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Nov 25, 2019
Love and Lies seems to be rather maligned here on MAL. I can understand why; the themes seem rather obvious, the story is predictable, and there are liberal applications of cliche all throughout. So why, then, am I assigning it such a high score?
I think people are too concerned with being good "critics" and aren't enjoying life enough. Really pay attention to the musical score when Misaki confesses to Nejima. That one musical piece redeems the entire existence of this creative endeavor, from the manga to the anime and everything related to it. It evokes the illogical nature of love,
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how someone can inspire us for a singular moment in our lives and we are changed forever. If you forget about being all crabby and critical for a moment and let yourself feel what these two must be feeling in that scene, you will not fail to be moved unless you really do completely lack any sense of romance. In my mind's eye, I could imagine walking down one of those wooden walkways through a forest of bamboo hand in hand with youthful love. All of the heartbreak and hardship in the world seems to have not been in vain and everything is OK because this one person loves you, too.
Forget for a moment that it's hard to root for Nejima's milksop character; he is not intended to be someone we can obviously say women would find attractive. He's made that way on purpose. Misaki doesn't love Nejima because he's cool or rich or can do special things for her. She loves him because she was moved and thinks his courage and spirit are beautiful. And it's not hard to fall in love with Misaki despite her flaws: after all, her voice actor is Onadera from Nisekoi. (My God, if someone confessed to me with Kana Hanazawa's voice I would break down and propose on the spot.) Nejima is meant to be the protagonist, the one the reader is supposed to experience the situation through.
The central choice in this story presented to us is basically: "Do you love with your heart or with your mind?" Do you choose the one you've loved all along for no single reason you can place your finger on, or do you pick a person who ticks all the boxes, someone whom everyone thinks would make a great match for you? I get that a lot of things could have been handled better. I get that the anime adaptation we got contains a lot of awkward moments in it. But as an artistic endeavor, many of the scenes are rich with symbolism that evoke people through the ages asking themselves this very question: Marry for idealistc love, or pursue career, political gain, material riches?
Things get complicated when Ririna enters the picture. The choices are not quite so straightforward anymore when real people are involved, because Ririna is presented as straightforward, earnest, thoughtful, and beautiful. Nejima can't help but be attracted to her, and honestly we are meant to understand why with our heads how Ririna would make a fine life partner. Life is like that: we can talk about the red string of fate all we want but the person we end up with often is NOT the childhood crush. Maybe it's timing. Maybe it's lack of opportunity. Maybe it's some evil government policy which seeks to put people together so they cut down on the incidence of violent crimes and depression. Whatever the reason, we're SUPPOSED to be sympathetic to Ririna, who doesn't do anything wrong and is very appealing in her own right.
I want to write about Yuusuke, but that whole situation just seems kind of tacked on and unnecessary to the main theme here. Maybe the writers were thinking that unrequited love needed fair representation. After all, in the beginning Nejima and Misaki are on exactly the same page. Personally, while I understand his inclusion I thought this just muddied the waters and was a poor attempt to expose uglier parts of Misaki's character, making choosing her less obvious for the viewer.
If you still hate this anime, you might just be one of those people who can only tick all the boxes and doesn't take a moment to get in touch with your romantic self. That's fine, the anime itself doesn't try to ram a choice down our throats, saying one is better than another. And maybe that's also a reason why people are upset or disappointed: they themselves feel there is an obvious choice (for them) and don't understand why everyone else doesn't see it that way. Personally, I found the work to be beautiful, but I'm a bit biased. I think sharing your eraser in elementary school is a perfectly fine basis for everlasting love.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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May 10, 2019
Nande Koko ni Sensei ga!? is a heartwarming anime about a boy who helped a girl realize her lifelong dream about becoming a teacher. It promotes wholesome family values and shows how much that same boy cares for his mother and infant little sister. As we tag along with the adorable further adventures of this boy and girl, we can see how this girl learned to open up to people despite being incredibly shy in her youth. Labeled by a "demon" by her students for her strict tutelage, in time we are able to observe that this girl has a super-cute side
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as well, with the same kind of hopes we might expect any girl to have, like getting married, becoming a mother, and finding love.
The upskirts, boob-shots, pantsu shots, accidental groping, unintentional kissing, unplanned stripping, incidental statutory molesting of student by his teacher, and strictly-for-survival purposes oral sex are purely all coincidental. One wonders how so much coincidental hentai, er, I mean touching displays of affection can be crammed into a 12 minute episode, and the producers of this anime do their best to find out just that.
