Back to Ibelucas's Profile Ibelucas's Profile

The original Steins;gate series was my gateway drug to the world of anime, and what a drug that was. When I first watched the original show all those years ago when I was still in high school, it brought me to tears at 3 am on a school night because I had to know what happened. Steins;gate 0 is a return to the characters I loved, and as I matured they also have matured. The sequel, or I guess a "midquel" because it really fits in between series, is a loving, mature, depressing story of growing up. (Also, mild spoilers throughout).

Story: 10/10

Our story begins ... melancholic; Okabe, in black? Gone was his white coat, gone was his demeanor. He has become almost normal, in a sense, if not completely depressed. Steins;gate 0 teases you like the first season, but in a different way; no mystery, just sadness. But as the story progresses, characters introduced, major events happen, everything starts to shift towards the tense moments Steins;gate is known for. The story arcs and curves and splats on the wall a few times, right when you think it all makes sense they throw another "time conundrum" into the mix and we're back to pausing the episode, thinking what exactly do the implications of such an event mean? I haven't rewatched the original Steins;gate since its release 6 years ago, but I still had a solid grasp of the story, and I think you will too. To be fair I've never been a huge fan of time traveling because of how convoluted it gets, but Steins;gate always explains it in an eloquent way despite its sometimes messy storyline. They easily could have simply copied the first season but they didn't, opting for a fresh take on events that have already happened, all while a mature cast struggles against the inevitability of failure.

Art: 10/10

Just like how the characters mature, the art matures too. It's smoother, more intense, well drawn, and up to date. The animation flows and weaves, with amazing facial expressions and wonderful shots of Akihabara in all its techno glory. Not to mention the "Lab" is still the same lab we fell in love with 6 years ago. I really don't have much to say here other than its a joy to watch the art, especially with its very dull color palate, but every now and then bright colors splatter the screen and you can't hope but feel hopeful for the beleaguered lab members.

Sound: 10/10

The OP, while not as epic as the first season, keeps the mood in check. The ED also is very sad and slow, indicative of the new change of pace this season has tried so hard to portray. This is a very lovingly crafted bunch of songs, and it shows. The background music, especially towards the end, changes subtly until its reaching a crescendo, a climax as the show reaches its peak. And the music, if anything, lets the mood really punch your gut.

Characters: 10/10

I think, what compels me to find Steins;gate my most loved anime of all time, are the characters. Some of the minor characters really are one dimensional, but the solid few the story focuses on have some of the most tragic, romantic, hilarious character arcs I've ever come across. Okabe Rintarou, nay, HOUIN KYOMA is the pinnacle of the seven stages of grief. He constantly cycles through them in this show, alternating between abject despair and...well more depression. But there is a redeeming quality about him that needs to be unlocked, and glimpses of it show through the cracks of his armored psyche. He drives the show simply by being so, so human, so relatable. Sometimes, we as a society expect our heroes to be flawless, without feelings of despair or depression. But if we were thrown into such impossible situations, we would most likely clam up and lay down, hoping for someone far braver than us to fix the problems. Okabe is ourselves in a mirror, how we would react to such situations. And what we hope to strive to be, in our wildest fantasies. Okabe is me, Okabe is you, Okabe becomes the hero we all see in ourselves at the lowest point of despair.

Mayuri, rightfully so, becomes far more important than a simple cute side character from the original season. Besides a wardrobe change, she flowers into an adult, far earlier than she should have. Despite not quite knowing what's going on, she has an innate ability to pull together the disparate lab members and deeply cares for Okarin. She becomes a perfect foil to Okabe, not in terms of an enemy, but an embodiment of all that he knows and loves. This timeline wouldn't be the same without her.

Suzuha, Rukaka, the newcomer Hiyajou, Daru, and others - if allowed, I could talk about them for hours on end. But I want to cut the review short - these characters all mature and grow like the series did over the years, and it's nice to see them all interact again in this world.

Overall 10/10

Steins;gate 0 is perhaps my favorite anime of 2018, a pure labor of love that shows in the brightest of ways. I didn't know I wanted a sequel to my beloved first season, but I'm so glad I got this. Seeing how I essentially grew up with this show, and it had matured in ways like I did, made the whole experience that much more poignant. Honestly, you should watch the first season before diving in this, and it does start off slow and deliberate like the first season. But it ratchets up the tense moments and becomes a truly magical thriller ride through time. Thank you, Steins;gate 0, for allowing me to relive my high school days while simultaneously maturing in such a deep way. This is truly the choice of Steins;gate.

