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- BirthdayJul 2, 2003
- LocationRostock,Germany
- JoinedDec 8, 2020
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Jan 3, 2024
THIS IS A SPOILER-FREE REVIEW
If you look at some of the most referenced shows of the early 2010s, „Highschool of the Dead“ is one that very often comes up as one of the first examples. But what got me interested in this show was actually the staff that worked on it, because this show was directed by one of the greatest anime directors of all time, Tetsuo Araki!
Story – 7/10
This show definitely hits the ground running in the very first minute of episode 1. The pacing is extremely fast for the most part. Zombies are an integral part of the horror genre to a point
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were you basically know what to expect from a show that includes them. A good zombie movie has to somehow set itself apart from the rest if it wants to be memorable. Unfortunately, “Highschool of the Dead” , while having some recognizeable aspects (The zombies only being able to react to sound made for some interesting ideas being explored) simply did not have enough new things that added to the genre. Everything in this story is written purely just for shock-factor, which is probably the cheapest way of entertainment in my opinion.
However, I think from a writing perspective, the story itself kinda makes sense if you look at it. The inclusion of world politics, although barely developed in the short 12-episode run makes for a highly interesting scenario. What I mean is, that I can see some potential here. Unfortunately this show will never get a season two because the author, Satou Daisuke, passed away before being able to complete his work on the manga.
So, if the plot is generic and the show is unfinished, then why is it still talked about to this day? The only big standout of this show was the ecchi aspect, and my god, they did not hold back. Some of the most unhinged, iconic and just insane scenes were put in here. There is an entire episode that just has girls bathing together. Isn´t there an apocalypse going on outside? What is happening??
Art – 8/10
Tetsou Araki´s track record with anime has always been outstanding. He is most known for his work on “Death Note” (Where he managed to turn one of the most dialogue heavy shounen jump manga at the time into a memorable, fast-paced thrill ride) and “Attack on Titan” (Where he revolutionized the use of on-rail camera usage combined with 3D-backgrounds creating some of the most immersive action setpieces ever).
“Highschool of the Dead” animation seemes like a precursor to the later “Attack on Titan”. The camera usage is already outsatdning, the shots are creative and incredibly stylish. There are some clunky moments, and you can tell some of the things they tried to do needed a bit more polish, but the animation as a whole is actually really good. The colour grading and the whole vibe of the show is very reminiscent of his earlier work on “Death Note”. The colours are toned down, it gets very dark and gritty for most of the time.
The character designs were certainly unique, but whenever the show slows down you can see that the animation quality drops quite a bit.
Sound – 6/10
The OP is a banger, both visually and musically excellent. I can see why it is one of the most beloved openings ever even today. The OST of the show itself however had some problems, starting with the genre selection. The tracks that play in the background don´t seem to follow a cohesive line. There is EDM, Opera, Metal and more just thrown in whenever the writers pleased leading to a lack of a distinct musical identity.
Characters – 6/10
The character in the show mostly followed classic anime tropes. Our protagonist is the typical self-insert hero, similar to the heroes you see in some of today's Isekai shows. The big standout out of the female cast was Saeko Busujima, who actually has a very interesting backstory. Because of the limited runtime and the fast-paced nature of the show, the rest of the female characters lack development.
However, if you put the whole group together, there is some great chemistry to be found here. Because of their shared destiny they are held together while the world falls apart around them. That´s compelling and interesting, and I would have loved to see where this series would have gone in the future.
Enjoyment – 8/10
This is just a fast-paced thrill-ride with some interesting ideas and an insane amount of ecchi thrown into the mix. Watching this feels like eating fast-food. You know it´s bad for you, but it tastes to good that you just can not stop eating it. If I was 15, i´d have rated this 10/10. I can definitely see why this show is still talked about to this day.
If you are a fan of horror (especially the zombie-genre) and like your ecchi, this show was made for you. If not, you can probably skip out on this one.
- Marco_Yooo
FINAL SCORE - 7/10
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Dec 18, 2023
THIS IS A SPOILER-FREE REVIEW
Kentarou Yabuki is one of the most renowned Shounen authors of all time at this point. His first manga was a traditional battle-shounen, “Black Cat”, his second one was an ecchi, sci-fi comedy, “To-LOVE-ru”. His newest manga, that I have followed every week since 2021, combines the two most prevalent genres of his old works with a classic setting. And like always, there are a lot of crazy concepts being explored here.
Story – 7/10
The first few chapters do a great job at setting up the main concept of the show. After that, this manga continues very episodically, with each mini-arc spanning
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1-4 chapters each. This really has the same vibe as a Saturday morning TV-show.