If you want to enjoy this show, you must absolutely give up on things like thinking clearly or having concern for ethics and human decency. I want to say something like, "this could never happen in real life," but the newspaper headlines prove me wrong. Apparently, older teachers do indeed have improper affairs with their students while they are just students and minors. So your enjoyment is going to really hinge upon your ability to see why this student and teacher might be a good couple in the future despite their completely inappropriate relationship in the meanwhile.
The art starts off merely ok, but seems to improve later in the series. The opening theme is provocative but if you can, try to find the music video for it (Bon Ku Bon) on YouTube. It's not even accurate to call it "over the top". The top is no longer anywhere in sight, not for the music video and definitely not for this anime.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Apr 30, 2019
After clicking the "Write a review" button, MAL asked me to update my anime to indicate that I'm currently watching Nobunaga-sensei no Osanazuma. At that point, with my finger hovering over the button, I had to consider if I really wanted people to know I was watching this show. Would this information be used against me somehow in the future, for example, in a court of law? Would it impact my ability to land a job in education? However, in order to promote this kind of brazen disregard for propriety, modesty, or human decency, I gathered my resolve and plowed on
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ahead... or so I'd like to say. In truth, I turned my head surreptitiously to make sure nobody was looking first and confirmed I didn't have my real name anywhere in my profile. Whew, good to go.
Nobunaga-sensei no Osanazuma has no hesitation or restraint. It knows what it is and wastes no time getting right down to the sordid business of entertaining us with completely over-the-top ecchi and harem setups. One of the reasons might be the short running time: clocking in at 7 minutes per episode, this show has to skip the foreplay and shuck the clothes right away in order to display its raunchy wares before the end credits roll. Ironically, the only area this show shows a little hint of self-consciousness is in the ecchi itself: the nudity is mild and the naughty bits are mostly hidden from view. What's the word, "titillate"? Maybe the show's creators think teasing excites more than just simply showing everything. Maybe they just don't want to get arrested by the police.
So, yeah, a girl shows up from Japanese history of nearly 500 years ago and mistakes the protagonist for the man she's supposed to marry because they share the same name. Then the anime proceeds to strip mine this flimsy premise for comedic gold. It's not really brilliant, it's not clever enough to inspire, but hot damn it managed to make me laugh out loud. It's not panning for gold in the gentle streams of romance so much as it's exploding deep within the earth with blatant disregard for environmental protection laws. Except, in my analogy for this anime, the laws aren't environmental.
They are more like laws protecting people who are minors or students or both at the same time from being molested by their teachers.
I mean, we're not supposed to laugh at a scenario where a young child takes off her clothes in front of an adult (after just meeting him) and asks to start making (more) children right there on the spot, right? We shouldn't be putting ideas into the heads of our teachers that it's OK be locked inside a classroom with your students (who are minors), right? Right?!
Will you enjoy watching this? Many of you won't. You're going to get hung up on things like objectifying women, degrading women, having women want completely improbable things. Maybe you fear for the future of society if this show becomes popular, and young girls won't be safe. Maybe you're a little curious, but don't want any of your close associates to know you are.
Some of the setups are in very poor taste, and not for everyone; viewer discretion is advised. I laughed, but that's probably just because I'm a bad person.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Apr 7, 2019
Domestic na Kanojo is not so bad that it deserves the 2 and 3 point reviews that are at the top of the review list. Despite having over a 7 on MAL currently, these reviews and the plot description given above might give potential viewers the wrong idea regarding the quality of this anime. Is it good? I must admit that I didn't exactly enjoy it all the way through.
Initially, I very much liked the anime. Yes, it starts with something of a highly improbable setup. These kinds of things simply do not happen in real life, that your first
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happens to become your sister and move in with you and your parents, both new and old. That and your unrequited love, who happens to be your teacher at school also comes with that package. It doesn't happen; you are more likely to be stuck by lightning or win the lottery.
If we factor out the contrived nature of the plot, then there is another critical point to address: many reviewers seem so disgusted by the anime they are actually angry. They are unhappy to such a degree they are calling these characters and the anime as a whole things like "trash". May I gently suggest that the way these characters in this anime behave are how the majority of people behave in real life? If you have never been faced with a difficult situation, then count your blessings and be glad of your good fortune. Most of the rest of humanity deals with unfulfilled desires and poor judgment. My observation is simply that, when actually faced with such difficult trials, the majority of us fail the first time to do the right thing.
