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Jan 2, 2024
Zom 100 has a lot going for it, especially in its premise and first three or so episodes. This anime has an absolutely stellar first episode in particular, but as I continued to watch the story unfold, and like a zombie left out in the sun for too long, I realized that things could only get worse from here.
Zom is a lot of style and very little substance. The animation, the choreography, the striking use of colorful paint in the place of zombie blood, everything on a visual level is just amazing. The opening song is an ABSOLUTE banger, and the both of the
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opening animations are just so fun to watch and listen to. Which is why it's so disappointing that I can't give this show a stronger recommend than I am. It's not a bad show at all, but I feel like Zom 100 definitely falls short of what it potentially could have been.
Zom 100's core message is that we all take life too seriously, and we need to stop waiting for "the day things finally get better for us" because that day will never come. It might come in the form of a zombie apocalypse, or something as quietly sinister as the slow passing of time, but for those of us with freedom and life, we owe ourselves the happiness we could have if we just lived life more fully. Our protagonist, Akira, realizes this too late as he seeks to live out the best life he possibly can now that there's a real sense of urgency in his life.
...And that's pretty much all there is to the message. It's safe and relatable, but the lack of nuance doesn't leave much room for further exploration. Characters and ideas are victim to this problem as well; things are either entirely good or evil, black and white. The villains of the show are made to be relatable but NOT very sympathetic, and as a result bad guys in Zom end up feeling like comic book villain stereotypes who are boring to watch.
This problem also extends to the main characters. All of whom, except for one at the start, are extremely good-natured people with very few negative characteristics if any. This isn't realistic and serves to make it hard to identify with these characters. There just isn't much depth to our cast of heroes, as fun as they are to watch. They also have relatively poor chemistry as most of them don't really open up to each other very much, however they've only just met so this is understandable to an extent.
The first season ends with a prolonged conflict, and without spoiling anything, I can promise you that you'll be rolling your eyes by the end of it. There's so much moral grandstanding and selfrightrousness written into these characters, it stops being belivable and just feels like a power fantasy cooked up by the author. I won't deny that there is a definite catharsis to it, but there's something so silly about how these later problems were handled that just doesn't sit right with me. Like I said, absolutely no room for exploration, all of life's problems wrapped up in a nice tidy package.
And speaking of catharsis, there's definitely a good sense of it in seeing these characters live out some of our dreams and fantasies, like the idea of quitting your dead-end job by kicking your zombified boss out of a tall building. But this thrill gets old pretty quickly, and it suddenly becomes apparent the the story isn't really sure where to take things from here. It wants to deliver these deep, thoughtful and incisive morals and lessons, but fails to consider that it needs a bit more than "society bad"
This is just season 1 so I'm hopeful this anime can get on its feet by then, but if nothing else Zom 100 is a very good anime to just turn your brain off to. Zom 100 feels shockingly fresh in a world full of zombie-related media and post-zombie media fatigue, but fails to do enough to capitalize on its core ideals.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Dec 2, 2023
You wouldn't know it just from looking at its traditional shonen artstyle, but there's actually a lot going on under the surface of Undead Unluck. After watching the first few episodes, I was prepared to write it off as a "fun popcorn anime", but after sticking with it for just a little longer (as well as consuming some minor spoilers for later on), I can say with certainty that it's worth the watch, and that season 1 is only the tip of the iceberg for what's to come.
Undead Unluck probably has the most explosive and action-packed first few episodes I've seen all year. No
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surprises that the animation is probably the biggest highlight of this show, thanks to David Productions who have worked on a number of high-profile shows including Jojo's. The action scenes are reason enough to give this show a shot, even if you don't care for the plot, like I didn't at first. The Opening song and video for S1 are also really really good, one of my favorite openings of the year for sure.
The abilities of Nullifiers, the guys with powers in this show, are flashy and interesting in typical shonen fashion, with particular detail given to Andy's power of "UNdead". He not only cannot be killed, but he can turn his body parts into projectiles, detach and use his head like a bomb, can use a katana he keeps sheathed in his back...it's all SO stupid that if you struggle to suspend your disbelief I completely understand. The bombastic over-the-top nature might be too much for some, but the upside is that if this is the kind of thing you're into, you're going to really enjoy it, and it'll be very obvious right away if this show is for you.
And speaking of shonen cliches, the other main character, Fuko, is a cute shortstack who has a pretty decent amount of fan-service, which I'll admit can be a perfectly valid criticism of this show if that's something that bothers you. However the reason for the, let's just say gratuity of the fan-service, is done intentionally for plot reasons. I'm not really trying to excuse it or anything, but given that this show is just barely grounded in reality as it is, I feel comfortable just letting it pass.
