- Last Online3 hours ago
- GenderMale
- LocationAnime World
- JoinedNov 5, 2011
Also Available at
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Jun 29, 2020
13 of 13 episodes seen
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97
people found this review helpful
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| Overall |
8 |
| Story |
7 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
7 |
| Character |
8 |
| Enjoyment |
8 |
I’ll be honest here. I don’t like mobile game adaptations. From the top of my head, there hasn’t been a many mobile game adaptation in recent years that I rated more than 5 or above. The reason being is that most of them are bankrupt on the creative side. They seem like projects aimed to make a quick buck. Princess Connect! Re:Dive tells a different story. This particular cute little gem is a mobile adaptation that I’ve grown fondly to actually say it’s enjoyable.
Right off the bat, I noticed that we have Takomi Kansaki helming the show as the producer. He was previously involved with
the popular Konosuba franchise. So in other words, do be prepared for eccentric humor. It depends on how much you’ll approach this show’s humor but to say the least, it has an immense amount of charisma. With our lovable cast of characters, there’s no shortage for entertainment as we follow Yuuki and his adventures.
However, I will say one thing. Yuuki is the male protagonist but he’s not the one to watch out for, or to invest your time into. Being mostly silent doesn’t help his character nor does it help that he feels like an NPC bot. The real selling point is the character chemistry between the three main female cast – Pecorine, Kokkoro, and Karyl. United under the Gourmet Edifice banner, each of them has their own colorful personalities and it catches on very quickly once you pay close attention. Pecorine is armed with a big appetite and a bubbly personality. She is essentially one of the poster girls and it’s easy to see how friendly she is. A recurring gag in the show also revolves her love for food so prepare to see a lot of cooking at her guild. We are also joined by Kokkoro, a servant who is very loyal to her friends. And while not as energetic as Pecorine, she will draw the audience’s attention with her inner thoughts about herself. Finally, there’s Karyl, the tsundere-like cat girl who seems have her own personal mission to keep an eye on the guild. As the show progresses, her character changes and she begins to trust in her new friends. While the writing here isn’t any dynamic or unique, it does bring her character as someone to appreciate more. Plus, Karyl adds popcorn entertainment to the show whenever others try to befriend her, most noticeably Pecorine.
Naturally, Princess Connect takes place in a fantasy setting with the show’s various gimmicks. I won’t deny that it can be a bit cartoony at times. It’s adapted from a mobile game after all but don’t let that take away your attention. The show is able to take its gimmicks and bring out the most of it. This is accomplished through the different running gags such as Karyl’s entomophobia, Yuuki being a monster magnet, or Kokkoro’s emotive reactions. Every episode, it uses these little bits of comedic moments in addition to the main storytelling. Make no mistake though. Princess Connect doesn’t have a very serious plot. Sometimes the plot focuses on the adventures while other times can feel like a relaxing slice of life. What’s more fun is how our characters takes their adventures and enjoying the most from it. This isn’t about a group of adventurers trying to save the world or in fact, they don’t really have an endgame goal at all. This show is ambiguous in its main purpose so don’t think too hard into it. Most of the supporting characters also serve some purpose but ultimately, Princess Connect sells itself as a comedy adventure, not some dramatic high fantasy.
It did became clear to me this series wants to have fun with the cast as much as possible. Remember, it’s directed by Takomi Kansaki so some character personalities in this anime will feel similar to Konosuba. Pecorine for instance has a dumb mentality comparable to Aqua. What makes their characters entertaining really lies in their emotive reactions. Perhaps Karyl is the biggest face to watch whenever she interacts with the main cast or her fear of bugs. Pecorine and Kokkoro also has their own moments due to their personalities. As a mobile game adaptation, the overall art style actually looks polished. From the sunny beaches to the gourmet guild itself, everything looks convincing like it’s in a fantasy world. Even the food has its own unique style that’s made as eye catchy as possible. The weakest link would be Yuuki, our main protagonist. He’s the epitome of ordinary in Princess Connect.
I decided to watch Princess Connect:Re Dive for one purpose but got exactly that: a simple, fun adventure about a group of goofballs. There’s no complex plot and it doesn’t take a genius to figure out our characters’ personalities. In fact, I do wish more fantasy adventures would be simple as this show. Now are you ready to go on an adventure with Gourmet Edifice?
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Jun 28, 2020
13 of 13 episodes seen
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92
people found this review helpful
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| Overall |
3 |
| Story |
3 |
| Animation |
3 |
| Sound |
3 |
| Character |
3 |
| Enjoyment |
3 |
Gleipnir, what could we ever do in a world without you? A whole lot actually. For instance, I don’t have to suffer every week watching some kid in a creepy mascot animal outfit running around. Watching Gleinpir was not a pleasant experience and by unpleasant, I mean the type of unpleasant that makes you want to turn the television off.
First of all, let’s ask ourselves, just what the hell is Gleipnir? It’s not a real word but a creation made by Sun Takeda. With that out of the way, you may probably want to take a closer glance at the synopsis because it’s full of
bizarreness. Even our main protagonist Shuuichi Kaguya has a strange characteristic – the ability to transform into a monster. And after encountering a mysterious girl named Claire Aoki, his life gets even stranger. As with supernatural mystery stories, I tend to think Gleipnir as the type that tries to be as mysterious as possible. In this base form, we see our main characters trying to find answers but it’s obvious that something darker and sinister lurks behind the scenes. Does Gleipnir takes its opportunity to capitalize on its premise to make this into a pleasant experience? Hell no.
