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Avant-garde anime often portray thought-provoking plots with rich themes, and more often than not, become social commentaries. This 30-minute film can be considered among them. Produced by a single person way back in 1985 (damn missed that 1984 dystopian mark) on a low budget, needless to say, its production value is negligible- art, animation and OSTs are barebones. So for sakuga lovers, apologies, but there is not much for you in the visual department. However, for those looking for intriguing plot elements with minimalistic yet bizarre, raw imagery in its crudest form, you are probably in for a treat. And there’s no dearth of symbolic ... imagery in this short film which I would love to talk about:

SPOILERS AHEAD:





Nido to Mezamenu Komoriuta is set in 1960s Japan- an era that witnessed massive economic reconstruction of the country’s post-WWII ruined economy, the Shinkansen train being its most symbolic representation in both the real world and in this film. The 1960s era, also, is conveniently forgotten for many more uncomfortable facets- the rising socio-economic inequalities (represented by the slums, the pampered boy vs our impoverished protagonist in one of the early scenes, the businessmen enjoying their parties vs the squalid commoners), the Minamata disasters wreaking havoc on the environment along with the toxic chemicals released from factories (symbolized by the polluted waters and air, the dead fish) and the Narita airport protests (demonstrated by the screeching airplane noise disturbing the tranquility of the surrounding residential areas as well as real-life footage of the protests interspersed in between). And amid these tumultuous times lives our protagonist nicknamed “Deppa”- one with the protruding teeth.

Many reviews have already highlighted the socio-economic-environmental dimensions of the film, so I would like to instead bring attention to one of the overarching and pretty straightforward, yet ignored, themes of the film- the eternal struggle and conflict between the Strong and the Weak, between the Haves and the Have-nots, which is presented in a very clever manner on two levels- the microscopic and the macroscopic.

Deppa’s tale of being mercilessly bullied forms the micro part. A boy who has lost his parents has to now bear with the apathetic (and later hostile) attitude of his live-in relatives; he lives in utter poverty and is constantly bullied and physically assaulted due to his unusual appearance- these all form the basis of the “weak” character archetype. We have the trio of bullies who are not only physically stronger but also have the tacit approval and support of their peers and adults into bullying this “hideous” creature. And on the macro level, we have the conflict between the government and the society, the former a mighty politico-economic behemoth while the latter meek, vulnerable, divided from within and barely managing to stay afloat in the cruel world. Like Deppa, the society suffers from the government’s bullying via its one-sided and opaque projects and policies, and just like Deppa they can only glare – by taking out some token protests and marches.

The worst part, however, is not the bullying. Rather, it is the indifferent attitude and behavior of the very agents who are supposed to protect and encourage the weak that is insufferable. The policeman asked Deppa to “brave” the bullying and return to the place that was a literal hell for him-the class, and his own school teachers warmly welcomed him back, neither addressing the bullying nor paying attention to his plight. The adult passers-by either mocked Deppa’s appearance, suspected him of having devious designs (like the school girl whose kindness instantly changed to suspicions on seeing his appearance, and now thought of him as a potential rapist! ), or had fun hurting him mentally and physically as this monster naturally deserved. Similarly, the government sought to capitalize on its gains and take favors from corporations, while destroying the society in the name of progress- the very society that it was mandated to protect and for whom progress was expected to improve their life and security. Hence, both the adults and the government showed aversion towards the ugly and weak (Deppa and the society respectively) and paid obeisance to the beautiful in their eyes- brute power.

Such gross neglect and abuse are bound to create grave ramifications, and Deppa was the victim. In an attempt to preserve his mental and physical stability, Deppa slips into depression and loneliness, which ironically makes him more vulnerable to harassment. His one last hope-to see his dying mother-was also crushed like the flowers which the bullies trampled on. This was the last straw and Deppa chose to retaliate. The monster that society had dubbed him till now finally awoke, and naturally, tragedy ensued. Deppa’s act of destroying his bullies was the much-awaited triumph of the meek over the mighty.

