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Tomodachi Game feels like the ‘chocolate money’ of the anime medium. The problem with chocolate money is that it’s not real money and the chocolate is mediocre at best. If you’re really craving chocolate it’ll probably satisfy your urge, but it’s unlikely to make a notable impression. Tomodachi Game is reminiscent of that lackluster feeling. If you’re in the mood for an anime with a high-stakes game at its core then it’ll probably do, but you’re most likely going to forget the majority of its plot within a week of finishing it. Then we arrive at the ‘fake money’ aspect of the show, which in ... this case would be substance, that should be listed on the back of the package’s ingredients as “missing”.

Tomodachi Game is not one of those shows that attempts to tackle too many issues at once and fails to develop them properly. The premise is not ambitious, which is why it’s a little baffling to me that the pacing feels rushed and the storytelling lacks any kind of meaningful depth. The plot is pretty standard and doesn’t require countless episodes to be fleshed out properly, so I’m not sure why the story remains so superficial throughout the anime’s 12-episode run. The upside is that the story gets to the point very quickly and doesn’t go off on too many tangents. Ultimately, if you’re looking for a simple anime about a high-stakes game then this might be a good bet. I would like to stress the word “might” in the previous sentence because I think part of the appeal of a high-stakes game is that the games are designed in an intellectual way. You should be able to insert yourself in these situations and feel perplexed by the mechanics or the rules. I think Tomodachi Game also lacks in this department. The games are designed in a way that doesn’t make them intriguing. The second game especially feels like a bad board game. What’s also disappointing is that the strategies that the characters use to beat these games are kind of terrible? They’re very circumstantial, relying on social skills and human nature rather than attempting to craft a systematic strategy to win. It doesn’t feel like the characters are genuinely beating these games, but rather that there is a predetermined outcome set in stone and the circumstances lead them to this result. In this sense, the anime doesn’t feel organic and it may be harder to suspend disbelief while watching it.

Tomodachi Game isn’t a bad anime per se, it’s just not a good one either. It’ll satisfy your craving for chocolate, but the chocolate itself is pretty unremarkable.

Story: 4/10
I haven’t read the source material but I feel like there are several loopholes in the story. Certain aspects of the plot don’t really get explained properly. Perhaps if you’ve read the manga it makes a bit more sense, but as a standalone work this story lacks coherence and development. The storytelling also feels very reductionist. For an anime centered around intellectual games the story is quite simplistic. Where is the nuance?

Art: 7/10
The art style is very standard, I don’t have much to criticize but the animation in certain scenes could be a bit more smooth. However, I think the art style as a whole is successful in setting the right atmosphere when needed.

Sound: 7/10
I actually really enjoyed the opening theme song, and the voice acting was good too. Everything else about the soundtrack is forgettable.

Character: 3/10
The characters were all over the place. They also felt very one-dimensional. Even when the twists in the story happened, their execution felt forced and awkward. The cast as a whole is just very uninspiring, I can’t think of a single character that will stick with me.

Enjoyment: 4/10
My enjoyment wasn’t nonexistent, but it was definitely below average. I didn’t have particularly high expectations and yet I was still disappointed.

Overall: 4/10

Sasaki to Miyano feels dragged out, like a class on a Friday afternoon that never seems to end. The first few episodes draw you in as an archetypal BL story would, with a protagonist and love interest clearly established in the opening scene. The anime doesn’t stray too far from this, which isn’t an issue in and of itself; however, due to how stagnant the story remains throughout the show’s 12-episode run, it feels like the storytelling lacks development. In typical BL fashion, plot points that could easily be resolved through open communication prevail for multiple episodes. While this is understandable to a certain extent, ... since the anime doesn't attempt to tackle multiple storylines the episodes feel repetitive. Let’s attempt to dissect this a little bit. It’s difficult for me to believe that a fudanshi like Miyano has never considered being attracted to guys before Sasaki came along. Adolescence is a transitional period where you start to come to terms with romantic attraction and your sexuality in general. It’s understandable that a first year high school student wouldn’t have these things figured out yet. What doesn’t make sense is that Miyano needs to have some kind of revelation to realize that he likes guys when he spends hours consuming BL content. If you’re a fundashi you’ve definitely pictured yourself in the situations you read about. If the show had framed it in a different way, where perhaps he has internalized homophobia or he’s been brought up in a conservative household, this level of doubt and restraint would make sense. But for someone like Miyano that spends the majority of his free time reading about fictional gay men and their relationships, it seems farfetched to think it would take him several months to be able to come to terms with his feelings for Sasaki and communicate them. If anything it would make more sense for Sasaki to feel a bit uncertain about having feelings for another guy since he’s not the one consuming BL like there’s no tomorrow.