There’s actually nothing wrong with a show being edgy or even use shock value to be appealing. The main problem lies on how Gleipnir executes its ideas. The mystery seems intriguing on paper until you see how thin the storytelling really is. From the first episodes, I got the impression of a ridiculous show without a clear target audience. Let’s face it, this isn’t an easy anime to recommend to anyone. At its core, we do have the relationship between Shuuichi and Claire, two characters that are practically polar opposite of each other. It doesn’t help that Shuuichi is a reserved individual with little social experience. Take away his ability of monster transformation and there’s literally nothing special about him. On the other hand, Claire is a clever girl who managed to blackmail Shuuichi and can be deceptively hard to read. Even though her goal is to find the truth about the monsters and her older sister, it seems no one can really understand her. Despite her age, she doesn’t seem to retain a moral sense for humanity. What I mean is that she actually kills others without hesitation and isn’t afraid to take daring risks. After gaining control of Shuuichi’s body, she literally becomes a killing machine although not mindlessly but with a purpose. Throughout the series, she shows no mercy towards her enemies and it’s shown to be taken lightly. Gleipnir seems to force body horror and fan service at numerous amounts, sometimes perhaps way too much for its own good. Shuuichi and Claire’s relationship is built on trust although with more episodes progresses, they seem to grow more intimate. Don’t expect true love blooming between the pair though. The author didn’t want to pull the trigger because this is obviously not some fairy tale romance.
While Shuuichi and Claire has to carry this show on their backs, there are a few individuals worth mentioning. First, there’s Elena, Claire’s older sister who possesses a twisted obsession towards Shuuichi. Perhaps one of the most mentally unstable characters in the show, she represents the dark side of humanity and is willing to do anything to get what she wants. If you’re familiar with the term ‘yandere’, that’s basically what she is. Then, there’s the mysterious ‘Alien’, a character who is looking for other aliens on their planet. Truth to be told, he is a big question mark as no one knows exactly what he is. Taking the form of a young man, we do know that he will grant a wish to anyone who can help him achieve his own goal. Unfortunately, the show doesn’t devote enough time to explore his own story as we are constantly fed with Shuuichi and Claire’s relationship. Being a show about monsters, this came to me as no surprise although I do wish the show made more time on characterizing Alien. He seems to be much more than just a mystery. For what’s worth, most of the other characters this season are less appealing despite some having important roles. Kaito, Honoka, and Sayaka are a few examples as it’s hard to get invested into their characters. It seems the anime wants to evoke emotions for the viewers but with such limited storytelling, these characters aren’t worth to watch for. Even in the case of our main leads, they don’t strike to me as anything special. Shuuichi and Claire’s relationship is saturated by lazy writing that anyone could easily come up with. That’s also to say, the overall direction of the plot is mediocre at best and couldn’t be salvaged even if it’s twice episode count length. Thank goodness it isn’t.
I sincerely hope you don’t plan to watch Gleipnir with your family or kids around. This isn’t a show suited for the faint of heart. Gleipnir seems to be in love with itself, being that it loves fan service. It uses it in the form of nudity, body horror, and gruesome action scenes. It isn’t ashamed to pull the trigger with violence in ways with heads being tore off or body ligaments being blown to pieces. Claire is also a walking billboard of fan service as she’s half naked nearly half the show. And let’s not forget, she literally climbs into Shuuichi to control his body. That’s like some twisted form of metaphoric union. Of course, let’s not forget the appearances of the monsters themselves. I don’t know if it’s just me but somehow, Shuuichi’s monster form looks unintentionally comical. It looks like a creepy oversized toy that came to life. Here I am sitting wondering what made the author create a monster to look such way. Is how they see stuffed animals from nightmares?
No, I can’t recommend Gleipnir to you and it’s more than just because it’s “edgy”. Even without the shockingly amount of grotesque elements stuffed into this show, it still remains mediocre by the contents of its plot and characters. It’s barely watchable at best and sometimes, I wish I didn’t jump into the manga either. Because for me, watching Gleipnir is kind of like eating junk food and you feel too guilty to know the mistake until it’s too damn late.
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Jun 27, 2020
12 of 12 episodes seen
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91
people found this review helpful
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| Overall |
9 |
| Story |
9 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Character |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
Are you ready to be graced by the charming Kaguya that we all got to know? Want about how much Miyuki has grown since the first season? Want to know how much love this season 2 gives to the fans? I got good news for you because Kaguya-sama Season 2 leaves no shortage for high expectations. You came to this sequel so be prepare for enlightenment by a show that reaches even greater heightss.
The alluring appeal of Kaguya-sama comes from an exquisite colorful cast of characters. From the start, we should know this isn’t just a typical rom-com with lovey-dovey episodes. Rather than just producing
romance, Kaguya-sama is known for its psychological warfare, or as in some people calls it, ‘love is war’. After all, we have a story about how Kaguya and Miyuki are both in a mental battle with each to see who will confess to the other first. That’s the core of the premise anyways. Season 2 draws in more storytelling involving the election for the Student Council, Miyuki’s birthday celebration, and a hallmark of new drama.
Similar to the previous season, each episode is divided into multiple segments. Some of these segments are connecting storylines together formulated into a sitcom-style plot while others are standalones with various themes. From the very first episode, we are reintroduced to the show’s familiar storytelling style through the character personalities. Most of the main cast lacks experience with relationships so it’s not surprising to see their fallout in the field. Chika once again serves as major comic relief and in the season’s opening episode debuts her Happy Life Game. Such a board game unites the characters together through their natural chemistry between each other. While the segment itself can be considered to be a sitcom comedy, it’s important to see the dynamic connection between all the main cast. This franchise may not have a large character cast but it has an ensemble to keep everyone relevant. It’s the quality that matters over the quantity.
Furthermore, let’s not forget some of the supporting members such as Kei, Hayasaka, or Kobachi. They may not get as much as the core cast but when they do, it’s always appealing. Let’s take Ai Hayasaka for instance. She makes a sensational debut in a cat-burglar style outfit while staying in character. Kei, Miyuki’s sister, retains pride personality although it’s obvious she cares about her brother. Meanwhile, there’s Kobachi Osaragi, a member of the Public Morals Committee, which I don’t see people talk often about. Taking on the role of a stereotypical committee member, she is of the more observant type who often observes others than taking direct action. In one particular episode, we see how the narrative perspective of this public morals committee member.
