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There aren’t many anime in the comedy genre that does well what Hoozuki no Reitetsu has done. That is delivering an amusing tale that parodies a mythology. And it is made even more interesting as it teaches you the history behind the mythologies portrayed in the show.

The show operates under the premise that the viewer has a basic gist of Japanese Hell, as well as other worlds such as European Hell and Chinese Heaven. It follows the character, Hoozuki, a very sadistic, no-nonsense-but-sometimes-I-want-my-own-fun, advisor to the King of Japanese Hell in a slap-stick and often subtle humor that takes a little thinking of the ... viewers’ end.

This comedy isn’t just a show where there are simply running gags, well-delivered punchlines, and clichés that you would typically see in a comedy. The jokes in the show evolve. That is because in HnR, the incorporation of different mythologies permits that. You see interactions that you normally wouldn’t see between demons of Euro Hell when meeting their Japanese counterparts. The jokes and gags become even more complex as new characters are introduced, but never does the complexity of a joke require too much information of the actual mythology for one to understand.

One could almost hear the writers thinking ‘What would happen if Lucifer and Enma meet?’ or ‘How do we make a demon piss his pants?’ Suffice the say, the results of the writers’ and directors’ efforts are successfully pulled off and you’re left with one hell of a hilarious concoction.

One of the most fascinating things about the show is the back stories of each character. They’re minced in with truth and fiction, and most of the time they form a very volatile kind of humor that are brought out by the characters’ interaction with each other. IE Hoozuki and Haku, Hoozuki and Enma, Haku and the various women of each Hell, among many other combinations. However, you begin to see a pattern that different combinations have different dynamics, but none I assure you, are boring. Each have their own personality as dictated by the history they’ve been given by the real world, putting you at the edge of your seat to see how they react to one another’s antics.

Gokukoku no Brynhildr is a very cleverly disguised harem in the skin of a bleeding magician.

The show is a clear example of a unique set of characters with great potential placed at the mercy of a poorly written plot and forced to move with it. This is evident in multiple parts of the anime whenever a plot point is introduced only to be glossed over. While this isn’t entirely noticeable at first glance, it becomes a reoccurring phenomenon that leaves the audience wondering “why?”

One of the weakest points of the show is the lack of impact the supporting cast (Kogorou, Chisato, Nanami, etc) has ... on the state of mind and motivational force of the main character. Almost every time they are introduced the main characters neither learn nor gain anything other than restating their raison d’etre and passing them off with little reflection. Furthermore, one of the worst offenses is having them being reduced to a simple plot device to conveniently move the main cast in a certain direction. When the show takes a turn toward the darker end of the spectrum the supporting cast seem to be conveniently present at times where the main characters need them the most. Then, as if to add salt onto the wound, emotional thresholds become melodramatic and seemingly misplaced. The main characters, namely Murakami, Kuroha, and Kazumi start acting as if they are on a checklist to cry at a given point of the show.

It’s easy to call GnB dark and grim especially when we have death left and right. Though, the blood, melting, and secret organization are only a pretense to call it a “dark” show. Unfortunately, the show—in its vain attempt to show us tragedy—doesn’t build the right emotional motivation for us to feel attached to their characters. Because while supporting cast have attachments to the main cast, they served to do little in expressing the latter’s growth, thereby preventing the audience from vicariously feeling the main character’s loss. This is due to the poorly-written plot not making use of the supporting cast. In the end, the show leaves their deaths as an afterthought that forces us to simply accept the outcome and think “Thank god it wasn’t ______ who died.”

The story of the show isn’t unique—and I’m sure many have seen the cliché of the “stubborn MC” who will “do all he can to protect these people” from some “evil organization” bent on doing some sort of “evil on the world.” What the story does do a good job of is making a common theme their own by twisting it into something familiar, yet new. It piques the audience’s curiosity by introducing a variety of powers specific to certain ‘magicians’ and having them categorized by strength. What makes the story more redeeming is Murakami and the group’s combination of their weaker powers to overcome seemingly impossible odds, not simply relying entirely on ass pulls. And though the planning stages, as well as the transparency of their plans aren’t always revealed immediately (which at first seems to set itself up as an ass pull) becomes a refreshing sight to see how things do work out when they pool their assets.

Gokukoku no Brynhildr vainly introduces far too much to create their world and it resulted in disaster. Towards the end we are left with a bitter taste in the mouth with many loose ends and far too little questions answered.

