- Last OnlineJan 13, 3:00 PM
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- BirthdayJan 1, 1997
- LocationShiganshina, Paradis
- JoinedJun 21, 2014
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Sep 25, 2016
The Morose Mononokean is certainly a hidden gem from this Summer 2016 season as I unfortunately made the mistake of overlooking it. If you’re a comedy fan, then this show would be a treat for you with its crude humour and running gags that are recurring throughout. Although, it did turn less comedic in the later half when things take a more serious turn to them.
Youkai, youkai, and even more youkai. These supernatural creatures are often viewed in a negative light in the anime medium, when numerous shows are based on the fact of exterminating them before they cause harm to us humans. Ashiya Hanae,
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the main character gets possessed by a fuzzy and white youkai on his way to his high school’s opening ceremony. This youkai is persistent on not leaving his side as its clings for dear life on his body, which in turn affects his mental state causing him to have severe depression as a result. This illness of sorts has left him recuperating in the nurse’s office, hence fellow students giving him the nickname of ‘Ashiya of the Nurse’s office’. He later seeks help through a notice board which leads him to his first meeting with Abeno Haruitsuki, who is more commonly known as the Master of the Mononokean.
The Mononokean is strangely a very large youkai in the form of a traditional Japanese tea ceremony room. The interior is fitted with all the tatami mats and other furniture making it look genuinely authentic. The best part for me personally is how the Mononokean communicates to its master and other guests, through the use of a wall scroll that hangs vertically on the wall. The Mononokean isn’t just some regular youkai guaranteed to give an answer every time but rather offers guidance to the inexperienced Hanae, who isn’t well versed with the world of youkais when he gets hired. The youkais mainly reside in the ‘Underworld’ which does not resemble anything like Hell or Purgatory for that matter. Although some youkai are prevented from returning to their homeland, as they have lingering regrets from their time in the ‘Mundane World’. The process of youkai being transferred to the Underworld is called exorcism which makes sense as they are getting rid of them from the Mundane world.
The series for the majority does follow an episodic structure as each episode involves dealing with a youkai (in the Mundane) with its unique set of problems. The show is paced very nicely to give us a brief but sufficient background on each client that arrives in the Mononokean. However, I am more intrigued in the events of the Underworld when part-timer Hanae makes his first visit alongside Haruitsuki to get some medicine. The Underworld is a place that is run by three powerful individuals called the Legislator, Justice and the Executive. The Legislator is the only person who makes an appearance, as he is technically the superior for Haruitsuki who was granted his title by that authoritative figure. The Legislator is very much interested in small talk and is keen to be informed on all matters regarding the Mononokean. The series being one-cour means there isn’t enough time for extra details to be explored, which is a disappointment as I’ll have to read the manga afterwards.
The series benefits from having a small cast of main characters and supporting cast. Hanae as an individual will not let supernatural entities ruin his day by being determined to make his way to school, despite all the difficulties imposed on him. He is also coerced into helping Haruitsuki as his understudy due to the fact that he was saved by him in the first place. The outstanding bill is used as a threat against Hanae but he does not let that dissuade him from doing youkai work. Hanae is a very unselfish individual who prioritises the needs of others over himself, evident in the fact that he cures people out of thin air… the man is Jesus I tell you!
Haruitsuki is more of a stern individual who is not forgiving of blunders and other mistakes by Hanae, the man is a secret perfectionist I tell you. The title of being Master of the Mononokean has its own responsibilities and duties which are compulsory for him. The title makes him a revered and feared individual in the Underworld making him a celebrity of sorts, I wouldn’t mess with him at all costs. Haruitsuki in the Mundane world is an uneventful individual because the majority of time he is seen sleeping in class right behind Hanae. This is not the case across the barriers where he has plenty of associates and acquaintances who you could perhaps call friends. At the end of the day he is solely focused on his job to the best of his abilities.
The show does lack interesting characters as all you’ve got left afterwards are Zenko, fuzzball and Yahiko the mischievous fox. Zenko makes her appearance in her plea for help regarding her father’s condition laughing condition, who then makes frequent cameos alongside the main duo. Fuzzball is the youkai possessing Hanae from the start and is known to be quite the loyal friend, making him resemble a strong dog as the creature is reliable. Yahiko is known to be a childhood friend of Haruitsuki’s which is reflected in his behaviour of constantly wanting to be play all the time, as a result of nostalgia I guess. There are other characters as well but mostly everyone barring clients is there for comedic purposes.
The art style is very generic to begin with as it is a carbon copy of the manga’s character designs. The backgrounds used in the anime are very plain but is not the main focal point of the show. The lack of detail for both aspects may be down to budget as its barely average when compared to other series. However, the colour palette is wonderful to say the least, as it can be bright and vivid during cheerful times but dark and sombre during more downbeat scenes. The animation truth be told is not spectacular and once again is making the cut-off to what is acceptable. CGI animation is used to depict some of the youkai which can be very jarring to look at and looks misplaced at times which can be unsettling. This is probably the worst aspect of this show personally as even fuzzball is given the treatment despite being a miniscule thing in size.
