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Dec 21, 2023
Odekake Kozame is about the adventures of a cute baby shark, Kozame-chan. It's quite simple, both in story and animation, yet it provides me with absurd amount of joy. The anime does really well conveying the feelings of Kozame-chan through simple yet effective expressions, sound effects, and wonderful voice acting from Hanazawa Kana.
Every episode, Kozame-chan is outside, exploring the little joys in the world. From eating ice cream to seeing rainbow for the first time to helping a friendly-frog cross the bridge, there's a lot packed in to 60 seconds of animation everyday. It combines the overlooked yet pleasant surprises of life with a great
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deal of optimism.
Then every episode ends with the 30 second song sung by Kozame-chan about staying positive while exploring the world. The lyrics of the song sums up the anime:
"Even on a clear day,
Even on a rainy day,
Let's look for new things
No matter how far we have to go.
Every new trail we stroll
And every new part of town we discover,
When it's done with a smile,
It's gonna be a beautiful world!"
Overall Odekake Kozame is a 90-second long weekly dose of joy that will cheer up anyone. It's a cartoon for kids (or "anime" if you insist) yet it's genuinely a great show, even for adults. There's a hint of nostalgia and optimism in it that is really charming. I recommend it everyone give it a shot.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Jul 25, 2023
Girls fall over for no reason. Breasts pop out for no reason. People slip and get on top of each other for no reason. This anime gives Looney Tunes a run for its money. I understand it's ecchi/harem but anime has evolved enough to tell decent stories even while having ecchi/harem and fanservice elements. It's disappointing when a series recycles the elements from things that aired two decades prior.
Art/Animation: 9/10
First of all, the art for this anime is great. It's saturated, warm, and every character has vibrant hair colour and hairstyle. The temple scenes and background are also detailed and drawn well. Since this is
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an ecchi/harem, all the females are voluptuous (except for the token loli character). The animation is nice overall. The comedic scenes are also animated well with good transition between comedic and regular scenes. It's not era defining or unique but it's beautiful. If you can turn your brain off for 24 min at a time only to gaze at nice art, this anime is wonderful.
Sound: 4/10
The problem begins with the voice acting. The MC, Akemistu, has a deep, mature voice. There is nothing wrong with a deep voice. But every time he opens his mouth, Akemitsu (a teenager) sounds like a 45 year old disgruntled salaryman. Even in scenes where he tries to sound excited, it sounds like a man in despair trying to cheer up. And since he's the only relevant male in the cast, you hear a lot of him. It's very displeasing to the ear. The rest of the cast is alright and doesn't stand out too much.
The opening is generic but every ending has different songs sung by the voice actresses from the cast. I applaud them for the effort. The soundtrack and sound effects are average.
"PLOT": 3/10
Unfortunately the plot is even worse. The MC Akemitsu's dad is an immoral womanizer. His Akagami bloodline has a reputation for being lecherous and Akemitsu is usually called a pervert due to his surname. But he wants to be different so he avoids women altogether and focuses on schoolwork until one day he sees Yuzuki. He's tempted but to avoid temptation he becomes a monk and goes to a temple.. hence the title of the series "Temple."
And it goes downhill from there. Every episode the MC faces problem with different girls and at the end, they end up falling for him. Since it's an ecchi, there are an abundant of accidents and "pranks" which usually leads to inappropriate moments to provide fanservice.
Characters: 4/10
Generic ecchi/harem characters. Akemitsu is the MC with a problem (his lecherous bloodline)and unique traits (he's hardworking and nice). Yuzuki is the fateful encounter/nice girl. Tusukyo is the annoying /loud Young Lady with a temper. Mia is the tsundere. Kurage is the token loli. Kagura is the lewd/airhead/schemer and Kiki is the sensei/one-san. Nothing special and nothing impressive.
Overall, I went into this anime blind. I am a sucker for nice art and I decided to give it a watch, despite a plethora of red flags. I had no expectation for this anime and it still let me down somehow. I don't recommend this anime except to people who want pure fanservice and nice art. But if you really just want nice art, lewd scenes, and fanservice, then... there are other alternatives that will save you time and won't deceive you with "plot."
