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Aug 18, 2024
*No spoilers*
This review is for Season 1 of the Vinland Sage anime. It does not contain major spoilers, nor does it include information specific to the manga or Season 2.
Summary:
Vinland Saga’s first season was animated by WIT studios, bringing to life the story of a young Viking boy named Thorfinn. Season 1 has some interesting characters and a relatively basic plot, though it is more plot-driven than in Season 2. Some characters are well-written and developed, while some have asinine character arcs. Overall, the first season is an interesting one, though it does not shine as much as the next season due to its pacing,
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characters, and general storytelling.
Story: 7/10
Vinland Saga tells the story of Thorfinn, a young Viking boy, who is raised by a now pacifistic, former warrior. Thorfinn’s inquisitive and adventurous personality leads him on a dangerous expedition, leading to absolute devastation. The story incorporates themes of adventure, war, resilience, trauma, and honor. Unfortunately, some scenes focus more on the “tell by showing” technique, such as having over-the-top cheering for violence and war. Although the plot generally tracks Thorfinn, the story follows Vikings battling with Anglo-Saxons and Britons, raiding, and emphasizes the blood-thirsty love of battle. It mixes some historical events with blatantly fictional characters and abilities; this may be interesting to some, but this causes a dilemma with a strange power system: It is stuck between historical fiction and fantasy which do not bode well together. In many historical fiction stories, characters may be exaggerated abilities like being slightly stronger or faster than their foes, but this story takes this way too far. We open with Thorfinn’s dad obliterating everyone, while all the other soldiers are mostly useless. Then, we follow Thorfinn’s events with his pacifistic father risking everyone else’s life, only to be followed by a man eating a mushroom and gaining unhinged physical abilities. The story alternates between reasonable human versus human, medieval battles, and then downright fantastical sections that truly detract from the story. The Vikings are portrayed as barbaric and powerful, which may be somewhat accurate, historically, but it didn’t need to incorporate such palpably unrealistic powers. Why would a human be able to pick up and throw trees at incoming ships? Why would a historical warrior lift and use a massive tree trunk as a sword? The hilarity detracts from the sincerity of the characters’ struggles. This continues throughout the first season, with alternating battles, raids, pillaging, and then a few episodes of melodrama for a terribly written character to suddenly develop, which will be discussed in the corresponding section of this review. Overall, the storytelling in season 1 is slightly above average, as it does a wonderful job honing two characters: Thorfinn and Askeladd. When these two characters, and their internal struggles, are emphasized, the story is interesting, but the unrealistic absurdities in the plot do detract from the overall quality of the storytelling.
Art: 8/10
WIT Studios did an excellent job with the art in season 1. It’s fitting for the genre. There are some freeze-frame scenes that could have been animated, but the art is above-average, overall.
Music/Sound: 8/10
The music by Yutaka Yamada is wonderful, especially if you enjoy piano. There are times where the piano doesn’t pronounce the barbaric, Viking, medieval setting, but it is generally fitting. The voice acting, even in English, is great.
Characters: 6/10
The characters in season 1 are almost dichotomous: Some are very well written, while others are terrible. Our protagonist, Thorfinn is a typical young boy who makes a poor decision that impacts him for the rest of his life. He is written to be adventurous as a child, and it makes sense that his behavior leads to the events (no spoilers), although his father’s foolishness is a problem of its own. So, the main character broods and struggles with trauma and wanting revenge throughout the season, which is fitting. The event at the very end (no spoilers) is the perfect setup for his internal conflict in the next season, and this is one of the best pieces of writing in all of season 1. Additionally, the deuteragonist, Askeladd, is another extremely well-written, evocative, deep character. Askeladd may be one of the most meaningfully and complexly written characters in the fantasy genre. His arc is clear by the end, and very compelling, though I will not share spoilers. Regrettably, there are also terribly written characters which make this season feel almost laughable: specifically, Canute. He’s a fragile, effeminate, silent young man who struggles to communicate and opposes the violent ways of war. His character arc is one of the most ludicrous, sudden, poorly written forms of “growth” imaginable. A well-written character learns, over time, and does so through experience and adaptation. Canute does none of this. I will avoid specific spoilers and will, instead, encourage you to watch Vinland Saga and see for yourself the absolute disaster. Better yet, you could watch a 12-year-old do a 180-frontside spin on a skateboard for the same effect. In any case, the characters in season 1 of Vinland Saga are dichotomously written: Some are fascinating, and others are low-quality.