And for godsakes, have you even SEEN Andy? Dude is the most jacked guy on Earth and he's naked in almost every scene he's in. And yet, none of this bothers me at all because it's so fun to watch. I'd actually consider Undead to be decently progressive given that it's offering something to both sexes, very cool stuff.
Like I said, I started watching it with the expectation of minimal or bad story and very good action, but I eventually discovered that there's a lot about the world of Undead Unluck that is hidden from us at first, and it's genuinely pretty captivating. The urge to see how things got to the way they are, or to see what we haven't seen yet is perfectly good incentive to look forward to the next episode. And that's to say nothing of the character development. I'm only on ep 9 but I feel like we've already seen both Fuko and Andy develop as characters in some really satisfying ways.
If you're into crazy action shonen and you're looking for a fresh take on the genre, I cannot recommend Undead enough, and like I said earlier, it's only going to get better from here.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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May 9, 2023
I am astonished that Tengoku Daimakyou (or Heavenly Delusion) isn't getting more attention right now, it really goes to show how absolutely packed with high-quality anime this season has been. We've got My Star, Hell's Paradise, Mashle, lots of other great new shows, and then a ton of sequels for amazing anime like Vinland Saga and Demon Slayer, to name a few. It's no surprise that some shows got overshadowed in the wake of anime like these, and this is one of them.
The best way I can describe this anime so far, is that it's Promised Neverland S1 in the style of a Studio Gibli
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film, specifically the artstyle. The art and animation for this show is absolutely breathtaking. Action scenes often change framerates and feature interesting camera movements, which gives a great sense of impact to certain motions. Outside of the action, slower scenes with characters talking feature lots of really detailed animation for simple movements, such as a character laying down or shuffling around. Not to mention it (mostly) takes place in post-apocalyptic Japan, my absolute favorite visual aesthetic. Visuals are a 10/10 for sure.
The story is great so far, and that's largely due to the strong deliberate pacing of each episode. It's important that the world has a sense of mystery, but at the same time you don't want to give too much away, or leave the audience too confused by not revealing enough. Tengoku Daimakyou does a fantastic job of pacing the story just right and in a way that feels just right for the viewer. It carries the same sense of mystery that Promised Neverland does, great story-telling so far. It also helps tremendously that the two main characters we spend most of our time with have fantastic chemistry and feature great vocal performances.
The only reason I'm hesitant to give this anime a 10 is because I haven't read the manga and I don't know where the story is going. 3 episodes in, I consider what we've got here a total masterpiece, but much like how Promised Neverland was completely ruined by a bad ending/adaptation, I really don't want the same thing to happen to this series. I'm optimistic for the future of this show, but we'll have to wait and see. I'm giving this show a HARD recommendation, definitely keep an eye on this one.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Apr 20, 2023
I started watching this show with the expectation that it would be a dumb, good time, and even with those lowered expectations I still managed to be let down. Still, I did find some enjoyment here and there so it wasn't all bad.
The main thing that drew me to watch this was the main gimmick of the show: a deck of 52 playing cards, each one granting its user some kind of superpower. They play into this goofy premise a little bit, but honestly I really wanted them to lean much harder into the silliness. There's some visual symbolism involving the cards, one of
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the main areas is called "Fourland" (four card suits), and so on. I wanted them to go all-out with this gimmick, think Alice in Wonderland, or Deltarune. Something like that would have been fun.
A big issue with this show, in my opinion, lies with the protagonist. First of all, "Finn Oldman" is a terrible name, full stop. Second, he really doesn't bring much to the show in terms of personality or agency. He has a decent amount of character growth, sure, but there is very little reason to care about him as a person.
Around episode 8 we start getting more info about his tragic backstory. He was raised at an orphanage, "Sunny Fields", and his dream is to support it financially or something, I forget. This is a pretty lazy attempt to pull at the heartstrings, but what's even worse is that we barely get any insight into what this place really means to him, aside from some lines of dialogue from him. We never see him growing up, really interacting with people there, the first time we get a look at the place it gets burned down by a super villain 3 minutes later. You've given me, and the rest of the audience, no time at all to absorb this information and as a result I now don't care what happens to Finn anymore.
Finn's power is that...he gets a gun. That's it. Finn's card power is basically just Hol Horse from Jojo, which was widely considered to be one of the worst Stand abilities of that show. It's even acknowledged in the show that Finn's power sucks. However, Finn has great aim with said gun, and it's never explained if this is part of the power or if he just has plot-armor that allows him to always land his shots.
