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Ya know, I actually had to look up the names of the characters in this show before I wrote this review. I made an emphasis that I was going to expound on the bare minimal character development, but that only goes to show how cliche, bland, and unimpressive they were. I see 8's and 9's throughout the review section, and I understand that that is their opinion, however, I feel that as a piece of work alone it cannot be judged greater than a 6 at most. Here's why.

Story (6/10) The production team at Silver Linx Studios came together and said, "Listen, we need a ... new show thats gonna be a huge hit." To which one replied, "Lets throw in all the shonen cliches, a competition, swords, and romance.....ohh and BEWBS!" This won unanimous favor and was what we received in the form of Rakudai Kishi no Calvary. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it. However, the story was a recycled plot by taking all the tropes and scenarios from popular anime and meshed it together. They believed that to pander to a large audience, they should take all the good parts of anime and combine it into one. However, they failed miserably as a piece of art. The story is chaotic and rubbish. We have, yet again, an OP main character fighting his way to the top of another battle royale to gain recognition from someone. However, instead of being a steady sequence of events; the plot cuts off here and there to add some character dialogue and filler entertainment. The battle royale was the main focus in the early episodes yet strayed into the unknown background by the finale: which is fine but there was no set reason or explanation to do so other than a weak side plot. Then we had the extremely weak backstories for all the main characters....and when I mean weak I mean WEAK. I'm not one of those types to not fully explain my reasoning for hating on a show. I'll explain it in the Character section. Overall, the story was partially enjoyable.

Art (8/10) I really need to figure out a scaling system of art styles. I don't really remember if I hated the art style in any anime. The reason I won't give this a 9 or a 10 is simply because this show uses an overused art medium and it didnt stand out in any particular way. What do I mean by overused? The characters are all crisp and clear, yes. The fight scenes are clean cut, yes. However, there was nothing new. Each character fit into a anime cut-out sequence: in this case, each one wore the school uniform. There was nothing really outstanding about the artwork. It was just that the characters blended in with the plot flow. The setting is an academy.....so everyone needs to wear a school uniform cliche. It's a shame really.

Sound (8/10) I enjoyed the opening quite a bit. I'm gonna steal from another review here only because he described the opening best as (twangy/Western)...which were my thoughts but credit is due to that guy for writing it. The opening introduced or "hyped" the action fight sequence yet was a complete downer when the action came. There was no real "feel" or "depth" to the fights. It was just.....there. The only real depth was that one fight for revenge, that was it but that was simply introduced through faulty forethought and planning, which is sinful. The soundtrack/sound effects were solid. The ending had an Enka-influence so that was a tad interesting. Other than that, nothing really stood out.

Enjoyment (8/10) I'm skipping character for now on purpose. I believe my character paragraph is easily going to be the longest, so think of this as an intermission from my long digression of my disgust with this show. Did I enjoy it, yes. Sadly, I did. I'm a sucker for sword fights and this pulled me in hook, line, and sinker. However, I'm self-aware enough to know just how bad this show was.

Character (4/10) Simply put: there was none. I'm going to address each main character in following paragraphs explaining why. Just don't get your pants in a twist if you get hurt. Rant on my comment section if you want to. It's there for a reason.

Ikki: Apparently, Silver Linx Studio's production team really loves SAO and Shokugeki no Soma.....so the main character is none other than Kirito/Soma or Kiroma if it were. Why? Ikki steals the badass swordplay, the occasional witty maxims, and the chick magnetism straight from Kirito. I couldnt give enough examples of that. He also steals the "ordinary guy becomes badass through lots of successes and failures and wants to earn recognition from Dad" straight from Yukihira Soma. So he's a perfect blend of the two. Why do I have a problem with this? The backstory is too bland. It's the overused tale of a man hated for his failures or ineptitude in a certain field. Although, it tries to reel me in to connect with him, the overused stereotype prevents me from doing so to the point where I am desensitized to care about it. Second problem I have, the overpowered cliche. Its fine to be overpowered, I dont care. However, you need to connect the audience to how he got there. Just simply glossing over the fact that he trained really hard is not gonna cut it. You need visual samples. You need to show the failures....the countless failures to actually begin a tie with the audience. Trying to weave a character such as this is ridiculously hard in 12 episodes. However, what separates Yukihira and Ikki in this category is the fact that Shokugeki no Soma actually showed how he got to that point. His failures. His progress. His breakthroughs. to the point where you can "feel" the character logic and understand and cheer him on. Thats the difference.

