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Reviews
Dead Dead Demons Dededede Destruction (2024)
"For me, you are absolute."
This probably the most thought-provoking anime I've seen since Frieren. It's one of those shows that are painful to watch but they hold very necessary themes.
On the surface, this is an alien invasion sci-fi anime. But at its core, it's a sad, frustrating drama about different sides of humanity. You'll realise that within the first few episodes. This is just the author's take of what might happen on earth during a certain "alien invasion", and sadly it feels plausible. It sort of reminds me of the movie "Don't Look Up", but this is a pretty serious take on the situation.
While exploring human greed, arrogance and short-sightedness, this story also has many thought-provoking themes like the difference in understandings of justice for different people. How is that sense of justice formed? And how it can get entangled with convenience and affect one's actions. This is also a story about friendship, loneliness and guilt.
This show was also a lot more gutsier than I expected because there was some very disturbing stuff that happens even if not on frame. The animation and the soundtrack are pretty good too.
While I loved this anime till the 14th episode, the final 4 episodes were definitely not what I thought the story needed. But this story is very emotionally complex, so maybe a difference in perspective might change this opinion. But as of now it felt rushed to me. I really didn't understand the unreasonable decisions that the people in power made towards the end of the story. I get the point the author was trying to make, but there wasn't any build up to those decisions. While I understood the conclusion, I didn't really feel satisfied.
This is a very weird and complex story having numerous themes about humanity so there are some unnatural shifts in tone across the show.
But overall, I think this was a very impactful story. If it was marketed differently outside of Japan, it would have been a lot more famous.
Shôshimin Shirîzu (2024)
Mysterious characters
This anime is based on another school-mystery novel from the author of Hyouka. It's adapted by studio Lapintrack (which brilliantly adapted the mystery novel "Undead Murder Farce" as well). These were the reasons why it was my most anticipated anime this summer.
So how was it?
I think this should have been a consecutive-cour (20 episodes) anime rather than a split-cour (Season 2 is scheduled for next spring). Because of the kind of story this is, I can't really decide how this anime is with the first 10 episodes. As of now, I think it's fine and enjoyable. There are plenty of things I admire about the adaptation, but I don't know enough about these characters to judge how the writing is.
This is a very slow-paced story. It's full of small-scale school mysteries, so the story doesn't always feel that happening. But at the same time, it builds up a very strange, mysterious aura around its main characters, which makes the viewers curious to know more about them. But that's exactly why as of now, while I am curious about them, I find them a bit unlikeable. Especially Yuki, from the very start of the anime, I found her a bit unreasonable. There is just something about her that makes her feel fake. The reveals in the final 2 episodes didn't help her cause either. But again, season 2 might make me understand her more.
That being said, I did like the mysteries, even if they were small-scale. The author really understands the thinking behind deductions. I had fun watching how the main character, Kobato, approached the mysteries. We are given the opportunity to follow his way of thinking while he's solving them.
Studio Lapintrack's work on this anime is as good as it gets. They're really great at adapting mystery novels. The staff did a great job (especially the director) and I'm really liking their style of animation. I can't wait to see what else this studio does.
Overall, this is a nice anime but I can only give my final thoughts after watching the second season and understanding these characters.
Senpai wa Otokonoko (2024)
Well-written drama, average production
"I want to openly say that I love the things that I love. I don't want to give up on my true self. I want to live as myself."
I was wondering if I would like this anime because it's barely animated. The production by Project No. 9 is really not good. The staff just didn't have the budget or time to animate this show.
Thankfully, I still ended up really liking this anime. The well-explored characters, thought provoking drama and heartfelt coming-of-age arcs broke through the animation.
I think this is a very well-written drama. There are 3 protagonists in this story. There is Makoto, a boy who likes to cross dress. There is Ryuji, a boy who likes Makoto. There is Aoi, a girl who likes Makoto too, but I shouldn't spoil more about her story right now. Each of them is struggling to find out who they really are. What do they like? Will their likes or dislikes harm others or not? Whether society will accept them or not? What is right and what isn't? This is a story about each of them finding out more about themselves and coming to terms with their identities. The author was able to portray the coming-of-age for all 3 of them, and somehow intertwined their arcs very well. I'm usually not a fan of love triangles, but here, the romantic feelings between the three of them is only part of their coming-of-age.
I loved the arcs for each of these characters and teared up as they came to a close. The arcs are sad but very satisfying. The story starts off while focusing on Makoto, but later the focus shifts on Aoi and Ryuji. The author did a great job in exploring all of their perspectives. Aoi was probably the most complex character among them. Despite her body language, her story was probably the saddest too.
I'm sure we'll see the continuation of these characters' growth in the movie. A quarter of the manga story remains and it will be adapted in the film releasing next year. 75 chapters adapted in 12 episodes did feel rushed though.
Animation aside, I did like the soundtrack.
Overall, this was a very nice drama. If it was adapted well by another studio, it would have been a stand-out drama anime this season.
