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Overview:
I'm not sure how many people have noticed this, but revenge tends to be viewed very unfavourably in Japan, especially when compared to the West. While people in America tend to favour "retributive justice" as they call it, Japan generally stick to the belief that seeking revenge on those who have wronged you will make you just as bad if not worse than they are. "Gun x Sword", while not innovating in many ways, is one of the few anime that actually favours revenge to an extent, but does it in a way that doesn't come off as being overly-edgy. How does it achieve this? ... Well, you're about to find out.

Story (7.5/10):
Set on the "Planet of Endless Illusion", "Gun x Sword" tells the story of Van, an anti-social warrior who wields a whip-like sword and can summon a legendary mech from a satellite to aid him in combat. Three years prior to the story, Van lost his would-be wife Helena to a mysterious man known only as "the Claw", and is now wandering the planet in search of him. After passing out from hunger in the middle of a desert town, Van saves a 12-year-old girl named Wendy Garret, and after being treated to lunch by her, learns she's in search of her missing brother, Michael. Not long after, it becomes clear that Van and Wendy's interests in fact overlap, as Michael was sold off to the very man he's searching for. As such, Wendy decides to accompany Van on his journey (with him being less than thrilled by the idea) so the two of them can achieve their respective goals, with them encountering many allies and enemies along the way.

In case it wasn't clear already, "Gun x Sword" is a space western, right down to having a protagonist dressed like a cowboy (though his weapon of choice is more like what a samurai would wield). However, this isn't "Cowboy Bebop" meets "Trigun". Oh no, this is more like "Cowboy Bebop" meets "Inspector Gadget", with a whole bunch of other references thrown in for good measure. While the series does start in a desert, it soon becomes clear that that's only one small part of this planet, and there's overall a good amount of variety to be found, from civilizations to fields. The actual story does admittedly take a while to really get going, with the first few episodes following an episodic format where Van and Wendy travel to some place and, after solving whatever problem is there, walk away no closer to their goals. This changes towards the end of the sixth episode (which up until then looked like one you could easily skip), which gets the show's momentum going, and from then on we gradually learn more and more about the Claw, his organization and what his plans are. Even so, there isn't really anything that original about the series, and a lot of the twists are probably things you'll see coming.

However, while the story may have some pacing problems and be rather lacking in originality, it is nevertheless one I found myself very much enjoying, mostly due to its unique way of approaching revenge. Rather than going for the old "revenge is bad" message we've heard so many times, the series doesn't necessarily portray Van's desire for revenge as particularly damaging or self-destructive (and it certainly helps that he refuses to let it become that way). Nevertheless, the series doesn't shy away from the fact that revenge can definitely turn you into something you're not, with one character showing this in a truly disturbing fashion and being made to directly contrast Van. The series also almost consistently improves in quality as it goes on, with the last few episodes in particular being highly memorable, culminating in a highly satisfying ending that, while not the best I've ever seen, is nevertheless notable for delivering exactly what the series promised.

Art & Animation (8/10):
"Gun x Sword"'s studio AIC ASTA isn't all that well-known, and it shows by the fact that "Gun x Sword" doesn't have any particularly standout visuals. While the character designs are very cool and unique, the models are fairly rough around the edges and the environments aren't amazing-looking either. There are some very nice special effects, however, with probably my favourite being the one when Van summons his Armor, Dann of Thursday, to fight for him, and we see it come down from space and him merging with it. Overall, the series does look pretty good, especially considering it came out in 2005.

Sound & Dialogue (8/10):
"Gun x Sword"'s music really isn't all that standout or memorable. There are some decent tracks worth listening to, like the opening and a couple of the ending themes (of which there are five in total), but it doesn't really feel like anything you've heard before, though it does definitely fit with the series. The voice acting is generally very good; David Vincent captures each aspect of Van's character very well, Stephanie Sheh delivers a great performance as Wendy, and the cast as a whole is quite solid, including a number of big names like Michelle Ruff, Yuri Lowenthal, Liam O'Brien and Johnny Yong Bosch, though some performances are certainly better than others. One part of the sound design I really wasn't a fan of, however, is the ridiculous narrations that begin each episode. These narrations aren't clever or provide any more context to the series, they just waste time and are clearly trying way too hard to be philosophical, overall feeling like a complete waste of Jamieson Price.

Characters (7.5/10):
For the most part, Van plays the part of an apathetic bystander, often refusing to help people with their problems for the simple fact that he has no reason to and getting annoyed when people, especially Wendy, take a liking to him. That being said, pushing him into doing the right thing is very possible (especially if somebody does something that pisses him off) and he's ultimately just very reserved and anti-social as opposed to actively unpleasant. Furthermore, while he is extremely focused on his quest for revenge, to the point that him passing out from hunger due to forgetting to eat is something of a running gag, he has no intention of letting his quest consume him or making it his sole reason for living, as he (rather rightfully) believes that becoming a man different from the one Helena loved would be an insult to her memory. This is evident when he meets a man with near-identical circumstances, but is willing to do anything in order to get his revenge, and Van is so disgusted that he refuses to team up with him despite them sharing the same goal, showing that while his goal may be personal, he also has very strong moral standards. Beyond that, Van is also a huge badass, and while that's pretty much a given when you're linked up to a giant robot, he's more than capable of kicking ass even without Dann, and only really summons it when he needs it, which he very often does. While he isn't the most complex lead character out there, he's nevertheless very likeable all around and more than worthy of being the protagonist of a story like this.

Second in importance to Van is Wendy, who is also my second favourite character. While Van does encounter and befriend many people over the course of his journey, as well as getting acquainted with several people from his past, Wendy remains his most consistent companion over the course of the series, and is generally the one to push him into helping others. Fortunately, rather than just being some tagalong kid, she is a character with her own subplot and character arc- a point constantly made in the series is she's coming of age. She is often irritated when people put her aside as a child and she has attempted various times to be more adult-like in Van's presence from when he dismissed her as a brat in the first episode to go back to her town. With each progression in the story, she learns more and more about the world, developing her own thoughts and opinions in the process. And yet, despite being quite mature for her age, she's still ultimately just a kid and so often ends up getting driven by her emotions rather than logic, which if anything only makes her more human. While she's pretty much useless in combat, having no weapons other than a gun with a single bullet, emotionally she's pretty much indispensable to the plot, and proves herself to be very a likeable, well-developed character.

Over the course of the story, Van and Wendy are joined by many other people. Chief among these is Carmen 99 (real name Carol Mendosa, though she prefers the nickname), an old acquaintance of Van's who knows about his past and works as an intelligence agent. She starts off as an on-and-off ally to the main duo (though she's generally even more apathetic and less willing to help others than Van himself) but she ultimately joins them full-time once things between her and the Claw's group become personal. While she doesn't have an Armor like Van, she can still more than hold her own in combat, fighting with a killer yo-yo esque weapon. And speaking of badass ladies, there's also Priscilla, who unlike Van and Carmen, is always eager to help others, introduced as competing in Armor tournaments in order to earn money for the sake of orphans she's taking care of. Loveable as she is, however, her rather late introduction means she's isn't nearly as developed as some other characters, nor is she given nearly as many chances to shine. As for male companions, there's also Joshua Lundgren, a young man who becomes fast friends with Wendy due to their very similar personalities and circumstances. Joshua is something of an "idiot savant"- he's a brilliant engineer who can fix pretty much anything, but is seriously lacking in common sense and makes some very bone-headed decisions, though he's still kind and loyal and can be counted on to make a good point from time to time.

Besides the heroes, the villains are also quite interesting. When we first hear about the Claw, he seems to be little more than a horrible person whom Van has every reason to want revenge on, though later we see that he's that and a lot more, as he has managed to earn an incredibly good reputation merely by helping out those who needed him. His minions are loyal to him, almost fanatically so, by choice, and his goal isn't necessarily an evil one, depending on how sincere you think he is. In a couple of ways, he feels like a villain from the "Tales" video game series, who are known for being very sympathetic and ambiguous, though even his most generous interpretation still makes Van look like a hero by comparison. Besides the Claw, the series features a number of notable villains, though it's hard to talk about most of them without giving away major spoilers. However, there is one villain who has easily the least screen-time out of the major antagonists, which wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for the fact that he has a stronger connection to Van than any other villain besides the Claw himself. It's hard not to see that he could have made for a very interesting secondary villain, which would have provided some more character development for Van as well. All in all, the series does a good job with both the heroes and villains, but I have definitely seen better.

Enjoyment (8/10):
There are no two ways about it; from start to finish, "Gun x Sword" is a very enjoyable and entertaining series, only becoming more so as the series progresses. There's an action scene or several to be found in almost every episode, and while the Armor battles can get somewhat formulaic at times, they're pretty much never boring. There's also some great comic relief too, mainly resulting from Van's odd habits and Joshua's cluelessness, and overall the series maintains a surprisingly hopeful tone despite being a story about revenge.

Overall:
"Gun x Sword" is a highly obscure series that has never managed to pique the interest of many, whether it be when it first came out or now, and personally I think that's a shame. Sure, it might not stand out at all in terms of visuals or sound design, and it certainly can't compare to Goro Taniguchi's other mech series, "Code Geass", but it's still worth watching if you're a sci-fi fan, with likeable, fleshed-out characters, exciting action scenes and a good story with a highly satisfying ending.

Score:
7.5+8+8+7.5+8=39/50=7.8/10

Overview:
While it's a mindset I'll never quite wrap my head around, it's an indisputable fact that some people enjoy risking their lives for dumb thrills, which is where extreme sports come from. "Air Gear" is what happens when extreme sports do shonen battle anime, following teams of people racing, fighting and competing against each other with what are essentially very hi-tech rollerblades. However, while the premise is fresh, "Air Gear" sadly falls short in a number of areas, even if it is still an enjoyable series that I do not regret spending my time on.

