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S2 spoilers will be marked, light S1 spoilers throughout.

The second season for Black Lagoon is an interesting follow-up on season 1 that keeps the shows characteristic grittiness and unfiltered nature. The show hones in a little more on specific characters; namely, Dutch and Benny take a backseat to make room for Balalaika, which was something that I enjoyed personally. Further, the stories that get told are a little more involved. Overall, I think that Black Lagoon S2 is as good as or better than the first.

Story: 7/10

I think that the transition from single-episode stories to multi-episode arcs allowed the writers to develop the situations ... that the characters experience a little more. Each job the Lagoon Company took in season 1 functioned more as exposition rather than as an actual plot, which gave the impression of the Lagoon Company being more of a true smuggler band that kind of just went with the money and didn't think too much about the morality of their actions. In season 2, you get to hear more about what the characters believe and think about the situations that they're put into.

Across the 12 episodes there are 3 story arcs that are told, split into 1-3, 4-6, and 7-12. Unfortunately, I think that the first is definitely the worst one out of all of them. The second one is alright, but the third is my favorite and functions kind of as a finale and gives some form of closure for the series, which is good. Outside of the spoiler section is that the entire first story arc is a rough watch and is very messed up, even in relation to the rest of the show. If you're not into that sort of thing (abuse, sex, etc), I wouldn't watch it, and there’s also a little bit of it in the third arc as well.

*** SEASON 2 SPOILERS START ***

I hate the fanservice that seemed to get included pretty ungracefully. As I previously mentioned, the first arc is messed up, big time; S2 literally opens with two child siblings kissing each other, like wtf. As that arc concludes, the reasons as to why so much gross stuff was happening makes sense and it just ends up being really sad (especially with Rock and the girl’s conversation at the end, it’s heartbreaking). But I opened the spoiler section talking about fanservice, and theoretically this shouldn’t be put in that category, because it’s clearly meant to be uncomfortable (at most points). What isn’t meant to be uncomfortable is the repeated and ubiquitous panty shots in the show, like what the actual f*** is going on bro. That counterfeit money girl gets done dirty so god damn much. And while I didn’t hate the overall story around the Japan arc, the schoolgirl being a yakuza boss was just cheap and trope-y and boring and cringe.

*** SEASON 2 SPOILERS OVER ***

Art: 4/10

The art in my opinion isn’t the greatest, but it isn’t the worst either. Compared to a lot of new stuff, it’s definitely below average in this department. However, it gets the job done. I mentioned this briefly in the spoiler section, but there seemed to be an uptick in the frequency of sexualizing shots, which I’m not really into. There’s a lot of passing scenes where you see a girl’s underwear, and each time it happened it made me question my life choices and desire to watch the show.

Sound: 7/10

As with season 1, the English VAs do a great job with the characters in this show, although there’s a part where Rock has to translate into Japanese and it’s the most horrendous Japanese I’ve ever heard, and I kind of love it. Balalaika and Revy in particular do a great job. The VAs for the kids in the first arc suck, big time, but VAs for kids never sound good in my opinion.

Characters: 8/10

This is a weird category for me to grade, because as a consequence of transitioning from an episodic-style show to an arc-style show, some of the characters got left behind. Dutch and Benny were never true main characters in season 1, but in this season they are even less involved. Balalaika gets much more focus throughout the entire runtime of the show and I love her character design so much. She doesn’t really get developed in any way, but she’s a consistent and ruthless villain that carefully walks the line between being evil and relatable. Revy and Rock have interesting developments, especially in the latter half of the show, but I think the majority of the things that I enjoy about the characters of Black Lagoon is their unique designs.

Overall: 6.5/10

The second season of Black Lagoon is definitely worth a watch if you enjoyed season 1, despite taking a slightly different angle with the story telling and structure of the show. Balalaika, Rock, and Revy are the stars of the show now, which was an interesting development that paid off well in my opinion. It’s still got that unfiltered, straight up offensive, and mean attitude mixed with ambiguous philosophical questions about the underprivileged in the world. Some of the fanservice and story beats are kind of trope-y and boring to me, but overall they are minor contributors. Decent anime.

