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Oct 6, 2015
Another manga of Matsui Yusei comes to realization, this time explicitly following the manga.
Ever since Majin Tentei Nougami Neuro I have been waiting for another amazing manga from Yusei and I had my doubts about Assassination Classroom. However, reading it, and now watching the anime, it's clear that Yusei's style went through. (Something that didn't happen when making the anime for Nougami Neuro, which is a shame because the manga is amazing.)
Assassination Classroom has a straight forward main story- kill the teacher. Complication comes with the characters and their development. Backstory isn't as present, nor is romance, but I don't think the anime is
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lacking for it. Considering I read the manga, backstory will come on it's own if it's relevant to the story.
The art is classic Yusei style which I fell in love with while reading Nougami Neuro. It wasn't formulated and in MTNN it was filled with gruesome depictions. As such, it's great to see it come to life on the big screen with all the Yusei's quirks and humor.
As for sound I personally didn't like the opening though the ending was fair. As for scene music it was barely noticeable and usually went with the mood.
Personally, I was amazed how they managed to not butcher Irina Jelavic (holy shmit they got her name right) and it was wonderful hearing my language in the tenth episode. It was actually comprehensible! (Unlike what I heard in BBC Sherlock but that's a whole other rant.)
And, of course, the 19th episode was amazing, using Kana Ueda cast as Yuzuki Fuwa to promote MTNN and using Katsuragi Yako's usual line. Personally, my two favorite moments.
If you like strange things and weirder comedy and you have nothing to do, you should watch this.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Oct 6, 2015
Un-Go can particularity be characterized as one of by biggest disappointments right along with Toradora!, Shinrei Tantei Yakumo and Eden of the East movies.
The story of this anime is solid (at least in the beginning) and the futurism appeals to me. The protagonist knack for solving mysteries and the unfairness of others stealing his credit was all very interesting. However the pacing, of the reveal and generally of the anime, killed it. By the end the story just didn't make sense and it felt like there was no real progress made from the promising beginning.
I expected Un-Go to be a mix between Majin
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Tantei and Eden of the East, however it ended up being Shinrei Tantei Yakumo, a promising story and characters without following through. Truly a wasted potential.
However, as in any disappointing anime, perhaps it was the subjective feeling of expecting too much that really got to me. The art was good and the sound even better, Blue Light Yokohama stuck in my head for the whole month! Still, as I stated, and will again, no art or sound can compensate for lacking in story and characters. I was truly disappointed.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Oct 6, 2015
From Mamoru Hosoda who brought you 'The Girl Who Leapt Through Time' and 'Boy and the Beast', another amazing story to enjoy.
There is little I can say about this movie that doesn't start with amazing, wonderful, beautiful, etc. Everything is on point. From the amazing well-thought out but still straight forward story, to the wonderfully normal characters, to the amazingly composed soundtrack and wonderful art.
This is a simple story of a single mother raising her children in the country side, so she could give them the choice of choosing between being wolf or man. And with such a story, that can be summed
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up in a sentence, it's easy to misunderstand this movie as being boring. It's inspiration is drawn from ordinary life yes, but we have witnessed some of the most beautiful movies arise from such a setting, Totoro coming to mind first, Whispers of the Heart, From up on the Poppy Hill, Tokyo Godfathers. Wolf Children can easily be summarized along these names as one of the best movies that came out of Japan in recent years.
The art is wonderfully simple and yet beautiful. It shows the ordinary, just as it should, but find extraordinarily beautiful in that ordinary. The animation is clean and easy on the eyes.
The sound that follows the picture is breathtaking and fitting to the scenes. The ending music just made me cry further, as if I didn't do it enough through the movie.
You will fall in love with the characters easily and then your heart will be ripped out. Personally, I have no idea how they managed to convey the love that Hana and her husband felt in ten minutes, but it was obvious enough through the animation (which just further shows the quality of it).
As for the children, they evolve straight-forwardly on the screen. There is nothing you don't expect but it still manages to tear your heart out. If you follow the subtle ques of animation the ending should have been foreshadowed somewhere around the middle of the movie.
Truly a wonderful piece that should be show to anyone, be it adult or child. The only warning I can give you is to keep tissues at hand because for the two hours this movie lasts, I cried for two and a half.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Oct 3, 2015
As one of the first animes I've ever watched, Haibane Renmei left a lasting impression both on me and on my memory.
