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Jan 3, 2024
Well this was an interesting experience for me. Mainly because for 90% of this arc I felt like I was struggling to give this anything less than a high 7. This ended up becoming a 9 following completion and I'll explain below.
I'll still with animation which I think is Demon Slayer's weakest so far. Its still an 8/10 but only just. Everything is all a little bit uninspired. Yes we get to see the Infinity Castle at the beginning, which is always a treat, something that blew my tiny mind when I first saw it at the end of season 1 and here it
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also doesn't disappoint. From here however, it's all a bit safe. Don't get me wrong it's still good, but it doesn't blow ones mind that I've come to expect from this show. The Demons themselves, and the action scene which include them are also unexciting. So as mentioned above, the animation from is an 8/10 from me.
The story is the element which changes the rating from a high 7 to a sturdy 9 and did so with the final episode. For the first 11 episodes, it feels like it's going through the motions, just another arc as a Demon Slayer. Fighting some demons, new characters have moments of self discovery, tanjiro is nice to everyone despite the crap he takes from them etc. Sadly, the comedic element of this arc suffers also due to the absence of Inosuke and Zenitsu for 10 episodes. It takes you through what now seems to be run of the mill battles with demons and obstacles Tanjiro and others need to overcome which seem unsurmountable at first and are slower chipped away at until they become achievable and just when you think your coming to an end of a 7/10 show BAM, episode 11 hits you. This is when I realised that for the past 10 episodes I had been lured into a false sense of security so that episode 11 hits like a f***king truck. I won't say anymore though. Its worthless if its ruined. 9/10 for story.
Up until the last episode it was a 9/10 for sound. Demon Slayer is always superb with music and sound design in general. What the music does for the key moment in episode 11, in building the tension and delivering the release, with the most simple tool a sound designer can use, created what was quite frankly one of the most perfect moments I have been fortunate to experience from sound design in anime. It literally took my breath away. So for this, I must give it 10/10 for sound design.
As with Entertainment District, Swordsmith Village has arrived at the same aggregate score for me of 9/10. Here I thought the pacing was better and delivered a very well written and well balanced story and drew the arc to a close very well which wasn't quite achieved in the former. Lacking here was the finesse of animation and it's associated drama delivered with previous Demon Slayer works. Still, can't be mad at a 9/10, especially when my aggregate across all my animes watched is 7.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Jan 3, 2024
Its been quite some time since I last watched any Demon Slayer. I believe it was Oct 2020 with the Mugen Train film in fact so it's been quite some time. The time away from this series had made me realise how much I missed it, mainly because it's nice to be back with Inosuke.... anyway here's my review of Entertainment District.
Starting with the story and I was a little surprised at the approach from an episode total perspective. The first season was built on multiple mini arcs and demon encounters: Becoming a demon slayer, Ball Demon, Drum Demon etc. Here, we have an
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arc of 1 demon across the 11 episodes. While the content comes thick and fast, and it is also superb content, I feel it could have been longer to make it better and give the characters more space to develop. Saying this, I still think this story is a 8/10, so for me the greater breathing space for the story would take it to a 9 for sure. There is no shortage of action here and the story still keeps you interested in every second, I will say that the real star of this arc isn't the story, but I'll mention that in the proceeding paragraph. It keeps going with the intensity all the way to the very last episode too which for me is equally good and bad. Good because there is no messing around with the normal fiddly episodes at the end of most animes to bring the dynamic down, bad because after what you experience, I felt it could have done with a little more comedown. That being said, it's still a strong 8/10 for me.
The real star here is the animation. It might just be the best animation Demon Slayer has to offer by this point, which is a bold claim as moments in season 1 are in the main untouchable. The atmosphere created with the animation in this arc is outstanding, some might say rather flashy...the fight sequences are absolutely outrageously good, specifically towards the end of the arc. The characters peril, both Demon Slayers and Demons, are conveyed perfectly through the animation culminating in what my by one of theost visually stunning and dramatic finales to an anime I've seen. So for the animation, I can't possibly give it any less than a 10/10. Its fantastic.
Sound wise it's always great from Demon Slayer. One of those animes that understands the value of not just overusing EDM or techno for every fight. Excellent variety in sound which convey the emotions portrayed effortlessly. 9/10 for sound design.