After some contemplation and reading other reviews, people seem to be split on what exactly this anime is: the "best" show they've ever seen, or perhaps the worst show ever. We should avoid extremes, especially in today's political and social climate, because that just puts everyone on edge. While Boku dake ga Inai Machi (Erased) had its fair share of flaws, that doesn't inherently make the entire show bad, in the sense that it doesn't deserve to be watched. It explores topics we don't like, as a society, to bring to the light, and tries to make us all feel good in the end. Is ... that not enough?

There's going to be spoilers ahead, so be aware.

Story: 7/10

Unfortunately, for a character-driven story, Erased felt weak in a lot of respects. Because of its strong central topic of child abuse and negligence one might forget it's terrible character development, but that's in a later section. I think the story in and of itself was fine - suddenly replaying time because a terrible event was about to unfold is a unique way of looking at time travel, and going back to a deadbeat main character's childhood was intriguing. Because of the fast-paced nature of 12 episodes, the story though remained static, much to my chagrin. Many themes were underdeveloped and I think because of the weak story, everyone began to blame the anime as a whole. I myself thought the story could have used probably a 24 episode arc to fully dive into the theme, not to mention the whole go back in time seemingly randomly detracted from my overall pleasure with the anime. However, as a whole, the story felt solid, if unevenly paced and sometimes cornily written.

Art: 8/10

I think we can be unanimous here: the art was gorgeous. The character design in my opinion seemed weakest, with some of the features not as detailed, but the background, varied scenes, and other parts of the environment burst with life. This was not its weak point, the art was just beautiful to look at.

Sound: 8/10

Besides the wonderful OST and EST, the music did not deter from the mood but it wasn't anything quite special either. However, because of the songs at the beginning and the end, I gave it a solid 8/10. There wasn't really anything to complain about, yet the sound wasn't stellar either.

Character: 5/10

I think here is where the anime really dropped the ball. This could have been the most powerful way to tackle the underlying theme head-on, but instead we receive mediocre characters full of cliches and static development. Take even Satoru, the main character. We see he's a dull, unemployed, aspiring manga artist, and as a child just friends with some of his classmates. I don't think the anime explored his character enough, though he understood the value of friendship...is that all we got? Not his mother, who stood by him for 15 years while was in a coma? Not the fact that his friends STILL stood by him after 15 years? How many of you guys have friendships that are 15 years old? And that's when you're not in a coma, I don't even remember my elementary school friends and I'm still not 27 yet! Satoru, though he predicted the killer's moves through time travel, didn't seem to grow much. He had his revenge, yes, but what else? Trust? But nothing in his life before he traveled seemed to show that he had trust issues, so what character development actually happened? I know he wanted to try his best to help, but he seemed so hellbent on saving his friends that he forgot that they were people too. There were some touching moments, but he simply moved on.

Which brings me to my next point, no one really had any development. And I think that's because they complicated the plot, had only 12 episodes of air time, and simply couldn't full explore each character's backstory and then subsequent behavior. Everyone stayed so static, and just when you begin to sympathize with a character, poof, they're gone and we're on to another story arc. There were just too many characters that all seemed important. And then they weren't. Given how long the anime actually was, the development wasn't bad in any sense of the word, but it was just meh the whole time.

I think overall, the characters had believable stories, actions, and emotions given the time constraints, yet the holes were...admittedly gigantic.

Overall: 7/10

My true average score mathematically isn't a 7/10, but I think I did enjoy it overall. It was a good anime. A fun watch, that drew me in, and left me wanting more. That's not necessarily a detriment, but with the way the characters were throughout the story, I found it a negative in this case. But this anime wasn't afraid to explore realistic themes without glorifying the hero or victim too much, and focused on problems many people want to ignore. Child abuse and domestic violence does happen no matter how hard we wish it to just not exist. Bringing awareness to that fact is well worth a watch to me. Remember, you can take a train to Ueno without switching lines.

I am also including the 4 episode "sequel" in this review.

I have been meaning to watch Kokoro Connect for a little while now, actually it's been on my to watch list for years. I decided to revisit this short and sweet anime about the daily lives of a few high school misfits, whom I related to more so than I could care to admit, with a few twists along the way.

High school animes usually diverge into two directions: the cop-out, fan service, sort of vibe, where the characters remain static and one can sit back and enjoy the nothingness and fill the void ... of your empty soul with cute girls doing cute things. Or the anime can twist the formula and make it something completely unique and different. Kokoro does the latter.

But what many anime do is fail to fully flesh out the characters, especially if the show is not more than 24 episodes, as we see here. It's hard to make you, as an outside observer, want to know and care what happens to the characters in such a short amount of time. Kokoro connect takes the traditional anime tropes of character development and actually delves into the lives of the characters, and the secrets they harbor.