Enjoyment: 5/10
There were a few scenes and characters that I found quite intriguing, but this first season was by no means the masterpiece that it was made out to be. The music and art were okay, and some of the storytelling was interesting; however, the terrible characters really made it hard to stay engaged and take it seriously. I actually found this season to be upsetting, and rewatching made this worse, knowing that season 2 is more focused on characters and a generally more captivating and powerful tale.
Overall: 6.8/10
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Aug 6, 2024
*No spoilers*
Summary
Solo Leveling, also known as Only I Level Up, is a Korean manhwa illustrated by Jang Sun-Rak (Dubu) and written by the author of the corresponding original light novels, Ch’ugong. Adhering to the fantasy and adventure genres, Solo Leveling tells the story of Jinwoo, a teenager who is given special powers, and who is motivated to protect his family. He and fellow “Hunters” stand between their world and a mysterious group of monsters who come to earth through portals called gates. As the story progresses, Jinwoo is gifted more special abilities, and the rules change, following with more of a video-game feel. The manhwa
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has phenomenal art that looks even more beautiful in its printed form. A relative weakness, as described below, is the lack of character depth and the story’s inconsistent quality, as well as the overall lack of consequences by the end of the story. Overall, this may be a great fit for you if you enjoy stories in the fantasy, action, and even sci-fi genres, particularly if you enjoy video-games.
Story: 5/10
The plot of Solo Leveling follows Jinwoo as he embarks on a quest to become stronger in order to protect his mother and sister. In the process, as the title suggests, Jinwoo focuses on individually leveling up. You might ask, “What exactly does leveling up entail?” Well, leveling up involves going to a new dungeon, thinking about leveling up, destroying monsters, and then gaining a level and abilities. I will not include spoilers in this review, but I will say that this concept, while quite fascinating, is rather abrupt in the beginning of the story. The reader is introduced to a realistic world with a fantasy twist: there are dungeons in gates, and Hunters destroy monsters to reap rewards. Then, before you know it, there’s a new twist, and some characters can level up. This is a bit jarring, but it is an interesting concept. However, the nature of this leveling up becomes quite monotonous, and that is part of the inconsistency in interest and overall quality of the whole story. Furthermore, there are many situations, such as a “job change,” where the plot overtakes the character and Jinwoo doesn’t have to really make decisions or even explore his internal conflict. This unfortunately detracts from the storytelling, as the reader wants to know what the characters are thinking, but the plot mostly just happens. There’s an upgrade and then immediately another one, and the reader is still unsure what the first upgrade accomplished or how Jinwoo felt about it. Sure, there are physical struggles, but not too many emotional or internal conflicts for Jinwoo. Furthermore, some arcs are quite compelling while others are repetitive, and the main reason for this boringness is because the main character becomes rather bleak and loses track of his original internal conflict and goals. The characters, in general, are another category that is reviewed separately, but they do play a role in the meaninglessness of the plot. In summation, the arcs vary in quality and entertainment: Some are repetitive while others are suspenseful; however, all of the arcs feel as though Jinwoo will not face consequences. Ultimately, this becomes the trend by the end of the story. Once Jinwoo gives that classic stare and says, “Arise,” you know he’s going to be causing mayhem and face minimal consequences for his destruction. To worsen the lack of accountability and ruin the stakes, the final battle is practically omitted from the story using a rather obscure plot twist that, while creative, is self-defeating. Although this review does not contain specific spoilers, it is worth noting that the ending of the story feels anticlimactic for multiple reasons, including the lacking final battle, the major change in characters at the end, and the universal lack of stakes and accountability. This is further exacerbated by the epilogue, which, aside from some humor, detracts from Jinwoo’s story and adds barely any depth to the already pointless side characters.