Tsue to Tsurugi no Wistoria (2024)
It's okay for now
I did really enjoy the first 7 episodes of Wistoria. In terms of story and numerous other tropes, it does feel like a generic shounen anime. But the blend of gorgeous animation, brilliant music and some thrilling, well directed action sequences made it enjoyable.
What I especially enjoyed in this show was the action. The director really knows the basics of what makes an action sequence intense and thrilling. Aside from the phenomenal animation, there are long, wide takes, with minimal cuts, capturing what's happening during an action sequence. The 7th episode in fact, is one of my favourite episodes this year. There is a brilliantly made action sequence where our protagonist, Will, takes down multiple clones of his opponent. And it was jaw-dropping. As always, Yuki Hayashi (the composer behind Haikyu and MHA) really knocked it out of the park with the soundtrack.
I think the story and the world-building is okay as of now. It definitely can be better. But there are certainly some mysteries surrounding it and I'm sort of curious to see what's to come.
That being said, there are things I didn't like about the show. And most of them are just generic shounen tropes. Like, if you've seen enough shounen animes, you can tell exactly the route that the action sequences are going to take. There are things to admire about Will. But still, that doesn't change the fact that he is still a generic shounen protagonist. The character writing is not good. Most of them are one dimensional and don't change at all across the episodes. And if they do, they completely change within just one episode. Things like this made most of the characters and their interactions unlikeable.
Episodes 6-7 were brilliant, but this season sort of went downhill afterwards and the final few episodes were a bit of a let down. There were a lot of things the author could have done with the characters or the plot given the setup of the finale. But the story just took the most generic shounen route possible.
Maybe this season might feel better once we have some answers in the story. But as of now it's just okay-ish.
Giji Hâremu (2024)
Great dynamic for a romance
This was easily one of my favourite animes this season.
I mean yes, it is a rom-com so it's cute and wholesome. But what made it so special was the main couple, Rin and Eiji. The dynamic between them really feels special because it feels one of a kind. It's one of those rare feelings while watching a romance show where the protagonists really feel like they are just made for each other.
Here, both Rin and Eiji are dorky and they have these little inside jokes that only they would understand or only they would find funny. Seriously, when they're with each other, they can't last for 2 minutes without laughing at the most random, childish joke that they make on the spot. And everyone else would just wonder "what are they laughing about?" lol. The 'Pseudo Harem' scenario is just one of those jokes, where Rin enacts different personalities around Eiji to make him feel like he's popular. It's like, when they're with each other, they're in their own little world. And there's just something about their interactions that feels very innocent and wholesome.
The dynamic between the main couple is pretty much the core of this anime. But what also surprised me was the romance progression. This anime adapts the whole manga and the pacing of the romance progression feels pretty much perfect. I loved how the staff portrayed some of the major moments of the story during the second half (that's all I can say without spoiling). And the conclusion is as satisfying as it should have been for this story.
The animation is nice (it especially feels very good compared to some of the other shows that aired this season). The direction is good too, especially in the second half. The voice acting by both Hayami Saori and Okamoto Nobuhiko is brilliant and it's one of the main reasons why this anime was so good.
Overall, I loved this and as a romance anime, it really feels one of a kind.
Yoru no kurage wa oyogenai (2024)
Inspiring
Well, this was the most surprising anime for me, this spring. It impacted me the most in terms of emotions and inspired me the most as well.
At its core, this is a story about creators dealing with criticism and freeing their creativity. It's a story about expressing yourself. It's about being alienated in your life, being different from others. It's about gaining confidence from that difference. Personally, I'm always touched and inspired by stories like this. They hold a special place in my heart. And I love it when they have a creative staff at the helm, as if to prove that they stand by this theme. Because the direction for this anime is brilliant. It's different, innovative and it's able to deliver some gut-punching emotional sequences. Both the animation and soundtrack are pretty good too. I'm so happy for studio Doga Kobo. I've been following their works from before they got famous with Oshi No Ko.
What also made this show so great were the characters. All 4 main characters are well-realised. They all get their moments to shine. I was deeply impacted by each of their character stories. Given that these characters meet and bond with each other within 12 episodes, a common mistake made by shows is that I don't buy the bond between them as it was formed so quickly. But this anime did it pretty much perfectly. The bonds between these characters are formed very naturally and I cared about them.
I do think this show is imperfect at places though. I absolutely loved like 90% of the show. But there's like 10% of the show that I really didn't like. First and the most major of all - the fan service. It's just totally unnecessary and somewhat infuriating at times (yes episode 7, I'm talking about you). I don't understand why the anime doesn't respect the characters that it itself has written so well. Secondly I think there are a few ends that weren't explored that well (Kana and her mother's conclusion for instance). So the story could've been longer.
But overall, I thought this anime was brilliant and no other anime (except for Delicious In Dungeon) came close for me this season.
Danjon meshi (2024)
Weird, dark, hilarious and thrilling
This sadly seems like one of those animes that a lot of people are going to resist watching because the name and the poster wouldn't really be of much interest to them. Many people might not watch it after reading the initial synopsis. As of now, only anime fans who keep up with seasonal animes, know how thrilling, entertaining and hilarious this show is.