Maybe I’m being overly critical, but as a gay guy myself it feels like these stories aren’t entirely grounded in queer experiences. Who is Miyano representative of? Queer people don’t behave like this even if they’re closeted. Anime doesn’t always need to be 100% realistic. However, the show’s entire plot hinges on our two characters having feelings for each other and not recognizing them or not being able to communicate them. I can understand if this lasted during half of the anime’s duration, but to drag this out for 11 episodes feels unnecessary. There isn’t a clear explanation for why Miyano struggles so much to come to terms with his feelings either. It just feels dragged out for the sake of having enough content for a 12-episode run. I haven’t read the manga so I’m not sure what the pacing is like in the source material, but this anime could have easily told the same story in 6 episodes or less.

What stands out about this show is the way in which the story manages to reference its own tropes and clichés. The fact that Miyano is a fudanshi allows the story to parody itself a little bit. In my opinion this is the anime’s strongest quality. It doesn’t attempt to take itself too seriously, and when it does have serious moments the story doesn’t try to be something it’s not. It’s a generic BL through and through and the storytelling never tries to trick you into thinking it’s more profound than what it actually is.

Story: 5/10
As I mentioned, the main plotline is dragged out to the point that it feels unrealistic. It reminds me of the Dressrosa Arc in One Piece but without actually attempting to cover a fraction of the content One Piece covers in its arcs. Just repetitive as hell for no reason. The story’s main redeeming quality is its ability to make fun of itself by dissecting the BL genre through Miyano’s character.

Art: 7/10
The art style is good and so is the animation. It’s of the quality you’d expect from an anime made in 2022.

Character: 5/10
I think Sasaki to Miyano struggles in the character department as well. Sasaki and Miyano don’t behave how queer people would behave in these situations. I don’t want to make it seem like gay men are a monolith, but these characters don’t feel grounded in queer experiences. The last episode deals with this a little bit better, but by that point it's too little too late. The secondary characters also feel a bit one-dimensional for the most part.

Sound: 6/10
Neither the OP or ED were particularly memorable to me. I’m not an expert on voice acting so I don’t have any complaints. Overall the sound was fine.

Enjoyment: 6/10
I did enjoy watching this anime because I’m gay so I’m drawn to anything gay. However, if this wasn’t BL I would’ve struggled to complete it.

It’s said that the Cognitive Revolution occurred between 70,000 to 30,000 years ago, allowing Homo Sapiens to communicate in unprecedented ways. As far as we know, we are the only species that can talk about things we have never seen, touched, or smelled. Abstract concepts like ‘gods’ and ‘nations’ are born from the ability to think and theorize beyond the material world. Incidentally, many scholars argue that this is what separates us from other species, it’s what makes human beings ‘human’. To Your Eternity takes another approach at answering some of these questions about the nature of humanity, attempting to uncover the unifying experiences that ... make us human.

To Your Eternity’s premise is ambitious, and while this is the show’s greatest asset, it also ends up being its undoing in some respects. The notion of an immortal entity being cast unto Earth in an arbitrary manner sparks a great deal of curiosity (for me at least). Like most other living beings, the immortal entity’s purpose for existing isn’t entirely clear. In this sense, there’s something quite compelling about watching a being that’s able to transcend the laws of nature attempt to familiarize itself with humanity. Fushi is detached from the material constraints that ordinary human beings experience, but upon gaining consciousness, Fushi attempts to assimilate to the world. This provides a very interesting character study. As viewers, we watch Fushi engage with the world and observe almost every level of human experience. Fushi’s role at the start of the series is that of an observer with a negligible impact on the surrounding environment, but as the show progresses Fushi begins to increasingly interact with the world he comes to know. This allows the anime to dissect fundamental questions about our nature. Confronting your mortality, the fight for survival, finding purpose in your existence, these are all some of the themes that the series explores.

Unfortunately, Fushi’s relationship with the world and the ways in which his immortality are fleshed out don’t always add up. There are lots of times that Fushi has the ability to help those around him in much simpler ways than the show seems to present. His development is not always realistic and it appears to be overly stunted by a sense of naivety. I think Fushi would overcome this naivety far quicker than the anime postulates. This ties in with my main issue regarding the storytelling, which is that the writing seems to be quite formulaic. There’s a very clear course of events that the story and characters must follow, making some situations seem out of the norm. Every story has an intended beginning, middle, and end, but the ways in which these events are told can feel natural to the viewer. In the case of To Your Eternity, it was difficult to suspend disbelief and see the course of events as the natural flow of things, rather than a story with a preplanned ending in mind. The deaths of many of the characters seemed avoidable, and on one hand this is what eats away at Fushi and causes him to grow, but on the other hand it creates a slightly forced narrative that’s not entirely grounded in reality.