But was it the “triumph”, the long-held victory that Deppa probably dreamt of? Tragically, no. It only affirmed unquestionably and beyond doubt that Deppa is the “ugly tooth monster” who now has no place left for him in society. Wherever he runs or tries to escape, all he would find are ruins around him, which won’t welcome or protect him. And someday, he would crumble and wither away as a nameless person among the many piles of these ruins – like the sole chimney whose existence either as a deformed standing structure or as a freshly created pile of rubble was meaningless either way. Deppa will cease but the death lullaby-the bullying-will stay, searching for another victim.

And what if the mighty continue to prevail over the weak? The film also presents us with this answer in the form of the “tsunami” unleashed by the Shinkansen, which swept away the lives and livelihoods of those miserable paupers like insignificant twigs. Neither able to retaliate nor able to save themselves from the eventual disaster, they were swept and crushed. Their unknown remains now formed the bedrock for the government’s “progress” further, with those train bridges continuing on seemingly into the horizon.

It is often said in times of conflict and wars that you either kill or be killed. The film tells otherwise- whether you kill or don’t, it doesn’t matter; for the meek will be killed anyway. Whether this reflects in our own world or simply stays on this film is something to ponder on.

TLDR: Watch it only if you are digging some cheesy and wistful romance. For some deep, well-thought-out plot…avoid it.

The most important requirement for a series dealing with time, space, and related sci-fi elements is that its in-universe laws/principles stay consistent and the plot holes remain minimum, ideally absent. Some series manage to explain such complex phenomena relatively well ( Steins:Gate ) while the rest focus more on other aspects and only use the sci-fi elements as an underlying base to save themselves the trouble of explaining each and every “law” ( Erased ). Kimi wo aishita tries to go with the former route ... by framing and explaining laws for parallel shifts/inter-dimensional travel, but fails at it horrendously.

SPOILERS AHEAD:




Kimi wo aishita’s plot holes become more pronounced after watching its counterpart Boku ga aishita, having the same characters set in a parallel world. However, the author actually forgetting his own plot points or in-universe principles is truly mind-boggling. Maybe the author who wrote this version of the film was from a parallel universe…

Plot hole 1 (more like a very convenient premise): The fact that the two kids instantly decide to jump the gun instead of talking it out with their divorced parents about the marriage is absolutely hilarious and unrealistic. Even with their teenage hormones raging within them, their desperate attitude doesn’t hold up seeing the relatively chill attitude of their parents, the plethora of options available before them to marry each other legally, and the time available before they became adults to make such informed choices.

Plot hole 2: It has been clearly established in this movie ( and even more clearly in its movie counterpart “boku ga aishita” ) that users swap their bodies when a parallel shift occurs. By this logic, the parallel world Shiori (let’s call the parallel world 1 and the original world 0 ) should have inhabited the body of Shiori 0. Since Shiori 1’s body died in her own world and Shiori 0 was turned into a ghost, what happened to Shiori 1’s consciousness? No answer from the series…it simply gets away by saying that Shiori 0’s body went into a coma, which can’t be possible in the first place if Shiori 1’s consciousness still remained in that body! A fine example of subverting your very own plot laws.

Plot hole 3: Towards the end, we get to see that the ghost Shiori was “reborn” as a real human in the 85th parallel world after Koyomi’s sacrifice. But then what happened to the original 85th parallel world Shiori ( or Shiori 85 )? Again, no answer or even a mention.

These plot holes are not minor-they contradict the very basic principles on which the plot is set and can’t be dismissed as “minor details”. And in addition, the convoluted way in which the movie meanders towards the middle through a combination of flashbacks and parallel shifting worlds doesn’t help in alleviating the plot and only serves to confuse the viewers more.

As for some positives, the art is good for a non-action movie. OST is nothing remarkable and the VAs are all right (but Koyomi’s VA performance as a kid felt out of place with his deep monotone voice). I, personally, did get enjoyment from watching it as long as I was watching it with a closed brain. But these cannot whitewash a movie with a poorly-thought-out plot with sci-fi elements in it.

There is not much to say about this 30-minute short film without mentioning spoilers. It has a melancholic and heartwarming atmosphere to it and an unconventional narrative style. It leaves us with an interesting end that is sure to make the viewers ponder about the film. The art is soft, with almost childlike fantasy, and the few background music scores are soothing and strong enough to set the mood.



