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**POSSIBLE SPOILERS ALERT**

**Part 1**

Having watched the series on a friend's recommendation, I have to say, I was surprised. It definitely surpassed what I had initially expected from the thumbnail. It didn't help that I was confused even more when it was listed as a Horror/Mystery anime. Naturally, I tried to put 2 and 2 together and.... it didn't make sense. So, I was intrigued.

I will interject that series is not for everyone. The pacing, particularly with the first arc, is quite sluggish to get through. The plot for the first installment is virtually non-existent as it puts greater emphasis on character development (and I ... will judge it accordingly). The disjointed arcs is also quite confusing. What is the biggest problem here is the investment of time. If you are not intrigued by the 3rd episode, it is better to watch other anime as it is likely you won't be hooked for the rest of the anime. If you also prefer anime with plot, overlook Higurashi.

I will be judging the series in 2 parts, which focuses on their respective installments. This review will focus on the first installment. Now, without delay, let's get into it:

Art - 8/10
Sounds - 10/10

The art, for the most part, is fine and retains its consistency throughout the anime. The colours in each arc are often initially vibrant which plays into the misunderstanding of the installment. Where it shines is the detail it goes through during each of the murder scenes, though I feel that the palette should be even darker given the premise of the installment, as well as missing out on some detail for even more realism (show us the bones goddamn it). There isn't anything more to comment on this.

Same can not be said for the sound however. I find that it delivers very well in this category. The sound is very clean and crisp - you hear quite a lot of detail which adds to the visuals, especially in the murder scenes *squish, squish*. The voice acting also delivers well and fits the visuals quite nicely, raging from frantic screaming to heavy breathing. The opening track also delivers quite nicely - the undertone of eeriness whenever I listened to it fits the anime nicely.

What's probably the biggest seller for me is the clever use of cicada cries - the way how they've used it allows different atmospheres to come through. You can have one that gives a dry and tiring atmosphere for one scene then have the atmosphere of doom the next. It's brilliant.

Plot - 6/10

For the most part, the plot, if there is any, remains linear and repetitive throughout the entire anime. It follows a formula that someone goes insane, kills somebody then kills everyone and the whole village dies soon after. Being so formulaic, you would expect that it gets boring after 3 episodes.

Not necessarily so. The first installment puts far less emphasis on the 'base plot' and more emphasis on the characters - they try to reveal and add more to the plot through the development of the characters. Rather than spoon feeding the audience the entire thing, it is up to the viewers to piece the subtle information together. This is why it has kept the 'Mystery' element very well (for the series) - it does show you the evidence, but the pace at which the evidence is revealed is slow and rather selective.

The 'disjointed' arcs (explained on the second part of the review) are actually individual routes based off the visual novel. Granted, they seem to have to direct correlation with each other. They do intertwine with each other in some ways focusing solely on the first installment however, and this can only be achieved when the setting was properly fleshed - please welcome, Mion and Shion! No seriously, once you understand Shion's role, you'll know why, up until she was officially recognised as a 'party' member.

One advantage of the disjointed arcs is that it allows the plot (if any) to be revealed from multiple perspectives of the characters, which, again, allows some form of development for most characters. It's quite refreshing seeing that we're given insight into the psychology of the characters.

Characters - 19/25
Development - 18/25

The installment's biggest strength. Each character has developed unique traits within them that allows them to differ from one another. A big one is that it trades plot substance for some of the better character developments I have seen. Shion deserves a grand mention here as her character was expanded the most in the installment, which turned her into an extremely likable character, despite her.... being unique. Rena's character was also fairly expanded on though not by a large margin compared to Shion's, as well as Satoko's.

One main criticism I have for this is for Maebara Keichii, who I felt that his character was actually developed the least. He barely changes over the course of his screentime. His base personality is somewhat off putting, as he often mirrors that of a shounen character with the power of friendship whenever his friends are in trouble. His backstory is also fairly lackluster as the major point that we get from him was that he moved to the rurul village due to an incident in his past life.

Enjoyment - 18/20

For the most part, the first installment was quite an enjoyable watch. What I loved the most from this was the paranoia factor - it was interesting that the paranoia would lead to the characters killing off their own friends. It was a breath of fresh air that is very much welcome.

