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Sep 13, 2023
Plantes is a really hard series to review due to how far apart its highs and lows are. The first 14 episodes or so are fantastic. However, ep 15 and onwards has a dramatic crash in the quality of characters and episode structure. That being said, even with the very disappointing ending it's still a show that I keep thinking about for positive reasons.
What makes the first half of the show so great? The biggest strength of the first half was its character interactions. Each episode was stuffed full of fast-paced banter and discussion from a wide variety of characters, and it all worked
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extremely well. It led to episodes that could both be funny while still keeping the viewer emotionally invested in the serious problems each episode presented. Its very rare to find a show that does this better than Planates did.
Each episode also had a lot going on but never felt overwhelming. Instead many episodes had multiple, all equally interesting and engaging sub-plots that all softly intersected at some point. Each episode had at least some minor humor which worked well, but every episode was also fairly grounded and presented serious problems for either individuals or the entire crew.
The episodes also tied in nicely with the overarching story. At least for the first half, there was no clear end goal for the story, but rather it just followed the people in the debris sector doing their job as time moved on. This worked really well in my opinion.
The shows good character interactions were in large part due to the quality of characters. Each character was very memorable, both in design, personality, and goals. Each key character got at least some spotlight and it was consistently well done. The romance (in the first half) also worked pretty well. It is much better than most other similar dramas. They actually put a decent amount of focus on it in each episode. Because the show is a drama and not a romance I was very happy with how they handled the romance in the first half.
If the first half was so great, what went wrong in the second half? Well, pretty much everything.
Remember the banter that I said was so great? Well in the second half it's pretty much all gone. This is due to changes in the crew staff and in changes due to character development.
The biggest weakness of the second half was its character development. There were two types. The first were characters that had literally 0 development (or a very tiny amount). This was mostly secondary characters or characters who didn't really have much of a reason to change. This was fine. The 2nd type was characters who got significantly worse. The 3 in particular were Hoshino, Tanabe and Claire. All 3 of these characters went from enjoyable to borderline unbearable after episode 15.
Hoshino went from a good friend and co-worker to a self-obsessed egomaniac who cut off all contact with all his friends/family/girlfriend and told multiple people to their face to go fuck themselves basically when they tried to be friendly. He deluded himself for literally 0 good reason that everyone was a negative influence and became a massive dick because of it. This character development was pretty bad and unenjoyable, but the thing that made it really bad was that nobody cared. Even while being a dick to everyone, anytime anyone saw him they acted super happy and friendly with him. Nobody cared that he didn't talk to them for months. Nobody cared that he told everyone that he didn't need them and that they didn't mean anything to him. Very normal. Of course, he does a complete 180 at the end and changes completely because why not.
The biggest culprit of the blind Hoshino forgiveness train was definitely Tanabe. In the first 14 episodes, she was a normal character who was quite enjoyable and acted like a normal human. Then in episode 15 she becomes super cold and mean to Hoshino for basically no reason. After this episode, she becomes love-obsessed with Hoshino and basically doesn't care how poorly he treats her over a very long period of time because LOVE. He ditches multiple dates to run on his treadmill. He ignores the problems of the debris crew and starts to ignore Tanabe in their little time together. Then he ignores her for multiple months during his training, and once she finally does get in contact with him, he is a complete asshole to her? No problem. All of this and her respect and love for Hoshino doesn't drop one bit. Once he does his random little 180 they finally reunite and can be in love together. What a great ending to a great saga. Definitely felt very genuine and deserved...
Finally, there is Claire. They decided to push her to a bigger role in the 2nd half. I enjoyed her character in the first half so I was looking forward to it, but it was really bad. All she does is whine and complain. Anytime any character decides to try and be positive they get shut down by her and she makes them feel bad. I won't spoil what happens next, but if you follow the drop in writing quality and character development while watching the show then you could probably guess (I sure could even though I really hoped they wouldn't do it).
All 3 of these characters went from enjoyable to very unenjoyable.
The story overall was still pretty good. It had a nice realistic goal for some characters and progressed at a good pace. There were also some really good episodes still (the training/tryout episodes especially) but on average they were more boring and annoying.
Yet despite all this I still am thinking fondly about the show. I decided to write a review after all. Honestly, I'm not sure exactly how I should feel about this show overall.
