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Aug 31, 2017
This an exceptionally cute little series which sadly loses the bloom from its rose quite quickly. As an anthology of shorts, all on the theme of youthful romantic troubles, every episode has sweetness and hilarity served up on short order, without the need to watch a whole shoujo series for the payoff. A good build-up can make the moment of truth even stronger, but since everyone will naturally root for young love, the briefest stories, with lively dialogue and scenarios, can be sweetly moving.
It's to be expected that segments are of uneven quality and become a little forced and predictable by the halfway mark.
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Although the characters are commendably distinctive, different and include real standouts, their motives are essentially similar, and as slow to be progressed as if this was a 50 ep rom-com rather than a short series. In short this isn't a great rom-com like Torodora, but well worth a watch for discerning fans of short anime.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Aug 30, 2017
An astonishingly vapid and pedestrian mecha anime, which tries to score points with the yaoi fans, but boasts two males leads with all the chemistry of those two dead ducks served up 'side by side in death'. One is mildly straitlaced, one is impulsive in the miserably predictable way that only bad shonen heroes can be, and all the two have in common is their unwavering desire to protect their friends. The single most ubiquitous trait among male protagonists of cheap action anime.
The female lead is somewhat proactive, but nothing to write home about. Everyone else, we've seen before done a lot better; the straitlaced
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female XO, the disabled imouto, the lazy but brilliant commander, the eccentric good scientist, suave evil scientist and of course, the bridge bunnies. All of these archetypes can be good, with development and backstory, but the complete absence of these ingredients is shocking. And then as for plot we have the pointlessly evil empire, superpowered mineral, arrogant supporting villains, missile massacres and search for a loved one, adding up to a dreary world of cardboard. Does the series get some points for a reasonably sensible time-travel plot? No, it gets no points, because SPOILER the loop relies on travellers being de-aged by time travel sometimes, but not other times, with any explanation.
To be fair, this thinness of plot lets the series get in about one solid aerial mecha battle per episode, which is probably what the writers were going for, and the reason that only the central three characters have any development; they're the only ones we need to care about for these battles to have significance. Essentially the rest of this cardboard world exists to get them into the cockpit. And the mecha battles are...kinetic, and competent, with decent music, but nothing to write home about. That really is the best that can be said for this series, and the worst is pretty terrible.
One other good point is that most of the villains are developed about as well as the supporting good guys; the evil empire's rank and file really are ordinary soldiers fighting for their own motherland. In fact an anime about Commander Razan could have held much more interest...
Finally, there was noise in some quarters that Slaine Troyard from mecha series Aldnoah.Zero was a copy of Bizon, from Buddy Complex. The character-types are similar, but while the former series spends half its runtime building sympathy for Count Troyard, Bizon's far more aggressive, brashly controlling, openly selfish and eventually psychotic prosecution of his feelings for Hina had no adequate justification at all (something to do with his mother?). Hence both in presentation and substance, one is a well-written anti-hero, the other a badly written villain, thank you and goodnight.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Apr 2, 2017
This is perhaps the most conventional of the new unconventional shonen series; future installments may well change the score for this young series, but not what it is. On one hand the contrived plots, runaway power up and awkward comedy of other shonen titles is absent. So the journey from zero to hero, the great shonen story, is real and deadly serious as Naruto's never was. The real anguish of power level 0, the competition from a world of top-tier heroes, not a sole flamboyant rival, and the vomit-inducing, bone-shattering labour, renewed at every stage of the series, make this definitely the series biggest
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strength. The aforementioned rival is a decent character, likewise the over-serious friend and love interest. The teacher-student relationship is perhaps stronger, thought not yet more poignant, than Assassination Classroom. Not a single fight scene yet is boring; many are simply electrifying.
However, this series is still shonen. Hard work and courage are the powers to conquer the world; characters look set to develop more in their powers than their personalities. The villainous characters particularly can be pegged as lightweights straight away. Character motivations and the plot they determine exactly (a break with reality in itself) seem simplistic and already set in stone. Character relationships and animation, though certainly good, seem particularly conventional compared to Mob Psycho 100. The superhero satire isn't so good as One Punch Man (Mumen Rider beats MHA, even its the only thing he can 'beat' ahaha). Worldbuilding is sketchy, and, with everything else, streets behind Fullmetal Alchemist. But this is certainly worth following for fans of good shonen, and good adventure.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Mar 29, 2017
A guilty pleasure, but a rather good one. The premise of four online friends being cute girls attending the same school as the hero...is presented shamelessly and sweetly enough, I swallowed it like candy. Much more jarring is the absurdly rich friend cliche; the former conceit is required to initiate the plot, the latter smooths away the difficulties and originality good stories require. The characters and plot are very much standard harem fare, with some tedious beach/big house/onsen eps (courtesy of the rich friend) dragging down in the middle. Animation is particularly bright, blobbish and underdetailed, with nothing but beautiful people, though the frequent fanservice
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isn't forced or overwhelming. Music is decent but generic.