Black Lagoon is a unique but dated show that tells the story of Rock, a Japanese office worker turned modern day pirate after coming into contact with a crew consisting of Dutch, Revy, and Benny. The show has a meandering sort of narrative, which follows the various jobs and contracts that the Lagoon fills. It definitely has Cowboy Bebop vibes, so if you're a fan of that show like me, you'll definitely find enjoyment here as well. As of writing this review however, I have only watched S1, not S2 or any of the OVAs, so I can't speak on the ending.

Story: 7/10

For shows ... like this, it is difficult to separate story from character. There's not much of an overarching plot in season 1, apart from seeing Rock become more of a member of the crew. However, various themes repeatedly show themselves throughout the mini stories told; namely, the effects of holding onto the past. Every character has some tragedy in their past, which is left vague for the vast majority of the cast (within S1 at least), but not in a way where it feels annoying that you don't know more. It feels like you get a better understanding of the characters as you continue to watch the show from small tidbits of information on their past, in the same way that you might incidentally find things out about a friend that doesn't really enjoy talking about it. Some viewers might find it frustrating, because it definitely makes the story much more slower paced.

I will say that the events sometimes are not well explained, at least not enough for me. It seems that there is a well-thought out explanation as to why the things are happening, but I just don't know it.

Art: 3/10

Honestly, the art is nothing to write home about for the old anime style, which I'm a slut for. The show gets the job done, and if you walk into the show expecting it to be a mediocre 90s-00s level of quality, you won't be disappointed. Nevertheless, the characters are expressive, the scenic shots are serviceable, and the action shots are passable, so it's not truly awful.

Sound: 8/10

I haven't watched the Japanese version of this show, and I don't think that you should either. I feel like the English VAs brought so much life to this show, and ultimately is the reason why I've continued to watch it. Most of the characters are complete caricatures of themselves, and the VAs do a great job of capturing it. I don't remember any of the music from the show, other than the opening and ending, which are both not good in my opinion.

Characters: 6/10

The characters shown in S1 are good, but not quite great yet. There's very little in the way of payoff, but as I mentioned it is a slow-paced show, so I wouldn't expect there to be great conclusions for these characters yet. The groundwork for some great characters is certainly there, but it depends both on their pasts and the ending of those characters, neither of which I have full knowledge of.

Regardless, in terms of likability the characters do a good job of making you sympathize and laugh with them. Revy in particular is a super memorable and fun character, although she repeatedly says things that are not 2022-friendly, like light racism and ableist stuff. It's not used flippantly and without reason, as Revy is shown to be a real b**** throughout the show, and the show itself acknowledges that it isn't right to be so rude. If you are very bothered by this stuff, then I guess don't watch the show, but I don't think that it will bother most viewers given the attitude of the character and the show in general.

Overall: strong 6/10, light 7/10

It's a fun watch, although a little slow at certain points. Episodes 9-10 are the best in my opinion.

Tekken: Bloodline is not the worst show ever made, but it isn't a particularly good show either. I think that if you aren't familiar with Tekken, then your enjoyment is going to be severely affected.

Story: 6/10

The story is pretty much Tekken 3, with some minor alterations to fit more to Tekken 7 and jam some more of the more popular characters into the plot. That being said, Tekken 3, and honestly all of the Mishima side of the Tekken story is pretty god damn generic. They basically all are bloodthirsty and have daddy issues. That's like, the story of every Tekken installment in a nutshell.

Art: ... 3/10

The art is not great. Not quite at the level of Berserk 2016, but kind of close, and you do not want to be getting compared to that level of garbage. Fortunately, it is definitely better than it could've been, and as a Tekken player, I loved the fight scenes because they were remarkably faithful to the movesets in-game. Those god damn triangle shadows though... the trailer doesn't do it justice, it just gets worse when you actually watch the show.

Sound: 4/10

The voice acting in Tekken: Bloodline is not great. It's not the worst, but it's not good. Heihachi's VA is goofy in both English and Japanese, but in kind of an endearing way. I think that Tekken: Bloodline is a show where the Japanese VAs just eek out the English ones, but not by much. I don't remember any of the music in the show, so it probably wasn't that great, but it wasn't actively bad either.

Characters: 5/10

It's Tekken 3. The characters are all pretty one dimensional, and the short runtime makes things seem pretty rushed. The one character who is kind of interesting is Jin, but it's unfortunate that Jin is the most annoying piece of trash ever thought up. Stupid haircut, edgy as hell, but still portrayed as a good guy with demons (literally). Ugh. Get me away from him please.

