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Let's do this one last time...

My name is Demon Slayer. I'm one of the most hyped anime of all time but today, I've become most overhyped mess.
First off, I've no complaints regarding animation. This is demon slayer, alright. I watch this show only for that sakuga however small and I bet a 1000 that 90% people are the same. Also, I have some respect for the staff because they're really working with a poor story. So there's that. On to the opinions!

Season 1; no upper rank demon. Had a hype moment.
Season 2; one upper rank demon and a Hashira. Had a flashy hype moment that ... well exceeded previous season.
Season 3; 2 upper rank demons, 2 Hashiras and Muzan Jackson backstory. There wasn't a single hype moment.
Why Ufotable? Why I am asking?
See, for the amount of annoying character interactions, predictable plot, nth backstory of a demon as human or whatever crap it had thrown, I've never felt dissatisfied completing a Demon slayer season. But this season is whole another level. Because now, it not only lack hype moments, it also filled a lot of new flaws.

Tokito vs Fish Demon (Idc about its name). This is a Hashira and upper rank demon going face off. Comparing this with Uzui vs Gyuu fight, this almost feels like cheating. The fight felt just how Giyu slayed Rui from S1, unexpected and dissatisfying. For the amount of superfluous sympathy it created with his backstory, the way he just killed him made me really really disappointed. Like that's it?
And then there are these 4/5/6 demons? (I lost the count and again, idc) It's just so dull. I feel like a 10 year old crying for chocolates, but that has been the show's demographic anyway. My reaction while watching this season was anything from "idc" to "idc but oh look flashy lights". The only moment that I vaguely remember being kinda epic is the "Dragon Dance" moment, where Tanjiro slays all 4 heads. Especially, the sound effects in that moment were satisfying to ears.
And then there's Mitsuri's backstory, about her strong body or something. Like, if you compare backstories we've seen so far, in every Hashira's backstory there's at least someone being dead. And her backstory is like, "Oh my God! I'm stronger than all the guys and now they hate me", like sorry for the offense, but that's like "I'm noT lIkE thE other GirLs" backstory I've seen lol.

Excluding all that, what's with the final episode? I'm not talking about Tanjiro thunder clapping his thighs, we've seen enough asspulls already, but why the heck Nezuko' (spoIler)? If anything, the moment where Tanjiro couldn't decide was a very engaging scene and by far what truly felt like a moment for some honest character development. But then, the show throws a happy ending... I really don't know why I'm so infuriated over something with low expectations but this is not what I'm expecting.

Conclusion
Sorry if my rage spoiled your mood.
I'm dissatisfied, disappointed and I'm about to go to sleep so you could say my day's ruined, but still, I don't hate this show. That might sound like hypocrisy, but I really don't. I stopped hating fictional things for a while now, because now I'm busy hating real things. Anyway bottom line,

Animation still carried the show but the weight of a poor story is too heavy.

I didn't exactly planned on making this so this is going to be pretty small review.
Everyday life. We got our struggles, we got our hopes. We got someone we love and someone we hate. We got something good and bad at every corner, but we have control over it. At least we believe so, but that's kind of the point. Having a belief, that tomorrow's going to be a better day. But like someone once said, "Life fucks everyone".

Family
For Tosu Tetsuo, his family (his annoyingly oblivious daughter, to be precise) is what rises problems but it is also what grants him power, a reason to ... push forward. While the story tackles some other notable themes like Justice, Survival, Teamwork etc., it ultimately is about a father trying to protect what he loves, a son trying to get back what he lost, and a father trying to avenge his son. It's all about family.
The story does a great job at maintaining this suspense, and works well as a fine thriller. Though one thing that the show glosses over is the daughter. She's really left as a plot point, with her presence bringing an air of annoyance since the characters we know would be going through a lot of crap because of her flaws while she's over her room watching cat videos.
One thing I particularly like about the story is how it shows Tetsuo's weakness. For all his "all according to keikaku" planning, the show makes it point that he's still weak, makes mistakes and sometimes all he can do is pray. Though it might pull some asspulls every now and then. It also does a good job at highlighting the moral dilemma he faces, being crushed by the wait of his sins.

