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Nov 20, 2019
I've noticed hipsters panning this series at length simply because they want to be contrarian and dismissive of how monumental and well done a series Boku no Hero Academia is. Yet somehow you see these same people praise series such as Black Clover, Fairy Tail, and Seven Deadly Sins. It's beyond me how someone could unironically criticize Boku no Hero and yet have nothing but rose colored glasses for those hot messes. Not shaming you if you enjoy these manga, but if you're of a reasonable mind, I'd have to imagine you also enjoy Boku no Hero, assuming you've given it a fair shake. Maybe
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you even have, but you find that Youtubers and internet hipsters downplaying the series so much have made you forget how great it is. So I'm going to write out some of the countless reasons this series is deservedly at the very top of Shonen.
Story: 10 Outstanding
Boku no Hero Academia's story is deceivingly simple. What introduces itself as a heartwarming underdog story soon reveals itself to be a dark and nuanced story of heroes and villains. Structurally, it's not quite as daring as Hunter Hunter, but there's still a lot to love here that shakes up your typical formulas. The main hero doesn't shoehorn his way into getting the big win of every arc, the impact of antagonists is still felt long after their time in the limelight, and mangaka Kohei Horikoshi has a keen sense of focus often lacked by his peers in the medium.
Art: 9 Great
Horikoshi's panels firmly establish him as one of manga's greatest artists today. He more than holds his own with the likes of Kubo, Kishimoto, and Toriyama, which is no small feat. Given the frequency with which he must release chapters, there are occasional lulls where Horikoshi seems to go minimalist during setup or exposition chapters, but these are generally inoffensive. I can't necessarily compare his panels to those of Kentaro Miura - who admittedly takes INFINITELY more time to produce his - but Horikoshi's work is undeniably strong and unique. Stylistically, it strikes me as something of a merge between Kubo and Toriyama with plenty of notes of Western comics added for flavor. Of course, that's just my opinion. You may well connect his style to completely different works.
Characters: 10 Outstanding
You heard it here first: Boku no Hero Academia has some of the strongest characters Shonen's ever seen. The only manga that even come close for me are probably Hunter Hunter and Bleach, both of which are ripe with my all-time favorites. Even Boku no Hero's supporting cast is better than the leads of most of its contemporary peers. Momo Yaoyorozu has had more development than 99% of Shonen heroines do in their full series' run, Toshinori Yagi is without a doubt one of the three best mentor characters in fictional history, and Katsuki Bakugou has become the most popular rival character in manga since Vegeta.
The main villain of the series is an ideal foil to our protagonist with a golden heart. Think Batman and the Joker or Luffy and Blackbeard. We're given the rare treat here of getting to see our hero and villain both develop in the same frame of time. It isn't often that you get to see the final boss as a petulant upstart. A daring move on Horikoshi's part that has paid off in spades. A whole arc was recently given exclusively to the villains of the series without a peep from the main character for dozens of chapters. Togashi is the only mangaka that comes to mind with the balls to try something like that - Keep in mind, we haven't seen the main character of Hunter Hunter in roughly 100 chapters or so.
The flame hero Endeavor has had the best character arc manga's seen in years. What would've been written off as the douchey but cool dad in any other series has become the most nuanced character in the whole manga. I hope other writers see this example and dare to have characters as risky in their future works.
The character designs also pop off the page quite remarkably, not unlike Kishimoto and Kubo's, though the western comic book tinge to Horikoshi's work helps it stand out all the more. Couldn't be more appropiate for a manga about superheroes.
Enjoyment: 9 Great
I hadn't enjoyed a series so much since Bleach and Naruto during their early peaks years ago. When I caught up to the anime, transitioning to the manga was instinctual. I knew I couldn't wait for the next episode, much less the next season. Like any good comic book, I'm always eagerly awaiting the next issue. That said, this is the most subjective category. We're all going to enjoy some arcs more than others. I loved seeing the two hero courses square off, but others may grow fatigued and want the story to move on to something different when they read the same arc. Admittedly, the manga probably peaked for me at the Kamino Ward battle. While I've enjoyed practically everything since, there is a part of me waiting to be THAT immersed again, a difficult feat for any story to accomplish.
