Back to Demi_V's Profile Demi_V's Profile

First, let me state that I watched Sword Art Online for the first time 2 years ago and was one of the fangirls who rated it as a 10. After re-watching it with a critical mindset, I will admit how stupid it was of me to blindly overrate this show back then. SAO is nowhere near as good as it portrays to be, and it’s easy to spot with open eyes.

The idea itself is good. Gamers trapped in a virtual game and cannot escape until someone defeats all 100 levels that increase in difficulty? Okay, sounds good. If you die in the game, you die ... for real? Sounds even better. Want to throw in a little romance? Go right ahead. Create an overpowered male protagonist and throw countless deus ex machina to make him appear as the ultimate hero with forced happy endings? You just ruined my appetite.

SAO started off well with the introduction of the MCs and a little gameplay to familiarize the viewer with the main objective. There are a couple of fillers that step away from the objective to give side characters their spotlight. It’s not completely irrelevant, because you learn more about the rules of SAO that come in handy later on.

If a show has a survival game, there’s nothing wrong with heroic protagonists (Kirito and Asuna in SAO) as long as it's executed properly. Although it starts off well, SAO fails by throwing illogical excuses to make Kirito appear more heroic than he actually is. Regardless of being a beta tester, there are several cases where he receives special treatment for no reason. A prime example is the addition of a moe deus ex machina character (Yui), who is nothing but a cheat code for Kirito and Asuna to give them an advantage over the other players. Yui is just there to answer questions, give tips, and share info that is not revealed to other gamers. SAO has a bad habit of forcing happy endings with the most ridiculous outcomes, leaving several plotholes. This develops Kirito into an obvious Gary Stu with him unexpectedly doing amazing things every single time he reaches a dead end. There are no logical explanations for his skills and talents that appear out of nowhere. It just happens, along with the first arc’s irrational ending.

The second part was worse, and I’m not referring to the incest that takes place. Everything restarts with a new game, new rules, new settings, and new characters. Again, the deus ex machina is all over the place, and Kirito would get nowhere without them. There are love triangles involved, and SAO explores one side and leaves the other side unfinished. It’s difficult also to actually feel for the characters when SAO doesn’t give any logical reasons why the person is in love. Asuna reduces from her role as a powerful fighter to a damsel-in-distress. It takes a huge leap by creating this uncomfortable atmosphere, sexualizing the show with these rape scenes, including tentacle rape.

The romance between Kirito and Asuna was not a bad idea. It was good considering the pacing within two years, so it never led to a cliché and rushed pacing with them immediately falling for each other. Besides Yui, who makes Kirito and Asuna’s story seem like the ultimate romance, things blow way out of proportion when SAO leads into a harem.

The harem aspect of SAO downgrades the characters significantly, but what can you expect when you have an abundance of female characters and an undefeatable hero? It is hardly ever a moment when you find Kirito spending less than a day with another female without her falling for him, and it throws fanservice in your face every time. Then comes the female characters with their dense moments. All of the scenes with Asuna and other females, who intentionally put themselves in danger, appears constantly as an excuse to bring Kirito into the spotlight as the guy who saves the day. If the girls had a motive or logical reasons for making rash decisions, I would excuse that. But since they just talk badass for an instant and step aside for Kirito to finish what they started, it makes the show unattractive.

There are honestly not any memorable characters in SAO. Kirito and Asuna are super attractive. SAO makes it obvious that they’re every woman/man’s wet dream, and nearly everyone envies them and wants to be like them. However, neither one of them have any special traits. Since they’re your typical Gary Stu and Mary Sue characters, there’s no sense for character development. The villains are not evil at all. They’re both pathetic and laughable, and the 2nd villain is more comical than the first one. Each one of them is indecisive, have no logical motive for their wrongdoings, and lack the common knowledge fit for any evildoer. Although most of the female side characters were just there to fall in love in Kirito, some of the serious ones acted realistically in terms of heartbreak. The gamers varied from good guys and bad guys, so it wasn't completely boring with everyone having their own goals.

The animation and OST are good for the most part. The settings and background design were beautiful, and it realistically portrayed the sunsets with shadows and appropriate color contrasts. The gameplay suited the atmosphere, especially when a character died. The character design and outfits were good. One noticeable problem was how the characters did not suit a situation. For example, two characters are in the same drastic situation, but only one character looks frail and unhealthy while the other looks perfectly normal as if nothing happened.

No complaints with the two OPs and EDs. Personally, I liked the ones from the first arc better. The seiyuu were good also, and most of them reacted well emotionally. The background music fitted the virtual world and different situations. It was playful during the laidback scenes and hardcore during the fight scenes. There were a few times when, immediately after a drastic scene, the music becomes cheerful and made me question whether I’m supposed to take a scene seriously or not.

Overall, it is not hard to notice the bad writing of SAO. The idea was good, but the execution was poor. I had high hopes for it in the beginning, thinking “How can someone possibly dislike this?” Then everything went downhill in a hurry. It led to plotholes. The MCs are basically a lie, because they needed help from deus ex machina and never actually worked for their success. The amazing animation and OST were the best parts, but it cannot make up for SAO’s failure with the story and its characters. Let’s hope SAO II is a bit more decent.

