Jeoffrey

I avoid certain kinds of anime because they're just not my thing, and mecha is one of them. Robots that fight and “go boom" don’t impress me any longer, and there are only a few exceptions to the genre that I've given a chance and even fewer that have really grabbed my attention. With most mecha anime I’m either put off by the trailer, or I drop the series after having seen the first episode because I just fail to see the appeal... I'm also rarely influenced by someone's recommendation. I usually form my own opinion. In this case, however, I was already intrigued by the trailer, and like Gigguk, an anime YouTuber, I noticed the excellent animation of the robots which is very detailed and almost doesn't rely on a computer at all. Gigguk even made me believe that this could really be the Gundam that will attract anime fans who know nothing about it. The story seems to stand apart from the whole crazy Gundam storyline. Gigguk hyped this series so intensely based on the trailer that I decided to give it a try (3-episode rule). The prologue came out well in advance, which gave me a better idea of the show, and I was hooked. The excellent suspenseful prologue introduces the setting and immediately raises serious moral dilemmas that the series is going to tackle. It made me believe that there would be something besides the big fighting robots - something that would keep me interested and make me enjoy the show. It only seemed that way, though. The very next episode, that is, episode one, is already quite different from the prologue. It looks like a standard "special academy", only this time with big robots. The problems that I expected to be solved here are tackled by students. I expected this weird combination to fall apart quickly. I didn’t think I’d find it convincing that a bunch of students could make a difference in a complex society ruled by powerful corporations. And yeah, sometimes it doesn't really work for me, for example when a bunch of students start their own company that immediately becomes a powerful player on the market – you have to take it with a massive pinch of salt. On the other hand, it does hold together and delivers what I expected from the series, i.e., ambiguous and complex problems (moral, social, psychological...) and some similarly complex and thought-provoking answers and solutions that are far from black and white. Some of the situations are done for effect, but the authors manage to pull them off, and I found many scenes truly moving and memorable (such as the ending of the first season). What I found striking were the main characters. It's not just their interactions with each other and their budding relationship, but also their individual personalities. I can’t tell you if I agree with Meon, another YouTuber, that this is "Utena in space" because I haven't seen Utena, but the chemistry between the two protagonists and the gradual and natural development of their relationship, including all the sticks the characters throw under each other's feet, is something I find endearing. I also quickly grew fond of Suletta. This girl clearly can't communicate with people very well, and I really enjoy watching her develop, try to make her dreams come true at school, and gradually overcome various obstacles that life has in store for her. The series is also very good in terms of animation. Unexpectedly, I even had fun watching the big robot fights and all the effects around them. They do have a certain atmosphere and drive. Plus, the visuals are often truly gorgeous and unforgettable (like the ending of the first standard episode). The music isn't bad either, and I liked the opening. I never thought I’d say this, but I'm really enjoying Gundam and looking forward to the second season in April 2023. While it’s not perfection like Code Geass or Gurren Lagan, it’s a very strong 4* for me.

I really enjoyed the second season and found it even more thrilling and interesting than the first. I was hooked a few minutes into the first episode when everything got so wonderfully messed up. It’s a hell of a ride that doesn't let up until the very end. The stakes are high throughout, the story is wonderfully epic and doesn’t fail to surprise you, the characters are well-developed and it’s full of excellent humor. Sure, I could complain about the use of several plot clichés typical of fantasy stories (you know exactly what's going to happen at certain points), or the poorly animated dragons that sometimes look oddly artificial, but I’m not going to because all the plot clichés work exactly as they’re supposed to, and the dragons do look scary in the right moments. Everything works as it should, the fights are intense, and the setting is imaginative (I was really impressed by the strange magical realm that we were offered a peek into). Even the music is great so I can’t go below 9/10 and I'm looking forward to the next season.

