- Last OnlineNow
- BirthdayFeb 21
- LocationJewelland
- JoinedJan 3, 2013
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Mar 26, 2020
12 of 12 episodes seen
|
8
people found this review helpful
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| Overall |
9 |
| Story |
9 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Character |
9 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
It all starts with a girl from the middle of nowhere with a dream of music and making it big. Now if you heard that before I wouldn't be surprised at all since it seems to be a commonly used trope in media. But despite the start there is so much that Show By Rock Mashumairesh!! is able to do with it that puts it a cut above the rest. For while our main character, Howan, comes to the big city with dreams of rocking the world what she gets is something even more powerful and meaningful, strong bonds and friendships and a tight knit
group where she can belong.
The big highlight in Mashumairesh for me are the characters and their interactions. The way that the characters are built up I think are quite organic and are done exceedingly well. Despite most of our cast being in a band together from the start it's clear that they are new to this and that they aren't that close to each other. Mashumairesh does a good job of having them interaction with each other and provide fun moments while also showcasing the distance that they have. This allows them to grow closer together and become more of a conceive whole which is one of the main themes of the show. There are a couple of arcs about the characters and how their friendship grows and I think it does a good job of showcasing how distance is created despite being able to interact daily and have fun. There is a lot that goes into a friendship and while fun times and interaction is great and usually leads to a strong friendship there is even more that can make a bond strong. And while a casual friendship is nice, in order to get more and to have more there needs to be a connection made, one the allows the others to see more of the person exposed and to accept it for what it is worth. And while I think the whole cast does a great job of opening themselves up to each other and connecting, I think there are two really good examples of these strong bonds in Delmin and Ruhuyu, and Howan and Himeko.
Delmin and Ruhuyu get less focus but I think there is a lot of strong bonds showcased between the two. They play into a tsukkomi and boke type of interaction with Ruhuyu being the tsukkomi and Delmin being the boke and I think it's done very well. They bounce off each other really well and there is a lot of liveliness and fun in their interactions. Ruhuyu plays herself up in a really fun way and I enjoy seeing all the different ways she tries to force her lunatic theme into everything. And while at first it is sort of accepted as the show goes on Delmin and the others poke fun at it and rib off of it more and more usually in fun ways. It's just fun seeing the way that they play around with each other. It feels like an authentic friendship experience one where each party isn't afraid to tease each other. This also happens with the band as a whole and Himeko as they grow closer to her. Overall the two of them are able to develop and get depth in the process of them becoming better friends. So even though their fun interactions were there from the start their bond is able to become so much more as they share more of themselves with the band. This is not just true of them but the whole band leading to strong characters and a strong impactful bond.
Howan and Himeko's relationship is in my opinion the highlight of the show. It's very nice to see a bond come from nothing be able to grow into a thriving powerful relationship between the two of them. They clearly leave an impression on each other with their interactions and you can see how the two of them are able to become so close to each other over the course of the season. One aspect that I really liked was how the show covered Himeko's initial distance from the group, how she handled herself, and why she did it. Despite being in the group from the start the show does a great job of showcasing her distance and her issues even despite not addressing them into later. It then is able to expose those issues while she gets development and in that process she is able to grow closer to the band and in particular Howan. It felt like Howan and Himeko were a perfect pair together and were both able to fill up what the other needed most. The two of them share something special and it's magical to see. It's specially nice to see how Howan's joining effects Himeko and how she ultimately grows from it. They also just make a very adorable pair that melts my heart.
The main characters were of course the focus but there were other important characters that I think were also done well. There was the boy's band, who doesn't get as much focus and thusly doesn't have the same depth but does make up for it in comedic moments. They too have parallels with coming together and growing closer although they were much more antagonistic to begin with. They have some strong episodes that show how music has grown on them and how they themselves have grown on each other, which I think went well. There was also a ShinganCrimsonZ cameo which had to be some of the funniest stuff from the show. There was also ReijinSignal who got a good amount of development despite the limited time they had in the show and served as a very good counterpoint to the main band. One of the interesting aspects that Mashumairesh covered was the difference between playing music for fun and bonding and playing music to strike it rich. And while the two can (and do) go together I think there is a clear divide between ReijinSignal who is a professional band, that is adeptly skilled at their craft and Mashumairesh and the paths that they take. The show does a good job of showing their different paths and the ways that it effects them and what they can gain from it. Both paths are looked at as valid, and are just different paths.
While the characters and their interactions were definitely the highlights there were a lot of other strong aspects that made the show shine. The art in general was very nice and I love the style and atmosphere that Midi City has. I think it perfectly captures the mood that it's trying to go for. This dark and night-life filled city with its neon lights and filled to the brim with music studios and the like. It feels like a great combination of the rock and the pop styles that the show and game at least traditionally cover. You can feel the music scene that revolves around the city, that rock 'n roll experience of staying up late, playing gigs, and having a lively city with so many bands running around. The atmosphere of the show is really nice in general and the show knows how to set up its scenery well to match the feelings such a place is supposed to invoke. The character art also pops and looks very good and strong which is nice. As expected of a music anime the songs are pretty good and nice to listen to. The choice to have many Show By Rock songs from the game show up in the background on the radio is a good unique way to both get those songs played but to have actual realistic background noise in places like the eating establishment that they frequent.
