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It goes to show that you truly cannot judge a show by looks alone. Upon first glance at the profile picture, I assumed Hunter x Hunter (2011) was too goofy for my taste. My curiosity finally peaked when the show’s conclusion was announced in 2014. Watching HxH was an adventure itself, and I still regard it as one of the best (if not, THE best) battle shounen in existence. There are nonexistent fillers, individuality among the characters, and an excellent separation between comedy and gravity.

In the beginning, HxH appears as a kids show with a 12-year-old protagonist with the goal of becoming a hunter ... and meeting friends along the way. However, as it progresses, it becomes more active, mature, and sinister, especially in the Chimera Ant (episodes 76-136) and Phantom Troupe (episodes 37-58) arcs. Those two are my favorite arcs (in that order) because of the storyline, character development, gore, and action. There are no fillers, only two recap episodes in the beginning (episodes 13 and 26). If you skip those two episodes, you’re not missing out on anything, unless you want to just breeze through those. Drama is involved throughout the series to establish relationships and connections between characters. The pacing was well-executed, showing the protagonists’ objectives and the improvement of their powers and strengths instead of just making them into copy-paste characters who are completely invincible. It executes comedy and seriousness very well. There is no playing around during battles and wasting time. There are two things that bothered me with the story. There was this insane power up in the Chimera Ant arc that I found to be your typical generic shounen trope. Although the primary goal was reached, the ending was incomplete in some parts. Some drama was stirring up in some parts of the world, and the anime doesn't investigate it further. However, I'm glad they decided to end the series instead of having a bunch of fillers until the mangaka decides to quit hiatus.

Yoshihiro Togashi, the creator of HxH, created an excellent story with one of the best forms of character development I’ve ever seen. It is really impressive. Despite being the main character, the show did not make Gon to be more superior than the others. Every person has a common goal, and the show gives the main cast their own screentime. Each has a special past that consists of them being accustomed to certain attacks, diseases or develop a major ability that helps them along the way. The protagonists are not always superior either. They’re human. They lose battles, but they make comebacks and become stronger than ever. You watch the characters experience trial-and-error and deal with frustration and pain. As heartbreaking or exciting as it may seem, some of your favorite characters will die. Even the villains show realistic emotions that made me feel sorry for them in their final moments.

The background design is very artistic and bright. The choreography in the fights are engaging. The painted still images are amazing and highlights the characters' main features well. There are thrilling scenes with dead bodies and dismantled body parts. The character designs were unique and distinguishable. The fanservice is a nice addition (especially Hisoka), and it wasn’t thrown out there in the wrong moments.

The seiyuu are very talented. I love that females played the voice of Gon, Killua, and Kurapika. I fell in love with the theme song, which has different versions throughout the show. I love the majority of the ED, especially “HUNTING FOR YOUR DREAM” by Galneryus and “Nagareboshi Kirari” by YUZU. One consistent thing that really annoyed me throughout the Greed Island arc (episodes 59-75) is the use of music for a particular scene. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a death, an aftermath of a massacre, or a sad memory, they always seem to play a score that reminds me of a cheerful video game. However, after I rewatched the series, I hardly noticed it.

I was hesitant to watch HxH at first, because the only experience with battle shounen I had was Bleach at the time. Bleach was a horrible experience with common shounen tropes. I decided to give it a chance, and HxH is a fun experience. If you haven’t seen it yet, I highly recommend it. As you read above, this show has many strengths that separates it from other battle shounen. HxH became one of my favorite shows because of the points I mentioned previously. The character development and the maturity of HxH have to be the highlights of the show for me. Because of the incomplete ending, I would recommend reading the manga. However, it appears that the manga ended where the anime left off. Yoshihiro has been on hiatus for awhile, so there’s no helping that. Anyway, don't miss out on this great opportunity. Give Hunter x Hunter (2011) a shot.

Production I.G has done it again. After a stint in watching this OVA, I can fathom why so many enjoy this series. Despite the positive things I heard about Noblesse, I couldn't help cringing when I saw the words “vampire” and “high school.” I thought, “Please don't be another Vampire Knight.” But it definitely didn't fit that category. It was far greater than that. Keep in mind that this is an OVA, so it only gives a taste of what to expect in the overall story. Some things aren't explained, but if you seen vampire anime like Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, you can understand the vampires’ ... abilities and whatnot.

It was more of a segment than a story. The highlight was the introduction to the Noblesse (Rai) and his importance in the vampiric world. After sleeping for 820 years, he returns to a world dominated by humans and their unusual normalities (e.g. video games). His reactions to first-time experiences in popular high school activities like video games were logical. The OVA presents his unique abilities from other vampires and what he's capable of. The pacing seems rushed with dramatic events happening shortly after Rai makes an appearance in high school, but it was actually pretty steady for a segment. There's not much time for character developments or getting to know the characters in general. The majority of the show consisted of fighting, so it concludes with discarding a somewhat irrelevant part of the story. Now all that's left is Rai’s life as a high schooler and the Noblesse, as well as the several other questions you may have.

