- Last Online4 hours ago
- BirthdayFeb 21
- LocationJewelland
- JoinedJan 3, 2013
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Mar 25, 2021
12 of 12 episodes seen
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4
people found this review helpful
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| Overall |
9 |
| Story |
8 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Character |
9 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
Show By Rock Stars is what Show By Rock # should have been. Rather than try to make up a grand plot and rehash the previous season Show By Rock Stars is a celebration of Show By Rock and the many bands that have stared in the anime throughout its many seasons. Stars carves out a nice balance between the slice of life band growth focus of Mashumairesh and the band celebration and focus that it’s aiming for. It even has a hint of a plot as a homage to the first two seasons. And personally while the two areas of focus can be
at odds at some times I think Stars does a good job of satisfying the both of them.
The focus on Mashumairesh the band was quite good. While the highs from the last season aren’t able to be met the content covered in this season is still quite strong. The strong characters are still on display and their charm is still in full force. However the focus shifts a bit to Delmin and Ruhuyu rather than Himeko and Howan. This was nice as they didn’t get as much focus in the previous season so it was nice to see them take center stage this time around and have their own issues and relationship explored deeply. They already were pretty decently developed but I loved seeing them get closer. It was definitely one of the highlights of the season. I also liked the general issues of their band’s growth and place in grand scheme of things. They utilized the stardom of the other bands quite well to contrast their own weak standing, making the situation feel quite realistic and not over-dramatic. In general it was nice to see how they reacted to seeing all of these bands. For example it was nice to see Himeko get to interact with Criticrista the band that she admired for so long. Overall I’m quite pleased with what they were able to cover with the main band. My only issue with what was covered is that sometimes too much time was taken away from the main plot of focus of the episode so sometimes the situations felt a bit more rushed than they should have been.
The focus on the bands was also quite nice. All of the main bands from the previous seasons were able to play a decent role in the season and each got their own episode to shine in. The content and focus of those episodes shifted from band to band but I think worked well with the charm points of the bands. For example a band like ShinganCrimsonZ focused more on humor and had one of the funniest episodes the season while Bud Virgin Logic focused more on development of its lead member and her growth after the events of #. Across various avenues of focus each of the previous bands got ample time to shine in the spotlight. It was nice to see all of these bands that we knew and loved back doing their normal band activities and just enjoying their music and lives. Ultimately I think ironically the only band that didn’t get their time to shine this season was Plasmagica who ended up being utilized as a recurring supporting cast rather than a band getting much of a focus themselves. And while it was nice seeing the end result of their growth and their future coming into full bloom they never really had a strong focus in any of the episodes and never really had time for their characters to be revisited again which was a shame. This again sort of goes back to the issue of having limited run time. There’s only so much content they could do with the bands while also focusing on the main two bands from the previous season. Ultimately choices had to be made, and while I don’t agree with all of them I do think that they did a great job of including all of the main bands and letting their fans see them another time.
Art and sound both were pretty great. The music in Show By Rock is great as usual. The bands are a treat to listen to and I really enjoyed the OST and the way it utilizes the various openings from previous seasons and incorporates them into the soundtrack. The performances were great and there were a lot of great new songs introduced in the season which were very nice. Art wise it looked great with the same style and charm that fills Midi City and the world of Show By Rock. While I do miss the Studio Bones style for some of the characters the overall art looked consistently great throughout the season.
Overall while it doesn’t live up to either original Show By Rock or Show By Rock Mashumairesh, Show By Rock Stars is a very welcome addition to Show By Rock. There is enough meaningful content to make the season well worth while and a good lot of band cameos and focus to really celebrate the bands of Show By Rock. Ultimately I think it’s a great watch for fans, and one that at least this fan enjoyed very much.
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Mar 22, 2021
12 of 12 episodes seen
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12
people found this review helpful
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| Overall |
8 |
| Story |
8 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Character |
7 |
| Enjoyment |
8 |
Don’t be fooled by the memes, Pui Pui Molcar is more than just a show that rose because of meme value. Rather Pui Pui Molcar is a perfect example of innovation and charm that utilizes its short runtime to the fullest.
Molcar introduces us to a world where guinea pig cars are the norm and it is quite cute. It’s an interesting premise and it’s executed quite well. There are fun skits with them which utilize the premise quite well. We get to both see the molcars on their own having fun and doing their own adventuress, as well as how they tie in with
the humans in society. We get to see the workings of the molcars and there’s some interesting world-building into how they function. And it’s not as if Molcar only relies on its cuteness to work, it also has a lot of great ideas that go along with it. There are very movie references and humorous ideas that they bring to life with the show. They also have a good amount of twists and interesting ideas in their comedy. The molcars are so fun to watch. Their humorous mannerisms and actions are very much fun and it really makes the show work so well.
