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Dec 19, 2021
Boo! Do you believe in ghosts? Or rather, do you believe in spirits? These are age-old questions that have enchanted many generations, cultures, religions and beliefs around the world. It is as if humanity has developed along with the thought of there being something beyond humanity, beyond the natural, something supernatural. Well, if you like these horror stories, with a touch of comedy, take a look at Mieruko-chan.
*From here on there may be some spoilers. I will avoid using too many, but I recommend coming back here only if you have seen the anime or read the manga*.
Mieruko... Ah Mieruko... How to talk about this
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show. Well, to be honest, at first I had no perspective for its adaptation and this was a feeling I had since reading with the manga. Mieruko-chan is a read that sparked a sense of confusion in me while reading. Not because it has problems in its plot or because it is simple and dynamic for the comic format, but rather because it was a story in which I didn't know what to feel, whether it was fear, identification with Miko (our protagonist), whether it was happiness for the friendships, whether it was reflection for the minimal messages, among other sensations and thoughts that went through my head. Today, thinking calmly, the show is a combination of all this.
Miko is the central character. It is in her that things happen. In fact, it is her ability to see monsters (or whatever they are). These creatures are invisible to normal human eyes, but in Miko, it is different. Without much ado, the anime already shows Miko to be a very intriguing character. Seriously, her physical appearance with this pessimistic and world-weary view, even if it is not fully externalized, offers a very interesting contrast, even more so when Miko is not alone. One example of this is Hana.
Hana is basically the optimistic girl of the anime. She is outgoing, talks to everyone, likes to help people, and? she eats too much. Seriously, in many moments where Hana would go to a store and buy several candies and breads I would laugh and see how contrasting the two friends are. It's as if two totally unbalanced archetypes were destined to be together in a strong bond to further the show. And the way the anime offers this with every scene of the two, was for many times the reason I was watching Mieruko-chan.
Going back a bit into the existence of these monsters, Miko also becomes the explored character of the anime. Sure, she's the protagonist and all, but a show that caters to the protagonist's needs and thoughts in a way that evolves our knowledge of this world is not a repeat or existing thing, at least not when it comes to shows with an idea of facing the supernatural. All the stages of discovery, perception of something escaping normality (as if seeing monsters is normal, haha), fear, resentment, and brotherhood are placed on Miko as a key piece to the future of the work. From a rough and tough looking man wanting to adopt a cat, to a monster helping a lady remember a password to her safe, or even when a bracelet that was made to ward off monsters breaks when Miko puts it on her arm, the character grows in the anime in the same way as the viewer. This offers a greater appreciation with her and a sympathy with her friends. Hana is one of them, the other is Yulia.
Yulia is like Miko. She also sees monsters and has similar abilities, but with a bit of problematization. Yulia cannot actually see all monsters. The show has not yet explored this condition, but Yulia also becomes important to the course of the story. She, for example, sees a kind of aura about Hana and realizes that Hana's being a glutton is due more to her direct contact with the monsters than really to her passion for food. Miko, not knowing exactly about Yulia's abilities, knows at least that there is something about the monsters that affects Hana. So the two complement each other both in powers and in perceptions about everything supernatural that happens in the story.
Without saying too much about the events of the anime, it is worth pointing out that it also has its limitations. Most of these small problems are not actually things that annoy me about the show, nor things that detract from my experience, but they are moments where greater care needs to be taken in making...
Putting our perceptions together with Miko, it is normal for us not to know exactly what each monster means, if they mean anything more than the show tells us. There are creatures that devour others, creatures that stalk others, that possess the mind of another as a trauma, that have a love relationship with another, Miko's own Father (which was a pretty interesting shock, but needs a better demonstration, since it was the only time a spirit personified in this way), among others. Diverging these monsters is certainly not easy, and Miko is not to blame for this, nor is the show, but it ends up being a limitation depending on the way a story concludes. And honestly, the way it concluded left something to be desired when it came to these factors. I avoided saying this, but the anime also ends up purposely choosing angles that suggest a more "ecchi" side about Miko and sometimes about Hana as well. In the beginning of the show, this was much more exposed and visible than in the middle and the end, which avoided continuing with these displays. It's not really a negative thing about Mieruko, but it distanced it from the goals of the story as a whole. It was an element without many features and became forgettable over time.
On a quality note, I have to applaud the Passione studio. Their execution within the show was great and surprised me. Both animation and the scenes where fighting took place (between the monsters, obviously) were very well directed and worth it to me. It was like another anime, totally different, but they didn't take away the essence of the show at any point. The sound elements, the opening and ending were also good and sum up well what Mieruko-chan is all about as a whole. Now any kind of "glitch" that I hear out there I will mistake for this anime, hahaha.
Finally, if you like a story that is crazy but slowly gets on track, Mieruko-chan is for you. It's a show that I saw with almost zero expectation, but it won me over with time. I really don't think it's a good anime or anything like that either, it's just not a story that entertains me easily anyway. But I will state, it was an anime that improved on its original material, so don't despair in case the reading isn't that great, maybe a sequel to the show is all we wanted. That's what I imagine. See you next time!
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Sep 30, 2021
- This Review contains spoilers -
Talking about Sotsu is really hard...
Going back in time, in 2020 we had the first part of the New Project of the franchise, which at the same time connected events of the original story, serving as a sequel for the anime, promoted a new experience, different from what was already presented.
It was confirmed that from the beginning Gou was a contradictory season for the show, as it involved a conflict within the very functionality and purpose of what was Higurashi until the end of the canonical arcs adapted from the Visual Novels. What marked the franchise for almost 20 years
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was set aside in favor of building a new story. An ambitious move, no? It is hard to think that a story already finished had anything more to tell, but honestly the feeling that Sotsu caused in the end was sadness.
