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Mar 31, 2016
Hai to Gensou no Grimgar got a lot of love and [more often] hate from its very first episode, for one reason: "It looks like SAO!" The airing of Grimgar Episode 1 reignited the ages-old argument over whether SAO is the pinnacle of anime or the spawn of Satan himself. I'm not going to get into that in this review, since that's an entirely different and unrelated topic. However, while there is some truth in the statement that Grimgar resembles SAO, there's also a lot of falsehood in that statement as well.
Grimgar's setting very much resembles that of an RPG, even though it's never
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said that it takes place in a game. There are all sorts of RPG-like missions and monsters, causing people to further compare Grimgar to SAO. However, the thing that stood out to me from the very beginning of the anime was how realistically WEAK the main characters were. A lot of people disliked Grimgar's pilot episode for the very same reason, but I really liked this unique premise. Because let's face it; we're all nerds here. I think it's safe to say a good percentage of us aren't fucking Olympians, and if we were ever warped into a medieval world where we had to join the army and fight monsters to survive, most of us would struggle a lot! Sure, there are always exceptions, but I believe the vast majority of people, fit or not, would have a very hard time in an RPG-like setting.
Because Grimgar's main characters are weak, they deal with a lot of trauma that a Kirito-like MC wouldn't have. They're inexperienced and disorganized; they lose a party member; they face a moral quandary about taking enemies' lives. I think so many action/superhero anime overlook the psychological element of fighting in battle, so addressing this psychological aspect is something Grimgar did very well.
Of course, I'm not going to say Grimgar is perfect, because it absolutely isn't. The first five-ish episodes were very good, and after a particularly ballsy move in Episode 4, I was certain this anime would be a shining success. However, after the fifth episode--specifically after the introduction of a particular new character--Grimgar devolved into a cliché Dungeon/SAO-esque story. The plot deviated away from learning about Grimgar and the characters' origins and instead took the path of killing the "final boss" monster. The ending of the anime was very underwhelming, and even more disappointing when compared to the brilliant start of the anime. I have heard that the story gets much better later on in the light novels, and I plan to read them and find out, but as for the anime, the ending was quite unsatisfying.
As I've mentioned already, the main characters are pretty weak, physically. Personality-wise, most of them were likable enough. Minus one in particular, and I think everyone who's seen Grimgar knows exactly who I'm talking about (looking at you, Ranta). I think that, again, Episodes 1-5 show a lot of development for the main characters. (At this point I sound like a broken record; I realize this.) But after that, most of them don't change. Ranta gets a short moment of development later on, but very quickly returns to his usual forum. Mary is the only character who changes, but everyone else stays the same. Which is quite a pity, considering how much they changed during the first half of the series.
If there's one thing to gush about Grimgar, it's the art. While there are occasional dips in actual animation quality, A-1 has always excelled in two things: 1) fucking up anime endings and 2) drawing really fucking nice art. A-1 once again succeeded in both these areas, because while Grimgar's ending is a letdown, its art is absolutely breathtaking! Between the pretty backgrounds and nice character designs, Grimgar certainly is nice to look at. Similarly, the soundtrack is for the most part very pleasant and calming. It's the reason I fell in love with the anime after episode 1. There were too many insert songs, to the point where they got annoying, but they weren't as insufferable as the ones in, say, Prince of Stride.
Overall, Hai to Gensou no Grimgar started off as something spectacular, but true to A-1 form, it had quite an unspectacular ending. It was still an overall enjoyable watch, and the first few episodes were the most pleasant experiences I've ever had in watching anime. But still, it could have been so much better. As usual. Fuck you, A-1.
Final score: 6/10
Do I recommend it? If you're okay with a cliché ending and enjoy slice of life, it's still worth watching.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Mar 22, 2016
Nana Sakurai is a first-year student at Honan Academy. She decides to attend the school in hopes of managing the Stride Club. Stride is an extreme sport involving running and navigating obstacles on an uneven course. Nana meets two boys named Takeru Fujiwara and Riku Yagami and convinces them to join the club in efforts to compete in the "End of Summer" tournament. Together, they learn that Stride is about so much more than just running; it's about connecting with each other.
...Or so Madhouse would have me believe!
As someone who has willingly jumped into [and stayed in] sports anime hell over the past
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year or so, I'd like to think I'm fairly experienced in critiquing sports anime. I've seen all kinds of tropes, some good and some bad, but through it all, I believe the there are a few things all sports anime try to achieve. Whether a sports anime's characters have hyperbolic, unrealistic personalities or are more well-rounded, whether the sports skills resemble stunts you'd see at Hogwarts or actually seem humanly possible, all sports anime have two common goals in my opinion. The first is to teach viewers about the particular sport in question. And the second is to show how the sport in question changes its characters, typically for the better.
