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Isn’t magic really, really cool? The awe inspiring abstraction of its visual manifestation, the joy of seeing something created out of thin air and shatter into million specks of dust, just the idea of magical powers in general is something that has been a consistent love since I was a child, and something my thoughts usually got lost in. This fascination with the magical made me want to be a mage or have some sort of magical fairies that granted me tons of wishes; magic in general gives me a sense of child-like wonder, like that you got on Christmas Eve and you tried to ... guess what gifts where you gonna get the morning after. This is exactly how Little Witch Academia makes me feel.

It’s this personal relation/obsession with magic that truly made me gasp as Shiny Chariot’s magic comes to life in the first sequence of the show and like that, just like little Akko, was taken aback by it, Akko’s reaction subsequently made me root for her, as I essentially related to her, I wanted to watcher her grow as she took her first steps into what would be her life as a witch as she enrolls to Luna Nova, a school centered on the teaching of magic to young witches. In just the first scene, the show perfectly showcases the main character’s motivations and makes a really magical, no pun intended, first impression with its creative, dynamic visuals, something the show thrives on, but we’re getting ahead of ourselves.

It’s the way Little Witch Academia is structured that makes it so effective. The first half is composed of this slice of life, episodic adventures where Akko and her friends face a new absurd situation and they have to deal with it while the second builds up a really compelling storyline that, while not the most original or groundbreaking one out there, manages to twist its tropes enough through it’s charm and wit, aided by a really strong thematic bond, that makes it so enthralling and exciting.

This dynamism between the episodes makes Little Witch Academia pure bliss, especially during its kooky first half. You’ll get an episode about Akko going inside of one of her friends’ mind to find the real conscious version of her friend and wake her from a deep slumber caused by her experimenting with mushrooms, or an episode where Akko accidentally revives a corpse and has to follow it around town with the help of her friends. While absurd in its ideas, it manages to make it all feel connected with subtle world building and foreshadowing to latter events in the series. A common critique of the show is that the first half, as usual with other Trigger shows like “Kill La Kill”, feels more like filler made to pad out the show in general but in the case of Little Witch Academia, I’d argue it makes up for some of its more memorable moments as it puts the emphasis on the dynamic the main trio of characters have and, as mentioned earlier, add subtle nuances that make up the world building that the show is filled to the brim, but never bloated, with.

Speaking of the main trio, the characters bring up a unique energy to the show where each an every single one of them feels like a powerful force by themselves and their personalities shine through the screen, especially in moments when said personalities clash, bringing some entertainment value while also better showcasing the characters’ ideals, making each and every single on of Akko’s friends memorable in their own way, all aided by the fantastic character designs and the incredible art direction the show has. Its characters are a presence from their designs alone, and, as with every good design, these communicate a lot about the characters just by giving them a quick glance. Akko’s optimistic and naive personality is written all over her face as well as Sucy’s crooked demeanor, this aspect diversifies the cast and makes them unique; which is accentuated by the fluid animation that makes them come to life.

As with many other Trigger shows, and many Gainax anime before it, Little Witch Academia does a lot with it’s budget using different techniques that showcase impressive animation in the more bombastic and off beat sequences of the show, and a bit more subdued one in the calmer moments it has. This sakuga approach of animation gives the show a bouncy feel to it that complements the more comedic moments of the show really well, which is mostly backed up by the amazing voice work and sound production in general the show has; the characters’ range of emotion, especially Akko’s, is impressive and entertaining on its own.

As for the sound, the music really adds a lot to the vibe of the show in general. While at the beginning I wasn’t too keen on the opening or the ending the show presented, they quickly grew on me as I made my best attempt to sing along at them (and miserably failed every time). The OST in general has some really catchy tunes that, while not the most memorable aspect of the show, some of them really add to the quirkiness of the specific emotion the scene is trying to give. I also appreciate its use and how it evolves through the series as the tone and focus of the show does, going for a more upbeat sound during it’s first half and a more electronic sound that’s more prominent during its second half. I especially like the villain’s theme which has been stuck on repeat on my head for a while.