Stella Vermillion: Already, they stole the "Crimson Princess" title straight from Highschool DxD. In the first episode, they introduce her as a condescending Class A imitation of Nakiri Erina: again from Shokugeki no Soma. She comes from a higher lineage who has latent talent far greater than that of the main character and the rest of the academy (again, Shokugeki no Soma). Her barking attitude, her demand for respect all point her as a culprit of a snobby. spoiled childhood. however, at the end of the first episode....they COMPLETELY TURN TAILS! It was as if the production team were reading volume 1 of Shokugeki while producing the first episode and realized they were copying it and said, "Whoops, gotta do something different here." She completely loses her condescension even when addressing her rival, Ikki's sister, and the show expects us to believe that it was because of that fanservice mishap in the dorm room. Thats my biggest dislike of her character. Other than that, I think she's fine. Too much emphasis on the fanservice. A really, really rushed romance with the main character that recovered in the end.....reasons that you need to explore yourself cuz spoilers. Oh, and she wasnt turned into a supportive waifu material by the production team....which is good. I would've been pissed if she got weaker simply to illustrate the "white knight saving the damsel in distress" cliche, and I ain't even feminist.

Shizuku: Again, the production team came together and said, "Listen, we need more clickbait." To which one replied, "Let's put in a loli!" however, in this case there was not a unanimous agreement. They pondered, "We cant simply just put a loli in there for no reason." Then they came up with the brilliant solution: Incest ex machina! Yes, the family incest situation is back! I aint lying.....she literally is there for fanservice and incest. It's incredibly disappointing.

Nagi Arisun (Alice) The production team came together one more time to discuss the final main character. They posed the question, "Listen, we need to pander to a larger audience...most of the people who will watch this are males and otakus (an undefined gender)." Then one man raised his hand, "Let's put a gay guy in there for the homosexual demographic and political awareness!" Thus, Alice was born. As described in the character development, "A woman born inside a man's body." Thats literally how Alice described himself. Now do I have anything against gays? No! Of course not dude! I have a problem with introducing a character for political and gender clickbait and thats it. There was no character development which ticked me off even more.

Rest of the cast: extremely forgettable and hardly mentioned.

Overall: This was an extremely forgettable show. It was interesting, yet failed to stick out in any sort of way. The characters and art all blended in together with the faulty plot flow to form a uniform bland color....one not worth mentioning. Would I recommend this show to you? Nah. Its hardly worth watching. It was enjoyable, yet I cant find a justifiable reason to share it with anyone else. Its like recommending Pacific Rim for that scene where the robot drags the cargo freight through the city and bashes the monster over the head with it........oh and the sword too, that was cool. So, I hope you enjoyed this review. It was long, but I felt like I needed to explain why I had a problem with the characters in detail. So, have a good day! Cuz why not cheer up your mood when you read this depressing debacle?

Hmmmmm......Aldnoah. A story which is both comprised of an overused medium in anime and an old Latin phrase stating that the end justifies the means (correct me if I'm wrong). On the whole, Aldnoah.Zero is essentially little more than clickbait. The characters are shallow, if you can call them characters. The plot has nonsensical twists and turns. Also, the ending.....oh dear I don't want to discuss that (by the way, this review addresses both seasons). So, why the high rating? First, the rating is due mostly to one thing and one thing only, a J.J. Abrams style "mystery box." I will address that later. Other ... than that, the plot was enjoyable, but as a work this fails on multiple accounts.