Prince of Stride fails to achieve either of these goals.
Stride is never really explained well. We get it, there's running. But why all the tricks and acrobatics? Can you get extra points for jumping all over the place, or are those tricks simply to get fans screaming? And if the latter is true, then why don't acrobatic tricks affect a team's final score? Because they should! In addition, the main characters are never shown to really improve. Aside from Yagami changing his posture, none of the characters evolve in their sport.
Nearly all of the main characters are flat; they embody one-dimensional stereotypes. Yagami is the angsty teenager going through an emo phase. Takeru is the Furuya of PoS; he's good at everything just because, and he doesn't know how to communicate. Sakurai is in the anime simply as a formality, since the anime was adapted from a video game. Kominato and Kadowaki are the comic relief, Heath is the reliable senpai hunk, and Kuga is the strong, silent weirdo who likes to stare at the sky and won't shut the fuck up about the wind. None of these characters have depth, aside from maybe Yagami, if you're willing to qualify his struggles as "depth."
Multiple episodes repeatedly emphasize Yagami's inferiority complex, but each episode "resolves" his issues by the end with no believable sequence of events. Prince of Stride attempts to convince us that Yagami truly loves running deep down, but despite it TELLING us that, it SHOWS us a very different message. Yagami seems to hate Stride. He hates his brother, he hates running, and he hates Takeru. But somehow, every episode ends up with him smiling into the sunset, only for him to repeat the same angsty routine in the next episode.
So here's the problem: Without dynamic, developing characters, and without even a proper education on Stride, what's left in this anime? All that's left are ridiculous amounts of drama, cheap tricks, filler episodes, training montages, the same stupid insert song, and characters on the sidelines yelling "HASHIRE!!!" at the top of their lungs. And oh, so much drama. All of which lead up to a finale that frankly, these characters didn't earn. Unfortunately, none of those things is enough to make an anime compelling. There are many scenes that attempt to hype up the audience, and they do succeed at first. However, those scenes get old without any connection to the characters, and the anime very quickly becomes stale.
The art of Prince of Stride is a little jarring, mostly because of the weird color scheme. The shading and coloring of the anime definitely didn't help promote a "real" feeling to the show. It could have been a strong point, had the plot and characters been up to par. Similarly, the music for this anime was pretty good, but it didn't have nearly the impact it could have because of the plot and characters. What's more, many victory scenes used the same annoying insert song until, again, the effect was lost and the song became an annoyance.
I have always thought very highly of Madhouse, but they kind of missed the mark with this anime. Between the bad character development, misplaced music, and lack of proper exposition, a lot went wrong. I love to joke about being stuck in sports anime hell, but watching this anime was actual hell.
Reviewer’s Rating: 4
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Jan 2, 2016
Shoutarou Tatewaki is tired of his everyday life. He goes and comes from school, and nothing changes. That is, until he meets Sakurako Kujou. Sakurako seems like a normal bishoujo, but she has an odd secret: she's obsessed with bones. Whenever Shoutarou is with Sakurako, he comes across bones, and life around Sakurako is never boring.
Sakurako is an interesting protagonist, to say the least. The reason this anime caught my eye in the first place is because of her unusual description as a "bone-loving ojou-san." Her quirkiness never fails to interest me, although it certainly is unsettling at times. The mysteries that are presented in
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this show, while often episodic, are intriguing and informative.
Unfortunately, the format of the anime leaves much to be desired. Think about it, what makes a mystery anime/movie/book/etc so exciting is the suspense. You don't know what will happen or what has happened, and you have to analyze the clues yourself to find the answer. But thanks to the walking, talking asspull plot device known as Sakurako Kujou and her unlimited supply of knowledge, there is very little mystery in this "mystery" anime. We, the viewers, are seldom given the chance to think for ourselves; Sakurako just happens to know everything about everything, and while this means mysteries are solved quickly, viewers are left feeling unsatisfied.
Another huge issue in this show is the lack of character development from ANY of the main characters. Ironically, the character who receives the most development is Isozaki-sensei, a minor character who shows up in maybe four or five of the twelve episodes. While Shoutarou is adorable, he doesn't change at all over the course of the anime. And Sakurako's development is literally nonexistent. Tragically, she's the character who needs the most development. The first time she hears Shoutarou's name, she reacts in a pretty startling way. We learn that her reaction is because she had a younger brother named Soutarou who passed away. I'm still convinced that her brother's death is a big part of who she is, but we NEVER get even a hint of her backstory. Scenes throughout the anime hint that her brother's death affected her very deeply, yet we never learn more than the bare surface.
