Jeoffrey

The positive thing about this show is that even though it looks like it is just a bunch of tropes about special individuals fighting against unknown aliens, the anime's creators avoided a lot of distasteful stuff. They avoided the stuff that could be  embarrassing or cliche, like boobie grabbing, a blonde tsundere, and an uninteresting main male protagonist. Sure, the main male protagonist (Ichiya Suzaku) is arrogant, and even though it is still better than, say, another version of some boring Takeshi, not everyone will put up with him. The world's destruction in the opening was quite nice. It is just a pity the animation was not much more impressive because this part could have been nice (I guess I am still under the influence of my last visit to the cinema - I saw new Independence Day). So, in general, the animation is not great, which is a bit surprising for A-1 Pictures animation studio. On the other hand, it is balanced by the soundtrack, which is very pleasing. The enemy, who they call the "Unknown" (seriously?!), did not impress me at all; the design of his ships is not that great, although at least it is not an embarrassing CGI mess, and I was left wondering why they are all pink. In general, this show is rather weak. However, in the context of similar concepts, it is a respectable and above-average show thanks to the absence of the most embarrassing tropes, plus the ending of the first episode, which suggests that everything might not be as it seems at first glance, got me intrigued. I got thinking about what point the narrative might have. Well, if I get it right, and if something surprising is hidden in there, then perhaps I am once again going to give this concept more than two stars. EDIT after the sixth episode: it did go its own way, and it had a pretty interesting narrative and got all serious despite all the usual nonsense and tropes! I am shocked that the atmosphere in the last few episodes is quite good, especially since I have no idea where it will go next. There are a bunch of tropes for sure, even though unpredictable things happen, and suddenly this anime series that I was not expecting anything from can be watched with a new interest. Plus, some of the tropes are handled quite well, and so I have to give a shout-out to the sixth episode, which I would call "heroic sacrifice". It also stirred up a bit of emotion in me, and I did not expect to be so moved by Qualidea Code. So, there is no fan service, however, there is a serious and surprising narrative. There are also some decent characters and many tropes that do not always end up the way they normally would. There are also some average action scenes, strange and even mysterious enemies, a lot of stuff that does not make any sense, and many other contradictory aspects. All this leads to the fact that I think it is a respectably average show halfway through. EDIT after the last episode: Not only did it hold up, it was pretty decent. There were some interesting twists, and the characters were not entirely black and white, which was beautiful, and even the conclusion, while pretty much a trope, was well handled. As a result, Qualidea Code is probably the best "trope-filled magical school" fantasy anime series I have seen for a few years (probably since The Irregular at Magic High School), which is saying something. Plus, I liked a few characters, among which the Chigusa siblings - Kasumi and Asuha stand out the most. Anyway, I am hesitating, however, in the end, even though it is one of the few gems in the "magical school" category compared to other anime series, it is not that great, although the narrative and its twists were okay. So, in general, I see it as a slightly above-average show and another reason to give "magical schools" for "extraordinary kids" a chance, because sometimes you can find a decent show in that genre. 6.3/10.

Rewrite was exactly the kind of anime series that I did not know what to make of, and the fact that the first episode was over forty minutes long simply did not help. However, what the show was trying to say got through to me better in the second episode, and I realized that the fact that Rewrite is a Japanese visual novel and this is an adaptation of its gameplay just oozes out of it. Furthermore, I was counting on the fact that it was going to be very much focused on mystery and that there would be some big surprise, an interesting plot line like in the anime series Kanon. The girl/spirit (later known as Kagari) that haunts the main male protagonist, the setting in which the main male protagonist's first dream took place, and the official content that AniChart and other anime websites have for this anime series hinted at it. So in that respect, I was not surprised. However, I was rather disappointed that the plotline was not as intense and sophisticated as I would have expected from the gentlemen from the KEY visual novel studio. I personally quite like this cute animation style, and the fact that there are a lot of adorable Lolita girls should normally lead to me feeling satisfied. However, unfortunately, it is not so lovable and emotional for me to be somehow significantly affected. There is also too much unnecessary fan service for my taste, and I am not too impressed with the perversity of the main male protagonist. He should be nice to such cute Lolita girls and not be obsessed with touching their under-developed breasts. The soundtrack was not that impressive at first, and some of the musical motifs did not suit what was going on, although it got better as the episodes went on, and the soundtrack of the last episode is quite good. I am also going to mention the CGI monster the main male protagonist encountered on his journey to find the "witch" - it was horrible, as were most of the other CGI monsters that would come later, and they were quite jarring. Well, I finished watching it because the mystery element and Lolita girls would not allow me to quit, although to be honest, it could have been much better. 4/10.