Story (6.5/10):
"Air Gear" tells the story of Itsuki "Ikki" Minami, a ... 15-year-old delinquent who lives with his childhood friend Ringo Noyamano and her three sisters, Rika, Mikan and Shiraume (Ume for short). Having a secret fascination for A-Ts (short for Air Treks, a futuristic evolution of skating that has taken the world by storm), Ikki spends his days fighting other delinquents that are way out of his league and watching a mysterious girl practising her skating. One day, however, he obtains the chance to try out some A-Ts himself, and quickly develops a serious passion for them. Soon after, he discovers that Ringo and her sisters are actually members of the Sleeping Forest, one of the most notorious Storm Rider teams ever, and Ringo herself is the heir. After the sisters help him defeat a gang he's been having trouble with, Ikki asks that Ringo teaches him to get better at using A-Ts so he can become a "Storm Rider" like her, and in the process, he forms his own Storm Rider team- Kogarasumaru. Together, Ikki and his friends vow to move up the ranks in the A-T gangs, while also piquing the interest of a mysterious group that seems to have some kind of connection to Ikki and the Noyamanos.

The story is pretty decently paced, with us gradually learning more and more about A-Ts, how they work and the various matches Storm Riders can compete in. For example, we learn in the first few episodes that each team has an emblem representing them, and those emblems can be wagered in matches. However, to bet an emblem means to risk your entire team's future, since if you lose your emblem, your team is forced to disband. Furthermore, the idea that roller skating is being used as a way to hurt people is commented on multiple times, with Ikki and Ringo in particular saying that A-Ts should be for fun and not be used as tools for violence or control, showing that the series is self-aware about what it is. On the flipside, I can't say I was a fan of the slice-of-life parts, as most of them revolve around some of the most cringeworthy comedy you can think of, with multiple episodes that I wished I had just skipped. In a way, the series feels a lot like the original "Top Gun" movie, in that anything that doesn't involve A-Ts isn't really worth caring about.

Aside from the varying quality of the episodes, the story has a whole still feels like it's just getting started even towards the end, which probably makes sense given that it only adapts around the first third of the manga it's based off. Even early on, there are hints that there is something supernatural at play, with Ikki somehow finding himself in some alternate dimension, but exactly what this is or if it's simply some effect caused by his A-Ts is never explained. Nor do we ever find out exactly who Simca is or what her and her team could possibly want with Ikki of all people. It doesn't help that the series ends pretty weakly, with the bonus episode doing nothing to help matters as it's entirely divorced from the rest of the anime. Sadly, it's unlikely that we'll ever see the series continued, due to the anime having aired more than a decade and a half ago at this point, though a reboot is possible.

Art & Animation (8/10):
"Air Gear" is a fairly good-looking series, being animated by Toei Animation of "Dragon Ball" fame. It may not look spectacular, even for its time, but there are some great character designs and well-drawn environments, as well as some really nice special effects. On the downside, there's far too much deranged animation for my liking and the character movements can be rather noticeably stiff at times. There's also a surprising amount of heavy fanservice, including multiple shots of uncensored breasts, though thankfully the series at least seems to know there's a time and a place.

Sound & Dialogue (8.5/10):
If you were to ask me to pick a highlight of "Air Gear", it would be the music every single time. The opening "Chain" and ending theme "Sky too High" are both really fun tracks to open and end an episode, and the episodes themselves contain a number of great tracks as well. The soundtrack as a whole feels very unique and fitting and does a fine job at letting you know what kind of series you're watching. Besides the music, the voice acting is nothing to sneeze at either- Chris Patton and Luci Christian do great jobs as Ikki and Ringo, respectively (if far from the best work they've ever done) and the dub cast features a number of great actors including Vic Mignogna, Monica Rial, Clint Bickham and Blake Shepard, though some of these don't have quite as big a role as I would have liked.

Characters (7.5/10):
From the beginning, Ikki is established as a pretty big jerk and extremely reckless, being quite rude to pretty much everyone around him and very prone to picking fights with people that everyone knows he can't beat, sometimes causing trouble for the Noyamano sisters as a result, making it very believable as to why they barely tolerate him sans Ringo. On the flipside, it's obvious as early as the third episode that he's a good guy at heart, as he feels bad when he ends up causing a Storm Rider team to have to disband due to winning their emblem, even saying that he wouldn't have had them bet their emblem if he had known such a rule existed. In general, what side of him is prominent really depends on the tone of the scene- if things are comedic, his jerk side is played up for all its worth, but once things get serious, his caring, selfless side comes out full force. It's also shown that he didn't really have a purpose in life before getting into A-Ts for the first time, so being a Storm Rider is the first thing he's ever been really passionate about, which I'd say a lot of people can relate to. Additionally, just because he's reckless doesn't mean he's stupid, and he can actually be surprisingly smart when the situation calls for it. Unfortunately, this intelligence does not translate to making decent arguments, as when he's told that he can't do something and why, he just throws a tantrum until he gets his way instead of providing some kind of counter point, which may help or hurt his character depending on who you ask. Ultimately, there isn't all that much that separates him from other shonen protagonists, though he's at least a good example of how to do the archetype right.

While Ikki himself is a fairly solid lead, my favourite character would have to be Ringo, the main heroine and second-youngest of the Noyomano sisters. While Ikki tends to be rough on the inside but sweet on the inside, Ringo is sweet both inside and out. Of her four sisters, she is by far the nicest to Ikki and tends to show the most concern for him, particularly when he's come home after being beaten up in a fight. Pretty much the only time she isn't nice is when she's showing jealousy over Ikki expressing interest in another girl, which is normal for a girl her age. Even so, she's definitely not a lady you want to mess with, and is more than capable of kicking ass despite believing that A-Ts shouldn't be used for fighting. Besides being kinder than Ikki, she's also much more experienced at A-Ts than he is, and serves as his instructor at the beginning of the series. Unfortunately, the fact that the primary focus is on Ikki's Storm Rider team (which she never joins due to already having her own) means she doesn't get all that many moments to shine, though she's still the most important character after Ikki himself and helps out however she can. Still, I do wish she could have been given a bit more time in the spotlight, since her role as the heir to a famous Storm Rider team feels woefully unexplored.

Of course, Ikki and Ringo aren't the only characters in the series worth caring about. Completing the main cast is Ikki's other two childhood friends, Kazuma "Kazu" Mikura and Onigiri, who are also the first two people he recruits to his Storm Rider team. Serving as the team's second-in-command, Kazu is in many ways the opposite of Ikki- where Ikki is brash and overconfident, Kazu is timid and very unsure of himself, generally following Ikki's lead in the beginning, though he does eventually manage to stand on his own. As for Onigiri, well, he's generally a big pervert and often lusts after girls, though he gets no success due to his head being shaped like a rice ball (hence his name). He's generally the most useless member of the team, though he can pull his weight under the right circumstances and can be counted on to be a good friend when the situation calls for it. Aside from the main four, the series has a pretty sizeable cast, including Ringo's sisters and a number of characters that join Ikki's team later, though it's hard to talk about them without spoiling something, so I think I'll just leave it at that.

Enjoyment (7.5/10):
"Air Gear" is certainly a thrilling series, and thankfully it wastes little time in getting to the action. Not only are the fight scenes very entertaining to watch, but the race scenes are great as well, with the various stunts the characters pull off making them some of the craziest races you'll ever see. That being said, the comedy varies a lot in how good it is- sometimes I laughed, while other times I just wanted to roll my eyes at what was happening. At the very least, things are never boring, but there are certainly more enjoyable anime out there.

Overall:
"Air Gear" is certainly not a masterpiece, in any sense of the word. The story never really gets off the ground, the art is good but not fantastic and I generally wasn't a fan of the parts that didn't involve A-Ts. Even so, the concept is quite fresh (after all, how many anime can you name that involve people fighting each other with roller skates?) and it's certainly worth watching if you're a fan of action anime, with likeable characters, great action scenes and fantastic music.

Score:
6.5+8+8.5+7.5+7.5=38/50=7.6/10

Overview:
The post-apocalyptic genre is one that has been done to death in just about every form of media you can think of, yet has proven to remain popular even to this day. "Shangri-La", an anime by Gonzo originally released in 2009, is one of the lesser known examples of the genre, and is in equal parts an example of what to do and what NOT to do with it. It's an intriguing series to be sure, but it never manages to make the most of that intrigue, and is a very mixed bag overall.

Story (6.5/10):
Set many years after an earthquake ravaged Japan, the human population ... has been split into two main factions- the elite, who live in a grand, futuristic tower named Atlas, and the refugees, who live a ramshackle town called Duomu and have to regularly take up arms in order to get through day by day. Belonging to the latter group is our protagonist, Kuniko Hojo, an 18-year-old girl who has recently been released from a detention centre and is being trained to become the future leader of a resistance group called Metal Age, who serve as the main providers of supplies for people in the slums. While Kuniko and her friends are performing a raid on Atlas, Kuniko discovers an unpleasant truth- Atlas has more than enough vacancies for everyone living in Duomu, which can only mean the higher-ups are selfish jerks who would rather keep it all to themselves. After this, Kuniko becomes determined to take what she and her people are owed and fight for a better future.

The story is interesting and complex, I'll admit. Unfortunately, it also has a serious problem with getting to the point! Even though the truth about Atlas is revealed at the end of the third episode, it isn't until just over halfway though the series that any meaningful attack on it is launched. Between all of this is a set-up that feels like it goes on for much longer than necessary. There's even some attempt to question as to whether Metal Age are really doing the right thing, which would probably have had the intended impact if it wasn't for the fact that the supreme leader of Atlas is clearly shown to be a selfish psychopath who openly admits that she sees everything and everyone as tools for her amusement, and whatever problems the people in Atlas might have can't even begin to compare to those of the people in Doumu, something Kuniko herself even points out. There's even an arc where Kuniko is sent back to the detention centre for a few episodes, during which pretty much nothing noteworthy happens aside from Kuniko's first face-to-face meeting with the main villain, making it feel like empty padding more than anything. Fortunately, I can say that the second half of the series is a lot better than the first, but that really isn't saying much since it was a pretty low bar to clear.

