- Last OnlineNow
- GenderMale
- LocationAnime World
- JoinedNov 5, 2011
Also Available at
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Sep 21, 2018
12 of 12 episodes seen
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12
people found this review helpful
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| Overall |
8 |
| Story |
7 |
| Animation |
7 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Character |
9 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
I’ve never really thought too much about the journey to school during my younger days. It’s just wake up, get ready for the day, and hoping for a wonderful day without trouble. What if I told you if there’s someone named Chio Miamo who makes journeys to school like it’s some impractical adventure? What if every weekday became a misadventure that you can’t even began to imagine?
Watching Chio-chan no Tsuugakuro (Chio's School Road) felt like watching an experimental humor flick where the show tests the limits of its comedy. I’m not going to lie, this show is very self-aware of its intentions and is
never shy to express it. High school girl Chio is an avid gamer with an avid imagination. With every episode being impractical and almost surreal-like, I had no doubt that this series would be popcorn entertainment. To my surprise, it’s the form of popcorn entertainment that deserves more than just a thumbs up.
The first few episodes makes it clear of what it’s trying to do. The various video game references is clear while we see Chio commute to school in a peculiar fashion. It breaks the boundaries of normalcy as the series tries to stretch its humor at every opportunity it gets. If comedy is what you’re looking for, this will definitely be a crowd pleaser. The key part of the series its ways to sell the comedy. Beyond just the absurd humor of the everyday misadventures, the characters do the selling with their personalities and actions. Chio often defies common logic and applies her video game experiences to real life. This comes from the experience she gains from games that involves stealth, parkour, fighting, and among others. It seizes every chance it gets to demonstrate Chio’s personality and capitalizes on them to the fullest. This may be a make or break for viewers as some may not like Chio herself. However, you have to admit, she is like a pistol that never ceases to surprise me.
Joining Chio in the show is Manana Nonomura, who happens to be her best friend. She’s also a character that I describe as anti-normal. You’ll often see the pair together and when they are, absurd comedy ensures. In fact, their personalities are even similar despite their different interests. Both characters makes their everyday life events look larger than life. The amount of absurdity is enhanced thanks to Chio’s video game experience such as stealth. In early episodes, she even uses her “skill” to remain undetected from a neighbor while being sneaky in an Assassin’s Creed style. The show also loves to exaggerate the game of kabaddi as Chio and Mana treats it like life or death. Madoka Kushitori (captain of the kabaddi club) also pushes her passion of the game to an absurd level. That being said, I think the comedy level of the show speaks for itself by the time you reach the third or so episode. By then, you’ll really understand this show’s ridiculous comedy.
While the main duo of Chio and Manana carries a good amount of the series, other characters also comes to play. Despite not being main eventers, characters such as Yuki, Momo, Goto, and Mayuta also brings in their own spice of fun. They amplify the jokes in the show that ranges from forbidden romances to hilarious innuendos. To be fair, this series is like a joke of itself but it knows what it’s trying to be. In other words, viewers should really understand their reasons to watch this show in the first place. If it’s for actual plot or in-depth character study, then this is the wrong place to be. Take this show like a gift that’s ready to be opened and surprise you in ways you’ll probably never be ready for.
In reality, this anime was originally scheduled to air for Spring 2018. It got delayed for a full season so I assume it’s due to production issues. Nonetheless, the anime maintains a colorful balance of its character designs and setting. It’s not hard to spot the video game references if you’re familiar with franchises like Pokemon Go, Payday, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, Bioshock, and among others. What really made me laugh is the character expressions. It’s exaggerated to maximum effect and often looks far more ridiculous than they should. Chio is the main culprit of this as she makes a huge deal out of situations such as sneaking at night to play video games, getting into an emergency to use the bathroom, or just being anything but normal. This expands to her friend Manana and other characters who takes advantage of all the humorous gags. There’s also some shameless fan service in the show such as pole dancing and delirious delusions. Yuki also makes an example being a sporty girl with an athletic body. The show sure isn’t shy to focus the camera on her whenever it gets that chance.
For such a show with so much humor, I’m also convinced that the characters were able to deliver their lines flawlessly. The dialogues matches with the character voices that always sounds over the board. Sometimes, it makes me replay certain scenes just to see how far the voice actors seems to be enjoying themselves in their roles. The theme songs of the show are creatively made that does what it’s intended – delivering popcorn entertainment.
Looking back at this show made me wish that my high school years were as fun as Chio’s. Every day became a story adventure that never ceases to amuse me. From day 1, Chio and the character cast made the best of its humorous elements and never looked back. It doesn’t need a concrete plot to sell its ideas because that’s really not what the show is about. In other words, just watch this show with an open mind and think of how free it is. To be able to deliver such an entertaining series with so many gags is commendable feat if you ask me.
read more
Sep 21, 2018
12 of 12 episodes seen
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9
people found this review helpful
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| Overall |
7 |
| Story |
6 |
| Animation |
7 |
| Sound |
7 |
| Character |
8 |
| Enjoyment |
7 |
It’s easy to dismiss a show like Harukana Receive at first glance. Look at the key visual, read the premise, and check out those preview promotional material. What do you see? If the answer involves girls in bikinis playing beach volleyball, then you would be 100% correct. As a competitive sport, Harukana Receive takes the idea of beach volleyball and transforms it into a meaningful competitive story to tell.
Since its serialization in 2015, the manga has received only moderate attention but had enough value to be licensed in North America. I rarely ever heard of people talking about the manga though so I assume most
people coming into this show to be fresh. I’ve only read parts of the manga but it shouldn’t be hard to realize what the show will be about. The obvious is the show will be composed entirely of beach episodes. However, if we take a deeper dive into this anime, then it should also be recognized that Harukana Receive is a very character driven story. Every episode pushes the characters to new heights and this series isn’t shy to bring out their best.
The title “Harukana” is a portmanteau of two of the main characters in this series – Haruka Oozora and Kanata Higa. It makes sense too considering the significance of this character pair and their journey to become volleyball superstars. In the beginning, Haruka is fascinated by the beaches of Okinawa. It doesn’t take long for her to embrace the love of volleyball as she decides to team up with her cousin, Kanata. The first few episodes easily establishes the story’s premise and is easy to understand from the characters’ perspectives. We learn about both characters and their motivations. Haruka is presented as a very open minded girl and easy to make friends with. This is in contrast with Kanata, who shows a more reserved personality and keeps much to herself. Through flashback details, we learn that Kanata used to be an experienced volleyball player until a traumatic event caused her to resign. It is not until present day that Haruka is able to convince her to return to the sport again. The two makes an interesting pair because the way they supplement each other – Haruka’s height and Kanata’s experience. To say the least, his character pair will no doubt spark curiosity on how far they can make it in the big leagues.
