Back to lisha_chan's Profile lisha_chan's Profile

(Spoiler alert)

tldr; If you want to save your time, do not watch this movie.

This anime grated my gears the wrong way so badly that even after having seen it over a year ago I felt the urge to write this review. What was intended to be a simple slice of life, feel good, romantic film was just completely poorly executed in my opinion and I wish I could refund the time I spent watching this movie.

I knew I was already off to a strong start when I found out the characters names were "Cherry" and "Smile"; and it was from this point ... that I realised all of their personality was in their names and nothing else. I actually though Smile had some protentional to be an endearing character because she had braces and not many anime characters had them, but alas, she was just as bland as moody me wants to talk to no one Cherry. Their chemistry was so bad I didn't realise this was a romance until they confessed at the end.

But oh my fucking god what was the point of this movie? Legit two teens with no character, no chemistry, no goals or aspirations or anything (just insecurities) look for a vinyl for 87 minutes followed by some not so subtle shots of a clock that happens to look exactly like a vinyl. And then she accidently breaks the vinyl but it's okay, because the clock was actually another vinyl the wholeee time. WHAT WAS THE POINT OF THIS FILM??? My biggest criticism of this film is by far the lackluster, pointless and prolonged story telling. I have no idea why Cherry and Smile like each other other than the fact that they happen to be around each other, so I guess bonding over the horrendously boring task of looking for a vinyl until one of them accidently messes up is a good enough romantic narrative. I genuinely think this movie would have scored a 4 if they didn't just force the romance and left them as friends.

The visuals were not very stellar either, that single shaded cgi background was just not working it for me and I found it hard to appreciate the film from a visual standpoint, but I do like the choice of colour.

Improvements:

In my opinion, I feel like this film could have been more interesting (while keeping it's core elements) if one of the characters were actually related to the old man that they were helping. Say maybe Cherry was quiet and struggling because he has to deal with the reality that his relative (old man) was slowly starting to lose his memories due to old age and has to deal with the fact that he might be forgotten soon. He tries to recover his relative's memories by helping him find his old vinyl and play it for him. Since Cherry has a connection with music maybe he could find a way to turn the song on the vinyl into an mp4 so that every time he wore his headphones at the end of the film you could tell that he was listening to that song. Honestly it's hard to fit Smile into this type of Narrative, but maybe Cherry could make Smile feel pretty despite her teeth so that she could actually live up to her name at the end.

I will warn you in advance, I'm watching this anime because I was already investing in the premise beforehand having read a bit of the manger. However, this review WILL remain critical of the anime regardless. There WILL be spoilers because there are scenes I want to discuss. Since I haven't seen all the episodes yet, this will be a first impression of sorts.

**SPOILERS AHEAD***

If you know nothing about the anime:
So as this anime was written by the same people who wrote Death Note, I think it's a given that there will be a lot of high expectations for it. The premise is interesting- ... People who want to die/have given up hope on life are chosen by an Angel. The Angel then offers then either one of, a combination or or all of the following depending on their rank: wings, a red arrow that makes people fall in love with you (mind control) and a white arrow that can kill anyone. The arrows can only travel a certain distance and never miss unless you have wings to dodge. More mechanics come into play later but that's the basics. 13 people are chosen and they compete to become God (usually done via a discussion) but the antagonist is so keen to become god that he decides to kill all the candidates and climb there.

Story:
The story is well, workable. I personally am a fan of anime where characters get special abilities and come up with big brain ways to use it and this anime does offer that. The whole concept of having angels, abilities and opportunity to become god is a bit far fetched, which I am not against, but it's displayed in such a way that's a bit hard to get into. I really hope they expand on more lore to the premise in the future but it's unlikely so far since I think this anime may be more focused on the characters.

Character:

HOWEVER it really falls short on it's characters. The main characters, Mirai and Saki are so bland and viciously emphasise on TERRIBLE traits. Mirai is following the "pure, kind hearted hero who refuses to kill" trope so tightly it's painful to watch given the situation. I will go as far as to saying he's surprisingly super unrealistic compared to other characters, who manipulate and kill for various reasons which include self defence and justice. Mirai has no feeling for either of these things, He will not protect himself, nor will he protect the girl he loves. Very odd. That being said, I would say his most insufferable trait is his hesitation, which the anime CLEARLY SHOWS that it is a detrimental trait. Any character who hesitates, dies. Meanwhile you have the antagonist who does not hesitate to manipulate or kill, so he is constantly ahead of Mirai and the other characters. Despite being extremely critical of Mirai, I actually don't hate him as much as other viewers, I just REALLY hope that he grows as a character and develops a stronger conviction (I legit don't care what it is) so that we can properly root for him.