Story (5/10) The premise: A civil war erupts between the two grinding class systems: the peaceful, defensive Terrans rushing to scramble war materials together against the bloodthirsty, cultist Versians; a Terran colony on Mars with superior technology left behind from an ancient race. Set in an alternate 2014, the aftereffects of the first Terran-Versian War still incur reeling effects for both societies: Mars is now more desperate than ever to acquire Earth as their territory due to squandered water supplies and starving masses, and Terrans are rushing to create Kataphrakts: mechas to counter the superior Versian fleet, now stranded in orbit over Earth due to the Moon-Vers "mass-relay" being destroyed in the past war. The plot progresses through the perspective of both sides: a young, Terran Kataphrakt trainee, Inaho Kaizuka, and a Terran subordinate to the Versian princess, Slaine Troyard. Both lives become intertwined when the silk-threaded cease-fire is shredded by the subsequent death of the peace-negotiating Versian princess within the first episode. Nice premise right! Well, kinda. Here's where it goes wrong. They fail on multiple accounts to properly set up the storyline. Why? The Terran-hating Versians aren't given a real, purposeful meaning behind their bloodlust other than greed and power. The Terrans don't really seem to give a damn about the Versians other than cowering in fear. As for a war depiction, there was no real setting for the environment. What I mean is the inevitable rationing; starving populus; injured/crowded hospitals; riots; martial law. Nothing. It just completely strays over this topic and hence fails to set the mood. On the Vers side, we see the exact same thing: no discussion of the populus, a dystopian-swayed happiness of the population to cheer on the war, no starving children, nothing. All we get from the Versians is the Royal family and part of the Versian fleet. That's as deep as the meaning of Vers will go. Quite frankly, it is a waste of a well-set premise.

Art (8/10) I had no real problem with the art. I liked it because it was a nice, crisp feel for the entire setting. However, it never really stood out. The only thing that stood out were the opening animations, especially with the pan-over of the battle-torn moon, and the pandering view of the gun cutting to the motto: Let justice be done, though the Heavens' Fall. That was awesome and very memorable, yet thats as deep and meaningful as the art style goes, which is quite a shame.

Sound (8/10) The sound was quite a refreshment from the atrocities committed within this series. The background music fit well in the transitions of scenes: fight sequences, emotional acts, etc. The openings and endings both had a certain characteristic to them as the openings directly "plunged" you into the heat of the battle and the endings "soothed" you out of the episode. Probably my favorite ending was "Aliez" which every Aldnoah.Zero fan knows by heart by now. This will probably be the highest rating I can give the show in terms of being unbiased, which I think many can agree with. If you find fault with the soundtrack, let me know on my profile, I'll readdress it and fix as necessary.

Character (3/10) *Pweh* *Spit* *cough* *hack* *vomit* Does that describe it in detail? If not I'll address each problem I have with it. The production company failed to address much of the war depiction. In fact, they failed to capture the entire war except the main characters. They hardly addressed the status of the war and its effects on the population, environment, morale, materials and resources, leaderships, nothing. If given a war, the above needs to be addressed. Because of this, the characters were severely underdeveloped. If the following conditions I listed above were the "story" of the battle, the characters lack the "history" or "background" to their portrayals. Subsequently, the voice actors/actresses had nothing to work with except a blank slate, essentially. Here, lets take the main characters.

Inaho Kaizuka, a robotic, duty-bound ex machina. If you would compare him to anyone, it would be Will Smith in After Earth. Both have a charismatic appeal, yet throw that away to play an emotionless, robotic role.

Slain Troyard, a vengeful, confused ex machina. Slaine is abused because of his class system yet pulls the "everyone falls under the wing of Big Brother" cliche straight from 1984 and Psycho-Pass. His character had potential as a rival antagonist, yet only served as an ex machina and plot progression.

Princess Asselyum, a peaceful royalty who serves only to be kidnapped and the critical love interest connecting all three protagonists. She never had much development because she 1. lacked the "history" as I mentioned before, and 2. was absent for most of the series.

The rest of the cast is super forgettable. The bloodthirstiness/ cultist Versians are half-fueled for pursuing their religion in taking Terra because the King literally has no viewpoint on the subject. The terrans simply cower in fear. The show fails to capture every single aspect in developing character. Look at Psycho-pass. They captured the character roles of everyone: from the populus to the MC's perfectly. This show tries to do both and fails to capture both miserably. They even dragged poor Roronoa Zoro into a badly, underdeveloped role. WHYYYYYY?!?!?!?!

