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I had honestly forgotten this anime existed, till randomly stumbled upon looking for a good "high" of stylish action and gore. Afro samurai seemed like the perfect pick and despite the relatively low score, I decided to binge it.

The short verdict is that it really disappoints in most areas even in those it tries to sell. Afro Samurai, for all the production value that seems to have been given, feels amateurish at best. I feel like everyone who's ever seen anime will notice it, too. The show feels off in a bad way, but it took me some time to pinpoint the issues.

Ok, I ... like simple stories. Short and easy to understand goals, help shows focus on other things. But this is simply at an unacceptable level. The setup, for me at least, was fine. Revenge stories are simple and fun. The premise was fine, by the standards I expecting at the start. But this "simplicity" starts affecting the rest of the show. Every character is one-dimensional and only one stands out, simply for the comedy he offers. Love interest?, scenes that make no sense story-wise random nonsense ramblings from characters we do not care, nothing seems to work and all stands out as an amateurish attempt at (something??). I have no idea what the point was to most of the the non-fighting scenes.

Continuing with the amateurish theme, the entire voice and sound design feels completely off. It's sad to see good music and good voice acting feel butchered by lackluster directing. Quick switches in music tones, weird sound effects that actually made me pause to check if YouTube was open, bad lip syncing and voice acting. It all culminates in a cheap product, despite all the A-list music and voice actors they had.

Animation was supposed to be the selling point of the anime. And I don't want to be too harsh on it, as there are some beautiful fights scenes and a few good shots. But again, it feels amateurish as some shots are hard to follow and with too many close ups. Again feels more of a directing issue than anything else.

Short edit note: Really just another directing (nitpick?), I saw so many scenes fade to black, that it actually made me wonder how other anime ended scenes. It is done so many times, that I had to open a random anime just to see that I am not stupid in feeling off every time the screen faded to black.

To summarize: AMATEUR WORK, I wouldn't recommend this to most people.

*Spoiler are present and marked*

Well, late to the hype train and in anticipation of a home release of the movie, I decided to give Demon Slayer a watch. Despite some red flags raised by some fellow fans, I had time to spare and I was actually kind of excited to go in and enjoy this highly reviewed and praised anime. After binging through it, I came out with very mixed feeling, maybe more than I wanted to.

Starting with the story as usual, Demon Slayer takes the simple approach. Simple goals, simple motivations, simple characters. A format with easily distinguishable parts, train->kill monster->next monster->next monster-> ... train. I don't want to do a disservice, obviously a few curveballs (hehe) are thrown here and there to mix things up and keep things flowing. This, I d say, actually would work as an advantage for the show. Not everything has to be complex and intricate, a simple and refined story can work wonders when all the other pieces are in place. Unfortunately, I can't really shake off this feeling that some pieces are simply not in place.

What I believe, Demon Slayer and many others following this simple format fail at is characters and character interactions. And I want to go into details in this particular point because I believe it fails spectacularly. Starting with the good, Tanjirou is an good protagonist. He doesn't excel, but he accomplishes his job in the story. Parts like feeling pity for the demons killed, isn't anything out of this world, but through his eyes, we get to connect even with the "monster-of-the-week" and adds that extra bit of characterization he needs. It gives, what I would describe, as an almost bittersweet vibe as you feel like Tanjirou is the only one to care for them whereas no one else does (Don't get me wrong, it's still cheap to give backstory at the end of a fight all at once). Overall he is likable, so it's a BIG PLUS because of what is coming next. Not really much to say about his sister, Nezuko, she is just a delight to watch every time she is on screen and the only parts of comic relief, I genuinely smiled at. The rest of the stoic characters we meet (mostly early on) are also good, but I guess it's not hard to write a cool stoic character.