This then brings us to an aggregate score of 9 and I think that's spot on to be honest. Its only just a 9, but a 9 none the less. It retains everything one has come to love about Demon Slayer in a compact and easily consumable package that ensures Demon Slayer is one of the best action animes around right now.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Dec 21, 2023
This film was an interesting one for me. As despite it having all of the tropes of Makoto Shinkai, including yet another cat in the forefront of the story, it seems to be missing something in very aspect (animation, sound and story) I watched this after watching Children Who Chase Lost Voices and ill be completely honest, I don't think this is anywhere close to it. Seemingly however, based on the aggregated score for this is Children Who.....I am in the minority.
Ill start with the animation. Although this is still the quality on the surface that befits a Shinkai film, it
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lacks the depth one has come to expect from this masterful director. Maybe this is due to me coming from the fantastical world of Children Who Chase... but I think I view objectively enough that this isn't the case. There are moments where more could have been done to add to the drama and emotion One of the best moments of the films for me that i must praise is toward the end, we are inside the floor of a derelict building and characters are trying to catch another. Animation wise here the suspense and drama is captured perfectly. This was the part of the film that, if i was on a seat, i would be on the edge of it. Sadly, this is the only part I say the animation perfectly fit with everything. There is also a chase scene that leads to this point to build the required suspense to create the moment in question as good as it was, either side of this moment however was a little safe for me. i would give 8/10
Music wise i feel was a little better than the animation. it all seemed to fit nicely, convey the emotions well, amplify them in some cases but I would still give this an 8/10 for music. Its funny that I am conveying an 8/10 as a bad thing. I guess it shows the quality and expectation that comes with watching a Maktoto Shinkai film.
Finally onto the story. I feel like it starts really well in depicting the struggle that Hodaka is facing. He has run away from home and finds himself in a rather depressing situation. This situation is broken by an act of kindness by Hina. This I believe is the foundation for the relationship. The act of a true selfless deed (if you have seen Friends, i know what you are thinking) by Hina, the only one who wasn't expecting something in return, metaphorically lifted a cloud away from Hodaka and let a little bit of sunshine into his life. What then precedes however feels a little like killing time, or filling it is probably more appropriate. There is a big chunk where an obvious connection is developing but is not overly visible. Somewhat like if a montage replaced actual character development. This is essentially what makes up the middle chunk of the story. This is then thankfully broken by a turning in the plot which then ultimately leads us to the scene mentioned in my second paragraph. It really is an outstanding piece of writing that builds to this moment and brings us to a satisfying release. I'm not sure what the metaphor is meant to be following the climax of the film. I'm sure there is deeper meaning in it than it just being a conclusion, I'm not smart enough to work it out anyway. 8/10 on story front for me.
This is still a good film. It has many points that could have been better but its still a film at the top end of quality for anime films and still one I would recommend to anime fans who don't just watch Shounen.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Dec 21, 2023
There are seemingly a number of conflicting views on the quality of this film. Some people think its awful, one even giving it a 2/10 (no offence to this person but if this is a 2/10, I'm sure sure how realistic their 10/10s are). Some people have mixed feelings seemingly not connecting with the story, characters or general vibe of the film and then there is me, i thought this was so so close to a masterpiece and i will try to explain why.
First off, the animation. Its a Makoto Shinkai film, of course it has incredible animation, but the world depicted here
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is stunning. Everything, as always, looks gorgeous. This film however, for me anyway, had a certain charm that others, including Your Name, Zuzume and 5 Centimetres does and I find it very hard to explain it. I think the world here is so varied in its tones, colour and atmosphere you can't really ask for more. Also, i,m starting to see a theme in the depiction of cats in Makoto's films and that is Cats. There seems to be a significant character in most films i have seem that is a cat in his films. Still, the animation of these cats varies and this one in particular plays just as much of a key role as the one in Zuzume. Most people would probably disagree with this statement, but i feel they are equally important. Animation is 10/10.
Secondly is the music and my goodness is this perfect. I wont talk too much about the music as most of his films contain fantastic music that has very little negatives, this films is an exception, it has no negatives. I thought the music her was stunning.