Quite a nice short film on the theme of "childhood friends growing up." It's nice to watch and the accompanying music tries its best to add emotion and does a good job of it as far as I’m concerned. I can picture this as a decent trailer for a mediocre film full of clichés about the relationship between two childhood friends (boy and girl) and its (un)expected development. It didn’t hit me emotionally as much as, say, The Dog & the Boy I saw a week ago, so only a 6/10.

This short film from Netflix and animation studios Production I.G and WIT about a boy who finds a robotic dog in a junkyard is unique in that its backgrounds were all created by artificial intelligence. What this means in practice is that apart from the dog, the boy, and a few other things that move around, everything else was computer-generated. And it looks very good, almost amazing. Plus, the story itself is well-written and emotional, despite its simplicity. All in all, it’s an interesting piece of work that shows that even though animation will be more and more in the hands of computers in the future, there's probably not much to worry about. Available to watch here (official Netflix Japan YouTube channel). 8/10

For the first twenty minutes or so, I felt as if I was just watching another episode of the series. The only thing that convinced me that this was actually a movie was the slightly better animation and the much more forceful and expressive music. The rest of it was basically just the usual teasing I've seen plenty of before without anything new to significantly move the story or the main couple's relationship anywhere. Sure, there was some palpable uneasiness at times, arising from the fact that this was their last summer vacation together in junior high, but it was projected more onto the story of the secondary characters. Things changed when the white kitten suddenly appeared. The story became much more interesting with lots of nice moments and slightly sadder ones. Most importantly, the central couple's relationship started to develop. There were some powerful and charming romantic moments that made everything very enjoyable for me. You could argue that the story around the white kitten was very simple and quite transparent, and it was clear how the authors wanted to impress the viewer and how it all would end. But it was a success, and I was moved at times, with a smile on my face most of the time, so it worked perfectly for me. Even the Sanae subplot worked for me, and I also enjoyed its denouement. All in all, it was a pleasant watch, an enjoyable hour or so that was nicely accentuated by the post-credits scene. So, for fans of Teasing Master Takagi-san, a must-watch that will both please and make you excited for the next and probably final part of the series that is hopefully coming soon. 7.5/10

I am not familiar with the original Critical Role American web series. However, having played Dungeons & Dragons often with friends, I had no problem diving into this streaming television series. It is a very good fantasy adventure with just enough humor and suspense to keep me glued to the screen and not get bored for even a second. It has a well-thought-out and surprising narrative, the characters are interesting and captivating, yet no one outright steals the whole show for themselves. They are all charming in their own way. The advantage of DnD-based fantasy adventures is that players can often come up with original and unexpected solutions to the problems the "Dungeon Master " has prepared for them while playing. Some of them have obviously made their way into the show, so you get a respectable amount of originality in addition to the tried-and-true fantasy adventure subplots that appear in this show as well. The beginning is great; the journey of a disparate bunch of very extravagant male protagonists to achieve glory was really enjoyable and full of many funny moments and hilarious lines. The second part revolving around Percy's revenge was much more typical with some expected twists; however, it was still well crafted enough for me to enjoy it all. I am happy with this show, and I am looking forward to more travels with this bunch. 8.4/10.