Going on to his master now, while most of the moments he is on screen are great, this particular part about Nezuko and "hypnotic suggestion", I think it was, comes off completely wrong. Maybe I am getting the wrong idea, but it almost feeling like brainwashing and because of how Nezuko's condition and interactions are. This is brought up multiple time later on in the show, and it honestly cheapens her emotional development in a really bad way. This could had been her own character development of shorts, but instead this just line drops out of nowhere and leaves a really bad taste. Next, we have the two companions that join our protagonist .... and I really didn't enjoy most of their time on screen. They are mostly played for gags and comics relief, but it get so tiring that you get sick of them and the entire "joke" personality they convey. And it takes so much time to present anything else worthwhile that when the BACKSTORY hits, it hits on brick wall, build over 4-5 episodes of annoyance. To be fair, personally, I saw potential in one of the two (angry one), but that's about it. Nothing, BUT potential waiting to maybe actually give something of an actual character rather than a singular trait to be defined by. Lastly, the elite of demon slayers, the Hashira. And they too suffer greatly. There are two feeling I got from seeing them, hate and indifference. All felt like simple unlikable brutes (excluding the two we see earlier) with again, one singular trait defining them. One guy wanting both our protagonists dead, "to spare them". Another literally jumps in out of the blue, toys with the protagonist and stabs Nezuko for what seems to be simple enjoyment. This isn't how characters are done, especially because of what WE have seen him go through the literal last episode. And it's a shame. The potential is always there. **Spoiler warning: the "testing Nezuko" scene can still be played out and have actual weight behind it, if not done by a brute with no character other than MEAN. The author plays his cards right and it turns from a white and black situation to an actual debate with real heavy feeling from characters who have seen suffering in the hands of Demons. It's honestly frustrating. And FINALLY, last of the last, the previously mentioned female Hashira we see earlier, literally changes stance in between episodes with no actually growth or convincing to be seen. How do you go from "out for blood" for a demon protected by to human to "I like your style, I wanted to find someone like you"? **

Dialogue greatly suffers as well because of the problems mentioned in the previous two paragraphs. Pretty sure, there is one or two scenes relying on the "show, don't tell" technique and everything else is slog of exposition of things we saw, could have seen, or don't even care. There are few dialogues that feel like two real people would have and the rest feel like a every Shonen ever. Again, real lost potential to improve and refine an formula that has been done over and over again.

Enough negativity though, I did finish the anime and I did actually get some enjoyment out of it. And that's because artistically, it's near perfect. The sound design is amazing and draws you in to each beautifully animated set piece. There is weight, there is a feeling of movement and the anime doesn't shy away of letting the music go silent and let you simple enjoy the beauty of it all. But when there is music, it steals the show. What I, an uncultured boy, would describe as old sounding Japanese instruments and elements add to each uniqueness and I personally welcome a little distancing of the usual electric guitar hype music that is most usual in fights scenes. Going back and actually listening to the tracks is something I d recommend most people and I, for one, added many of them to my playlists. And the animation.... it's just all too much. My poor vocabulary honestly would fail to describe the sites I watched, but I will say this, it's a first time experience and I believe it will be for anyone, new or old to anime. The perfect blend of CGI with what could only be describe as a canvas brought to life is honestly amazing. I have seen no other CGI used so well, to show off the movements of the swords and the elements they represent. It's definitely some of the most unique and pleasing eye candy. Every fight is made memorable because of the great job done by the animators.

Transitioning the actual mechanics of the fights themselves, I was quite pleased. I had fears in the beginning that the simplistic story would translate to simplistic fights, but I was surprised. Every fight is unique and while not crazy mechanics and power systems are in play, the fighting stays consistently fresh, with the foes possessing new abilities each time. Overall, it compliments the rest of the presentation and is what makes the show successful.

There is not much else to say about Demon Slayer. It is a really conflicting verdict for me, but I do have to value a decent story and characters more than cool colors. I would still recommend this anime to many and I do think it's a good gateway anime for many and I am still hyped to see this story continue. I can only hope that as the story progresses the story issues will iron themselves out and the fight will continue being awesome.

