Category: Reviews by Lenlo

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” →

The Fire Hunter Anime Review – 31/100

by Lenlo, posted in Anime Reviews, Finished Series: Adventure/Fantasy/Science Fiction, Reviews by Lenlo, The Fire Hunter

Novels. The progenitor. The alpha and the omega. So often ignored for its easier to digest kin, Light Novels and Web Novels, yet often containing some of the best stories I’ve ever experienced. In anime, they gave us works such as Run With the Wind, Tatami Galaxy and Fune wo Amu. However sometimes… Sometimes even Novels fail us, as they have by giving us todays topic. Animated by studio Signal MD, directed by Junji Nishumura of Vlad Love fame (?), with music by Kenji Kawai and art direction from Hiromasa Ogura, I give to you the most disappointing show of the Winter 2023 season: Hikari no Ou AKA The Fire Hunter.

Be warned, this review contains minor unmarked spoilers for The Fire Hunter. It also contains major spoilers in some sections however these will be heavily marked to avoid accidents. Continue reading “The Fire Hunter Anime Review – 31/100” →

Michiko & Hatchin Anime Review – 62/100 – Throwback Thursday

by Lenlo, posted in Anime Reviews, Finished Series: Slice of Life/Drama, Michiko e Hatchin, Reviews by Lenlo, Throwback Thursday

Found Family is one of my favorite themes across media. From Bridge Four in Sanderon’s Stormlight Archive to Tokyo Godfathers, possibly my single favorite animated movie of all time. Beautiful stories about coming together for who you are rather then who you were born to. It’s especially pervasive across anime, found in everything from action packed Shounen like One Piece to serious character dramas like Seirei no Moribito. And today, I’m here to talk to you about one more. An original series from the now defunct Studio Manglobe, and Sato Yamamato’s, since responsible for Yuri on Ice and The Woman Called Fujiko Mine, full length directorial debut, I give to you a Found Family story with a bit of Latin flair. That’s right, you clicked on the review already knowing what it was, so let’s dive right in to Michiko & Hatchin.

Be warned, this review contains minor unmarked spoilers for Michiko & Hatchin. It also contains major spoilers in some sections however these will be heavily marked to avoid accidents. Continue reading “Michiko & Hatchin Anime Review – 62/100 – Throwback Thursday” →

Spy X Family Parts 1/2 Anime Review – 71/100

by Lenlo, posted in Anime Reviews, Finished Series: Slice of Life/Drama, Reviews by Lenlo, Spy X Family

Tell me if you’ve heard this one before: A spy, an assassin, a telepath and a dog walk into the most prestigious academy Fake East Germany has to offer in an effort to prevent a war. No? Well how about the one involving the Secret Police’s sister? Still no? Not even the one about M. Bison’s kid in a dodgeball tournament? Huh. Well strap in, because you’re about to. Originally created by Tatsuya Endou, directed by Kazuhiro Furuhashi and animated as a joint effort by Wit Studio and CloverWorks, I give to you this seasons Slice of Life darling, SpyXFamily. This review covers both Parts 1 and 2 because they are a split cour single season. I don’t care how MAL and Anilist split them up, that’s what they are. Now buckle up, because we’re going to dive right into this.

Be warned, this review contains minor unmarked spoilers for SpyXFamily. It also contains major spoilers in some sections however these will be heavily marked to avoid accidents. Continue reading “Spy X Family Parts 1/2 Anime Review – 71/100” →

Mob Psycho 100 S3 Anime Review – 85/100

by Lenlo, posted in Anime Reviews, Finished Series: Action, Mob Psycho 100 III, Reviews by Lenlo

The year is 2016. My Hero Academia has just aired its first season, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure is in the middle of my favorite season, and Yuri on Ice is enthralling the world with Cute Boys Figure Skating, among many others. It is a good year for anime. And in the middle of all of this is a new show from an a small studio, neither of which you have probably heard of. That show is Mob Psycho 100, that studio is Studio BONES, the director Yuzuru Tachikawa, and that previous line a joke. Please don’t crucify me. Fast forward 6 years to 2022 and Mob Psycho 100 is finally coming to an end. It feels rare for adaptations to actually get an ending these days. Most don’t even make it to a 2nd season. But Mob Psycho 100 has done just that. And it was glorious. Lets jump into it!

