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Nov 9, 2022
Overlord is one of those anime that shares a special place in my heart, and it always will. To understand why, you must know what side of the dark woods I hail from: I am an avid lover of the horror genre. Movies, anime, manga, books, if it has a horror tag, it has my interest, so it makes sense an Isekai where the "hero" gets transported to world in his monstrous gaming avatar, where he was a member of a guild where every NPC had to be a monster, will attract me quicker than Jason to a horny couple on a
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moonlit night. But the real question is: does Overlord deserve the a praise, and can it stack up to its Isekai brethren like Re:Zero, Jobless Reincarnation, Rise of a Shield Hero, and That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime? I'd dare say it can, and, in some aspects, completely surpass them.
What Overlord does right:
1. The characters: I know we all love to look an anime character in their large eyed, perfectly proportioned face and see ourselves in them, but not everyone identifies with the "human" characters if you can believe it. Some of us are ugly, outcasts, freakishly large or tiny, and having characters that just act the part doesn't embody the monstrous feeling we feel inside when we look in the mirror. Inhuman characters not only symbolize being "freaks" to standard society, but literately resemble such things in appearance. Having our hero and his allies being a complete eldritch to human values and appearance adds a niche of relation Overlord offers to many.
2. Taking the Protagonist from center stage: Speaking of characters, Our Bone Daddy Ainz isn't always at the center of the plot, a lesson you'd think would be taught in "Making Coherent Stories 101." There are even sections where the plot will hone on the Floor Guardians without having Ainz in the scene, and Ainz's evil step children (which include a vampire, a succubus, two dark elves, a giant insect warrior, a demon butler, a demon, and many others) are interesting enough to make such sequences work.
3. The Soundtrack: Overlord has one of the best openings and ending themes I've seen in anime, and the music throughout managed to keep pace with the dark, action-oriented feel of the show.
4. The Ending: Of course, anyone reading this review now knows there are three more seasons out, but Overlord is a rare gem where I could have lived off of Season 1 for life. The ending is inconclusive to the overall world, but wraps up the central conflict gripping the main plot, with a cliffhanger that doesn't leave you with blue-balls (*Achew* High School of the Dead *Excuse me*).
What Overlord does wrong:
1. The Plot's loose ends: Overlord may be the monster Isekai of my dreams, but it asks a lot of questions that don't get answered, despite the central conflict getting a neat, bloody little bow. I think the show would have came out stronger if it didn't ask so many questions before they could be answered, a lesson many shows can learn from this one from a negative standpoint (Basically the world building version of "Don't Go Chasing Waterfalls" by TLC)
In conclusion: Did I enjoy Overlord S01? I'd give it a resounding, hell yes. But would I recommend it? Yes, but not to everyone... A fair warning: Overlord is not kind to its human characters. The light novel author even made a point that it doesn't matter how good or likable of a character you are in Overlord, you're not immune to a tragic end, and this might put a lot of people off who hate seeing good, or affable, characters die. So haters of tragedy need not apply. But if you love your merciless avengers with a main helping of monsters in your protagonist line-up, then you'll love Overlord S01 as much as I did. A solid 10 out of 10, and definitely one of the best in the Isekai genre.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Oct 9, 2021
Really? This is what people hail as the Granddaddy of Isekai? This show? Even I'll admit this sounds contradictory since I gave the show an 8 while most of you seem convinced it's more worth a 3 or a 2. I guess I should jump on the bandwagon too, right? WRONG! Jobless Reincarnation wasn't the best Isekai I've seen, and isn't even close to the best anime, but in the genre of dying and becoming reborn a broken God with a perfect personality, there's something... original and intriguing about this show, which is why I think it tastes sweeter
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than most of bland flavors you'll sample in the genre. To keep things balanced and you not bored, I'll first discuss what I hated about this show, then I'll tell you how it's refreshing in the sea of mediocrity that is the stale Isekai genre, and why I'd recommend it.
For the hate phase:
1. I hate tsunaderes. I find nothing intriguing about a girl bullying her love with violence to hide her affection, and believe any relationship based on such, in real life, would be considered abusive and worth a restraining order. Therefore, it should come as no surprise I loved the red-headed b*tch Eris as much as I love hot nails through the soles of my feet.
2. I hated that every male character had the default trait of being a perv. The protagonist being one helped identify his creepy little personality and made him a different type of protag we usually don't encounter in the genre, but why water down his originality by making EVERY guy in the show the same way? Did the author not know how to write men any other way?