Reviewer’s Rating: 3
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Jul 21, 2023
I added this manga to my list over 10 years ago because the title seemed really interesting. But after reading the chapters I realized I didn’t miss out on anything. I wish I never read it.
The plot is simple but tries to force in as many problems it can to seem complicated. The story goes like this: guy with a crowd phobia meets an eccentric girl crossing the street. The girl looks like a child but is an adult. She’s bashful and eccentric. Guy also has a crush on a popular nice girl. But the eccentric girl has lots of problems and forces way
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to the guy’s life. And so begins this awfully good unnecessary love “polygon.” Eccentric girl has sad story and problems because she looks like a kid and the guy is the to see it through and in the process and encounters many of his first experiences. They become roommates because sad backstory+plot. Eccentric Girl is insecure because she’s petite and is determined to “grow.” But Guy has crush but also is roommate with eccentric girl. You can assume the rest as they become closer. But then there’s a “plot twist” to make the story a tragedy!
The art is mediocre but the panel flow is nice aside from the most boring monologues from the Guy. It’s short and maybe something to read if you are into most generic plot known to shoujo (because aside from the sob stories there’s nothing mature about this manga.) It’s supposed to be a tragedy yet the only tragedy was the time I wasted reading it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 3
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Jul 18, 2023
Once in a while, the sweatshop workers in Japan tunes their overused formulas just right enough to produce a series that meticulously combines overused plot with charming characters. We're sometimes bestowed with a unicorn in anime comedy: a show that doesn't critically rely on big breast physics or sexual harassment to deliver its jokes. And this summer, unfortunately, we are again deprived of such unicorn. But we do get the next best thing, the anime equivalent of a narwhal: a well-executed comedy that has lovable side characters and flawed yet charming protagonists. Yes, we're talking about Lv1 Maou and 1 Room Yuusha, the anime about
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a gremlin sidekick paired with a perverted yet overpowered protagonist who has crippling porn addiction and severe lack of motivation.
A lot of things can go wrong when you're writing a story where the demon lord is trying to learn about the human world. You can mess up badly and write a harem story about your Demon Lord working in WcDonalds while amassing a cast of most deplorable characters in existence. What salvages Lv1 Maou & 1 Room Yuusha is its setting and lovable characters. We're gifted with a humble and polite Demon Lord (Maou) who, while committed to being evil, try to help the hero regain his lost glory. Maou serves as the voice of reason yet is also innocent of many flaws that Max has. Max, despite being the hero, lacks any heroic characteristics. He's a cancelled hero in his post-glory era due to womanizing. He's a bum who spends time loafing around and watching pornography. And the story is structured around the comedic events that occurs as Maou try to straighten up Max's behavior.
It's refreshing to see Maou work diligently to get Max back to his former glory. The show doesn't take itself too seriously. There are still residual cringe humor and fan-service shots that is usually delivered through Maou's magic-lacking secretary:Zenia. But when compared to many other series, this shows does a well job of avoiding blatant ecchi and also avoids creating a harem. Zenia is still a likable character who is committed to helping Maou gather intel despite her lack of magic. We're also introduced to Max's former friends: Fred and Leo. While they seem like antagonists at first, they are still allies of their old friend Max.
The art isn't anything special. It's simple but it fits well with the story. Maou is drawn like chibi character with 3 eyes, which allows him to amplify both comedic and emotional scenes. Max is drawn like a deadbeat adult-manga protagonist and it allows a lot of anti-climatic scenes. Zenia is drawn for fan-service. The animation is also good and always nails the comedic timing.
One of the most surprising element of this anime is voice acting. Naomi Oozora has done voice acting for many gremlins but she does an excellent job of portraying Maou in both his chibi form and in the adult bishoujo form. It's a demanding role since Maou is a child but acts like an adult, a nagging housekeeper, and also a blushing heroine. The voice acting across the board is good, but Naomi Oozora stands out by perfectly portraying Maou.
The Opening and Ending themes are good, but for some reason, the OST feels like someone took the DVD from Bleach:Sennen Kessen-hen and made a Soundcloud version of it. It's still good but the similarity between some of these tracks is comical.
