Interest Stacks

This short romance tells a story of two people, who found each other while they were in their stay at the hospital.

The brash and carefree attitude of our main protagonist clashes with the orderly but temperamental nature of the girl, and within moments, conflict arises. But as well as that, a bond within them is forged, which helps them to unveil their thoughts, anxieties and fears for the future to each other, by which they can find solace for their hearts and minds.

Their few, but valuable encounters, due to their circumstances, are filled with sweetness, as well as with hint of sadness, for the unsaid truths that weights upon them, but despite that, the fact that they found within the other a reason to look forward for the next day with smile is something they both cherish and treasure.

This story is about a journey, in the physical, metaphorical and existential sense of the word.

Our protagonist, with the assistance of his mechanical companion, travels in a world, plagued or blessed with vastly different countries, each embracing it's own lifestyle ideology, which in turn warps their own perception of right and wrong, of just and unfair. Each of these countries strives to achieve utopia in it's own way, but ironically, most of them are straight up dystopian societies, leaning on a select few principles of the human civilization, but straight up ignoring all the others.

In a very condensed sense this show presents both the ugliest and most admirable traits of humankind -it's desire to strive for perfection, and the inevitable pitfalls to which it succumbs along it's progress.

The quote that perfectly expresses the concept of these series is this one - “The world is not beautiful. Therefore it is.”

Through the eyes of the solemn and perceptive Kino we're witnessing many human fates - some of them makes us compassionate, others, disturbed. But there are also those that leaves us hollow and contemplative about these fictional worlds, and how accurate and relatable they can display us parables that had been part of our history, are reality in our everyday, and would be in the possible future.

It's important to note that this show alone shows only a small part of the big picture, and the thematic and emotional payoffs do concludes in the sequel, "Clannad After Story".

This show is an interesting example of how a simple and bland first season, with well considered foresight and planning out, can lead to an amazing second one, addressing up the problems and underdevelopment of the first one and building over it. And even so, the first show sets up the setting and gives motives and motions for the primary cast, so it matters in a retrospect.

The grounded setting of this one shows us the constant gradation and improvement of the self - we start with a person, unsure of his life and role in it, who finds a reason to give his best and to try to better himself. But even after that, he couldn't hold onto the things that mattered to him the most, and gradually start to lose himself. His pathos and his issues are relatable, and presenting us this one simple truth - life is a mixture of up's and downs, of failures and successes, and failing to acknowledge either will be harmful to yourself.

Casshern Sins is an exploration of mortality, as something universal, as well as how the characters within this story perceives and lives on with this concept.

Amidst the charred, barren and rusted wasteland a sole person walks in a direction, unknown to him. In a stark contrast to the crumbling world around him, his glittering and pure white silhouette stays in unintentional defiance, his figure scarred by sorrow and despair. Sadness is written upon his beautiful face, as if he's carrying the whole sin for this world on his strong, but slender shoulders.

This is the kind of setting this story unfolds in, one of decay, and death. But amidst the ruins, our main protagonist, the wandering Casshern, meets and sees the tiny seeds of hope within the surviving few people in this forsaken world. The fact that they struggle, fight on and try to prove their point in this pointless world is the driving force of this show, and the one that provides the beating heart of the narrative.

Despite the portrayed tragedy, there is a lot to be learned, beauty to be seen, and happiness to be experienced even in this rotting and eroding world, and that's what the solemn gaze of our protagonist witnesses, and in return, tries to preach to the others.

This romance, which theme revolve around the melancholic emotional attachment we do get for everything around our lives, no matter how small or large part it is.

In this world, the coexistence between the humans and the Giftias, which are sentient androids is a common reality. The major difference of them and the humans is that, they can operate for set amount of years, after which their memories are being erased. For this reason, agencies which takes care of the Giftias in their final moments and console their human owners, exists.

Our main character is fresh recruit in an agency just like that, and in the line of work he is partnered by a Giftia. Case after case, and bit by bit, they do get to know each other and eventually, fall in love. Could love like this persists through the boundaries of time and should it be nurtured, or discarded?

Gunslinger Girl is a tale with many concepts, blended along the story of a few young girls, physically enhanced and mentally conditioned to carry out political assassinations and counter-terrorist tasks.

The first word that comes to mind with this premise, is juxtaposition - the serious, grim story line, complemented by the grounded, diluted and greyed color tones that the show is drawn with, are contrasted by the main characters of this show, the adolescent girls from the title, which despite having their
mentality tampered with, are still their pure and innocent selves, internally. The painful contrast between these two radicals, and the masterful way this pathos is presented in this show, gives us a solid ground for contemplation, upon ourselves or the cruel way this world works. The issues and problems of the portrayed world, are sadly, parallel to our current society.