Story: 7/10
The story is promising, it introduces a compelling premise that gives way for the dissection of human nature rather eloquently. However, the execution of said premise is not as good as I would’ve hoped. After a while the storytelling becomes a little systematic; it lacks an organic quality that the beginning of the story had. It feels like there’s a preplanned course of events that the characters must follow, even if certain actions don’t always fall in line with what we’d expect from them. Despite this, I think the story still poses interesting questions about humanity and delves deeper into the human psyche than the average fantasy anime. Ultimately, this could’ve been executed better.

Art: 8/10
The art style is nice and the animation sequences are good too. It doesn’t stand out but it also has no real flaws.

Sound: 8/10
The sound is pretty good as well. Although I got tired of the opening theme song quite quickly, the soundtrack as a whole was good. The voice acting was also good, I especially liked the narrator’s voice.

Character: 6.5/10
The character’s suffer a little bit from the rigid storytelling. I also think that some characters could’ve had more development such as Mia, Opa, Uroy, and Sandel. Additionally, I thought some characters were poorly written. For instance, the Booze Man’s character arc seemed incomplete and his relationship with Gugu was odd, the show tried to make him redeemable without much explanation.

Enjoyment: 7/10
I enjoyed this anime but I had a hard time wrapping my head around certain plot points that were left relatively unexplained. I haven’t read the source material but I didn’t feel like the anime did a very good job at establishing the degree of ‘fantasy’ the world of To Your Eternity is subject to. At first, it seemed like Fushi was the only fantastical entity, but then the introduction of the Nokkers, Onigashima, and other events (like the Booze Man somehow placing all this alcohol inside a little boy) aren’t really explained. It’s not clear the extent to which the more ordinary characters are familiar with fantastical entities either. This made certain aspects a bit confusing, taking away from my enjoyment a little bit. Nonetheless, it was still a pretty interesting anime and if a sequel ever comes out I’d probably watch it.

Overall 7/10

“Looking for a note taker”

Words as simple as these can easily impact someone's life. "I Hear the Sunspot" tells the story of two college students who meet by chance yet end up closely intertwined in each other’s lives. While doing so, the story explores themes of isolation, self-regard, happiness, and social anxiety.

The dynamic between the reserved, hard-of-hearing Kouhei and the lively and vibrant Taichi is endearing. Kouhei is easily misunderstood by most people so he finds comfort in Taichi, who is fond of Kouhei’s good-natured personality. While the presentation of many themes is subtle, the manga is realistic and easy to follow. The characters ... don’t harp on typical shounen ai tropes, they feel human and layered. It’s not often that we get tasteful portrayals of characters with disabilities, especially queer ones. Nonetheless, "I Hear the Sunspot" doesn’t get overly wrapped up in identity and representation for the sake of it. The characters have meaningful interactions with each other and their identities affect them without making their entire struggles about disability or queerness.

Although some of the themes are serious, the manga still manages to remain quite light-hearted. Every theme is dissected a little but not excessively. Instead, when events happen the characters mull over certain actions, talk them through, or move on. There’s a very quotidian aspect to the story-telling without being redundant or boring, this adds to the creation of nuanced and grounded livelihoods for our cast of characters. It feels like they’re real people rather than idealized versions of people.

Story: 8/10
As mentioned earlier, the story feels down-to-earth and realistic without being boring. It’s relatable and still manages to further the plot in an intentional way.

Art: 8/10
Since this is my first manga review and one of the first manga series I’ve read I didn’t really know what to expect in terms of artwork. I don’t have a clear barometer for manga art but it seemed quite good to me.

Character: 9/10
The characters really shine in this manga. As I mentioned earlier I find them to be endearing yet grounded in reality. They’re not without flaws and they have their own battles irrespective of the world around them. On top of that, their identities aren’t the reason that they exist which I appreciate, they’re not just vehicles of representation.

Enjoyment: 8/10
I really enjoyed this manga!

The trickling sound of raindrops echoes throughout your room as you stretch your legs under the covers. Looking through the glass panes on your window, you unfurl the overcast sky with your eyes. A sense of sloth weeps over your body while you sift through the potential ways you can entertain yourself on such a gloomy day. You weigh your options and eventually stumble on some reality show from the mid 2000s. As you begin to watch you realize that there’s something almost reminiscent about it. It’s like you’ve seen this scripted story play out before. You let yourself be guided by the charm of ... the heavily-edited storyline that the producers set up for your entertainment. At times you even question whether they know that everyone can see through the conspicuously manufactured storytelling. Nonetheless, you let the Hollywood producers that orchestrated this show and its motley cast of characters take you on their journey... and you end up kinda digging it?