Throughout their journey, Haruka and Kanata also meets formidable rivals. The most prominent of these include the pair – Claire and Emily Thomas. In many ways, I see a parallel similarity between them to Haruka and Kanata. For instance, Haruka and Claire both possesses a playful personality with a very open mind. It didn’t surprise me that they quickly became friends either. Kanata is also similar to Emily as they have a more quiet nature and tends to be more reserved. Nonetheless, the show portrays the relationship of these four characters with friendship, rivalry, and respect. Deeper down into the story, we also meet other character pairs such as Narumi/Ayasa and Akari/Mai. The show makes it clear that some of these competitors are extremely talented such as the case with Narumi. Their accomplishments inspires Haruka to improve while also bringing back Kanata’s motivation to succeed. Unfortunately, the show doesn’t fully develop them enough and only gives us a glimpse of their potential. In other words, it’s not easy to get attached to the supporting cast compared to the main pair of Haruka and Kanata. Luckily, the Thomas siblings makes up for the void as they get a decent amount of screen time. The character chemistry they bring into the show is infectiously entertaining. Even their mother makes an appearance and through flashbacks, viewers will understand how they became the characters they are today.
As a 1-cour show of only 12 episodes, it became a bit obvious that the anime had to make room to reserve for the plot. It’s unfortunate to say this but 12 episodes really isn’t enough to explore the show at its fullest. The tournament arc featuring Haruka and Kanata only shows their improvement as players but doesn’t fully capitalize on their potential. While the series does a decent job at making us care about the characters, not all of them really get their time to shine either. This issue could have been resolved if the anime had been 2-cour but alas, it was not meant to be. I also have to mention that the show can be a bit niche if you’re watching this for the wrong reasons. It’s very lighthearted with plenty of comedy and gags but also moments with emotional drama. In other words, Harukana Receive may appear to be a walking fan service but there’s much more to just the hot girls in swimsuits.
If I told you Okinawa is one of the most beautiful places on Earth today, you’d probably point fingers and name something else better. However, I will say that Okinawa is extremely well crafted with the vibrant colorful sunny atmosphere and realistic sandy landscape. The aquatic ocean also feels real that injects more of the Summer feeling. As this show aired during Summer 2018, it’s a perfect place to be. To get the more obvious out of the way, every character in the show will be in swimsuits for a good majority of the time. There are some episodes that characters spend in casual wear but most of it will be on the sandy beaches of Okinawa. What does this mean? It basically means that you’d better get used to seeing ass, boobs, and curvy bodies on your screen. It doesn’t help that the camera seems to always focus on the character’s bodies too so get used to that. There are even comedic gags where some characters slap another’s ass as a way of expressing their personalities. Still, it’s definitely also a good idea to keep an eye on the body movements of the show during the volleyball matches. Every movement in the show feels important whether it’s a dive, block, or close save. It emphasizes character teamwork that’s as real as it gets. In fact, I would say the character pairs in the show are portrayed much more than just partners. They feel like are destined to be together whether it’s Haru-Kana or the Thomas siblings.
As colorful as the show is on the surface, also be prepared to be dazzled by the energetic soundtrack. It creates the sensation of being in the sunny fields of Okinawa. Every match in the show also gets an enhanced experience with the OST matching its intense momentum. The theme songs are also catchy that emphasizes on character pairings. Last and certainly not least are the character voice mannerisms. Characters like Kanata and Emily really bring themselves to life and it’s easy to accept them who they are.
Harukana Receive seems like a deceptive show that glorifies fan service and makes it look like an eyecandy for the male audience. However, if you look beyond the skin and swimsuits, it’s easy to see how well this show works with its ideas. Do be aware that as a show with just 12 episodes, it will feel incomplete. And also, some characters will feel less likable than others. However, I would definitely recommend adding this show to the watchlist. It’s not easy to make a show as a walking fan service but Harukana Receive does more than just being sexy.
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Sep 20, 2018
12 of 12 episodes seen
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19
people found this review helpful
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| Overall |
3 |
| Story |
3 |
| Animation |
4 |
| Sound |
3 |
| Character |
3 |
| Enjoyment |
3 |
Video games are part of our society’s norm. I would be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy video games today. One of the most popular genres is MMORPG where socialization is part of gameplay. As an unwritten rule, many people play MMORPGs to connect with others. Here, we have this show called Shichisei no Subaru (Seven Senses of the Re’Union) that unites in-game characters together in a fantasy world. You probably heard this many times before but shows like this are not going to disappear any time soon. It’s a popular concept with great potential. But unfortunately, Shichisei no Subaru breaks that potential and
limits itself to mediocrity.
Noritake Taro’s novels expands for over 6 volumes at the time of this writing but the anime consists of only 12 episodes. Red flags should already be raised as you would expect certain material to be omitted. It’s an issue found in many light novel adaptations but that’s the least of this show’s problems. By reading the premise, there’s some questions to keep in mind. It also takes place in a futuristic setting (year 2036) and the popular MMORPG “Union” is at the heart of this show’s story. Fast forward to 2040 and we have a new game called “Re’Union” launched that adapts similar mechanics to Union. We also meet a group of players including protagonist Haruto Amou who tries to move on from the past. Oh but the past comes back to haunt him when he realizes that his childhood friend, Asahi returned after her supposed death. What could possibly go wrong?
Anyone who’s familiar with anime like AnoHana may find this anime similar at its base context. We have a girl coming back from her assumed death and reunites with the protagonist. What does set apart is how Asahi exists in both in real world and in-game. In essence, the show attempts a blur between fiction and reality as both worlds’ stories connects with each other. My impression of the first episode made me realize how the creators wanted me to feel something for the characters. When we first meet Haruto, he seems just like a regular guy who actually seems a bit indifferent about his life. Until he meets Asahi again, his behavior hardly felt noticeable. After reuniting with Asahi, we can see how much he begins to doubt himself and wish he could’ve saved her back then. Did it make me feel sympathetic about him? The short answer is no and the long answer is why should I. We don’t really know much about their past in the beginning and although the show attempts to bring out characterization, it doesn’t come with good writing. This could have really been written by anyone who played a fantasy video game and Haruto’s character is blend as it can get. His actions are often motivated by his insecurity and it’s hard to get attached to him. Later in the series, he does seem to regain more of his confidence back but his development is still lackluster.