I stumbled upon Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashi in my search for my first romance anime that deviated from using drama or comedy as a cause for infatuation between characters. Because frankly, watching so many relationships start from dramatic events or simply because "why not" felt like a tiresome repeating event after a while. After a while, I thought "Man, these people have no actual common interests shared between them, just plot induced drama, this relationship ain't gonna actually last". And in being in a relationship myself and being "forced" to see thing from a different perspective, very little anime had hit that spot of ... relatability that I longed for. The age difference of the characters of this anime compared to everything else I saw was a good enough promise that this anime what what I wanted to see.

There are two main differences that makes this anime stand out and they are fairly simple ones. The age of the characters and the focus on a different part of the relationship other than the "leading up to it". We have 4 characters split into two couples, all in their mid-late 20s, working office jobs. One couple is still in its infancy and the other which while not stated, is going on for about 8-9 years minimum. Already, feels pretty fresh compared to most others. And the show capitalizes on that by focusing mostly on these two couples and their interactions. (There is a third couple developing, but since it wasn't fully realized it wont be mentioned. It's a shame, as I feel, it was a real wasted opportunity to add a third party of a younger relationship-to-be still trying to figure stuff out ALONGSIDE the others would have had a nice contrast).

Character wise, splitting the cast again by couples, we have care-free Narumi and silent Hirotoka, and on the other side we have the two headstrong Hanako and Kabakura. As if by MERE CHANCE, the two personalities are made to be complete opposites while the other two to mirror each other (at least, it's what it seems at first). They all have the "otaku lifestyle" as a common denominator, though the show goes out of its way to prove that even that isn't a simple tag you can put on someone and instantly say you are a match. Again, deliberate choices in my opinion to flesh out these otherwise stale tropes of typical otaku. While on the subject of characters specifically, I wanna focus on Hirotoka, as he is given a lot more backstory and character motivation. While this could have been a hinderance to the show and its tone, I feel personally that it is done beautifully. Despite what he may give off in the beginning (silent, cool, maybe boring and predictable main protagonist), he is what I would describe as a near perfect representation of the type of character he is trying to represent. Not awkward, easily flustered or anti social man, but just a person that is less outward emotionally. He is still very proactive, even more than the Narumi at first, being the one to make the first move and the one to try and address the problems that begin to arise. He genuinely cares and tries for the relationship in his own way. And the backstory he is given just adds a lot onto that and, in my opinion, make him very relatable, more so than other characters of his type in anime. I'd honestly rank him as one of my favorite anime characters (not really a big list but STILL). I don't wanna get too much more into it, since spoiling more would spoil a lot of the show and its great character moments.

Broadening the scope again, the great moments don't stop there. Since the show is slice of life, it jumps from one character interaction to the next and they are for the most part solid. I guess, you could say that it has it easy, not having to build an actual story, but I have yet to see many anime hit that same note of relatability in some aspects of relationships. Focusing on the more mature couple to begin with, I have seen many people just describe it as toxic. Obviously they have had little experience in what relationship actually are. We are talking about two people who 've know each other from high school and stayed together till present day while working at the same job on top of that. Merely imaging how hard that would be gives me chills. I guess many have only seen cute moments of relationships as reference, but in reality, being in one, especially for that long, you are going to be subject to a lot of fighting even about trivial things. Things like wanting to share some more interests of the other person (even somewhat forcefully), just spending quality time together, or even wondering if all this time together was spent for nothing and the other person simply tolerated you for this long. I have never seen an anime (again to be clear, that is a very short list) portray these problems before. And it's because you can actually see all these bad times, that the sweet moments hit all the better. Jumping to the newer couple, the anime takes very much the same steps to feel real and relatable. Questioning what the other person is actually thinking, since you 've yet to know him well, comparing with previous relationships, having a hard time figuring how to spend quality time together after wearing down the one thing that connected you. Even having awkward intimate moments (more than once with no "ok we got it now" the next second), and it is played more for the real moment it is rather than just a joke. Things like worry, jealousy, awkwardness even fear is present in all characters regardless of their personality. It's honestly really refreshing to see.