Don't get me wrong; I'm a bit of a judgmental, self-righteous prick myself. Or at least I was, before I started trying to understand other people and their motivations. The thing is, this anime is actually quite realistic in portraying unrequited love and the desperation people feel. Among all types of human interaction, love is the only area that seems to be a no-holds barred rule-less wasteland where it seems people can hurt each other in the worst way possible and it's perfectly legal. To those calling the MC a terrible person devoid of personality, I can only imagine they have never felt the terrible longing that only comes from wanting someone you cannot have. I'm not saying that's good or bad, it's just how it is. Obviously, the MC does some things that he should not have. He also makes some good decisions, too, if these reviewers were simply mature enough to notice.
Likewise, neither Hina nor Rui are bad characters. Their motivations are understandable if you factor out how odd and unlikely their situation is. I particularly liked Rui: instead of the standard anime trope of a girl who lacks any connection to the rest of humanity, Rui can at times be funny and sympathetic. She is trying her best, but simply lacks the talent or experience needed to be a social butterfly. She doesn't understand her new feelings and is trying to work through them without a handbook. None of us have a handbook when it comes to love, only the jaded judgmental eyes of our peers and the anecdotal wisdom of the masses. Neither should count as good advice in the affairs of the heart.
Hina, I will admit, comes off rather less well. Her heart is not constant, her motivations are muddy and seem largely born of insecurity.
Ironically, this insecurity is what drives reviewers of this anime to express such disgust. People are unhappy seeing the ugliness inside their own hearts, and so in public forums try their hardest to distance themselves from dirty or unsightly feelings and expressions. Or perhaps the simple lack of experience and insecurity makes them quick to judge others. If you have never felt that you would risk anything and everything just for a smile from a specific person, then perhaps you cannot understand why people would act as they do in this anime.
Will you enjoy watching this show? My enjoyment rather soured about halfway through the series but not because I thought the characters were "trash" or that the anime was poorly made. I am simply a hopeless romantic and I like who I like. I tend to ship certain parties and they almost always end up NOT being the parties the writers put together (temporarily or otherwise). You will only enjoy this anime if you have an open mind about relationships. It will help if life has smacked you around enough that you've picked up a little wisdom. Wise people know not to judge others from a position of ignorance.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Mar 28, 2019
Revisions is neither the worst anime ever made nor is it a groundbreaking masterpiece. This anime is worth watching for its dedication to creating a distinct artistic impression with a heartfelt message. It's interesting how low of a score it has on MAL given that many a worse anime has scored far better here. Some of the characters in the story have annoying character traits (that serve a purpose), the story is full of pseudo-science plot holes, and the production process itself uses CG animation that may alienate some viewers. If you can get past these largely superficial problems, digging deeper you
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may be rewarded by an interesting, if disjointed, experience.
The setup will seem familiar to most of you. Five high school friends share the role of protagonist, with a boy named Daisuke designated as the narrator. First and foremost, Revisions is a science fiction anime about time travel. Our high school students will battle futuristic beasts while piloting mecha. A few slice of life scenes are sprinkled in, along with the usual dash of relationship drama between these five. Of course, their job is to save the world. Along the way they will be aided by adults who provide mature contrast to the emotional (but honest) outbursts from the children. All of this is to be expected, as by now there seems to be a formula for this type of show.
So what makes Revisions distinctive enough to be worth your time? First of all, the artwork is very good. Some reviewers have complained about the use of CG animation, but in this very season we have Date A Live III which contains an entire battle scene made up of still panels. That production is laughably low-budget when compared to Revisions. Revisions is beautifully drawn and animated. Facial expressions are clear and distinct. At no point were corners cut beyond what you might expect of a weekly television show. So why all the hate? I can only presume that some of you hate CG in your anime so much that you are motivated to come here and give artificially low scores to anything in this style. If you are such a person, just avoid Revisions and save yourself some angst.
Second, a great deal has been made of the "hero complex" of Daisuke, our main protagonist. After watching all 12 episodes, I feel his character was written this way not out of some misplaced stab at originality, but rather as an earnest attempt to describe how someone might end up if he were told his destiny was to protect everyone. In fact, the behavior and psychology of the high school kids was much more realistic and believable than that of comparable anime. Why, then, did it get draw such criticism from some of the reviewers here?
I am just guessing, but I think Daisuke's character flaws hit a little too close to home for some viewers. They recognize his immaturity as the same whiny, insecure little kid that lives inside of us. I'll give you a little hint for life: growing up is not denying that inner kid, or hoping that annihilating him for all time will save you from future embarrassment or failure. Real grown-ups give this inner kid a hug and a cookie from time to time and acknowledge that every single person is prone to moments of weakness. Everyone was a noob at one point in life, and frankly, most of us still have a lot to learn. If you are criticizing decent writing than maybe the point of it was lost upon you.