Here’s the moment in the review where I’ll go more in depth with the second half of the show, but I’m gonna do my best to avoid any sort of spoiler and just discuss what it has to offer. As said before, the second half ditches the more episodic one-offs that the first half easies its audience with. Up until that point I was having a blast with all the adventures it had offered and had a hard time choosing a favorite, with episode 13 being a strong, strong contender because of its incredible visuals and endearing plot. After it though, everything kind of changed. Episode 14 quickly began to introduce this plot of finding seven sacred words and restoring magic to the place it was before. At first, I thought I was worried I was gonna stop enjoying the show as I was doing it so far. It felt done to death already and really didn’t want to see such endearing characters go to waste in a predictable plot.

Much to my surprise, I found myself adoring the second half because it’s more storyline-inclined aspect. While it doesn’t bring up anything crazy deep or profound or something entirely original, the show manages take the tropes it was building its plot upon and completely vitalized them in a way that felt fresh. The show’s unique innocent charm and strong characters made it work in a way I thought it wouldn’t, managing to create a really engaging plot that built up to a satisfying conclusion. At the beginning, the show’s second half follows the more episodic structure of the first half but with the search of the seven sacred words being the driving force of the episodes until they introduce the main antagonist and the episodes start feeling as if they could seamlessly transition to the next one, building up nicely from the last one, making a show a tad bit more binge-worthy in my opinion.

This second half is actually my favourite part of the show, really. While I loved the off-beat, crazy adventures Akko and her friends entangled themselves in the first half and the creative and comedic situations that spawned as a result, the second half had a stronger pull through its themes that made it resonate much, much more with me, to a degree that I didn’t expect even if I didn’t think the story itself was perfect. I loved seeing Akko overcome her struggles and become the person she truly needs to be: herself. As with many “magical girl” storylines there’s a lot of “believe in yourself” involved, but LWA manages to cleverly avoid feeling empty because of the way we’ve seen Akko fail throughout the show, including those times in the first half of the show. Akko herself is a really positive force that can serve as an inspiration to many, yet never really loses realism or depth is sacrificed to accommodate for this. I myself can relate to Akko a ton as a struggling teenage artist that looks up a ton to their influences a bit too much and how disheartening and flat out painful it can get to be at times yet she decides to keep fighting against all odds and grow from it, it was genuinely inspiring and made me pumped up to keep trying and not to give up, although I constantly think about it. This being a show for all ages, I can only imagine the impact it would have on small children.

Having mentioned art school, I could go on about the parallels I can drew between art school and Luna Nova, or magic learning as its portrayed on the show in general, there are lots of points that could enrich said analysis that I’m sure someone has already noticed or downright made it. Instead, I’m gonna pose the argument that the show serves as a great metaphor for basically those who’d like, in any way, learn and those who admire someone and makes them their inspiration. Logically, this would made it a series about pretty much everything as we all, directly or indirectly, want to learn; wether it’s learning math or learning to be better, learning to draw or to do magic. Similarly, we all have someone we look up to, someone who inspires us to develop all of this hard math equations and inspires us to grow, to draw and to see things in a different way and makes us want to be like them. Little Witch Academia is exactly about that; a show that centers around the youthful desires to grow and stand next to our idols and bring happiness to the world, but instead of pushing the audience to fight for making said dreams a reality, it pushes it to fight not to imitate your inspirations, but build upon them. It’s an anime that invites you not to imitate, but to innovate to fulfill your dreams and desires and make something magical in the process.

In conclusion, I really enjoyed Little Witch Academia, as you could obviously guess at this point. It made my giggle and smile all the way through and gave me a really nice time, which is the only thing I ask in a show: to keep me engaged with what its presenting me; and LWA does that with an endearing magical touch.

"As long as you keep on living, there will be a tomorrow".