If I had to define "beautiful" with an anime, I would have to say Nagi no Asukara.

The anime industry often has a tough time dealing with the idea of love. Very few have ever portrayed it correctly, and even then it's difficult to move us. They either fall flat because of pacing issues or the plot fails to convey a character's motivation causing climactic moments seem melodramatic or forced. Nagi no Asukara doesn't face these issues. In fact, the show has been one of the most well-paced anime I have ever seen in terms of character and plot development. I will get to that soon ... enough, but first I would like to start with the art.

You may know them best for animating Angel Beats!, Another, Tari Tari, and Hanasaku Iroha. Yes, it's P.A Works and they have done it again, creating wonderful background arts and stunning imagery as well as good, consistent animation. None of that going-to-shit in some episodes to save budget to make one or two episodes look fantastic. I don't know how many times I had to pause to take a screenshot to store in my wallpaper folder.

A lot of time is evidently dedicated to creating the world of Nagi no Asukara, and rightfully so. Story is heavily focused around their lives on Shioshishio and Oshiooshi. The sea's art alludes to the beauty of our own world but retains its mysteriousness. The ocean's depths isn't something people see every day and yet the studio is able to capture its beauty with little details like the schools of fish, coral reefs, and among other details that I won’t spoonfeed. The art manages to enrapture us by showing what the sea looks like, and it is only made more stunning by the inhabitants of Shioshishio going about their daily lives.

The sound to me was something to admire. The OPs and EDs were composed so well, and even the lyrics fit well into the story. The sound department did a stunning job, it’s not often you find a studio adhere to the laws of physics when creating sounds for the background. By this I mean the claps of thunder, thrashing of water, birds, fish, the bloops you hear from fish, etc.

I love good character development and I love good characters. It is incredible to see how much Hikari changes throughout the show. If you were to watch the first episode, and skip a few, you will notice that Hikari isn’t the same. Everything that happens in the plot serves to progress his development, and this was done extraordinarily well. While development is good, no development is also good when portrayed correctly. Take Chisaki for example, her development remains static, but it does something for the plot. It drives Kaname to act the way he does after the time skip and when juxtaposed to her peers accentuates the change that the group of friends go through. Furthermore, many, but not all of the supporting characters play their role into the story. Not everything is great though. I take issue with certain character interaction in the show. One blaring issue is the friendship between Kaname and Hikari. Their interactions with each other are so bland that it almost seems like they’re hardly childhood friends at all. It is known that tension exists between the two regarding Chisaki, but it isn’t conveyed enough in the dialogue between the two boys. Sure there was the time at the Shioshishio’s school, but having a climactic moment to portray that tension without proper character interactions prior to the incident is simply melodramatic. This just undermines the whole issue they have with each other and depreciates its attempt to move the audience.

The web of love may seem overwhelming at first, but when you stop, start at one character and ask yourself “who does this character like?” you will realize it is much simpler than you think.

The story is a simple one. This is a story about a young group of friends dealing with the concept of change, both themselves and the world around them. However, the plot is a lot more intricate. Four childhood friends from Shioshishio attend the surface school Mihama. Their coming of age becomes the catalyst that motivates the Sea God (Notice how Uroko-sama acts as the herald for some radical shift when he sniffs out Manaka and Miuna.) Along the way, tensions between the inhabitants of Oshiooshi and Shioshishio continue to grow and culminate into that dramatic shift. What I think the writers did best is how they well they incorporated the issue of change and love as a theme into the plot. I will explain; BEWARE, BEYOND THIS SENTENCE IS SPOILERS AND THEME ANALYSIS TERRITORY.

Theme of Love
One would imagine that after the main group deals with the idea of love after 26 episodes, at least one relationship would have formed. That isn’t the case, but that is the beauty of it. They are young and naïve, and they deal with love as young and naïve children do. Notice how by the end of the story the only ones to truly form a relationship is Akari and Itaru. This is because they are mature enough to understand love. (If you really want to use Egawa Takashi as a point to refute this theme go right ahead, but I disregarded him because he served very little importance to the main cast as opposed to Akari and Itaru).

Theme of Change
When Hikari wakes up after the time skip, he mentions to Chisaki that she hasn’t changed. He speaks in terms of maturity. Yet Chisaki feels she has changed. She speaks in terms of age. Two forms of changes are at play in this story, Age as a form of change, and Maturity as a form of change. Chisaki may have changed in regards to age, but she has not matured at all. This is evident when Chisaki pushed Tsumugu, it is very much like when Manaka pushed Hikari. Hikari on the other hand, while he hasn’t aged at all, he has matured very much. The character development for Hikari is so top notch such that no three episodes is he static. He is a very dynamic character that grows after facing a challenge.