Overall I was very happy with how Show By Rock!! Mashumairesh!! turned out. Being such a big fan of Show By Rock!! I was anxious for how it would turn out especially with the whole focus on new bands but I think it went very well and it managed to live up to my expectations. I'd personally recommend it and I really had a lot of fun with it.
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Dec 18, 2019
12 of 12 episodes seen
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11
people found this review helpful
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| Overall |
8 |
| Story |
8 |
| Animation |
5 |
| Sound |
5 |
| Character |
8 |
| Enjoyment |
8 |
Houkago Saikoro Club is a simple show that manages to succeed with its accurate representation of playing board games along with the character development and heartwarming interactions that are brought on by these games. There are lots of fun moments that can happen during a board game and the show does a good job of communicating these moments and showcasing the fun, glory, and growth that they get from playing these games.
The characters in Saikoro Club are generally well developed and showcase a good example growth that is tied in well to the subject matter that is being focused on. In the case of
Miki we see a girl who is not only an introvert but is very shy from being bullied frequently in her youth. Her mental state reminds me of my own back in the day. She is hesitant to join with others and makes a beeline to and from school not stopping along the way. She is unable to bond with others, and has this feeling of loneliness rooted in her. But then she meets a friend. And along that she is introduced to the world of board games. The usage of board games both is nice as a tool to get her to open up and to be able to interact with friends, as well as use an activity that is able to provide group interaction while also allowing Miki to be her introverted self. The growth that we see from her is real and the games provide a good mirror as we see her grow in the action of the games. It's not as if she's not an introvert, she always is. But her timidness shrinks and the moves she plays in the games become grow bolder, showcasing her growth.
In the case of Midori, we see someone who already enjoys board games a lot and already is more put together from the start. However she does have a dream, one that she has been working on for a while, but that was pushed more to the back-burner. I really enjoyed the development of her dream as she was pushed to continue it and go outside of her comfort level. It's nice to see her missteps guided through and the development that her dream goes through, as she tries to push it towards reality. There are choices that she makes that make sense in thought but actually negatively effect her dream and keep it in its infant stages without growth. I like how the show was able to call out these patterns and give better advice to fuel the dream and push for the best result the dream could have. Not only did the advice and path make perfect sense to me, as the information given was all correct, but it was nice to see this growth and showcase the common failings that can happen in the path of making a dream a reality. While this dream is specific to the focus of the show I think there are good parallels that can be made with many dreams, and provides general good advice for dreams. I liked how the show didn't just make the dream happen but managed to have realistic set backs that I think are common for many people to go through even outside of the medium that Midori was focused on. It's a nice change to shows that focus more on overly dramatic roadblocks rather than the more real roadblocks we push ourselves into.
As a fan of board games myself it's fun to see the board games played out. I think the explanation of the games is excellent. Especially with how well they're able to explain the base rules, have it still be entertaining, and not have it take too much time. I have been introduced to a lot of new games and have had to bare through a lot of awful explanations. So to see good explanations for these games and to not be bored is quite a boon in my opinion considering how boring (at best) they can be in real life. The games themselves were fun to watch. It was cool seeing games that I had played before being played in an anime. Some of the games looked quite interesting too and made me want to play them myself. While how well the show was able to showcase the game being focused on varied from episode to episode the bulk of the games were fun to watch and had nice interactions between the characters. In particular the game in episode 2 was fun to watch as you could see the character's naivete and lack of skill very prominently which led to very funny results. These moments in playing board games are highlights of them and can be quite fun to watch and see.
The graphics and sound quality of the show is a much more mixed bag. The show isn't wowing it with its production, although it doesn't have any quality issues either. It's very average to the point of being exceedingly average, if that's even possible. It looks fine. Never great but never awful.
Overall Houkago Saikoro Club is a great anime that is able to use it's subject matter and give good development and growth based off of it. It has the heartwarming interactions and fun that is needed of a CGDCT, and never fails to be a fun little ride. It's a modest show but it fits together really well.
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Sep 27, 2019
13 of 13 episodes seen
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57
people found this review helpful
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| Overall |
2 |
| Story |
1 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
5 |
| Character |
3 |
| Enjoyment |
2 |
The problem with anime and edge is that so often you get edge for the sake of edge rather than edge as the result of well thought out ideas and the natural conclusion of events. And while Granbelm tries to be interesting with its edge, it fails massively and comes off as yet another edgefest that has no idea how to write its ideas well.
