Jeoffrey

A simple and likable short film with very nice animation and background music, on a somewhat clichéd theme about a shy girl opening up to the outside world through an encounter with the supernatural. I liked how it was handled, even with such a short running time. 7.5/10

Is it because of COVID that there are so many pharmacies in anime lately? Anyway, this series has a certain appeal to it. The main character has noble and, thanks to a good backstory, understandable goals. His opponents are not just any old ordinary monsters but tuberculosis, plague, and other diseases that do, in fact, look quite terrifying. Plus, the authors also show how society reacts, be it positively or negatively, to all the changes in pharmaceuticals and medicine, as well as the appearance of a strange boy with very special abilities. We also get to see the various anti-epidemic measures in practice. I do get why some people might like this strange isekai concept. Unfortunately, I wasn’t impressed by it, perhaps because medicine has never been an area of interest for me, or because I didn't find it thrilling enough. It wasn't a bad show, but not more than a 6/10.

It was short and maybe even silly, but it often had me laughing. I was even moved a little in the final episode. Most importantly, it won me over with its exuberance, energy, and likable characters. 7/10

The protagonist is a kind of a moron, so I figure that he probably deserves his troubles as well as the crazy harem of girls who would fight to the death over him (and maybe even want to kill him). It's probably the first time I don't envy the protagonist one bit. On the other hand, I also have admiration for Shuu. He's an interesting example of what a man is willing to sacrifice to learn the truth about his family. I also wonder if the final revelation was really worth it. Anyway, the story wasn't that bad, it had some compelling ideas and interesting twists. On the other hand, things sometimes got so illogical that I had to take it with a massive pinch of salt to make it to the end. Some situations were quite transparent, for example, when it was mentioned in the show that there was a traitor among those around the main character, I just smiled to myself and immediately knew who it was. The characters didn’t really do it for me. The girls aren’t very likable, plus, they seem rather dangerous. Apart from them, there’s nobody interesting or particularly memorable, except for the weird Mikhail perhaps. I didn’t understand how he could be put in charge of anything, let alone protecting the city. What I find excellent about the series, thanks to the A-1 Pictures animation studio, was the visuals and the fights, which were the main reason why I kept watching the show. It was the animation that made me give this below-average series a slightly higher rating. 5/10

Lycoris Recoil is simply a nice show. There are plenty of likable characters and an action-packed plot, and it's all wrapped in gorgeous visuals that prove that A-1 Pictures has still got it. The music isn’t bad, either. Unlike others, I don't see this as the anime version of “John Wick in a skirt.” The fact that there's a mysterious organization of assassins that has its corpse cleaners and that the main character is more dangerous than an entire SWAT team is just a minor and inconsequential coincidence. On the other hand, there are probably some of the best and most entertaining shootouts and fights I've seen in anime this year. As I said, A-1 Pictures did a very decent job indeed, and the movement of the characters in battle, and the way the camera skillfully captures it, is a real treat. Of course, the show has its flaws. Gun and ammo experts must be tearing their hair out at the sight of ammunition going through almost every material object except people and their clothes. As a layman, I am unfazed. The biggest appeal for me, besides the fights, were definitely the characters. The two protagonists were extremely likable and had great chemistry, so it really worked as a great buddy series. I especially liked Chisato. She's exactly the kind of energetic and crazy girl full of life that I love in anime as well as in life. This is why her story and emotions worked for me, although it was obvious that there would be a more serious plot right from the moment when it was explained why Chisato can dodge bullets. Mika and Yoshi were great characters, too. Their relationship and secrets were portrayed in an interesting way that made me understand them. Similarly, Majima as the main villain had something going for him, and while it took me a while to make sense of all his motivations, I did get to like him as a character. The concept of helping ordinary people in need is another reason why Lycoris Recoil is a nice show. 7.8/10

A pretty average isekai that is neither impressive nor terrible. There are some things I quite liked and some that were not so great. What I consider a plus is the main character who probably has the most personality of all the new isekai protagonists this season, and he's just a likable guy who isn't that excited by the harem that's formed around him. Wait until he faces a strong opponent, though. Speaking of which, I also liked the choice of the final antagonist in the last episode, where it finally felt, at least for a moment, like two equals confronting each other. At least it had some energy and made more sense than when the protagonist was so bored that he had to create opponents for himself (a shoutout to the local bunch of heroes). It sure is tough to be OP... I was quite intrigued as to why the hero was this powerful, what he was willing to sacrifice for his strength, and if it would have any effect on the rest of the story. I also cannot but admire him for being able to convince a goddess to ditch her duties and become his guide and part of his harem. Another thing that got me intrigued was the background story. What the writers only started to reveal towards the end concerning the neighboring kingdom could make for quite an interesting story in a potential next season. The rest of it wasn't as entertaining. There were too many clichés for my taste, mostly ones that I find boring (a demon princess, an onee-chan character, etc.). I also wasn’t impressed by most of the fights, especially the use of CGI in them, which, while not the worst I've seen in anime, still left a lot to be desired. The music is barely noticeable. As for the supporting characters, the one that I found most relatable was the only man here, Gerard. As I said, it’s not amazing but not bad either. 5/10

