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Oh jeez, someone that likes Penguindrum and Kekkai Sensen? That's freakin' awesome! So happy to have come across your profile, you have some fantastic taste! :D

Greetings Theleux, I am the Head Admin of a MAL Club called the Anime Guild.
Several years ago we use to do a Review Event in the club where a lot of reviewers would share their seasonal work together - https://myanimelist.net/forum/?topicid=1603444
There was a club that was created that geared more towards reviews so we discontinued the event but that club sadly died out. So we are considering bringing back the Review Event for the Winter 2022 season but that also requires there to be reviewers that want to participate. Our club also covers a lot of other aspects of the currently airing season every year as well which you can see here - https://myanimelist.net/forum/?topicid=1574211
So it might be worthwhile to consider joining our club. The way the submission process works is pretty simple, you post your reviews in the review hub as Spirit is doing right now, please do provide links to your reviews though so KAN knows its on MAL - https://myanimelist.net/forum/?topicid=2001365

I mean throwback moment ya.

Then make sure that you check the episode count is marked completed before you do so.

Oh man, that could've been a #tbt moment for you.

If you're looking to post reviews, post them after the final episode discussion goes live.

Nah, if you have to edit a review, you have to take the whole thing down, then republish the edit. So frustrating, but I understand why that works.

Yeah...it has problems that I noticed right after I posted the review. Should've held back, but if MAL doesn't give me a chance to edit the review after posting, then IDK what to do anymore.

Anyways, thanks!

Hello.

Thx for the request.

Cheers!

Hey Theleux. The new favorites layout is required to accommodate five favorite categories in the short term. Options for personalization are planned and the design will be fine-tuned with time. You can read more about this here: https://myanimelist.net/forum/?topicid=1976605

Hope this helps to understand the change a bit better now.

Thank you! I was a bit worried leading up to it, but I enjoyed my day :)

Sure. I think Babylon as a whole was excellent. It wasn't well-paced and it feels like content was left out because of time constraints, but overall I feel if I read the novels, it is probably one of the better shows to come out in 2019.

I think Babylon gets as much hate as it does because it baited and switched a lot of people. This show started out feeling like it was going to be the second coming of Monster. A dark mystery thriller in which the villain psychologically tortures and plays with the protagonist until the climax. However, that is not the case as this was always going to be a battle of ideologies (much like the author's other work -- the name escapes me but it got similar hate in 2017).

The main story is irrelevant. It is a plot device to force you to consider a question: What is justice/good? And the series spells this out for the viewers at multiple points.

Zen is a normal person that most people can identify with. He starts out the series as very close-minded with strong views on what it means to be just -- like most people (murder is bad, suicide is bad, torture is bad). The series spells out for that Zen is supposed to represent most of society. He devotes hours on end to fighting evil. And like most people, Zen is relatively sheltered in that he is surrounded by a society that agrees with his views and is unaware of the detrimental affects that such views have on others (his devotion to his job and catching Ai ultimately comes at the expense of his family).

Conversely, as a character in this story, Ai Magase makes no sense. She is not normal. She can make herself look like anyone and can cause people to commit suicide just by whispering as she passes by. What she considers good, most of society would condemn as evil.
But as a symbol for something else -- something evil, even forbidden -- she could not be more perfect. She is so utterly charming that she makes acts of unspeakable evil seem beautiful and sexy (I mean she dismembered a woman and rather than be shocked, I'm betting most people were excited. To pull that off both in animation and writing is incredible.). And she is incredibly charismatic that she steals every scene she is in. The author gives you just enough of her -- just a small taste in the right moments -- so she can steal every scene she is and makes you agonize in anticipation of the next time she will appear. You just want more. She is the forbidden fruit. (she is everywhere – great suspense for the viewer)

Throughout the series, Ai constantly challenges and plays with Zen in regard to his definition of justice. It begins in the interview room with Ai challenging Zen on his views that any act is objectively good or evil by pointing out exceptions where a bad act may otherwise be good (self-defense killing, suicide to save the life of another) etc . . . Zen is relatively unphased.
Ai then proceeds to flaunt her power at Zen by taking several of the people that he cares about from him. First, she causes his friend to kill himself. Then, she causes Zen's fellow interviewer to kill himself. Then innocent bystanders. Then half the police force. All throughout, Zen’s remains rigid in that she needs to be arrested and brought to justice.