The rest of the cast is decent enough that I'm not annoyed when they're on screen. And Jin isn't really *THAT* bad, I'm kind of biased.

Overall: 4/10

Tekken: Bloodline is better than I expected it'd be, which isn't saying much. Similarly, the show isn't really much to write home about. If you're interested in Tekken lore, or if you play Tekken, then I think that this show is definitely worth your time, since it's a measly 6 episodes. However, if you aren't interested in Tekken then you're probably not going to enjoy the show much at all.

In the post-Arcane world, nothing is certain. Tekken: Bloodline was not the worst show ever made, and Cyberpunk: Edgerunners was... uhh... actually pretty good.

Story: 8/10

The story is serviceable. It's not going to blow your socks off or anything, however (as a whore for tragedy) I do enjoy the way that they don't shy from including more messed up events. Night City is an absolutely brutal setting, and it's sold well here in the story by its themes and story beats. Speaking of the setting, it's conveyed in just about every way. Through the characters, the art, the voice acting, and definitely the writing

I'll always praise ... a show for having a short runtime, and Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is certainly worthy of praise in this regard. When you watch Edgerunners, you're getting the full story. There's no loose ends that leave you sitting around and confused if there's going to be a second season. I don't want to sit around watching countless episodes waiting for a show to get good, and Cyberpunk: Edgerunners shows you what it's about quickly. Perhaps a tad too quickly, as certain developments feel a little on the rushed side. It's not atrocious, but it's noticeable, and certainly negatively impacts the story.

Art: 8/10

The art in Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is surprisingly good. Night City is beautiful, vibrant and detailed. The fight scenes are fast, gory, and brutal. The characters are expressive, unique and well-animated. There's a lot to praise in this department.

Sound: 9.5/10

"Sound" is probably one of the best parts of the show, meaning the music and voice acting. The music is great, the background is exciting and the more overt usages of musical themes are catchy and surprisingly fun to listen to on their own. Fight scenes are punchy and sound impactful, and the gunshots sound good.

The voice acting is a little bit of a mixed bag. I think this is definitely a show to watch in English rather than Japanese. One of my favorite aspects of the show is how well the setting is sold through the slang that the characters use. A lot of it is rehashed from Cyberpunk: 2077, but words like choom, chrome, 'Saka, sig, ICE, fixer, suits, BDs and the dozens of other words that are used in the show really make the setting feel just that much more alive. I love this, because I feel like this is almost never used to its full potential, but Edgerunners delivers. The only issue that I see is that some of the lines are delievered too quickly. I imagine the VAs had to speak their lines to the animation but the animation was too quick for them to fit in their lines naturally, so the gaps between sentences are cut short and it sounds unnatural at points.

I'd like to take a moment to acknowledge Rebecca's English VA, Alex Cazares, for doing a fantastic job. Also her design is just cool as f*** imo.

Characters: 7/10

The characters are fine, but the show's speed feels a tad too fast for the development of the characters. I love the designs for Rebecca, Lucy, Faraday, David, and the rest of the cast as well, but it all just seems just a little too rushed. None of the characters are unlikable however, and they all are sold pretty well all things considered.

Overall: 8/10

Cyberpunk: Edgreunners is a surprisingly competent show which deserves a watch. It's not something that you need to be familiar with the Cyberpunk setting to enjoy, and it really impressive at many points throughout the show. The only negative aspect is the speed at which the show resolves, which makes some story beats and character progressions feeling a little rushed and not really warranted. Great sound, art, setting, and capable story and characters makes this an easy 8/10.

Nichijou is so far from my typical taste in anime/shows/movies/media in general. Never the less, I very much enjoyed this series, and as of writing this is probably my most rewatched series ever. I have a soft spot for this anime, no question about it, but I think it earned that spot in my heart.

Story: 6/10

Pretty generic. There's pretty much no overarching story across the series, with the one exception being Nano's desire to be able to go to school and make friends. Once again, it's incredibly generic, but I found by the end I was actually somewhat touched by it. This is not ... the reason you watch the show, however...

Art: 9/10

The art direction in this is half the reason you watch it, as it is used to sell half the jokes. The jokes basically boil down to making things absurd, with it either being that the situation itself is absurd or the situation is really normal but the character's reactions are absurd.

Despite this, even though it follows this sort of "formula" for comedy, one of the strongest things about this show is how unpredictable it is. Each episode is something new, and it's always fun. Regardless, the art is ALWAYS there to match just how insane the situation is.