The main goal of the characters (Turning Matsuri back into a boy) gets put on the back-burner for most of the show. Instead, the series keeps a very fast pace with it´s side content. Every little mini-arc contains a different little magical concept that is being explored. From teleportation, invisibility, magical gadgets and even little time-travel stories, this manga stays fresh and new every chapter. But where this series deviates from a classical ecchi manga is the fights. This manga has full-on, “Naruto”-esque fight sequences which provide some nice little variety in the story. The pacing is very fast, this definitely feels like a modern manga.
On an emotional aspect, this manga is also interesting: If the person you like suddenly changes his gender, could you still love him the same way? And does love really transcend gender-norms all the time? This amount of LGBT content is really rare to find in Japanese media, especially the shounen-genre. This could be a sign of japan opening up to these kinds of topics, which is great, because there are a lot of highly interesting themes to be explored here.
The biggest aspect of this manga is of course the ecchi content, and I have to say, it delivers. This is some of the most unhinged stuff I have ever seen in a Shounen Jump manga. It never feels dull or undeserved, and is mostly combined with extremely funny scenarios.
However, I think the main story does not have enough meat on it for the manga to go on for so long. It mainly serves as a way for the author to play around with ridiculous magical scenarios. I think 100 chapters would have been the perfect length. After a while, the manga starts to lose itself in the side-stories a little bit to much.
Art – 9/10
I mean, there is a reason why Kentarou Yabuki is called the king of ecchi. He has been the most prominent author of the genre for almost 20 years now. To-LOVE-ru already showed his capability to craft immaculate ecchi-scenes but I honestly think that he has improved his game A LOT, which is especially visible in the chapter introductions. Every character is distinct and consistent, the clothing and different outfits perfectly fit the setting and the chapters fly by in a breeze because of his simple but effective paneling. This is one of the manga that would really improve with a coloured version, because I think Yabuki Kentarou is one of the best when it comes to coloured manga panels. This has to be one of the cleanest looking ecchi-works that I have ever read.
Characters – 9/10
I think this category is always highly influenced by the way the respective manga is being read. If you just breeze by it in a few days, the characters might not have a huge impact on you, but if you only read one chapter every week for almost two years, you will have a completely different view.
There is a certain set of characters that gets introduced very early on. Every one has at least 3 little arcs to himself, giving everyone little bits of development sprinkled throughout the manga. The main thing here is of course the relationship of Matsuri and Suzu, and I think this is the mangas biggest strenght. They explore some really interesting topics here that I have never seen in any other type of manga. This is truly a one-of-a-kind love story! I honestly think that after the fantastic ending, Suzu Kanade is one of the best female characters ever in the ecchi genre.
The side characters were also fantastic, with the edgy, but dense Ninokuru being my favorite.
The only downside here is that there were a few weird decisions made by Yabuki here. Why does the female lead, Suzu, have so many different personalities and forms at the end? There exist an adult version, a cat-girl version, a loli version and more(!). These could all be different characters.
Enjoyment – 8/10
I wish this manga was shorter, but although there was some meandering in the middle it was never outright bad and the good aspects outshine the bad ones. This is a highly creative and inventive entry in the ecchi genre and i am eager to see what Yabuki Kentarou is cooking up next!
- Marco_Yooo
FINAL SCORE - 8/10
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Dec 14, 2023
THIS IS A SPOILER-FREE REVIEW
After the phenomenal first season and the great movie sequel, “Made in Abyss” has solidified itself as one of the best anime of this generation. The highly anticipated second season continues the story of Riku, Reg and Nanachi as they delve deeper and deeper into the bottomless Abyss. I waited a long time to watch this season, as i wanted to be in the perfect state of mind to watch this intense and emotional story.
Story – 9/10
A very interesting thing about the story of “Made in Abyss” is that so far, every season (and movie) has had a completely different approach
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to pacing and storytelling. Season one was a fast paced, story-driven adventure that continuously sprinkles little pieces of lore throughout it´s narrative. The movie felt more like an action-drama, with Bondrewd serving as the series first true antagonist (besides the Abyss itself of course).
Season 2 again delivers something else. The pacing slows down tremendously, the whole season spends it´s time on the sixth layer of the Abyss. We get a much deeper, more character-driven storyline with multiple jumps between the different timelines. The structure of this arc feels more in line with something like “One Piece”, a series where each arc serves as an enclosed and finished story with designated characters that only appear in this specific arc.
Plot-wise, the author continues to play to his strengths. The whole vibe of this season is extremely unique to a point where it´s hard to describe. The sudden shifts in tone are done really well. The show goes from happy go lucky to absolute body horror in mere seconds and continuously keeps you on the edge of your seat.
The story is split between our main characters and a whole bunch of new characters. There is a lot of set-up that happens in one timeline which gets answered in the other one. The show keeps you guessing how certain things came to be and how the established rules of the sixth layer are enforced.
