Back to Harrymanhunter's Profile Harrymanhunter's Profile

Having randomly stumbled upon this Anime, I didn't know what I'd get. All I knew about it was that it was a Fantasy Anime, which I've seen a lot. So I thought it'd be some generic Anime which I'd forget about in a heartbeat. But I'm happy to say that that's not the case here. So, on to my review.

... Story:-

We're first introduced the world of Mistarica 2000 years ago, humans, demons and gods resided. During that period there arose the Bahamut, a mystical dragon that tried to destroy the world. But the demons, humans, gods worked together in order to seal the demon and in turn, the key to is seal was made. That's all the backstory needed.

What I really liked about the story was that despite being linear and somewhat unoriginal, it still had enough twists and turns to keep me engaged from start to finish. The brilliant first episode introduced the main three characters and set the stage for the story and the many unexpected things to come. The Anime expertly manages to blend the elements of the ongoing war between the humans, angels and the demons without it feeling stale. The story has great pacing, and is compact. I never had a dull moment. The best thing of all was that the ending was absolutely great. It ended on a great note and honestly left a huge smile on my face.

Animation and Sound:-

One word for the Animation, fantastic! The Animation is technically sound. The greatness is prevalent during the action sequences which were breathtaking to say the least. The 3D Animation here is actually well executed, unlike most Anime I've seen. Also the varied landscapes and environments were richly detailed and had a vast array of colours which made me love the world all the more.

The Anime doesn't disappoint in the sound department either. From the great orchestral sounds during battle sequences to the comedic moments, it was great. The OP is hugely addicting and I liked it a lot. The heavy metal combined with some Engrish made for a great minute and a half. The ED is good too, so that's all I can say about it.

Character:-

The characters made this show, quite frankly. Favaro is easily my favourite character. From the first moment I saw him, I knew I'd like him. He's a bounty hunter by profession. His roguish behaviour, his devil-may-care attitude and general panache made him a delight to watch. Also count his witty banter with the rest of cast and we have ourselves a memorable character.

Kaisar, Favaro's best friend, is his polar opposite in character. He's a knight fallen from grace who had no choice but to become a bounty hunter. He's serious, uptight and has a strong sense of righteousness. He also has a bone to pick with Favaro for a reason which I can't discuss. His interactions with Favaro was great right from the start.

Finally, we have our female lead, Amira. Her introduction made me think she'd be nothing more than a damsel in distress and fanservice character. But that's not the case at all. She's an oddball of sorts, who acts like a kid on various occasions. But her child-like curiosity towards ordinary things is endearing. Her development takes quite an interesting twist, to say the least.

Now for the supporting characters. Firstly, Rita. She is easily the best side character. Her introduction made me think she'd be a one-episode affair, but that didn't happen. She also surprisingly provides comedic relief to the show. Special mention to Bacchus. He's a drunk God who can kick ass when the time calls for it. There's also a few characters who serve as the villains here. Nothing much to say about them other than the fact that they perform their roles well. Overall, all the characters were memorable.

Enjoyment and Overall:-

I can't help but easily recommend this Anime. It is a perfect combination of action, feels, excitement without a single boring moment. Easily one of the best Anime of 2014. So yeah, give it a watch. It's definitely worth it.

I really liked the first season of Psycho Pass. It had everything I wanted in a cyberpunk crime Anime, from the atmosphere to the characters to the setting. So, after the announcement of Season 2, I was really excited. But, after hearing it would be only 11 episodes, I was worried, since I thought it'd be rushed and would be of less quality than the first season. Unfortunately, I was right. I'll move on to my review.

... Story:-
This season takes place a couple of years after the events of Pyscho Pass. We are introduced to Akane's new team in the MWPSB, along with some familiar faces. After a brief introduction, we are thrust right into the action, where we at the end see the main antagonist of this season.

I'll be honest, as far as the story is concerned, it was disappointing. The story's really similar to the first season, but never as interesting. With the introduction of the new antagonist, Kamui Kirito, I expected something different. Story is the same old ''Person wrecks havoc in the city, MWPSB must stop him at all costs''. There are a few twists and turns throughout the series that legitimately surprise me, but those really didn't save the story from being a mess, with plot holes and nonsensical things happening just for the sake of progressing the plot. It's a shame, since it was really good in the beginning, building up the tension with each subsequent episode. The series reached its peak at Episode 6, which was really intense and even had me shaking in my boots. But, the Anime ended in a really bad way, which I didn't enjoy one bit. It left me with more questions than answers.