Sound: 8/10

The music in this anime is actually really good. The intense/dramatic music and the Helvetica Standard theme are still ones I get stuck in my head every now and then. Nvm the fact that the opening music is actually awesome. VAs are great across the board, but often times they get whiny, especially when Nano and Hakase are on the screen. I am not really into the 'moe' trope or whatever so it's just annoying to me and hurts my ears.

Characters: 8/10

All of the characters are quite simplistic and not very interesting upon close inspection. It's a weird way to start an 8/10 rating, yes. The reason why I rate it highly is because the show knows that the characters aren't that deep, so it doesn't waste your time with only looking at a handful. There are tons of characters in Nichijou and they all have unique traits, physical and behavioral. The characters are often just caricatures of tropes and memes, but you find yourself loving them as you watch the show more and more.

"enJoYmENt": 10/10

I wouldn't ever include this in a normal review, but for this one I have to make an exception because I feel like a review can't do it justice. This category is basically "objectively speaking, the show is alright, but I loved it". That's basically my perspective. There's a lot that I feel like can't be conveyed over a review. Watch the first episode or two, and if it's not for you then drop it.

Overall: 8/10

Fast paced, light-hearted, goofy, and ridiculously over-the-top in a surprisingly normal way. Nichijou strikes me as a love it or hate it sort of show. Worth a try, but don't try to force it. If you try a few episodes and can't get into it, then it's probably just not for you.

Non-spoiler review

I am writing this review as someone who hasn't read any of the Berserk manga. Pretty much all of my knowledge of the Berserk universe comes completely from this anime. My point is that as a standalone series, this anime is extremely capable despite being an origin story through and through.

Story: 9/10

The story of Berserk is a tragedy, and one which is quite brutal and uncensored. That is as far as I'll go with the spoilers, but I do think that it should be pointed out for viewers who don't like that kind of story. As a tragedy, however, it is well-written and gut-wrenching. ... I am an absolute whore for tragedy, so this up my alley 100%. The themes surrounding this show are beautifully woven together and lead to interesting and compelling story beats. Loyalty, camaraderie, love, and understanding yourself are some of the positive ones, whereas other more sinister themes of greed, deception, manipulation, and betrayal are tied into it as well.

From a story perspective, my only complaint is that of pacing. There are some portions of this show where the main plot seems to slow significantly, and others where things happen super quickly. However, it is definitely not the worst case I've seen, and really this is just a minor criticism. At the end of the day, there is nothing that I would change about the writing in this show, which should give you an idea of the high regard where I hold the series.

Art: 9/10

The art is among my favorite in animation. There are so many striking and beautiful scenes that just blow my mind. I will proudly acknowledge my soft spot for old school animation, so take my opinions with a grain of salt. If I were just ranking for myself, I would rate it a 10. However, something that I think many viewers may find annoying is the frequency of 'implied' fighting. Very often a freeze frame will be shown along with a lot of yelling and sword clashing noises. I don't mind this style at all, but I've spoken to people who have complained about it.

Sound: 7/10

The voice acting is fine, I guess. It's serviceable despite being a little goofy at times. The intro song is perhaps one of the worst songs every made. Seriously, they must've hired 15 scientists full time for 3 years to meticulously design the worst song ever made. I think they were trying to replicate the 90s sound in America but it just ends up being awful and honestly kind of funny. The lyrics are all completely mispronounced and they don't even make sense.

Characters: 10/10

The characters are the best part of the show, although for me it's hard to decide if it's the characters that are amazing or if it's the story. Nevertheless, the two are kind of intertwined in a way that make them inseparable, which is to say that they're both superb. The two main characters are without a doubt Guts and Griffith, and the two have immense character development throughout the show despite how short it really is. Seeing the two develop in their own ways while also affecting the other is one of the best parts of the show.

It would be criminal to not mention Casca, who isn't as central to the plot as Guts and Griffith, but is still a very well-written and developed character. Frequently women are either portrayed as wholesome and cute or mean and badass. Casca bridges the gap as a badass wholesome character in a way that I think is not super common. Watching her attitude towards Guts and Griffith shift is an important sideplot to the show and adds a lot.