But perhaps most noticeably, we meet Miko Iino this season. Setting the gold standard as a committee member, she has an absolute ambition to seek justice at her school. It doesn’t take long for her to butt heads with characters and due to her personality causes some uneasy drama. But fans should also know that Kaguya-sama is more known for its charismatic drama. It balances its emotional appeal and ties it together with its unorthodox humor. Sometimes, it even adds a bit of psychology through character behaviors and its dialogue usage. Most noticeably, this includes character personality changes such as with Kaguya and Hayasaka. Miko Iino in this case is perhaps one of the most human and realistic characters in the show. She follows her school standards and honestly reminds me of the type of student council that I used to see at my own school. During the mid-season episodes, Miko is involved with the student council election and goes up against her rival, Miyuki. It sells the plot’s drama perfectly as we witness both sides clash.
And let’s not forget Yu Ishigami. Perhaps being the breakout character this season, he is the introverted boy with a depressing outlook on life. If you ask me, he is like the antithesis of Chika. Instead of being bubbly and energetic, Ishigami suffers from an inferiority complex and often makes sarcastic comments without much thought. He serves as a perfect example as a character foil to also Kaguya and Miyuki. People tend to misjudge Ishigami but deep down, he is a decent person as his action speaks louder than words this season. In one of the episodes late in this season, you’ll see exactly why. Never count out Ishigami when he takes the stage.
Like with the previous season, A-1 Pictures endorses this sequel with its colorful artwork and choreography. Some people may not trust the studio to handle adaptations but for this time around, there’s no need to worry. We are once again enlightened by the flamboyant nature of character drama. With the eccentric character expressions, it sells at every characters’ personalities to the fullest. Titular character Kaguya is the best example with every interaction she has with others, especially Miyuki. It doesn’t stop there either as Chika, Ishigami, and others inject energy into this season. And let’s also not forget the opening theme song. Performed by Masayuki Suzuki, it has a similar tune as the first season but contains a very creative tune with some colorful storytelling within. You’ll be surprised at how much that song fits for this particular show.
It only took about half a year for the announcement of the sequel since the first season finished airing. And a few months later, we are at the end again. Like most fans of the franchise, I came into Kaguya-sama with high expectations because there was so much more left to see from the manga. In this season, we are once again entertained by the brainchild of the franchise, Aka Asasaka. Now bring on season 3 so we can see more of this love war.
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Jun 24, 2020
13 of 13 episodes seen
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38
people found this review helpful
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| Overall |
4 |
| Story |
4 |
| Animation |
5 |
| Sound |
6 |
| Character |
3 |
| Enjoyment |
4 |
Watching Tower of God unfold every episode is like reading a comic book. Starting from the first page, you read and flip each page to see what's new. From every one of those pages, you may find something that catches your eye, or something that gives you an underwhelming sigh. Tower of God unfolds its plot with principles that seemed intriguing at first. But as more and more pages are turned, the anime slowly dies and leaves me with little to get excited about. Helmed by Crunchyroll as one of the leading projects of the Summer lineup, this is not an anime that deserves such
amount of hype.
First, I do want to say that I am an anime original viewer so coming into this show is a fresh new experience. On my first viewing, Tower of God reminds me of the classic Hunter x Hunter as the protagonist is faced with challenges to overcome. It’s the sort of adventure that chronicles how much our characters can achieve or fail. We follow their journey to climb the mysterious Tower and the awards that await them at the top. From his journey, we meet protagonist Bam, who had been searching for his friend Rachel. The show pits him into a deadly challenge but promises the answers of his desire should he succeed. Now the question arises how much should we care about his desires or in fact, his journey to reach the very top.
Crunchyroll has been heavily promoting this show and I actually do praise them for the effort. It’s a Korean webtoon adaptation after all and this is one of the first full TV anime. Making an impression is important as more webtoon adaptations are coming in the future. Tower of God stands with a lot of genres that combines elements of fantasy, adventure, mystery, and action. While there’s also drama in the mix, I would say it falls short but I’ll get to that later. For now, understanding what Tower of God is important so you’ll have a reason to watch the show as the plot follows Bam and his adventures. Throughout this adventure, he encounters many new faces. Whether friends or foe, he responds to them cautiously to avoid consequences. Remember, this Tower contains mysterious properties almost no one understands and what awaits with each step to the top is a new challenge. From my initial impression, Bam seemed like an outsider that needs an immense amount of character development. He’s part of this world where no one knows who he is except his friend Rachel. And searching for his friend is used as a plot element rather than exploring more of his own character. At its base, Bam is a kind person but with little social skills. To put it simply, he is like a lost child that needs guidance, someone that needs a helping hand. He also has a distaste for loneliness and desires to be with Rachel.
Now of course Bam isn’t the only character carrying the show. Soon, we meet the intelligent Khun, a young man with a complex personality as compared to Bam. He is almost like his foil, a character who is independent and knows how to play his cards to get what he wants. Throughout the series, he uses his strategic mind to manipulate others and is someone difficult to read. No one knows his true endgame goal although he has a keen interest in Bam. Based on the author’s interview, he is perhaps the most human character we encounter as his actions are realistic and often methodically planned ahead. To me, watching Khun’s character role is far more intriguing to see what cards he’ll play. And of course, let’s not forget Rachel, the best friend of Bam and his source of motivation to climb the tower. After finding her, Bam vows to help her reach the top to fulfill her desire. With that desire, it’s clear that Bam treasures Rachel as a special friend. That’s to say, Tower of God tries its best to get us invested into its character relationships. It unifies their relationship as a character pair built on trust and friendship. But does it really work? On some levels, it has an emotional impact but from this season alone, it is not enough. Bam and Rachel’s relationship doesn’t undergo much change or development after the two are united. Despite being prominent characters of the story, I find myself more invested into other supporting characters such as Annak and Endorsi. In fact, the anime actually devotes efficient amount of storytelling on Anaak’s background story. Even Rak and Yuri are worth watching for their personalities. The lack of charismatic traits for both Bam and Rachel drags this show down and their relationship exemplifies mediocrity.