Production
I'm pretty sure the manga benefits from this, because this Anime really highlights it's story and writing, by having a weak production. From it's almost slideshow-ish animation, poor action scenes, bland opening song and generic sound; it's production is ultimately it's downfall. I guess the only selling point in production would be voice acting.

Similar stories
There are plenty of other movies/shows that follow a similar plotline like,
Devotion of Suspect X (Novel) and it's adaptations across multiple languages and countries.
And of course Drishyam, which is loosely based on Devotion X, which currently available in like 4 different languages, and an unnecessary but still entertaining sequel. The anime is been compared to this pretty often during the beginning of the show's airing, but it's pretty different from that, though the tone and overall themes are pretty much the same.
Or

Just read the manga :)

Conclusion
This is an engaging thriller/drama that's working with a low budget. It's watchable but there are better options.

Hana no Uta is what happens when you have a bunch of interesting ideas tied into a lose-lose plot. Normally, something like this would be a mess (which it is), but it is still an enjoyable kind of mess thanks to its solidly animated action sequences, cute art style, and quirky characters.
You probably heard of animation studios overworking their staff (cough MAPPA) but sometimes, you get to watch something that looks like there aren't any compromises made during its making. Hana no Uta is one such case, where there's practically nothing to complain about its visuals. In fact, there are many details in visuals that ... add a lot to the experience. Whether the story is laid back or intense moments, the visuals do a great job at keeping things engaging.

The characters and plot are all half baked. The moment it feels like the story or a character arc is going somewhere, it gets sidelined as the next thing pop ups. So the anime struggles a lot to keep a proper tone. The characters would be in a life or death battle, then there would be a sudden gag that completely destroys the seriousness of the situation the story built up until the point. And then there's fan service... Look, there are moments where I liked and disliked fan service, and this goes into the later section. Reasons are similar as mentioned in the other review, Misplaced fan service. There's also this problem where the anime doesn't make a few points clear, so you might get lost in the earlier episodes.
The characters aren't fleshed out either. The anime does care enough to give screen time for emotional investment, but it ultimately falls flat because the characters are ultimately a bunch of soulless ideas roaming without a clear purpose. One's that do have (Juri and Lila) are introduced very late into the show and their character arcs aren't well paced.
The manga "Yozakura Quartet" has been in serialization since 2006, and so far it has 2 anime adaptations (one 2008 & a reboot in 2013) and two 3 episodes OVAs. I haven't watched 08 adaptation yet, but it seems the 2008 has same art style as manga but not faithful to story, and 2013 one has different art style but more faithful to the manga's story, though some changes were made.
Anyway, here's the watch order, apparently:
Hana no Uta EP 1-8 (2013) -> Hoshi no Umi 1-3 (OVA) -> Hana no Uta EP 9-13 -> Tsuki ni Naku 1-3 (OVA)

I personally found it enjoyable, the art style and characters are cute, the abilities were interestingly used, the characters are all fun (I particularly liked Lila), but it can ultimately be disappointing once you figure out the manga itself is incomplete, and the anime might not get a S2.

Conclusion
A fun Anime from 2010s backed by a solid budget with plenty of action, but the ultimate downfall is its poorly written plot.
(And this is probably the first time Yuuki Kaji VAd a protagonist that gives a red scarf to his live interest lol).

"Live in the moment"
"Make the most of your present"
We all hear these quotes, something about our precious time, something about the limit of life. But it just feels impossible, that no matter how much I laugh, cry or feel; there's always a regret that pains me, there's always something in the future that frightens me.

If there's one thing Kaoru Touno regrets the most, is his last words to his little sister, "I hate you too". He suffers over the fact that his little sister died while trying to catch a beetle for her brother. If there's one thing Anzu Hanashiro fears the most, is being ... not talented. Not talented enough to become a manga artist, not able to fulfill her deceased grandpa's dream. But they find a tunnel that's rumoured to grant any wish, in exchange for their now, their present. So they decide to work together and enter the tunnel, but the tunnel is its own world, with its own rules of time and space. They waste their present together, chasing in the tunnel to make their wishes come true. Touno, to get over his past and Hanashiro, to get a future. Both of them sympathize with each other's struggles, in the time they wasted together, forming a bond together.

