- Last Online29 minutes ago
- GenderMale
- LocationAnime World
- JoinedNov 5, 2011
Also Available at
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Jul 7, 2018
24 of 24 episodes seen
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35
people found this review helpful
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| 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
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33
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.
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Jun 30, 2018
12 of 12 episodes seen
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30
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.
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Jun 29, 2018
24 of 24 episodes seen
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44
people found this review helpful
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| 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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Jun 28, 2018
13 of 13 episodes seen
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48
people found this review helpful
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| Overall |
8 |
| Story |
8 |
| Animation |
7 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Character |
9 |
| Enjoyment |
8 |
There’s an infamous quote in the wrestling community that was said by the legendary Ric Flair. “To be the man, you gotta beat the man!” While Megalo Box is not wrestling, there’s definitely an iconic meaning that can be applied here. As I was watching Megalo Box, it reminded me the excitement of fighting. A few years ago when Hajime no Ippo returned on television, it became a glorious showstopper that lived up to all expectations. For Megalo Box, this was like a feeling of deja vu.
The premise of the series involves Junk Dog, an underground Megalo Boxer. He participates in a popular sport in
their world known as Megalo Boxing. What is Megalo Boxing? It’s basically a sport that involves boxers fighting with metal gears. Think of it as boxing but with more lethal and brutal consequences. Junk Dog takes on the moniker name “Joe” so he can participate in the Megalonia tournament. Throughout the series, we see his life journey as both a Megalo Boxer and person.
On my first viewing, Megalo Box made an intimidating and fascinating impression on me. I haven’t seen the original Ashita no Joe series before so coming into this anime fresh felt intimidating at first. On the other hand, I’m also fascinated by the larger than life ideas of the show. The first two episodes immediately had me glued to my seat as we witness Junk Dog showing his fighting skills as a Megalo Boxer. It didn’t take long to realize that the show portrays him as an underdog. The experience that Joe gains is invaluable and also allows him to realize his potential. I’m also a sucker for the “David vs Goliath” trope as the idea can be applied in any sport. For Megalo Box, the stakes are raised higher because of how dangerous it is. Every fight feels as if Joe is putting his life on the life against opponents. And believe me, the characters he comes across with are no pushovers. Take Yuuri as an example. He is a Megalo Boxing champion and is considered one of the top fighters in the world. In a classic ‘David vs Goalith’ style fight, he humiliates Junk Dog in his match. The fight inspires Junk Joe to climb up the ranks and make a name for himself. It planted the seeds for Junk Dog to not only improve but also show why he deserves to be a Megalo Boxer. Junk Dog later takes on the ring name “Gearless Joe” because of his own choice to fight without gears in the ring.
Now I have to be honest here and wonder what makes a good boxing story. Is it about the development of character in and out of the ring? Does it also involve a fighter going beyond than just a fictional character? Or maybe it’s a story that always keeps up coming back for more. Perhaps it’s how much the story draws lines between fiction and reality. Personally, I think Megalo Box has a bit of every one of those aspects. Junk Dog goes against his manager Nanbu to throw a fight and takes control of his own destiny. This is a contrast to Yuuri who often follows the command of Yukiko, the head of the Shirato Group who oversees the Megalonia tournament. There’s a good contrasting comparison between these two characters as it feels like they are living in two different worlds. It also impressed me on how much Junk Dog is willing to go to prove himself. This is shown later in the series when he fights Aragaki, with both physical and emotional stakes. It escalated to the point where both fighters eventually took on an all-brawl approach to see who the last man standing. In perhaps one of the most important fights of Junk Joe’s life, he proves himself as a warrior.