Saki on the other hand is dead awful. Look, I KNOW that they're building her up to something and I'm literally on the episode that MAY show that, but she has nothing to offer to the show other than a "potential romantic interest" so far. And even in that department, she's BAD at it. I'm guessing there's a strong reason for this like some potential ptsd or trauma but so far she's so flat that she might as well be a still frame, and I wouldn't notice the difference. There are some scenes where she does show some emotion, but it wasn't for her character as much as it was a flashy show of "hey just so you, sakis not cold-hearted".

The antagonist on the other hand is very well written in my opinion. However, he is most likely based off Light, which makes it hard to praise him as a new character. One scene that I personally appreciated is the scene at school where he was talking to his friend (they actually showed that they both had a real friendship) to show that he had some depth and wasn't just some "cold, heartless, edgy, self absorbed loner". This gives him so much more character and depth compared to Mirai and Saki combined, which made me really disappointed in them so far.

Art/Animation:

I will not lie, this anime looks super cheap. It really looks like the animators weren't given enough time to produce it, and for an established studio this is pretty low quality. It's not BAD by any means, but it definitely looks like they made this within short notice. Like the shading and colouring style is pretty minimal and in my opinion the colouring is too pastel for its category. It definitely looks like they reused some styles from previous slice of life anime produced elsewhere and threw it into Platinum End. Pretty shocking because some BIG NAME companies that have definitely worked on shows like this before worked on this. Also such a minimal thing to nitpick on I know but the effects on the angels look SO CHEAP. Legit just a particle fx in the same colour palette that looks like a default asset from adobe affect effects thrown on. But like I said before, the anime does it's job, it truly is the "Ps get Degrees" of animation though.

Sound:

Super unmemorable. I forgot the opening as soon as I heard it. The sound kind of just blends into the background and it definitely doesn't seem like they invested a lot of the budget into it. A little harsh, but that's what it sounds like to me.


Should you watch it/ Do I recommend it?

I feel like a lot of people may dislike this anime because they are too used to the "overpowered mc" trope that a lot of anime gives us. I would recommend this anime solely for the psychological aspect of it. It is interesting to see how the antagonist manipulates people and I am keen to see Mirai grow as a person (hopefully). I am also curious why saki is the way that she is. Solid 6/10 overall. It ain't an amazing anime, but hey I'm still watching!

Since this is an ongoing series my opinion my change later, but I highly, highly recommend this Manga. Spoiler free review by the way!

You have have heard of works such as Kaguya-sama and Kuzu no Honkai (scums wish). The creators from both shows have collaborated on Oshi no Ko, creating is what it is. You do NOT have to be a fan of either show to enjoy this manga, because although it plays with some similar themes it is nothing like them.

Story 7/10:
Let my clarify: the writing IS good. The reason I rated this story a 7/10 was because although it was very engaging and ... good to invest into- I was personally not a fan of the how the story started. My reasoning for this is that it began in a way that was very questionable before hitting the climax, to the point that I was considering not reading anymore. However, once it hits that point it gets really good, so I highly encourage you to keep reading.

Art 10/10:
Mengo Yokoyari's art really shined in this story with Aka Akasakas storyboarding. The characters all look beautiful, distinguishable and very expressive despite being so. It works really well with this story.

Character: 10/10
It's rare to see a manga gives you characters to like AND a clear understanding of why they act the way that they do due to trauma, history and past experiences. Characters are well written and I feel like Aka Akasaka did a really good job making them fit into the story.

Enjoyment:10/10
The suspense and investment is killing me! I can't wait for the next chapter! However, there is some personal bias ere since I'm sucker for mystery and suspenseful psychological manga.

Overall:9/10
The only thing dragging this manga down is the way that it started and even then, that is a personal opinion. Just to clarify, it's not the very start, but the part where they introduce the main characters that I feel could have been portrayed a little better (though im not sure how).

Who do I recommend this manga for?

If you enjoyed the mind games from Kaguya sama and the relationships from Kuzu no honkai you will like this very much I feel.