The biggest rub is that Granbelm does have some good ideas. There is intrigue in a competition where girls compete to be the sole magical entity in the world. The premise is a bit forced but there is a lot to
work with there. You can show why all the characters want that power, how they react when they don't get it, and the lengths that they'll go through for that power. And while Granbelm attempts to hit some of this ideas, and even comes close in some cases, the execution and result is quite lacking and lackluster. For example in the first episode there is a girl who is clearly in the battle, loses, and thusly loses her magical abilities. Rather than exploring this girl and her circumstance and the future that she must now pivot, they just cast her off and focus on less interesting characters. This is a theme with Granbelm.
Because despite having some interesting characters in its cast, Granbelm decides to focus on the most bland of the characters. We have the traditional pink haired magical girl who has no talents, no purpose in life, but for some reason seems to be really good at this magic thing despite never having any experience in it what so ever before. And second to her is the magical girl with long black hair, insane skills and work ethic, who happens to be very cold. Both of these tropes have been done to death. And while a good show can be made out of tired tropes, neither of these two are particularly interesting, and it's even more frustrating when they take away time from much more interesting characters in the cast.
For example, Anna is a girl from a talented mage family who has a grudge against Ernesta. It is clear she hates her for some reason and has a burning desire to out do her. As the show progresses her mental state erodes and you can see how the stress of the competition and her hatred is effecting her. But despite this she is more of a side character than a main one. There are interesting points to her character and her relation with Ernesta but it's often seen in the lens of Ernesta, the main character, rather than Anna. By focusing on Ernesta more the show willingly focuses on a much weaker and flat character and don't explore the interesting traits of Anna quite nearly as much as they should.
This is what the show is like as a whole, it'll bring up good ideas, give hope that it'll explore them and cover something meaningful before diverting back to Mangetsu and Ernesta and ending up failing its potential. The most baffling thing about this show though is despite how edgy it tries to be, whenever the show can actually do something with that edge and give an interesting situation for the characters the show decides to zag in a different route to give a slight less edgy but also a lot less interesting result. It's as if it's trying to both be as edgy and uninteresting as possible. So while the show is very content to make the characters miserable and to make their lives that much worse with each episode, it's also content to take a slightly less miserable path if it means that the characters won't have to react to something interesting or unique.
The art is actually pretty good, and would be nice to have in a much better show. Sadly, the problems with Granblem far outweigh the good art. The sound is passable and doesn't help or hurt the show. The production of the show is pretty good although the fight scenes to me are still pretty boring. They can be dynamic, but they lack the power to really make them shine.
Overall Granbelm is a massive disappointment and forgoes its interesting ideas for bland uninteresting edge. I don't recommend it for anyone unless you need more edge in your life and have ran out of other options.
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Sep 26, 2019
12 of 12 episodes seen
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27
people found this review helpful
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| Overall |
8 |
| Story |
8 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
7 |
| Character |
8 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
When a show focuses on making a particular character the butt of the joke it can be hard for the show to fit into the mold of a typical CGDCT. CGDCT strive to be lighthearted and fun, rather than mean. Having a character get "bullied" can easily change the tone of the show and in a genre that lives off of the heartwarming and/or lighthearted vibe, like CGDCT, it can be a delicate balance. And while there are shows that I have watched that have tried it and failed, Machikado Mazoku is able to blend the two of them very well and creates for a
very enjoyable viewing experience.
What really makes this balance work so well are the characters. To have a character being "bullied" you need someone or something to do the bullying. And while circumstances can be a less mean way to do it, often when shows go this route it feels forced, and can be frustrating to see the universe conspire again and again to pick on the victim. Certainly circumstances do happen to Shamiko many times, but a good portion of it also happens to come from her magical girl friend, Momo. And when I say friend I mean actual friend and not "friend" as can often be the case in this sort of set up. Despite some of the tricks, although much more tricks of wit than actual tricks, that Momo inflicts on Shamiko, it's clear that Momo cares for Shamiko a lot, and more than anything enjoys her over the top reactions. Most of her tricks aren't just for her fun but actually help Shamiko out as well, whether it be to get Shimako stronger, or to postpone their pointness matchup in which Shamiko would lose badly. And when they aren't Momo usually goes to great effort to plan around the curse and make sure no serious harm can come because of the curse. This makes these tricks fun to watch. By knowing that Shamiko will be ok and that she isn't going to get screwed over, we can enjoy what happens without having to feel bad for her or worried about her, because she will be fine, if not better off, by the end of it. In fact one thing that sets Machikado apart from other alike shows is how willing the show is to progress. Rather than kep Shamiko stuck in the status-quo so she can be bullied to infinity, the show does let her grow. She isn't forced to stay at level 1 forever and while she is still the lovelable pathetic Shamiko her circumstances and traits do get better throughout the show. Shamiko is allowed to have her victories too, even if it's not Shamiko's skill that lets them happen. Despite being in the bully role Momo also is used as the butt of the joke as well, keeping the show feeling more balanced than if it had the rigid power structure of Momo always winning and Shamiko always losing.