Black Clover is like that reality show that you binge on a rainy day. It’s not a sophisticated or groundbreaking piece of media, perhaps it’s even your guilty pleasure; however, the anime manages to be entertaining enough to make you stick around. Let’s be real, any one of us can come up with Black Clover’s plot. I’m sure I could pick out one of my friends at random to create a story of equal depth and detail as Black Clover’s premise easily. That being said, the execution of said plot is still entertaining and somewhat successful. Don’t get me wrong, just because the story isn’t some intricate narrative full of complex themes doesn’t mean it can’t hold its own against its peers. We don’t need to consume revolutionary media all the time, it’s fine to let your mind take a break and engage with straightforward storytelling; in fact, I think Black Clover allows its viewers to do this quite well. The dynamic between the characters becomes more endearing as the story progresses. The plot also contains some nuance that gets fleshed out as you move through the episodes, with the peak being the Elf Reincarnation Arc.

In terms of production quality Black Clover has its ups and downs. There are times when the animation is not up to par with modern anime whereas in other instances it excels. In general, Black Clover manages to successfully adapt the source material despite fluctuations in quality. My favorite part of the show is probably the opening and ending themes. Almost every OP/ED delivers a fantastic musical performance with visuals that are just as good. This is ultimately one of Black Clover’s strongest points.

Breakdown
Story: 5/10
I’ve penalized this category mostly due to originality. Since most people I know could come up with a story of this caliber I can’t give it more than a 5. I don’t mind watching an archetypal shounen plot unfold, but some of the naming choices make me wonder if this was written by a middle schooler.. “Princess-Healing Flower Robe”?? “Curse-Breaking Blood Cocoon”? whose kid came up with that, please lmk. The first few episodes are also a little bit insufferable, relying too much on shounen tropes.

Art: 7/10
As mentioned earlier, there are some fluctuations in the animation’s quality, especially during the Royal Knights Arc. Overall Black Clover still maintains a competent level of animation with a nice art style.

Sound: 8/10
The openings slapppppp, that’s all I have to say.

Character: 6/10
The characters are charming and fun to watch, some of them are annoying but what can you expect from a long-running shounen. Other characters remain a bit questionable (I’m looking at you Gauche) but overall they’re well thought out.

Enjoyment: 7/10
If you’re looking to sit back and relax while watching a straightforward action anime I think you might enjoy this pick. Black Clover probably checks every box on the list of Generic Anime 101, but hey, when did returning to the fundamentals become so bad?

Overall: 6/10

Picture your dream job. If you’re a smart ass like me you might say that you don’t dream of labor to begin with. That's not a bad response, unfortunately most of us will have to work at some point in our lives regardless of what our feelings towards labor are. So I’ll ask again, try to set aside your smart assery and picture your dream job (or the one you dislike the least if that’s easier). Got it? Alright well I’m going to assume that ‘con artist’ isn’t on your mind right now (if it is then I guess this anime will be right up ... your alley lmao). The thing is, scamming people isn’t as black & white as one might imagine. The moral landscape of scammers is dubious no doubt, but dubious nonetheless. Great Pretender takes us on a journey, illustrating what life as an extravagant scammer might look like, as well as what it really means to be ‘respectable’ in your line of work.

This anime is a diamond in the rough. It’s an enjoyable show with a premise that doesn’t confine itself to a single genre. This multi-faceted storyline, depicted through opalescent visuals and an eclectic soundtrack, unravels seamlessly before the viewer. Great Pretender has all the makings of a binge-worthy show; nonetheless, the story and character arcs suffer from a case of ‘style over substance’ (to a certain extent). Although the characters have depth, the story-telling doesn’t deliver its overarching messages with as much cogency as you’d expect from a show of its caliber. On one hand, this allows the viewer to make their own interpretations about the story arcs and their characters. This works well when the show attempts to underline how ambiguous morality can be and how hard it is to categorize actions as ‘good’ vs ‘bad’. However, at the same time the show has a robust sense of characterization: there are clear antagonists and protagonists (the latter of which tend to display a ‘better’ moral compass than the former). In this sense, the show implies that there are ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ ways to go about things, and there are also various mantras about living your life in a respectable way that the characters repeat. Additionally, Great Pretender also seems to subtly critique different aspects of capitalism, cultural hierarchies, human rights violations, and war. While it does this relatively well, it fails to make a strong impression on this front due to a lack of development.