The first three arcs (Oniakashi, Wataakashi and Tatariakashi), Sotsu oscillated quite a bit. The project really delivered a good start, where the conclusion of the arc in which Rena starred brought great anticipation for what would come next. Wataakashi was different... It was not the same feeling. The perception I had was that the staff had invested their time to start the show, but did not take good care in concluding this whole new phase. During this arc, it was interesting to see Mion being the real culprit in this little mystery. Of course, we can't forget that in the end the real culprit was always Satoko. When the show gives its plot twist still in Gou, it was expected that Satoko would be put on a pedestal as a villain. Well, that happened. If that's what the anime wanted, it got it. This idea whereby the show sustained itself injected added scenes with the perspective of Satoko having these "two faces". However, from here, it has a problem. Possibly the problem that destroyed much of the potential that New Project had.
From the third arc on (Tatariakashi), I could already see that the show was going to decline. I remember talking to some people about the status of the show during the release of the episodes and I knew that this projection of 15 episodes done the way it was would not be enough. Lack of time? Honestly, no. With 15 episodes it is possible to build a story that would conclude Higurashi, for sure. What prevented that was the time used during each of the parts that solved the mysteries separately. The show did this at the time with the second season. It was a formatting that worked and concluded the series in a positive way. Passione has consistently tried to repeat this, but has not succeeded. Tatariakashi was already a stage where you had both Satoko at her peak of madness, and moments where you didn't know what she really wanted.
Moving on, the franchise took steps backwards when it came to identifying the characters. The final conflict caused a sincerely silly fight between St. Lucia and Hinamizawa. Again, the selfishness that possessed Satoko exceeded her understanding with what she herself wanted. Episodes 10 and 11 demonstrate this, where there is a struggle unconsciously within her mind. A person who is already consumed by hatred against someone who still wants to have her life in peace. I didn't understand what actually occurred with this scene. It was just intriguing and would be a great way to cause Satoko's own redemption about what she did. But as the following episodes went on, that moment really didn't do much good. And even if Tatariakashi's conclusion had been good, the execution of the arc didn't please.
Remember what motivated her to do all this? Not wanting to lose her friendship with Rika was a huge desperation inside the character's heart. And now, she tries to fix it, even if she has to go through several loops and deaths to find the "ideal universe". Selfish, isn't it? This possession awakened a parallel personality that would cause more focus on the supernatural part of the series. Eua and Hanyuu were already characters that had this objective of serving as support to make the show's conclusions easier to reach. It turns out that with Hanyuu, in the original story, the explanations and dramas inserted were answered in a way that caused the interest of those watching. Yes, it's still a pretty boring way to think about it, but it was a lazy idea. Ryukishi could have brought this story turn around with a little more aptitude.
With Eua, same thing... It's really hard to define how far Ryukishi got involved in this original story, but the existence of Eua in the Higurashi universe sparked a problem that would be responsible for the very downfall of the show in the future. This was something that I predicted even in Gou. When there is the addition of an important character to the series, there needs to be a plausible way to contextualize the audience about what is happening.
"Who is Eua?", "Why did she help Satoko, being that it would apparently be of no benefit to her?", "What is the purpose of her existing in the franchise?"; honestly, I'm wondering that even now. Of course, it has the famous connections between Umineko and Higurashi, but I prefer to keep my feet on the ground about that. One cannot ignorantly state that assumption that connects the two worlds. Anyone who likes and understands the When They Cry franchise knows that this is a way to bring a more solid connection to culminate in this great universe, but while it's a good idea, it has displaced the goal of this show.
Speaking of purpose, what was "Kagurashi"? Four episodes made to conclude the series were not enough. Hanyuu reappearing in the astral world to Eua, Rika discovering that it was Satoko who was to blame for everything, and even the existence of the artifact that has the ability to kill those who live in loops... These issues are good at first glance, but insufficient to bring a conclusion. Since Gou I felt that what limited Hanyuu was already irrationalized. It already happened that she said "this time is our last chance" to Rika. That happened in Matsuribayashi (Kai), for example. The show tried to circumvent that and made Hanyuu have an ability and powers without much realistic explanation. It was not enjoyable, it was not captivating, it was not fun to witness after so many episodes the current fragments happen just "because they did".
Episode 14? Well, I don't think the problem with the show was that episode. In fact, it was more intense and was a nice way to bring a conclusion that needed to happen a long time ago. The build up to that stage was creative and I really appreciate the way the show tries to insert the abysmal powers. It was the famous "Dragon Ball" of Higurashi. A compilation of moments that disappointed most, as it was definitely no longer the "Higurashi" that everyone knew. Satoko and Rika awakening a power in a divine way was not really a good choice.
About the production, it was a factor that hurt the entire show. The amount of scenes brought entirely from Gou became more and more apparent as time went on and made Sotsu a definitive recap, rather than a conclusion. Passione experienced problems in writing a narrative that yielded well for the audience, but did not bring something new. Even with more than a cour of episodes left, it's still a sense of expectation to have something that was actually enjoyable to watch. Gou's phase was so interesting. The moments gave a utopian and cathartic awakening for it to have a good execution in the second half of the story. But I feel betrayed. In fact, I feel anguished. Anguished that I have absorbed a franchise that is so important to me and that even though I defended the show's more negative phases, I couldn't really like New Project the way I wanted to. The "miracle" that Hanyuu cites so much in the story is not for Rika, but for the project itself. Concluding the story in a good way was like a miracle, and it didn't happen this time.
Finally, Higurashi is still a franchise that I love, regardless of their criticisms. But Gou/Sotsu was indigestion. It's like you eat a whole cake. You'll be drawn to the temptation and think it's a good idea, but it won't be good for your stomach. As much as Sotsu didn't appeal to me, I can see some quality in it. I don't view this sequel as totally wasted, but I can't give it any more enthusiasm and say that it was a good experience.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Sep 24, 2021
The second season of 100-man was... weird. Remember what the first season of the anime was all about? The interesting proposition, where the RPG dynamic was applied in a convenient and often stupid way. Now, the show has changed that a bit, bringing a more arc-oriented perspective instead of this boring focus. But as much as a show like 100-man has improved, it's still a complicated experience to say the least, and that's for two reasons: ambitious story and split cour.
