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Tokidoki Bosotto Russia-go de Dereru Tonari no Alya-san is an anime that I cannot recommend to anyone. Initially it lures the audience with similar tactics used by rom-com classic shows like "Love Hina" or "Nisekoi". Later on, the autor gives it own spin to the story and boy, does this spin suck.
RATING: 3 - Bad.

STORY: Bad fanfiction(s).
The story revolves around Masachika who as a child had a russian girl as a friend. Because he wanted them to be close, he learned the Russion language, but due to family circumstances he had to leave her behind. Years later in high school he sits next to a ... russian beauty who teases him in Russion yet he perfectly understands her, while pretending he does not. Logically this leads to "comedic" scenes and romantic tension. But...little does Masachika know, since the sister of this russian beauty could be his long lost childhood friend.
I give this detailed summary not because I want to trash on how this show copies ideas from rom-com classics; I gave this summary because in contrary to all available synopses, including my own, the show is not about it. This anime is actually about a borring student council ellection.
The twist happens in ep. 6. Up to this point the show does indeed stuff according to the summery, not particularly well, but it is at least serviceable. After the twist the story resembles tame and equally lame fanfiction of "Class of the elite".

CHARACTERS: Something something...with a twist. (mild spoilers ahead)
Our MC, Masachika, is introduced as a russian speaking goofball otaku. Right from the start it felt off for such a character to know another language. However, it is later revealed that Masachika is actually an unrivaled genius. Unfortunately this twist makes this character instantly unlikeable and devalues every action he did up till now, because it is not an underdog giving his best but a geniues using 20% of his power.
Alya, the femaile lead, is a damsel in distress. She sucessfully fails every task so that MC has to help or rescue her on every occasion, be it a conversation about a dance, her duties as a council member or her ellection campaign.
All the support characters are equally trashy. Another sign of bad writing is the fact that our MC does not have even one male friend.

ART & ANIMATION: 50 shades of brown.
Character designs are fine; backgrounds look bland, at times even bad. In my opinion the choice to use primarily muted collors makes the show look depressing. There are other collors besides brown and grey.

SOUND: It is fine.

Tokidoki Bosotto Russia-go de Dereru Tonari no Alya-san obviously borrows many elements from different better shows and smashes them together in an attempt to create a new story. This is a failed fanfiction with terrible story, miserable dialogues and unlikeable characters. I would suggest to watch Love Hina, Nisekoi or Classroom of the elite instead of this mess.

Kaijuu 8-gou is an anime that can impress with great visuals and strong sound design, all in all a skillfully craftet artwork. This anime will be trending for some time, however I doubt it will leave a long lasting impression because it is solely carried by its high production values, while story and characters show significantly less ingenuity.
RATING: 7 - Good.

STORY: Strong start, downhill progression afterwards.
Kaijuu 8-gou starts strong presenting a world tormented by huge monsters. Our main character, Kafka, works as a monster remains cleaner and experiences all the aftermath of monster invasions first hand. Until he turns into a monster himself. Up ... to this point the story is progressing well: we have a fresh setting, unique premisse, some world building.
However after 1-2 episodes the show takes a turn and goes on a beaten path. You see, Kafka always wanted to kill monsters, not clean streats from their guts, thus he makes an attempt to join the Defense Force and succeedes with the help of his new Kaijuu powers. At this point the show repeates well known formula, there is a recruitment exam, a training arc, squads with a Captain and a Vice-captain, magic like undefined powers, yada yada yada.
Kaijuu 8-gou had an open concept and could go many ways if Kafka wouldn't have joined the Defense Force and stayed a cleaner, while fighting monsters and hinding from humans. Why does the Defense Force not have a monster expert on each team who does recon on the fly? So that Kafka has an excuse to do something on the battlefield? What are the tech guys for? Furthermoere, what happened with world building? There is some really dumb stuff in here so that events can unfold the way they do.
Because the first episodes did a great job at pulling the viewer in, I did some manga reading ahead and was surprised how much worse the source material is. At this point I must coompliment the production values again. I was genuinely impressed by Kafka's big moment in episode 10 as well as the fight before it. Thumbs up! The adaptation makes minor changes throughout the entire run, all for the better. This outcome is rather rare.

