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Apr 11, 2023
"You see Suzume, no matter how sad you are right now, you are going to grow up"
Makoto Shinkai has always been someone who has moved me immensely with his visuals, there is something so magical about his art, the mood it creates stays with you for a long time, but over his last few films he has evolved so much as a storyteller and a director and has created characters who have a lot of depth.
'Suzume' is perhaps Shinkai's most accessible film, it's entertaining from start to finish, it is perfectly paced and I did not feel the movie was lagging even once. Even with
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all the metaphors and symbolisms, it's light and easy to follow, It's got some really good action and chase sequences and it's often hilarious, infact I would say one of the most redmeeing factors of the movie is it's sense of humor, throughout it's 2 hour runtime it offers so many good laughs.
But even so, underneath all the warmth and tenderness, there is something so tragic about Suzume. Especially coming after the covid pandemic, it hits a little harder, about the trauma of the survivors, the dead who are forgotten due to calamities. So many kids have to grow up without parents and entire familes, which is why the climax hit so hard, it was like as if Suzume was talking directly to all these kids, I clenched my teeth so hard but I had to shed some tears. I think that's where Shinkai deserves so much more praise, he consistently delivers these kind of scenes where he is able to convey something so dark in a very subtle, light and hard hitting way, and through interesting means.
In the opening scene of Isao Takahata's 1988 masterpiece 'Grave Of The Fireflies', we see a station worker throw away a candy can containing the ashes of one of our protagonist, symbolizing how these kids are forgotten and cast away. After many years I've now seen Shinkai come somewhat close to that same impact about depicting forgotten people, although of course, 'Grave Of The Fireflies' is in a league of it's own and is the saddest movie I've ever seen.
'Suzume' is a superbly animated film with a great story. It's a moving adventure of Suzume, fighting for what she loves, meeting new people and coming to terms with her own trauma. It's another gem from Makoto Shinkai that deserves to be seen on the Big Screen.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Mar 26, 2023
To say the "The Angel Next Door is a typical old school romance drama" pretty much captures what this anime is all about. If you are fan of romance, it doesn't get better than this. It has all the markings of a proper typical romance - it's cute, it's cheesy, the characters are wholesome and do things that make you smile and the innocence and purity of their bond will make your heart throb. This is something fans of the genre will crave. It's probably safe to say this anime is something that you may either really love or really hate, but I do find
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myself somewhere in the middle, I do appreciate it's take on the romance genre and how unabashed it is about portraying love in all it's cuteness and corniness, but also I felt sometimes it did get a bit too cringey and awkward, a lot of it is actually because of how bad some of the animation is. Although there isn't much scope for animation in this anime it still feels sloppy. The story follows a very limited set of characters who are all fine, it's just the main characters who completely carry the show, I found their development and the growth of their feelings towards one another quite natural and it was paced well throughout the 12 episodes, It's something I appreciate cause in contrast, an anime like 'Horimiya' felt rushed and I saw the characters get to certain points without showing any progress for it, this anime does not make that mistake. There is not too much else to talk about this show, it's just a formulaic feel good romance, if that's something you're into, you'll love it, if it's not then you'll probably absolutely hate it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Mar 25, 2023
As a huge fan of football I've always wanted an anime adapting the sport that can be on the level of something like Haikyuu, Ping Pong the animation etc but the fact that we have not, at least in my opinion come close to making anything of that quality ever made me go into this anime with a little bit of skepticism, football anime like 'Days' was such a disappointment, while there are some good ones that capture the spirit of the game such as a classic like 'Captain Tsubasa', there is always something lacking about the reality of how football is played. That's where
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Blue Lock was such a surprise, It filled the void that Haikyuu left for me, giving me the adrenaline rush and excitement that comes with watching nail biting moments that Characters find themselves in and them growing and evolving in front of your eyes. That's the most important thing that Blue Lock gets right,
I haven't felt this much hype from an anime in a long time, every episode, especially in the 2nd cour was incredibly fun. Blue Lock does this very well because of it's unique concept which gives the writing a lot of scope to always stay fresh and try something different. One of the things about Sport anime is that it can get a little repetitive and predictable as time goes on, In the first few episodes of Blue Lock I was worried this would happen because it seemed like all the characters were in one place and you kind of felt that things were going to go in a manner that was predictable and limited but surprisingly Blue Lock never finds itself in such a predicament, it keeps switching up and goes in directions you do not expect. Another aspect of the show that really makes it stand out is it's "ego" ideology, a usual dynamic of sports anime is about friendship and teamwork and togetherness, but blue lock takes the opposite approach where characters are tested on how selfish they are, in that way I think it captures the harsh, brutal reality of sports. When protagonist Isagi is introduced you wonder how such a player is going to make it through this, but his development throughout the 24 episodes have been fantastic, the writing does not force his growth but wonderfully makes him evolve in a very believable and practical way by taking him and also us deep through the many layers of how football is played, it's about the tactics, the skills that one acquires, how he acquires it and applying it in-game, some of these games are like chess, it's brilliant.