The characters aren't just good in their roles but are generally good characters overall. Momo is a very good example of this. Despite being a pink haired magical girl she isn't insanely cheerful and optimistic, which is very rare for a pink haired magical girl. And it's not as if they make her super edgy to "subvert" the trope. Rather she is a kuudere and a realistic kuudere. Because while her emotions don't really show through in her expression or voice, she does have emotions, sometimes strong ones, that are easy to read if her reactions are watched. There are subtle reactions that she has, and differences that do show how she feels about the various items and events around her. For example it's easy to see when she is trying to bait Shamiko into doing something she wants or would find humurous. And while her reactions and expression is muted for it, it's easy to see her gameplan and how much she likes it. In a sense Momo feels more drained than anything, a side effect of being a magical girl for so long and having to protect the town. While the lack of luck and skill of the main character, Shamiko, is a decently overused trope, I think that they do well with that trope and use it to faciliate her position and manage betwen the more bullying ascepts of the comedy while also using it for the lightheartedness. It's also interesting to see a good-hearted character try to do her best to be "evil" and fill the role that she now has to live up to. She has a good balance between her pureheartedness and her insecurities and desires, allowing her to be swept up by her role and try to do her best as a demon of the dark clan.
Despite the bullied and victim roles that the two of them have they actually make a great pair and show geniune concern and care for each other. The two of them balance each other out well and make a pairing that I think is mutually beneficial to the both of them. Shamiko may lack skills and have dire circumstances but she is a pure kind soul and has the optimisim and heart that someone like Momo needs. In a sense she is able to bring light to Momo and allow her to have fun and bond with someone. And on the other hand Momo with all her skills can protect Shamiko and help her overcome her weaknesses and her circumstances. Despite all the skills Shamiko lacks that Momo has the two of them come off as equals in their friendship. The two of them are able to help each other in the ways that only they can.
The art also helps out the show a lot. The art style looks really vibrant and warm. It matches very well with the type of show that Machikado is. It's very cute on top of that. They did a great job with the character designs, not only making them look really cute and nice but also having them match well with the characters. Shamiko wouldn't be as fun to bully if she wasn't so cute and precious and didn't have such dynamic and adorable reactions. Momo's height advantage and Shamiko's shortness do well to highlight the differences between the two and give Shamiko more insecurities that she tries to fight against in her battle with Momo. The characters look great and work very well for the show. Overall the art is really nice and well done and fits a very good package. The sound design is also pretty good and works well for the show.
For all the benefits the show has there is one significant detractor for me, and that is the pacing. Handling both the serious, comedic, and heartwarming moments can be a hard task espeically with only 24 minutes per episode. However, I do wish they handled it a bit better. In several key episodes it felt like the pacing was going too fast. And while it was fine for the comedic moments, the more serious and heartwarming ones were hurt by the speedy pacing. At times it felt like there wasn't enough time to feel the mood of the scene and really let the feelings of the characters sink in. And while the moments were quite good still, I think they could have been even better if there was more time alloted to them.
Overall, Machikado Mazoku is a very enjoyable watch that gives us all the fun of watching a character get bullied while also being heartwarming and pleasant. The characters are quite nice and their dynamic and bond is a big highlight. I'd recommend this to fans of the CGDCT genre and for those that like this bullying style of comedy. The show has a lot to offer in my opinion and does well to have a show that gives us the joy of bullied humor while also being heartwarming and pleasant at the same time.
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Jun 29, 2019
13 of 13 episodes seen
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46
people found this review helpful
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| Overall |
7 |
| Story |
7 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
7 |
| Character |
7 |
| Enjoyment |
7 |
When I was young and first was getting into anime the harem genre was one of my favorites. It was a pleasure to watch a lot of cute girls do cute and lewd things, as well as have the excitement of seeing who would win and fighting in waifu wars with friends that had objectively inferior taste (unless they happened to pick actual best girl, and in that case they're fine.)
However after watching more and more of these, it became clear that while some were well made and had lots of life to them, there were others that were not well made and ended
up being cheap vehicles for a show that they assumed a horny teenage fandom would eat up, and they did. Often the cast wouldn't be fully developed and were either just archetypes with less more going for them, or where way in the background causing one girl to take the center stage and defeating one of the points of a harem. While many seasonal harems ended up disappointing in these ways, We Never Learn, is a return to the good old days.
It doesn't take that much to make a good harem that's a joy to watch. While I do love deep character development and interesting meanings and points that are made in a show, not every show needs to have them, and in particular a good harem isn't defined by having those. In my opinion, the most important parts to a harem are having a varied and likeable cast of girls, and having good fan-service. And Bokuben happens to have both of those.