This review is based solely on the anime.

Former players of the murder mystery video game, Danganronpa: Academy of Hope and High School Students of Despair, are likely to find this adaptation as a disappointment with several changes or downgrades in the characters. Unfortunately, it does not differ much for someone who is unfamiliar with the game either. Danganronpa has an interesting plot with its dangerous game and potential to conduct an excellent thriller. However, you can imagine how well this murder mystery goes with only 13 episodes. Danganronpa’s motive was to create a horrifying show with gruesome deaths, but it embarrassed itself with its unpleasant ... artwork. The rushed pacing left no room to learn about the characters or give them time to develop. With a complex game such as Danganronpa, 13 episodes was a bad idea and left many plotholes.

Danganronpa started off on a good note, introducing the characters and the survival game to consist of one winner. The execution is poor. A murder case lasts only 2 episodes, so it doesn’t hesitate in getting to the point or wastes time with sob stories from each character. Cases gets unbearably cheesy when the gullible and disinteresting male protagonist Naegi gains the spotlight by being the only one finding flaws in someone else’s theory. Danganronpa drifts away from the horror aspect with occasional changes in the rules. They use fanservice as a distraction once the story actually gets serious. A downside for the viewers who are solely interested in discovering which student is clever enough to conduct a murder and get away with it are likely to be disappointed with the ending. Of course, with a murder mystery also comes relevant questions of the game’s originality. This creates a rushed pacing in an attempt to answer every single question but leaves several plotholes and ridiculous outcomes.

The idea of a menacing teddy bear named Monobear as the mastermind is not bad, considering that he proved himself to be a threatening individual. However, Danganronpa became less of a thriller as Monobear's personality occasionally became laidback and panicky. The high schoolers had diverse personalities, including a bipolar chick and the manliest looking girl, and the potential to be likeable characters. Sadly, Danganronpa reveals nothing about the characters besides their name and given nickname. Naegi even lacks any background, so his personality leaves him as no one but another cliché male protagonist. Mainly all, except 2 or 3 side characters, are just there to die or be present as an investigator. The elimination of characters continues without revealing anything about them until the very last minute, and there is hardly any time to feel sympathy for the dead or understand a character's motives. This leaves some questions unanswered, causes disappointments from misleads, and creates a strong lack of character development.

The art is indeed unique but mostly awful. Most animation from game adaptations hide the fact they base from a game by fitting close to an anime as possible, but Danganronpa makes it extremely obvious with the arcade-animated scenes. Danganronpa supposedly is a horror. Admittedly, the combination of eerie music and sketched dead bodies makes it a bit terrifying, but how do they ruin it? Magenta blood. Slice the characters’ bodies in half, and you’ll find veins of playful colors. Also, the 3D elements could be cool, but it is more of a sneaky way to censor the deaths. No complaints about the character design, because it was really diverse and suited each character's personality.

Oddly, Danganronpa is the first anime I’ve known to have a rap song as the OP. It’s not bad, and the lyrics relate to the show quite well. The ending is an arcade song that is questionable. The seiyuu fit the anime perfectly as each character had their own personality. The characters were diverse and included a manly female, great detective, and a bipolar chick. The seiyuu did an excellent job portraying those characters, especially the one who played Monobear.

Danganronpa could be a better show if it wasn’t so rushed, paid more attention to the characters, and perhaps followed through with the game. I suggest watching it through the first murder case to decide whether you want to continue or not. Regardless, go into this with no high expectations or play the game as most game players suggested.

Friendship. Jealousy. Deception. Myself ; Yourself proves that you can present good elements for a drama and still be a failure. The show is misleading as it introduces characters facing solid dilemma but depends on dissatisfying deus ex machina to solve their problems or leave events incomplete altogether. The characters are weak and majorly lack development. It wastes screentime on irrelevant characters and scenes, causing it to rush and throw in last-minute sob stories. Basically, Myself ; Yourself is just another VN gone wrong.

Myself ; Yourself had interesting themes suitable for slice-of-life. It replaced cliché results one would likely expect from romance drama with unpredictable ... outcomes. This is when Myself ; Yourself looks to be promising until it decides to do the worst thing imaginable. An episode ends intensely, causing you to look forward to a continuation in the next episode. Disappointingly, you have to wait another 2-3 episodes of either fillers or an additional situation they could’ve introduced a lot sooner. Additionally, there are these constant annoying cliché accidents where a girl “accidentally” trips, resulting in an awkward situation with a guy. Just when you think it couldn’t possibly get any worse, Myself ; Yourself decides to leave certain characters in a distressful situation and ends the show with no knowledge of what happened whatsoever.