The guild Haruto used to be in is known as “Subaru” and has quite a reputation by name alone. Satsuki Usui is a mage of this guild and is one of the very few people who still maintains contact with Haruto. However, it’s pretty easy to notice that she fills this show’s role as the childhood crush. She is hopeless in love with Haruto but the latter seems to never notice her feelings. Childhood romance in a series like this is hardly surprising but because of its nature, I can’t say it works for the show’s story either way. That’s because Asahi is always on Haruto’s mind so tough luck to our mage girl. Throughout the rest of the show, we also meet other members who were members of the guild including Takanori Mikado, Clive Vivaldi, and Nozomi Kusaka. It’s pretty obvious at the same time that the show adds more romance angles between these characters. At some point, it made me wonder what this show’s true intentions are. It felt more like a teenage soap opera than a fantasy drama. To my displeasure, every episode focused more on character relationships rather than plot development. There’s far too much emphasis on relationships at the expense of crafting a creative MMORPG story. In reality, I felt very disappointed by this series’ inability to capitalize on its MMORPG concepts as well. Socialization between the characters are often repeated dialogues that you’ll hear over and over again. The only bright side is the occasional battles that shows the testament of these guild members. Even then, these battles are hardly memorable to recall despite the stakes.
Sci-fi fantasy game genres being adapted into the anime medium takes guts if you want to see a creative world. Studio Lerche probably knew this but the world fiction of this show is average at best. By technical quality alone, it looks mildly creative with the fantasy elements like the basic-looking towns and landscapes. Weapons, armor, and spellcraft is pretty typical of what you’d expect from an MMORPG game. Even the bestiary in this series are hardly inspiring. They look half-assed with minimal effort without unique traits. Character expressions in the show often looks forced with the same faces. Only Satsuki occasionally shines from the main cast but that’s mainly because of her personality. Oh and we can’t forget about Asahi. Because of her childish nature, there’s questionable fan service that will pop up at times. On the other hand, I am satisfied with the real life character designs of its cast. They look like real people and their age fits within the category of gamers. Similarly, their voices matches with their characters that is convincing to the ears. You can even hear their expressions of feelings in their voice tone that connects with their dialogues.
It’s too bad really. Shichsei no Subaru turned out to just be another one of those shows where people will forget to talk in the future. The main cast couldn’t hold a candle to impress anyone with their mediocre personalities. The story felt like it’s a copy-paste of any fantasy shows you can find on the web. Hell, even some similar light novels I’ve read had more personality than what this show had to offer. What a waste.
read more
Sep 20, 2018
12 of 12 episodes seen
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38
people found this review helpful
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| Overall |
4 |
| Story |
4 |
| Animation |
5 |
| Sound |
5 |
| Character |
5 |
| Enjoyment |
4 |
Ever wanted to know what it feels like to own someone? I’m not talking about people who you hire or a business partner. I’m talking about if you actually hold ownership of someone like a slave. Taking on the role of a protagonist in a fantasy world is no easy task. Even for a guy like Sakamoto Takuma, he may be an experienced gamer but he’s never been equipped to deal with a life changing event such as being transported into the very game he played. After becoming “Diablo”, he learns that the hard way.
Isekai Maou no Shoukan Shoujo no Dorei Majutsu (otherwise known as
How Not to Summon a Demon Lord) is exactly what it looks like – a show about a demon lord who gets summoned into this fantasy world. The juicy part of the show is that the main protagonist possesses a “slave-turning” skill that allows him to enslave others. True to its form, this anime sets off so many damn red flags that it became of those cases of being so bad, it’s almost good.
I’m not going to lie. This show glorifies fan service at any chances it gets so be prepared for a whole feast of them. The first few episodes makes it clear that the two main girls – Shera and Rem serves as Ms. Fanservice. It doesn’t help with the fact that around their neck are collars standing as proof of their enslavement status. As a guy with poor social skills, Diablo have trouble building a connection with his two slaves at first. My early impression of Diablo is that he is a joke of himself. Being a Demon Lord with such power is like an unholy gift but he doesn’t truly know what to do with it. Furthermore, Shera and Rem doesn’t know anything about him and vice versa. However, it does show that Shera adores Diablo and is “impressed” by his skills. Then, there’s Rem who shows little respect to Diablo at first but does warm up to him as they get to know each other more. In a stereotypical manner, they grow closer together and seems the two main girls even develop feelings toward their master. Yet, Diablo still has to hold his urges of lust whenever he gets caught into compromised positions. If you’ve seen any Isekai series of similar nature, you’ll know what I mean.
As I watched more and more of this anime, it seems the show does take on a more emotional side once it decided to focus more on the characters. Despite his poor social skills, Diablo shows a genuine caring side towards his two slaves. This is shown in later episodes when he decides to risk everything to save Shera. He even begins to enjoy his new life as a Demon Lord and make the best of it without jeopardizing others. His main goal transform from ruling the world to being a trustworthy master to his slaves. By nature, it’s a peculiar sense to develop a character but somewhat works this way because of Diablo’s personality. He’s a haughty guy with a lot of pride on his side but sometimes drops his guard when it involves his two slaves. On the other hand, I think it’s a cheap ploy by the creators to get the audience to like Diablo. Because let’s face it, Diablo is still a generic character that adheres to wish fulfillment fantasies. So many isekai series pulls this trick from the book and it’s impossible to overlook this show’s pitfalls.
Unfortunately, I also have to proclaim that it’s very easy to overlook the other characters outside of the main trio. We got characters like the Fallen (Demonic Being) Edelgard making her debut early on. Does anyone actually care about this character? She speaks broken sentences and plays more of the role of a combatant. Oh and I can’t forget how absurd her personality changes from time to time depending on who she faces with. Other characters like Sylvie and Alicia represents archetypes like the guild master and honorable knight you can find in almost any video game. And of course, they had to add Glebsklem into the show so that the cast would be complete with a half-naked loli. That’s not even the worst part. If we look at the antagonists of the series, they are what really holds the character cast back. Every villain in the show are one dimensional characters with their own self-interest and greed. Some even have other sins that pushes the line of the show’s censorship. I can’t fandom how these antagonists were made except perhaps to tests the limits of Diablo’s powers. The obvious result is that Diablo overcomes his obstacles because how overpowered he is. It’s lack of creativity 101 that hardly takes any effort for anyone to make these type of characters.
Ajia-Do worked on a variety of genres before but this is their first full TV anime adaptation based on a light novel. By technical standards, it looks vibrant and matches with what an isekai world should look like. The high fantasy elements of the magical creatures and archaic structures are within expectation. Plus, some of the action scenes carries sufficient details to prove what Diablo is capable of. However, be aware of the show’s fan service. In some episodes, it really pushes the envelope with the “action”. Scenes that includes fingering, sexual power restoration, and tentacles made this anime look like a cartoony porn. It’s also impossible to not take eyes off of Shera’s body. The camera plays around her breasts like they have a life of its own. Clothes are also blown off constantly for specific “reasons” that puts Rem to shame. Character expressions often include their screams of passion in moments of ecstasy. Thanks to the talents of the VA, they make those scenes look more lascivious than they should.