The whole existence of cybernetically enhanced and mentally conditioned children is a poignant and controversial theme, which is tackled realistically in it this show, despite it's blatant controversy. The fact that they're given a chance for a second life after their mortal injuries and terminal medical conditions is something to be praised, but to be used as a means of eradication of political and terrorist activity with the element of subtlety and surprise is an act of utter machiavellianism.

In this work, the question of "Does the end justifies the means", is often asked, without an answer. The loss of innocence, and the moral grayness, of both the organization we follow, as well as the opposing one, is up to the viewer to judge.

This is a show, that does enjoys his stride in it's own slow, but steady place. It presents us a fantasy world, full of supernatural beasts, which are domesticated and tamed by the humans, and our protagonist comes from a family that handles them. The integration of these creatures into the country's culture and traditions is an interesting touch of world building, showing that they have purpose and importance in this society.

A bit by bit, we get acquainted with her, and her genuine desire to nurture and care for other creatures, just like her mother. But suddenly, her world gets shattered by trials and tribulations, on which she tries to prevail on her own.

As the girl matures, so does the story line as well - we're witnessing the political power struggle of the country she resides in, as well as the corrupted and heartless royal court, blind to the struggles and worries of the common folk.

The beauty of this show is that we follow our main protagonist through many phases and emotions, we can see by ourselves how this story, despite reminding us of a fairy tale with it's visuals and vocals, in in fact a grounded world, in which the fantastical bits underlies and magnifies the conflict, but as well as that presents us how much this human society, bound by primitive control and enforcement, mimics the hierarchy of the before mentioned fantastical creatures.

This movie is about the importance of our aspirations and ideals, even in our darkest hours.

The story follows a scavenger, looking for resources to survive in a post apocalyptic world. Any mistake and misstep could cost him his life and every day is a struggle for survival. The rations are always running low and the constant threat of mechanical patrols, noticing him is always high.

Though one day, he finds an abandoned android, in a barely operational planetarium, and everything changes. The run down, but still operational building reminds him of the joys that people had in the past, and how different life was compared to the present. On the other hand, the android, while malfunctional, still tries to perform it's duties, despite the fact that no human being has entered the facility in years, which is both heartwarming and saddening - as the whole place is like a time capsule, preserved in time. The rational and collected mind of the scavenger knows that place will crumble in debris, as everything else in this abandoned city, but his heart doesn't want to see this, which provokes him to take an action.

Mushishi is a series of meditative contemplations, in visual form. They presents us our main character, the wandering doctor, Ginko in his journeys through out the countryside, assisting villages with his craft and skills.

While he does have healing competence, his real strength is to see and mediate with the spirits, residing all around this world - in the nature, within objects or in the people themselves. The spirits are not always harmful, but through their non-sentient existence they could cause problems, so Ginko's line of work is to identify, analyze and consider how they should be dealt with.

And while doing so, we can see the story and circumstances of the ordinary people, in both their moments of bliss, as well as their pain, be it physical or mental. Sometimes, it's mankind's own scheming and arrogance that causes the problems, though in many other occasions, they are innocent victims of the circumstances.

The whole show has this peculiar, somber aura, exuding calmness and looming you into thinking. It presents the transient beauty that we can see and perceive in this world, as well as the frail balance in which we co-exist with the forces beside us.

The state of the mind is a complex topic, since it is ever changing, as well as it is often self-conflicting. This show, as well as it's sequel, EF: A Tale of Melodies, in it's peculiar ways, manages to entice us on a personal level with the romantic tales of it's characters, and the mixture of their desires, hopes, fears and traumas.

It's methods of jumping back and forth, visualizing so much of their emotions at the current moment with just a single artistic frame, side camera glance, or metaphorical abstraction is a treat for both the eyes and mind.

But as well as giving them a proper presentation, another important aspect of this approach is to present us it's characters, with both their flaws and strengths, soft spots and weaknesses, which makes them much more relatable.

This show manages to be avant-garde in it's approach, presenting us the cast's human drama and existential crises, as well as their moments of bliss. Between the mixture of these polar opposites, there are a lot of moments that could be introspective, heartwarming and painful at the same time.

Bartender is a show about mixing cocktails and a lot more in-between this. It's an episodic show about the emotionally conflicted customers of a certain bar, and the perceptive bartender who listens to their stories and problems, while preparing personally considered beverages for their comfort and taste.

The relaxing and soothing atmosphere of the bar, the elegant but sincere bartender, the backdrop of the seemingly endless nights in Tokyo, all this gives us a sense as if time has stopped - everyday life is hectic, full of reasons to be anxious and worried, but in this bar, nestled in the back alley, one can find a place to rejuvenate. In it, the bartender tries to present to his customers the more abstract viewpoint in their experiences, the middle ground, from which each failure can be seen as lesson and every heartbreak - as a stepping stone into a new beginning.

