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May 10, 2024
Keijo, at first sight, appears to be little more than a fanservice show and to be honest, it is just that, fanservice. There is no hidden depth, no secret meaning or anything, just fanservice. However, Keijo is absolutely brilliant at it. Keijo, roughly summarised is about girls (and only girls) who participate in a martial-art like sport called "Keijo" where participants have to knock each other off floating platforms in a pool called a “land” using only their breasts and backsides. And I must say, they make the most of the premise. In all conceivable ways. Everything from the characters to the action is
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great. Now, I know I said there was no depth or complexity to this anime however it is a surprisingly good action show. It has the feel of an shounen tournament arc or a "sport" anime like Girls und Panzer. In fact, Girls und Panzer is a fairly decent comparison in that both shows have a team of plucky underdogs who go up against stronger opponents in a series of tournaments and use ingenious tactics to do so. And like Girls und Panzer, there are no hard feelings on either side. The antagonists are antagonists without being villains, which, to be honest I find refreshing. In fact the series has little to no "evil" or hateful characters. Its just a fun fanservice show with great (combat) action.
This brings me on to my next point, the fights. The fights themselves are genuinely entertaining as fights. The show creates a surprisingly diverse and interesting array of combat techniques and tactics that create some very enjoyable fights. The fights themselves are never the same and the same can be said for the antagonists. Keijo, despite being a fanservice show, has a diverse range of character body types from the types you'd expect, namely, voluptuous busty ladies to small cuter girls and even muscular and plump girls. And this adds to the diverse and imaginative nature of the fights- characters in Keijo use their body types to their advantage. In all, the fights are great and feel surprisingly well thought out for a fanservice show and the "sport" of Keijo feels quite intelligently designed for fanservice show.
The characters themselves are enjoyable to watch, each with their own unique quirk. Protagonist Nozomi Kaminashi, Kazana Aoba, Sayaka Miyata and Mio Kusakai were particular favourites however the things I liked about them were their relatable goals- Nozomi for example not only enjoys Keijo but wants to become rich. In fact, she has a brief argument with Miyata over wealth. Miyata wanted to buy her parents a golden massage chair, then Nozomi copied the idea. These goals such as "I want to become rich" make its characters far more relatable in comparison to the more power of friendship and morality types we usually get. The protagonists of Keijo feel comparatively down to earth in comparison to others show's protagonists. Finally this show has some great references to other shows such as "Gates of Bootylon" (Fate/Stay Night References) and Buttack on Titan (Attack on Titan). Also, the shows fanservice premise is put to full use with both genuinely hilarious attack names, situations, dialogue and fights. Overall, Keijo is a great fanservice anime that is hilarious and has surprisingly good action. The fanservice itself is actually great and the show is enjoyable. That being said, if you don't like fanservice you won't like this show.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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May 7, 2024
Visions only gets a 7.10 on MAL however I really enjoyed it. Sure, not all episodes were great (cough Tatooine rhapsody cough) but it was still very enjoyable. The series is really just a collection of individual stand alone stories. Most were good, some were brilliant and a few were bland. However it provided a new and interesting perspective on the star wars universe with the traditional Japanese take on the force and the star wars universe working surprisingly well. I also found that the characters were surprisingly well developed for the screen time they received and the stories too were interesting and surprisingly complex
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yet without overwhelming the viewer. Surprisingly, the villains as well as the heroes are developed. The Sith In Ninth Jedi for example feel friendship and camaraderie with each other and Ocho as well with her joining the Empire to protect her family and people.
Of course, as the series MAL rating implies, there are some flaws with the series, namely, its run time. The episodes are short, even by anime standards with some episodes clocking in at a mere 12 minutes with the longest being about 20. Considering that some of these episodes were good enough to deserve their own series (Namely, Ninth Jedi, Twins, Village Bride and Lop and Ocho) this was a real shame. Since each episode is a stand alone story, I'll provide a small review of each episode:
1) Duel (7/10): Duel focuses on a Duel between a mysterious Ronin and Bandit leader. The twist was great and the Duel itself
was good but I wasn't a big fan of the art style though. It was enjoyable but not my favourite.
