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Sep 17, 2025
i wish i could understand what people liked about this show. i was really looking forward to it because of the good reviews and how much praise it received, and i stuck it out til the end in case it would somehow improve, but it didn't. it was especially disappointing because i love the magical girl genre, and the director was also responsible for madoka magica, which i love so much. the fact that it is the same genre and so clearly trying to emulate what madoka magica had just makes it even more glaringly bad. the best thing i can say about this show
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is it has a goated voice cast. my review will contain light spoilers, but nothing that will actually spoil the plot.
if i had to sum it up in a few words, this anime is trying to be way too much, and it doesn't know what it wants to actually be.
at first, i thought it was similar to cardcaptor sakura; a wholesome magical girl series following a nine-year-old girl trying to figure out her powers while still maintaining her social and school life. she even says in the beginning that she refuses to do any magical girl stuff during school hours. i also thought it was interesting that they actually addressed the destruction that her first magical girl battle had, and how nanoha felt bad.
then the panty shots began and did not stop. the transformation scene (which again, involves a literal child) has her clothes disappear, revealing her underwear, which then also disappear; it's just needlessly lewd. then the characters with those huge, pointy boobs came in, and they were bouncing a-plenty. normally this would not bother me, i love huge boobs, but the maturity seemed so out of place in a story about a nine-year-old. the characters constantly have that hentai-style blush. the most egregious part, in my opinion, was during a scene depicting terrible abuse against another nine-year-old character, which is followed immediately by a shot of that same girl in a revealing pose. it's really strange and confusing, especially since these are supposed to be pre-pubescent children.
the character designs are all over the place and make no sense with each other. nanoha's design is cute, but makes no sense alongside the comparatively high-tech weapon and magic she uses. fate's design is completely different and looks jarring next to nanoha, and not in a yin/yang, cool opposites way, but in a "this could be someone from a different show" kind of way. the rest of the characters are either outrageous looking (if they are magical) or completely boring (if they are humans).
every time something interesting happened, it was immediately forgotten. as i mentioned before, in episode one, nanoha cares about her school and does not want to destroy public property, and her siblings expressed concern for her coming home late. then like 6 episodes later, she essentially sets off a nuke and the damage is not addressed at all and she also just like leaves school and her parents & teachers are like "okay cool!" the stakes are constantly low. her friends, which are normally a very important part of magical girl anime, are so unimportant and boring (one is a blatant Tomoyo clone and the other is a watered-down Taiga Aisaka, same voice actor and all) and they only appear in like 3 episodes, and nanoha clearly does not care about them at all. i don't even know why they bothered adding them in.
there is so much more i could say, like how the storyboarding is just insane and strange, or the weird writing that feels out of place and makes no sense, or how the magic system is nonsensical and strange. this show feels lazy and disjointed, and i genuinely could not find any redeeming points. it had so much potential in the first episode but it squandered it all immediately. i'm assuming this was an attempt to make the magical girl genre palatable to boys/men, with all the lasers and minimal romance/relationship-based scenes, but it falls so flat.
tldr: this show is bad. go watch Madoka Magica if you want a unique and dark magical girl series. or watch Cardcaptor Sakura if you want a wholesome magical girl series. Magical Girl Lyrica Nanoha clearly wants to be both, and fails to come close to them in any way.
Reviewer’s Rating: 2
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Aug 20, 2025
i feel conflicted about this show because for the first few episodes, it was perfect! i loved the characters, they all have such fun designs and unique personalities. the setting was interesting and cool, classic fantasy with some little twists, and the story was gripping. the music is great, composed by the brilliant Masumi Itou (who i believe most people would be familiar with from Azumanga Daioh) and the ending song is god-tier. the voice actors are lovely, with amaaazing voices such as Daisuke Ono (i bet you couldn't guess it's him when he shows up though), Sayaka Ohara, Shinichiro Miki, and Katsuyuki Konishi to
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name a few.
and then.... mechs. SPOILERS AHEAAAD~
i want to be clear that i have nothing against mecha, but in this story, it just made no sense. this anime would have benefitted greatly from not having any of the mech stuff. the story becomes incredibly confusing and convoluted as soon as they enter the picture. the magic system was already interesting, but was immediately made null & void once the god-like mechs were brought into the story.
raquel basically becomes pacifica's caretaker and nothing more, when before she was one of the strongest magic users EVER! shannon's character arc becomes dismal and boring and he does nothing for half the show as soon as it is introduced. i actually began to hate him and hate whenever he came on screen, when before i was super into him. i could not even tell what was happening at times, it's like giant destructive events would just be implied or something, and then the next scene would show a devastated landscape... without even showing what actually happened. it's strange lol. it's a real bummer, because the rest of the show and the setting is so interesting and cool!
at the end of the day, i think the author was just trying to do too much. this show def would've been at least an 8 for me if not for the weird mech plot.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Jun 11, 2025
Haibane Renmei is an example of amazing worldbuilding taking place in a setting that looks similar to what we're familiar with, but still unique in mysterious in so many cool ways. the pacing was so perfect, revealing little hints about what is going on in the first episodes, and then more comes flooding at you in the second half. i think it left the perfect amount of stuff left unknown.
the characters are all believable and behave in realistic ways for the most part. you become so attached to them so fast. i cried so much!!!
the opening/ending songs and the ost are all so beautiful
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and powerful. and the art is so charming, and the designs are cool and unique. and the story is satisfying til the end, and sums up nice and good.
such a good watch. and it's so short!! watch it!