While watching Great Pretender I appreciated how far-reaching the context of the storyline is. The diverse cast of characters presents an amalgamation of perspectives and stories that are very interesting to watch. As we keep learning about the characters and watch them scam people all over the world, we begin to understand the show’s unique point of view. In my eyes, one of Great Pretender’s main messages is to highlight the deficiencies of capitalism and the injustices it can create. The show spends a great deal of time demonstrating how much power can be obtained by amassing wealth. Monetary wealth allows you to transcend the rules of our societies. The rich antagonists in Great Pretender bypass law enforcement, sports regulations, federal & international law, as well as political institutions. This is all a result of capitalism which places a great deal of power and decision-making capabilities in the hands of an affluent echelon. Our main character, Edamura, became looped into the world of swindling because he himself was duped by the company he worked at. They had been engaging in consumer fraud without his knowledge in order to increase their profits (profit maximization is incentivized by capitalism). No company would hire Edamura with a criminal record. Backed into a corner, he becomes a scammer in order to survive. While Edamura’s background could simply highlight the inherent injustices in the world, throughout the show we see how he also meets people in equally challenging predicaments, many of which were brought about by the ramifications of other injustices, even systematic ones like economic disparities and war crimes. By demonstrating the simplicity with which human rights can be violated when money is involved Great Pretender hints at a critique of capitalism. Throughout Great Pretender there are many instances of money superseding human rights and ethical considerations. In my perspective, this is one of the show’s stronger and clearer messages. Unfortunately, the anime mostly alludes to this without making a clear statement. I think this hinders the impact of the anime’s narrative on the viewer. If the show was a bit more intentional in conveying a layered message, rather than just being entertaining for the sake of entertainment, I think it could’ve left a deeper mark on the viewer.

Ultimately, Great Pretender is a fantastic show which is not short of insightful observations. Despite this, the anime still has room for improvement.

Story: 8
The story is quite creative, each story arc revolves around a particular case (or scamming operation) that our gang focuses on in a different part of the world. I really enjoyed how each arc takes place in a completely new environment involving different industries. The setting remains very international and it continuously makes connections across different fields. On top of that, the way that the events unfold keep the viewer reeled into the story while not dragging on for too long. If it weren’t for the shortcomings in the overall narrative of the story that I outlined previously, the story would be close to perfect.

Art: 9
The visuals are quite spectacular. The vibrant color palette really stands out, it adds a life of its own to the story and it rebrands each of its locations as sites for action and excitement.

Sound: 8
I thought the soundtrack was pretty good, I enjoyed the opening and ending songs. I thought there were a few parts that had music that didn’t entirely fit the tone of the episode, mostly towards the end.

Character: 7
Great Pretender boasts a diverse and charming cast of characters, all of which have their own unique identities within the context of the story. While I found the characters to be very fun to watch, I think their storylines could’ve been developed a bit more given the episode count. With the exception of Edamura, I felt like each character could have received a bit more attention in order to properly expand on their motivations and background. I feel like this is quite noticeable with Laurent, we get to see his backstory with Dorothy as well as how he recruited the gang, but we still don’t really know what/who molded him into the person he is today. His origin story isn’t really known. The same goes for Abby and Cynthia whose backstories don’t really go beyond one particular event/person in their past (Abby’s main event being the Baghdad bombings whereas Cynthia is mostly tied to Thomas). However, beyond that not much is known about their pasts, and they don’t really experience fully realized character arcs. I’m not sure if the series is trying to set up a second (or technically third) season by omitting these elements, but this season still feels a bit hollow without more background on these key characters.

Enjoyment: 9
In general, I thoroughly enjoyed Great Pretender. As I’ve already mentioned, I think that certain themes and characters could have been developed better. Nonetheless, Great Pretender has high production quality mixed with a fun premise which makes for an enjoyable watch.

Overall: 8
I would recommend Great Pretender to anyone! Whether you’re new to anime or not I think you’ll like this show :)

Anime is not usually regarded as a sophisticated medium by mainstream standards, sometimes it’s not viewed as an artistic medium at all; however, Mononoke shatters those expectations. I’ve never seen an anime that completely uses itself as an art form more than Mononoke. The entire show maintains a refined sense of creativity with its eclectic visuals and sounds. Despite its unique approach to story-telling, Mononoke remains quite true to its genre as a horror/mystery anime. The show consists of 5 disconnected arcs which revolve around mysteries relating to malevolent spirits called "mononoke”. The only recurring character is the main character: Kusuriuri, a medicine seller who ... can slay and exorcise the mononoke. At first, the story-telling might seem confusing and vague; however, almost every detail in the story’s execution is intentional in conveying a broader narrative and developing thematic elements. Mononoke is a very psychological anime that thoroughly examines the mindsets of its unique cast of characters. While some of the characters may seem odd and outlandish, once their truths are revealed it’s evident that they have clear ties to real-world attitudes and societal behaviors.

In general, the entire show remains somewhat equivocal. Various plot points are left ambiguous allowing viewers to develop their own interpretations and takeaways. In this sense, Mononoke is a very personal anime whose enjoyment and understanding are guided by the viewers’ experiences and outlook on the world. You can keep returning to this anime and enjoy it just as much as you did the first time around (if not more). As I watched the anime for the first time, I’d rewatch pieces of the episodes only to find more elements to analyze or symbolism that I missed. Incidentally, this is quite representative of Mononoke’s layered and intentional story-telling.

