Mirai Nikki is the best battle royale anime. It does a great job of creeping out its viewers while simultaneously getting them hooked on the emotional roller coaster.
The anime blends strategy and horror elements, and has a romantic subplot. Episodes are fast-paced and action packed. Characters develop complex strategies to murder one another. The atmosphere is suspenseful and unsettling.
One strength of the anime is the female lead; she is clever but disturbing, and grows on the protagonist (and viewers) throughout the show. The battles between characters become exciting mind games. The plot is takes unexpected turns but remains easy to follow.
Some of the contestants are
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Apr 6, 2019
Saraiya Goyou
(Anime)
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This anime receives far less attention than it deserves. If you've never heard of Saraiya Goyou, definitely take a moment to see if it's up your alley.
The anime follows a strong, innocent, and timid samurai as he joins a enigmatic group in feudal Japan. The interactions between our uncertain protagonist and the group's charismatic leader resemble "Of Mice and Men." Overall, the story focuses on uncovering mystery, loss of innocence, and slow-paced atmosphere. One strength of the anime is that---while it has few action scenes---each of these scenes are crisp and impactful. Characters are nuanced and develop into more complicated individuals over the course of the ... 
Apr 6, 2019
Hai to Gensou no Grimgar
(Anime)
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Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash is another example of the `adventurer in another world' genre. What's unique about this particular anime is its focus on the psychological burden, loss, and inter-personal relationships that accompany fighting for a living.
We follow a party of novice adventurers in a medieval-based fantasy world. The anime emphasizes realism, character development, and team building. The show relies on our empathy with the protagonists, and has a calm but emotional atmosphere. One strength of the anime are scenes that blend realism and fantasy; for instance, when the party struggles with the concept of killing other living creatures. Some of the plot deals with ... 
Apr 6, 2019
Hyouka is a slow-paced but realistic school-life anime that revolves around little, everyday mysteries.
The anime features Sherlock Holmes-esque problem solving on an everyday scale. Themes include logic puzzles, slice-of-life, and high-school romance. There is little action but the illustrators do a great job of spicing up the dialogue. None of the mysteries are morbid, and the overall atmosphere is very positive and happy. The magic of this anime is its ability to make inconsequential mysteries into riveting narratives. The male and female protagonists are opposites, but have amazing chemistry together (and can be quite funny). The romantic subplots are treated in a believable way, and never ... 
Apr 6, 2019
Mushishi mixes a calming aura with dark psychological undertones to produce an amazing, episodic tale of the relationships between mankind and the land.
The anime develops themes around nature, mystery / problem solving, and morality. The conflicts typically arise from a man vs. nature imbalance---caused intentionally or unintentionally---and the protagonist must interact with spirits of the land to get to the source of each problem. Many episodes have a sad or mixed ending, but there are heartwarming moments. One strength of the anime is the way in which nature becomes a central character. The human protagonist is not overbearing, and leaves the viewer to formulate their own ... 
Apr 6, 2019
Fate/Zero pits historical heroes and their contemporary human partners against each other in a slow-burning battle for the holy grail.
This anime focuses on the different motivations for ambition, how rulers see the world around them, and the personal relationships between legends and their partners. Although the series has philosophical undertones, there are several fight scenes between the opposing teams. The anime falls somewhere between anime for college students and anime geared towards teenagers. The first season introduces the characters, and the second season develops the two primary antagonists. I group both seasons together in this review. Although this anime is part of a larger universe, you ... 
Apr 6, 2019
Aku no Hana
(Anime)
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Aku no Hana is a school-life anime inspired by "Les Fleurs de Mal," a collection of poems that describe boredom as the greatest evil.
The story follows three teens as they break social norms as a way to relieve boredom. The main themes of the anime are psychological, eroticism, and high-school life. The atmosphere is dark but realistic. One strength of the anime is the character progression; two of the protagonists are increasingly influenced by the third to throw-off their everyday inhibitions and release an inner anarchy. The anime is thought-provoking, and explores the gap between what we want and how we act. The art style is ... 
Apr 6, 2019
Gankutsuou
(Anime)
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Gankutsuou is a retelling of "The Count of Monte Cristo" within a futuristic setting.
The anime combines themes of revenge, coming-of-age, and classical drama / chivalry. The relationship between a young, uncertain man and the enigmatic, driven count forms the basis of the narrative. The overall atmosphere is colorful but mature. The anime retains the strengths of its literary counterpart while adding a unique, interesting interpretation. The way in which the youthful protagonist grows as he sees life's hardships is very convincing, and the main characters remain nuanced throughout. There is also a strong homoerotic undertone (not originally found in the novel), and gender-fluidity is cleverly interspersed. ... 
Apr 6, 2019
Death Note
(Anime)
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Death Note strongly resembles "Crime and Punishment." Although I would recommend this work, I think that it has significant flaws.
The anime revolves around strategy / logic games, concepts of morality, and distinctive characters. The central conflict comes from a cat-and-mouse battle between two teenage leads, which is primarily carried out in the form of dialogue. The strength of the anime comes from our enjoyment of watching the characters develop and foil complex strategies. Because of the work's popularity, people who like or are interested in anime should consider watching the first few episodes. There are a few weaknesses. The second season is much worse than the first, ... 
Apr 6, 2019
Kino no Tabi: The Beautiful World
(Anime)
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I am hesitant to review Kino no Tabi. Not because I didn't like the anime, but because I am worried that I won't say the right things to convince you to watch it.
This anime is episodic, and focuses on societies that take reasonable ideas to an extreme. The key themes are adventure, understanding others, and magical realism. The atmosphere is calm, introspective, and slow paced; there are a few action scenes, but the dialogue never becomes overbearing. Some strong points of the show are the philosophical problems posed by the different societies, and the ability of the anime to demonstrate the varieties of human experience. The ... |
