Wow did this show really hit me in the feels and my personal life experiences. I was also adopted and, since my mother was sick for many years and eventually passed away when I was quite young, it has been just me and my dad since then. It's not always easy to be a part of a non-stereotypical family background, especially when facing the occasional prejudice from the rest of society. But in comes Usagi Drop and some beautiful perspective on what it means to be family and what loving unconditionally looks like, regardless of circumstance.
Story: (9)
The premise is truly refreshing against the
...
backdrop of popular action, fantasy, mystery, etc. shows that seem to top the anime charts each season. Even within the scope of typical slice-of-life anime, Usagi Drop presents a unique story that focuses on the relationship between parent and child. Within the parent-child sub-genre itself, this show centers on the, practically never explored, bond between a first-time single father, Daikichi, and his newly adopted young "daughter," Rin.
The show follows a linear plot that centers on Rin's childhood years from day-care to early elementary school. I admit that I would have liked to see a longer run that explored Rin's life into adolescence..but the period of time that was focused on was executed beautifully. I especially appreciated how most episodes highlighted a certain childhood milestone (i.e. losing baby teeth) which brought back some nostalgic memories.
Of other special note is the fact the effort Usagi Drop took to explore a variety of different family dynamics. While it mostly focused on the father and daughter bond, the single-mother relationship between both son and daughter were also included. These non-stereotypical families were juxtaposed against the typical "father, mother, and a couple children families." Usagi Drop truly excelled at highlighting some of the difficulties of growing up in an "unusual" or typical familial dynamic alike, without stigmatizing any singular type of family. There was also some exceptional scenes of the occasional difficulties a father (male) has in trying to relate to a daughter (female) and vice versa for mother and son which can be further exasperated within single-parent families.
Pacing was good and I found myself surprised that an episode ended so quickly on several occasions. In summation, this show provided warm feel-good moments of Daikichi and Rin bonding along with the other parents and children they made friends with along the way.
Art: (9)
I appreciated the "cutesy" art style of soft lines and color palette that fit in with the overall fluffy atmosphere despite the ups and downs of parenting. Occasionally some scenes lost some precision because of the soft lines, but the majority of scenes were beautifully animated in their simplistic style.
Character designs were refreshingly accurate for such a mundane setting (no crazy blue, green, purple, etc. hair that is often typical of other genres of anime), and the background sceneries, especially during the changing of seasons, were particularly superb.
Sound: (9)
Both the opening and ending songs fit the mood of the show perfectly with their upbeat, feel-good vibe. The ending song is particularly catchy and personally evoked some really nostalgic feels of childhood “naivety” for me.
The soundtrack within the show is able to encompass a cutesy, upbeat sound for cute child moments, as well as a more melancholic tone by utilizing strings, especially when regarding Rin’s background, equally well. The OST is not incredibly impressive as a standalone work, but each scene is made that much more emotional with the accompanying music in each scene.
Voice acting was superb and gave each character incredible depth. Rin and Kouki’s VAs get a special round-of-applause from me for capturing the way children speak so well!
Character: (10)
For such a short one-cour anime, each character in Usagi Drop was developed and explored incredibly well.
Rin wins the award for being the most well-behaved, easy-going, compassionate six year old ever! I found it incredible that a young girl in the troubled situation she was in was able to find happiness and contentment with the good things she did have.
Little Kouki’s character provided some excellent contrast to Rin’s. While Rin is pretty mellow, Kouki is an energetic, “disregarding the rules of the adults,” kid that is typical of many boys his age. Yet somehow Kouki showed an understanding of how to care for his “small” family that went well beyond the selfishness and unawareness that one would expect in someone his age. Both children came from unusual circumstances and still made the cutest of childhood friends- I enjoyed watching all their antics throughout the show.
Daikichi is a first-time dad, not to mention single, who does an excellent job learning quickly in how to care for Rin. His compassion and unconditional love he shows towards her and her friend Kouki is portrayed in both his actions and his words- the sacrifices he makes for his child along the way encompasses all the struggles and joys of becoming a good parent. Kouki’s mother, Yukari, is also healthily involved in the life of her son and in Rin’s as well. I enjoyed the cute bonding scenes between Daikichi and Yukari alone as well as the cute “family” moments between the both of them and each of their children.