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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May 29, 2025
baccano has a really interesting and unique story, there is no denying that. i didn't hate watching it! but i didn't really like it either. like Durarara, there are a LOT of characters that are all fundamental to the story. but the characters in this are way more boring and one-dimensional. i don't even remember a lot of them. the female characters are so incredibly one-note and boring that they might as well all have been one character. ennis, chare(? i don't remember her name lol), eve, nice, and lua are all the same person basically. emotionless, cold, quiet, submissive women whose whole existence in
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the plot is to serve a male character. rachel at least did something, but she acted in the exact same way as the other women, if not even less distinct. milia is the only exception, and i kind of just found her annoying.
the violence is also really gross. i'd say i'm more sensitive to violence than most people, but this took it to the next level. there was such disgusting, visceral violence that i actually had to skip some scenes! if you're desensitized to violence, obviously that won't matter, but for the squeamish, like me... i guess if you choose to watch this, be prepared to avert your eyes. and probably your ears too. the nasty violence even happens to a child at one point. i couldn't handle it!
so, all that's to say, i don't really think it was worth watching. i'm glad i watched it just so i won't be curious about it anymore, especially since i have heard so much good stuff about it, but it wasn't really for me. it was just fine. i think if some characters were maybe combined, so that there was a quality over quantity situation going on instead, it would've been easier to connect with them, and easier to follow the plot. i took notes and i still don't really know what happened in the end.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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May 10, 2025
i actually believe this anime might be perfect. even though at first i didn't really like the design of the protagonist Ahiru, i was instantly sucked in by the atmosphere from the moment i heard the opening song. the story begins so incredibly wholesome, just like a fairy-tale, and when the first half ended it could've been a complete show and i don't think anyone would have had any complaints. but the fact the second half is even better than the first, with the wholesomeness constantly teetering on the edge of darkness while still somehow remaining sweet, is just so incredible to me. the music
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is perfect, given the fact that it's all classic orchestral pieces, mostly from the Nutcracker, and the opening and ending themes were unskippable! the art style is so unique and the designs are just too cute. i'd say the best parts of this show are the plot and the ballet animation.
the plot is just god-tier. they sort of trickle in information so you're surprised when you realise that your assumptions were wrong and it is so refreshing to see that happen. although i wish the ending was a liiiittle different for my own selfish wishes (that's all i'll say so i don't spoil anything) it was so amazing, satisfying, and bittersweet. (and i truly don't get how anyone could think it would've been better if it ended up in the way that we assumed it would... like what the heck did we watch the same show lol)
genuinely a perfect show. i loved every second of it, i loved when it became darker, and i loved the romances. just so amazing, i cannot recommend it enough!
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Apr 15, 2025
this anime dares to ask: what if pretty privilege was literal? really crazy stuff. if you're a pretty boy you have to dress like a girl in exchange for free room, free food, free everything, and on top of it they get paid. if you're a handsome man you're on the student council. i love it, it's so camp and over to top.
the art is really cute, the main boys are adorable! i actually love the three main characters, specifically Touru and Yuujirou, and the relationship the three of them foster throughout the show. i honestly wish it was a little longer, or just more
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focused on their lives than the activities going on at school. it could've been a really cute slice of life sort of situation!
the music is just fine. i will say i have had the theme song stuck in my head ever since i watched it, though.
also, the voice cast is absolutely loaded. Romi Park (Nana, Edward Elric, Hange, etc) voices Yuujirou, Kamiya Hiroshi (Levi, Izaya) voices the student council president, and Fukuyama Jun (Grell, Watanuki Kimihiro, Shinra) voices the main boy Touru!! just crazy. love them
the plot is just super silly, i think it's best to not take this show seriously and just have fun while you watch it. it is cute, it is camp, and it is fun to watch. don't worry about the logistics too much and you will enjoy this show!