In fact, there is a character named Gai who I believe represents this very attitude of trying to insult others due to insecurity about oneself. Gai is constantly berating Daisuke for his bragging and delusions, while ironically harboring a not-so secret desire for leadership and recognition. One envisions Gai's future destined for local politics or middle-management.
Including Gai shows some self-awareness on the part of the author. Criticism of Daisuke, on the other hand, demonstates a possible LACK of self-awareness or confidence on the part of some reviewers. There is an expression "Methinks the lady dost protest too loudly." When I see extreme negative reviews and scores, this phrase comes to mind. Are you trying too hard to be cool by attempting to distance yourself from Daisuke? But you're not Daisuke or the hero of any show you watch. Maybe anime has conditioned you to insert yourself into the role of the male protagonist so well that, like a Pavlovian test subject, if the main character has too annoying a personality you feel personal insult as a knee-jerk reaction. Once upon a time, good stories just wrote the characters as they needed to be written and the reader understood they should remain a separate (but attentive) viewer.
That brings us to the quality of the story. Overall, there are the usual suspects here with any science fiction written regarding time travel. Paradoxes are not addressed. Scientific logic is trod upon, or simply ignored. At one point, the solution to rescuing someone trapped in space time apparently is to reach out to him physically. If you are a pseudo-science nerd who thinks the physics in Star Trek is real, then you may find the willful indifference to actual science in this anime offensive. Everyone else will probably just roll with it.
But that is not the main point of the story. Actually, I believe the main point is about the meaning of heroism, and how our actions are influenced by our self-image and ideals. Do we really sacrifice for others, or do we simply appease our own egos? This anime is brave enough to address these issues instead of automatically assigning the role of "hero" to some characters and "villain" to others. In fact, all parties in this anime believe they are doing the "right thing" as it applies to their own personal ethics. Judged against the standard of other anime, the story is much more well-formed than average. There is an introduction, development, and a definite conclusion, with an overall purpose and message the author wishes to convey. If you're just here for pretty explosions, then the battle scenes are done competently.
If we may criticize anything about the story, it feels somewhat abridged in the service of fitting into the standard 12 episode format. The final result is very watchable, but stilted. Conversations and and character changes jump around leaving you feeling that something important was skipped. There is very little fan service (unless you consider form-fitting plug suits evocative). Characters behave in a way you might expect given their unusual situation. A lot of thought was given to the drama playing out in the people, and not so much to trying to be clever from a science fiction perspective. For what it attempts to do, I believe it succeeds quite well. I watched all twelve episodes without once feeling, "this sucks so bad I have to stab myself in the eye immediately." Given how many cringe-worthy anime are out there, Revisions deserves some recognition for its honest attempt at delivering its message about friendship and what it means to be a hero.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Jan 21, 2019
A red, misty haze obscures my vision and I start wanting to obliterate things when I think about Toradora. It is exactly the TYPE of anime I love: a romantic comedy with great character designs, voice acting, lots of fun slice-of-life drama, and funny dialogue. There are love triangles, character developments, and genuinely moving moments. However, several things just absolutely ruin the enjoyment for me. It's a comedy that is just unfunny sometimes (no, Taiga's violent nature is not funny). It's a slice of life that offers up frustrating instead of soothing plot developments. It's a romance without ultimately
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being romantic.
Really, it's like opening up a beautifully wrapped box from your favorite bakery only to find the cake inside is rotting and crawling with maggots.
First, Taiga (the palmtop tiger) is simply the most annoying tsundere character ever. Is she the prototype? Did they start appearing after her popularity from Toradora? It's not even the her seiyuu's fault. She is just forced to act in the most irritating manner possible by her creator / writer. She's violent, behaves in an unfair manner to the other characters, and has very little redeeming qualities as a person. Eventually I stopped wanting her to go away and started fantasizing about her meeting some horrible, gruesome, slow and excruciatingly painful end.
Second, there are just a few too many improbable events. People just "happen" to overhear things they shouldn't or see things they shouldn't all in the service of the plot. And people do things that don't follow from their established character. Don't get me started on the amount of hand-wringing and inability to say the important things to one another. A certain amount of indecision and drama is necessary in a romantic comedy, and is to be expected. But the artificial nature of some of the plot here in Toradora is just lazy.
Finally, the wrong people get together in the end. Of course, the first episode telegraphs the eventual couple. I'm not spoiling anything: it's obvious from the very first who gets together and why. But the WAY the show goes about it absolutely maximizes the irritation. I don't agree with the premise: that people should get together because their flaws kind of match in a complementary way. Even worse, I cannot say the writer is incorrect in their assessment. People hook up because they are lonely and find kindred spirits even though they are just using the other person as a kind of self-medication. But some people call this romantic, right?