The sound what can I say, has some exceptional voice actors for its main roles. We have the great Yuki Kaji voicing Hanae which to me is a treat every time, using his experience to play his character adequately. We also have Tomoaki Maeno giving us an exemplary job for voicing Haruitsuki which to me is a perfect match as it complements his demeanour. The best thing about this seiyuu duo is the fact they pulled off the ending for this show called Tobira no Mukou, which is another highlight. The background sound composition and OST by Morishita Hiroto wasn’t extraordinary but did not really have any memorable tracks that are worth mentioning.
To summarise, this is a nicely balanced show with a strong main duo combined with great comedy and the supernatural. You won’t be let down, I assure you.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Sep 24, 2016
It seems like everyone forgot that another anime about psychics existed that isn’t called Mob Psycho 100. This time it’s a Chinese-Japanese led project fulfilling our dreams of being able to called this anime a Chinese cartoon. OK all jokes aside this series does have something interesting to offer as it incorporates both martial arts and psychic powers to give us a predominantly action focused show.
***Note I’ll be using the translated names as I watched the Japanese dubbed version with English subtitles.***
The start of this show at one point led me to think that it was another zombie apocalypse show like High School of the
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Dead but only to realise that certain people can manipulate the corpses freely. Our main protagonist Chou Soran in the dead of night, is making a visit to his grandfather’s grave only to find himself in a precarious situation with the moving corpses. Out of nowhere, he is saved in mesmerising fashion from a powerful women called Jo Houhou who is talented in every way possible. This is the first encounter between the main duo who later find themselves attending the same college, only to the dismay of Soran who was semi-traumatised from the earlier meeting.
Chou Soran is then made to be subservient to Houhou, after getting his ass handed to him while retaliating at the thought of being obedient to her. She then leads him to an organisation called the Express Delivery Company who are pretty much composed of psychics called ‘Outsiders’. The abilities between individuals vary from super strength, manipulating the elements to controlling the mental state of people through their emotions. The Express Delivery Company’s main objective is to act as the police for these outsiders who are a minority but nevertheless still need to be monitored to avoid engaging in criminal activity. This makes sense as the regular police would get battered by attempting to deal with the psychics, so it’s only natural that the Government made a subdivision to respond to these situations.
There are other groups who inhabit these individuals such as Zensei and Tengekai. The former is just a random collection of users with similar interests. They are the first group to provoke our main duo when it is revealed that they have possession of something close to Soran. The group are just bizarre and uncoordinated when they have a little kid in charge, a woman whose lust knows no bounds and some black guy (not race-wise) whose has no purpose despite having many cameos. Tengekai are more interesting as they at least have a proper hierarchy in place with its bureaucratic rules. The magnanimous leader of the organisation directly tries to recruit Soran, when it is known that he has acquired psychic abilities from a young age. His abilities obviously matured as he grew up around the presence of his grandfather who was a well-respected individual.
The characters in this show are not impressive by any standards when they don’t have any unique selling points. Chou Soran resembles another shounen protagonist who tries to get past every obstacle through sheer power, only to realise its futile when facing much stronger outsiders who have fully mastered their powers. He doesn’t really have any motivation whatsoever when all he thinks about is wanting a nice girlfriend, lamenting the fact that he is useless in that department. The girlfriend he desired for so long does happen only for events to change drastically.
Jo Houhou at first looks like another monotone girl and is a mirror for reflecting dreariness. The only time she shows any emotion is being violent towards Soran which is a feature found in most tsunderes but thankfully she does not follow that archetype. Her actions make me cringe at times when it feels like everything she does is robotic; to the point she is just a yes-man. The supporting cast of Jo San and Jo Yon don’t really offer much as they are insistent on abiding by the rules of the company. They do participate in battles alongside the main duo but do not get sufficient characterisation for me to talk about them adequately.
This art style/animation aspect is something I wanted to avoid because it is obvious that it will end up being me giving a scathing attack on it, hence sounding like a diatribe. The animation is not comparable to the anime produced in Japan when series from a decade ago have similar or in fact better production values. There were instances when the fights looked visually appealing, through good usage of special effects but it did look choppy at times with the in-between animation needing further improvements. The colour scheme used throughout the show is very basic but does it job when trying to complement the appropriate background such as the countryside in rural China. The only information on the staff of this show is that Komatsu Arisa was the colour designer. I really hope someone updates the key staff involved.
