- Last OnlineJul 31, 2020 12:43 AM
- GenderFemale
- BirthdayAug 30, 2000
- LocationDWMA
- JoinedApr 21, 2020
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Apr 30, 2020
This anime was one of my earliest watched, and maybe my first when it came to the slice of life genre. Having read the manga first, I can say that the anime followed it extremely well.
Story: (6/10)
The story follows the shenanigans of a group of eccentric high school girls. Though it is a slice of life anime, there is no major story progression besides following the girls' journey through their high school years; even when events do occur, they are the most basic things you would expect high school anime characters to do--sports & culture festivals, school trips, going to a summer home, preparing for
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college. Even compared to other slice of life anime, this show seems to be lacking in the story department and instead keeps its focus on the interactions between the students, which are very comedy-centered. If you prefer an anime with a central conflict, I would suggest you look elsewhere.
Art: (5/10)
The art in this anime is not bad. However, it is not great, either. If I had to describe it in one word, it would be "plain". The backgrounds are not detailed (practically nonexistent in some shots), and the character designs are very basic in comparison to other anime. Character expressions are often exaggerated for comedic effect--and when I say often, I mean very. Often. You probably see characters with wild expressions on their faces more often than their normal look--or at least, that's what it feels like. While I usually prefer anime with more unique and detailed art styles, this simplistic style was not severe enough to bother me too much when it came to my enjoyment of the anime.
Sound: (6/10)
There's not very much to say about this category. The soundtrack was good, but nothing special, and the same can be said for the voice acting (English dub) as well as the opening and ending music.
Character: (7/10)
All of the characters have very differing personalities, but not much to speak of in the way of character development. Since not much occurs story-wise, there isn't much opportunity for it. However, they were still enjoyable to watch! Since this anime focuses so heavily on simple interactions between characters rather than actual plot, the perceptions the characters give off are very important to how well the anime is enjoyed. You have the smart one, the obnoxious one, the quiet one, the downright strange one, and many others. My personal favorites would have to be either Sakaki or Chiyo.
Enjoyment: (8/10)
While simple in many regards, I still very much enjoyed this anime! Its exaggerated comedy was effective and I found myself laughing often.
Overall: (7/10)
Honestly, my rating for this section would probably have been lower had my enjoyment of it not been as high. The enjoyment category of my reviews is probably the greatest influence on its overall rating, and I did enjoy this anime! However, I can admit that while an anime can still be enjoyable, that does not mean it does well in all categories, and some, like art style and story, could definitely use a bit improvement.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Apr 29, 2020
This Studio Ghibli movie is very unlike the other movies Ghibli has produced, but this is not a bad thing! By the description, it may seem like a very strange movie (a girl being taken off to a cat kingdom to marry a cat prince?!), but if you give it a chance, The Cat Returns is a VERY cute film! I have not seen its counterpart, Whisper of the Heart, so I cannot make any judgements on this film according to its predecessor.
Story: (7/10)
The story stands out among the other Ghibli films as one of the weirder ones, but they pull it off very well!
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It is not overly complex; one could argue that the story is actually very simple, but unless you strictly prefer films with complicated settings and storylines I would say this does not stop it from being an enjoyable movie to watch. It has a meaningful message about being true to the person you are.
Art: (7/10)
The art in this movie is noticeably different compared to other Studio Ghibli movies, but mostly in its character designs. The human characters appear more like traditional anime characters than Studio Ghibli. It is a very cute style, suitable for this particular movie since it is does not explore themes that are as serious as other Ghibli movies.
Sound: (8/10)
The soundtrack to this movie is very good, as peppy and upbeat as its characters are! From the background music to the credits song, they all help bolster the good vibes this movie is trying to give off. And in the middle of the film, there is a lovely dance sequence with very pretty music to go along that highlights the film's score. I watched the English dubbed version of the film, which is very well-acted, and each character has their own distinct voice that suits them incredibly well.