There’s an unwritten rule where people drop episodes for a show after three episodes or less. For Isekai Maou, it will most likely take one. It’s a break or take for first impression and if you’re coming in with low expectations, then do yourself a favor and hit that drop button. If you make it beyond those passionate screams of our slave girls, then this may be a sexy rollercoaster. The main trio of Diablo, Shera, and Rem carries this anime so get used to that. Does that still make this anime an enjoyable experience in the end? Hell no.
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Sep 16, 2018
12 of 12 episodes seen
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44
people found this review helpful
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| Overall |
3 |
| Story |
2 |
| Animation |
7 |
| Sound |
6 |
| Character |
2 |
| Enjoyment |
2 |
Ever wondered what would be like to wake up and have no memories about yourself? Island takes this traditional trope but instead of translating it into a survival tale, it turns it into a story about rediscovery. It’s a series based on a visual novel but I confess to say that it’s very questionable in terms of presentation. Looking at the show made me wonder how such a simple premise descended into an abomination.
The simple premise of Island honestly made me curious about the show at first. Taking place on this island known as “Urashima”, it gives the impression of a setting of isolation. It’s
away from cities, civilizations, and the social problems that we have to deal in our everyday lives. In fact, the first few episodes really makes it clear that the islanders there live in a carefree way. However, it didn’t take long for me to realize that there’s more than meets the eye about the story’s mystery. A big part of the show is trying to sell its suspenseful plot by connecting the past with the present.
Before I actually get into the juicy part of the show, it’s noticeable that Island underwent some changes before the actual premiere. From my understanding, there was dispute over the script so what we see on TV may not be what was originally planned. I have not played the visual novel (even though it’s available now in both Japanese and English) so I came into the show as a fresh newbie. Still, a show like this felt more like a niche designed to target the specific audience. In this case, it’s aimed at people who enjoys the feeling of a dramatic adventure. And to be honest, that’s a tough pill to swallow. The first few episodes flirted with relationships between the main cast. Meanwhile, the story suffers pacing issues from the very start as each episode constantly bounces between cheesy comedy and dramatic sequences. Then, there’s the mystery that tries to carry the plot. What we get instead is more of a wish-fulfillment love story that doesn’t know what it’s trying to do. There’s a lot of pitfalls that hardly puts emphasis on the story. This is evidenced with the sex jokes, ineffective writing, and in general, lack of care in the characterization.
Speaking of characters, Setsuna Sanzenkai is what I like to describe as a blank piece of paper. You try to write down facts about him and there’s really nothing. That’s because the guy has a mysterious past but in reality, his personality is just as empty. Through his interactions with the main cast, he doesn’t stand out any more than they do. It doesn't help that his dialogues sounds robotic and often lacks enthuaism. The main cast consists of three girls – Rinne, Karen, and Sara. Each of them seems to have some sort of connection with Setsuna as evidenced through various flashbacks. The show also dedicates a decent amount of screen time by using montages to enhance their relationships. Unfortunately, it fails to cook up any meaningful relationship between Setsuna and these girls. There’s too much generalization on the girls’ personalities and much less on their development. Even Rinne, the girl that Setsuna spends the most time with suffers from this. Sure, there is background storytelling that makes it clear he and Rinne knows more about each other than meets the eye. However, it’s the type of relationship that adheres to wish-fulfillment. These characters are not larger than life and in fact, you can find them in just about any eroge visual novel. It’s a shame really since they look charming on the surface.
So is there anything worth watching about the show? To be honest, it’s really comes down to the decision on what you’ll find attractive or not. The comedy is blatantly inauthentic with poor timing between the characters’ dialogues. While the show had potential for its mystery elements, it really doesn’t get the ride going until quite later on. In other words, this anime will test your patience. I’ve honestly struggled to stay awake when watching Island and this show felt like it would be better if you played the game.
Perhaps there’s some redeeming quality about the show when it comes to the technical quality. I have to admit, Island does look well designed in terms of its setting. It’s able to convince me of the cultural differences between itself and the outside world. The idea of isolationism also looks credible with the relaxing atmosphere and being away from urban cities. Characters all look like they live the carefree life with their simple clothing and moderate technology. There’s also quite an abundance of fanservice that may sometimes feel uncomfortable. Because let’s face it, some of the girls in the show looks like kids. You be the judge but it’s hard to deny their physical appearances.
On the other hand, Front Wing was able to create this series with a very relaxing and atmospheric music. While the montage songs can sound a bit generic, they are also appealing by itself if you just listen to them. Unfortunately, the show definitely takes a step back when it comes to voice acting. I already mentioned Setsuna but his voice really sounds like a cog in a machine when he opens his mouth. The female characters’ voices doesn’t sound any better and often too high pitched to take to heart.
I’m glad this show is only 1 cour because any more than that would feel like a chore. To be able to attract an audience towards this show takes more than just a creative setting. The premise had some potential but it’s weathered down by its ineffective plot and one dimensional characters. Perhaps if I watch this without thinking too much, it would’ve been a better experience. The fact is, Island is just another example of a poor story with a budget that it doesn’t deserve.
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Jul 18, 2018
12 of 12 episodes seen
|
67
people found this review helpful
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| Overall |
8 |
| Story |
7 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
7 |
| Character |
8 |
| Enjoyment |
8 |
There’s an old phrase that goes “be careful what you wish for because you just might get it”. It’s been over a decade since Full Metal Panic aired and we got a new season at our hands. However, reviving old franchises isn’t something new these days. Just ask series like D. Gray Man and Dragon Ball. The real question is if Full Metal Panic Invisible Victory can be welcomed back like a hero.
With a new director and studio, the series felt like a breath of fresh air. Honestly, it almost felt like the series never left us despite the 13 year gap. I also confess
that Full Metal Panic: The Second Raid is among one of my favorite mecha series so expectations coming into this for me were high. If you haven’t watched that season, do yourself a favor and do it now. Invisible Victory isn’t going to spoonfeed you information especially since this season takes right off without absurd recaps.
For starters, the first episode made it clear that there’s a quiet and looming threat. It felt like an atmospheric episode that brings back Sousuke and Kaname together but not in the happy-go-around way that some fans may expect. This didn’t come as a surprise to me as the franchise is known for its psychological elements. Sousuke and Kaname deals with a terrorist threat that puts their friends at risk. It also didn’t take long for Kaname to realize she is in trouble. Remember Amalgam? Well, they are back this season in full force and stops nothing to capture her. It shouldn’t take fans long to realize what they are in stored for. Up to this point, Sousuke and Kaname has been through a lot together but there’s always the curiosity of what may happen do they if they’re not careful. Invisible Victory carries an unpredictable suspenseful plot that shows how the pair deals with their own personal demons. Neither character has changed much as their personalities will be familiar with fans. However, it’s their raw emotions that surfaces at times which highlights their personas.