Even beyond the very slow-paced beginning (which I've honestly come to expect from Gonzo anime, anyway), the series often ends up confused and entangled in its own narrative. Throughout the series, there are no less than four stories going on simultaneously, and while some of them are decently enjoyable (Mikuni's story being a highlight), there are others that I couldn't make sense of for the life of me. The biggest example of this would be that of Karin Ishida, a young girl and genius programmer who enjoys messing with the world's economy at her leisure. Throughout the series, I couldn't make heads or tails of the scenes involving Karin and couldn't really figure out why they were even in the series, considering the plot mainly revolves around a resistance group trying to overthrow a tyrannical government, and Karin's economic endeavours don't exactly lead to anything important. Ultimately, it's hard to say whether the series would have benefitted from more episodes or less, since while it does try to ram an awful lot into 24 episodes, a lot of the stuff it puts in feels really unnecessary and the series wouldn't lose much by removing it.

Art & Animation (7.5/10):
As is typical of a Gonzo anime, "Shangri-La" visuals are... not great, to put it bluntly. While the animations are good enough and there are some pretty decent character designs and minimal fanservice, dull colours, muddy textures and rough edges are very frequent. While the series doesn't look horrible by any stretch of the imagination, there's nothing about the visuals that stood out to me either, and so the best way to describe them would be "average".

Sound & Dialogue (8/10):
There really isn't all that much to say about "Shangri-La"'s soundtrack. It's barely even there a lot of the time and even when it is there, it mostly just blends into the background. The opening is also rather forgettable, though the two ending themes are both good in their own way and I will admit I enjoyed listening to them. The voice acting is generally very good, with Lindsay Siedel and Apphia Yu being particular highlights as Kuniko and Mikuni, respectively, and Austin Tindle doing a respectable job as Kunihito. Still, it can be very jarring to hear the voice of Kent Williams coming out of a transgender woman like Momoko, and I don't really know why they didn't go for a softer voice. All in all, the sound design has its problems, but it is still probably the best part of the series.

Characters (7/10):
The best way to describe Kuniko is that she's determined- once she has her mind set on something, she will not give in until she sees it through, and sometimes gets pissed at people who are easily willing to give up simply because they see no point in trying. Of course, determination won't get you far unless you have the strength to back it up, which Kuniko thankfully absolutely has, skilfully wielding a boomerang as big as she is and showing no hesitance to kill if necessary. What's more is that you can certainly tell that's she's been trained for a long time to take over Metal Age, as once things get going, she proves herself to be a very capable and charismatic leader. Unfortunately, while she is a likeable protagonist, she doesn't really undergo any major growth over the show's 24 episodes, which is especially noticeable give that she's the character we see the most of. The closest thing she gets to character development is becoming more determined to improve the lives of her people, something she's attempting to do even in the beginning. Also, and this is a rather minor criticism, but I found her character design to be rather lacking, as she looks like a kid despite being supposedly 18. Personally, I think they should have either made her a few years younger or have her look closer to her age. I'd have been fine with either, honestly, because what's the point in making her older than the usual anime protagonist if she's not going to look it?

Second in importance to Kuniko is Mikuni, a very pale young girl who lives in Atlas and is treated as royalty over there. Initially, she comes off as really creepy and ruthless, even habitually putting people to death for lying (which she is able to see through easily). However, it's later revealed that this isn't her fault, with the heavy implication being that she just doesn't know any better due to her upbringing in Atlas (as well as the fact that her power appears to be out of her control), and she is actually quite innocent and kind, if also rather annoying at times, as any child is. She also suffers from a condition that makes her vulnerable to sunlight, and as such rarely leaves her chambers. Her story runs parallel to Kuniko's for the majority of the series, with it not being until the second half that the two girls meet. While she's not quite as important to the story, I slowly but surely found myself liking Mikuni more than Kuniko (and every other character, for that matter), due to the fact that she actually has a character arc and undergoes some very noticeable changes over the series. Her story also has easily some of the most emotional moments in the anime, and towards the end I just wanted to give the poor girl a hug after all she had been through.

The last member of the main cast is Kunihito Kusanagi, a military officer who resides in Atlas and works for their corporation, which naturally puts him at odds with Metal Age, whom he initially sees as a bunch of selfish rebels. That said, it's hard to call him a villain, as at the end of the day he's just a soldier doing his job and is more than willing to negotiate, even if he's not the best at it due to his refusal to see others' points of view. Unfortunately, there isn't an awful lot to say about him compared to Kuniko and Mikuni, with his character type being one you'll find in many other anime, especially the "Gundam" franchise. Besides the main three, "Shangri-La" has a pretty sizeable supporting cast, some of which are interesting and likeable while others are forgettable or annoying. Among these is two transgender women, who rather than being treated as offensive jokes, are instead major characters with their own feelings, dreams, friendships, and roles to play, which is practically unheard of in anime. In general, the women in the series tend to have bigger roles and importance than the men do, with even the main villain being a woman who constantly expresses dominance over her male subordinates. As a whole, the cast is good, but there isn't anyone I found to be all that memorable.

Enjoyment (7/10):
"Shangri-La"'s poor pacing not only hurts the storytelling, it also means the series can be pretty boring in the first half. While there are some action scenes, they aren't as common as you might think and multiple episodes can go by without their being any action at all. Ultimately, whether you're invested in what's going on or just bored out of your mind really depends on what part of the series you're currently watching, though I can at least say that things get a lot more exciting in the second half, though it can also be rather dark at times, with a number of notable character deaths.

Overall:
While "Shangri-La" isn't a bad anime per se, there isn't really anything about it that makes it stand out among other stories of its kind. The plot is all over the place, the visuals are dull, the soundtrack is passable at best and the characterization varies wildly in quality. It's worth watching if you're a fan of post-apocalyptic stories, but if you've already had your fill of the genre, I would recommend either giving it a miss or saving it for when you have nothing else to watch.

Score:
6.5+7.5+8+7+7=36/50=7.2/10

Overview:
Ever since "Akira" first hit the cinemas in 1988, the cyberpunk genre has had a large influence on global popular culture, with many different stories both in and outside of Japan drawing inspiration from or being explicit examples of the genre. One of the lesser-known examples is "Ergo Proxy", a 2006 original anime directed by Shuko Murase, the same person behind the even more obscure "Witch Hunter Robin". Of course, lesser-known shows are often such for a reason, and while it does provide the viewer with an interesting watch, "Ergo Proxy" ultimately fails to live up to the high bar set by its peers.

Story & ... World (7.5/10):
Thousands of years after the world was rendered inhospitable for normal human via an ecological disaster, humanity have managed to survive by taking up residence in various dome cities. One such city is Romdeau, where humans and special androids called AutoReivs co-exist peacefully. Of course, not everything is as it seems in this "boring paradise", with Re-L Mayer, the daughter of Romdeau's government leader, sent to investigate a series of murders called by AutoReivs infected by the Cogito virus, which causes them to become self-aware, and gets caught up in a conspiracy involving highly powerful humanoids known as Proxies. Connected to these Proxies in some way is Vincent Law, a mysterious immigrant who has no memory of who he is or where he came from. As fate would have it, it's long before Vincent and Re-L's paths end up crossing, and the two of them, along with the AutoReiv Pino, team up to uncover Vincent's mysterious past and the truth behind Proxies and how the world they live in came to be.

Does this premise sound confusing and a lot to keep track of? Well, you're just going to have to get used to it, because it really doesn't get any easier to understand as time goes on, with episodes frequently posing just as many questions as they answer, and the show often throwing out various jargon with minimal explanation to what these words actually mean. The philosophical narrations regularly done by Vincent and Re-L are also peppered with jargon, and even towards the end of the series I couldn't figure out for the life of me what the meaning behind much of what they said was, or if there was even any meaning behind it at all. It can also be pretty hard to care the conflict about the first few episodes, given that it's between various killer robots and a fascist government that controls every part of the city, though thankfully things do get a bit more hopeful from then on, though it isn't until episode 8 that things start to really get interesting.

On the other hand, the various themes presented in the show were enough to keep me intrigued. For one, it takes the concept of robots developing sentience and deconstructs it via the Cogito virus (named such after the first principle of Rene Descartes' philosophy, roughly translated as "I think, therefore I am"). While there are exceptions like Pino, both AutoReivs that develop sentience ultimately come to regret it, and end up going insane, which is the result behind the murders that drive the first few episodes and is the driving arc of a certain supporting character that I will not name to avoid spoilers. Furthermore, the pacing picks up greatly once we learn the basics behind who Vincent is, and we gradually learn more and more about the show's post-apocalyptic setting as he explores it (having escaped Romdeau after the first few episodes) while simultaneously seeing what's going on back in Romdeau. Ultimately, however, I still had a couple of questions left even towards the end, though the climax was ultimately enough to keep me satisfied.

Art & Animation (8.5/10):
You have to give Manglobe credit (or would have to if they were still around); "Ergo Proxy" looks really nice. The series boasts highly intricate visuals in a distinct art style that looks cel-shaded and even CGI at times, yet is unmistakably hand-drawn, with memorable character designs and very detailed and well-drawn environments. While it's far from the best-looking anime I've ever seen, there isn't really any anime that looks like it, and the animations are consistently smooth also. All in all, this is definitely one of the high points of the anime.

Sound & Dialogue (8.5/10):
No cyberpunk noir thriller would be worth watching without some atmospheric music, and thankfully "Ergo Proxy" has that in spades. Among the tracks that play during the episodes themselves, "New pulse", "Raging pulse" and "Wasteland nostalgia" are definitely some of the best. The opening theme, "Kiri", is good enough that I listened to it at the start of every episode (though it doesn't play until the third episode for some reason) and the ending theme, "Paranoid Android" by the English rock band Radiohead, is probably my favourite track in the whole series. As for the voice acting, it's good but I've heard better. Liam O'Brien, Megan Hollingshead and Rachel Hirschfeld all do fine jobs as Vincent, Re-L and Pino respectively, and the dub has a pretty solid cast which includes Yuri Lowenthal, Patrick Seitz and Travis Willingham. Even so, there isn't any performance that stood out as particularly great for me, though there weren't really any bad ones either.