Overall, I highly recommend this show to anyone looking for a comedy anime. It's feels like a modern-day version of Tentai Senshi Sun Red or an actual funnier version of Hataraku Maou-sama. At times, it also resembles OnePunch man with Max resembling Saitama a lot. It's not a masterpiece or an era defining anime by any means but it is definitely a lighthearted comedy that will probably bring you a laugh or two.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Feb 23, 2023
I think season 2 of Vinland Saga is just as good as season 1, but in a different way.
When the trailer for Vinland Saga Season 2 dropped, I was extremely hyped for it. I never read the manga and MAPPA made the trailers look thrilling. I was expecting another season of Danish adventure lead by Viking Kurapika and then episode 1 dropped... we were blessed with Danish farming simulator with saturated art and some questionable CGI. Regardless, I highly recommend everyone to watch it without comparing it to season 1.
Story: good.
Season 2 of Vinland is extremely slow paced: it lacks the entertaining action
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and thrills the adventures in season 1 provided. Unlike season 1, however, Thorfinn is no longer a hollow revenge bot who kept challenging Askeladd on cooldown. This rebuilding of Thorfinn with the addition of Einar, Ketil, Snake, and a mature Canute makes this show something to look forward to every week. Allowing Thorfinn to find a purpose of life while building Canute into a bold, strategic leader, hinting a heartbreaking story between Einar and Arnheid, and slowly revealing the Danish politics make this show fun to watch.
I highly enjoy the duality highlighted between Canute and Thorfinn. This duality was introduced in season 1 when Canute was still a coward who lived through Ragnar and an unhinged Thorfinn who lived to kill Askeladd to avenge his father's death. As Ragnar and Askeladd both depart, both Canute and Thorfinn are forced to find a new way to live and face their own harsh realities. In this season, Canute is the lone warrior and Thorfinn is the one with a kind companion. Overall, season 2 does an excellent job at showing how these two are adopting their new lives.
Art: good / Animation: meh.
The art of season 2 is very saturated compared to previous season but it's beautiful. The coloring and the outlines are done really well, mostly. Some of these still shots look gorgeous... except that there are too many of them. I'm not sure if it's due to budget or MAPPA's inability to juggle 80 thousand different projects at once, but this season of Vinland has lots of still images and panels that lack detail (on characters' faces, objects, etc). These issues combined with unimpressive CGI, the animation leaves a lot to be desired. It's watchable but an anime of Vinland's caliber deserves better. Thankfully, there aren't too many fight scenes and we are spared from the abysmal MAPPA CGI .
Sound: great.
Where the animation lacks, the sound makes it up with good voice acting (as good as you can get with Japanese dub with European names) and a phenomenal soundtrack. While I initially was not a fan of the opening, it grew on me and I now think it fits the story well. It's no Mukanjyo but River is still a great opening accompanied by great visuals. The ending visuals are typical and the song fits as well.
Overall, Vinland Saga Season 2 is very different compared to Season 1 and many people might be even disappointed by the lack of Viking carnage. But this season, with its relaxed pacing, allow the rebuilding of Thorfinn, who was rather unimpressive as a protagonist for most, if not all, of season 1. With season 2, Vinland is no longer a story just about Viking brtuality and politics but it explores the stories of what it's like to live and harbor ambitions in a world that can be brutal and plagued by politics. I highly enjoy the story and soundtrack but the animation still bugs me sometimes.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jul 12, 2016
Most people forget what Naruto is and what it is meant to be and start comparing it with anime that arrived a decade later. And it's almost impossible to assign numbers and evaluate a series like this one that has been running over a decade. Naruto was never a show made to compete with mind boggling story such as... I don't know let's say Cowboy Bebop for a lack of better example. But it was made in midst of a shounen revolution where the importance was placed on Friendship, goodness, and perseverance.
Naruto is very little about ninjas. In fact it's very bad at
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portraying what ninjas are. But Naruto is creative at least. Taking this ninja genre and combining it into several martial and weapon arts to make this very unique show. Well unique is a bit subjective but whatever. I applaud the series for combining the natural elements, weapons, and even mixing human behaviors to create a world full of unique fighting techniques.