Death Parade is a show that does likes to present us on a platter the best and the worst of the human psyche, and the dissonance between one's actions, and thoughts - sometimes, the deception is the only way to draw out the truth of one's wavering mind.

The show is episodic, each time presenting us a new story, inevitably tied to death and the regrets of the people who've passed away. In a sense, each person has his own way of accepting this fact, which is an interesting case study on the human condition in a time of crisis. Special mention could be said about the detailed and evocative character art - the subtle but well defined body language in the people's behavior can speak volumes for their personality.

The classy, but mysterious backdrop of the bar seems like the perfect place in which it's clients to realize the fate that had befell them, and their reflections upon that. Under the watchful, cold gaze of the pale, cross-shaped bartender, stories are being weaved, ones containing grief and rage, but sometimes, ones of calmness and acceptance.

This is a story with many abstractions, one which likes to mix the rustic, and familiar with the eccentric and ominous. The characters amidst this duality, in turn have their own complexity and gravity - they all have their pros and cons, as well as defined personalities.

Haibane Renmei is a series which drowns you in it's ambience - the pale, pastel colours, shrouded in ruin and looming in shadows, the surreal symbolism, plastered upon the simplistic canvas of the character art. The world in this setting can only be described as hauntingly beautiful - serene, mesmerizing, filled with pastoral bliss, and yet, with it's mysteries and undertones, implying something much more bleak.

Every single person in this timeless limbo is looking for something, even though they don't know that. Everyone has reasons to exists within the confines of this old town, yet they don't know them.

Fantastic Children is a show, that plays it's cards close to itself. The simplistic and childish art does conceal in itself a story about endless cycle of trial and error, of struggling against impossible odds, and about correcting a sin from ages ago.

It's pace could be considered slow, but it is a mystery which unveils itself over time - what's the role of the pale children, with solemn gazes and white hairs, for which there are recorded evidence for existing more than a few hundred years, what's the reason why Helga, the silent girl, is obsessed with painting a single image over and over, and how do they all connect with the young and carefree marital artist, Thoma?

At it's heart, it is a tale of painful longing, and of corroding regrets - but also it is series which appreciates the notion and the desire of finding your origins, and your place of belonging.

This show represents a bouquet of emotions of varying nature. It's a series in which our protagonist strives to find her place in this world, which, like her, is constantly moving on and developing.

We're using words all the time, though we rarely delve in their ability to express our thoughts, and feelings. We do take them as a given, as something ordinary and necessary - but that's not the situation in which Violet is. Her personal dedication is to try and explore the meaning of words, of how they can be soothing, or hurtful, how vast and personal they can feel. Struggling between her past and trying to find ways to exist in the present, she perceives the ability to express her feelings as a way to sheathe her emotions into them.

This is something integral for her life, which tethers her traumas and forges her present. Her journey moves through many stages and states - both joyous and painful, but in the same way deep and meaningful.

The premise of this show is simple, and yet the further it goes, the more blurred it gets. Our young protagonist is transported to a foreign, fantasy realm, but, in it, there's nothing but ruin, starvation and grief.

This new land might be technologically progressive, but it is nothing more than primitive in the way that people are being treated in it. Atop his levitating castle, an insane dictator commands his mechanized infantry, backed up by child soldiers, to loot and scavenge the scarce villages around this dusty realm, leaving nothing but death and misery. It's a place in which the youth is forced into labor, exploited and enforced into being soldiers, and no one's life is worth at all. The constant wars for resources had left every person in this realm disgruntled and filled with hopelessness.

Amidst this living nightmare, our protagonist tries his best to both escape and save the people that he formed bonds with. In this adventure's core, there is nihilism and apathy, but amidst that, the naive and simple dreams of the children's cast is something that shines on a glitter of hope, that they haven't forgotten what it means to be human.

Ancient Magus's Bride is a peculiar case of fantasy story - one that is not detached from our reality, but rather, introduces it's magical world within it. In the same sense, our main protagonist is exiled to be influenced by the magical realm, and is slowly starting to realize the marvelous ways in which it works.

The story of Chise is mysterious, yet emotional and throughout the series we see her gradual development as a person. Her circumstances had led her to a situation of constant doubt, and self-loathing, but bit by bit, the connections and attachments she makes on her journey gradually gives her reasons to exist and to look forward to each day.

Each encounter with the eldritch beings, despite their inherent darkness and virtues, is one worth contemplating about. Their peculiar, but honest expression of their thoughts and impressions of her is something that helps her to find herself and her place in this outlandish, and yet familiar world.

Maquia is a movie, which presents us in it's gentle way, a story about empathy, how integral it is, and how painful our existence can be without it.