As a Political Science student, what strikes me about the types of stories Mononoke chooses to convey is that they’re all quite feminist. Mononoke showcases and dissects various facets of womanhood within society. Each of its arcs explore different injustices women have suffered as a result of their circumstances, which are usually linked to broader societal issues. That’s not to say that every arc solely centers around a particular woman, but rather the arcs focus on the implications that the injustices have for the characters involved as well as for the world they inhabit. Some of the topics Mononoke tackles in the different story arcs include:

Zashiki Warashi (First Story) - the role of a mother, abortrion, sex work, women’s health
Sea Bishop (Second Story) - religion, chastity, guilt & fear, ambition
Faceless Monster (Third Story) - gender roles, toxic relationships, love & marriage, the role of a mother
Japanese Chimera (Fourth Story) - materialism, ambition & gender roles, elitism, marriage, violence
Cat Goblin (Fifth Story) - political corruption, fear, being complicit in someone’s oppression (although every story arc tackles this to a certain extent), ambition & gender roles

Ultimately, Mononoke is a very compelling show to watch. It examines a variety of themes in an incredibly creative and idiosyncratic way without losing the underlying social commentary. The one thing I would change about this otherwise near-perfect anime is the lack of background information we’re given on the lore of the story (even with the prequel story in Ayakashi). The concept of mononoke is already well-established in Japanese culture; however, the show could’ve given viewers some more lore or background info on the Medicine Seller (and his other form), the Sacred Sword, and the world of Mononoke as a whole. Nonetheless, the focus of the story isn’t on intricate world-building but rather the conveyal of profound horror-mysteries involving mononoke, and the show does this remarkably.

Story: 9
Each story arc in Mononoke is well thought-out and nuanced. The way the arcs unravel is so captivating for the viewer to watch. Each story flows like a seamless play with growing suspense until the shape, truth and reason (or regret) of the mononoke in question is revealed. As I mentioned earlier, the story could’ve developed the world’s lore a bit better. However, this doesn’t hinder the stories too much in the long-run. Many plot points are left ambiguous but this allows for multiple interpretations and understandings of the stories depending on how they resonate with you.

Art/Animation: 10
The show’s art style is so unique and mesmerizing to watch. Mononoke is a visual feast with a distinct sense of style. Each episode boasts stunning illustrations and aesthetic color schemes. Beyond these subjective impressions, the show’s animation adds layers of symbolism and depth to each story arc. Mononke’s distinct art style is probably the first thing you noticed about the anime, fortunately the art continuously delivers throughout the show’s 12 episodes.

Sound: 10
Similarly, Mononoke’s sound allows the show to develop palpable atmospheres, the soundtrack is especially brilliant at evoking suspense. In general, the sound effects keep the momentum of the show going and help the stories unfold. I thought the opening song was very soothing and fit the tone of the show very well.

Character: 9
Mononoke has a cast of layered characters with strong ties to our own society and real-world attitudes. The characters are used quite well and help further the overarching narrative. I think they could’ve developed certain characters a bit more. Regrettably, the parameters of the show, namely the episodic nature of the story arcs, limit a few characters from being fully realized. Despite this, the characters' storylines were intriguing and closely intertwined with each other which added nuance to the stories.

Enjoyment: 10
In my eyes Mononoke stands as a masterpiece within the genre of horror/mystery. I’d go as far as to say that Mononoke is one of the most well-executed and detailed forms of media I’ve ever consumed. I could go back and rewatch this show whenever and I’d be thoroughly entertained. I highly recommend Mononoke to more seasoned anime viewers.

"You all know the truth. We're all going to die, and we'll die cold and lonely, not knowing anything!" - Angelica

Gunslinger Girl is an underrated gem. It definitely has some rough edges here and there, but overall the anime is quite layered and well-executed. If you're looking for a simple action plot with fight scenes to entertain you I would look elsewhere. This is because Gunslinger Girl shines where most other action shows don't. This anime takes a psychological approach to an otherwise simple action plot. If you give yourself time to understand the characters, and the ways in which the anime chooses to flesh ... them out, then you'll find yourself watching a compelling story that dissects human nature eloquently.