When all's said and done, I love Boku no Hero Academia. It's everything good about Shonen with most of its cancerous bits cut or minimized at the very least. Some of these scores could fluctuate as they story moves forward, but unless things really go off the rails, I don't see any of them changing too wildly. For the time being, I feel secure giving Boku no Hero Academia a 10 out of 10. This series single handedly got me back into the medium. If any of you have gotten even one iota of what I've gotten out of Horikoshi's masterpiece, then that is a truly special thing. Happy reading, everybody.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Nov 15, 2019
I've rarely been as conflicted about a series as I am about Black Clover. In it, I see the parts of what could one day become another Shonen mainstay, but at present all the parts never seem to come together in harmony and work together. 73 episodes in and I can count on one hand the moments that have been truly worthwhile. And to Black Clover's credit, those 3 moments were pretty freaking satisfying. But that's where you run into the One Piece (anime) problem. (Please note I am specifically talking about One Piece's anime adaptation.) How long should you have to wait for a
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series to get good? What's more, is it worth it if the show doesn't STAY consistently good? Can a series be truly worthwhile if it routinely makes you endure twenty mediocre episodes to get to one great one? If patience is one of your virtues, you could very well find a lot to love in this series.
The openings and endings are generally quite good, easily contending with other Shonen known for their catchy intros and end credits. If you were swept off your feet by Naruto and Bleach's OPs then I imagine you'll find a lot of new favorites in Black Clover's rapidly growing catalog. That said, the actual show's ost often ranges from bland to lacking. Of the show's 3 or so amazing moments so far, one of them relied HEAVILY on the series' 1st OP to bring it to the level of satisfaction it reached. That isn't to say Black Clover's soundtrack is bad, but you won't likely be adding it to your playlists anytime soon. (Excluding openings and endings, which again, are surprisingly good.)
Black Clover's art is generally inoffensively adequate. You won't find much to write home about, but it's not mediocre or bad enough to prove increasingly distracting as with productions like Berserk (2016). Though, on that note, Black Clover suffers from a similar problem as the infamous Berserk (2016). A COMPLETE AND UTTER LACK OF APPROPRIATE IMPACT. Again, there are 3 or so exceptions to this rule and they are among the few saving graces of the series, but when your protagonist's main weapons are dual swords, lack of impact becomes a glaring problem at points. If you've watched shows such as Bleach, Samurai Champloo, and FMA: Brotherhood, you'll easily see where Black Clover comes up short in this regard.
While Black Clover's animation and soundtrack are mostly adequate, I cannot say the same of its threadbare characters. The main mentor Yami is incredibly likable and will no doubt become a renowned modern anime badass, not unlike Escanor and All Might, but you unfortunately don't get to see near as much of him as you would like to. Though I can appreciate not wanting to give your audience too much of a good thing so that it can be all the more special when you do, when it concerns one of your few good characters, you simply cannot afford to use them so sparingly. Other standouts include the main heroine Noelle and the decently intimidating main villain Licht. Neither are particularly revolutionary or super memorable, but in a show littered with terrible characters, the average and above stand out all the more. It would be hard to express how fatigued I am with some of the supporting cast. Do they even write dialogue for Luck? I feel like a bot wrote every line the guy's had. "I wonder if anyone here wants to fight." "Wanna fight?!" "Let's spar!" "Hey! Wanna fight?!" For fuck's sake, is there ever going to be anything more to this character? Characters addicted to the thrill of battle can be phenomenal. Hisoka, Kenpachi, Vegeta, you name em, there are dozens more. But when you've seen this trope done well so frequently, seeing it done so horrendously is painfully annoying. Don't even get me started on the nosebleed prone sister lover or Captain Charlotte's nausea-inducing catchphrase: "Call me Captain, Sol.", which I'm confident they've used at least 30 times already. As for the protagonist of the series and his rival... there's a reason I haven't mentioned them once thus far. Asta and Yuno... they're alright. It's a Great Value yogurt trying to parade itself as vanilla ice cream. Not terrible, but the difference is night and day. I never see this rivalry being remotely comparable to the most famous in Shonen that Black Clover has most desperately tried to emulate. Goku and Vegeta, Naruto and Sasuke, Deku and Bakugo, Asta and Yuno. One of these pairs is not like the other. Can you guess which one?
Though I plan to continue the series, it's difficult not to watch and think of what could've been. The world and power system are interesting enough. If everything else weren't so consistently mediocre, they could have really had something nice here. But hey, if mainstream Shonen is your bread and butter or you're new to anime, you could do worse than Black Clover.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Nov 1, 2019
Devilman: Crybaby feels less like an anime and more like a legend being shared around a campfire. In terms of story, there's just not much here. The grand scale might be enough to disguise this for some, but at the end of the day Devilman: Crybaby is more of a morality play than an anime in many regards. It dives into human nature and gets appropriately dark, but the characters aren't strong enough for the twists of the story's knife to hit as hard as they should. That said, there are some incredibly powerful moments within the series' ten episode run. Two moments in particular
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- both of which feature the main family - make the show worth watching.