The story introduces us to a mystical race of people, who lives in seclusion, and weave their memories and knowledge into cloths. But due to hostile invasion, their tranquil life is shattered into pieces, and our heroine is forced to flee towards the invading force's cities. Along her way, she finds another victim of this world's cruelty, an infant boy who'd lost his parents in a violent conflict.

Despite her desperate situation, she does sees herself within this helpless child, and despite the odds and her lack of knowledge on the matter, she decides to raise him. Even though they're from different species, with different origins, the fear and helplessness are emotions who doesn't require language to be understood.

This movie presents us a retrospective insight of one famous actress, and a journalist who was infatuated from her many on-screen roles, and does consider her as a greatest of her time.

In it's steady pace, a picture had started to be drawn. In this picture, we can see the grounded exposition of the actress' memories, from her youth to her senior age, mixed in with the desires and emotions that had went through her over the many years and movies she was starred in. In the same picture, we can see the journalist's memories of her and the many ways her sincere and radiant on screen presence had been inspiration for him over the years.

So in a sense, the viewpoints of the actress and the journalist do collide, reflect and complement each other, leaving the viewer to decide for himself which is fiction and which is truth. As well as that, this movie is one good example of how one occurrence can be viewed and understood differently from everyone, all depending on their worldviews, perception and mental state.

The keyword for this movie, is ambience - the whole viewing experience does clash with various visual abstractions, and many concepts that are portrayed, but never explained.

The imagery of Angel's Egg is one close to surreal nightmare - a sole girl, holding a giant egg, and wandering around dark, oppressive and forlorn world, full of old ruins, and neo-gothic machinery, one shrouded with shadows, and stagnant skies. Within it's minimalist movement, and scarce action, the whole existence of this movie is defiance to the norm itself - but in the same way, we can say it is an art piece with character, and it's own flavor. Is there a story in this movie, is the solemn journey of the girl meaningless, is it just one meticulously crafted fever dream ? That's up to the watcher to decide.

The movie does not have a single or concrete meaning, even by the words of his creator. Rather, it is an art piece that should be experienced personally, one that is hued in bleakness, and shrouded in silence, but despite that, has it's own distinct beauty.

This short show depicts the encounters of a young messenger of death with people in their moments of passing away.

The somber and sorrowful themes in this show are contrasted to the sweet and bright aesthetic design on the characters, making us few saddened, but in the same way, attached to the wholesome cast in this story. As well as that, the main protagonist, on top of taking the lives of others in their final hours, could not interact with anyone else in this world, making her existence one overwhelmed from solitude and excluded from human warmth and sympathy.

While the topic of this series is death, it's presentation is calm, and almost whimsical - as a sad occurrence, that can't be avoided, but from which we have to move on, and appreciate and respect the life we still have left in us.

The Third is an adventure with complex world building, hosting a few key characters, which are well developed in their morals, motivations and convictions. Our main protagonist is a mercenary, who gets hired to do various missions in the desert wasteland, along with her trusty companion, a sentient tank with integrated AI.

A lot of encounters and departures happens in this desert, which is both mysterious and dangerous. But amidst the hostile tension, there are also moments of calmness, and contemplation, ones spent around the campfires, veiled within the serenity of the night. Beneath the sands, remnants of lost technologies could be found, as well as ancient ruins, depicting countless scars that the humankind had inflicted on itself over the countless decades.

Despite the countless tragedies that this world had seen, the surviving people within it keep on going, as well as our main heroine, looking for answers on her own in the sandy wasteland.

This short consists of a few series, and each episode length is around 5 minutes. Despite that, the journey of the young gentleman is surprisingly substantial, and filled with depth. In each in the episodes, there is something to learn or something worth pondering upon, even if it might be a daily occurrence for us all.

The avant-garde and surreal art could feel a bit jarring at the start, but I do believe it's more of it's signature style. The bland colour palettes, heavily outlined and washed, emphasizes even more the simple symbolism, or the silly moments of each in the episodes.

This movie, while presenting us one classical fantasy world, serves as deconstruction of the setting in the same time. Our protagonist is a princess, not like the others. She is one that understands the ways that this world works, but doesn't want to be molded in the established norms, and who sees through the other people's grotesque hollowness.

This is an untypical movie for this genre, for the fact that it gives us one different perspective of this cliched setting - there are no noble knights, they are more like armed charlatans, who are looking for influence and riches, there are no mages, but rather, people proficient in the sciences, and also, there is no such thing as happiness, if you decide to not be blissfully ignorant to the world that surrounds you.

This is a movie that explores the afterlife, and the probable redemption for oneself. In this story, we're presented with a person, who is given a second chance to live, in the shoes of another body.

Despite the supernatural premise, the pathos of the main character is one that we all can relate to, and understand.