"Split cour" is a term used for shows that take a break between one cour and another. In the beginning, the goal was to maintain
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the relevance of the anime brand and the project, to complete the work, ensuring a good return for the studio and creators of the original material. Now, the purpose of the split cour is usually sustained to give the studios more time to make the continuation of the project as good as possible. It's normal for this to happen in the industry, and many shows manage to make up for problems and even improve their own story, which as the chapters go on present a higher quality and sense to make the show interesting. 100-man did this. The gap between one season and the next was even longer than usual (6 months), but honestly it wasn't that enjoyable an improvement.
This second season is divided into two arcs, where the first is the climax of the whole show so far. On a Volcanic Island there is a conflict between Orcs and Humans, where Yotsuya and his group face, together with a group of mercenaries, this mission. Torii Keita, the new member, entered the team of heroes as someone nice and more charming than the rest of the characters. Well, this is no merit, if you think that anyone could be more eye-catching than all the girls in the group. By the way, Keita was a boy who had a fight with Yotsuya in real life, before the first season ended. This insertion of the character for the involvement of the two was a good attempt to relate the characters and also to recover what had happened in the past. Speaking of the past, Kahabell was a character reused in the show to enhance the love she had with the protagonist, even though she had spent more than ten years in the fantasy universe.
The arc, even though it wasn't that interesting, was nice to follow. It really had captivating episodes in the middle of a normal RPG story. It was a credit to the effort given by the Maho Film studio for the show. Yotsuya had another internal evolution phase, characters like Kusue and Tokitake improved in performance and the mission was completed. It also had Yotsuya bearing a burden: the weight of having to do cruelty to complete her goals. It's a brave determination and one that deserves attention, as it's a factor that will surely make the show have a conclusion focused on this. It's nothing like "power of friendship." It's more like "if being a monster in this world will make my friends okay, I'll do it without hesitation". On top of all that, the existence of a man controlling a dragon was
The second Arc is more debatable and, for me, has some inconsistencies that hurt the overall story. This time, a Village living has a legend where a land exists that is able to bring eternal peace to its inhabitants, the "New Eden". Meanwhile, the leader of the region uses the very people who live in this village for exploration missions, where instead of really being an attempt to find this sacred land, it is actually a goal to disseminate and even eliminate the population of the village, which is experiencing problems and lack of food and other resources.
Yotsuya then, along with his group and a girl named Jezby (who by the way becomes the antagonist of this mission) and Glenda (the new member, who is a foreigner), leave for this mission destined by the Game Master. Actually, this story is not really incoherent, however the way the objectives were set was not pleasant.
Even though the show tries to leave the Village leader in the position of being guilty for killing many people, he ends the show as a "good man", or at least as being a better person than his attitudes are. Jezby the entire anime gave no signs that he was someone bad, but in the plot twist a revelation happens that even though it is shocking, it doesn't cause the necessary effect to be something important. Glenda (or "Glen" as people usually talk) finding out the truth of this Arc failed to bring a good convenience to the show. And even if it makes logic that the granddaughter of the Village leader and her adoptive father have been infected, this narrative turn was rather anticlimactic and mechanical. It didn't give a favorable and interesting setting, much less manage to encompass and conclude the situation in a beneficial way.
Another thing that didn't please so much either was Fatina. She is still a mysterious character and seems to have ties to the future of the show, about the dragon apparently being the last mission of the story. These were parts that put together another compilation of unnecessary and boring episodes and really didn't hold any interest with me, even if the conclusion of the show was satisfying.
Ultimately 100-man ends this 24-episode set below RPG animes in general, but it did get a small improvement compared to the first season. There were some shameful parts (like the girls doing an "idol" moment early in the anime), but they also had some enjoyable scenes, especially when it came to Yotsuya. Who knew that at some point he could be a cool character to follow. It was an okay season, after all.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Sep 23, 2021
Late 2019, at Comiket #97: "Wow, another isekai anime announced. But... A pharmacist? Is that reliable?" - That was the question I asked when I found out about the show. The only thing I had of information was the synopsis, the magazine the manga was published by (Web Comic Gamma Plus) and that the source material was a Light Novel. It is a path that many works take and with Cheat Kusushi it was no different. The biggest fear of the adaptation is that the magazine itself is new to the manga market and this anime was the first from this new publisher. Now with
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the show already closed, I would like to say that they did a satisfying first job.
Well, when they announced an adaptation of Cheat Kusushi no Slow Life, I was anxious about what would be presented. A show bringing an intriguing idea, where the isekai this time is... in a pharmacy. In fact, Reiji without much reason is inserted into this world, where he becomes a pharmacist (often mistaken for an alchemist). He, Noera and Mina live together in this universe, without much pretension or contextualization about how they met, but what was important for the anime was not this, but the casual, relaxing and... some boring. In fact, Cheat Kusushi is a show that oscillates in its ideas, as what used to be a scenario of discovering new medicines turns into a heap of things that are easily mistaken for alchemy.
Not that I'm complaining about this proposition, but when the anime idealizes Reiji as just a simple medicine maker to a creator of things capable of making a journal create a visual hologram of one of the characters' mother, the verisimilitude built during the show is limited and at the same time significantly undermines the expected experience. It's a trivial theme within the show, but one that doesn't sit well with the series, no matter what argument is used to defend it.
But the anime shouldn't be criticized for that alone. In fact, what really made the anime silly was the studio itself. EMT Squared is not very well known, except for having made a few anime such as Kuma Kuma Bear and Assassins Pride. The former was a recent project that didn't get that popular. To this day it is not a show that has interested many people. Assassins Pride was a waste of time, because besides being a generic story and very bad in the basic aspects, it got the status of one of the worst animes of 2019 (and rightly so). So a weak adaptation that would not improve its reading materials was already expected. That's what happened. As much as the anime has the charisma and comics with Reiji, Mina, Noera and all the rest of the group, the show evidently fails to be more than sudden moments. It's a synergy that doesn't bring anything new and even if it manages to spark interest during its story, it's not something that manages to convince.
