Back to SadlyImRyan's Profile SadlyImRyan's Profile

“Jujutsu Kaisen” Season 1 takes the spotlight of anime releases in 2020, with help from its gorgeous art style, fun characters, and interesting plot.

“Jujutsu Kaisen” follows the life of high school student Yuji Itadori, who rather suddenly becomes entwined with numerous Jujutsu Sorcerers and curses as a result of eating a certain cursed object. The anime successfully takes the Shōnen genre to create a show that always keeps the audience wanting to watch more.

Jujutsu Kaisen’s pacing is one that many other shows should follow in the footsteps of, as it ensures that the balance between battles and character representation is perfected. Every episode stacks upon ... the other, building a momentum that is consistent and rarely feels pointlessly dragged out. This gives the viewers time to start forming connections to different characters whilst advancing the plot - I’m personally very invested in Panda.

The character development in “Jujutsu Kaisen” is definitely one of the strongest aspects of the show. Itadori is the show’s main protagonist, and steadily advances from a regular student to a developing Jujutsu Sorcerer, along with his new friends Megumi Fushiguro and Nobara Kugisaki. Fushiguro’s storyline and depths in his character contrast against Itadori’s energetic presentation - which acts as a form of comedic relief. Kugisaki is written with a balance of strength and femininity, presenting her as a strong female protagonist instead of a damsel-in-distress roles - something many young women can look up to. Their mentor, Satoru Gojo, is an insanely overpowered Sorcerer, who is used both as a saviour, sometimes, and a comedic break from the story. The show uses side characters, such as Maki and Panda, in a way that can only be seen as nothing short of perfection - where you only grow closer to them in smaller parts of the story, such as the Exchange Event.

“Jujutsu Kaisen’s” animation quality is perfect, where MAPPA’s attention to detail is a beacon of light for the show. Each character has their own unique design that makes them unforgettable to the viewer, whether it’s that they are an animal, have brightly coloured hair, or use certain weapons whilst fighting. The animation style during fight scenes flows smoothly, only adding to the action. The sound design and soundtrack is wonderfully performed and executed, increasing the tension and drama in scenes that already feel tense to watch - especially in the finale episode.

One issue with “Jujutsu Kaisen’s” first season is that the fight scenes create very high expectations thanks to the beautiful animation and tension behind them. This later creates the feeling that the story can sometimes feel empty when they are doing other things, such as some character progression. Another issue is that smaller story arcs towards the end of the show feel somewhat rushed due to the episode count, and feel like they could be expanded on further.

Overall, “Jujutsu Kaisen’s” first season is standout in Shōnen anime, mixing together well-thought-out pacing, wonderful character development and character design, and a gripping soundtrack.

TLDR; wonderful plot and animation, but a few too little semi-big fights.

"ATRI: My Dearest Moments" is, at first sight, a standout choice in the 2024 anime lineup, thanks to its captivating art style. However, this slowly changes once you start getting into the show. The story, revolving around a young man and a humanoid robot named ATRI, explores themes of humanity, romance, and memory. The concept of water exploration and natural disaster is something I find personally intriguing and was drawn to.

Visually, the anime is stunning. The color palette, with its vibrant blues, greens, and pastel pinks, beautifully captures the essence of spring and summer, evoking warmth and relaxation. However, the character design is somewhat lacklustre, ... disappointing even. The characters feel generic and lack distinctiveness, which makes it hard to form any attachment to them. Audibly, the sound design is a huge compliment to the settings, despite it being so subtle at times. The natural sounds of the islands, varying from the sounds of nature to wildlife are impressively implemented.

One major distraction is the dynamic between ATRI and Natsuki. While their bond development is evident as they explore their human and humanoid sides, the growing crush-like dynamic is unsettling. ATRI's ageless, child-like appearance contrasts with Natsuki's high school age, creating an awkward age issue. Additionally, by episode 4, the plot has progressed extremely slowly, making it unmotivating and even boring at times, which may lead viewers, like myself, to start losing interest.

Overall, "ATRI: My Dearest Moments" is visually striking, audibly pleasing, and conceptually interesting, but its uncomfortable relationships and lack of interesting character development create a less engaging experience.

TLDR; beautiful art style and impressive sound design, along with the interesting concept - lack of interesting character development and attachment to character ruins the magic behind the show.

^.^

"Bikini Warriors", the 2015 anime, is a series consisting of 12 episodes, each being only 4 minutes long. Despite the brief runtime, each episode is well-structured to deliver a mix of story, humor, and the promised bikini shots without going too overboard. The humor in the show stems from exaggerated situations that parody typical genre tropes, including the very obvious nudity.

Visually, the show extremely benefits from its short episodes, featuring beautiful animation with vibrant colors. The character designs are deliberately over-the-top to emphasize the comedic tone. Even with a limited amount of time, the settings and enemies are well-designed and executed, enhancing the show's ... overall appeal.

"Bikini Warriors" is unabashed in its approach, clearly not aimed at all audiences. Those who are prude and uncomfortable with its themes will find it repetitive and unsettling. While the lack of a deep plot might be disappointing to some, it serves the show's purpose of satirizing the genre.

Overall, "Bikini Warriors" is a light-hearted and humorous take on fantasy shows. It is intended for a specific audience that understands the show's use of female characters is meant to make a statement rather than to sexually objectify.

TLDR; it's a parody comedy, get over yourself!

"Solo Leveling," the anime adaptation of the South Korean web novel, stands out purely due to its animation team. The fight scenes are undeniably amazing, only becoming more impressive as the show progresses. These battles are smoothly choreographed with vibrant colors that explode on the screen, keeping you on the edge of your seat, eager to see what will come next.

However, the character development is beyond poor in comparison. The season starts with Jinwoo, a pathetic man bullied for being the weakest person known to everyone. After having an experience with death, in a dungeon, he gains the ability to see a pop-up menu. This ... menu relays him daily quests, heavily rewarding success and dangerously punishing failure. Whilst this premise allows Jinwoo to level up and grow skilful and stronger, his transformation is completely rushed and unearned. He quickly becomes an overpowered character who can single-handedly slaughter dungeon bosses such as snakes and spiders. Not only this, after defeating the spider boss and being painfully blasted, he single-handedly defeated 6 higher-classified men alone. His edgy persona is uncomfortable to watch, not because it's dramatic and terrifying, but because it's completely one-dimensional and honestly uninteresting.

The supporting characters are equally forgettable, lacking depth and complexity. The only character that stands out is Jinwoo's dying mother, and that's simply due to her being on the brink of death in a hospital bed. This unfortunate lack of development results in a lack of, or limited, emotional investment from the audience.

Overall, "Solo Leveling" wonderfully excels in animation quality but falls short in every single other aspect. The forgettable characters and the main character's boring, bleak persona makes it difficult to watch for an extended period of time - and even had me almost begging for it to be over. If you love pure action, "Solo Leveling" might be for you, but if you value plot and relationship development, you'll be better off choosing something else.

This show is a perfect example of what a pathetic man would want his life to be.

^^ first MAL review :33