Jeoffrey

I can see why the reviewer Scalpelexis likes The Millionaire Detective Balance: Unlimited and he was right, it is quite stylish and entertaining. A lot of this is down to the charisma and demeanor of the smooth, cool main male protagonist who has a technological arsenal that could rival James Bond, and who has a similar superpower to Batman's - he is extremely rich. I also liked the fact that I could watch the season in two halves, as the first half has a display of wealth showing it can get you almost anything and there is some larking around. The second half of the season is a convoluted case full of quite interesting and sometimes unexpected twists which means it does not become samey. I also appreciate that the characters are not stereotypical, and it is not that classic buddy cop thing where you use two different characters to bounce off each other resulting in their relationship helping them grow and changing them as people. Although these two characters do change a little, it is a natural process, so the character development (or transformation if you prefer) is more believable. Katou was not that impressive as Kambe's partner, he struck me as the straight-laced nice-guy detective who is a decent counterpart to the other main protagonist. That should have made sense, although I thought he was just unremarkable, a weaker link - and he was not that entertaining. I was not able to suspend my disbelief and just lose myself in the hilarious absurdity (which I have had absolutely no problems doing with other shows). For example, how the hell do you get from England to Japan in eighteen minutes, or how do you get a band from its gig onto a train full of pensioners in just a few minutes? Well, the paradoxes of time and distance are only the tip of the iceberg! I should not have to deal with that on a TV show, I know such paradoxes exist in other productions like the Bond movies, etc., however, in this show I thought there were just too many... When I look at it and think about how much I enjoyed it, I think that an above-average rating is quite fair really, the important points work for me and the things that bother me are basically secondary. When compared to the shows I have awarded 7/10 to recently, I decided on a fraction less. 6.5/10.

Deca-Dence is an adventurous anime series that tries to combine several interesting themes and ideas, yet ultimately fails by trying to do too much. It means that it does not go too deeply into any of the subject matter, and truth be told, I thought that even some of the basic elements did not really work very well. The beginning was pretty good, because the setting was really intriguing, and the moment when the moving fortress defeats the giant creature (a Gadoll) looked really cool. The twist at the end of the second episode got my attention. It was quite original and I was waiting to see if this added dimension would help or bury the show. I had my doubts and some reservations, such as the visual presentation of the robots and their world because they did not seem to quite fit in. What I did like was the way the relationships between the main characters gradually developed and the fact that the promo text’s assertion that the anime series would “shake up the whole world” was so true. However, can I say that it was an emotional rollercoaster ride? Well, not for me, I do not know about you. I watched most of this season with mild fascination, I accepted a lot of things going on and I was like, OK, however, I did not really get into it too much, it was not an immersive experience for me. Similarly, I did not feel much affinity with the characters, as likable as some of them were, I did not care about them, their problems did not really affect me... So, you would say that an anime series with such an interesting combination of different subject matter must be at least the kind of production that makes you think? Not really. In my opinion, this anime series has no sort of deeper insight, it almost has a very black and white view, and some of the moral and social dilemmas are admittedly far-fetched, yet not really explored from differing viewpoints. What is this show then? It is a show with some rather unfortunately under-developed albeit interesting ideas, without which it would actually be just a really mediocre show. However, it did not really bother or bore me and the attempt at some originality was appreciated, so I shall award it 6/10.

Diary of Our Days at the Breakwater is a delightful show. Sure, it is another anime series about girls who have their own little club (this time a recreational fishing club) and get up to all sorts of things, and everything is adorable, entertaining and educational - I have seen shows that attempted to do this a few times before, and I definitely consider this anime series one of the better of its type. I liked the make-up of the characters. I liked the execution of that transformation from "I definitely cannot fish" to "I like catching fish". I also commend the occasional ecological overtones. Likewise, one learns a bit about fishing and gets some of those basic tips and tricks. I just like this type of show where they show the good sides of a hobby, want to teach you something and look at the cause and effect. Well, if you like the overall atmosphere (accentuated by well-produced animation and soundtrack), then I think it is winning and the result is a most enjoyable show. 7/10.

This is a beautifully complex story, filled with lots of bittersweet emotions, nice pacing, interesting twists, and the gradual development of a large number of characters. The atmosphere of the show, delivering different moods where some moments are just beautiful, and sometimes there are also some sad moments, and even scenes that make us angry - it is just like what real life is supposed to be like. I thoroughly enjoyed every episode and I did not really care who it was focused on because there are so many interesting characters, and they have such complicated stories and there are the never-ending struggles of the individual protagonists, with, more often than not, themselves... The best thing about it is probably the simplicity and consistency ...the way everything happens, the quality of the workmanship that convinces me that things that happen in the show are completely believable. There are a lot of colorful rainbows, enchanting moments, and yet also a lot of heartache and suffering... I found the second season was also enchanting, and I am happy that I am finally watching the uncut story in all its complexity and ambiguity. I am happy to write a gushing review of so many wonderful, difficult, and complex characters. This is an awesome show, and along with the wonderfully chosen openings and endings, which evoke the right kind of welcoming, enchanting, and maybe even a bit of a thought-provoking atmosphere, I really enjoyed this and it is not just the ending that is making me look forward to the third season. This is an excellent adaptation, a wonderful season, and please, keep it up. 9.5/10.

What a ride! This is incredibly full of contrasts, beautiful, and also completely twisted, terrifying, painful, enchanting, and intense... It is really well produced, really emotional, and a really decent action movie. I feel like I have seen a lot in one movie and it will definitely resonate in me for a while. It is going to take me a long time to want to go on this ride again. Bondrewd was also a very interesting, entertaining yet totally twisted bastard. This is a must-see for fans of the Made in Abyss anime series hungry for a follow-up! Well as far as I am concerned,  I am blown away and I want more! 10/10 P.S. If you have the DVD version, then do not turn it off - after the credits, there are two more Marulk shorts.