Finally the story and the only part preventing this from being a perfect 10/10. For me this is so so close to a 10 i've been thinking about it for the last 3 days. Considering my lengthy contemplation, it cant possibly be a 10. Regardless of this, it is a fantastic story. Out of the Makoto films i have seen so far; 5 Centimetres, Your Name, Zuzume, Weathering With You and this, i feel this is the largest story told of them all. Yest despite this possibly having the largest amount of content to get through, it does so with impeccable pacing and wonderful character development. So much happens here and with every passing moment you never seem to be able to guess what happens next. The journey we do on is rather emotional one to that manages to build fantastically to an 'Oh my god NO!' moment and them kind of drops down from it to a somewhat satisfying conclusion but I felt it built the emotion up to high and climaxed a little to soon before the finish. One of the criticisms given to this is that Asuna is on this treacherous and at times life threatening journey for little reason. Seemingly these people forget that most of anime consists of characters do the most dramatic for little reason. I however think the reason is more than justified. We have a girl who is alone, who is 11, has lost her father, her mother is barely home due to her job as a nurse, who is forced to grow up way beyond her years who then meets someone that takes this pain away for a brief moment and then she is back to being alone again. Trust me, when viewed through this lens, anyone who has ever felt alone, will understand.
As I said in the preceding paragraph, this is so unrelievedly lose to a 10. For me, out of Makoto's films i have seen, this is the second only to Your Name and it comes so very close to equalling it for me.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Dec 21, 2023
I had a bit of a Makoto Shinkai fest over the past few days. 5 Centimetres Per Second was the first of three. I had already watch Zuzume and Your Name and easily love his style from those two alone. I thought delving into more was about time. Though 5 Centimetres per Second is a film, it is essentially split in 3 different episodes at different times of Takaki's life. The premise of the movie is rather simple for Makoto Shinkai compared to the two i had seen by this point. 5 centimetres per second represents the speed in
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which a cherry blossom leaf falls away from the tree to the ground. This is essentially a metaphor for life moving on and drifting apart from your first loves or connections and it does a really good job of delivering on this metaphor
Part 1
Here we focus on the initial connection the story builds upon. Despite the film having little action, or even little story on the periphery of our main characters, it does an excellent job of doing so much and providing stressful suspense and wonderful relief. I wont detail what happens, 1, because why spoil it and 2, you don't need a review that just says what happens. Essentially, this part provides the roots of this story, the roots that we will keep in mind throughout each part. If provides us, the viewer, with the connection not only for our main characters, but the connection we will hold on to enhancing the experiences within each subsequent part.
Part 2
i feel here the quality and pacing from the 1st part is continued. we start seeing a progression of Takakis life and later understand the impact of part 1. It brings the viewer in for the ride of life moving on. It makes it easy to follow Takaki moving on through his life and for a brief period of time, somehow makes you forget what came before. What this part does beautifully is how it draws this part to a close and brings your focus back to what preceded in such a relatable human way. I suspect by this point, most viewers will be finding ways to relate to this story as it is told in a really natural and human way.
Part 3
This is where I feel it started to lose its way. I do use this phrase 'loses its way' rather lightly however, as its still of great quality. I just find it was either rushed to a conclusion or there wasn't much story telling substance as compared to the first 2 parts. I haven't yet decided. Further, i feel like the conclusion could have been more emotional. Despite this, i still feel the conclusion was fitting for what this story is portraying, life moving on and people drifting further apart.
By this point, there is little to be said that hasn't already been said about the animation and sound that accompanies Makoto Shinkais works. I wouldn't say they are quite to the same standard as his later works, but as one hones their skills, one tends to get better. 5 Centimetres Per Second still looks and sounds great however.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Dec 18, 2023
I'm not entirely sure what I've just watched to be perfectly honest. I didn't 100% follow the story, I didn't really understand what was going on, at least I dont think I did and yet despite this, I've come away feeling like past versions of myself can relate to some of these subtly well written character and feeling rather fulfilled.
I just want to say this now, I genuinely didn't know this was written by the same chap as Evangelion. I say this as I thought there were very lose similarities to the how the Angels appear in Eve with the things that appear from
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Naota's head. I say lose as there is literally no resemblance in terms of plot, it's just the appearance of something different with every passing episode. Aaaaaaaanyway, setting Eve to one side, story wise, it's madness, I'm still not sure what this might be trying to say. Its likely that's it's not trying to subtly say anything at all and it's just a bonkers story told in a bonkers way that doesn't require much thought. The story flows nicely, the characters are really great, even when their appearce is fleeting. I felt I had a connection with Naota in particular, despite me having next to nothing in common with the chap, not that I know of anyway. Its seems this story has a great way of pulling you in and keeping your attention despite the madness it portrays. 7/10
The music is provided by a band called The Pillows. Music wise, this is right up my street. I have never heard of this band before, and thankfully due to Folly Cooly, I now do. This type of post punk is such a free sounding genre. I don't really know how else to describe it other than free. Despite their being parameters to the genre, it feels like the possibility are limitless and the musicians are quite simply free. This is why the music works so well with this show. Its rather frequently on display to, often to playing as if it's out stayed it's welcome and yet feels right at home. I'll be honest, the further I am into writing this review, the more I am realising that this show is unlike anything I have seen before. Music wise I would give this a 9/10. Its obviously not the best in terms of actual score, or technical proficiency or complexity but, it fits the show so perfectly and that is all you want with music accompanying a show.