2) Tatooine (4/10): This episode follows a pop group lead by a Hutt of all people as they try to escape Jabba the Hutt's
attempt to execute their leader. This story is easily my least favourite. It just felt "bleh" and the story itself felt a bit odd for
the star wars universe and I honestly couldn't bring myself to care for any of the characters.
3) Twins (10/10): honestly, I loved this episode. Some fans dislike this episode for its over the top action and for being non
compliant with Canon. This episode was made by studio trigger and anime fans will know them for their "rule of cool"
approach and this episode is typical of their work and I really enjoyed it. The characters, especially Am with her Hammy Sith
Lord routine very enjoyable to watch. Sure the story was comparatively straight forward and the story broke the laws of
physics but it was just so much damn fun to watch. I also think the story is a bit more cannon compliant that it might seem.
4) The village Bride (9/10): another great episode featuring an interesting set up, a cool Jedi protagonist and a great
soundtrack. For star wars fans looking for something a bit more conventional, this might be a good choice. I did think the
villain could have used some more development, but considering the timescale of the episode, this issue is understandable.
5) Ninth Jedi (10/10): A great episode with a brilliant twist and a likeable and intriguing cast of characters. The villains also feel
surprisingly "human" (for want of better term given some of them were non-human) villains. The story already plot and
even a sequel hook. It feels like the writers could easily write a full season on this premise.
6) T0 B1 (5/10): The story is decent but the it just felt "ok" especially when compared with Ninth Jedi or Twins. The characters
were OK, the villain generic and the overall concept a bit too close to Astro Boy. It's not bad. But it doesn't excel either.
7) Elder (7/10): Another episode by Studio Trigger, this one is calmer and less typical of triggers usual work. It features an
interesting pair of protagonists and a good villain and is well worth watching.
8) Lop and Ocho (9/10) Truly great and surprisingly tragic story about a pair of sisters fighting over the fate of their planet,
one of whom favours the Empire and the other is opposed. The story features fleshed out characters with a simple but deep
story that manages to focus on the themes of Industrial Progress, Pollution, Imperialism and Torn Families. Enjoyable,
interesting and slightly tragic. The art for the episode was great, especially the opening shots of the Star Destroyer.
9) Akakiri (7/10): A story of one Jedi's decent to the Dark side. Some commentators Jordan that it told a similar story to
Anakins decent to the Dark Side in the prequels, but was more effective in 12 minutes than the prequels were in 3 films. The
story is interesting with a villain who feels more complex than their appearance suggests however I feel the episode suffered
from its short, 12 minute run time. Also, the art style felt simplistic.
Overall, Star Wars Visions is a great addition to the star wars universe that tells interesting stories with surprisingly well developed characters. Ocho from Lop and Ocho, Am from Twins and "the Jedi" from Village Bride were my personal favourites. Several of the episodes, particularly Ninth Jedi, Twins, Lop and Ocho and Village Bride are easily good enough to warrant their own series. Their are few episodes I felt weren’t as good, specifically Tatooine Rhapsody and TB 01, However the biggest problem I felt was the lack of runtime.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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May 6, 2024
I watched Magical Revolution for the promise of a Yuri fantasy romance and I can happily say it delivered on that count. There's no Yuri Baiting, we get a Yuri romance, complete with Kiss scene in the final episode. However, what set this series apart for me was how the series went beyond that with the political side. Although subtle, the various political realities of ruling a medieval kingdom are addressed. One good example being when the Prince ends his engagement to Euphylia. Most anime wouldn't cover the political side effects, but Magical Revolution does and its details like this that made the world
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of Magical Revolution such a good backdrop to its romance. Finally, the characters themselves are enjoyable to watch and fleshed out. A lot of attention is given to Anisphia and Euphylia but other characters also some attention as well. Anisphia's friend Tilty being my favourite.