Let’s not forget the ultimatum of Tower of God. We have to always remember the story is an adventure and each step along the way is similar to a phase of a long test. From the beginning, our characters are being tested to see who is worthy. Bam, Khun, Annak, Endorsi, and Yuri are just a few examples. Questions emerge on how much these tests are worth watching and although the stakes are high, it’s not easy to always get invested into them. Let’s face it, most of the action in this show feels the weathered down and the studio (even with Crunchyroll backing up the production), didn’t fully capitalize on its choreography. The visual quality is subpar at best that looks similar to an animated comic book. It has sketchy visuals without much shading and the character designs looks less detailed than I had anticipated. This all comes down to preferences but Tower of God isn’t a show to praise for its art.
But for the soundtrack, I do give praise Kevin Penkin’s music composition. The OST is not just worth watching but does hype up various episodes and important moments in the show. Let’s not also forget the OP theme song with its lyrical tune and effective usage of its cinematography. However, it’s a shame the voice acting of the main characters can’t compare to the music composition. Even characters like Annak and Endorsi hardly sound appealing despite their more lively personalities.
Tower of God is one of the most talked about show of the Spring season but with 13 episodes, you know this isn’t the full story. What it tries to set up is a story of adventure, challenges, relationships, but none of them really justifies its hype.
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Jun 20, 2020
12 of 12 episodes seen
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107
people found this review helpful
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| Overall |
9 |
| Story |
8 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
0 |
| Character |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
It’s time. And by ‘it’s time’, I mean it’s time for an otome isekai to take the world by storm. We’ve had so many different types of isekai these years that this was destined to happen. A show of this nature requires not just a colorful story but a character cast hammered to their roles. I tend to think Hamefura as a gift that any fan of isekai would be grateful to receive. It’s Bakarina time.
The original novels gained a fan following and I’d assume popularity would surge more after this adaptation. Hamefura is based on the light novel of the same name featuring female
protagonist, Katarina Claes. She is reborn as a villainous character in a game known as ‘Fortune Teller’ and fate has it that she will die by destruction flags regardless what route she takes. Sounds eerie, right? Not quite. Hamefura is not a show to be taken too seriously despite the initial premise. By routes, we have Katarina playing her life like a game in this world with a variety of characters and circumstances. ‘
Before dissecting the show, I think it’s important to watch this with an open mind. Make no mistake as Hamefura has tons of moments of comedy, character gags, and is prone to open shipping wars. Katarina is a single woman after all and the male cast is made of gentlemen of high class. In fact, many of the male characters she meets are wish-fulling guys you’d see from an otome game. Katarina is not the type to chase after them for romance because she’s got way bigger problems on her mind. And let’s be honest, she’s so dense that they'd practically have to say ‘I love you’ to get her to notice. But besides that, Katarina has a rather peculiar mind evidenced through the surrealistic court hearings we see often throughout the show. It’s a running gag that plays on Katarina's psyche and shows how her mind works in a very peculiar fashion. That’s not the only running gag as we also see the younger version of Katarina although both retains the same personality. This same gag applies to many of the other characters including Alan Stuart, Keith Claes, Mary Hunt, and among others.
A big question to answer is how much should we care about Katarina. Do you want to see her avoid her doomed fate? Would you like to see her enter a serious relationship with one of the main male cast? Or do you want her life to just be normal again? You don’t need to think too hard about these questions as the plot plays out naturally. From the first few episodes, we see Katarina adjusting to her life as a villainous protagonist. Armed with knowledge about Fortune Lover, Katarina takes chances at making meaningful relationships with important characters. She even becomes a gardener as part of her plans. In essence, she’s not just living in this game world but playing it. Katarina herself is the anti-thesis of the game version of her character. After regaining her memories, Katarina becomes a humble person willing to help others although she remains oblivious to others’ feelings around her. To put it simply, she is a dense black hole. Through character interactions, we see that she tries to change her relationship status with the male cast to avoid certain game endings. In contrast to her game version character, Katarina goes out her ways to fix mistakes such as being a better sister for Keith. Furthermore, Katarina’s actions causes others to view her differently compared to her in-game character. At its core, it can be said that Katarina is described as socially gifted but an academic failure in all respects. No wonder she is known by the community as “Bakarina”.
An otome also has its fair share of female characters as we are introduced to Mary, Sophia, and Maria. In the present timeline and story, Katarina builds important relationships with all of them, a sharp contrast compared to her antagonistic connections from Fortune Lover. It’s because of Katarina’s selfless nature and compliments that earns her friends and to no one’s surprise, she also gain their admiration, or perhaps a bit even more. But make no mistake, this anime isn’t fully committed to romance but rather aims its focus at Katarina at very chance. Let’s also not forget how dense she can be towards other people’s feelings that sometimes, it can seem like a meme. Watching Hamefura takes an easy mind to enjoy and honestly, it’s a show that delivers what you see.
Helmed by studio Silver Links, there’s an elegant charisma bestowed upon the characters. We see the studio dress the characters into noble clothes to fit their aristocratic status, especially for the male characters. In fact, this is an anime based on a fictional otome game so naturally, the male characters has the look of bishounens. Katarina herself is also an eye catcher with her lady-like behavior during important episodes. There are episodes that depicts her as more elegant than others especially during dance sequences. It gives a certain level of mystique look to her character when she has a mask on, or it can be rather plain and simple as when she is in her role as a gardener. The world fiction contains colorful architectures, void of modern technology. And finally, I do want to praise on our main heroine’s voice acting. Katarina may originally be a spoiled brat but in the present timeline, she manages to be very convincing as a humble woman. She even seems like a princess at times and wants to be treated as such despite her overwhelmingly dense personality.