Animation wise, it varies between excellence and extravagant. There are also some quite literal manga scene in here too which I have never seen before, maybe there are others, if there are, I'm not aware of them. The action sequences are excellently animated and the more restrained moments equally well delivered. Its not going to blow minds or leave you aghast, but you will find this anime does what it needs to in the animation department. One thing to bare in mind, it's animating this madness of a story and doing a good job of it so maybe it seems I'm doing the quality a disservice. 8/10
Now I'm not certain of my scores here. I still am unsure what I saw. I think I need to rewatch with a clear mind and not try to read into anything, enjoy it for the wonderful madness that is and then, I'm sure I'll understand 100% the wonders of this show I already think is great. Finally, one thing I am certain on, I believe that this is the main inspiration that One used for Mob Psycho. If you like that, you'll like this. Definitely recommended.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Dec 18, 2023
I am quite frankly baffled that this show has any negative feedback. Seemingly, there are a lot of original Trigun elitists that either 1, can't accept a reinterpretation and it's MEANT to be different to the original anime or 2, the refuse to like this interpretation because it makes them a 'cool anime fan' to only like the 90s anime version. Setting this to one side, I don't see how watching this show objectively can yield anything other than positivity.
Now I am certainly a fan of the original anime. It is a perfect example of really great 90s show. It looks great, it felt cool
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and had an interesting story to engage you. For me though it was missing a few things to make it really special. Personally, and yes I like the original, I think this is interpretation is better, by quite a bit as well.
The story here is more concise and while still has a similar overall theme, it is executed far better and has a lot more to like about it. I've seen comments about Meryl being written differently. I feel the Meryl we get here perfect fits the different kind of Vash we get. The world is a lot darker and to have a harder version of Meryl, which is closer to the original, wouldn't have worked as well. The addition of a male partner called Roberto De Niro (of course it is) to accompany Meryl is a nice touch and further, the change in profession to a reporter allows for the change in demeanour to feel more natural and realistic. The story also takes us to more exciting moments which culminates in a superb finale. The script is also fantastic and seems to flow much better. This is a 9/10 on the story front which for me, was the worst part of this show.
Next up is the music. What a fine display of accompanying music. The sound design is also spot on. This normally doesn't happen, in fact, I don't think it has ever happened, I listened to the opening music for every episode. It seems just like an average track until the chorus of it hits you with some smooth half time vibes and a lovely dynamic change in the pre chorus that makes the subsequent chorus seems a great as it does. Its a real treat. The rest of the in shoe music is such a wide variety of perfectly fitting tunes containing; strings, synths, dirty bass, woodwind etc all executed wonderfully. If one doesn't find the story better in Trigun Stampede, there is no doubt that anyone can deny that the music is far superior to the original. And before you say, 'well it was the 90s, modern anime will likely have better music' Beserk exists, that proceeded Trigun and that has some of the best music to touch animation. Music here is a 10/10.
The animation. My god is the animation exceptional. A lot of people don't like it. I have no idea why. Its is an absolute marvel to look it. I will go as far to say this show is a pivotal moment for what is to come with anime in the future. This is anime moving forward. A lot of anime has been stuck looking exactly the same for the last decade with a few exception of course (AoT, Demon Slayer and the mighty Fog Hill). Here we finally have something pushing the boundaries from a technology perspective. Every animated frame is absolutely gorgeous. The action sequences are breathtaking and it never loses focus. It makes sure that every frame of animation is delivered with purpose and in my opinion is a masterpiece of modern animation. A perfect example of how modern technology can make a show shine so bright. It really is a marvel. I suspect that the ones who dislike the style, as the same types that I mentioned in my opening paragraph. There is nothing to dislike about the animation here. I absolutely loved it. 10/10.
All in all, this is probably the highest 9/10 I will ever give. Everything has to be perfect for me to give a 10. Trigun Stampede was not perfect, but goodness me it was rather close. Well done Trigun Stampede.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Dec 13, 2023
Ok so I was staying in a hotel through work, it was late, I wanted an easy film to watch so I picked this that had been on my list for ages. Setting the music to one side, this film is garbage.