Gunbuster is a six episode OVA from 1988 directed by Hideki Anno (who would later be known more as the father of Evangelion). Gunbuster has a very important place in anime history for a lot of people, as it was the show that put powerhouse studio Gainax on the map, which led to many shows that are either considered classics, or some the best anime in their respective eras. It's also the first anime the forementioned Hideki Anno directed, with some considering it some sort of prototype version of Neon Genesis Evangelion (though I'd ... say it's more akin to Gurren Lagann, of all things).

So, while context matters for this anime's place in history, it really has no meaning for those who have no connection with Gainax or any of the other things i've mentioned. Heck, it might not even mean a thing if you don't have a soft spot for mech anime. Fortunately though, Gunbuster stands on it's own and ir solidifies its place on the anime zeitgeist as something beyond a classic or a show that's only important due to nostalgia, Gunbuster is an experience, sure, time has taken a toll on this little fella, but it's easy to see what makes it so great.

Gunbuster, or Aim for the Top, follows Noriko Takaya, daughter of an admiral in command of a fleet and a recent student in this training academy for girls who are going to fight for humanity's sake. Sure, it doesn't sound like that big of a deal and, to be honest, it's a very simple premise but that's what makes this show so easy to get into. In its first moments it's already giving an emotional kick that's not only gonna be the driving force of motivation for our main character's acts but for the whole show. Gunbuster isn't so much about saving the universe from big horrifying aliens, it's about motivating you to be the best version of yourself you can be an, title drop incoming, Aim for the Top.

While cheesy and very overly simplified, it's where a big part of Gunbuster's charm truly lies: it manages to mix the elements that make a great sci-fi storyline about kicking aliens in mech suits with an inspiring, almost empowering tone and message. All of its characters, while simple, and maybe quite trait-y at first, they manage to be endearing on their own because the way they develop both in their relations and as characters (Particularly Noriko and Amano). The combination of real science, bordering more on the more pseudo aspects that are a must in sci-fi stories, makes for a really nice synergy that juxtaposes between light and innocent and fantastical and energetic with a little emotion sprinkled in.

Being one of the studio’s first works, the animation is not always as consistent due to an apparent low budget, though it’s never distracting enough thanks to some really clever direction that masks some of the shortcomings. That being said, when the show really needs to turn its gears to the max, it introduces some bombastic set pieces that are a trademark of Gainax and are, as usual, beautifully animated. Many of the animation principles followed in many of the studios’ shows after have their inception here, the aforementioned bombastic nature of the set pieces, the infamous “Gainaxing” and even other tropes outside of the animation, like the almost trademarked “Gainax endings”. The presentation is consistently beautiful with really slick and colorful art that’s really beautiful to look at, with a lot of detail in the mechs, ships and aliens. The character designs are a bit more hit and miss and I can see people not getting into them completely, but I thought that at least the main cast, which is what the OVA focuses more on, looks really good.

Adding to the presentation, Anno’s direction, while not as filled with symbolism as in NGE, is still clever on its own right. The last three episodes are beautifully directed and are clearly the highlight of the show. The decision to make the last episode colorless really gives it a more emotional edge that makes the ending profound and jaw dropping. The way characters are handled remind a bit of Anno’s later work, you can argue both NGE and Re: Cutie Honey have Gunbuster in its DNA, and the show can handle its change of tone from a cutesy high school story to a sci-fi epic to a character driven story about isolation seamlessly, the range of emotion Gunbuster can both showcase and transmit is fascinating, especially with its six episode run.

That being said, the nature of its short run can give in to many problems with pacing, especially during the first half. Some events that happen through episode 2 and 3 lose some of their impact because the lack of set up and development of said events. A clear example of this is the character Smith, which really doesn’t go anywhere interesting. That being said, the series doesn’t dwell too much on these events and, in turns, makes them a driving force for the second half, at least emotionally, which doesn’t sacrifice Gunbuster’s status as a satisfying show.

The sound in general that the show has is truly something. The Voice acting is phenomenal and the music is beyond superb with recurring themes for different events that really add to the atmosphere its trying to give, both “Buster Machine March” and “Noriko” are highlights I can’t get enough of, which I listen in a regular basis. While the OP and ED don’t reach said heights, they are both pretty enjoyable, and I have quite a soft spot for the ending song.