Delicious in Dungeon is pretty much the entire package. You can't really categorise it in one genre. It has a very well written story backed by some tremendous world building. The first season (24 episodes) covers the first half of the manga. I'm very excited to see where this story goes. But this is a very weird, dark comedy as well. The story just gets more chaotic and messed up as it goes along. There are certain things that happen in this story, that are just very dark when you think about it. That's why I'm so impressed by the vibe that the author is able to capture with such a story. Because it's dark, hilarious, thrilling and it has plenty of emotional weight as well. The characters are well realised and you care about them, which is why certain moments in the story are touching as well. I'm also very excited to see the direction that the story takes with the huge amount of side characters.
And if you're a fan of the fantasy genre, you'll have a lot to like in this show. It's filled with imaginative fantasy elements that make this show a bit more magical and a bit more dark at the same time.
The production is perfect. Studio Trigger did a phenomenal job here. The animation is so lively and fits the story perfectly. The action scenes are enthralling. The soundtrack is very notable and fits the unique vibe of this show. The staff actually goes out of their way to give their 100% in animating every single moment of the story. The voice acting is great too.
But the story writing and the world building is probably the main reason why this anime entertained me so much. I'm definitely going to recommend you to watch this and I advise you to watch till the 13th episode before you decide the kind of show that this is going to be.
Shangri-La Frontier: Kusoge Hunter, Kamige ni Idoman to su (2023)
Intriguing and Exciting
"Listen, do you want to know the truth about this world?"
Shangri-La Frontier is a very entertaining anime. In terms of entertainment alone, this would be my pick of the season. It's about a very imaginative, grand and subtly mysterious video game. It's the kind of video game that you'll love to play yourself, because it's just that cool.
There's a lot to like about SLF. First of all, let's get to our protagonist - Sunraku. I thought he was a great protagonist and he was somewhat inspiring and I'll tell you why. He sets very high standards for himself. He never shied away from a challenge. He wouldn't forgive himself if he did.
Next, we have world-building. And that's one of the main reasons why SLF is so entertaining. The world of this game is vast and full of surprises, which is perfect for an entertaining story. I loved seeing Sunraku figure this game out as an experienced gamer. The side characters are also very likeable. Pencilgon and Emul in particular were my favourites. There was also that little mystery about how good the AI of the game is because you could hardly distinguish an NPC from a player if you compared their behaviour. There were many of these little mysteries surrounding this game and I'd love to see where this story goes.
The one thing about this anime that surprised everyone, was the technical aspect. Studio C2C has made okay-ish animes before. But SLF right here is their big break. The animation might not be consistent, but it's absolutely brilliant in the important scenes. And I think that's perfectly fine. The Wethermon fight scene was jaw-dropping in terms of visuals. The soundtrack too was very entertaining throughout the anime.
Overall I had a lot of fun with SLF and I can't wait for season 2!!!! I can't believe we'll get about 50 episodes in just 1.5 years. Thank you C2C! I'd definitely recommend watching this anime if you haven't.
Boku no kokoro no yabai yatsu (2023)
Beautiful character and romance development
Season 1 rating: 7/10
Season 2 rating: 9/10
Review for Season 2:
Wow.
This is a beautiful romance. I'm awestruck by how good this anime was, because for me, it's probably up there among the best romance anime ever.
What surprised me was how well written the romance was. Both these characters are beautifully written and grow at a great pace throughout the show. The fact that they're both inspired by each other, is exactly what makes this romance so brilliant and somewhat rare. There's also a beautiful scene where they both tell each other how they changed each other's lives and made them who they are today.
Ichikawa's character writing impressed me the most. Even in S1, his character development was the standout feature for me. In S2, it picks up right where it left off, and doesn't drop pace at all. When you look back at the start of the show, it's hard to believe that Ichikawa used to be the way he was. His character development is paced so perfectly. There's so much to admire about him - the way he thinks, the way he learns about himself, the way he always wants to be better than he is today and the way he genuinely loves Yamada.
Another great feature about this anime was its pacing for the romance. The romance moves along at a great pace, throughout the show. It doesn't slow down once. Which is again rare in romance anime.
The direction is phenomenal. With a show this well written, the direction, animation and the soundtrack should be able to match that. And it certainly did. The director also directed Teasing Master Takagi San. And I remember that even in S3, every single episode was close to a masterpiece. I'd say it's the same case with Dangers in My Heart S2. A lot of that is because of the direction. The soundtrack is brilliant too and it really stands out during the build-ups of heartfelt moments.
Although, I will say this, this anime is very dramatic with its sweet or romantic moments. So if you're not in a certain type of mood during the first watch, you could easily perceive it as over-the-top. But you might change your mind when you revisit it.
Overall though, I thought this was a phenomenal romance and it really took me by surprise.
Kusuriya no hitorigoto (2023)
Came for the mystery, stayed for the characters
This was my most anticipated anime in Fall 2023. That was obviously not just because the Light Novel was high rated, but also because I was expecting a long term, mind blowing medical mystery.