The impossible pitfalls of his adolescence looks far more tangible and approachable, and the simple, mundane trivialities of the everyday life feels like moments, worth cherishing. Colourful is a movie that synthesizes a lot of our existential thoughts into something more concrete, presenting us a clear example of them.

In essence, all of the Ghibli movies have their particular emotional flair which could resonate with everyone's heart strings. But when we talk about story that leans upon the darkness within mankind, complemented by the stark contrast of the main cast, and it's purity, then the movie that portrays in the best ways is Grave of the Fireflies.

The story features two siblings on their journey within the bleak realm, which was the post war Japan. In this time period, the devastation within the country was overwhelming and widespread, but even more severe was the harm, caused upon the nation's mindset and psyche.

The characters within this story are victim of the reality and the circumstances that had plagued in this historical moment, but in the same way their juvenile naivete is the one that pushes them to keep on going, and to do their best in finding their place in this new, and changed world.

This short movie is an clear example of the transient state that we exist, and how even the simple acquaintances in our lifetime could prove to be so consequential and pivotal.

In it's story, a photographer preserves the memories of the people through his craft and wishes to make everyone smiling. Even though he is living in solitude, the fact that he could bring joy in others is enough reason for him to exist and keep on trying his best. But then, a customer that always frowns on his pictures, appears ...

The way the this simplistic story is crafted, is memorable and artistic - without any dialogue, volumes of meaning and emotions are translated to us. The flow of time through this movie is one that could leave us contemplative, in thought of our passing life, and rhetorically asking ourselves - Are we laughing, or we're frowning in our lives ?

This movie is about the lives of people, experiencing the hardships of World War 2, being on the outskirts of the battlefields. It is a story, explained in tranquil tone and in the same way portrays the anxiety and the pent up frustrations of the ordinary people.

The pacing of this movie is deliberately slow, which helps to underline the frighteningly calm moments, when there's no news or information on the current situation of your family or loved ones, and all you can do is to live your life, day by day, anticipating something you have no control or power to resist against.

The ordinary, but likeable cast of the movie does elevates the sense of overall despair and somberness, that even people who are not involved in any war efforts could become victims at any second, without any warnings or motives.

This movie is a short story about a girl and her mysterious companion, traveling together. Everything seems calm in the dark woodlands that they are crossing, in fact, a bit too calm.

The art style is somber and monochrome, reflective of the tone of this work - many occurrences in this reality cannot be easily explained, and constantly reminds us that something lurks beneath the facade of calmness -
there is a sense of constant dread, and yet, everything is surreal and silent. But the only thing that our traveling duo can do is to move along, absorbed in thoughts along the dark pathways in this constantly grey-skied world.

But even though the mood of this piece is unsettling, there are a lot of small, but wholesome moments in which the duo relaxes and gives words to their problems, and worries, about the fact that neither of them has any sense of belonging, and yet they yearn for it the most.

A short and simple story about human progress. The humble beginnings are slowly, but steadily replaced by the more efficient and reliable inventions. But then again, we can appreciate the method of the past, as well - every single part of our everyday life, that we take for granted, had been refined and molded over the years, to get to the point where it is currently.

This story is about realization, and acceptance - recollecting and nostalgically reminding ourselves about the past, can be a way to confirm our place and significance in this world, as well as to a accept that nothing is permanent.

Often times, stories depicting androids tackle the problem with our mutual coexistence, presenting our relations as a downward spiral of magnifying violence.

Chobits, though is not like this. In this series, the presented society had accepted the robots as simple tools, either replacing the manual labor or the complex computing.

But then again, the main character - college student who grew up in a rural area and never had interactions with the newer technologies, suddenly starts to live with an android. With his unbiased worldviews, he treats his female robot as he would a human being, and accepts her as a person. Should he be mocked for his acceptance or considered an open-minded and progressive for his actions, is up to us to decide.

Along his encounters with other people, we can see a lot of complicated situations between robots and humans, and the importance of the robotic beings in this new society. In some cases, the sentimental and personal bonds that people had crafted along the years with their androids could easily be rivaling, or straight up surpassing those made towards other humans.

This show's historical setting presents us the reasons and outcome of one of the most violent period of the past - the French Revolution. It was an uprising, which marked the downfall of the monarchy and the birth of democracy. While this period is important for our social development, it is also time when thousands of innocents were wrongfully killed due the mindless rage and lust for vengeance, knowing no bounds nor reason.

In this turbulent and chaotic period, one can see a lot of the humankind's behavioral spectrum - the impulses of cowardice, ignorance and malice. But within all this negativity, we can also see radiating nobility, selflessness, and compassion.