It's truly refreshing to see something like this, a sports anime that experiments with a lot of fun and interesting characters, exploring it's unique concept and thesis and doing so in a way that's true to football but also executing it with great animation and sound and making something that explodes with it's entertainment value. Just give me the second season already.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Mar 21, 2022
The second season of 86 hits like a breath of fresh air, There are so many positives starting with just how it picks up from the end of season 1 and just gives us something different by not just how well it expands the world but also giving new takes on certain themes such as racism, which has always been at the heart of the show, It is a bit light compared to how grim and intense Season 1 was, but for the most part it does build on the strengths of the prequel. The season especially gets better in it's second half, the first
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six episodes were really good but i felt it was also a bit rushed, the next six episodes however were bangers filled with great moments that give you chills. The great moments in this anime often come like a beat drop - you're expecting it, you don't know when, you don't know how, but when it drops there is an immense feeling of satisfaction. The character development, especially that of the protagonists are very good, Shin is a wonderful protagonist, everything about his writing is carefully balanced which makes him come off as extremely genuine, He is strong, he is vulnerable, he shows the right emotions at the right place, there isn't as much of Lena but when she does appear it is easy to notice how much she has grown since season 1. some of the new characters were enjoyable as well, Frederica being one of the important introductions offers a lot of comedic relief to the show and her voice actor has done a remarkable job, however some of her more emotional moments are a bit over the top for me and I didn't always connect with her, another aspect that I thought season 2 did better than season 1 were the battles, The battles in the previous season were a bit mundane for me, I thought the mecha battles this season were a lot more exciting and had a lot more to offer overall. 86 so far has continued to impress in all departments whether that is in it's writing or just the overall execution of it's animation, editing and direction, the music fits perfectly, this is a promising show with tons of potential, I wish for it's success and also for sequels, hope we get them soon.
9/10
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Feb 16, 2022
When the first season of Demon Slayer came out, I felt (and wrote) it was a show that was generic and deeply flawed yet to an extent entertaining and had the potential to improve, since then there have been a couple of sequels to this series, both of which have been a bit more impressive. Mugen Train is definitely peak Demon Slayer (So far, I haven't read the manga) for me, although it started off a bit slow, I thought the dream sequences were very haunting and the rest of the film capitalized on a nice concept and made it a fun watch which ended
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on a very interesting and emotional plot point. The way it ended set the stage for more interesting face offs in the future, and so I was looking forward to the next season - Entertainment District Arc. The opening couple of episodes were very promising, I was instantly hooked to the setting of the show and the nature of their mission, I loved the humor and funny dynamic between the lead three and Tengen Uzui and I thought the show was playing to its strengths, the demon slayers were infiltrating a place with specific tasks to find the demon and Uzui's wife, there was a lot of potential for writing mystery and exploring this world and its inhabitants, I would have liked for more of this, for the protagonists do more detective shit and interact with more characters there and see how things go down with twists and turns, but the way it plays out, it all just got over so soon, the mystery was not just predictable but also unraveled itself in a very blunt and boring manner, in just about 4 episodes or so they got this out of the way, the rest of the season was just pure action, which in this show has it's own pros and cons. The battles are mostly entertaining, if nothing else they at least worth watching for their flashy animation and overall making, the stakes are high and so is the tension, can all the good guys make it back in one piece? Also there was a twist in the middle of the fight that I quite liked, but other than that these battles do have issues with pacing and can feel quite repetitive and exhausting, almost every episode of the battles you see Tanjiro doing his best, falling down, having an flashback or a dream where a family member asks him to get up, getting back up and repeating the same inner monologue over and over again and then fighting or unlocking a new power even though he shouldn't even be walking, by defying all logic and what not simply because he's the protagonist, the plot conveniences used by the writer are numerous. The show did end on a high, despite a chunk of the finale being "another sad demon back story" that I had to sit through thanks to Tanjiro's talk no jutsu, I get it every demon has a sad back story, I don't think they particularly add much and they even come off as lazy, it did end on a high with an explosive climax to the battle and once again sets the stage for the anime to go in an interesting direction, Personally for me, Demon Slayer after two seasons and a movie has still not addressed most of my problems with it, but it remains to be enjoyable while capitalizing on its strengths. Looking forward to season 3.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Jan 14, 2022