The sound here is quite lacklustre with nothing of the soundtrack being memorable or worth noting to the point it is just abysmal. Good thing, the sound staff are confidential which makes it difficult to expose them for their average work. The opening and ending have been dubbed over and were quite the delight to listen to if that means anything. The voice actors used in this show aren’t household names here in the anime community. The man who voiced Ayato from Asterix War is back to offer his voice for a complementary dull protagonist, truly befitting one must say. The wonderful voice of Hayami Saori is back, this time for Houhou which is a good match for her easy sounding speech patterns/mannerisms.
This series is not really a must watch in any category and is a very average show at best with mediocre production values. I would probably give it more attention if the production committee put more dedication into it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 4
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Sep 23, 2016
Can you make something interesting about the mundane aspects of life? This series tries to be relaxing and soothing which is typical for any anime that follows the Iyashikei format. There is no actual progression in this show making it a genuine timewaster. If you’re the type to enjoy a common prosaic structure, then this may be the show for you.
The starting point of this show is very banal, here we follow the journey of Ooki Futaba (aka Teko) moving to a coastal location in Japan presumably due to her parents being transferred or something. It is known that she has moved from the busy
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city life and has to immediately adapt to her new surroundings. She later meets a peppy and energetic girl in Kohinata Hikari (aka Pikari) who has a burning passion for diving. Teko is encouraged by Pikari to join the high school diving club, only to find out it’s on the brink of closing due to a lack of numbers. There we find out the other members are the Ninomiya twins, Ai and Makoto respectively. Katori is the club advisor for the club who also happens to be the teacher for both Teko and Pikari.
The early episodes were actually interesting due to the basics of diving being explained in a way manageable for newbies. Concepts such as pressure increasing along with depth is relatively easy for anyone with common physics knowledge. The appropriate use of wet-suits and dry-suits being determined by the water temperature is just another example. It looked promising until we find out that Teko can’t even swim for sh*t once she gets into the training pool in episode 5-6. This is just deplorable writing, as it doesn’t make any sense for a non-swimmer in equipment to just plunge into the water. My anticipation for her to dive turned into dread when she needed swimming courses to participate. This is the last time we will see Teko diving for a while, which makes the rest of the show an everyday slice of life focusing on minor philosophical themes such as preservation of memories.
Teko being the main character at first looked like another dull and simple-minded teenager but after moving locations it is hinted she grew more despondent, considering she had far less contact with her middle school friends. There was even a time where she mentioned she had a personal ‘void’ before starting middle school and that it was her old friends that enclosed the hole. Teko is an individual who resets mentally every time things don’t go in her direction. I guarantee you once she moves on to the next stage of her life (into higher education) she will be more dejected than usual, hence she is very flawed as it is inevitable the same process will occur periodically. This time it being with Pikari, who she has formed a very close and intimate friendship after her recent move.
Teko does have some redeemable factors though, despite being timid at times she is very keen to experience new things with the help of her peers from the diving club. She is not extremely ambitious as she does give up at times probably due to a lack of confidence resulting in her low self-esteem. Despite that she does make solid progress from a fitness standpoint, by making more regular jogs and being able to fulfil the swimming requirement assigned by Katori. This causes no problems for Pikari, who is understanding of her circumstances and is willing to patiently wait until Teko is capable of doing so. Pikari enjoys the prospect of having a diving partner to accompany her which is a testament to the promise they made earlier.
The art style for me is gorgeous, exquisite and really pleasing from an aesthetic standpoint. The female cast who make up the majority are very attractive looking and are a delight to look at, and then you have Makoto being the anomaly who gets some screen time. The character designs are intricate with them being highly detailed which suggests the animators have been quite meticulous with this project. Everything from the scenery backgrounds to the hair of the characters being colourful and dazzling just adds to my own immersion to the series. There are huge references to the Aria series with the Undine outfit being incorporated into the school uniform, as well as other things such as the chubby cats more or less looking the same. The use of puppet faces in the animation is new from the original creator Amano Kozue, which to me adds spice of variety to prevent things from becoming dull due to repeated use.
The sound is very befitting for a SOL with the calm background music gradually setting the mood for the show. It really creates an atmosphere that would suit a quiet, plain town which is the setting for Amanchu! The music is being performed by Gontiti, a veteran group that haven’t worked on a TV series to date and for me did a fantastic job with their experience. The voice actors have done a spending job performing as their respective characters and they all more or less matched what was expected of their personalities.
Pros:
Great and heavily detailed art style (damn them girls are stunning and Makoto) ✓
Nice complementary soundtrack ✓
Iyashikei theme ✓
Cons:
Somewhat average characters that need more fleshing out ✘
Pacing is lethargic (a marathon would be detrimental) ✘
Can be repetitive at times ✘
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Sep 20, 2016
I’m having extreme difficulty trying to put this review into words. The show is so appalling that I’m questioning if it really deserves a proper review. If you’re reading this and was curious about the very low score, then this may be the show for you if you’re a masochist that is. Here we go again, this is another one of those ‘try and save the world’ shows which has been overused to the point of oblivion. I’ve never understood why producers stick their faith in these type of shows when they are for the most part predictable.