CHARACTERS: Dull & cliche.
It surprised me that MC is an adult, unusual for self-insert shounen power fantasy. However, Kafka does not behave like an adult. What are his motivations to join? A promisse to a childhood friend? This is just boring.
There are numerous other characters, unfortunatelly all clishe: a neglected general's daughter; a neglected big-tech company successor; people who were rescued by defense force. None of them is interesting or particulary likeable. Hoshina would be the better one. There are too many side characters to develop in this short period of time, yet even more key figures were added near the end of the season. The show is too crowded.
Another negative point is - all characters are passive and just get dragged along by the story. Noone takes the initiative and makes something happen. Kafka does not explore his powers, Hoshino does not follow his suspission, Defense Force is not investigating escaped monsters, etc. Every encounter comes to the characters; our heroes do not act, only react.

ART & ANIMATIONS: Did I already mention high production values?!
This show looks great. Fights are well directed. I do not like the artstyle for characters and monsters, but those are still well made.

SOUND: Good.
Good music, good voice act. Episode 10 hits hard.

Fall 2018 and winter 2019 feature a number of isekai(-ish) adaptations, like Goblin Slayer or Shield Hero, with a strong fan base behind them due to popular manga or light novels. Tensei Slime also belongs into this category, however this anime sets itself apart from the competition with one distinct feature – it is a damn good and entertaining adaptation. The studio even manged to sneak some memes into it.
SCORE: Good - 7

STORY: Entertaining but repetitive.
As usual for the isekai genre our protagonist is granted a second chance in a fantasy world filled with magic, monsters and game-like systems, instead of eternal afterlife. The catch – ... main hero is a blue blob, a slime. And this concept works, because there is no world apocalypse to stop or girl’s heart to conquer, at least for now. This is basic escapism with focus on entertainment.
Narrative puts Rimaru in center of outcasts and follows his selfless task to create a peacefull community. This journey is defenitely a fun watch. There are several problems though: all the different story arcs have similar structure and become repetitive after a while: new faction is introduced -> initial conflicts arise -> big battle -> troublemakers are defeated, moderate parts join Slime-sama and get an upgrade. The show peaks midway during the orc invasion arc and cannot infuse its story with new ideas, tension or excitement afterwards.
Pacing is like a boulder rolling down a hill. Early episodes can be considered as slow, but they do a great job at introducing the viewer to characters and world with its mechanics, while you crave for more when end creddits roll. As the story progresses, pacing becomes faster and faster; episodes in the second half turn into random events loosely hold together, not a cohesive story with a hook for more slimy content.
The way characters are treated fuels this displeasure further.

CHARACTERS: A one slime show.
Slime-sama is an OP character, he will solve every problem with ease, win every battle and befriend everyone, but does not necessary take the good karma option on every occasion. Blue blob just enjoys his newfound life and does whatever he wants. The show also manages to transfer his joy, optimism or euphory onto the viewer. As an escapism power fantasy projection, this character works exceptionally well and fulfills its purpose.
Rimaru collects countless colorful followers. Each time a new group is introduced, those new characters will get a short backstory and a name to segregeta them from faceless redshirts. Fullstop. Expect no further development, as focus shifts with each new arc, older characters have to move to the background and remain frozen in the established master – subordinate relationship, thus there are no deeper character arcs or any development. Furthermore, this is a one man (slime) show, because everyone else is a support character and is defined through interactions with Rimuru. The show could use at least one character, who walks besides Rimaru, not behind him.

ART & ANIMATION: I could not imagine a blue blob could look this good.
This show looks good. Character models are detailed, colorful, interesting and stay on model for the entire run; backgrounds utilize a washed-up art style, but can express enough diversity, detail or create beatiful vistas and fit nicely into the slime world.
Animations are crisp and enhance not only fights, but also mundane everyday scenes. Slime itself looks especially gorgeous with funny grimaces or little details, like dog ears and tail attachements when Rimaru transforms from wolf into a slime in ep2. Kudos to the animators. This is how you fill a seemingly expressionless character with charisma and offer an upgrde from paper onto blue screen, I am looking at you Edgelord Bones & Goblin Scrappypants.

SOUND: Applause to all voice actors.
OP, ED as well as background music are nothing extraordinary, especially the later one is entirely unnoticeable.
On the other hand, all the voice actors did a fantasic job and filled every character with soul and joy. It is obvious how much fun people had during recordings and this positive atmosphere is transferred directly into the characters and finally the viewer.

Tensei Slime is a prime example how a show can be, if everyone gives their best. Sadly, even the best production team cannot go beyound the boundaries set up by its source material.

