Dr.STONE Anime Review – 71/100

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

There are few genres more ubiquitous than Battle Anime. From classics like One Piece and Naruto to the modern like Kimetsu no Yaiba and Black Clover, they are everywhere. Constantly trying to one up or explore the idea in new ways. As a consequence of this, a sub-genre began to appear, cleverly called “Non-Battle” Battle Anime by Super Eyepatch Wolf. In these kinds of anime, it rare for a conflict to be physical in nature. Whether it be cooking in Food Wars or gambling in Ultimate Survivor Kaiji, a punch is rarely thrown. Dr.STONE by TMS Entertainment however takes this one step further, removing the battle portion entirely, unless you count battles with nature herself. And it is here, in the survival and science rather than physical combat, in a celebration of what it means to be human, that Dr.STONE excels.

Without further ado, it’s time to get into the review.

(Disclaimer: I am working to make 50 the new “average”. 70 is not an average score people. 70 is above average. Also this review contains minor spoilers. Carry on.) Continue reading “Dr.STONE Anime Review – 71/100” →

Fall 2019 Summary – Week 11

by SuperWooper, posted in Other:, Weekly Summary

Wooper: There are just a couple of these posts left to be published before we proceed to a new decade and a new season. I rebooted this column because Fall 2019’s offerings seemed like a stronger-than-average bunch, but I don’t know if I’ll feel the same about this upcoming winter. I might keep it going, or another writer might take up the mantle, or it might disappear until another bounteous crop of shows surfaces deeper into 2020. That decision is still weeks away, however. For now, here are some thoughts about some presently-airing, rapidly-concluding anime from this fall season.

Assassins Pride 10

Amun: Unexpected show discussion alert! Assassins Pride initially faltered in the low-stakes Hogwarts mini-arc but has picked up steam….and randomly bounced between locations. I think the settings of this show really make it interesting – the characters are okay, but ultimately one dimensional. What I really love is the crater, the candlestick, and now this spooky library. The giant spider fight was underwhelming, but a nice try. The biggest takeaway is how improved future backgrounds will be for anime – freeing up the animators to work on characters, fights, etc. As for this show, I get the feeling there will be a lot of political intrigue, then a rushed finale here in the near future.

Mugen no Juunin: Immortal 11

Wooper: After last week’s ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ approach to conflict between sword schools, episode 11 narrowed the show’s lens to focus on a fight between two men. Neither Magatsu nor Shira can boast Hyakurin’s complexity, but what they lack in charisma and backstory they make up for with stamina. They’ve got sufficient stamina, in fact, to survive the numerous fatal wounds that they inflict on each other, which made the whole battle feel rather implausible. Most people who pass the time by watching a blood-soaked seinen about an immortal swordsman aren’t bothered about realism, though, and neither was I. The episode moves along at a good clip, never spending too long on dialogue-driven pit stops before launching back into the action. The background art was as pretty as ever, especially during Manji’s temporary farewell to Magatsu in the forest near the start. The swordplay looked much nicer than usual, as well – probably the best since Makie’s spotlight near the series’ beginning. I’m sure that manga readers are unhappy with one aspect of this episode or another, but I can find few things to criticize.

Continue reading “Fall 2019 Summary – Week 11” →

Winter 2020 Season Preview

by SuperWooper, posted in Other:, Seasonal Previews

Lenlo: A new site, a new season, and the first Season Preview on our new domain. Auspicious. Unlike the last season though, which was filled to the brim with sequels, there are surprisingly few this Winter. Though the ones we do have are high profile, such as the 4th season of Haikyuu!! or the third season of Railgun. Not to be outdone, the new adaptations have some up and coming manga such as Runway de Waratte or recently ended classics like Dorohedoro. And none of this is even mentioning the movies such as Made in Abyss’s sequel movie, or the series continuing from last season such as My Hero Academia.

Suffice to say, there’s a lot worth taking a peek at here if you have the time. And if not? Well, that’s why the 5 of us are here. To do our best to give you the scoop on everything anime for Winter 2020. So go ahead, take a look, and if you see anything you like make sure to let us know by voting in the poll below. I can tell you right now, I at least don’t know what I am going to cover yet, so you would help me immensely. Without further ado, in we go.

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What will you be watching from the Winter 2020 season?
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ALREADY AIRED

Plunderer

Studio: GEEKTOYS
Director: Hiroyuki Kanbe
Series composition: Masashi Suzuki
Source: Manga

Amun: Plunderer made the ambitious move of releasing not one, but two episodes early to try and drum up some interest and get ahead of the pack. However…they forgot to make an even halfway decent anime. From the studio that brought you Hensuki, which exceeded the absolute dog-tier (anyone who watched it understands) expectations, comes an absolute travesty of a first episode (I’m not watching the second). The premise is actually decent enough – everyone is counting something of vital importance. When this count hits 0, you go to hell – but the count can also go up, so you try and maximize it to avoid dying. Nice premise, how hard can that be to do right?