Total Score - 79/100 = 8/10

What it did well, it did well, and remained consistently so. I don't think it should be a 10/10 as people have claimed, given the flaws it had which can't be ignored. At the same time, a score below a 6 feels a bit too exaggerated given what we were shown good for the former half of the series. I strive ti be the 'middle-ground' as much as I can. Hence, why an 8 feels appropriate.

Overall, the first installment had much to offer for the series as a whole. It is a solid introduction for the first half.

When you hear/think the word 'anime', what comes to mind generally is fluid artwork that is drawn like a cartoon, like Avatar: The Last Airbender and Avatar: The Legend of Korra, with a good plot and a wide variety of well-written characters.

The LAST thing that comes to your head when you think of the word 'anime' to is choppy, CGI-like artwork that personifies a mashup of random creatures and objects put together (read: tentacles and a rectangular flask or vase?) without any substance that forms a cohesive plot, if there is any to begin with.

Without a doubt, Striking Daughter encapsulates all of that. But ... somehow, just somehow, it managed to become that one video that feels THAT mentally violating to even watch. And yes, THAT mentally violating.

Art - 6/10

Sound - 6/10

Plot - 1/3

Charac-

No, no just, n. This is a 1 by default, and up til now, on the date of 17/01/2017, I have never given an anime a score of 1. Striking Daughter has now claimed the record for the "First Anime that received lowest score ever!'. I can not, in any way, bring myself to critically analyse this 'anime' in any way possible. There's just no way.

In summary, don't watch this. Just don't.

MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!!! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!

Ah, Erased. That one anime that shot up into the top 10 out of nowhere, being rated above 9. That one anime that was so gripping, so engaging that I was absolutely sure it was a masterpiece. Everything that I saw was just "Oh oh oh oh.... Hah... hah...".

And.... it's also happened to be THAT ONE anime that sucked me into a void named Catastrophe that was filled with a substance called Epic Failure.

That describes exactly how I felt after I reached the conclusion of the anime. Which is a real disappointment, as Erased had so much potential ... to excel considering what was shown in episode 1. I was hyped for every episode of the first half because of how well executed it was, despite a VERY glaring plot hole/convenience on episode 1 (I think) which no one seems to notice... The anticipation I had was quite high. Sadly, the latter half never lived up to the same expectations. I was shocked that it was plagued by plot conveniences, questionable actions and horrible pacing issues. Everything that the first half prepared for was immediately brought down with this...... atrocity... Everything went wrong from episode 6-7 onwards all the way to the end.

Given what I've said just now, and considering the acclamation from other people, one would wonder if I'm just insane. Which, in truth, I probably am. However, there is too much biased praise going on around this and not enough actual criticism against, and I feel that some of these points need to be mentioned. Without further ado, let's get into it.

MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!!! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!




ART - 9/10

SOUND - 8/10

Undoubtedly, these 2 are the show's strongest point. The art is just below the level of Shinkai's recent work, Your Name. There is a huge amount of effort that went into the artwork, and it shows. The level of detail that can be seen (vivid use of colours, refined animation etc..) is exquisite. There's this particular scene where the 2 protagonists stood underneath a tree under the aurora (?) lights, which I love. That scene is absolutely breathtaking. They have also dipped into darker colours for darker moods, which adds to that atmosphere. My only complaint would be the lack of shading on some of the characters (light source) in broad daylight which gives them a 'flat' look no matter where they looked. Overall, this is a minor complaint. The artwork is well done for the most part, and remains consistently so through the anime.

The sounds is another strong suite, which plays a major contribution to the atmosphere without the series. They've made good use of it. The opening song is alright, though not memorable for me since it's not up to my tastes.

PLOT - 6/30

(Part one)

"Just get this anime Erased from your memory as fast as they Erased their rules"

That quote pretty much sums up the main problem with the plot. Unfortunately, this show were riddled with small problems that were accumulated into something too big to be fixed in the latter half. Let me explain.

We get introduced to the main protagonist Satoru, a 29 year-old mangaka who, for some unknown reason, gains the ability to *gasp* travel back in time... Where have I seen this failure before...?