As if this were not enough, one of my favorite anime best girls of all time isn't even really considered for crossing the finish line first in the romance race. She never has a chance and as a viewer you know this, but the story still dangles the possibility in front of you just to flip you off. I didn't appreciate this almost belligerent taunting. This character is beautiful, smart, and does things to support everyone, but receives next to no gratitude or love from the other characters (or her creator, for that matter). Maybe the author is subconsciously working out some bitter resentment towards the people who seem to have it together in life? (I'll let you in on a little secret: everyone has it equally hard in life, any appearance otherwise is only illusion.)
Well, Toradora has one of the highest MAL scores of all time. Perhaps it exists as a kind of escapist drama where the viewer can think, "Yeah, I'm super flawed as a person and I'm really mean to people but I'm totally still deserving of love because that special someone will see how special I am." And therein lies its appeal: people who want instant gratification in life without putting in hard work. Shouldn't people work on their own self-confidence and love themselves before messing up other people's lives? Of course people don't have to be "perfect." But far too often people seek solace in the arms of others without ever addressing the core issues they've been assigned to work on in this lifetime, and it won't lead to fulfillment.
I believe art should uphold the highest ideals and give us great things to strive for instead of simply reiterating the harmful status quo. Toradora seems to promote self-destructive co-dependence instead of inner strength, self-reliance, and loving others unconditionally. It reminds me of how people thought bread was a critical food group when in actuality processed carbs just make you fat and lead to health problems. It might feel good to be "needed" by another person while running away from your personal problems, but it's not any proper foundation for a lasting or meaningful relationship.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Jan 15, 2019
Kokoro Connect is among my favorite anime of all time. Essentially a slice of life with a supernatural twist, it does not appeal to the audience via action, adventure, or fantastic visuals. Rather, it is an exploration of the human condition. It deconstructs what humans consider their personal identity by exposing gender roles, emotions, and even innermost thoughts. Although it is saddled by some melodrama and several of the main characters have less than appealing personalities, Kokoro Connect appeals to me with its bravery and willingness to tackle uncomfortable issues.
By now you should know the plot: a group of five students
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join the "cultural research club" for various reasons, basically because they are all slightly unusual in some way. Perhaps these idiosyncrasies make them interesting, because some alien entities then come and spawn supernatural phenomena to mess with them in the hopes of generating interesting behavior. For example, the first phenomenon has these high school students switching bodies, allowing them a peek into what life might be like for their friends. This includes exploration of what it means to be a girl versus a boy. It's entertaining at first and then takes a more dramatic turn as the characters begin to feel increasing stress as the different phenomena hit them.
What makes up a person? Is it how they behave? What they think? What they feel? Are we only defined by our relationships with (and to) others? This anime is willing to explore these issues in depth and even has the courage to take an optimistic stab at answering some of its own questions. Often in a "what-if" anime like this the show poses the questions but makes no strong claims, allowing the viewer to decide what they believe. Here, the show actually attempts to dispense advice on how one should live life. I generally found it to be decent advice, or at the very least innocuous.
This degree of daring would be enough to earn an above average score, but what puts this Kokoro Connect over the top is that the best girl wins in the romance department. I'm already a sucker for love triangles in anime, but what frustrates me is that usually the best girl does NOT win. Not so with Kokoro Connect; instead of the girl and boy getting together merely in service of the plot (Toradora, I'm looking at you), mutual admiration that just makes sense prevails. Even better, this best girl in THIS anime is easily the most interesting and lovable character in my opinion, showing vulnerability but also courage and inner strength. She is willing to see her own flaws and try to improve. The show doesn't make her superhuman either; at one point she too is depressed by the mirror held up for her to see the warts on her personality, but ultimately doesn't let it defeat her. While it's true I didn't love the main male character she falls for (he's a bit wimpy to be honest), she is tied with Kirusu from Stein's Gate for the title of Best Anime Girl.
It doesn't hurt that there is a scene later in the series where she is reverted to her childhood self, and the way she is drawn as a little kid is SO ADORABLE that it may induce cardiac arrest in the faint of heart. Watch at your own peril.