At first, I could not understand how an anime could both be bright and dark at the same time. Now I understand that it's a balance of life so rarely properly portrayed, that Haibane Renmei on that level could easily be called a masterpiece.
The story is easily one of my favorite ones.
A perpetual question, need, and curiosity. What is beyond the walls, how do haibanes come to existence, who were they before and who are they now that they can chose their
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own storyline? What happens after they've lived their intended life as haibane? If you remove the haibane part you can very easily see that the questions are the staples of philosophy in our own world. Questions which are constantly answered but to which there is no right answer. It is us who chose the proper answer for our own life.
As such, humanity in this anime is given the mask of haibanes to hide behind so it can freely talk and reveal itself even in doing no such thing.
The plot handles these questions very well through action rather than in words. The portrayal of depression, jealousy and bitterness for life, and how it affects our characters is especially wonderful. This anime, being psychologically heavy, left you wanting more.
The art is okay, it's not overpowering and it shouldn't be accentuated anyways considering the heavy lifting is left to the story and inner (and outer) conflict. Sound is similar in that aspect.
The characters are, like in all good animes, developed nicely though because of the plot there can't be any heavy backstory. However, we can see in our two main characters that even without backstory (thought, in a way it is present) humanity, the fears and aspirations can easily be figured out.
It's hard to describe this anime without watching it. It's lyrical in that way. Because it deals heavily with psychology and emotions, fear and content being two prominent things, to convey the feeling and heaviness is difficult. It's definitely a must-watch anime for those who like to delve deeper into humanity, and what it means to exist. In contrast, it's easily balanced by the slice-of-life feeling that it gets when it's not emotionally heavy, and so for anyone who likes to watch anime that isn't action filled, it's definitely a good choice. It's perhaps one of the most unique things that exist out in the anime community. It has a different feeling than anything else I ever watched.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Oct 3, 2015
Baccano! along with Cowboy Bebop and Trigun (and let's not forget Hellsing) came very highly recommended to me. I can now see why.
Neither the story nor the storytelling are formulated and they largely deviate from that which we expect to be 'normal', at least for an anime.
It starts with two narrators, or the people we expect to be narrators though they stick with us only through the first episode after which they disappear until the last episode. In such way the story could be called chiastic, but considering we have multiple characters whose point of view is also there it could be called parallel.
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Either way both structures are present, the later more prominent, with time jumps and scene cutting, all done in favor of better storytelling.
Often we can see one scene being told from multiple points of view in minimum, thought that form of storytelling is applied to the main story plot of the anime (maximum). The form (the time jumps and scene cutting) can sometimes be annoying but we always see what would have come next if the story was linear.
As for the plot, it's interesting to see so many characters surrounding one thing that pulls them all together, especially using something like the Cure. I did not foresee the alchemy in this anime and on that part, it felt a bit lacking. Not in any bad way, I just wanted to see more of it, and perhaps more of the 'demon' from which it all started. The end appeased me a bit on that end.
Considering the plot is such that it pulls all kinds of characters and ties them to one omnipresence, I'd say that the creators did a great job in forming the characters. Each and every one of them have their own personalities, aspirations, disappointments, and I'm not even going to go into the worldbuilding because for an anime of 13(16) episodes it does an amazing job considering nothing is explained outright. However the number of characters can leave you a bit confused, especially because it's important you actually learn their names so you could understand what's going on.
The comedy of the piece is phenomenal. It's rationed with the action quite well and the gore isn't overpowering. Comically, one character is named Vino (which in my language means wine) who embodies his name quite perfectly considering he's covered in red pretty much the whole anime. I enjoyed the wordplay very much. (As did I enjoy the cast of Luck Gondor. Takehito Koyasu is my favorite voice actor, with his characteristic deep voice that can't be forgotten, nor mistaken for another.)
The portrayal of the characters is done nicely both by the art and sound. The art and coloring is done is such a way that it puts you in the 30s easily. The sound and the animation are completely in sync and as such compliment the action.
The opening, which is probably the most prominent factor, is wordless just like in Cowboy Bebop. And just like in Cowboy Bebop it catches your attention easily. I'm sure it's been commented on plenty.