Now for the unique aspects of the show:
1. In a world where 3D graphics sticks next to our 2D animations like a banana fitting on a ham and turkey sandwich, this show manages to blur the two in a way I haven't seen since the Fate series. Even in Fate though, some 3D animations stand out, but nothing appears like an odd juxtaposition in Jobless Reincarnation.
2. The pacing in this series is masterful. Sure, it wasn't paced in rolling wonder like Ergo Proxy or at a breathtaking but digestible pace like Code Geass, but the pacing is so PERFECT you'll swear every episode is a mini-movie. If more anime emulated this, the entire medium would transcend entertainment into pure art.
3. And this is the biggest one: THE SEX! Wait, don't click away just yet... Even though we know censors would rather show a man get his head chopped off than show some nipples, no one can deny sexuality is a more natural part of life than violent murder (At least, for your sake, I hope you agree 0_0). We've recently been experiencing a sexual revolution in anime, IMO, that is testing the boundaries over what is watchable vs fappable, but I'd argue this anime is the first to get it RIGHT. Interspecies Reviewers was
too raunchy, while Redo of Healer was too edgy. Then you have Jobless Reincarnation with enough sexuality to not be ecchi but enough for it to be woven reasonably into the plot and characterization. I didn't say it did it perfect now... For I still don't believe every male character needs to be a horny idiot. So far, this is the best we've got. Keep more slightly dirty gems like this coming, and we might find a truly perfect 10 some day.
Until that day comes though, I'll settle this one with an 8. The brilliant pacing, outstanding art, and sexuality being explored in a reasonable way and not for pure comedic value make this anime enjoyable and deserving of a special place on my shelf. In the grand scheme of anime, I would give it a 6, but it shines so well in its Isekai genre I have to hold it high with my Overlord and Re:Zero. I will still say Ascendance of a Bookworm does a lot of what this show does... but better, Bookworm Girl doesn't challenge the genre as much as this one.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Sep 1, 2021
So I'm a Spider, So What? is like the official parent of Isekai anime: It has the perfect recipe to be the greatest of the genre while simultaneously being the worst example of what to avoid in it. In a world with slimes can absorb everything to become OP, where demon misfits with eyes able to destroy anything become OP, or an elder liche who has a staff made of literal world breaking magic become OP, or a demon lord immune to ALL magic that can enslave people become OP, there exits a simple spider with a simple dream: To just survive.
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Not to conquer the world, not to get a big tiddie harem, or to save it, but just to survive and get stronger as a result. This creates Nani ka?'s biggest charm and where it succeeds while most fail.
Instead of creating a power fantasy where we see a character automatically become One Punch Man in another world and every Dick and Jenny lick the toes of said protagonist, I'm a Spider, So What? actually makes our heroine earn every skill and ability she has. What you effectively have is the greatest David vs Goliath story told in anime, where ridiculous matchups are made awesome and surprisingly exciting. Ever wondered if a spider could beat a snake? How about a chimpanzee? What about a mother freakin' dragon? Such fights I'd expect in a comedy like Is This A Zombie, but they work surprisingly well in this fantasy/Isekai about a spider.
That ends the highlights... Now it's time to discuss the black elephant, or should I say the dumb humans, in the room. The perfect power progression of this show aside, my 9s and enjoyment of 10 end in a 6 because, in a show where you have a tiny spider overcoming the most devastating of opponents, with an actual endearing personality to boot, you have an entire subplot focusing on the wimpy "Hero" and his allies. I literally felt myself get sick whenever I was drawn away from Spider Girl's antics to nearly entire episodes focusing on a boring, generic fantasy anime WITHIN my awesome monster anime. I mean, the show had something incredible, but it lacked so much confidence by it DARING to have an Isekai protagonist earn their OPness it had to include something normies would drool at. I can guarantee everyone giving this show scores below a five focus on this pedantic subplot, and I can't blame them for it. However, I love seeing monsters triumph over impossible odds and sticking it to the cruel, dumb, naive humans, so I consider this anime at least tolerable. My enjoyment is strictly a 10 by me skipping all the human parts and seeing what antics Spider Girl is up to.