Art: 10/10
The art in the Solo Leveling manhwa is the main attraction. It is perfect for this genre and really brings out the vibes of playing a video-game. It helps the reader to connect with the main character and is quite detailed, supporting in the world-building.
Characters: 3/10
Without sharing any specific spoilers, I must share that the side characters are practically irrelevant in this story. Not only do they not matter in the end due to Jinwoo’s actions and the plot, but they are also generally uninteresting. Throughout the story, Jinwoo uses the side characters for motivation and his own gain, but they don’t add anything special to the story, otherwise. Some characters are introduced and written out of the story in one or two chapters, and a lot of the important political figures would have been better introduced earlier in the story. A few characters were hard to follow, as they’d be shown in another country doing something and then re-introduced, with minimal explanation and little background information, 100 chapters later. Beyond the side characters, the story has only the protagonist: Jinwoo. Sure, there are some antagonists, but the main antagonistic doesn’t even get to battle with Jinwoo; instead, he’s just written off as being defeated. He was also unclear throughout the story, which added to the confusing plot. Overall, Jinwoo starts off as a relatable and interesting character, though he falls into the same tropes as many fantasy heroes. He has special abilities that aren’t explained until near the end, and he exploits them for his own gain. Although the mystery of his abilities is interesting, it doesn’t augment his internal struggles, which would have been more remarkable and impactful. This aspect of the writing is particularly unfortunate. While Jinwoo’s situation is more interesting than some similar characters who just talk about getting stronger and then do so, (ie. Ichigo in Bleach), Jinwoo becomes a rather flat character and his internal struggles become muddled by the midway point. Yes, he is noble again in the end, but he becomes rather unbreakable and unrelatable. Moreover, his stakes are high but also pointless by the end of the story (no spoilers). Generally, the characters are unimportant, unrelatable, lack depth, and, as aforementioned, end up being irrelevant by the end of the manhwa, making the overall story less interesting.
Enjoyment: 5/10
This story started off feeling unique, though it was rather repetitive near the beginning. I really wanted to like this manwha, and I was hopeful that the ending would have a captivating point, moral dilemma, or thought-provoking plot twist. Although it fell short and I found the plot and characters to be lacking, I thoroughly enjoyed the art. I believe the art is a perfect depiction of the world and perfectly encapsulates the video-game feel. It’s as if the artist were the story’s primary architect!
Total score: 4.6/10
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Jul 8, 2024
Review Summary:
7 Seeds, or 7SEEDS, is a manga written by Yumi Tamara which ran from 2001 to 2017. To avoid spoilers, I will say that the setting is a mysterious world in the near future, after the Earth has been struck by a meteor. The story incorporates a plethora of characters who try to survive in this new world, learn about their surroundings, and attempt to process and overcome their pasts. Overall, the story is well-written, although there is some inconsistent pacing. The characters are phenomenal, and the plot is intriguing. One drawback to 7 Seeds is that it was never (as of 2024)
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published to be printed in English, so many online versions are fan-translated digital copies. If you are interested in sci-fi, then this is likely a great fit for you. Please note that this review is for the manga and not the poorly adapted anime. The manga is far superior to the anime.
Story: 7/10
7 Seeds takes place in a mysterious world (no spoilers) following Earth’s destruction from a meteor strike. Many characters find themselves in groups of strangers and attempt to uncover this new world to survive. Along the way, the characters are challenged in appropriate ways in order to grow and develop, and the plot is quite intriguing and mysterious. Much of the story is based on survival in nature, learning to start fires, survive storms and changes in weather, and explore the unfamiliar terrain. This also leads to some groups fighting with one another over resources and competition. Overall, the storytelling is done in a “show, don’t tell,” way, although there is occasionally some info dumping through dialogue that seems unrealistic. This may be caused by the fan-translated versions since it is not physically published in English. In general, the biggest flaw with the story is that some events are too convenient for the characters, although many do suffer the consequences to a lesser extent. The pacing, particularly at the end, is also a bit disappointing. Ultimately, though, the plot is quite interesting and recommendable. The story handles themes of friendships, connection, survival, trauma, death, and growth.