Also worth noting the animation and music were both pretty good. The music was pretty solid and I enjoyed the animation a fair amount.
Overall I'd give the scores of:
ep 1-14:
9/10 characters
7/10 story
7/10 animation
6/10 music
10/10 enjoyment
9/10 overall
ep 15-26:
2/10 characters
8/10 story
7/10 animation
6/10 music
3/10 enjoyment
4/10 overall
Total:
6.5/10 overall (rounding down because its slightly closer to 6 than 7)
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Jun 18, 2023
My home hero is a fairly mediocre show, but despite its mediocrity I still found it to be consistently entertaining.
The good:
The first 75% of the story was well done in my opinion. It was entertaining and tense and had progression that felt natural. Despite the show being slightly slower paced due to its genre (compared to the constant action many shows bring) it was still constantly engaging and interesting.
I also think the characters were good overall. The characters felt consistent and acted in ways that you’d expect. The show also did a good job of showing different sides of most characters that needed it.
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Many of the characters acted extremely or had extreme thoughts, but it never felt unjustified or confusing based both on the characters personalities and the life or death scenario most of them were constantly facing throughout the show.
There were also no “bad” characters in the show. To me this is a huge plus, as in many shows, a cast of great characters can be dragged down by a few bad ones. This show thankfully doesn’t have this issue.
Another point that stems from the characters is I think that they did a good job with humor, or rather the lack of it. Many shows that attempt to be more serious greatly suffer when they try and force humor throughout the show. This show doesn’t have that problem at all, and it greatly improved my enjoyment.
Finally I also think they did a good job with the ending. I won’t spoil what happens but they managed to both finish off the core storyline while still leaving the potential for a sequel. I’d feel satisfied if a new season never comes out, and equally excited if one did.
The ok:
First the sound. Ultimately, the sound wasn’t memorable, neither in a good or bad way. It did its job.
Next the animation. I’d expect the animation to be a pretty criticized aspect for many people, either because they were fans of the manga and wanted a better adaptation, or because they thought it was too stiff. While I can acknowledge that the animation isn’t great, I still disagree with many of the criticisms as the animation didn’t hurt my enjoyment of the show at all. This is mostly for two reasons. One is simply that I think its fine. The character models are fine. The animation is consistent. It’s never so bad that its an eyesore to look at. The 2nd point is that a show like this doesn’t need good animation to be interesting. There is very little fighting or fast passed movement. Rather most of the tension is based on characters trying to find or hide evidence or trying to outsmart each other. You don’t need good animation for this kind of story to work well. Still, calling the animation anything better than just “ok” would be a lie.
Lastly, while I was giving the story praises above, I still think that its mostly mediocre. It’s true that I found it entertaining, and it was pretty well done but compared to other shows it doesn’t stand out. I’m glad that I watched it, but odds are I won’t think about this show again after finishing this review unless a sequel is announced. Don’t go into this show expecting a masterpiece.
The bad:
This show is pretty mediocre, but part of the reason that I’d still recommend it is because I don’t think there is much “bad” about the show. However there is one exception. I mentioned that I think both the first 3/4 and the ending of the show are good, but that leaves that tiny bit in between. While most of the content in those episodes was entertaining, the way the story progressed in the end really annoyed me.
I won’t spoil the specifics, but the progression of the story changed a bit in this section. Rather than feeling natural, the progression was led by unrealistic incompetence of others, and by extremely unlikely luck. I can even think of other ways they could have handled the progression and gotten the same result while feeling much better.
This same progression also allowed the show to avoid some major events and interactions from happening which was disappointing. I can understand why the author chose to avoid those events, but as a viewer it felt really sudden. It made the entire build up feel largely pointless.
Overall my home hero is a pretty flawed but entertaining show. If you want to watch something with a more serious tone, I’d recommend you give this a watch.
My final scores would be:
7/10 story
7/10 characters
5/10 animation
5/10 sound
7/10 enjoyment
6/10 overall
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Oct 25, 2022
Hanaotoko is a great manga that manages to successfully present more serious ideas in an enjoyably unserious way.
