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Shounen ai isn't something that most anime fans find comfortable watching. Not that it makes these viewers necessarily homophobic, but considering the genre's abysmal record of featuring BL containing romanticized sexual assault (I'm looking at you Junjou Romantica) to portray romance between men—on top of subpar writing and cringe-worthy dialogues, it's understandable that viewers would rather avoid it.

With regards to Given though, please don't. It made me grateful that I gave shounen ai another chance. I would have to chuckle at the next person who complains that it panders too much to fujoshis considering that Given is a lot more subtle and tamer compared to ... most series in this genre; and that all characters are gay... Yeah well, duh? It's shounen-ai, expect that most of the characters are gay just as how harem anime has so many girls falling for the main boy. That's how the genre is. It's understandable if it's not up to anyone's liking, but criticizing a show for using its own genre's trope is not only silly, but also invalid. Otherwise, you'll also have to grumble about why shounen has tournament arcs.

With all that said:

Given is a breath of fresh air amidst the monotonous, oversexualized depiction of male romance and quite frankly puts almost every shounen ai title to shame. I guess there's an incredibly low bar set in this genre to begin with, but Given is one of the few that attempted to do so anyway, succeeded, and even exceeded expectations. It is not only one of the best in the shounen ai category, but also in the romance genre.

What separates this particular title from its predecessors is the organic development of the protagonists' relationship. The interactions within the story are authentic and purposeful with effective and appropriately-timed humor. Uenoyama and Akihiko's conversation when the former realizes that he may be in love with Mafuyu: "Is there something wrong with me?" "No." "What's wrong about it?" "That you're only supposed to be into girls or something?" - to me, cemented this show's narrative appeal. In those dialogues alone, it addressed the protagonist's inner conflict and confusion with regards to his sexuality in a surprisingly straightforward manner, without any overemphasis in it and without glossing over it either.

The cast might be polarizing, especially Mafuyu. He is incredibly socially awkward and preoccupied that some people think he may actually be autistic. His characterization appears be dull as he gets eclipsed by the more dominating and charismatic personalities like Uenoyama's or that he isn't as well-rounded as protagonists are expected to be. That being said, I couldn't bring myself to dislike him despite me being critical of other similar characters. His personality flaws, while they can be annoying to watch, were convincingly established. For an abused child who grew to be a queer and later found both his best friend and first love hanging dead in front (and because) of him, he is unapologetically honest, straightforward, and gutsy for all that he's been through with an effort to overcome his past and willingness to give romance another chance. How can I not root for him?

But what made Mafuyu particularly striking for me is his chemistry with other characters. As I've mentioned previously, there is a smooth progression of his relationship with Uenoyama with just the right amount of conflict that didn't (thankfully) devolve into a roundabout mess. There were no excessive indecisiveness and back and forth squabble "do you like me or not?" type of way that can be frustrating to watch. The rest of the cast may not have been as fleshed-out either, but considering how much story and characterization are allowed for 11 episodes, they have actually fulfilled their roles and purposes well with decent backstories that gave enough intrigue—leaving many of us wanting to see more.

Of course, Given isn't without any flaws and even I had several gripes with it. We all loved the concert scene and we couldn't have asked for a better pay-off. However, I'd argue that there was a bit of an underwhelming build-up for it. Despite several hints of Mafuyu's hidden talent earlier on, I still sort of found it quite not-so-convincing how he was able to suddenly belt out his song despite not being shown practicing or even coming close to finishing the lyrics. The overdramatic fret over him not being able to sing/not being able to finish the song until the literal last-second was also a bit unnecessary obviously made for a shock factor. Not to say that it wasn't effective, but again, unnecessary. The CGI inserts during the concert scene was also quite awkward albeit doesn't detract much from its entertainment value.

One last thing that I actually found a quite irksome was Yuuki's reason for suicide. I'm certain that the circumstances involving it are plausible in real life especially with people who have mental illness and preexisting suicidal tendencies, but the problem is none of those were established nor explored in his character that makes his reason for killing himself (Mafuyu telling him to do so during their fight and getting drunk) seem irritatingly trivial. Again plausible, but from a narrative point of view, I thought it was a weak point. I have not read the manga, so I'm not sure if there were more to it than what was presented.

That being said, Given resonated with me on a personal level, hence my appreciation for it. As someone who loves music and even attempted to learn the guitar myself (when I was a sophomore year in high school), watching a scene as simple as Uenoyama helping Mafuyu replace his guitar's strings and fine tune them was genuinely touching. How the band gravitated towards each other through mutual interest in music and especially how the two protagonists discover and reignite their passion for it was simply a beautiful and inspiring thing to see. All of which were successfully conveyed through an effective story-telling. There wasn't anything that bored me and every episode felt like five minutes long.