The weak characters are a major problem. Some emotions are heartfelt, but characters sometimes did not react appropriately to a situation. For example, a character simply says they’re sad without expressing it at all. A prime example of Myself ; Yourself’s habit of skipping events is the introduction of a demanding little girl named Hinako, who can do the show a big favor if she was nonexistent. Myself ; Yourself decides to give Hinako her own two episodes and screen time to intrude on the friends' lives that could’ve been used to develop them instead. The show reveals some characters' past, inner emotions, or close relationships with each other, but others receive no exposure. Relationships are left incomplete, since Myself ; Yourself abruptly ends or distracts the viewer away from them with a different scene. You're left in the dark and never hear from those characters again. Once the show decides to pay attention to a character, it introduces a very important factor about characters at the very last moment with a quick self-narration that gives you no time to sympathize with them.

The art was a major turn-off. It looks like an older type animation from the '90s instead of 2000s. Bland colors make the show even more disinteresting. When a character bleeds black blood, it is hard to take that scene seriously. The background designs were good but not too detailed. With a simple big-eyed character designs comes identical characters that makes the show hard to follow. The different hairstyles made it tolerable, but it caused complications when one character decides to change it or let their hair down. There were still scenes and times when characters talked without their mouths moving. I thought it was simply their thoughts until the other character responded.

The OP and ED are both good but misleading. Truthfully, the lyrics relate to the show’s motive in terms of the characters looking forward to a better tomorrow. On the other hand, the OP presented the friends as a band when only two of the five have any musical talent. The ED only featured three girls, replacing one of the MC with a supporting character. It is likely to expect some close connection with those three girls, but there’s nothing important about their relationship. Too bad this does not have an English dub version, because Aoi has an annoying, squeaky voice in Japanese. The other seiyuu were okay. They fit the characters’ personalities, but there were times when their voices didn’t match their emotions. The sound effects were natural, especially with the bird chirps in outdoor settings.

Myself ; Yourself had opportunities to be promising, but it is sheer disappointment, especially with its “take it or leave it” ending. You learn nearly nothing about the characters or how a dramatic situation magically resolves itself. Relationships are unfinished or unseen, and it leaves not a single hint for the imagination. If Myself ; Yourself completed itself, I would ignore the dull colors, Hinako’s existence, and Aoi's ear-bleeding voice, and suggest any romance drama fan to give this a try. In actuality, Myself ; Yourself can be bypassed with no regrets.

“This is more entertaining than Hollywood is ever going to be!” - Revy

Black Lagoon is one of Madhouse’s greatest works. In terms of action and seinen, we no longer have to frustratingly listen to long speeches before gunshots fire. Black Lagoon is well-known for its nonstop action and features one of the most memorable and merciless women in the anime industry: Revy (famously known as “Two Hands”), who is noted for her “kill first, ask questions later” style. Its depiction of Hollywood action films with the explosions, car chases, and gun-fighting at sea makes this entertaining to watch, especially with its mature dialogue and dark ... humor.

Black Lagoon’s cast makes up the entire story alone. The story follows the Lagoon Company as they take on paid missions and kill anyone who interferes. The dark humor and foul language are hilarious and bring out maturity. This brings along a fine set of characters, including mafias, Nazis, and war veterans for the fast and the furious. The four members of the Black Lagoon cast are unique amongst themselves: Revy; Dutch, the serious yet chill guy; Benny, the tech geek; and Rock, the Japanese guy who is trying to get used to the pirate lifestyle. Black Lagoon is mostly popular for their memorable and merciless female characters, including a Russian boss and killer maid, who shows no hesitation in fulfilling threats. The tragic and violent pasts of the female characters give them an ideal role for Black Lagoon.

Because of character development, I wouldn’t consider Black Lagoon to be episodic. New to the game, Rock started out unreasonably annoying, suddenly contributed clever schemes, and later went back to being a wimp again. He unchangeably grew some balls midway in the series, but his behavior seemed illogical how his personality kept going from scared to fearless back and forth in the beginning. Because of her rough background, Revy’s cold-heartedness made her appear childish and selfish as she uses torture and violence as her therapy. Her attitude lessens a bit as she balanced the ability to know right from wrong. Revy and Rock's relationship undergoes the most development, since they both come from completely opposite background.

One downside is the failure to follow up on deceased supporting characters' past. Black Lagoon also ends incompletely with a lack of explanation about some of the characters’ pasts and last minute questions presented in the last few episodes. As someone who watched all three seasons, I can confirm that the plotholes receive explanations within the two sequels. However, it would be better if it ended with some kind of conclusion. Since it continues with Episode 13 in the 2nd season, I found it useless to have Black Lagoon and Second Barrage separated.

Character designs were very distinct. Revy is popular for her daisies, but it’s honestly a turnoff. It’s possible to fight and jump long distances with short daisies. The background design and settings were realistic with the lights and character interactions, especially in a bar. The blood splattering was not exaggerated or excessive, so it is easily tolerable for one who is not a fan of gore. There were a few stills, but the visual effects were really good, especially the fight scenes.