In episodes 4 & 5, we learn about an elusive villain who seems to play a big role in multiple mysteries throughout the series. Some scenes even suggest that Sakurako has encountered him before and is working to stop him. However, aside from the suspicious mentions of him in episodes 4 & 5 and then again in 11 & 12, nothing really happens. He's clearly a formidable opponent, yet we never see more of him. His introduction into the storyline seems pointless, since he never gets much screentime.
I think a large issue with this anime was with pacing. Had this anime been a two-cour series, it could have spent more time with each case, possibly doing without Sakurako's endless well of knowledge and allowing the viewers to speculate on the mysteries. We honestly could have done without the filler episodes in the middle (looking at you, episodes 6-9), and the anime could have focused on the painter from episodes 4-5 and 11-12. That would have made a much better, more enthralling story. (Think Psycho Pass, but with more bones!) And that's the reason I'm so disappointed with this anime: It could have been SO MUCH MORE than it ended up being, and that's a tragedy.
Overall, Sakurako-san no Ashimoto ni wa Shitai ga Umatteiru wasn't a bad watch. However, it fell far short of its potential; instead of being an okay anime, it could have been amazing. But due to bad pacing, bad plot progression, and severely underdeveloped characters, the execution of this anime came out...lukewarm. Mediocre. As is the case with almost all the mystery anime I've watched. The search continues.
Final score: 6/10
Do I recommend it? Meh. Not if you want something spectacular, but the cases are interesting.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Jan 1, 2016
We return to modern Japan, where "Kings" with superpowers reign over clans that are constantly at war with each other. While season 1 focused on the Colorless King and White King, this season focuses on the Green King and his clan known as "JUNGLE." The Green King, Hisui Nagare, seems to be plotting an act of utter chaos, and now it is the job of the new Red King, the Blue King and White King to stop him.
K Season 1 caught my eye for a number of reasons, the most compelling of which being its beautiful visual and auditory aspects. K has a lovely color
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scheme, rich with blues and reds and purples and greens. And its soundtrack has an ambient, smooth feeling that often contradicts the nature of scenes in the show. That's why, despite the shortcomings of season 1, I still gave it a 6/10.
However, season 1 had its flaws. And season 2 suffers from the same flaws as the first season, but it adds some more to the list. Like season 1, season 2 is still severely lacking in character development and backstory. We have no idea who any of these characters are or anything about them (other than the fact that they're hot), we don't know how the kings' powers originated, and we have no idea what each king can do with his or her powers. The female characters are useless as before, only present as objects of fanservice.
I say this pretty often in my reviews, that what matters most to me in a series are the characters. Characters can make an anime enjoyable even without a coherent plot, which is why I'm such a huge fan of so many slice of life shows. So in the absence of well fleshed-out, developed characters, the plot had better be AMAZING. A good example is Code Geass, and it was quite successful. Even Death Note could fit into that category. While some of K's characters are interesting or endearing, none of them are developed, aside from possibly Fushimi and Yata, the only characters in the series who are shown with legitimate inner turmoil. K's beautiful art, color palette and OST make up somewhat for the lack of good characters and plot, but not entirely. The plot is all over the place in this season, but unlike last season, this storyline just doesn't hold as much urgency.
Last season we saw how dangerous the Colorless King was; we experienced the despair Shiro felt as he tried to figure out who he was. But this season, we have....the Slates. What are they? What do they do? Why are they important? And if they're so important, why were they never mentioned in season 1? Most of these questions get answered eventually, but only towards the very end of the series, after a good nine or so episodes of mindless filler and drama. And the ending of the series itself feels kind of anticlimactic, as if the previous nine episodes had nothing to do with the series' resolution and said resolution was cheap.
There are, however, two small things I appreciate about K: Return of Kings. The first is much-needed reconciliation between Fushimi and Yata; it feels realistic and touching, and leaves a positive feeling for viewers. And the second is an ending that definitively ends the K series, leaving room for MAYBE a short OVA about the characters but definitely not another season. Despite the fact that the Slates weren't mentioned at all in season 1, their destruction does wrap up the series and provide no believable path for a sequel. Which is a good thing, because even this season kind of felt like it was beating a dead horse.
While K: Return of Kings had a couple redeeming qualities, the negatives of this series far outweigh the positives. I enjoyed a couple moments (especially the reconciliation), but the majority of my viewing experience was composed of "what are the slates" and "fanservice why". I only really watched for Fushimi, and even still, I considered dropping the anime. Overall, it falls far short of its predecessors (both season 1 and the movie), and the questions season 1 failed to answer remained unanswered in season 2.