Until, it happens. Ai finally breaks Zen by brutally murdering his assistant while Zen is completely powerless to watch (an important concept). Strangely enough, Ai tells Zen that she knows he will consider her opinion/question about what is truly good or evil.
It’s after this point that Zen – the character who is supposed to represent the concept of good in this series – begins to shift his stance. His motives change from capturing Ai and convicting her for murder to killing Ai because she is a threat to his concept of good (another important theme). Indeed, she is changing the world’s stance on what is good in regards to the suicide law. She is not just a threat to him, but to his entire society and way of life. Ironically enough, Zen’s stance on the meaning of justice changes from rigid black or white to defining justice as “continuously considering what the meaning of justice is."

The story shifts focus to the President of the United States – a person considered to be the most powerful individual on the planet as the leader of “free world.” The President is portrayed as an extremely learned individual that considers all views objectively. Again, the series spells this out for you by having him consider every source and ask for the opinions of multiple people. He is a relatively blank canvas. His morals are not as rigid as those of Zen, but he still has clear demarcations about what good and evil are, but they are much looser than those of someone like Zen. However, this also means that the President is also ambivalent as he can be swayed if the facts lead him to that conclusion.

The President makes two critical observations. The first observation is that he does not have to decide whether the suicide law is good – as the suicide summit can decide that (important theme). The second observation is that he concludes good simply means “to continue.” Notably, Zen reached the same conclusion. Their collective concept of good is “to continue.”
Ai ultimately tempts the President into committing suicide. As previously shown in the series, the President is a dead man walking as nothing will be able to stop him from committing suicide. Zen and the President are forced to make a choice that will have a tremendous impact on the society in which they live and themselves.

If Zen does not murder the President, then the suicide law will spread worldwide via a Presidential endorsement. Ai Magase will win.

If Zen murders the President, he will prevent the suicide law from overthrowing his concept of good in society. But to do so means he will commit act of evil. However, Ai still wins.

Zen and the President ultimately choose the latter to preserve their concept of what is good as the dominant force in society. And then, Ai appears and teases that Zen by saying “You’re sooooooooooo bad.” Having already given into the temptation to perform an act of evil for a reason he believed was good, Zen turns to the gun to Ai, but cannot fire. Likewise, Ai points her fingers in the shape of a gun at Zen. At this point, Ai has already won. She is talking to Zen meaning her power is in full effect. She had successfully tempted Zen into committing evil.

Ai asks Zen one last time, what is good and Zen responds by saying “To continue.” Notably Ai nods as if she is relieved he came to the correct answer. Ai then asks him what is evil? And Zen responds by saying To End.

Ai then lamentedly says to Zen “I’m sorry that’s” before we hear a shot go off. My guess without reading the LN is that Zen turned the gun on himself and killed him. Ai's apology suggests this.

The show makes clear, he who is in power often dictates what most of society deems good/evil and that is the true answer. The most powerful person in the series was Ai Magase. Notably ever act she made dictated society in this show

That’s what I believe Babylon was trying to illustrate with this story. It could have benefitted from being 24 episodes in my opinion, but the story accomplished what it set out to do if you were paying attention. Likewise, it’s rare for me to love one character from a series so much that they get into my top 5 of all time, but Ai Magase did it. She may be the greatest antagonist I have seen Johan Liebert in Monster. There are no flaws in her character or how she was used in this story. Truly marvelous.

Babylon's pacing issues are really the only thing stopping me from giving it a perfect score. I am sure if I just read the LN, I would give them a perfect score

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