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Sunshine In The Mirror had so much potential and it somehow managed to reach its potential and not reach its potential at the same time. It is the story of 3 parts. Episodes 1-4, 5-9 and 10-13.

Episodes 1-4 are great. The fantasy aspects are implemented really well and you feel just as curious and confused as the characters are when Yohane and friends are discovering more and more about the threat that Numazu is facing. It helps keep you engaged and wanting to watch more. Problems do arise if you think too hard about how technology works in a pioneer style town but it's a ... really small nitpick that can be overlooked. The slow buildup may seem like a problem on paper but it was executed in a way where it wasn't a hindrance on the story. It just helped the viewer ease in to this new environment and get accustomed to how it works instead of rushing things just to get to the action scenes and dance numbers.

Episodes 5-9 are disappointing. The fantasy elements disappear and it's suddenly a regular Love Live series. There is nothing inherently bad about it and it's the same things that long time fans enjoy about this franchise but it doesn't fit the world it's in or the story that's being told at all. You could argue that this time is used to develop the group's friendship and bond with each other but A) that doesn't make the tone switch any less jarring, B) people that have watched Sunshine have already seen that happen so this process just feels needlessly repetitive and C) it most likely kills the interest for any newcomer that was invested in the fantasy stuff only for it to be tossed aside for a third of the series. It's bad for both sides and it ruins what could have been a great series.

Episodes 10-13 are a mixed bag. While it's great to have the fantasy themes back, the sudden switch back is jarring and comes out of nowhere. It also feels weird because the calamity was supposed to be defeated at the end of episode 8 and there is never an explanation for how it either survived or wasn't affected by the song sung during the festival. It is also more powerful for no reason and the audience just has to deal with it. With that being said, there are some good aspects about these episodes. You can feel the tension of the situation once the calamity starts spreading and even though you know everything will be fine in the end, that doesn't stop the voice in the back of your head going "but what if Sunrise has the guts to have actual stakes?" Even though it ended up being a fake out, Lialaps passed out besides the river at the end of episode 11 and episode 12 being titled "Goodbye Lialaps" made me think Lialaps was going to die for the entire week in between episode 11 and 12 and credit is due for fooling me and so many other viewers. The ending was a little goofy but it was enjoyable enough to be a nice conclusion despite the roller coaster of tone this series went through.

It feels like Sunrise originally planned to make a movie only to turn it into a series at the last minute, forcing them to add extra plot last minute even though I highly doubt that's what happened.

Despite the roller coaster of tone, there are three consistently great things about this series: the characters, the music and the animation.

Every single returning character has retained their charm from Sunshine and in the case of Yohane, their character improved by leaps and bounds. In Sunshine, Yoshiko was nothing but a repetition of the same joke. It was boring at best and annoying at worst. She had some moments where she could actually be a character but more times then not it went back to Sunrise going "get it? She's believe she's a fallen angel" or "get it? She gets mad when people call her Yoshiko." That changed in this series. Those moments in Sunshine where she could be an actual character got properly realised across all 13 episodes and became enjoyable to watch. She still has her bratty side but now it's used to be something she grows out of and become a better person. She is actually called Yohane now so that joke can be dead and buried in the ground and be replaced with proper character development. The new member of the cast, Lialaps, is great too. She has a mysterious side to her that gets to be explored as the series goes on. Not only that, but her dynamic with Yohane is great. You can tell that they care about each other (even if Yohane doesn't like to admit it at times) and that makes their sibling dynamic more engaging and believable.

This series continues what Superstar did and made the environments more beautiful and vibrant than ever and that is shown off amazingly in this series. Even when there is no dialogue, the stellar animation alone can captivate you into any scene and is the one reason to not skip the middle third of the series. The animation during the song/dance numbers are just as good as ever and is the best CGI animation in the medium for a reason.

As expected for a Love Live series, the music is the big standout yet again. Even if j-pop isn't your thing, it can still be enjoyed on an objective level for the pure spectacle alone when mixed in with the incredible animation. The songs on their own are nothing new but they are great from a production level and are another batch of enjoyable tunes for those that enjoy j-pop. There are even a few standouts like Genjitsu Mysterium that might catch the ears of people that don't normally enjoy this type of music.