In a nutshell, Nagi no Asukara is anime with a great plot-driven and character-driven premise. The art and sound is breathtaking and something to be admired. I am glad this nice little story was able to grace the face of the anime industry in such an ecchi-harem-romcom dominated age.

Little Busters! has been quite a ride. From the first season when Kyousuke invites us to partake in his missions, to the second season where we are disillusioned alongside Riki & Rin, and made to face a harsh reality. Refrain! brings an emotional end to this journey as a sequel that teaches a lesson.

The story of Refrain! is a sequel to the first season, Little Busters!, where Riki and Rin embark on a path as they become disillusioned by the truth of the world they live in. Continuing their pursuit in discovering the "Secret of the World," they are met with revelations of tragedy ... that they must overcome. It is a story that has been given a dose of the traditional KEY, a visual arts studio, supernatural elements to it. These elements are blended into such themes as "growing up," and "becoming stronger," among other motifs, that seem to centralize on the idea of adolescence. In essence, this is a story of friendship of the main Little Busters gang, as well as Riki and Rin's maturity and how they must bear leaving their childhood behind. In the bulk of Refrain!, the focus of the story is narrowed down to five main characters- Riki, Rin, Masato, Kengo, and Kyousuke. Each character whose actions and rationalizations are symbolically linked to how people tend to face the concept of adolescence. Riki and Rin are the two who go through this process of growing up. They are challenged by Kyousuke and Kengo who exemplify different approaches to adolescence, while Masato acts as the neutral man between the polar ends. In detail, Kyousuke represents the parents who want their children to develop their strength and become independent enough to face reality. Kengo represents the parents who want to shelter their children and protect their innocence from reality.

What really made me fall in love with Little Busters was the character interactions as well as their inner thoughts. I believe this is where the Little Busters excel the most at. A noticeable improvement from the first season is the better animation and focus on each character's emotions and their reactions. To name a few- Kengo and Kyousuke's altercation, and Kurugaya's out of character rage were conveyed and executed so well that it sent shivers down my spine when I heard their outbursts. Another instance of great execution is during the Little Busters' final baseball game where Kengo and Kyousuke break character from their usual stoic demeanor as they burst in to tears. That and the animation that accompanied their breakdown also brought me to tears as they, and the audience, take the full brunt of emotions over the realization of their departure. I also must credit Kyousuke's episode which is dedicated to his monologue; Kyousuke's trembling voice and tonal shifts along with his reaction to his own reflection was stunning to me. While not up to par, to me it was reminiscent to Kyon's self-questioning monologue in Disappearance of Suzumiya Haruhi. All of this is to be attributed to the spectacular work of the voice actors and the ability to animate what were originally still images(CGs) from the visual novel. However, not all scenes were done well and to say the characters were done perfectly would be a lie. There were several scenes that appeared as if their emotions were out of place if not forced. And while such scenes may have been the result of pacing issues, it is unfortunate to see characterization suffer as a result of pacing a one cour. That said, despite some parts being rushed, the characters were incredibly well done.

One thing that really stands out about Key works is Jun Maeda. His music seems to strike all the right chords during the right moments in these adaptations. This wouldn't be possible however, without Rita. The two worked together on the music for the VN, and while bringing it over to an adaptation still conveyed the right emotions during the animated scenes. While the music was fantastic, the sound department was lacking. I'll be a bit nitpicky here but sound does encompass background noise. Little nuances like having the sound of thunder/lightning/firework come at the same time as the light is simply lazy editing that could have been avoided. This, as well as certain sound inconsistencies aren't too noticeable, but nonetheless makes the overall adaptation seem lazy.

Little Busters: Refrain! has set the bar of expectations high for its adaptation due to the loyalty of the fanbase towards the Visual Novel. As a result, people who are only interested in the anime are given this illusion that the adaptation will grant the same feelings and emotions that were evoked from the VN. While the effect is different for every person, keep in mind that one shouldn't compare works made with a different medium. This is the trap that visual novel readers tend to create for adaptations, and the same applies to adaptations of light novels and mangas. So take Little Busters! Refrain as its own story, it was well done and conveyed what it wanted despite small inconsistencies here and there.

8.5/10