From what I can tell, most have been incredibly generous to Devilman: Crybaby due to the material's 'classic' status, which in all fairness, is somewhat earned. The material is unique and daring enough to have warranted classification as a classic. However, unlike many classics, which remain among the strongest of their genre, Devilman has aged like milk in many regards. Minimalist characterization that was once forgivable is now glaring when we have so many better examples among the competition. There's nothing this series does that Shiki, Evangelion, and Berserk don't do better. If you have a taste for darker works, there are far stronger works out there. Devilman: Crybaby is adequate enough to satisfy a vacant weekend, but it won't leave much of an impression apart from a moment or so.
It may surprise you after reading my arguably harsh review, but I hope to see more shows like Devilman: Crybaby in the future. While it may have failed in my eyes, at least it dares to try and shake up the system. Give me something this different over another generic Isekai any day.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Oct 21, 2019
Bleach - easily the most controversial titan of the Big Three - is an action packed, bittersweet ride of a series. The highs are so uniquely satisfying that even now, many years later, few shows have managed to match Bleach at its peak. Even among Bleach's harshest critics, the Soul Society arc has been cemented in history as one of the all-time greatest arcs in Shonen. From there, opinions are largely split on the remainder of the series. If you're familiar with the branch of Dragon Ball fans that would have preferred if the series had ended after Frieza, then you'll mostly understand this split
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in the fanbase. Personally, I quite enjoyed every canon saga of the series, though I will admit the brief Fullbring arc that the anime concludes with closes the series with more of a fizzle than a bang - though the final battle is a real treat. Nevertheless, I'd like to expand upon Bleach's strengths and sing its high praises since its easily the most underrated and unjustly panned series among the Big Three.
In terms of story, you get a mixed but mostly positive bag with Bleach. If you were able to endure the travesty that was the Fourth 'Great' Shinobi War in Naruto, then even the worst Bleach has to offer shouldn't faze you. The show starts off with roughly a dozen episodes in the vein of a 'monster of the week' Yu Yu Hakusho style mystical adventure. Not unlike Hakusho, the series soon becomes serialized, leading into the renowned Soul Society arc. This masterpiece of an arc contains what I consider to be the best reveal ever to come out of a Shonen battle series and at least a dozen antagonists so well-developed and likable that they became mainstays in the show's cast. If you were a fan of Vegeta and Piccolo, you'll feel right at home here. In terms of its rogues gallery, I consider Bleach to be the Batman of anime. (Though Boku no Hero Academia may snatch this title in the future.)
Though the quality of art is largely subjective, most agree that Bleach's art pops more than most of its peers. The general aesthetic and character designs are absolutely superb and distinct. While Naruto and One Piece also share this strength, I have to say that Bleach's designs have always seemed the coolest. Kubo himself would admit that he's more of an artist than a storyteller. Oftentimes the story derives from nothing more than a cool panel he had in mind and practically all of these panels are beautifully realized in the anime. (With the obvious exception of the Thousand Year Blood War, which has yet to be animated at the time of this review.)
Coupled with Bleach's art, the soundtrack of the series ties for the show's greatest strength. The legend Shiro Sagisu does his very best work yet here and his score enhances the battle anime in all the right ways. Hype osts, heart wrenching keys, and bewitching tunes can all be found in ample supply throughout the series. The show's general sound effects are also nothing to scoff at. You can't truly appreciate how good the sword clashes sound until you've seen something akin to Berserk (2016), but once you've come to know bad sound effects, those on display in Bleach might as well be music to your ears.
Brace yourselves, for this will likely be my most controversial statement yet. Bleach has the best characters of the Big Three by a mile. It was tempting to give the series a 9 or 10 in the character department. If you've been drawn to characters such as Hisoka, Rock Lee, Zoro, and Bakugo from other well known anime, then you will absolutely adore the characters in this colorful classic. While most other series are lucky to have 5 worthwhile characters that remain captivating through the entirety of their series, Bleach excels in this category. Shunsui, Kenpachi, Byakuya, Ulquiorra, Aizen, Kisuke, Rukia, and more all remain among my very favorite fictional characters to this very day. However, I'm unable to give the series a 10 in this category - much as I'd like to - due to the fact we're not given a satisfying resolution to a few members of the vast cast. Though it's nowhere near as glaring as in Naruto Shippuden when practically everyone from part 1 was criminally sidelined and left to rot for the remainder of the series, it is still worth noting that not all of the great characters in Bleach that you come to love are fully realized. This is particularly true in the anime's case.
I'm admittedly very biased when it comes to my love for Bleach, but don't take that to mean that the series is anything less than very enjoyable. If you're able to trudge through the horrendous pacing of One Piece's anime - don't misunderstand me, the manga is phenomenal - and Naruto's constant stumbles, then you will certainly be able to forgive Bleach its faults and enjoy the ride as you have with the other members of the Big Three. Whether or not it will be your personal favorite of the trio isn't for me to say, but I can confidently say that if you give it a chance, you're in for a comparatively pleasant experience. Bleach more than earns its place in the prolific Three.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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