Overall: 9/10

Great story and characters, striking and memorable visuals, and a truly abysmal intro theme. While some viewers might find the story slow-paced at certain points or be disappointed by relatively frequent freeze-frames in fights, the positives strongly outweigh the negatives. Berserk is a must-watch.

Akudama Drive is an interesting anime to judge. For context, A few days before writing this review I finished Psycho-Pass, and this was another anime which was recommended for me to watch. Despite giving this a 5, I think it's important to note that when I give something a 5/10, it means that it is average. It's not a condemnation in any way, and I think that Akudama Drive certainly has moments where it feels much better than a 5/10.... however, it is held back by some glaring issues.

Story: 3/10

It pains me to do this, but I think the story is flawed in a way ... that was completely avoidable. The premise of the show is that these highly dangerous criminals are brought together by a mysterious talking black robot cat to secure the goods inside of a vault being transported between two cities: Kanto and Kansai. The characters are from Kansai, and within Kansai Kanto seems to be revered and idolized by the people there, however no one is allowed to go there for whatever reason.

Well, that's the plot for the first half, anyway. After about halfway through, the plot changes quite drastically and abruptly. It's not necessarily a bad premise, just very out of place when compared with the first half. I think I see what they were going for, but it's not communicated well and it'd be subtle enough that I'm not sure that it was necessarily intended.

The second part of the story starts out fine, but steadily devolves into something bloated, confusing, and totally off-theme with the rest of the story. Episode 11 in particular is such a disaster narratively, you'll see what I mean. Things just kind of start happening without any justification as to why.

In the beginning of this review I mentioned Psycho-Pass. I enjoyed Psycho-Pass more than this, however both of them fell into the same narrative problem. They had a grand reveal towards the end that wasn't satisfying, it just made me look at the screen and say "what the f*** is the point of this, I thought this was about a group of criminals"

Both of these stories aim way too big, and the ending is a let down because of it. It seems very common for anime to have this massive twist where everything gets turned on its head and the true nature of the world is revealed... but it is rarely done right in my opinion. If there's one good thing about Akudama Drive, they don't leave a possibility of another season. When you watch this, you are getting the full story.

Kansai is beautifully realized in Akudama Drive. and it feels like a believable and real place in a lot of ways. However, some of the themes feel forced and there's a lot of questions which feel like they'd be answered by the same phrase: "because that's just how it is"

Certain background characters react in very bizarre ways when something happens, especially towards the end. I am doing my best to avoid spoilers in this review, so I can't really talk about what it is that feels out of character. Unfortunately, these moments feel forced so that the show can push some sort of central theme and message, but because the action feels out of character and stupid it has the opposite effect... the themes fall on their faces in these moments.

Art: 8/10

The animation and art is beautiful, the characters are all so expressive and the environments are detailed to really flesh out the scene. The anime has certain stylistic choices that I really enjoyed, albeit minor additions. For example, when a scene changes, it'd frequently drop setpieces and the background onto the screen in layers before beginning the scene. It's hard to describe, and yes it is a small addition, but it's a cool way to transition scenes that I haven't really seen before.

I did watch on Hulu, and unfortunately there is a lot of censorship in terms of blood and gore, which is quite ungracefully covered up by large black shadows. It makes me wonder because there are quite a few moments where blood and stuff isn't censored, so when these black shadowy parts came I was confused whether or not someone actually got hurt or not. The anime's art is beautiful regardless, and for me it doesn't detract from the experience much.

Apart from that, the fights are fast, fun, and engaging.

Sound: 5/10

The sound is a weird topic to discuss... the music is cool and fun, however my god some of the voice actors are so annoying. I watched the dubbed and subbed version throughout my way through and the amount of nondescript, high-pitched, emotionless anime shrieking was annoying to say the least. Any time there is a little girl on the screen, if she speaks you are in for a world of hurt. It's cringe and made it hard to watch. The main character suffers from that as well to a certain degree, but not as bad thankfully. All of the characters do have very distinct voices however, which is fitting due to their diverse traits.