One of the show's most successful story-telling techniques is the juxtaposition between the Handlers and the girls (who are referred to as 'cyborgs'). Each Handler forms a two-man team with a particular girl/cyborg to form a 'fratello' (meaning brotherhood/siblings). However, at the beginning of the story the Handlers and the girls could not be more different to a pair of siblings, to the point that the title is almost ironic. We watch each pair develop throughout the course of the series with a particular focus on the girls and their interactions with each other as well as their Handlers. In every episode, the juxtaposition between the Handlers' cold demeanor and the girls' deep-rooted devotion to them (that was brought about through conditioning) is clear. Incidentally, despite the severe conditioning that the girls underwent, when contrasted with their Handlers they seem so much more emotionally intelligent. It's tragic how long it takes most of the Handlers to realize that these 'cyborgs' aren't any less human than the average girl their age. But when you're conditioned to be a cold killing machine, and you're treated as such by the people around you, it would be surprising if the girls didn't struggle navigating their humanity. I thought Henrietta's character development in this respect was quite excellent. By the end of the show, she's self-aware of the artificial nature her devotion for Jose has (due to her conditioning).

All the girls navigate their identities differently, some better than others which usually depends on how their Handler treats and views them. As the girls try to manage their intense devotion to their Handlers as well as their identities as young women, we see how the Handlers maintain a cold and restrained demeanor. At first, this is slightly infuriating. Watching these men hold the girls to their strict standards while providing no type of personal/emotional support frustrated me. It seemed like they were going out of their way to be dry and cold. However, as the show progresses you realize that the Handlers are also expected to treat the girls in this manner. This is why even though Jose and Henrietta have the most humane relationship out of the bunch, their dynamic is viewed bizarrely by the other agents. At first, the show's narrative seemed to favor the Handlers and their systematic approach which is why I felt a little frustrated. However, as Jose and Henrietta's relationship develops a clear contrast is drawn between them and the other fratellos. We eventually see that the Handlers that are the most distant/cold end up failing (quite miserably in some cases). Meanwhile, Jose and Henrietta who started out as the agency's 'troubled' pair ends up becoming their most efficient team. The difference is obvious: Jose recognizes Henrietta's humanity and shows her the respect and kindness she deserves. On the other hand, the majority of the other Handlers can't even begin to fathom that these girls are anything other than cyborgs.

My takeaway from all this is that success isn't attained by ignoring or suppressing your humanity in order to increase your efficiency at achieving a particular goal. Only by embracing your humanity can you achieve your potential. For these girls, cyborg & human aren't mutually exclusive terms. This is what the Social Welfare Agency fails to comprehend. In this regard, the agency is its own worst enemy. It's not until the second half of the show when the Handlers begin to recognize the humanity in the girls that their results improve or become more consistent. Ultimately, the Social Welfare Agency's ethical practices remain questionable, but this first season leaves hope for the future of the fratello in Gunslinger Girl's second season.

Story: 7
The story has a lot of potential. I think the show could've easily been a masterpiece if some of the story-telling was better. Despite the depth of the anime and the great juxtaposition I mentioned earlier, some moments fell a little bit flat for me. The show spends a good deal of time setting things up; whether it's creating an atmosphere or building up to a particular scene, the show remains quite contextual. While this helps flesh out the subtleties in characterization, I think sometimes they choose to spend a little too much time doing this which slows the story-telling.

Art/Animation: 8
I thought the animation and the art style were good. The character designs were a tad bit bland but true to nature. For an anime made in 2003 there were actually some very well-animated moments. I loveddd Henrietta's chase scene after the man steals her bag.

They tried their best to go for that ~Italian/European vibe~ with the city's design which was somewhat successful? I don't think the city's art style screamed Italian but it wasn't far off either. I'm giving it an 8/10 instead of a 7 because I feel like there weren't really any major issues or disappointing scenes.

Sound: 9
The sound is definitely one of the show's highlights, especially towards the end. The opening and ending set the tone perfectly, they never felt out of place within the rhythm of the story. Overall, the soundtrack was great.

Character: 8
It might seem like the story has a pretty straightforward narrative, but the way it's portrayed in the anime is very subtle. From the quick glances to the small talk, Gunslinger Girl relies on subtleties to flesh out complex characters. Due to this, it's easy to miss certain elements if you're not paying attention. The characters can seem dull if you don't give them their due. Essentially, the show relies on the audience to put in some effort in understanding the characters properly. Nonetheless, the characters are pretty well written, especially Henrietta and Triela. I think the Handlers could've been developed more, but perhaps the second season will work on that.

Enjoyment: 8
I really enjoyed watching Gunslinger Girl! It's definitely more of a slow-paced action anime (which might seem counter-intuitive) but the way the characters and the story is developed is pretty good.

Overall: 8
I highly recommend this show to fans of psychological anime!

Well... if the story would've had a little bit more direction Mercedes could've made Next A-Class look less like a capitalist marketing scheme.