Art: 7/10
The art in 7 Seeds is adequate for the story and detailed enough to build the world and characters. Because there are no physically published English copies, it is hard to judge the art quality, as some digital versions are not the cleanest. However, that’s not the author’s fault, and the quality of the art is still sufficient. The style works for world-building, some gory or scary scenes, and for depicting landscapes and structures that become key to the plot.
Characters: 8/10
7 Seeds is character-driven which makes the story far more enjoyable and engaging. This story has a variety of characters, and they all grow throughout the story. Many have intriguing, horrifying, and traumatizing pasts, and they learn from each other and their environment to thrive. Although Natsu and Hana start as the main characters, the full cast is fairly represented and valuable by the end, aside from a few minor characters. There are times where nature causes some plot twists and even some plot armor, but the characters are written to be realistic and driven for literal and social survival. Although the story emphasizes some romance between characters, the general focus is really the relationships in general. The characters are forced to rely on strangers for survival, which adds relatable and realistic tension. Many characters are written to be intentionally unlikable while others are more enjoyable to follow, and this adds practicality to the relationships. The characters develop over the course of the story, although some minor characters are a bit forced at the end. Even the seemingly antagonistic characters have their justifications, which makes the story more enjoyable. Yumi Tamara worked some true magic with these characters. One challenge with the ending is that the characters’ resolutions are somewhat rushed in the final volume, and the final arc has some excessive dialogue. Even characters that were expected to have romantic tension were rushed and had conversations in front of others instead of, realistically, connecting after the main final arc. Maybe that’s a positive, though, since the reader wants to have more time with the characters.
Enjoyment: 9/10
7 Seeds is an excellent story and very enjoyable. I wish that the manga were officially and physically published in English so I could collect it and re-read it in the future. I recommend it to anyone interested in sci-fi. I wouldn’t say I enjoyed the romance so much, but the tension between characters was well-done and enjoyable. By the end, I felt compelled to pick sides, but unable to do so because I wanted to root for all of them. Also, this manga was far more enjoyable than the terribly adapted anime.
Overall: 7.75
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jun 3, 2024
*No spoilers*
Summary:
Bubble is a story that fuses parkour-enthused teenagers with a gravity-altered Tokyo setting filled with bubbles. The plot is predictable and unremarkable, and the characters are weak; however, the music and art are phenomenal and highlights. If you enjoy romance and action, this may be of interest to you. It feels much like Makoto Shinkai's lesser quality films. I would not personally recommend this movie for the story or characters, but the art and music were wonderful.
Story: 3/10
Bubble has an interesting setting: a destroyed version of Tokyo but with big bubbles that shift gravity enough to allow for optimized parkour matches. The plot follows
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Hibiki as he wins parkour team battles independently. The plot takes a few twists that are convoluted but also predictable, forcing some fairy tale relationships and also destruction. Overall, the premise could have been interesting, exploring the cycles of production and destruction, or even the recycling nature of the planets and the universe. However, the plot stuck to a lackluster sequence of events with some forced action and boring characters. Furthermore, the narrative switched to a romance, inappropriately, and the overall plot results in a mix of blurry and blended themes. There isn't much of a moral to the story, and it is certainly forgettable. It isn't a movie that will blow your mind with plot twists or make you emotional, mostly because of the characters and their stakes. This entire story meanders until the end, when there is supposed to be an emotional conclusion that falls almost as flat as a single layer of water molecules stuck together by nothing but their hydrogen bonds.
Art: 10/10
WIT Studios did an excellent job with the art. Not only is the scenery wonderful and bursting with color, but they choreographed many action sequences with intriguing parkour.
Music/Sound: 9/10
Hiroyuki Sawano is a legend and really made the (weak) story and beautiful art come to life. The voice acting was also surprisingly decent for English dub.