Overall, I wish I could keep venting more and more about Gunbuster, I guess that at this point it’s pretty evident I like it. Love it, even. My enjoyment with it was something I didn’t expect and it went well beyond my expectations, resonating with me in many different levels. That being said, I can’t let this go on forever, if you have a fascination for mechs or are interested in classical anime that's still really good to watch with many different layers and tones, I can easily recommend Gunbuster, it’s a short yet enjoyable romp through a world of robots, aliens and a lot of character.

I don’t think I am exaggerating when I say the Gunbuster packs more action and character growth in six episodes that a huge chunk of the industry’s most prevalent shows do in sixty. Gunbuster is just special, and I really would encourage you to go along for the ride.

Anime has had a really strong influence in western animation in at least the last decade. Many cartoons have adopted the art style, direction and humour from classic anime to present their story; that's why many people worship the importance of anime in pop culture. That being said, it's weird seeing anime taking inspiration from cartoons; it just not something that appeals to the common anime demographic, especially because these always turn out to be an interpretation of the western culture instead of a way to accentuate or elevate the concept as a whole.

This however, cannot be applied to Panty and Stocking With Garterbelt. ... Even the name has this ridiculous double entendre that pretty much describes the zaniness and quirckiness of the show.

Panty and Strocking follows the two titular characters, a pair of angels with a racy behaviour that are buying there way back to heaven being guided by Garterbelt, an over the top priest. They all locate these creatures known as ghosts to cleanse Earth from evil.

The story itself takes the structure of a normal cartoon, with one episode having two different segments each one with a different plot. This works for the advantage of the show, because it allows for more self contained stories that can be put in their own different canon; allowing for really creative stories along its run. The problem with these structure is that almost all of the development is taken away from the characters, the last moments of the show being the exception. This is a huge misunderstanding of cartoons, because even the ones made for kids use development to the strenght of the plots. All in all, the story isn't the most attractive thing in the world but it's execution through the offensive yet playful dialogue is masterfully done, the banter between the characters and the way they interact with each other is both clever and funny on its own.

Although the writing can be quite funny at times, it can also stumble in some pretty cliché ideas overused in 90 percent of cartoons. It can also be, to put it plainly, quite disguting at times; using farts, vomit and other shit like that as focal points for an episode. Other major flaw of the show, is the lack of interest it presents on turning its two main characters into something likeable, it's pretty common feeling as if the show was trying to make you hate the pair because of their horrible behaviour towards the people around them which can get annoying in some parts of the show where the issues they're dealing could be solved easily if they weren't complete assholes, trait that is emphisized by the limited traits the pair has.

Strangely enough, that doesn't stop the show of being really entertaining. Besides the quirky dialogue, the show packs a really stylized art that's oozing with some style(see the main characters for further proof). Every frame in the show comes to life using some visual onomatopeia and using an attractive combination of colours. This is accentuated, or ruined depending on how you see it, with a smooth change of art styles throughout the episodes or segments (with varying degrees of quality), which can make the art feel a bit inconsitent. The only department where the art can be guilty of being poor is during some of the animation sequences that look either rushed or unfinished.

When the art department and the animation sync in the right way, the show can be a blast to watch and it gives the audience the show's most memorable sequences, each accompanied by an ost inspired by J-pop that, while it's limited and not that varied in sound, it's quite delightful in it's own right.

In conclusion, when the pieces are working well together the show can be an exciting and really entertaing show just to watch but due to technical limitations caused by a really apparent low budget, some poor writing decisions and characterization can really be an annoying experience to watch. That being said, if you want an anime with a unique style and an accelerated pace, and can handle racy or flat out gross writing or imagery; you'll probably enjoy Panty And Stocking With Garterbelt.

Note: I saw the dubbed version and its used as the basis of this review. Please don't kill me, that version is absoulte gold.