Characters (7.5/10):
As I already mentioned, Vincent starts off the series with no memory of who he is or where he came from. And while the story of an amnesiac trying to regain his memory is likely one you've seen unfold many times before, it's one that nevertheless works. Initially, Vincent comes off as a total wimp who can't fight to save his life, judging by the fact that he was only able to escape from the authorities of Romdeau (who are after him due to being an immigrant) with the help of Pino, who despite being an android, is still very much a little girl in terms of appearance and personality. He even makes some really low choices just to save his own skin, resulting in the needless deaths of quite a few people, even they aren't directly his fault. As time goes on, however, he proves himself to be surprisingly capable and manages to save the people around him just as often as they save him. Once he starts to get his memories back, he becomes far more capable, which is even reflected by his entire face getting a big makeover, going from smooth and meek-looking to more wild and badass. As a whole, Vincent easily racks up the most awesome moments out of any character in the series, which is quite a feat from a guy who initially seemed like he was going to be an adult version of Shinji Ikari. Unfortunately, it's hard for me to say anything genuine about him since even his true identity is a huge spoiler. All I really can say is that he proves to be a completely different character from what you were initially expecting, and I mean that in very much a good way.

While Vincent is certainly my favourite character overall, Re-L would definitely be my second. In fact, the first four episodes follow her more than they do Vincent, and even after it's made clear that Vincent is the real protagonist, she still does a good chunk of the narration. Initially, she's a very cold person to pretty much everyone she interacts with, being focused entirely on her work as an intelligence agent. When she's on the job, she's always accompanied by her AutoReiv assistant Iggy, though she doesn't think highly of him due to him being a spy for her grandfather. In fact, she's shown to have a pretty low opinion of AutoReivs in general, though that's sadly justified given the cynical approach the show takes to androids gaining sentience and the fact that it's her job to hunt down AutoReivs on a rampage. Even beyond that, however, she even acts coldly to Vincent at first, who despite some questionable decisions early on is a genuinely nice guy to almost everyone he meets. But while she is pretty hard to like in the beginning, she slowly but surely defrosts as time goes on, not only becoming kinder to Vincent and Pino, but showing a surprisingly playful side as well, which is the last thing you would expect from her given her usual stone-cold demeanour. In addition, while she doesn't get as many chances to shine as Vincent, she's still very competent in her own right. Hell, she can even hold her own against Proxies, which in terms of power are basically this world's equivalent of Terminators.

Finally as far as the main cast goes, we have Pino, an AutoReiv who gets infected by the Cogito virus early on. Unlike most AutoReivs, however, Pino doesn't go insane as a result of the virus, instead developing a very innocent, cheerful and sweet personality much like what you would expect from a child, which is appropriate given that she looks like one. For quite a while, she's Vincent's only companion when he's on the search for his lost memories, and she proves herself to be very loyal to him. Considering "Ergo Proxy" can get very grim quite often, having an innocent character like Pino certainly helps to ease the tension, and unlike a lot of other child characters, she's rarely, if ever, annoying. Unfortunately, while she is technically part of the main trio, she doesn't get nearly as much focus or development as Vincent or Re-L. In fact, it's telling that the episode in which she has the most focus is also the one that has arguably the least to do with the overall plot, though that's not to say it's a bad episode by any means.

Other than the three leads, "Ergo Proxy" also features an interesting and varied cast of supporting characters. These include the aforementioned Iggy, scientist and physician Daedalus Yumeno (whose name is only one of several references this show has to the story of Icarus), security agent Raul Creed and his AutoReiv assistant Kristeva, among others. With the exception of Pino and maybe Vincent, nearly every character is some shade of grey (including the majority of the one-shot characters), all of them doing morally questionable things yet fundamentally having the best of intentions at heart, and you can understand why they take the actions they do. Admittedly, this means you're not given that many people to truly root for, since the vast majority end up opposing the protagonists for whatever reason and characters often end up dying both unexpectedly and tragically. Overall, the cast is by no means huge, but the characters do a fine job at getting you enticed in the narrative.

Enjoyment (7/10):
It's certainly no exaggeration to say that "Ergo Proxy"'s set-up ends up going on for a LOT longer than it needed to, with the story moving at a glacial pace for the first seven episodes (that is to say, roughly the first third of the overall story), which probably goes a long way to explain why many people fail to get into it. Even then, the series as a whole is generally very dark, especially in the beginning, and pretty light on action in places. Ultimately, while the series does carry a degree of hope that thing will turn out alright, it still never quite loses the bleakness, and it's ultimately left ambiguous as to just how happy the ending is meant to be viewed as.

Overall:
"Ergo Proxy" is definitely not a series for everyone, with its really slow-paced beginning, highly confusing narrative and really bleak tone, as well as all the philosophical talk that very few people will likely be able to make sense of. Even so, this is a series that's certainly worth watching if you're a cyberpunk fan with a lot of patience, with a unique art style, fantastic music and interesting, well-developed characters.

Score:
7.5+8.5+8.5+7.5+7=39/50=7.8/10

Note: This is a rewrite of a review that I posted back on the 31st of January 2016. I am writing this because I recently rewatched the series and decided to update the review.

Overview:
Ask any Western anime fan what anime you should watch. Chances are, one of the titles they'll mention is "Trigun". While practically unheard of in its native country of Japan, "Trigun" is ridiculously popular in America and other Western-speaking countries, and for good reason. It may not quite fit my idea of a masterpiece, and certain parts of it have definitely not aged all that well, but overall it more than earns ... its reputation as a 90s classic, and I can say that if you're looking for an action-packed space-western flick, "Trigun" will more than suffice.

Story (9/10):
"Trigun" is set over 1000 years in the future on the planet Gunsmoke, a desert world that humans populated over 100 years ago and is filled to the brim with mechanically-modified outlaws. The most dreaded of these outlaws is Vash the Stampede, who has a whopping $$60,000,000 bounty on his head. Meryl Stryfe and Milly Thompson, two agent from the Bernardelli Insurance Society are tracking Vash in order to bring an end to the destruction that surrounds him. The twist? Vash isn't really a heartless killer. In fact, he's the opposite. He’s kind, cheerful, often idiotic (or is he?) and absolutely hates death and destruction, to the point that he refuses to kill or even hurt anybody no matter how much they want to kill him. The reason he has such an abnormally large bounty on his head is because a lot of people are after him, and due to tragic accidents caused by things that were out of his control. As the series progresses, Vash, Meryl and Milly develop a close friendship with each other as Vash is forced to confront his past and he encounters various people who desire for him to suffer as much as possible. And in doing so, Vash will be forced to confront his philosophy of refusing to kill anyone no matter what.

The story is admittedly pretty slow to start, with Vash’s character not truly being revealed until the fifth episode. Up until then, we’ve been convinced that he’s some kind of buffoon who ends up causing serious damage wherever he goes. However, once the story starts to get going, it really gets interesting What makes the story so brilliant is that Vash's morality constantly comes into question. This is a world where it's prett.y much kill or be killed so Vash's pacifism is often questioned by allies and enemies alike, who believe he couldn't have survived what he has without at least killing someone. Nevertheless, most of the time, Vash is perfectly capable of defusing situations without having to kill anybody due to his superb marksmanship, showing that he’s fully capable of defending himself, though that proves to be less and less of the case as the series progresses and things get a lot darker. Ultimately, the main message of the story is that, while killing is wrong, it is unfortunately also necessary sometimes, something Vash learns the hard way over the course of the series, with the primary conflict of his character being learning where to draw the line.

Even beyond the themes, the story as a whole stays fun and entertaining throughout. While it can be somewhat rushed in places, it ultimately never stays in the same place for too long, and story arcs never last any longer than they need to. Even the recap episode is one I enjoyed watching, as it gives extra context to old scenes while also adding new ones. In other words, it’s how you SHOULD do a recap episode. We’re also given a decent amount of worldbuilding, with an episode-long backstory of how the human race ended up on Gunsmoke and how it ended up becoming the messed-up world it is in the present (or the future, but you know what I mean). Throw in a satisfying final conflict with a great ending, and you have yourself a truly fantastic story.

Art and Animation (6.5/10):
The series first aired in 1998, and boy does it show! While it may have looked good back in the day, the passage of time has not been kind. It does look pretty good for the most part but there are occasions when you really see just how badly its aged. There are times when people in the background are nothing more than walking outlines and some really stereotypical parts such as when Vash's finger gets hurt and swells and turns red. All in all, the low point of the series by miles.

Sound & Dialogue (9/10):
The soundtrack isn’t even there a lot of the time, though when it is there it sounds a lot like something you would find in a neo-noir film, which is surprisingly fitting for the series. However, it does eventually reach a point where it feels like the series is repeating the same few tracks over and over again. Nevertheless, a lot of scenes don't really need music as the sound effects do the job really well. The voice acting, on the other hand, is fantastic, with Johnny Yong Bosch stealing the show as Vash, and Dorothy Elias-Fahn, Lia Sargent and Jeff Nimoy doing respectable jobs as Meryl, Milly and Wolfwood, respectively. The dialogue is great as well, as it does a great job at getting the points of the various characters across without ever descending into melodrama. ”Simple, but effective” is the key here, though it’s best that I don’t go into any further detail, since I would risk spoiling something if I did.

Characters (8.5/10):
Even by today’s standards, Vash is a very complex and multi-layered character. In the first four episodes, and much of the fifth, he doesn’t fire his gun even once, making it seem like he defuses the various situations he finds himself in through sheer dumb luck. Then he finally draws and fires his gun, and we see that he absolutely lives up to his fearsome reputation. While he’s absolutely against killing someone for any reason, he’s such a master marksman that he more often than not doesn’t have to kill, usually shooting to disarm his enemies and blowing their guns out of their hands. All of this makes it clear that he is neither the monstrous outlaw the bounty on his head suggests he is nor the oblivious moron he presents himself to be. It’s generally very hard to get pacifistic characters right, but Vash absolutely nails it, and it certainly helps that he’s just a very likeable character in general, being very kind, cheerful and funny. Overtime, however, we see that he’s actually nowhere near as cheerful as he initially seems, especially when we delve into his past and learn exactly how he became the man he currently is. Top this all off with the conflicts he faces over the story, and it’s no exaggeration to say that Vash absolutely makes the series what it is.