The only negative I have is that the final episode felt a bit too quick. It goes from Anisphia and Euphylia being about to duel at the beginning to the their eponymous magical revolution at the end. I think this particular part of the plot should have been a bit longer, specifically the part after the duel. This part, covering Euphylia and Anisphia ruling the kingdom, ending the power of the Nobles and introducing magitech should have been longer. Despite this, Magical Revolution is an excellent and enjoyable Yuri fantasy story.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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May 6, 2024
This series started with a fairly promising premise, namely, that a heroic King who worked hard for his people has died and reincarnated as a woman. In his, now her, new life, she is determined to enjoy herself with her favourite past time- fighting. This premise had quite a lot going for it and could have been very interesting with the twin plot points of a protagonist who worked for others before but now wants to enjoy themselves and the struggle between the two drives- the desire to help and the desire to have fun as well as that of a man becoming a woman.
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Unfortunately, none of these plot point comes up at all. The protagonist has no adjustment time or development. The protagonist also remains completely OP, comfortably out classing almost every opponent. As a result there is no tension. Unfortunately the supporting cast do not take up the slack as they too are forgettable isekai stock characters and the villains mostly generic stereotypically evil villains with no depth or uniqueness. In general, Hero King to Extraordinary Squire is a rather disappointing isekai that had great potential with a unique and interesting premise but failed to do anything with it and instead became a generic isekai story.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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May 5, 2024
I must admit, I had rather forgotten about Kakegurui over the past few years and whilst fun I don't remember being as impressed by the second season as the first. Fortunately I found Kakegurui to be a great reintroduction to the series that reminded why I loved the franchise in the first place. The fanservice, the crazy face and the characters interactions are all great. The character are all entertaining and even though there is little backstory given to the characters, they are still great to watch. Mary Saotome does an excellent job as a main protagonist and, despite liking Yumeko Jabami, I never
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found myself missing her. Another strong character was Sachiko Juraku who made for a deliciously sadistic antagonist orchestrating and manipulating affairs from behind the scenes. On the down side I do admit to finding Saotome's friends a bit lackluster. Amidst the entertainingly crazy bevy of rich Lesbians, like Juraku, Saotome's friends feel rather dull and run of the mill. They just fell flat.
The story itself is a prequel to the main series "Kakegurui" however Kakegurui Twin never relies or overly references its parent story and so it did not feel like a series you could only enjoy if you'd seen Kakegurui. In fact, the series even had a helpful explanation of the series premise and setting at the beginning. Kakegurui Twin is only 6 episodes and normally a series with such a low episode count would feel rushed. I never felt that here and instead the series came across as enjoyable, to the point and not too long. As with the main series, the only major problem was that the gambles themselves, the main action of the series, are somewhat confusing. Fortunately the combination of crazy face and character interactions more than compensate.
Finally, a note on the fanservice. Like its parents series, Kakegurui is somewhat fanservicey. In general, Kakegurui Twin lacks the gratuitous random nature that fanservice in most modern anime has. Instead, the fanservice fits in naturally into the story and, given the general crazyness of the story, setting and characters, feels entirely natural.
Overall, Kakegurui Twin was highly enjoyable, with a mostly good cast of characters, a fun compelling and to the point story and just as crazy as its mother series. It also feels like a good introduction to the series and very newcomer friendly. If you dislike fanservice however, this might not be a series you would like.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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May 5, 2024
The world of Otome Games is tough for mobs, or "Otome Games" as I'll call it for brevity's sake looks like a stereotypical Otome show. It features all the tropes, such as lowborn female characters bullied by her wealthier, higher class fellow students, a set of handsome wealthy male love interests and of course a noble villainess, engaged to one of the male love interests. Otome Games averts this. However stories that avert this are also common. The Otome Villainess genre does this. But, there are so many of these stories that averting these tropes is a trope in and of itself. Fortunately, and much
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to my surprise, Otome Game manages to avert the typical otome tropes but In a new and highly entertaining way. The story focuses on a reincarnated male main character, Leon Bartford who is born as a mob character. The story follows his attempts to remain a mob character and not get in the way. Something he hilariously fails at. The story In general is quite humorous and has a lighter (as a pose to darker) feel to it. However it does not hesitate to explore the darker sides of its world or its character, which gives it a certain depth. In fact, at times it comes of as a deconstruction, for example, the practical effects of breaking of an engagement for love are covered via the actions of Queen. The main action of the story is quite unusual for an Otome story and includes a lot of good action scenes (involving Mechs no less). Overall, Otome Games has an excellent story that is entertaining and has depth.