This is a story about these two characters; one who's coming to terms with his past and one who's finding a future to fulfill her grandpa's dream. The tunnel is a labyrinth where time runs slower than the outside world. Our characters go inside the tunnel for their past and/or future, but one thing they ignore is that, spending too much past or future makes you forgot about the present. While we are hung up on our dreams and mistakes, the world around us moves away. And it can never be bought back.

The cute romance takes the spotlight, but the movie is too short to give a fleshed out development for its characters. As for the visuals, studio CLAP really did well. Every scene including the tunnel is mesmerizing. The music and songs are alright. I only wish the movie was a bit longer and gave more screen time elaborating their struggles.
I think this is a good movie. Though I wish it did a bit better at a few elements, it is about a boy coming to terms with his regrets of past and a girl finding the courage to overcome her fear of future. And the present they found together.

Conclusion
I think it's hard to live in the present, when so much of our past & future, define and is defined by this moment. When the way we lived and the path we chose define us; but it's more important to realize that this moment will never come back. We can never live in the past, and we never know if we live in the future.

We live here and now.

Edit: The fabsubs aren't well made, so the experience might deter.

Here are a list of reasons why you might want to watch this Anime.
- It got gaming,
- It got girls... Wait let's make it better.
"It got gamer girls", much better.

"BOFURI: I don't want to get hurt so I'll max out my defense", is one of those ridiculous MMORPG light-novel adaptations that people forget as soon as the last episode airs. Why? Because it plays safe.
It throws moe elements (uWus, hahas... You know them) and mixes it with your favorite gaming and isekai elements (OP protagonist, stereotypical guild members, lots of gaming bullshit... You know them too) except the harem stuff. The Anime never goes to ... do anything big or better, it just plays around.

One of the best things about this Anime is that it never treats itself with simplicity. Everything is grander, colorful, and sometimes hilariously weirder, but never spiritless or generic. Maple, our OP cinnamon roll, is just that cute girl who found about the wonders of the gaming world, and fun exploring that world with found friends. But she doesn't want to get hurt soo... She wanders around and finds the most demonous & outright unfitting abilities. Like I would be pretty weirded out if I see an Anime girl getting a hand full of tentacles, and that's not even the weirdest moment of the Anime. Like once Sally said, we can never predict what Maple is about.

The hike in animation quality is worth some praise. I remember watching a few CGI moments from S1, thinking how better it would've been if it was 2D, and the animators did make most things 2D in S2. Not saying it's flawless though, there are many blink-&-u-miss shots and also a fair amount of CGI monsters, especially in final episode (probably a result of delay). But the direction during its action sequences keeps things engaging despite the flaws. The music is your generic isekai/fantasy OST. Nothing noteworthy there.

As stated before, this Anime is all about having fun with friends that have a common interest. And I agree that is a wonderful thing. But what left me a bit concerned is not showing the characters outside the game. A fun part about gaming comes not only from the game but talking about it outside, making jokes, seeing how that brought small changes in ourselves, whether it's healthy or not. This is something S1 did. Maple's so much in-game time made her say attack names while playing dodgeball, in real life. Despite being about gaming, S1 made sure that these are not just gamers with no life, but actual students who still have something of interest outside gaming. In S2, we never got to see what happened outside the game.
And also, wouldn't it be interesting to see these characters, who formed so much of the team, meeting in real life, having a chat in a cafe or something? That might not be the best part, it also might beat the premise, but it's definitely important, to show that these characters are true friends and not just online buddies. Atleast, I want to see that.

Conclusion
There's really not much of a story in this to remember. Call it a guilty pleasure, if you will.
It's just about having fun. And I'm in for it. That's all.

Let's introduce a scenario where the ADA will get caught in a fucked up state. Let's bring Dazai every God damn time because he's a fan favorite, but also remind people that the main character is actually Atsushi and not Dazai.