Sword Art Online franchise presents a new entry with its Alicization ark and doubles down on familiar writing disasters. With this season SAO reaches new storytelling lows and also seems to lose its last redeeming quality – action scenes.

SCORE: 2 – Very Bad.

STORY: Boring exposition scenes interrupted by obligatory and meaningless fights.
At the beginning I was slightly confused, because SAO:A does not directly follow on its second season. This confusion lasted only a few episodes and worked as a setup for a new “death simulation” for Kirito, without his harem, but with the same amount of plot armor and OPnes.
Terrible writing ... is more apparent in this season than anywhere else in the franchise. This show is too busy creating lengthy exposition dumps about either mundane or unnecessary topics: several episodes long discussion about calling and its meanings, that loses relevance after 1 sword swing; an entire episode to establish something as simple as basic royalty system; or 15 minutes of backstory for 2 characters, who lose within 10 seconds and vanish, just to name a few. As a result, plot progresses at a snail pace.

Not that the actual plot is any good. A lot of techno gibberish, plot holes and questionable motivations. Just a simple “save the girl” premise buried under a convoluted mess of pointless subplots.

At least, people will stop talking about Asuna’s horrible treatment in the first season, as SAO:A manages to top that scene. Genius.

CHARACTERS: Kirito - doubled; harem - disabled.
There is Kirito and then there is lesser Kirito, who is just a slightly inferior version of the original. Support cast consists of crazy dudes and girls, predetermined assault victims or characters who die for nothing. There is really not much to talk about here.

ART & ANIMATION: One step forwards, two steps backwards.
While character models and backgrounds show more craftsmanship than the average anime show, SAO:A seems sterile und unimaginative, be it detailed but boring backgrounds or character designs.

The biggest downgrade happened to action scenes. Sword fights turned into arm wrestling competition, where combatants just press glowing sticks against each other. Gone are the days of fluid sword dancing. Even the most potent fight against goblins in ep4 borrows too much from infamous directorial techniques like unnecessary camera movement or excessive close-ups, executed at 10 cuts per second. I certainly could not enjoy presented action.

SOUND: The most anime sound possible.
This is a MVP production, as Minimal Viable Product. Neither the music, nor the voice act stand out and will leave any memory. Maybe with the exception of this distorted sound on high energy impacts during fights.

Do not waste your time on this garbage. If you are looking for a competent “trapped in a video game world” anime with a clear goal, superb world building, diplomacy, smart use of game mechanics and successful focus on NPCs, try Log Horizon.

If you manage to sit through a very unsettling first episode of Goblin Slayer, you will experience a miserable fantasy adventure afterwards. Studio “White Fox” usually delivers high quality anime, as a result, I am genuinely baffled, how little enjoyment I found in this particular project.
At least for me, manga created the impression, that Goblin Slayer is an imitation of a D&D board game, with focus on witty battle strategies as well as amusing squad chemistry in an unforgiving harsh fantasy world with lore elements sprinkled across many (missing) dialogues. Not so much fan service and gore feast.
SCORE: Bad – 3.

STORY: Will fit ... on a dirty napkin.
Goblin Slayer’s overall story is quite simple, almost nonexistent – it presents more or less isolated adventures and goblin exterminations. Relentless pacing propels already shallow narrative from one goblin cave to another, ignoring world building or character interactions. Pacing and resources are mismanaged to the point, that there is a recap after only 10 episodes and it starts with a booty shot. Priorities on display.
The only praise I can give is ep10 finale, because it was built in small steps from early on and utilizes deceitfully peaceful atmosphere presented in said episode.

CHARACTERS: A tin can, a lizard, a dwarf & an elf walk into a cave…
Goblin Slayer, titular main character, is a walking robot, with limited vocabulary and range of emotions. The show tries to portray him as a badass goblin apocalypse; with emphasis on “tries”. He is followed by just as faceless lizard, dwarf and an elf. Young human girl with PTSD and weak bladder is the most vivid caricature in this squad.
With the exception of a bonfire talk in ep3 and some moments in ep10, squad interactions are limited to slaying goblins. Characters cannot develop and shine in such constrained environment. In addition, the concept of a nameless world did not transfer well into anime.