The background design is where the art truly shines. It's so well defined. The destruction in the show is constant and doesn't pause to emphasize a scene. It made it more realistic. The character designs were good. Production I.G did a good job with the bishounen protagonist. His red eyes, single ear accessory, and smooth shoulder-length hair were the characteristics that screamed “hottie” to me. The sinister vampires looked dominant over the others. I could tell their status by looking at them. The high school characters looked youthful. However, the art didn't reflect injuries much. Yes, it shows the usual draws as indicators of a character's pain, but it didn't connect with the vampires’ abilities. The vampires have brutal strength, so it makes sense to see crushed fingers or hands if they step on them with all their might. Plus the characters are able to move them despite the encounter. It lacks vampiric logic. The blood was too bright to be incarnadine.

The instrumental bluesy OP suited this OVA’s premise. Anything more upbeat for this type of vampire anime would've ruined it slightly for me. The background music, crunching noises, and staticky sounds during fights were great. The ED, which was one of the background tracks, calmed things down. The seiyuu did a good job, too.

I don't expect much from a short OVA, so I knew it would lack in some areas, including character development. I enjoyed it regardless. It definitely leaves you craving more. Hopefully, Production I.G will decide to take on a full anime adaptation in the future. In the meantime, let's read the manhwa.

One Punch Man features this crazy workout introduced by the main character Saitama. To prevent spoilers, I will not give details of the workout. Anyway, I tried the workout and now have rotator cuff tendonitis. So word of advice. Do not push yourself through his workout, unless you’re physically able. If you decide to watch the anime, watch each episode through to the previews. There’s a short scene after the credits. Now onto the review.

Based on the famous webcomic by One (yes, his alias is One), One Punch Man has a simple plot: the protagonist defeating enemies with one hit. He is bored, looking for ... worthy opponents of being a challenge for him. As a fan of the manga, Madhouse met my expectations as they usually do with adaptations. The pacing was good, as they kept the story going by eliminating the side stories in the manga. It resembled a classic ‘90s superhero show consisting of monsters and heroes with phenomenal sakuga.

Keep in mind before investing your time in this show that it is a parody. Do not expect seriousness throughout the 12 episodes. It is a silly gag comic about a superhero who always wins but is very unpopular among the community. If you had bad experiences with parodies, do not disregard One Punch Man. I disliked some parodies like Cromartie High School and had a fun time watching this show. Some parts, including the repetitive punchlines emphasizing on Saitama’s superpower and foolishness, may not appeal to you. There are other comical fragments to look forward to, especially the characters’ dialogue and side jokes. It may not make you laugh, but it is still entertaining and dynamic with its concept. To be quite honest, I can’t imagine getting bored with this show. With that being said, it is easy to misplace your expectations.

Why do some people dislike One Punch Man? I had an opposite experience from those individuals. It is true some people will not find this funny or entertaining at all. I will admit that some jokes are introduced early on and become predictable. No amount of visuals or good animation can amount for that. One Punch Man also presents a general punchline throughout the show, emphasizing Saitama’s superpower, foolishness, and psychological view of the world of superheroes and villains. Admittedly, this may not be the show for you, but I advise making it through at least the first 3-4 episodes. That tends to be the moment when people who are disinterested throw in the towel.

For me, there was more emphasis on comedy in the first half and action in the second half, especially with the arcs halfway through. The dialogue and actions of the characters are hilarious as they are meant as side jokes. The monsters are eliminated, not just by one punch, but from being in the middle of a fight that doesn't involve them. E.g. After inquiring his friend’s condition, a creature was slashed immediately during Saitama and another creature’s fight. It parodies a couple of shounen tropes. The fights do not last long, allowing more enemies with exponentially high levels of power to appear. Based on the ending, One Punch Man successfully parodied the absurdities of the superhero genre. The occurrence was obvious. The ending also reached a crescendo that led me to believe there is more to the story (I’m not up-to-date on the manga). Superhero shows are hardly ever over, so I see a potential second season.

The characters were distinct, but there was not much time for character development in all of the characters. The ending introduced some major flaws in characters’ personalities that must be addressed or furthered. Saitama’s personality and mindset brought ebullience to the story. Sometimes his actions may seem unusual, but it has meaning. The majority of the monsters gave a brief introduction to their life story. Every superhero was distinct in their powers, characteristics, and backstories. I was slightly disappointed in terms of the heroes. I wanted to see the powers of all the superheroes. There was an obese superhero stuffing his face with burgers, and I wonder what could he possibly accomplish. At first, it seemed like Saitama is the only superhero saving the day, but other heroes finally had their chances, too.

“THE HERO” by JAM Project really made One Punch Man sound like your classic superhero show. I couldn’t think of a better way to get an episode started. I did not fathom the reasoning behind a love song by Hiroko Moriguchi. It did not suit the mood of the show at all. It has an assuaging sound though. Background noise (e.g. sound of rain) and music was constant and fit well with the action. I like that Madhouse knew when and when not to play background music. It made the show more enjoyable.