This manga is weird. The art is weird and the characters are weird. In fact, the only thing that isn't extremely weird is most of the story, which has more mature strokes about family, growth, and change. However, the weird presentation paired with a slightly more grounded direction combines to form a very enjoyable and unique reading experience that kept me smiling throughout.
The highlight is definitely character growth. Most of the story revolves around Shiego, and how he changes through different environments and new experiences. The
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growth is believable and very well-paced. It also ties in nicely with character interactions, which is another strong point. Every character is great in their own way and have relationships that are enjoyable to watch change over time.
If I had any complaints, it would be about the ending. It is also very weird, but even more so than the rest of the manga, and a little too weird for me. They also left a few interesting questions left unanswered which I wish got explored more. That being said, none of these complaints were big enough to greatly hinder my experience.
Overall, it is a fantastic manga. It is short, easy to read, very unique, and extremely enjoyable. I highly recommend you give it a chance.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Sep 26, 2022
Classroom of the elite 2 isn’t a show that will change your life, but it is a show that will provide a lot of entertainment if you approach it with the right mindset.
The thing about this show it feels like a very direct continuation of the first season. If you didn’t enjoy the first season, then this sequel will most likely not change your mind. However, if you enjoyed the first season, or haven’t watched it yet, I highly encourage you to give this a shot.
Your enjoyment of this show will drastically change on what you think about the character writing and direction.
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Almost every character has a manipulative and/or darker side. This leads to very different story then you will find in most school anime. Although some, there isn’t as much teamwork and friendly banter, but rather frequent backstabbing and high-stakes competition. There is a constant game of cat and mouse between the classes, with key members pushing the rules to their limits to gain an upper hand. Personally, I find the style of writing refreshing and very entertaining.
If I were to pick one part of the show that is the strongest overall, it would definitely be the soundtrack. The intro and outro are pretty good, but the best part by far is the in-episode music. It consistently adds emotion and excitement to key scenes and makes them significantly more entertaining. There is nothing bad to say about the soundtrack.
On the other hand, if I were to pick the most mediocre part of the show, it would be the animation. This doesn’t mean I think the animation is bad, in fact I think its pretty good, but its far from revolutionary. It doesn’t need to be, but it definitely isn’t the selling point of this show. Some of the earlier episodes had noticeably bad animation quality, but it improved fast enough to not be a serious issue.
This show is incredibly entertaining. However, you have to approach it with the right mindset. It (probably) won’t change your life or make you cry. It is a fast-paced show with a very overpowered main character who rarely shows any emotion. Even with the mc, the show still does a great job at making you guess how key events will turn out, and even if you can predict the end result, the question of “how?” keeps it enjoyable.
Overall, if you want to watch the next masterpiece, then don’t watch this show. However if you are looking for a “darker” show that provides heaps of entertainment without being too hard to watch, then I can’t recommend this series enough.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Sep 23, 2022
Despite really enjoying Shadows House season 1, I left season 2 feeling much more mixed about the series overall.
The Good:
I really enjoyed 3 of the 4 main characters (Kate, Emilico, and Shaun). They were entertaining and helped progress the story in meaningful ways.
The world that was built also has a lot of potential left. Exploring the mysteries of the shadow house is the best part of the series and this season doled out enough information to keep the mystery entertaining.
Most of the star-bearer and adult side characters are also strong. Some were more mediocre but for the most part they brought maturity which this series
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desperately lacked. The ending also helped flesh out these characters a lot.
I also think that the ending was very strong (spoilers about the ending in this paragraph). The last 2 episodes were definitely my favorite of the season. It deeply explored some of the side characters, taught us a lot more about the house and its past, and also set up the future of some main characters nicely with promotions. They were also the most entertaining episodes of the season. However, arguably the best thing gained from the ending was the introduction of Anthony. He is already one of my favorite characters with only a few appearances and will undoubtedly make season 3 a much better show.
The Ok:
The animation and soundtrack are both just ok. They get the job done, and aren’t very bad, but they don’t stand out compared to other shows.
Most of the child side characters and some star-bearers like Oliver are just ok. They aren’t objectively bad but are EXTREMELY one-dimensional. Personally, I don’t really enjoy them that much, but they don’t make the show worse.