ART & ANIMATION: If you do not have the budget, do not work on challenging projects.
Character designs are detailed and mostly on model; backgrounds often consist of dark caves or ruins and are interchangeable. Visuals are basic, but functional.
Action scenes are barely animated, like most of the show, with the exception of boobs. Brawls with goblins lack impact or excitement, because they often consist of static “BOOM” or “SLASH” images as well as overabundance of blood fountains in slow motion. The emphasis on witty strategies, preparation and teamplay to be victorious on the battlefield are not integral to the show. To save even more money, on every opportunity Mr. Slayer or goblins themselves are replaced with eye-catching CGI.

SOUND: Devastating.
OST is bland and forgettable.
Slayer never shows his face to the audience, thus his voice actor had a difficult task to capture and express emotions to make the character appealing. This emotionless tin can performance radiates no charisma, rather reluctance. The “request” scene in ep12 was particularly underwhelming.
Lizard and mage sound interesting and project at least some personality, everyone else is unremarkable.

Goblin Slayer the anime is a disappointment. In an unlikely case of interest, I would suggest to read the manga. If it has to be an anime with a gritty fantasy setting, goblins and a proper squad chemistry “Hai to Gensou no Grimgar” could be an alternative.

Overlords 3rd season continues the overrated story of anime’s most beloved skeleton without facial animations.
VERDICT: 3 – Bad.

STORY: Slow, boring and confusing.
3rd season starts with a filler episode and proceeds with mediocrity and boredom from then on. The drive behind every action in this show is not apparent to the viewer, so that in the end I was questioning the events happening on screen. Why was Ainz destroying Carne Village again?
Next topic is the pacing. Boi does this season move S L O W. In addition, it is void of any substance, significant characterization or development. Noteworthy action – also nonexistent.

CHARACTERS: Huh?
We ... get to see more reoccurring characters in this season, Overlord himself being one of them, since his presence in the 2nd season was minimal. Maybe it was this long absence from the viewer, but Mr Momonga turned into a sadistic psycopath. It was hinted, that due to his undead nature Ainz loses affection towards humans, however presented changes are sudden and harsh, some in between stages would make this development plausible. Oh, and he got another name tagged on to his greatness. What a conceptional disaster.
The second most important character is the blond girl from the 1st season, whatever her name was. Well, she develops some useful skills, reasoning behind this development is yet unknown.
Everyone else is just there as a requisite.

ART & ANIMATION: Wouldn’t look good 15 years ago.
Character models are inconsistent and backgrounds thrive in mediocrity. Animation did not strain the budget either. Just like horrific CGI. Mass produced soldiers, goblins, skeletons or ogres look unbelievably bad, nothing you would expect in 2018: especially those abominations in episode 12.

SOUND: They gave up.
It feels like everyone on this project, be it voice actors or music composers, have enough of this IP. Music is more of the same, sound design got worse or even laughable. Voice act is boring. I was missing new impusles or joy from involved stuff. Then episode 12 happened and I wanted to stab my ears – well done.

One day before the final episode aired, I got a chance to see “Tensei shitara Slime Datta Ken”. The amount of emotions or joy blue slime blob shows in 15 minutes surpasses 3 seasons of Overlord. If you are looking for “Isekai” anime with an overpowered non-human protagonist and noticeably better production quality, I suggest the story of the slime.

Here and there this show is compared to mecha-genre juggernauts like Evangelion or Gurren Lagann; all I see is a reskinned version of A-1’s original anime from Summer 2016: Qualidea Code. Studio Trigger also brings its A game onto the table with polished visuals as well as unused character templates and drama points from one of their masterworks: Kiznaiver. As a result, we got this beautifully looking and pleasant smelling garbage bin called “Darling in the FranXX”. XX stands for female chromosomes, because why not? This will be the theme for metaphors and (bad) puns in the show as well as following review.
RATING: 3 – ... Bad.

STORY: A concept as alien and vague to the production team, as is coitus to FranXX’ protagonists.
Apparently, it counts as “story” when you see confused teenagers trapped in circles of over the top drama and forced love triangles, as if best South American soap opera writers worked on the script. DitF spends 3/4 of its runtime carefully tinkering with relationships and characters, to peak in “bees and flowers” experiment out of pure scientific curiosity. This experiment as well as other bonds are occasionally disturbed by the all-time favorite – memory wipe, to needlessly reset them and to extend runtime.
Near the end the show notices it cannot revive resolved conflicts for the third time and our shallow protagonists show signs of stagnation in their pointless development, so that actual plot begins after 15+ episodes. Thereby, DitF delivers one orgasmic info dump & plot twist after another, like a teenage boy who discovered his peewee can do more. To maximize the climax, additional tools like McGuffin (Star Entity) or Deus-ex-machina (everything to support those twists) find an excessive and abusive use.
Considering the sticky mess at the end, all the foreshadowing and slow world-building end up being as useful as years of Bible study on a first date. Tone and presentation until the final arc were too serious to support silly plot twists. Looking back, the narrative just falls apart and buries its own foundations.