The visuals were top notch. The fights have high levels of sakuga. However, the camera moved a little too much for me to fully grasp the choreography, but it still got my attention. The energy radiating from Saitama’s body when he enters superhero mode was amazing. There is not any fanservice apart from censored nude guys flexing muscles. The monsters had crazy character designs (e.g. monster crab in a diaper), but it worked. I loved the two faces of Saitama (serious baldy vs. pacified baldy) drawn all cartoon-like. It gave the show distinctiveness. Saitama resembled a Peanuts comic character when he entered a frustrated or distressed mood. There are variations in the character designs, including a bishounen character. Sometimes the atmosphere didn’t match the characters’ movements. For example, the wind blows. Saitama’s cape flows as the direction of the wind, but Genos’s hair would be at a standstill. There were little still images. The prefecture of the city, the city’s moments of destruction, and background images were well-done.

One Punch Man knows exactly what it is and doesn’t pretend to be something it’s not. It makes full use of its potential as a lighthearted comedy parodying off the superhero genre. For that, I’m glad it didn’t take itself too seriously. I honestly did not get the references to the parody element of One Punch Man (I found out Kamen Rider was one), but I still enjoyed watching it. Madhouse has done it again!

*If you dislike jokes that drag on, I advise reading the manga. That tends to be everyone else's go-to.

I owe an apology to VAP and Arms. After completing the anime, I blamed them for Elfen Lied’s mediocrity. In actuality, it's the fault of the mangaka Lynn Okamoto for its creation. Elfen Lied resembles a puzzle with missing pieces and pieces that don't belong. Although the concept is uniquely complex, some parts were unexplained or just plain ridiculous.

The story wasn't entirely bad, just a bit dramatic. The characters were distinguishable in personalities. As a harem, every girl that entered Kouta’s life had a tragic past. The best part were the backstories, even illustrated in extra chapters. It tells the story from the character's ... point of view and displays their emotions. It's understandable about their situation of not having anywhere else to go. Thankfully, not every single character is infatuated with Kouta (the male protagonist). Three girls have feelings for Kouta, but he never showed favoritism for one or the other. There's also character development in Nyu, who matures from the girl who only uses one word and enjoys groping other girls after a time skip in the story.

The idea of a mutant called Diclonii was good at first, until Lynn decided to vastly vary them from humans without an explanation. First, it's gory with the Diclonii’s ability to kill humans with telekinesis, their invisible vector arms. The amputated heads and bodies ripped apart grab your attention. Then it turns comical. Their bodies appear humanlike. They even die like humans. However, their bodies are apparently made of plastic, as they receive plastic body parts instead of bionic parts like regular humans. This makes them appear as your typical Barbie doll. It makes no sense, because Kouta squeezed Nyu’s non-plastic boobs plenty of times. At the very last minute, Lynn decides to give one specific Diclonii the unfortunate ability to melt for overusing her power, when this was never mentioned throughout the story. Then I questioned why can't she die normally. Also, Lucy is the original Diclonius from a virus that spread during the time she was born. The manga failed to mention how this virus originated. The lab named Lebensborn was apparently using young Diclonii as test subjects to discover what's unknown about them, but those flaws, among others, were never explained.

Apart from the flaws with the Diclonii concept, there are major things that ticked me off about Elfen Lied. As the story progresses, it became clear that Lynn couldn't make up his mind about what he wants to do. A scene would become a teaser with the character being backed into a corner, on the brink of death, or going through a psychological state. Then things suddenly brightened with the character surviving a near-death experience or turning back to normal. For example, a character had a gun to his head, and the scene cuts to a scene of blood splatters. Then the character later appears with an excuse of someone saving him. If foreshadowing took place, I'd excuse this. The most ridiculous thing is how you witness a character taking his/her last breath from having his/her guts spilled out, body split in half. Then they appear chapters later completely unharmed. There's also a lot of pointless tears, especially from Yuka, who disliked Kouta not showing her enough affection or not remembering their childhood.

The ending didn't make sense at all, and Lynn threw anything together just to end it all. Sad scenes occurred, and they weren't realistic. They'd cry one minute, perk up the next, and then go back to bawling. Characters that died suddenly come back to life. Then new information was introduced at the last minute just to hurry and end the story. Reminds me a lot like Lynn’s other work “Gokukoku no Brynhildr.”

The character design was average. It's just your typical big-eyed characters. The background design is what really stands out. It was moderately detailed from the cracks in the wood floors to the swirly clouds in the sky. The gradient colors were good, too, especially in the streets at night and dark hallways. I don't invest my time much into ecchi, but it's fanservice galore of course. I think it was done well, just wish it was done at appropriate times.

The meaning behind “Elfenlied” (“Elf Song,” a poem in German) is creative in terms of the title. Behind all of the amputated heads and chopped bodies lie a mediocre story. There are several other minor flaws in Elfen Lied, such as a character who wears a diaper and characters with family complexes. If the puzzle was completed with all of the right pieces, I would've enjoyed it more. Overall, I thought Elfen Lied had the right idea, but it wasn't drawn correctly.