Characters: 2/10
The characters in this story lack depth. With the colorful art and fitting music, you'd expect to at least connect with some of the characters. Instead, you have uninteresting characters describing themselves through dialogue. It's hard to take them seriously when their character arcs start and finish with making jokes about being orphans. The introduction to characters is heavily driven by dialogue, and there isn't enough time to show character development. Hibiki is one of the only characters to grow, which is expected for a main character, but he is also a very hollow shell. Even the deuteragonist, Uta, is as bland as possible. She's a simple plot device, which really ruins the premise of the movie. If you're going to make the plot of the story contingent upon a character, you have to at least attempt to explain the character's motive. Instead, we have a character that blindly falls in pseudo-love and (no spoilers) we don't even learn why or how she found the main character. It seems as though the movie tried to mix fairy tales with the plots and characters from Makoto Shinkai's films, but this led to very boring and predictable characters.
Enjoyment: 3/10
I watched this movie for the art and music, which were wonderful. The story and characters were by no means captivating. I wanted to stop about halfway through the film, but I couldn't review this movie on MAL without watching it from beginning to end.
Overall: 5.4/10
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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May 14, 2024
*No Spoilers*
This review is for A Place Further than the Universe, or Sora yori mo Tooi Basho.
Summary:
A Place Further than the Universe tells the story of high school students who join on a trip to a secluded land: Antarctica. The story has wonderful characters that all grow and learn from their experiences. I recommend this series to anyone interested in a lighthearted adventure with some deep themes.
Story: 8/10
The plot of A Place Further than the Universe tells the adventure of four high school students as they prepare for an adventure on a trip to Antarctica, all with their own motives and goals. The story is
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generally lighthearted with some exploration of growing up, grief, and friendship. To avoid spoilers, I will add that some scenes are quite emotionally impactful, particularly when exploring grief and loss. The pacing of the show is appropriate, though the beginning is a little slow, and some melodrama does detract from the deeper undertones. Overall, the story balances the characters with a meaningful plot, appropriate themes, and some humor.
Art: 7/10
The art is pretty, especially when depicting the nature. The outline style for the characters grew on me by the end of the show, though it initially detracted from my focus. Also, some still frames of characters look unnatural, but the art in fitting and appropriate, nonetheless.
Sound: 8/10
The music is average, though the voice acting is excellent and the opening and ending theme are very catchy. As of May 2024, the only language available is Japanese, and it is very well done. These voice actresses did a phenomenal job depicting teenagers (unlike a lot of anime with random voice actors using raspy voices), for which I am boosting the score for this category.
Characters: 9/10
The characters are the highlight of the show. Each character has her own background and uniqueness that makes them feel realistic and not simply a generic trope. They all grow individually and together, as people. Mari, Hinata, Shirase, and Yuzuki feel like real teenagers trying to find themselves in the real world. They interact well together, and this adds to the overall storytelling. I also enjoy their character designs, as they represent their internal character and help to differentiate them, even when wearing the same snow attire. The greatest part about these characters is that they actually make decisions, rather than solely being victims of the plot. In doing so, the characters mature, which helps to explore the themes without cramming the viewer with exposition (as many anime do).
Enjoyment: 8/10
A Place Further Than the Universe is not the typical genre I watch in my free time, but it was it was worth it. I recommend this to anyone looking for a slice of life anime that also tackles some important themes like growing up and grief.
Overall: 8.0
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Apr 13, 2024
*No Spoilers*
Summary:
This review is for Dragon's Dogma.
Summary: Dragon's Dogma takes a loose story-line from its game series and merges it with the seven deadly sins, tackling them one at a time. The characters, story, and everything else are just bad. The animation is okay in certain points, but that's all. I would never recommend this anime to someone.
Story: 1/10
This is one of the least cohesive and most bland plots imaginable. The characters are so boring that the plot doesn't even matter. Each episode, the main character encounters a new sin in the form of a monster. The ending is anticlimactic and there are really no
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clear or meaningful themes addressed in this show.
Art: 4/10
The art is average at best and glaringly jarring at worst. The opening theme is very cool, so I'll throw the animators a bone...
Sound: 2/10
The soundtrack is below average and generic. The voice acting in English is horrific and barely makes sense. Listening to it actually hurts the ears, but the written subtitles are even worse and make the dialogue seem like it was written by a 4 year old.
