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May 18, 2017
"Did I reach you? I hope I did."
I nearly skipped this gem just because of the music tag. Not really big into music anime but somehow the art dragged me into watching the first few episodes. First episode was an average episode with few interesting plot lines. But the second episode was the hook. Irony. The tag that made me nearly skip this anime was the one that kept me in it. The music, the music... THE MUSIC.. what can I say? It was just right down my taste. Never in my life did I thought of "oh hey let's listen to some classical
...
music" but this anime opened a new taste in music in me. And I'm grateful for that.
The first half and second half have clear differences with a very smooth pacing and objectives in mind. Some may say the pacing was slow and sometimes it felt that a point is being dragged out for long. As much as I understand where they are coming from, I feel that this series took the right amount of time to build up for the many impact full moments that is present. The inner monologues that the series loves to do felt right to display the conflicts that our characters are fighting with. Also, the conflicts dealt with are very realistic and people can very much relate to them. I happen to be one of them being able to relate to our main male protagonist.
The cast of characters in this show is pretty high. As a 22 episode anime, I think it did an excellent job portraying those characters. As most animes, not all the characters were fully fleshed out, and I didn't expect it to do so. The ones that mattered most were developed beautifully. Besides, nearly everyone's thought process were clear, motivations/purpose in tact and passion which shone through.
Sound is something that I will not even talk about since it is subjective. The main reason, however, that I will not dive deeper is because for me, it was perfect. I couldn't have asked for anything more.
Animation wise. Throughout the whole series, it was standard stuff from A-1 Pictures. It did have some drop from time to time, especially during the comedy segments, which I didn't find distracting but it wasn't great to say the least. Animation stood out where it counts. Those performances. I would have been really been disappointed if the animation was average in those moments, because of how beautiful the soundtracks are. But A-1 delivered, and they both complimented each other outstandingly.
By the end of the series, I was just left in awe, and honestly a bit (extremely) emotional. To compare, the 'feels' in this series (my opinion) surpasses the highly praised Clannad: After Story for one simple reason. I was just slightly more attached to the relationship our main characters shared than I was with Clannad. But the story is not about tragedy. It's about inspiration, passion, moving forward, family, friendship, helping each other (many more). It is about life and how hard it can be to carry on, but you still gotta do it. You still gotta live your life to your fullest.
"If you can't move with your hands then play with your feet! If you don't have enough fingers, then use your nose as well! Whether you're sad, you're a mess, or you've hit rock bottom, you still have to play! That's how people like us survive." - Kaori Miyazono.
Art 10/10.
Original, would be the word I would use to describe the type of art style in the anime. Personally I thought it was okay but it was fairly compatible with the show, it used a lot of vibrant colors which thoroughly emphasized a lighthearted mood.
Overall 10/10.
I really enjoyed this anime as a whole, it took a very clichéd plot, and with it’s added elements turned it into something original. And taking it’s genre’s into perspective, it really excels at each of them except the humor it could’ve been done a lot better. The jokes were poorly placed and overall just caused awkwardness. The anime is a real tearjerker it made me cry twice, and I pride myself in being a real macho person. But as far as masterpieces go, this definitely belongs in the best of the best. It’s an anime that I wished would never end, but nothing lasts forever, except true love.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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May 18, 2017
Story: 10
Art: 10
Sound: 10
Enjoyment: 10
Overall: 10
A quick overview: Koe no Katachi is a very well done film, although not without shortcomings, and which has dealt with (a) complex issue(s), and which leaves the viewer with questions but no easy conclusions. It is a powerful enough film to remember and ponder over, and people may draw different lessons, or perhaps none.
Pros: The sound and vision (KnK is top-notch Japanimation. I dare say that in some aspects, it is better than a Ghibli film). The ambient piano background music really matches with parts of the film, and the use of marimbas and even silence at the dramatic
...
climax worked out well. Shoko Nishimiya is adorable when she has that half-proud and half-shy face when she does ponytail. Cute, but elegantly done and not unpleasant. However, was this better than Tamako Loves Story - I cannot tell. There were recognizably magical rooftop sequences in Yamada's K-On! and at the classroom and school ground with Midori in Tamako Love Story. I am not sure whether KnK had such "magic" moment despite its very fluid art.