For a sports show, there’s no doubt psychology is also involved in the ring. The gimmicks, trash talk, and press conferences hypes up match-ups between opponents. A big selling factor also involves the emotional quality of the show. I can’t help but root for Junk Dog early on in the series. He’s the underdog and for him to beat certain opponents is relatable. It sends across the message that anyone can do anything they set their mind into. While this seems like a cheesy gimmick for the show, it’s very real and the buildup for some of Joe’s matches is executed flawlessly. On the other hand, Megalo Box does suffer a bit on the drama side if we look beyond the ring. Some of the subplot involving Yukiko clashing with the board of directors makes a less memorable impact to connect the series together. The family feud between Yukiko and Mikio also feels like it doesn’t belong in a show like this. Don’t get me wrong. I like a good drama from time to time but the way their plot is carried out just doesn't sell well. On the other hand, the rivalries between the fighters is what got me really invested into the story. Junk Dog/Yuuri, Junk Dog/Mikio, and Mikio/Yuuri are all rivalries that stays committed to selling this show. What I’m also more invested in is how far Joe goes out to prove himself. He is very committed to his goal even if it means putting his own life on the line and taking jaw dropping risks. The guy knows what he wants to accomplish in life and to me, that’s an attitude you need to succeed.
Produced by TMS Entertainment, it’s may take a while for viewers to get used to the animation style. The characters looks like they are hand drawn and creates a sensation of the 1990s. The characters are rough looking especially for our main protagonist, Junk Dog. There’s no doubt the anime was aiming make the characters look as badass as possible. The addition of the gears these fighters wear adds more aesthetics to raise the stakes. However, the biggest selling point of the anime’s technical quality is the actual fighting. It really isn’t hard to spot how intense the action is once the fight gets into a momentum. Every punch feels impactful and camera angles captures the realism of the pain. It’s never camera shy to show blood on screen and how fighters react to their win or losses. Every fight can get viewers’ heart throbbing. The emotional impact can also be felt with the protrayal of human expressions. In terms of boxing, it also delivers its quality action such as uppercuts, corkscrew punches, jabbing, overhands, etc. Additionally, it’s worth noting how well the show’s dystopia setting is portrayed without overemphasizing element of science fiction. Sure, the series place in a futuristic environment but also shows the reality of cruelness such as poverty. If the creators were aiming for making this anime feel real, they sure got their job done.
I’m not too familiar with Katsuhiko Manabe but the music talent he brings into this anime is undeniably stylish. The fighting music amplifies the hip-pop style of the OST to bring in a lot of attitude into the series. The soundtrack is mesmerizing that always keeps its momentum from the minute the first beat hits. In the meantime, I’m also impressed by the voices of the character cast especially our protagonist Junk Dog. His personality matches with his voice that almost sounds like a fierce dog when fighting in the ring. The masculinity of all the fighters is believable because of the talented voice cast. Both the OP and ED theme songs also reflects a bit of the 1990s mood that may feel nostalgic.
Megalo Box definitely turned out to be a dark horse that I’m glad I gave a chance this year. What started out as a fight turned into an emotional story that follows the heart of an underdog. I’m in awe of how much I became invested into Joe’s character before even realizing his potential. While this anime may not be suitable for everyone, it’s still an anime that can keep just about anyone at their seat. Here is a series that made a name for itself in just 13 phenomenal episodes.
read more
Jun 28, 2018
13 of 13 episodes seen
|
26
people found this review helpful
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| Overall |
5 |
| Story |
4 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
7 |
| Character |
4 |
| Enjoyment |
4 |
What ingredients really make up a good rom-com show these days? I’m not going to lie, I have high expectations when a creator wants to make a show with romance themes. As an original anime, Tada-kun wa Koi wo Shinai (Tada Never Falls in Love) seems to be a show that would entice me with its premise. Unfortunately, it dropped the ball as each episode passed on and eventually reached the point of being broken.
Original anime like this doesn’t fall into the trap of a weak adaptation. It has no material to follow after all. The story involves Mituyoshi Tada as he meets a foreigner
named Teresa Wagner during her trip to Japan. As a rom-com, you should definitely expect love to develop between the pair, right? Well, that would be the case if Tada actually understands it. To be fair, love is a complicated subject but for Tada, he treats it indifferently. There’s undeniable chemistry between the two yet the show seems to rarely make a connection between them. However, the first few episodes did draw a big curiosity out of me. Teresa brings in a lot of her own personality and interest into the show as well. The idea of a Western foreigner coming to Japan has a lot of potential. Even from the first few episodes, she shows a lot of curiosity about Japan. It’s also shown that she is an avid fan of Rainbow Shougun, a fictional TV drama with samurai themes. My impression of her from early episodes is that she is a bit airheaded but kind to just about everyone. This is a contrast to Alec Magritte, Teresa’s caretaker who seems to be intensely protective of her friend. Unlike Teresa, she is blunt and often takes aggressive moves to protect her. That doesn’t mean she is a cruel person though. Alec is mainly close to Teresa because of her past and isn’t as easy to make friends with. She often gets into oddball moments with Kaoru because of his flirtatious personality and attempts to hit on her.