What the characters lack in originality and detail, however, they make up for in lively appeal. Segawa, the twintail girl, stands out for the freshness of her dialogue and motivation. A tsundere who really isn't obsessed with the hero ('though perhaps I like you a bit...baka!'), but has her own agenda of, say, concealing her netgaming passion, can be rather good. Hideki is a fairly standard put-upon harem lead, but at least Ako gives a good reason for falling in love with him, which he backs up by supporting her through her antics of the series.
Ako, the deredere leading lady is simply adorable. As an eccentric character she isn't a patch on Rikka from Chyunibou, but her emotional over-committal makes for charming fragility. She's simply too pure and silly for this Earth, so that Hideki's reluctance to take advantage of her love (hem hem) is very believable. Harem anime with a clear 'first girl' are usually the most convincing. An unforced love obstacle in Ako's emotional delusions, and the sheer wholesomeness of her affections make a very decent lead couple indeed, even if it's onward development isn't the very deepest. We do get to see some seedier elements of online gaming, without the series losing its basic optimism. There is, again, quite a bit of fanservice, but the basic story is quite light and charming.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Mar 28, 2017
What does the world look like when you're an evil overlord? What is the process of becoming a demon king? If you've always pondered these questions watch Death Note or Code Geass, not Overlord. Or if you'd rather indulge in the cheap fantasy of wielding unmatched power, dominating kingdoms and commanding the devotion of hot babez...watch Overlord, but keep it to yourself. Sorry, that was unfair, someone could watch this show for legitimate reasons and perhaps be mildly entertained, but only mildly.
Character motivation is the big weakness. The protagonist's minions (most of the first and second tier cast) are principally moved by a lockstep
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devotion to their Overlord, which might be inspiring if it were shown to be justified...but it's simply the result of their programming. Even their gratitude for real kindness the overlord show them is rendered forced and hollow. Or it might be interesting if such unthinking devotion were critiqued and analysed...but don't hold your breath for that. Unjustified, unanalysed devotion is simply bad character writing and pandering to audience fantasies, to say nothing of the female lead's unsavoury sexual devotion. Aside from motivation, the minions' differing characters are actually expressed quite well, but the turd in the waterpipe remains. The non-minion supporting characters might have some interest to them, aside from futile opposition to the protagonist, but, again, I'm not holding out much hope there.
The protagonist spends more time flaunting his excessive power than displaying interesting character traits, or any reason for us to support or sympathise with him (possibly such a reason will come later, but it really should be there from the start) He disposes of the world he was born in with a line or two 'I have no ties or family', making the MMORG premise, (aside from conveying a sense of isolation that his minion's devotion promptly quenches) worse used than in any similar series. His base motivation of conquering the world in order to meet other stranded role-players is worse than his minions; the plot that is produced by such motivations appeared almost entirely, if not completely, uninteresting. And of course this is a light novel adaption, so nothing significant about this pile of tedium is likely to be changed in thirteen episodes. I may only have got through three of them, but the impression I received, of ongoing trends as well, was just that bad.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Mar 27, 2017
A 3-minute funny animals anime, with an art style based on an ancient Japanese scroll. The sketches are all of absurd, just-possibly-made-up historical incidents of the warring states period, so history otakus will find lots of references to appreciate. Nobunaga is a undersized Cuckoo, constantly terrifying much larger animals. Hideyoshi is a monkey of course, as frequently the butt of jokes as the trickster. Ieyasu Tokugawa is a plodding racoon-dog. Of course most of the warlords are out to get each other, and quite a few of them seem to be gay.