Oh Hamefura. The time finally came for an otome isekai to show what the world it can do and with just 12 episodes, it managed to be convincing enough to pull the trigger. Watching this show gives me hope that more otome isekai will be animated in the future. With Season 2 announced, we're in for more of Bakarina.
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Jun 20, 2020
12 of 12 episodes seen
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37
people found this review helpful
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| Overall |
8 |
| Story |
8 |
| Animation |
7 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Character |
8 |
| Enjoyment |
8 |
Arte is an anime adaptation of the manga based on the era of The Renaissance from the 16th century. It’s not often you get to hear such a premise spelled out so freshly intact about in this era. Arte is not only the titular protagonist but also a woman with a strong will, determination, and thirst to prove herself as an artist. She is here to prove that in a male dominant world, there’s a place for her.
The premise is quite simple. It’s about this 14 year old heiress from Florence who has a passion for painting. After her father passes away, she’s been put
on a road by her mother to married. Of course, Arte continuously pursues her passion even if it means leaving the house and becoming what she always wants to be: a painter. What follows her is a journey of hardship as she is a woman. At this time period, the male society dominates in her field of work. It becomes a feminist movement that she pushes to the envelope to prove herself. The first episode includes a crowd mocking Arte for her dream just because of her gender. After declaring ‘to give up being a girl’ by cutting her hair, Arte vows to change the system in this time era. It may seem like an impossible mission but for Arte, she carries a sense of self as who she is. And for that, I’m pleased to say the show sets up for quite an intriguing plot carried by its creative themes.
It’s not just her words or the haircut that matters. It’s what the actions that count. Arte may have declared herself to give up being a girl but she still has to prove her worth or eat her own words. During her journey, she meets Leo, an important character who would change her life forever. As a professional painter, he accepts Arte to his studio because she reminds him of himself. The first step to becoming a painter is no simple task as Arte must learn the fundamentals and craftsmanship of the profession. Luckily, Arte’s personality earns respect for her peers by hard work, determination, and learning from mistakes. She’s a type of relatable character that’s easily likable and in fact, some characters such as Angelo even falls for her. Despite that, Arte puts her dream as priority and forges a friendship with Angelo. She even attracts the attention of Veronica, one of the most beautiful women in Florence as the pair strikes a friendship. Likewise, Arte even manages to make friends with Catalina, a girl notorious for her stubborn personality. As every episode ventured on, Arte continuously to show an eagerness to make her dream come true.
Watching Arte doesn’t take much commitment but based on a historical setting, it can be somewhat frustrating to understand its culture. Even though the setting takes place in a European culture, it hardly felt like a society. I don’t know the exact inner style of the European ways of life but to say the least, the show’s atmosphere didn’t exactly match. Even with places like Venice introduced later in the show, it doesn’t seem to take full advantage of its world setting. So in essence, if you want the most out Arte, don’t expect the show to be about the setting. It’s about her.
Still, a question revolves around how much you can appreciate Arte as the titular character. At its core, Arte exemplifies that women can do what men are capable of. In this case, it’s about being an artisan in a field dominated by males. While this anime isn’t overly feminist, it’s hard to ignore its aspects on different occasions. Viewers may feel turned off by such themes and sometimes, I can’t help but feel sorry for Arte. That’s where reality hits and we have to realize the struggles these young women faces during that era.
Seven Arcs is a somewhat of a strange studio of choice considering their previous projects all had some form of fantasy elements. Arte contains much more realism based on a real life setting with its culture, geography, and architectures. While most of this is fairly balanced, it doesn’t truly capitalize on its world setting. Outside from what you see, there’s not much depth that went into the artistic elements of the European style architectures. Florence attracts tourism and trade although the anime plays down on the overall world building. Even places like Venice doesn’t truly spark as a unique destination with its seaports and artwork. On the other hand, I do appreciate how the anime made Arte look as fierce as she can be. After cutting her hair, she shows not only traits of masculinity but also lives by her words through sheer will. The voice acting plays an important role to show how much she wants to achieve her dream. Similarly, other relevant characters in the show such as Leo and Veronica displays characteristics well suited for their roles.
The way Arte is constructed is aimed for audience to follow her character journey. It’s not about the historical setting or its culture. Because let’s face it, Arte still has so much to learn from her experiences and as a young woman, she has to adapt with everything and everyone around her. This is a story about a character who follows her dream and to prove that anyone can do anything they put their mind into.
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Jun 19, 2020
12 of 12 episodes seen
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44
people found this review helpful
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| Overall |
8 |
| Story |
8 |
| Animation |
7 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Character |
9 |
| Enjoyment |
8 |
Someone wake me up from this weird dream because I feel like I entered the Twilight Zone. Watching Nami yo Kittekure (Wave, Listen to Me!) is perhaps one of the most bizarre yet exhilarating experiences I’ve had this year.
At the heart the show is about a woman named Minare Koda, who is dealing with a breakup with her ex-boyfriend. After an incident with an older man from a drunken night, her voice becomes an icon and she enters a world she’s never began to imagine before. Welcome to a world where voices expressionism is an icon and sensation. That being said, Nami yo Kittekure translates
into a comedy-drama story with windows for romance and unorthodox storytelling. I say this it’s unorthodox because this show blends a variety of genres together that makes it very special.