Overall, I enjoyed almost everything about Given. It may not be a completely solid story, but it was still such an emotionally satisfying watch for a mere 11-episode show. Its authenticity and expressiveness tugged my heartstrings, which I didn't think was possible.

Most Ergo Proxy fans tend to discredit other people who couldn't appreciate this "masterpiece" as either filthy casuals or plain stupid. I get that viewers sometimes need to put effort in understanding the concept of the show and I certainly have no problem doing just that. The thing is, if such effort is required to comprehend what is being conveyed due to the myriad of heavy and "deep" philosophical references and symbolism slapped in it every ten seconds, then maybe you have taken your humongous piece of convoluted fluff one step too far.

If you are unwilling to delve further into this review, I'll give ... a short explanation as to why I'm rating it this low: Ergo Proxy's story lacks cohesiveness with a lot of pointless meandering, underwhelming characterization, bleak presentation, and terribly slow pacing. It tries too hard to be deeply philosophical that it's painful.

Ergo Proxy tackles a lot of really interesting themes: self-discovery, mental illness, doomed Utopian city, etc. The thing is, it presents them in the most uninteresting, borderline comprehensible way possible. It's the type of show that raises new questions almost every episode and you're lost just about half the time. Sure, those questions are eventually answered in the last 2 or so episodes, but for a near 10-hour investment, I genuinely feel it wasn't worth it. It's slow-paced with a lot of randomly baffling scenes, most of them don't actually contribute to the plot and were just haphazardly slapped in there to make it even more confusing. It would have been much more tolerable had it been 10 episodes less than its actual count.

I care so much about how the story is presented as much as the story itself. Ergo Proxy is an experimental anime meant to be complex. It doesn't spoon-feed the audience and it requires them to think—something that I do appreciate. Ergo Proxy just struck a different cord for me. As I previously mentioned, it tries too hard to be deeply philosophical, but is ultimately just a huge clusterfuck with its disjointed narrative and concepts. It didn't properly establish the setting and whatever questions about how Romdeau came about were touched upon in a weirdly placed game show episode in the middle of the series like it was some kind of an afterthought. The Cogito virus wasn't also explained properly even though it's one of the most influential aspects in the story. But hey, it was probably intended to be "mysterious" right? Come on.

Then there are the characters. One of the most common comment I've seen on the boards is how the characters are extremely well-written and "unique." To each his own I guess, because I honestly found both Re-l and Vincent Law as equally dull as the show's atmosphere. Vincent Law, who actually is the central character of the story, doesn't have any particularly gripping characteristic besides the mystery that encapsulates his life. Even then I didn't find that mystery compelling and because it's made apparent in the beginning that he is the Ergo Proxy. Set that aside, Vincent is too plain, too basic, too ordinary for me to be invested in. In short, he is forgettable.

What's even worse is that the story is dedicated to an entire journey for the sole purpose of finding out who or what exactly is Vincent Law, and I guess that's the reason why this show almost bored me to death. While there should be a lot of intrigue in that premise, I simply couldn't connect with his character. He never really gave me a reason to, so why should I care? Re-l, on the other hand, acts as an edgy, spoiled brat for the most part. While I couldn't care less about Vincent, how she treats him during their voyage was extremely annoying and almost abusive considering that he was nothing but good to her. Even in the height of the climax up to the conclusion, her treatment of him had very little improvement. Pino and Raul Creed are honestly the only ones I can stand and found to be far more intriguing than the main characters. The rest of the cast are uninteresting weirdos that are as forgettable as Vincent is.

I'm not exactly sure what a "deep" anime is supposed to be like, but I sure know Ergo Proxy is certainly confusing. My problem with it isn't the intricate symbolism and heavy philosophical elements. It's the narrative, the often lack of continuity in it, and uninteresting and bland main characters. This review is as much as what I personally feel about it. And what I feel about Ergo Proxy is that it is the most bleak, meandering, convoluted journey to truth and self-discovery I've ever seen. I did not find it enriching nor entertaining in the least bit.

Romeo no Aoi Sora is, without a doubt, one of the most genuinely heartfelt shows I've had the pleasure to watch.