Chainsaw Man has been such a wildly popular manga and hyped anime right from the beginning that I've heard and read so many opinions about it like I haven’t heard about any other series this season, this year, and probably in the fourteen years that I've been watching anime. Its popularity can be proven simply by looking at MAL, where it may not have become the best anime of the season by score (because the new season of Bleach has undeniable qualities, too, as well as an already established and devoted fanbase), but now that the first season is over, it is just a few steps away from a million viewers, a benchmark that many series never reach, some only months or years after being released. Hype is real! And I’m proud of myself for being able to avoid spoilers and watching it blind. Anyway, I do agree with a lot of what its devotees have said, just as I can see a few flaws that the critics have pointed out. So where do I stand? I get all the hype, I have enjoyed much of what I have seen, but I have not yet fallen in love with the series. I'm happy to watch the next season, I even wonder what surprises the writers have in store, but it’s not like I want to go and read the manga right now. In some ways, it has left me cold. Why? Let me start with the reasons that prevented me from giving the series a 5*. Most importantly, it’s the characters. There are some interesting characters here, who are certainly well fleshed out thanks to which I can understand them even in situations where others might not. But do I really like any of these characters and is there anyone with whom I strongly resonate? Unfortunately, my answer at the moment is no. My favorite character in the entire first season of Chainsaw Man is Pochita! And I'll go even further and say outright that the best episode that really worked for me emotionally and that I would easily give a 5* was the first one. It's because it's a lovely story about two tragic souls finding each other, a story of a deep friendship between a boy and a dog that managed to move me and evoke a strong emotional response. No other episode has surpassed that or even come close. Sure, there are some pretty powerful moments, but none of them actually got to me. I only felt slightly emotionally stirred today at the beginning of the twelfth episode, when a  character was remembered by someone who I believed had a really strong relationship with them, which gave all that reminiscing a better and more striking ending. Well, yeah, but the actual death of this major character, when it happened, hardly affected me at all. Nor am I able to relate to most of the characters. I feel too old for Denji and his motivations however well I understand them. There’s been a huge red flag with Makima for me since the second episode. This woman strikes me as an extremely dangerous and unscrupulous manipulator, one that I would stay away from, unlike many others (I simply wouldn't trust a woman who would immediately want to wrap me around her finger so tightly). Power is funny and she likes cats, but she's still a selfish demon who'll ditch you if it's in her best interest. Admittedly, it gives her a lot of room for future development, but she doesn't impress me much right now. Plus, like Genji, she's not the sharpest pencil in the box. Aki's pretty cool, but his backstory and motivations seem like the biggest cliché of all so far, and I almost wonder if he was originally supposed to be the main character, but then Fujimoto strategically put him on the back burner. I found Himeno somewhat likable, but I definitely need more time to establish a stronger bond. Well, and Kobeni? I still have no clue what to think of Kobeni, but there was at least one moment when she literally got on my nerves... So much for my current take on most of the important characters. It's quite possible that this is exactly how it's supposed to be, the author intended it this way and will work with it, but it just doesn’t feel right to me now, and it affects my overall impression and interest... But I have only watched the first part, so I definitely plan on giving everyone another chance, and the issue I have with the series might go away. Another shortcoming that a user here has pointed out, and which I've also noticed, are the occasional problems with pacing. The creators try to effectively stretch out some scenes, but it slows down the pace. Other times they step on the gas too much, negatively affecting the flow of the plot. It's not drastic, and I do understand the creative intent almost every time, but then again, I find it rather distracting sometimes. I guess that sums up the negatives, so let's focus on what was so powerful, skillfully done, and great about Chainsaw Man that a 3-star rating is out of the question. Let me start with the most outstanding aspect, which is the animation and the creativity of the camera work. The animation is excellent. I don't necessarily agree with the opinion that this is the very best of 2022 (the top of animation this year is still the second season of Demon Slayer), but Chainsaw Man is definitely up there in the top 10. To put it in perspective – if the animation in Demon Slayer is 10/10 during certain moments, in Chainsaw Man it is 9-9.5/10 during certain moments. The same goes for the use of CGI. It's excellent, but it's still missing something compared to the very top of what I've seen. It’s about one point short of a perfect experience. What is excellent and worth 10/10 is the camera work. For example, it's probably the first time I've repeatedly seen an absolutely brilliant use of a character’s POV, and it gives the series something truly original. Also, the fights, and especially the movement in them, are wonderfully captured. It has energy, it’s powerful and playful. Another thing I really enjoyed and I’ve come to love is the concept of the world and its use of fear as a kind of measure of power. Plus, the fact that "there are demons who are the personification of fear, but because they are fear personified, they, too, can be afraid of something..." seems pretty cool, and Fujimoto works with it in an interesting way. It's not just material things that scare people (like guns, spiders, bats...), but also various abstract notions like the future, and time. It makes me curious as to how this amazing concept will be further used in this work. I’ve kept the story itself as the last point. I find it intriguing, I want to know what happens next and I even have some idea of where it might go next, though I haven't seen enough to be sure. Hopefully, I can keep avoiding spoilers. Now that the show is out it might be easier. After all, the hype will surely die down a little over time until they announce the second season... I strongly disagree with some critics of this anime who say that it has a lot of holes. From what I've seen so far, most of it makes sense to me. I can apply logic and reasoning to the rest, so it does work as a whole. I don't see any major holes, and regarding the possible minor ones, I trust the story to patch them up, which has already happened in some cases. To sum up, let me use an analogy - Chainsaw Man is like a smart, good-looking woman I didn't get bored with on the first date, but I just didn’t feel a spark. I'll definitely go on a second date with her, it might work out, or we might just stay friends, but even those are pretty high on my list of priorities... 8/10