The characters for Otome Games are similarly entertaining but with a bit of depth. The standout character is Leon himself who far from being a traditional main character is snarky, sneaky and cunning. In essence he's similar to Kazuma from Konosuba and the results are quite entertaining. Leon however is not the only good character a lot of the main characters are both entertaining and get development. One example is Angelica. She fulfils the "Otome Villainess" role but is treated sympathetically and not only does her views on "commoners" develop but she becomes close friends with the original heroine, Olivia. Another example would be the male love Interests who early on are the main antagonists but later on develop as characters, even becoming helpful to Leon. The characters are excellently written as well as entertaining. The Queen was a particular favourite.
Overall a highly entertaining series with enough depth and originality to set it apart from other Isekai and Otome series. A somewhat unique take on both Otome and isekai stories.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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May 4, 2024
Bastard season 2 continues many of the same problems as previous seasons. Schneider is still boringly OP and what little plot emerges is too little too late. In fact, season 2 actually manages to exacerbate these problems. For example, a large number of new characters are introduced yet they receive little to no characterisation. However one of the most annoying problems with this series was its treatment of the female cast. The show had always been fanservice heavy but its ramped up to eleven in some scenes in season 2, and not in a good way. Fanservice can be done well however bastard s2 is
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not an example of this. One notable example comes in a bathing scene where Tio Noto Yoko is bathing alone. Schenider comes in gets physical with her. She says no. Repeatedly. He continues and receives no real comeuppance or punishment outside of the usual anime comedy tropes. On the subject of badly written women, Arshes Nei, who was introduced in season 1 as an impressive General, a powerful figure in her own right, has since then degenerated into little more than a simp for Dark Schneider who does little other than cry over her relationship with him and pine for him on her own, in forest hut, for two whole years (the series takes place after a time skip) just because Schneider once told her do this, when she was a child!
Overall, the writing and characterisation is just as bad, if not worse, than previous season. If you want a fantasy themed villain protagonist anime that's better written. Watch Overlord instead.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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May 4, 2024
As a fan of the first season of Devil is a part timer, I was quite hyped for this season. Unfortunately I must say that Devil is a Part Timer s2 disappoints and for one simple reason. It wasn't funny. The first season was a comedy that focused on a Demon Lord whose isekaied to 21st century Japan and has to work Part time at a fast food joint to survive. Maou, the titular devil was recognisably a Demon and this created some interesting and humorous situations especially when the Hero who wants to kill him arrived. The current season however feel significantly less funny
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and almost all of Maou's demonic traits receive less attention, resulting in him appearing less demonic and more like an average anime protagonist, which removes the main appeal of the story. Also, the season as a whole focuses a lot more on the story and a lot less on the comedy, which is a shame as the comedy stood out last season. The story did not and this has become even more obvious in this season. The story comes across as a fairly standard good vs evil story and is largely uninteresting. Furthermore its punctuated by a series of rather dull filler episodes focused first on Maou getting other part time work on a beach restaurant and later on helping out on a farm.