I honestly think ALL Isekai fans should watch this show, especially creators who want to draft their own. It perfectly shows how to create power progression in a series without making the show boring. It's Overlord Season 1 in all its glory, maybe a little better... Just be aware you will suffer through a shallow fantasy story in the middle of your grand monster romp. For this sin, Kumo Desu ga, Nani ka? earns itself an overall of 6.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Jun 9, 2021
Often times in the world of cash grabs and continuations, the viewers of entertainment mediums are often disappointed. The next series either attempts to make bank off the success of the acclaimed first season, or it's simply made to continue the initial season's train ride until the audience reaches the end of the road with a sigh or jumps off early due to their eyes bleeding. The incredible thing about Higurashi is they fix this formula by taking an interesting approaching to sequel seasons: The 1st season of a series presents a "Question" or an overarching mystery to the audience, while the
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2nd season serves as an "Answer" to the mystery presented. Most anime series try to do this on the sly with cliffhangers containing as much whiplash as a disgraced Formula 1 driver trying to give you a rough ride, but Higurashi throws this method in your face, and effectively pulls it off to create a successful 2nd season.
I gave the story an 8, simply because it doesn't stand on its own as well as the initial run: Some of information about the characters' pasts gets neglected, since it was covered in season 1, so the show can veer into explaining how all this crazy 'ish from your first tour of this homicidal, rural town. The artwork has obviously improved significantly, hence the 9, and the sound remains just as powerful as before, hence the 10.
As I stated before, the characterization is what suffers this season. Props should be given to how they developed Rika (the little, blue haired girl) and her best friend Satoko. As with everyone else in Hinamizawa, Rika is not what she appears to be, and this season really delves into her psychological state concerning these events and how they affect her. However, the rest of the supporting cast (Batter-boy and the two Crazy Twins) are more stuck reacting to events instead of us seeing their thoughts and inner monologues concerning them, which I think really hurt their characterizations this time around. I'd say that was the only weakness this season, but the show tries to compensate by giving you all the answers our greedy little minds could desire ("After all, we showed ya these main characters in charge of their own arcs last season didn't we, ya ungrateful bastards?" says Studio Deen while grinning with a grill of gold).
The sacking of characters I was invested in aside, Kai did an excellent job in wrapping up all the loose ends presented during Season 1. It improved the artwork, the sound, put a neat little bow on the plot, and did all this with only a few character personalities as a tragedy. Meh, even Rome wasn't made without some cracks in the street. I'll stick by my original judgement and still give this season a 9 out of 10.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Jun 2, 2021
I debated within myself whether I should grace the first season of Higurashi with a review, because those who love it still do, those who hate it still do, and those who can't deny its influence on the horror/mystery anime genre (which is nearly everyone) still respect it. Opinions of this season haven't changed, but since I took the time to watch my favorite horror anime again in the wake of its latest season getting dropped in a month, I decided, "Why the hell not?"
Higurashi season 1 is the epitome of what a horror/mystery anime should be. Its format is a little different
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than your average show mind you, it consisting of several arcs that place our protagonists in similar situations that appear joyful until they devolve into pure madness and terror, but there's a trick to it: Each "weird" element of the show plays into the overreaching plot of what's REALLY happening in this small country town. Nothing goes to waste (A pacing aspect I wish other shows incorporated). One arc may focus on the backstory of two or three characters, then the next one might focus on another two, giving each character depth and time to shine in the overall plot. Of course, this has been done before (I think it's called the Omni-bus plot format?) in many romance or harem anime. Higurashi broke the mode by bringing it to the horror genre, where instead of you seeing "What ifs" on how life would be if the romance lead got close to one of the girls/boys, you get to ponder, "Who will go mad in this arc, and who will die?"
Many fans of the series also touch upon whether you need the following series, Kai, the "answer" arc, to appreciate this one. I will boldly say Higurashi (Unlike Umineko, unfortunately) can stand by itself, for even though you're not given the full picture by the end of season 1, enough is explained by the season's end to give the viewers enough satisfaction as to what's creating this air of madness in this isolated, country town. The only sin, if you can call it that, I'll give concerning characterization is it leaving one character out of the loop (the next series, in its entirety, could be considered "Her" arc), but then I could still argue the air of mystery surrounding her STILL wouldn't have hurt the overall effect of the show. Every relevant box is checked and T crossed, making it so this Season wasn't SUPPOSED to stand alone, but COULD have, a lesson more anime should learn when adapting their stories (And one Umineko should have learned to not be an incomplete trainwreck).
The last thing I will touch upon is the most controversial aspect of the show, one which makes viewers prefer sequels over it, the one aspect I didn't give a 10 for its obvious defects, even though I will praise its effects: The Art. Yes, Studio Deen must not have had a mountain of gold when it came to animating the series, but sometimes limited resources is what causes you to be more creative... The plain, moe, misleading artwork always devolves into horrid, jagged lines and ugly animations when the horror scenes happen, which adds to abstract, dementia atmosphere of the show. It creates a stark contrast making the viewer think one's looking at two shows in one: a moe slice of life beside an abstract horror, which elevates the creepy factor of Higurashi to immeasurable levels (And again, its Higurashi's pacing that makes this work. Akame Ga Kill and SAO is what happens when bad pacing ruins a show's dichotomy of elements). It goes to show, just as your girlfriend said to not hurt your feelings: "It's not the size that matters honey; it's how you work it." It's a placating truth, but a truth nonetheless.