Enjoyment (10/10) You probably double-taked when you saw the score didnt you? Yeah, I enjoyed it, alot. I hated the underdeveloped characters and the derailment of a plot; however, my attention was focused elsewhere: the J.J. Abrams academy of "mystery boxes" so to speak. If this doesnt make sense, think of Ryan Higa's videos......yeahhhhhh, you know where I'm going. I just want to say this, very few....I mean very few anime have an over-arching morale or theme. Whether it be One Piece, Psycho-Pass, or whatever.....these animes show a moral once, then its done. I mean, its hard to make a morale reoccur in a story more than once. Aldnoah Zero actually pulled this off not only once, but four times in their motto: Let Justice be Done, though the Heavens Fall. It reoccurs on a historical, mental, physical, and cultural aspect in this show....which quite frankly grabbed my attention. Let's explain. Heaven's Fall refers historically to the meteor shower which scarred the earth and killed millions...the effect of the mass relay going haywire and exploding most of the moon. This incident alone caused the Terrans fear and hatred towards the Versians, and vice versa. Thus, the cultural aspect applies how both cultures forge this idea of prevailing justice when all hell breaks loose; since both have a veritable reason for their ideas. Thus, Let Justice be Done, though the Heaven's Fall. Second, the physical aspect. The Earth is scarred by Heaven's Fall. When the Orbital Knights prepare a nuclear-beachhead Normandy act, it is shown as a Second Heaven's Fall....a nostalgia carving fear into the Terrans as they witness this act and reaffirming themselves to defend their beloved Terra. Third, mentality. As with the forged prevailing justice theme, most of the decisions made, aside from Kaizuka, is embracing this ideal. Self-sacrifice, for the greater good cliches were utilized throughout the show, which they did over-abundantly and made me consider the fact that these were brain-washed sheep duking it out instead of humans. Then it made me consider the fact that essentially it was. Heaven's Fall not only scarred Terra but humanity itself: creating a religion known as vengeful justice sweeping the minds of both the Versians and Terrans. The only non-applicants were Kaizuka and Asselyum, Asselyum only for the fact of the symbolic rebellion to the motto in the opening scene. Finally, the historical aspect. At the end of each show, it broadcasts this motto till the point you feel like an over-filled recycle bin. Each episode is set so that you can apply Let Justice be done though the Heavens fall as some sort of redeeming factor for the terrible plot decisions. So essentially, my favorite ex machina as of yet is "Let Justice be Done, though the Heavens' Fall." Although repetitively done, I love it....its rare to see such a recurring factor.

Overall (7/10) This should be a 4/10 if it werent for Let Justice Be Done, though the Heavens' Fall. So, production team, take note. Yes, you succeeded in creating a "good" piece of work. However, only because of that motto. The rest is left to the uncalibrated charisma, Zoro clickbait, and wide-spread commercialization for this crappy work. The characters were awful, lovable but awful. It pulled off the "Konoha Academy of underdeveloped side characters" to a greater extent....leaving two entire populations undeveloped instead of five ninja clans. It tried the Shamalayan influence of arrhythmic plot progression and robotic main characters. The show itself was poorly done. Did I enjoy it? Yes, I did. I was addicted to it and plan to rewatch it. Was it good? awwww helll noooo! I can list ten off the top of my head with Studio Ghibli grade performances. Would I recommend this show to you? Yeah....unfortunately. I loved the recurring morale, so I would point out this show solely of that. It gets an A+ on that. However, I would compensate my horrible recommendation with ten better shows. Bottom line: this is my opinion and my opinion only. I wrote this so that all the Aldnoah fans out there can come to terms with the fact that this show wasnt that good. As an Aldnoah fan, I can enjoy a crappy work of art, however, it would be sinful for me to be ignorant on why its bad and exclaim that this was the best thing ever. So there.......Aldnoah fans. Feel free to leave your comment on my profile for how you thought I was wrong. I dont mind. Just dont be like Double4anime and proclaim Naruto as the best anime ever. I wont accept that.

