Category: Reviews by Lenlo

Black Lagoon Seasons 1&2 Review – 71/100 – Throwback Thursday

by Lenlo, posted in Anime Reviews, Black Lagoon, Finished Series: Action, Reviews by Lenlo, Throwback Thursday

Dating back over 50 years, the legacy of Studio Madhouse is long and storied. From cultural touchstones like Death Note and Tatami Galaxy to old greats like Aim for the Ace and Treasure Island, they’re even responsible for modern epics such as last seasons Frieren. They’ve done a bit of everything, from sports and adventure to sci-fi and murder mysteries. Naturally, that also includes crime dramas, one of which we are here to talk about today. Originally created by Rei Hiroe, directed by Sunao Katabuchi and with music by Takayoshi Watanabe, Black Lagoon originally aired in 2006 where it was overshadowed (At least in my opinion) by a few of Madhouse’s other greats, like Nana and Hellsing Ultimate. One has to wonder, how does this mid-2000’s crime thriller stack up to the modern day? Well wonder no longer, because that’s what I’m here to answer. Now lets dive in!

Be warned, this review contains minor unmarked spoilers for *Black Lagoon Seasons 1&2. It also contains major spoilers in some sections however these will be heavily marked to avoid accidents. Continue reading “Black Lagoon Seasons 1&2 Review – 71/100 – Throwback Thursday” →

Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 Review – 61/100

by Lenlo, posted in Anime Reviews, Finished Series: Action, Jujutsu Kaisen, Reviews by Lenlo

Lets not beat around the bush, you know what Jujutsu Kaisen is. Animated by studio MAPPA, directed by Shouta Goshozono and originally created by Gege Akutami, Jujutsu Kaisen is one of Shounen Jump’s flagship series. Being the 3rd oldest currently printing series in the magazine behind only One Piece and My Hero Academia, it’s built up its fair share of fans. Many of whom proclaim that it “Changed Shounen forever”! Is that true? I don’t really know. So why do I bring it up, why is it relevant? Because this season adapts what is widely believed to be Jujutsu Kaisen’s biggest and best arc, its Marineford, its Cell Saga, the thing that will define it for years to come: Shibuya. And we’re going to talk about it! So without further ado, lets dive into this monumental season of Jujutsu Kaisen and see if it lives up to the hype.

Be warned, this review contains minor unmarked spoilers for Jujutsu Kaisen Season 1&2. It also contains major spoilers in some sections however these will be heavily marked to avoid accidents. Continue reading “Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 Review – 61/100” →

Migi & Dali Review – 86/100

by Lenlo, posted in Anime Reviews, Finished Series: Mystery/Suspense, Migi & Dali, Reviews by Lenlo

Animated horror can be a pretty hard genre to nail. You know what you’re watching, so you’re expecting to be scared, and it being animated removes it from the real world, narrowing your options. Comedy can be similarly difficult. Due to how subjective it be, its common to fall back on slapstick, what with animations malleable bodies and stylized violence. But what if I were to tell you there was an anime that does both? A situational comedy that gets laughs not from banana peels or pies to the face, but absurd surreal situations? That successfully transitions to a full blown horror, complete with a murder mystery? Well that show is what I’m here to talk about today. Animated studio GEEKTOYS, directed by Mankyuu and originally created by the late Nami Sano who passed earlier this year, I give to you my favorite anime of Fall 2023: Migi & Dali.

Be warned, this review contains minor unmarked spoilers for Migi & Dali. It also contains major spoilers in some sections however these will be heavily marked to avoid accidents. Continue reading “Migi & Dali Review – 86/100” →

The Big O Review – 84/100 – Throwback Thursday

by Lenlo, posted in Anime Reviews, Finished Series: Action, Reviews by Lenlo, The Big O, Throwback Thursday

In the 90’s there aired a now legendary TV show called Batman: The Animated Series. With its combination of film noir and art deco visual styles, it basically defined what Batman would look and sound like for decades to come. I bring this up because working on said legendary show was a little known studio you might have heard of by the name of Sunrise. They, with Kazuyoshi Katayama as Director and Chiaki Konaka of Serial Experiments Lain and Texhnolyze fame as Series Composition, would go on to create the cult classic mecha anime we are here to talk about today: The Big O. What would happen if you gave Bruce Wayne a giant robot? Or if Robin was a female android with a skill for witticisms? All animated by the studio known for their giant robots and written by a man with a penchant for… The weird. Lets dive in and find out.