A group of male high-schoolers situated in
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a town called Ryugyu work for a secret organisation called LAG, which stands for Life after God. These audacious young men (referred to as Riders) have the ability to combine with supernatural creatures/beings called Substances that originate from the Red World. They undergo a fusion transformation with their respective Substance allocated to them via a process of inserting a plug into a headphone jack, that centres the palms of their left hands. After this, they somehow get cool looking bikes from the spaceship and fight enemy creatures called Nightfly O’Notes during surprise incursions with their combined abilities. The power rangers theme is strong in this one.
The main plotline isn’t convoluted or anything but isn’t enticing enough for me to keep watching when it rehashes the same formula over and over again. The world-building was erected in a mediocre fashion by outlining that the Blue World is separated from the Red World which is the breeding ground for the so called enemies. After further revelations, it is known why the mysterious attacks take place and for me feels like a copout when it contradicts the main theme at hand.
The characters are all bland and one-dimensional, with some of the more annoying characters such as Yosuke and Takuto being given their own segments to make us believe they underwent some characterisation, which is far from the case. The other members of the Riders are not worth mentioning as they are there to fill up the numbers. The Riders only participate as a group when it comes to the band as a means of strengthening team unity.
Asagi Akira is the main focus of the very first episode after being saved in the transported container. She immediately is promoted to the operations director at the LAG base after being caught up in the accident. This anime makes you think it’s trying to be subtle in its approach but no its imbecilic methods won’t have an effect on me. Hako Sakura is another character that is directly linked to Asagi and is pretty stupid when it comes to privacy. Her role is found out by one of the Riders after careful observation. She links in with the explanation of the war between LAG and the Nightfly O’Notes and that is her only purpose. There is also that stereotypical villain Okazaki trying to make her moves in the shadows without being noticed.
The art style is pretty generic and is a carbon copy of its source material which is its visual novel counterpart. Its these designs that make me question if the character designers put any more thought into this, as they all have similar body builds and proportions. For an otome game adaptation, all the guys would look attractive considering they have that bishounen design to cater to their respective audiences. I don’t find any major fault with but I feel like they could have experimented a bit more with their resources. The animation is also very average with certain episodes being messily drawn at times highlighting that the budget wasn’t good for the source material.
The sound is the only thing that didn’t fail because if you look at its glorious voice actor cast, you will be surprised to see a few noticeable names which for me wasn’t enough. It’s unfortunate that they have to stain their record with such a miserable show that only should be recommended for its voice actors. It gets even worse people. The production committee somehow managed to grab the services of Abo Takeshi for the background music. This is the man who gave us great soundtracks for visual novels such as Steins Gate and Ever17. After this revelation, my opinion of the sound isn’t so bad after taking into the factors into account.
To summarise this show is offensive for my intelligence and is a complete waste of time. I wish you good luck if you partake in watching this series.
Reviewer’s Rating: 1
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Sep 19, 2016
Warning! There is a health risk if you attempt to watch this show. You may end up being diagnosed as diabetic because the anime is an overabundance of sweetness, cuteness and anything else imaginable. I never knew child-raising could be this fascinating.
This is a slice of life show that revolves around single parent Inuzuka Kouhei trying to provide better cooked meals for his pre-school daughter Tsumugi, who is bristling with energy. The doting parent is capable of cooking basic meals for her but his day job of being a high school teacher prevents him from making actual progression on his culinary skills. In an act
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of last resort, he stumbles across a restaurant that is owned by the family of Iida Kotori who luckily attends the same school where he works at.
As an act of consideration, she agrees to offering her knowledge to the inexperience Kouhei, allowing him to make meals with her guidance. There is a major catch though, funnily enough she can’t handle sharp knives which limits her involvement in the preparation process. Despite this handicap she is still very resourceful mainly due to the fact that her mother is a cooking celebrity.
The concept of just making delicious meals may sound boring initially but after going from cooking plain white rice to exotic meals that require expert precision, it has left a very good impression on me. This gives me encouragement to be a better cook myself as it’s fairly common not knowing how to cook, when we have instant takeaways and such to contribute to our overall laziness. The enjoyment that Kouhei and Kotori gets being able to feed his daughter with nourishing meals fills him with delight and gives him a sense of pride. The whole premise is based on the fact that Kouhei’s wife who was well-equipped a cook, sadly passes away for some unexplained reason.