Wow, with all these impressive reviews how can I follow up? Well, I'll just add in a little personal experience here and there and spice it up a little to be a bit more interesting.
Psycho-pass is a phenom of psychological/dystopian anime. It delivers all that it promises in the synopsis and more. The character development, the soundtrack down to the minute detail, the plot progression. It was fantastic....at least the first season was. The second season was a tad of a derailment and many would agree. However, lets continue.

Story (8/10) The series is set in a dystopian future where a Hue coefficient determines the stability ... of the average psyche, whether they be mentally stable or no. Think of George Orwell's thought police brought to life; however, instead of hiding in an alcove of the apartment and scribbling in a black book, one follows the view of the enforcer of the thought police for their beloved "Big Brother," the Sybil System. Now, thinking a 1984 cop out would be bad, it actually delivers to the big screen a magnificent performance. Everything from the squabbles with the small-fish to the overall arc in catching the main protagonist: it delivered a Conan Doyle feel of progression "catching a small fish leading to a bigger fish cliche." So, it was an interesting, unrivaled premise in terms of psychological crime. However, the second season tries in its best efforts to match the superiority of the first; and fails absolutely miserably.

Art (10/10) Holy Hell was the style great. I mean, the futuristic tech looked fantastic and fit the "peaceful, yet dystopian" genre. The character sets all have a certain feel: none of them had a distinct anime cut-out. Oh, and the friggin gun, the Dominator! OHHHHHHH! hot damn that thing is crazy when it transforms. You will absolutely love the art style. A crisp, yet "something hidden under the surface" feel to the whole platter.

Sound (10/10) Before watching this anime, I recommend turning your subwoofer and sound bar to max bass. The Dominator shot reverberates around the entire room, its freakin incredible the level of bass that is. The scenes all follow up with a fast-paced bgm tempo. The fight scenes have an incredible overlay with an equally fantastic soundtrack. Bottom line: the sound was fantastic. Oh, lets not forget the legendary openings by the one and only Ling Tosite Shigure, the same who did the first Tokyo Ghoul opening! That was enticing, but I believe what stole the show were the endings by Egoist...now those were something quite fitting for the show as a whole for both seasons.

Character (10/10) Again, it is hard to develop a character well in any anime as it takes a lot of screen time, but Psychopass delivers an impactful performance. What do I mean by impactful? All of the characters directly correlate with the plot flow. The mass populus and Akane's friends swayed into the dystopian happiness. The vagrants and pedophiles fed up with their locked away mentality. The Enforcers....each of their personalities all add up to a symbiotic relationship with the story and comes back full circle. However, I will say this. no spoilers. I was very disappointed with the lead's character portrayal in the end....what i mean is, she broke her character bounds and did something completely out of character. It never really made any sense to me nor a lot of fans out there. Nevertheless, bravo performance.

Enjoyment (8/10) Why so low for an appraised show? I never really was into cop drama. However, I enjoyed the show which was completely beyond my taste and fashion. The show had a fantastic first season, but that was all for me, the first season. The rest of the show had no impact because the lead antagonist was gone. A sort of Moriarity style actor came into play, yet squelched like a flickering candle. Where this is no Moriarity, there is no Holmes. Where there is no Joker, there is no Batman. See where I am getting at?

Overall (9/10) This would be a 10/10 if it werent for a second season. The extended edition was fantastic, yet the second season sort of killed it for me. Also, what killed it was the out-of-character performance near the end of the first season. It almost took the "everyone falls under the face of Big Brother" cliche straight from George Orwell, which frankly pissed me off because of 1. thats been done, and 2. they broke out of character to follow the leads of plagiarism....which is stupid. But overall, a fantastic show which cannot be mentioned enough. If there was an epitome of character development, this show would be the face to portray it along side.

So, before you jump on my profile and write how conceited and fanboyish my score is, let me tell you this: I completely agree with you. Angel Beats! is a good anime; however, it is by far not the best. The only reason it is my all-time favorite is because I watched it at a critical moment in my life, and it has a very relatable story to my own. If I were to list a top ten of best animes I have seen, Angel Beats! would not be on there. Now, in this review I will address the following: why it is good, why ... it fails, and how it struck me. It's only fair to explain in full the reason I give it such an outstanding score. So let's start.