The production is tokenistic. It doesn't have that many serious problems, except for the totally IRRITANT AND ACCELERATED beginning, which I'm sure made many people give up on the anime right at the beginning. The story? Well, if you want to focus on the clash between the culture of a human being living in this new universe, that's not what Cheat Kusushi really does. As much as I don't want to give that example, it is necessary for comparison. Mushoku Tensei is one of the anime in which the focus of the isekai is not to feed into the idea that Rudy has trouble living in the fantasy that is the new world. Mushoku's purpose relies on what Rudy learns in the world. Reiji, in Cheat Kusushi, as much as he also does this, does not actually learn something new. His insertion into the anime is already cemented and the only times he's really had that reminder that he's in a different world are in the last two episodes, which really isn't a good way to do it.
Things like what led to Reiji and Noera meeting and Mina being a ghost who only became better acquainted with Reiji after a while are not explored. They are overlooked and the anime didn't really care about that. It would be more appealing to experience a relationship that is developed over time, unlike the very mechanized episodes where even the order of the episodes doesn't really matter. Seriously, the only changes the show has made is to add about four characters, some problems between them, and more and more things that don't add to the show. It is a factor that varies from person to person. Some admire this unconventional pace, others just find it okay and acceptable, just like me. It's not bad, but it wasn't good.
Finally, Cheat Kusushi was a quick show, but it drained my energy as it was tiring to watch. What is positively marked is the fact that it is a show that managed to adapt a story coming from the Gamma Plus Web Comic, even though the Light Novel is published on other sharing networks. All in all, it was only a symbolic experience. No big deal. There was nothing that made it a remarkable anime, but it didn't cause any compromising feelings either. Maybe I'm asking too much of a show like this.... Now it's just hoping that if it has a sequel, the cool stuff will hold up, if not the joke with the word "Cheat" for "S**t" would make sense.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Sep 20, 2021
*This review contains any spoilers*
This text will be an analogy. Actually, a generalization.
What is your favorite food? This can be a difficult question. In fact, it is a varied subject and depends on many external and internal factors, personal tastes, experiences and expectations. Anyway, imagine that you have the opportunity to eat the same thing every day.
Well, this is somewhat of a dream. Who wouldn't want to spend a moment of their life overindulging in what they like most? I myself feel that it is something unique and that this utopia would be nice eventually. However, think how nauseating it can be to live
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with the same thing over and over again. It is uncomfortable, isn't it? Now think that this analogy resembles Seirei Gensouki, a show that started out delivering interesting ideas and was managing to be a good (almost utopian) experience, but that lost its rhythm, got out of hand, and is now another one of the animes that today is just... cloying.
To begin with, Seirei Gensouki starts out like many other shows of the genre and of light novel adaptations of isekai: a boy who, with a noble and honorable occurrence, changes his life and becomes a special person in a Kingdom of his Universe. Saving the princess was something unexpected for the character who still had memories of his past life, but this first stage follows with a chance at the Royal Academy, becoming a respectable person, even with the interpersonal problems and scorns by other classmates.
Oh, I forgot to mention that in his other life, Rio ("Haruto" in the real world) died as a result of a bus accident, with two other girls. One of these girls was apparently the same person with whom Rio was friends in the past. Well, fate prevented this reunion from happening amicably. Generic, no? However, even with these simple and expected archetypes, the show was not exposed in a negative way at first. In fact, it really felt like a utopia this introduction. The anime inserted a teacher named Celia as Rio's tutor while he learned for 5 years, from reading and writing, to the art of fighting and social etiquette. The universe of the show is a medieval fantasy, but it possessed its beauty, even if this very beauty was more evident than the story of the show itself. All expectations were projected to build 12 episodes that would guarantee a good experience, right? Wrong!!!
What if Rio has some trouble along the way and ends up escaping from Bertram's Kingdom? Well, that's what happens. The monotony and coexistence nurtured for five years within the story collapses at an unexpected moment. Flora, the same princess saved by Rio in the past, is saved in a near disaster during a test, by Rio. The problem is... Rio starts to be accused by evil people of being the very culprit of this incident. Rio then decides to flee the kingdom and begins his adventure, far from his classmates and especially far from his teacher Celia, his best friend during all his life. This kind of thing was quite unexpected frankly. For those who remember, Rio had already been through moments like this and it would not be very difficult to reverse the situation and graduate from the school. Even so, he did not wait and continued to follow his own path.
The protagonist really was unfortunate to make this illogical choice, yet Rio was never a meddlesome character or one who conveyed scenes where he turned into a "two-face." His courtesy and formality is a unique trait and one that captivated me throughout the show. Celia also had her charisma and striking presence that enveloped the story, even though she was far removed from the events surrounding the anime.
Time passes and Rio is attacked by Latifa, a slave girl ordered to kill him, but who is saved by himself from this cruel fate. Latifa is a demi-human, yet another common element in isekais today. Over time, their trust and trustworthiness becomes a relationship between two brothers and they spend time together, until they find a region where other demi-humans live in harmony. This is an interesting moment, as it is in this place where Rio is able to discover more about his amazing powers.
Rio then goes on to live a life where living still was impossible, after all, the character had one objective: to visit the place where his mother was born and who had promised to take him, if she were alive. There, in this village, more friendships and relationships made Rio known as a humble young man who always liked to help people.
His strength and affinity with various types of fighting is a unique ability that had a fair highlight at the time it was introduced, and the existence of a Spirit that made a pact with Rio is the cause of this being a story recounted in the future. And this is where I begin to question the show.