Don't get me wrong here. Everyone loves time travelling, as do I, and as such, would be heavily invested in anime that contains such power. It does allow for many interesting situations and solutions to arise due to the 'butterfly effect' - chasing the past will always change the future somehow. A simplified example would be something along the lines of this - go back in time to prevent event A from happening using method B. Doesn't work, go back, use method C and so on.

Unfortunately, it is ridiculously prone to be used purely as a plot convenience, often going back in time to prevent the protagonist's death at a convenient time. This problem is exacerbated if it can not be 'controlled' and only done 'randomly'. This event is called a 'bullshit moment', as much as Fairy Tail's writing of preventing deaths. To prevent this, they often restrict the usage/activation of time travelling to specific scenarios. The more restrictions there are and the more detailed they are, the more specific the scenario is and as a result, the higher the chances of avoiding the 'bullshit moment'//lesser the chances of a random throwback occurring.

Stein's Gate, a well known anime for its use of time travelling, uses a perfect set of restrictions for said power/phenomenon:

1. Requires the devices to actually even start going back in time (D-Mail and the Phone Microwave as well as that memory transportation device. Sorry about my poor memory)

2. Requires an attendant who can operate the said devices (Makise Kurisu and Hasida Itaru)

3. Requires a specific time/co-ordinate to be set (Memory machine)

Those restrictions immediately eliminate any form of abuse by plebeians. The power is restricted solely towards the said devices - that power is not found innately in people, like Subaru from Re:Zero. Those devices are also tangible as a result of being something physical, not innate. It is entirely under control of the attendants, who also needed to specify the time. That's a PRETTY specific scenario that perfectly eliminates the bullshit moments.

In Erased, the following restrictions are:

1. Satoru can only be sent back in time JUST BEFORE SOMETHING OCCURS

2. Satoru may only be sent back 1 to 5 minutes in time just before the incident to prevent it

3. Satoru may not have control over this ability

So, those restrictions mean that the scenarios required for activation are less specific than that of Stein's Gate, thus it can be activated more frequently. However, this is still a good limitation. It still prevents any form of**voluntary** abuse. It requires him being close to someone who is either about to or have other bad things happen to that person, and he can't get back too far - just far enough to prevent the death of said person. However, the 3rd restriction is a double edged sword, and can be treated as a mere plot device if forgotten, or used incorrectly. Such as having your family about to die then going back in time.

With all that in mind, you would expect that those restrictions would be carried consistently through the show, right? Right?

No. Just... no... There were 2 instances where the restrictions were completely flushed down the toilet after being dissolved in acid. And unfortunately, those 2 instances had major repercussions in the direction of the anime, which created the monstrosity in the latter half, all thanks to that 3rd restriction of having no control.

The first instance occurred AS EARLY AS EPISODE 1, when he was took a trip back in time to when he was a kid, 14 years of age. That's a whopping difference of 15 YEARS. That's more than 1000000 times the restricted amount suggests - 7.884 * 10^6 to be exact. The mother's death also occurred PAST the point of 'before something happens'. Coincidence? I think not. That time travel aspect was used merely as a plot device.

The second instance occurred later during the series, when shouting 'GO BACK" or something apparently allows him to to travel BACK in time AGAIN for the same amount of years -_-

BULLSHIT MOMENTS RIGHT THERE GUYS :3

Hopefully that explains the quote above. They forgot their own rules that they set out that quickly on episode 1.

Anyway, enough about the time travelling aspect gone wrong, let's move into the actual story line. Hopefully it won't be as b----- No. It's still a trainwreck. As I mentioned above, because of the time travel aspect going wrong, the rest of the story line suffered. I'll continue more as the problem seems to be on the characterisation, which I should cover before continuing.

CHARACTERISATION - 7/30

I find that their characterisation is quite weak, and contributed to the downfall of the plot. Considering the setting and the plot, you would expect the characters to be realistic, more human-like, similar to Ghost in the Shell - Stand Alone Complex. Unfortunately, this is FAR, far from reality. There are a multitude of problems here, from the lackluster motives of the antagonist to the lackluster development of the characters to the actions of said characters that don't match up according to their age. Those 3 are what I find to be the main forces that made the plot pendulum swing in the wrong direction.