The ending however was disappointing. I've seen similarly endings in three other animes and the music is just not in tune with the general feel, idea, or the opening of the anime. That was disappointing.
Other than those gripes I quite enjoyed Baccano! and it's splendidly atypical play with exposition. There is no end to the story, and there are no main characters, just one separate incident that ties worlds and lives of the characters together. Then, when it passes, it similarly unties them until, of course, the characters themself decide they want to interact with somebody in that way.
I understand the perpetual hype about this anime now, but rather than being explosive this anime is just revelatory. One should watch this when they don't have anything to do and just want to be blow away by quality content.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Oct 3, 2015
As a thirteen episode slice-of-life anime there isn't much expectation and it's relaxed vibe, and comical plot, got me interested in it pretty quickly. I wasn't disappointed.
The story is straight forward which, for once, I quite enjoyed and the goal of everything that happens on screen is also very obvious, and stated a few times. The art, to go along with this, is similarily straight forward and there are instanced where you can see where the budget was really well spent. Considering that, it's amazing how the consistency doesn't drop, but it doesn't which is also very nice.
The opening and the ending go
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according to the overall theme of the anime and the art of the opening is just beautiful. The rest of the sound is solid, though considering this can be also labeled a comedy anime you should know to expect a lot of sound bits to go according to the joke, face-expression, etc.
Personally, what I liked most about this anime is exactly the comedy of the moment, and then the storyline. The characters are all solid with their own aspirations, and the anime isn't afraid to poke at modern tropes like 'fujoshi fangirl' which got me rolling with laughter.
But, I warn you, this isn't anime to be watched twice. The comedic effect just isn't the same.
If you want a bit of relaxing after an intense anime, and if you want to laugh a lot, I suggest this one. I sincerely hope for season two.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Oct 1, 2015
With outstanding characters and amazing audio music I am amazed how much I disliked this anime after re-watching it after Brotherhood and reading the manga. Unfortunately I'm a stickler to the 'anime must follow manga' motto. Perhaps it's even because of this anime that I think so.
The story, which I in the end have the most problem with, is good up to a point. I loved seeing Edward and Alphonse in training, and the filler episodes weren't half bad. However, the later part just makes no sense. The story veers off in the middle and never makes it back on track. The character exposition
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up until that point is now useless and only suffices to finish the anime. There are a couple of things that I detest immensely about the story but for the sake of spoilers I will not mention. Just prepare yourself for the 'Are you serious?' moments, there will be plenty.
The art isn't bad, for the period it was made in, still it can't be rated higher than fair. The sound however, is amazing. Now, the openings and endings are generally a hit and miss for me, and it was the same with this anime unfortunately. However the tracks played during this anime were fantastic. I had to listen to them over and over just to make sure of it and yep, still great.
I think that I was in the end mostly just disappointed with the way they executed the second half of this anime. Next to Brotherhood, who tells a whole meaningful story pulling the strings since episode one, you have this that while it's not horrible it's just not good. I wish they'd put more effort into making it rather than giving us a huge green monster, parallels with out world and dimension travelling.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Oct 1, 2015
What to say about the number one charted anime on this whole site? Well.
I came into the anime world thinking I watched this anime, this was the first serious one I ever watched after the regular Pokemon, Digimon, Dragon Ball Z, Bleach, Naruto - quintet. Only, as it turns out I watched the first edition, not Brotherhood.
It took me a good year to realize Brotherhood exists and oh my, was I over joyed to know there was more of the fascinating story about alchemists.
First thing that instantly caught my attention- the opening. The music was so good the entire time it was
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ridiculous, opening after opening, I kept getting more intrigued. Usually, there's always one song I don't like but not in this case, no, in this case I liked ending too which happens exactly never. Still, I think that one thing the first edition has over Brotherhood is the music. Not in openings but the scene music sang in Russian. Amazing.
The other thing I liked was how clean the art looked. There's nothing much I can say here, the style of drawing is specific in a way you can immediately know it's FMAB you're watching.
Now, onto the characters.