Be warned, this review contains minor unmarked spoilers for Mob Psycho 100. It also contains major spoilers in some sections however these will be heavily marked to avoid accidents. Continue reading “Mob Psycho 100 S3 Anime Review – 85/100” →

Hikaru no Go Anime Review – 90/100

by Lenlo, posted in Anime Reviews, Finished Series: Sports, Hikaru no Go, Reviews by Lenlo

Slam Dunk. Haikyuu. Cross Game. Aside from being fantastic series in their own right, and being about sports, they all share one thing in common: Their success helped popularize their sport, both in Japan and the world at large. Slam Dunk has an actual basketball scholarship program named after it for goodness sake. They galvanized entire generations, showing them how fun and accessible these sports are, and how cool they could be if they played them. In a way, in some communities minds, they have come to define that sport just as specific athletes like LeBron James or Lionel Messi do. And today, I would like to introduce you to another series from this most hallowed of halls. Originally written by Yumi Hotta with direction split between Susumu Nishizawa, Jun Kamiya and Tetsuya Endou, animated at Studio Pierrot, I give you 2001’s Hikaru no Go.

Be warned, this review contains minor unmarked spoilers for Hikaru no Go. It also contains major spoilers in some sections however these will be heavily marked to avoid accidents. Continue reading “Hikaru no Go Anime Review – 90/100” →

His and Her Circumstances Anime Review – 68/100 – Throwback Thursday

by Lenlo, posted in Anime Reviews, Finished Series: Romance, His and Her Circumstances, Reviews by Lenlo

Romance is a fickle thing, meaning something different to everyone. To some it’s a casual fling after a night on the town, while to others its a lifelong commitment. It’s this mercurial nature that so often makes Romance as a genre difficult to pin down. Some are looking for a wholesome, drama free experience like Ore Monogatari!!. Others want a show that burns hot, fast and steamy, like Domestic na Kanojo, while others still are looking for a tragedy. It goes on and on and on, with each kind of romance pulling a different audience. But sometimes… sometimes you want the purest, most distilled and focused kind of romance you can get. And that’s the kind of romance Kareshi Kanojo no Jijou, AKA His and Her Circumstances, embodies. Created by Masami Tsuda, directed by the legendary Hideaki Anno and animated at Studio Gainax, This is what we’re examining today!

Be warned, this review contains minor unmarked spoilers for His and Her Circumstances. It also contains major spoilers in some sections however these will be heavily marked to avoid accidents. Continue reading “His and Her Circumstances Anime Review – 68/100 – Throwback Thursday” →

Yofukashi no Uta Anime Review 68/100

by Lenlo, posted in Anime Reviews, Finished Series: Romance, Reviews by Lenlo, Yofukashi no Uta

Vampires. Anime absolutely loves vampires. From Monogatari to Jojo, Mars Red to Vlad Love. Something about this western monster has captured Japan’s imagination so much that we see it absolutely everywhere. Some try to play it straight, going for a horrific, tragedy stricken tale. Others lean more into the romantic side, the tragic and highly sexualized monster. It is in between these two that we find Yofukashi no Uta. Brought to you by the same mangaka who created Dagashi Kashi, Kotoyama, animated at “LIDENFILMS” and directed by Tomoyuki Itamura of Monogatari fame with Tetsuya Miyanishi overseeing as chief director, Yofukashi no Uta straddles that vampire line. It tries be about the romance while letting the horror peek in around the edges. To be both an exploration of humanity through the monster, as well as a sweet romantic treat. The question is: Does it achieve both? Or neither? Lets find out.

Be warned, this review contains minor unmarked spoilers for Yofukashi no Uta. It also contains major spoilers in some sections however these will be heavily marked to avoid accidents. Continue reading “Yofukashi no Uta Anime Review 68/100” →