So far, Rio thought little of remembering what he experienced in the real world, much less wanted to know what occurred so that it was his main goal. As much as he wanted to, his honesty was enough to convince him that it was something beyond his own control. Then the unexpected occurs. During his return to the Kingdom of Bertram, Rio is contextualized about an unexpected political marriage. And this involves his teacher and dear friend, Celia, and one of the knights who mistreated Rio for a long time in the past, when he was still a suspect in the kidnapping of Flora, the princess. As much as the anime tried to make the story more intriguing, it was rushed, forced, and purposefully moved to end open-ended without much explanation.
I don't know what really went on in the heads of the staff at TMS studio (the same as Dr. Stone, Furuba, Takagi-san, and other always interesting titles), but the story's inability to possess a longer pacing time hampered the realization of this outcome. Even though the ending was a moment of glory for Rio managing to help Celia and not getting married and fleeing the Kingdom, yet another new context is invested in order to progress the story, but it was a deplorable execution.
Remember the bus accident and the two girls who were with Rio on this fateful day? Well, Latifa was one of them and the other was still far away from Rio. However, a great amount of power appears without much explanation and Rio, advised by his Spirit (who is now called Aishia), helps a group of humans who have also been summoned into this fantasy world. The problem is that one of the girls is possibly Rio's best friend and... the show ends.
Yes, the show ends. Nothing happens to explain the last 5 minutes, there is nothing to explain the blue-haired man's goals about the Kingdom, there is no conclusion. The show ended in a pathetic, immature way and was pretty much left aside, as if we, the viewers, had to continue the story for ourselves.
Look, I know that the Light Novel has more plot and that the anime has its reasons, but this kind of thing really is a disappointment. It's not bad to put the anime at a point where it can move on without losing momentum, but when Seirei Gensouki is planned to end this way without a precise sequel announcement, we have problems. It is clear that the project wants to continue, but this moment has drastically shaken the future of the show, as the reception towards this has not been good. In fact, for an anime that started out average and was doing well, continuing to improve would be a must, which in fact did not happen.
I don't really blame the studio entirely for this, much less the author of the original material, but it is a really uncomfortable feeling to wonder what could have been done instead. Some filler episodes, some side story, but that would help and not give the feeling of wasted time, but in the end it will be a utopia again.
Seirei Gensouki was a decent production and one that I recognize the value it had during its time here this season, but unfortunately it is another one of the animes that you can compare to a favorite food. You love it, you love it, you always want to be enjoying it even though you know it can be bad for your health and cause nausea, but you still have hope that it will be profitable, just like isekais, just like Seirei Gensouki. Whether we will ever have a show that can again have such a chance I don't know, but until then you have to accept the deep sadness that is a show being wasted by the end of time.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Sep 17, 2021
Polygamy is a difficult subject. Animes prove this. Harem shows try to treat their romances with increasingly repetitive approaches and at the same time don't know what to do often when it comes to finishing a show. Authors and storyboard creators have the difficult task of concluding the story and convincing the audience at the same time. Kanojo mo Kanojo arrived bringing a very different form of love that exceeds a couple, putting on a relationship that, while seeming innovative and different, demonstrates how lostand desperate romance animes are these days.
For those who don't know, "polygamy" is an emotional relationship in a group with
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more than 2 people. This kind of thing is still a controversial debate, because it not only involves the group of people involved, but also the entire external society that expresses this relationship in a negative way most of the times. Usually, acceptance comes with difficulty, which is fair enough. In the show, after receiving a girl's confession, Naoya proposes to Nagisa a relationship between 3 people. Naoya had from the beginning of the story a fling with Sakisaki, while Nagisa would be his second girlfriend. Sakisaki, like every person who has a normal functioning head, refuses at first sight the awkward and uncomfortable situation. Hearing this proposal from her own boyfriend is like receiving a betrayal, even if it doesn't seem like it. Having to share a closed relationship with another person in this way is something that really needs patience and understanding. Even with this, Sakisaki accepts living with Naoya and Nagisa in this way.
So far, the show looks cool, it's an idea that if it's put to good use, can cause interesting moments and messages, even with this distortion within what is meant by a harmonious relationship. The problem of Kanojo mo Kanojo is actually not this, but the progression of the show added to the difficult to follow coexistences during the episodes. At first, the anime tries to turn this perception into a difficult state until it is something the audience accepts as normal. But the show chose not to do that competently.
In fact, much of what the show has done is leave in hyperbolic drama moments that are just absurd and wouldn't cause that much amazement (remember, this is a show that wants to try to make a relationship between three people natural). You don't need to see much of the anime to identify this. From a hug request to the involvement of a fourth person in the story (in this case, Mirika), the direction of the anime puts the most frivolous and the most absurd moments into pure bliss, as if they were something similar. The way the show approaches this causes outrage with those watching. Imagine you see Naoya hugging Nagisa in front of Sakisaki while she feels a euphoria because she thinks she is developing a fetish, or imagine being surprised by a girl dressed as a rabbit or a maid in front of you. These things are really seen as odd, but they have turned this kind of attempt to relate the characters in a way that hurts the show itself. Honestly, putting a background with green and purple colors to cause a character's astonishment is not amusing, but pathetic. More than pathetic, it is a laziness of the show to innovate. What was supposed to cause humor by what you are seeing, causes laughter by the absurd way the studio decided to do some scenes.
And on the subject of innovation, Kanojo mo Kanojo is actually not a revolutionary anime, but an increasingly common cliché in manga, light novels and harem shows. One can see the increasingly bad trend of stories being poorly reworked and often concluded with contempt from the creator of the project himself. Without quoting spoilers of the endings of these manga, but "Gotoubun no Hanayome", "Domestic na Kanojo" and "Bokuben" were recent examples of adaptations that even having a conclusion did not please and in most cases caused a bad reception about the genre. When making a show of this kind, I imagine that the author needs to have the ability to conclude his work in a way that sparks interest in consuming other projects by him or the magazine he distributes, but unfortunately this does not happen. Kanojo mo Kanojo is not guilty of this trend, perhaps it was even the original idea of the show to be like this. But that doesn't take away from the responsibility to change the parameters of this demographic that is declining year after year.