Art and Sound:-
Definitely the best part of Pyscho Pass 2. It's just as good as the previous season, if not better. Characters are designed brilliantly, though I still can't get used to Akane's odd eyelashes(they creep me out, man!). The detail in the city, lighting and other such intricate little things just make it better to look at. And as usual, the Dominators look badass no matter how many times I see them being used.

The sound department is also great. The Opening ''Enigmatic feeling'' though not as good as the Opening of Psycho Pass 1, is still great to hear. The ending ''Fallen'' is amazing though, best ED I've heard in a long time. It's even on my playlist now. The rest of the sounds for the Anime just get the job done and are nothing special.

Character:-
Out of the main cast, Akane is the only one who got a decent amount of character development. We see her troubled, on the brink of getting her crystal clear Psycho Pass getting coloured on a few occasions. Rest of the old cast hardly has any development, Ginoza in particular. Really was sad that he barely had anything to do in the Anime, considering he was one of my favourite characters in Psycho Pass 1.

We also have a few new characters. The new officer, Shimotsuki, who works alongside Akane. Bluntly put, she's a flat out bitch. I didn't liker her from the beginning. She thinks highly of herself and believes she is right all the time. She even looks down on Akane's methods to handling various situations, and she doesn't even have much of a backstory. There's also the new enforcer, Togane Sakuya. I liked him a lot. He provided the season's most entertaining aspects. Sadly, he wasn't used the way I would've liked, in the end.

As for the main antagonist Kamui Kirito, there really isn't much to say about him. He doesn't have the charisma or panache that Makishima possessed. He's just a plain old villain trying to destroy the Sibyl System. He had his moments, some of which were actually quite good, but in the end, he hardly left an impression on me, hence was forgettable.
Overall, the set of characters in this season are severely underwhelming and not memorable.

Enjoyment and Overall:-
It was an okay season. It had spectacular highs and excruciating lows. It's not close to as good as the first season of Psycho Pass. But it still warrants a watch, even if it's just for the sake of watching it in order to see the movie. I really hope the movie makes more sense and ties all the loose ends together.

*THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS*

When I first heard about Golden Time, I was really excited. Being a huge fan of Romance, I had high expectations. I thought I finally found a great Romance Anime in a long time. But unfortunately, that didn't happen. What I got was totally different.


Story(1/10): Story starts with our male protagonist Tada Banri entering a law school and having a chance meeting with the female lead, Kaga Koko. It's not a love at first sight sorta thing, since Kaga's in love with Mitsuo, her childhood friend. But one thing leads to another and he doesn't accept her feelings and in turn, Banri ... has feelings for Koko. The story's main plot device is Banri's amnesia, which makes for horrible horrible time for viewers. There's also a love triangle which left a bad taste in my mouth. The other love interest is Linda, the girl Banri loved before he had amnesia. The Anime has every single Romance cliche in the book and abuses them till it feels like you're probably gonna pass out from the stupidity of it all.It has random moments of melodrama that are there just for the sake of being there. They make no sense whatsoever and just move the already wafer-thin plot along. It's sad, since the starting few episodes were actually good. But then the story pretty much went to hell along with my enjoyment. I was seriously half asleep for most of the Anime since I really didn't find anything enjoyable in it.The story had infinite cringe worthy moments that I really didn't know what to make of. But honestly, the worst part was definitely the romance. In a ROMANCE Anime, having ruined the main element, it's obvious that it's gonna be a huge pile of garbage. Finally, the ending. Oh god, the ending. I would've forgiven the Anime if it had atleast ended in a logical way. But NO! The Anime pretty much says ''Screw you!'' and gives one of the worst endings I've ever seen in an Anime. It's stupid, it makes no sense, it pissed me off so much. The story made me facepalm so many times, that I lost count.


Art(4/10): The animation's the only place where I can atleast say something positive about this Anime. The characters look good. The surroundings are coloured with a varied palette and look nice. Still, the animation isn't something to write home about.


Sound(3/10): Nothing much to say. Generic romance soundtracks from start to finish. Voice acting was decent, they felt believable. Opening and Endings are what you expect, and I got tired of them very soon. Overall, pretty bland and tasteless.