Characters: 5/10

The characters in the anime are basically all able to be understood from the beginning of the show. Courier is a moody but attractive guy, Brawler is a super strong oaf, Doctor's a sultry and selfish woman etc etc. None of these characters really have any development outside of the main character, Ordinary/Swindler. It's fine that way I suppose, and the focus of the show is definitely on its themes rather than the characters, which is fine. The anime is already too bloated in my opinion, so trying to cram development for each character would be ridiculous. The only issue I have is that certain ones are just annoying. Namely, I found Cutthroat to be frustratingly boring. He's essentially a psychopathic murderer obsessed with blood and the color red, and whenever he sees something red you have to endure him freaking out and just repeating "Red" over and over again. I think it's meant to be funny, in the way that Brawler's relationship with Hoodlum is, but it just falls flat for me. Additionally, there's a character introduced halfway which got very annoying towards the end.

Overall: 5/10

Akudama Drive had moments where I really enjoyed following the motley crew of super-badass criminals. I would say that the story loses steam towards the end, but I don't think that's quite it... I think Akudama Drive has the opposite problem, where the writers planned a story too big for a 12 part series to tell. Because of this, characters frequently act in ways that don't fit their traits, story beats aren't properly explained, and you're left with a general feeling of "what the f***"... and not in a good way. On the bright side, the show has a great art style and fun-to-watch fights, so I think there is still enjoyment to be found here.

Obviously this can not really be enjoyed unless if you've first watched the series. The end of Neon Genesis Evangelion (the show) was not the greatest ending in all of storytelling. It wasn't something that I hated as much as everyone else seemed to, but it definitely left a lot more questions than answers. Mainly, "WHAT THE F*** DID I JUST WATCH?" In a lot of ways, it's up to your interpretation, but its so vague that it's hard to have any conclusions about the show.

The End of Evangelion provides an ending just vague enough to stick with you and make you keep thinking about ... it while being just specific enough to still be satisfying. As of the time of writing this review, this is the only release which I have given a 10. It's not perfect, but I'd be hard-pressed to think of anything else which had such a profound impact on me.

Story: 8/10

It's kind of a mess, but a lot less so than the story shown in the final two episodes of the series. It's not messy in the sense of there being plot holes, but rather things can be inadequately explained and glossed over a lot of the time, which can leave you confused. I appreciate this in some way, because it made me think about it a lot while I was watching it and after, while also encouraging me to rewatch it. I'd say the story is unique but probably the weakest part of the piece. The Adam/Eve/Angel/EVA/Mom connection is at the very least communicated very poorly.

Art: 10/10

The art in this anime is gorgeous. Asuka's fight with the bird EVA's, the beach scene, the THIRD IMPACT???? Some of these moments are so beautifully drawn and staged that I have to assume they'll stick with me for the rest of my life.

Sound: 9/10

Komm, Susser Tod during the Third Impact is such a weird choice of song for an event so horrific, but it fits in a way I don't think any other song could. That's how I feel about the music in this, a lot of the time it just doesn't really fit the scene, but it's so far from being what you expect it becomes something that is just itself, and you wouldn't want it to be shown with any other music.

Characters: 10/10

I could write forever about Shinji, Asuka, and Misato, but I don't have the time nor the will to do so. The show deals with themes of loneliness, and shows how unique all of the approaches can be to deal with the loneliness. It's something I see the show get mocked for a lot, however I feel like everyone has probably felt like these characters at one point in their life. As someone who has dealt with their fair share of mental health issues, it's all too real. I can see myself in each one of these characters, and it's a depressing sort of experience to watch these characters be themselves. I think that that really shows how well these characters are written.

The anime also does not shy away from portraying the characters as truly depraved and pitiful. While I don't think that anyone would stoop so low as some of these characters, it really shows the raw and frequently unsettling nature of mental illness. It's not picturesque or an aesthetic, it can lead to a lot of really messed up situations for yourself and others.

Setting and Theme: 9/10

The setting is quite generic for a mecha anime, but it's out of necessity given that it has so much to say in its themes surrounding interpersonal relationships rather than themes around society as a whole. The End of Evangelion explores loneliness, the weight of expectations, depression, finding meaning, maturity, love, and the mental and emotional effects of putting 13-year-olds behind a machine and forcing them to rip apart other living beings.

Overall: 10/10

The End of Evangelion is a masterpiece of an ending. It moved and affected me emotionally in a way that I don't think anything else has been able to. The characters are frighteningly human and similar to myself, the music is beautiful, the art is absolutely stunning... all the while the show explores themes which don't usually get a proper exploration of in a very honest and visceral way. Oh, and I guess the story is kind of a mess, but whatever.

Spoiler-free review:

If anyone comes across this, my main point in writing this is to document how I feel about the anime soon after watching it. As time passes, my opinion on these things tend to change and I may begin thinking something is better or worse than it actually was.