It's not like the whole show is flawed, particularly some episodes and scenes are cool to follow, but they can't sustain everything else. These isolated cases are like gold found in a desert. You will feel accomplished, but all you will notice around you is misery. The misery of this show is the limitations of a better contact with the viewer. For many times I realized that the anime, instead of trying to be more casual or even slice of life, it uncontrollably tries to use already repeated, banal and unnecessary subjects to extend and perhaps create more time with this awkward involvement. Whenever it has some drama regarding a character's insecurity, their breasts are one of the first factors to be told, or the girl being pretty, or even the relationship of it being a story where more than 2 people have a love involvement.
Finally, Kanojo mo Kanojo is a disappointment, but a planned disappointment. You wouldn't expect anything good in a show that once again has "Kanojo" in its title (need I mention that this is getting more and more worrisome?), but at least I thought the humor and charm of the anime would be enough to withstand 12 episodes. Well, that's not what occurred. It's a show that has damaged itself and gone from "innovative" to just "weird".
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Jun 30, 2021
This is another one of those animes that tries to apply nosense to get the audience to like it, but fails in its own factor of existence. Of the same nature and essence as Popee The Performer, Itazuraguma no Gloomy was a show that caused instant strangeness, bothered me for being a sick show, and ended the same way it ended: without causing any kind of sympathy with us.
It's not as if we demand anything from Gloomy, but surely the show could cause some positive engagement. That is not the case here. It's just a show that inserts a bear that Assaults a person
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constantly. It is the pure trash of animes, there is nothing profitable. An anime that few have seen and will surely be remembered little.
And I celebrate. I'm glad things like Gloomy no longer cause interest, as it is the most terrible representation of what Japanese shows can offer.
Reviewer’s Rating: 2
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Jun 29, 2021
***THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS***
Odokawa. Keep that name, because he is a great protagonist in Odd Taxi. No... Not protagonist... The essence, richness, and great acting of this show, which combines cool scenes, subdued yet gripping drama, and an exquisite realization of its mysteries.
Odd Taxi is restless and at the same time it is maddening. Odokawa is the character who indirectly commands all the actions. In this world, everyone is personified with animal-like representations, which brings the show closer to social issues and the handling of instincts and sentimentality, as well as representing attitudes, temperament, physique, and above all, social function. Our protagonist is no
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different. He is a walrus, a typical robust and apathetic animal. He is a taxi driver and like a good bartender, he listens to the great stories of his customers, even if this does not involve him directly in his personal ambitions. In fact, Odokawa is detached from desires. Since an accident in the past, his life has bypassed death and he no longer has any support. Also, at the age of 12 he no longer has any guardianship and sees the world without colors, full of intermittent and unpleasant routines. Until one event occurs, in fact, several.
Taichi is the first person with whom Odokawa shows his identity. He is represented by a hippopotamus. He is a man who desires internet fame and views. By irony of fate, Taichi takes a relaxed photo with Odokawa and it goes viral. The reason? Dobu. Dobu is the police's number one suspect in the disappearance of a girl in Nerima. Whether or not he is wrongly accused, Dobu has gained a reputation throughout the region as a very dangerous criminal. Nothing less could be expected... Taichi seeks to be the justice of this "lawless" land, with the goal of capturing Dobu. And this is how the anime proceeds.
Odokawa, who previously had no importance in the plot, becomes the most relevant person in this chess. And for this, only one environment is needed, his cab. It is there that Odokawa lives his most dangerous, funny, dramatic, difficult moments, and at the same time creates friendships and relationships that interconnect all the characters. He, at the height of his 41 years, would not really be a popular man if it were not for this coincidence. But even if this were not the case, Odokawa would be the protagonist of the show.
Shirakawa is the character who builds a bond the most during the show. Even before the show began, she already had financial problems. Part of this comes from Dobu. They were ex-boyfriends and Shirakawa needed a large amount of money in the past. After a long time, she finds herself in despair and planned to sell drugs from a doctor's office clandestinely. This ended the reputation of Goriki, the doctor at the place. Shirakawa then lives a life away from nursing and accomplishes things with Odokawa that surpasses her obligation. Dobu, during some conversations with Shirakawa, asked her to get involved with Odokawa and to get closer to him, as he was one of the key pieces about the missing girl's case. As much as she finds herself in that obligation, she has formed greater bonds with Odokawa. At the same time, Odokawa was already too involved with Shirakawa. No matter how Odokawa tried to keep from trapping those feelings, he was already consumed by a small crush on Shirakawa. Even without talking to Kakihana, one of his only friends, Odokawa had previously told him that his passion was growing. Before it was an inexplicable feeling, perhaps because it was a feeling never felt before. In fact, when one is in love, reason no longer exists. Odokawa finds himself involved in Shirakawa's problems and wants to help her in some way. Going for the solution, he and Dobu team up to solve their problems, even though Dobu initially threatens him with an Odokawa gun over the memory card of Odokawa's car recordings.
And it is from this moment on that things start to get more and more interesting in Odd Taxi. Even with Odokawa being a simple worker, he was not just a submissive character who complied with people's requests, he had to act. And in addition to acting to resolve his conflicts, his own mental problems were highlighted. Goriki, the doctor and his friend, can trace an answer to things that Odokawa identifies with ease. The very way he converses, discovers people's professions, and identifies his friend easily in a crowd makes Odokawa have some specialty. This very specialty puts him in check with his past. Even though he does not assume it, his parents are dead at the fateful moment when he was 12 years old. In addition, his life was troubled even before that day. His mother was an alcoholic and his father was cheating on her. Odokawa resigned himself mentally and as a form of security, he developed visual agnosia. This disease causes Odokawa to see people in the form of animals.