We all know the masks we put on for others is a fake one. You have a mask for your friends, a mask for your family, a mask for your classmates, for your coworkers, the list goes on. We switch our masks and it becomes exhausting, not quite knowing who we really are inside. On the surface interactions are pleasant, but inside we dance with our inner turmoil. So what do we have here? Turns out each character is suddenly thrust into a strange situation, wherein each learns of the other's darkest secrets.

Of course, it has its flaws. There I think is one too many characters for each character to have a fully fleshed out role, the art is nice but a bit bland, the music is mostly unnoticeable and some of their problems are solved too easily. But overall, it was a solid watch and worth at least a cursory playthrough.

I'm trying not to give away too many spoilers and leave it general, as I haven't reviewed an anime in years, but Kokoro connect deserves at least an 8 in my book. It is a clever, emotional, slice of life anime that concludes in a satisfactorily way. Perhaps one day my own mask shall fall...

Love is such a difficult concept to grasp analytically. To a logical person, its very existence breeds chaos, confusion, and worst of all, addiction. Love compels, love pulls, love creates, love destroys - I would argue love is the most powerful human force. White Album 2 ignores the typical Hollywood-esque bland high school romances and sets in motion the most feels I've had in recent memory.

This won't be like my typical reviews, in that I break down each and every category. I'm just going to pour my heart out by saying, if you want to feel something move inside you, watch this beautiful anime. ... There are some cheeky, corny moments, as well as a few archetypal and stereotypical characters, but once the story gets rollin' (oh, it goes by so fast) you soon forget.

Though i can't personally relate to any of the characters, the way the story progressed made them see so real. Cartoon references aside, I felt each and every character's sharp emotional responses, and since the story is set in senior year of high school (not too long ago from my own life) and the finality of it all, it helps solidify a very personal view of each character.

Perhaps the most surprising theme is the music. I enjoyed the songs, the piano, everything was well written and well put together. The background music, the songs, the opening...everything just screamed well done.

If I haven't convinced you already, please just watch it. 13 episodes, you can finish it in a day or two if you have nothing better to do, especially in the summer.

It was an emotional rollercoaster I normally would refuse to ride. But it's a ride I'll never forget. Haruki, Sestuna and Touma. Names that'll stick with me, forever. Look, it's snowing outside.

WARNING: MILD SPOILERS

Before you guys click the "not helpful" button, let me clarify my position before you shower me with criticism and disgrace: SAO wasn't inherently bad. It had its flaws and certainly did not meet expectations and hype, but honestly, what did you guys expect? "Perfect" anime come once a generation - and though I may have rated more than one 10 myself, that does NOT mean it's perfect, far from it. It's what MY "perfect" opinion is. But truly good titles, one that the hivemind agrees on, comes rarely, and if you guys are pasting YOUR idealistic 10 to SAO and trying to ... figure out why it doesn't fit, then your opinion is more than biased, it's just plain skewed.

I feel like this anime deserves more credit than it has at the moment. Everyone says this, everyone says that - if "everyone" dropped off a bridge to fall and die, would you follow without so much as a thought? Of course not. You may teeter on the edge, yearning to follow, but ya don't. So try and take all the hateful responses and think lucidly, as if you had just freshly finished the anime and don't know anyone else's opinions. Hard, I know, but you're more inclined to believe in tandem with the crowd unless you take a step back and breathe your own air.

Story: 6/10

Now that that is out of the way, let's get down to the review. SAO wasn't bad; far from it, actually. It had its WTF moments, but honestly, the people producing anime can't please everyone, and try to direct the show to be in line with their ideals. The storyline, one has to admit, is (decently) unique: by putting on a helmet called the NerveGear, one can be completely (and sensorily, as well) immersed into a virtual world, where sight, touch, sound, smell and taste are all created for your enjoyment. A young guy named Kazuto Kirigaya comes online, and then finds out he cannot log out and reenter reality. That's when all the 10000 gamers realize that they are stuck until the hundredth level is cleared, else you die in the virtual world, your physical body also ceases to exist. Now if that doesn't open up the show quite shockingly, I don't know what does. It's a clear shock moment, one to hook you and drag you into the story.

And boy was I hooked. Usually action anime take a little while to develop and find its way, to develop the protagonist, to create the arch enemy and sprint towards the climax. SAO skipped all of that and headed straight into the action. What fun! No fillers, no sidestories, no pointless waiting for something to happen - the first episode had me by the fingertips! I was ready to marathon it right then and there.

But whaddya know, all good things must end, eh? The main quest, the fight or die, the survive against the elements and overlords became the sidequest. Kirigaya falls in love, yes, but also does petty missions and rescue events to help the "damsels in distress." What. Honestly, this doesn't further the story other than show how awesome the protagonist really is. But we already knew that. Why do we need reinforcement? Sure bits and pieces of the game were brought into the light, but at the cost of these stupid little fillers. Bleh. It detracted from my earlier mood.