Spoilers Ahead:



Pigtails deals with three broad themes closely intertwined with each other-the conflict between the old vs young, the eventuality of death, and importantly, the end goal of both humans and objects. Are humans, like objects, meant ... to make others happy even at the cost of their lives or is it different for them? Should we fight with others with the limited time we have instead of enjoying the time with others? Is it better to be ignorant and happy rather than being knowledgeable and agonized about it?

Exhibit A: The pin fight

In the very beginning, we see two groups of pins-the older red ones and the younger white ones. The latter are mocking the red ones for being weak and old despite being experienced. Symbolic of the brashness one experiences being young, a red pin attacks the white one and this triggers feelings of revenge and superiority among the red ones. The conflict ends with both sides getting wrecked and destroyed. The irony however lies that the girl makes their parts work together. People clash with others all the time due to differences between them yet they all arrive at the same place called death and end up being used by others.

Exhibit B: The toothbrush

We see a new white toothbrush meeting two older ones-red and blue and getting no response while greeting them. While the tube pities that they are not being used and only gathering dust, the white toothbrush soon comes to a revelation-that they once belonged to the girl’s parents; that the pig-tailed girl who now lives alone had a thing called family. The white toothbrush wishes the older ones a good night, acknowledging the fact that they were “dead” like the girl’s parents but still, proof of their existence remained, as toothbrushes both physically and as memories within the girl.

Exhibit C: The mailbox

The mailbox does not serve any direct purpose yet it claimed to be useful. How? Because it served as a motivation for the boy to post the letter confessing his feelings for the girl and eventually giving it to her in person. Without the mailbox perhaps the boy would not have any incentive to come over or to write a letter to her. Hence, even by doing nothing, the mailbox served its purpose, much like many of us whose presence is enough to provide comfort and solace to others.

Exhibit D: The radio
The radio comes from the ‘other side’ bearing with him the knowledge of that place. The umbrella and the pillow, young and inexperienced to the vagaries of the larger world, are quick to dismiss him as a lie teller. But when they hear the calming song from him, they feel compelled to at least accept him. Genuine feelings have the power to convey things that normal communication can’t achieve and even alter a person, much like how the boy transmitted it to the girl.

Exhibit E: The balloon and the teddy

The turning point occurs when a red balloon comes from the other side and tells others what’s the real truth behind the walls-a place where people from the ‘farm’ are harvested to provide organs to the disabled living there , who are influential and rich. While the umbrella and pillow believe him and express disgust at the action, the teddy dissents. He feels that the action is justified as both humans and objects should not be selfish and should gladly give away their parts to help others. The teddy, already worn down by age, may be comfortable to be dismantled to provide for others. But what about those who still have a long life left ahead of them? Here comes again the conflict between the old and the new-the older ones who have lived long enough and now find it justifiable to be of help to others at their deathbed vs the young ones who have vitality and hope to live longer for themselves and are afraid at the prospect of death, which will be inevitable for them in the future.

Exhibit F: The girl’s choice

The girl, driven by her feelings for the boy and instincts for survival, escapes. When she is close enough to leave the farm for good, she gets a glimpse of her solitary house basking in the few rays of sunlight and decides to stop and return. Amongst the scene of broken objects, she accepts her destiny as one who is going to be sacrificed for others. What did she see in that quaint small house? As the balloon asks, is she really happy with her choice?

The show does not answer this and leaves it to viewers to interpret. Personally, she had accepted her fate as an ‘object’ meant to be sacrificed for the sake of others. She does not have anyone close to her and even the boy whom she likes is likely to live a short life as he belonged to that place of the disabled. After he goes away who will she stay beside her? Looking back at her house she realizes that it’s like herself. It has no one else near it, it only exists to shelter the girl, and once its purpose is fulfilled it will probably be abandoned or given to someone else until it breaks down. Yet was its existence meaningless? Not really because it gave the girl a home to live in and allowed her to live a bit more in contentment.