You’ve probably noticed by now but the show has a small character cast. The majority of the characters you meet in the first episode are the ones you’ll get to know for rest of the season. This also includes Tada’s classmates such a Hajime Sugimoto from the Photography club and class president Hinako Hasegawa. The show does also make time to give these two a spotlight in early episodes although it’s more of a tease than anything else. To me, it’s goofy and funny although also unoriginal. The idea of a girl living a double life with a love interest being oblivious isn’t new in rom-coms. There’s not much uniqueness to either Hajime or Hinako in terms of character development. They also fall into the character archetype that you can find in any series that takes place at school. Even more questionable is a character named Kentarou Yamashita who enters the show as a comic relief. There’s a comical reason why he’s nicknamed Yamashita Dog with his behavior. The character chemistry he shares with Yui Tada (Mitsuyoshi’s sister) is pretty forgettable honestly. That’s actually a big part that holds the show back from achieving success. It feels like as each episode passes on, the characters become less and less intriguing. Teresa and Tada gets sidetracked as the show tests the viewers’ patience. I say this with an open mind because I want to love them. Even for characters like Charles de Loire, I wanted him to be more engaging in the show besides just being a guy with French nobility. His role as a fiancé to Teresa originally gave me the feeling that he may be a love rival to Tada. Unfortunately, this series doesn’t really capitalize no bringing much romantic drama. Tada is often too stoic and thinks straightforward without much emotion to bring much interest. Teresa is too energetic that contrasts with both characters’ personalities. When you mix these ingredients together, the end product isn’t appealing.
Well, you’re probably thinking if any character in the show is worth paying attention to overall. Thankfully, there is and it’s not even a human. Nyanko Big is a stray cat that Tada found and adopted a decade ago. The furball has a lot of human personality and one episode even focuses on his little cat adventure. This anime needed episodes like this to bring out a more refreshing style of storytelling. Because let’s face it, a majority of the episodes feels the same. I can’t say this without shaking my head honestly because I really expected more from the writer involved. Yoshiki Nakamura previously worked on Skip Beat and that bought out a refreshing outlook on the rom-com genre. What does Tada-kun bring out instead? It’s a half-assed generic anime story that somehow made me care just about anything else than our two main leads. By the time this show reaches near its end, you may be wondering if Tada and Teresa are even worth being the main characters. It’s almost sad to see how the cookie crumbles. I’m not going to lie. The suspenseful subplot about Alec’s love interest made me more curious than to see if Tada and Teresa will get together in the end or not.
Despite my disappointment in the storytelling, there’s a lot of good to say about the animation quality. This was expected as some of the staff previously worked on Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun. In essence, the show is colorful with a sense of youth. The springtime backgrounds really brings out the setting that’s sprinkled with vibrant colors. Character designs also look elegant especially for characters like Teresa, Charles, and Alec. Even comedic moments are timed right with the body language and humorous expressions. There are also windows of moments that makes couple pairings impactful especially for the case of Teresa and Tada. While the show lacks impact on storytelling, the technical quality definitely deserves some praise. Even the photography elements got my attention with the precise shots and camera angles. Similarly, the music of the series brings an element of beauty thanks to the modern talents of Yukari Hashimoto. She also previously worked on Nozaki-kun and there’s definitely a similar feel in the music for both shows. The voice cast also did a phenomenal job at portraying their characters. Nyanko Big especially gets praise from me as a cat that is made larger than life. Even Teresa and Charles deserves some attention for their voice being filled with elegance and charm. They behave like characters of upper class in their home nation and that’s something I find believable.