Black Lagoon is one of the few anime meant to be watched in English, because it sounds more natural than the Japanese. The seiyuu do not nearly fit the character’s personalities as the English VA. Marÿke Hendrikse portrayed Revy’s tomboy personality perfectly. I’m glad Funimation chose Dean Redman to voice Dutch for his deep yet laidback voice. It was hard to hear Brad Swaile (voice of Light from Light Note) play a less villainous character, but he did a great job switching to Rock’s attitude changes throughout the series. Also, the seiyuu sound horrible when a certain scene to be in English. Their English sounds broken and slow, interrupting and slowing the action of that scene.

The music is wonderful, and both the OP and ED centers on Revy. The English OP “Red Fraction” by Mell sung has lyrics that fits the hardcore action. The scores, usually instrumental rock music, suits the fighting scenes, too. The ED “Don’t Look Behind” by Edison is fully instrumental. Although it's seen as a disadvantage with its slow tone after a hardcore episode, it actually has a smooth transition by not immediately jumping to the song. A calm setting moves away from the action and presents right before the ED.

Black Lagoon is a dream come true for one who craves a sense of maturity in an action anime. The pacing is good and doesn’t waste time with lengthy dialogue like other seinen. The dark humor and action mixes well together, and the characters are unique and memorable. I highly recommend checking out Black Lagoon if you’re into Hollywood films or just looking for a change of pace in terms of action. It was a wonderful experience for me, because every episode had nonstop action to look forward to.

“Everyone is precious to someone else.” - Manaka

Judging strictly from its promotional poster and synopsis, I thought Nagi no Asukara was just another sappy, childish drama. I was greatly mistaken, and I owe P.A. Works, the studio producer of Nagi-Asu, an apology for having such presumptions. This fantasy, slice of life, and romance anime is absolutely breathtaking in every aspect. The story is unpredictable and goes beyond your typical anime of its genre. Despite the supernatural aspects, its underwater theme creates logical situations that the characters face, including forbidden love and discrimination.

Nagi-Asu takes places between two settings: an underwater village called Shioshishio and the ... surface village called Oshiooshi. Upon the closing of their middle school in Shioshishio, four childhood friends (Hikuri, Manaka, Chisaki, and Kaname) have no choice but to enroll in Mihama Middle School on the surface. Later comes fateful meetings with characters, including Tsumugu, who become an important part of their lives. The new characters also become valuable to the story, because they each face difficulties and have their own goals. The joint of two human races brings forth forbidden love, discrimination, grudges, newfound feelings, heartbreak, etc. Unlike drama anime with your usual love triangles, Nagi-Asu has a love heptagon that gives several opportunities to root for certain individuals but plenty of disappointments for viewers who may dislike the ending result. The love heptagon is not as complicated as it sounds. As the story continues, the events and interactions between characters makes it easier to detect why Character A is precious to Character B.

The greatest accomplishment of Nagi-Asu is its pacing with 26 episodes put to good use. Sea folklore has a huge impact on the story. Proper execution allowed for orderly suspense and thorough explanation of the folklore. It also made way for character development over a five-year time span. Time and characters’ interactions with each other allowed them to grow positively and influence their life choices. Some characters develop into someone you can’t help but praise. The finale was clear and gives the viewer a sense of how the characters’ lives will continue.

The characters are given fair screen time, allowing the viewer to understand each character. Monologues reveal their inner feelings about certain situations or individuals, particularly the ones they care for. Each character worked towards achieving a particular goal. The only character I couldn’t stand was the lead male protagonist Hikuri, who was too similar to Eren from Shingeki no Kyojin with his constant complaints and quick temper over little things. The show reveals important events of MCs' pasts, but it vaguely discusses the origin of their friendship. The most Nagi-Asu does is show some scenes of their times at their underwater middle school. Their interaction with each other proves the closeness of their relationship, but more information about their past would’ve been great.

P.A. Works never fail in making top-notch and realistic animation for fantasy. The settings, especially Shioshishio, and character designs are beautiful! All of the scenes were active from the sun’s reflection on the sea to the school of fish underwater. Group settings showed activity from all characters. The distinction between the sea people and land people is outstanding. The eye colors of the characters are sparkly with the brown eyes of the land people and the aqua-colored eyes of the sea people, particularly the MCs. It does not matter, but I highly recommend watching this in HD to get a better experience.

The OST is amazing, and the vocals fits perfectly with its underwater theme, especially in its first ED “Aqua Terrarium” by Nagi Yanagi. The lyrics describe the feelings of love throughout the story. There were stressful moments in the series that played happy background music, and it can prevent one from feeling any sympathy for the characters. The seiyuu played the characters’ voices very well. For example, Hanazawa Kana did an excellent job playing Manaka, the sensitive girl who cried most of the time. The sound effects, including crashes of the waves, were very good, too.

Nagi-Asu instantly became one of my favorite anime, and I can’t believe I waited months before watching it. Besides Hikari’s annoying tsundere attitude, I was disappointed with how certain parts resembled something you’d expect from a Disney movie. Nevertheless, I enjoyed how each character fought for the ones they loved or openly expressed their feelings. The settings and conflicts that follow are really intriguing, adding to the enjoyment. The unexpected events and passion between the characters led me to marathon it, and I was very pleased with the ending.