I have to say that this anime met all my expectations. But the weird thing is that I'm still very surprised by it. Because I ended up loving it for a different reason - the characters. More than a mystery, this is a very strong, character-based drama, that uses an episodic mystery setting to keep exploring its characters. You could say that it is a character analysis or a character-based mystery, where you're curious about the past of these characters, and the anime keeps revealing it bit by bit as it goes along. The story cherished its main characters and took their depth very seriously.
In terms of characters and their depth and development, this was, in my opinion, the best anime that aired this season. Maomao is probably one of the best characters I've seen in any anime ever. She's smart, savage and you're always curious about what made her the way she is today.
The music and the animation was surprisingly brilliant. The seamless production for this anime probably surprised everyone.
I enjoyed the 1st part as it was a nice introduction to the characters, but I wasn't that impressed with the episodic mysteries. The 2nd part was when I really started loving the show. Because that's when the mysteries got considerably better, and they started to reveal a lot of surprising traits about our main characters and about their past. In fact I was shocked by what I saw during the final few episodes of the season. It made me look at the rest of the show a lot more differently.
This anime is also directed brilliantly. There are some chilling sequences here. While a lot of it was because of the music, the direction matched that - especially how they were able to represent how Maomao could be beautiful and terrifying at the same time.
Overall, this was a brilliant show and I'm very glad that we're getting a season 2 next year. I can't wait to learn more about the plot and these characters.
Sôsô no Furîren (2023)
A new standard for modern anime
I'm afraid of writing this review. I don't think I'm capable of capturing the beauty of this anime. But I'll try my best.
Frieren is a shounen that excels in almost every single aspect. But what really makes it so special is the theme. It has a very deep, thought provoking theme about the length of life. And it's beautifully executed. It's the sort of theme that's going to affect almost everyone. Different people will have different inferences about it. And I love that. I was so happy to see the success of this anime because I would've thought many would have discarded it as being boring. But no, I'm so glad to see this many people appreciate this theme and this anime for what it is.
Any words I say about the animation might fall short in praising it. It's more than jaw-dropping. The music by Evan Call is absolutely majestic, as you would expect from him.
If you're procrastinating to watch Frieren because you think it's just going to be a very deep, life changing drama, and you're not ready for it (trust me, I know the feeling), well then don't. Because this is a brilliant action-adventure show as well (one of the best, in fact). The world building is very exciting and this is probably the first anime where I absolutely loved the magic power system. But I believe what really made Frieren such a great action show was the direction by Keiichirou Saitou (the director of Bocchi The Rock as well). He directs this show gorgeously, with so much love and passion. The way he's able to build up every single action moment was phenomenal. Every single scene looks GRAND. In fact the entire staff does a phenomenal job in showing that. Episode 26 probably had one of the best action sequences I've seen in a long time in an anime
The characters are all very well realised and almost each one of them contributes to the main theme of the show. The comedy too is great because the characters are so likeable.
I plead with you guys to watch this if you haven't, because Frieren has just set a new standard for modern anime. I'm almost jealous of people who'll be introduced to anime from Frieren.
Dead Mount Death Play (2023)
Disjoint
This was a let down. It's too populated with disjoint storylines which makes it very hard for me to follow the plot or root for any character. It had potential. The plot is interesting. But we just don't get any answers. We just keep getting more questions and more plotlines that aren't in any way connected to the previous one. And I was actually looking forward to this given that it was made by the author of Durarara and Baccano.
But it's possible that if these main characters were interesting, I wouldn't have paid that much attention to the plot. Unfortunately they weren't. They were just shallow, with 1 or 2 traits carrying their personality. A few side characters were a bit more interesting. But because of so many plotlines running together, none of them gets sufficient screentime.
Studio Geek Toys did a good job with the sound design and the action sequences. But other than that nothing really stood out and I thought they could've done just a bit better.
Overall, I'm dropping the series now. Although I wonder if it'll get another season or not. Maybe the manga has more to offer.
Migi to Dali (2023)
Original, unique and absurd
I'm glad to have witnessed this anime while airing. This is original, unique, and clever writing. This story right here is proof that you don't always need loud action scenes or shiny animation to entertain your audience (Not that the studio didn't make this anime perfectly, and I'll get to that). Writing can be enough.
The author, Sano Nami, had all the basics covered for a bizarre, chaotic and entertaining story that gets weirder and more thrilling as it goes along. She unfortunately passed away before this anime started airing. I can only hope that she knows how well her story was adapted by the staff and received by the audience.
This is a brilliant blend of a dark comedy and a mystery. It's full of bizarre characters, be it the protagonists or the side characters. The dark and gutsy story makes this anime pretty unpredictable too. The mystery is surprisingly a proper one. It was very well written and made this show a whodunnit story as well. The more answers you got, the more messed up and darker this story became.
But this wasn't just an entertaining ride. I actually grew close to some of these characters, especially Migi and Dali. As weird as they are, they're both well written and there were some emotional moments incorporated with them.
Now let's get to the staff. This is brilliant work by studio Geek Toys. The animation is great. The direction is great. The soundtrack, by Sebu Hiroko, is absolutely amazing. It might be one of the best this year. I can't wait to see what more projects this studio will take now. The comedy scenes are well edited too. The voice acting is brilliant all around. They adapted this anime with all their heart and I'm very thankful for that.