Kirigaya has a constant romance with Asuna, and it gets pretty intense. Except it doesn't. It waxes and wanes, like the battle scenes (which were few and far between, despite this having SWORD in its name). Kirigaya has to juggle a bunch of things at once, women, Asuna, his battles - yay? I guess? It got kind of old as well. When there were action sequences, they were brief, albeit intense moments. But that's all they were, short, abrupt little fight scenes. I wanted a grand battle, a grand climax. Boy, was that hoping for too much?

And when the derailed train of a plot decides to come back onto the tracks, the first arc ends abruptly. What, why, when, HOW? It was just getting good! Things were happening, the ball was rolling towards the finish line, and BAM. It's like right before the winning goal in a football game, some asshole decides to change the channel, then switch back. Sure the end result we see, but we didn't see what led up to right before the climax. I was a little miffed. Surely, after half the series was over, there would be no more mishaps, right?

WHY WAS I WRONG. The second arc put me off. Another game? Another trial? What was wrong with the original story? And then the sister comes into play....that was more unnecessary character development. Why was she even mentioned, let alone play a bigger role than the what the true romance story is? JEALOUSY? This is SAO, not lovey-dovey universe 2 or something like that. And the end was....I can't even say. It was something I didn't expect, nor wanting to expect.

But there were good elements as well. The entire world was well-propagated the entire time, and there were moments of humor where I chuckled aloud. Humor, if used right, can diffuse otherwise high tensions within the story and SAO attempted it, but its effectiveness was limited. The original arc was (counting out those fillers) tense and what I wanted: different. The beginning had me hooked, and the way the characters used menues and the dueling system were all very cool and such. The various guilds and the in-depth research the anime makers used was obvious (I mean, everyone has played an MMO at one point - Maple Story, WOW, even Runescape) and well incorporated into the theme.

Art: 9/10

I think if the artists and storymakers switched places, this would have been a FANTASTIC anime, but weird and boring artistic style. Because dang, that art was sexy. I can't even begin to describe the stunning visuals I experienced. The environment, the virtual fantasy world, was brilliantly designed. The colors, gorgeous, the scenery, exquisite. Even the food looked too good to be true; everything, visually, was top-notch. The battle scenes, like I said I would have liked to see more, not just for the mere action or testosterone pumped yells, but because it was beautiful. SAO made fighting look like a graceful art, dancing against the enemy, dueling rather than simplistic fighting. The characters were drawn pretty plainly, but the hair styles of the girls was a little unique, especially Asuna's hair styles. The uniforms and variety of people and their clothing was shockingly diverse, and each town, the floors shown, the items in the game, everything was drawn perfectly and had its functions clearly designated for them. The art, in its own sense, was beautiful.

Sound: 9/10

Also a saving grace. The music was written for something epic, and SAO delivered decently well. Though not used that effectively, I found it very accurately portrayed and through it all, used well in conjunction with the various going-ons the entire time. The fight scenes had zest, the romantic scenes with trepidation, and simply music when one character was strolling through town all were well-rounded. I should have paid more attention to the voice-actors, something many forget, but this takes into account even them. Each character portrayed his or her emotions well - if I had watched SAO with my eyes closed, I could probably accurately tell each and every one of their facial expressions and whether tears were rolling or not. Simply great stuff. Also, the sound effects were a touch one shouldn't forget, either. The sounds of battle all the way up to when the wind whistled through the trees was varied and accurate. Good stuff.

Characters: 6/10

This, unfortunately, was why it fell so flat so quickly. While likable, the Kirigaya stayed mainly the same throughout, and changed only when he really need to...and it wasn't really a change. Though he did have the talents and characteristics of a hero, I feel like his entire character dynamic was pretty static, and he needed something really crazy to change who he was. Asuna, the next big character, showed potential early on, but then became a sideshow, and eventually the princess locked in a tower thing. Her role, at best, was minimal save for the beginning, parts of the middle, and the end. Not minimal to the main character, but minimal for the watcher. The various other characters (the swordmaker, the cutesy girl, Sugu) all kind of....were pretty one-faced too. And the other character arcs seemed only to reconnect whenever it was convenient. Whatever happened to the first friend he made? He showed up maybe twice before the series ended. That friendship should have been stronger. But like I said, what was great potential turned into a huge disappointment, and this is where an anime is supposed to shine: in characters one can relate to.