Overall, Nagi-Asu is an amazing work of the fantasy and romance-drama genre. P.A. Works makes it live with its colorful and active animation. The characters develop feelings and express themselves fully. The story, especially the conflicts, presents itself well with proper execution, creating suspense. If you have crazy presumptions about Nagi-Asu like me, try at least the first five episodes to truly get a hint of what to expect. You may not like it, especially with the love heptagon, but it is likely to become one of the most beautiful shows you've seen.

We all have our own expectations for a horror, and whether Another fits this genre is controversial. Its similarities to Final Destination, one of America's horror film series, makes it well-known for the countless freak accidents. It doesn’t go without saying that Another has its shortcomings that declined to make it as serious a horror as Higurashi no Naku Koro ni, which it desperately tried to compete with and failed. On the other hand, Another pulls through with a solid mystery, and the top-notch animation by P.A. Works enhances the suspense throughout the series.

Another revolves around a 26-year-old mystery of one particular high school class ... that leads to multiple bloodbaths. The mystery itself is decent and adds onto the horror and suspense for each episode, but it may not please one who searches for complete logic in a mystery. The mystery only has a temporary solution, which makes it appear less serious. Multiple deaths of high school kids normally would cause a reasonable course of action to put an end to it. The fact that it went on for 26 years might turn one off. There was a slow start in introducing the mystery in full, but the characters’ reactions to the situation was understandable. Apart from that, the mystery gradually develops as characters discover more clues for the first time. The ending brings all of the pieces together, including connections between some of the important characters with thorough explanations, and eliminates any potential for plotholes.

Another’s main problem is that it tries way too hard. Creators mock the viewer with quick cuts of dolls between scenes like “Boo! Are you scared yet?” The gloomy backgrounds and freak accidents were enough by themselves, and the dolls just overdid it. Even the OP places a huge emphasis on dolls. Dolls can be creepy when they want to be, but they have absolutely nothing to do with this show besides their relevance to Misaki’s past. One or two deaths were unnecessarily dramatic as if it's Shakespeare. Dark music plays needlessly during conversations, but other scenes prove that the dialogue is enough for this anime. The gloomy backgrounds and freak accidents were enough alone, so the obsession with dolls and exaggeration in the scenes were avoidable.

There is literally nothing special about the cast. They only exist to either contribute to solving the mystery, die off, or both. However, they deserve an excessive amount of credit for giving appropriate reactions to calm or terrifying situations. Misaki is probably the only distinct character with her unique background, and her introverted behavior keeps her mysterious. Kouichi is your typical cliché male character who feels the need to talk to a girl who is invisible to everyone else or desperately trying to figure out what’s going on around him. Oppositely, Kouichi destroys the concept of a male protagonist in horror who constantly needs saving. He adjust to unfortunate changes very well, but it's annoying how he gulps or gets frightened before anything actually happens. The characters overall is probably Another's weakest point.

P.A. Works did an extraordinary job with Another’s animation. Finally, there is a show with an active background and not plain stills to just focus on the main characters. The blood splatter and gore are on key. The character design was good. Most of the body figures were distinct, except for two female characters who looked too much alike, and the characters' facial expressions brought terror to the screen. The background design is amazing with the dark, gloomy colors to fit the anime’s theme.

The soundtrack was good, but the problem came with the timing. When eerie music was necessary, it wasn’t there at all and vice versa. There are no complaints about the seiyuu, especially Takamori Natsumi (voice of Misaki) who fit the role for a quiet yet mysterious girl. The sound effects, including the blood gushes and lightning strikes, fit the situations perfectly.

Whether or not you will enjoy Another greatly depends on what you’re looking for. If you’re looking for a logical mystery, you won’t find it. Like other scary movies, you might find the deaths humorous or look past the over-exaggeration with dolls to get a scare. Personally, it was very satisfying for me, but it could be better. The mystery was good, and the high quality animation made the show even more attractive. Even though the majority of them had no unique personalities or anything special about them to make you care, the characters reacted appropriately towards the situations whether it is horrifying or a calm atmosphere. Since Another is a hit-and-miss anime, I suggest reading other (non-spoiler) reviews as well.

*Regardless of whether you liked Another or just dissatisfied with it altogether, watch Higurashi no Naku Koro ni if you haven’t already.

Ef: A Tale of Memories (or rather, the ef series altogether) is what I consider one of the best romance anime out there. It’s not the cliché high school types with hesitant characters. Memories is far greater than any of those from its amazing artwork and unique cast. The characters are blunt and do not beat around the bush to slow down any development. The romance is not rushed, and the anime takes its time showing the memories the characters’ create together.