Story wise, Naruto is about the character Naruto becoming the leader of his village. He is an orphan cursed with bearing a monster with him and the whole anime is about him overcoming the world of ninjas, which is filled with hatred and suspicion. See the series have some of the most fascinating characters. Each of them with their own background, although many of them could've been kept a secret for the better story progression and pacing. Many of these characters' actions are justified by their past and as the series progresses you can see how each of them changes and influences each other. However the best aspect of the series is also probably the worst aspect of it. While many main characters are given a good amount of attention and care and many of them are nurtured with logic, others just become fodder characters uttering 1 or 2 lines then their worth are never revisited again.
The story of Naruto is about never giving up, making friends, and well, whatever standard shounens babble about. But Naruto is one of the few exceptions because Naruto is rarely a hypocrite and actually always stays around its core beliefs. As the series is ending, it's sad that many of the traits of the characters like Sasuke and Obito are reversing and villains are entering the infamous Dragon Ball complex (you enemy becomes bff lol), the main thing is Naruto remains Naruto: stupid and somehow still influential.
After watching this series at different intervals and after watching other anime, I came to appreciate Naruto. Because I watched several long running shounen and nothing really even came close to the emotional appeal Naruto formed. I think I can safely say that this show truly keeps it promise and shows Naruto is a hardworking guy who becomes special.
However, I still can't forgive this series for wasting the potential of so many characters, random power-ups, unnecessary glorification of Sasuke and Naruto (WE GET IT THEY'RE THE MAIN CHARACTERS) and Bleach-esque arse pulls. The fillers are downright horrible and let's not even explore the comedy. Seriously, many of the plot like Kaguya and other backstory could have been omitted, no they should have been omitted, to give Naruto a more refined ending but it is what it is.
At the end of the day, Naruto is a good series about a guy never giving up as he faces challenge to save his friend and save his village. Indeed it is a tale of a gutsy ninja. Characters like Itachi, Jiraiya, and Pain are some of the noteworthy characters in all of anime. Naruto is a good series on what it stands for. Stop comparing it to high level, 13 episode series because all anime loses its lust after 500 episode mark.
On a side note, this is not a proper review. Just whatever I feel about this series. I recommend it for the nostalgia and some really good fight scenes.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Apr 6, 2015
There are really few anime that can truly be called a "masterpiece." A masterpiece, a work so unique and interesting that you can watch it a few years later, a few times over and still feel satisfied. These works don't necessarily need to be original but whatever you see, you feel like you're seeing it for the first time and feel this exquisite experience, this throbbing pain and appreciation for its existence. And I strongly believe, Ping Pong The Animation is a work that approaches such caliber.
The first thing anyone will notice about the anime is its artwork. This ugly, rough, and messy style
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with minimal shading. It's unconventional and definitely not from this era but it carries so much emotion. The shifts of angles, the swing of the pedal, the motion of the muscles, this art show them gracefully. I'm certainly not an art expert,but there's a reason why people value Picasso's weird characters over images of handsomely drawn humans. It's emotion and messages are what really what sets apart Ping Pong The Animation from other works. The art is not weird for the sake of being unique but it is weird because it has to fit and project the unique plot it was drawn for.
Ping pong is really not the main focus of the anime, even though the title might suggest otherwise. The focus of this show is on its characters and what they consider important. And coincidentally, what all of these characters have in common is their passion for ping pong. Think from the perspective of an average person. Why do they play sports? To pass time, to establish image, to stay fit or because they love the sport. Most sports anime will shred this view and shrink it to 15 characters who ALL love the sports, whether it is tennis, baseball, or swimming. But Ping Pong sticks to reality and shows the varying motives of players: their little reasons for living, their daily lives, and the source of their inspiration to play ping pong.