This show has a great dark fantasy atmosphere, and the screenwriters do not hold back on some rather explicit elements to create a decent narrative with interesting scenes and ideas that make it a really good anime series. There are obvious comparisons with Berserk, and the creators of the show have not deviated from that formula. The world it is set in is quite charming and at the same time repulsive, the clear motivations of the characters lead to all sorts of more or less surprising outcomes... Each episode is named after one of the seven deadly sins, and they are produced ​​and elaborated on based on the title (sin) really well. The fans of the aforementioned Berserk are going to feel right at home, the story is fairly straightforward and it is easy to grasp what is going on. The whole narrative is actually uncomplicated, there is no deep philosophizing, just hints here and there, and the rest is just simply another epic journey... Due to the short running time, some scenes and changes feel a bit rushed although it does not seem to affect the narrative. At most, you will just be left wondering where all of a sudden some protagonist (or character) came from although you can usually figure it out in the end. The general concept of the show is an intriguing proposition, as is the character development. Please do not talk to me about the animation! I do not like CGI, and the first time I saw the dragon I turned purple and cursed Netflix and their obsession with 3D animation, which is rarely very good. Fortunately, the opening theme song calmed me down a bit, and I have to say that these opening credits are impressive and would put any fantasy anime movie or series to shame. In the end, I got over the CGI (I got even used to the new Berserk (2016) anime series, and their CGI and 3D character models were much worse), there are scenes where it looks pretty good (The Lich King, the use of magic), however, I remain unconvinced that this is the right direction for anime... On the whole, Dragon's Dogma is a successfully produced anime series, a tasty treat of a show for lovers of darker fantasy, a decent advertisement for the original game (which it is based on although it is not an adaptation), and I think an above-average experience. 7/10.

I regularly follow the news on MAL, and today I was intrigued by the announcement that this anime series is just a little short of achieving the position of (according to the reviewers on MAL) the worst animation the Land of the Rising Sun has ever produced. Its only real opposition is Vampire Holmes lying at the bottom of the pile, which, from my own brief experience, I completely understand... This is why I had to (il)logically watch this anime series, so I could try and understand, if only for a moment, the horror experienced by the audience, and why they found it the height of tastelessness. Now, I have seen three episodes and yes, I get it! What happens on screen is truly terrifying, it looks really weird and makes little sense. There are some short stories about some ninja warriors (shinobi) who fight off some new mysterious evil in each episode. Their origins are unknown, as are the origins of their (evil) adversaries, and there is a kind of "evil menace of the week" concept, and the narratives themselves are ridiculous, laughable, and somehow quite irritating at the same time. The style of the animation is also embarrassing. For example, in the second episode, it was difficult to decide who was the most terrifying and creepy one, the man at the window or the ninja at the end! This show creeps me out and is uncomfortable to watch, and as much as I want to laugh at its sheer ridiculousness I just cannot. Regarding the animation, it looks dated and worse than the oldest hentai or anime, and even the Vtuber with the cheapest crappiest production values looks more appealing and vibrant than this lousy deal. You get the feeling that what you are watching is really crappy, stupid, and ultimately pointless (well, there might be some kind of point to it if you followed it to the end of the season, which of course no normal person is going to do). This feeling comes probably almost immediately with the dark fog of the first episode, which just gets worse and by the third episode, you are praying for the torture to end. It is only for a few minutes per episode, and yet those minutes are endless! This is what I consider real garbage, and I just do not understand why people produce this crap, or why anyone would voluntarily want to watch it... Maybe at the end, you suddenly realize just how genius it was and my rating is therefore going to be proved unfair. Well, I just do not care, I cannot watch any more of it without risking dire consequences. Pupa level of trash!

If you liked the first season and you appreciate quality animation, and if you can enjoy the glitzy polished veneer, you will enjoy the second season. It is still visually charming. However, it is still just as obvious, sterile, and predictable story-wise. The only surprise is who ends up with who because the relationships seem to have no build-up without the series suggesting it or portraying anything. They simply seem just to happen. Therefore, most of it feels weird to me, like the ending of The Legend of Korra, and I do not care if it is about guys getting together with guys or girls with girls, as long as they build a believable and natural path to it. However, that does not happen in this show. So, I raised my eyebrows, asking "Where did that come from?". It also did not help this anime series that there was a month delay with the last episode, which broke the flow of the narrative because I forgot some of the connections, so maybe that affected my perception of the whole story. However, this was still an interesting and visually nice show with an average story about heroes. 7/10

The second season of this show is roughly as good as the first season, with the added bonus of a more coherent origins narrative slowly starting to take shape, as well as some new characters that are not completely pointless... However, I am going to criticize one thing - there is no point in adding an extra episode if it is just a completely mediocre recap where you learn virtually nothing new, that is just a waste of time! On the whole though, it is still slightly above average. 6.7/10.

In a world where every day of our lives is a struggle for survival, fate sometimes leads us to unexpected encounters and unlikely allies... To sum up, this is a real treat! The animation is captivating, the action scenes are breathtaking, and the best thing about it is definitely the soundtrack! This is very well produced, it has a deep and interesting narrative and does not even need to use words. I did not stop for breath and binged it in one go, and I enjoyed every episode - every fight scene, every heartfelt scene...  Sure, it is quite far-fetched in places, and the Neanderthal caveman has abilities that would put even Legolas and the Hulk both to shame, which just makes it cooler and sometimes even laughable... A great experience. 9.2/10.