This is basically what happened in the main conflict past 3 seasons. S4, however, took a different approach where it left Dazai and Fyodor backstage as puppet masters, while the story progressed the same but now, with Rampo getting some spotlight.
I hate to break this but, at this point, Atsushi is a really weak main character surrounded between characters who have more interesting stories to ... tell. It's kind of ironic that his conflict is about self-worth, finding purpose despite being rejected, yet he's the least among them all. He has, however, interesting moments when he's facing Akutagawa, who constantly stands in his way. Their rivalry makes them interesting, but sadly Aku got no show this season. He literally has 0 screen time, if you exclude the appearance in the opening (the OP is pretty lit btw. ED... I still think "Lily" is the best BSD ED).

Though I already highlighted, I just love the small details the show adds. For instance, Edgar Allan Poe's ringtone is the cries of a Raven, one of Poe's famous poems.
BSD characters are generally an encyclopedia if you want to find about classic literature authors, and their best works. The Anime is really an homage to all the great people in literature history and you can certainly find someone you can get invested in in their works.
I currently read a few of Edgar Allan Poe's short stories & poems, reading Fyodor Dostoyevsky's Crime & Punishment, read Usamaru's manga adaptation of No Longer Human, and planning to read something by Yosano Akiko.

Conclusion
At the heart of all,
Bungou Stray Dogs is not about the overall story or mystery, it's not about the homosexual tension between hot dudes, or it's not about me mindlessly simping over a crazy doctor.
It's about Kafka Asagiri's appreciation to all the great authors & writers through his imagined personifications of them, in these characters. And a director who understands it.

I don't think this is a great story, but I still love these characters.

"I don't want to lose anymore love".
This line from the opening song, ironically describes the entire show.

Before I start my review, here's something for people who haven't watched either the 90s or this one and conflicted about it, because most people in my feed haven't watched either.
Trigun 90s version happens post-Julai (July) event, and Trigun Stampede happens pre-Julai event. What's the July event? It's when the humanoid typhoon "Vash the Stampede" destroys the entire 'July' city, killing multiple civilians, and earning 60 billion double dollars over his head. So, one can say Stampede is kind of a prequel to the OG but that's not the ... case because "spoilers". I urge you to watch both shows and find your answer, because imo both are watchable; it's just one has more problems than other.
With that being said, let's start the review criticisms.
What's exactly wrong with Stampede?
Simple. It's because it's named "TRIGUN - stampede". When the announcement was made almost a year ago, my gut reaction was "I mean, they (Studio Orange) could've made a Land of the Lustrous sequel, but this is something to look forward to"; and then I watched the trailer I was like, "This is not what I'm expecting, but this is cool in its own way". So I watched the first episode and my immediate thought was "Ahhh... This is gonna get flamed". The change in art style, plot points, new characters & removing a beloved character, and so many changes happened at the same time that it's hard to accept that this is the Trigun I knew. Though, they undid some of those changes by the end, not sure if it was preplanned but better.

An Example
A criticism many make regarding the OG Trigun, is "the first 12 episodes are unnecessary since it's mostly episodic", and there's no better example to prove them wrong by showing Stampede. Vash is a bit complex, a walking contradiction, a pacifist who wields a gun, and this, the character exploration, is something the OG does excellently well, precisely because it has those first few episodes, or as some wrongly call it "unnecessary filler". Stampede doesn't do a great job at exploring the conflict & contradiction called "Vash the Stampede", and because of that, he simply comes off as a stubborn crybaby rather than a character with complexity. The same is the problem for the rest of the cast. Despite having their recognizable traits, most are just reduced to cringey catchphrases, like Wolfwood calling Vash "Needle Noggin", Meryl saying "SeNpAi!!", and De Niro saying "Shinjin" or "Yare Yare" & drinking his alcohol. Talking about De Niro for a second, the show really had so much hope for this new character but it couldn't get it right.

If there's one thing...
The opening song to this show Tombi does a better job at describing Vash than the entire show tried to do. I really loved the opening song, it's been in my most listened song for the past few months.
And as usual, Studio Orange did their best to make up for everything they changed. There's at least a single battle moment in every episode where they flex their technical skills and it still reminds me that this show is not a complete trash. Though I really would've appreciated it if they retained the soundtrack similar to the original. The new soundtrack has its moments, but I don't think it worked well.