CHARACTERS: Like a condom: useful until high point, garbage afterwards.
Characters are defined by their partner and do not undergo any development on their own. Hiro - 02 pair started well, as they complemented each other, slowly worked on their relationship and established trust. Until unnecessary and forced drama, coupled with memory wipe, reset it and turned them into children bound by destiny, powered by unconditional love. How boring.
Same fate destroyed one more pair: those characters would slowly develop their relationship over the course of many events, before an absolute unnecessary memory wipe throws them into even more cringy dialogues and situations, while they awkwardly head towards the same conclusion. What narrative goal made this course of events necessary? None. Only forced drama.
Convenient love triangles create more drama with remaining characters, however those move to the backseat somewhere in the middle, as the 2 main pairs reach a high point and steal all screen time. By the end, open conflicts are resolved like in a nightclub at 4am – you take what is available.
Another disappointment were the 9s. DitF builds them as antagonists and…spits on them in disgrace.

ART & ANIMATION: Appearance covers for missing brains & dumb personality.
Visual presentation is one of the few positives DitF has working for it. Character models have a clean and interesting design, but also share some familiarities with previous Trigger protagonists. The design itself is intriguing, as it is simple enough to illustrate faces with very few lines but does not forgo details or emotional expressions. In combination with detailed, albeit not diverse backgrounds, the show will please the eye more than once.
I am not as content with mecha designs though. Overly girlish appearance with attention to butts, breasts or twin tails is crude, just like overabundance of fan service in early episodes.
Animation is another strong point. Even during vast dialogues in frame movements create a dynamic picture. Special Hiro and 02 scenes are filled with fluid body movements and rich facial expressions. Rare action scenes initially showed some creativity, before turning into colorful Pokemon battles in the second half.

SOUND: A pleasant whisper.
OP and ED were functional. Background music stood out more. Original voice actors deliver a stellar performance; except Hiro, this guy knows only two moods: sad and lethargic or desperate screaming.

Darling in the FranXX cannot stand near above-mentioned genre juggernauts. It does not reach that quality and has no own merits. This show goes right into ever-growing pile of Trigger’s writing disasters. If you need a mecha anime, just watch one of the classics.

This show is a spin-off in Sword Art Online franchise and features a completely new cast in next “death game lite” scenario. Do these major changes mean improvement over the original? No. SAO:GGO tanks story and characters as spectacular as its predecessor, minus those action sequences, that made SAO at least serviceable.
RATING: 3 – bad.

STORY: We did not forget the obligatory café info dump & rape scene.
I do not research upcoming shows, or the names behind a project, often I don’t even read the synopsis; the only entries I may recognize are the title and the studio. After several weeks I learned, that apparently ... some big shot was working on the script, thus GGO is already a much better anime. Nope, I do not see any improvements. You don’t believe me? Let’s play SAO-Bingo.
I am asking for an overpowered main character, do we have one overpowered protagonist somewhere? Bingo! LLENN is abnormally fast and small compared to everyone else. Plot armor, is plot armor a thing? Bingo! LLENN’s first tournament or Pito’s headshot are nothing but plot armor. Next is an obligatory rape scene, can we see some questionable content? Bingo! Molesting dead virtual bodies is a critical hit for me. Finally, I offer café scene containing info dump! Bingo! But wait, it is not just a scene, it is an entire EPISODE. BINGO!
Not only does the show wander aimlessly until the obligatory café info dump episode, it also manages to tell nothing of importance afterwards. This anime is just a slow tournament arc void of any narrative and filled with underdeveloped caricatures. Not to mention that GGO as a game is made even more boring and dumb.

CHARACTERS: Kirito is a better main character.
Initially, our main character, Karen, was looking for means of escapism, because she has a complex concerning her height. This trait is the only integral point in her characterization and together with the whole escapism theme quickly loses any relevance after first episodes. Motivations are nonexistent. I already mentioned plot armor, so moving on to the antagonist, Pito.
She is a good player and nuts. That was fast.
The support cast is just as amazing: we have a group of middle school girls, who want to improve their teamwork in a virtual game by fighting against militant squads doing their training in GGO. Makes sense to me. Moreover, there are friend B and friend M. All the other side characters are morons, as players and as human beings.