Let’s face some facts first. The art of radio talking isn’t something most of us are interested in, or at least, at a mainstream level. Sure, there are podcasts that offers consistent content and radio shows that achieves fames on occasions. However, it has never really reached an overwhelming popularity that it became an international sensation. That being said, Minare Koda is an amateur at her job without much experience. To make matters worse, she’s still dealing with a bad breakup and isn’t something easy to just over. Now that she’s in profession of unknown territory, the risks increase tenfold as her voice is broadcasted for the world to hear. What’s actually intriguing is how she managed to make her circumstances into a blessing in disguise or at the very least, a chance to turn her life around. And as the main female protagonist, Minare carries the story with a passionate personality combined with a degree of stubbornness. She wants to prove herself and be a better person although there are many obstacles in her way. In a sense, I see this anime as her own personal journey of redemption.
As an anime with adult characters, it’s quite refreshing to see the diversity of the cast. Matou, the chief director and person that Minare bumped into after her drunken night, is the guy to look for when you need help. Being a laid back individual, he has a keen eye for talent. The result is how Minare ends up as a radio talk host at MRS. And at MRS, she encounters other individuals who she must to adapt with in order to survive such as assistant director Mizuho Nanba and mixer Ryusuke Komoto. What’s fascinating about Minare’s life at this point is how unpredictable it is, with everyday being a seemingly new challenge for her to overcome. Plus, let’s not also forget about the people she used to work with including Chuuya Nakahara, Makie Tachibana, and Yoshiki Takarada. What sells to me most is just how expressive Minare is when interacting with these characters. The amount of emotions she delivers is astonishing, sometimes a bit over the line but always grabs your attention. At its best, Minare’s character enables us to see the struggles of a young woman fighting in a world that’s stacked against her.
I’ve said it before but watching the variety of genres mixed together in this anime works successfully. One of the additional genre is romance, something that isn’t too keen on developing but cleverly woven into the show. We have to remember that the series takes place in an adult working world so high school drama is tossed out the window. These characters are adults now and is part of the working society. Relationships goes beyond the teenage romance with levels of age gaps between certain characters. Minare also seems to be hesitant to fall in love especially after a bad breakup. Let’s face it, is she even ready with all the pressure stacked on top of her? With characters like Nakahara, you’d have to see for herself for how unpredictable the story is. Then again, this anime is so hyper energetic that sometimes, you forget the romance or plot is there. It could be a double edged sword that occasionally makes fun of itself too much. In fact, there’s an immense amount of comedy that goes well beyond how characters behave. We follow Minare’s life journey as she now has a purpose, a goal that the viewers wants to see how much she can achieve. If you remember that along with the amount of humor, then Nami yo Kittekure will be a real treat.
Studio Sunrise is known for some of its involvement in some outlandish projects. Nami yo Kittekure is no exception as we examine the bizarre world of radio. At the center of it all is Minare, with a voice of charisma and passion. Adapting her character to life is no simple task especially with her overwhelming character expressions. It’s a selling point in the show that makes the best to make her character look alive. That’s also say, Minare personality shines the best when dealing with her daily life problems such as her new job and ex-boyfriend, Mitsuo Suga. But with everything said, Minare’s voice is an icon for this show, a testament that she earned her place in the radio world. Riho Sugiyama, the voice actress, did an outstanding job at bringing her character to life. Each episode, the audience will be glowed to the screen to see how she behaves with others. If there’s a voice acting award to be given this year, she’s got my vote.
It’s not a dream. It’s a reality, a world where Minare wakes up and realizes how different it is now that she’s part of the radio broadcasting experience. Let it be that her journey will be an experience like no other. This is the type of anime that you don’t find too often these days as it manages its themes and genres together so well. And honestly, I want this reality to continue.
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Jun 18, 2020
12 of 12 episodes seen
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53
people found this review helpful
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| Overall |
3 |
| Story |
3 |
| Animation |
3 |
| Sound |
4 |
| Character |
3 |
| Enjoyment |
3 |
There’s nothing wrong about anime with clichés, even when they have been milked to death. Some clichés are actually cleverly executed in the case of deconstruction of certain themes or plot elements. Character study can also play its cards right and make an anime look beyond what it really is. But when the time calls for Hachi-nan tte, Sore wa Nai deshou to shine, it completely destroys itself and achieves absolutely nothing than wasting our time.
Trying to find anything appealing about this show at first glance isn’t easy. The key visual is covered by generic looking characters and an isekai based protagonist. The synopsis reads
like most isekai fantasy plot you’ve heard of these days. Oh but there’s political drama! Perhaps that could change the phase of the show, right? Wrong. This anime adheres to what most people assumes and it’s like part of a genetic code. The DNA formula for this show connects the most boring possible themes in the show with an even degenerate cast of characters.
Shingo Ichinomiya is the main protagonist who takes on the role of Wendelin after waking up in a fantasy world. From the beginning, he is portrayed as a character with potential and it’s up to himself to unlock them. Thanks to Alfred Reinford’s tutorage and his own determination, Wendelin evolves into a gifted mage and even forms his own party of adventurers. And if you guess it right now, you’re right. It’s a group of female adventurers and easy to paint them as members of his harem. This is where the show takes the fall as the main female cast in the show is hammered with lazy writing. Let’s start with Elize, the priestess and perhaps most pure member of Wendelin’s party. Here, she’s portrayed with a kind heart but lacks any distinctive traits outside of her healing abilities. Louise, the martial artist fills the role of the physical fighter in the party. Somehow, the show wanted to make her into a comic relief by inserting embarrassing jokes. She also shares a rivalry with Ena, a spear wielding girl with a tomboyish personality. At first glance, she would appear to be someone capable of being a poster girl of the show but as every episode progresses, it’s hard to imagine anything noteworthy to say about Ena. She’s just another member of Wendelin’s harem added for the sake of a harem. And finally, there’s Wilma, a character that I can safely say has no personality. Debuting late in the story, Wilma’s character role brings out some of the worst parts of the show including her gluttonous appetite and offering absolutely nothing relevant. With such a character cast, I’m afraid this show hits the lowest common denominator even for a fantasy isekai.