Finally,

Is it really bad?
No, it's just that they probably shouldn't have used the OG fame to garner viewers, which earned a lot of hate from the OG fans, but the new ones seem to be fine with it. The show picks some heat half way through, when it dwells a bit on Nai's & Vash's flashbacks. It still wasn't good enough but at least, it has some substance rather than being a simple cash grab.

Conclusion
Trigun didn't have to lose this much love. I don't love this show, it couldn't get out of the shadow of its superior 90s version. But it got something of worth and I hope it proves itself in the upcoming installment.

Much like Anime, this review is not well written. Please bear with me.
Also, Spoiler Alert.

I had to scratch for way too long in order to process what or where to even start with. So, let's start by saying LycoReco made me think a lot. Not in an introspection way, it's just odd that a show that didn't take seriously at first, went on a serious note to do something serious and got seriously nothing done, except for maybe its non-serious SoL plot (I should seriously stop doing that). So, after reading a couple of reviews, notes from informative people, and a bit other researching, here ... are a few things I like to mention.

What's dubious about LycoReco is the story's direction. For the first 1-4 episodes, we have an incredibly fast paced montage of action & SoL elements going hand-in-hand to make Takina go from an emotionless, workaholic, trigger-happy, fan favorite badass bitch to 'emotionally opening up', 'not everything is work', 'not-so-trigger-happy', and a cute shitseller (Character Development, would you look at that?). And this all happens in the most charming, heart-warming, yuri-intense way that can just squeal your heart, with two cute anime girls doing counter terrorism. But the first shock we get was when we find out that Chisato, is a cyborg. This shocked me as much as it did to Takina. Like, what the hail? Why would they make such an optimistic person have a non-human heart? Are they indirectly saying pure optimistic people are not real? (Of course, she isn't). What's the meaning of this? Then the show shifts its focus to Chisato, about her past, about her artificial heart, about her two dads (the show really sells on homosexuality huh), and it gets pretentiously melancholic for a second. I mean, I feel bad for her but like it doesn't feel earned, more like manipulated. That's something fiction always does but I'm a bit disappointed. And then, there's a terrorist attack that exposes LycoReco's secret identity but ends with our girls saving the city and LycoReco's exposition and defeating the terrorists in the most baffling way I could imagine. So, let's break down those problems.

Majima, who's VA'd by your favorite isekai protagonist, so evil that he spits on Chisato's face with his own blood, mocks & beats her around his goons (That earns a lot of hate). Majima believes in, what he likes to call as, Balance and Freedom. What Freedom? The American Freedom (You'll get it). He opposes LycoReco because they're strong and hiding the truth from general public, and belives that makes them (the people) ignorant and weak. I mean, OK. The search of truth against a higher power can be inspiring, if only done right. But for most the show, Majima is just a cool terrorist, the strong male character in a cast overpowered by female characters. That gives him quite the edge to be likeable, but not fully understandable. His motivations are solely based on his half-assed philosophy about being a "Knight for the weak", or something like that. And we never got to see what made him the way he is, and we are only made sure that he'll go against Chisato and her ideals. He could've been a compelling villain, if the story gave him some focus.