I'm actually okay with shows featuring a "weak" protagonist, I think you can tell some really interesting stories around people like this, but Finn just doesn't do much to affect the story going forward. It feels like everything happening around him doesn't really depend on him being or not being there, besides maybe the last episode.
Another thing that really bothered me was the season's main conflict involving Chris, one of Finn's friends (or colleges, as Chris would say). Spoilers ahead obviously. Chris obtains 4 cards and is planning on using them to save his sick sister's life in exchange for his own. Finn decides that this is unacceptable and does everything in his power to stop him. The show features characters agreeing with Finn's motives, even if it's not in the interest of the company he's working for.
This is just so stupid I can't begin to get into it. Frankly, I'm not rooting for Finn at this point. Chris loves his sister and would do anything to save her life, and he wants to make a noble sacrifice for her, the same way his father did for him. I actually view this as a heroic and selfless thing to do, and at this point I would encourage Chris to follow his heart.
Finn's goal to stop Chris comes from a place of selfishness, and this is never addressed by the show. The show expects us to be on Finn's side, but we just don't have a strong reason to be. Finn doesn't want to lose one of his only friends. I get that and all, but like I said earlier, I find it really hard to get invested when I don't really care about Finn all that much. And of course, Finn ends up getting rewarded by making the "right" choice in an ending twist that's so dumb I can't wait to forget about it.
All negativity aside, the show does have some fun moments. Some of the abilities are fun and clever, and there are decent episodes in here, such as the heist mission where they have to steal a card from a boat's auction. The animation is average, maybe slightly above average with some janky moments at times. The opening is fine and the ending song is actually a surprise banger.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Mar 27, 2023
Just a quick little review from me. Only watched a few eps of the OG Trigun so I consider myself pretty fresh to the series.
Stampede is overall perfectly watchable, especially for a 3D anime, but to me it just feels like so many missed opportunities. Some characters get introduced too quickly, others are used as comedic relief with mixed results, others are just bland and not very interesting. Generally I really like the direction and theming of the story, especially of the two main protags, Vash and his brother Nai, but the revealing of their past and of the world in general feels lopsided
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and tends more towards slow and drawn out storytelling rather than one that's engrossing and captivating.
Some notes: I don't see enough people talking about this, but the score for this show has been absolutely killer. Episode 4 in particular was a major standout to me. The OP and ED are good as well, nothing amazing but definitely cool for what they are. When that orchestra kicks into maximum overdrive you start to remember how high the production value on this show is.
The animation also generally looks pretty great for 3D anime. There are a couple of weird or surreal parts in slower scenes, but in general the action looks really nice in 3D. It strongly reminds me of the way Arksys animate their Guilty Gear games.
The characters are...fine? Vash and Nai are by far the most interesting characters because of the fact that they actually get something resembling a backstory, and the priest is also a compelling character as well for the same reason. Still, 3 characters I like isn't a lot, but it's enough to keep me sated for now.
Of course if you're someone that's been into Trigun since the start you're probably going to have a different take than me, and you're completely entitled to do so. As it is now with season 1 finished, I would recommend this show to anyone that has an interest in the Trigun IP already, but if this was just a completely new show without any prior development, I don't know if I'd be recommending it to people, at least not before some much better anime that do similar things and build on similar ideas.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Feb 28, 2023
Vinland Saga S2 is incredible, and I firmly believe that this show is required viewing by anyone who really wants to explore the emotional depth of what can be achieved through Japanese animation. Through all my time watching anime I've never quite seen a show that handles emotional drama, conflict, worldbuilding and character progression in the grounded and absolutely breathtaking way that Vinland Saga does.
Season 1 of Vinland Saga came out roughly three years ago. I remember watching it and enjoying it quite a bit. Going in, I had heard people liken it to shows like Berserk, so I was going in with high expectations.
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Thankfully those expectations were largely met, and while the action scenes were obviously a huge highlight, I was also surprised with just how much gravity the show treated serious subjects like war, destruction, colonization, and so on.
I was expecting more of the same with Season 2, and I would probably have been perfectly happy with that, but as you may or may not already know, Season 2 of this show is a pretty large departure narratively from what the show has been up until this point. Much of it takes place on a farm, instead of a series of battlefields around Europe like it did in season 1. This allows for the pace to slow down a bit and really focus on building up our main characters.