As most of the series from the World Masterpiece Theater, Romeo no Aoi Sora (Eng: Romeo and the Black Brothers) is also an adaptation of a famous classical children’s book, “Die schwarzen Brüder.” It came out in the winter of 1995 when this particular TV staple was on its final years and when there was a huge resurge of interest in mecha anime. At the same time, psychological and heavy action-centered shows were more popular than ever. Romeo no Aoi Sora seems almost obscure in ... the midst of all that and it’s understandably easy to overlook it today due to its rather ordinary and straightforward premise like other WMP works, often snubbed as “a children’s show” on top of its outdated style and animation; and honestly, it is quite a bit of a shame since it is a fantastic coming of age and slice of life anime that has aged pretty well and can certainly still be appreciated regardless of who and how old you are.

Story and Execution – 8/10: It’s a story of a young boy who was forced to sell himself as a chimney sweep in Milan during the 19th century to aid his impoverished family. The show depicts his struggles and triumphs as he attempts to overcome the cruelty of the world, protect the ones important to him, and somehow still pursue his dreams as he gain and lose allies along the way. Romeo no Aoi Sora is both a slice of life and an adventure series and while the setting seems mundane, there are exciting little adventures incorporated as we follow him and his friends.

Even though the story isn’t particularly groundbreaking nor unique, there is a pretty solid portrayal of the themes it touches upon – bonds, friendship, hardship, tragedy, hope. It also conveys a subject that is highly relevant to its targeted audience: the importance of education. Of course, this show isn’t without its shortcomings. There were some situations where they seemed a little bit exaggerated for full dramatic effect, at times too cruel, and the pacing may feel rushed in the last few episodes.

Characters – 8/10: The characters are pretty straightforward with both flaws and merits. They are sympathetic and aren’t particularly complex, but they do have their own charms. The antagonists are pretty one-dimensional and can be described as classically evil. That said, the most compelling aspect of the show is the protagonists’ character dynamics and their relationships with each other. Amidst all the superficial and fan-pandering character connections we see in a lot of anime today, Romeo no Aoi Sora portrays such with utmost sincerity.

Animation and Sound – 7/10: Sure, the visuals and sound can barely compare to modern animation and certainly not to any Ghibli films (in which works from the WMP are sometimes likened to). However, it looks good for the time of its production and seems to have aged well. I rewatched it not too long ago and I was impressed by how decent it still looks.

Enjoyment – 8/10: Watching it again more than a decade later, I’m reminded why this show is special. Even amongst all the good anime of the same genre I’ve seen over the years, Romeo no Aoi Sora is one of the very few that still stands out. Despite some of its flaws, it was created with a lot of heart and has a good message to send.

Overall: 8/10

This is a two-part review where I'll be weighing in the positives and negatives of this show.

Starting with what I thought it did right:

Despite Boku no Hero Academia’s rather familiar and simplistic premise, its thematic consistency and high production value made it possible for this title to gain recognition and significant following among the anime community. Season 1 managed to deliver in an impressive note and thankfully, that didn’t waiver at all in its continuing season. Much like its predecessor, Boku no Hero Academia 2 looks and sounds just as good—if not, even better. While it still didn’t take any risks, it did capitalize ... on the tried and tested formula in battle shounen that never failed to appeal to this genre’s fans and took the liberty to put its own creative spin to it—which I daresay has been pretty successful: Solidly executed action-packed superhero show with a competitive school life and comedy on the side. The tone shifts felt natural and it didn’t fall into the trap of forcefully incorporating dark, tragic themes nor did it get too hung up on its more serious tone just to make it look deep or mature. This anime is fortunately devoid of any of that pretentiousness and instead, it embraced its simplicity, which resulted to a cohesive storytelling. It’s a show that knows what it wants to do and doesn’t go beyond its limitations. At least, not yet anyway.

Although Boku no Hero Academia also happens to lump in almost every character archetype in shounen, it was at least able to turn them into a colorful bunch with just the right amount of exposure. More importantly, there has been better characterization amongst its main cast, which I guess is to be expected since this season delved further into the actual plot where it opened more room for character growth. Our protagonist grew from a cry-heavy (it's not really a word, I know) underdog to an impressive hero in-training who now has more control over his power. His progress felt smooth and his worth as All Might’s successor was constantly tested and proven in all of the arcs covered. Todoroki also had a more significant role, wherein we also learned about his backstory, motivations, and we saw the shift in his dynamics. As did Ida, who was a key player in the second arc that involved the Hero-Killer, Stain. All Might is just as majestic and his power display against Deku and Bakugo in the exam arc was nothing short of spectacular. Their fight was awesome and arguably the best in this season.