In addition, this season also introduces a new girl named Nami. Now, I’m not a big fan of new major characters being introduced in this franchise especially when one seems like a potential love interest. There’s already characters like Tessa to fill that role from previous seasons. However, I will say that Nami is a character to keep an eye on especially for her tomboyish personality and courage. The season spends a decent amount of screen time for her and Sousuke to bond during Kaname’s absence. It almost feels refreshing as Sousuke is able to interact with someone who is different than others he’s met before. In later episodes, the show really puts Sousuke’s emotions at stake when dangerous enemies like Kurama enter the story.
I have mentioned Tessa before but in this season, she does get a meaningful role. I’ve never been a big fan of Tessa and she still maintains a strained relationship with her brother, Leonard. Yet, Tessa is valuable in the conflict against Amalagam. In the later episodes, she provides key information that proves to be imperative for Sousuke and his allies. Similarly, Sousuke continues to fight the good fight and maintain his image as a soldier. At this point, the conflict against Amalgam has become much more personal for him and the show capitalizes on the stakes.
Adapted by Xebec, I was initially optimistic about this adaptation. Sure, the animation quality looks familiar to the previous seasons. However, they produced some questionable anime in the past like Tokyo ESP and Triage X. Luckily, Invisible Victory is safe from broken animation and mostly remains intact with the quality that I expected. The CG may take some time to get used but not too distracting once you get used to it. The battle choreography remains sharp to capture the vivid details of the violence. There’s minimal censorship so watching close up duels between Sousuke and others is a gift to the fans. Furthermore, character designs still remains generally the same as previous seasons. There’s some minor fan service in the case with Kaname and Nami but nothing really too distracting. The real fan service is the psychology in the character emotions shown their expressions. The music and OST sometimes reflects this too through their clever timing. As this is perhaps one of the more serious seasons, the theme songs even shows a bit of their colors.
Invisible Victory is a 12 episode series that give the fans what they wanted and that’s a new season of surprises. It’s been a long time since the franchise aired on TV and I feared that the time gap may have done its damage. However, this season lived up to its expectations while raising the stakes it needed to. While the plot may not be too refreshing, it still captures the essence of the franchise that I loved all those years ago. To me, the revival of Full Metal Panic is a victory in itself.
read more
Jul 7, 2018
24 of 24 episodes seen
|
41
people found this review helpful
|
| Overall |
5 |
| Story |
3 |
| Animation |
7 |
| Sound |
7 |
| Character |
4 |
| Enjoyment |
5 |
Before Darling in the Frankxx actually aired, I asked myself if Trigger could ever replicate the success of Kill la Kill. Remember that series back in 2013? Their debut show made a significant impact for anime fans all over the world. From then on, Trigger produced some questionable series like Kiznaiver but also reminded us that there are still golden eggs such as Little Witch Academia. Sometimes I still have to ask myself, what the hell is Darling in the Frankxx?
To be fair, Darling in the Frankxx is actually a co-production between Trigger and A-1 Pictures. It’s an original TV anime that adheres to more
of a humongous mecha show while mixing elements of drama, comedy, sci-fi, and absurdity. Oh wait, that’s not a genre, isn’t it? Well, you will probably understand the meaning of that later on. But first things to remember is that Darling in the Frankxx takes place in a distant future. There are imminent sci-fi themes that deals with pilots and Frankxx, giant robots that are capable of fighting the mysterious klaxosaur. Here, we meet the children that lives in mobile fort cities known as the Plantations. Out of these children, a young boy named Hiro (Code 016) meets a strange girl with horns on her head. So begins this journey….
On my first viewing, it felt like Trigger really wanted to play a bit with the viewers’ emotions while attempting the tricky feat of combining many different genres. I’m not going to lie, the first few episodes made me feel like the anime wanted to experiment with sex. Even the first moment when Hiro encounters Zero Two showed implies there may be an immense amount of fan service in the show. However, I wouldn’t say this anime thrives on sex as it’s mostly played out like a metaphor. In other words, this anime isn’t a trick pony but does rely on the emphasis of fan service to some extent. The gimmicks of the anime relies more on the characters’ actions to do the talking. Remember, the main cast is composed of young characters who hasn’t fully grown up yet. In fact, they rely on the Frankxx in order to exist in their world and doesn’t really know their true purpose. A driving factor of the show chronicles the lives of these children. They begin to learn more about their world, themselves, and what their true purpose really is. That is to say, the plot is suspenseful from the start as more and more storytelling is unraveled.
Because the series is mixes in a variety of themes, exposition is necessary and we get a lot of info dumping. It shouldn’t take long to learn the show’s terms as every episode made is easily understandable. However, it’s the characters that are deceptively complex as we learn more about them. At the heart of the show is the horned girl named Zero Two. There’s not much we know about her in the beginning but it’s discreetly shown that she has a connection with the klaxosaurs. From a viewer’s perspective, Zero Two draws the line between human and inhuman. A good portion of the characterization focuses on whether Zero Two accepts on being who she is. She seeks her own identity and place in the world. Thanks to Hiro and his friends, Zero Two does manage to realize who she is and makes her own choices like seeking freedom. And to be quite honest, freedom is a pretty important word considering that these children are trapped like birds in a cage. The animal motif is evident as the children from Squad 13 are called “parasites” by the adults. The mysterious Papa gives out orders to them and they obey them without question. Later on, Squad 13 begins to wonder their real purpose and seek to create freedom themselves.
Zero Two is a controversial character who seemingly caused the deaths of pilots who formerly were partnered with her. In a sense, she can be labeled as “black widow”. It is only when she took Hiro as her “darling” that reveals a more sensible side of her. Usually, Zero Two is playful despite being serious about her duties. It’s easy to see how childish she can be even on the battlefield like a cat playing with her food. (she actually does this in early episodes) The show also takes a deep dive into her past as we learn how the adults experimented on her and connection with Hiro. Speaking of which, Hiro is like a light in a dark tunnel for not just Zero Two but all his teammates. He is hopeful and is often a voice of reason. As a pilot, he isn’t afraid to take risks despite knowing potential consequences. This inevitably leads him to fall in love with Zero Two. At the apex of the story, he is able to express his feelings in honesty to her. From that point on, they are pretty much inseparable. However, this show’s relationship dynamics isn’t exactly well written if you read between the lines. From the two main leads, it’s very obvious that the anime wants to keep them as true loves. It’s a pretty generic way of storytelling that sends the message of “love will conquer all”. It's something you can find in almost any sci-fi flicks these days. From puppy love to an actual romantic relationship, it’s something any show could have done easily. It’s a shame since I wanted to see this anime think a bit outside of the box.