Oh, before we jump in let me fill you in on some interesting facts to truly appreciate this show. Originally, Maeda Jun slated the time slots to air the anime; however, he changed most of it before it aired because it was too underdeveloped leaving him to write the entire show in a few weeks. Second, Angel beats is not a manga. The show came first which is very rare and hard to pull off. The light novels I will address later. Third, the scores or "OST's" if you will, are all composed by Maeda Jun. The songs are co-composed by Lisa and company along with Maeda Jun. So, this was a hard feat to pull off. Nevertheless, the review.

Story (8/10) If it were not for a specific few elements, I would have to rate it a 6 at most. The beginning of the show unfolds as a "spice of life." Otonashi has awaken in "limbo," a place resembling a high school academy with no clues to his former past. There, he discovers a group of rebels known as the SSS, a misfit band of mischievous personalities who rebel against the school's nature. Their enemy: Tenshi, a mysterious, self-kept student president with powers to keep the rebellion in line. Though the beginning episodes attribute to the lighthearted, comedic environment of the happy-go-lucky crew; the show only ploys this as a farce to lead you into one of the most heart-felt, moral-based feel trains there is in anime. This sudden transition is why many praise it to be such a cult-classic.

Con: The plot is founded on a crumbling base for a premise: a highschool in the afterlife, an already contrived, overused setting. Although it is explained later on, a more reasonable setting would be a city or somewhere sociable (people who've watched it know what I'm talking about) instead of somewhere so constricted and confined. This setting alone limited the potential of the show to that of inside a box. Second, although the sudden hurried pace halfway through the show is forgivable, the plot holes it leaves is not. Here, we have a group who have been fighting a single enemy for years, yet have not found a way to beat her except until Otonashi ex Machina arrives. The bare mention of how things operate within limbo is vague at best. Given they needed to rush, the production team tried to race to the finish without covering the gaping holes left within the story. Throughout the episodes, you will continue asking yourself "how did this happen?" "What is this?" "HOWWWWW?!?!?!" and so forth.

How it struck me? If you are an organ donor or knew one, this show is a must for the relatable storyline. The moral focuses around the idea of second chance and the value of life as a whole, and this is a very beautiful construct to begin with. I, as a person, can relate to this show all to well. My work involves me interacting with the homeless on a daily basis in a foreign country. Some were there because of drugs and alcohol, most are there because of being thrown away by their families for having a handicap because the family honored the bushido culture and family name over their children who cant live up to it. So, I know all about unfair life. The organ donor part comes into play during my vast time spent volunteering at hospitals and interacting with the patients. Now, that was time well spent. Many of these patients see life as a fleeting subject, given that they are on their deathbed. As such, to leave a final impact on those around them, some offered the idea of organ donating: the act of a total stranger giving one's organs to a person who lost all hope because of a simple organ failure and slowly awaits death. I have seen the pre-op, and after effects and let me tell you that it will definitely change your view on life. This is why I honor this show so much. Yes it is bias, I am well aware sonny boy.

Art (10/10) This is going to be very biased. For its time, this was a crisp, state-of-the art way to portray characters. Each character sheds its own light and personality through the way they are drawn. The scenes are well transitioned and cut. However, there are some areas which do need improvement. Some scenes have too much glare (especially for Tenshi). Other scenes are too dark for some reason. If this were an unbiased view, it would be an 8/10. But I love the anime so its a 10.

Sound (10/10) This I can say for certain is unbiased. Everyone who knows their anime knows the angel beats score. Especially Lia's extraordinary opening. The scores again were written mostly by the author which is impressive. The large number of songs written could have been easily implemented within the show such as Alchemy, My Song, and Crow Song were. Take a look at the album Keep the Beats! and listen to them, all are very catchy and moody. I often find myself working online and listening to all the Ost's on youtube because of the nostalgia and simply because its uplifting. So, go ahead. Check them out!