The biggest reason for me to praise this show is its desire to stick to its characters than its plot. People forget what athletes are: humans. Take away their skills, and an athlete is just another average person. There's life before a game and there's a life after the game. There's a beginning and there's an ending. And this true portrayal of sports is what makes the plot so satisfying. You can watch this show few times and you may still wonder who the real protagonist is because how closely this show develop its characters. It shows the rise and fall of monsters, the dazzling beginning and disappointing ending of stars, and it shows the true difference between talent and hard work.
I am not going to insult the characters by describing them. It's an experience that needs to be seen first-hand. But I can say comfortably that different people choose to live different ways. And it's not uncommon for some to stay in the closet, for some to chase fame, for some to be pretentious, and for some to compete. Ping Pong is a blend and blessing of all kinds of personalities who are tied by a single thread: need for victory.
"OH YEAH" is how the opening starts. The music is satisfying. Turn up the beats, and watch the matches, and you'll enjoy the scenes. It's a great experience. The best instance where the music shines is when Mr.Tsukimoto hums this annoying tune. It's so off and tone deaf humming, it's annoying. But you don't understand its true meaning until the last two episodes, where the real instrumental is played in background and you're watching the most intense duel of the masters. Simply, what I am saying is that the music builds up, slowly, like the voice acting and the art..it becomes perfect.
Ping Pong The Animation is a combination. It's an unique combination of simple art, music, plot, and characters. But it builds from there. The last episode is a crucial part of the series, a valid conclusion that is satisfying if you have sat through the dramatic events of the series. The show has no set say in its protagonist(s) and it certainly doesn't point to a single theme. It brings many things from many other things and it shows how they all fall in a singular place. And portraying such ideas in such unconventional, gradual way with a touch of realism and maturity is what makes this show exquisite. Ping Pong The Animation approaches what can be considered a "masterpiece" or perhaps what they call a "magnum opus" of the creators. It's perfect in so many ways and I believe a score of 9 is better than giving it a 10.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Mar 8, 2015
Five Centimeters Per Second is the most boring masterpiece of the anime medium. It lacks climax, action, and even a proper conclusion, yet portrays the theme of distance in the best possible way with breathtaking art and delightful sound. It's the kind of movie where the audience won't necessarily cry but rather feel heartbroken or bitter for extended period of time.
Distance is a culprit that separates people. Distance, not necessarily the space between people but the distance between their heart, and the distance between their memories. It just sad thinking the person you love today will be somewhere else tomorrow, living life completely differently,
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moving on without a single trace of your influence. Yet knowing all of this, Takaki and Akari tries to overcome the growing distance of their hearts, memories, and their interests. Knowing that Takaki will perhaps never love her, never look at her, Sumida keeps trying to reach Takaki's walled heart.
Yes, that's is all there is to Five Centimeters Per Second. A boring romantic tragedy of three teenagers whose love interest drifts away by the order of time and space. They are by no means star crossed nor there is anything stopping them from loving each other. Yet, these characters try to cope with everyday life, slowly moving away from each other, at an metaphorical distance of five centimeters per second. Yet, these few centimeters, after few years, become thousands of kilometers. These lovers who once shared so much in common, after few years, are strangers on different paths.
The characters are plain, dull, and just average. They don't develop by the end of the movie and there is nothing special about them. They are average people, trying to love and live and flow with the rest of society. They are perfect for the tale Shinkai tries to tell: the influence of distance in commoners. Not ninjas, pirates, policemen or samurai, but the influence of distance, society, and life on common, average people.
This movie is also one of the best animated movie ever produced. The scenes are heavily detailed and carefully colored. From trains to cityscape to rural roads, the art is just breathtaking. It is also important to note that the art is drawn with an extra shade of pink and purple, to maintain the symbol of cherry blossom. To put it simply, almost all frames of this movie can be a wallpaper.
The soundtracks are another aspect of beauty in the movie. The tone of the movie is set well by the soundtracks. The tracks also contain great variety, ranging from something as jolly as Poem of Sea and Sky to something as heartbreaking as The Feeling that Doesn't Reach. Tenmon has done outstanding job with the tunes. The character voices are very gentle and simply, average.