First, let's get started on our little gang, which consists of:

- Satoru

- Hinazuki Kayo

- Ken'ya

- A trap

- 2 useless boys

We have Satoru, the main protagonist, that embodies that 'Hero of Justice' ideology, or whatever it is. He wants to save everyone just for the sake of saving everyone. There's no reason/rationale behind it. He just wanted to be the hero ever since he was young . Basically, he's the Emiya Shirou of Erased. No feelings, no chance of development, nothing. Just a blank slate that adjusts to the direction of the narrative as necessary. This is horrifically evident when he tries to get himself further involved by protecting another female.... For, again, no reason whatsoever. No motive.

Hinazuki is a victim of child abuse, who later grows up and lives a happy life by marrying to the trap. In the meantime, during the elementary fiasco, she slowly opens up to the gang, becoming much more social. Though her development was uninteresting, it's STILL developement. Her personality changes from being closed, glum and asocial to a more cheerful, thankful and social person. Perhaps the only one that did receive development...

Ken'ya is the smart dude in the gang, having an IQ of 140+ at such a young age. He wants to become an accomplice for Satoru's 'Hero of Justice' just because. Again, there's not much reason, other than that he is Satoru's friend and that he sensed that he's stressed out. There's no proper motive. I was hoping that he would receive some development, but just like Satoru, and the rest of the characters, he's a blank slate.

Then we have the villain with the most lackluster characterisation in the entire series. Seriously, all I remember from the anime was that he sees people as hamsters with strings attached to them, calling them 'Spice' while facing abuse from his brother in the past. What kind of villain is that? It screams that he just kills people for the sake of killing people for that spicy life...

I mean, when Satoru was in a coma, he even stopped killing.... what? Out of nowhere, he decided to not kill other people because it's not fun anymore? Nice plot device right here...

The trap and the 2 friends are just there... I have no memories of them.

Whew, with that done, let's get back to the plot.

PLOT - (PART 2)

So, we've established that the time travel aspect was a mess. Now, let's look at the actual plot. I'm not going to spew much of the synopsis, because it's been said in the other reviews. What I WILL say is that it's riddled with... plot conveniences... Here is a summary of some plots at work from memory:

1. If he were to go back in time to his younger self, after his mum dies, logic follows through that Satoru would investigate the murderer. So, what on earth was he thnking of when he decided that it's better to befriend a lonely girl? Did he really want her ass that badly?

2. Why did he run away from the crime scene? He was innocent. The only proof against him are circumstantial evidence - ONE witness saw blood on his hands... Fibre analysis and fingerprint analysis would indicate that he was not the one who held the knife. He also had a STRONG alibi against it as at least 3 people saw him leaving his night shift, the time when his mum got murdered. So..... him running away just increases suspicion...

3. He somehow remembered that the teacher was the killer from fingers tapping... Not like other people pretty much do the same thing... It makes no sense. I'm sure amnesia doesn't work like that. It's not significant enough to actually remember it... The manga at least made some sense when they used Airi, if that's her name, to help trigger his memory, because she was significant enough.

4. Not sure why the killer didn't change targets right on the get-go if things were starting to get out of hand...

5. Not sure why after saving Hinazuki, he continued to involve himself further into saving everyone.... Emiya Shirou at its finest...

6. How on earth does he get this power? Was he gifted the power of time by Chronos? If there is one?

Above all, especially during the latter half, the episodes felt rushed. It went through event after event after event too quickly that it doesn't feel like any time is dedicated towards development of the characters... At all... It also tried to go straight to the point but in doing so, they skipped some events which I felt could have bridged the flow of the plot. Right now, it's too staggered and too fast.

The conclusion leaves much to be desired. Power of friendship.

EDIT: I just realised I did not explain point 1 as originally planned. Which is odd, since I thought I did...

As I said, for the plot's sake, Saturo chose to save Hinazuki at 'all costs', or 'within his power' from death as he KNOWS that she will die. If this was a separate plot that works side by side with the main 'catch the murderor', it would have been fine. This isn't the case. In fact, the latter plot felt like an afterthought. The major plot at work is saving Hinazuki from death where the cause if it is unknown at the time of the proclamation. And unfortunately, this had the effect of:

- Warping the narrative so much through plot holes, plot conveniences and horribly weak characterisation that Hinazuki's death was somehow related to the murderer.