Overall: 7/10

Now this seems a little higher than what it should be, and no I'm not averaging all the numbers I have. I feel like this deserved credit because it was a "good" anime, just not "great" nor "fair." It deserves a higher title for the music and artwork, voice acting, attention to detail, but loses its sheen and luster to lack fo storytelling, some stupid plots, and random character intrusions by people who are simply not needed. Like a plain cheese pizza that at first tastes delicious but loses its flavor after the first slice because it's so uniform, SAO was good, but not terrific. And people are slamming it harder than it needs to be, because it didn't live up to some ridiculous standars. I went in with no bias, and came out as honest as I could, but an opinion is an opinion. But for me, this is enough MMOs for me. I need to disconnect, run outside, and breathe in reality.

I was scared to touch this anime. Despite the reviews, despite my friend's sage advice, despite everything, I resisted for months. I didn't want to dive into something that showed only on Adult Swim at 2 in the morning on weekdays. It didn't seem like the kind of show I wanted to watch. I want to see the latest and greatest, the anime that grab the headlines, that are here and now, that are modern and are visually appealing. Cowboy Bebop didn't seem to me like it fit into any category I ever liked either. Western styled mixed with space drama? How can that even ... mix? Old style animation from the late 90s? Kinda makes me think of Hey Arnold and those other shows. It just didn't seem to fit the mood I currently reside in. And then I picked up the first episode. And I am a changed man.

First, some background: it's a simple enough story. Spike and Jet, two oddities that somehow coexist inside the same spaceship, are partnered together in the pursuit of so-called bounties (fitting the western theme), and thus are called bounty hunters. Along the way in the beginning, they pick up some more companions to put the word "rag-tag" to shame: Faye Valentine, a debt-ridden woman who has forgotten her past, Ed (Edward), the pre-teen genius girl with computers, and Ein, the genetically enhanced and intelligent Corgi. The five travel the stars, attempting to gain bounties, but the results are....somewhat mixed.

Story: 9/10

I was skeptical. I truly was. I never liked western films, and I never cared for the themes and such of the Ol' Wild West. But the meld of science fiction with modern amenities really hit home. I could actually relate to the story, and oh what a story it was. Besides being such a motley bunch, they often were never agreeable and seemed to barely hold the peace in Jet's ship Bebop. But something about the way the story was told, how each character's mysterious past seemed to interfere with the present. Half of the series wasn't really fighting for bounties, but trying to bury or avoid their individual past without notifying or effecting the other persons aboard the ship, to no avail. It was interesting, then, when the past comes back to haunt you: nothing is as it seems on the surface, and when the past scratches at its coffin, you better be there with a nail or sig-sauer.

Art: 10/10

I must say, at first it was hard to....understand and perceive the old-style animation. This made me want to turn it off and watch the anime of today. But you got used to it real quick. And I must say, for something almost two decades old, it's gorgeous. The lighting, the style, the drawings, the shades, the colors, the environment...It was hard not to notice the variety of places the art alluded to, and of course the western touch with the deserts and saloons and gunfights and such. I loved every bit of it, and remember, I hate the west. The spaceships juxtaposed next to the average car and the old-fashioned lighters lighting old-fashioned cigarettes created this interesting mood and ambiance, one I hadn't felt....ever. It was surreal.

Sound: 9.5/10

Alright, before you blast me with why it isn't perfect, it wasn't. But it was damn near perfect. Jazz? Blues? Fast-paced music? Are those ENGLISH lyrics? Yes they all are here, for you, the watcher, to enjoy. Every major scene had a fast-paced song, and many a time it was in English. The producers and editors and such probably drew much of their inspiration from the American West, and it showed well in the sound. The OP was fast-paced and well executed, and the ED was nostalgic sounding and epic. But I didn't get too focused on the petty ending and beginning; it was the background music I'm talking about. Beautiful, beautiful salute to the American west and native American music. I couldn't get enough, especially when the main characters are so motley, the odd choice of music just made the mood that much better. And why stop there? The voice actors should be praised, no given medals, their acting was so good. It wasn't even the way each character spoke, but when each character decided to show his or her true nature to the viewer before quickly covering it up; beautiful just beautiful.

Character: 10/10

Oh how I would rate this higher if I could. I've never had such deep characters before, such amazingly portrayed people. Pretend each character is a book: Spike would be a carefree one, its leather new, its polish gleaming. Jet would be gruff and rough on the edges, worn from time. Faye's would be delicate, with an evil-looking cover that betrays evil, and so on. But as you delve deeper in the story and therefore each character's secret past, the books become much different: Spike's becomes worn and rough, like Jet's, frayed on the outside, with a hole punched straight through the middle. Jet's would be more worn, yet have a soft spot in the middle. Faye's would have a huge question mark from chapter 1 to somewhere around the middle, then soften into a golden hue. Seems stupid, but I ain't spoiling anything. But honestly, each of these characters deserves his or her own biography; each story, so different from each other, yet they all come back to haunt them in the present. And as each character deals with their ghosts, they must make a tough decision: to let the ghost keep haunting them, or to finally put it all to rest? If you don't like extended analogies, then go watch Cowboy Bebop and skip my review. Time's a wastin'.