The comedy is measured, quite thoughtful and generally very enjoyable, though in a few
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episodes, humour was so subtle as to be undetectable. Sketches are imaginatively bizarre, with anachronism, aliens (?), much-loved musical episodes and self-conscious narrational disclaimers. I found the simple animation and movement of the various animals quite endearing; the drawing actually shows accurate crests and armour in detail. The 'splat'-like sound effects with many movements were rather sweet as well. On occasions, too much was happening on screen at once, though, since the camera doesn't usually focus on a character, but takes in the whole 'scroll' which the animals move around on. Still, this is a must watch for history fans, and worth looking at for fans of both bizarre and imaginative comedy.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Mar 27, 2017
Noir is more than a Girls with Guns show; infinitely more than a plodding Bourne Identity/Leon mashup. With the air of black magical realism that chilled in Seven, Usual Suspects, and the comic 100 Bullets, combined with that haunting character drama the Noir genre was made for, this is a unique, masterful anime that may stay with the viewer for some time, and amply repays close viewing.
The score by Yuki Kajiura excels at filling the world of hitgirls and conspiracies with tense, unspoken feeling. I recall the animation being described as a Hollywood movie turned anime; everything is realistic in form, and a range of
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items from felines to potplants suggest hidden meaning cinematically. The many fight scenes, ranging from good to excellent, are distinguished for creativity and tension; their strong pace contrasts effectively with the slow buildup of each episode. The absence of blood evokes a cold world, where human bonds are destroyed, and life is cheap. The animation occasionally drops in quality, but key visuals are almost always very strong. Guns, of course, are rendered in great detail, though not so lovingly crafted as our murderous leading ladies.
On first sighting of the assassin duo, Yuumura Kirika and Mireille Bouquet, I thought of Rei and Misato from Evangelion; the emotionless waif and mature hard-luck woman. The difference is that I believe Anno had no idea what to do with Rei from ep 6 onwards, but Kirika never stops growing. We quickly see that she has emotions, twisted and deeply repressed by the existence of a child assassin. She is completely convincing as the strongest fighter, the decisive actor and the lost, pitiful soul of the series. Her co-lead Mireille is very much worthy of her; while Kirika’s heart hides under her blank exterior, her blonde partner’s affable manner hides a hardened heart. Kirika has amnesia, and is enmeshed in a mysterious plot; Mireille is driven by her past, and makes her own choices. As for the villains, Chloe is effective and very sympathetic, while Altena’s enigmatic plottings and sinister calm create a growing ultimate threat (albeit slowly). Four cold, driven and highly developed characters, working perfectly with each other and the tone of the series.
The pacing will probably be the most divisive aspect of this show, with a long slow burn of stand-alone assassination ‘cases’. Slow, ominous panning shots and flashbacks are the norm, particularly to a certain tragedy in a lead character’s childhood, while even hints at the ancient conspiracy opposing her are very slow to come. But the creation of a world where death is the daily routine and brave girls are trapped by crimes of the past was well worth the journey for me. The lingering shots of streets and sunsets suggest that everything in the assassins’ world must be analysed for meaning or threat; or perhaps appreciated as the last sunset ever seen. Apart from possibly ep 4 and the Triad episodes, almost every ‘case’ subtly develops the relationship between Mireille and Kirika; it really is worth pushing through the flashbacks. The plot is complex, ambiguous in its details, but thoughtful, strongly revealed and very well conluded, as the battle for the fate of the world becomes a struggle for the soul of a single girl.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Mar 27, 2017
Assassination Classroom is very popular, widely praised manga/anime. But why is it not such a phenomenon as Naruto, Bleach and One Piece, when the plot is more imaginative and daring than any of these? AC might not even prove such an all-time classic as Great Teacher Onizuka. For all its crudities, GTO was raw, rude and real. The very ingenuity of of AC's science-fiction plot renders it ever so slightly niche, and artificial, even as it engages those who buy into the premise much more strongly. As a story of education, we all know that the ex-bike ganger comes rather nearer to cold reality than
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superhuman tentacles. Of course, Naruto and Bleach have supernatural junk all over. But their strength is not in plots, which must always be slightly artificial, but in character. As Koike said, character makes or breaks.
Not that characterisation in AC isn't exceptional. Koro-sensei is an excellent 'drunken master' character, with both powerful and hilarious moments; his design and physical comedy are a joy. The Principal is a charming and brutal villain. Most of the class could never be developed in depth; distinguishing each pupil with at least a few traits is impressive, and the overall appeal of the E-class is great. The series' comments on life, youth and education can be quite thoughtful. For a sample educational message, the E-class are painted as academic failures, but many are exceptionally talented, and all show individual skills. Rule-breaking, personal circumstances, and personal weakness, rather than simple laziness or idiocy (as confirmed by extra-series materials in more detail) are their real 'crimes'; with a teacher who really wants to help them, they can put a rocket into space, and overcome practically anything.