Looking to the more technical production side of things, animation and music. Truthfully, there is nothing to right about. Animation is mediocre with no really amazing shots and visual comedy through smart animation is kept at a minimum. Music, other than that damn catchy opening, is again nothing to write home about. I barely noticed the music and going back to actually pay attention to it, I wasn't really impressed. As always, it's a really shame to see, especially in the music department, but I didn't feel like it hurt the show, so I am just going to leave it at that.

I left this last part for...last.. because it's more of a personal thing (MORE SO THAN THE REST OF THIS REVIEW, I guess). I didn't start watching this show because of the otaku couples, it wasn't what personally drove me to watch it. And many mentioned anime characters, I had to google, and many reference mentioned probably flew over my head. It was more of an "cute couples do cute things" ™ show for me. The common interest was just that, an interest the characters shared. Compared to them, I d probably be considered a "Naoya". And I feel like that's completely fine. For me, it was more about the couples than the common interest they had and the show I feel does try to nudge you into that direction, showing how even they, had trouble agreeing on things or sharing the more specific aspects of "being nerdy". Going through the recommendations for this show, most people choose to associate this show with others mostly with otaku relationships. Personally, I do not think that this is the main selling point of this anime and it's rather than a hook to get more people to see it.

To leave with an ending note, I really liked like the show. I rated it higher than many others on my list because of how relatable and fresh it felt. Many others probably will not feel this way or might enjoy this show for some other respectable reasons. Either way, I feel like it's a rather underrated little anime, that most should watch to get a more real, but still "cute and fluffy" view of what relationships entail.

A short clip was the only thing that convinced me to watch this anime. Smooth animation, funny dialogue and a cool concept was all on display for those two and a half minutes.
To my surprise, it was actually part of the first episode and to no one's surprise, I really enjoyed it. All those aforementioned positives where there and I had a blast. But as I continued the grim reality of another generic anime creeped up and by the time I had reached the half way point and kind of knew how this would end. But that's enough of an introduction so I ll ... come out and explain myself.
The anime loses much traction from the first episode, in my opinion, due to variety of crucial elements. Starting off with the characters, they have little unique characteristics other than cool powers and fetishes. The main character despite having being a rare half-shade has no other uniqueness other than an extreme fetish for glasses . Nothing else interesting or intriguing. It comes to a point of him literally having loads of folders just for glasses, which is played for laughs and then as a sad scene, despite looking incredibly weird for the tone the anime is trying to convey. He really is the definition of average mc. Mirai is for the only redeeming character, having a good backstory and good motivation and being part of the "cool" twist in the anime which helps her character. I won't go into the rest of the "gang" but the issues are largely the same. The material is there to make something interesting, but what I hope was due to a lack of time, little is explored. This goes for much of the show, but lets put a pin in that. To be honest, this would probably wouldn't had been an issue if there was fun dialogue to be had. I can always enjoy some fun back and forth and can really elevate any anime in my eyes. Unfortunately, there was not enough of that to make me relate or laugh or intrigue me. The show would rather focus on the same two boy fetishes for the entire time (Look, I am into glasses, too, but this was absurd).
Story wise, there is not much of that either. A plot is attempted and the twist I mentioned does try to make you feel like this was all planned and it all made sense. But in the end, the holes were too many. It felt honestly rushed, from character resolutions (*cough Sakura) to the main final battle which only gives of a slight feeling that stuff was planned, until you think a little more and realize you keep saying "oh, that's how that works ", "Uhm, so that's how she came back", "Is that how things work?" and at some point you think that maybe you are not the problem.
Wait, why did I give the anime an 6/10 again?
Oh yeah, MY GOD the animation is pretty, from the first episode to the final fight, everything looks gorgeous and is surprisingly smooth. Cgi is blended wonderfully and doesn't oversaturate too many shots with bright colors like other anime do. Really had no complaints there.
Aaand, that's that...
I really wanted to like the anime and I went in with the best intentions. But as I watch more and more anime, I really have come to regard to things personally as the biggest contributers to the score I give, cohesive story(even if simple) and fun dialogue. The only reason, the score stayed at 6 was because of some really fun moments and interaction. As it stands, that's what how I feel about the show and maybe I ll come back to watch the movies, if boredom catches up to me.