If I had to nitpick some flaws I'd say that the conclusion (final 2 episodes) wasn't as powerful as this anime was building up to. Such a plotline would've been very difficult to conclude. And a few of the jokes didn't land for me I guess.
But that's it. Overall I was just elated after watching this anime. Please watch it if you're looking for a weirdly funny, bizarre mystery that's full of plot twists and absurdity.
Kamonohashi Ron no Kindan Suiri (2023)
Interesting, but repetitive
This is an interesting story for sure. It just has one of those very common problems. Instead of following the main storyline, the one we're all interested in, it keeps having episodic mysteries where the same thing happens again and again. Nothing changes between the dynamics of these characters. And the mysteries are not that great for me to ignore this flaw.
Nonetheless, it's a fun enough time for me not to drop it. Ron is a fun character. The world building is interesting. And I'm looking forward to seeing what the main plotline holds in the future.
Mainly, who I wasn't fond of was the side character - Totomaru. He's just not good enough honestly. Just being a good person doesn't make a character. He doesn't change across the mysteries. He acts the exact same way again and again. I would've liked to see some sort of strength or resolve from him. Or I would've liked to see him learn from Ron as he solves these cases. Or, if not that, at least improve upon the main purpose he's there for. He accompanies Ron for a reason. Without spoiling, I'll say that he's there to save people from dying. After 3-4 cases he should know that he needs to save this person and try something different as soon as possible. But no, he just keeps standing there. Until whatever's going to happen, starts. And then he'll rush to save the person at the last moment. It's not good character writing.
But anyway, Ron and the now formed villain in the main plotline, are interesting enough for me to look forward to season 2. But this was a mediocre experience.
Helck (2023)
The second half was a letdown
Helck is a fine enough story. There isn't really anything brilliant or ground breaking about the story. It's just good enough. The problem is that stories like these require presentation - direction, soundtrack, charisma. Because if they're executed well, then any story can be elevated to be entertaining. Helck lacks that. The studio hasn't exactly adapted helck in the way it could've. Or at least that's my guess after seeing the manga rating (8.2) and the anime rating (7.2).
That being said I did enjoy Helck enough to add season 2 to my watchlist (I'm assuming there will be one because season 1 will be meaningless without it).
The best part about helck is the dynamic between the characters - Helck and Vamirio - Seeing Vamirio slowly understand Helck and make decisions about what action to take and what not to. The storytelling also was smart enough till the 2nd part began. The humour was also very good and I wish there would've been more of it.
Mainly the problems with Helck lie in the 2nd part. There isn't really anything bad about it, it just lost my interest. There's a flashback arc that just drags for too long and stops the momentum for a few episodes. During the first part, I was actually looking forward to the flashback arc because of the interesting way the plot was set up. But when I got it, I was just let down. The answers were bland. They lacked any sort of originality or spark. The "villain" is just so boring. The only thing the anime establishes is that he's strong and creepy. Other than that there isn't any sort of motivation for me to get behind him. That makes it a lot harder for me to care about this battle.
I really don't know if it's because the manga itself is this way, or if it's because of studio Satelight.
I do hope season 2 redeems the second part of season 1. But my expectations are pretty low now. All I care about are these main characters, as most of them are very likeable. Other than that the story is somewhat of a letdown.
Yuzuki-san Chi no Yonkyôdai. (2023)
Surprising
Now this was surprising. This was a very heartfelt, soothing and visually inventive anime. It's a story about 4 brothers (one in his 20s, two teenagers and a six year old), who lost their parents a while ago. It's about the family dynamics that have now formed between all 4 of them, and how they all collectively deal with their loss. And it's actually brilliantly executed. None of them mentions anything about their parents. It's just sort of a thing that's left unsaid, but you can still feel it in their conversations. Like, when they visit the grave of their parents, each of them has a tear in their eye. But none of them mentions anything about it. They know each of them is hurting in their own way. They just silently go through this moment together. It's very touching and well executed.
You might be thinking that this is a sad cry fest, after reading the plot. It's not, not at all. It's bittersweet, yes. Seeing the strength of each of these 4 characters is something that makes this anime very optimistic. If anything, you can watch this anime as a slice of life too, because there's plenty of good humour as well. Some of the family dynamics between these characters are very fun to see.
The one thing that I absolutely adored with this anime was the direction and the animation by studio Shuka. There are many simple yet emotionally heavy moments in this anime, but if it wasn't for the visually inventive direction, it wouldn't have hit as much as it did. I mean some moments just really strike a chord. After watching episode 2, you'll know what I'm talking about. Some of the humour too was actually very differently shown, and took me by surprise. The side characters (the neighbours) are also very nicely done, and they complete this group of characters.
If you're looking for a nice blend of some serious drama and slice of life as well, then this is the anime for you. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I'm looking forward to more anime by this studio.
Ôbâteiku! (2023)
Refreshing
"Surprising" might not be the correct word for this experience, because given the staff and the studio, I did have expectations from this anime. The word I would use to describe this anime would be - "Refreshing".