In particular, Lady Oscar is a character that perfectly represents this era and it's pathos - she is a person who desires justice and order, and yet she sees how rotten the monarchy could be. Our main heroine, while being well versed in the art of war, desires to avert the looming bloodshed of a civil conflict, for violence alone is never the vehicle of progress.

This show is based on the timeless classic novel, "Les Miserables" by Victor Hugo. The story depicted in this book is about the human vices and prejudices, as well as exploring redemption and acceptance.

One of the few key differences is the shift of the main protagonist, from the stern and contemplative Jean Valjean to the sweet and inspiring Cosette. As befitting to the new main protagonist, and in tone with the aesthetics of the World Masterpiece Theater, the art style is vivid, lively and simplified.

The world in this show is cold and unforgiving, a world with zero to none empathy, in which the desperation is punished severely, and the greed and gluttonous desire for power and control are welcomed with open arms - a suffocating reality in which the weak are being trampled by the influential, and nothing could stop them.

But even so, despite all the social injustice, the main characters in this story tries to correct this world's wrongs, as well as to live valuable and fulfilling lives, despite the hardships they meet along the way.

Children of the Whales is an unorthodox fantasy story, featuring world, which is fractured and segmented. The different countries within it all have their own viewpoints, societies and theor traditions are complex, and radical. As these microcosms do gets closer, and clash, the only way that their disputes can be resolved is through violence.

The society in which our main character resides is one of peace and harmony. In it almost everyone is young and youthful, and their lives goes blissfully, despite the few cryptic rules to not record anything, especially to express something of their own personal thoughts, and to not question their elders.

But nothing is so simple in one's life, when they suddenly have to abandon their pastoral ways, in favor of defense to their land, from other, hostile nation. Every person has to decide for themself - should they break the taboos, and arm up, or shall they patiently wait for their fate. Along the way, many other mysteries will be uncovered, and many sins will be dragged out. So in a sense the story does tackles the loss of innocence, but also the eventual development and growth of oneself in times of crisis.

The concept of immortality is a topic that has felt tantalizing for all of humanity, from our scholars to warlords of past ages. In our fiction and imagination, we often portray it as a status of grandness, of surpassing life's limits, and almost none considers the devastating consequences of the fact that you don't have authority over your own existence, and that you're destined to see how every person you care for perishes from the flow of time, and you can't do anything to stop this.

In this show, we follow the steady path of constant trials and errors, and eventually, the progress of our main character. Going through the trivial and primitive, he does come into contact with human beings, which broadens his horizons exponentially. The more he learns about humankind, the less he understands it - and soon enough, interpersonal problems and worries fills his mind.

To attain humanity, one has to understand the duality of emotions. They can be something that can give us strength and will to persevere, and in the same way, they are the main reason for our downfalls and sorrows.

Just as it's title this show's narrative resembles an abyss - at first glance it looks safe and reassuring, until you get curious and decide to explore it at it's depths, in detail.

Every descended step verifies your anxieties and every encounter with a living being, be that human or monster, makes you realize how twisted and shrewd this world can be. But many people are attracted towards it for it's immeasurable and untapped potential - the depths are rumored to have ancient machinery with supernatural properties and magical artifacts with world bending possibilities. So in a sense the Abyss was always a place for the brave, bold, the greedy or the knowledgeable, even though very often it served as a final destination for them.

While our main duo has reasons for it's own to delve into the depths of this boundless crevasse, one thing is for certain - the encounters and trials on their way will scar and taint them for the rest of their lives and existence.

As a franchise, Gundam is one of the grand behemoths of the anime medium as a whole, spanning for almost 50 years. But despite that, just a handful of it's stories are connected, and War in the Pocket is one good example of a standalone series, which could be enjoyed as a single entity.

In it, we're witnessing the everyday life of one carefree boy until the peace of his hometown is distrupted by an assault of Mobile Suits. The relaxed and easygoing pace of the whole town is suddenly in shatters, and in a moment, this settlement is reminded of what it means to live in a world, plagued by constant threat to their lives and safety.

Our young protagonist, who naively considers the Mobile Suits, as well as being a soldier, as something "cool", is forced by the circumstances to mature abruptly and to realize that the "war" he was hearing all around him is not something isolated, but rather, is just another part of the world in which he lives. The thousand dead counts, the massive explosions, the giant machines of war - they're not only a thing from the social medias, but are existing and are devastating his simple and peaceful life.

This Ghibli movie an odd case - the presented themes does feels close to the other movies of the studio in it's approach, and yet the way in which they are presented in are quite novel, and slightly more nihilistic than their usual.

Everything in this movie evokes nostalgia and loneliness - the main protagonist does feel disconnected by her reality, and she has difficulty to fit in with the other people at her age. Her feelings of inferiority is distilled into rage and indifference, which she can't break alone from, but suddenly, the change of scenery for her summer vacation and the encounters there, makes her see through her own sorrows, into the emotional state of the others around her. The graceful and soothing girl that she befriended is the only one that brings her joy and happiness, providing her the comfort that she could share her thoughts and fears with someone who cares about her.