When I think of Cowboy Bebop, I don't think of old, garish, rubbish pictures of grainy animation and slipshod storylines made to fit the mass audience it tries and fails to appeal to. What I see now is a masterpiece that will last the ages - and I should have known better if an anime gets a English adaptation and is shown in America for over a decade it should be pretty freaking good. And I finally digress; if I am not able to convince you to watch the show by now, I have failed as a reviewer because, if anything, this was the best show I've ever watched. I can't say that for anything else, because I'm one of those people that says everything is his favorite show. But this easily trumps all that. See you later, Space Cowboy.

I....I wanted to like this show. I really did. The first season could have been better, but that's a different story. Perhaps I had high expectations, but when have the sequels ever beat the original? Darker than Black's universe easily could have brought epicness and awesomeness in a second season; instead, my hopes are dashed and I am left wondering: what happened?

Story: 7/10

WHAT HAPPENED HERE. This isn't a second season; it should be the first season of a different show in the same universe. The main character is now a side character and is replaced by a Russian girl?? I don't understand. I wanted to ... like the direction the story went, but it was just....bleh. And not to mention nothing was memorable. No scenes, no places, no plot twists - it all melded together like a gushy banana. No one wants a crushed banana. Besides the fact that nothing really stood out, the story chugged along anyway, grinding my nerves down to dust.

Art: 9/10

The artwork was, as expected, gorgeous. There never really was a time where I doubted what world this was, and how depressing everything is. Happiness is as rare as safety, and they kept the artwork stellar the entire time. This was where the show really shone; from here, it goes downhill very quickly.

Sound: 8/10

The sound was good as well. The intro and ending were both fresh and new from the first season instead of recycled, and it was a nice addition. Still, the original soundtrack was better. This one wasn't bad, however; the moments where epic music was needed, there was epic music. The voice acting, was, as usual, stellar.

Character: 6/10

I....I was disappointed here. Hei becomes this.....this pitiful excuse of what he used to be. Mao...what happened to you? The main character was whiny. And her power was so unorthodox from what everyone else had. There were hiccups and random unnecessary scenes here and there, and the characters themselves seemed static and unchanging. No one was memorable enough to really remember if and when they stopped appearing in the story, and continually I had trouble trying to remember the minor characters because there seemed to be so many of them. Overall, it was a disappointing cast.

Overall: 7/10

This fell far flat from my expectations and I was thoroughly disappointed to where the story led to and eventually ended on a weird note. The storyline seemed to stray far from the original, and the characters remained flat and irritatingly normal most of the time. I was expecting bigger and better - but I got a slimmed down version of what should have been something extraordinary. I stand by my score.

After reading many of these reviews, or quickly scanning them, I realized there really wasn't a middle ground - you either loved it or hated it. And it seems to me most people wanted to hate something like this. But maybe both sides are missing the point: after all, for the people who want to bury this in the ground: lower your sophisticated and urbane shields for a second and try to understand WHY this anime wasn't deep or anything. And for the people who think this is flawless, it isn't. But perhaps I should make a stand here and try to look at BOTH ... sides of the issue.

Story: 6/10

Alright, so the story was complete trash. But that's because it's a PARADY of a serious anime; after all, every huge fight and build up turned into something comedic. But that was the point. This wasn't supposed to be some deep, symbolic story where you'll fall to your knees, begging God or Zeus for forgiveness; no, it was supposed to be funny, to blow it off as if nothing. But that doesn't mean it was good, either. It was annoying, really, to have such intergalactic conflicts blown off as trivial. I mean honestly, give me one good villain! Perhaps the story arc, bland and straight as an arrow, could have been reworked to include elements to give the story, well, a story to follow and hold on to. But for whatever reason they didn't. Eh.

Art: 8/10

Obviously, this is where the production costs went. The artwork was flawless. Almost. The environments were kinda....bland. There were certain times, when the story LOOKED like it was going somewhere, when the artwork excelled - but most of the time, it was flat and, well, nothing special. But the characters were drawn nice, and everything seemed cutsey and too good to be true kind of drawings. The aliens and monsters were nicely drawn as well, but once again, nothing special. So, I'll give it a decent score.

Sound: 8/10

I'm not going to berate the sound either. It was actually quite good. The theme song was typical of comedic animes, catchy and, well, funny. The background music at critical times wasn't the typical orchestra, but opera-sounding voices, which was a nice deviation from the typical drum rolling and whatnot. But here, everything seemed to be in order. So, this deserves a decent score as well.