Memories has two separate stories. It focuses on the development of characters’ relationships while delivering the fantasy/supernatural aspects (e.g. Chihiro’s memory loss). The characters’ ... meetings are distinct and unexpected, and it becomes valuable throughout the anime. They all create both good and bad memories together to only become attached and inseparable. The story presents everything from all of the characters’ point of views to show how much they care for the other or the struggles of their daily lives. Each character has a dream and works to fulfill it as their significant other shows support. My only beef with Memories is that it is unbearably dramatic in some cases where it appears as a Shakespeare play than an anime with the characters’ excessive body movement during confrontations.

The best part about this anime is the characters’ bluntness. There’s no beating around the bush or annoying hesitancy from their speech. It keeps the drama moving with no unnecessary pauses of anxiety from the characters. Their honesty and monologue throughout the series reveal their hidden emotions and vast personalities. Supporting characters contribute to their relationships and offer advice or even a shoulder during tough times. It also adds to the comedy, seriousness, and uniqueness of the cast.

The Japanese seiyuu suited the characters’ personalities and emotions at appropriate times. The voices are so strong and compatible with the characters that you can grasp and feel the character's emotions. The music and sound effects are remarkable. Violin music and the rest of the background music fit the atmosphere and situations perfectly. Sound effects support the drama with echoes and repetition, such as a phone’s busy tone.

The art itself places Memories separately from other shows. The anime moves back and forth with the different color contrasts, transparency, floating words, illumination of the characters’ outline, silhouettes, all sorts of angles on the characters’ faces, etc. within a few seconds. It goes back and forth, and nothing is stable. It can either be so distracting or just appealing. The character design was good and distinguished the characters. The backgrounds are beautifully drawn. The animation had its moments where it was like an on-and-off switch. For example, one moment you can see movement in the ocean ripples, and the next moment it’s still. Regardless, the artwork and animation fits the characters’ artistic vision and reflects on the emotions presented in Memories.

Ef: A Tale of Memories is a must-watch for anyone who is into romance and tired of the cliché show with indecisive characters, which is why it is one of my favorites. It’s full of surprises and it does not annoyingly include naïve characters that show down the progression of a relationship. The art and animation is unique and fit the anime perfectly. It's indeed a very heartwarming and charming anime.

What is a better day to post a review for Rec than Hollywood actress Audrey Hepburn’s 85th birthday? Audrey Hepburn was a huge inspiration for the show’s aspiring voice actress Aka, and the show embraced her movie titles and movie quotes in each episode.

I warn you that you may not like this show if you’re expecting a steamy hot romance. It's more about the development of a romance. Some people who watched Rec, including me, rated it with a very low score, because it’s incredibly boring at first viewing. However, Rec is different from most other romance anime and not as cliché. It reflects on ... reality by displaying the disappointment and challenges of balancing a professional life with a private life. Rec revolves around an aspiring voice actress (Aka) and a marketer (Matsu) dealing with the struggles and pressure of work. One problem I had was that their relationship happened quite fast with Aka moving into Matsu’s place the same day they met, because her place burned down without any given reason. On a positive note, Rec goes behind the scenes of the media industry and excitingly shows the transition of a popular seiyuu, including the advertisement and work inside the studio.

There are a few problems I had with the characters. If it were not for the revelation of Aka’s age (20 years) and scenes of her drinking beer, this show would seriously appear as a lolicon. She literally looks and sounds like a little girl, while Matsu looks like an old man despite being 26. Matsu can honestly get pretty annoying. He is a loner who is desperate for a girlfriend and relieved when Aka walks into his life. This causes him to act perverted at times, and it may be entertaining and funny for someone who enjoys anime where a guy constantly experiences rejection. I honestly didn’t like it. Apart from that, Aka and Matsu are strong as a pair. They show support and feelings for each other as they work together in their career. The supporting characters contribute to the pair’s relationship by revealing life’s disappointments and giving advice that has an impact on them. They also participate in each of their careers and show how the media industry works in Japan.

The artwork looks old as if it’s from the 1990s instead of the 2000s. It resembles something out of a childrens’ book. The colors are bland. The backgrounds are plainly drawn, and the only activity are from the main characters. The rest of the society is still. The character design was average. The females were the only attractive characters in the show, and the males could not nearly compare. The settings, including recording studios, are drawn realistically as it suits the atmosphere of voice actors and advertisers.

The OP, sung by Kanako Sanai (voice of Aka), is pretty good, but it could be unattractive to others. The truth is the lyrics of the OP describes the show perfectly: “Don’t give up/Embrace all of your worries.” Not only does it describe their relationship, but it says not to let life get you down at the worst of times. The seiyuu expressed appropriate emotions for situations, including jealousy and excitement. The background music and sound effects fit the atmosphere well.

Rec is an anime that you’ll have to rewatch with a different mindset if you did not enjoy it the first time. Honestly, the few people that scored Rec below a 7 were bored out of their minds just like I was. I planned to drop it during my first viewing, but it didn’t make sense for me to drop an anime that only has nine 12-minute episodes. I couldn’t stand the anime, and the OP was completely annoying at first. After rewatching it, I actually enjoy it more than other romance anime, and the OP is one of my favorites. As I mentioned earlier, this is the most realistic romance anime out there as it features the complications of relationships because of busy careers, which is the primary reason why my score changed from a 6 to a 9.