The tragic loss of his wife who meant everything to him has made him realise the importance of having a family to care for. He acknowledges that Tsumugi would be orphaned if he were to meet the same fate as his spouse. This has affected his mental state to the point that he is a former shell of himself where he was brimming with passion in the household. The same can be said for his daughter, who is constantly reminded of her mother through the cooking made by the duo which reflects the sort of meals she once previously had. I cannot begin to imagine the torment she has to endure after he mother’s death, as one so young can’t fully understand the complex process until they’ve matured to a certain point in their life.
The characters are the best part of the show as they are all relatable in some way or another. The single father is the one we can empathise with as death being a natural process is inevitable. The fact that he has to put up a front towards his daughter suggests that he really hasn’t gotten over it and is hurting deep down. Tsumugi as the innocent kid is the one where I can project my past self into, partly due to being in similar situations that she has encountered. She doesn’t have the privilege of two parents but that isn’t stopping her from enjoying her everyday life.
Kotori is a strange one for me personally, the fact she developed some weird phobia of not using knives is bizarre. I don’t care if she got a horrific cut on her hand, she needs to bite the bullet and move on. Apart from that, I have no problems with her as she is a gentle and affable individual. Yagi Yuusuke who is a close friend of Kouhei, make several appearances where he is primarily known to be taking care of Tsumugi in his stead due to work commitments. The man comes off as being devoid of personality but is actually known to be very fond for Tsumugi which sees him being affectionate the majority of time. Kojika Shinobu is the best friend of Kotori and for me is just your ordinary and regular girl who isn’t outstanding in any way and also seems to enjoy being in the presence of the cute Tsumugi.
The art in this show is not the best out there but the designs for each character are solid to say the least, giving an emphasis to the simplicity which is the most important factor. The design for Tsumugi might be a little over exaggerated but to be fair she is the focal point of the show, no need to make her look like the other generic kids in the pre-school. The show does not need excessive pretty visuals but effectively uses what is has to convey its message. The animation is nothing extraordinary with is being passable, I certainly wouldn’t be too concerned about this aspect if I were you.
The sound is far better than what the art had to offer. The voice actors in this show have some real pedigree except for Tsumugi who is actually voiced by a kid! The shark song was something I played endlessly as it was done perfectly. That would be too strange for an adult portraying as a kid, so good move there by the production committee. The soundtrack is composed by Toda Nobuko who has only worked for another show called One Week friends. The tracks can change from a pleasant to a somewhat melancholy mood immediately. The one track played during the actual cooking always gets to me with its upbeat atmosphere.
This show is well worth watching for as a basic SOL with its good characters that are very much relatable. The interactions between them is well handled with nothing being too forced or unnecessary. The comedy is great but can be easily forgotten once the depressing stuff comes along which is very impactful. You really won’t be disappointed with this as long as your expectations aren’t astronomical. Keep it realistic and you’ll find some value out of this.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Sep 16, 2016
It truly saddens me that this new adaptation of Berserk we receive after patiently waiting for almost two decades had to turn out like it did. This is a far cry from what the older adaptation managed to achieve and is regarded as a timeless classic, then again the previous anime was working with arguably the best source material out there with that being the 'Golden Age' arc. The decline in quality was to be expected as Berserk certainly peaked during the conclusion of that arc with the events of the Eclipse. The problem with this current adaptation was the fact that the script writers
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were adamant about fully adapting the Conviction arc but at the expense of rushing the Black Swordsman arc and completely omitting the Lost Children side story arc. The latter is understandable due to the censorship that modern anime are subject to and so with current regulations it was an uncertainty from the beginning it was announced.
This adaptation focuses on Guts trying to locate and eventually rescue Casca who has very much turned into an invalid after the traumatic events of the Eclipse. This is mainly due to the negligence of Rickert who as a former Band of the Hawk member was concerned with the mental state of Caska who was under his protection the whole time. This responsibility is ultimately Guts' one in the end but would make his main objective seemingly more difficult. Learning about the details of Caska's movements, Guts along with a new companion named Isidro who is obsessed with him and aspires to emulate his heroics find themselves in the desolate refugee camp called Albion. This is where the tower of 'Conviction' run by the Holy Iron Chain Knights is located and where the main events takes place.
Apparently the damage was already done when the fans of Berserk realised that the first few episodes did not cater to their expectations. Let's be real here, anyone here knowing Berserk's relationship with CG animation should have had the mindset of wanting an average/decent adaptation, only to get a big f*ck you when butchering the source material. If you are reading this then you are a brave soul indeed after experiencing this abomination that may have scarred you permanently. The verdict of most fans by now will probably be dismissing the show and refusing to acknowledge its existence.