Character: 6/10

They really shouldn't have messed this up. I would have forgiven the studio for the lack of storyline, but you can't have static, stereotypical, almost perfectly archetypal characters that bore the audience. I mean come on, have SOME character change in some way. And really. Take out these lovey-dovey characterizations of Nyaruko and Ctchuko. I was intrigued, though, when these Greek references to gods and stuff were first introduced; but Hasta don't act like no God of Wind all the time. Sigh. And a tsundere as a main character: where haven't I seen THAT before? It wasn't awful, though, because there was SOME development, albeit almost nonexistant. But it wasn't there.

Overall: 7/10

Ok, it wasn't horrible, but it wasn't stellar, either. Where does that put us? Somewhere in the middle. It was entertaining, but not particularly engaging either. The rewatch value would be extremely low and I would not recommend this to other people when asked to name a few anime, but that doesn't mean to completely skip it, either. It was entertaining, and funny. But I cringed several times where I shouldn't have, and certain points....well, I'll stop there. Don't completely discount this anime, though, because of the reviews, nor go into it with a heart of gold - keep a cautious distance, but don't be shy in embracing what this anime has to offer. Oh, and Merry Christmas!

Maybe it was the build up. Maybe it was the characters. Maybe it was simply who I am. Aria the Origination seemed to pull my heart strings this way and that, making this so bittersweet. It's easy to fall in love with a character. But three characters and their mentors? And then saying good bye to all of them? It was a heart-wrenching moment. Aria the Origination takes the best of the best when it comes to plot development and character interaction all beneath a facade of gentle Neo-Venezia. I'm not going to do my standard "here's a score and here's why I gave it ... that." This review will be more why I loved it and why it deserves the perfect score.

After watching (naturally) Aria the Animation and Aria the Natural, I was in no way in high hopes for this last part of the series. Those two were just ok, slow-moving like the currents of the ocean, but rich with focusing on the character and how they slowly are growing up in the beautiful realm of Neo-Venezia. Interestingly, this series paced MUCH quicker, and continued to do so until the bittersweet end. Besides pacing, the story in general became fluid, picking up speed and continuing with its momentum. Akari, Aika, and little Junior (or you will soon found out, not so little anymore) each have their own little tales of growing up. The other two preceding prequels were more there to build up to Origination. Natural and Animation seemed to focus on Neo-Venezia as a whole and what goes on in this beautiful planet, while Origination zooms in on the characters and builds them up to its bittersweet climax.

Each scene was rich with color and texture, I could almost picture Italy as it is today. The background music was bright and cheerful, full of spirit and wonder and happiness. The intro song was beautifully connected to each episode, and followed a character as they went through town or prepared for the day ahead. The scenery and environment was gorgeous; I don't think I ever saw a reused environment or backdrop once. If it was, it was drawn at a different angle at a different time of day.

Comparatively, to the other two series, the animation in my opinion stepped it up a notch. Now the environment has always been something I keep my eyes on, and the beautiful scenery captured the lighthearted mood perfectly. In fact, almost every place Akari and the gang visited in Natural and Animation seemed to come up again, or at least be hinted at. Their other friends, like Woody or Al or Akatuski, and their acquaintances like the guy who owns that old coffee shop, come up frequently, but in matters more serious. It seemed everyone knew something big was coming. Pasts were dredged up, history was told, and stories flew.

I especially loved each and every character. Akari was an airhead, but only when it seemed appropriate; her comments that Aika had dubbed "too embarrassing," were actually insightful and used great literary rhetoric, but apparently no one noticed. She kept the fuel going beneath their three muskateer mindset, and she frequently seemed to be the center of not really attention, but of notice to others around her. Her likable nature and charisma hit off with the town, and she steals attention away from Aika, he gets jealous sometimes. I loved her character. Never have I had such a lighthearted character be useful to the plot so much; in other series like K-ON! or Lucky Star, the attachment was forced upon the watcher. Now, however, Akari's general likability was contagious, and soon I was spewing how great Neo-Venezia was to anyone who would care to listen.

If Akari was the sun, Aika was the moon. She seemed the opposite of Akari in almost every way, as in afraid to share her feelings (Akari just blurted them out whenever she had so much as a thought), boastful and proud, and argumentative and sneaky where Akari or Alice would be up front and personal. She seemed to fit the tsundere role....except she didn't. She wasn't the prime example of that at all. But she came closest, and yet I came to love her character, because she seemed to balance Akari and Alice so well. She was the rational mind of the group, leading talks or encouraging them on. She was the driving force of the trio, and continued throughout.

Alice was the quiet girl, a year behind them, and talked in a certain way. Very formal, very unobtrusive, and yet when need be, the perfect critic. Her comments were (pretty obviously) thought out or had weight behind them; she wasted no words, so every spoken sentence was critical to understanding her character. She was the follower, but in some cases, the leader when it came to basic skill or singing, just like her mentor Athena. A child prodigy at the gondola, her skills become more salient as the series moves on, so much even the arrogant Aika takes notice.