There are also multiple action scenes sprinkled throughout the show. Especially the final fight shows the series capability to deliver a beautifully animated action-scene.
Because this season only focuses on one layer (this arc covers almost half of the entire manga) the ending was resounding, and it really felt like it was placed at the right point of the story.
Another thing to mention is that the last episode features a 60 minute runtime(!)
Art – 8/10
The character designs are still the heart of the show. Everyone is memorable and unique, the author plays around with clothing, armor, hairstyles and more to give every important character a unique feel. The body-horror elements are more crazy than ever in this season. The author apparently realized that the cuter the thing, the more horrifying it´s transformation will be and I hate to say it, but it is true.
There is a significant amount of CGI being used here, but like other works by Kinema Citrus, i´d say they tried their best to only use it when it is really necessary. It looks decent too.
I thought the action was done perfectly, incredibly gory and brutal, with fantastic character animation and great camera angles.
The only reason why the score in this category is lower than in season one is because of variety. In season one, the whole scenery of the abyss constantly changes. The white flower field, the shaft, the chalices and Bondrewds lair were all wildly different conceptually and are extremely memorable and unique. This season however only focuses on the sixth layer and also tells a more personal story about characters, love and exploitation, but we never really discover the layer itself besides the village where the story mostly takes part in.
Sound – 9/10
The soundtrack of “Made in Abyss” has always been a highlight. Composer Kevin Penkin delivered an insane variety of different songs here. Although every track is wildly different from each other, it still feels like a complete package that helps to give the show it´s unique feel. He mixes reused songs from season one with completely new themes seamlessly. What I also liked is that there are a lot of scenes without music at all, which often enhances the emotions even more. There are a lot of shows that just blast loud music all the time, trying to get an emotional reaction out of the viewer but “Made in Abyss” always uses the perfect track with the perfect emotions at the right time.
The OP is an outlier, and feels more like a traditional shounen opening, which is by no means bad, but I think the show is just so weird and different thematically to a point where i´d wish for them to be more experimental with the opening. The ED however fits perfectly, ending every episode with an emotional punch.
Character – 9/10
I think this is the biggest strength of this season in comparison to the others. The focus shifts from our main trio for a lot of this season (although we get some information about Reg´s past here!), but every single new character that is introduced is well-written, so you immediately care for what happens to them. There are two big things to talk about in this category. One is the relationship between Vuelo Eluco in the past timeline and the other is Faputa in the present timeline. Unfortunately, I can´t really get too deep into explaining my reasoning for that because of spoilers. Just know that I think that we got some of the most profound and gut-wrenching character arcs in modern anime here.
Enjoyment – 9/10
This was a very fast watch for me. The show keeps reinventing itself with it´s storytelling while still keeping everything that made it interesting in the first place. Unfortunately, this season almost completely caught up with the manga, which probably means we have to wait multiple years for a season three. However if there will be one, i´ll definitely be the first to watch it this time.
- Marco_Yooo
FINAL SCORE – 9/10
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Nov 25, 2023
THIS IS A SPOILER-FREE REVIEW
Rent-a-Girlfriend is a show that i have followed for 3 years now. Season one was an average rom-com with a degenerate protagonist, but season two improved on the pacing and made it a really fun little watch. But this season takes a completely different turn with the story and actually decided to go full in on the drama to the point where the show is hardly recognizable.
Story – 7/10
I have to say, I really liked this story arc. Instead of an episodic romantic comedy with some ecchi scenes thrown into it, this season actually has an ongoing narrative in which the
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protagonist helps the girl of his dreams to become a film star. The show plays this part very serious and tackles topics like fundraising, producing and shooting an indie movie, which was very interesting to see. What made this special, is that the show doesn´t put the focus on the movie itself, but rather the struggles and the hard work that go into making it.
Another noteworthy aspect of the season is the drama. Rent-a-Girlfriend has never been a very dramatic series so I was a bit worried about this huge shift in tone for the show. However, they actually pulled it of and crafted a believable and realistic scenario, which really pulls on your heartstrings as the show goes on. This is also a finished arc, which means we get to see a lot of payoff in the final 3 episodes.
The huge flaw here is that as soon as the focus shifts away from the movie, it loses a lot of steam and the obvious flaws in writing from the previous seasons becomes very apparent.
Art – 8/10
The artstyle of the show is absolutely beautiful. I said something similar in my review for season two, but I really like the character designs. If you go on youtube, you can actually see some behind the scenes of the manga creation, showing that the author uses a lot of real-life examples for clothing styles and brands which appear in the anime. There are moments where the studio uses something called “make-up animation”, which was actually something that Studio Wit popularized with the first season of “Attack-on-Titan”. This means that there are many highly polished shots of the characters, making everything feel a lot more real and expressive.