What is love about? According to the clear message in this show, it is mainly about the fact that the other person must respect you and accept you for who you are, with everything that belongs to you. That simple message alone, which is very true, deserves some points. I am also going to throw in more points because, in those moments when the main male protagonist really gets it together as a boyfriend, it also works as a respectable love story. The rest of it, however, is just more or less bad. Are some bishies supposed to be eleven-year-olds? Well, if we can have thirty-year-old or even eighty-year-old fake Lolita girls, sure. No, that is not how it works! Clearly, the anime's authors must have done it that way because if there were little shonen guys instead of bishies, it would not have worked as a show aimed at girls or as a love story. Unfortunately, this show feels rather ridiculous, and as SonGokussj wrote, the moment in school when the protagonists were surrounded by their peers, i.e., real little boys, felt rather strange. The comedy was another thing that did not work. The jokes are, of course, mainly based on the bishie and his bishie-like friends acting like the little boys they really are, and also their interactions with the main male protagonist. Unfortunately, the humor is mostly childish, infantile, and silly. The show goes to extremes far too often, and the jokes about virgins and the overuse of the word "wiener" were funny for maybe the first episode. However, it looks like it is going to ride a similar wave going forward, just with a few more weird fetishes thrown in (little Renren). So First Love Monster is not based on such a bad concept, and some girls and love story fans might like it. However, I feel disappointed and I am quitting this after the seventh episode. The childishness and stupidity have already definitely overpowered and dominated the show rather than any love story. Drop after episode seven and 3/10.

This show is kind of like Once Upon a Time... The Discoverers in the Japanese sense. This is a pretty cool, light educational anime series where you can meet some famous inventors, learn about how they made their discoveries, and pick up some scientific facts. A certain plotline, where we learn more or less why the main female protagonist travels through time and why a mysterious organization is searching for her father, underscores the show. As an idea, it is interesting, even though the execution is kind of meh. The main female protagonist is an energetic girl, although she mostly came across as rather silly, and none of the other characters impressed me in any significant way either. The mysterious subplot about time travel and the fact that someone is looking for the professor (the main female protagonist’s father) did not impress me in any way. I would also say there just was not much atmosphere, and it did not make me want to know the answers and care about the narrative. So I cannot say that I was particularly enthralled. However, it was somewhat interesting and pretty much easy to watch as well, so in my opinion, this is a bland and insipid, slightly weaker-than-average show. 4.7/10.

So, in the end, this was a very well-produced anime series that had a good atmosphere, a decent narrative, and interesting characters. Everything felt quite mature and serious. However, it is not a patch on The Godfather; it could have done with perhaps a bit more action and intrigue, something that would have created a stronger impression that would have led to me falling for it. However, that did not happen, even though it was still very good. 8/10.

So this time, the MADHOUSE animation studio did not let me down and Alderamin on the Sky is an interesting and likable show. The first episode did not have the thrilling pace that the title "stormy encounter" would suggest, although it pretty much captured exactly what happened there. There were some pretty interesting people, and while their hair color once again distinguishes them, they also have some pretty interesting personalities. The main male protagonist probably had the best effect on me of the bunch. Oh, and there was a storm. The opening was certainly intriguing; the introduction of the characters and the light outline of the setting was good. The animation and soundtrack were also very good. We get more and more acquainted with the characters throughout the season, especially with the main male protagonist. I found him incredibly endearing, and the laziness and cunning with which he manages to prevail and get his way with the minimum of effort are just very close to my heart, and I like it a lot. Plus, the speech he gave to the soldiers about how human laziness was the engine of progress was something I welcomed with enthusiasm. Ikta Solork is once again a very original character and, in my opinion, a very good one. Furthermore, the other characters are quite good too, and it is probably impossible not to like the tough cookie Yatori. Next, I have to mention the military strategies and battles, which I just loved as an avid strategy game player. So most of the stuff works very well, in my opinion, and I am curious to see if I am ever going to know where the narrative is going to go, as the final episode messed it up quite a bit. The princess's plan was indeed very surprising. I hope there will be a second season (although since it is produced by MADHOUSE, you never know), as the first season was really very good. 8.5/10.