Voice actors have all done a great job. Saori Hayami, Yuki Aoi, Miyu Irino were expectedly good, and Kaneko Yuki (who played Midori in Tamako) was a great pick for Ueno, another difficult character.
Con: I feel that the original manga's theme was very challenging for a very young manga artist to deal with; I also felt that some themes weren't fully explored or developed properly. Besides the bullying/redemption theme, there is an attachment/detachment in relationship theme, and on top of that, a male-female friendship and romance theme. Those themes coexisted and had resonated against each other for sure, but it's not done in a well-calculated and clear-cut way. That was the main issue of the serial manga, and to explore those themes, the manga author had to involve the characters to comes to terms with each other in a slightly forced situation (like the movie club and the event of going to a theme park).
Although the story line of the movie club was completely cut and altered, the theme park sequence was saved for the film- which still felt forced. However, I felt that Reiko Yoshida has done a nearly perfect job with script-writing and editing the story to be able to fit in for a two hours film. My only grievance is that the reason behind Nishimiya's decision at the climax was not convincingly told (which was as in the manga- but the Manga fully told Shoko's mother's sufferings of being divorced because of her child's disabilities and sis Yuzuru's side story of being bullied because of the same reason- so there was a more natural reason why Shoko should have cumulative feeling of guilt that she was making other people involved with her unhappy [and not just that sense of guilt towards breaking up Shoya's relationship with others]). Viewers might be puzzled then why Shoko had to make that decision in the climax (as it was already not exactly written convincingly to start with in the original manga).
Final verdict: Having written down the cons, this is a very challenging work of art (yes, "art", which is not simple "entertainment"), and it did choke my heart at several moments. This won't be everyone's favorite, as it deals with a serious and dark issue, and as it's not all straightforward (as in Tamako Love Story) - but it leaves viewers questioning about their own relationship with other people in the past and present.
Story 10/10:
We follow Ishida Shouya in his quest for redemption, because in his childhood he bullied a deaf girl, Nishimiya Shouko, then being he himself bullied. Many would say he does not deserve forgiveness, but yet, he is trying his best to make up for the time he ruined for Shouko. This journey is just so relatable and credible because ,just like live itself, it has its ups and downs, its happy moments and its sad moments.
Art: 10/10
- As expected from Kyoto Animation, it has one of the most vibrant and smoothest animation one could get. Comparing this to Tamako Love Story, the quality is about the same, if not better.
Sound:10/10
This movie knows how to keep your heart in your hand all the time.
I really enjoyed the voices of the characters, they really added to the personalities of the characters to make them feel individual and unique.
Overall:
This movie will take you through a ride of emotions, it tackles heavy and serious themes, so prepare yourself as this is not your cliche happy go lucky anime. But this is definitely something you should watch and I think you won't regret seeing it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Mar 6, 2017
Boku no Hero Academia is a good choice for you if youd enjoy a series that tackles heroism and the traits a person should have in order to be an admirable hero. However it's a bad choice if you're tired a lot of the generic aspects of anime that are set in a school setting with a team of kids that train to become heroes and save the world for onesidedly evil characters. It's also a bad choice if you're tired of the bland shy bullied but selfless main character, who behaves like most average shounen protagonists, who start off as weak or incompetent, and
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steadily but surely grow strong as the series moves forward.
The story is something that was done a lot, or rather, the "kid wants to become the best at x but he's not good at it" aspect. Deku wants to become a superhero in a society where 80% of people have superpowers and he doesn't have any. But the manner through which the story executes its narrative and the character arcs of Deku are just well written, and despite using everything that is to be expected in this type of story, it's done in a way that presents most aspects in a really strong way. ..................
For instance, Deku is indeed the "IF I TRY HARD ENOUGH, I CAN DO IT!" character, he's got that attitude. However, the story starts from the point where Deku almost gives up on that view of himself, portraying a chain of events where he has to wake up to reailty. But even when he accepts it, he finds that when someone was in danger, he couldn't just sit around and he had to try to do something to help. And he doesn't generically get powers out of nowhere in this scenario, like some might expect. He is seen as a hindrance and pretty much suicidal for doing something like this. But this whole scenario and everything that led up to it show what type of person he is. He is someone who couldn't become what he aspired because he simply was unlucky, that dreamt of it all along, and was shown the reality of it. And then this course of action leads us as to why he wanted to become what he became. It's because he wanted to make a difference, to help the people who needed help in those dire moments, as he admired people capable of doing so. And as a last attempt at denial, at denying the reality he's in, he tried to do what the people he admired thought they'd do, and tried to help and put himself in harm's way. From a psychological perspective, not a selfless act, but from a bystander's, it is definitely one.