It’s quite likely that you'll question whether Ao Ashi is worth watching during the first couple of episodes. There’s something, or rather someone, that you might find very annoying. The main character doesn’t make a very good first impression. In fact, he could be summed up as "Asta from Black Clover playing soccer". Aoi is loud, overconfident, extremely emotional – simply unbearable. On the other hand, the show does an impressive job of portraying soccer. There are many great shots of the game, and I immediately took a liking to Coach Fukuda, who decides to give Aoi a chance because he sees his undeniable talent. I’m sure you’ll be able to see this talent and what makes the protagonist special, too, though you may wonder how it will be used in the story. You might not like how dramatic the opening is at first, and you might find a lot of the emotionally charged, loud scenes to be exaggerated. However, in the context of relationship building, it makes sense and actually works. If you don't drop the series, you'll be rewarded and your overall impression will gradually improve until you become convinced, like me, that Ao Ashi is an excellent sports anime worth looking forward to. How did the writers achieve this? First of all, by having the main character face reality, letting him fall flat on his face a couple of times, and having everyone around him, coaches as well as teammates, confront him with new problems and his own mistakes from which he gradually learns until everything falls into place and you'll grow to like the kid and his transformation. Aoi's story is excellently written, perfectly capturing the hero's ups and downs. Aoi’s growth and development feel very convincing. The atmosphere in the team is also wonderfully handled. There is mistrust and discord stemming from different motivations and approaches to the game, but also logical compromise and teamwork to achieve a common goal. There's also strategizing on the part of the coaches, a good demonstration of the work involved in raising young people who “have to figure it out for themselves, but sometimes they need a little push." The coaches themselves are also excellently portrayed. They are struggling to do their best and sometimes questioning themselves, too. The best character of the whole series for me is definitely coach Date Nozomi, who is an excellent version of Snape. Both character development and team development are great, and even the supporting characters are given enough room to be engaging and show us their importance for the story. But that's not all. The depiction of the matches is also great, and the series perfectly builds up the tension, especially concerning the last match of the season, where it doesn't forget to introduce the opponent, and escalates the tension between the teams (on several fronts), so you really get the impression that it’s a big deal and a climax of the whole series so far. Yūgo Kobayashi obviously knows a lot about soccer. You can tell by the individual shots of the pitch, the use of familiar strategies, or dropping famous soccer names, but also the analyses and insights that the supporting characters have while watching the game. And this is where it differs from Love All Play. The series either shows you the whole thing first and then explains it in quite a bit of detail (so that even a layman can understand it), or it uses on-the-fly analysis of the situation, with the main character sketching out a plan in his head, quickly explaining it and making it happen. These moments are a delight to watch and feel like highlights from soccer matches complete with an analysis from an expert. The animation is also great. For example, the last opening has some absolutely amazing shots such as the one inside the goal in the first few seconds. All in all, Ao Ashi keeps on getting better, becoming a really great show in the end. I believe it has a lot more to offer in the future, and I look forward to a potential next season. The fact that Aoi starts off as a "whiny kid" is great for character development. The room for improvement is very large, and the potential is used very well. After the first season, I’m giving it 8/10. If there is a second season and if it keeps up the trend, it could soon turn into a five-star experience.