With all due respect, it’s really hard for me to say that Tada-kun succeeded in the end with what it offered. The show started with a lot of promise but ultimately stabbed itself in the foot. It really felt like a test of patience for viewers that degenerated into a cheesy rom-com story. Characters like Alec and Nynako Big overshadowed them early on and it’s hard to look back. I’m not a big fan of photography and this anime is definitely not worth a thousand words.
read more
Jun 25, 2018
12 of 12 episodes seen
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34
people found this review helpful
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| Overall |
8 |
| Story |
7 |
| Animation |
7 |
| Sound |
7 |
| Character |
9 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
Watching Golden Kamuy made me realize how amazing a series is when it’s anchored so firmly to the concepts of war and survival. Even though it has an archaic feel, this anime convinced me that there’s hope for more great historical fiction tales. I say this honestly as someone who isn’t a big fan of historical fiction. On my first viewing, it was incredibly easily to dive into the show as we meet Sugimoto, a survivor of the Russo-Japanese war. It shouldn’t take long for fans to realize what they’re in stored for and I’m talking about a story that is much deeper than war
or survival itself.
Based on the adaptation of the same name, Golden Kamuy takes on shape from the creator’s mind to bring a war survivor adventure into anime medium. While the show takes place in the aftermath of a war, there’s still clear conflicts that are unsolved in their present world. The first episode indulges on how Sugimoto earned his nickname, Sugimoto the Immortal. His encounter with Asirpa, an Ainu girl who saves his life almost seems like fate. Despite their differences, it really shouldn’t take long for viewers to realize their eyecatchy character chemistry. Our main protagonists are on this adventure and their skills supplements each other. Sugimoto’s military skills as an ex-soldier is invaluable for fighting the enemies that they encounter. Meanwhile, Ainu is a survivalist and possesses many important skills such as hunting, cooking, and taming animals. The two become partners in search for treasure but many obstacles stand in their way. A show like this doesn’t need a complicated storyteller because how straightforward it can be.
Now you’re probably wondering if the series will feel more like a cat and mouse game with such a premise. The idea of hunters being hunted is a classic concept that have been used over and over. What Golden Kamuy does different is able to take great care of its characters. I’m actually flabbergasted at how much the show made me invest into learning more about Sugimoto and Asirpa. From a cultural standpoint, the show explores the Ainu people as an indigenous ethnic group. We learn about their lifestyle, family ancestry, traditions, language, and behavior. This translates to how well Asirpa's character can be accepted as we learn more about her. She preaches the lifestyle of Ainu and has great respect for nature. Through her experience, Asirpa has learned how to tame certain animals, hunt, and cook for herself and family. On the other hand, Sugimoto makes an oddball impression to me at first because how violent he seems. While he’s not a bloodthirsty man, Sugimoto can be very ruthless when confronting his enemies. War has really affected him and he became the present man as we know now. The brief PTSD moments that we witness in the series shows how guilty he feels about losing important people in his life. Thus, Sugimoto is always determined to survive and protect those he cares of. Thanks to his military experience as an ex-soldier, he does a damn good at job at that.
Led by Lieutenant Tsurumi, the 7th Division of the Imperial Japanese Army stands as a main obstacle of Sugimoto and Asirpa in their quest to find treasure. While not everyone in the division shares the same goal, they do treat the duo as a threat. It becomes a suspenseful plot as viewers will likely wonder how far they these characters go to accomplish their goals. Make no mistake. This anime doesn’t tease death and often portrays it in a realistic manner. Beyond just the PTSD moments we see from Sugimoto’s point of view, there are also times when characters question about killing others. A prominent example is how Tanigaki deals with the people he’s killed. Similar to Sugimoto, it’s clear that he feels guilty and that his sins will live with him forever. Like most war stories, death is a reality and what’s dead stays dead. War has broken characters and it’s not uncommon to realize how much people can change from the past to their present selves.
Even though everything I mentioned so far in the review suggests a moody show to get tissues for, it really isn’t. The series offers creative comedy mostly thanks to the character cast. If I’ve said it once, I’ve say it a hundred times. Never look away from Sugimoto and Asirpa when they interact with each other. The two often trades in small talk that blends between their different cultural beliefs. The jokes they throw at each other are hilarious and sells its comedic factors perfectly. Refreshing comedy isn’t easy to create but Golden Kamuy hits the right mark especially with the character reactions. I lost count how many times this show made me laugh positively to the character interactions and humorous dialogues. Characters such as Yoshitake Shirashi adds in even more comedy gags such as being a magnet head for animal bites. That is to say, Golden Kamuy is a serious show that deals with sensitive themes but also finds its way to have fun. To me, that’s important and valuable to sell itself.