At the end of the day, Sunshine In The Mirror IS a good anime for Love Live fans. It has everything fans of this franchise love along with the new fantasy aspect making things fresh at times. It is an easy recommendation for those people, especially if you love Sunshine. However, it's a struggle to recommend it to newcomers. Not only is the "singing can solve all of our problems" aspect not for everyone but the middle is a slog if you don't enjoy the usual Love Live formula. No amount of great production values can save that.

This series has the pieces to be an 8 or even a 9 but the inconsistent tone and themes ruins any chance of the score getting that high. Still, give it a chance and see if you can have fun with it.

Is it possible for a show to be completely pointless and a big mess but still enjoyable? That is how I feel about Higurashi S3.

There was no need for Higurashi's story to be continued. Season 2 had a perfect ending and there was nothing else that needed to be told. That being said, the continuation that we got is decent overall even if it's incredibly flawed.

The first half of the season is mediocre at best. It is just worse retellings of the stuff we saw in seasons 1 and 2 with a new ending to each arc. The story is rushed, important scenes get cut ... and it only gets interesting when the new endings are shown and even then, they are worse then the original endings. I don't know why these were necessary. Just show that Rika is still in the loop and start with her on the last 5 loops. Not only would it skip the pointless retellings but it would allow the story to spend more time in each new loop rather then quickly jump through each one like what actually happened.

That being said, once I reached episode 14 and started watching the brand new stuff, I found myself enjoying the show. I completely understand why some don't like the story's continuation along with the characters being watered down but that doesn't bother me enough to not enjoy what we have. For me, the characters are still enjoyable even if the depth isn't there and the mystery is captivating enough to keep me wanting to see what happens next. Rika and Satoko's relationship is really engaging and is the main thing that allowed me to stay interested in episodes 14-20.

Then episode 21 hit and I was tossed back into the abyss. First, I will give the remaining episodes some credit. I was intrigued by the concept of Satoko becoming a looper and without knowing anything about her character, it is entertaining to watch her attempts in the loops but I do know her character and I don't like how it was handled. First, while seeing the crazy side of Satoko is interesting on paper it doesn't make any sense. She had been cured of Hinamizawa Syndrome before starting the loops so that means her normal mind is making the decisions to do all the crazy stuff to get Rika to stay in Hinamizawa which doesn't make sense. She has never been a person that would do stuff like that when not affected by HS. Second,seeing Satoko having such a sudden change in personality feels extremely jarring. Even if it makes sense within the context of the story, her craziness goes from 1 to 100 almost instantly, leaving no room to adjust and as a result it doesn't feel right to see her acting the way she does.

In the end, season 3 is not necessary in the slightest and it is a big downgrade from seasons 1 and 2 but I find it enjoyable enough despite the mess. Even though I don't regret watching it, I wouldn't recommend it to the average Higurashi fan. I would only recommend it if you can handle a messy story and aren't attached to the characters.

Is Too Cute Crisis a masterpiece? No. Does that make it any less enjoyable? No. It's a simple show about aliens discovering earth's animals and how cute they are. It doesn't need to be anything fancy.

Most of the show's aspects (animation, music, characters, etc) aren't anything special but when it comes to showcasing cute animals, the show shines magnificently. It knows how to pluck your heart strings and make you go "aww" along with the characters. Pet owners will enjoy it even more thanks to the relatable scenarios the characters get into.

If you want a show with a complex story and complex characters ... or just don't like animals, this show isn't for you. However, if you do like animals and are fine with a simple story and simple characters, I would highly recommend that you watch this!

I'm here to defend this series. It may not be anything special but it's not bad by any means.

I know the chibi art style isn't for everyone but I thought it was fine. I didn't love it but I think it fit just fine for a series of shorts. If this became the art style for the regular series, I would have more of a problem but if it's going to stay in this side series, I'm fine with that.

The story in each episode is by no means complex or in depth but I don't know why you would come to a series ... of 3 minute shorts for the story. It's a quick and easy way to enjoy more of the Nijigasaki cast in their daily lives and the enjoyment comes from watching that.

The ending song is a bop and I don't care what anyone else says. It's more of the same from this franchise but that won't stop me from jamming out every time I listen to the song.

At the end of the day, if you want to watch more of the Nijigasaki cast as we wait for the OVA, this is a quick and fun way to get your fix. Don't go in expecting a complex story, have fun with the madness and enjoy. It's okay for something to be simple fun and not much else.