Note: I did not write a separate review for Michi Random because I consider that simply to be the final four episodes of the series rather than a separate sequel.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Jan 3, 2019
Ah, Cheeky Angel. This is one of my favorite anime, but I must admit a little bit of a love-hate relationship with it. Perhaps the most extensive gender-bender anime of them all, it truly delves deeply into exploring what it means to be a woman or a man. Even factoring out my personal fascination with the subject matter, Cheeky Angel stands on its own merits with good humor, surprisingly well-developed romance, and daily situations that should please any slice-of-life fan. And yet, it is also has easily the worst artwork and character designs I have ever seen. If you can
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use your imagination and get past the terrible visual quality, underneath lies an adventure worth spending 50 episodes on.
Despite being so beautiful strangers will stop in the street and stare at her, the main character Megumi identifies with being a boy. It is revealed very early on that she used to be a boy at some point in the past. She is admired by boys of all sorts at her school but especially by the tough-guy Genzo. Right off the bat we have our first accurate characterization of socialization by gender: Megumi establishes herself as a rival for martial ability with Genzo. Indeed, men determine the alpha by sizing each other up from a martial perspective: "Can I take him in a fight?" Women, on the other hand, seem to establish a pecking order based on beauty, social status, and charisma (personality). Megumi, despite her appearance, still identifies with being a boy and so is constantly getting into fights and doing unladylike things.
Megumi's childhood friend and fellow classmate, Miki, attempts to curb Megumi's worst tomboy impulses. She is Megumi's constant companion, and is determined to teach her bff how to act more like a girl. Other side characters join in the fun, forming the Megu Group to protect her from harm. I found the daily antics of everyone to be both endearing and representative of the quality you find in older anime. The dialogue is more coarse and less concerned with being witty. The jokes are straightforward and hit-or-miss. Situations at school are outrageous and exaggerated. Megumi's day-to-day life is presented with lots of recurring plot lines, forming the kind of episodic format you often find in "monster of the week" shows. And yet, refreshingly, characters do change and relationships actually progress through the series.
And so, Cheeky Angel establishes its main hook and recurring theme: Does Megumi relate more to being a woman or a man? Despite initially being a brash and loud tomboy, Megumi is eventually conflicted regarding her sense of self. At the outset, her mindset is somewhat trapped at the stage of identifying with a young boy's priorities, like being "manly." And yet, as she becomes increasingly aware of gender-specific situations (like male attention), she increasingly catches herself thinking like a girl.
This anime explores these ideas to a depth and detail like no other. Granted, with 50 episodes to work with, it can take its time revealing Megumi's journey of self-discovery. Other anime might have brief "specials" which involve a gender swap, or use the gender-bending as a gimmick for something like fan service or comedy. Cheeky Angel is actually interested in a genuine dialogue about the topic.
Boys and girls might gossip about the other gender, but BEING or BECOMING the other gender doesn't seem to be a widely accepted topic in polite conversation, receiving stigma that is only slightly milder than the topic of homosexuality. Some people want to be the other gender because their romantic gender-object is currently the same gender as they are. Some people just prefer the other gender's clothes. Some people are curious about what it would be like to interact socially with others as the opposite gender. Cheeky Angel goes as far as to give each of these viewers something during the course of its story line. For example, despite kicking all manner of people during the show, Megumi finds time to appreciate dressing like a woman. She doesn't seek boys' attention like other girls she meets, but at times she finds herself admiring specific people who have traits she wishes to develop herself, like courage, skill, and a strong sense of justice. Does she like boys or girls? Cheeky Angel seems to be saying that maybe love is more complicated than the physical plumbing we are assigned at birth.
The show encourages us to ask ourselves, how much of established behavior for men and women is dictated by society, and how much is innate? I have a one year old daughter and she hates all sorts of things. She hates vegetables, Legos, Linkin Logs, and Mr. Potatohead, but she loves shoes. She has a pretty pink pair of shoes, and she often goes out of her way to hand them to me with a grunt, indicating I should help her put them on. She's too little to know what society thinks girls should like. So is there something to the stereotype that girls like shoes? (My wife assures me that little boys like shoes, too.) Yeah, Cheeky Angel goes to those kinds of places.
I love exploring this subject matter, and I found Cheeky Angel scratched that itch more thoroughly than any of its fellow anime. And yet, I would be remiss if I didn't at least mention the sore topic of the artwork. There's no getting around it: Cheeky Angel looks like someone you beer-goggled and despite being dead drunk and not having had an encounter in the last decade you actually thought, "nah, I'll pass." It is a level of awful that far exceeds what one might expect just from it being an older show. For example, Ranma 1/2 is much older but despite this the art is endearing and much more consistent. Cheeky Angel is almost belligerent in its amateurish animation and ugly character designs. But the worst are the faces. Proportions are off, and eyes and mouth don't match from one frame to the next. A kid with crayons can do better drawing stick figures in a flip book. Megumi is supposed to be beautiful, angelic. Why, then, does she look like throw-up after a muddy dog has rolled around in it? I'm sorry to be so picky, but most of the fun in the show comes from the "what-if" of being a beautiful girl, and instead we are constantly presented with the "what-if" of being in the late-stages of zombie undeadhood--after April has taken a bat to our face. Cheeky Angel is so bad it had me thinking back fondly of the moe-blob girl faces from Clannad (previous "worst anime face art" title holder, now easily dethroned.)