With this and all the obstacles in his life, Odokawa works with Dobu, while wanting justice, after all, both he and Yano and their henchmen. Shirakawa is a precious person to Odokawa, even though he is not good at communicating with women. After Kakihana is rescued, it was normal to think that the show would have nothing to show our eyes. But the show reminds us that it has a big conflict ahead of it. Remember the missing girl in the confines of the show? Then the second half of the show is devoted to the conclusions of the protagonist, Dobu, Yano's group, and Odokawa's friends, who are somehow joined in this event by interpersonal connections. Mystery Kiss, the group of idols, is revealed to be a group that has an extortion scheme under the covers, so much so that it was because of one of the girls by whom Kakihana was duped.
The show does not amplify the overall context of Yano's intentions and his rivalry with Dobu beyond what is necessary. They get money for the Boss and their conflict is sustained on that financial issue. Dobu wants to frame Yano in a subtle way, supported by Odokawa. The two plan with Imai, winner of the giant lottery prize, an attempt to trap Yano and his group, with the aim of framing them. Thinking from this side, the anime and the situations leading up to the final events did not use gimmicks from the past (Like Kakihana's case) to effect everyone's fate. On the contrary, the conclusion of the show is properly consolidated within this exciting event. Odokawa, nevertheless, does not hesitate to solve his own disagreements and besides managing to end up with Yano's group (besides Daimon, the oldest), Dobu was the protagonist of a sad ending and at the same time one of those who got a fair ending for his actions. His interconnections with the young man carrying his weapon was an incredible moment within the penultimate episode. In truth, the anime absorbed a troubled perspective of a boy addicted to a simple game, but one that eroded his mind in a discomfiting way. The addiction, the family stress, the burnout at work, and all his mental escapes were intrinsically condensed into a character that had no obvious relationships with any other character in the show. Ultimately, fate arranged an ending where Dobu had miscalculated the amount of bullets his gun had and was shot... Daimon (the younger brother) was instrumental in accomplishing this feat, totally planned by Odokawa.
About the conclusion, the puzzle closes in an impressive way. Odokawa has her past remembered, while the rest of the characters have a specific conclusion, even if with a bit of insecurity. Sakura, one of the 3 idols of Mystery Kiss, is shown as being responsible for the death of her predecessor Mitsuya, for the sake of rewarding her mother, who cared so much for Sakura. The show's only free criminal is one of the important things that can upset. It is understandable that she was cautious and intelligent, so much so that suspicions were placed on Nikaido, unfairly. Fortunately, the show was realistic and while showing Odokawa's improvement, it shows everyday factors that still need to be resolved in the world of Odd Taxi. It is a matter of subjective acceptance, many like the show to be organic, others prefer a total conclusion. In Odd Taxi, what matters is not in fact this partially disappointing ending, but the entire adventure we had during the thirteen episodes.
Baku Kinoshita's production and work are impressive. It was scary to see that in his debut as an anime creator he was an amazing writer and director. Punpee also needs to be applauded. Those responsible for Opening made a music video to the music from Odd Taxi and it only intensified Odokawa's perspective on people. A world filled with mysteries, adventures, and... animals. No, instincts, quirks, and a great way to build a show that deserves to be remembered for years to come.
I am impressed with the quality of April's animes, but Odd Taxi is the most beautiful conclusion we could have. There will never be another show like it. It is an artistic uniqueness, a manifestation of what it is to be creative and have a care for what you build. Congratulations. Odd Taxi, you are a unique show!!!
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jun 28, 2021
Ah, HigeHiro, what to say about you? There are so many moments that the show wants to give us a good feeling during its not the least bit suggestive scenes....
Now being serious, what is going on in Shimesaba's head in creating such an... uncomfortable Light Novel?
Let's go, Hige wo Soru was one of the anime that caught my attention the most, since I had heard about its synopsis and had already looked at the manga a few times. Its story is simple: Sayu is a high school girl who has run away from home and needs a place to live. The person who takes
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him in, even though there are many apprehensions about the event, is Yoshida. He is a serious and responsible man, basically an ordinary person, who works, earns his salary and lives his peaceful life in a normal way. Yoshida was drunk, out of his mind, while Sayu, who was helpless in the middle of the street, needed to sleep for a while.
Up to this point, it is understandable, if not for one simple fact: Sayu is a minor and even offers her body (yes, her body) as a way to thank Yoshida. Even with the protagonist rejecting all her provocations, Sayu never learns that he doesn't want her company. First of all, as a matter of common sense. The show intends to create a love bond between an adult and an underage girl, without them knowing each other. Even if Sayu argues that she has had similar experiences in the past, or had a disastrous relationship, this does not allow the show to build expository scenes of the character during the episodes. Of course, there are those who claim that this whole perspective of the show places Sayu as a fragile character who has nothing to offer. She herself presents at times her archetype of someone who has trauma from her past. But... If this is a trauma or an internal problem that she has developed, why would she do the same things again? Why would anyone in their right mind sabotage themselves simply to stay in the house of some random person like Yoshida?
Yoshida is the character that most of the time manages to be the most sensible. If it were any kind of stereotype applied, for sure the show would be much worse. Imagine if Yoshida accepts Sayu's proposal. That combination would be torture to follow. At every slightest moment I questioned the sanity of the characters, as well as wanting to know what the purpose of this was. The romance, an idealism within the show, is not developed. Even if you have one or two reasonable episodes, it doesn't solidify the structure of the show, as the anime itself reminds us that Sayu is a minor character, a child, while Yoshida is a salaried adult. At least the anime had the competence to allow us this reminder, because if it were a completely fanservice show, I honestly think it would be an even bigger rot.
What about the secondary characters? Does anyone really remember them? Whether it's a girl Yoshida liked or some old classmate of Sayu's, all these characters were made solely to create a bond of importance to the main duo. Yoshida from the very first episode did not want to get involved with someone like Sayu. He himself is aware of how wrong it is. He is practically inciting pedophilia. It is an already trite topic within this anime to comment on the pedophilia that exists, but there is no way to forget to mention this.