Character (6/10) This is high even for being biased. Let me point out the good side. Here we have many characters who all have potential to exit the anime cut-out sequence. All have a lively, distinguished personality developed through the course of twelve episodes through art style alone. The main five are developed exceptionally well and you cannot help but become overly attached to them. Where is the problem you might ask? Angel Beats pulls of the Konoha academy of underdeveloped side characters. What I mean is, Maeda Jun introduced a cast where he developed about 15% of and threw the rest of the way because of the limited amount of episodes, which is unfortunate. In the light novels, Heaven's Door, the prequel goes into each character fully, which I dont have a problem. However, on the anime alone, it was sad to see such a waste.

How it struck me? The protagonist Otonashi has a very similar life story to mine. I grew up loathing the world because I had no passion, yet I had a friend who always encouraged me and brightened my day. However, I didnt realize how important he was when he committed suicide, and I regret being such a deuschbag to this very day. Even so, he was interested in transplant surgery, just as a respectful observation. And, when I was volunteering at the hospital, a friend recommended this show to me, to which I cried like hell. Keep in mind, I had three previous friends who died and I didnt cry for at all, which even pisses me off further for being such scum. Currently, I watch the anime as an anniversary thing, and am going into pre-med to become a transplant surgeon.

Enjoyment (10/10) Again, this is entirely biased and relates to me and only me as for this opinion. I enjoyed it thoroughly because it came into my life during a very critical moment and may as well defined my life and change as a person. I never regret watching the anime even though its plot holes and underdevelopment is a frustration. But still, this was a relation I never saw coming nor expected in any anime.

Overall (10/10) I pointed out the wrong things with the anime. Even for all those Angel Beats! fans out there, this is a thing that should come to light. You can enjoy the series, but for newcomers to the series, be warned. Let me just tell you this beforehand. This is a feels train as everyone describes. Some may cry, others wont. Thats perfectly acceptable. However, I ask you to watch the show in relation of how it relates to you. It relays a perfectly, profound message overlooked by the desensitization of the media to the world populus today. It is a message that should be spread more often. Does this show earn the status of cult classic? I dont think so in my opinion. however, my personal life leads my thoughts about it in a completely different way. So, do enjoy! Please watch the show if you havent!

You know, to be honest, I stared at this blank slate of a review box trying to discern the best way to start this review. I mean, the first thing you see when you come across the review is the score and the profile picture. And, with all the positive reviews praising this shonen manga, I felt I had to present the other side, an argument forsook and abandoned by many Naruto fans. Now, keep in mind. I enjoyed the manga. The manga was good. The anime is different for a number of reasons, but in some cases I will address both as a whole ... and the problems I see in them. Also, do keep in mind this is my opinion, an opinion that goes against the Naruto fandom ship. So, if you hate me for it, that's completely understandable, just leave a comment explaining why.

Story (4/10) In a nutshell, Naruto has one of the most deus ex machina filled plots with a hearty helping of Christopher Nolan (aside from the HxH plagiarism, of course). A bad summary would entail the following: a masochistic, prepubescent ninja sets off on his grand quest to retrieve his beloved rival (whom he shared intimate kisses) and defeat all who oppose his dream: converting Konoha village to the Dattebayo! religion. Well, that really doesnt do the show justice, but the hilarity of it stems from how true it may seem. A young ninja named Naruto whose dream is to become Hokage through a number of deus ex machina and turning each and every villain into a contrived ally. Also, lets not leave out the fact that this is essentially a discount Hunter x Hunter. A young boy sets out to surpass his father (Gon/Killua - Naruto) goes through an intense physical exam (Hunter Exam/Chuunin Exam) where he meets the main antangonist (Hisoka/Oorchimaru) trains to become better while the other character (Sasuke/Kurapika) wants revenge on the extinction of his tribe (Scarlet tribe/ Sharigan clan) for the harvesting of their powers (that one guy with the sharigans in his arms/ everyone collecting the Scarlet eyes). Oh, lets not forget both eyes are special and red. Clearly not downright plagiarism right?

