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Feb 12, 2021
As someone who grew up speaking Chinese, I seriously wanted King's Avatar to succeed as a positive representation of Chinese culture and language in animation. While King's Avatar proves that an excellent anime-style Chinese donghua is definitely within the realm of possiblility, it pains me to say that this donghua is a victim of the same infuriating tendencies of modern Chinese media. They are more focused on rushing to certain "cool" scenes instead of giving us a coherent experience.

Story: 2 - Missed potential
The plot goes something like this... Ye Xiu is basically the world's best pro-gamer in a game called Glory. The story starts when ...
Jan 26, 2021
Made in Abyss (Anime) add
Story - 8: Expansive, but a bit rushed
Made in Abyss has an incredibly rich lore from the surface down to the various depths of the Abyss. The show is centered around a huge gaping hole in the ground called the Abyss which appeared with no historical context and is filled with mystical creatures and anomalies. The Abyss starts off in structured layers, but beyond the 5th layer nobody has ever returned to tell the surface what lies below, driving our own curiosities as viewers. There is so much potential here, and the show doesn't do half a bad job at exposing us to the Abyss. ...
Jan 26, 2021
Mixed Feelings
Story: 6 - Not what I hoped for, but fair enough
Frozen Bond tells a much narrower swath of Emilia's backstory than I expected, primarily how she formed her strong bond with Puck. I haven't read the light novel before, and I don't believe reading should be a prerequisite to properly enjoying the anime. Conflicts in the OVA seemed a bit random, but that's honestly what I should come to expect now from the Re:Zero anime. Most of the showtime is a flashback to Emilia's past living by herself in the forest, but continuity-wise the movie takes place right after the events of Memory Snow. The ...
Jan 26, 2021
Story: 7 - Not irrelevant
I'd be wrong if I said Memory Snow isn't a slice of life add-on to Re:Zero's first season. The OVA doesn't really have a direct impact on the events of Re:Zero, although I think it's a welcome addition to the story given Re:Zero's shotgun approach to story-telling. There are some clever nods to scenes/themes that take place later in season 1 and season 2.

Art/Sound: 9 - On-par with Season 1 quality

Character: 7 - Mainly for fun
Memory Snow doesn't really do much for character development, but it would be unfair for me to say that it does a bad job since ...
Jan 18, 2021
Cowboy Bebop (Anime) add
Story - 8: Snapshots
Cowboy Bebop is a show about a group of weathered bounty hunters trying to scrape by in the lawlessness of space and occasionally confronting their past. Just like the themes of one's past, the show's format is also rooted in the past, back when each episode had to have a beginning and end to retain the attention of television viewers. This format certainly has its disadvantages along with advantages. It feels like the episodes that involve the main characters' pasts don't have a lot of weight because they have to conclude for the next episode where they basically go on a completely ...
Dec 31, 2020
Story - 8: Beautiful and confusing world
The primary difference between Re:Zero and other isekai is Natsuki Subaru's "Return by Death" mechanic. This is an essential tool that allows us to explore the incredible depth of the world as Subaru fails time after time in both relationships and life (literally dying). Each new life we get to see Subaru interact with characters in new ways and see new locations, culminating in epic boss battles and emotional resolutions. Re:Zero lives up to its namesake of "Another World" because the Kingdom of Lugnica is not a power fantasy domain where the OP MC does whatever he wants, but ...
Dec 23, 2020
Death Note (Anime) add
Story - 8: Unique premise
Death Note is a creative commentary on ethics. Namely, is morality written by those who control the power, and should people be considered irredeemable for committing crimes? I respect the ingenuity it takes to come up with the rules of the Death Note and how those rules can be manipulated to achieve the user's agenda. While occasionally ridiculous, there is a sense of awe that comes with seeing how cleverly Light and L are able to make decisions and deploy the tools that are available to them. This sense of awe begins to dissolve as the series moves forward. The plot ...


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