Alicia, Akira, and Athena are all the mentors of Akari, Aika and Alice, respectively. And each one was critical on the development of their juniors. Akari became lighthearted and happy from Alicia's lack of scolding. Aika became driven and determined to succeed from Akira's scolding and badgering. Alice became quiet, reserved, and thoughtful, and can sing, under Athena's not that wary guidance. But because of them, history was made; the Three Water Fairies patrolled the oceans of Neo-Venezia, bringing good cheer and happiness to the entire planet.

Why am I taking so long to describe the characters? That's because I've never had a cast of characters I liked so much. Every anime, not matter how good it is, seems to have someone I positively hate, whether it be because of personality or general traits. But here, I loved every characters. Every. Single. One. They all fit some sort of role, like a jigsaw puzzle, and fit together oh so perfectly it hurt to see them apart or to not catch a glimpse of them throughout the episodes. They drove the story, and by the end, I was tearing up....

I could gush for hours. I really could. This was something I needed to say. I'm an action junkie; check my anime watched if you do not believe me. But this really hit me in the heart, just like Akira's confidence. Each character needed pages to describe their characteristics, but I could only give them a paragraph or a simple allusion. Everything was perfect; the artwork, the characters, the voice actors - everything could not have been possibly better. I recommend this heavily, even for those who don't like slice of life. But start with Aria the Animation. Let the waters of Neo-Venezia take you away on a beautiful journey....Oh sorry, Aika-Chan. Embarrassing remarks are prohibited!

There's just something magical about the way Aria the Animation strikes a chord deep inside you. It doesn't show up in the typical manner nor in an easily discernible way, but slowly, inexorably, steals your heart and before you know it, you've fallen in love with each and every character. There is no moe; there are no crazy plot turns; there is no artsy action. Instead, Aria the Animation goes deeper than you think; judging a book by its cover becomes less and less relevant when diving into the waters of Neo-Venezia.

Story: 9/10

I really, really wanted to label this as "slice of life" and ... move on. But honestly, I couldn't - not because there actually was a crazy, flip-flopping story you'd normally expect, but because every episode was fresh and had meaning, not just some slapstick humor and that was that. There were several heart-warming moments; nothing so sad it left you depressed and nothing so happy it seemed fake, but lessons like enjoying the little things in life really hit home here. This wasn't an anime of plenitude, but instead one of deeper meanings below a facade of happy, go-lucky trio of girls. The constant references to Italy, Italian mythology and beliefs, as well as traditional food and drink kept the atmosphere lively and had a unique sense of familiarness, despite this being on a completely different planet. In general, though, I loved every last bit of every part of the story. There wasn't a plot point I didn't enjoy. The warm feeling inside after each episode made me think that this really hit the spot.

Art: 9/10

Now this is slightly older than I would have liked, but the animation was excellent. Nothing was skimped, from the beautifully recrafted Venice (hence the name Neo-Venezia) to each character's uniform ornamental arrangements. I couldn't find anything wrong with the animation style; everything was beautifully crafted and honed to near-perfection. There were frequent changes in style, such as when a character said something sarcastic, their faces become much simpler, to reflect such humor. In my book, any sort of simple, yet elegant art gets a darn good score anyway. Plus, nothing was ever an eyesore, and every scene generally had something new in it, reflecting the continually entertaining and changing environments the characters interacted in.

Character: 9/10

The characters really shine in this anime as well. There wasn't too much of an airhead, too much of a tsundere (kind of) or any sort of typical anime characterizations; no, this was something much more special. Each character fit the role laid out for them almost too perfectly. Every personality was represented, albeit in a toned-down and subtle sort of way. I found it hard to find a character I hated, for crying out loud. Every anime has that one character you wish were dead or flying into another dimension, forever forgotten and alone. But this was something unique, something I found vaguely comforting that I wasn't willing death, but life. Their daily interactions, though very wistful, belies a childlike tone and lessons of life, things rarely found in anime nowadays.

Overall: 9/10

Anyway, this was n interesting amalgamation: a blending of whimsical, steampunk-like science fiction, slice-of-life, some slapstick humor and genuine life lessons really impacted my heart. I kept feeling all warm and tingly inside, something you should be prepared for with plenty food items, because the food on here looks dang delicious. Generally, though, this deserved a high-ranking score, because of the lack of things I had problems with. I never had to pause for effect, never had to stop watching it because of boredom nor because it was too much; but it floated along at its own pace, never quite hurrying, yet never becoming tedious. It was interesting to say the least; I highly recommend it. Embarrassing remarks aren't allowed, sorry, I was getting all gushy.