The series barely manages to retain the authenticity of the manga with it being a decent portrayal of a dark fantasy series. It still possesses that gritty, inhumane atmosphere that is commonly associated with Berserk. It could even pass off as a post-apocalyptic setting due to the state of events within Albion where poverty and desperation is strife due to an outbreak of the plague in certain cities in the Midlands leading to an influx of refugees seeking help. Religion is the main theme for this arc as it is seen as the way forward when experiencing hard times - basically the only means of salvation for these commoners who would do anything to survive. This is evident in the numerous amounts of individuals being put to death after being accused of being heretics hence is linked to the tower of 'Conviction', where all sorts of horrific torture and other forms of extreme brutality taking place in the name of religion.
The hate for the animation techniques used in this anime is probably the single reason why many dropped the show. I abhor the use of 3D and 2D animation ever mixing and to me are like oil and water when done in a mediocre fashion. The ratio between the two is the most disturbing factor personally, as I'm actually impressed by the hand drawn animations which are sparse and are used occasionally as a means of conveying certain facial expressions such as Guts purely concentrating for the kill. This is short lived though as we are expected to put up with the unsightly 3D which infuriates me.
3D models of the characters make up the majority of the animation but are heavily altered with shadings being applied to everyone and the rest of the designs being drawn over by the animators. If there is a positive from this show (though not many) the character designs are consistent but is not always the case as there are times when normal animation is used randomly in certain scenes such as the girls from Luca's group.
The more episodes you watch, you gradually become more accustomed to the CG which would be case for those who managed to stay on. There is no smooth movement from the animation as it can look jerky at times mainly through different shot compositions such as close ups and its use in the background. The last thing that needs mentioning was the opening had good animation but that is just pure deception compared to what actually takes place.
The sound is one aspect that probably goes unscathed in my review as the voice actors did a reasonable job at performing their characters. Characters such as Farnese and Mozgus sound just like I had imagined them when reading the manga which was unexpected. The soundtrack is a slight disappointment as it can't compare to the greatness of Susumu Hirasawa's one for the original series. This series just has one theme that I find worthwhile whereas the other has plenty to offer in comparison despite it being half an hour long. The background sound use is adequately used in most cases except for Guts and his use of his broadsword which can come off as being similar to striking a metal bannister when obliterating his enemies.
I was very much hyped about Berserk getting an adaptation because everyone hates cliffhangers after the 1997 Berserk finale. I wouldn't even call this a direct sequel as it assumes you have prior knowledge of the manga when watching and for an anime-only would be difficult to follow. This show is not worth your time and so like they say, avoid it like the plague.
Reviewer’s Rating: 2
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Feb 18, 2016
No Game No Life (review up to volume 4 with later updates to happen)
Yanked into another world by a mysterious phenomenon, we follow the gamer siblings as they attempt to surmount what is deemed to be the BIGGEST game of all time!
What’s this novel about? I’ve always pondered about how one could express the term escapism which is universally different when trying to describe it to various people. This series is essentially that wish being fulfilled as our protagonists get teleported to another world called Disboard (clever name) due to the actions of an almighty loser.
We follow the exploits of the NEETS Sora and Shiro
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who are known together as blank as they are presented with what seems like the most challenging thing they’ve encountered in their lifetime. A simple chess game goes wrong, which is ultimately the trigger pulled by the God of that world, Tet, who on paper just looks like an immature child.
The whole premise is set up so that our protagonists must conquer all the races that exist within that world called the Exceed which are totalling 16 in number before being able to challenge the ruler Tet. However, our unfortunate gamers are classed with the pitiful humans they are, that are ranked dead bottom called Imanity. Using them as their base for their grand operation we follow the trials and tribulations that our gamers are presented with, and as their motto says “(___) never loses” which means running away is not an option as they are always confident in their winning chances.
The games themselves are quite extraordinary as there is always great variation between them; from word connectors that can literally makes things appear and disappear with a click of a finger, all the way to the standard dating simulation game that may seem mundane at first but as it progresses, will only pose more difficulties for the players as they attempt to overcome those obstacles.
The way in which the games are narrated is probably the series strongest point if you don’t mind the overpowered characters that we have in the NEETS. The series is suited to those who want to see how the game turns out which includes all the individual processes that take place before we get the grand conclusion that is WHO WINS? So if you dislike the fact they win all time, then this may not be for you as it’s really all fun and games as they say.
The characters also add another dimension to my overall enjoyment as there are multiple personalities residing within the cast who are all of different background, from the cynical Wearbeasts that manipulate others to the knowledgeable Heavenly Winged that seem to possess an array of weapons and other magical abilities.
The cast however is mostly female and so this is essentially a harem as each female introduced seems to have some sort of affection for our sole male hikikimori Sora, much to the dismay of his step-sister Shiro who is assumed to have extremely poor communication skills on the outside but can be riled up when it comes to these sort of things.
The outside and inside are two totally different things and when it comes to gaming can be like oil and water, they don’t mix well which is seen in different online personas that contradict their real selves. Heck I’m beginning to doubt if the prologue for volume 1 was legitimate or not, as it’s been hinted several times they have experienced heaps of IRL problems. A lot can be expanded upon but then again it’s not the main point so there is not much that is required to clear my doubts.