The other male characters, Mika and Shinji, are something else. From the moment we were introduced to Yoshimatsu Shinji, we know that Teach Mika is not happy with his presence. In fact, we're constantly reminded that Yoshimatsu is interested in Chisato (Having a 50 yr old interested in a 16 yr old was never a good idea). In my opinion, the one who got the most unfair treatment is these two. And there is an interesting irony here.
Shinji believes in talent, that talent gives a purpose to one's life, and it needs to be protected. That's exactly what he did to Chisato, he saved her talent by replacing her weak heart with a strong artificial and gave a father figure to an orphan like her, in hope of making her a killing machine that God gifted her with. But God made Chisato a cute Batman (Imagine Batman saying uwu lol. That's nightmare stuff). And obviously he's against it. So, instead of settling things like a responsible adult that he so talks about, he supplies some 1000 guns to a desperate terrorist group who are planning to convert Tokyo into Texas and create a formidable villain that can awake the inner terminator who Chisato is born as. Let's have a small chit-chat with him for a second.
<hr>
Now let me get this straight. You wanted to save the world by helping the talented?
<p align='right'>*Yes. Because talented people have a given purpose from God that many seem to lack in our society. * - Shinji Yoshimatsu</p>
Yeah, yeah. And you believe Chisato can do it by killing terrorists and saves civilians?
<p align='right'>*Yes...*</p>
And what the fuck did you do?
<p align='right'>*I supplied guns to terrorists and risked thousands of civilians lives because I believed that Chisato will kill Majima...*</p>
Which never happened.
<p align='right'>*... which never happened. *</p>
... You deserved your death.
<p align='right'>*By my best friend/homo bro. *</p>
Of course. You could have had a broma...
<hr>
Leaving that there and him dead, we see that Mika gets a fairly well-written arc that makes him kill his own friend, which is sad. Yoshimatsu's death is sad because of his poorly written character. I like it, it's flawed and definitely could've done better but I like that it formed itself a... Balance? Wow...

Getting back to Chisato and Takina for a second, and bringing back Yoshimatsu's POV for one last time, it's interesting to note how these two represents Yoshimatsu's sense of purpose in life.
Chisato is talented, God gifted her with a talent for killing and also cursed with a bad heart, to remind that talented people are also not perfect and suffer their own pains. Takina is skilled, her emotionless and workaholic demeanor tells that she's hard working, to remind me that those who suffer, and sacrifice are the ones who achieve. Now I've been on both sides, the born talented and the inspired handworker, though now I'm finding a balance. But I always welcome it when a piece of fiction (or anyone) wants to have their say, despite how flaws and wrongs they can be. But it is annoying when you hear someone desperately trying to say something and conveying it incorrectly.

Having Large Ideas in a Light-hearted setting was a massive downside for the show, but I don't pretend like this is complete trash. For all the flaws it has, I definitely enjoyed it. I mean, when I saw Chisato dodge bullets I know for a fact that this can abandon seriousness whenever it wants, if the outcome can be fun. And definitely was fun. ZNote praised in his review about the creators, so go read it for more info. There's also an AL thread explaining the amount details they took to make the guns more believable with sound and art design being their plus. The action is definitely slick, the shading during the sunset scene at the end is just... romantic! The VAs, especially Chika Anzai killed it with her cheerful performance that could be remembered and reminisced for many years to come. Many SoL moments were well done, with Takina gradually getting cuter by each episode (remember the shitseller lol), and the overall Anime just overflows with charm and cuteness that it feels wrong to ignore.

Conclusion
It definitely left a lot to be desired but for what it is, it's a God damn fun Anime to watch. No amount of criticism can change that.

When I was a kid, I loved "Man vs Wild". The fact that this retired army man is challenging nature by doing the most caveman shit I've ever seen fascinated me (Though it was extremely hard to take a meal after watching that show lol).
This manga reminded me of that show, except instead of the Bear, we're watching a force of nature in motion, Gon.
The entire manga consists of no dialogue, not even the reaction sound effects. It entirely depends on the artwork to portray the story.
Sometimes, it's better to do than to say. We can talk about many things, even explain them but in ... course of development or understanding, it's what we do that matters the most than what we say. This is something we see throughout the manga and the lack of dialogue or words just portrays it all the more powerful.

The story takes place in various locations and throughout the journey, Gon meets other animals where sometimes Gon befriends them, accepting their lifestyle, which gives the reader a window to see the ecosystem of these wild creatures. Or sometimes, animals themselves accompany on Gon's journey. And meet their end, harsh or bittersweet.
And sometimes, Gon faces the wild. No matter the obstacle, Gon challenges them. Gon is unstoppable, who only eats, sleeps, and moves on, a force of nature that's meant to live in the wild; a harsh, unforgiving yet mesmerizing place. And the manga doesn't hold back any punches to portray the harsh reality of the wild. In nature, there's no place for the weak. You have to be strong or be eaten by the strong.
Action, generally in Manga form, is a bit hard to visualize. I remember reading some action scenes in "DOGS: Bullets and Carnage" and being lost at certain moments, it was hard to follow along. The action sequences in "Gon", however, are very clear. The solid artwork really captures every small detail of Gon's action in every fight, which will pull you into Gon's struggle to win at whatever it is trying to achieve; fighting a bear, trying to fly, or climbing Mt. Everest. Gon really like adventures.