Sound - 6/10
The Soundtrack of the show is pretty average. I do think the only times where it is noticeable is when they use elements of EDM during fast-paced scenes. The opening is pretty good, but compared to the classic first opening and the banger second opening, this one is a bit of a let-down. The ending was also less special than before, it doesn´t have the cringey visuals of the iconic(!) first ED, but something like that would have probably destroyed the serious tone of this season.
Characters - 8/10
This was by far the most needed upgrade this show needed. Rom-Coms rise and fall by their characters, and this show never really delivered on that part. All the girls were either severely underdeveloped, unlikeable or both and Kazuya, our protagonist, was just an irredeemable idiot.
This season changed the dynamics and decided put the harem aspect to the side and only focus on our two main characters Kazuya and Chizuru, giving each of them much needed space for development which paid of really well.
Chizuru was the biggest surprise, as she had a full, well-written and deep character arc in this season. It manages to be both dramatic as well as realistic at the same time, making her by far the most interesting female character in the show. Kazuya (surprisingly) does not suck anymore! He actually has goals now and goes out of his way on multiple occasions to help Chizuru with her ambitions.
The other characters were also lightly touched upon, but i think giving each character his own big arc is the way to go now for the manga.
Enjoyment – 7/10
While a bit slower than the fast-paced, ecchi-filled season two, the show has reinvented itself with a new tone and new plot structure. I am actually really looking forward on how the author decides to follow this arc up. Let´s hope season 4 gets announced soon.
- Marco_Yooo
FINAL SCORE - 7/10
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Oct 23, 2023
THIS IS A SPOILER-FREE REVIEW
„Oshi no Ko“ has been on my radar for quite some time now, not only because it is the new manga by the renowned Aka Akasaka („Love is War“), but also because the premise sounded like something that has never been done in an anime before. This show is truly special. There are 11 episodes, but the first one runs for almost 90 minutes which basically means it can be viewed as a full on movie. Let´s talk about it.
Story – 10/10
The first episode of “Oshi no Ko” is probably the best first episode of anime i have ever seen. You
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could say it´s cheating because it is so long, but i think it had to be this way. You go through a roller-coaster of emotions, the pacing is extremely fast and consistent, the characters are deep, the story is just outright crazy and fantastical and the ending is one of the most heartbreaking scenes ever followed by an incredible cliffhanger.
But what then? Does the show lose steam after the movie? No it doesn´t. It combines genres beautifully, creating an anime that has elements of a thriller, a romance, a drama, a fantasy and even a murder-mystery detective story. Every little arc brings something new to the table.
Having seen hundreds of anime and a lot of thrillers and mysteries, you start to be familiar with the genre and plot-twists and reveals start to impress you less and less. But Oshi no Ko is the first anime in a long time that gave me this gut-wrenching feeling. The ongoing mystery kept me at the edge of my set at all times. There are a few very specific moments where the tension spikes incredibly high and you have to hold your breath.
Another big thing to talk about is the way in which the show discusses the issues in the japanese entertainment industry. Idol anime tend to be very cute and family friendly, always putting the girls on a pedestal of happiness. This is a different story, a story that thematises the dark and gruesome reality of getting to the top of the industry.
But the main reason why I gave the highest possible score in this category is because this truly feels fresh and new. This show reverses a lot of the common anime tropes and takes a new route to tell
it´s story. In a time where a lot of anime can feel like cop-outs from one another, this show was desperately needed.
Art – 9/10
The first thing that you notice immediately after the start is the art style. Almost as a contradiction, regarding the dark themes in this show, the studio opted for a very bright and colourful palette. The eyes stand out the most, with every character having a unique look to them. You can even see the development in certain characters impacting them in the way their eyes are drawn (one of the best scenes in the show). The movement is crisp, especially in the idol performance scenes. When the tension rises and big reveals start to happen, the style shifts to a very dark look, with gloomy shadows. You will notice that a lot of the budget was indeed poured into the first episode, which makes sense to hook the audience even more. But the rest of the series still manages to look great, which I think is a great compromise.
Sound – 9/10
Another standout category. Even though this is no typical idol anime, the soundtrack is still full of great songs. The performances are of course the highlight, but even in the quieter scenes, the show does not hold back. The OP is, in my opinion, a very strong contender for opening of the year. There is a reason why every street and every convenience store in Shinjuku plays this song 24/7. Yoasobi has delivered another banger, after already putting their mark on the industry with their work on “Beastars”. The ED is also great, beautifully ending all episodes with a smooth transition.
Characters – 9/10
There are a lot of characters to talk about in this show. We of course have our two protagonists, Ruby and Aqua, but because of spoiler reasons, even talking about them would affect the viewing experience .Lets just say that the situation they are in and the way they deal with it would make ANYONE interesting. They both come from totally different backgrounds and deal with their magical circumstances in their own way. There is a slight lean in the direction of Aqua if you look at who really pushes the story forward the most, but over the course of the show I found Ruby´s arc to be very compelling too.