Love All Play is not a very good sports series as it fails in several key aspects. Not even the excellent last two episodes, which are proof that the creators still have got what it takes, managed to save the final impression. So, what's the problem? One of the important aspects of any sports anime is how well it introduces and depicts the sport in question. As for badminton in this series, we don’t get to see much of the game itself, and not much is shown of the exchanges between the two opponents apart from the last two episodes. We get to see the shuttle only when it’s going toward a player who either hits or misses it, followed by a cut to the other side of the court, showing the same situation. There are hardly any exchanges taken from the side of the court, from the top, or even a view from behind either of the players, which makes the game choppy and boring. It makes sense – animating a sequence in which the shuttle flies from one side to the other and the players have to move in reaction to it is complicated and expensive. It's just that when most of the badminton matches look dull and worse than the ones in Hanebado! or Salaryman's Club, it's not a very good look. Another important thing that a sports anime should master is the atmosphere of the matches and tournaments. This is where the show fails spectacularly. Most of the matches take place off-screen, 90% of the tournament is reduced to saying something like "All right, we made it to the semifinals..." with not even a single shot or a stupid montage showing the way to the top. You get just a couple of shots from a match (the quality of which I've already discussed) and a bunch of bullshit from supporting characters who are trying to describe all those cool things that are happening on the court. It's a similar problem to the dancing in Ballroom e jókoso - you don't get to see any actual dancing, just a few almost static shots, with everyone around raving about how breathtaking it is. I don’t like this lazy and economical approach to storytelling that kills the atmosphere, doesn't build tension, and is just plain boring! The budget seemed to have been bigger for the last episode, and you can really tell the difference. Another thing that a sports anime should handle well is the introduction of the main character, his motivation, and his gradual rise to the very top. You need a reason to root for the main character and want to experience the journey with him. There’s not even that. First of all, I hate to say this but Mizushima is extremely dull. He doesn’t seem to have a strong desire to win, and the only time I could root for him was in the last episode. And there's not much character growth either, just the occasional obstacle that is overcome by saying that everything is OK, we just need to concentrate better and, ideally, go for a run. When the hero's main rivals on the team seem more interesting than the hero himself, it's not a good sign. Sadly, most of the secondary characters aren't particularly fleshed out either, and nothing very interesting happens around them. All too often, you just don't care what's happening on screen. Perhaps the only exception is Macuda's determination in the last but one episode. There are far too many characters surrounding the main character and terribly few characters opposing him. You only learn the bare minimum about his rivals from other schools. On the other hand, given how the matches are presented and how quickly they pass, it’s not really necessary to know more. You don’t even find out that much about the characters around the main character. They mostly serve as commentators of supposedly epic moments happening on the court... The only thing I liked about the whole series was the head coach, who was the only one who got enough space to convince me that he knew what he was doing. Konpei the cat was also great as Ramune, giving probably the best performance on the set... The animation wasn’t anything special, corners were cut wherever possible. The music didn't impress me either. What was also unfortunate for the show is that it was aired at the same time as Ao Ashi, which does most of the above well and gets better with each new episode. This, on the other hand, was a constant supply of boredom, and the only improvement came at the very end. I did manage to make it to the end, and the last few episodes were at least a small demonstration of an average sports anime, but on the whole, I’m giving it a 4/10.

I had my doubts about the second season of Shadows House at first. The show revealed what I thought were the biggest secrets of the whole series in the first season, so there was a danger of it no longer being interesting. I had an idea of what direction the story would take and what would happen, and the second season was very slowly heading in that direction. After seeing the initial slow pace, my fears of becoming bored started to grow. Fortunately, the writers had much more in store than just the gradual build-up of future Resistance. They came up with more interesting facts about the setting, introduced important new characters in the children's wing, including their complex interactions with each other, and slowly set the stage for the seemingly ordinary mystery that was to be solved. I was still apprehensive, not sure if the whole phantom thing was strong enough to carry the whole season. I was wrong because the last few episodes were excellent and intense, the eleventh one being a five-star emotional blast. The creators have managed to make the most of very little. Everything is handled very well. The direction is clearly set, but a lot is left to be discovered, not just about new characters who shuffle the cards around, but about the whole weird house and how exactly it works. Despite a slightly weaker start, the series has a lot to offer. The writers know how to work with atmosphere, they know how to escalate things perfectly, and everything is well thought out. The series kept me interested and even literally drew me in at the end. I'm much more curious about what happens next now than I was after the end of the first season. I’m not saying the second season was better, it's more of an even match for me. 7.5/10

Oh, I know what this is – it's "Vivyolet Loligarden"! They’re little girls who are kind of robots and the only thing they used to know is how to fight. They are looking for their place in a new peaceful society, and someone thought it was a good idea to include a lot of singing. Honestly, it worked for me at first. All it takes is a bunch of cute little girls doing cute things, and a decently written sad story (or backstory) for me to be entertained and moved at the same time. The opening was nice, and the emotional aspect really worked for me. I found all the girls likable, so it’s 4 stars without question. The singing gradually got a bit tedious, though, there was just too much of it for my taste. It isn't always a bad thing, I did enjoy Healer Girl last season, which was practically a musical. The problem with the singing here was that it failed to affect me emotionally and didn't really appeal to me musically either. Another thing I wasn’t crazy about was the main story that started developing in the background, only to take the lead in the finale. I found it pretty transparent. I kind of knew where it was all going, what the writers were going to say, and how it would end. The most pleasant surprise was when I realized who Haizakura actually was. I certainly wouldn't have guessed that. The finale is a bit too much of a tearjerker, but it worked, I was moved, and I finished watching the show with a really pleasant feeling about it all. 6.5/10