Trigun is one of those shows that has me really conflicted on a score to give. I can see its positives and negatives but having to compare it with the rest on my list that have similar scores, I can help but to question my choice.

Story: I never like to go into detail as to not spoil anything, plus I doubt I can do a better job than the summary already on the site. In my opinion, it had some really good parts, most notably in the setting. The theme is less well constructed, but still has a little bit of weight to it, mostly ... because of the characters. Its mixed bag of episodic and story-driven episodes give a nice balance and I believe it worked really well. And the ending, and I will not spoil anything here, really feels lackluster in almost every aspect and really brought my feelings about the show down.

Characters: Ok I need to get this off my chest because it's the biggest problem I had with the show. I hated the voice acting for the most part (just to clarify I watched the dub). No emotion in many scenes, flat delivery, weird cuts and overall a very amateurish feel. It's one of the first shows I ve personally seen that the voice acting really stuck out to me as horrible. It ruined a big part of the show for me. With THAT out of the way, the characters, starting with the protagonist, Vash.
Vash is for me a good protagonist. Not amazing, but good. His dual personality helps drive both funny and serious scenes without IT feeling out of characters, his motivations and belief are good enough for the story and are certainly believable.
The girls (yes, I am not analyzing them separately) do feel a little flat and predictable. One scene was only hard hitting for me, (Milly, "hint hint") and there rest just felt ok even those with supposedly big emotional drive.
Wolfwood is definitely my favorite in the series, as he is actually kind of complex and more morally grey (which is always very attractive). From his banter to his backstory it all works amazingly. I think he is the main reason the theme of the story is actually worth anything. His death actually came as a surprise to me (maybe I am gullible) and it was well executed.
Villains??: Weakest part of the story, by far. No depth, no interest, no complex motivations. It doesn't matter whether I mention the "main" antagonist or the henchmen, it all felt like a disappointment. The only good part about them is some of the uniqueness of their abilities. And that's about it..

Animation and music: First, to get it out of the way, the music is great. It fits the setting, the tones of scenes and overall added positively to the experience. The animation, and by extension the art-style, is a different story. Ok, I get it, it's an old show. It makes sense that the animation is not the flashy, hd, smooth experience I ve felt from other shows. But as it stands, as a new viewer with not sentimental attachment to the show, it was a bit of a bother at times. And the art-style is something that I can excuse a lot less. Other than some cool concepts and shots, the rest is just generic. Now, I KNOW it makes sense in the context of the story, but it's still bothersome to watch the same looking towns every time. And it's definitely something that could had been done even in that setting.

Overall, it's feels like a really dated show in most aspects. It's not something I'd recommend most people. I really feel undecided on the score as either a 6 or a 7 feels wrong to me, comparatively. For its time, I am sure it was amazing, if not one of the best, but now really shows its age.

I honestly thought going in that at least I d have an enjoyable time. Some of the previous specials had some enjoyment in them. But this is overall a big disappointment in each entirety.

Story: Not a bad setup since we saw very little practical training and of that kind leading up to the provisional licence. But the execution is bad plain and simple. Artificial stakes and bad solutions dominate these two episodes. And I don't understand why the choice was made to focus so heavily on that. It is too difficult to create stakes in such a sort amount of time and it was obviously ... not thought out. Solutions also make very little sense at times and hurt the realism this scenario is trying to convey. It' shame because not all the thought processes the characters have are dumb. But where it matters the most, things just switch to a "turn your brain off" type of solutions. As just one example the geyser was not a smart solution and if it followed the rules of everything established in just this special, it wouldn't have worked.

Characters: I don't understand. You have this huge cast build up over 4 seasons that can work off each other in fun and entertaining ways and this is what you can come up with. Over-explanations, unimaginative and boring conversations. This is supposed to be the one thing the show should be doing well and yet we get literally nothing. The "Asui/Tsu" joke happens at least 5 times. Is this the only thing that special has to offer in character.