The main cast is a whole lot of fun. They interact with each other and play off of each other and are very clearly friends with each other. They don't exist just for the sake of the male lead but they have goals of their own and friendships outside of the male lead. They have charming personalities that makes it easy to root for them and very easy to like them. And while they don't have a great amount of development they have enough development that they feel like unique characters and not archetypes. Some of the silly things they can get into are a lot of fun and overall it made me happy to watch this show.
And it fills it's role as a harem very well. There are three main girls and they all have their own charms that are quite distinct. There's an airhead who is much more emotionally connected to everyone but herself, a brainaic who can't understand others or herself, and a tomboy childhood friend who is pretty hyper and excitable. And while the archetypes are certainly there, they're vibrant enough to outshine them, and feel unique. Each of them gets screen time with the main lead, and each of them have a reasonable claim to him. Unlike many harems in the past it actually does feel up in the air who will win and not just a forgone conclusion that was turned into a harem for some reason. They each have their own dynamic relationship with the lead and it's a lot of fun.
Furthermore the show also gives a good deal of fanservice so that we can see the more echiii situations with them and capitalize on their cuteness. And while most of them happen by accident, of course, a staple trope of these harems. The girls are aware enough to not blame him, and if they do blame him it doesn't last longer than 30 seconds. Too many harems like to go off on the blame game for too long which detracts from the show and ruins the vibe they have going. If anything what Bokuben does so well is it allows this vibe to continue throughout the show, and rarely becomes too much of a drag. The art and sound also help with this a lot as the art is pretty high quality and always looks nice. The sound is better jovial and helps accent the more comedic parts of the show. While it may not be impressive on its own it really works in the show.
It may not be the most impressive show, but Bokuben is a good solid harem, and I very much enjoyed watching it. I'd recommended it to all other harem fans.
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Jun 26, 2019
25 of 25 episodes seen
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23
people found this review helpful
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| Overall |
8 |
| Story |
8 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Character |
8 |
| Enjoyment |
8 |
When I first heard of Shield Hero I was not that impressed. It seemed like the typical isekai designed with elements to shit on the main character and get people riled up because of that. And when I watched the first episode I had some very mixed thoughts. They were dabbling with some touchy subject matter to say the least, and had many elements that I personally found off-putting, however the execution was pretty good. As it turned out the strong execution managed to mitigate the concerns I had with those elements and ended up making what I consider to be a very good show.
There
is a lot of shit thrown at Naofumi. And at times it can seem quite excessive. A good portion of the show is dedicated to piling as much as it can onto him. And while I'm not the biggest fan of this, I think where the show is able to shine is in the execution of it. Shield Hero does a good job of showing how Naofumi reacts to all of this, and how his heart grew colder in relation to it. It showed the trust issues that happen to come after being falsely accused, and how it can affect his whole character. The show was able to give reasons why everything around him happened, and the whole plan around it rather than just leaving it up in the air, making it easier to understand the predicament that he was in. Since the show went into detail into showing and demonstrating the severe effects of all of this on Naofumi it makes it easy to empathize with him, and to feel for him.
It could have easily felt like too much, mainly because it was so close to being too much, but the show being able to clearly show why the characters were doing what they were doing worked well. For example, take the other heroes. While they certainly are a burden for Naofumi, it's not as if they are evil. They are actually a realistic depiction of the typical guy being isekai'd. They are naive and think everything works like a video game. They are unable to think about the consequences and go with whatever they desire. This does create problems but it's understandable why they do what they did. Overall this reaches every misfortune that happens to Naofumi, and so while it can be painful to watch, it all matches up. Ironically it's Naofumi's struggles that make it so understandable why he ends up so OP in the end. While the other heroes were just doing whatever they wanted, Naofumi was struggling through life trying to do whatever he could to survive.
Furthermore I think that Naofumi's anti-hero status was quite interesting to watch. While he grew colder there is an arguemnt to make that he didn't turn that cold and rather turned his outside cold, while still caring on the inside. His companions show this well. He clearly cares for Raptalhia despite her being his slave, and her having to do anything that he wants her to do, in theory. In fact even when he's training her and putting her through struggles, he cares about her and gives her the chance to leave. The relationship between Naofumi and Raptalhia is a high point of the show, and I think it demonstrates an interesting part of morality. Having slaves is immoral, and from that lens it'd be easy to see Naofumi as immoral. But because he picked up Raptalhia as a slave, he gives her a much better life just by treating her right, and caring for her. It's very easy to see things in a black and white manner but one thing I liked about the show is looking at these topics with more nuance. And while the show never directly talks about it, I like its able to the positive results to the grey-decisions that Naofumi had to make.
The production values are also great and do a really good job of aiding the execution. The visuals look pretty amazing, outside of some CG, and the soundtrack may not match Perkin's Made In Abyss, but it is a great good OST that fits the song well. Furthermore Kinema Citrus manages to bring out great pacing yet again and allows for the time for Naofumi and his group to bond, allowing the audience to bond with them and grow to like them. While the second half's pacing was a lot more questionable, the first half was so good and did a lot to really enhance the show.