- Twisting the decision making of the main protaognist, Satoru, to the point that he prioritises saving Hinazuki over catching the murderer of his mother.

The entire show was crafted around this plot. Expect to see illogical choices made everywhere...

FINAL THOUGHTS - 7/20

- Enjoyed the first half, but died off during the second half

- Absolutely failed as a mystery anime. It's quite obvious considering the evidence who the killer is. The lack of a 'red herring' emphasised on this. There's no 'dummy' target that they use to trick us. It's obvious.

- Absolutely failed as a thriller.

TOTAL SCORE - 37/100 37% = 4/10 on MAL

I'm actually astounded by the huge number of people lauding Katanagatari as a masterpiece, with high rating of 9's and 10's popping off everywhere in the reviews, claiming that it is perfect/flawless blah blah blah, listing everything positive about it then exaggerating it further. This makes it appear like it's 10/10 worthy solely from reviews when really, it's far from the truth. While Katanagatari isn't the worst out there which feels mentally violating or makes you want to smack your head against a brick wall or a sharp corner on your table, it is not on the same level as the masterpieces, which feels ... like you're having an animegasm or ascending into heaven whenever you watch it. No, Katanagatari is far, far from it.

I'll also mention some other things:

- This is my first review on the site. Normally, I don't bother writing reviews because a lot of what I want to say about a particular anime has been already said in another. Thus, I see no reason to repeat what other people have said. It's also due to the fact that I'm lazy and it's hard to motivate myself to write one. :P

- Characters and plot are heavily weighted.

- Minor spoilers



Art and Sound - Both 7/10

I don't have much opinion on sound, other the opening being interesting and generally working well with the anime overall, which provides atmosphere.

The art I is quite unique. It's quite similar to the one you would find when you're looking at legends on screen, and indeed, Katanagatari is set during the Edo period, the reign of the Shoguns, so it's definitely good that they've used this style. The scenery is nice, though could have a bit more detail. Colours makes it look more vivid and lively most of the time, yet often dips into the darker shades as well, adding to the atmosphere already present . Characters are generally well drawn.

The one problem in this area though is that there has been a few cases where the art quality 'drops'. More specifically, there were cases where I've seen still frames and recycled animation used throughout the latter half of the series (often gives a shounen-esque feeling).

Other than that, the art is generally consistent throughout the show. It's good to see something new used here that's atypical of anime you see nowadays.



Characters - 12/30

One of my first major gripe with this show, and despite it being heavily emphasised through the anime, it hasn't been executed well, regardless of the widespread acclamation that this is the show's strong point.

The very first failure in this case is the HUGE abundance of characters in the entire show. This isn't bad on its own. In fact, as Monster has proved, such a diversity of characters allow for fresh and interesting situation to rise, while also giving us a new perspective for the story to be told. Given that Monster also had PLENTY of time for development, it felt like each character had a purpose in the anime (Johann being somewhat of an exception, despite him being portrayed really well). Katanagatari did not have that luxury. By trying to shove such a huge cast into 12 45-minute episodes, it has inevitably shot itself on the foot, as the said character(s) don't get enough development, and as a result, are forced into 2 situations:

1. Character feels underdeveloped, akin to one saying something like 'What's the point of this character?'
2. Character's development feels rushed and sudden, not gradually over time

The former can be said for ~95% of the entire roster. The development on the side characters, particularly the antagonists, are a joke - they barely had any time to develop before they get killed (granted, for some characters, we do see a slip of their past and how that has changed their outlook, particularly Meisai Tsuruga, who deserves some credit, but that's about it). The Maniwa Corps is the main target of the criticism here - every single character has been killed without been given a chance. A whole episode dedicated to them is not enough to be considered developemtn. I had hope for the penguin guy, seeing that he had the most potential, but nope. He dies. What a surprise. Every member of said corporation, and also a lot of the side characters, can be merely cast off with the question mentioned before, 'What's the point of this character? How is this character significant in the anime'? This is what's lacking in a lot of them. Apart from Yasuri's sister, who also received poor development and Meisai Tsuruga, I see barely any point in them. They're just a running gag in the anime.