The first season of Megalo Box came out 3 years ago as a tribute anime for the 50th anniversary of the classic boxing manga Ashita no Joe. It was a simple anime, a classic tale of an underdog's rise to the top and was enjoyable for it's lovable characters, the futuristic setting, the call back to the retro style of art and aesthetic, the lofi Hip Hop scores, some great action and filled with moments of inspiration and emotion. The second season however, the focus is shifted to the the tough fights outside the ring, it's one of the most wholesome and mature takes on
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redemption, recovery and finding oneself that I've ever seen in anime, a sequel that adds a lot of depth to these wonderful characters and their story, also it's depiction of immigrants and all the Latin influences is something quite unique and only add to the depth, originality and rich aesthetic of the show. There aren't many fights in this season, but the fights that do exist are short, well choreographed and unpredictable, I think this is how a sequel should be, taking new risks and improving the original while maintaining everything that we loved about the original.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Dec 16, 2019
I think the idea of this what if situation where our technologically advanced age were to go back to the stone age and in a pretty much post apocalyptic scenario, what would a survivor do considering he is intelligent and has great knowledge about the science of our age? I think this idea is original, interesting and has so much potential. I think it makes up for an interesting world that begs to be explored and the challenges the protagonist faces as he recreates various inventions from our time is what keeps me invested in this anime, From creating modern dishes to fighting diseases and
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creating weapons and electricity and mobile phones, I think the reinventing challenges picked for the protagonist are very interesting ones. I think Dr Stone is a fun anime and is also kind of educational. I don't think the characters are super well written but they are engaging. I also like the moral battle going on between the protagonist and the antagonist about whether or not everyone should be revived and it extends the debate between the overall workings of stone age and the technological age about freedom and what is natural. I think it's what makes Tsukasa a kind of decent villain but I think where it loses me is just realistically I don't think Tsukasa would be able to form an army, at least very easily, like imagine if you were revived by Tsukasa and you were told that you are going to be a part of a youth army but your parents and anyone you loved who was a gen x or boomer wouldn't be revived, I don't think every young person would accept that unless he was bullied by Tsukasa to follow him, and that's just a part of a broader issue I have with this anime which is I think it overlooks some important human emotion and logically it takes the liberties of a generic shonen, whether that may be in the actions of a character or the storytelling itself. one of my biggest problems comes during the revelations of Senku's step father and what happened to them, Probably a lot of what happened to them might still be unrevealed but it brings up a lot of questions like why basically they didn't do anything much except for passing information in some codey way called the hundred stories or something, a lot of it feels very convenient for melodrama and there's a huge discussion that can be had on them but I'm not going into that now. Another problem I had was I felt the animation wasn't always good, I think it's decent but it can be really sloppy and rough sometimes. Overall I do like Dr Stone, I think it has potential to be better and I'm interested to see where and how it will go, looking forward to season 2.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Oct 14, 2019
Weathering With You was a beautiful and memorable experience, If you were a fan of Shinkai before this then you expect to have a great experience, but Shinkai delivers beyond expectations and he came through with his best visuals, every frame is a spectacle that you wish you could pause and admire on the big screen. He's also improved his character designs. The thing that separates animations like this from other great animations of today is that beyond something that's just pleasing to the eye, they have the power to move you emotionally, they transport you into a dream and immerse you in the magic
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of that world. When the show is over and the credits roll, it's like waking up from a dream that you didn't want to wake up from. I'm not saying Shinkai is the only one who can do this today but it is a rarity and Shinkai is one of the finest at it. If Miyazaki set the bar, then the closest someone has gotten to it is Shinkai. Some of the credit definitely goes to the music too though, the music here is lovely and enhances this experience. After coming out of the movie, and going back home, whenever I looked at the sky or clouds I was instantly taken back to scenes in this movie, I suspect that's how it going to be from now on, such was the impact of this film.
