Look, I also like walking chairs. I love unexpected jazz outbursts, and yes, you can always wake me up for another stubborn and strong female protagonist. Having said that: Suzume no Tojimari is a disappointing mess.
One of the major flaws of the film was its lack of narrative coherence. While the protagonist follows clear landmarks throughout Japan, the plot meandered without any sense of direction. On top of that, we have poorly developed characters that lack any real depth or complexity. Why are these people so (un)involved in all of this? Only Shinkai seems to know - but he won't show us.
It's true, Suzume no
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Feb 13, 2023
I, for one, love a good slice of life episode in my Steins;Gate. Sure, 0 had some horrible filler but once this cast is properly lined up for some mundanity, beautiful interactions can occur. Bittersweet Intermedio brings us a great combination of low-stake whimsicalness and touching conclusions. While the premise is simple - the girls make chocolate for people they appreciate - the pay-off goes deep, as each girl gives her chocolate to persons they are closely connected with. Instead of this being fan-service heavy, the episode focusses on the creative process of making chocolate and builds up to conclusions that make sense to those
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Jan 18, 2023
Nisemonogatari
(Anime)
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Nisemonogatari is an often horny, mostly self-aware fever dream. It continuously plays with open, repetitive environments, disjointed dialogue, semi-supportive text, and anime tropes we have all come to love or hate. While I advise watching previous entries in the Monogatari universe first, people unfamiliar with Koyomi's companions and adventures can still derive value from these 11 episodes.
To me, the most significant appeal of this series is its inconsistency. Where most anime gives us easy-to-summarize characters and some form of development, Nisemonogatari avoids most of this. The result is a cast that simultaneously feels familiar and estranged. We see the same dynamic in its environments, consisting ... 
Jan 4, 2023
This OVA is such a fantastic round-up of the masterpiece that is Steins;Gate.
While the original series is rather bleak, this OVA brings a wholesomeness that I've been craving to see throughout the original 24 episodes. That is not to say this series needed this OVA, rather, it is a heart-warming extra to an already beautifully moving experience. Like a nurturing kiss on a roughed-up cheek, Oukoubakko no Poriomania uses its run-time to comfort those who have been with Okabe and his crew throughout their exhaustive story. And I'm grateful for it. Of course, Steins;Gate's original episodes leave some room for a more thorough exploration of its ... 
Jan 4, 2023
I like the Zero Escape games. Sure, their thematics are poorly explored - if at all, their characters are painfully one-dimensional, and graphically it's nothing to write home about. Still, there's an addictive "Who's done it?" quality to the series that always kept me engaged. This ONA, made for promotional purposes, aims to spark interest in VLR without spoiling its overall narrative. Sadly, it is difficult to say for whom this ONA is meant. Those who have already played the game, will not find any new content. Others will be introduced to a handful of names and faces but with little understanding of their importance.
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Dec 17, 2022
After finishing Persona 5 on my Playstation 4, I found it really hard to say goodbye to the Phantom Thieves. Because of this, I continued my journey through Persona 5 Strikers, Persona Q2 and Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight. It wasn't enough. I read the three Mementos Mission mangas, kept returning to the game's fantastic OST, and watched nearly every "hot take" video essay on YouTube. Eventually, I ended up watching this OVA. While it did not take my heart, it did help me move on to different forms of entertainment.
Now, the above is not to say that I did not enjoy The Day Breakers. ... |