Edward and Alphonse are our protagonists and while there's the usual trope (genius kids having super-amazing powers that even adults can't handle) it's not exactly true. Oh you think it is until it's very quickly proven that someone /can/ take Edward on, and that Edward /can/ advance on the field of power. But more than that, it's the character development that you like. Just like in real life, Edward and Alphonse have their ups and downs, the downs of course being more prominent, and they have their hurdles and orders to get over. They also have to deal with their goals and disappointments, and generally dealing with the not-so- ideal world where they get to live until they're ninety and their friends don't die.
The alchemy of the world is rather interesting. Actually, the whole storyline that's discovered bits by bits, is more than interesting, exposed from multiple angles. The theories of life, world, everything and nothing, the chase for immorality and knowledge, FMAB deals with every question separately but connected by string until you understand.
Truly, this anime is one of the best I will ever watch and will ever be made. The care put into connecting this world with ours via perpetual questions and faults of humanity is astounding, as is almost each and every moment of this story. Completely worth watching sixty-four episodes.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Oct 1, 2015
This is the first in my top 10 animes I have ever watched that I will be reviewing though there's little to be said that hasn't been said.
This anime withstood the test of time and still stands to be one of the most brilliant things I have ever seen. There are no certain heroes in this anime and you keep rooting for your anti-hero (Light) long past his expiration date that is set off in the middle of the anime.
The story is simple and there's abundance of action and in-action, where battles are lost and won on intellectual level. The open mindedness of
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the anti-hero, sheer intelligence and the ease with witch he handles accusations and manipulation will leave you amazed.
As Light's counterpoint is L who is, and perhaps even more, intelligent than Light, cunning and stubborn and all around amazing character that you will love to ridicule and then love to love.
You can very well compare these two to Hannibal Lecter -Will Graham relationship or rather, it can be compared to Light and L's. Constant competition and comradeship color it after all.
What I personally liked as well was that all of this was caused by Light Yagami's Onegin-esque spleen.
Art, for the period and even now, is amazing, though a remake wouldn't hurt considering the graphics available today.
What really got me pumped about this anime is the music. Usually, I don't notice it (sometimes it should be so, it's supposed to melt into the whole experience) and have to re-watch so I can say something about it. However, in Death Note it's hard /not/ to notice the music. The score is amazing and every track has the eerie feeling matching very well with the anime, and more importantly with the art.
The anime doesn't completely follow the manga but for those who truly want a one of a life-time experience, or who want an intro to good anime, this one is definitely for you.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Oct 1, 2015
As a rather recent anime, Gangsta rather quickly got my attention using it's artwork and sound. But, first and foremost, the story.
As it centers around two main protagonist, from the very start I could see there was a lot of backstory to them and that they trusted each other completely. (Something shown by wearing each others' clothes, usually people who grow up close to each other do that, usually within a family.)
Reading the summary there's not much story revealed and it's not immediately revealed in the anime either. I can't say much about it without spoiling, however what I can say is that I can't
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precisely determine when it starts considering it doesn't end by the end of the anime (an ending hated by many, actually). I enjoyed it at least. What I mostly enjoyed about the story telling is the exposition. We're never explicitly told what happened in the world of Gangsta. and the whole time we're learning through second-hand information or just by drawing conclusions that the artists wanted to show us.
To help tell the story, sound and art interact very nicely. You will notice the art is similar to the one of Shingeki no Kyoujin (thick lines and greyish colors that remain consistent through the story, nothing at all like No Game no Life, which is why it's beautifully reminding us we're present in the world' reality). Unfortunately you can also see the production value drop in a couple of scenes that follow after high-quality animation during fights (that occupy 50% of screentime).
Well, they have to considering our main characters mostly fights with others. Now, what I personally enjoyed the most /are/ the characters. I very rarely saw any characters with visible disabilities in other anime, and if I did they weren't in bad-ass roles like our two main characters (not mentioning Alex's invisible disability and her dealing with it). It's very easy to think her, and most of other characters as realistic portrayals of people and society when there's no building jumping, or axe wielding butchery.
Perhaps it's the representation of people with disabilities, or the different kind of exposition, but I thoroughly enjoyed Gangsta. even with it's ending, which doesn't bother me in the least. Personally, I think that if there were more animes like this there would still be too little of them.
If you like a good storyline, great characters and blood-pumping scenes with a lot of gore, I think you would like this anime.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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