Thank god the supporting cast is almost equally as interesting. What I liked the most, is that everyone gets attention for an extended amount of time during the show. Everyone feels connected and alive, there are very few characters that fall into common anime stereotypes. The murder mystery aspect sheds light on the different people in the entertainment industry and shows how each of the characters deal with their own shortcomings and failures.
Enjoyment – 10/10
This was one of those rare anime where every single episode was a banger. The story moves at a very fast pace and I cannot wait to see how everything wraps up at the end. I struggled a lot with this decision, but giving this show anything less than a 10/10 would be an understatement. Watch the first episode/movie to get hooked, you won´t regret it. This is one of the best Anime that I have ever seen.
- Marco_Yooo
FINAL SCORE - 10/10
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Oct 22, 2023
THIS IS A SPOILER-FREE REVIEW
Mashle has been one of the big surprise hits of the spring season. I have been loosely following the development of it during it´s serialization in the Shounen Jump magazine. The premise looked really familiar (!) but when the series finally got an adaptation by A-1 Pictures, I just had to check it out.
Story – 8/10
You look at the cover, you look at the characters and you look at the premise. The first thing that comes to mind is, of course, Harry Potter. This is essentially the anime version of it. It mixes elements of the former with a protagonist -
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who is basically a mix between Asta from “Black Clover” and Saitama from “One-Punch-Man”- and a whole bunch of anime tropes. On paper, it truly looks like a cheap anime ripoff. It takes almost everything about the character archetypes, the world and the magic system from Harry Potter and puts an anime spin on it, almost like a parody. I don´t know how, but somehow the show makes it work. The magic school in which “Mashle” is set in makes Hogwarts look like a cakewalk. Here, you have students basically killing each other with magic on a daily basis, while also getting crazy tasks by the school, like killing dangerous monsters for better grades or stealing other students medals (Mostly by transforming or just killing them). The anime doesn´t even try to give an explanation.
But although it is a shounen, the comedy aspect is still it´s biggest strength. This is by far one of the funniest anime that I have ever seen. It does not take itself seriously at all, the humor is timed perfectly and the different weird scenarios the characters have to go through are just insane. The show has an overarching plot, but it feels almost episodic, which is really rare for a shounen nowadays. But the pacing is just so good that you almost forget that. I can see while a lot of people say that it is a ripoff, but I think it has enough of it´s own identity to stand on it´s feet by itself.
Art – 8/10
This is A-1 pictures were talking about, so you can expect solid animation for sure. I think the artstyle fits perfectly although not being the most original. I think the character designs with the black marks are amazing. You instantly recognize a Mashle character because of that. The animation itself is really good, but not outstanding. If this season does well, which I think it did, we will hopefully get truly groundbreaking quality in season two.
Sound – 9/10
This was one of the biggest surprises for me personally. Instead of magical orchestral music, the anime uses english rap, which (for some strange reason) fits the setting and the characters perfectly. They use different tracks for battles, comedy, drama, just everything. The opening is a banger but what really surprised me was the ending. Definitely one of the catchiest ending songs ever if you ask me, i never skipped it.
Characters – 7/10
Okay, I like almost every character in the show. Mash is a fantastic protagonist who manages to be really dumb and funny while also being incredibly easy to root for. The side characters are really funny and vibrant, making for a great group dynamic. But honestly, the biggest weakness of the cast is the lack of originality. Everyone is a copy of a character that has existed before, especially in a shounen. And don´t even get me started on the female characters. The author didn´t even try. They are cute, but that´s it (One girl literally has the name “Love Cute”). The villains on the other side look very intriguing, but we are still early in the show, so there is still a lot uncovered. Hopefully the characters get some original backstories or developments in later seasons.
Enjoyment – 8/10
This was a perfect show to come back to week for week, almost like a saturday morning cartoon. I am looking forward to season two. This has the potential to be one of the best action comedy shounen if it keeps this quality for longer. But A-1, please give us 24 episodes next time….
- Marco_Yooo
FINAL SCORE - 8/10
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jul 9, 2023
THIS IS A SPOILER-FREE REVIEW
After the insane movie and the fantastic second season, Demon Slayer was on it´s way to become an absolute shounen powerhouse, standing next to the big works of Hunter x Hunter, Naruto or Fullmetal Alchemist. Watching Demon Slayer is always a treat, because you know how consistent and flawless Ufotable is with all of their IP´s. But can this season hold a candle against the groundbreaking previous ones? Let´s get into it.