Going back to the characters, you are bound to find many enjoyable which is the case for me as I particularly liked Steph (our deuteragonist maybe?) to an extent, who is our unfortunate dim-witted former princess that just gets manipulated many times by our sadistic main Sora who gets his enjoyment out of that. Well if that doesn’t crack you up, then I don’t know what does. Steph herself at times can be shown to reliable on certain occasion and is usually the trump card to settle things which is ironic as that’s not how she’s set up to be most of the time.
The series does have a lot of fanservice but it’s more just sexual teasing most of the time and doesn’t really hinder me as the reader except the repetitive bath scenes. We get the joke!
The harem is a very good harem which can be a recipe for disaster in other series but with NGNL they are following their character archetypes to the maximum and leaves nothing else to be desired personally. The characters are plentiful which for me is a necessary thing as it hits the sweet spot because too little can bore a reader whereas too many can confuse the reader unless it’s intentional which I have no problems with.
The last part is just me putting my final thoughts together and I wouldn’t say this a masterpiece or anything but it really uses its basic concept well. I’d highly recommend the novel for a fan of the anime but in my opinion is not that much better than the anime which is solid from what I remember. If you want to see some clever games being played that involve a battle of wits being applied, then look no further and this will entertain you surely.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Dec 2, 2015
After finishing this series, I must say that this is not your standard space opera anime with millions of spaceships aimlessly firing at each other to no end, even though it’s still a military series. The content provided was so engaging, that it comprehensively ensured that it made itself clear in what it was trying to achieve, which is shown in the penultimate conclusion that may be questionable to some. The unexpected mystery elements added to the plot was intriguing to the viewer, as it constantly allowed us to internally ask questions which in hindsight, were not that difficult to answer as the story progressed.
Story
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To summarise, the anime mainly revolves around an inter-tribal conflict that is occurring in the universe ever since the departure of the Tribe of Gold (ToG) who were the predominantly key figures in the past. The Tribe of Silver (ToS), in the absence of ToG have declared they would claim the entire universe for themselves, presumably as an act of responsibility as they are the most technologically advanced. The ToS and the Tribe of Bronze are seen trying to eliminate the Tribe of Iron (aka humankind), as they are seen as being detrimental to their goals who pose of a great threat.
An expedition force led by humanity’s representative, Dhianeila, travels to the deserted and ruined planet Olone in search for the saviour mentioned by the ToG. The 5th Nodos named Age, has the 12 agreements mentioned by the ToG to fulfil for humankind in an attempt to bring back stability to the universe, by retaliating against the ToS’s aggression. The acquisition of Age mainly sees him encountering the other Nodos (each with their own agreements as well) who are beings that possess extraordinary powers (transforming to alien-mechs) that are immune to standard attacks. In other words, they are basically the trump card that can effectively decide the outcome of the battle(s). The game changer is when a certain conclusion is made after thorough analysis that signals an end to the situation at hand.
Characters -
The characters were numerous to say the least but my biggest gripe would be was that there wasn’t that much depth to them besides the main protagonist duo of Age and Dhianeila who play a pivotal role. One thing I very much enjoyed about this show, was the different angles explored when deciding the motives of certain individuals with clear emphasis placed on the Nodos and their importance. The opposition Nodos who are seen forced to fight for the ToS had dire circumstances, which is seen through the blackmail created from the exploitation of their agreements.
The characters on the side of humankind mainly consisted of experienced military personnel who have sworn absolute loyalty to the princess Dhianeila. People like Iolaous and his family were interesting to watch however they were mainly insignificant and played only a bit-part role in support. Dhianeila’s brothers who are supposedly first rate politicians were amusing as they were comical for majority of time especially every whenever they failed as a military commander. On the opposite side of the spectrum were the leaders of the ToS, namely the O family governed by Prome and Prathe with Rom Rar being an advisor. This group looked monotone from first glance but after cutting off emotions as per custom made it seem like they could make rational decisions, which wasn’t the case as emotions spilled over in the heat of things.
Art & Sound
Now being made in 2007, the animation quality by Xebec was average at best compared to other series during that time period. The character designs were simple and ordinary to say the least, so no complexity there. CGI is a common thing for a series that is a space opera and is heavily reliant on mechs which at times can be fine in moderation but when used extensively could backfire in a sense. As I mentioned earlier, the battlefield in space was so clustered with the weapons being fired in random arrays that is seemed like friendly fire was bound to happen, however nothing of that sort came to fruition to my disappointment. The Nodos transformations were appealing to me as I genuinely believe there was great effort put into their designs and abilities which can get crazy at times. This is a series that just takes a few episodes to get running and past that you wouldn’t even notice the art as being important.