Character: 1/10
The characters are poorly written, bland, and really make no important decisions for growth. The story is plot-driven in a haphazard way. The overall story is anticlimactic, and there's no character the viewer can relate to or miss by the end of the story, besides maybe a dragon.
Enjoyment: 1/10
This may be the worst, least meaningful, and most forgettable anime I will ever watch.
Overall: 1.8/10
Reviewer’s Rating: 1
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Apr 13, 2024
*No Spoilers*
This review is for Season 2 of The Promised Neverland, orYakusoku no Neverland. Season 2 of The Promised Neverland makes significant changes to the source material (manga), though this review is focused solely on the content of the anime and does not include comparisons to the manga.
Summary:
Season 2 of The Promised Neverland follows Emma after she and the other orphans escape from Grace Field orphanage. Overall, the quality of the story and characters declines significantly from season one. Watching and stopping at the end of season 1 may be a more positive experience than following up with season 2 due to the dip in
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quality.
Story: 3/10
The plot of season 2 completely disregards the flow of season 1; that is, the characters’ intelligence and teamwork is replaced with plot armor, plot convenience, and a complete lack of disregard for a cohesive story. If the characters are under attack, don’t worry, they’ve probably got nuclear warheads in their shirts to defend themselves. Likewise, the story immediately changes from witty characters to physically fit “heroes” that suddenly know how to perform bow and arrow shots like a “360 no-scope.” The arcs jump around and barely transition, often resulting in plot holes and a lack of general unity. By the end, the accountability for the characters is almost nonexistent. Are there dark themes being explored? Sort of. Are they being explored in a meaningful way? Absolutely not. The story seems to focus on melodrama and action with characters’ arcs even starting and finishing in a matter of minutes. By the end, it doesn’t really matter what happens. The characters are unbreakable for no reason. For a show that started up with children literally being raised for slaughter, you’d think the characters would have to face some tragic consequences. Instead, the story completely detracts from the tone of season one and makes a mockery of the themes. Additionally, there are laughable, terribly written scenes with characters laughing about their own starvation and excited about suggested genocide. The story is sporadic and blatantly rushed and condensed. If there were multiple episodes to explore these themes and scenarios, then maybe the show would still have its charm. Instead, it’s just a clump of ideas strewed together with no impact and a variety of plot holes. The biggest issue with this type of story is that it follows the first season which was generally well thought out and meaningful.
Art: 5/10
The opening scene of episode one is just a bunch of repeated frames with poor voice-overs. Otherwise, the art is about average.
Sound: 5/10
The music is slightly above average, though the voice acting is moderate at best. Portraying children is difficult and even harder when the characters are made to laugh at absurd times (like starvation or genocide).
Characters: 2/10
Any good story has good characters. This story does not. Season 2 is so rushed that there are literally character arcs occurring over the course of minutes with bizarre monologues in inconvenient settings. Season 1 had unique and complex characters. Instead, season 2 focuses on plot and strips the characters of intelligence. Their 1-deminesional writing ruins the whole premise of the show. The viewer originally roots for Emma and Ray (no spoilers) because they are smart, driven, courageous, and able to outsmart the oppressive adults and demons. In season 2, nothing matters. They are not challenged morally and do not face repercussions for their actions. Instead, solutions are literally (no specific spoilers) fed to other characters. If a character makes a horrific decision, they face zero consequences. Imagine knowing someone who begins to commit genocide, only to find out that they decided to stop because they heard a person’s name. Now, imagine actually writing this character after re-introducing them as a separate plot twist. The characters are genuinely laughable.
Enjoyment: 2/10
Watching this was a waste of time. It completely ruined an initially compelling story. As someone who did read the manga and did not like the source material’s second 2/3 nearly as much as the first 3 arcs (season 1 of the anime), I am genuinely in awe that season 2 is such a mess. Sure, I didn’t like the final 2/3 of the manga, but it was still a reasonably decent work of art. This is a whole new level of disappointment. It’s like preparing for a wedding and paying $50 for a haircut knowing that it may not be the best haircut, but you find out that they actually charge you $500 dollars and shave off the left side of your head, including your ear.