If you have seen neither of those or aren't a fan of them, I would recommend this if like stories that orientate on characters + relationships > plot. There is a driving point in this story but it's not being fleshed out at the moment. Great manga for Psychological themes, mystery, suspense and competitive drive for the entertainment industry.

Boruto isn't a bad show- certainly not GREAT but good enough to keep me interested despite being a retired Naruto fan. One of the show's major merits is that you get to see how the characters from the original cast ended up- grown up with their own jobs and families to take care of, which is nice to see considering what they've gone through in the original series. For people who have never seen Naruto (shippuden) or read the manga however, this is most likely not the case. You see, Boruto can only contain so much commitment to the original series and offer fresh content ... to keep the viewers interested. Although as I've mentioned before, although the series is not bad, the new things that it offers as a show just doesn't resonate on the same level as the original. It's probably just a bit better than most of the fillers you'd see on Naruto shippuden. The animation appears a bit bland to me due to the lack of shadows but the colours and fluidity are very nice. I guess what put me the most off about this show is the lack of focus on the canonical characters- I was actually looking forward to seeing more scenes with the children of the previous cast (especially sarada) but the anime seems to put more focus on the OC's (which was kind of frustrating, since their personalities were kinda bland to me). The anime isn't finished so I'm HOPING that they'll be some moments for them in future episodes. Boruto does however have it's merits, Boruto is surprising an interesting character to watch develop and is certainly not a carbon copy of Naruto, as some may have expected. For an a Naruto universe that is void of the need for ninjutsu, there is also surprisingly alot of action, though it is much more light hearted in comparison to the originals. Whew that was alot of complaints- but as I said, despite these flaws, Boruto is not a bad show to watch; its light hearted, comedic and a nice contribution to continue Naruto, just not the freshest in terms of content.

Little witch academia was a great show to be invested in this season; it was unique, not too intense and overall a good, relaxing but still vibrant show to watch. I post this review one episode away from the final with the context that I have watched all of the movies.

Story: 6/10
Honestly, Little witch academia's weak point is it's story telling; it was not bad by any means, but was in no way gripping either. Near the end it gets better story wise (no spoilers) but the anime is pretty episodic; Akko goes on adventures, develops her skills as a witch, helps others with ... a running motive-nothing special but definitely more suited as a tv series this way, though admittedly, some episodes stood out more than others. Just don't expect a ground breaking running plot or anything.

Art: 7/10
I personally liked the art, it wasn't glittery and detailed like you'd see in most anime but it really made the animation feel alive. The characters were expressive, the movements fluid, and pretty much easy on the eyes to look at. (I may be biased though, I watched videos of how the animation was made)

Sound: 8/10
The opening and ending songs were very catchy and fun to listen to. It definitely fits the vibe of the show well: childish, magical and vivid.

Character: 6/10
I liked the characters but alot of them didn't stand out to me as much as others. There were a few episodes focused on each character individually, but I just couldn't find it in me to appreciate all of them (maybe I did at one point, but then forgot later). A few characters had their time to shine throughout the show but I felt as if some were a bit weak considering they were meant to be reoccurring characters.

Enjoyment: 8/10

Overall, I really liked Little Witch academia and it remained one of the shows I was most invested in this season, despite there being highly competitive series like boku no hero and attack on titan. The show is a nice watch of you don't want too much drama or something too intense to watch in your spare time. Has a nice touch of nostalgia too.

Attack on Titan season 2, whether you're a fan of the franchise or not, is a high quality piece of work. Not only was the music impactful and memorable, but the art was absolutely stunning, very beyond what I would've known anime to be capable of.If there is even one complaint I would have to make of it, it would be the use of CGI. Now, I understand that drawing titans would obviously take a lot of work, so I'll let that slide, but sometimes the use of CGI in the backgrounds was slightly off putting for me (though it did provide with better camera ... rotations). I don't understand why people would avoid such a great show for mainstream reasons, I mean, theirs a reason for it being 'mainstream'. It is definitely the result of something that been worked on for 4 years, and a masterpiece in creation in my opinion.

I was a bit harsh rating this Anime, but truly and honestly, considering what the animation studio had to work with, Keijo was presented and executed fantastically. At the end of the review I'll put a 'should you watch this'.