If you’re in a mood to watch a fun fantasy plot, then prepare for the worst. It’s even less fun when watching these characters engage in political drama between the higher class nobles. One of the more prominent subplot involves a political marriage between Wendelin and Elize. As fate has it, she develops genuine feelings for him and their relationship evolves beyond just politics. But unfortunately, this series doesn’t have time to fully develop that relationship. It instead jumps around between subplots by introducing elements such as martial arts tournaments, hired bodyguards for Wendelin, and other requests such as monster hunting. Between every episode, it seems the show never knows what it truly wants and fails to get us invested into the main story. Viewers will be left with concerns on how weak the plot develops until they just give up. That’s how I felt anyways by the time this anime even reached its half way point. To adapt a large volumes of novels into a 1-cour (12 episodes) anime is nothing but a recipe for disaster.
There’s more than one ways to adapt a show but the studios behind this project didn’t exactly step up to the plate for its character designs or overall look. To appeal the audience, it needed a distinctive character cast even if it means their physical features. It’s sad to say but the show limited itself with a universally dull looking character roster. Every female character has a similar face and molded with lackluster dress codes. Sometimes, the anime tries to bring out their features with decorative clothes but in the end never hits its expectations. Even the monsters look insufferable such as the CGI dragon and the horrid zombies. The only saving grace for the show’s art style is the occasional world fiction that seems plausible at best.
It’s not going to be a satisfying watch. I’ll say this as straightforward as possible but if you want to explore something from the fantasy genre catalog, this isn’t one to aim for. From the lazy plot writing to the uncharismatic character cast, there’s little Hachi-nan tte, Sore wa Nai deshou will offer to the audience. Do something better with your time and don’t recommend this to your friends, or in fact, anyone.
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Apr 4, 2020
25 of 25 episodes seen
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26
people found this review helpful
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| Overall |
4 |
| Story |
4 |
| Animation |
5 |
| Sound |
5 |
| Character |
4 |
| Enjoyment |
4 |
The annual tradition continues and that means, we have another season of hero and villains in this franchise we should all be familiar with by now: My Hero Academia. With the expanding roster, this is a franchise that has been adding its legacy to catch up to the manga at every chance it gets. But with all the chances it has cashed on, isn’t it ironic that the more we see this show, the weaker it gets? As someone who has been following this anime from the very beginning back in 2016, this season hit me like a hammer on the hand. And that’s not
a pleasant feeling.
We start out with a seemingly long recap event episode because the season decided it’s suitable to retell the plot most fans are familiar with. Shounen adaptations are known for this cliché but My Hero Academia seems to let the narrative run its mouth with no shame. Nonetheless, we are soon given the circumstances of a new threat in the form of a character named Overhaul. He leads a group known as the Eight Precepts of Death and acts as one of the major antagonists this season. What he has is an ambition, a personal goal this season to wipe out individuals with quirks. This seemingly goal is driven by his deep desire to reform the world and in essence, allow him to rule with dominance. The first half of the season deals with this looming threat in society as his ideals and plans clashes with the heroes.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll realize that My Hero Academia consists of a large cast of heroes made up of unique individuals with special abilities. Among the main cast is a young boy named Deku and up to this season, he has evolved into a confident hero with an identity. He’s making a name of himself in both the public and underworld for his deeds and even earned the respect of powerful heroes such as All Might. In this season, he also catches the attention of Nighteye, an intimidating pro hero with great intelligence but also one shrouded with mystery. And as the season progresses, Deku once again gets caught up into complicated affairs with events of the dark side. We soon meet Eri, a young girl who is an absolute essential to Overhaul’s grand plans. Eri’s innocence and vulnerability shows that Overhaul is willingly to do anything to make his dream come true. Unfortunately, she becomes a trapped animal just waiting to be used like an experimental weapon. A main objective involves the heroes trying to prevent Overhaul’s plans from succeeding and also free Eri from her cage.
But how should the audience judge Eri? On the surface level, she’s a vulnerable girl with a dark past. It doesn’t take long for us to realize that she is fearful not just for society but herself. The quirk she possesses causes great psychological distress to the point that she is socially withdrawn from people. That is…until she meets Deku. Fate seems to designate him to change Eri’s future of becoming an experimental weapon. Deku’s ambition to help Eri see the light and rebuilding her life is a complicated process. It takes time, commitment, and is a personal challenge for Eri. Given her age, she’s at the stage in life where there are limitless choices. If she makes the wrong choices, she could become a person worse she is now. But of course, Deku is there to guide her to make the right choices. That’s right, this season has this theme about choices in which characters follow their paths. It’s a recycled concept since the beginning and honestly, Season 4 doesn’t step up to the plate with its storytelling. Even with returning characters such as Toga, Twice, Eijiro, All Might, Fat Gum, and others getting some occasional spotlight, the show never seems to take risks to be more different from its previous seasons. In respect, it’s easy to feel bored when watching this season with the oversaturated character cast. In some cases, it injects elements of humor with comedic episodes. These include the heroes interacting with kids or character gags such as Bakugo’s short temper. But is that what the fans really want?
Honestly, it’s an ambiguous question but after running over three seasons, My Hero Academia feels like it’s overstayed its welcome. Let’s face it, the show took its hero elements to the point where there’s not much more it can expand on. Or at least from face value, this became a season that’s hard to get excited about. There are fans that have said this season had potential to be the best one but to me, it’s far from the truth. Maybe if you’re a hardcore fan of the franchise, this could be like a Christmas present. But for most people, My Hero Academia Season 4 seems more like a show for fans to see what else is really new rather than what to get excited for. Sure, there are some new characters introduced but they don’t make a heavy impact in the show together. The biggest culprit is Eri, an underdeveloped character that needs more time to really appreciate. Likewise, you’re probably not going come out of this season with a memorable quote besides the iconic ‘Plus Ultra’.