Character: (7/10)
The characters in this movie were enjoyable to watch. You have your traditional plucky young protagonist, Haru, who feels like an outcast among her peers. She is a bit of a damsel in distress--which is a different approach to a female character than Ghibli usually takes--but that does not make her unlikable (I personally can appreciate a damsel in distress trope every so often, I admit it). She is aided primarily by Muta, Baron, Toto, and Yuki. This film does not go much into depth with these characters' backstories, but they still remain lovable characters due to their distinguishable personalities and how they interact with one another.
Enjoyment: (9/10)
This movie is probably one of the Ghibli movies I enjoy the most. Whether or not it is the best is debatable, but it remains a fun film that leaves you with a good feeling after watching. Something to watch if you are ever feeling down and just looking for a simple feel-good story to pass the time.
Overall: (8/10)
This movie was a lighthearted adventure film with a great message: "Always believe in yourself. Do this and no matter where you are, you have nothing to fear." It does not go as in depth with the backstory of its setting or characters, but it is not meant to. It's just a simple family film! It's cute, it's funny, and it's one of my personal favorites of the Ghibli films.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Apr 24, 2020
I may be biased about this show since it's one of the first ones I ever watched, but Soul Eater has been and continues to remain one of my favorite anime. Here's why.
Story: (8/10)
I have heard people complain about the Soul Eater anime because it leaves out a great deal from the manga, but as someone who has not read the manga, I am judging what I have seen from the anime, not what it was based on. The plot of this show is very linear; there are hardly any filler episodes. Even episodes that feel like fillers in the beginning end up relating to
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the main plot in some way, however insignificant. The pacing of the show is done well; even though most episodes relate to the main storyline, it doesn't feel fast-paced. Some conflicts/battles take multiple episodes to resolve (and though this may sound boring, it works really well, trust me). The story has just the right mix of action and mellow moments that I never felt bored or overwhelmed. I was going to give this section a 9 rather than an 8, but I must admit I was a bit dissatisfied by the ending, which is why I bumped it down. While the show paces itself well overall, the same cannot be said for the ending. It ends up being much too out of nowhere and feels very out of place for the overall tone of the anime (I believe I heard the manga does it better, but as I said, I have not read the manga). But the journey it took to get to the ending was so good, it makes up for whatever occurred in its final episodes.
Art: (9/10)
Soul Eater has an art style that is very pleasing to the eye. Each character has their own unique appearance that makes them stand out from the others, and yet all the character designs as well as the settings mesh so well together. The anime truly has its own distinct aesthetic.
Sound: (10/10)
The openings and endings of this show are some of the best I have ever heard in an anime. I enjoyed every single one of them a great deal, which I can't usually say for other shows. Even the soundtrack of the anime was great and unsettling, perfect for setting the tone of the story. I watched the dubbed and have not seen many episodes with the subbed, but from what I HAVE seen, I can say that both versions are acted extremely well.
Character: (8/10)
Firstly, I'll talk about the heroes, because I feel the heroes and villains each deserve their own mentions. They are all extremely unique, whether it be because of their designs or personalities or both. They all have such great chemistry together and are easy to root for. They experience their fair share of hardships, and are molded by their experiences to develop into fully fleshed-out characters with their own strengths and weaknesses. The show does not go too much into their full backstories before coming to the DWMA, save for how each meister-weapon partner met and a few occasional times where their pasts are mentioned in passing conversation. When the past of a character is addressed in this way, it usually focuses on one significant event in their lives (like a parents' divorce, how one student came to the DWMA, how two students lived before meeting their partner). But all the characters feel realistic and new, rather than typical anime tropes.
And now for the villains! Multiple villains in this show have no clear reasoning for why they are evil; they are evil simply for the sake of it, and I love it! Probably not something you expected me to say after reading about how much I appreciated the heroes being developed. I understand how people may not like this because they want characters to feel three-dimensional no matter if they are heroes or villains. Even I feel that way sometimes, but the villains are just so diabolical, smart, and likable that their personalities completely make up for it. They are extremely entertaining to watch. Plus, with the show's dark themes and atmosphere, I think having all the characters have sympathetic backstories would not work as well for this anime. Which isn't to say that ALL the villains have no reasoning for their actions! When a major villain that has a sad backstory teeters between the sides (name omitted because spoilers, obviously), it is executed extremely well. They do not completely switch sides in a single episode and take time to adjust to their change of heart.