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Apr 2, 2025
this manga made me cry so hard. the cats are drawn so well and they're so cute, which is kind of a double-edged sword...
the story follows two stray cats and their experiences being strays as well as their relationship with humans (and other stray kitties). it's a painfully realistic account of what cats with no owners go through; there are scenes depicting violence against the cats by humans, car crashes, cat catchers, and some of the panels were so heartbreaking that i had to skip past them. but there are many more touching, adorable scenes that make this manga so sweet.
the story flows really
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well, and it has a satisfying ending. i was crying like a baby during the last chapter, it was just so sweet and happy. i definitely recommend reading this, and it's so short!! but be prepared to cry both happy and really really sad tears.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Mar 30, 2025
i think all i can really say about this manga is that the art is beautiful. the boys are very pretty and i like the character designs, and i think that was the main purpose for this manga even existing: the artist wanted to draw some interesting looking characters. if you like greek mythology and think this will be an accurate telling of the Ganymede myth, then you will be very disappointed! the author even says herself to think of this story as having nothing in common with the myth besides the names. so don't go into this excited for a manga based on Greco-Roman
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mythology, that would be setting yourself up for disappointment.
in the end nothing really happens. this may be a fault of the translation i read, but all of the dialogue is dreadful. no one says anything meaningful and i sympathised with Ganymede every time one of the gods monologues about something and all Ganymede has to say is "?". that is exactly how i felt. the gods say a lot of words that just mean nothing. it was frustrating. as far as a plot there really isn't one. Ganymede is there, and he will be forever until he "goes mad", whatever that means. Apollo is also there and i guess starts to like Ganymede a little by the last chapter. Hades and Zeus are also there sometimes.
they look cool, they are definitely all very pretty, but there is little variation between frames and i found that each drawing of each character looked roughly the same. this felt particularly true in the last two chapters, there were so many frames of Hades that just looked identical somehow. it is very, very short though, so i can't say it was a waste of time to read or anything, which is why i'm giving this a "mixed feelings" rather than "not recommended". if you're bored it's a quick read and the boys are pretty. but was it worth reading? not really. i wasn't positively or negatively affected by reading and completing it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Mar 27, 2025
a bunch of incan warriors are reincarnated as japanese people who one by one remember their past lives. this show was a little confusing, and i feel like there was something missing that kept it from being really special but i'm not sure what it was. either way it was fun to watch, there's something kind of Jojo-esque about it from the whacky character designs to the fantastical battles and the fact that the main villain is voiced by Dio's voice actor. it could be really goofy but there were plenty of genuinely touching moments!
i think the best thing about this anime is the
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music! it was mostly very beautiful and some were funky as hell. the art is also really nice, i like the way the faces are drawn a lot, everyone's face is actually unique and the shading is pretty.
while the plot is kind of silly i still think this is worth watching, it's interesting. i didn't really know what was going on most of the time (granted i could've paid a little better attention i think) but i still had fun and i liked hearing the pretty music and looking at the pretty faces. it's short so might as well give it a try, especially if you like goofy fighting anime like Jojo :3
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Mar 26, 2025
arina tanemura never fails to create a crazy plot! in a sea of samey shoujo romances, shinshi doumei cross is a breath of fresh air. well... not really, it's kind of stressful and a constant roller-coaster of emotions but it's definitely got a unique plot. shoujo romance lovers, please read shinshi doumei cross! you will not be disappointed.
characters:
the characters are fun, and there are a lot of them! all of them have a satisfying ending, even the ones with barely any screen time. all of the main characters get conclusive arcs too. my favourite character was Maora-chan <3
the protagonist, Haine, has a lot of typical
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shoujo MC traits but she's also an ex-delinquent, which actually has some bearing throughout the story instead of just being a fun fact. the love interest is someone i can't even go into without spoiling everything, it's just crazy. there's also canonically gay characters! and a canon gay relationship!!! i loved that.
in any case, you think you know all there is to know about a character, and then in the next chapter it all comes crashing down. and by the end they all have their own stories wrapped up in a little bow, finished in a satisfying way.
plot:
it's crazy. whenever you get a grasp on what's going on, arina introduces something insane to mix it all up. these poor kids. i did not expect anything that happened and it just kept adding layers onto what was already a crazy situation: a school with a rigid caste system. tbh the gold/silver/bronze thing didn't end up having much weight on the story, Haine is not a bronze for long and we barely interact with any characters outside of the student council (who i think are technically silvers, but because of their status in the council are like special). but that doesn't even matter, there's so much going on you will forget about it.
art:
BEAUTIFUL, AS USUAL. if you hate the plot and characters just read it to look at arina tanemura's beautiful art. she is such a master of classic shoujo illustrations, there should really be an arina museum. every panel is beautiful and so carefully drawn, every character is adorable, their hair and clothes and eyes just look amazing at all times. it's so crazy, she truly is a manga god.
romance:
also insane. love triangles and love polygons and secret relationships galore (and, unfortunately, there is a teacher/student relationship. but what can you do). everyone has their person and it's cute. definitely unconventional at some points but that's what makes it fun!
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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