Overall, Devil is a part timer s2 was a step down from the first season. It focuses on a generic story at the cost of the comedy whilst the characters, specifically Maou have had many of their demonic elements or traits tonnes down. I'll still watch the upcoming third season In the hopes that it's better.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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May 4, 2024
I'm the villainess so I'm taming the last boss is the latest entry in the burgeoning reincarnated as a villainess anime genre. It's not my dream villainess vilain protagonist story but out of the anime entries in the genre so far it comes closest to what I would like to see- focusing on the villainess as a villainess. The other entries were more comedic and involved the villainess character being significantly less villainous. Whilst protagonist Aileen is far from evil, she has many of the typical villainess traits, most notably confidence and a certain cunning pragmatism. This makes Aileen a very interesting protagonist. Aileens nature
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is essentially the main selling point of the anime however as, whilst the story is fun and enjoyable, enough for me to give the series an 8, the other characters are less interesting. Of the series Romantic targets only two really get much attention, the titular last boss and Prince Cedric. The others feel horrendously generic and even the main two, whilst more developed, still felt a little bland. The female antagonists, Ilia and Selena however where better with Selena's change of heart. Ilia in particular with her façade of bring an innocent heroine and her background of being reincarnated like Aileen made for a great villain, however she did always feel slightly outclassed by Aileen. The less said about the Empress Dowager the better. She felt like a very last minute entry and was as stereotypically evil as it was possible to be and generally did very little. In fact, the Empress Dowager has so little impact that you could probably remove her from the plot and nothing would change.
The story was generally good and rather fun to watch however it did reel rather generic and stereotypical, for the genre and this becomes particularly apparent in the rather rushed ending where it felt if the writers hurriedly tried to tie up the lose ends in 20 minutes. This is even more apparent to readers of the source material who state that the ending was indeed rushed and skipped parts overs.
Overall, I'm taming the last boss was entertaining and had a great protagonist but is let down by its fairly generic and rushed ending and comparatively bland male characters. The female antagonists, bar the Empress Dowager, are also pretty good.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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May 3, 2024
Nothing Happened. That summarises my feelings about this series. This series had great potential with its basic idea. Namely, that a Japanese office worker gets reincarnated as Princess Pride. A princess who will grow up to become a genuinely evil, psychotic tyrant. A tyrant destined to be killed by those she tormented. To save herself, our protagonist has to avoid this fate and she chooses to do this by doing the exact opposite of the Tyrant whose body she now posses- to be a good ruler. Now this is not an original idea for a Villainess Isekai story. But, unlike many such stories, the
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original Princess Pride is not a generic rich girl bully but a genuinely irredeemable tyrant. This could have been an excellent plot point with the main protagonist taking control of Pride after Pride has committed some reversible acts. This would have made new Pride's (as I will call the girl who is reincarnated into Princess Prides body) journey towards redemption challenging and worth watching. This would have been a more compelling story as many of the characters in the series would have genuine reason to hate Pride, thus creating a challenge for our protagonist to overcome. Instead, New Pride takes over original, Prides body before original Pride was old enough to do anything bad at all and so New Pride being nice to people is more than enough to solve the problem. In fact, New Pride is too nice. In stark contrast to the original Pride, New Pride has not a single bad bone in her body and so New Prides constant worrying that might slip into old Prides evil ways feels almost ludicrous. As for all of Prides would be murderers? Because new Pride took over before original Pride did anything, these would be regicides now practically worship Pride as the best thing since sliced bread. And all because Pride was nice to them. The show essentially resolves its own conflict in the first few episodes leaving the rest of the series to turn into little more than flattery for the main protagonist. The closest to a conflict we see is the flashbacks that show what the original Pride did in certain situations. However, even this has little effect as we are soon treated to new Pride doing the exact opposite and solving everything. Because of this, what could have been a compelling and interesting series wasted its potential, and instead we get a 12 episode long power fantasy with very little conflict were a morally perfect protagonist wins over almost everyone. By the time I watched the last episode, the series felt so repetitive boring that I was glad it was over. The same basic plot happened over and over again with no hint of a challenge.
In general, Last Boss Queen had an excellent premise but little else. The show manages to kill its own premise in its opening few episodes and the result is a series with no challenge and no threat. Nothing really happened.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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