I'm sorry this was so long, but I really wanted to give you a good idea of what Cheeky Angel had to offer. Maybe there just isn't any other show sufficiently like it. If you are parched in the desert and stumble on a water fountain, maybe you don't wait around hoping the uncomfortably warm water turns cooler after a while. You slurp it down because there simply isn't another fountain in sight for miles. If it's the only anime brave enough to really satiate our gender-role curiosity thirst, so what if some suspicious green furry stuff is growing on it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Dec 19, 2018
I sometimes wonder if an anime that falls just short of being a masterpiece is worse than a true stinker. Ore, Twintail ni Narimasu is one missed opportunity short of greatness. While the production values are not particularly high, it has the rare courage to take an outrageous idea and just go for it. It starts out with great setup but a rather routine monster-of-the-week plot. But then the story takes progressive turns into ever more daringly deviant territory. And then it misses the mark in the last two episodes. I thought it would zig but instead it zagged.
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Despite this, if you are a fan of gender-bender anime, this one is worth the watch, if only to spark your imagination regarding what could have been.
Speaking of what could have been, when I was a kid, I experimented with cross-dressing a couple of times and I was surprised at how gorgeous I looked in the mirror. For most people, their gender is a huge part of their identity but for me it's just a shell we take on to interact with others. Since I'm probably unusually detached to gender roles, naturally I was curious about what women's lives were like.
On an even further side note, I have a tiny daughter now, and she looks just like I did when I was little. People literally stop to stare at how cute she is. She causes a stir everywhere she goes with strangers fawning over her. So maybe from a genetic perspective that question is answered.
How is this relevant to "Gonna be Twin Tails"? Well, this is a gender-bender anime, and the target audience is probably kind of small. It's significant for anyone who has ever wanted to be able to change gender, even if only on a temporary basis, just to see what it would be like. It even has a scene where our main character, Soji, sequesters himself in the bathroom so he can transform into his girl self and... examine himself (herself?) more closely. It's got a hilarious twist exactly appropriate for the theme of the show. As an example of great dialogue, his childhood friend is watching from a hidden camera and asks, "I can't watch, but I kind of want to."
Soji, the main character, is a guy in high school who REALLY loves pig tails, or "Twin Tails" as the Japanese apparently refer to the hair style. An alien comes to Earth to save us from a third invading alien race out to get our "Twin Tail" attribute. The anime knows how silly this is, and uses it only to set up increasingly deviant fetishes of aliens who seek something very specific, such as having little girls hold dolls. This anime doesn't hold back; a number of popular and embarrassing fetishes are paraded before the audience, and this anime plays them to the hilt.
You see, the nice alien lady offers Soji a bracelet that gives him the power to battle the bad aliens on even terms. Except it also turns him into a loli girl with fabulous twin tails. Brilliant.
Yes, this anime is a harem, and there are multiple girls after Soji. Yes, it has gobs of over-the-top fan service. But curiously, it takes the time to explore the psychology of why these girls might actually like the main character instead of just blindly acting as the story requires them to. These girls have their own hang-ups and some closet deviant fetishes themselves, and aren't particularly shy about exhibiting them for comedic effect.
The fight scenes are clearly a parody of both mahou shoujo anime and shonen battle anime. Our team of heroines transform into their battle forms in racy style. The outfits are skimpy and double entendres are common in the dialogue. Don't tune in for great action scenes. Watch for the the unabashed way the show just tries really hard to get a smile out of you. Of course some jokes fall flat but I laughed out loud more often than I really should admit.
Then comes episode 11, when Soji wakes up one morning and things take a curious turn. I was really hoping the show would go there and it does... sort of. But instead of allowing us to see what social situations this would create, it sticks to its focus on the invading aliens. It was at this point I thought an opportunity for both outrageous comedy and daring adventure was missed.