Why didn't I mention the Sound? Because no one can deny how perfect the soundtrack is. The opening is one of the best you'll ever see, period, in terms of music, symbolism, and substance, and the soundtrack knows when to have Cicadas creepily crying in the background and when to pump out the base and instrumentals. Why didn't I mention the Enjoyment? Because I'm bias as hell, but luckily I'm not alone in how much I truly enjoyed this anime. If I could choose only ten anime to watch for the rest of my life, this would be one of them. It's a genius, well crafted nod to the horror genre in animated form, and has not been dethroned to this day (Shin Sekai Yori came close :P)
That being said, not everyone will like Higurashi S1. For the Art snobs among you, you'll prefer the consecutive seasons, Re-Zero, or the newest season Gou (Which looks gorgeous, but sacrifices many classic horror elements for shine). For those wanting something less abstract, they'll probably prescribe to Corpse Party, Shiki, or action/horror like Berserk, Hellsing, or Mirai Nikki. But to me, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni was perfect. A 10 out of 10.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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May 28, 2021
What promotes the continuance of an animated show in Japan vs the US is vastly different. In the United States, it has always irritatingly boiled down to toy sales: A shitty show can continue as long as the kiddies snatch those toys from shelves and good shows can get shelved if the toys become landfill stuffing. In Japan, the focus is on the manga sales, where you can have an anime made to promote the manga to generate more sales or an anime adapted after its manga shoots to the moon. This... creates my biggest gripe with Gleipnir, despite it being
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a solid entry in my favorite genre. The mystery behind the world, the dynamic between the female and male protagonist, all of this has me biting my nails with intrigue. But then I remember this anime is probably in the same blue-ball sacs as No Game No Life, Pandora Hearts, and High School of the Dead, and I weep as my appetite for more turns me into a hungry ghost.
Should you watch Gleipnir? Yes, I did give it an 8, because I very much enjoyed it. The show creates an interesting premise with what would happen if Dr. Jekyll was a mech suit (Or a Five-Nights-At-Freddy's costume) and Hyde rode him with devastating results, throws in some fan service with some interesting amnesiac plot elements that add an air of mystery, inside the greater mystery as to WHY this is all happening, with some horror-nod sprinkles on top, and you have a hell of a show to view. But I bet you realized.... I haven't answered your question yet ;). I want to love this show. I want to take it out to dinner, flirt with it a little, and get under its pants like a mad dog in heat... but I just... can't. Like an ex you know is hot but comes with too much baggage for you to endure the hell she (or he ladies) put you through again, it's just a painful experience knowing you'll never be able to commit to that relationship, and in this show's respect there's a high chance this story won't get an anime continuation. Sure, I could READ THE FREAKIN' MANGA, but I don't wunna, so I'm gunna stay disappointed. Another thing that annoyed me about Hot Freckles Girl's Homicidal Trip Inside Her Furry Husbando, and something I know someone will write a dissertation about at some point, was the censorship. Can someone tell me why it makes sense to show someone's blood and guts as they get squished to death, but not to show animated tiddies? Or how about someone getting a hole shot through their guts, showing said guts, but no animated tiddies? This censorship when it came to sexual stuff over gore was just... weird to me, and raised a different debate I'm too lazy to delve into on MyAnimeList. Maybe an uncensored Bluray will get released in the future, but what's the point if there's no 2nd season or SOME type of ending?
In conclusion, if you're the non-comittal type that loves a fun ride with horror elements, you'll enjoy this anime, as I did. That's the thing that confuses me sp much about this show, just as a fun, hot-in-the-sheets lover who has a crazy bi-polar side you have to deal with... I REALLY enjoyed it, but I can't recommend it to anyone until some of its loose ends get covered in another season. I love fun horror anime, but I HATE anime shows meant to promote the manga with a passion, and I have a sinking feeling, when you consider the amount of quality that went into this show yet no announcement of a 2nd season can be seen in the horizon, that this IS such a show. If you don't mind that, pick up Gleipnir; you won't regret it, take my 8 out of 10, and finish the story in the freakin' manga. However, if you DO mind that, avoid this show, for you'll probably feel it's a 5 out of 10... or a 3 out of 10 if you dislike fanservice. That is all. Peace Out...