Then couldn’t she do something similar to help others, to allow them to live a longer life and be happy compared to her who is all alone in this world? She may even allow this boy she liked to live longer when her organs would be used to prolong his life. She feels that she cannot find happiness with others but she can at the least make others and this boy happy and even be happy herself for a brief time by thinking of her “sacrifice” as a good deed.

Is this right? Should this be allowed? Doesn’t the girl have a right to live with others happily? A lot of such difficult questions are propped up by the film and none of them have a conclusive answer, which makes it all the more intriguing.

Watching Neon Genesis Evangelion ( henceforth called Eva ) reminded me of another popular anime I completed recently – Attack on Titan – in that both have intriguing premises and in-depth plots which are unfortunately brought down by the juvenile nature of its main cast and the disappointingly rushed ending.

The plot of Eva can be summed up as – humanity fighting for its routine survival both physically and psychologically. This is a gross simplification and its only stated as a one-liner statement to understand what the series is about. Eva has much more to tell and it actually does so very convincingly using various religio-metaphysical ... symbolisms, philosophical themes and the inner thoughts of its characters. If one is able to connect the dots offered by the plot, you get a very ingenious series quite ahead of its times. The plot keeps one engaged and while I found the first half of the series to be a bit dull, the second half picks up and delivers greatly.

The plot however suffers from two flaws – excessive and obnoxious fanservice, either overt or covert, in almost every episode which actually makes me wonder whether the makers of the series were high all the time. It only reduces the quality and gravity of the series in my eyes. Secondly, the ending which was rushed due to budgetary constraints and resulted in simply dumping of info which had little coherency with the episodes just before it.

The characters are a mixed bag but one thing which stands out is that they all have substantial backstories and mostly realistic motivations which could have been one of the best points of the series, had not the makers ruined their execution and presentation. The kids are reduced to annoying tropes either meant for fanservice or not-so-comedic comedy relief. The adults are more bearable and interesting but they also suffer from said issues sometimes. Only when the series progresses and we get a glimpse of their inner psychologies do we get to like the characters more – I wish that they had done it earlier.

The sound, osts and the ops and eds are top-notch and add much flavour and depth to the series. The art and animation may seem ‘old’ from the current perspective but it has its own charm and the action scenes are very well done for its time.

So the main question remains – is Eva worth watching ? If you detest fanservice and gore of any kind and can’t bear 14 y/o, then please refrain from this. For others, it is worth watching even if you are not into psychological anime a lot because of the unique, mentally stimulating experience it offers.

Spoiler free review

Sonny Boy belongs to one of those abstract nuanced categories of anime which convey a story, a message in a more roundabout and indirect way. The only predictable part of the anime is that its unique in concept and execution; the rest is unpredictable or more specifically its open to interpretations from varying viewers, which is both a boon and a bane.

Story: 6/10

Sonny Boy tries to weave a lot of philosophical and realistic themes to drive its story and message forward. Being a largely character-driven series, it tends to rely on its characters to move the plot forward and coupled with its numerous ... varying themes for each episode it falls into major pit- the plot becomes full of holes ( not plotholes per se but the missing info holes/gaps which remain unexplained ) due to both the limited duration of the series and the ( intentional ) decision of portraying the story as a means to an end. which just makes it a side subject.

This is unfortunate because the series had the potential to have a comprehensive and interesting plot based on its various 'worlds' but the potential remain underutilised. Despite all these shortcomings, the plot is ok enough to hold the series together and let its cast to shine.

Characters: 9/10

The plot was sacrificed but it led to the creation of some of the most intriguing and realistic portrayal of characters I have seen so far. The main and side cast all had their internal conflicts, flaws and dilemma yet they try to overcome them both subtly and overtly, quickly and steadily. The vast majority fails to change but some succeed and they inspire confidence in both themselves and us the viewers as well.

My only gripe was that some characters were merely there to advance the plot and faded into the background without more elaboration on their lives or views. A case of underutilisation once again but the development of certain characters very well made up for them.

Art and Animation: 8/10

Sonny Boy's abstract yet simplistic art is easy on the eyes and the backgrounds are vivid in both colour and emotions. They are able to magnify some of the most powerful moments in the series to a greater effect. The animation is passable and while some scenes have fluidity in them most of the animation is just fine for a non-action series but nothing home to write about.