Story 5/10:

Lets be honest here, I can't imagine anyone watching Keijo for the story because well simply, there isn't one, but it's got a solid premise. Keijo starts off like a sports anime, with a main female protagonist aiming to be the best in the sport but then branches off into more a shounen feel when she is put into an academy to train, goes against ... other schools and then develops 'special attacks'. The only genre consistent in this anime is ecchi and comedy with every episode getting more ridiculous than the last- but don't let that stop you from watching it! I'm just saying that story telling isn't exactly Keijo's strong point, so don't watch the anime expecting some epic or heart wrenching tale. XD

Art 8/10:

As expected of an ecchi anime series, the art is pretty darn good. It's vibrant, clean and the girls all look super cute! I personally liked the way that they animated the attacks to look really impactful even though they're just hitting each other with their boobs and butts.

Sound 6/10:

No gonna lie, the sound wasn't really memorable for me. Like it wasn't bad or anything, but the ost didn't stand out alot in my opnion. The voice acting, however, was superb (if there was a seperate score for this, It'd give it a 9/10) and very expressive and smooth.

Character 5/10:

I had one major issue with the character design, but I'm honestly not sure whether or not this was on purpose, so I'm just basing it off the point that it wasn't. Let me get this straight, the character designs are beautiful and vivid, with each character's personality distinct. Theres only one tinsey problem though...

I've seen all those characters somewhere else before.

I wish I was joking to be honest. I personally don't like to compare one anime character to another either, but tbh I was naming characters similar to the ones in keijo off the top of my head and it was getting ridiculous. I don't want to name and shame in case I'm wrong, but let's just say I think the author really likes Rosario vampire.

Enjoyment: 8/10

Low scores aside, I really liked Keijo! There are alot of unique anime this season, and Keijo's definitely at the top of my list somewhere. I think Keijos strong point is it's level of enjoyment, not it's merits as an Anime production where several components are harshly critiqued.

Should YOU watch Keijo?

-Keijo is a show not meant to be taken seriously. I have seen *alot* of weird stuff on the internet, and Keijo still manages to amaze me. You will see attacks which involve nipples, the anatomy of the butt and the pounding of the breasts and if that doesn't sound appetizing to you, Back away now.

-If you want shounen, comedy, ecchi and fanservice anime which isn't involved in your generic harem or slice of life trope, this show is for you. To be honest with you though, you may need to overlook a few things in order to fully appreciate the fan service.

-Please do not make this your first anime- both for the genre of ecchi and just anime in general. Keijo is an Anime that can only be recognized as fantastic from people who have been exposed to ecchi anime beforehand, and are comfortable with japan's 'weirdness'.

I felt like doing Yuri on ice some justice due to the number of low reviews, but please remember that this review is biased and will contain minor spoilers. There is a 'should you watch this' at the end.
Story 8/10:
First things first, this is a sports anime, so it's undeniable that you're going to escape the 'underdog gets epic development and achieves goal' trope anytime soon. Yuri on ice, however, takes this a different direction. Instead of purely focusing on skills and growth as a figure skater, it centers on Yuri developing confidence in himself as a professional skater and the the world of professionals ... in general rather than your classic 'highschool sports club lice of life' kinda feel. However, in addition to this, we are given not so subtle hints of Viktors and Yuris ambiguous relationship, which is implied to go beyond that of coach and student. This is a hit and miss concept for many- hit for the fujioshis and those open to the idea of lbgt, miss to those uncomfortable with homosexual themes. For alot of people who claim that the show is 'queer bait' or feel as if it takes up the majority of the show's screen time- The show offers so much more than that. But if you continue to protest, then I guess theres nothing I can do about that. I feel, personally, however that it ties in with the story quite well as their relationship has a strong contribution to Yuuris confidence and Viktors motivation for teaching him.

Art 9/10:

If it weren't for the fact that the art was visibly a bit inconsistent at times and had a few coloring errors, this would've been a solid 10. I really felt like Studio MAPPA was finally able to show the extent of their animation capabilities through this anime.

Sound 9/10:

Ever since Yuri on ice started I still haven't been able to get over the opening, ending and ost songs to this very day. Honestly, the sound was magnificent, considering that they have to create up to 10 different soundtracks for each character's skating routine, I was absolutely amazed by the quality, and freshness of the mix of classical, pop and future bass(?) in the ost.

Character 9/10:

The characters are well created and unique, making each one easy to remember. The main 3; Yuuri, Viktor and Yurio sall have distinguishable characteristics and all express clear character development.