Of course, Vash isn’t the only notable character in this series, with the show having four main protagonists in total. Two of them are the aforementioned Meryl and Milly, who are pretty normal but still more than capable of holding their own. Meryl, in particular, never once waits around for Vash to save her and at one point frees herself with both hands tied behind her back. No, literally. She also has dozens of pistols hidden under her coat and is an excellent shot, though she rarely gets a chance to use them and doesn't really cause any damage. Not that she tries to, as like Vash, she doesn’t believe that anyone has the right to take someone’s life. For her actual personality, Meryl is somewhat cynical and abrasive, and initially doesn’t like Vash due to the idiotic persona he presents to her at first, and understandably can’t believe he’s the legendary outlaw, though she does warm up to him after getting to know him better. Milly, on the other hand, has a ditzy, cheerful personality that contrasts heavily with her tall, imposing figure. She carries around a minigun that fires non-lethal rounds, and shows a dislike for killing just like Vash and Meryl. The two women make for a very understated duo, and prove themselves to both be great character in their own right even if neither of them are anywhere near as good as Vash.

A while into the series, we meet the final main character, Nicholas D. Wolfwood, a priest and gunman who carries around a massive cross-shaped gun and acts as Vash's foil throughout the series. Like Vash, he is a superb gunman, and the two hit it off right away and become very close friends. Unlike him (and Meryl and Milly, for that matter), he is very quick to kill, having raised to be an assassin as well as a priest. He hardly ever feels any remorse for killing, especially when it's to protect the innocent, even justifying his killings by calling his enemies “demons”. Naturally, this brings him into conflict with Vash despite the friendship the two share, with Wolfwood being the main person to disagree with Vash’s no-kill philosophy. Unfortunately, his screen-time is quite limited compared to the other main characters, appearing in less than half the episodes overall. As for the villains, well, they could use a little work, with even the most visible villain having no backstory or explanation for his actions- he’s simply a sadistic nihilist who thinks living is painful and wants to torment Vash for reasons that are never explained. Similarly, the main villain team are generally just thugs who hate Vash for whatever reason. They’re not bad villains, as they prove to be credible threats and have their own distinct designs, but it still stands that their actual personalities leave something to be desired.

Enjoyment (8.5/10):
"Trigun" is absolutely in no short supply of thrills. While it does take a few episodes to get to the truly good parts, almost every episode features at least one great action scene, and the series only gets better the more it goes on. There’s some great comedy to be found as well, with most of it coming from Vash, Milly and, to a lesser extent, Wolfwood. While it can get rather heavy in places, especially in the second half of the series where we delve into Vash's dark past, it never overdoes it, which just makes the powerful moments hit all the harder when they happen.

Overall:
"Trigun" is easily one of the best '90s anime out there, and one of the ones that still manages to hold up even to this day, with an incredible story about morality, fantastic voice acting and more action than a Bruce Willis film. There are a few things that keep it from sheer brilliance, the biggest ones being the extremely dated visuals and lack of truly memorable characters besides Vash, but Vash and his story will do nothing if not entertain you.

Score:
9+6.5+9+8.5+8.5=41.5/50=8.3/10

Overview:
"A Certain Scientific Accelerator" is the second spin-off of the science-fantasy series "A Certain Magical Index", the first being "A Certain Scientific Railgun". As the name implies, it focuses on Accelerator, the resident anti-hero of "Index" and the top-ranked esper in Academy City. While in terms of visuals and sound design, "Accelerator" is just as impressive as its parent series "Index" and sister series "Railgun", it unfortunately falls a little short in the areas that truly matter, though it's still well worth watching, especially if you're an Accelerator fan.

Story (8/10):
The series is set some time after episodes 18 and 19 of "Index", when Accelerator saved ... the young Misaka clone Last Order almost at the cost of his life. He survived, but only due to being treated and being linked up to a giant network that allows him to function normally. As a result, however, his once invincible powers, which allow him to control vectors, have taken a hit, and he's now only able to use them for about 5 minutes at a time, after which he then has to recharge. One day, he ends up running into a terrorist organization called Disciplinary Action (DA for short), people with a twisted sense of justice who control mysterious, experimental machines with the ability to control the dead. At the same time, he encounters a mysterious woman who introduces herself as Esther Rosenthal. As it turns out, DA's ability to control the dead is something that was taught by her, something she deeply regrets as they are now using their newfound power for their own selfish purposes, and so she has made it her mission to stop them. What's worse is that their plans appear to threaten the entire world, and their plans involve Last Order somehow. While Accelerator may not care much about the world, he DOES care about Last Order and has made it his personal mission to protect her out of atonement. Ultimately, this unlikely duo teams up to stop DA before they can cause any real damage.

As far as pacing in the franchise goes, "Accelerator"'s is some of the best. While it does take 2 episodes to get to the main plot, from there, we gradually learn more and more about Esther and DA and how she ended up getting involved with them. It also provides a rare case of both the Magic Side and Science Side having equal focus in a story arc, with Esther representing the former and DA representing the latter. One thing I didn't like about "Railgun" much was that it completely ignores the Magic Side and focuses exclusively on the Science Side, which was a little disappointing as one of the main draws of "Index" as a whole is its magic vs. science theme. As such, it's a good thing that "Accelerator" doesn't suffer from the same problem (if you even considered that a problem, of course).

Unfortunately, while the story is great as a standalone tale, in the grand scheme of things it feels kind of irrelevant, as one must wonder where Touma, Index and Mikoto were during this world-ending catastrophe. Notably, the only main character of the franchise to appear is Accelerator himself, while Touma, Index and Mikoto don't get so much as a cameo, which is especially jarring considering Touma had an important role in "Railgun" and Index appeared every now and then. Additionally, the fact that the events of the series are never even mentioned outside of it means that it's a foregone conclusion that there will be no long-term consequences as a result of DA's actions, which keeps the stakes from being as high as they could have been. The length of the season is also notably shorter than others, being only 12 episodes long as opposed to the usual 24-26. As such, the Necromancy arc ends up being the only one we get, though it is still ultimately a good story that manages to bring things to a satisfying conclusion. One last thing I should note, however, is that you should definitely watch the first season of “Index” beforehand, since otherwise you won’t know exactly who Accelerator is, what he did in his past and how he ended up as Last Order’s guardian.

Art & Animation (9/10):
As with all entries in the franchise, “A Certain Scientific Accelerator” is animated by J.C Staff. Normally, that would be nothing to get excited about, but with them consistently producing fantastic visuals for both “Index” and “Railgun”, it’s a different story here. The characters and environments are as well-drawn and detailed as they’ve always been and the various power effects are consistently a joy to witness. It doesn’t have any particularly standout visuals in comparison to the other entries in the franchise, but it doesn’t really need to. After all, why fix what isn’t broken?

Sound & Dialogue (9/10):
“A Certain Scientific Accelerator”’s soundtrack isn’t exactly the most memorable, with no particularly standout tracks that come to mind, but it certainly fits the tone of the series very well. The opening “Shadow of the Light” is brilliantly atmospheric and the ending theme “Parole” isn’t bad either. The voice acting is excellent; Austin Tindle tackles his role as Accelerator with his usual energy (by which I mean he nails everything to do with the character) and the series contains a number of fresh new talents like Amber Lee Connors (who voices Esther), Adam Gibbs and Kate Bristol. All in all, the sound design is one of the show’s greatest strengths, not that I would have expected anything less.

Characters (7.5/10):
Since the series is set before the second and third seasons of “Index”, Accelerator is still stuck in his belief that he’s a villain, outright calling himself “the bad guy” and scoffing at anyone who says that there’s good in him. Of course, as the saying goes, actions speak louder than words, and he consistently shows himself to be a far better person than he’s willing to admit, going out of his way to help people and even showing mercy to certain enemies. Hell, the whole reason he gets involved in the plot is because the DA are after Last Order, whom he clearly cares a lot for despite finding her really annoying. However, while a handicap was inevitable given how utterly broken his powers are, I couldn’t help but feel that he was still pretty much invincible even in spite of it, as he tears through pretty much everything with ease and I can’t remember any time when it felt like he was in danger. Of course, it doesn’t help that him surviving is a foregone conclusion, but even with that knowledge, he often doesn’t even NEED five minutes to defuse a conflict, so the limits on how often he can use his powers does little to even slow him down. This is especially notable when you compare him to Touma and Mikoto, both of whom are FAR from invincible and face genuine challenges in their respective stories. All of that being said, Accelerator’s abilities make him destroying everything in his path highly entertaining in its own right and he’s overall a very likable, well-rounded and interesting character.

Then there’s Esther, who doesn’t appear in either “Index” or “Railgun” and is a new character created for “Accelerator”. I would overall say that she ranks among some of the better characters in the franchise, having both a strong, likeable personality and a very well-developed backstory, where we learn various things about her family and bloodline and what led her to her actions in the present day, though I certainly won’t spoil anything. In a way, she feels a lot like Accelerator, in that they’re both trying to make up for something they did in the past, though the fact that Esther never learns what Accelerator did and his general attitude means this similarity is completely lost on both of them. Interesting as she is, however, I did find she could be rather annoying in the second half, where she starts calling Accelerator her master and demanding to be his disciple. She doesn’t even do it because he saved her life or anything. She just witnesses his immense power and suddenly decides that she has to learn from him, with him reacting pretty much how you would expect. Even so, this wasn’t nearly enough to break her character for me, and she overall remains consistently likeable and sympathetic throughout, even if she admittedly doesn’t have much to contribute in the badassery department.

Aside from these two and Last Order, the series doesn’t really have that many characters of note. There are a few heroic characters and villains that return from the other shows, but they don’t contribute all that much to the plot or are just obstacles for Accelerator to deal with. The members of DA aren’t all that fleshed out either, with most of them having no real characterization beyond their twisted sense of justice. The main villains, on the other hand, are very fleshed-out and surprisingly sympathetic, particularly as their history with Esther is revealed, with the relationship between them proving to be a lot more complicated than you would probably expect. No spoilers, of course, as it’s best that you see it for yourself.

Enjoyment (8/10):
If there’s one thing that separates “Accelerator” from both “Index” and “Railgun”, it’s that it’s a lot darker and bleaker. While a lot of you probably guessed that would be the case since the protagonist this time around is the ruthless, crazy Accelerator, the reasons go beyond just him, between the story based around necromancy, machines powered by corpses, surprisingly dark backstories and some truly horrific imagery. It’s quite possible that there’s more here than some may be able to handle, especially those with a sensitive stomach, though I personally think it doesn’t overdo it.