ART & ANIMATION: Pink loli in a brown desert.
At least the original SAO had some above average visuals and several well-made action scenes, thus could be discarded as popcorn entertainment. SAO:GGO fails to deliver even this much.
Some characters models cater to moe fans, others look like failed experiments; there is no cohesive art style shared among anything. Backgrounds consist of unimpressive desert, forest or grey urban areas. Animation is present, interesting or engaging action is not.

SOUNS: Average.
Background music as well as OP or ED are average, not even one track stands out in any way, good or bad. Original voice act is anime 101.

Honestly, pretty much every anime is better than SAO:GGO, even the original SAO stands above this mess. Just go watch something else. If you value it higher than the original, because some big names were working on it, take off your bias glasses and look again.

I did not read the original novel or watched the OVA from the late 80s, but I heard a lot of praise for those works, as Legend of the Galactic Heroes (LotGH) is apparently one of the greatest anime of all time. Now, in 2018, we got a new take on this hot classic property and I thought it would be a perfect entry point for me.
It is hard to find any value in this anime: characters are not interesting to pull all the attention; action is dull; mind games are weak; depiction of war lacks necessary authenticity or meaningful commentary; rivalry is done better ... in any shounen anime. Where is the epos I heard so much about?
RATING: 3 – Bad

STORY: “Legend of the Galactic Heroes” - except every word is a lie.
“Legend” is an overstatement in association with events in this show. Yes, we see a greater scope of corrupt and egoistic governments mismanaging countries, disillusioned about their dependence on permanent state of war. However, (unintentional?) bad writing coupled with serious delivery tanks any credibility as social commentary as well as a parody.
“Galactic” does not serve the setting any justice, because the show lacks sci-fi vision. Technological progress is present only in military tools; everyday tech, clothing or architecture are frozen in time. It seems like society structures also did not evolve despite new hurdles, like administration of multiple planets; on the contrary, the society even degraded back in case of the Empire. Furthermore, warfare is executed with practices from Napoleon wars: huge armies stand before each other and trade losses or undertake a head on charge, which is sold as strategic masterpiece. Considering war is one of the major themes, the presentation is disappointing or even laughable. Just let it take place in 17th century with stupidity in commando tents and on the battlefield. The show simply does not explore potential of its own setting.
“Heroes” implies there are individuals, who excel above the masses. However, there are no such characters in this show. Wen and Reinhard are considered strategic prodigies, yet their skill is just an illusion, created by comparing those two with utterly incompetent and/or mentally challenged side characters, whose sole purpose is to make the supposed heroes look good. As one example look at Commodore Falk. The show simply fails to build up genuinely smart lead characters.
There are even more issues, like blatant introduction scenes and info dumps. The later ones are sometimes incomplete, like the world-building attempt in ep 3, which explains the history behind the conflict between Empire and Alliance, yet does not mention the 3rd faction. Where did they come from?
“Anecdotes of the Unimaginative Fakes” would be an appropriate title.

CHARACTERS: No bonds, no motivations, no characters.
The main characters are Reinhard, on the side of the Empire, and Wen on the side of the Alliance. In their environment, those two are considered strategic prodigies, as repeated ad nauseam on multiple occasions. Wen acquired his skills by reading history books, whereas Reinhard is a natural, I guess, because the show never bothers to show his development.
Should Wen’s character be close to source material, it would make him grandfather of all lazy and laid back attitude main characters infesting today’s light novels. Occasionally he will make a smart comment on events or dumb speeches, however his words are directed more towards the viewer and not his environment, thus have little narrative impact and serve as moral guideline for the viewer, which further devalues this character.
Reinhard is an ambitious smug with hatred towards the Empire because…I actually don’t know. How is it not an honor, but disgrace, for his sister to be Emperor’s wife? What are those motivations?
Support characters also got a budget treatment; relationships are clearly defined in dedicated introduction scenes, however there is no time to reinforce those bonds, so that in the end you know who they are but you do not care about them. “Wen’s little slave is cleaning the house and cooking meals again? Oh, it’s his adopted son. Didn’t notice that.”