That said what really sells Molcar is the fantastic production. The sound design is incredible. Molcar wouldn’t work nearly as well if it weren’t for the cute noises they make when waddling, or when they see something scary, or when they’re happy or really just anything the molcars do. Each action they have as a corresponding adorable reaction from them and it gives me life. The visuals also look amazing. Rather than go for a typical animated approach they went for There are so many unique molcar designs littering up the full screen. The backgrounds and world feels fully realized with lots of care taken to make everything look great and fit exactly what they’re trying to go for. I also really like how they used the toy people to really sell the world and bring out the sort of toy feel that it has. Overall I’m really impressed with how great Pui Pui Molcar looks and feels. The production does a great job of selling the show and really elevates a great silly idea to a short that stands out and provides so much fun and joy.
If you haven’t watched Molcar I really suggest you do so. It takes less than an hour to watch it all and it’s very cute and fluffy fun. I’m sure most of you will be charmed by the molcars and their cute mannerisms and sounds.
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Dec 28, 2020
12 of 12 episodes seen
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7
people found this review helpful
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| Overall |
8 |
| Story |
8 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Character |
9 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
A show doesn’t have to be complex or meaningful to be good. Sometimes all you need are some endearing characters and a whole bunch of fun and silly setups and it can create an amazing show that’s a complete joy to watch. And that’s basically Fruit Tart. While Fruit Tart may not have the same level of development or depth that other top tier CGDCT have, it does make up for it by being unique and having a lot of fun.
The premise of Fruit Tart is simple, you have a couple of rejects and put them together into an idol group. There they try
to make their mark on the world and rise up in the ranks. To do something they haven’t been able to do recently in their careers. Succeed! The start does a good job of showing their goal and their struggles and giving backstory into their characterization. While their characters aren’t very deep, the characterization they get early on gives a good baseline for who they are and why they would be fun and endearing. And they are set up well for that. The characters are well designed in their appeal, and most of them are given all of the things they need to succeed: distinct personalities, great character designs, and moe insecurities.
With this set up we are treated to a lot of fun shenanigans between the cast and a lot of very fun interactions. The characters fit together quite well to create adorable and humorous interactions. Pretty much all of the main girls like each other, and have very selfish desires. And often they show case them more or less, whether they think they’re being subtle or not. And personally I find it adorable seeing them care so much about specific parts of each other, as well as the levels of denial they have about it. As dumb as their desires may be, they are consistent, cute, and match up well with their characterization which enhances the cuteness quite well. Take Ino for example. She loves idols so much that she wanted to be one and adores cute girls quite a lot. This matches up well because her interest in cute idols plays into her own motivation to become one. So the very same nature that leads her to covet Roko is the same nature that got her into this business and shaped her mindset. Another good example of this is Roko someone who wants to prove her own maturity due to her stinted growth and who ends up coveting Nina part due to her body which likely lines up with how Roko would like to be, but also because of her motherly demeanor which is a good balance to Roko’s immaturity. There is sort of a cycle through-out the cast of them both admiring and desiring each other and what each other has and the interactions that stem from them are great.
Their behavoir and status also makes them so easy to root for in their goals. They really do live up their status as dropouts and even when they succeed it's through effort both on their parts and on those around them being won over by their loser charm. Their relations with the community around them is quite nice and it's great to see them grow and gain fans despite their limitations. It's very satisfying to see them climb the ranks together as losers especially since they never really lose that label even as they grow. They may still get fans but they're still the loveable endearing losers that they are.
The visuals are pretty strong and do a good job of showcasing the cuteness of the characters. While the characters can be drawn very simply for scenes where they are not showcased, the show really knows to make the characters look adorable when it matters Giving very well drawn and adorable pictures that flesh out well whatever joke or emotion the character has for maximum cuteness. I don’t think the show would work as well without its art as it is a keep component in its success. The sound is also pretty strong and there are some nice idol tracks. The 2D animation for the idol sequences are also pretty cool and are a notable difference from other idol shows, and are one that really showcase the cuteness of the characters. While the art can be inconsistent it knows when to shine to give off maximum cuteness.
I can’t say Fruit Tart was really deep but it was a whole lot of fun. Strong characters and character interactions are what makes a CGDCT good and Fruit Tart excels at both of them. Because while they may not have the depth they certainly are endearing and it’s hard not to enjoy their dumb choices and desires and their weaknesses and charm points. They truly embody the mouse house and I loved watching it. While it doesn’t hit the highest of high points, it is a high tier CGDCT for me, and one that is well worth a watch.