Another highlight of the character relationships that is worth pointing out are the scenes in which we see just how important it is sometimes to have a mentor of the same sex for a child as they are growing up. The scenes between Daikichi and Kouki, and Yukari and Rin were a bit too few and far between for my taste, but the ones that were shown portrayed the reality that some things can really only be understood between two males or two females.
The rest of the supporting characters were touched on enough to provide a sense of satisfaction and meshed with the main characters well.
Enjoyment: (10)
Each episode of Usagi Drop was a joy to watch. When reflecting on this show, I am able to pinpoint many beautiful aspects of this show: parents sacrificing for their children, the growth of children and the pride of their parents, learning how to become a family despite any circumstance, and many other warm, fuzzy aspects. I looked forward to watching each episode and was so sad when I reached the last of this short 11-episode anime.
Overall: (9)
As much as I enjoy fantasy and psychologically dark genres of anime, Usagi Drop provided a much needed get-away from such shows. It was nice to be reminded of good times with the loved ones I hold dear. This show is only 11 episodes long so I urge anyone to just give it a shot. If you immerse yourself in this show, you will be able to gain a better perspective on how to find happiness no matter how unusual your circumstances are.
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Jun 22, 2016
Usagi Drop
(Anime)
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Wow did this show really hit me in the feels and my personal life experiences. I was also adopted and, since my mother was sick for many years and eventually passed away when I was quite young, it has been just me and my dad since then. It's not always easy to be a part of a non-stereotypical family background, especially when facing the occasional prejudice from the rest of society. But in comes Usagi Drop and some beautiful perspective on what it means to be family and what loving unconditionally looks like, regardless of circumstance.
Story: (9) The premise is truly refreshing against the ...
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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May 17, 2016
Yu☆Gi☆Oh! Duel Monsters
(Anime)
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Like many others of my generation, I've been on a nostalgic Yugioh craze since learning about the new movie that was just released in April this year. While Yugioh will always hold a special place in my heart due to the impact it had on my childhood years, I have purposefully re-watched all 224 episodes of this show with a critical eye and sadly cannot bring myself to give it a higher score.
Unfortunately, Yugioh is a prime example of an amazing premise that suffers from poor execution. (Also of note, my review will refer to the dub names/situations- although I am aware of the ... changes that 4kids made to the original sub...) Warning, this WILL be a LONG REVIEW for a LONG anime Story: (7) It hurts me to give a score this low to an anime that could have easily deserved a 9 or 10 for its ingenious premise: incorporating ancient Egypt (when do we ever see this?!) into our modern-day 21st century society. Additionally, the whole system of the Duel Monsters card game is incredibly creative! It's hard to believe that one guy is behind all the different monster, spell, and trap cards. *It's important to remember that, in this original Yugioh series, the mangaka Kazuki Takahashi was still trying to figure out the exact rules of the card game that he was essentially creating from scratch at this point in time...so of course it would seem like the characters are cheating because the rules of the actual TCG changed only AFTER the story of Yugioh was complete.* Also of note, while the dub contains egregious amounts of censoring out violence, I do think that 4kids made a smart move by including the shadow realm. Others may disagree with me, but having to spend an eternity with your mind trapped in a terrifying place sounds like a much harsher punishment than just *death*. Despite all these promising plot devices, it's impossible to overlook the many facets of the story that are underdeveloped due to much of the background development of our two main characters getting skipped over. This development is extremely important because this particular story only works well if it ultimately centers around both Yuugi and his alter-ego, Yami's, character development. Because this is an adaptation, I wish to look at what the story could have been if it had stayed truer to the manga. *SPOILERS IN THIS NEXT SECTION* I do recognize that this adaptation bears no connection to the Toei Yugioh adaptation (also known as season 0) and that the subtitle of the title is DUEL MONSTERS...so of course it would center on the Duel Monsters card game..but I still honestly believe Studio Pierrot missed out because of the decision to leave out the early "school" days arc in which Yuugi was still a timid boy who was bullied at school and the spirit inside the puzzle was a psychopathic sadist akin to a serial killer. Instead the whole anime starts off with Yuugi already surrounded by friends with no signs of a troubled social life. Also, it would have added so much to the overall plotline if just ONE EPISODE was included early on that explained exactly how Yuugi met his two best bros, Joey and Tristan, in the manga. Studio Pierrot tried to hide bits and pieces of this in the middle of the series (like episode 70ish) of how Yuugi stood up for Joey and Tristan, his two most prominent bullies, when they were getting pummeled by an even