Amanchu! is an anime series about the sea and the friendship between two girls. It is also about exploring a new life and discovering yourself. There are two girls, and each of the girls has a signature look, and there is some frankly stunning music on the soundtrack. After ten minutes, I recognized the anime's creator, the manga artist, because I have seen one of her anime series before, and I consider it one of my favorite shows. This time, I got an incredibly pleasant feeling of satisfaction and the desire to explore the world it is set in with the main female protagonist Hikari Kohinata. Although I should be disillusioned at how similar Kozue Amano's works are, I do not mind it at all. After all, when someone repeats themselves, it is not copying; it is simply their distinctive style, so there cannot be a problem with this show. I might have a problem with what I see as the anime creator's overuse of that cute element, i.e., the typical expressions of each character, in my opinion, in this anime series. So it loses a bit of uniqueness and effect compared to her previous work. I also miss the slightly mysterious touch that the narratives about the young gondolier Aria had. So, in the end, I think Amanchu! is not as good as Amano's previous work. Then there is Pikari, who is often criticized and sometimes even rated as unbearable. It may be so for some people, although she is not that bad, to be honest. Plus, I do not usually stop to watch a whole anime series just because of one character, especially when there are other more positive things to enjoy, like the atmosphere of the show and its soundtrack. In addition, I found the character of Pikari to be very important as she is a slightly exaggerated example of an energetic and carefree person, the perfect counterpart to Futaba. When I got to know Pikari better, I quite liked the energy of her craziness, free spirit, and simplicity. In my opinion, even with the crazy Pikari, the result is still a fairly praiseworthy show, and when asked if I would like to continue watching Amanchu! I answer "Let's-a-GO" because of its pleasant, nice atmosphere. 8/10.

I was quite intrigued by the first episode. I like post-apocalyptic settings, and in this show, the main male protagonist ("the junker") sneaks through the ruins of an abandoned city, picking through what has been left behind. It makes for a very enjoyable show. Plus, the introduction from Yumemi Hoshino, the main female protagonist's point of view, and the way they bring her into this setting, I thought that was pretty good too. Also, Yumemi is a cute robot girl who fulfills her purpose and has no idea what is happening around her, and this was very well done. At times I felt a heavy sadness and compassion for her, and I have to admit that it impressed me and worked. Oh, and SPOILER ALERT, that final moment when Yumemi turned around and took a step back made me really happy, so the conclusion worked too. END SPOILERS. If that were all, I would probably be very satisfied and call it a very good show, and perhaps in the rush of emotions, I would give it the highest rating. However, there were still four more episodes to go. I suspected that my feelings would change even though, in the end, I was quite satisfied with the other episodes as well. The second episode flowed well and was not bad; the third episode once again made me quite happy because the planetarium show was interesting and, in my opinion, really pleasant. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy the fourth episode very much and waited anxiously for the conclusion, some aspects of which were quite predictable. I have to say that although the fifth episode was quite emotional, it was not as strong as I would have expected from the Key visual novel studio. So Planetarian: The Reverie of a Little Planet is now over, and I quite enjoyed it. The setting was interesting, the narrative was pretty good, and the characters were also good, in my opinion. I enjoyed the tension/friction between the robot and the human (perception of the environment and interaction), and the way it was portrayed was also very respectable. I think it is simply commendable, and I would watch it again, at least for Yumemi Hoshino. 7.2/10.

Kawai's animated boys did not blow me away. However, I would have ignored the references if it was not so stupid, at least. These four minutes of my life were totally wasted and I am never getting them back. There were just a bunch of very peculiar characters, and I wondered, with a sour expression, what I should laugh at and what I should like about this. Plus, when I saw what the main male protagonist's escape from the security guards with swords looked like, I realized that I just did not want to watch something like that. That was not amusing; that was pathetic. This is not for me. Dropped after the first episode.

So predictable clichéd nonsense has now infected shoujo anime. The narrative and the plot, in general, are so obvious that they just could not surprise me. The atmosphere is so stupidly lacking that there is actually no atmosphere in the conclusion. The characters are so uninteresting they become irritating, and I found at least one of the gentlemen was downright insufferable. Well, the rest is Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers-style costumes, and the fight scenes are so dramatic I almost fell asleep. Dropped after the first episode.