I’m pretty sure most people aren’t familiar with Gene Studio. That’s because it’s a new studio that only recently began to produce projects such as Kokkoku and Gyakusatus Kikan. Early impressions of the show may have people pointing fingers at the atrocious CGI usage such as the poorly animated bear. Luckily, the visual quality manages to redeem itself as each episode begins to improve itself through its natural elegance. The landscapes of show looks gorgeous and larger than life. From snowy mountains to dense forests, it’s how nature should look like with its lush backgrounds. Even the food looks real that’s crafted right from the wilderness with survivalist skills. Character designs also offer distinctive features such as the military uniforms of the 7th Division. Sugimoto is a man that’s hard to overlook with his soldier uniform and masculinity. Asirpa may have a petite look but she’s noticeable for her blue and greenish eyes. Some characters even addresses this like a gem that’s hard to ignore. The Ainu coat she wears also shows her cultural style of clothing with the deerskin boats to protect her from the cold. She looks like a hunter that shouldn’t be underestimated. As a new studio, I would say that Gene Studio made an interesting impression. I’m not overwhelmed or disappointed by the production quality as it manages to capture the elements of the battle scenes and is faithful to the character designs. However, it does fall short occasionally on capturing the full vivid details of the manga.
The soundtrack and music overall creates the sensation of a survivalist show. The OP song contains electric beats and montages of characters in action. Meanwhile, the character voices really does sell their personalities. If you don’t believe me, just take a look at intimidating of a man Tsurumi really can be.
Golden Kamuy is a historical fiction that can be a bit deceptive once you really get a bite of the show. Director Hitoshi Nanba took the important concepts of the manga and gave this adaptation a breath of life. As someone who has read the manga, I definitely recommend giving it a try if you’re hungry for more. It previously won the 9th Manga Taishou award and rightfully earned so. As an anime series, Golden Kamuy is also a show that’s fortunate to receive a golden treatment.
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Jun 24, 2018
12 of 12 episodes seen
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54
people found this review helpful
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| Overall |
7 |
| Story |
6 |
| Animation |
7 |
| Sound |
6 |
| Character |
8 |
| Enjoyment |
7 |
Four seasons of foodgasm. At some point, I’d think Shokugeki no Souma (Food Wars) needed a break from its run. Let’s face it…the anime at this point has lost some steam since the previous seasons. What started as an experience of food ecstasy is now more about who is the best. If you want to beat the best, you have to be the best. That’s pretty much a general idea of this season as the Polar Star residents face off against the Elite 10, a group of students who are considered the best of culinary arts at Totsuki Culinary Academy.
This season didn’t take long to
get straight to the point. We already know that Erina has defected from her Father’s clutches and allied herself with Souma. However, Erina is now in a conflict on whether she truly wants to cook. The season explores her character as we see how Souma can positively influence her as he did to others. Thanks to Souma, Erina regains her confidence and plays an invaluable role for the Polar Star residents. That is to say though, I’m not a big fan of Erina. She debuted in the show with a huge ego and a dogmatic attitude. However, this season shows Erina in a different light. She has changed and is now much easier to make friends with. It actually changed my impression on her as well as she values characters more than just their cooking. On the other hand, I’m not too pleased that some major characters got put on the sidelines to focus on her. I’m looking at you, Megumi.
Watching this season also made me realize that Souma is also improving a lot since the previous seasons. He proves this by going up against one of his archrivals, Akira Hayama. If you remember from the previous seasons, the two went head to head in a previous Shokugeki that ended up with Akira taking the victory. This season pits the two against each other once more in a match to see who the better man is. And once again, it’s not hard to see how Souma positively influences Akira. However, the main conflict in the series isn’t just about winning or losing. It’s about standing up against Azami, someone who holds the academy under an iron fist. For Souma and his friends, they want to prove to the world what cooking really means. To do that, the season chronicles the rivalries between the Polar Star students (aka rebels) against the Elite 10. With only 12 episodes, it soon became obvious that the season isn’t enough to cover everything. It’s too bad really since I was looking forward to some of the more hyped Shokugeki battles. On the other hand, this season puts more value into the characters. It explores their past and almost feel like a character study. Characters that we don’t know too much about such as Nene and Azami gets their own background stories. Furthermore, the season makes us care more about what’s really at stake. Sometimes, it’s not just about being the best.