Miyazawa (the female protagonist) taught me something that I thought was foolish until I read Kare Kano (His and Her Circumstances): never give up on a person no matter how much they push you away. Tsuda Masami created a love rollercoaster -- a couple (Miyazawa and Arima) developed from a hate-love relationship. It is now one of my favorite shoujo manga, especially because the relationship was developed within the first two volumes. Therefore, the entire 21 volumes focuses on the main couple’s relationship throughout high school. It allows you to watch Miyazawa and Arima take their relationship one step at a time.

Kare Kano has ... the usual shoujo tropes in earlier volumes (rivalry, jealousy, etc.), but they’re short-term (first 4-5 volumes). It results in characters enjoying their high school years to the fullest while also battling their demons. Arima is mainly admired by many, so he isn't seen as the most popular guy in school with several girls crowding around him and causing an interference in the relationship. That cliche always annoys me in shoujo. The reason why Kare Kano truly shines is because it focuses on more than just the main couple. There were a couple of fillers, but they necessarily placed emphasis on the other characters. Each story is unique and shows what characters struggle with and how they overcome drastic situations. There are more romantic stories to look forward to. There is comedic relief every now and then in earlier volumes. Then it later turns into a psychological drama with characters battling their demons or experiencing a depressive state. The emotions are so realistic that it is easy to feel compassion.

Tsuda really cares for her characters, dissecting them and giving them their spotlight. The characters have so much pride, which is what I love about them. They think things over themselves, fix their own problems, and express their feelings with no hesitation. The different talents among the characters and their independence are amazing. Each of them have their own ambition and work hard to improve. Talents range from acting, writing, sports, etc. What amazes me is how Tsuda applied their talents into the story, and it was so well done that fans of the series wanted to mimic them. She was a playwright and member of the drama club when she was in high school, so it seemed like I was actually in the series experiencing high school with the characters. Each character have their own story, and one does not even depend on parents. Miyazawa was my favorite character, as you can tell from the intro. She is inspiring with her independence and ambition, and she maturely handles tough situations. Tsubasa annoyed me sometimes. She was practically the baby just because of her height and shyness around strangers. You will find her sitting in others’ laps or riding on their backs. When chapters were later dedicated solely to her life and romance, I started sympathizing with her.

The artwork has its ups and downs. Age transformations were detailed. Artwork displayed the moods carefully. Even the psychological elements had dark settings with drops of blood and shadowy backgrounds. The characters were drawn in chibi form at random moments, and I got confused a few times when it would go into flashbacks to Arima’s childhood. Animals were drawn as plain and ordinary.

The reason I rated it an 8 instead of a 9 is because I wasn't quite pleased with the ending. As far as Miyazawa and Arima, their story was satisfying. However, after spending so much time with the characters, you'd expect to know more about the characters or believe their life took a reasonable path. Yes, Tsuda gave a brief overview of where they were at that moment. What I was mostly interested in was their family lives. Did they have kids? Also, I didn't agree with how one character's love life steered.

If you enjoy shoujo manga with mature characters and a relationship developed in the beginning, I highly recommend this one. I found myself completely immersed in this manga. It shows you can have everything and still be unhappy. I enjoyed reading about Miyazawa and Arima’s time together, as well as the other characters’ romances and life stories. Tsuda deserves an applause for this piece of work, because it was indeed a good experience.

Apocalyptic-themed anime are becoming quite common. With the right formula, it could become a phenomenal piece of work. Seraph of the End, on the other hand, welcomes the usual clichés and is too inadequate to fulfill that formula.

The plot is pretty generic and cliché with vampires as the villains and a hot-blooded male protagonist (Yuu) who vows to destroy them all. The world is taken over by a virus that affects people over the age of 13, but there are some survivors of course. It was also disappointing to see someone under the age of 13 affected anyway. Some scenes were unnecessary. Yuu’s advancement ... in the militia goes by foolish tactics like how many friends he gains instead of experience like it should be. Since you have to interact with others in the military anyway, his time in school was a waste. There are scenes aimed for shounen ai lovers with intimate vampire blood-sucking moments and friends who are a little too friendly, rubbing against the other.

The fast pacing was ridiculous. The OP in the 2nd episode spoils the climax of the show, so it’s ok to say it here. The characters did not even undergo proper training, and they were immediately put in the battlefield as a way to get Yuu and Mika to meet, not giving the characters any time to develop. There’s a brief training arc with easy trials as if to justify Yuu’s stubbornness with teamwork. The majority of hand-to-hand action was soft with weak punches and kicks. The ending was easy to predict, especially with demon swords as weapons. Of course, there’s a hidden power for Yuu.