Yuuri- Appearance wise, one can argue that he's a character you've probably seen in 10 other anime: shy, glasses, nerd looking and easily embarrassed. But Yuuri's so much more than that; he's emotional but not sensitive and can be rebellious. He's not a character designed from scratch and I can say for sure that he was not intended to fit any stereotype.

Viktor- I'm genuinely surprised how they've managed to create a character so flawless yet so flawed. Viktor is perfect as a bachelor without appearing to be *too* forcibly bishounen and has a very charismatic feel to him. However, he has a hard time handling emotions, bot his own and others, and struggles with the idea of coaching Yuuri and being his mental piller. He's definitely one of the male Anime characters to stand out the most this season.

Yurio- I have mixed feelings about Yurio; on one side he is downright rude and I hate the way that he treats Viktor and Yuri, but on the side he's so loveable that I can't hate him. Yurio's hot hotheadedness and arrogant behavior is difficult to overlook, however, the show has ingrained in the idea that he DOES have a compassionate side to him and that maybe we should cut him some slack since he's 15 and already has to face the trials of being a competitive skator.

(bonus) Christophe- Alot of people seem to hate him and I don't really get why. Sure he's kind of weird with his whole 'nutting on the ice' nature, but I feel like that was added to express his sexual nature in general. I felt like this phrase was used to empasise his 'release' of the pressure felt when performing to keep him in character; as opposed to the other skaters, whom cried after their performance due to relief or strain. Not that I'm saying that hes incapable of crying, but to me I felt like this was his way of feeling 'relief' after finishing a performance.

Enjoyment 10/10:

Definitely a series I will not forget, as a long term anime fan, It's been a long time since I've been this invested in an Anime since Naruto.


Which begs the question- should YOU watch this?

This anime is unusual- It has seinen themes but it's main demographic is females (not statistically proven, just and assumption) So:

-If you've enjoyed sports anime such as Free!, haikyuu, and Kuroko no basket and are a full time fujioshi\fundashi, then this is 100% the show for you. Invest in it enough and every episode will get more exciting.

-If you want something fresh out of the anime market, modern and unique, then Yuri on Ice is something you should get your hands on. I would personally describe it as being very 'tumblr-like' since it deals with lbgt themes, mental issues and flower crowns.

-If you hate the idea that two guys are crossing the 'no homo' line and focusing on improvement, emotional stability and a prominently male cast, then this is NOT for you. Avoid at all costs before you submit to becoming a hater for no reason.

[Note: This is my first review, so please bare with me ;w;]

After hearing a few comments and reviews made about this anime; I decided to do it some justice since it was one of the few 2016 (so far) anime that really had an impact on me, rather than being another one that I've 'moved on from' by the next season releases. I will start with the strong points, weak points and then who'd I'd personally recommend it for.

Boku no hero academia is one of those masterpieces put beautifully together, but a few loopholes take that away. The anime really brings the manga to life: ... fight scenes are intensified, sad backstories were heart touching, characters are emphasized to their best potential (only to the extent of the manga, as a few characters haven't been properly touched on yet) - The producers of the anime knew what they were doing. In my opinion, the art style is beautiful: It's vibrant, it portrays detail and shows a strong resemblance to American cartoons. When you compare to other anime, truth to be told, it may not stand out much, however, I strongly believe that an anime shouldn't be judged by its art. There are anime out there with the most stunning visuals mankind has ever seen, but they are not worth your time (which is a shame really, but it cannot be helped); Boku no hero is not one of those. I feel like this anime really stands out with its hyped up 'superhero themed' music and I believe that it beats One punch man in that aspect.

On the other hand, I can see why this anime is not everyone's cup of tea: the plot is kind of off putting for the anime community where everyone expects seriousness or some kind of fan service merit, which this anime does not offer. The characters are good; but none of them are particularly outstanding enough to pick a favorite from (but that may just be me). I wish this anime had a bit more to offer rather than it's plot, which was one of the lower points of the anime. You can see the dense influence of American comics in this anime; which probably makes it more suitable for western viewers rather than us weaboos. XD

I recommend this Anime for people who enjoy American cartoons as well as anime (which is probably why I liked this so much). Overall, it's a very refreshing anime to watch as I found it fun to be invested in the main character's hard efforts and his determination. If you are unsure, watch episode one and see whether or not you like the main character: If you found him cute/appealing then keep watching, otherwise if you hate the 'weak boy suddenly gets powers' anime trope that he has, you'd probably best watching something else. Thanks for reading!