Time easily accomplishes and even more this anime emits a very romantic and honest story. Golden Time has completely changed my perspective in the romance/drama anime genre because this anime has a typical love story but enhances it by making every moment worthwhile. This journey begins with the main character, Tada Banri, entering college which was a very fresh setting as almost every romance anime takes place in high school. But what made my jaw drop and my heart flutter was seeing the main heroine, Kaga
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Kouko, in the very first episode. Her beauty, vigour, and simply radiating personality from the moment she entered the story was a sight every anime viewer must experience. Contrary to most typical love stories this one between Banri and Kouko seems very realistic and genuine, as the relationship is not built out of happiness and innocent love, but it is founded from sadness, jealously, commitment, and trust in addition to the positive aspects of love. I was constantly drawn into understanding what creates a strong and everlasting relationship, and I learned that true love can only be acquired from trust in your partner, but more importantly trust in yourself. Understanding your own goals and desires is the foundation of a strong relationship because it removes uncertainty and allows both individuals to become free from many burdens.
Kaga Kouko is one of my favourite characters, not solely because of her enchanting appearance, but due to the fact that she portrays a genuine female in a new relationship. The audience simply cannot hold back their sympathy towards her struggle in finding a partner who truly loves her despite her very envious and insecure nature. Throughout the anime we come to understand that her friendly and cheerful attitude is only a façade and that she is far more unstable that she seems to be; however this flaw did not undermine her character, instead it made her a more lovable and relatable character. Aside from the main heroine, the other characters have also been well developed. The most prevalent supporting character would be Linda, who is Banri’s childhood friend and Kouko’s rival in winning over Banri. Linda is a supportive and caring individual and many of her traits contrast to Kouko’s which adds to both of their development. The competition between Linda and Kouko was very mature throughout the anime and despite being rivals they were able to build their friendship. What surprised me was that I honestly did have difficulty in deciding who I wanted to root for because both Kouko and Linda managed to sway my emotions greatly and for different reasons.
The animation and music was nothing that stood out as the main focus was character development, however both of these aspects were able to effectively compliment the story and really elevate the tone and mood for many emotion scenes. The animation was definitely smooth and flowing and the soundtracks were limited but were able to make me grow attached to them.
I gave Golden Time a rating of 8, however this is my rating as an anime critic since this anime was far from being perfect. But this anime was something special as I was able to become attached to the characters and story very easily. Therefore, my enjoyment rating would undoubtedly be a high 9 as I have never before been more enthralled by a romance anime as I were with Golden Time.
This anime is something that I will always cherish because it showed me that love is much more difficult in reality, but through perseverance and commitment a strong and lasting bond can be formed.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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