Soundtrack: It's the soundtrack we all know and love only now it feels out of place most of the time. Like the director was forced to use all the classic songs for the nostalgic/hype factor, so he stuck them around in places that theoretically fit the best.


I am disappointed. My expectations were low, but this was a boring 48 minutes with little redeeming quality. I wouldn't even recommend this to someone who is a fun of the show.

Having been binging JoJo for the past few weeks, part 4 was the show I really wanted to write a review for. Until I saw it from myself I couldn’t believe that the growth in writing between seasons would be so significant. And with part 4, I feel like this is more apparent than ever.

Characters: I feel like starting with the characters is best due to how many are introduced and how crucial they are to how the story works. Both protagonist and antagonist are a huge step forward. The supporting cast can honestly vary, especially because of the sear size. But the main ... supporting cast is on par with season 3 in terms of character development, but not in terms of chemistry (conversation /banter I feel was better in season 3). The complaint that I and many others have is how easily characters change sides. Other than a few more standouts like Rohan, the rest feel out of place helping the main cast after the atrocities they pull.

Kira: By far the best villain in JoJo. It was clear that after 3 parts of world ending villains, a change was needed and Araki knew it. Kira feels grounded, real and (god forsake) relatable in a way. He works perfectly in the setting of the small town of Morioh. We follow him within the story, hear his inner monologues, his feeling, his fears. He makes every scene he is in engaging. Coming back to the "relatability", it's amazing how much you can feel for a serial killer and understand him.
'I really want to make a personal note because some lines of dialogue really resonated with me. Hearing him talk about wanting a simple life and seeing his determination to tie all loose ends so he could sleep without nervousness or fear really resonated with me. Made him real.'
Despise all the good though I would be unfair if I didn't voice some of my complaints as well. Kira has way too many "abilities" given to him. I was maybe fine with having two, with the bomb exploding and the indestructible “heat seeking tank”. But then he is given an overpowered ability in bites the dust AND then indirectly gets of forth in stray cat which I feel made no sense for him to have. Honestly, I feel conflicted since on one hand it felt like bullshit but on the other it made for such a fun and interesting fight in the end.

Josuke: Going off the theme of realistic, Josuke also fills the shoes from Jotaro perfectly. Don't get me wrong, I like my stoic badass characters, but Josuke feels like a more complete character. His stand also allows for a much greater variety of "out the box" and fun strategies and in my opinion gets the least plot armor in the series out of all the main characters.

Jotaro: I want to add a small note for Jotaro as well, since his presence is a little "polarizing". To be completely honest, I felt more disappointment than anything else. He has some great scenes, fights and dialogue but overall he has mishandled. The rat episode, for example, had great potential, but by the end it felt like a waste and a missed opportunity for some good dialogue (old teaching new). It's there to a small extent, but it could have been handled so much better in my opinion.

Story: I don't want to really repeat the summary, so I’ll cut to the chase. The story is a mixture of plot driven episodes followed by some "villain of the week" episodes. The first half of the story, while weaker in my opinion, is crucial to establishing, the huge cast and building familiarity with them and most importantly with the bizarreness of the town. Since it all takes place within Morioh, it is important, like EVERYTHING ELSE, make it feel like a real place and to draw us in little by little. That's why the "landmarks of Morioh” showcase in the middle of episodes were a cute addition. Now going into the second half, this is where the story somewhat switches into plot driven episodes, escalating to the fantastic finale. While it had most of the greatest moments, it also feels like it drags when the focus switches away from Kira. Sometimes, its episodic villain is interesting enough to satisfy and others make you want to skip to where the plot actually continues.

Animation and sound: Animation was always amazing in the JoJo franchise and part 4 is no exception. I won't waste any time talking about the greatness of the art style since it should be clear by this point. The soundtrack has some standouts (Kira/Josuke theme, all the openings) but other than that it feels pretty bare bones. It fulfills its purpose it isn’t memorable.

Conclusion: I don't think I have anything unique to add to the conclusion that many others haven’t already said. For me, JoJo is a FUN anime, but always had some narrative problems. Part 4 really aimed to fix that with major success. It's an improvement from its predecessor and I definite recommendation.