The sound was arguably the weakest aspect for me as there was a lack of good tracks to listen to, with them mostly being in the high tension moments or for emotional impact. The voice acting was adequate for the characters’ roles with there being no major abnormalities from what I’ve witnessed. If there a positive point to come out of this discussion, then I would say the opening was quite nice with good vocals. It really gives off an immediate impression of the overall themes that is evident when linking with other important events.
Verdict (8/10)
There was one quote that was special to me and that was when Age spoke to Dhianeila.
“I’ll create a path for you, so go straight down the path you want to take.”
This had a great impact on me personally as I believe it was referenced countless times and was highlighted through some great symbolism in the end where it all mattered. Heroic Age taught me that even through turbulent times, there is still light at the end of the tunnel so one must not lose hope even in the face of adversity. A very well planned out series with good attention to plot details and I would highly recommend this for someone looking for a good space opera.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Nov 10, 2015
First Stage review
Who would have thought that the fastest driver in town is just your everyday tofu delivery boy. High schooler Takumi Fujiwara’s perception of driving changes after being encouraged to enter his first street race. Remember it’s illegal!
Story –
You would think that an anime revolving around street racing would get pretty dull after a couple of races or so but that is not the case with Initial D. The story begins with the laid-back Takumi being forced to enter a street race by his father which was meant to be Ikitani’s problem who is his co-worker at his part-time job. Takumi accepts the proposal
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and wins it in convincing fashion with an ulterior motive, which is he would be rewarded with a full tank of gas for his date with a girl named Natsuki.
There is romance development but it’s not a major thing in this season from what I’ve seen. After seemingly doing the impossible, Takumi inevitably gains a reputation of being the fastest driver on Mt. Akina that drives a [i]’Toreno 8-6’[/i] which gets rumours spreading mainly about his skill. This results in numerous challenges being thrown at Takumi one after another, with each being under different circumstances that gives rise to an entertaining racing series. After overcoming many challenges, Takumi comes to a realisation that there is more to being a good driver in street racing.
Art –
The computer graphics should be highlighted as it’s either a hit or miss with some people. The fact that it composes 50% of the driving scenes signifies its overall importance as without it, this anime just may not be possible. The fact that the CG used in an anime made in the late 90s makes it kind of surreal in a sense, as the quality was fantastic and maybe on par with series further down the timeline. The CG animation was smooth throughout and never really dragged too much which left a great impression on me. The only real downside to the CG is when certain scenes are used for more impact such as the slow-motion which makes the CG look awkward compared to a faster moving scene that is more natural.
That said, the CG was well choreographed with the human backgrounds being used effectively at certain angles. The hand-drawn art however was tolerable as it used standard designs that are prevalent in many series but I hadn’t set any expectations considering how dated it was anyway. The background art was more pleasing to the eyes than the character designs personally which adds to the overall experience. I’d rather watch this show for the CG which just shows you the sheer difference between the two elements.
Sound -
Probably one of my favourite aspects of the show. The method in which the tracks were used every time a street race would take place would get me excited. The tracks that were used in the races were various and consisted of some very nice vocals. The tempo and pace at which the pace at which the tracks were played is another plus, as they never went on for too long whilst remaining sufficient and appropriate for the different parts. The show had that natural 90s tune every time a slice of life scene came into play which always gets to me. The OP/END themes were OK as they really are there just to get you hyped for the contents of the episode. Skip them and save time.
Characters
Character development for the MC is evident throughout this show and so you must be blind to casually dismiss it. Takumi is very caring and holds much respect to the ones close to him as he detests other making vulgar remarks humiliating his friends which brings consequences. Takumi is quick to act, which is seen from him getting into a physical brawl or through a driving challenge. Takumi before being addicted to street racing would just see driving as a normal thing that helped his family’s business. After his numerous feats against other drivers, he really understood the joy of being in the race and the thrills it gave off to the competitors and even the spectators who are everywhere.
The side characters were also explored in some depth such as his chummy best friend Itsuki and co-worker Ikitani who both had their fair share of problems regarding other drivers. The number of mistakes that led to Takumi being called to correct their faults was numerous, which was something I despised greatly as it gave off the impression that he is truly dependable at any time.
The other challengers were analysed to various levels such as the Takahashi brothers from the Redstuns who were primarily responsible for Takumi’s awakening for the streets. The Night Kids also had some members who literally put Takumi in a tricky situation that may be interpreted as being too extreme. There was also a lot of focus on identity evaluation/perceptions as was the case with the female driver at Uuso pass.
Verdict –
The series was so enjoyable that it didn’t take me that long to finish it. I would recommend this to anyone seeking a competitive racing series with high stakes involved or maybe any car enthusiast as some of the terminology really threw me for a loop. A very good series 8/10.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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