Gon is a chibi dragon and quite an iconic character who you have probably seen in Tekken games. Gon can be quite hard to understand as a character. There are times when Gon shows no mercy and quite literally be a villain, who just oppresses others with his thick skull out of spite or for Gon's own needs. And other times, he helps other animals. Gon's moral compass is purely driven by instinct. If Gon doesn't like to see a pack of defenseless wolf cubs getting attacked, Gon will fight for them. If Gon wants to make a large wooden bed at the center of a pond, it doesn't care if the pond is occupied by other animals, Gon destroys their homes and drives the animals away, just to make his own lodge and nap peacefully.
The only thing we know for sure is that Gon only does what it wants; Eat, Sleep, and Travel (and kick some animal ass, every now & then) and all we can do is accompany it on its fun journey, marvel at nature, connect through the occasional human emotion it shows, and most importantly, move on and see what's on the other side of the world.

"Conclusion"
I don't think many people will enjoy this manga. Despite the amazing artwork, it barely holds that 7+ score. There's no overall plot, hook, or anything you would see in a general adventure work.

It's just the adventures of a small, strong but mysterious dragon, embracing whatever the wild has to offer.

If that sounds intriguing enough, then give this manga a try.

"4 years later, they meet again".
The final chapter that quite a lot seem to ignore just because it's all words and doesn't have all those cool fights or "GREAT ANIMATION". This is untrue, by the way. Because the movie is definitely well-animated, especially considering the fact that it's just about a conversation between two characters.
Just like the beginning of the story (i.e., the beginning of part 2), Mikiya walks with his umbrella under snowy weather only to get a glimpse of the same person he met 4 years ago, 「Shiki」.
Shiki's true identity has been explained in three different archetypes in this film: Shiki as a ... body, Shiki as a psyche, and Shiki as a soul. As she argues, this 「Shiki」 we see here is the soul, an empty soul.

The entire film reminisces on many events from previous films, such as the similarities between Shiki and Fujino which Shiki stated in part 3, the concept of the Soul and its origin which is the central concept in part 5, and finally answering my personal question about the consequences of not forgiving Shiki. What also pleasantly surprised me was the subtle similarities between Mikiya and Shiki, that Mikiya fell in love with Shiki, because of how similar his normalcy is to her abnormality.

Expects nothing and receives nothing, neither looks into the future nor regrets the past, never hurting anyone nor yourself. That is the normal person he is. There's a tiny line between Mikiya's nature of life (as in to live in the present) and 「Shiki's」 origins (from the nothingness), and it's a bit lovely that these two characters, each on the other side of this boundary, were able to fall in love with each other.
This film feels more like an epilogue than a typical film because it is highly filled with dialogue, with animation and music only providing enough support to make the most of the least so as to not make it a drag to watch, although this will undoubtedly be the case for many. The peaceful and languid tempo contrasts sharply with the preceding parts' blood and gore; one could even call this an artsy entry to the franchise rather than a commercial movie. Though I do agree reading this entry in the novel works better as it is full of words, by no means this film is an abomination. Only people who think that good fights = good animation will get to that conclusion.

"Conclusion"
This is definitely a great addition (and the true conclusion I would argue) to the franchise. However,
If you're enjoyability factors are just cool animation and fights, then you will not like this film, or even hate this film for that matter.
If you are more interested in the characters, however, then this will be a beautiful movie to watch on a winter night.
Fun Fact: The voice actors for Shiki (Maaya Sakamoto) and Mikiya (Kenichi Suzumura) were married, 6 months after this film debuted. I don't know, I just found it cute.