Be warned, this review covers both seasons of The Big O and contains minor unmarked spoilers for both. It also contains major spoilers in some sections however these will be heavily marked to avoid accidents. Continue reading “The Big O Review – 84/100 – Throwback Thursday” →

Kemono no Souja Erin Review – 71/100 – Throwback Thursday

by Lenlo, posted in Anime Reviews, Finished Series: Adventure/Fantasy/Science Fiction, Finished Series: Slice of Life/Drama, Kemono no Souja Erin, Reviews by Lenlo, Throwback Thursday

Seirei no Moribito has always been one of my favorite anime. Oh times change, I grow older, new shows come out or I find old ones I had never seen. Slowly it moves down the list, falling to newcomers like Ping Pong the Animation, Mob Psycho 100 and Keep Your Hands off Eizouken. But it never really left my mind, I always end up revisiting it every few months, either looking it up on YouTube or listening to its OST. So imagine how pleasantly surprised I was to learn that Moribito’s author, Nahoko Uehashi, had gotten another adaptation, animated once again by studio Production I.G. It is that show, Kemono no Souja Erin, directed by Takayuki Hamana and with music by Masayuki Sakamoto, a story about a young girl struggling to survive and keep to her ideals in a country at war with itself, that we’ll be talking about today.

Be warned, this review contains minor unmarked spoilers for Kemono no Souja Erin. It also contains major spoilers in some sections however these will be heavily marked to avoid accidents. Continue reading “Kemono no Souja Erin Review – 71/100 – Throwback Thursday” →

Vinland Saga S2 Anime Review – 92/100

by Lenlo, posted in Anime Reviews, Finished Series: Slice of Life/Drama, Reviews by Lenlo, Vinland Saga

The last time a seasonal anime impressed me, affected me, this much was 2018’s Run With the Wind. Not because of any surface level similarities, one is about kids in college running track and this is about Vikings and farming. Rather it’s because of their similar themes of finding oneself, of accepting who you were and resolving to be better, of just taking that next step regardless of how hard it seems. Upon hearing that it should then, for those that know me or have looked at my previous reviews, come as no surprise that I absolutely loved this season of Vinland Saga. Directed once again by Shuuhei Yabuta, his 2nd ever directorial credit, and this time animated by Studio MAPPA, Vinland Saga returns to once again dominate its season. But this time it does so with plows, not swords, sweat rather than blood, and wheat instead of arrows.

Be warned, this review contains minor unmarked spoilers for Vinland Saga Seasons 1 and 2. It also contains major spoilers in some sections however these will be heavily marked to avoid accidents. Continue reading “Vinland Saga S2 Anime Review – 92/100” →

Kimetsu no Yaiba S3 Anime Review 48/100

by Lenlo, posted in Anime Reviews, Finished Series: Action, Kimetsu no Yaiba, Reviews by Lenlo

Another year, another season of Kimetsu no Yaiba. As what is most likely the most popular, and profitable, current Shounen series being produced, it’s no surprise Kimetsu no Yaiba got a 3rd season. The thing probably prints money. So you would expect at least some of that money to make its way back into the series, either in the form of grander visuals, longer schedules, larger time frames, better writing, etc. Yet the sad truth is that we don’t appear to be getting any of that. In fact it appears to me that this 3rd season, Kimetsu no Yaiba: Swordsmith Village, is the worst season we’ve got yet. Why could that be? It’s still directed by Haruo Sotozaki, still animated by Ufotable, and the original story still Koyoharu Gotouge. So why then is this the least excited I’ve ever been for the series? Let’s dive in and find out, but before you go on, which demon slayer hashira are you?