Like previous seasons, you will witness a lot of exotic food. A short list includes bear meat, salmon, soba, among others. The style of this season is very similar to the previous with the info dump on the food along with the judges’ reactions. To no one’s surprise, this season indulges on foodgasm whenever the opportunity presents itself. And what better way to do that with the Elite 10’s talents? Indeed, expect over exaggerated moments from the best of the best showing why they are so feared and respected.
As a fan of the franchise, I’d say the fourth season is an improvement over the third. It became self-aware with the story’s pacing and decided to pour more value into the characters rather than rushing the plot. It’s a clever move as I’m sure fans doesn’t want to see a half-assed adaptation. While the latest season may not be the best, it still worth the time to indulge yourself into.
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Jun 23, 2018
12 of 12 episodes seen
|
14
people found this review helpful
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| Overall |
4 |
| Story |
4 |
| Animation |
4 |
| Sound |
4 |
| Character |
4 |
| Enjoyment |
4 |
I’m just going to throw this out here. How many people actually enjoy series about humans and vampires these days? It felt like I haven’t in ages. Devil’s Line adheres to a exploration about the nature of humans and vampires in a modern world society. We got humans and vampires (otherwise, known as “devils”) living in our everyday neighborhood. Coming into this show, Devil’s Line felt like a copy-paste that I’ve seen in many vampire theme shows before. It isn’t anything special.
There’s a joke out these days that falls in the line of “still a better love story that Twilight”. Devil’s Line does have vampires
and some romance elements after all. However, the show itself gives a more mature feeling that is beyond just teenage romance. What Devil’s Line fails to do is make a story that stands out on its own. The story connects a vampire named Anzai together with a college student named Tsukasa Taira. She is saved by this mysterious character after being attacked by a vampire. It also turns out that Anzai is a vampire himself and has to control his bloodlust. The catch is that the show tests his nature as a vampire while also being hunted down by a vampire extermination organization known as the CCC. Sound familiar?
Now the show itself does take itself quite seriously. I say this because there’s hardly any jokes and most of that similar content relies on dark humor even when there’s room to throw in those moments. In essence, you should expect a mature anime that deals with interspecies romance. The main characters, Anzai and Tsukasa are not much alike beyond just their origins. From the start, I can say easily that Anzai is a brooding man without much words. On the other hand, Tsukasa is a type of girl who is very open to others and isn’t afraid to speak her mind. However, she is still very shy and not capable of dealing with dangers on her own most of the time. Anzai has to play the role of a protector in the series. It also puts Tsukasa in danger whenever the two are together because of his own bloodlust. The series adds tension and psychology nearly every episode as we see how he struggles to control his urges. I think on most part, it’s a repetitive gimmick that most vampire series relies on these days. Series such as Vampire Knight and Tokyo Ghoul has done that before. Even real life popular drama TV has done so in the past such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer or The Vampire Diaries. They all carry the burden of a character having to deal with their inhuman nature. Devil’s Line isn’t too different as the show tests the water between Anzai and Tsukasa’s relationship. Unfortunately, it fell flat because of how dry and empty it is. There’s no doubt they have chemistry but their relationship feels unreal and I find it hard to root for them as a couple. The two are hardly compatible either because of their circumstances. It’s a forbidden romance not meant to be.