Story – 6/10
Well to be completely fair, Demon Slayer has never been known to have the greatest story in shounen, but it is blatantly obvious that this season made the
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narrative even thinner than the previous ones. There is almost no real plot-progression throughout the entire series. At least the other ones had a cool concept or a mystery to solve before the actual big fight starts, but this one was just a bit to straightforward. The writing has also taken a big hit, this time more than ever. I mean, if I watch a shounen I don´t expect it to change my life, but all the long drawn out monologues about dying, confidence and strength have gotten to a level where it is just boring and repetitive. The show is titled swordsmith village arc, but most of the series takes place in a random forest. Also, the pacing was pretty bad. This arc somehow felt much slower than the entertainment district arc. Some characters fights just go on and on. Some episodes feel almost like you can skip them.
While this season doesn´t do anything awful, it merely serves the bare bones shounen formula that we are all familiar with, nothing more. If this was the first season, i´d be completely fine with that, but 4 seasons in, this feels like a step back for the franchise.
Art – 9/10
I mean, this is of course the obvious one. Ufotable would never dare to miss in this department and continue to push the medium to new heights. I think this is the season where you can truly start to see the improvement over the first one back in 2019, not in the fights, but in the still moments. Character designs have become even more detailed, the expressions are more pronounced and the camerawork is outstanding.
However the reason I cannot give the full score here, is because like I said, this is an improvement in everything they did since season one, not a reinvention. What I mean with that, is that there wasn´t a moment in the season that hit me quite the same as some of the big finales in the previous ones. I honestly think the source material just did not lend itself to a big climactic ending like the ones before, which is a shame, but not the studios fault, because in this season you truly for the first time felt the source material pulling the studio down which is crazy, because normally if you look at shows like Attack on Titan or One Punch Man, it is the complete opposite.
Sound – 9/10
The soundtrack is fantastic like always. I truly believe that every Demon Slayer Opening we got so far exceeded the one before it, which is a massive compliment because the first opening was already really good. Man on A Mission never disappoints with their crazy energy. The soundtrack itself was very high quality. Orchestral music, great intersections and insane sound designs. You feel every swing with the sword, every breath and every drop of blood.
Characters – 8/10
Okay, so this season kicks Inousuke and Zenitsu out of the story for a while, which is of course a little drawback, but I actually think they wouldn´t have fit in here as well as before. This season introduces two new big characters, the mist hashira Tokito and the love hashira Mitsuri. It´s funny, because everything I liked about Tokito is the opposite I liked about Mitsuri. Tokito had a pretty good backstory as well as a round character arc throughout this season, starting out as kind of an asshole in the beginning, he changes for the better which pays of really well in the finale. But I also think when you look at his fighting style and abilities, he is probably the most boring hashira so far by a mile. Mitsuri is the opposite. She doesn´t really have much of an arc or a long backstory, but the way she moves and fights is an absolute joy to watch. Every fight scene with her was beautiful and unique.
The other new character, that I heard many disliked, was Genya. I actually though he was really interesting. This arc kinda put more questions out about him than answers so I hope we get to see more about him in future seasons.
We also get the backstory of another highly important character that I really enjoyed, but going into that would lead me in the spoiler category.
Enjoyment – 8/10
This is Demon Slayer, so of course it is enjoyable, but like I said before I think this season is a step down in multiple categories. The next season has already been announced, so lets hope Demon Slayer can retake it´s place as the best modern shounen before Jujutsu Kaisen comes and snatches it away this summer season.
- Marco_Yooo
FINAL SCORE - 8/10
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jun 2, 2023
THIS IS A SPOILER-FREE REVIEW
Romance is a genre that i consume very rarely. There are some anime that I really enjoyed like “Ao Haru Ride” but other than that, the genre never interested me that much. But after hearing how “Kuzu no Honkai” portrayed the genre and the concept of romance in a highly unique and realistic way, I thought it was time for me check this show out.
Story – 7/10
This is the exact opposite from your cheerful shoujo romance. This show definitely does not hold back on the drama. It is really hard to explain to someone who hasn´t watched it, but think
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of a love triangle scenario in which every single character makes the absolute worst and most disgusting decisions imaginable. Some scenes were really hard to watch because of that, and you actively feel with the characters going along with the motions. There is this constant moody and dark vibe going along with everyone. This also gets apparent if you look at the way the more intimate scenes are handled. Even the sex-scenes felt distant, quick and pointless, with no real satisfaction on behalf of the partners. Another thing this show does really well, is that it actively subverts the expectations of the viewer, especially with it´s ending. This ending was definitely unique because it dares to do something that only a few romance anime ever do, which makes it stand out above the rest. On behalf of realism, I do think that some plotlines were a bit tooooo much. But although not everything the characters do feels realistic, their actions are always explained. I also thought that the pacing was all over the place, way to fast in one scene, but way too slow in others.