Be warned, this review contains major unmarked spoilers for Kimetsu no Yaiba Seasons 1/2 and minor unmarked spoilers for Season 3. It also contains major Season 3 spoilers in some sections however these will be heavily marked to avoid accidents. Continue reading “Kimetsu no Yaiba S3 Anime Review 48/100” →

Dr. STONE S3 Anime Review 75/100

by Lenlo, posted in Anime Reviews, Dr.STONE, Finished Series: Adventure/Fantasy/Science Fiction, Reviews by Lenlo

Whether or not it’s actually the case, hat tricks feel kind of rare in anime. A 1st season? Simple enough, get your adaptation. A 2nd? Good job, you held out, already in the upper half. A 3rd?! Well that’s when you start thinking a show might actually get adapted all the way to end. And it’s those hallowed halls that Dr. STONE is stepping into. Animated by TMS Entertainment with original story by Riichirou Inagaki and original art by Boichi, Dr. STONE returns with a new director at the helm, Shuuhei Matsushita. How will his take on the best non-battle-battle Shounen currently being made compare to that of the original director, Shinya Iino? Can he bring it back from the brink after the dip that was Season 2? Well I’ll give you hint: Abso-freaking-lutely. This is the best season of Dr. STONE yet. So without further ado, let’s jump in!

Be warned, this review contains minor unmarked spoilers for Dr. STONE. It also contains major spoilers in some sections however these will be heavily marked to avoid accidents. Continue reading “Dr. STONE S3 Anime Review 75/100” →

Wolf’s Rain Anime Review – 89/100 – Throwback Thursday

by Lenlo, posted in Anime Reviews, Finished Series: Adventure/Fantasy/Science Fiction, Reviews by Lenlo, Throwback Thursday, Wolf's Rain

The early 2000’s were a rough time for anime. It produced some incredible works, from Welcome to the NHK to Tokyo Godfathers, my favorite animated movie ever. However it was also smack-dab in the middle of the industries transition from cel animation to digital. Entire pipelines changed, the animation process became completely different, leading to a glut of poorly produced, visually abysmal series. It was in this time that Studio Bones was born. One of the more prolific studios still working today, Bones had to get it’s start somewhere. And it’s one of their earliest works that I am here to talk to you about today. I present to you, originally written by Keiko Nobumoto, directed by Tensai Okamura, with music written and performed by Youko Kanno, the early 2000’s Sci-Fi adventure: Wolf’s Rain. Let’s dive into it!

Oh and really quick before we get to deep, just ignore the Omegaverse tags if those are still there. Those are stupid and have nothing to do with the series. There is no Alpha/Beta/Omega crap. Just enjoy the cool Wolves dangit. Onwards we go!

Be warned, this review contains minor unmarked spoilers for Wolf’s Rain. It also contains major spoilers in some sections however these will be heavily marked to avoid accidents. Additionally this review also covers the 4 episode OVA containing the true ending to the series.. Continue reading “Wolf’s Rain Anime Review – 89/100 – Throwback Thursday” →

Kaina and the Great Snow Sea Anime Review – 61/100

by Lenlo, posted in Anime Reviews, Finished Series: Adventure/Fantasy/Science Fiction, Kaina and the Great Snow Sea, Reviews by Lenlo

CGI has had a bad rep in anime fandoms for a long time, and it isn’t undeserved. From Berserk (2016) to that bear in Golden Kamuy, studios typically aren’t very good at it. And why should they be? It’s generally a cost-saving measure. There are only two studio’s that really seems to care and invest in their CGI pipeline. The first is Studio Orange, the team responsible for Houseki no Kuni and the latest Trigun Stampede, the front-runners in the industry. The second, and the ones responsible for the topic of this review, is Polygon Pictures. And while not quite at the same level as Orange, it’s clear from this latest project that they are really trying. So without further ado I give to you, directed by Hiroaki Andou, created by Tsutomu Nihei with music by Kouta Yamamoto, Misaki Umase and Hiroyuki Sawano, Polygon Picture’s latest attempt: Kaina and the Great Snow Sea.

Be warned, this review contains minor unmarked spoilers for Kaina and the Great Snow Sea. It also contains major spoilers in some sections however these will be heavily marked to avoid accidents. Continue reading “Kaina and the Great Snow Sea Anime Review – 61/100” →