Overall the show deals with some questionable subject matter but does it well, in a way that allowed at least me to relate and sympathize with the characters, and one that made it feel real and understandable rather than poorly written revenge porn for the sake of revenge porn. I think there's quite a bit to offer in this show and I quite enjoyed watching personally. I'd recommend it to isekai fans as for me it's one of the standouts in the bunch, and while I can't guarantee that everyone will be content with the subject matter that Shield Hero pursues, I can at least vouch and say that the merits of the show were able to mitigate the negatives of them.
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Jun 21, 2019
12 of 12 episodes seen
|
65
people found this review helpful
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| Overall |
3 |
| Story |
3 |
| Animation |
7 |
| Sound |
4 |
| Character |
3 |
| Enjoyment |
3 |
When I first saw Hitoribocchi in the seasonal list I was excited. Being a big fan of CGDCT, and very much enjoying those CGDCT that focus on real, relatable problems, I was excited to see what Hitoribocchi had to offer. While the issue of low self-esteem and social anxiety is not new to CGDCT, I personally like to see what each take on it is, and to gleem whatever there can be from the situations that the characters get into. There is a lot of potential in the idea, as the wholesome friendly tone of CGDCT allow for these more serious topics to be covered
without going too far down into the negativity spiral, and rather give hope, and show how one can be helped. Sadly, Hitoribocchi did not live up to this, and rather than use those factors to it's benefit, it ended up using them to its determent.
Most CGDCT shows are to an extent a comedy. While iyashikei CGDCT aren't so much, the general bread and butter CGDCT usually will have some level of comedy in them. And while some will pare down the comedy to focus on other aspects, others decide to go full into the comedy and let it be the main focus along with the cute girls themselves. For Hitoribocchi most of the focus is placed on the comedy. Most of the scenes are comedic scenes in nature and are designed to make the audience laugh. However this did not work as well for me due to the issues that lay in Hitoribocchi's premise, and their game plan.
While I was hoping to be able to relate to Hitori and feel for her situation, the show's focus on comedy nipped that hope in the bud. Rather than get a character who felt down to earth, even if moeified, Hitori feels like a personification of r9k or r/meirl. She acts like a meme in the idea that she can't do literally anything without tripping over herself. And while to an extent that is understandable, the things that she does to avoid these situations that she doesn't want to be in are so comedically stupid that it's very hard to take her seriously. Her whole character is so overdone that it ends up being frustrating rather than enderaing. It feels not only played up for laughs, but existing purely for laughs. And while shows like Comic Girls can also play up the main character's issues for laughs, they make sure to put lots of care into her issues and don't have them exist just for jokes. This happens with more than just the main character too. While the show does try for more heartfelt moments with some of them, many of them are very gimmicky, and feel out of range when they try to hit more emotional moments despite most of their character being designed for comedy. Overall it feels like its trying to hit both the more emotional elements while also being a complete comedy but ultimately the two work against each other rather than with each other.
Furthermore the background of the show also messes with the general wholesomeness that I usually find in CGDCT. Even in the most comedic CGDCT there is a fiorm friendship that exists between the cast, one that hammers home the friendliness and fun that exists all throughout. And while Hitoribocchi has its moments that show this, it also has other moments where that feels completely absent. The biggest issue leading to this is the set up. Hitori starts making friends in order to live up to a promise she had with an old firend of hers to make friends with everyone in the class. In many cases there is less care put into the friend that Hitori is making and only into having a friend in name. And while I do believe the friendships do grow with time, there are certainly moments that just aren't enjoyable when it feels like the friendship that is there is a shallow vechine for Hitori to live up to her promise. Add to this the constant tired jokes that cylce throughout the show, and the friendship ends up feeling like an afterthought.
All things said I do think Hitoribocchi has it's moments. And there are characters in it that are cute and likeable. But frankly I don't like the comedy style at all, and the show is so heavily focused on comedy despite its premise. And while there are moments where it tries to live up to its premise, ultimately the show's focus on comedy hinders those moments and the overall fun feeling of the show. If you like the style of comedy bertter than I do then it's likely that you'll enjoy it more than I did. But I feel like if you're coming in here after reading the premise and hoping for a nice blend between social anxiety and cute fun, then you're likely in the wrong place. Personally even for comedy I feel like there are better comedic CGDCT that have more fun premise and that use it better. Ultimately I don't think the show is very good, and fails at the different types of CGDCT it tries to be.
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Mar 26, 2019
12 of 12 episodes seen
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41
people found this review helpful
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| Overall |
8 |
| Story |
9 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
7 |
| Character |
8 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
Given the recent trend of age gap yuri pairings, it's almost natural to expect Wataten to follow the same pattern. Even more so when one considers that the most recent version before this was just a season before and also was done by the same studio. But while many of the other age gap shows play up the creepiness of the actions either for horror or humor, Wataten is able to take a more nuanced take on what is happening.