What I'm saying by describing the character arc Deku went through is that the series has good character portrayal, and knows how to flesh out its characters. I could explain why the character arc of Deku is even better written than I've already given it credit for, but I'd rather not give away more things about the series than I did unless essential to my point. Anyway, after this short character arc, we fully understand Deku's goal and ambitions, because he was strongly portrayed.
However, while the series does have strong character portrayal, I can say that in this season at least, it had strong character portrayal for only 3 characters, those being the main character and two other characters strongly tied to his development. One character is the mentor (of course the shounen protagonist needed a mentor) who is a genuinely good rolemodel, who despite all odds, people have taken a liking to because of how good he was at his job, but he secretly was injured and he is now struggling to keep up everyone else's expectation. He acts out as a symbol of peace and his mere existence keeps people from going nuts and causing chaos around the world. And the other character is his rival (of course the shounen protagonist has a rival) who is a character that is the complete opposite of the protagonist. He's an angsty teen with a superiority complex that wants to become a hero to prove he is the best and that he can always win, who bullies the protagonist because he feels like he challenges his superiority. What Iparticularily enjoy of him is how threatened he feels just by Deku's existence, to the point where I'd even say it even seems like he's almost scared of Deku. What's interesting about this is that the person who's got the most inflated ego, to the point he thinks the world revolves around him, is scared of the person he sees as the lowest of the low, to the point where he can't help but react impulsively whenever Deku doesn't fit the narrative he has had given him. These three portrayals are strong and do wonders for the story.
However every other character is just... there, and otherwise, Deku is a generic shounen protagonist. He's a kid who wants to be the best, who's incredibly determined to do so, is an underdog, he's shy around girls because they're girls and other such tropes would also fit him well. The villains are the worst part since they were portrayed as... I wouldn't say cartoonish evil, but as people who simply do petty crimes or just want chaos because HAHAHA, EVERYONE IS A BUNCH OF SISSIES AND SINCE WE HAVE POWERS WE SHOULD ABUSE THEM! Other students don't really have anything yet given to them except everything they need at the surface level to work as characters, some powers and some personality traits. There's plenty of time to flesh them out, but how one dimensional the villains felt, and how much worse they made the last arc kinda worries me.
You see, while I think for the most part Boku no Hero Academia had a good story, I think the final arc of this season was what most people are genuinely worried with about this show. I won't give any details that are specific to give anything away, but the last arc merely repeated some of the same points the series has already expressed and featured some onedimensional villains. And the whole arc's point was just to say "this job is dangerous and now the kids know it. there is evil in this world." But the "evil" is almost saturday morning cartoon-ish in motivation and the only way the job would prove dangerous is there would be permanent consequences to the character's health or existence, such as death, loss of power or a crippling injury. Which I can't say whether or not happens, because not even I know for sure since it's not a point of focus, it's only a possibility. The arc didn't really try to even capitalize on its own message, it merely just wanted to bring all the characters from one point to the next with as minimal consequences as possible.
At best, I think it was an excuse to have a lot of action, since it had a lot of people in a lot of fights in a secluded area, except there's a lot of jobbers involved with a lot of people with superpowers just eating ass and easily losing, making them feel incompetent and making the confrontations onesided. Which is a somewhat worrysome area in Boku no Hero Academia, since the power gap kinda makes this a constant possibility, where D-Listing could constantly happen and fights feeling onesided. Which doesn't always happen in the series, it does have some good action bits that are entertaining and hype to see, with the best being a 2 on 2 exercise where the characters have to capture a location from the opposing team, where it featured some strategical thinking and tactics. But there's a lot of the bits that feel onesided, where, I get it, some of it has to be there, but you can tell me around 100-200 people with superpowers are just gonna be cannon foddering jobbers in an organized attack.