BUT, that’s not all. The biggest turn off of the relationship dynamics involves the other characters of Squad 13. Let’s face some facts here, the children in the show are very clueless about the concepts of love. Yes, love itself is a very complicated subject for discussion but the anime makes it clear that they have zero knowledge about it. There are multiple character love angles going on by the time you reach 1/3 of the show. For a short list, it involves the love triangle between Goro, Ikuno, and Ichigo. Then, there’s Ichigo, Zero Two, and Hiro. Outside of this circle, there’s also a love triangle between Mitsuru, Kokoro, and Futoshi. Zorome and Miku also seems to have some special feelings towards each other. At one point in the series, Ichigo became an Internet meme for the drama she bought in between herself, Hiro, and Zero Two. I also felt bad for Futoshi as well since the show made it clear that he didn’t stand a chance. Kokoro and Mitsuru’s relationship is perhaps one of the more tragic ones in the series. And Ikuno…, it almost feels like the show put the character in a love triangle with Goro and Ichigo to make her more relevant. That being said, you may get a headache or two after realizing how clueless these kids are about love. The show even has multiple episodes where they question the meaningful of a “kiss”.
To be honest, Darling in the Frankxx actually started off pretty strong with a lot of potential for developing some of the main characters. Indeed, there are definitely moments that are worth talking about considering how far the series takes care of them. Outside of Squad 13, we also take a deep dive into Dr. Franxx (the creator of the Frankx) and his past. There’s even exclusive storytelling on what motivated him to create these giant mechs in the first place. Unfortunately, that’s pretty much how far the characterization ends up for individuals who are not part of the main cast. An example is Nines, a special defense force who were once part of Zero Two’s former unit. The number 1 of the Nines is an antithesis of Hiro as he is intensely loyal to Papa while mocking Zero Two of becoming “human”. The series hardly explores him beyond his personality and even though he changes, it felt like a script of a play that anyone can predict would happen. I was more interested in seeing how the show would handle the roles of the adults. There’s no doubt that Papa plays the role of a distant surrogate figure to Squad 13. In early episodes, they all try to impress him that characters such as Zorome goes to absurd lengths to prove himself. Later on in the show, we find out their real motivations and almost feels like a slap to the face when you realize reality.
Actually, now that I think about it, this series can actually be a bit dark. Trigger’s anime projects consists of a diverse variety but Darling in the Frankxx took a lot of risks. I do commend them a bit for doing that. It’s what makes Trigger the studio they are known for nowadays. Did the risks pay off in the end? I’d say hardly because the final few episodes in the show really made me scratch my head wondering if the creators planned this out in the beginning. The incredibly rushed plot is stuffed with cheesy dialogues and subplots that felt irrelevant. The power of love trope is so overused in this show that the final arc felt mindless and it took me awhile to get it over with. There’s a feeling of the anime of cooking up drama for the sake of drama. The worst part ends up being whether we should care about all this or not. Because honestly, I think this show went way over itself in trying to be something special. Instead, it became a hollow shell of itself and degenerated its own legacy.
By animation quality standards, Darling in the Frankxx maintains a consistent flow throughout the show. The first few episodes made it clear that there would be over the top action and it didn’t betray expectations. The producers were able to capture the highlights of battle scenes, emotional segments, and comedic moments flawlessly. Actual fighting scenes in the show is fast paced that makes an emotional impact. This is accomplished through the character expressions as it made many scenes feel larger than life. The mecha designed by Shigeto Koyama (Captain Earth, Eureka Seven) looks well-polished with the biotech features. Character designs shows the children well-dressed despite being isolated from society. On the other hand, the adults in the series looks ambiguously alien-alike. In addition, the klaxosaurs looks like they were inspired by kaiju movies. And of course, there’s fan service. It’s one of the main selling factors of the show to attract an audience. The metaphoric suggestive positions of the pilots are like a visual innuendo. Zero Two also spends some episodes in full nude while being shameless of her appearance. You want fan service? You got it, you horny viewers.
Known for taking a lot of risks, the show does also jump into the music department with a mission. That mission is to bring out a sci-fi show to its most iconic form. Admitingly, the theme songs are moderate at best in terms of appeal but contains a lot of creativity. The amount of foreshadowing and references are evident in many scenes. However, the theme songs adheres to a more emotional side of the show once you get into it. Battle OST also works its magic during many important scenes. The character voice mannerism of the show also makes an interesting impression in the case of Zero Two. She does indeed draw a line between a human and inhuman by the tone of her voice. In some episodes, she behaves like a playful child while other times, she acts like an emotional doll. Unfortunately, the other main cast falls short. I mean, who wants to listen to Hiro talking all day or Ichigo complaining like a brat?
With a total of 24 episodes, Darling in the Franxx ended up being a show that made a big impact but couldn’t fully capitalize on its ideas. It has a creative world and an intriguing group of characters. But when it comes to the actual storytelling, that turned into a chunk of mess. In fact, it made me wonder if the creators had a clear plan in the first place or if they procrastinated it like a final school project. To me, it’s a show that hit the right spots in the beginning but doesn’t live up to the hype. It sure got people talking about it if that was one of its missions. However, it’s ultimately a series that talk the talk, but couldn’t walk the walk.
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Jul 3, 2018
12 of 12 episodes seen
|
52
people found this review helpful
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| Overall |
6 |
| Story |
6 |
| Animation |
6 |
| Sound |
6 |
| Character |
6 |
| Enjoyment |
6 |
From the depths of fanservicy guilty pleasure of hell makes the return of High School DxD Hero. It’s been nearly 3 years since the last time this anime aired on TV and to be honest, it needed a break after the disastrous third season. High School DxD Born left a bad taste in my mouth after seeing how far the franchise has fallen. Is Hero a chance for the show to redeem itself?
The fourth season covers the volume 9 and 10 from the light novels. This didn’t come as a surprise as the franchise has a tendency to build more into the story with established
concepts. To say the least, the franchise isn’t afraid of taking the risk to show off its fan service. Straight from the first episodes, we see the characters return with Issei still being a perverted self-proclaimed “Harem King”. It doesn’t take long for the plot to kick off after they visit Kyoto where a new story puts him in conflict with supernatural entities yet again.
Following a formulaic construction of the plot, the first half of the show adapts the 9th volume. We meet a fox girl named Kunou and after a misunderstanding, she pleads for Issei and the others to save her mother. The premise of this arc is incredibly straightforward after Issei realizes the responsibility they need to carry to get the job done. However, the arc is perhaps a bit too predictable and lacks the High School DxD-esque quality as the first two seasons. In other words, I must admit that a few of the first few episodes are too forced. The drama is too serious and didn’t make me care about Kunou as much as I had hoped for. On the other hand, there are still remnants of fun value we can see this season. The fan service returns thanks to the naïve personalities of characters like Xenovia and Irina. Even though Rias and the main cast aren’t there, Issei still gets a face of boobs, ass, and skinship. I say this with honesty that High School DxD is one of the few anime that works creatively well with the fanservice. Without it, the show would lose its identity. Luckily, the show does manage to find its way to bring that out again.