Art – 9/10
This was the biggest surprise for me personally. I knew that Studio Lerche is highly capable (“Classroom of the Elite”, “ Astra: Lost in Space”) but this is the definitive high point of the studio.
This show looked absolutely breathtaking. The soft and light colouring, the smooth texture and the beautiful character design was blowing me away because I just didn´t expect them to go this hard on a show like this. There are multiple moments where the show translates the original manga panels to anime in a sort off textbook-artstyle and it worked really well. The colours pop during special moments (cherry-blossom for example) and the movement is fluid and realistic. The emotional state of the characters also gets portrayed throughout their design. You see them go through these dramatic moments, making wrong decisions, while their eyes communicate all the pain. That is remarkable.
Sound – 8/10
I mean, the OP is a certified banger, I knew that before the show started. It just got better and better with every episode in my opinion. The ending took me a while to get used to, but the lyrics were great and it fit the sombre atmosphere of the rest of the show. I noticed that music itself was used very modest in the show. There are multiple moments were there is just no BGM at all. There are some pretty good songs that play in the final episodes, making everything even more tense than before.
Characters – 9/10
I think this is the most divisive and talked about point of this show in the anime community. A lot of people disliked this show specifically because they thought every character was highly unlikeable and dumb. And to be honest, I 100% go along with that. But where my standpoint differs from the rest of the community is, that I see that aspect as the shows biggest strength.
These characters are still in highschool, which means they are young, inexperienced and indecisive. Every single person has their own experience with highschool drama and unrequited love and everyone has probably made mistakes that they regret as they are older and everyone probably experienced a type of unrequited love. This is not a show about perfect people having a perfect romance. Like the title says, this is about broken teenagers trying anything they can to fill the void inside their hearts. And to do that they will make decisions that are highly self-destructive and not politically correct. What I also liked is that the show did not waste time on side characters. Everyone feels like they could be the main character, no one feels unnecessary, which made every episode fly by. Our main heroine, Hanabi was depicted perfectly in my opinion, and her relationship with Mugi was the best thing about the show. I also think that, although she is an absolutely terrible human being, Akane Minagawa was insanely fascinating to me, as I have never seen someone like her being portrayed in an anime. Certainly one of the most deep and interesting female anime characters ever
Enjoyment – 8/10
These 12 episode truly flew by. Watching these people suffer is way more entertaining and relatable than it should be. For everyone who is tired of standard anime romance, watch this. If you don´t like something that is a bit more extreme and dramatic, maybe skip out on this one.
- Marco_Yooo
FINAL SCORE - 8/10
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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May 25, 2023
THIS IS A SPOILER-FREE REVIEW
I got into the „Chuunibyou“–franchise last summer on my quest to watch every single anime by Kyoto Animation. After a fairly entertaining season one and a mediocre season two, I still had high hopes for this movie ,because this is the definitive end of the franchise. Also, Kyoto Animation has produced some of the best anime movies of all time (“The Disappearance of Suzumya Haruhi, “A Silent Voice” etc.). Is this movie the ending we all wish for?
Story – 7/10
Okay first off, I have to say that this is a nice return to form for this struggling franchise. The movie was
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fast-paced, funny and witty. The road-trip aspect was done nicely and feels refreshing and new compared to the stale humour of the second season. The story shifts between our main characters, Yuuta and Rikka and their persecutors, Shinka and Sanae. Seeing the two pairs outwit each other and seeing the banter between the characters was a lot of fun and definitely the highlight of the movie. The emotional arc and the dramatic tension comes from the underlying plot here. We have seen a similar thing in season one, which means for the show to tackle this topic isn´t exactly new, but I think it was the only way this movie could work, especially because the writing itself has improved a lot since season one. But I think the reason why I didn´t go higher with the score here were my own expectations. I thought that this would be an intense, dramatic final movie with a lot of hardship for our main characters to go through, similar to something like “Kyokai no Kanata Mirai-hen” which followed it´s show up with a dramatic finale. But this is not what this movie wants to be. There is drama at the end, but for the most time, this is just a fun, entertaining ride with some fish-out-of-water humour. The ending, although feeling a little bit anticlimactic, was nice and stands as a nice send-off to the characters.
Art – 9/10
Like with every Kyoto Animation show, the quality of the animation is as great as ever, especially with a movie budget. This looks a little bit better than season two. Like before, there are some fight scenes sprinkled throughout the movie, which are animated insanely well. I wished they did more of them, especially because the biggest fight happens around halfway through the movie, which hurt the pacing a little bit. Other than that, I really liked the background art. They used a technique which converts regular pictures of real locations into an anime artstyle, perfectly fitting the road-trip theme of the movie.