Overall:
“A Certain Scientific Accelerator” should definitely appeal to any longtime fan of “A Certain Magical Index” and “A Certain Scientific Railgun”, as it easily succeeds in delivering everything I’ve come to expect from the franchise, though some may be put off by the shorter length and bleaker tone. And if you’re one of those people who just doesn’t like Accelerator (who are actually more common than you would think), then you’re better off just skipping this entry in the franchise completely.

Score:
8+9+9+7.5+8=41.5/50=8.3/10

Overview:
"Btooom!" falls into the somewhat lesser-known genre of survival anime, where various people compete in an every-man-for-himself game where the only goal is to, well, survive, namely by killing all of the other contestants. Unfortunately, as far as examples of this anime I've watched go, this one ranks among the bottom of the list, with there being very little here to make it stand out from other anime of its kind, even if it's still not terrible by any means.

Story (6/10):
"Btooom!" revolves around a death game based on the titular fictional combat video game, where contestants have to kill each other using various bombs supplied ... to them, and take chips embedded in the bodies of the ones they kill. Why would anybody do this? Well, because they've all been forced onto a remote island, and it's only by collecting 8 such chips that they will be allowed to leave and return home. The protagonist of the series is Ryota Sakamoto, a 22-year-old NEET and one of the top players of the "Btooom!" video game, who suddenly finds himself on the island with no memory of how he got there. Soon after, he discovers that he's been nominated for the real-life version of his favourite game, and the person who sent him to the island was none other than his mother, who was tired of his unwillingness to do anything with his life and wanted to teach him responsibility. What's more is that pretty much every contestant was sent to the island because someone had a grudge against them, and this is apparently not the first time something like this has happened! Anyway, shortly after arriving on the island, Ryota bumps into a teenage girl called Himiko, who unbeknownst to him, is his fellow "Btooom!" player and in-game wife. While Himiko starts off distrusting Ryota (for reasons outlined in the Characters section below), the two ultimately decide to team up and find some way to get off the island while also killing as few people as possible.

Exactly how the death game works is explained well enough. Each contestant is given various supplies, with their main weapons being special bombs called BIMs (hence the name "Btooom!"). Each contestant is given one type of BIM each, though nothing is stopping them from collecting other people's BIMs after they kill them, meaning that overtime Ryota and Himiko are given access to more types of bombs in addition to the ones they start off with. What's more is that the chips embedded in their hands, in addition to serving as the very thing they need to collect in order to win, act as sonars which they can use to locate other players, either to stay clear from them or to set up ambushes. The pacing is also quite decent, with the first two episodes detailing Ryota and Himiko's home lives and them ending up on the island, as well as telling us the basics of what kind of characters we're dealing with. From there, the series generally doesn't stay in the same place for too long, with most opponents being defeated in no more than an episode or two.

If there's a serious problem with the story, it's that there's ultimately so little to it. Everything I highlighted in the first paragraph of this section pretty much sums up the entire plot, as there are very few twists and turns or things you don't see coming. In a way, it feels very much like the games of old, where excuse plots were the norm and the only goal was to kill everything in you path. All in all, even with the various backstories of the characters, the story never feels like it's anything more than a way to pit various people against each other and have them kill each other with bombs. It doesn't help that the various questions you'll almost certainly be asking yourself are still left unanswered even towards the end, like who the sponsor of the death game is, what he could possibly gain from doing all of this, and exactly how he and Ryota know each other.

Art & Animation (8.5/10):
"Btoom"'s visuals are definitely the best thing about it. The characters and environments are all very well-drawn, the animations are consistently smooth and the fanservice is basically non-existent give or take a few moments, of which include the rather infamous "Bim-Booby Bounce" scene. It's not amazing-looking, especially when you compare it to the likes of "Hunter x Hunter" or "Parasyte", but it nevertheless meets the standards that I've come to expect from Madhouse.

Sound & Dialogue (8/10):
"Btoom's" soundtrack is barely even there a lot of the time, and it's not uncommon for there to be long periods without any music at all. What's worse is that the music that is there isn't all that notable, and even the opening is passable at best, though the ending theme is a fair bit better. The only truly memorable track I can think of is the song that plays at the start of the final episode, "Exist", which just made me wonder why that wasn't the opening for all episodes. Similarly, the voice acting is good, but not fantastic. Tyler Galindo does a respectable job as Ryota, as does Brittney Karbowski as Himiko, and the dub has a decent cast all around, though nobody I would rank among my favourites. In short, everything about the sound design does the job it's supposed to do and little else.

Characters (6.5/10):
When we’re first introduced to Ryota, he comes off as pretty unlikable, being a selfish loser who spends all of his time cooped up in his room playing an online game and acting cold and indifferent towards his mother. Nevertheless, it’s clear as early as the first episode that he does have some morals, as when he first comes to the island, he’s horrified by the idea that he has to kill people in order to survive, as while killing people in a game is one thing, actually doing it in real life is quite another. As such, Ryota tries his hardest to avoid killing his opponents, generally resorting to disarming them or putting them in a state where they can’t harm him. Overtime, he grows to realise that the way he lived before coming to the island was just his way of running away from reality, and he makes steps to sort out his life, becoming a lot more selfless and mature as a result, as well as more pragmatic when it comes to fighting enemies. Ultimately, however, while I did like him (more so than any other character in the series), there isn’t really anything that stands out about his character, since many things about him have been done both before and better.

Then there’s Himiko, who can easily be described as Ryota’s opposite. At home, she is shown to be a friendly, if somewhat shy and reserved, girl. However, unlike Ryota, Himiko has no qualms with killing in order to survive, even saying at one point that everyone on the island is her enemy, especially men. This is due to the fact that shortly before meeting Ryota, she had to put up with men forcing themselves on her TWICE, once right before coming to the island and once after arriving. As such, she is understandably wary of Ryota at first, which certainly isn’t helped by the pretty bad first impression he made, though she does warm up to him overtime. That said, I often found myself very frustrated with her character, as her competence seems to zig-zag all over the place, with her being a badass one episode and a helpless damsel the next. And hey, if the idea of a romance between a 22-year-old man and 15-year-old girl sounds off-putting, I don’t blame you, because I personally found their romance to be kind of forced, especially considering how people act online is often nothing like how they act in real life.

Other than the main duo, there isn’t an awful lot I can say about the cast of characters without giving away spoilers, other than the fact that it consists mainly of a whole lot of villains, some sympathetic, others total psychos. And while these villains are given decently developed backstories, it means that you’re given hardly anybody to root for besides Ryota and Himiko, who as I already mentioned can be quite unlikable themselves. All in all, even with a fair amount of character development and good drama, the cast of characters never managed to get any higher than “average” for me.

Enjoyment (6.5/10):
“Btooom” can be quite thrilling and entertaining, especially with the variety of bombs making for a number of creative fights. Still, it’s obvious from the very beginning that the series is not for the faint of heart, what with Himiko being forced on twice over the course of a few days and a number of characters having really dark and depressing backstories. And while it doesn’t take away too much from the series, one must wonder what the characters hope to gain from escaping the island, since it’s shown that there’s nothing stopping them from getting sent back there if they piss off someone else.

Overall:
“Btooom” is definitely not one of the better examples of the survival genre. While the animation quality is great and the fights can be quite entertaining, the actual story is thin and underdeveloped, the characters are often hard to like and the sound design is nothing remarkable. Ultimately, I’d say it’s worth a look if the premise sounds like something you’d enjoy, but if you go in expecting any real depth, then you’d best be prepared to be disappointed.

Score:
6+8.5+8+6.5+6.5=35.5/50=7.1/10

Overview:
"Coppelion" is an interesting anime to be sure, combining elements from the post-apocalyptic and magical girl genres among others to create something that appears like nothing you've ever seen before. Unfortunately, good ideas are little more than novelties without someone who can actually make the most out of them, and "Coppelion"'s execution of its ideas never manages to be anything more than middling, resulting in an anime that has a lot of issues and untapped potential.

Story (6.5/10):
"Coppelion" is set in the year 2036, 20 years after a nuclear meltdown made Tokyo uninhabitable due to the increased radioactivity making it impossible for normal people to survive ... without adequate protection. Understandably, this means that the city is now treated as a quarantine zone, with the government banning anyone from entering the city without proper authorization. The story is centred around the titular Coppelion, genetically engineered teenagers who are usually, but not always, female and were enhanced specifically to be able to survive in Tokyo's atmosphere without the need for a radiation suit, and each have a special ability that's unique to them. One such person is our protagonist and heroine Ibara Naruse, the leader of the Coppelion Rescue Unit who, along with her two best friends Aoi Fukasaku and Taeko Nomura, is sent to Tokyo in order to search for and rescue any people unlucky enough to still be caught within Tokyo's walls.

The story starts off well enough, as we gradually learn various bits and pieces about the world and Coppelion. For example, the academy that trains Coppelion functions a lot like a normal high school, with Ibara being a third-year student, Aoi and Taeko being first-years and their main contact being referred to as the vice-principal. Furthermore, as artificially created beings, Coppelion are generally treated as a separate species from humans, with their name being derived from the real-life French play "Coppelia", which is a story about a living doll, which the Coppelions are often referred to as. Naturally, this means that several Coppelion, like Ibara and Aoi, have serious insecurities in regards to their origins, which helps flesh out their characters. While the series starts off episodic, a story arc begins in the fifth episode, and while that would usually result in a series getting better, that is unfortunately not the case here, as said arc ends up lasting the entirety of the remaining nine episodes. The reason this is a problem is because the plot is thin enough that it could easily have been wrapped up in three or four episodes at most, with it only lasting as long as it does because a bunch of subplots happen in-between, resulting in a story that's both slow and seriously lacks focus, which is especially bad for an anime that's only 13 episodes long. What's more is that arguably the most emotional episode is the second, with no subsequent episode quite matching the gut-punches of that one.