The main characters are ordinary with their personalities and unfortunate pasts. There’s the character that the MC can’t possibly get along with (Shihou), the light-hearted comedian (Shinoa), and the weakest link (Yoichi). This cast automatically makes the show predictable. Yuu reminds me a lot like Naruto, drawing attention to himself by declaring himself the best. They each have similar purposes for joining the military, particularly because of a family member. Despite being weak and making supposedly unforgivable mistakes, Yoichi bypassed the trials and joined the military so easily. The vampires and humans don’t vary in ability. Both of them can fly or jump high, and the humans can sustain any amount of injury and carry on normally. Main characters’ bodies are pierced with swords, and they continue maneuvering smoothly despite injuries. One could argue that their demon-possessed swords allow them to have such abilities, but I’m not buying it.

The art is average. The settings are just flat backgrounds imitating pastel paintings. There are a couple of still images. The character designs are made to distinguish the vampires from the humans with their elf ears and red eyes. I envision vampires to be more villainous without pointy ears. Otherwise, they just look goofy to me. Characters experience injuries, and the bloody injury would disappear and reappear between scenes. The animation was good and very detailed. 1D characters move in backgrounds, and objects move in sync with the person controlling it or the wind. The ruins in the show also depict the apocalyptic setting.

I watched the show in both dub and sub, and the dub was hilarious. I couldn’t take the dramatic scene in the first episode seriously at all. The lyrics for the English OP fit the show pretty well. The music in the show didn’t always fit the situation, and I preferred some scenes with no music at all. The blaring music sounded as if it was trying to drown out the seiyuu’s voices. The seiyuu didn’t react to certain situations. When characters are clearly being choked, their voices show no difficulty in speech. Apart from that, I liked the sounds of action from the swords clashing and the creaks of the floors.

As an apocalyptic anime, Seraph of the End is mediocre. The show was really predictable with the plot, ordinary characters, and demon-possessed weapons. The quick pacing really ruined the show, especially with the characters being powerful with hardly any training. Also, just to let you know, the show does not improve in the second season.

Dusk Maiden of Amnesia is the epitome of an ecchi melodrama more so than a horror. It drifts away from the main plot several times to gloss over cleavage. Once the story leads down the horror path, it immediately abates with adolescent drama or sexual themes. There are truths revealed later in the series that could possibly excuse these flaws, but it does not relieve SILVER LINK’s inability to follow through with a solid ghost story.

The plot revolves around Yuuko, the mysterious ghost, and discovering her past to better understand her current state. Niiya falls in love with Yuuko shortly after their first meeting. ... The romance seems unrealistic with the love-at-first-sight deal, especially the overused cliche “accidental boob grab” occurring during the first meeting and other occasions. Most of their time together consists of Yuuko flaunting her body or begging Niiya to touch her. However, as the show progresses, it shows that Niiya actually cares for Yuuko and wants to solve the mystery. As it nears the end, their romance seems genuine, but the ending was really cliche and doesn't follow through with the supernatural aspect at all.

Then there’s Kanoe and Okonagi. Kanoe was a good addition to the show. Unlike the others, she at least showed effort towards moving the main plot forward by coming with clues and leads to Yuuko’s past. Okonagi was the comical addition to the series, being the only one who cannot see Yuuko. Guess what all of these characters bring together. A love square… This causes a lot of cheesy drama, typical jealousy, and constant sadness.

Other ghost stories and the other characters’ backgrounds are introduced to merge with the overall mystery, so it is not all filler like the episodes entirely composed of drama. Although it might seem overdone, I enjoyed the artistic visuals. The characters’ black silhouettes and gloomy hallways added to the mood appropriate to the show’s main plot. There are also dark scenes with mute voices and suspenseful music. What disappointed me the most was Yuuko’s role as a troll with no one taking notice. Yuuko, as a ghost, would feed Niiya in public, sit in his lap and Niiya mumbles to himself, play basketball, or other shenanigans. It's possible, because Okonagi noticed abnormal activity conducted by Yuuko plenty of times.

The cliche ending made the entire story meaningless, unless you enjoy happy endings with no consideration for logic whatsoever. Apart from the final ending, the reveal of Yuuko’s background and connection between the characters proved the reasoning behind her actions, including her lustful behavior. Regardless, I was disappointed with Amnesia. If it focused more on the main plot instead of the ecchi fanservice tropes, I would’ve enjoyed it more. Also, if you plan to watch the show, stay tuned for extra scenes after the credits.

Second chances are not to be wasted, and this is no exception to the anime industry. VAP, Inc. and Arms Corporation took another shot at bringing one of Lynn Okamoto’s works to the big screen and blew its potential once again. Gokukoku no Brynhildr introduces an intriguing mystery and new concept of witches that have a promising start but resulted in something unforgivable with ridiculous plot devices. Because of the eerie OP and attractive plot, it is easy to expect a well-done mystery with proper supernatural aspects. Instead, there are incompetent characters, sorry excuses for villains, and poor pacing that leads to plotholes and a ... lack of character development.