The show uses direction and aspects of photography to have scenes where Sayu has some part of her body exposed. This sort of thing would not be a problem if it was an anime where it had a different contextualization. However, again, it is a child and an adult. Even if Sayu has a conscience and that she "doesn't care" what happens to her, it is immature, artificial, and a complete and ridiculous demonstration that HigeHiro doesn't know what he is proposing. The show, even though it is over, doesn't concretize anything, doesn't bring evidently any positive relationship. Even if it has a beautiful scene with scenery to look cool or amazing, remembering the previous moments and the way the anime got to this point is honestly an aberration.
The production? Well, Project No.9 is an okay studio in its adaptations and was a good choice to make this show, even if that doesn't give away any obvious quality. In fact, as I have already mentioned, the composition of angles and moments where Sayu was being objectified are disgusting. It's not as if the show didn't know this. In fact, the manga and Light Novel have moments like this as well. The anime intensified these moments of incitement to sex so much more that what was minimally acceptable was lost. The problem the source materials have is another (of course, Sayu and Yoshida's contextualization is already a problem), but the anime really wanted to push it and showed the worst it had.
Finally, a word of advice: don't accept a girl alone on the street while you are walking home, especially if she is a slut like Sayu. If the anime wants me to care about this prostitution in anime format, I would watch anything other than Hige wo Soru.
Reviewer’s Rating: 3
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Jun 27, 2021
Naoshi Arakawa is one of the most well-known names when it comes to creating a dramatic story. In 2014, the explosion of his name was made possible by the adaptation of "Your Lie in April," one of the most beautiful anime in story and visual quality, drama and popularity. Now in 2021, seven years after its apex, "Sayonara Watashi no Cramer" has been given an anime. Has the author succeeded with this show? Does the sport match his talent in dramas?
First of all, I need to separate the anime adaptation from the manga and the impact this has on the mangaka Naoshi. "Sayonara Watashi no
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Cramer" (or just "Cramer") features women's soccer as its focus. It has been a while since any show involving this sport has been announced. In fact, time has "stopped" since the decline of "Inazuma Eleven". It was a strong name within the children's audience and Cramer could be a show that would awaken these sensations again, but unfortunately the utopia has been dispelled. Apart from the issue of exaggerations in introducing powers, as in Inazuma Eleven, what could Cramer do? Well, the solutions are few, but if I were a content creator and episode composer, I would commit to structuring a well-formed composition of interesting plot elements and a simple but credible evolution of its narrative properties. This anime offers absolutely none of that.
It is apparent to see the need for a show involving soccer to present a competent structure in its games, references, tactics, and schemes. It's a quality that, while not noticeable in anime in sports (as most shows don't show losses because of flaws or weak technical qualities), when there is a lack of it, the show becomes a minefield. During the first few episodes, this realization is practically exposed, like a bleeding wound, where no matter how hard you try, it will bleed and everyone will notice. The show creates a decent setting with potential within the sport at least, but even with its settings, the main thing needs to harmonize. From a basic movement, like a player walking, to a run or play that was seemingly meant to be impactful, the anime doesn't positively convey that emotion and causes apathy, an uneasiness and even disinterest in continuing to watch the following episodes.
Furthermore, the main focus of the show is shown with a timidity, at the same time that is overshadowed precisely because we do not have an objective shown. Nozomi is the main character of the series and only shows some importance in the plot in the second half and even then, it doesn't point out an evolution in the character's maturity or actions. Okay, she is a girl who likes to play soccer and who has fun even losing by twenty-one goals difference, but what does the anime want to convey with her being the "leader" of the anime? Sense of leadership? A sense of security? In fact, all the characters without exception have a tremendous existential emptiness and do not stand out in the smallest moments dedicated to them.
Sumire, for example, is known for being an incredible player who causes fear in any other team. "An incredible scorer...", did we have this? "Soshizaki is Sumire's friend and is known for being one of the best defenders and players on high school teams...", did we have this? No, at no point does the anime sustain what it cogitates as an expectation and prefers to hold on to an unfounded and constantly bumpy story. That's not to say that it didn't try, in fact the LIDENFILMS studio managed for quite a while to have the feat of getting a good amount of minimally laid back episodes, but you know what makes me sad? All these episodes are not really focused on the most important moments in the story, like a decisive game or an issue that needs a longer time commitment. Most of the events where we need the "soccer" element, the basics of the show, this factor was not there. It was annoying to open episode seven and learn that the team lost its first match before the anime even caused the appropriate interest. It was even worse in the following episode, when the team wins two matches, but the show doesn't even show a relevance for this. At most, a hook for a backstory involving an absolutely useless coach. What was the point of having a flashback if it won't match or evolve any character that causes any interest?
If there is any salvation in Cramer, it is literally in its at least maintained qualities. The show is really quite compromised when it comes to the direction and even the framing and plot sense of the episodes, but at least some organic relationship is possible to maintain during the games and training: the coexistence of the four main characters. Sumire, Soshizaki, Nozomi and Sawa over time achieve a fruitful friendship and trust, even in the most normal moments at school, or outside of it. But even with this possible quality, the show is simple, does not use these interesting factors to reuse the few moments of the sport, and does not concretize a firm or appreciative relationship.
In the end, Cramer was a sad sorrow. It wasn't that time, Naoshi Arakawa. You may not be to blame for the animated project, but the LIDENFILMS studio sure needs to regain its ways in making anime (and it needs to stop making millions of shows at once, this is an offense to the shows themselves).
I don't blame the writer, but I at the same time don't let go of that frustration at having this big name being credited in a show like Cramer.
All in all... It's a show that could cause interest in the sport or be a show that would get people interested in soccer, but I didn't see that. Nobody saw it. It was a let-down to see episodes where the bare minimum that is asked is weak and sometimes non-existent. I wanted much more, I expected much more. Even the "comedy" of this is bad, after all, I couldn't stand to hear "E-LI-ZA-BE-TO" with every shot of that striker...
At least the anime warned us in its own name the end result...
"Sayonara", Watashi no Cramer.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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