Bakugo is still a mixed bag to be honest. He was still quite obnoxious with few redeemable moments, who also couldn’t seem rid himself off of the insecurity and hostility that he had always felt towards Deku. But on another note, he was absolutely hilarious and entertaining this season and I find it hard not to enjoy his chemistry with other characters, especially when he becomes the object of their mockery. His rage reactions are comedy gold and I wouldn’t be surprised if people actually consider him a walking meme at this point. There were also subtle hints of his development thrown here and there to keep us at the edge of our seats whenever he's on screen. The rest of the supporting cast, most especially the class A students, also had their fair share of the spotlight. Though some may complain about how little exposure the rest of the class A students had in the sports festival, I'd argue that it worked out for the story given that the focus of the arc were meant to be Deku and Todoroki in the first place.

I also want to commend how superb the sound, visuals, and animation were in this anime. This was mostly displayed in the Sports Festival arc, which in my opinion, is also this season’s highlight. Hats off to the voice actors as well, who did a phenomenal job conveying the characters' emotions in the most intense moments. They truly didn’t hold back in making this season a spectacle, contributing further to the anime’s general appeal.

My issues with this show:

First that comes to mind is the underwhelming antagonists, given that there seems to be a tad few legitimate threats whose characters also managed to be interesting – Stain (granted that we haven’t seen the last of him) and a couple of new villains introduced by the tail end of the season might draw some intrigue back. In contrast to them, Tomura Shigaraki and his other minions in the League of Villains, ever since their introduction up to the most part of this season, are honestly just really—for the lack of better word—bleh. Second, it’s still lacking in world-building. I was hoping to see even just a glimpse of how the rest of the world fairs in this storyline, but I guess it’s too early for that. Note that those I mentioned above are just very minor issues that I have with this season, hence, I'm not going to elaborate on it further. I’m aware that this is one of those overarching series that would take a little more time to explore its full potential; and that is fine, so I'll just leave it at that and that I’m not docking off points because of that. I will still keep these in mind as I tread further into the series, however.

Having all that said, my actual gripe with it is that it feels too comfortable. While Boku no Hero Academia is certainly one of the better battle shounen anime out there today, its generic or rather ordinary nature is also why I can’t consider it to be great. Besides its very impressive technical presentation and solid delivery, the story simply lacks the ingenuity or in other words, the “wow” factor that makes anime like Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood or Hunter x Hunter, in my honest opinion, the pinnacle of the genre. Don’t misunderstand though—I don’t intend to draw comparisons just to glorify those aforementioned titles nor to put BnHA down. I’m also not necessarily implying that it’s automatically mediocre just because it doesn't have complex themes or isn’t unique. I simply want to make a distinction that justifies my score for this given that I also use the rating scale differently. While I believe that storytelling and execution are what separates the good shows from the bad, I also believe that a compelling narrative with equally compelling characters are what separates good shows from the elite. BnHA is simply lacking in that department.

As mentioned beforehand and despite its stylish, cartoon-esque style and my initial praise for its well-delivered plot and colorful characters, it doesn’t have any trait that makes it truly stand out and incomparable to others. As such became more apparent this season as we continue to witness yet again some very familiar and overdone concepts in shounen: the underdog protagonist who continues to work hard and also tries to seek acknowledgment from the rival who hates his guts; the good ol’ tournament that actually serves as a stage for the protagonist to inspire and subsequently “soften” another rival who has parental issues; a chance encounter with the murderous villain with misunderstood intentions to help a friend who was in a quest for revenge; the mysterious big bad lurking in the shadows; etc. That's not a fault in itself considering that it's normal to have shared themes or tropes in this genre. It does what shounen anime do after all. That said, such idea unfortunately doesn't save it from being predictable, run-of-the mill story wherein we can only look forward to how the creators will put their own spin to these tropes. And since it took inspiration from other well-known titles, it also suffers from the inevitable comparison due to it having very similar concepts that have already been done and outdone (arguably) by some of its predecessors.

It is still a good show for those who appreciate simple, solid, and well-animated shows though. I generally like action anime, so I was consistently invested. But for those who are not a fan of this genre or have seen almost everything it has to offer, it takes more than what BnHA presented to keep them genuinely impressed—which I really couldn’t blame them for.

To wrap it up:

I still think that Boku no Hero Academia 2 is a fun-filled, easy to watch show with so much potential and it seems to tread in the right direction. Whatever it may lack in story, setting, or characters, it still kind of makes it up with its consistency and entertainment value. Not to mention, its excellent animation and sound. It’s an eye candy that’s still worth the watch.

* To anyone who's interested, this is the actual breakdown of my score:

Story: 5/10 | Execution: 8/10 | Characters: 6/10 | Presentation: 8/10 | Enjoyment: 7/10