Characters(1/10): Now, this is the part of the Anime which I hated the most. I'll start off with Banri. He has two personalities. One before he had Amnesia and one after. Both of them are boring as hell and felt lifeless, especially his past self. The fact that his past self was a ghost(yes, I know, it's ridiculous) that even said he'd ''take over'' the current Banri was SO bad, I couldn't help but laugh and feel sad at the same time. Now we get on to Kaga Koko. In my honest opinion, she is the worst female character I've seen in an Anime by a long shot. In the first few episodes, they seemed nice and I thought I'd like her. But oh boy, I was so wrong. I honestly don't have anything positive to say about her. Everything from her absolutely horrible personality to her quick jump to conclusions without even using her brain, they all pissed me off so much. Her meaningless relationship with Banri infuriated me to no end. I mean, seriously, how can someone be SUCH a huge piece of shit? She's a stalker, she's repulsive, she never listens to anyone and has frequent mood swings, much to the dismay of people around her. She doesn't really even care what happens to people other than herself. The couple of Tada and Koko is there just for show. Their interactions are mundane and feel plastic. There isn't any hint of a real relationship between two adults.

Now, to the ''supporting'' cast. They get hardly any back story, nor character development.
Hardly any of them has any memorable scenes, especially Mitsuo who I thought would play a big role in the Anime. Then there's the girl who Mitsuo liked but she barely had any development so I don't really have much to say. And then there's the guy who's eternally called 2D-kun and stays out for most of the duration of the Anime, except in the last episode or two. The ONLY reason I'm giving a single score to character is all cause of Linda. She's the diamond among the pile of coal, so to say. She's actually likable! And she has a real personality too! I really wanted her and Banri to end up together, but yeah, that didn't happen. Also, the relationship between her and Banri was hollow. On multiple occasions, it was to be assumed that she had feelings for Banri. When he asked her if she did like him or not(before he had amnesia), she took way to long to give a reply. And even in the end, I wasn't really sure if she actually confessed her feelings to him or not, which really annoyed me. Overall, the characters are horrible and not memorable one bit. They're probably the worst cast of characters I've seen.

Overall(3/10): This Anime is an insult to Romance fans everywhere. Watching it took all I had and it tested my patience to the limit. I still can't believe the story's by the same person who wrote Toradora. This Anime is an example of a Romance Anime done entirely wrong. I've never been this disappointed in an Anime before. It really fails everywhere. I really wish I could get the time which I wasted on Golden Time back. So, I recommend that people stay far away from this monstrosity.

I'll be honest, I really didn't think I'd like this show. Sure, I heard tons of praise about it from many people, but I still didn't expect much from it. But when I finally got around to watching it, I couldn't stop. I was so engrossed in the Anime that I finished it in one sitting, haha. Anyways, on to the review.

Story(9/10): The thing about Madoka Magica is, that it's not really a magical girl Anime as one would expect from its name. Right from the first few minutes, it's pretty clear that it steers clear from the typical magical girl path. Infact, this Anime ... actually takes all we know about the genre, puts it into a grinder, and then puts them back together. Basically, deconstructing it to form something entirely different. The story is actually really dark, which was actually pretty good. I'll give a brief coverage of the story without spoiling anything. Basically, a white, red-eyed cat-like creature called Kyuubey forms a contract with girls, where he can grant one wish of her desire, but they in turn have to become a Magical Girl and fight Witches. The story takes an episode or two to really get going. But from then, it just keeps on getting better and better, with dramatic twists that I didn't really expect. Finally, the ending itself is ambiguous, which was kind of a shame since I expected a bit more from it. Then again, in an Anime like this, a happy ending wasn't really expected.


Art(10/10): Animation is done by Shaft. So there isn't much to say it about it. It's top notch, as expected. Head twirls, sudden change of camera angles, all the Shaft goodness is here. The action scenes in particular are beautiful, with brilliant effects and lighting and other such small details. The art really shines when the Anime becomes dark. The character designs are childish, which some people may find odd, but I liked it that way.


Sound(9/10): I have no complaints in the sound department. The soundtracks during light hearted and intense psychological parts of the Anime fit wonderfully. Yuki Kaijura did a spectacular job, as usual. The Ending is dark and moody and is really great. So great infact, that it was used in a few action sequences. As for the Opening, it's like a typical magic girl Anime's opening, which is a huge contrast to what the Anime actually is. So, it could've been better.