The key students are well characterised...but not quite well enough, especially in their relationships with each other. Nagisa and Karma have nothing like Naruto and Sasuke's rivalry. Nagisa shows himself early as a troubled soul, but the source of his trauma isn't explored or developed until almost the final act. The same goes even more for Kaede. The Principal's backstory is completely at odds with his insanely callous and perfectionist character, in my opinion. Irena could never deserve so much disrespect. And Koro-Sensei might make us laugh, but he simply doesn't have the sympathy or sense of struggle needed for a first-class Shonen protagonist; the main character of Naruto was not Jiraya. Quite simply, the focus of this series is plot, while shonen's real strength is in character.
Even if the plot is original, dramatic and emotionally invested as only schoolkids overcoming adversity can make it...overcoming adversity is essential to Shonen as well. If only the characters doing it were a bit better developed. Though Karma's voice acting (and indeed Koro-sensei's) are stand out, Nagisa should have been an excellent character. Something about a quiet and troubled girly-boy who is in fact a 100% steel-nerved, danger-crushing lady-killing MAN rather appeals. His english voice actor is rather good as well. In short, the many anime fans who would take an original, dramatic plot with a great deal to say, over another episode of Bleach, will almost certainly love this very good anime series.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Mar 26, 2017
Such a problem child...that goes for both this anime and its love-him-or-hate-him anti-hero. Let's get the bad stuff out of the way first.
The plot has more howlers than a werewolves convention. The Martian war effort is enfeebled by the demands of the plot from start to finish. Putting the female lead on ice for a third of the series is not the way to develop character. Inaho's character is somewhat strikingly presented, but developed so little from season 1 that he really should have died back then. Even getting a portion of his brain removed doesn't slow him down! Supporting character might as well be
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dead, or very nearly, for the role they take in overcoming problems.
The resolution of the war is maddeningly unsatisfying. If a war in which millions have died could ever be ended by a speech and a marriage, such things should not be, for the sake of human dignity. While convincing explanations can be contrived for most of the plot developments, as for Inaho's repeated victories, such things lean unsatisfyingly on the outlandish situations contrived by the writers. But as Kazuo Koike might have said, characters, characters, characters can still make such a frustrating story loved.
Grand scale, of events, battles, and emotions, is the major draw of Aldnoah Zero, apart from the very decent score, and the unforgettable Byronic hero Slaine Troyard. Seriously. Making dreadful mistakes with noble but hopelessly flawed intentions is his tragedy; never giving up is his heroism; tragic anti-hero 101. Lelouch or Light Yagami never enthralled me like Slaine does, because his motives are nobler, his beginnings humbler, and he feels real pain and frustration as they never did. The thoughts behind his actions in season 2 are often quite an enigma, but discovery and retrospection are part of the story. The way events mould Slaine's character completely contrasts with Inaho's dead immobility. If only the writers had developed the grand events they conceived, rather than reducing an interplanetary war to a squabble between two boys. Slaine was such a human character and so gave the impression that he could accomplish anything, I could never think of him as a bad character, only badly used.
Lemrina deserves some credit as a strong, well-constructed character as well. Her ending, with no place for her on either Vers or Terra, was rather sad. Slaine's ending...I saw as a painful kind of redemption. But fans still talk about A/Z hell; despite the abysmal plot, the characters don't let go.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Mar 26, 2017
Not as good as the manga.
Sorry, I've got more to say than that, but it really struck me. Hiromu Arakawa is a mangaka who can turn a simple tale of adventure into an enthralling legend. Each endearing comic aside or detail of plot and action that gets adapted out dispels that magic. I couldn't understand the reviewers who ranked FMA:Brotherhood far below the manga, when the body of it was adapted almost exactly. I understand them now.
The final act of this anime runs to a predictable close, by a predictable route. Good monthly manga can get away with this; the timescale of release evokes
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our heroes' long, hard struggle. Weekly anime can't escape damage from a predictable close, not even good ones.
And this anime is good; the dialogue is full of spark and novelty, characters are all very memorable, and the central struggle is at least epic in scale. The protagonists have some excellent dramatic moments, but most of the villains are really far too unambiguous for a 'historical' manga. The series really is too morally simplistic at heart, and, again, the director seemed lacking in the focus of Akakawa's manga panels. Practically every change from the source manga that I can see weakens the story, which has to rush through the manga's material, and was never going to conclude the whole novel series in any case.
I'd recommend this series mildly, but the final act is quite a slog.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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