Overall: 3.4
Reviewer’s Rating: 3
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Apr 13, 2024
*No spoilers*
This review is for Season 1 of The Promised Neverland anime.
Summary:
The Promised Neverland, or Yakusoku no Neverland, is an anime adaptation of its manga. Season 1 tells the story of orphan children raised on a farm from which they are sold as meat to demons, covering the first few arcs of the manga. If you are interested in the horror or thriller genre, this may be of interest to you. Please note that season 2 is a huge let down and dip in quality, regardless of whether or not you have read the manga.
Story: 8/10
The Promised Neverland tells the story of orphan children raised
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on a farm from which they are sold for their brains to demons. The first season, which focuses on an escape, is well-written and suspenseful because there are mind games between the caretaker and the children. It also uses imagery, suspense, and excellent world-building. The anime balances the drama, witting characters, and themes of violence, hopelessness, and logical versus emotional thinking. The anime is well adapted from the manga and aligns very closely.
Art: 7/10
The art is simplistic but fitting for the setting. The animation adapts the manga’s style of a children's book which brings out the child-like nature of the orphans, though it does limit the horror found in stories with a similar thriller and horror feeling.
Sound: 6/10
The soundtrack is fitting and breathes life into the story.
Characters: 8/10
Characters are essential to the story, as the viewer doesn't care about the plot if the characters are unremarkable or unrelatable. In this section of the story, the three main characters are well-written and interesting. Season 1 has captivating characters with interesting backgrounds and circumstances. They work together and grow at an appropriate rate. Season 1 also holds the characters accountable, which makes the overall show worthwhile.
Enjoyment: 7/10
I enjoyed the anime adaptation of the anime. It sticks closely to the manga and is a wonderful show. In my mind, the second season just doesn't exist.
Overall: 7.2/10
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Apr 9, 2024
*No Spoilers*
This review is for Psycho-Pass 3: First Inspector, which is a three-episode conclusion to Psycho-Pass 3’s story. To distinguish them, I refer to Psycho-Pass 3: First Inspector as “First Inspector.”
Summary:
Psycho-Pass is a psychological, detective-style series set in the future. Law enforcement is governed by the Sibyl System, which utilizes a person’s hue and Crime Coefficient to determine their mental state and likelihood of committing a crime. Psycho-Pass 3 and First Inspector set aside some past characters and motives like a reboot, and it introduces new characters. The story is guided more by human politics than its predecessors. First Inspector is a direct sequel to
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Psycho-Pass 3 and is the concluding portion of the storyline, so you must watch Psycho-Pass 3 first.
Story: 6/10
Although the plot is intense and interesting, the conclusion has a variety of plot holes and unanswered questions which detract from the story as a whole. The characters are tested more in First Inspector, but despite the increased action, the ending is rather anticlimactic. If Season 3 and First inspector were separate from the original storyline, then it would have been more cohesive. Instead, the original cast from Season 1 is set aside with minimal screen time. At the very end, they finally provide Akane with some freedom, without explaining why she wasn’t free in the first place. The clarity of the plot is confusing and convoluted, which seems to be a trend for the Psycho-Pass series, excluding season 1. Nonetheless, the new take on crime and less reliance on Sibyl is far more thought-provoking than Season 2. Although the overall story is interesting, it is confusingly intricate and does not end with expected answers.
Art: 8/10
The art is still a highlight of the series, though First Inspector seemed to have slightly jarring scenes and frames compared with Season 3.
Sound: 5/10
The music is average. The voice acting (sub) is sufficient. There is nothing special about this soundtrack, and the opening and ending themes are also average. The soundtrack continues from Season 3 and is a step up from Season 2.