Characters(8/10): The main character, Kaname Madoka is a normal girl attending school. She's cute, shy and timid. But meeting Kyuubey changed all that as she had to go through a lot of ordeals which she had a real hard time dealing with. Still, she's a really likeable character. Now we go onto my favourite character Akemi Homura. Without revealing much about her, she has the most character development in the Anime. Initially she seems cold and devoid of human emotion, but we later get to know more about her dark past, which made me liker her the most. We also have Miki Sayaka, who is Madoka's best friend. She's cheerful, energetic but really does things on impulse on multiple occasions. Her actions actually hurt Madoka a lot, though I could understand her reasons for doing so. We then have Kyouko and Mami. Kyouko seemed hostile at first, she grew on me as a character, especially after we came to know of her sad backstory. As for Mami, she's probably my least liked character. Reason is that she really didn't have that much of an impact on me. Sure, we was a veteran magical girl and all, and we get to learn her backstory too(which was a bit bland to be honest) but I just couldn't care for her that much. Overall, most of the characters are great and will leave an impact.


Overall(9/10): I thoroughly enjoyed the Anime. Sure, the ending could've been better and it had a bit of a slow start. But inspite of all that, I loved it for all it was worth. If you're looking for a unique Anime with a great plot that'll draw you in as you progress and one which you won't be forgetting anytime soon, then by all means, watch this. You won't be disappointed. I sure as hell wasn't.

Have you ever watched an Anime where watching each episode made you so excited that you couldn't help but jump around like a maniac? Yeah, Hajime no Ippo did that to me. Don't think I've ever been filled with so much energy as I have with this.


Story(9/10): Our main character, 16 year old Makunouchi Ippo has been bullied for as long as he can remember. One day while he was getting beat up by his high school bullies, comes along a boxer called Takamura, who saves him from the bullies. Takamura then proceeds to take him to the gym where he trains, and from here ... on out begins Ippo's glorious journey in the field of boxing.
What I really liked about the story was that the passage of time is realistic, no timeleaps or anything. We see Ippo's determination in getting better through countless hours of running, practising in the gym, shadow boxing and sparring, which is his daily routine. From first spar match to him getting his boxing license and then finally becoming a pro boxer, we get to see him grow as a boxer right before our eyes.


Art(9/10): The art for its time is pretty damn good. Sure, the faces sometimes look odd, and sometimes the hand and movement animation seem plastic, but those are just small little things.
The Animation shines during a fight. You can feel the impact of each blow as they land on target, gradual sweating throughout the matches, realistic wounds and so on. The newer seasons clean up the Animation by quite a bit, but the general feel stays the same as from this season.


Sound(9/10): I have no complaints in the sound department. Various sound effects from punching, blocking and running are done to near perfection. The voice actors also did a splendid job in giving a soul to each of the characters. As for the OPs and EDs, they're mostly good.
My favourites being ''Under Star'' and ''Yuuzora no Kamihikouki''.


Characters(10/10): The main reason why I love this Anime so much. Each and every single character has great backstory behind them and you can't help but root for them. Each fight being tougher than the last, it's hard not to cheer for Ippo when he perseveres.
My favourite character other than Ippo is definitely Takamura. He's brash, arrogant, a pervert. But damn, he's a genius in the ring. There wasn't a single moment where I wasn't astounded by his brute strength in the ring. Aside from him, I love Aoki and Kimura a lot too. They're Ippo's senior but they're good in their own right. They also provide for the comedic relief in the Anime, especially Aoki(can't beat the Frog Punch!). Ippo's coach, Kamogawa, who is the owner of the gym deserves special mention as well. He's a veteran and highly likable, and makes sure everyone does their training regularly. Finally, each opponent of Ippo are really likable. My favourite being Sendo and Vorg. His fights with both of them are the best of the whole series.


Enjoyment(10/10): I haven't enjoyed an Anime this much in long, long time. I honestly can't really find faults in it. Right from the get go, it caught hold of me by the collar and never let to. I was subjected to a roller coaster ride of emotions and great action. In short, I LOVE IT!

Overall(10/10): If you haven't watched this Anime already, then WATCH IT! This Anime is so good, that it'll be a shame if you haven't watched it. Definitely one of the best Anime I have ever seen and honestly, in the Sports genre, I doubt anything can top it.