Story: 5/10

This is the weakest point of the show in my opinion. Grand reveals are supposed to be satisfying to an audience, and this story does not deliver on that for me in terms of the overarching plot. Both the ending and beginning are mediocre at best, making it somewhat hard to get into and somewhat ... disappointing to finish. Nether are BAD, and perhaps I tend to be more harsh on things like this than the average person, but the beginning starts slowly while the ending makes you watch and say to yourself, "why the f*** are they writing this into the story" The ending of season 1 has made me unexcited to begin season 2.

The show's story really begins on episode 7, and actually hooks you by episode 11. A bit of a fumbled start all things considered.

Art and Sound: 6/10

I didn't feel particularly strongly about the art style of this in either direction. I am not a fan of CGI animation, and this show does use it somewhat frequently for exposition shots usually. Most of the time the art captures the emotions on a character's face really well, whereas other times it feels like generic anime style. All of this applies to sound as well, except I really don't feel any type of way about that. Not once did I notice the music in this show, apart from a very annoying intro and outro.

Characters: 9/10

This is where I feel like the show really shines, and where I think the writers did a great job. The characters here feel like real people with real emotions, and they interact with each other in very believable ways. You have Akane and Ginoza who both have their own struggles and experiences which shape them into the characters that they become at the end. In contrast, you have characters like Masaoka and Kogami, who are stubborn old bastards who don't have the same degree of transformation that Akane experiences.

Not every character needs to have moments of immense character progression, sometimes showing a lack of progression is much more powerful. Psycho-Pass does this beautifully, and the way that the characters develop (or don't) at the end is great.

*** MAJOR SPOILERS ***

Particularly at the end of the anime, the scene at the end where Masaoka sacrifices himself for Ginoza was very powerful. Seeing it happen is already sad because of Ginoza's relationship with his father, but doubly so because you know in that moment that Ginoza has seen too much, and his Psycho-Pass will surely exceed the limit to being an Inspector rather than an Enforcer.

Secondly, the fact that Kogami actually kills Makishima at the end is very satisfying to me. I was worried that in order to push Akane's change as a character that she'd influence Kogami to have second thoughts and hesitate when killing him. I was glad to see Kogami's stubbornness and obsessive nature on full display there.

*** SPOILERS OVER ***

The way the characters get fleshed out to the audience has a pseudo-Cowboy Bebop approach where a lot of the background is hidden in episodic storytelling. As you watch the series, there's more context for why characters act the way they act, although this isn't done nearly as well as Cowboy Bebop.

Setting and Themes: 8/10

The setting of Psycho-Pass is definitely an interesting location, although I feel like it could be explored more. In some ways, it seems very generic, however the setting and the themes go hand in hand. At a certain moment in the show, one of the characters describes the city as somewhere between the locations described by George Orwell and William Gibson, which makes a lot of sense. The show references books to reinforce the themes of whatever is happening on the screen, be it Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus all the way to Richard Connell's Most Dangerous Game. There is a lot of symbolism in this regard which is quite overt and obvious in its usage, and yet it didn't bother me. I think the reason is that the characters are referencing it rather than it being something just for the watcher to pick up on.

In my opinion, a show like Ergo Proxy's style of symbolism was heavy-handed, exhausting, and fruitless. It felt like the writer's just wrote in a bunch of situations that were like old Greek myths, gave them the same name, and called it a day. That doesn't actually help me understand or get anything from the story, though. The characters aren't aware of these Greek myths, so they don't have any interesting dialogue... the idea just kind of sits there, as if the fact that the writer knew who Daedalus makes the story cerebral. Bit of a sidetrack, but that was really lame.

Meanwhile, in Psycho-Pass, the characters have questions to ask about the concept of free will, human nature, and happiness and they actively reference and discuss the symbolism in the show. None of the questions are extraordinarily profound philosophical realizations, but they get the job done, and it's a much more enjoyable experience for it.

Overall: 7/10

Psycho-Pass has a cast of amazing characters which feel almost pushed aside by an incredibly distracting, confusing, and poorly written pseudo-subplot. Had the show focused more on the themes and setting instead of this convoluted story, I think the show would have been much more enjoyable all-around. That being said, Psycho-Pass is a good show, and worth your time if you appreciate the genre.