I’m in the afterglow of binging this series, and so my overall score reflects that. That said, my scores are based mainly on the first 3ish and last 3 episodes of the series. The 7 episodes in the middle are almost pure filler, only necessary to establish evidence for the rapport between characters before going into the climax.
I actually started this series something like 6 months ago, got stoked on the first 3 episodes and dropped it in the middle of the fourth. I’m glad I came back to it while home sick from work. If you’re gonna get invested in this show, binging
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May 10, 2017
Chihayafuru
(Anime)
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This is a review of the entire series thus far.
I watched this series while I was sick with food poisoning in Colombia, and I was actually happy to be literally pooping my pants because it gave me an excuse to stay in and watch this show. Overall, Chihayafuru is your typical sports-anime with an underdog team of oddball characters. What sets it apart is the beauty of the animation, the emotional intelligence of the story, and the game of Karuta itself. As a lover and writer of poetry, I was immediately captured by the idea of Karuta. Each character has their own approach to the game and ... 
May 10, 2017
1 Pound no Fukuin
(Anime)
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I wish I could give this short anime a higher score, but to most people it will probably feel very average.
Rumiko Takahashi is one of my favorite mangaka ever, I love her style, so that's points right there for me. I also love the retro quality, and the silliness of the setup, with this young boxer and nun-in-training. A lot more could have been done with the story and characters though. So I guess I love it's style and potential more than the story itself. From my own scoring system: 2/3 for characters and relationships 2/3 for plot/storyline 3/3 for formal elements 0/1 for my special award 
May 10, 2017
Tonkatsu DJ Agetarou
(Anime)
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This anime merits a score of 9 not because of where it stands in the entirety of the canon, or even in the genre of music-related anime, but just because of how fresh and fun it is. When I was in Japan last summer I saw Tonkatsu DJ Agetarou merch everywhere.
Each episode is about 9 minutes, and follows Agetarou's rising career in DJing as he works in his family's Tonkatsu restaurant and seeks to master both skills. It's something of a teaching anime, where you'll learn about the craft if DJing and of tonkatsu if you aren't familiar with already. The energy and vibes ... 
May 10, 2017
I talked about this already in my review for Phantom Blood, so I'll keep it snappy.
For me, the remade JoJo series merits a high score not on the sole basis of it's story, originality, plot, etc. It entertained me, and I loved those moments of bizarreness, but whether JoJo is a "good" anime or not is irrelevant. Jojo is an important anime culturally, and that is what interests me. It also happens to have spot-on presentation. As for this arc specifically, I love the travel-log aspect of the story. I also got attached to the characters even though we learn relatively little about them and ... 
May 10, 2017
JoJo no Kimyou na Bouken (TV)
(Anime)
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I'll admit, I'm a sucker for ultra manly testosterone fests and feats of planet-destroying power.
A good point has been made by the user literaturenerd, that the characters are flat (they are) and that the story is conventional (it is), BUT "Bloody Stream" is the mind-blowingly funkiest opening to an anime since Cowboy Bebop and you can't argue with that. Complex characters aren't the point of this anime, the STYLE is the point. We want to revel in the melodrama and cool poses. This is anime/manga history being remade so slickly I can't even put it into words. It's a teaching moment, on where the tropes ... 
Apr 21, 2017
Vampire Knight
(Anime)
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This is another show I enjoyed more than I had expected.
What I expected was a panoply of angsty teenagers, blood, tears, and roses. This show has all these things in abundance. What surprised me was that the story actually felt somewhat grounded. The characters' reasonings and motivations, while melodramatic, felt consistent and not unconvincing. The heroine Yuki is a mixed bag. She doesn't cry and drown in self guilt nearly as often as she could, and her actions aren't completely recklessly stupid. I was able to sympathize with her conundrum- wanting to help both Zero and Kuran and not understanding either of them or ... 
Apr 21, 2017
Arakawa Under the Bridge
(Anime)
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At first I was delighted with the madcap characters and their designs, especially Sister and star-head. The animation is beautiful and the set-up and it's potential for commentary on modern society extremely promising. I liked the slow development of the relationship between Kou and Nino. Unfortunately, I couldn't stay invested as the characters began to feel flat and the development too slow.
There aren't many pieces of anime out there that deal with actual homelessness (Tokyo Godfather being one of the few I can think of. Travel/Journey style shows don't count). For that reason I was hoping to see more of a light-hearted exploration of what ... 
Apr 21, 2017
Hanasakeru Seishounen
(Anime)
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I really didn't expect to be drawn into this anime, but I watched the whole thing with pleasure.
The first 5 or so episodes seem strange or uneven, and this show has nothing to do with realism. That said, as the characters started to develop and form relationships I was hooked. It's rare to find an anime, especially a shoujo, in which I can say I lliked all the characters. There are almost no baddies in this show, which is one of the major themes: that people might take actions because of inner conflicts or traumas that are regrettable, but that happiness and friendship are always ... 
Apr 21, 2017
The premise of this show was what intrigued me most, the style of magic that exists in the show's universe and the idea of the whole Holy Grail war. Despite many flaws, I found Fate/Stay Night highly entertaining.
The 40-minute episode format was refreshing, and the art and animation gorgeous. At the same time as I found the logic to be inconsistent and confused, I still liked the tactical nature of their battles and alliances, and the world building that happened. The many historical cameos were the best thing about the show by far. As I was watching this show, not knowing anything about the type-moon visual ... |