First things first, I can understand why it can be somewhat uncomfortable for audiences to watch the main character so obviously have a crush on
a girl who is much younger than her, as well as see the ways that she expresses that love, but I would also implore them to hear the show out and top watch the whole think before coming to a quick judgement. While some of the actions that Miyako takes are sketchy, I don't think that is a fully accurate description of her character. While the maid in UzaMaid had her sole purpose defined by loving lolis, Miyako doesn't. Not only is Hana her first love, which hit her like a truck hits a poor helpless soon to be isekai protagonist, but she also exhibits other passions mainly clothing and fashion design, along with more okatu like interests. Her interest in Hana is just one piece of the puzzle, and one part of her whole character.
She also is a sufferer of social anxiety and has troubles being in crowds, going outside, or interacting with those that are outside of her comfort zone. In a way her smittenness with Hana is able to override that fear and is able to get her to reach out for once, which is ultimately good for her growing as a character. The show does a good job of showing her condition and how much it ends up effecting her. The ability to just interact with others is a struggle for her and it's clear just watching her through out the 12 episodes. With desires, flaws and all Miyako is a complete character, and is a quite developed one at that. She manages to grow throughout the season and is able to be more than just an age gap joke. And that's what I think is so important. As unsavorable as it may be to some, often times love happens out of nowhere for reasons that are hard to understand. And it hits Miyako herself. But Miyako is more than that. She is a real person with real struggles and desires and all of that. She is able to provide the nuance that is needed by being a complete character. I also have to add that despite some of Hana's more weird quirks Miyako is willing to accept them and enjoy Hana for who she is rather than protecting the image of an angel onto her. She isn't there just for that image, but rather for Hana herself.
Furthemore while some of her actions are suspect, there are a lot of her actions that are wonderful. She is a great sister to Hinata, and even before Hana was in the picture she doted on her and gave her all the love that one can really hope from their big sister. Even with Hana and the other girls in the picture, she acts like a big sister to all of them. She bonds with them, she plays with them, and often she tries to help them with whatever they're trying to do. And as the show goes on, the more things she does to try to help them out. She is a good sister to them and she is a good friend. And it may seem weird to some, friends don't have to be age restricted. Despite the difference in age there is a true bond there which is very enjoyable to see.
I talked a lot about Miyako which makes sense given her focus in the show, however she is far from the only great character in the show. The main cast is a lot of joy to watch and each of them have their own interesting quirks. While Hana can be quite angelic in her appearance and demeanor, she has her own weird quirks and odd things she likes that makes her interesting and goes against that grain. Noa loves herself and attention but actually despite that she is a really good friend and is the most aware of what is going on out of the whole cast, even Miyako at times. And while she is not afraid to use what she knows to her advantage, she also uses what she knows to try to make the rest of the cast happier and get them to the conclusion that they wouldn't be able to get to without pushing. Hinata is a genki-girl that loves her sister a whole lot, and to be fair she is the simplest of the cast. She basically tries to make everyone happy while also trying to be with her big sister as much as she can.
As one may expect from a Dogo Kobo show the art style is fantastic and really brings out the cuteness of the show. The animation is great and the music is also quite nice. While there can be a few corners cut here and there the general art style is so strong and cute that it is able to more than make up for it.
Overall these good production values along with the wonderful characters and the growth they have both as people as towards each other makes this a great enjoyable watch, and one that provides the nuance that I hoped to see in it. And while it is able to hit all of the things that one would hope for a CGDCT I'm glad that it was able to use it's premise and unique traits well to separate it from the pack. It's not my favorite CGDCT but is a welcome addition to the list of CGDCT that I really enjoyed and would heartily recommend.
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Mar 24, 2019
12 of 12 episodes seen
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64
people found this review helpful
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| Overall |
8 |
| Story |
7 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
7 |
| Character |
9 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
Ueno-san is a simple show at heart, but it manages to use great execution, creative ideas, and one very adorable Ueno-san in order to make a comedy that not only works, but provides more than just it's comedic jokes.
At it's heart it is a sexual joke comedy like other shows before it, most of Ueno's inventions have to do with something lewd, or something romantic. While some shows go out of their way to force this sort of stuff, and Ueno-san admittedly at times can too, the bulk of these have a simple source: the infinite horniness of Ueno-san, and how much she loves her
beloved kouhai. Most of her inventions are attempts at getting him closer to her or to get him to do perverse things to her. Her manner is pretty interesting to watch as it's not just about her trying to lewd him all the time, but rather her mindgames in trying to get him to lewd her, which is what she really so badly wants.