bigger bully. Unfortunately many viewers probably won't even reach this point of the show because, due to the way this studio handles this adaptation, the overall premise of Yugioh seems like your typical shounen show in which the main protagonist starts off as a confident kid who is more than ready to accept the call to save the world. Yuugi is supposed to be set apart from the typical shounen genre hero! I will expand on this and pacing more under the character section. *END OF SPOILERS* Finally, the pacing of the show varies from good to extremely poor. The pacing of each episode can seem a little slow/drawn out. Generally the duels could have finished about 10-20 minutes earlier if the characters cut out all their trash-talking...but it's something that can be overlooked when remembering that these characters are competing in tournaments akin to your typical video game or sports match that can't be complete without the trash talk. The pacing for each season and the series as a whole does a pretty good job for your typical shounen series of building up the suspense to the last big villain duels. The pacing within the seasons of Duelist Kingdom and Battle City grabbed the viewers' attention well. My only gripe is that the Virtual World filler arc occurred right between the Battle City semi-finals and finals which totally threw off the pacing and suspense of the main plotline. Art: (6) I'll cover the good first: the character designs are outstanding! Kazuki Takahashi, the mangaka, did an excellent job making these characters STAND OUT from the rest of the anime/manga crowd, and I appreciate the fact that the animation studio chose to stay as close to his original designs as possible. Additionally, the overall bright color palette highlights all the different monster designs and the "shounen-ness" well... BUT, THIS DOES NOT EXCUSE THE INCONSISTENCIES BETWEEN EPISODES. Yes, I do realize that this aired from 2000 to 2004. Yes, I do realize that this is a long-running show which leaves more room for error/inconsistencies between the animation quality of episodes. BUT, the character designs should not change as often as they do!! In many episodes, the characters look much more bishie, the heights of characters fall all over the place, and OHGAWD, can we talk about Yuugi's hair?!? His hair, by nature, is incredibly extravagant... but it's not that huge! In many episodes it makes up HALF OF HIS ALREADY SHORT HEIGHT. -.- The lack of communication and accountability on Studio Pierrot's part regarding consistency when they asked other studios to animate certain episodes turned out to be an unfortunate oversight. Some episodes look excellent and could fit in right with the shows that are currently airing. Others are animated so poorly that the faces in the background look like sad little blobs with horribly deformed eyes. Sound: (7) In regards to the dub: while cheesy with the stuttering (D-x9-Duels!), the opening theme is pretty epic. The ominous melody does prepare viewers to watch a pretty dark (children's) show. The motif within the last 10 seconds of the opening reappears often in the show as the "heroic" theme and becomes very memorable. In general, the American soundtrack really likes to utilize horns, the typical heroic instrument. In all honesty, many songs of the OST sound pretty generic on their own, but they do highlight the characters/certain situations well (i.e. Pegasus' theme, the theme of the Egyptian god cards, Seal of Orichalcos, etc.) In regards to the sub: the pretty upbeat openings and endings highlight the positivity of Yuugi, our true main character, and his coming-of-age journey with his friends incredibly well. The heavy use of strings in this OST successfully highlights the much more melancholic vibe/atmosphere of the original Japanese characterizations of Yuugi and Yami. Unfortunately, many of the songs do end up sounding quite similar to each other because of the heavy-use of strings. Overall though, the soundtracks of both the dub and sub fit the respective tone of the series they hope to portray- American: heroic and Japanese more humanistic, melancholic. Characters: (8) The characters of Yugioh make the show truly memorable. I appreciate that Yuugi's group of friends really breaks the typical high school stereotype. Unlike other shounen shows that don't even take place in a setting similar to our mundane real world lives, the friendship dynamic of Yuugi, Joey, Tristan, and Tea are a breath of fresh air. Yuugi begins as your typical geeky/nerdy kid who loves games, and somehow becomes best friends with the class thug (Joey) and the typical cool/jock guy (Tristan). Both Joey and his sister Serenity receive a lot of character development and it's great to see how their unfortunate life situations begin to turn around due to Yuugi's influence. Tristan doesn't get nearly as much development, but we do get to see him as a cool guy with a heart of gold that will do anything for his friends. Finally, Tea. While she doesn't get a lot of development per se...