Besides the poor pacing, the story is dragged down further by some of the corniest writing ever. Seriously, there are times when I found myself throwing my hands up in the air at how utterly trite and clichéd some of the lines were, especially when they came out of the mouths of characters I generally liked. Even worse is that these lines are sometimes said completely out of context, when absolutely nothing has happened to warrant them being said. Additionally, while the arc is ultimately wrapped up fairly decently, you nevertheless get the impression that the Coppelion's overall journey is still just getting started, which may have more than a bit to do with the fact that the anime only adapts the first few of 26 volumes of manga. All in all, the story has its high points and low points, but is pretty average overall.

Art & Animation (7/10):
"Coppelion" looks pretty much unlike any other anime out there, and not in a good way. While the environments are nice-looking enough, the character models are seriously lacking, having the bare minimum of detail and plenty of rough edges, not to mention they don't fit in with the environments at all. Some of the objects also look like they were just sketched on and the animation is pretty lacking in places too. Overall, the visuals are highly inconsistent in quality, with some shots looking great while others look awful.

Sound & Dialogue (8.5/10):
"Coppelion"'s sound design is, by a wide margin, the best thing about it. While the music that plays during the episodes themselves isn't all that notable, the opening "Angel" is great and the ending theme "Far" is absolutely fantastic, to the point that I found myself listening to the latter at the end of every episode. What's consistently great, however, is the voice acting. In fact, if there's one thing this anime is worth noting for, it's helping kickstart the careers of Erica Lindbeck and Max Mittelman, who provide the voices of Ibara and Haruto respectively, and nowadays are far better known as Futaba Sakura and Ryuji Sakamoto in "Persona 5", amongst many other roles. Add in a number of other great talents including Cherami Leigh, Cassandra Lee Morris, Richard Epcar, Sarah Williams and Keith Silverstein, and you have yourself a surprisingly solid cast, which goes a long way to alleviate the often corny script.

Characters (6.5/10):
If I were to describe Ibara Naruse in one word, that word would be “kind”. While she can be rather stiff and formal, she is overall a very friendly and compassionate girl who cares deeply for others and always willing to help anyone in need. And while she won’t hesitate to fight when it’s necessary, which she does so very well with her super strength and enhanced reflexes, she will always draw the line when it comes to killing anyone, and refuses to let anyone else kill either, which makes sense considering she’s part of a rescue team, so her mission is to save lives, not take them. However, while her desire to save everyone is undeniably noble, there’s also a rather tragic side to it; as an artificially created being who’s been training her whole life to save people, Ibara believes that saving people is her whole reason for living. Essentially, she helps people partially because it’s the right thing to do and partially because she believes she otherwise has no purpose in life, and so whenever someone tells her they don’t need her help or that they don’t want to be saved (which actually happens more often than you’d think), she feels as though she’s being denied the purpose she’s been given. Overall, while I did feel she could be annoyingly self-righteous at times, and there’s ultimately nothing remarkable about her character, she nevertheless stood out as my favourite, not that there’s much competition.

My second favourite character would have to be Aoi Fukasaku. On the surface, she seems to be the cheerful, happy-go-lucky member of the trio, and doesn’t seem to be particularly bothered by the fact that she’s an artificial human who was raised in what’s essentially a military academy, even saying there are some benefits to it. Overtime, however, we see that this carefree attitude is really just a façade, and she’s actually the most insecure of the three girls, more so even than Ibara. This stems from the fact that, at first glance, she seems to be the only one unable to do anything; while Ibara has enhanced strength and athletics and Taeko has heightened senses (with the glasses she wears being used to tone down her enhanced eyesight), Aoi doesn’t seem to have any special abilities beyond being able to breath Tokyo’s radioactive atmosphere (which is an ability all Coppelion possess). This causes her to have an identity crisis mid-season, believing that she does nothing but drag down everyone around her, which naturally leads to a character arc where she gradually realises her own self-worth and what she can contribute to the group as a whole. It’s a development that’s been done to death in Japanese media in particular, but it’s nevertheless done quite well here, and it certainly helps that Aoi provides some much-needed comic relief too.

As good as Ibara and Aoi are, I had a lot of problems with the rest of the cast. A few episodes in, we’re introduced to Haruto Kurosawa, Ibara’s childhood friend and a third-year like her. Unlike Ibara, however, he’s a member of the Coppelion Cleanup Crew, which basically means that he has no qualms with killing people, which puts him at odds with Ibara despite their history together. He also has a strong hatred for ordinary humans due to what he went through when he was younger, and as such can’t understand why Ibara cares about them so much, with him only really helping them because it’s his job. Unfortunately, his rather late introduction and sparse screentime throughout means he isn’t given that many moments to shine, which is a shame as I found the dynamic between him and Ibara to be the most interesting in the series. Additionally, Taeko, despite being part of the core trio, doesn’t do much of note either, as while she plays an important role in the first few episodes, she gets sidelined pretty much as soon as the main story begins and remains such for the rest of the series. What’s more is that unlike her fellow Coppelion, Taeko doesn’t show any real insecurity over her origins, meaning her character isn’t as developed as Ibara, Aoi or even Haruto. And speaking of underdeveloped characters, most of the ordinary human characters are fairly bland, mostly serving either as confidants for the Coppelion or people for them to save, with very few notable personality traits or quirks. The main villains are also a bit of a bore, as while they have a tragic reason for their actions, said reason is only really mentioned once in the whole series, and apart from that they act no differently from your typical cackling, misanthropic psychopaths with no motivation beyond chaos for its own sake.

Enjoyment (7/10):
I must admit that there are times when “Coppelion” can be pretty boring, as it’s not uncommon for there to be long periods without any real action, which isn’t helped by the show’s poor pacing. When action scenes do happen, however, they are definitely entertaining, if by no means spectacular to due the rather average animation. Being a post-apocalyptic series, it can also be rather grim at times, particularly when the Coppelion fail to save someone. Still, it’s never to the point where you feel like puking, which is helped by the fact that Ibara and Aoi both lighten the mood in their own ways.

Overall:
“Coppelion” is an anime that could have been brilliant, but barely even scratches the surface of its potential. Sound-wise, it’s very pleasant to the ears, but it also has numerous underdeveloped characters, highly inconsistent visuals and a story that still feels like it’s just getting started even towards the end. Ultimately, this is a series that’s best saved for a day where you have nothing else to watch, and you’ve had your fill of the post-apocalyptic genre, you’re better off just avoiding it completely.

Score:
6.5+7+8.5+6.5+7=35.5/50=7.1/10

Overview:
"Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero" should really be called "Aesthetics of a Rogue Hero", because that's exactly what the series values above all else- aesthetics. It does a fine job at using style to make various things about it seem very impressive, but when you look deeper, you realise that these things are nowhere near as great as they appear at first glance, and other than a fairly unorthodox protagonist (which isn't necessarily for the better), there isn't all that much that separates it from other anime of its kind.

Story (6/10):
The series is set in an alternate version of Earth that runs parallel to a ... fantasy world called Alayzard, where people are frequently spirited away to and those who survive are granted magical powers. One such person is Akatsuki Ousawa, a young man who has recently slain the demon lord Garius, becoming the titular "rogue hero" as a result. The twist is that right before he died, Garius trusted Akatsuki with his only daughter Miu, who he brings back with him to his own world to ensure her safety and allow her to live a safe life. Assuming the identity of his little sister, Miu and Akatsuki begin to attend a private school own by the international organization Babel, where those who have returned from Alayzard successfully are enrolled as students and taught to control their powers. From there, this unlikely duo meet new friends, train in combat and deal with various threats to their new lives.

Does this premise sound like anything you've heard before? Well, it should, because while the idea of a "reverse isekai" where the protagonist takes someone from a fantasy world to his world seems novel enough at first, that novelty quickly wears off when they get thrust into magic school, which as far as anime is concerned is an even more clichéd setting than any fantasy world. Sure, being clichéd doesn't automatically make something bad, but, as I mentioned above, "Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero" does barely anything to distinguish itself from other anime of its kind, which admittedly works in its favour sometimes, but not often. What's worse is that despite Alayzard being pretty much the catalyst for the entire plot, it never manages to be anything more than a background, as it's never focused on for more than one scene at a time. Instead, the story is pretty much entirely centred around Babel School and the various activities they get up to, some alright, others downright cringeworthy.

Even so, the story isn't a complete failure altogether. In the final arc, we get some decent worldbuilding both for Alayzard (despite its lack of on-screen presence) and Aktasuki's version of Earth. Namely, we learn that being a hero like Akatsuki isn't quite as amazing as it's initially made out to be, and Miu merely moving to Earth doesn't mean that her problems are just going to go away, since there are plenty of people who want her dead simply for being related to the late Demon Lord and will do anything to ensure as much. This results in a number of surprisingly touching moments, some decent relationship building between the major characters, and a satisfying final conflict. All of that being said, while the story does have its high points, there isn't really anything that you couldn't get from a number of other, better shows, and the series ultimately ends just when things start to get really interesting.

Art & Animation (8/10):
On the surface, "Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero" seems to look well above average. The characters are very well-drawn, the art style is right up my alley and the animations and special effects are generally very smooth and believable. However, when you look closer, you realise that the series doesn't look quite as good as it does at first glance. For example, the female character models all have the same shape to them, with the only real differences between them being their hair, their heights and their faces, which often delves into uncanny valley territory. And, as it tends to be the case with ecchi shows, the fanservice is often in your face to the point that it completely kills the mood of a scene. Don't get me wrong, though, the visuals are still good. They're just not quite as great as first impressions would have you believe.

Sound & Dialogue (8/10):
There isn't all that much to say about the soundtrack, as I barely even noticed it a lot of the time due to most of the music being rather generic and forgettable. The only real exception I can think of is the opening, and even that wasn't fantastic. The voice acting is generally very good- Eric Vale and Felecia Angelle do a respectable job as Akatsuki and Miu respectively, and the series boasts a fine cast which includes Todd Haberkorn, Monica Rial and Alexis Tipton. That said, none of them gave what I would call their best performances and it's a real shame that Colleen Clinkenbeard and Christopher Sabat, arguably the two best voice actors in the cast, are relegated to characters that do pretty much nothing of significance. Overall, the sound design is nothing spectacular, but it does what it's supposed to do if nothing else.