Final score: 4/10
Do I recommend it? If you don't care too much, NO. If you care a little, still no. If you're dying for closure, maybe.
Reviewer’s Rating: 4
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Jan 1, 2016
We return to post-apocalyptic Japan, where years earlier, all humans over the age of 13 were killed due to a mysterious illness. Yuuichirou Hyakuya and the rest of the Shinoa squad are now full-fledged members of the Moon Demon Company, [supposedly] one of the most elite military groups in the Vampire Extermination Unit. This season focuses on the battles that take place in Nagoya, a territory that has been overrun by the vampires.
Owari no Seraph first gained popularity as a less edgy version of the popular and wildly overrated anime Shingeki no Kyojin. Obviously the shows are very different, but the parallels certainly are there;
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some kind of supernatural threat (vampires, in this case) took over the world and wiped out a large portion of the human population. Humans survive by living inside a wall that said supernatural beings can't infiltrate. And our main character, like Eren Jaeger, is a hotheaded, ambitious teenage boy whose only goal is to defeat ALL the supernatural beings.
Unfortunately, there is one more similarity worth mentioning. Like Shingeki no Kyojin, Owari no Seraph is vastly overrated. The pilot episode of season 1 tells a compelling story of a boy who was forced to sacrifice his family in order to live and then swore revenge. It draws viewers in and elicits sympathy for the main character. However, the story quickly devolves into a vampire remix of traditional cliche shounen anime, filled with cheap asspull powerups and nakama speeches. Season 2 continues the Owari no Seraph tradition, but with even worse execution.
Owari no Seraph: Nagoya Kessen-hen has a few very large issues, but the biggest one in my opinion is with the plot. Even after 24 episodes, we the viewers have no idea what a seraph is, much less what a Seraph of the End is. We don't understand how demon possession works, or what the metaphysical foundation of the series is. It's never really clear what that big box in episode 11 is, nor do we ever learn what the mysterious trumpet is. Even the season finale introduces a lot of new concepts that we've never seen before. It has lots of completely new exposition, amounts SO copious it's alarming. We shouldn't be learning so much in a finale episode; we should be wrapping things up.
("King of Salt," really? That sounds like a snarky internet blogger.)
As if this horrible plot and pacing weren't bad enough, the characters in Owari no Seraph are also dislikable. I had a hard time choosing which side I was cheering for, because I honestly didn't care for the humans or vampires. The only characters I moderately liked in season 1 were Ferid and Shinoa, yet both of them in season 2 lacked the quirkiness that made them so unique and lovable. The members of Shinoa's squad, which received considerable development in season 1, fade to the background in this new season, causing an unfortunate shift in focus towards Yuu and Mika.
Yuu is an impulsive, naive brat who is far too confident in his abilities and thinks his belief in "kazoku" (family) can trump any and all evil. Mika is a severely one-sided character who has absolutely NO personality outside of caring for Yuu. Plus, he has serious communication issues. (Really now, how hard would it have been for him to EXPLAIN why the humans were dangerous?!) The two of them make such pathetic main characters that I'm starting to wonder if they only got the spotlight to pander to fujoshis. They are both such uninteresting, unremarkable characters that the only way they can keep the audience's interest is if the audience SHIPS THEM.
One of the saving graces of Owari no Seraph season 1 was its music. The OP and ED were well received; however, season 2's themes don't really have the same impact. Again, the OP has a lot of yaoibait, most definitely so fujoshis on Tumblr would have something to rant about. The ED was nothing special either. And while Owari no Seraph's OST is composed by Hiroyuki Sawano, season 2's soundtrack once again fails to stand out. Owari no Seraph has pretty good art, between the detailed character designs and controversial watercolor backgrounds. That said, season 2's art and animation suffered a noticeable decrease in quality at multiple times throughout the series. And with even the music and animation falling short, Owari no Seraph: Nagoya Kessen-hen doesn't have anything going for it, really.
Overall, it doesn't take a genius to see that Owari no Seraph was overrated from the beginning. That said, I was willing to give it multiple chances, as I have a weakness for hot vampires and good art. Unfortunately, however, Nagoya Kessen-hen was the final nail in the coffin. Unless I have a sudden change of heart or a hell of a lot of free time, I will NOT be watching any sequels that follow. The plot has deteriorated to such a point that I do not know--or CARE--what is happening. The entire story is riddled with tired shounen tropes that should have died out a long time ago. The characters aren't particularly endearing (minus Tsukki 2.0 and maybe Ferid), the music isn't that great, and the animation is unspectacular. There's nothing keeping me watching, and I kind of wish I hadn't wasted time on this season.
Final score: 3/10
Do I recommend it? No.