If an anime is going to be a racy comedy, I prefer the funny, witty kind to the juvenile, embarrassing version. If someone falls on top of somebody else, by god it should be full-on and not some nerdy accidental breast grope. At one point our alien lady friend develops a version of the battle bracelet that makes the wearer's breasts larger. Soji's flat-chested childhood friend doesn't dance around the issue; she begs the alien to allow her to wear this bracelet instead of the one she's been given. Ore, Twintail ni Narimasu even delves into the practical difficulty regarding the proper care and maintenance of the twin tail hairstyle, using this as the pivotal character development turning point for Soji. "I wonder if I ever really understood twin tails." Brilliant.
I can imagine that many people would not like this show. If you think overly explicit sexual subject matter is childish, you won't like it. If the idea of fetishes turns you off, you probably won't like it. It's easy to dismiss this as yet another harem-mahou shoujo-shonen battle anime where a team gets together to save the world while exploring their burgeoning sexuality. On the other hand, if you are willing to just go with the show's brazen attitude, you might enjoy a fetish-filled alien invasion or two.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Dec 10, 2018
Whether you enjoy Space Battleship Yamato 2199 or not will depend on the things you value in your anime. I cannot say it is without flaw or will be liked by all viewers. For one, this is a remake of a much beloved classic, one which was actually aired in the United States as the rebranded "Star Blazers" dubbed TV version. As is often the case with remakes, different camps emerge, with some fans embracing the new version and some criticizing the changes from the original. In the case of 2199, some changes are welcome but many problems (which my childhood
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self could not recognize) remain.
Taken on its own merits, 2199 has astoundingly high production values. A lot of care was taken in recording new versions of the familiar theme songs. There is one ending song in particular early in the season which is mostly just two female voices singing in harmony that is both haunting and achingly beautiful. Voice acting is top notch and make even cheesy slice of life elements aboard Yamato quite palatable.
The visual style is just as amazing. For once, the blending of CG and hand-drawn art is nearly seamless. Space battles and their accompanying special effects look great. Character designs and their animations are both gorgeous and expressive. It seems no expense was spared for this remake; perhaps the producers understood that this series was much adored by its cult following and did not want to disappoint.
Where the series has always been both strong and weak at the same time is the story. Here is where the audience is likely to diverge and take violent opposition with the quality of this show. From a creative standpoint, I love the main arc of the story and the imagination that gave it birth. However, the execution is sorely lacking. There are many plot holes, and events strain credulity. Other reviewers have gone over that already so I won't rehash each and every badly written segment. Let's just say things happen that are very, very unlikely coincidences and people often behave irrationally or with little sophistication.
We see this sometimes with some writers: they have a great idea, full of adventurous wonder and creative impulse. Maybe they lack life experience. Maybe they were unwilling to do subject matter research. Maybe they are simply too naive to know what they don't know. Whatever the case, Space Battleship Yamato suffers from this. There are entire world building points which simply do not make sense. For example, why are there only 3 Iscandarians left out of the entire population? If they were dying out, why does that timeline happen to coincide with Earth's need? They are almost identical to humans genetically, so we may assume they do not live any longer than we do. Is some mystic hand of fate at work? If so, it is never made explicit.
Space battles, while great to look at, are not sound tactically. For some reason, one side's ships are incredibly fragile while the other side is incredibly tough. And before I get the "wave motion technology" argument, that side's ship is incredibly tough even when the wave motion shields are down. Also, for some reason targeting is very unreliable. I can only assume this is because engagements are happening at extreme ranges and the energy weapons, presumably traveling at the speed of light, may not intersect a fast-moving target. And yet one side hits much more often than the other, despite an implied technology inferiority...
How does the Yamato fit all those fighters inside of its hull, despite not even having a flight deck?!
I think you get the point. The writer simply writes whatever idea comes into their head without thinking things through. It is self-indulgent, somewhat lazy, and difficult at times to sit through. Even so, the basic foundation of the story is very appealing, even inspiring at times. Who can't get behind the epic scope of this lone ship's journey across the cosmos on a mission to save Earth? For me, it works despite the juvenile writing.
There is a little bit of character development and a smattering of romance. Again, the uneven nature of the writing is apparent, with some things handled well and some handled poorly. At times the interactions between the crew are very believable. Compared to most anime, we may even consider the dialogue sophisticated and subtle. Fans of the characters from the original should be warned, because some of the cast have altered scripts and even gender changes.
I will admit, I am in the camp that adores the original series. I gave 2199 elevated scores because of this, but my bias should not be taken as an unconditional endorsement. If you simply can't stand poor writing, especially from a technical standpoint, then you should give this one a pass. However, if you've got a little kid inside of you and you like to watch virtual spaceships go pew pew pew, then you will probably have a grand old time with this epic space opera.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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