And now, we get to the protagonists, Yasuri Shichiki and Togame, hailed by many for having excellent character development. Like... what? If anything, only Yasuri gets credit for 'proper' development, though it was one that could be labelled as 'expected' - a machine is expected to transform into a normal human being, in terms of developing empathy and emotion. It's nothing new here. It's uninteresting at best.

Togame didn't really change much, considering how much screen time she had. Essentially, she was emotionally scarred due to a past trauma that left her walking down a path of veangence and looking to carry out her father's wish. As a result, to hide this fact, she puts on a 'mask', a show where she's rather expressive and reluctantly collects the 12 swords for the 'Shogun'. During her travels, she falls in love with Yasuri. However, at the end just before she died, she openly admits WITHOUT hesitation that everything she worked for was for revenge and that she planned to kill Yasuri after collecting the 12 swords (12th is a gun by the way...). Really, all she had done was that she held onto her past trauma, put on a mask and embark onto a journey to collect swords. While all this time, she did not change her mindset... Nice development... It's static.


Story/Plot - 10/30

My second gripe with the series. Before I get into a rant, let me say that I consider Katanagatari to have 2 plots at work here that goes hand in hand: Togame collecting swords for the shogun and the other is Yasuri developing empathy, turning from a machine into a normal human being.

Now, for the people who say that the plot is 'so complex', or so 'simple that it's so good' and give a whopping 9 or 10. Like..... No... Just no... No matter how many times I rack my brain, I can NOT understand how the plot is 'complex' as people say (and I do have an eye for subtlety if I focus). Perhaps it was the excessive dialogue that switched me off (more into this later), or perhaps my expectations quickly died out after 3 episodes feeling like a grindfest trying to finish... Only God knows.

On the other hand however, the plot being simple does not mean the plot is good. A plot being simple has to compensate in other areas, such as subtlety in thematics or in this case, characterisation. Otherwise, the whole anime suffers as a result. Due to characterisation, its saving grace, being quite lackluster, the plot was forced to suffer.

First, the sword collecting. While it does sound plain, lame, simple and boring, again, this isn't bad on its own. It had potential to change the direction of the narrative when needed. It had potential to add in twists and turns to keep the plot fresh. What is bad about it however, is seeing CONSTANT repetition of the following formula for 11 episodes STRAIGHT:
Arrive at new place -> meet new antagonist -> talk -> fight (?) -> win sword
It got so predictable to the point where I wasn't expecting anything new to show up. Turns out, from episode 3 onwards, up to 11, I was right. There were no twists, none of that unexpected event that puts you into a state of shock, none of that 'gamechanger'.


Second, Yasuri's development. This one is more important than the sword collecting part, and where people get the idea that the plot is quite 'complex'.

Let me say that having dialogue is fine. In fact, it's quite important, as it fills in the gaps when there's no action in the anime. It gives you an idea of what a particular character is thinking about another. It gives you an idea of their personality based on how they speak and interact with others verbally. However, there is a point where the amount of dialogue can become excessive. This has the effect of making the plot feeling like it's dragging on forever and stagnating in progress.

That's Katanagatari in a nutshell. There is a plethora of dialogue that shows the interaction between the 2 protagonists. Of course, with characterisation as it's focus, this was bound to happen. They needed to show how Yasuri and Tagome develop as protagonists. This, they did relatively well. You can see, through their interactions, how they change (?) throughout the course of the show. But they went over the top and added more dialogue that contributes to almost nothing. For 45 minutes. There's even dialogue in the action scenes for some reason...


Additional thoughts - 10/20

This section covers any additional thoughts I might have about the anime. This includes enjoyment and other comments I might make if it doesn't fit under the other major sub-topics. It also makes up the final 20 points available to bring up the total possible marks to 100.

For the first 3 episodes, I was drawn into the anime. But the interest was lost quickly due to how repetitive the plot was and how stale it became due to the excess amount of dialogue in 45 minutes.

For an anime listed under action, there's barely any actions and those actions aren't really well done.

I would've expected them to choreograph the scenes in a way that looks realistic, rather than being shounen-esque in looks or slinging multiple arms around while the torso remains in 1 spot... Something like the fight scene between Lancer and Archer in ufotable's work Fate/Stay Night - Unlimited Blade Works.


TOTAL - 46/100 = 46% = 5/10 on MAL