This is a very nice story that covers many different emotions such as trauma, regret, determination and moving on. While this anime is advertised as a racing anime, a racing fan might be just a bit disappointed. Because the other aspects of the show actually overshadow the racing part.
The second main character of this anime was Madoka Kouya, a photographer. And I'll remember this anime for his story. The photography aspect of the story completely steals it. I don't want to spoil you with anything, but the story covers a very impactful and thought-provoking aspect of photography and brings a lot of realism to it. And I loved the way they handled Kouya's emotions and the part that Haruka, our protagonist played in helping Kouya.
This is another aspect of this anime that's written well - the way both these characters coincidentally and unconsciously help each other get through an important phase of their life. They find a very nice little way to intertwine photography and racing and help these characters reach a common goal which'll be an important milestone in both their careers.
But the weaker aspect of the story is racing. Not that the racing scenes aren't brilliantly animated. It's just that I didn't feel that energy nor did I feel the stakes in the racing scenes, particularly during the finale. It could be because it's "F4", but I don't think it's just that. The racing aspect just isn't as well written as it could've been.
So yeah, in some ways this anime is imperfect, but overall it's a pretty good anime for sure. And there are some moments of this show where you're genuinely going to get emotional.
Pluto (2023)
"Nothing comes from hatred"
Thank you Netflix, for adapting this story and that too so perfectly. I've missed this feeling. There are only a few anime I was able to binge non-stop (like Steins Gate or AOT). Pluto is no different. It's right up there with some of the best mystery/suspense anime.
There are many reasons why Pluto might be one of the best anime we've gotten in years. Let me explore those reasons one by one.
The storytelling and pacing is just perfect. A mystery is told perfectly, when a viewer is curious, but never confused. That's what this anime did. The story is shown to be complex, but still doesn't seem that way. The pace is never too fast. I never struggled to keep track of the information given so far. It's also never too slow. I just don't know where those 8 hours went. I was so involved in the story. It gave brief amounts of information, at perfect intervals in the story in order to complete the puzzle in our brain.
This isn't just a thriller. It's a story about humanity, about emotions, hatred in particular. Because of how concise the story is, every plot point leads to this theme. Each character plays a huge role in communicating the story's message. And I cared for each of them. The second half brought me to tears. The conclusion is very emotionally satisfying too.
I love how this story used AI in order to explore humanity, and to enhance its emotions as well as its theme. It's just brilliant writing. Such a story, seems impactful now more than ever.
The character that stole the show, was Gesicht. A flawlessly written character, with a very emotional arc. He deserved being the protagonist of this wonderful story.
Another thing I loved was that this was sort of a mix of a futuristic sci-fi mystery, a dark psychological mystery, as well as a detective story.
There's just one tiny problem I had. During the final episodes, they introduced some new plot points, that felt a bit out of place to me.
But overall, this is an emotionally heavy story, memorable mystery and it's brilliantly told. Please, watch it on Netflix. We need more anime like these.
Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)
Everything I was anticipating
You might've heard a lot about this film in recent weeks. Most of you would probably know why. It's directed by the great Martin Scorsese and it stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro. The Departed, which had a similar genre, was also directed by Scorsese and starred DiCaprio and it's one of my all time favourite films.
This film confirms that Scorsese has a knack for consistently making tremendous films in the crime/suspense genre.
But let's forget the names of the cast and the staff. How is this movie? I think this is old-fashioned filmmaking and storytelling at its best. With this and Oppenheimer, we as cinephiles are just very lucky in 2023.
Let's start with the structure. This is a 3.5 hour long movie. Yup, 210 minutes. Personally, I'm completely fine with that. The first 2.5 hours provide a very slow and somewhat frustrating build up to this tragic story. The slow pace makes you even more involved and horrified by what's happening. You get even more frustrated at these characters because of the slowness. That makes the final hour all the more worth it. Scorsese also has a habit of making the payoffs of his movies very entertaining to watch.
The script is brilliantly written. It's one of the few cases where I forget that I'm watching a movie while listening to these characters. Leonardo DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone and Robert De Niro give very memorable performances. The soundtrack was great too. For the first 2 hours, it's mostly just 1 slow theme playing in the bg. That was clever since it created the eerie vibe that was supposed to be there in the first 2 acts. It added to the slow pace as well.
Scorsese's direction as always, is brilliant. I also enjoyed how he chose to conclude this story in the final 10 mins.
I know there are criticisms for the runtime of this film and I sort of understand why some people wouldn't want to sit in the theatre for that long. But I'd still really, really suggest you to watch this in the theatres if you can. These aren't movies that you get easily nowadays, and a chance of watching a Scorsese film on the big screen isn't worth missing.
Dumb Money (2023)
Shallow but pretty fun
Dumb Money (2023)
Dumb Money is a true story about how Keith Gill invested all his life savings on GameStop (a video game store). He posted his balance sheets on social media while promoting the stock of GameStop, and started a movement which got lots of everyday people to buy the stock and raised its price by a huge amount.