Gosick is a good example of how anime can have a tiresome beginning but make an impressive comeback halfway into the series. It has less intensity compared to other mystery anime, but that doesn’t make it a bypass. Despite a slow beginning for mysteries, it becomes shockingly good with legends and unsolved murder cases in the second half. However, the anime primarily has a romance-drama focus on the interracial duo Victorique and Kujo. Their adventures and relationship development make Gosick a fun anime to watch.

The execution of Victorique and Kujo’s relationship makes up the entire anime. It started off rocky with Victorique being the tsundere ... heroine by bullying and bossing Kujo regularly, but she gradually reveals her vulnerability and innocence. Their caring and even harsh actions towards each other bring the romance-drama part of the anime at full bloom. As the understanding male lead, Kujo cares for Victorique by providing her with presents and sweets and being her protector. Both MCs positively change the other. Kujo teaches Victorique to be kinder and more open to people, and Kujo’s logic skills improved as he assisted Victorique with mysteries. As they solve countless mysteries and spend time together, this exciting duo strongly becomes inseparable.

In terms of mystery, Gosick can appear kind of silly and boring in the beginning. The mysteries are too simplistic or ridiculous. The pattern is repetitive with Victorique being bored and demanding Kujo to find a mystery for her to solve in 2-3 episodes. As the plot advances, mysteries of past legends at the academy and old murder cases within the royal family make Gosick unforgettable. Cases become connected, and secrets were revealed at long last. Victorique’s background itself is a mystery and takes over the entire plot. It is slightly introduced in the first half, and the drama start to escalate in the second half with a strong emphasis on Victorique’s family. The ending was straightforward and very satisfying. The only problem is that it can be confusing for those unfamiliar with certain historical facts.

As the Goth loli version of Sherlock Holmes, Victorique alone livens this show with her intelligence, sarcasm, and tsundere attitude. It seemed ridiculous earlier in the series when she would solve a case before all evidence was present. Some of her conclusions seemed like mere guesses because of a special gift she calls the “wellspring of wisdom.” Theoretically, this comes from spending years reading countless books in various subjects. As mysteries became more interesting, her conclusions were cleverer with scientific facts, observations, etc. Apart from her detective skills, her girly side is adorable. Her actions can be unthinkable as she has first-time experiences and expresses various emotions (excitement, sensitivity, etc.). Victorique’s personality altogether makes her a memorable tsundere.

The irritation of the series comes from the supporting characters. They do not hold any special significance to them besides progressing the plot and bringing light humor. The clumsy teacher Cecile truly cares for her students, but she hardly acts realistically in dangerous situations. Even though there is a reason behind it, it is hard to take Gosick seriously when there is a so-called detective named Grevil with a hairstyle resembling soft-serve ice cream and who takes public credit for cases that Victorique solved. Despite being a sorry excuse for a detective, his character suddenly changes from goofy to serious within the series. There are a few likeable ones like Victorique's mom. The supporting characters play a part in the MCs’ lives, but they do not have any personalities of their own.

Bones did an excellent job portraying 20th-century European society with the modern backgrounds, transportation, and clothing in their animation. Victorique’s character design is the most impressive with her petite figure, long blonde hair, and lacy dresses with matching bonnets. Kujo’s design fit the script for the sole Oriental character. Some of the characters’ emotions, especially Victorique’s embarrassment, were genuine, but a few others did not match the intensity of some scenes. The settings were impressive and the colors distinguished from the gloomy and vivid parts. Gray and dull colors applied to war or murder scenes. The most vivid setting has to be the colorful garden and beautiful pieces of art on the library’s top floor. The only problem were stills in the animation, sometimes with the movement of only one or two characters.

Gosick has a beautiful soundtrack, consisting of mostly J-pop ballads as the OP and two EDs. The OP is good, but it hinted nearly the entire series. I love Lisa Komine as a vocalist for both the EDs. The first ED is upbeat and one of my personal favorites. The second ED sounded too slow for the excitement that occurred in the second half. On the plus side, the lyrics fully describe the romance between Victorique and Kujo. The seiyuu did a great job as well. Yuuki Aoi’s voice represented Victorique’s tsundere personality perfectly, giving a mature womanly tone and a soft girly tone in appropriate situations.

I went into Gosick solely expecting mystery, so I was disappointed and bored in the beginning. It was not until midway when I became hooked, because the mysteries became a lot more interesting with historical fiction and legends. I also began to appreciate the bond between Victorique and Kujo as I learned the true objective of Gosick. I loved the ending so much that I plan to read Gosick’s sequel novel, Gosick RED.

Gosick should not be approached completely as a mystery anime. Otherwise, you may feel inclined to drop a remarkable story. It has a slow start, but it boosts in the second half. The historical fiction aspect of the show is incredible as secrets are revealed and drama escalates. It has a properly executed relationship of the main couple, making them a memorable duo. Even though it may start off disappointedly, Gosick is certainly worth giving a chance.