Overall, the portrayal of distance along with abundance of symbolism is what makes the story of Five Centimeters Per Second wonderful. It seems like an ordinary tale yet it stands for something much bigger. Makoto Shinkai doesn't try to fight the morals of society like Ghibli films, Cowboy Bebop, or some other big shot anime titles. But Shinkai does the best job at portraying what Five Cenitmeters Per Second is: a realistic, romantic fiction. Shinkai doesn't write it to provide pleasure or happiness but tells the story maturely and honestly. And that is why this movie can be considered a masterpiece, for portraying the average life in the most average, boring, and realistic way possible while highlighting great lessons.
So if anyone wants to experience exquisite artwork, delightful soundtracks, and a boring yet wonderful, mature story of hopeless love, this is a great use of 59 minutes. Understand that the ending is very subjective and open ended.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Feb 24, 2015
I think before we can judge Naruto, we need to ask ourselves one question: why did we ever start reading it? The answer is simple: it was a show about ninjas and cool fighting scenes. But that is why we started reading it, not why we kept reading it every week.
Naruto started with a very solid foundation, upon several intriguing characters and their past. It was really interesting seeing a rejected kid try hard to be accepted into society, to find a home, to find someone who deeply cares about him. And this wasn't only exclusive to Naruto himself, but also Sasuke and to some
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extent, Kakashi. Sure, the first chapters were goofs and jokes but the manga started to build a momentum toward a grand adventure, a journey filled with eclectic imagination of Masashi Kishimoto. I applaud Kishimoto for this grand tale of the Legendary ninja. Not only that the setting was well done, it was convincing and quite fitting to the themes of the story. But it gets quite difficult after that. Naruto made a bold statement in its infancy yet somewhere along its deacde long publication, it lost the values and its themes scattered. It's difficult to judge this 15 years of work as a whole because the content fluctuates greatly where it can be said that different authors wrote the manga. Sad, but the truth is this beloved series couldn't be distinguished anymore from other shounen mangas. You know, the main character continues a legacy while making friends and enemies and attains power to combat evil yet loses precious people in the process but through effort, triumphs the dark in the end. And in the latter chapters, if it wasn't for the setting, I wouldn't be able to tell if I was reading Naruto, Bleach, Fairy Tail or some other generic shounen. Yet the manga did have its moments, mainly the Pain Arc where the manga showed off the characters' maturity and importance. It was one of the very few arcs that highlighted what Naruto is: a tale about a gutsy ninja who desires to change the world for better and become the leader, the Hokage. And it was splendid how Kishimoto portrayed the strong bond between the characters and how some of their deaths influenced others.
Something else to note about the story is how philosophical it became over the years. Especially near the end, Naruto was tackling some of the biggest topics such as death, pain, suffering, human nature, and friendship. While it sounds grand, the author didn't provide much logic and effort to execute the probable ideas. It's sad how much potential turned to waste. Near the end, the characters' actions were justified by nonsense reasoning, their rage by incomplete monologues and the biggest questions of the series were answered in a rush.
As I stated earlier, Naruto built itself on its characters and their backgrounds. Naruto's loneliness due to the Fox, Sasuke's family tragedy, Kakashi's father's death, and Orochimaru's long past gave Naruto a great variety of characters. However, when we step out of past, Naruto characters are embodiment of most other shounen characters. You know, the rival, the girl, the sensei, the perverted old man, the weird guy, the powerful drunk lady, that villain and such. But it is worth mentioning that characters in Naruto mature and they develop to establish very memorable traits. And what I find amazing is Naruto maintaining his role throughout the series. Sometimes it was redundant, sometimes annoying but in the end, Naruto being himself, the determined and strong willed boy, kept the series together and preached some very thoughtful messages. The series had some characters, like Jiraiya and Itachi, who truly left a legacy and voice in the manga medium. Other characters, like Obito or even Sasuke, are example of how the series failed to establish solid resolutions for its characters. These characters' roles fluctuated greatly over the years. The rival of the series, Sasuke, could have become a grand villain or an eccentric anti-hero but the author took the shounen route and tried a happy ending for everyone. While it was satisfying as a Naruto fan, it did disappoint me to some extent.