Sound of the Sky is a series that likes to explore the simple, happy moments of the cast's daily lives, despite the fact that they're soldiers, set to guard an outpost in a country at a time of war. The dissonance between the laid back, and soothing episodic narrative and the fact that this show is in a way, about a war conflict, is one very deliberate choice, which is integral for this show's meaning.

The serene, Mediterranean town is an interesting place for the series to take place, it's well defined culture and traditions, inspired from the cities of the Spanish coasts is a place of warmth, and recreational ambience, a place perfect for our small but adorable cast of characters to kick back in. In all of them, you can see some complexity, but in the same way, the show itself is not interested in the in-depth character studies, but rather, in their mutual chemistry, and their cheerful, though not devoid of meaning, banters.

One of the major points of this show is, to give us a sporadic glimpses of joy and respite, despite the serious and dreadful moments that it holds within it. The ability to look at the small details, and to find entertainment or comfort within the bits of joy within your everyday is something that we all can appreciate, and should do more often.

The premise of this story on prima vista, sounds simple and and typical - a group of friends are bound by fate to fight against the survival of our world by using mysterious and powerful mecha. But, as the saying goes, "The devil is in the details" - each time the humanoid machine is operated, the pilot dies.

The further the story goes, the mysteries gets unwinded, but the answers to them are making the group's situation even more traumatic. Major part of the whole series are the detailed portrayals of the character's psyche and ethos - they are aware of the lethal outcome of wielding the mecha's powers, but everyone has reason within them to do it. Each of them has their own worldview, and past from which their resolve is being formed. For some, this is vendetta, others are using it to unleash their nihilistic hatred on the whole world, and others finds meaning in their own existence beyond their personal gains, and altruistically are trying to fight for a selfless cause.

The multi-faceted character cast does make engaging portrayal of one's emotional spectrum in a moment of tragedy, when their life is doomed, from which we can see humanity's virtuos, and hideous side at the same time.

This is a movie about understanding and acceptance, amidst the conflicting odds and one's inherent differences. It is a historical reflection of the time period in which Russian population, after the war, lived alongside the indigenous Japanese populace on the various islands. From an adult's viewpoint, this is a time of oppression, and turmoil, but for the children, not that much. For good or bad, they are not able to pick up on the serious and harsh political climate, but rather, despite the cultural and language barriers, they do manage to befriend the children from the Russian families.

While this story, in both sublime and direct ways, depicts the problems and the restrictions of the society of the time period, it can't be said that this is the main focus. Rather, it explores the simple and undisputed fact, that nothing really troubles the children from different worldviews and cultures to make friends with each other, and to find reasons to cherish their friendship over the hardships in front of them.

In a sense, this story portrays one positive, and full of hope message - we can always find enough reasons to distance and dislike each other over various reasons, both internal and external, but the unbiased and honest viewpoint portrayed within the children's personalities, is that there are always enough reasons to try and understand the opposing side, which could in time flourish into wonderful friendship.

Spice and Wolf's narrative is shaped like a tree - the main story, in it's roots, is a journey of one traveling merchant, accompanied by a pagan deity, which is no more needed in the lands in which she resided. But along the way, the story branches out on many side detours and encounters, which are somewhat related to the main goal, but does feel like separate adventures, and certainly, the crown is left for the interesting and heartwarming relationship between our two characters.

In almost every story within these series, the motive of change could be found - a change within the society, within the people's morality and ethos, and in the ways that everything in this world revolves around finances, influence and integrity. The changes had made Lawrence, the merchant, in what he is now, and the same can be said about Holo, the wise wolf - as being with long and almost immortal lifespan, her concept of years is vague and unreliable, but she could sense with her whole self that the world is changing, and she's not needed anymore.

So in this way, their journey together is one of comfort, and support - while Lawrence has firm grasp of how the economy flows within this world, the roundabout but wise counsels of Holo had helped him to get out of harm's way numerous times.

On the other side, the wolf deity can certainly take care of herself, and is quite eloquent and assertive, but even so, she is person that strives to return to her homeland as a last resort in restoring her sense of purpose, and to find her own worth. The caring company of Lawrence is something that does alleviate her pain and loneliness, as he understands her motives and comforts her.

By assisting each other on their travels, despite no one expressing it vocally, they both enjoy the other's presence and company, and slowly but surely their relationship shifts from one of mutual help, to one much more emotional and amorous, sparking the flutters of their love.

It is said, that the darker the night, the brighter the stars - this short series are based on this exact motif, both for it's aesthetics and symbolism.

