- Last OnlineApr 22, 2023 4:53 PM
- BirthdayMay 13, 1990
- LocationEverywhere and nowhere
- JoinedMay 11, 2014
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Oct 5, 2020
I don't understand the hate Rent-a-girlfriend gets by the community. The story is hilarious, the art is great and the music is extremely memorable. Which makes me wonder whether its one of those animes where the sheer realism captured by the protagonist's actions prevents most people from self-inserting with the main character (Evangelion and Shield Hero comes to mind). Because, well, its like looking straight into a mirror, and who wants to be reminded of their flaws?!
Kazuya is just your average horny college student without any redeeming qualities. The writers have captured the "incel" persona into this character so well, that people are bound
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to either hate or pity him.
To give a brief synopsis of the story: after getting dumped by his first girlfriend, suffering from a classic case of oneitis, Kazuya goes ahead and does what any sexually deprived college student would do if they had the chance - he rents a girlfriend named "Chizuru Mizuhara" (aka best girl of 2020).
Without going into spoilers too much, Mizuhara agrees to be Kazuya's rented girlfriend slightly beyond their usual contractual arrangement. Aside from her, there are other interesting girls (*ahem:* waifus) that come into the mix that intertwine a mix of jealousy and envy, and the whole character development is just a joy to watch as the story progresses.
Just when you think Kazuya has matured, he goes ahead and does something so stupid that it will no doubt make you cringe. Nevertheless, I think thats kind of the point as all this is necessary for Kazuya to temper and grow out of his own immature personality. The other anime that reminds me of this is Re:Zero, except the MC often has to die in order to grow as a character.
I would also say that the music played a big part in making this anime worth watching. I rarely skipped the OP because it was so catchy, and almost every scene was scored with memorable leitmotifs. It was really a refreshing breath of fresh air from the usual piano melodies you hear in other romance animes.
Overall, I really enjoyed this anime and can't wait for Season 2. In normal circumstances I would have rated this a solid 8. But since the score is so heavily negatively skewed, I'm rating this a 9 in a meagre attempt to balance the injustice .
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Feb 6, 2018
Gankutsou is a hidden gem in the world of anime. Its mature themes and lack of fan service are probably some of the reasons why it is so criminally underappreciated. Common criticisms being that the plot is too "slow" or "boring" are clear evidence that most viewers are simply not mature enough to appreciate its hyper realistic depictions love, friendship, betrayal and revenge. Sure, you could argue that there are other hyper realistic anime out there with large fanbases, but they always have fan service, quips and epic music to draw in large audiences. Sadly, Gankutsou has neither and is dead seriously mature from the
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start to finish which will most likely alienate younger audiences.
Story 10/10
Without question this is probably the best adaptation of Alexandre Dumas' "The Count of Monte Cristo" I have seen to date. There are a lot of movies out there, but this anime just blows them all out of the water. The setting is set thousands of years in the future so it has a very interesting sci-fi feel to it. Even if you are aware of the plot of "The Count of Monte Cristo" I would still highly recommend watching Gankutsou. The twists and surprises to the plot itself are what makes this show truely unique on its own.
Animation 9/10
I don't understand how some people are put off by the 3D holographic art style because I found it to be absolutely stunning. For a 2004 anime, it is remarkably beautifully animated. Only a minor criticism, and that is I felt the fight and space battle sequences looked a bit clumsy in 3D. Other than that, the way the animation makes certain characters and scenes shine and sparkle is like eye candy. Especially the holographic waifus. ;^)
Sound 6/10
This is perhaps the biggest disappointment for me. The opening and ending songs were hardly memorable and I found myself skipping them right after the first episode. The underlying soundtrack however is very good and fits the scenes well, especially during tense and emotional sequences. Nothing too memorable however... :/
Character 10/10
Each and every character is extremely well developed and written. I found myself becoming attached and really moved by their stories and experiences through the show. Heck, even the acting was so hyper realistic that at times I questioned whether I was watching an anime or a mature drama serial performed by real actors!
Final score 9/10. Honestly, if the music weren't so uninspiring, I would be giving this show 10/10 right now.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Mar 26, 2016
I would have given Durarara a much higher review had it not been for the soundtrack. MY GOD, it was so utterly dull, to the point of downright irritating, that I almost dropped this anime at one point. I strongly suspect the reason some people seem to drop Durarara after a few episodes is not because of the plot (because its actually brilliant), but the utterly disappointing soundtrack.
Story (9/10):
Plot is episodic and quite complex. Despite the MCs being a bunch of high schoolers, Durarara is actually a mature anime. The style and execution is fairly reminiscent of Ghost in the Shell, Code Geass and
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Bacanno. Mystery, suspenseful, intelligent and quite hilariously funny at times. First half of the series is a bit slow but everything connects together nicely during the second part like one big jigsaw puzzle.