Look, I don't know much about the stock market to be honest. And economics wasn't at all my strong suit in academics. So, while I didn't understand about half of the financial details, I did get the overall picture. I'll try to review this just as a movie.
The movie doesn't really explore its characters at all. Though you do care for them because the movie is very preachy about who's good and who's bad in this story. But there really isn't any background reason explored, unless you know the true story. The main characters though, Keith and his family, are explored just enough for us to root for them. Paul Dano's performance is very good as Keith Gill.
This is still a pretty fun movie. It's very funny and it keeps moving, without having a dull moment. And because of it's fact-based nature, it is definitely a crowd-pleasing movie. But again that's only because the movie tells you that it's a true story, and it tells you who you're supposed to root for. It doesn't put too much effort in exploring the reason.
Even if this movie is shallow, if you like the stock market, you can watch this movie with your friends and you'll have a great time, because the movie is definitely funny and it's targeted towards that audience.
The Creator (2023)
Imperfectly satisfying
The Creator (2023)
This was one of my most anticipated movies this year. Gareth Edwards, I think is one of the most talented directors out there and I was very excited to see what he could bring to a Sci-fi like this one. I was glad to see him receive a big project where the great Hans Zimmer was composing the score.
This was a pretty good movie. It was imperfectly satisfying. It was a bit shallow and a bit messy, but it still succeeded in its job.
Given the progress of AI right now, this was more or less the perfect time to release a story like this, involving a very grim war between the humans and the AI. I was very surprised by how grim this movie was. Although it does struggle in portraying that grim tone at times.
This movie is visually stunning, directed beautifully and it has a great soundtrack, as you'd expect from a combination of Gareth Edwards and Hans Zimmer.
But it's imperfect in terms of its characters, storytelling and tone. First of all I thought they should have explored how the conflict between the humans and the AI arose. Yeah, they do mention the brief reasons how, but it's just not enough for me to buy the hatred and the rage of humans against the AI. In the first half of the film, it sends mixed signals about which side is right and which is wrong. That goes away in the second half though, when the movie forms a definite opinion on this war. The characters too aren't really well explored and we're just sort of supposed to accept their motivations and actions.
That being said, I mentioned this movie was imperfectly SATISFYING. Because this movie is definitely satisfying. The second half of this film holds a tremendous amount of emotional weight with a very moving and well executed finale that made my eyes water. When the movie was over and the lights turned on, I saw that the person next to me was crying. That tells you about how the finale of the movie is. It was frankly very refreshing too because that's why an audience should go to the movie, to experience it.
I had a good time with this one. It might not be the great movie that I was expecting it to be, but it was still surprising, and worth seeing on the big screen.
Undead Girl Murder Farce (2023)
Clever, Quirky, Stylish, and Action-packed
I called it guys. From the start of the season, I was betting on this anime to be good. And it completely blew me away. It's just too bad that Link Click aired it's season 2 alongside this, because this is clearly anime of the season material.
This anime is the perfect example of what makes anime so entertaining - the style, the action, the cleverness, the quirkiness, the supernatural environment, the iconic characters. And it's not just about how entertaining it is, it's also written very cleverly. The mysteries are very well written. The direction and the stylish vision of the director, is something that not many could have imagined for this story. It's just brimming with style.
The characters are all great, especially the 3 protagonists. They have great chemistry among them and they are worthy of being the protagonists of this story. Aya and Tsugaru in particular are just amazingly entertaining as a duo and they're very cleverly written.
The story is split into 3 chapters (excluding episode 1). The 1st chapter (Ep 2-4) sort of gets you into the characters as well as the Whodunit mode. The 2nd chapter (Ep 5-8) is incredibly entertaining, action-packed and I won't spoil if you're not aware, but some very iconic characters show up in this chapter. And surprisingly, even after such an entertaining 2nd chapter, the 3rd one actually even topped that. The 3rd chapter (Ep 9-13), has a mind-blowing mystery that completely surprised me. All the whodunit mystery fans are going to be elated after watching this chapter. From the way, the mystery is written, to the way it was set up, it was just amazing to see and worthy of being the finale of this anime.
For a mystery, this anime has a lot of action. In fact some of the action setups here are as good as some of the best shounen anime out there. The soundtrack by the composer of Link Click, was just amazing. He has made 2 brilliant scores in the same season. The amount of humour was also surprising.
Almost everything about this anime fits perfectly. I can't wait for season 2!!!! I recommend this anime with all my heart.
Suki na Ko ga Megane wo Wasureta (2023)
Nice at first, very weird later
Hmm, yeah this anime didn't work for me. It was charming at first but it just got repetitive and very weird after a while. And I mean WEIRD. I really don't understand the 8 manga rating. Either the anime just didn't adapt the manga well. That's the only reason I can think of.
This is a romance with Mie being the female lead and Komura being the male lead.