In terms of comedy, Boku no Hero Academia, didn't really humor me because I don't see a lot of comedy in it. I see the attempts of making some characters perverted or shy around women because they're attractive but really... that's comedy? While the world is nonsensical, I found a lot of the things that are supposed to be aiming this to be considered a comedy to just be tools to make the series lighthearted due to how serious it takes portraying its theme. In all honesty, I don't think there's anything really comedic about this show. I find it to be a really serious show, that tries to be as lighthearted as possible, this sometimes being in conflict with its themes. And I wouldn't call a show a comedy just because it's lighthearted. I'm just addressing this since MAL tagged it as such.
While I may have complained about the show's action in terms due to the power gap, the animation is smooth and everything looks good. The artstyle is fairly simplistic and colorful, but nonetheless looks vibrant, fitting the show's aimed energetic nature to pull in the right atmosphere. The soundtrack of the show is mostly atmospheric, with mostly orchestral music and some electronic music influences. It sounds good for the most part, but it isn't exactly my cup of tea, but it serves its purpose.
That's pretty much what Boku no Hero Academia is. A shounen about heroism. It doesn't really try to distance itself from the same archetypes a shounen has, and that might turn off some people, but it does a genuinely good job in what it portrays. If you're not interested in shounens and detest their tropes, steer clear of this anime. However if you do enjoy them, Boku no Hero Academia is a good shounen. I'd say its execution is definitely good for its target audience, and it's definitely above the average shounen, but it still has the shortcomings that come with it, and not a lot of things to differentiate it from the others, despite its overall strong writing. I enjoyed watching it, because I typically enjoy action shows that stick to their point, and Boku no Hero Academia did do that. I think people who enjoy shounens and well executed themes can enjoy this show, but if the flaws presented are a particular hurdle to you, they are definitely gonna be a detriment to your watching experience
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Feb 18, 2017
Nakajima Atsushi was expelled from the orphanage where he resided, without being explained why. Without prejudices, not even form of subsistence alone, Atsushi wanders dying and starving to save Dazai from drowning. The fateful encounter radically changes the life of the young homeless man, engulfing him in a fantastic and supernatural world.
The story revolves around a private detective agency, made up of researchers specializing in diverse areas and empowered to live up to its status. However, this narrative line is not the focal point of the story, serving only as a link to a main line: a relationship of the members with a Port Mafia.
Bungou
...
Stray Dogs gives the slayer a fun and interesting mix of drama, comedy, mystery and action. The concept of the series is quite interesting, even if it is something repetitive and much worked in the universe of Japanese animation, it manages to be pleasant and exploited from an unusual point of view within the context.
It is not a dramatic play at its core. There was a clear attempt to make it something more dramatic by highlighting the protagonist's squeamish past, however, the connection to that was not happy with the rest comic storyline. It's an entertaining series with a dose of mystery right for us to see without undue commitment. That is, although it is a work of demography within elements too strong emotional points of view, getting by the bloodiest look.
The demographics helped to reduce censorship, allowing the public to enjoy the full of beautiful battle choreography, shootings and murders. The Bones studio continues to do a good job, so in addition to the dazzling scenes, one of the strengths of the animation, maintained an average fluidity. Nothing is extraordinary from the technical point of view, however, nor can we point out blatant errors in this regard.
The photography and the plans of photos have great moments, especially in the climax of the episodes. Whether it was in the "liberation of power", in the battles or when solving some mystery, an animation could make us drool for more.
The character design was the best of the season. It is strong, with gaudy and striking nuclei that are distinguished from other productions. The visual is careful and a harmony achieved between animation, character drawing and acting voice is simply in the right measure.
The soundtrack varied between rhythms with jazz and electronic traits. It remained original in its production and not generally well placed. The opening and closing themes deserve special mention, being particularly very good.
As expectations for Bungou Stray Dogs appeared to be high. Like every piece of art, an attention and a critical eye on the same intensity, and the judgments overwhelm on all sides. Of course it is not an ideal work, let alone something representative of the genre. However, it can be regarded as a pleasant work of entertainment to watch any kind of expectation, for those who want to laugh while watching a universe shrouded in mystery with interesting characters and fantastic powers. In addition, this series is full of literary references (as characters represent an author and name of their powers over their respective literary works), so for any lover of literature, especially Japanese, or enjoyment is intensified.
However, for those looking for a more "dark" work from an emotional and narrative point of view, this will not be the best choice. It has drama, but poorly explored and above all poorly placed, so I suggest you not start Bungou Stray Dogs to desire a dramatic complexity of quality
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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