Apparently, pretty hard. We have the obvious lecher with a heart of gold (of course) with the naive on-a-quest girl, who also has her number in her inner thigh. Of course. Assisted, invariably, by the H-cup barkeep. Alright. Throw in an obvious small time baddie trying to take advantage of naive girl, when lecher comes and saves the day and is super powered….okay, you know how this goes. The problem isn’t so much we’ve seen it before…it’s that all the wrong lessons were learned from shows like Gintama or…whatever else they were watching (One Piece maybe?). This isn’t self-aware or humorous, it doesn’t even attempt plot foreplay – this episode reminds me of Sacred Beasts from two seasons ago, but at least that had a quarter-way interesting heroine. All this rant to say – this is lukewarm garbage to be avoided.

Continue reading “Winter 2020 Season Preview” →

Vinland Saga – 22 [Lone Wolf]

by Lenlo, posted in Vinland Saga

Another day, another step closer to the Vinland Saga finale. This week is pretty straight forward, as we learn more about Askeladd’s past, his reasons for what he does and what exactly is wrong with Thorfinn. So without further ado, let’s dive in.

Starting off, as I said this week was rather straightforward, as Vinland Saga seeks to clear things up. It does this by focusing in on our two lead characters, and really diving in to their issues. Leaving nothing up in the air in regards to how they feel. Whether it be about each other, their situations or how exactly they got here. For Thorfinn, this was a rather tragic event, as once again he has lost to Askeladd. Only this time there was no humor, the man didn’t even try to make it seem close. Meanwhile Askeladd really rails into Thorfinn on how exactly to kill someone you hate. At the same time detailing his life, his father and how he came to hate Vikings as he does. Even confirming to Canute just how accurate Bjorn was last week.

Continue reading “Vinland Saga – 22 [Lone Wolf]” →

Dr.STONE – 24 [Voices Over Infinite Distance]

by Lenlo, posted in Dr.STONE

And so ends Dr.STONE, at least until next year when the announced 2nd season comes out. Its been a series of highs and lows, but one I ultimately enjoyed, and this episode is no different. As we get one more heartwarming moment of humanity, some comedy and a teaser of what is to come. Lets dive in!

Starting off, this episode was actually a nice look back at the season and all that was accomplished. Of course some of it was just raw montage’s of what happened. But most of it was presented in an organic way. Such as instead of raw flashbacks, we just cut to shots of the actual creations themselves. From the ramen stand or the forges, etc etc. Another good example of this was the juxtaposition between when the astronauts were making the record. Showing Senku and crew making a record player in the present, mimicking their bonds through the milenia. For what has partially a recap episode, it was nicely put together and felt more like a look back at how far we had come. Now though, let’s move on to the meat.

Continue reading “Dr.STONE – 24 [Voices Over Infinite Distance]” →

Hoshiai no Sora – 09/10

by SuperWooper, posted in Finished Series: Sports, Hoshiai no Sora

With these two episodes in the books, Hoshiai no Sora is preparing to enter its final set. There are still half a dozen unresolved plots involving members of the soft tennis club, though, plus the most crucial tennis match of the show thus far is coming up next week. I’ve said this multiple times in the past, but surely *this* must be the point where Sora stops adding abusive parents to the character roster. Director Akane has an axe to grind and that’s fine (except when it isn’t), but at this point it’s going to take a herculean effort to wrangle the events of the last two episodes. The show’s production is in trouble, too, but it’s been fairly well-disguised in my opinion. The staff got away with all the stills in episode 10 by properly setting expectations for the weaker pairs’ performances, plus consistent use of on-screen text to summarize the matches. A much bigger challenge approaches, however, in terms of both animation and scripting.

Continue reading “Hoshiai no Sora – 09/10” →

Neon Genesis Evangelion – 5 [Rei, Beyond the Heart/Rei I] – Throwback Thursday

by Lenlo, posted in Neon Genesis Evangelion, Throwback Thursday

Finally, Throwback Thursday returns, with a new episode of Neon Genesis Evangelion! Apologies for the wait. I have explained across a number of posts now, but work and moving the site really ate my time. But its all over now and we can get back into it! So let’s just dive in, as we check back in with Shinji!