Art (7/10):
Good for your standard anime. Nothing too fancy. Actions scenes are quick, not too vividly animated, and non-essential characters are pretty much greyed out. The dialogue carries the entire burden of the anime so don't let the art discourage you from watching it.
Character (8/10):
Every character gets a fair amount of development that all nicely fit together in this series. The main characters are pretty likeable.
Sound (2/10):
If you want to interrogate someone, force them to watch Durarara. After a couple of episodes in they'll most likely burst into tears and spill all the beans.
The music was not "bad" in the sense of composition and production quality (Jazz is as musically complex as its ever going to get). It just felt COMPLETELY out of place and I felt that it never really matched the mood right other than very few scenes. Or perhaps I'm being a bit too harsh? The opening themes were pretty decent. Some soundtracks if listened on their own, they're actually pretty good and catchy. But if you dare binge watch Durarara, those soundtracks will quickly turn into weapons of mind destruction. They are so discordant, random and repetitive that you'll find yourself occasionally falling to sleep with sheer boredom despite no fault of the brilliant plot.
Sure I get it. Jazz music is supposed to fit the discordant vibe of the series. But unless you genuinely appreciate Jazz music, too much of this Jazzy soundtrack will start to irritate and annoy you a lot, almost as if the composer of this OST was trying to troll you. If this was the kind of reaction the composer intended to get from the audience, well then, I guess he is an absolute genius!
The voice acting on the other hand was really good (even for the dub!). Though I got a bit put off by Mikado's voice for it being far too timid and wimpy.
Enjoyment and Overall (7/10):
Although I come across with an anti-Jazz bias in this review, if you can get past the rather discordant and uninspiring soundtrack, Durarara is extremely entertaining, with likeable characters, and has a story that has plenty of twists and surprises to keep you on the edge of your seats.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Mar 16, 2016
Wow, would you look at all the pretentious reviews on this one!
Sure SAO 2 is over hyped but justifiably so.
When SAO 1 first came out, it championed a whole new genre (of Virtual Reality gaming) not touched upon before at a deep enough level. It was like seeing something akin to Star Wars for the first time - being gripped by the sheer thrill and awesomeness of experiencing something not experienced before. So I guess its only natural for people to hold such high expectations for the sequel, only to be disappointment for, well? Expecting too much.
Though SAO 2 didn't bring anything extra to the
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table compared to SAO 1, it nonetheless provided a satisfying and enjoyable experience into the VR fantasy world once again.
Story: A lot of people seem to be throwing tantrums with the storyline because they felt the GGO arc was "rushed". Though I agree with the sentiment, and for a moment I almost felt the writers had dug themselves into a corner. Not to give the plot away but I was pleasantly surprised at how the second half of the season did a complete 360 and actually finished on a high note. Besides all the action and "plot", SAO 2 showed a more emotional side to it that I was not expecting. And in my opinion, it was pulled off extremely well.
Art: The visuals were nothing less than fantastic, as expected for an anime that champions the VR genre. Though I guess SAO 2 did have a ridiculously high budget so they could easily afford to pull it off.
Sound: I thought the soundtrack sounded familiarly "epic", until I realised it was composed by none other Yuki Kajiura herself (Fate/Zero, Gundam, Madoka Magicka). Enough said.
Character: Most characters are well written though I felt a couple were just being used as leftovers. Take Sinon for example. After the GGO plot, she just felt completely left out for the most part of the second season. Same could be said for Kirito for the second half, and it almost felt like they were trying to force him to be relevant. These are probably a few reasons people seem to dislike SAO 2, but honestly, I didn't let it affect my overall experience that much and just went with the flow.
Overall: Regardless of all its faults, hype, and frustration, SAO 2 for me was fun, enjoyable, and well worth the unexpected ride on the feels train towards the end. If you're up for escaping into a rich and vibrant fantasy world that SAO brings to the table then you should definitely watch it.
9/10 would watch again.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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May 8, 2015
Eh, no ones going to read this because theres already millions of reviews of Death Note.
Anyway, this has GOT to be in my top 10 (or 20) list of best anime EVER mainly because it was my first ever gateway anime. Also because I found the story to be completely ground-breaking compared to anything I had ever seen before. I literally felt like a caveman discovering fire for the first time.
The plot, the suspense, the excitement, the thrill...oh yeah, this anime is truly a binge watcher's galore.
The soundtrack is great and perfectly fit every scene in the anime. (It is a mixture of electronic
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indie rock and the occasional orchestra stuff for the epic scenes).
For people who are new to anime, I SERIOUSLY recommend that you watch Death Note first mainly because of the crime/thriller/super natural genre, which MAY be easy to digest by a wide variety of audiences. Also because it doesn't have that much fan service which an outsider may find a bit weird or off putting at first.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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