Firstly, I watched the English dub version, which has songs like Them Bones and Ultra on it. I'm a big fan of AiC and KMFDM so anything that is in that vein for 90s related I'm a sucker for. I won't be saying it's the best I've ever heard, it's just a collection of songs I like put other anime. The music certainly does
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suite the action, especially the Chun Li Vs Vaga. But I can't really give it more than a 7/10 and I feel that's generous.
Animation wise I'm a little confused. Its really terrible. The excuse of it being a 90s anime can't be used here. Comparing to Akira for example, which is from 88, it looks terrible. Ghost in a Shell came out a year after this movie and it looks like it's from a different time. Considering how much Capcom was riding high from the success of SF2, SSF2, SF2 Champ Edition, you would have thought the animation was top notch. It has no business being this bad. The characters, look like the characters yes, but over than likeness, it's really poor. 3/10
Story, well, nothing to report here. Its boring, unexciting and turns into a bit of a slog to get through after about 10 mins. The only thing that kept me interested was wondering which great tune will appear next. There is no rewatching potential here. It barely has the potential for it to be consumed once, let alone multiple times. Story I would give it also a 4/10
This gives us an average of 4/10. Not recommended, I shall say no more.
Reviewer’s Rating: 4
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Dec 12, 2023
OK so Deadmount Death Play is OK, there is something however lacking from it that means it will never hit any lofty heights. Its funny, in particular when The Phantom Solitaire takes over the show, but all in all is a little disjointed and needs more thought for it to be a great as it could have been.
The animation is great. This is probably the part in which it shines the most. It isn't getting into the 9s or 10s but it's definitely solid. Frustratingly, the opening sequences animation is superb. The battle this is taking place looks fantastic and
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you feel it is setting the scene for a show that is going to be incredible. Once this opening scene is finished however, and you see where this story is going, you know it will never hit the same level throughout the show. You will see when you watch it. Throughout the animation is still good, but below the standard set in the opening sequence. The colours remain great through regardless and I would still give this an 8/10
Story is reasonably interesting. It progresses quite nicely though and keeps your attention. I do feel like it suffers slightly however by the poor balance between its characters screen times. You feel that you know who the main protagonist is, and yet he remains the main protagonist, you get lost in the other characters taking the screen time which results in a bit of an odd balance. Thought I wont complain about the screen time of Phantom Solitaire, as he is the best character in my opinion, it resulted in feeling like you were watching two different shows. 6/10
Music is an average fair. Couple of decent moments but average at best. 5/10
Its OK but doent really excite me. This is a mixed feeling one for me.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Dec 11, 2023
Perfect Blue is a very intricately written film. This show focuses on a battle between what is reality and what isn't, which interestingly you ask yourself multiple times when watching. You consistently question whether what you are seeing is the depiction of reality or not. This keeps you engaged all the way to the end and really does keep you on your toes.
I'll start with what I believe to be the worst element of the show and that is the animation. For 1998, it's not the best to be honest. Looks akin to early 90s or even the late 80s. It still does what required
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though and despite being simple in it's execution, depicts the descent into madness rather well. The designs of the characters are good and the colours are reasonably varied without feeling dull or muted like some of the golden era anime suffer from. All in all I would give this a 7/10 for it's animation
The music was great. Though I don't really have too much to say about it. It fit the film very well. One thing that I do want to comment on is the elevator scene. The use of music here is phenomenal. There is a moment in the car park prior to the elevators opening where tension is created with nice sounding J-Pop. The is a feeling of unease created, then, the elevator opens to a low budget hi-fi, volume up and distorted creating pure drama. It is excellent. The rest of the show is standard fair. 7/10
Now then, this story. Out of the films I have seen in anime, this is definitely one of the most well written and attention demanding I have ever seen. I was constantly questioning what was real and what wasn't. There are twists and turns that keep you guessing all the way to the very end, and I mean the very end. There is still something incredibly subtle in the final moment in a car before the credits. It really is a phenomenal story told so expertly. I have only seen two Satoshi Kon films, this and Paprika, despite the story being good in Paprika, Perfect Blue is superb. I won't say too much more about the story so I won't give any spoilers, all I will say is expect the unexpected. Story 10/10.
This is a really good film. Its unfortunate that the animation and sound arnt better. I would give this film as a whole an 8/10. The quality of this story though deserves a better score. Definitely recommended.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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