ART & ANIMATIONS: talking heads; Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V ships.
LftGH 2018 is bland: bland character designs, bland ship designs, bland backgrounds, everything is bland. Animation did not strain the budget either, because there is not much to animate in a dialogue heavy show. Around episode 10 the overall quality takes a major dip with off model characters and horrible gray backgrounds.
Space battles are boring and void of any energy or tension: all you see are copy & paste CGI ships trading red or blue laser beams left and right. Expect to get zero visual entertainment. Fast-paced battles between small fighters, as you can witness in the OP, are rare and not impressive.

SOUND: Geshiikaaa!!!!!!!!!
Music, especially the OP, is way better than the show deserves and is the only positive remark I can make. Original voice act runs into serious troubles pronouncing overabundance of western names; professionals should show more expertize on their field.

Violet Evergarden is a beautiful looking drama show. It is a perfect entrance into anime world or suits well for people, who do not watch many TV shows in general. The more experienced viewer may find less enjoyment here, because overly safe execution edges predictability and boredom.
VERDICT: 6 – Above average.

STORY: A safe case scenario.
Violet Evergarden is a personal story about a girl on a search for herself as well as a place in the world. Her journey is told in small and concluded episodes, which are by no means original, albeit competent and do highlight the steady growth of the main character, ... because they serve as a lens for her own problems. It is a clever way to present main character’s problems through seemingly unrelated events and the show reaches its intended goal to showcase Violet’s emotional development. However, the by the numbers execution of those small stories may leave the viewer only little invested, as the punchline is delivered the moment a conflict arises.
A good drama knows how and when to sprinkle the feels. Violet Evergarden has its hits, but also many misses due to too much drama in certain situations. On the one hand, Iris’ reactions in ep 4 are understandable, but at the same time bloated out of proportion diminishing dramatic impact. On the other hand, ep 3 tells the best side story of the show precisely because Luculia acts reserved and calm. Altogether, the show lacks some cheerful side stories, as contrast to lots of drama.
One immersion breaking issue disturbed my experience every time it got on screen – Violet’s mechanical arms. How exactly can there be Terminator tech in post WW1 period? Those arms have no narrative meaning, besides showing Violet’s war scars. In this regard, some heavy burns would make more sense.

CHARACTERS: Unrelatable & unbelievable main character.
As a character driven show, Violet Evergarden, stands and falls with its heroine. And I cannot buy this character, at all. The core problem lies in Violet’s initial inability to understand emotions, a situation created purely as a plot device as well as means of victimization, just like those mechanical arms. Violet is portrayed as exceptionally smart and good-natured girl, which cannot coexist with her background story or poor emotional comprehension. In the first half she understands people by applying book definitions, yet she is unable to do so with herself, I refer here to a dialogue in ep 6.
Considering the importance of Violet’s development, the show skips crucial parts on how she learns to write letters and communicate emotions. It goes from failing finals to handling delicate diplomatic relations in just one episode.
Furthermore, Violet’s personal story is the weakest one in the entire show! Yes, in the military everyone was cold to her and Major was the first person who treated her like a human being. However, he is not the only one as we see over the course of the show. Strong sense of obligation and gratitude do not necessary mean love.
Side characters are like side stories: they do their job; probably you have seen such archetypes presented better before, but most likely you have seen worse.

ART & ANIMATION: A blinding radiance.
It is Kyoto Animation and you see it in every frame, the show looks beautiful. Period. The best you can expect to see on the small screen.
If I am allowed to nitpick, I would say there is an esthetic issue with character models. While main characters are remarkably detailed, they are heavily over styled and overshadow other characters in a blinding radiance: be it Benedict with his hairstyle, Cattleya’s revealing outfit, or Violet’s dress. I think the word “doll” is taken too literal.

SOUND: Loud and filled with drama.
Opening catches the theme of the show and helps establishing the atmosphere. Same can be said about background music, playing the according tunes for the right situations. However, at times the background music is too loud and can drown some dialogue as a result.
I cannot commend original voice acting. Side characters sound fake, with too much pity or pain in every sentence, regardless whether the situation requires it or not. The Major sounds too young for his age, while Violet sounds too old. Furthermore, Violet’s voice act is excessively robotic, even in emotional scenes, not matching her strong visual expressions – most noticeable in ep 7 when Violet confronts Hodgins; or she just starts shouting, because EMOTIONS! In the later half.

If you are looking for a drama show with a robotic girl on a desperate search for a purpose in life, watch Planetarian: Chiisana Hoshi no Yume.