Shingeki no Kyojin (Attack on Titan) undoubtedly made it as the top anime of 2013. Hajime Isayama’s creation gained fans across the globe with its thrills, surprising twists, and memorable characters. Compared to other apocalyptic anime, Hajime develops undefeatable and menacing creatures: giant man-eating titans --- overgrown human-like creatures that range in size and ability.

Story (8)

The suspense is incredible and exciting with constant gory scenes of titans brutalizing humans to the fullest degree, whether it is crushing skulls with their massive thumbs or tearing apart the human body. Combat action involves stunning choreography as armed soldiers spin or fly in mid-air with their 3D ... maneuver gear before striking lethal blows to titans. Certain circumstances cannot be predicted accurately as SnK shows no hesitation in killing off supporting characters. The majority of the episodes end in surprising and unexpected twists as soldiers fight to save humanity by risking their lives to accomplish one goal: destroy all of the titans. The pacing is steady, allowing viewers to understand the plot and characters with extreme detail. However, the primary objective is too complex to complete in 25 episodes. A cliffhanger ceases the opportunity for more exploration of the titans and other characters.

Tip: In the middle of each episode is a helpful “Info We Can Share So Far” section. It lasts for less than 20 seconds, so it’s advised to pause and read the info. Most of them are hidden data that are not quoted by characters in the series, including history of the titans and info about the communities.

Character (8)

The majority of the characters, including the MCs, have motives behind their actions, and they develop and strengthen after experiencing tragic events. For example, Mikasa’s sole purpose of protecting Eren throughout the series has more to do than just her personal feelings for him. Eren is the main protagonist and has a strong passion to destroy every single titan. He was intolerably whiny and irresponsible in the beginning but slightly matured halfway through the series due to interactions with experienced squad members. He gains common sense and looks at situations from different angles. However, he does not fully develop as his old ways sometimes reappear.

Mikasa and Armin may appear clingy to Eren at times, but the trio spend much time apart with other characters, primarily during the second half. Mikasa is the strong female heroine who is a master in combat action. She’s fearless and presents a major attraction with her swift moves of killing multiple titans in one blow. Armin showed great improvement in his character. He starts out as a coward but becomes willing to strategize despite his fear. He is also quite the genius and contributes to resolving various mysteries of the titans. Along with Armin, there are many characters who present or develop great charismatic skills.

The large number of squad members have personalities ranging from indifferent to determined, and they all distinguish with their levels of combat ability and leadership. Some of their attitudes can be hilarious, depending on one’s sense of humor. The anime goes into the past of some of the important characters and highlight relationships between them. It helps the viewer understand the characters and develop a love/hate relationship with them. The only downside is the inability to explore other important characters before the finale.

Animation (8)

Production I.G. and Wit Studio did a fantastic job with the animation. The thick outlines displays details within the background and character design. The artwork emphasizes excellent visual effects of combat action and characters maneuvering between buildings, trees, and other landscapes. All of the settings from the cityscape to the forest are remarkable. Character designs are distinct, and the unisex military uniforms reveal great details, thanks to the outlines. Characters’ fear and other emotions are generally shown with black lines drawn on their faces, contributing to the horrifying theme of SnK. The black lines symbolize distress, anger, frustration, etc. Bloody scenes of titans crushing and eating human bodies fulfill in making those primary creatures look terrifying. Titans are drawn as ugly and naked overgrown human beings. Some are shown to be skinless, and the vast majority are the opposite.

There are a few problems with the art. There's no distinction in gender between the titans. It was not an issue in the beginning, but it later becomes something important to note in the series. Another poor part about the animation are the stills. There are some scenes that are at a standstill with the characters talking like an idle page in a storybook. Other times, there would be fixed scenes with only one or two objects striking attention with movement.

Sound (9)

The voice actors adjusted to the characters’ personality, making their emotions and identities suitable for the fearful and serious atmosphere. The stomps and groans of titans presents practicality to the anime’s theme, considering the type of monsters Hajime decided to create. The music from the theme songs to the background is memorable. Background music includes warrior-like songs and sometimes fast-paced or choral music during fights. The entire soundtrack adds a grand quality to the series.

Enjoyment (9) / Overall (8)

SnK is one of my favorite action anime, even after re-watching it a few times. In addition to the cliffhanger, I found Eren to be really annoying. There was a scene where Eren hurt Mikasa physically, and I hated him for intentionally harming a lady. SnK’s focus on other characters and increased suspense made it much better. The characters' behavior were humorous at times, and there was always something to look forward to after each episode. As a result, I experienced laughter and shock throughout the series. Due to its popularity, I’m looking forward to a 2nd season and reading the manga in the meantime.

Overall, SnK has entertaining combat action, surprising events, and remarkable visuals. It provides details throughout the series to keep the viewer current on events, and it gives quite a bit of attention to the characters. Apart from its incomplete ending, I highly recommend any fan of action anime to become familiar with the SnK franchise.