Covering the 10th volume, this fourth season manages to find itself well on the path of its roots again. By the time you’ve reached over the half the series, the familiar mood will return almost like yesterday. It also does a clever job at building up the inevitable battles as Ria’s Team goes up against Sairaorg Bael’s peerage. Remember, this franchise began with a concept known a “Rating Games” that has been a central element in the storytelling. This time, the stakes are more about pride to see which team is better. For Issei himself, there’s also some emotional stakes that he didn’t even realize himself. The fact that after three seasons, he’s still dense as a black hole should come as no surprise to viewers. In one particular episode, Rias directly confronts him about her feelings and we get a half-assed response from the guy. This may rub viewers in the wrong way as the relationship between Issei and Rias has been a central focus in the franchise.
The Rating Game itself also featured some comedic moments with the press conference buildup and the actual execution. There’s also some exploitation about the rules of the game to get viewers familiarized again. The actual battles felt more or less like a cheesy mix of underwhelming fighting. In fact, I would say most of them are insignificant that even includes Issei’s in the first rounds. The show only has 12 episodes so it limited itself from achieving full potential. To me, that’s a backstabber to fans of the franchise who wants to get the most from the action. Honestly, I think High School DxD’s action elements has always been one of its weaknesses and from season 4, that didn’t change much either. In some of the final few episodes, business picks up more as Issei confronts Sairaorg himself as we see how dangerous his rival really is.
One of the biggest changes of High School DxD Hero is the art style. The first three seasons were adapted by studio TNK that fans are familiar with. However, Passione takes the step this time to animate the project. They are perhaps best known for their work on Rokka no Yuuska and more recently, Citrus. I’m not going to lie, it’s going to take some time to get comfortable with it. The character models looks less detailed and cartoonier especially for the main girls. Don’t get me wrong though. Characters like Rias and Akeno still looks busty like the previous seasons. Even new characters like Yasaka gives the impression of a sexy older type. However, it will take time to get used to the new art style as there’s less details on the fan service. It’s still there especially if you watch the uncensored version with the boobs and ass being thrown at your face. The action still feels the same as the previous seasons though so don’t expect anything that will blow you out the water. Character designs in terms of plot direction improved slightly with an improved transformation of Issei. Similarly, character voice mannerism somewhat evolves this season that’s more noticeable in Rias and Issei. She is able to display her personality at best when together with Issei especially during some of their more emotional scenes. The theme songs still feature a mix of action and fanservice theatrics I’m sure fans are familiar with.
Well it’s been nearly three years since I’ve reviewed High School DxD. After the break, I think this show manages to step up slightly up to the plate. However, it’s not a big improvement over the third season and more like a step down compared to the first two. The plot is both easy to predict but hard to recall memorable moments from especially in its first episodes. It tests the viewers’ patience for its main character cast especially with Issei’s role. I also have to say honestly that Issei deserved a personal beating from the way he responded to Rias in that one particular episode. Otherwise, I think the fourth season is still worth the watch especially if you’re a diehard fan of the franchise. High School DxD always felt like it’s about having fun with itself. In this season, there’s still moments that manages to find its way towards that.
read more
Jun 30, 2018
12 of 12 episodes seen
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38
people found this review helpful
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| Overall |
6 |
| Story |
5 |
| Animation |
6 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Character |
5 |
| Enjoyment |
6 |
6 years ago when Sword Art Online first aired, that piece of work caused controversy that still generates discussion to this very day. Then Summer 2014 came and we got the sequel known as Sword Art Online II. While being an improvement of the original series, it didn’t really amplify itself as a big improvement. Four years later, here we are again. Except this time, it’s not an actual continuation of the main series. Instead, we got this spinoff known as Sword Art Online: Alternative Online.
To be clear, you don’t need to watch any of the previous series in the franchise. In fact, it doesn’t
even matter if it’s the first time you found out this show exists. SAO: Alternative Online is the title as it suggests, an alternative story that takes place based on the SAO franchise. The original light novel is written by Keiichi Sigsawa rather than Reki Kawhara although he does provide supervision for the series. It takes place in a shared universe in the virtual world known as Gun Gale Online. The story deals with a university student named Karen Kohiruimaki who decided to join GGO under the alias “LLENN”.
Now I’ll be frank. I’m actually a bit of a fan of the Sword Art Online video games. I’ve played Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization and more recently, Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet. The games actually contains a fair amount of enticing gameplay. After clocking a decent amount of hours in Fatal Bullet, I came to realize that Alternative Gun Gale Online isn’t so much different than the game itself. My impression of the first few episodes felt like the anime dropped me inside a video game. We have the main character LLEEN as she enters the Gun Gale Online world. She’s rather petite with a short height. In the real world, Karen is actually tall and has a height complex. As such, she takes on her chibi form in the virtual world to build her own self-esteem. There’s quite a bit difference in their personalities between her real life and virtual character that they almost seem like two different people. However, the anime spends a majority of the time on her in-game avatar.
The show set some red flags at first because of this premise. First of all, how are we supposed to take a character like LLEEN seriously when she looks like a kid dressed in pink and a rabbit-looking hat? The first few episodes chronicles her life in the GGO world as we learn about her role. It also drops a fair amount of exposition about the mechanics of the game she participates in. Similar ro the SAO II, this series mainly involves firearms. This is also similar in comparison to the Fatal Bullet game as we see a variety of weaponry. LLEEN’s choice of weapon is a pink P90 submachine-gun she nicknamed “P-chan”. It matches her style because of her speed and agility. In the meantime, the episode also introduces both allies and rivals as LLEEN spends more time in the GGO world. These include characters such a Pitohui, M, and Fuzarioh. Along the way, it’s easy to see LLEEN’s confidence develop as a player compared to her real life persona.
Unfortunately, I can’t really say the main cast of the series are memorable characters. LLENN is probably the only character that’s worth investing time into despite being having a childish personality. This is a bit contrast to Pito, who seems to have some psychological issues especially when she’s on the battlefield. M is a character that may feel like a comic relief after you realize his real personality. Finally, Fuka is LLEEN’s partner and best friend with a big obsession with VR games. While there’s definitely character chemistry between the main cast members, there’s not much development at all involving them. It’s a shame since the show could have really took the opportunity to make them into larger than life characters. Instead, they are just participants in the game for their roles. In real life, their characters are too average to be marketable and doesn’t really sell their personalities in any appealing way. All other characters in the series are easily forgettable and in fact a disgrace to the game itself, especially the perverted men. I think at one point, LLENN even asked “Do only lechers play this game?”