Reviewer’s Rating: 3
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Sep 29, 2015
The adventures of Souta Takanashi, Mahiru Inami, Popura Taneshima, Jun Satou, Hiroomi Souma, Yachiyo Todoroki, Kyouko Shirafuji, and Aoi Yamada continue in the third installment of Working!!. This final season ties up the loose ends of the previous seasons. (Mostly.)
It's been a long journey with this group of weirdos. Not as long for me, since I marathoned both seasons a couple weeks before the third season began, but for many, it's been five years. The danger of having THREE seasons of a comedy anime is kind of expected: the jokes start getting old and the humor becomes unfunny. I think that was Working!!!'s biggest
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issue. I could always tell when a punchline was coming, and many times I could actually predict what the punchline would be. Popura is the normal source of punchlines, but this season threw Aoi into the mix as well. The jokes themselves did not change. The third season of Working!! brings little new content to the comedy spectrum, and that is a shame.
That said, one thing I saw in this season that I did not see in previous seasons was some serious character development. While it's masked with humor, Aoi reconciles with both her brother and mother, Inami reconciles with her father, and Kazue gets back together with her ex-fiancé. Satou and Yachiyo finally get together. And Satou tells Yachiyo he wants her to see more of the outside world! I believe this series had more substance than both previous series combined.
My one gnawing grievance with Working!!! is that the side couple got together (Satou x Yachiyo), but the main couple (Takanashi x Inami) did not! Of course, they've pretty much sealed the deal, but they haven't outright told each other that they like each other. There is supposed to be an hour-long special to conclude the series, but I'm not sure it will bring closure to those two. It looks like a fantasy spoof.
There isn't much to say about the music, art or animation. They've pretty much stayed the same, although I think the animation had less hiccups this time around. The OP and ED are both very catchy, as usual. I watched them almost every week.
I wish the final episode of Working!!! had been more conclusive. It felt like any other week's episode, and didn't give me even a fraction of the "goodbye feels" I was expecting to experience. I still liked this season a lot though, probably the most of all three seasons. But as much as I enjoyed Working!!!, I believe I've had enough. There is nothing new that can be brought to the table, whether in comedy or character development. This show thrives on the characters' odd personality quirks; they are meant to be shallow and distinguished only by their personal oddity. Therefore, normalizing them or trying to flesh them out is a bad idea; it would crumble the very foundation upon which Working!! stands. You know what I want to see another season of? The mangaka's other work, Servant x Service!
Story: 6
Art: 7
Sound: 7
Character: 6
Enjoyment: 7
Final score: 7/10
Do I recommend it? Yes!
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Sep 28, 2015
*This review contains spoilers*
Yuu Otosaka is a high school student with a strange supernatural power. He thinks he's the only one with this power, but he discovers many more teenagers with powers at Hoshinoumi Academy, which is led by the student council president Nao Tomori. He discovers that these powers were awakened by a comet called Charlotte, which exposed some children years ago to a mysterious material that activated a normally dormant section of the brain. He and Nao, along with the rest of the student council, uncover a huge plot to apprehend all people with powers, and they team up with other teenagers
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like themselves to stop it.
Charlotte is created by Key and Jun Maeda, who is famously known for his tragic anime like Angel Beats! and Clannad. However, he is less famously known for his shoddy pacing and filler placement. Those flaws are prevalent in Angel Beats!, and they return to haunt Charlotte. Maeda pull a risky maneuver, just like in Angel Beats!, by wasting the first half of the 1-cour series with filler episodes. Suddenly, the end of episode 6 changes everything.
The plot twists in Charlotte are intriguing; there is no doubt about that. What seemed like a light-hearted, occasionally dramatic school life story turned into an adventure story with time travel and tragedy. However, the tiny plot that episodes 1-6 focused on expanded into a VERY large plot that simply could not be done justice in the remaining 7 episodes. I'm not sure it could have been done properly in 2 cours either; the plot was just too shaky. Even at its modified breakneck speed, Charlotte left far too much to the very last episode, leaving viewers exhausted, skeptical and unfulfilled.
As stated above, Charlotte's largest plot twist (in my opinion) dealt with time travel, a very engaging topic that is one of my favorites to watch/read. However, time travel is tricky. It's very easy to mess up. And it's clear that Charlotte's creators did not think the time travel aspect through, as the plot has quite a few holes. Charlotte's plot holes aren't limited to time travel though; the last episode alone had many inconsistencies.