The story of how a boy is lost and meets a mole, a fox, and a horse, and they start philosophizing together on their way home, and if they haven't frozen to death, they are still out there philosophizing... The authors seem to have been given the task of cramming as much life wisdom and deep thoughts as they could into thirty minutes, and they didn't really bother with the fact that for an idea to have power, there needs to be some sort of context and background. Half of the life lessons that are spoken here are kind of random and have no effect on me as a viewer. It’s a short film that tries terribly hard to sell me as much as possible in a limited space, but it doesn't do a very good job of it, although the themes it wants to discuss are certainly very interesting and powerful. The filmmakers just shoot them at me and, sadly, most of them fail to hit the mark. Plus, due to all the philosophizing, there's not much time to build the story itself, so it feels very shallow, as do all the supposedly strong relationships between the characters we're supposed to believe in and who are supposed to speak to us emotionally, which, unfortunately, doesn't really happen much. What I definitely consider a positive is the gorgeous animation and great score. But, in combination with the above, it’s not enough to make this more than a mediocre experience for me. 5/10

The last season of Utawarerumono is a pretty decent ending to the series, finally giving some meaning to the previous season (False Faces) which I wasn't exactly thrilled with. It also ties everything back to the first season pretty well. I quite enjoyed the opening part where there was a lot of fighting. It sort of felt like a cheaper and more boring Kingdom in a fantasy world, but for a lover of clashes between large armies combined with a bit of politics in the background, it was pretty good. The second half was the finale itself. On the one hand, it was a decent ending to most of the storylines that provided some rather satisfying answers, especially to many of the questions I've had in my head since Season 2. On the other hand, it dragged on incredibly, and it felt like the series didn't know when to end. It’s a long time since I’ve seen so many final confrontations in a row in one series. One danger was averted only for another to arise right after that, and then another, and then another, and then... SPOILER The villain is defeated, only for it to turn out that someone else was pulling the strings, who in turn is defeated only to get the wrong idea and come back even scarier than before, and when he is defeated, danger comes from a completely unexpected direction, twice in a row – all of which happens in the space of about ten episodes. END OF SPOILER It makes you feel as if you're watching a fight in a shōnen where the villain won’t be defeated and keeps getting back up. It sounds cool, but it gets increasingly frustrating. Each time you think to yourself that it might finally be over, it never is... But I finished it anyway, it was an OK series, a decent ending to the whole Utawarerumuno. The great first season would have been enough for me, though. It is probably the only part I'd be happy to rewatch in the future. 6/10

Honestly, I expected this to be much crazier. After all, a lot more could have been squeezed out of a story with such an odd cast of characters in my opinion. I also expected to laugh considerably more often. But still, there were some funny jokes, I liked the girls quite a bit, and even though the animation was rather weaker, I don't regret the time spent with this series. 6/10