Going into this writing this review, I have watched multiple video analysis and read many articles on the show, as well as revisited many scenes from the show. And because of that, I have realised how much I missed from the show on my first watch. But I also realised that me writing an "review" is impossible. That's why instead I ll attempt to explain the feelings I felt on my first watch of the show while keeping in mind all the extra insight I ve seen after.

I believe the second season is better than the first. I perfectly encapsulates the dark tone of the ... last parts of the first season of which I enjoyed the most. For me, it was the natural way the show would progress in. And that shift, carried with it so many other improvements for the show.

The plot seems to be much more connected from the first, and it works so much better for this season. Switches between "arcs" feel smooth and natural. Everything that was built up from the previous season and the start of this one culminates in scenes that carry so much emotional weight that actually feels justified.

The characters obviously feel like theυ 've also feel changed "ever so slightly" and go through a lot of development which also works great for the season. Yukino and Hikkigaya start to drop their entirely cold and cynical views and seem to show more emotion and more and more realize the mistakes and gaps in their outlook of society, relationships and life in general. That in turn, I feel, makes them much more enjoyable to watch, since I kind of disliked their personalities at the beginning of season 1.

Animation and art style also feel like a major improvement. I have realized that this opinion is highly controversial, but through my amateurish eyes, the season actually felt nice to look at, as the first felt way too rough and outright ugly at times. Whatever your opinion may be, the animation perfectly matches this season and its tone, all the while giving you some beautiful shots (to go with all this sad emotions).

Music is used in great effects to punctuate the emotionally driven scenes and actually feels more than just a extra layer as to not make the show sound empty (cutting the music if needed for added effect/lowering and rising the music). Not anything groundbreaking (but effective), but I felt like it was lacking somewhat in season 1.

Now, the show is really known for its "clever subtext and social commentary". And while it's all there to enjoy for everyone, I felt like I missed so much of it. I really don't want to say it's a negative, but it can really hurt your experience if you are not willing to dive deeper into the show, go back and re-watch multiple scenes and really push yourself to read through the lines. And the fact that I don't know any Japanese makes me feel like I am missing a lot of extra context. It's not a critic of the show, more like a note for everyone wanting to get into the show.

Also another note: The ending of this season is actually a real cheat, but since I binged the whole show before season 3, it bothered me less, though I guess it is a real annoyance and a possible negative for the show (I can only imagine the pain of all those loyal fans that watched the show when it aired, hats of to you).

Overall, the second season feels like an improvement to me and I would recommend the show from this season alone. (Please don't hate me, that doesnt mean the first one was horrible just lackluster compared to the first)

I want to start by saying that this is my first psychological/thriller anime so I have little to compare it to. I thought I'd start with what is considered a really good show of its genre.

The first episode really establishes everything you need to know about the show. The danger, the end goal the main characters and their unique talents. I was determined to finish the show from the start but in my opinion, if the first one or two episodes don't draw you in then it's not worth it to continue.

The main characters feel pretty one-note to begin with, but it personally never bothered ... me. as the dialogue and difficult choices they find themselves in are enough to make them believable (in a sense). Now, if you can't accept that 11 and 6 year old kids can act and think and move the way they do, then again, the show isn't for you.

The animation is smooth and well drawn. The 3D shots and animations, I must say are mixed bag for me. Sometimes they help with the setting and tension as well as give a unique and memorable shots, but sometimes it feels unnecessary and can pull you out of the anime completely as you ponder the reasoning behind the director's creative choice. The art style also suffer the same way, as sometimes the faces can look off (damn the memes).

Not much to say about the sound since there is very little and I consider that a positive. Creates a much better atmosphere when the tensions are high. The ending and opening are also amazing (Saxophone for the win).

Now as for the story in general, the middle point felt the weakest. Characters, while incredibly smart, make so many mistake and get away with many of them. That's kind of what made the true realization of how difficult the situation really is and what I consider the "destruction of their naive thinking" all the more satisfying as things moved into the third phase.
The endgame plan is again a mixed back. Either you ll love the creativity and resourcefulness or you ll think it's was out of nowhere and hate it.