As a story about two different races, you can definitely expect conflicts to erupt in their society. There are several episodes that involves Anzai being targeted in assassination-style operations. It seems members of the CCC aren’t afraid to take any risks to kill vampires such as the case of sniper Zero Seven (Nanako Tenjo). As a main protagonist, you can definitely expect Anzai to be protected by plot armor. He’s not going to drop like a fly even despite fighting against the odds. Anzai is definitely not “OP” though as he struggles to survive but to me, the show doesn’t make his survivalist role any unique. The plot is stale as we don’t learn too much about his character. There’s definitely some background storytelling in the series for the main characters but none of them felt compelling. Tsukasa is also too human for a character that goes under little changes throughout the series. The only other character that may arouse curiosity would be Kohannes Kleeman, a mysterious white hair man. He appears in the show in later episodes and makes the audience wonder what his real intentions are. Unlike Anzai, he is quite blunt and behaves carefree around others. I’d say that he is perhaps too honest to point where it’s hard to tell whether he is telling the truth or lying. To me, Kleeman is an antithesis of Anzai. He is difficult to manipulate and always seems to be in control of himself. His behavior brings in a lighter side of the show although I really can't find that appealing. The show is still very moody and pushes the idea of a dark modern fantasy at every chance it gets.
Platinum Vision is a rather obscure studio that I don’t think many fans are familiar with. Their previous work actually includes another vampire series called Servamp although that is far more lighthearted than this anime. Unfortunately, the overall animation quality is mediocre at best. This is my honest impression as the character designs looks generic to the core without any special features about them. The setting takes place in a modern city that you can find in just about any similar shows. Oh but you’re wondering, what about the vampires? Do they look convincing? On the surface, the answer is yes but that doesn’t make them stand out much. The characteristics of these vampires includes fangs and their bloodlust nature that feels like if you’ve seen it once, you’ve seen it all. There’s also a lot of fan service that teases the relationship between Anzai and Tsukasa. Some episodes really flirts with the idea of whether they will or will not have sex. Thus, expect a lot of kissing and it leaves some to the imagination. There’s not much censoring in terms of the graphic violence although isn’t never really ventures into the gore territory.
To carry a show like this, you would definitely need some acceptable characters. Anzai and Tsukasa’s voices are a total contrast of each other. Anzai sounds like one with little emotion while Tsukasa’s voice sounds alive. On some instances, I wonder just how much the creator wanted us to accept them. In the meantime, the OST is mostly eerie with a melancholic quiet tune during some of the more emotional scenes. The theme songs are what people would easily designate as edgy. I don’t like using that word around much but it is what it is.
After watching Devil’s Line, I felt like walking out of a theater realizing I could have done something else better with my money. I can literally go around online and find another show under the “vampire” tag. To me, Devil’s Line took the risk of trying to revitalizing the horror genre of interspecies relationship. What ends up happening is a show with few surprising twists but instead loses to underwhelming horror formulas. Maybe someday, we’ll get a memorable horror series of where we can look back and say “that’s pretty cool!’
read more
Jun 22, 2018
24 of 24 episodes seen
|
17
people found this review helpful
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| Overall |
4 |
| Story |
4 |
| Animation |
6 |
| Sound |
5 |
| Character |
3 |
| Enjoyment |
4 |
War isn’t so bad but it’s what and how it leads to it. It seems in fantasy war stories these days, we rarely encounter a story that isn’t saturated with the most generic tropes possible. Romance, tragedy, revenge, politics. You name it. It’s there. What does that say for a show like Grancrest Senki (Record of the Grancrest War) though?
To be fair, I’ve never read the original light novels before. It’s written by a guy named Ryo Mizuno who created the Record of Lodoss War series. Even as an anime original viewer, it felt like a series that was easy to jump into. The
premise isn’t overly complicated as we learn about how war broke loose in the world of Grancrest Senki. Humanity uses Crests that are capable of utilizing magic to deal with supernatural threats such as demons. The most powerful crests are known as Grancrest. Unfortunately, humans are flawed and war broke loose as people seek to gain the most powerful crests themselves. The series chronicles the story of Siluca Meletes and Theo Corano as the two hopes to end the conflict between humanity themselves and defeat the demons.
Ok. It's not complicated but as an anime viewer, I’m baffled by the storytelling pacing of the show from the very start. It’s lightning fast that by the time I finished the fourth or fifth episode, it felt like the series jumped way over itself. It would be fair game if the show focused on the story with concrete development but instead, we are introduced with many characters early from the start. Besides Siluca and Theo, the show contains lots of characters of nobility. Aristocrats are a common sight and stands at the high tier of society. On the other hand, there are also characters that dedicates themselves to their own devoted duties such as Aishela, Irvin, and Margaret, and Marrine. Unfortunately, most of these characters have flaws like the way humans do. Some of their decisions in the show are very controversial. Marrine is a prime example in one of the later episodes as she makes a choice that will rub people in the wrong way.