As for art, it was quite good. Naruto's art was simpler than other mangas yet detailed. The style quite fits the story and the attacks are decently drawn. Sometimes the panels were bit messy and some character design were absurd, but, Naruto's characters (mainly women) were drawn more modestly than many other series. And I appreciate that aspect.
It's sad how long the story was dragged out, how redundant the messages were, how ridiculous the reasoning of characters became and how much potential the series ruined near the end. Some months, Naruto was plain boring and it wasn't enjoyable anymore. But when I read the last chapter, it was finally a relief that after over a decade, Naruto achieved his dreams and the story of the Legendary ninja came to end. The 700 chapter journey was a burden near the end but thankfully, it concluded half decently.
Most of us started to read Naruto because it seemed cool. But what kept many readers, including myself, to keep reading was to see Naruto succeed. The ninja raised his voice to change the world and despite his cursed fate, he brought himself to become a hero. Naruto is an inspiration, the mascot of Shounen Jump's motto "friendship, effort, victory."
Although the Naruto manga doesn't tell a great story, it does tell a tale about a great character, Naruto Uzumaki.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Jun 12, 2014
Attack on Titan is like fast food. Enjoy it while it's hot. You shouldn't think about or doubt it while you're reading it; just keep reading and enjoy the actions, plot twists, and deaths. If you take too long to read it, the plot will become nonsense.
Attack on Titan is highly enjoyable. It doesn't have fan-service to distract you, no 30 chapter long fight scenes, nor does it drag on about the importance of friendship and other garbage that shounen mangas force you to worship. It's flat out action with "kill or be killed" perspective. The fights are thrilling, the deaths are emotional, the
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plot twists are surprising, and the setting is mysterious.
The manga tries to keep it real: humans are fragile, corrupted, greedy, and mostly selfish. I guess that's the selling point of this manga. Where you have characters shooting beams out of their mouth in most mangas, here is an action manga that actually shows that humans are not invisible. It doesn't matter if the character is major or minor, death is an inevitable fate, and the mangaka doesn't hesitate to kill his characters. Death isn't glorifying, it's not sweet, it's not fun, and for a soldier, it definitely isn't welcomed. This is where the enjoyment hits the peak, the idea that a death in battlefield is anything but important. The war goes on and lost ones are replaces. Some rue, some forget. But the courage to fight knowing dismal rates of survival is truly heroic and when the protagonists achieve victory, you can feel it. I guess this part of Attack on Titan is what I enjoy, it's keen details on death, human nature, and sacrifice.
Now, I told you to read it as quickly as you can. Why? The plot is a mess. It lacks originality and logic. The whole idea of monsters invading humans and fighting monsters with monsters is copied from Claymore. It's sad just how much it borrows from the older series. The concept of corruption, mysterious setting, and grand conspiracy all comes of Claymore. I can go on about every little thing Attack on Titan borrow (copies) from Claymore, but it would be a disappointing experience.
The other thing wrong with the plot is its inconsistent pacing and explanations. The author tried to put too many ideas into one story; it's just a big mess. It has come to the point where the author is contradicting himself and pulling out explanations out of the blue. And as each chapter moves on, the only thing interesting to happen is character deaths.
Characters, like the story itself, is also copies. Hot-headed young man with power trying to pursue goals with help of childhood friends under a prodigy lieutenant in an organization full of conspiracy that is somehow related to the character's father...yes, it's Fullmetal Alchemist all over again. There is just nothing to speak about them, no originality whatsoever.
I can't give it a 10, 9, or 8. It's not creative, not original, nor full of intelligence. It doesn't bring anything new to the table. It's a mix of Claymore and Fullmetal Alchemist set with an apocalypse setting. It's not qualified for a 7 either. But it's enjoyable. It's fun to read. I appreciate the author's effort to portray the dark themes, and he executes them well. And with a sketchy, unique, and not-moe art style, the author deserves a little praise.
As I said, read it quick, appreciate the intense setting and action. Appreciate the twists and turns. Be overwhelmed by the titans and their actions. Be anxious about the culprits, be thrilled by the conspiracy. Just don't think, don't compare, that's the best way to enjoy this manga.
Overall: 6.25
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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