Sound – 6/10
This soundtrack of this movie was surprisingly unnoticeable. Of course a movie lacks an opening, but other than that there weren´t really that many standout songs. It is mostly your standard slice-of-life BGM. The ending gets a little bit more emotional and so does the music, but I think what this show always lacked is that one banger theme that connects everything.
Characters – 7/10
What I liked about this movie was that it trimmed down on the character count. Sure, everyone has at least a little cameo, but this movie mainly focuses on our main duo which was a nice change of pace from the overbloated cast of season two. Yuuta still has amazing comedic timing and is a fun main character to follow. Rikka is also back and is as loveable as ever. The main issue I have here is the way that the plot is resolved in the end. I am not a relationship expert or something but I don´t think that the main romance is particularly healthy for both of them. You could definitely make a case for something like co-dependency, which should never be the baseline for a relationship.
Enjoyment - 7/10
Although this franchise is definitely flawed, I am still glad that I got into it. This movie is a fun, light-hearted ending to the franchise. If you are into romance and comedy, this is a must-watch. If you do not enjoy anything that has to due with the “moe”-genre, maybe skip out on this one.
- Marco_Yooo
FINAL SCORE - 7/10
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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May 21, 2023
THIS IS A SPOILER-FREE REVIEW
The shounen genre has always been a pleasure to get into again and again. Although there are clear differences in quality, i think if you look at the big shounen shows, you can see the consistent formula being used to top the popularity polls of every single season. Magi is another shounen that has been on my radar for a long time. So, what does this shounen do different than all of the others? What is it that makes Magi unique and interesting? Let´s get into it.
Story – 9/10
This is by far the best aspect of this series, and the reason
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i think more people should get into this show. First of, the worldbuilding. The setting is really interesting and diverse. The whole mythology is clearly inspired by the persian 1001 nights, centred around jinns, emirs, thief's and swordplay. Also, most of the first two arcs is also set in a middle-eastern type world, which is very rare for anime. But this is actually just one little country inside this vast world. The author clearly took inspiration from history because most of the different kingdoms and countries shown here are similar to actual empires in the history of earth. You have Sindria (Phoenicians), Kóu (Ming-Dynasty), Bal-Badd (Bagdad) and much more. This series spends a lot of time on politics and diplomacy, something rare for a shounen. The different storylines are cleverly set up and paid off throughout the show, there are multiple ongoing mysteries, rivalries and flashbacks. The pacing is great, it never feels like something is left out, which is a problem that a lot of modern shounen have. This has the vibe of an older shounen, something like Naruto or One Piece but it feels fast and fresh. The only few drawbacks are the fights themselves ,which is the reason why i can´t go higher with the score. The fights are cool to look at, but they lack the strategy and thought of something like „Hunter x Hunter“. Also, I think this season slows down a bit during the last arc. Everything before that is done wonderfully. The Bal-Badd arc has to be my favorite. It covers 2/3 of the season and sets up many characters, plotpoints and more. It also has the best fight in the entire series so far.
Art – 8/10
The middle-eastern aesthetic present for most of this season is certainly a unique one in anime. It feels so fresh and new. The costumes are stylish, the earrings are shiny and the hairstyles are as colourful as ever. The character designs are memorable and vibrant, both for the female, but especially for the male characters. Every kingdom has a different vibe to it, different clothes and different jewellery. The background arc is also great. I love the design of the different cities, Sindria being my absolute favourite. The fights themselves aren´t mindblowing, but at least they are consistent. This is A-1 Pictures we are talking about, so you can expect a certain standard of quality here.
Sound – 8/10
The openings are really well done. They weren´t exactly fitting for the series itself, but they are both great shounen OPs in my opinion. The BGM however knocks it out of the park with fantastic background songs that pull you into the world even more. The use of middle-eastern instruments gives the soundtrack it´s own identity similar to the use of classic Japanese music in something like „Naruto“.
Characters – 8/10
This show features A LOT of characters. What i found interesting is that this show does not really have a standout main character. We have Aladdin, who is of course the posterboy, but also Alibaba. He is my favourite character in the show. The Bal-Badd arc made him shine so much. His backstory was engaging and well structured, especially his relationship with Cassim. Morgiana is a cool female deuteragonist, but i think most of her story is held back until season two. Sindbad is of course a big factor in my enjoyment of the show. He is very similar to someone like Gojo Satoru from „Jujutsu Kaisen“ with his charming attitude and seemingly unlimited power. The only downside are the villains. Judar needs more build-up to be truly frightening and the organisation he belongs to hasn´t made an impact, at least not yet.
Enjoyment - 8/10
This was a very enjoyable show for most of it´s run. I´ll definitely watch season two when i find the time. If you are looking for a great shounen with fantastic pacing and worldbuilding, Magi is for you. This is a must-watch for every shounen fan.
- Marco_Yooo
FINAL SCORE - 8/10
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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