Unfortunately, Charlotte's issues did not stop at its pacing problems. Charlotte also suffered from a lack of proper character development. This show had the potential to show a lot of development, if only for Yuu, but it failed to do so because it tripped over itself. And while it is evident that Yuu has changed since episode 1, none of the other characters have changed. None. Nao has not indicated any change in her philosophies or feelings toward Yuu. Ayumi is just a means to Yuu's development; she herself is a shallow character. Yusa and Takajou exist simply for comedic relief, and while they functioned well in that sense, they had no depth. Yusa's only show of non-bubbly emotion occurs in episode 11, and it feels extremely rushed and fake. Konishi shows up out of nowhere as a violent yandere middle schooler, which is just ridiculous. And Sara Shane appears for one episode, only to push along Yuu and Nao's relationship, since it couldn't seem to gather any traction on its own.
The ending of Charlotte is even more disappointing than the rest of the show. In just 24 minutes, including 90 seconds for the opening theme, Yuu travels around the entire world, steals thousands of abilities, goes crazy, massacres people around the globe, nearly goes insane, gets rescued by his brother who somehow knew exactly where to find him, is vaccinated and loses his powers, DOESN'T DIE, and lives happily ever after (but not before the most uncomfortable romantic confession scene I have ever witnessed). And in just 24 minutes, Charlotte wins the award for "Biggest Asspull Ending in the History of Anime."
I would, however, like to point out the [few] things Charlotte did right. First and foremost, as expected of PA Works, the art is beautiful. The character designs are detailed and pretty. And as expected of Jun Maeda, of the feels scenes, especially through episode 7, are quite poignant. The voice acting is decent; while Uchiyama Kouki complemented Yuu's voice at first, I don't think he fit Crazy Yuu well. I also don't think Ono Daisuke fit Shunsuke well, but that may be because I prefer his derpy roles (Handa Seishuu, Kokkuri-san, etc). Aside from those two, I have no complaints with the voice acting. The soundtrack is great, just like that of Angel Beats!, and I really enjoy listening to the OP and ED. Even if the anime they accompany is no good, I will definitely be downloading them in the near future.
The premise of Charlotte is very interesting. But instead of using that potential properly and focusing more on characters, it bit off far more than it could chew with a ridiculous plot that, in my opinion, probably would not have been successful even with twice or thrice the number of episodes. Had the series been better paced or better planned, it would have been much more successful, even bereft of character development. Pacing was the biggest issue in this series, and it disappoints me that Jun Maeda didn't learn his lesson after Angel Beats!. This series had a lot of potential, but as I feared, it didn't live up to that potential.
Overall score: 5/10
Do I recommend it? NO. Just watch Steins;Gate, or read Reimei no Arcana or Shinobi Life if you want some GOOD time travel content.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Sep 27, 2015
Welcome to Ergastulum, a city crawling with criminals and outcasts. Hiding in the alleyways are people known as Twilights, victims of a drug called cerebre. Twilights are individuals who have either used cerebre or whose parents used cerebre, and as a result, their physical abilities are enhanced but their lifespan is severely shortened. Nicolas Brown is one a deaf Twilight, who works together with a man named Worick Arcangelo. They call themselves Handymen, and handle odd jobs ranging from fixing up buildings to killing people.
Gangsta is a breath of fresh air from all the moe, the monotonous try-hard comedy, and the excessively melodramatic series we
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see all too often in the anime industry. It has characters who have suffered immensely--no, not because of some supernatural phenomenon or a freak accident, but because of things that happen every day to real people. Gangsta, while exaggerating how bad things can get in one city, addresses multiple horrible atrocities that happen to people every single day in real life, including rape, physical abuse, abandonment, drug abuse, forced prostitution, racism, and discrimination. It's rare for any form of media, much less anime, to address all these issues without sugar-coating them or offering a half-assed solution.
Gangsta gets off to a great start. The OP is great both audibly and visually. The first episode introduces our main characters, Nicolas, Worick and Alex, all of whom are unique and complex. We see what they do, we see their relationship. We appreciate the friendship between Nicolas and Worick. We sympathize with Alex, who suffers from PTSD. And even though they kill for money or sell themselves, we can see that they're not necessarily bad people. They're just trying to find whatever happiness may exist in this god-forsaken city.
However, despite the great characters and awesome OP, most episodes move at a very slow pace. There is plenty going on, as I know from reading the manga, but somehow the anime does a bad job of getting it across. After the first couple episodes, it feels as if nothing significant happens until the last few minutes of each episode. I appreciate the flashbacks to our main characters' pasts; their pasts are so tragic, and they do a great job of endearing the characters to the viewers. Unfortunately though, the present is not nearly as engaging. For the most part, villains come and go without even getting to prove themselves. While there are so many things going on, the hints are subtle, and the anime fails to convey these hints well. The pace of the anime, despite starting off fast, slows to a crawl.