Sound: 8/10

Not an expert on this so just saying...I liked the ending song a lot. The bgm and ost were also good but nothing memorable for me, though they were able to accentuate the important moments and thus did their job.

Enjoyment: 8/10

I felt lost during a lot of sections of episodes and had to ponder over them or take the aid of insights from some more knowledgeable folks. But this didn't diminish my interest due to the captivating character interactions, themes and the surrounding mystery of their Fates. The first half felt a bit boring but the second half was better paced and more interesting.

Overall: 7/10

Despite my mixed feelings for the anime, I would wholeheartedly recommend Sonny Boy for its refreshing insights and abstractedness into real world issues. It may look and feel pretentious ( it admittedly has such moments too ) but even a slight realistion of what its trying to convey is enough to dispel this notion - that this show is a unique but mostly accurate take on our current society and ideals.

Spoiler free review based on both seasons of Fate/Zero ( henceforth called F/Z )

F/Z, the prequel to the acclaimed Fate series, is set during the events of the 4th Holy Grail War, 10 years before the main Fate series. It has a different tone and atmosphere compared to the original Fate, which makes it worthwhile to experience for both Fate and non-Fate fans ( though the latter will miss out several nuances and interesting aspects of the series )

Story: 8.5

The aspect I like about F/Z is how neatly it manages to weave the threads of characters, plot and motivations, and present before us an almost ... perfect narrative of the events of the 4th Holy Grail War while also managing to fill some gaps in the original Fate series. The first season ramps up slowly in intensity and we see the culmination in the second season.

My main gripes with the story in general is the amount of excessive gore involved in the first half, which seems a poor excuse for shock value and did not contribute much to the excellent storytelling. There were numerous scenes which felt impactful even without showing such blatant bloodshed. Another problem is the irksome plot-armour in a "dark" series enjoyed by some of the characters, only to be dropped when convenient. Still, it didn't affect the plot or the consistency much of the overall series.

Art: 8

The art itself is polished and pleasing to look. The animation is honestly decent. We have good shots and visuals of certain action/combat scenes, but the overall fights lack lustre and impact and are mostly devices to move the story forward.

Sound: 9

I loved all the openings and endings, especially those of the second season. BGM was good but nothing groundbreaking.

Character: 7

The strongest and weakest aspect of F/Z, mainly due to the large size of the cast and the relatively short duration of the series to an extent. Certain characters are developed brilliantly and you feel all sorts of emotions from them- sympathy, hate, intrigue, satisfaction. Certain others had a good base to develop but their potential was not fully realised, and finally the rest just existed to move the plot forward. At the least, I didn't find any of the central cast bland or boring so that's a relief.

Enjoyment: 8

As a watcher of the Fate visual novels, I found it interesting how the roots of several things were laid in this series. Naturally, that increased my enjoyment and interest by a lot. But it was a double-edged sword - I found the development of certain characters and themes lacking or barebones, which left some bad taste. Another thing were the fights - visual novels have the advantage of conveying emotional intensity and desperation during the fights via their lines; anime needs to compensate this lack of lines by enhancing the combat experience itself. Sadly, the fights themselves were underwhelming and most of them lacked intensity or impact. But since they form a minor part of the series itself, it was alright.

F/Z is one of the unique, thought-provoking and overall impactful series in recent times. It is definitely worth giving a try, especially for those who love complex characterisations and plot. Its highly recommended to read the visual novels or atleast watch one of the Fate anime to have a good grasp of F/Z and enjoy the nuances from the beginning itself.

At the very outset I will state that my review of Porco Rosso is based on an independent thought process and not merely considering it as Miyazaki's another work. It is a SPOILERS HEAVY review so please proceed with caution.

What makes Porco Rosso a captivating and charming anime is the sheer amount of nuances hidden in plain-sight. A seemingly straightforward story of an Italian pilot-turned bounty hunter and his subsequent adventures is in fact replete with diverse yet interwoven themes all centered around Porco the pilot. Broadly, the story revolves around the two dominant themes of 'deceptive appearances' and 'ever-going change'.