Vinland Saga season 2 has been absolutely incredible so far, and I feel very comfortable giving it a 10/10 without even seeing more than half of the episodes so far. Even if the second half is a complete disappointment (it won't be), what we've gotten so far is absolutely worth the price of admission. Studio Wit did the animation on season 1, and for season 2 Studio Mappa has taken up the mantle and injected a ridiculous amount of quality into what is already a really solid framework for an anime. It should already be obvious if you've seen any of their other shows lately, but Mappa has just absolutely been killing it lately. I can't fathom how anyone else is going to come close in the future. But I digress.
In essence, I think season 2 of this show is extremely good. But at the same time, I also can't really recommend it to everyone, at least not without a small disclaimer: If you have a short attention span, or if you are just watching for the combat sequences and nothing else, you're probably going to be disappointed. Look at any of the other reviews, it isn't too hard to find people who feel this way.
However, if you come in with an open mind like I did, you'll be seriously impressed with some of what this show has been able to deliver. Episode after episode is just, for lack of a better description, an emotional rollercoaster. I'll be the first to admit I do get teary-eyed occasionally to anime, but gods be damned if I wasn't ugly-crying for at least half the episodes I've seen so far. It's just seriously high-quality character progression, writing, messaging, and world-building. And of course, the animation and cinematography, both in and out of fight scenes, is nothing short of amazing. And that soundtrack and sound design, oh my goodness.
In season 1, Thorfinn started off as a character that we, the audience, felt sorry for. Then, as he found his footing as a warrior, we started to cheer him on, fight after fight. Thorfinn at the start of season 2 is almost unrecognizable from the person we watched in season 1. His story of revenge has basically concluded, and he now finds himself listless and unfeeling, unable to justify his existence. After all, Thorfinn's entire life up until now was all about getting revenge for his father's death, so with Askeladd gone now, what's left to do in this horribly depressing world Thorfinn finds himself in?
The world of Vinland Saga is often depicted as one of incredible beauty, while simultaneously showcasing the absolutely worst depths of humanity. The captivating thing about this however, is that the "bad guys" in Vinland Saga are all written so well, that even the most despicable ones have perfectly understandable motivations and justifications for the things that they do. In Vinland Saga, just like as was the case in real life, people are beaten to death by those with power, slaves are commonplace, and things show no signs of improving any time soon. But despite how dark humanity can be, that's no reason to give up.
One major theme of Vinland Saga season 2 that's really resonated with me is that of optimism. Thorfinn is now a slave. He's lost everything he ever cared about, as has Einer, a new slave that is assigned to work with Thorfinn. Both of these people have had, without spoiling too much, really really miserable lives. Thorfinn and Einer are both incredibly broken people for differing reasons, but instead of giving up and breaking down, they instead decide to continue, because what other choice is there?
Einer acts as the perfect foil to Thorfinn with his seemingly unending reservoir of optimism. To Thorfinn, his life is basically already over. He sees no real purpose to continue doing what he's doing out of anything more than habit. Einer, along with some other characters later on, acts as a secondary perspective so that Thorfinn can understand himself better, and try to overcome the many demons of his past. Also, it should be noted that Einer, as a character, is written fantastically. His inclusion is absolutely a positive one, and just like Thorfinn, he has A LOT of emotional depth as well.
So many things in this show are clear indications that the audience is meant to feel that things can truly get better. The conditions of Thorfinn and Einar's slavery is a good example of this. They actually are owned by a slavemaster, Ketil, who is apparently very kind and strangely humanitarian, who has offered them a potential way out of slavery when they are eventually able to finish work on his new wheat farm. There are many other moments similar to this which echo a similar theme, but I really don't want to spoil much else.
Another thing I really appreciate is that Vinland Saga appreciates the intelligence of the viewer. Many shows would take the easy route and show the slave masters as being evil and easily hateable, because after all, slavery is bad. Vinland Saga KNOWS that you know that slavery is bad, because you aren't stupid. Instead what it does is it presents you with different situations, many of which are loaded with moral ambiguity, and allows you to make your own honest assessment of how you feel. It's extremely refreshing to see a show with topic matter this heavy allow the viewers as much breathing room as it does. Some characters definitely skew harder towards "evil" than others, but it's done in such a way where you just understand why that is.
I see Vinland Saga season 2 as an amazing character study of what makes a person who they are. Everyone in this show is a product of their environment and upbringing, but simultaneously everyone also has motivations and interests unique to them, which furthers their growth as a person, much like how real life works. This show has very quickly become one of my new favorites, and I strongly recommend you all to give it a watch and see what you think.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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