Overall, I thought that Next A-Class had good animation and decent sound combined with a promising set up. Having the entire short take place during a high-speed car chase was fun and it had potential to present a cool yet interesting story. I wasn't expecting a transcendent message or anything, but even with 6 minutes there could've been some kind of takeaway... instead Mercedes just shows us a futuristic car that doesn't even exist (at least not with those specs). It was clear ... that the story was built around the promotion of the company rather than trying to weave the promotion of the company into an already compelling short story. Ultimately, this short video fails to transmit any kind of message or narrative beyond a simple car chase, which is still underwhelming even within the parameters of its 6-minute time frame.

I just think that there are so many successful animated shorts (eg: Paulette's Chair, Tsumiki no Ie) that are able to convey powerful messages or recreate idyllic moments. Due to this, Next A-Class falls kind of flat in comparison. It gave us a cool car chase at least so I guess it has that going for it.

Story: 3
Again, it's a car chase with no real narrative. I try not to judge shorts too harshly when it comes to this category because I attempt to take the time frame into account, but even with 6 minutes the story could've had more direction. It would've been nice if some of the 'folklore' surrounding the Noddle cart was focused on to create higher stakes for the car chase. Anything to make the story feel somewhat captivating.

Art: 8
The animation was definitely good, everything was animately quite well for the most part. There were some exciting scenes in there.

Sound: 7
I really liked the sound! I thought the soundtrack was good and matched the atmosphere of the car chase appropriately. I thought there were times when the sound effects were slightly too cacophonous and I couldn't really make out what was going on but I guess that's expected for a high-speed car chase.

Character: 4
The character designs were decent and they definitely had distinct 'personalities'; however that's about it. They could've dropped more clues about the characters in the dialogue or animation. Successful shorts can present (seemingly) fleshed out characters in a short time frame. Next A-Class missed the mark with that too but at least each character had individuality.

Enjoyment: 4
I can't say I didn't have a bit of fun while watching the car chase, but when the short ended I didn't feel like there was much meaning to what I just watched. It was more like Mercedes just tried to subliminally ingrain their logo in my head lol.

Garden of Words is an endearing and seemingly ordinary (but touching) story that's packaged beautifully.

This film has a lot of potential that it almost fully lives up to. The beautiful animation and the sound create an incredibly palpable atmosphere. Unfortunately, the film suffers from pacing issues which (coupled with its length) hold the story back from being fleshed out fully.

While the story itself may seem ordinary on the surface, it had various underlying themes relating to: love, adulthood, money, and mental health to name a few. The way the story sets up the initial interactions between Yukino and Takao is quite idyllic. Other than ... the breathtaking animation and the soothing sound, I think the film's choice to present the majority of the information through pieces of dialogue created a believable yet charming story.

I wouldn't say the characters compelled me but I was definitely interested (and invested) in their development. Ultimately, both characters remained true to their nature. I think the way the story chooses to take their character arcs is mostly realistic, but just like the story itself, the characters are also not properly fleshed out due to the pacing.

My issue with the pacing is perhaps more of an issue with the actual video editing. I felt like various pieces of dialogue should have been highlighted a little bit better. There were also times when many key scenes flashed quickly to represent build ups of emotion or heartfelt moments. While these edits ultimately got their message across, some of the information and thematic elements got jumbled and weren't properly developed. With only 46 minutes to spare the repeated use of these edits somewhat hurt the movie. The pacing/editing issues could have been relatively minor; however, given the time constraints I felt like the pacing impacted the overall story and the character development.

Nonetheless, the story itself was sweet and told beautifully. I've always liked Makoto Shinkai's work and Garden of Words is no exception; however, compared to his other work, this film doesn't shine as brightly.

Here is the detailed score breakdown:

Story: 7
The story might seem simple but I found it to be quite heartfelt. I thought the way that Takao and Yukino's interactions were presented was very touching and picturesque. I think the story could've benefitted from more time to be properly developed.

Art: 10
This was a visual masterpiece. The animation techniques were used extremely well and the result was stunning. Every scene could live as a gif on an art student's tumblr dashboard.

Sound: 8
The use of rain was very elegant in conveying the story. It leads our main characters to each other which ultimately brings out the best in them (we even see this literally with Yukino's taste). The soundtrack as a whole is sophisticated and pleasant to listen to.

Character: 6
The characters are fine, they're relatable to a certain extent. They could've been fleshed out more but the pacing and the length limited them from being fully realized. Although I appreciated the way the dialogue was presented to reveal information about the characters, the film glossed over important bits somewhat indiscriminately which hindered character development.

Enjoyment: 7
I enjoyed the movie and loved the animation coupled with the sound. Nonetheless, I was a little disappointed by the weird pacing which limited sone of the character development. I mostly felt like the story had potential that it didn't fully meet.

Overall: 7
Overall it was a very good movie with a charming story that could have been developed slightly better.