Back to WampaStompa's Profile WampaStompa's Profile

I waited a day since finishing this to let it all soak in, but I'm going to write a hopefully spoiler free review.


Story: 10/10 The story is much like the Hakone Ekiden, it gradually slopes up and crescendo's, then comes back down and finishes strong. Along the way are beautiful scenes and trying moments

Art: 8/10 This is the lowest scored portion for me. I just felt there were a few rough portions of animation, especially when animating a show about running.

Sound: 10/10 This to me is one of the strongest categories. The music is fantastic, but even the sound effects of them running are awesome!

Character: ... 10/10 This is the other strong category for me with this show. All of the characters are wonderfully fleshed out, just not the MC like some shows.

Enjoyment: 10/10 I had tears in my eyes watching the finale. Just a great show and I've actually started running because of it!

Overall: 10/10 Please, please, please do yourself a favor and watch this. I promise you you'll be better for it! One of my favorite anime's I've ever watched!

Just downright hilarious! I think Hinamatsuri's strongest points are the character's in this series and its writing. The characters are all somewhat opposites, so there interactions usually result in amusing dialog. Hina is very deadpan and lazy, Nitta is narcissistic with a soft side, and Anzu goes from hardheaded to incredibly sweet. Just honestly do yourself a favor and watch it!

If I had to pick one weak point, it's the story. The overall story is a little muddied and it can jump around a lot. I thought that we could use a little more backstory about the girls, and also that last episode of what's ... going on.

So what can I say that hasn't already been said? I'll try to list what I really liked about it and what I disliked.

Likes:

Art 9/10
I think the art and effects in this series are top notch. They look great and the action sequences are awesome! I love the coloring as well, every episode looks very vibrant.

Sound 9/10
Right from that first OP, you know you are in for a treat. Both the OP and ED are awesome, and the sound effects throughout make this a great catergory for DitF.

... Character 7/10
Its a 7/10 simply because of ZeroTwo. She's pretty much carrying everyone else in this series. IMO, all the other characters are pretty flat.

Dislikes:

Story 3/10
I'll try not to spoil, but this was my main gripe as I'm sure it was everyone elses. All the elements were there for a great ending and then they threw us out into left field and not for the better. Very disappointing.

I, being a husband and father, don't have a ton of time to binge watch. So me finishing this in less than a week might tell you how good this series is. I'll try my best to include why I liked it so much, but I could probably talk all day.

First off, the setting. I am a sucker for historical, and this is just that. I loved the way it handled the historical setting, mixing in a little fiction, but not so much that it's ridiculous. I also loved the actual historical facts that Manzou the Saw would sprinkle in.

Secondly, the music. From the first ... OP on Episode 1 you know that your ears are in for a treat. The music is just incredibly awesome and really helps set the tone.

Third, the characters. They are such extremes but they compliment each other so well. Mugen, full of fire. Jin, as calm as a mountain stream. Fuu, as lovely but airy as spring. It's great to see them all come together.

If I had to pick a weak spot, and it's not much of one, it'd be the art style. I get that it's supposed to be more graffiti like, but sometimes the faces just looked a little out there for me.

If I had to describe it in one word: Cool.

It's absolutely just one of the coolest anime's you'll ever watch. The settings, the characters, the music, the effects, it's all just so well done. I mean I don't even like jazz, but this got me to be like "Wow, jazz is actually pretty awesome!" Don't let that sentence fool you either, the soundtrack is a mix of genres, not just jazz.

There are so many things going on, but they are woven together beautifully. If I had to pick a favorite episode, it'd probably be Hard Luck Woman. Edward is my favorite character, and I ... really like Faye as well, so I love how the episode ties up some of those loose ends.

Please if you've never seen this anime, please check it out!

Hopefully you've read the original series before you read my review!

As far as a sequel goes, this wasn't my favorite. It's good, but I enjoyed Gunnm a lot only to be somewhat let down by this. A lot of those characters that you enjoyed in Gunnm are really no where to be found, replaced by characters that just didn't grab me as much. The story kind of drags in my opinion and that's probably why my enjoyment isn't as high with Last Order. Alita doesn't occupy as much as the spotlight, instead we have volumes dedicated to the past and other supporting character which just ... isn't as interesting to me.

Also, Kodansha if you read this, please publish this as a Hardcover with all the volumes included! The original series looked great in Hardcover, it was disappointing going from that to the omnibus paperback format.

A great read! I think my favorite thing about Gunnm is Alita herself. She's incredibly well written, she's fun, and you want to root for her. Of all the comics and manga I've read, she's probably my favorite female protagonist, and definitely in my Top 5 overall.

Between all the action, there are some pretty good life lessons, such as growing up, your first heartbreak, trusting your parental figures, dealing with loss, and remembering that your value isn't tied to what you've won and lost.

I bought the Hardcover additions that Kondansha is currently running, so if you are looking to get into this series, buy ... them. The paper is high quality in a big book!