However, she happens to be a complete and utter tsundere and even when she gets what she wants she ends up overreacting and running away unable to deal with the strong emotions that are in her heart. Despite how over the top her character is, she feels genuine and manages to feel like a real character. When she is dealing with problems that relate to other club's that go to her for help she manages to treat them seriously and do her best to help out. She isn't just her infinite horniness, even if it is a large part of her. After all she is a teenager and she is experiencing strong emotions for the first time, and it's not unnatural to not know what to do with them. So while over the top her emotions make sense to me, and I find myself able to relate to her and her struggles in trying to get closer to her love and get the things she wants without being so forward about it.
Furthermore the jokes are able to have a good amount of variety and are able to focus on a wide array of different lewd actions and romantic actions rather than focusing on the same items over and over again. The wide array of her inventions allow for a diversity in what happens depending on what she wants to get Tanaka to do at that time.
And while a dense harem MC can be frustrating at times the sheer denseness of Tanaka is quite humorous especially with how obvious Ueno is. It also helps that because Ueno is such a tsundere, it's not like either of them are making that many serious attempts to showcase their love. Nor is it like she is losing because he is so dense. And besides I feel the sometimes sweet and off the top of his head statements that he is prone to making is exactly what she likes about him. Because with all of his denseness he manages to make these statements that light her heart on fire, without even trying to do so in the first place. Not to mention the denseness actually does a great job for the straight man role that most japanese comedies have. With his denseness he is able to fill this role without feeling too over the top and unnatural in it. He states normalcy and acts the most normal of the bunch without overdoing it or putting too much weight on the joke in his words. While he fills the straight man role, he doesn't become nothing but a straight man, and manages to fit into that role naturally due to who he is.
And this denseness creates an interesting mindgame dynamic. While some other shows have the main romantic leads face off against each other and try to outwit each other, Ueno's mindgames aren't battles of wits, they're battles of who is the dumbest. Ueno's plans are good but she manages to sabotage herself almost every time. Tanaka isn't even trying to mindgame, rather his sheer denseness works in his favor as he manages to go against her plans with sheer density. Despite this, the mindgames don't have a clear power structure. Ueno often gets her wants in a round about way due to Tanaka's denseness. It may not be the way she wanted but it still warms her heart and brings her closer to him.
Even thought her plans fail their closeness grows with each one. Even in their interactions it's easy to see how close they are. Despite Ueno's weird requests Tanaka often humors her and goes along with them. Despite Ueno getting overloaded, she does get some of the love and interaction that Tanaka desires. Her plans may fail, but often she doesn't go empty handed. And when it comes down to it Tanaka does try his best for her, and it's sweet.
Also I have to mention Yamashita who is a great wingman and does her best for Ueno. The dynamic between the two of them is also quite nice as they do care about each other and do try to help each other.
Overall Ueno is a great comedy and a great romance. With some fun gags, some fun mindgames, and some great characters. Ueno is the highlight of the show, and it's so much fun watching her demanding tsundereness and all of her adorable over the top reactions to everything. It's funny, cute, and heartwarming, and makes for a great rom-com to watch.
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Dec 21, 2018
12 of 12 episodes seen
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15
people found this review helpful
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| Overall |
7 |
| Story |
7 |
| Animation |
7 |
| Sound |
6 |
| Character |
6 |
| Enjoyment |
7 |
I've watched a lot of CGDCT. I've also enjoyed a lot of CGDCT. While the best shows are able to not only be cute and provide wonderful characters who are a complete joy to watch but also provide something more to it, something that resonates and feels noteworthy, the mediocre shows usually manage to do some gags and have some fun but not excel with their characters or the things built with them. Vampire is in a weird middle ground. It's characters are good but not great, and the fun they have is decent but also not exceedingly cute and fun. And the show manages
to both be insightful while also being fairly gimmicky and bland at other others.
The interest point of Ms. Vampire is the different lifespans of humans and Vampires. This is a big point of the show and something that it explores in an interesting way. Rather than have heavy drama based off of it, it is true to its slice of life roots and shows the issues with it, and the issues the vampire's have due to it, without belaboring the point or turning it into melodrama. And while I would have liked the show to focus more on this point, it ultimately did well.
However outside of that the characters aren't really notable. They are cute, and I do enjoy the very strong yuri tones throughout the show, but they don't have much depth to them, and they don't come across as anything notable nor do they make me love them with the sheer power of their character. They're fairly standard moeblobs. And while that plus the vampire angle is fine enough to make them decent characters it is a far cry from a great characters, which with some developing they could have been.
The show also likes to rest on its gimmicks to much. While at some point it does tone them down the times where it focuses on it can get very tiring. There were a couple of scenes where they went out of their way to make the gimmick come up and have a joke around it. Many times the gimmick implementation suffers from poor writing and it feels like the show is trying to shove it in.
Overall it results in a standard CGDCT with something extra. The art is nice, the sound is nice, and while they aren't notable they are perfectly fine for the story the show is telling. It isn't the most notable of CGDCT, and there are lots of things it could have done to be better, but ultimately it serves it's role in the genre well and adds that little bit more that makes it unique. And personally that's good enough for me to enjoy.
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