Porco aka Marco is afflicted ... with a 'curse' which changes his appearance to a pig. His 'pig' appearance is symbolic of the person which Porco considers himself- a man who is steeped in self-centrism, apathetic to the world and revels in being surrounded by filth as long as it benefits him (his business and the pirate-dealings around him); one who works only for himself and cannot be of use to anyone around him (the incident of his losing his fellow comrades, unable to save them). His persona of Porco had overwhelmed that of the 'human' Marco which he once considered himself.

Change, rather continuous change, is the other big theme of the movie-we see the transition to a Fascist government in Italy and its potential adverse affect on Porco's business. But Porco remains rigid, unwavering from his existing ideals or perspectives and masking this indifference with the thought of freedom .Yet the process of change initiates in him when he meets Fio. His sexist remarks about her appearance and ability, which were largely based on how he viewed his love-interest singer Gina as the example of an 'ideal' woman were refuted by Fio herself on numerous occasions (from building the aircraft to dealing with the pirates). This gradually resulted in the shattering of the notion of appearances and igniting in Porco the desire for change-his desire to be human again.

The culmination of both themes is seen during the duel where Porco fights for Fio and for his honour and eventually wins both. What he gained,however, was something bigger; he shed away the fear that he was a 'good-for-nothing pig' and that he was capable of protecting those things which were dear to him if he tried. Fio's kiss confirmed it and thus he returned to being human-someone who can love and live for others, not just for himself. He removed the facade of the rotten pig (Porco) and gladly accepted his human side (Marco).

The rest of the cast -Gina, Curtis, the pirates -present these two themes in varying degrees and while lacking in overall development contribute much to the story.The art and animation is great for its time. The OST and songs add charm and somberness to the story. The only thing it lacked was a further explanation of Gina's past and its bearing on Porco which could have made the plot more effective.

Porco Rosso is one of those outstanding works which could be enjoyed by the young as well as the old alike. It could be visualized as a simple romance comedy or as a work on human philosophy and perspectives.

P.S. : The end most likely implies a Gina-Marco end for it was with 'Porco' that Fio fell in love with while Gina yearned for Marco. Fio's statement that she never met 'Porco' after the duel (but could have met Marco) further solidifies the the hypothesis. The open end is however subject to further interpretations.

Kaguya-sama's S2 is the prime example of ' Jack of all trades but master of none '. Riding on the success of S1, this season was expected to improve upon and surpass S1 in storytelling and comedy but instead seemed to be a pale shadow of it's former season.

The biggest issue is how S2 attempted to mix both drama and comedy in a cauldron, and spectacularly failed to handle both. The drama is intense so long as it builds up but once reaching the climax it simply throws away what it has achieved by inserting insipid comedy or reducing the 'developed' characters into caricatures for ... the sole purpose of comedic relief. As for the comedy, it is either bland or repititive in nature. Nothing remains of what was assured to be a ' battle of wits, pride and love '.
The only saving grace was the art and animation which S2 delivered. The soundtrack was fine but not at par with that of S1.
Overall, Kaguya-sama's S2 was unable to match the finesse of S1. I truly hope that the next season is able to work upon and outshine the success that S1 was.

Zankyou no Terror is the perfect example of an anime which promised much but delivered little. It began with the promise of introducing something unique,thrilling and mind-provoking but ultimately concluded in mediocrity and disenchantment.

My analysis will be spoiler free and will delve into those aspects which I believe to be responsible for the the series' shortcomings. A rating of its aspects is stated below:

Story: 6
Art: 8
Sound: 7
Character: 5
Enjoyment: 6
Overall: 6
...
Now, a fine story-line can be created by ensuring progression in either the plot or the characters or both. This is where Zankyou no Terror takes the hit; it neither develops its characters nor the plot. The beginning, in fact, had established a good foundation,with an attractive and captivating premise, and the characters too seemed interesting, if not original. However, both the plot and the characters run around in loops through the entirety of the anime instead of injecting anything novel and tend to repeat the same thing over and over again. This kills the initial enthusiasm and thrill of what was presented in the initial episodes.