(due to the fact that the entire first "school" arc of the manga was not adapated so we never get to see her staring personality) She does help push Yuugi and his friends forward when duels get rough. In the sub she is nearly not as cheesy with her friendship speeches. Instead she actually mixes her encouragement up with perseverance and "fighting spirit" words. Unfortunately, Tea lucked out on her development from more selfish to selfless love for her friends in both the sub and dub...but more so in the dub. Seto Kaiba's personality also suffers like Tea's when going from sub to dub. In the sub Kaiba is a little-more openminded (which is saying a lot compared to the dub!) to all the "supernatural" events that surround Yuugi and the duels he plays. Kaiba also becomes a little less of a jerk throughout season 4 and 5. In the dub he only comes across as an asinine skeptic who still doesn't believe in what is right in front of his eyes no matter how many times it is shown or explained to him. His skepticism adds to his asshole-ness...but he does play an important role in becoming a pretty stark character foil to both Yuugi and Joey. Due to two whole filler seasons dedicated to the character development of Kaiba and his brother Mokuba, their characters remain interesting because of the focus on explaining their harsh childhood backgrounds. It still remains pretty inexcusable to me that Kaiba remains such a jerk when Yuugi and Joey have also come from harsh backgrounds but grew to become much more empathetic people...but I guess everyone grows at their own pace. Overall I appreciate how the personalities of Kaiba, Yuugi, and Joey all differ yet complement each other really well throughout the anime. The rest of the characters all have pretty interesting personalities that differ enough from each other. They are all memorable and add enough to the plot without overshadowing our main gang. I especially enjoyed watching Mai, Rebecca, and Duke grow a bit. The villains may all seem pretty generic but they play their part well. I do think season 4/Orichalcos arc should get a special mention though for having some pretty well-developed lackeys who remain pretty interesting throughout the season. Finally, the main reason why I can't give this section a 9 or 10 is because of what we miss out on regarding Yuugi's growth. We never see him as the timid shy boy who started off friendless, grows up to standing up to all those who hurt his friends even if it meant that he would get beaten to a pulp. This is where Yami's dark sadistic games would take over. The anime fails to portray the stark contrast between Yuugi's forgiveness, compassion, and pacifism and Yami's arrogance and cruelty. Instead, the anime starts off with the portrayal that Yami is already a pretty benevolent spirit who only wants to do what's best for his "family" and ultimately the world. Yami ends up completely overshadowing Yuugi throughout the entire show because they both possess the "heroic" character traits. Yami just has more assertiveness/confidence that allows him to pull ahead of Yuugi in screentime. Even with the Orichalcos arc, the adaptation still falls flat in showing how Yuugi and Yami slowly complement and learn from each other since they start off as complete opposites. This is especially obvious in the last couple episodes of the show. *POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS SECTION* This is especially disappointing because the Kaiba brothers get essentially more screentime on their character growth than the main character himself. YES I AM GOING TO SAY IT. YUUGI IS THE MAIN CHARACTER. Not Yami. Yami is someone who helps Yuugi along the way but ultimately it is Yuugi who enriches the plot. As the anime shows, Yuugi is the exceptional boy who solved the millenium puzzle, made friends with his enemies, and had the courage to stand with Yami during shadow games even if it could cost him his soul. Because the anime loves to hype up Yami's character so much, Yuugi's coming-of-age journey falls flat at the end of the series. For a series that is well known for it's "ass-pulls" when it comes to winning the duel in the exact right way at the exact right time, the ending of this show seems like a literal ass-pull in trying to tie up Yuugi's character growth... *END OF SPOILERS* Enjoyment: (9) I truly enjoyed Yugioh. I realize that shows that I tend to be more critical of, I tend to enjoy more because my "constructive...heheh" criticism is just a way for me to show how much I truly loved a show. The variety of cards in the duels always astounded me and I looked forward to what kind of deck and strategy the next opponent would have. *(Reminder, the rules for duel monsters were still being developed by Kazuki Takahashi while the show was airing so not every move is cheating).* The characters in Yugioh stood out to me when I was a child, and they stood out even more 10 years later as I rewatched the series as an adult. It was refreshing to watch the characters adventure through the "real-world," not some fantasy land- this allowed me to actually delve into the storyline because I felt like, as cheesy as it sounds, that a duel monsters tournament could be taking place in a big city like San Francisco right in present day. Of important note: coming from someone who tends to avoid all English dubs, I have been surprisingly impressed with the voice acting of 4kids. Even if there is lots of censorship...I would have to say that the dub is worth it just for the voices...the sub is not bad though. Either way Yugioh was extremely enjoyable. Overall: (7) The anime takes a pretty typical shounen route in regards to themes and villains, so it's definitely not perfect...but somehow it still stands out from the rest. Watching someone play card games and draw a hand has never seemed as impressive or entertaining as Yugioh makes it. If you can sit through characters voicing off their strategies for their card games, then you're in for a journey about the true meaning of friendship- friends that are always there for each other no matter how dangerous their journey gets.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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May 4, 2016
Sakamichi no Apollon
(Anime)
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I spent an amazing six years playing jazz charts in my junior high and high school jazz bands. It's no wonder, then, that this anime holds a special place in my heart.