Overall, the characters in this show are great. Some are clearly evil and clearly good, or even somewhere in between, and no matter how it is justified it is all executed very well. The character development and personalities in this show are top-tier.
Enjoyment: (10/10)
You can probably tell already from my high ratings (and my statement above about this being one of my favorite anime) that I enjoyed this anime very much. I've gone back to watch episodes again more times than I can count.
Overall: (9/10)
I would recommend this anime to pretty much anyone who enjoys anime. It was a great experience to watch and kick-started my interest in the anime genre.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Apr 21, 2020
The premise of this anime is a unique approach to the romance genre. Instead of focusing on one couple, it splits off into various different ones. The episodes are very short, each about 12 minutes long.
Story: (7/10)
The story is a basic high school romance anime, except it focuses on various different couples rather than one, each with their own distinct type of romance. The lack of communication is the major cause of the conflicts, which I guess is realistic, as many high schoolers are not so quick to express their feelings for others. If you want a huge focus on a single couple then this
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may not be for you, as the amount of couples shortens the time they can have on screen each episode, those of which are already short for a typical anime (12 mins). The anime does not feature an all-encompassing conflict or story--each couple has their own path to follow. But this is carried out well; I did not feel like one couple had more or less time on screen than the others, and they were all shown often enough that there weren't any long gaps between each story.
Art & Sound: (7/10)
I put these two in the same category merely because there was not much I could say about them. The art style is very basic, not bad but not outstanding or unique, and the character designs were cute and distinct. It looks like what you would see from a typical anime. The voice acting was good and the music was enjoyable to listen to.
Character: (8/10)
The characters, while not totally unique in comparison to other anime, were very entertaining to watch! Each of the couples had great chemistry with each other, even with and maybe because of their differing personalities. I was able to root for each one of them.
Enjoyment: (8/10)
It was a very enjoyable experience! Although it was brief, since the show is so short. It made me laugh on multiple occasions and was a very simple story about high schoolers falling in love. Something good if you're looking for a wholesome time.
Overall: (7/10)
Overall, I would call this an entertaining anime to watch, although if you prefer anime with more originality...I wouldn't say skip this anime over entirely, but be wary. The show featured tropes that are present in other anime (little sibling adoring big sibling, extremely oblivious girl/boy keeping the couple apart, bad girl gets with good boy, etc). The uniqueness of this anime comes from the approach to its romance rather than the characters themselves, which isn't a bad thing! It's approach was unique enough that it created a sense of distinctiveness to this anime regardless of the tropes it used.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Apr 21, 2020
This manga is just pure, wholesome fun. I've been reading it for years and always go back to it when I need a smile.
Story: (8/10)
The story is a slice of life. It has no overarching story besides following the life of a young girl named Yotsuba as she learns about the world. Even so, it is in no way boring or repetitive. Yotsuba, with her hyper personality, always seems to be finding an adventure, even in the most mundane tasks. The creator writes chapters about events as simple as making pancakes or going on an errand, yet the story is still made so entertaining by
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the characters' personalities.
Art: (8/10)
The art in the manga is very pleasing to the eye. Nothing too unconventional, but the backgrounds are detailed, the characters are expressive (which adds to their hilarity), and the panels flow together well.
Character: (9/10)
All of the characters are very lovable and unique. There's not a huge deal of character development, which to me isn't too surprising. As I stated above, they are not going on any huge adventures that would warrant any major character development--it only follows everyday events. But this fact really allows the characters' personalities to shine, as their commentary and reactions make up the bulk of what makes the story interesting. Not many would want to read about such basic events like a stormy day or going for a walk in the park if the characters were bland and didn't do anything original.
Enjoyment: (10/10)
Not much to say about this category except I enjoy every second of reading these books. They made me laugh more than anything else I've read.
Overall: (10/10)
I would recommend this series to anybody and everybody, manga readers or otherwise. Even if you don't normally enjoy slice of life stories, this one is extremely entertaining and funny for all ages.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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