The Bad:
Despite this show being listed as a senien, the writing felt like it was meant for 5-year-olds. Characters frequently need to state out loud what they are thinking or planning, even if it can be easily inferred by the audience. Character growth is arguably worse, with characters doing something wrong, thinking out loud what they are doing wrong, and what they need to fix before slowly fixing it over the course of an episode. This incredibly streamlined character growth was extremely boring, felt very unnatural, and really hurt my enjoyment.
There is also John (the 4th main character) and his changed usage. They decided to pin him on the comic relief role, which he really sucks at. He is loud = funny. He feels incredibly out of place around the other characters and actively makes the show worse during almost all of his appearances.
In fact, the show has a humor problem as a whole. The humor almost always falls incredibly flat, and they desperately tried to fit it in every crack far too often. It even interrupts more serious moments far too often which was extremely annoying.
Overall, the show is still ok, but much weaker writing hurt my enjoyment a lot.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Oct 24, 2021
Fena Pirate Princess is extremely mediocre. It has some positive attributes, such as its good animation and short watch time, but is dragged down by (mostly) awful characters and a (mostly) predictable story.
Animation- 8
The animation of this show is very smooth. I enjoyed the vibrant colors and the backgrounds were beautiful. There isn’t too much to say other than it is very good. It doesn’t stand out as one of the best, but it is very respectable and helped make the show more fun to watch.
Characters- 3.5
To me, the most important part of any show is the characters, and unfortunately, Fena: Pirate Princess falls
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way short.
First I want to talk about Abel, who was my favorite character by far. The show was at its best when he was on screen, and he was given a complete side story, which was pretty good overall. Sure his obsession was a little weird, but he was a serious character which alone makes him better than the rest of the cast. Unfortunately for Abel, he is the only good character in this show.
Then we have the “pirate” crew. I can group Tsubaki, The twins, Karin, and Makaba together. This is because they all have 3 things in common. They are extremely generic (and fill very common tropes). They are all extremely OP and would never lose a fight vs any “normal” trained soldier (which is also generic). The last thing is that they are all (mostly) used for comic relief, which consists of them being very loud, crying a lot, and overreacting to every little thing (which is once again very generic). If you enjoy this type of humor, you will probably enjoy this show more than I did, because I did not like it all.
Next we have Yukimaru and Shitan. Unlike the rest of the crew, I didn’t dislike these characters. I actually sorta liked Shitan and I would rank him as the 2nd best character of the show. He actually showed a little growth, had some backstory, and wasn’t used for comic relief. Then there’s Yukimaru who had potential but was really poorly written. Basically, the only thing he does is save Fena. Without him, Fena would be long dead so they had to add a character that would protect her constantly. He actually had some potential I think, but was just not a very enjoyable character.
Finally, there is the main character, Fena. Fena is good at 2 things, putting herself in danger, and getting saved by others. The only reason she is alive is because of plot armor. If you can’t tell, I really didn’t enjoy Fena. She had a lot of potential but instead, she was arguably the worst character in the show.
I didn’t even mention Grace O’Malley and her crew because they did very little for the story. I can’t even say anything about them, because we know nothing about them other than their crew is annoying and I’m glad they didn’t get more screen time.
Story- 4.5
The story wasn’t bad, but it was (mostly) extremely predictable and allowed for (mostly) no consequences to be suffered. It forced the characters to act unnaturally to progress and felt very forced. That being said the twist was fine, the ending was alright and it could have been a lot worse. Overall the story felt fairly average.
Also (minor spoilers), what happened to Kai (or whatever his name was). He doesn’t even have his name listed under characters, but the show set it up like he would have a big impact, and then never mentioned him again. That was odd…
Music- 4.5
A lot like the story, the music was fine. I didn’t like the intro and outro and the music used during important scenes was mostly alright. Some were pretty good, some were pretty bad but overall it was very mediocre.
Enjoyment- 5
I ended up watching it on 1.25x speed which definitely helped my enjoyment. It wasn’t very good, but it had some good moments, and Abel helped my enjoyment a lot.
Overall- 5
This show was fine. Honestly, if the type of comic relief I mentioned above is something you enjoy, I’d recommend this show as you will probably enjoy it. Otherwise, I’d say it’s something I’d only watch if I was extremely bored or had a lot of free time, however, I would recommend watching on 1.25x speed.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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