Within it's short run, this short portrays in a relatable ways the human despair and our internal vulnerabilities. But amidst the darkness, there is light - even the greatest sadness could be overcome if someone is beside us, hears us out, and helps us to consider the problem from another perspective, by these ways giving us new hope for a brighter tomorrow.

This movie is a grounded portrayal of how love does affects us through our lives, how sweet and intoxicating it can feel, as well as bitter and saddening.

The vivid and colorful visuals, portraying their everyday life with dazzling accuracy, presents us welcoming, and yet, nostalgic moments, of times in which everything seems natural and simple, giving us this blissfully ignorant feeling that everything will go on in the same pace. Of course, nothing can stop the flow of time, and so we are swirled further on, onto different vistas and emotions, encompassing them.

Like a flower, it all starts to grow but from a small, but impactful encounter, and from it, bit by bit, feelings do start to accumulate and grow. The bloom becomes the full realization of one's feelings for the other, and the desperate need to convey them through, and to be accepted. But as everything living, the bloom would always give way to the withering, and to the painful confirmation, that everything had ended.

Like one beautiful, but saddening artistic expression, this movie presents it's story with tenderness, empathy and heart, and demands the same from it's viewers, in order to be fully appreciated. Whether that story feels personal , and meaningful, is up to the watcher alone to decide for themselves.

This short and mostly silent movie, has a lot to say in it's runtime.

We are greeted by a single, desolate house, in which a girl is living all of her own. There is nothing around her home, and the only horizons she sees are the mundane and colorless plains, accompanied by the vast blue skies. And yet again, the girl is happy in this stagnant life.

This happiness is constantly weighted and questioned, considered and contemplated upon. Be it through simple household chores with subtle symbolic meaning, or by vague conversations with unclear conclusions, we do understand the full picture of this world.

Every person's point of view is different, therefore, there is not a single answer to every existential problem, applicable for everyone. Finding what matters and gives reason to your existence are by themselves transient concepts, but despite so, they are tangible and paramount for defining the ways in which we see our life.

This movie shows us the intertwined fates of three people, which on first glance had nothing in common, and yet the emotions they share within themselves resonates in the same wavelenghts. For one reason or another, they desire to seek out an urban legend of a ghost, and to communicate with her - although this encounter ends up being way more meaningful than originally expected.

This is a story in which the supernatural blends with the psychological, and in which the fictional elements underline perfectly the grounded human drama which is portrayed. The dialogues are drenched with pain, angst and melancholia, and make perfect sense once we get the context of how they live their lives. Sometimes among all this bleakness they've lost the meaning and the reason to look up for the next day, and each day's flow felt like a muddled river, dragging them down with the current.

Every person, despite their walk of life, experience feelings, close to the characters in this story - ones of existential dread, of losing faith in themselves and ceasing to look for reasons to keep on going with their lives. And while the emotions such as these are personal and deep rooted within each of us, in the same sense they are relatable and understandable. In times like this, all we can do is be honest with ourselves, and the others, and let these feelings flow into words. Sometimes we wouldn't be understood, but in others, exactly the feeling or shared pain and the soothing empathy of the others towards us, despite their own worries and traumas, is the sole thing that can save us.

The topic of humanity and how do we attain and characterize it, are all different concepts in the philosophical sense. It can be said they are set of values, a mental border that stops us from performing acts of unnecessary cruelty and in general presents the aspect of cherishing the life of our own and the others.

In this show this concept is twisted and warped, challenged and tested from our main protagonist, who by having his senses and limbs stolen from his birth due to sacrificial ritual, has just one goal in life, to cut down every demon and retain himself and his human body. Driven by this goal alone, he bands up with the small Dororo, a nimble and witty thief who barely scrapes by in life, and they start traveling together.

As the story progresses, the apathetic and emotionless personality of our protagonist is slowly shattered, by each encounter he manages to attain parts of his human body, and every person that he meets on his travels does show him a different part of our human nature - not only the positive, but also the ugly and repulsive one. Everyone's fate in this world is cruel - the hundred years of civil war had worn down even the most hopeful ones, and everyone's fate is decided by the edge of their sword or will. Many kind hearted people are forced to succumb to depravity to make a living, and many others with strong sense of responsibility does anything in their strength for prosperity for their land, despite the fact that they feel guilty for their actions and behavior.

As it is described in the series, those who seek constant power becomes alike demons, others who seeks permanent peace are being alike Buddha, and both of these portrayals are not characteristic for humans. They nether have the raw power to destroy everything, nor have the mental fortitude to move through their lives with pacifistic resolve. Instead, humans are a mix of both, with different consistency in different moments. The question is though, what will remain of our protagonist at the end of his journey, and could he understand and wield his freshly attained humanity ?