Story: (9) On first glance, Sakamichi no Apollon appears to be a coming-of-age story that is centered around two high school boys who end up becoming the most unlikely of friends through a shared love of jazz music. While this is true, on second glance, the story of this anime becomes much more than that. The way Sakamichi no Apollon includes romance, relations with other characters, and reactions to adversity in life and ... in the world around is entirely realistic and believable given the age of these characters. The small inclusions here and there of the important historical context of the era, such as the Japanese social activist movements and American military presence in Japan, provides the viewer with snapshots of what it meant to live in Japan during the 1960s. The setting of this anime is a true breath of fresh air among other fantasy, sci-fi, and other similar shows that seem to top and the fill the anime charts each season. Art: (8) The simplistic style in which the characters' faces and bodies are drawn are fitting given that the story centers around portraying the mundane and realistic lives of the characters. Forgive me for I am not an artist, but I have noticed that the "atmosphere" of each scene seems a bit "feminine" (soft lines and color palette)- a successful touch that matches the Josei genre well. While the animation is not flashy or mouth-dropping by any means, the movements are fluid and the overall character designs and backgrounds are pleasing to the eye. ' Sound: (8) Now this is where the jazz-loving, nostalgic me wanted to give this anime a 10. Unfortunately, Sakamichi under-delivers for an anime that is often praised for being jazz-centered. The jazz charts that are present are incredibly catchy and display good balance in sound amongst all instruments (a feat which is often hard to accomplishment in my opinion). Unfortunately, the musical pieces are too few and far between and a bit too "mono-genre jazz" for my taste. The soundtrack still does a good job setting the tone when it is actually present. In all honesty, if you came here looking for a variety of jazz genres like bebop, bossa nova, blues, dixieland, and all in between, you will be disappointed...but if you can get past the fact that this show is not "music-centered" but "centered around the love of music," then you're in for a touching and emotional story. Characters: (10) This is where Sakamichi no Apollon truly shines. Both Kaoru and Sentarou, two seemingly friendless outcasts at school who come from completely different familial backgrounds, begin to experience incredible development of their maturity and perspective of the world through their budding friendship. Ritsuko is well-characterized as a friend, love-interest, and overall normal teenage girl as well. The rest of the supporting characters are all given enough screen-time to develop their personalities and role in the story that is centered around main characters Kaoru and Sentarou. I also appreciate that much of the characterization does not stem from boring "show-and-tell" dialogue only. The actions and unspoken words of characters truly highlights and develops the personality of each one. The screen-time given for each character does a remarkable job of neither overshadowing the main characters nor appearing like useless filler- creating an overall fulfilling and connected story which highlights each character in a meaningful way. Enjoyment: (9) Sakamichi no Apollon reminds me of just how much music can bring all sorts of people together. There were many members within my own jazz band that, on the outside, would seem like the most unlikely of personalities to mesh well together...however, our love for music allowed us all to relate and connect to each other in some way. As a musician, I felt incredibly nostalgic throughout the whole watch. Musician or not though, the stories of these characters is entirely relatable and enjoyable for almost anyone who has gone through inevitable period of growing up. Overall: (9) The characters of Sakamichi no Apollon take us on an emotional journey through all the ups-and-downs of friendship, romance, and adolescence in 1960s Japan. Even though we, as viewers, may be separated by a generation gap, the feelings and actions of those living in the 1960s is not much different from our emotions and lives in present-day. The lives of these characters really touched my heart and I'm sure it will touch yours as well...and none of this story could be possible without the shared love of music and jazz.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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