Characters: 6/10
Season 3 and First Inspector’s characters are far more interesting and compelling than in Season 2. One flaw is that the series’ main protagonist is principally absent, and the story does not clearly indicate why, even in the very end. Sure, Akane gets freed, but why was she imprisoned in the first place? There are a variety of unanswered questions pertaining to the previous cast of characters, including how they ended up in the positions they did. Overall, Season 3 and First Inspector’s characters are a significant improvement from the previous season. Instead of one-dimensional plot devices for characters, Unit One has a dynamic cast of people who actually interact and work as a team while also making challenging decisions. Shindo and Ignatov make a convincing duo, and the side characters are all intriguing. The protagonists have some challenging decisions to make at the end of the story, and they grow as a result. Ultimately, the antagonists, in the form of a political system, are mystical and intricate. Nonetheless, they are a relative weakness and (no spoilers) the identity of a certain character is sudden and merely adds perplexity to the conclusion of an already confusing story.
Enjoyment: 7/10
Although Season 3 and First Inspector are confusing and have flaws in plot and characters, they are an improvement from Season 2. Season 3 and First Inspector are entertaining, though they pale in comparison to Season 1.
Overall: 6.4/10
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Apr 9, 2024
*No Spoilers*
This review is for Psycho-Pass 3, the third season of the series. This portion does not include First Inspector, which takes place directly after the end of Season 3.
Summary:
Psycho-Pass is a psychological, detective-style series set in the future. Law enforcement is governed by the Sibyl System, which utilizes a person’s hue and Crime Coefficient to determine their mental state and likelihood of committing a crime. Psycho-Pass 3 sets aside some past characters and motives like a reboot, and it introduces new characters and the is story guided more by human politics than its predecessors. Overall, this season is an improvement from season 2,
...
though it does have glaring flaws.
Story: 5/10
Season 3 picks up some time after Season 2, with significant changes to the cast, immediately evident starting in episode 1. The story focuses more on a mystery motivated by a complicated political hierarchy (no spoilers), which is an improvement from the storyline in Season 2. The overall themes in Season 3 are still weak compared to Season 1, but they are more interesting than Season 2, and the plot focuses more on humanity than it does the repetitive AI-style Sibyl System prominent in previous seasons. The story is mysterious, though incomplete at the end of the 8 episodes. To understand the full story, you must also watch the three episodes of Psycho-Pass 3: First Inspector, which will be reviewed separately. Generally, the story in Season 3 is an improvement from Season 2, though it does jump around with many unanswered questions, including the jarring removal of a main character and the evident hole in the Sibyl System that had not been explored before. Furthermore, some abilities are introduced with insufficient description and, although the abilities do add to the mystery and uniqueness of the characters, they break the rules of Seasons 1 and 2 in a murky way. Overall, the story is intriguing and more interesting than the previous season, but the pacing may be a little too fast, as it doesn’t provide the viewer with quite enough information to satiate the many questions that are posited along the way. While mysterious, the plot makes it challenging to understand the rules of the story.
Art: 9/10
The art is fitting, and the detail in the cityscapes is pretty. This season has the best animation out of the first three seasons.
Sound: 5/10
The music is average. The voice acting (sub) is sufficient. There is nothing special about this soundtrack, and the opening and ending themes are also average. The soundtrack does seem more fitting than in Season 2.
Characters: 6/10
Season 3’s characters are far more interesting and compelling than in Season 2. One flaw is that the series’ main protagonist is principally absent, and the story does not clearly indicate why. There are a variety of unanswered questions pertaining to the previous cast of characters, including how they ended up in the positions they did. Some roles are also new to the series’ world, with no explanation. Beyond this, the new characters are a significant improvement from the previous season. Instead of one-dimensional plot devices for characters, Unit One has a dynamic cast of people who actually interact and work as a team while also making challenging decisions. Shindo and Ignatov make a convincing duo, and the side characters are all intriguing. Although the antagonists, in the form of a political system, are mystical and intricate, they are a relative weakness.
Enjoyment: 7/10
Although it was confusing and had its flaws in plot and characters, this was an enjoyable watch. It certainly doesn’t have the same impact as Season 1, but it is an improvement from Season 2, especially with more interesting and compelling characters. Season 3 is entertaining, albeit unexceptional in overall quality.
Overall: 6.4
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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