I believe the main reason the pacing feels so slow is because of the soundtrack. While I can guarantee the laid-back soundtrack will be nice to listen to outside of the anime, it often doesn't complement the anime's mood well. Even fight scenes have the same slow jazz music in the background, so the fights feel anti-climactic. The OST works well in episode 8 when Alex sings, but overall it does a horrible job bringing out the show's intensity. A perfect example is the death scene in episode 11--that scene should have been accompanied by really sad music. A sad violin or cello solo would have been perfect for this scene, and yet we got the same snapping beat we always get.
While soundtrack is a huge issue for this anime, there's an even bigger problem. Gangsta is the perfect example of an anime that failed because of its awful animation. Whether due simply to low funding or inexperienced animators, or perhaps a combination of both, the animation and art in Gangsta suffered greatly. Even the still drawings of characters are inconsistent, and the fight scenes are horribly animated. The low visual quality of this anime detracted a lot from viewers' experience, and only exacerbated the already slow pace.
It pretty much goes without saying that Gangsta's ending was unsatisfying. I actually had to make sure Episode 12 was the last episode, because it certainly didn't feel like it. The producers decided to combine two arcs from the manga (which I will call the Monroe Arc and the Connie Arc for simplicity's sake). The manga is currently in the middle of the Connie Arc, having already finished the Monroe Arc. For whatever reason, the anime producers decided to mesh these two arcs together. I believe that was a bad judgment call, as neither arc received proper closure at the end of the series. We never figure out the truth behind Ivan Glasglov (and believe me, it is awful and INTENSE), nor do we ever find out where Connie is and whether she is okay. Those factors, coupled with Worick's state at the end of the episode, culminate in a very unfulfilling end to an unfulfilling anime.
As with many of the anime this season, Gangsta had a lot of potential. The opening theme and first episode set it up to be the Anime of the Season. Unfortunately, due to a lackluster soundtrack, slow pacing and mediocre animation, it fell short of its potential. That being said, I love the relatable nature and complexity of the characters. I believe the manga does them much more justice. If you liked this anime (or were interested, at the very least), I would strongly recommend checking out the manga. But maybe in a couple months, because it's currently right in the middle of the Connie arc, which is pretty damn painful.
Story: 6
Art: 4
Sound: 6
Character: 8
Enjoyment: 6
Overall score: 6/10
Do I recommend it? Just read the manga.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Sep 23, 2015
Gouda Takeo is an unusually large freshman in high school. He's large and muscular and not conventionally attractive, but he's a teddy bear on the inside. His closest friend is Sunakawa Makoto, an introverted bishounen who is basically the polar opposite of Takeo. One day Takeo notices a girl being groped on a train, and he saves her. She falls in love with both his good moral character and appearance instantly, and he falls for her as well. The two of them begin a romantic journey together.
Ore Monogatari!! stands out from other romantic comedies largely because of its unattractive male lead. Most shoujo romances
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feature delicate bishounen who bear more resemblance to Suna, and "ugly" characters like Takeo are usually portrayed as disgusting stalker otaku. The series also defies stereotypes when Suna manages to clear up all the cliché misunderstandings in just one episode and ultimately gets Yamato and Takeo to confess to each other. In this regard, Ore Monogatari!! is revolutionary.
Another thing Ore Monogatari!! does very well is portraying friendship between guys. Typical shoujo often ignore the friendships between male friends, so it's refreshing and heart-warming to see the "bro" relationship between Takeo and Suna, as well as between Takeo and his other friends. Suna is, without a doubt, the best character in this series. I can honestly say that I watched this show almost entirely for him.
That being said, Ore Monogatari!! has some substantial flaws. While it has a unique premise, its comedy becomes overused quickly. While I enjoyed the comedy once a week, it would be tiresome to watch in one sitting. To reference a MAL review, most jokes have to do with Takeo's size, Suna's appearance, Takeo and Suna's unlikely friendship, or Takeo and Yamato's innocence. The jokes are repetitive, and nothing really new is brought to the comedy spectrum.
The other big issue with Ore Monogatari!! is that there are no real problems in Takeo and Yamato's relationship. They both have insecurities, sure, but those insecurities are dealt with quickly so that the two can return to fluff. The only really significant insecurity comes right at the end of the series, and it's given barely any time to develop. A resolution is shoved in our faces with very little time left in the series, and as a result, there is no time for the characters to undergo any development with this final trial.