Gokukoku’s initial mystery escalates into the supernatural, appearing as something to look forward to. The plot seems suspenseful with a unique concept for witches, who have different powers and live in fear of melting. Unforeseen circumstances brought interest. The characters had their own distinct personalities and unfortunate histories to give high hopes for the story. It was those elements that made me fall for Gokukoku in the beginning, but the show took a turn for the worst. The story became heavily predictable with the same pattern as expected from a harem that consists of a gullible and overly caring male protagonist (Murakami). A so-called powerful witch appears, and Murakami feels the need to persuade her to join the group 90% of the time. This eliminates the potential for suspense and becomes disinteresting.

The ending is so rushed and vague that it ruins the outcome of the mysteries. New info about the MCs is revealed near the end, leaving little time for the viewer to take it all in. A character is supposed to have indestructible powers, but the power is either never shown or is unimpressive with no terrifying element. New characters appear out of nowhere before the current characters have any time to develop. Despite the sudden and distressful situations, there’s no chance to feel sympathy for characters. The finale is extremely disappointing, especially for someone looking forward to a solved mystery. There are several questions left unanswered.

The pacing distracts itself with fanservice, resulting in making Murakami a typical love interest. A love triangle develops and creates a silly jealousy game. Virgin talk and awkward erotic moments make the show irresistibly a sight for sore eyes. This withdraws any hope for possible romance within the mystery between Murakami and Neko. The harem aspect is understandable considering the witches' sob stories and dreams of living life as normal human beings instead of experiments. Their interactions with each other and teamwork were enjoyable, especially during drastic moments. However, this progresses into awful characterization.

The cast made this sci-fi production a complete failure. Villains do not fit the description of someone evil. When they can easily defeat the MCs, they make illogical choices as an excuse to work out in the favor of the protagonist. The majority of the witches introduced as formidable turns out to be harmless. The other characters’ emotions are ridiculous for a serious plot. Either they’re trying too hard to react to a situation or they just don’t care. They sometimes act so calm, cool, and collected that the story doesn’t make sense anymore. They go as far as faking a death with the evidence right beside them. Also, Murakami apparently has such solid gold talents and abilities that he’s invincible to various attacks. One witch became nothing but a dues ex machina character, giving Murakami outside info to further the objective. At that point, the show appears silly and tiring to watch.

The art is decent but doesn't help in terms of the story. Character design is fine, and it's good for distinguishing the witches' special features. Some things don’t follow up in the artwork, including the witches standing out as the only students without uniforms. Thanks to a scene with characters using red paint as fake blood, there’s no differentiation between the color of blood and red paint. What’s worse for a series that tries to be all bloody and mysterious? Censorship. So if you want to see a witch melt to the fullest degree, just watch the Wizard of Oz. The animation and action scenes are good, but it becomes pointless to enjoy with the rushed pacing.

The OST and sound effects are good, but the poor story and characters cause it be plain. Apart from being misleading with the bloody scenes and action, the first OP song is good and a personal favorite. The background music occurred during fighting scenes that ended with characters making stupid moves, so it’s not so memorable. They changed the OP song into a rock song by the 10th episode with the same suspense and action as the first one. By that time, the show is predictable enough to lose any hope of improvement. Characters’ phony reactions disappoint long-awaited moments for mysteries. This is noticeable for scenes that should be highly emotional. Technically, there’s nothing else to say about the seiyuu. Since it becomes normal for wicked witches to develop into sensitive little girls, the changes in their tones fit the script.

Gokukoku no Brynhildr has countless problems that makes it forgettable. The characters don’t act realistically to situations. The villains make irresponsible decisions that lessens the suspense within the show. More time spent on fanservice than the mysteries results in quick pacing, lack of character development, and a horrible ending. It is a huge disappointment for an interesting mystery. Despite how much VAP and Arms ruined Gokukoku's potential, Lynn Okamoto created an excellent story. Therefore, I recommend reading the manga for better characterization and outcomes.

NEETs are usually referred to as people who take a long break from society to do whatever they please, causing others to view them as “lazy” or envy them for having freedom. But if NEETs were born with superhuman intelligence and prove to be more noteworthy than your average student or professional, they deserve a lot more respect.

Meet No Game No Life, Madhouse’s new light and playful production, featuring NEETs with an objective to become God of a new world. It’s understandable that NGNL is a fantasy where you can use your wildest imagination and can’t possibly go wrong, but a common mistake that ... fantasy anime like NGNL fail to do is abide by its principles. A fantasy still needs some sense of logic for slamming two geniuses who are capable of doing anything into its story. NGNL presents itself as a brilliant, captivating series but progresses to show little-by-little how it moves away from intelligence, proving how the protagonists are not as invincible as portrayed to be.