Zankyou's plot is quite predictable but its underdevelopment is its worst fault. The story, instead of being developed into a deeper narrative with intricate elements, deviates midway into unnecessary character introductions and avoidable themes, which is primarily responsible for ruining the tension prevalent in the initial episodes.

Another flaw is prevalent in the characters, majority of whom are either one-dimensional or irksome. The problem is compounded by the fact that they receive little to no character development throughout the series. The 'end' was supposed to be impactful, but I hardly felt any impact, for the characters felt as indifferent to me as their motivations. If the latter could have been explored more, it would have created a brilliant setting. What we only get are fragments and pieces of it and therefore the characters only appear to be plot devices for advancing the plot.

However, the anime has its share of positivity as well. The opening and ending songs felt great and certain soundtracks were charming as well. The animation and visuals were excellent, to say the least, and they were majorly responsible for keeping me hooked. Despite the shortcomings, certain themes were explored well and added much needed depth to the anime.

Overall, the anime was not insufferable to go through and can be enjoyed to a certain extent. However, it is not a rewatch-worth material.

What has prompted me to write my first review on MAL? It is none other than this 'gold piece' of anime SAO aka Sword Art Online.
It is not a hidden fact that SAO is one of the most controversial anime in existence with its fans and critics as much divided as the rich and the poor. In fact, there are as many reviews and comments on it as there are stars in the sky. Its criticism mainly lies in its bland characters, incoherent plot, unnecessary and filler-like episodes, deus ex machina etc.
... I will outright state that its characters being bland or one-dimensional is not the major flaw of SAO. It suffers from far greater faults and I will try to present fresh opinions on it. In my opinion, there are two major facts responsible for SAO being what it is-a deplorable piece of anime-which I shall state subsequently.
Before my analysis, I will succinctly rate SAO's various components as:
Story: 1
Art: 8
Sound: 8
Character: 1
Enjoyment: 2
Overall: 3

As previously stated, SAO possesses two major flaws, namely inconsistency and incompleteness. These two are responsible for ruining what could have been a brilliant anime. They are endemic in the whole anime and present in its every aspect, whether it be the plot,setting,characters and even the occasional deus ex machinas.
Inconsistency is what defines SAO. We have a taste of it in the early episodes itself, when countless facts and rules of the virtual game are either completely sidelined or conveniently forgotten. The story begins with a dark theme, replete with despair, and having a potential conlict for survival. What we get in the end is detestable rom-com and slice of life claptrap. The author could have chosen atleast one theme and remained faithful to it; but instead it is all poured into one resulting in a half-baked and incoherent story. What is worse is the fact that we have to juggle between these themes throughout the anime, having intense action at one time and then cozy vacations in the next episode, like what?
This inconsistency does not extend only to the storyline, but also to the characters. The MC Kirito is all bold,brave,charming and strong at one time and becomes a wimp,melodramatic and feeble in the next moment, all for no apparent reason. Similar is the case with Asuna, the other MC. In the beginning, she had a certain boldness and sharpness, but later on became the cliche tsundere, 'cute' character. The worst fact is that they seamlessly interchange between these contradictory traits without any solid reasons, thus creating absolutely unlikable and shallow characters.
The other serious problem with SAO is that it had immense potential which it not only failed to realise but also threw it away in the bin, which I deem as the flaw of incompleteness. The premise, setting and plot had actual value but instead of exploring and developing it the anime wastes the majority of time in filler-like episodes completely unrelated to the story. Neither the myriad rules of the game are explained properly nor the story proceeds in a chronological well-defined manner. Heck, they could have showcased the stages of the game and contributed to the world-building but alas, it was not to be.
The worst came half-way the series in the form of the notorious deus ex machina episode and another game called ALO. Wait, what?! This was the pinnacle of nonsense. The author not only ended the already underdeveloped SAO world in the most despicable manner possible midway (like they didn't even care for it in the first place) but also created a more trashy version of the game. This was the end of the line for me and honestly I barely completed the remaining series, filled with worse tropes than before.
The only redeeming features of the series were its visuals and soundtracks, which actually did not redeem the series for me.
My recommendation: If you want an anime with pleasing aesthetics and something that gives joy to your senses, you can give it a try. If you hope for something else or for something more, refrain from it.