First of all the character of Mie. I just don't understand her. I'll put aside the fact that she keeps forgetting her glasses. She's just completely oblivious of everything around her. For some reason she has to take a good look at Komura's face everyday. I mean what?? And Komura just let's her. Obviously because he has a crush on her. You see that's what I mean by WEIRD. Wakayama Shion as the voice of Mie just felt forced because she was trying to sound too cute or childish. I'm a big fan of her voice acting. I think her role as Takina in Lycoris Recoil is one of the best out there. But here, it just didn't work. It could be because of the direction as well though. Everything about Mie's character just felt made up. She felt like a puppet, being controlled by the staff to act a certain way so that this romance can exist. How am I supposed to root for the romance when I don't understand one of the characters?
Even Komura's character is creepy at times. I'd rather not mention the scene where he gets freaked out just by bringing Mie's glasses home. The animation didn't work for me either. The more stylish it was trying to look, the more dull I found it.
But you know this anime isn't bad though. There are some wholesome moments between the 2 characters. The first half in fact is rather nice. And I thought Komura's sense of humour was very funny - the way he would constantly exaggerate and make fun of his own situations in his mind. Some of his one liners were hilarious. The voice acting for Komura did help in that.
But this anime was disappointing. I wonder how the manga readers feel about this adaptation. Because the manga would have probably been executed better.
Zom 100: Zombie ni Naru made ni Shitai 100 no Koto (2023)
Weirdly wholesome and full of heart
(Episodes 10-12 have been delayed indefinitely)
For now, let me ignore the frustrating production schedule for this anime. This is a review till episode 9.
The beauty of this anime lies in its simplicity. This is an apocalyptic slice-of-life. As ridiculous as it sounds, somehow it works because of how well the studio Bug Films has envisioned this story.
Zom 100 has one very simple theme - "You only live once". And the story always sticks to the single theme. The author has explored a very different perspective on a Zombie apocalypse. And that alone makes this anime very, very unique. The setup for the protagonist was just perfect for this particular story. Just see the 1st episode and you'll understand.
This is one of those stories that'll make you think about your own life. What's in your bucket list? What are the things you want to do? What's your childhood dream? Or what's your current dream?
The characters are nice and a very wholesome group of 4 forms towards the end of the season. Akira as the protagonist is very integral to the story. As far as his personality goes though, he's not as interesting. The character that actually stole the show was Shizuka. The way she was at the beginning of the anime and how she was slowly influenced by Akira was great to see.
I think they sort of set up a nice cliffhanger towards the end of episode 9 so that we keep waiting for the next 3 episodes to release later. But I do hope that they make a season 2 and take their sweet time instead of rushing into the production and delaying the episodes continuously.
But this is a very good anime and it's great to see the different way in which the author as well as the anime staff has envisioned this story.
Review for Episodes 10-12:
Well, I loved it. It was exactly the kind of finale I would've expected from Zom 100. I think this anime is one of a kind. It knows its message and cherishes it. It also presents itself with a lot of confidence and energy. Just go watch the opening on YouTube and you'll know what I mean. These are exactly the kind of shows that separate anime from other media. Normally, you wouldn't expect a zombie apocalypse story to have a weirdly wholesome, entertaining and somewhat light hearted vibe. But that's exactly what Zom 100 is. There obviously is some dark stuff here and there though. But this anime had a very specific feel to it and I was all for it. This is the way that the author wanted to convey his message. And I found it very creative. The message is very simple, but the way of conveying it is what made this anime what it is. And sometimes simple messages are all that is required for an anime.
The final episode was everything that I love about this series. It brought me to tears - bittersweet ones. It was directed beautifully and animated gorgeously.
I really hope we do get a season 2. I would love to see where this studio goes from here. It would be a shame if they don't continue this series, because so far I have been very impressed with this studio, and this story is worth continuing.
Horimiya -piece- (2023)
Necessary
Don't miss out on this season because it's a "side story". Watch it like just another season. Because these missing chapters are what complete Horimiya. Look, I still can't forgive the fact that we never got a 2-cour adaptation at first, with all chapters in chronological order. But I'll still always be thankful for the Cloverworks studio making these missing chapters. And Cloverworks is now adapting its source materials faithfully (even elevating them) and is clearly redeeming itself.
This season has everything that the first season was missing. It has all the adorable, wholesome and hilarious moments involving all the different side characters. That's what eventually builds up strong friendships and that's exactly why they're so important. This was one of my major flaws with the first season. We didn't get enough of the side characters, and I couldn't really get behind the friendship of the group either. This season has now negated that flaw.
Another thing in this season that really made me happy was the Finale. It just feels like the finale for Horimiya is now complete. We got to see Miyamura's side in season 1. We get to see Hori's side here.
Through its many comedy/slice-of-life moments, Horimiya at times introduces some very real and relatable stuff, that always touches me. Like Hori and Miyamura imagining what if the coincidences that happened to create this group of friends, didn't happen. And you know, it's definitely a scary thought, because that's more or less how friends are formed - coincidences. It sort of also reminded me of those alternate reality episodes of the sitcom "Friends", where they imagine what if some of them hadn't met.
Overall this was a really nice time and Horimiya deserved this season. Well, it actually deserved a proper full adaptation, but we can't change that now. I do hope that some streaming app, or Cloverworks itself gets out a cut where all chapters are in chronological order. So that from now on, the viewers who'll watch it for the first time, get to experience it perfectly.