Blank, a brother-sister duo named Sora and Shiro, is quite peculiar. All of their wins are accomplished by teamwork, and one brain cannot function well without the other nearby. They make their debut as a couple who’s unbeatable and leaks intimidation. NGNL presents these protagonists with unexplained abilities, which makes their brilliance invalid. You learn nothing about Blank besides the fact they’re undefeatable and possess genius-level intelligence. They both suffer from a social disorder that causes them to freak out when separated and gives Sora enough reason to sit outside the girls’ bath to stay within a certain distance of Shiro. Besides a vague backstory of their first encounter, NGNL reveals nothing about their parents, their lives in Tokyo, or any kind of self-narration to back up their intelligence or social disorder. This results in NGNL’s inability to follow through on its brilliance. Despite being undefeatable, Blank faces dead ends, admits defeat, and gets miraculously saved at the last minute. Even if there were changes in games or situations entirely, you’d expect clever approaches from super intelligent protagonists besides raising the white flag. Like always, NGNL disguises such inconveniences with gag comedy references to please jaded views.

One of the aspects noteworthy in NGNL are the games ranging from as simple as rock-paper-scissors to majorly complex and fun like a simulation game. Blank’s immediate drawbacks and impressive comebacks make it more watchable. The explanations of game plans were interesting. This makes Stephanie Dola a great add to the series, because someone has to play the simple-minded character to dumb down the complex moves and game rules for everyone else to understand. The games have their flaws though. Blank arrives into a world decided by games, ran by 10 pledges, and ruled by a little boy who only became God by default because of incompetent adults. The 10 pledges are a nice gesture to keep world order, but it is just another excuse to make Blank seem intimidating. There’s a pledge that denounces cheating, giving gamers an automatic loss if caught. Most of the games consisted of someone cheating or trying to overcome a cheat. Still, this brings two conclusions. Either Blank is indeed genius, or everyone in the new world is incredibly stupid and uses cheats to hide the fact they lack wisdom and the appropriate skills to win. Blank faces every opponent with a confident attitude, expecting a 100% win. Then the show becomes predictable, because Blank is always right. None of their opponents are challenging enough to take them on. The pacing was just right, so 12 episodes was not enough to fulfill the primary objective and ends with a cliffhanger.

The majority of the cast is female, giving Sora several chances to play the dominate male and open pervert. This makes characters appear as airheads or suffer high risks for Blank's purposes. The characters vary in personalities and abilities, and NGNL did a great job dividing their abilities based upon their race. Some had their own fetishes as well. Each of them played a role in Blank’s overall objective, so each one has his or her own unique trait whether it’s attractive or vice versa. Since this is a comedy, characters freely act outrageous after a serious moment in an attempt to get a laugh. It is only regarded to a certain extent, because they do not always act appropriately to certain situations, making it hard to distinguish the comedy and seriousness. Their sudden reactions to surprises are mostly hilarious, especially Blank’s reaction when Stephanie says something bright for a change. Some of the characters share backstories and relationships that can possibly give viewers a different impression of them.

NGNL takes ecchi over the top with its fanservice. Awkward cliché scenes of falling and landing into boobs make it annoying and close to a harem. Most games consist of girls losing clothes or undergarments sometimes as an excuse for virgin Sora to get his feels. However, I disregard this a little considering that NGNL is clearly within the ecchi genre, so this is expected. I mainly mentioned it as a warning to those who despises the abuse of ecchi fanservice. The only flaw is how this makes every game predictable, because each one seems to need fanservice for strategic purposes or solutions.

The pastel colors are initially what makes NGNL so lively, and I applaud Madhouse for taking a different approach with unique artwork and animation. As someone who is not a big fan of ecchi, I found it to be tolerable because of the pastel colors. The settings and character design were unbelievably gorgeous, and it is greatly necessary to distinguish the vast races and their territories within the world, including the elves and warbeasts. Except NGNL seems to care more about their appeal than abiding by the law of gravity. Clearly, you cannot hold onto a floating cloth in the sky as if it’s an airplane wing or Aladdin's magic carpet. Characters hang upside down and their hair doesn't follow their lead. Even if gravitational failure is not a big deal, it makes NGNL misleading considering that an arc touched on the concepts of science a great deal, including gravity.

The background music was suitable for the game theme of NGNL, but there are music references from other games to make the OST seem unoriginal. Sometimes it was confusing. NGNL seemed to have a hard time differentiating between comedy and seriousness, and the music gives it away. Something unexpected happens, characters make a big deal out of it, and yet the music is just as cheerful as ever. The OP and ED were very good, and the lyrics fit the show’s theme and Blank’s relationship quite well. There are no complaints about the seiyuu either, because they all switched their tones appropriately during certain situations, especially Blank. They succeeded with the sound effects, too, and it brought out the comedy more.

NGNL was a fun show to watch, and I looked forward to seeing a new episode every week. Impressive strategic gameplay, clever comebacks from Blank, and the beautiful animation with pastel colors are a few things that intrigued me. Despite how much I loved it, NGNL doubtlessly lacked the maturity and logic it needed to achieve the pursuit for powerful, undefeatable characters. The fantasy genre can be imaginative, as long as the show supports their ideas with some kind of explanation like NGNL failed to do. If you want to introduce super intelligent NEETs with an objective to take over the world, perfect. But to make them into something overly invincible with unexplained abilities without any backstory or presentation of evidence? That’s a tough cookie to break. Since NGNL won as the hype of Spring 2014, there’s no doubt in my mind that there’s a sequel awaiting us in the future.