I have attempted to forgive the characters’ choices making as it’s not easy for a show like this to make adequate ones. In other words, how should we judge the characters? Let’s talk about our main protagonists, Siluca and Theo. These two come from different backgrounds but are perhaps the least corrupted individuals in their world. Siluca may be an inexperienced mage but she has a heart of gold. While not as skilled as some others, Siluca is a character with a clever mind although can be forceful at times to get her point across. It didn’t surprise to me that she would sometimes take risks to accomplish her goals. On the other hand, Theo is a man who is perhaps one of the most calm characters in the show. Always keeping his cool and in control of his emotions, it feels like the show designates him as an eventual leader. He also has human morals that are often shown through his actions and words. Often choosing a path with the least violence, Theo does engage in fighting if he feels absolutely necessary. While you could say that these two are perfectly suited for the show, they do make mistakes as well. It’s also inevitable that romance would eventually develop between the two as many hints are dropped in throughout the show. However, unlike most couple pairings, it seems these two really are destined to be together with their similar ideals. This is in contrast with some character pairings such as Marrine/Alexis or Villar/Margaret where fate somehow interferes with their love. Still, the show tries its best to maintain a balanced war story. Romance is actually subtle even with some of the background storytelling such as the one between Marrine and Alexis. In a show like this, I have to admit that throwing in many tropes at once doesn’t help it flow better. It’s like an amalgamation of fictional elements all coming together that may leave viewers feel distracted. The political affairs in the show also feels forced on many occasions despite being necessary for the overall story.
With 24 episodes, the show’s pacing somehow still takes a stab in the heart. Some episodes are abruptly resolved while others loves to play around with its tropes. The storytelling itself is also predictable with some events that are inevitable to happen. As I mentioned before, there are too many characters that some are just left in the dust and others hardly developed. Aishela is a crime of this as we barely finds out anything about her at all until near the end of the show. By then, I wonder if viewers even cares. Others such as Priscilla and Mirza suffers from characterization as there are hardly any memorable qualities about them. It feels like the author decided to thrown in all sort of characters in at once to make the show feel credible. This even extends to characters with supernatural origins such as werewolves and vampires. Well, I suppose the creators wanted to take that risk but to me, it wasn’t rewarding in the end. With so many characters, Grancrest Senki felt like a play with an overstacked roster where not everyone got their chance to shine.
To the surprise of no one, A-1 Pictures adapts the show as many of the series have a similar style when it comes to fantasy series. Because this show also involves war and magic, you’ll definitely get a familiarity of what they present each episode. First of all, I would like to say that the animation quality does look sharp especially in early episodes. The action choreography looks smooth and characters are decorated with enough details suitable for this show. However, the character designs themselves leaves little to be desired. Siluca’s ridiculous outfit is a prime example of being distracting to the point that she herself is aware of it. Others such as Marrine and Alexis looks incredibly one dimensional that fits with the nobility stereotype. Oh and of course, fan service exists. There’s skinship in some episodes that leaves little to the imagination while action is shown in brutal uncensored details. To say the least, A-1 did its job but not one that I can confess as impressive overall. The production quality does drop over time in typical A-1 fashion as time passes.
Compared to a few other fantasy war stories I’ve watched, I’d say that Grancrest Senki has a moderate soundtrack. It didn’t set the bar high though as it still sounds very generic even during climatic battle scenes. The theme songs contains the sort of J-Pop style lyrics you probably hear often these days. Character voice mannerisms are moderate at best although I have to admit that certain cast members really sounds motivated. Even Siluca has her own moments that are sometimes worth quoting despite her personality.
Watching Grancrest Senki reminds me of playing a video game where the developer wants you to love what the designed. Truth to be told, I think the show is average at best. It reached its high points in the show on some episodes while making an ill early impression. Quite frankly, there are way too many characters that by the time the show is over, I can only recall a few names. The pacing feel sloppy and really could have improved on many levels. Watch it if you want but be prepare for being underwhelmed.
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