Starting off with production, as I always do, this week was a bit of an odd one. There was some great stuff. From expressive character acting from Misato during her and Shinji’s interactions, to the effects. I will never get tired of how Evangelion liquefies metal and structures with its lasers and such. It’s a beautiful effect, and one I hope we continue to see more of in the series. On the other hand we also got some more of Anno’s weirdness. Long, hanging still shots with almost no motion. Just dialogue played over an extended escalator scene. Similar to the rest we have seen, I don’t think it’s inherently bad. It works to sell the awkwardness between Rei and Shinji, especially after what happened in the apartment. But it felt to me like it just carried on to long. Still, for the most part, Evangelion did well.

Continue reading “Neon Genesis Evangelion – 5 [Rei, Beyond the Heart/Rei I] – Throwback Thursday” →

Chihayafuru S3 – 10 [Scarlet Kadsuras]

by SuperWooper, posted in Chihayafuru, Finished Series: Sports

Harada-sensei was robbed. I know that he’s not a main character, and I recognize that this tournament has kept Taichi and Arata in view since the beginning. Given that prior focus, it’s only natural that Arata, who made it all the way to the Western qualifier finals, would get the spotlight here. But Harada-sensei is the underdog in all of this! Battling against knee pain and general exhaustion, fighting to prove himself a worthy competitor despite his age, striving for a second shot at the Meijin after losing the title match decades ago – what storyline could possibly be better? Arata is my boy and everything, but the drama of this episode is ultimately the result of his poorly-timed bathroom break.

Continue reading “Chihayafuru S3 – 10 [Scarlet Kadsuras]” →

Ranking All Monogatari series Arcs

by SuperMario, posted in Monogatari Series

With the end of the decade is drawing near, it’s time for me to revisit one of my favorite franchises of this last decade – and my all times as well – Monogatari series. Monogatari series is one rare show that despite its extreme visual style and convoluted storytelling, it still draws a delicate fan-following and becomes one of the most popular and enduring franchises the last ten years have to offer. With an “Off-season” is around the corner (of which there is no official announcement for anime adaptation as of yet but hey, do you seriously think that Shaft will get pass this golden egg? – and of which I’m mixed about: it’s time to move on), the 10-year era from 2009-2019 follows the completion of Monogatari’s main arc, spawning 15 plus mini-arcs and an entire cast larger than a football field. Monogatari has its ups and downs for sure, and we will get to that in this ranking of all the Monogatari arcs, from worst to best.

Of course, as per any ranked list, there’s some rules that needed to mention here. Some arcs that consists of several mini stories – will be included as one (like the Sodaichi arc). This gets tricky, though, when you scroll back to the Bakemonogatari season, which contains 5 mini-arcs of the same theme, and the Japanese novels and English publishions differ in the way they arranging (split into 2 in the former and into 3 in the latter). I will go with NisiOisin’s original intention – 2 small arcs. ONA’s Koyomi Vamp and trilogy-movie Kizu are included as well, that make it a total of 18 arcs. Without further ado, let’s chase them down:

THE SKIPPABLES

18. Koyomimonogatari

[Koyomi Stone -> Koyomi Dead] / 12 short episodes

If there is one bad tendency of Monogatari series (it has quite a few, which I will run them down later), it’s that the series is too fond of its characters, to the point it doesn’t mind just spending time with them, even without any context whatsoever. This is essentially the existence of Koyomimonogatari, which contains 12 stories about Koyomi encountering with each girl over the course of 12 months. Except from the final chapter which is relevant to the main story (thus the only one you’ll need to watch), the rest is filler. To make it worse, the girls often shine because they have a personal arc. In this case, they just tab on their dominant traits and their usual banters with Koyomi and this results in them being one-dimensional. “This novel was written on a 100% out of whim.”, said NisiOisin, and that pretty much sums up this mobile-app adaptation, although he pretty much says this to all of his novels so take this with a grain of salt.

17. Tsukimonogatri

[Yotsugi Doll] / 4 episodes

Tsuki suffers from carrying the weight of the main arc and functions less as an independent chapter. The arc raises an interesting question about Araragi’s vampirinism, but proceed to do very little with that. The fact that it features Yotsugi as main character, whom is my least favorite girl (she’s grown on me since but she’s still the least favorite) doesn’t really help either. In addition, there is an extended bath scene between Araragi and Tsukihi which functions more as a reply to the infamous Toothbrush scene and one I consider my least favorite sequence of an entire franchise (another bad tendency of Monogatari series: fan-service is dealt up to 11 – sometimes I can get pass it, most of the time I just scratch my head). It’s also a curse for Tsukimonogatari to release right after a string of many great Monogatari arcs, so it’s unavoidable that this chapter feels like a massive letdown.

Continue reading “Ranking All Monogatari series Arcs” →