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Dec 21, 2020
12 of 12 episodes seen
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28
people found this review helpful
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| Overall |
7 |
| Story |
7 |
| Animation |
5 |
| Sound |
5 |
| Character |
7 |
| Enjoyment |
7 |
Isekai has come out in full force recently giving us a lot of different isekai adaptations, many of which appeal to the same sort of video game inspired wish fulfillment sort of set up. And while there is nothing wrong with this on paper, it does end up feeling very samey when these wish fulfillment isekais hit on the same notes over and over again. Endless power, lots of cool video-game like abilities, and a harem of cute girls. I get the appeal but it often leaves a lot to be desired to me. On the other hand there is Kami-tachi. Don't get me wrong
Kami-tachi is certainly still a wish fulfillment anime, and even includes the overpowered MC that everyone is in awe of. But it also provides something unique and valuable. Release from the oppressive modern day working environment.
Ultimately I think this is the shows biggest appeal and I think it works with it well. It shows you the pains of modern Japanese working society and gives you good backstory into the main character and what he had to go through. The many tired nights he had to spend working. The lack of progress or happiness because of these shackles. The early episodes do a good job of setting up this environment. And that combined with our knowledge makes a strong basis for the change that he'd want to see and his initial worries when it comes to authority and work in general.
And then we get healing. While isekai certainly isn't normally made to be an iyashikei, I do think the idea of isekai can make a great setting for iyashikei and that certainly is the case here. To me Kami-tachi is a very effective iyashikei because of that set up, and because the idea of having a nice peaceful life where one is appreciated and builds up their life is pleasant. We see the characters around Ryoma care for him and give him praise and basically give him all of the things that he missed in his former life. We see him appreciated for his work. We see him get joy out of his work and out of helping others. We see him make bonds with those around him and have them support his growth. This may all seem normal, and it really should be. But when placed with the backdrop of toxic environments, it feels nice to have one that is normal and caring. And that's what makes it so effective to me. That's what makes the healing so effective. It's just so nice to be able to remove someone from these negative environments and put them into a good one and see them grow and become happy from there. It makes me feel warm and happy inside and I think that it does a good job of showcasing this theme of good working environments and also shows how much life can be better with a good working environment. This theme is actually pretty well thought out throughout the whole show. One notable point of it relates to the many slimes that he has tamed. While slimes are often unimportant creatures, and they are in-world here, Ryoma has tamed many of them and cares for all of them. He treats them all as pets and sets up an environment for them to be themselves and enjoy themselves. These slimes can probably be comparable to a company work structure where the slimes are the peons at the bottom of the structure, usually nameless in the eyes of the company and there to do the dregs of the work. And slimes fit that as they are nameless and faceless, the way that companies can often view lower-level employees. But all the same Ryoma cares for them and treats them like they matter. It just adds to the theme that's there and the positivity and pleasantness of a good environment.
I do also like the bonds between Ryoma and his new family. They take him in and give him a new support system and care for him. And again given the context it just makes it that much more pleasant. I also like the bond between him and the princess as they seem to get along well and have just genuine care and interest for each other. One thing that I quite like about it that is different from the typical isekai formula is there is really only one potential love interest for Ryoma, and that is Elia. And Elia also happens to be quite capable and skilled in her own right. Their interactions with each other were quite nice and I enjoyed the two of them supporting each other. Let allow Elia enough room for her to stand on her own and I think overall she is a good and endearing character. While I wouldn't really describe any of this as special, but it's pleasant and cute, and given everything it's quite nice.
Granted, as nice as this is I do think the show has it's downfalls. There are other plot-lines in the story that go more towards action and battles which in my opinion don't work as well. The overpowered MC aspect of isekai is still at play here and while I think it's mostly fine, the major battles is where it suffers the most. Simply put the show doesn't have the animation budget to make it look good and the action tends to distract from the novel aspects of the show, and it's iyashikei atmosphere. The art itself is pretty weak and there is some pretty bad CGI at times, most notably the horses.
That said ultimately I do think Kami-tachi has something big to offer, it's positive working environment and iyashikei moments were very pleasant to watch and were something I quite enjoyed. Overall it's nice and pleasant and generally a good time to be had with a nice theme and some healing. So I do recommend it to fans of such a theme, or people that want to relax. Personally I think it's worth a watch for that at least.
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Mar 26, 2020
12 of 12 episodes seen
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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
|
12
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
|
64
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
|
37
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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53
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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28
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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