Overall, your enjoyment of the show will vary greatly and I think the myanimelist score doesn't reflect that. Go in, without crazy expectations and let yourself be drawn into the world if you hope to enjoy "The promised neverland".

Like many others, the hype surrounding hunter x hunter and its combat system were the reasons I watched the show. And honestly, it is that same hype that made me enjoy it less. I mostly talk negatives in this review, which unfair to the show and unfaithful to the overall score, but given the popularity of the show (and not wanting to stretch this out TOO MUCH) I'd rather point out the flaws that stick out in my eyes.

And that's what I want to begin with... the combat system did not feel like this crazy amazing thing I was led to believe. Now don't get ... me wrong, the base is all there. The amount of detail and thought put behind it is like nothing my novice eyes have seen. But despite all that exposition and charts and explanations we get, stuff still feels vague. And what I felt like too few fights did not help elevate that feeling. It feels like a system that can be easily exploited by the "freedom of imagination" that it is praised to be. And that would have never matter to me if I didn't overthink it from the start because of my expectations.

I understand that this is a subjective feeling in what should be ,for the most part, an impartial review. The anime itself is really not as much at fault, but given the show's reputation it is clear that many people will come to expect certain things hence the need for me to point out and critic this aspect of the show.

Quick last thing on the combat (sorry), I loved some of the fights, Morel is one of my favorite characters because of his fights. Killua's lighting and yo-yo where also stuff, I greatly enjoyed especially because we get to see him testing stuff out and coming up with new ideas. On the other hand, I can't help but feel like I am missing something (sorry if I am), but Gon's ability feels stagnant and really boring to me, but at least it doesn't ruin the enjoyment of most of his fight. Hate me all you want for the next thing I am about to say but "fast coin throwing" is the biggest disappointment of an ability from what I thought was an interesting character.

AND NOW MOVING AWAY FROM THE COMBAT....
The show was overall great. The characters are great. Gon enthusiastic and stubborn nature never feels annoying and not genuine and his growth through the show is amazing (my god I loved episode 116) and doesn't feel random. Killua has a great backstory and his character creates both antithesis and similarities with Gon creating a realistic friendship. Most antagonist have something unique (ok maybe not bomber) and I am not gonna lie, the emotional scene with Meruem got me hard.

Soundtrack is great albeit a little repetitive at times. The second ending really stands out and blends amazingly at the end of each episode hyping you for the next.

Animation is also outstanding with no dips in quality. It's also very brutal and bloody, making it more immersive and less "cartoony" really setting up the mood for the whole series.

I have to make a note about the much talked Chimera Ant arc as it is the most controversial. It is slow. After so much build up and things are soon as to go down, hunter x hunter hits you with tons of narration. Now, the execution is unique, that is for sure. And I loved parts of it, mostly in combat. But there are parts where it is actually useless, giving you information you already know or padding what could have been said in a few words. If you are invested in the show, it won't make you drop although maybe it ll halt your binging for a bit. But it is a definite negative of the arc because of the overuse of its storytelling method. To be honest, I am more disappointed, by another part of this arc. Just to be safe, SPOILERS AHEAD PLEASE SKIP TO NEXT PARAGRAPH. Ok, I really don't like how Meruem is brought back after the bomb explosion. I get that the emotional scene later on need to happen and I am all for it. But I had to suspend my disbelief way too much. He survives an up-close nuke, is burned to a crisp and has lost both legs and hands and he just comes back stronger. This COULD have been done more realistically, but the show wants to complete subversion for suspension effect. It downplays the previous fight AND makes the virus later on all the more unbelievable in my opinion. I see no reason for it to be this way other than cheap thrill and tension and it's one of my big complaints of the arc.

Conclusion:

Hunter x hunter is worth watching. WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT. If you can leave all the hype behind, you are almost guaranteed to have a good time and perhaps, a new show to call a favorite.