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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May 26, 2021
Higurashi Gou... the latest chapter in Homicidal Lolis: The Reckoning. If you've looked at my score of the 1st Higurashi, you'll see I'm a bit biased... towards the original. It was my first horror/mystery anime, and few shows have compared to the complexity in its story, characters, and art IMO. But this isn't a Higurashi 1 review, but a Gou one, so I'll digress and get to the point.
My first impression was bad, like you tasting a meal them vomiting it but try to savor the flavor by swallowing the vomit bad. I had hope for the modern art style
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(hence the 8), loved the sound track (hence the 8), but believe this one took liberties with the characterization established in the previous series... Which, in this case, was a bad thing. Some Homicidal-loli motivations made no sense to me from what I'd previously seen from the characters, and some scenes made NO sense to me considering how much pain a person can tolerate and why people get butchered without defending themselves when they have an OBVIOUS totem to defend themselves with. But then again, this is a horror show, so we can get away with characters being dumb for sheer terror and dark humor effect, right?
Now, I will describe the biggest sin of this season, which has nothing to do with the art, sound, evil lolis, or the story (well... maybe the story some): The Pacing. I've shouted this from the rooftops, but this season is paced MUCH SLOWER than the original Higurashi or its sequel. When They Cry has always been a slow burner, but each episode used to distract you with slice-of-life goodness while a darker theme lurked in the background, one that would be built upon by the conclusion of each episode. In Higurashi Gou... You didn't have a dark reveal happening each episode, and sometimes it took two or three episodes to happen, which had me in the Pacing Dilemma I previously never faced in THE BEST PACED ANIME SERIES I'd spread my eye-holes upon: If you watch an episode and say to yourself, "Wow, I have to see the next one!" You have good pacing. If you watch an episode and say at the end, "Huh, that's it?" banging your forehead on whether you learned anything plot relevant or not, then the pacing sucked. Most episodes in this season had me feeling the latter, which is a terrible sin in an anime I'd considered the best paced series... ever. I believe this bad pacing came from two things: The show stuck inbetween being a soft reboot to introduce new fans to the series and a continuation of the old to satisfy the fanbase, and it trying to emulate the pacing of Re-Zero, another anime centering on a protag with a similar ability. To fix the former problem, they should have just made the series a reboot OR a flat continuation, so they wouldn't have needed to slow things down for new fans while building near the series' end for the old. To fix the latter... just don't make the show ANYTHING like Re-Zero, please. Don't get me wrong, I love BOTH shows for what they are, but what works for one will not work for the other, especially their pacing.
Boy, that went on awhile. In conclusion, do I think you should watch Higurashi Gou? If you're a Re-Zero fan, you will love it. If you're a fan of the original, you will hate it, but watch it anyway because it's Higurashi and Umineko isn't finished and Okamikakushi sucks. Also, considering neither your opinion nor mine will influence whether it gets another season, which is set to air in July, that question is mute. The true question is: Is this anime a waste of time? If you like mystery/horror anime, I would say it is not. I disliked some of the changes this studio made (The art style is fresher but took away from the abstract horror of the show. For the elitist among you who always think "Moar of an animation budget is superior," take a dose of the original Evangelion and call me in the morning :P), but this season's conclusion had enough of a twist (for the series, that I wished they got to sooner...) to make me convinced I didn't waste my time watching it. In light of this, I'll bump my earlier assessment of a 5 to a 7.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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May 21, 2021
Darling the FranXX... one of the shows in the long wake of the Mirai Nikki wave of having a sissy protagonist being dragged along by an assertive female lead who borders on or is Yandere and omits male physical abuse with psychological and manipulation... I enjoyed the show, considering I love a woman who can lift her weight in planets without being obese, but, when I remembered I was in Studio Trigger, I started to accept my plot was going to be sacrificed for style, and then I lowered my expectations. It was a good thing I did, because, as expected for its
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spiritual predecessor (IMO) Kill La Kill, Darling did just that. Sure, it was a fun ride, but one where you realized you had the time of your life, then your friend in the seat next to you throws up in your lap. You still have fond memories of the ride... yet you just wish, dang nabbit, that your friend didn't make you remember the smell of vomit every time you summoned such a fond memory.
Who should watch Darling in the FranXX? Those from the Mirai Nikki crowd, those who don't mind wimpy protagonists as long as they're sympathetic, or have dreams of being pursued by a psychotic girlfriend in the future. As for me, it was fun, but far from the best offered by this Studio and in this subject matter or genre. Look at this to pass the time; for fonder memories look to your recommendations. A 7 out of 10.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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