By this point, you may be asking yourself if this show is worth watching. Honestly, it’s not a hard question to answer but be prepared for a typical sci-fi/shounen story. The series feels like it’s mainly aimed for gamers and fans of the franchise. If you’re not a fan of this type of genre, then you may not get the best experience from this. Even after I played the games, I felt like show could of done more to develop the plot. Every episode that takes place in the GGO world feels the same with the battle royale-esque vibe and exposition. I do admit that the battles themselves can be quite exciting at times but once you’ve seen a lot of it, the hype dies quickly. The cheesy words used in dialogues borders to creep factor at times while the comedy remains generally lighthearted throughout the show. On the other hand, the real life portrayal of characters in later episodes steps it up to the plate. Some segments are genuinely heartwarming to watch and a few are rather important to establish character roles. It blurs the line between fiction and reality like the way it should be.
This is 3Hz’s first attempt at adapting a light novel series. Previously, they worked on original projects and a manga adaptation back in 2016. To me, they did a fair job although not an overly impressive one. I should say that praise should be given for the battle choreography as it feels like how a video game is portrayed. It has a similar style of the Fatal Bullet game including the death scenes. Camera angles, body movements, and character expressions are also well decorated to bring out memorable moments. Even the comedic factors sells well with the clever timings. There’s also a variety of weapons that are accurately portrayed from the light novel and games such as the P90, M107A1 (anti-material rifle), KTR-09 (Assault Rifle), photon energy sword, and among others. It does fell flat in the monster gallery though as the show focuses much more on conflict between the players. Unfortunately, I have to admit the overall world setting really doesn’t set the bar high for a virtual game. Every battleground environment looks the same that after you’ve seen it once, it feels like you’ve seen it all. The barren landscapes may looks suitable for the show but it’s extremely tedious and lacks creativity. There’s not even any diverse maps this season.
On the contrary, I will say the anime’s soundtrack lived up expectations and perhaps gone a bit beyond. The battle OST creates an exciting mood as we see players fight for their lives. Character voices may sound a bit generic but I confess that they work wonderfully for their personalities. The theme songs brings back the familiar mood of the previous SAO series if you’re a fan of those. In essence, it really works.
Sword Art Online: Alternative Online felt more like playing a video game than a watching an anime. After finishing this series, it felt like the creator wanted us to experience what’s like being part of the GGO world. As I mentioned before, this anime seems to adhere to fans of the franchise and video game players. The sensation of battle royale games has been a phenomenon in the most recent years. It took the world by storm and may remain that way for awhile. For a show like this though, there’s still room for improvement.
read more
Jun 29, 2018
24 of 24 episodes seen
|
53
people found this review helpful
|
| Overall |
7 |
| Story |
7 |
| Animation |
7 |
| Sound |
6 |
| Character |
6 |
| Enjoyment |
7 |
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before but it seems that battle shounen anime in recent years have been on the decline. Boku Hero no Academia became a big name that is able to carry itself but beyond that, there’s hardly any other that made a name for itself. Well, there’s Black Clover but that abomination is an example of giving battle shounen a bad name in recent years. Boruto has been an underwhelming sequel that looked more like a cheap cash grab for the franchise. Where does a show like Nanatsu no Taizai still stand?
To be fair, the series already established itself from
some of its other projects like the first season, OVAs, and movie. It isn’t as long as some other shounen like Naruto, Bleach, or One Piece. In fact, it’s not even part of the “Big 3” as Westerners would call it. However, Nanatsu no Taizai does make a name for itself by developing its own ideas. The first season established the principle cast and felt more like a way to get viewers familiar with the story. In this sequel, the business really picks up as new dangers are unleashed into the world.
For those who don’t remember, the story picks up right after the first season as Hendrickson breaks the seal on the Coffin of Eternal Darkness. By doing so, he unleashes a group of powerful demons known as the “Ten Commandments”. Essentially, they are the central antagonists of this season. While we don’t know too much about them, it’s known that they hold a deep grudge against Meliodas for betraying them in the past. The first few episodes establishes their testament in power as one of their members is able to make Meliodas look like a jobber in a one-sided fight. This implies that the Ten Commandments are more powerful than anything Meliodas and his friends ever dealt with. In terms of characteristics, the Ten Commandments are known for their unique “Commandment” power and various personalities. For new viewers, you may be surprised at how much personality these beings show for their characters. It’s actually somewhat human for characters like Galand’s arrogance, Fraudrin’s manipulative nature, or Monspeet’s politeness. Unfortunately, there’s not much concrete characterization for the Commandments. I blame this mostly on the pacing because the manga explores much more about their past and roles.
There’s actually two sides of the coin regarding the pacing of the show. On the surface, it is indeed slow and some elements of the plot can really be condensed. I actually felt impatient after seeing the season focus so much on characters like Diane and Ban. The latter is actually more important but really should of been shorter than shown on TV. In addition, Meliodas’ past is explored only enough to give viewers an impression of who he is. In essence, it isn’t enough to show the more important side of his role as a “betrayer” to the Commandments. In addition, anime only viewers will probably question what it really means when certain characters call him a “demon” and “former leader”. The other side to look at is how faithful the anime adaptation is. Most chapters cover literally everything from the book with many chapters on a panel-by-panel basis. It’s loyal to the manga readers that really bought the show into what it is. Nothing is changed for fans of the manga especially those who are looking forward to certain scenes to be adapted.
Despite the season focusing on the conflict with the Commandments, new characters are also introduced from the good guy’s side. The most noticeable character is Escanor, the seventh and final member of the Seven Deadly Sins. He makes a hell of an impression that will make viewers hunger for more of his role this season. Other important support characters also make returns that may surprise you.
A-1 Pictures once again uses their resources to adapt this sequel although it actually impressed me for their work. There are certain episodes that really stood out that includes Escanor’s character debut, Meliodas’ confrontation with the Ten Commandments, and Galand’s rampage. Animation quality remains similar to the previous season although A-1 Pictures still falls into the occasional trap of awkward character models. There are also some scenes that didn’t feel as impactful as those in the manga especially in terms of character expressions. However, the battle scenes lived up to its expectations. This especially applies to climatic battles in the latter half of the show that also brings credibility of character power levels.
The music and OST is still composed by Hiroyuki Sawano although I’m a bit disappointed that most of it is just a rehash of the previous season’s. The new theme songs also sounds less impactful. Despite that, I think character voice mannerism should be given praise especially for the Ten Commandments. Yuki Kaji is able to voice two characters with very contrasting personalities. Others such as Escanor makes their personality stand out much more thanks to the modern talent of Tomokazu Sugita.
Nanatsu no Taizai: Revival of the Commandments is a battle shounen that is faithful but perhaps a bit too much for its own good. This series suffered from some pacing issues that I feel like some viewers will not easily forgive. Plus, some of the new characters didn’t really get the amount of charaterization it deserves. However, I would like to say to give this sequel a chance. It’s still part of the franchise that is committed to its ideas and continues to develop the main story as it’s intended. I just hope that when the next inevitable season comes, we get a real showstopper.
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