With four seasons and a fifth one announced for future broadcasting, this is a franchise that I think people needs to start keeping their hype in check. I used to really enjoy the previous seasons but this sequel has showed me that it contains haunting weaknesses. And while I do appreciate this series for making the hero theme more popular for the anime medium, time has done its damage in the creativity realm. That is to say, you can certainly watch season 4 and it has its moments. But getting excited about it? That’s sadly a bit out of reach.
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Mar 28, 2020
12 of 12 episodes seen
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15
people found this review helpful
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| Overall |
5 |
| Story |
4 |
| Animation |
7 |
| Sound |
7 |
| Character |
5 |
| Enjoyment |
5 |
Japanese youkai lore has been a fascinating subject in the realm of anime, manga, and video games. Every year, we are graced by media related to these supernatural entities, based on the Shinto religion. And while Kyokou Suiri (ln/Spectre) certainly isn’t among the first to explore such themes, it does embark on a supernatural quest with a lovely little oddball named Kotoko Iwanaga.
Let’s allow reality to hit us first. Kyokou Suiri has a fair amount of volumes but the anime allows the show to be only 12-episodes. To make things more complicated, the early chapters (manga version at least) are fairly long, some expanding well
into 40-50 pages. A common logic designates the show has fairly incomplete and as a means to advertise the manga and novels. That’s not unfair but it does limit its potential in storytelling. After all, character studies on youkai would have been a fairly interesting subject and draw more interest for a worldwide audience. Unfortunately, Kyokou Suiri decided to be exactly what I feared: a billboard that screams “buy the novels or manga if you love what you’ve seen!”
Kotoko Iwanaga is a university student who is bestowed with the ‘God of Wisdom’ role. With a missing eye and leg, Kotoko is immediately drawn to the 22-year old Kurou Sakurgawa. In a state of puppy love, she falls for him in what I describe as one of the strangest ‘love at first sight’ segments I’ve ever seen. By comparing Kuro to a goat (that’s a right, a goat), she decides to pursue him in a relationship that is clearly one-sided. Kuro himself became single after breaking up with Saki, his former girlfriend after an uneventful encounter with a youkai. The pilot episode surprisingly breaks down the elements of the storytelling quite cleverly by getting the audience attached to our main leads. On both fronts, Kotoko and Kuro are far from ordinary. It builds an enigma in storytelling as the duo investigates on supernatural cases. And because we have a show about youkai, you can believe the anime will explore the morality of these fascinating entities.
To put in simple perspective, Kyokou Suiri draws more into a supernatural mystery fiction style of storytelling rather than an action thriller. While early episodes does show off the combat abilities of Kotoko and Kuro, it doesn’t take long for the anime to dive deeper into the mystery and lore. Kotoko herself is shown to be a character with great intellect and her intuition is imperative to breaking cases. This is shown when she plans ahead and analyzes different potential outcomes based on probability and theories. By focusing on what’s in front of her, Kotoko minimizes failure and looks into all resources to make sure cases are solved. In the series’ most prominent arc dealing with Steel Lady Nanase, her skills are put to test as she investigates into the client’s history. With her theory crafting and investigative skills, she’s able to discover the hidden truths. That is to say, despite how Kotoko looks, she is a detective extraordinaire in her field of expertise.
But…on a common sense level, Kotoko falls short when it comes to socialization. Let’s face it, she’s still has the mindset of a child in her attempt to pursue a relationship with Kuro. In the anime version, the relationship is clearly one-sided between the duo. The reason falls on Kuro’s own interest in Rikka, his own cousin introduced in later episodes. It would be fair play to say the anime’s romance is one of the weaker aspects but it also doesn’t help that sometimes, their character segments is nothing short of childish, and mostly pushed by Kotoko’s bubbly personality. She also clashes with Saki, Kuro’s ex-girlfriend and their first meeting almost borderlines like a meme. A recurring gag in the series includes Kotoko creating peculiar delusions in her mind and images about how Kuro will get back together with his ex.
Remember what I said about the anime feeling a lot like an advertisement billboard? That’s because the storytelling is fairly dragged out for one of its main arcs. I’m talking about dealing with Steel Lady Nanase, a plot revolving with a vengeful spirit in the modern timeline. The arc is focused on the death of an idol under tragic circumstances although a plot twist reveals other startling revelations. While the arc itself contains important details and appeals to supernatural youkai lore, there’s far too much emphasis that it feels dragged out. The anime could’ve condensed the arc but instead chose to milk it dry to the bone. And that’s not to say, I really do wish this show got animated for more than a single cour. There’s so much more potential to explore other youkai lore. Some of the audience may or may not see this as a problem but it’s still relevant to know that the show is too short for its own good.
Helmed by Brain’s Base and their talent, I do applaud the show’s appeal for its animation. The supernatural gimmicks makes for decent choreography with some of its action contents. There’s minimal censorship that showcase the powers of youkai and the main leads in all of its glory. Speaking of main leads, Kotoko is perhaps the most noticeable character to draw eyes on with her petite stature, beret hat, and doll-like appearance. Not to mention, she is missing an eye and leg. The rest of the cast are less impressive although Steel Lady Nanase’s faceless features will raise a few eyebrows. I won’t say this show is a masterful storyteller in visual quality but it certainly knows what the audience wants. And who can forget that lovely ED theme song with those wild dance moves?
As an anime with a variety of genres blend together, it felt like Kyokou Suiri knew what it was doing from the start. But as every episode dragged on, the plot itself gets too entangled in its Steel Lady Nanase affairs than anything else. The overemphasis of the arc costs the expense of the series' other core elements. And clearly, this anime needed more episodes to tell a bigger story for the main premise altogether. It doesn’t take a genius detective to figure that out.
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