The thirst for gore is real. It's so real in fact that writers and producers are willing to push themselves over the limit to achieve it. Within that thin success rate, there’s a positively memorable storyline, serious cast, and dramatic terror to bring chills down your spine. Yet there is a higher chance of them ruining their good potential to the point where you can’t help but question whether or not to take it seriously. This brings us Elfen Lied, a show infamously known for its use of violence and nudity to get their points across.

The two reasons Elfen Lied should receive praise is ... for its touch on discrimination and constant violence. As the story progresses, it is proven how Diclonius are poorly mistreated and their low status in society. Lucy makes her debut in the very beginning with her dramatically violent performance to show the dangers of the Diclonius. Blood splatters. Bodies are ripped apart. Heads and other body parts are chopped off throughout the entire show. Sounds like the perfect horror, right? No, it’s not. It gets even better. By that I mean, the writing gets so ridiculous that it throws several LOL moments in your face.

Lucy develops this split personality turning her from this dangerous creature to a helpless girl with the mind of a toddler. The split personality is not what makes the show bad. If anything, this idea is helpful for a horror as a deception to other characters to hide that person’s true form. But it’s how Elfen Lied uses this idea that downgrades this show. At first glance, you might assume Lucy’s a catgirl. No, those aren’t cat ears. Those are horns as all Diclonius have. No, she’s not meowing. She’s simply saying the only word she knows how to speak, which also becomes her given name “Nyuu.” When you add a nude girl who can only say one word, doesn’t know how to use the bathroom or even dress herself, along with a lonely teenage virgin boy in one house together, what do you get? Poorly written characters, an unavoidable harem, and in short, a desperate cry for help.

The harem aspect of Elfen Lied may not seem entirely bad, considering there’s no love fest between Kyota and the girls he takes in because of their tragic stories. The problem lies with the love triangle. When Kyota and his cousin Yuka find Lucy nude on the beach and decide to take her in, later comes unnecessary fanservice and an opportunity for a love triangle to develop. Lucy grasps this mentality that it’s fun to grope other girls’ breasts and have hers squeezed by Kyota as well. Oddly enough, all of the girls have their own stories, except Yuka. The only thing revealed about Yuka is her obsession with Kyota and how she vocally express her sexual cravings to him.

Elfen Lied cannot stick to their story to truly glorify their mascots of terror, the Diclonius. They are born in normal human bodies, but what hilariously happens later? You have mannequin arms and legs flying at the screen from these mutated people who can reattach and function these usually worthless plastic body parts as if they were technological. They have a telekinesis power consisting of invisible arms to give them all the glory, but they pass by several opportunities to show off the goods. With no exception to Lucy who happily kills armies of men when given the chance, other villains are too incompetent for their own good despite being more powerful. They’re all held in a secret lab for inhumane experiments and to prevent them from destroying mankind. If they are released from prison for a brief moment, you’d expect immediate full-blown chaos. Too bad they don’t reach their full potential of being such dangerous creatures.

Despite the shock factors, there’s a horribly written script with illogical expressions that cannot be taken seriously. Characters strongly lack common sense and make the stupidest decisions as if they’re asking for trouble. This leads to hilarious deaths though. Characters play dead and either come back numerous times to get a last word or fully recovers. Some of the lines, especially the "I'm going to die a virgin" messages, are hilarious. The main relationships are explained with backstories and seems understandable towards the characters’ current status. However, characters act too calm during shock factors, and most scenes becomes a disappointment as a result.

The art and sound usually save an anime from being a complete disaster, but alas Elfen Lied couldn’t fulfill in this department either. The voices of the MCs in both English and Japanese were so plain and dull with a “Let’s get this over with” type of tone. They didn’t have the appropriate emotion for a certain scene, and it made it hard to follow. In the most drastic or sad situations, a character gracefully recites his or her lines while holding a smile on his or her face. A scene will show them choking up or sobbing, but all they say are their lines in an emotionless tone.

The character and background designs were kind of plain. As explained earlier, it is easy to mistake the horns of the Diclonius for cat ears. There were stills with only movement from the MCs. The settings didn’t have much detail. On the other hand, the sound effects were on-key. Dark music played in the background to suit horror scenes. The OP was good, especially since it connected to the main story. The ED was highly unattractive as it pushed the harem aspect even more with its lyrics: “Maybe, baby, I wanna be your girl.” That was completely unnecessary and an awful way to end an episode.

Once again, this is yet another show with great potential and completely ruined it with unnecessary fanservice, incompetent characters, and illogical scenes. Instead of an innovative plot and critically well-done masterpiece, it was a pitifully written script that throws the goofiest incidents in your face. Even with the recent show, Gokukoku no Brynhildr, we can pretty much conclude that VAP and Arms are failures at anime adaptations for Lynn Okamoto's works.