This is a really cute and touching love story of Hodaka and Hina, who might be my favorite Shinkai couple yet. The development of their relationship feels very organic and for the most part their relationship is very wholesome to watch on screen, they got the chemistry right and they hit all the right notes of emotion and humor. the movie focuses on a small group of characters and it does justice to pretty much all of them, everyone is memorable. My most favorite character is one called Suga, even when at some points in the film he says something that feels insensitive or does something that you hate, you still understand why he's saying and doing it, you feel sad for him, it's a very interesting shade of grey, he comes off as simple but he's a very delicate character who was handled very well, I would even go far as to say maybe he's the best written Shinkai character. Another character to love is Hina's younger brother - Nagi, Most of the film's best humor comes from this guy, the moments he shares with Hodoka are great, amazing how a simple "senpai" carries humor throughout the film, even during serious scenes, even overall the movie did have a lot of good humor. The movie also has a lot of messages and layers that probably went over my head, I know much like Shinkai's previous films it's full of religious symbolism and connections with Shinto that can reveal an allegory, decoding that will definitely give me more insight into what Shinkai wants to convey, I'm also interested in figuring out how this connects with Your Name, I don't think those were just gimmicky cameos, the themes and messages of both these movies seem to kind of compliment each other.
I did have some problems with the movie though, which I can't really talk about without spoilers, but to put it simply in the second half there were some plot conveniences and I felt the ending could have been a bit better, i felt it was too blatant and kind of in your face, especially with the overuse of voice overs and everything. It's not Shinkai's best movie but it doesn't have to be, I think it's his second best after Your Name, although I wouldn't argue if someone said it was his best but to me, I think Your Name will probably always be his magnum opus, if we had to talk about Shinkai's career so far, we could divide it into "before Your Name" and "after Your Name", such was the impact of that film, which is hard to recreate, it's definitely not fair to compare any of these, but just like for any director's filmography, it seems to be inevitable. Personally though, as long as he gives solid films like this, which will eventually (if not already) get it's cult classic status, it's more than enough.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Sep 28, 2019
A typical but watchable shonen mostly carried by some great animation and music. Nothing particularly new or creative about this world, this story, these characters. Most of the characters are under-established, quite generic and aren't really that interesting beyond their design, Backstories whenever featured feel sluggish and forgettable. I wasn't able to connect with a lot of the emotion in this anime, mainly because of how blunt it can be in it's execution, with extremely theatrical and unnatural dialogue. The humorous scenes are also a hit or miss but it did have it's moments and offered some good laughs along the way. One thing I
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really liked though were the villains, not as characters but I felt most of them had very interesting and especially creative powers, which worked very well with some great animation and choreography for it's action sequences. Despite all its flaws however, it still does manage to be just about entertaining enough for me to allot twenty minutes of my time every week for it, and wouldn't mind it getting renewed for another season, in fact I think it has potential, even if it unlikely will, to break it's generic shell. Also a shout out to the OP and ED, great songs complimented by great visuals.
6/10
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Apr 1, 2019
Quirky and Humane, I often found myself humbled by the greatness that is the character "Mob" who has grown to be my fav superhero, if you could call him that, along with Saitama of course. Season 2 has the comedy, action, relatablitly, the whole entertainment package of Season 1 but what makes it, in my opinion, a level above season 1 is the deeper layers of introspection and empathy, which you are barely prepared for when it knocks you sideways. The final episode was a great conclusion to season 2 with some mind-bending action in a tense and superbly animated, choreographed fight which eventually concluded
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with a giant, unpredictable punchline for a joke. An episode that speaks for itself about why ONE is beyond a genius, I need news of season 3 ASAP.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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