Art (7/10) The art style was very unique. Instead of switching to the crisp, overused layouts as is done today in most anime, Naruto delivers a more Edo-period type feel. For example, compare it to Toei Animation's One Piece and you will clearly see the difference. The series itself leads into a feel only known and beget to the series. Other than that, the fight scenes are well done, yet there are parts which seem a little choppy, mostly because of the feel aspect and not relying on super-crisp animation. Other than that, I love the animation.

Sound (8/10) This is an area of great controversy. The background music, fight music, emotional settings and light-hearted tones fit well within the series. I can definitely concur with that. However, some openings and endings did not fit the show at all, namely Blue Bird and "You are my FRIEND AH UGHGH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH" God, <sigh> did anyone else hate that one. Aside from that, the only other problem I have are the voice actors, namely Naruto himself. I usually dont agree with this subject but I sadly find the dubbed version to suit him better than the Japanese one. Not because of the voice alone. The actor/actress seems to fail to capture all that naruto stands for within the voice acting and intonation. Maybe, its because of the script and the use of certain japanese characters which dont fit but the voice actors are asked to improvise the script itself, .....so there. I'm an asshole Naruto fans....forgive me for having an opinion.

Character (4/10) Aside from a specific few, there is very very little character development for a show this long. The show and manga seem to address a huge cast of actors, which they subsequently throw away for the sake of plot progression. I would like to say it pulled of the "Angel Beats academy of unknown side characters" but Angel beats is phenomenal and Naruto is older.....hence naruto is to blame and is now the entitled founder of said academy. Look at Shikamaru, look at the rest of the teams. The only thing remediable is their powers, which already is over used and such forth. Remember Hinata's confession and how it was never addressed afterwards by any character in both the anime and manga? Yep, some good development we got here. Also, ughghgh.....Naruto and Sasuke. The whole thing is a sin. It's unbelievable, it goes against Naruto's dream fundamentally, and is essentially a discount Christopher Nolan. The only thing stopping it from being a full-on Christopher Nolan is a bookshelf and someone randomly yelling, "MUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRPH!" Good movie by the way, watch it if you haven't.

Enjoyment (3/10) This is actually going to be the shortest thing I will address because my view on this area is surprisingly popular. The anime is 3/10 because....fillers. By the time Luffy becomes the Pirate King, Naruto would become the filler king. The manga is a 5/10 for the above reasons only...thats about it.

Overall (5/10) In summary, this was a dreadful piece of work. Why? Three main reasons: unplanned, fanservice, and deus ex machinas all over the place. Naruto was not forethought. In the end battle alone, the main antagonist shifted three times!!!! That shouldnt happen. Even if everyone is yelling PLOT TWIST! Nonsense....it is a cop out ending in all respects to writing and literature works. Two. Fanservice. Naruto is surprisingly popular. I really don't understand why. Maybe because of its shonen serialization or its overhyped commercialization....either way its still sinful. The show still hasnt ended, yet the manga has ended over two years ago. The movie ended the manga at a good place, I will give it that. However, now I have to deal with another serialization about Boruto and Co. Freakin money and its crappy influence. Third, EX MACHINAS! This show literally couldnt put more deus ex machinas even if it tried. It's complete crap. The use of tropes and moral punchlines is all wrong. Every good well-developed villain becomes a side-character on the force of good after meeting Naruto. Its awful. Its a Christopher Nolan performance.......of cheesiness and cop out endings and fillers. Also, the fanbase against this argument is toxic. A perfect example is Double4anime. Just watch him on youtube and how butthurt he gets when someone despises his beloved Naruto. Bottom line, would I recommend this show? not the show but the manga, but then I will provide ten more that automatically beat it as an example of "here's anime done wrong, and here's ten done right." Phew, that was long. I apologized if I offended anyone with this long digression. If you like the show, thats perfectly ok. However, be aware of the wrong things with it and accept it instead of ignorantly covering your ears and hate spamming. Is my opinion right? No! Absolutely not. This is a biased opinion of everything wrong with Naruto. And although I tried to be impartial, it was still a partial review for which I duly apologize. So, if you feel butt hurt, read a positive review. There's literally thousands of 10/10 reviews out there. So there. I hope you enjoyed it!