While it certainly is true that Ore Monogatari!! distinguishes itself from other shoujo by clearing up the misunderstandings within three episodes, there's a reason cliché shoujo drag out romance so much: it provides a goal for the series. Other successful shoujo romance anime like Kimi ni Todoke, Lovely Complex, and Kaichou wa Maid-sama!, which I might add were all two-cour series, took a lot longer for the romance to develop. While it was frustrating at times, it provided viewers with something to look forward to. On the other hand, the entirety of Ore Monogatari!! starting from episode 3 is in the couple's honeymoon phase, and we don't get to see the realistic, less pretty side of relationships. All we get from them is "Takeo-kun, daisuki!" and "SUKI DA!!!". Despite Takeo and Yamato liking each other, there's so much they have yet to learn about one another. There's so much they may not agree on, yet we haven't seen any of it.
Aside from the story, there are a few other things to consider. The art is prety good, and it does a good job emphasizing just how different Yamato, Takeo and Suna are. The reaction scenes (especially Suna's) are done really well. The soundtrack of the series is pretty, and complements romantic moments well. It chimes in at the right moments.
Despite its flaws I mentioned above, I really enjoyed this anime. Maybe that sounds hypocritical now, but I really did like it. It addresses not only romance but also platonic friendships, difficult family situations, and even introducing a new life into the world! But like I said earlier, I don't think I could stomach watching it in one sitting. The overused jokes and fluff are nice once a week, but not if you're trying to marathon the show. The lack of real issues is frustrating. The sheer length of Ore Monogatari!! was its greatest flaw, and I believe it would have been a lot more successful as a one-cour series.
Story: 4
Art: 7
Sound: 6
Character: 6
Enjoyment: 8
Overall score: 6/10
Do I recommend it? YES! (Just take breaks every now and then)
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Sep 21, 2015
The royal Sakurada family houses eleven members--the king, the queen, and their nine children with different colored hair: Aoi, Shuu, Kanade, Akane, Haruka, Misaki, Hikari, Teru, and Shiori. All nine of the children have unique superpowers. The king decides he wants to decide on his successor, so he designs a popularity test that normal citizens can participate in. The entire kingdom is filmed by hundreds of security cameras, so the citizens can observe the nine siblings and vote for their choice for the next king.
Joukamachi no Dandelion is a mildly entertaining comedy/slice of life show that was kind of doomed from the start because of
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its premise. Despite having its funny moments and its "I'm dying laughing" moments, it has some plot holes that fail to be addressed throughout the entire series. Why does the king want to choose an heir now? Is he ailing? If there's no rush, why would he hold an election now when more than half of his children haven't even entered high school yet? How are the two youngest children, who aren't even in first grade yet, supposed to have a fair shot? We never get the answers to these questions, and they make the entire show seem kind of....pointless.
The other reason I say that Dandelion was doomed from the start is because of its ridiculous wealth of main characters. There are NINE. We sort of regard Akane as the "main" main character, since she narrates the beginning of the series, but the series is given the hard task of equally representing nine siblings in just 12 episodes. Does it do a good job? Not really. The ending is an asspull, and the election result comes out of left field. It kind of undermines what happened in the previous 11 episodes, which is a disappointment to say the least.
While there are some really great comedy gold moments in Dandelion (usually involving Akane and/or her fan club), there are just as many monotonous scenes. (Looking at you, Hikari.) And because there's such an iffy plot, a lot of airtime is spent selling and trying to develop the individual siblings. Like I said, nine main characters is a bit much for any show, even more so a one-cour show. It doesn't help that most of the siblings' motivations are stupid and undeserving of a crown.
That isn't to say that anime with lots of characters can't be successful. A perfect example is Shirobako, the infamous "animeception" series that featured over 50 characters, so many that I don't even remember most of their names. And another example is any sports anime, basically. Despite having so many characters and needing to cover so many backstories, these anime do well. Why? Perhaps it's because the plot is so more compelling. And as I already mentioned, Dandelion's plot has some significant holes from the start.
Dandelion's art is pretty good, albeit generic. It can be hard to tell the characters apart sometimes (especially Karen and Kanade, or Shu and Fukushina). The OST didn't particularly stand out to me, but it was light-hearted and complemented the overall mood of the anime. And the animation was nice and fluid, with no hiccups. (Mikagura Gakuen Kumikyoku comes to mind.) And the voice acting was ON POINT; I was especially thrilled to hear HanaKana's kawaii-as-fuck voice again!
This may sound hypocritical now, but Joukamachi no Dandelion was my 2nd favorite anime of the season. It was enjoyable and comedic at times, despite the plot holes I mentioned above. It was a fun watch, even though overall it wasn't one of the better comedy/slice of life shows I've seen. I think it would have done much better with half as many characters. But I'd still watch it again.
Overall score: 6/10
Do I recommend it? Yes.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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