Characters (7/10):
It’s obvious from the very first episode that Akatsuki is far from your typical harem protagonist. However, much like Kinji Tohyama in “Aria the Scarlet Ammo”, that’s a point that tends to work against him rather than for him. To put it mildly, Akatsuki is not a nice person. He may be the hero of the story, but he’s still perfectly willing to kick the ass of anyone who so much as annoys him and often takes full advantage of his super speed to snatch women’s underwear. I know a lot of people are tired of the “girl attacks boy for being perverted” trope, but Akatsuki frequently pushes the point where a good smack or two would be more than justified, especially since, unlike most protagonists, his perversions are almost always entirely on purpose. And yet he almost never gets punished for his frequent harassment, since nobody can do anything about him because he’s just too powerful, despite being one of the few Babel students who can’t use magic, instead relying on something called energy manipulation. But while he can be very hard to like at times, he’s certainly not without redeeming qualities, and the final arc in particular shows that for all his vices he could be a hell of a lot worse, though how much comfort that is will likely vary from person to person.

The other half of the main duo is Miu, called Miu Ousawa in school due to her posing as Akatsuki’s younger sister. Even though Akatsuki was entrusted by Miu’s father to keep her safe, Miu starts off not liking him very much, which is understandable considering his rather unpleasant personality as well as the fact that he was the one who killed her father in the first place. Personality-wise, she’s generally kind but also very modest and shy, as well as often lacking in self-worth, particularly when it comes to how people treat her due to who she is related to. She’s also surprisingly intelligent and perceptive, having a consistently good grasp of battle strategies and being easily able to deduce people’s motives regardless of whether they try to pretend otherwise. Her fighting style is also more-or-less the opposite of Akatsuki’s- unlike Akatsuki, who will take energy manipulation over magic any day of the week, Miu has a natural affinity for all types of magic and can cast several types in quick succession, making her a formidable opponent, if not to the same level as Akatsuki (then again, that’s a really high bar to clear). Overall, while she doesn’t get too many chances to shine, I would definitely say she stood out as my favourite character, as she’s not only the nicest character in the series by a good amount, but also the only one who goes through any meaningful character development.

Of course, Akatsuki and Miu aren’t the only two main characters in the series, and they meet several other notable characters during their time at Babel. Two such characters are fellow heroes and students Chikage Izumi and Kuzuha Doumoto, who quickly become good friends with each other and Miu. Initially, it’s out of their shared disdain for Akatsuki but overtime they become genuine friends who are always looking out for each other and will have each other’s backs no matter what. For their individual characters, Izumi is a tomboyish lesbian who enjoys getting intimate with other girls (though this is overall treated as a very small part of her character and is in no way offensive) and Kuzuha is a prodigy who skipped multiple grades, which is why she’s in high school despite being only 11. Both of them are also capable badasses in their own rights, with Izumi being a water magic-using archer and Kuzuha being an earth magic user who wields a hammer as big as she is. There’s also Haruka Nanase, the vice-president of the Babel student council who quickly grows to hate Akatsuki (noticing a pattern here?) due to his perversions and chaotic attitude and makes it her personal mission to keep him in line, often roping in the rest of the student council (besides the president) to help her. However, while her attitude towards Akatsuki is justified at first, she’ll often get on his case even when it isn’t warranted, like if all he did was step in to help with something, implying an unhealthy obsession with order. Overall, I didn’t dislike her, but she’s definitely the weakest of the main characters. Other than these five, there aren’t really many characters I consider worth noting. I can say, however, that the villain of the final arc is a surprisingly good one, being a credible threat to the main cast and having a comprehensible, if completely unjustifiable, motivation.

Enjoyment (7/10):
“Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero” is an entertaining series to be sure, with well-animated fight scenes and some genuinely funny comedic moments. Unfortunately, it does fall into the rather frequent trap of being ecchi for ecchi’s sake, and Akatsuki’s frequent perverted antics get old and annoying fairly quickly. The show can also be unexpectedly dark at times, particularly towards the end where we get the implication that neither world is as glamourous as it initially appears. Even so, the show never overdoes it and carries a hopeful tone even at its darkest, especially since that’s when Akatsuki’s noble qualities shine through the most.

Overall:
“Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero” is a textbook example of an anime that is neither a triumph nor a disaster. The story is rather underdeveloped, the visuals aren’t quite as good as they seem at first glance and the characters with the exception of Miu, can be quite unlikable at times. Nevertheless, the series does have its good points as well, and so long as you don’t go in expecting anything original, this is an anime that you may very well end up enjoying in spite of yourself.

Score:
6+8+8+7+7=36/50=7.2/10

Overview:
I've been an avid gamer for pretty much as long as I can remember. In fact, when I was younger I was a bit too much of one for the liking of those around me. As such, the isekai genre, while rather controversial in the anime community, is one that has always appealed to me. One of the more original takes on the genre is "No Game, No Life", set in a world where everything- and I mean everything- is decided by games. While it's by no means the best of its genre and a far cry from the masterpiece some people make it out ... to be, it's still a very enjoyable and entertaining series for any of you gamers out there.

Story & World (7.5/10):
Have you ever thought that you were born in the wrong world? Our protagonists, stepsiblings Sora and Shiro certainly do, to the point that they spend all their time cramped up in their rooms playing video games. Known as Blank online, they have gained a reputation in the gaming world as an unbeatable duo, which draws the interest of the god of another world, Tet. After they defeat Tet in a game, he transports the siblings to the world he rules over- Disboard, a world where, thanks to a spell called the Ten Covenants or Pledges, nobody is allowed to wage war or even hurt or steal from each other and all political and economic matters are decided by games. The inhabitants consist of sixteen races known as Exceeds, all of which are ranked from highest to lowest. However, we soon learn that, despite nobody being able to wage war, it's not a very nice place- the strong dominate the weak (even more so than on Earth), the lowest-ranking race, Imanity (basically humans by another name) is slowly dying out, and because everything is decided by games, the most skilled of cheaters are capable of dooming entire countries effortlessly, with Sora noting that Pledge 8 stating that being caught cheating results in one getting disqualified just means that cheaters simply need to avoid getting caught. Nevertheless, Sora and Shiro consider Disboard to be a big improvement over Earth, where only gaming satisfied them. As such, they almost immediately decide to stay in this strange new world, and from there make it their personal mission to unite the sixteen races under one banner, both to save Imanity from extinction and with the hopes of challenging Tet to another game.

The worldbuilding is pretty decent; much of the basic exposition behind Disboard and its origins are given in the very first episode. Before Tet took over thousands of years ago, the world was in chaos with the more powerful races constantly waging war against the weaker ones. Then Tet took over and demanded that these races actually make something of themselves and prove that they weren't just savage beasts. Unfortunately, as a result of being magically bound so that everything is decided by games, the races started treating these games as serious business and carried on fighting over everything, despite the fact that Pledge 10 clearly states that everyone must have fun playing together, showing that the point was to replace hostility and conflict with friendly competition. Of course, one must wonder that if that was Tet's intention, why did he make it so that everything is decided by games in the first place? After all, if everything is at stake because of games, of course they're going to take them seriously, especially if they were so violent before. People don't just change their ways that easily. The various games played are also quite interesting, with each of them being a real-life game with a twist. For example, in one episode, the siblings play Word Chain or Shiritori as it's called in Japan, where players have to say a word then the other player has to say a different word that begins with the same letter that the previous word ended with. However, the version Sora and Shiro end up playing is Materialisation Word Chain, where anything they say ends up appearing (or disappearing if it's already there), turning a relatively simple back-and-forth game into something truly crazy.

Now, I'm sure a lot of people will appreciate that the series doesn't even try to pretend that Sora and Shiro aren't invincible, with their creed even being that they never lose a game, so the draw of each game isn't IF they're going to win, but HOW they're going to win. However, I did find after a while that their strategies depend a great deal on them taking big risks and gambles and leaving a lot of things to chance, with them ultimately winning every time because everything always goes exactly how they predict it will. These aren't cheap victories per se, but they can feel rather contradictory considering Sora's claims that chance is an inconsequential factor in gaming and the outcome to a game is decided after the very first move. Additionally, out of the sixteen races in Disboard, only four are given any real focus, and most of them aren't even named, though it certainly doesn't help that the anime only adapts the first 3 light novels (of which there are currently 12). The ending is also less than satisfactory, as the series ultimately leaves us on a huge cliffhanger where Sora and Shiro are nowhere close to achieving their goal. And with the anime having first aired in 2014, the chances of ever getting a second season are becoming increasingly unlikely.

Art & Animation (7.5/10):
Exactly how good-looking “No Game, No Life” is really comes down to personal taste more than anything, but to me it has one of those art styles that values aesthetics and spectacle over substance and, most importantly, detail. It’s glaringly obvious that the animators didn’t even try to make the characters look like actual people, with even Sora and Shiro being drawn in the same weird style as everyone else despite them originally being from our world. And while there are some beautiful shots, particularly those of the environments, there are many others that look painstakingly hand drawn. Not to mention there’s a lot of gratuitous fanservice, a lot of which involves Shiro, an 11-year-old girl. Considering the animation studio is Madhouse, the art definitely disappointed me, even if it still ultimately looks better than “Trigun” or “Highschool of the Dead.”

Sound & Dialogue (8/10):
“No Game, No Life”’s music certainly isn’t bad, but it isn’t really anything to write home about either. The only notable track I can think of is the opening, “This Game” by Konomi Suzuki, the same person who sung the surprisingly good opening for “Absolute Duo”. The quality of the voice acting also varies a bit; Scott Gibbs and Caitlynn French do great jobs as Sora and Shiro respectively and Sara Ornelas does a worse but still respectable job as Stephanie. On the other hand, Kira Vincent-Davis’s voice didn’t fit Izuna all that well and while Amelia Fischer doesn’t do a bad job as Jibril, I don’t really get why she gave her a French accent, as it makes her very hard to take seriously even when she’s talking about how she used to slaughter people left and right. Overall, the best way to describe the sound design would be “above-average”.

Characters (7.5/10):
My thoughts on Sora as a character are somewhat mixed. While his strategic mind is certainly a boon and I did enjoy listening to all his philosophical talks about humanity and its potential, that’s often overshadowed by the fact that he’s, to put bluntly, a lecherous jerk. For just one example, in the second episode, he takes full advantage of the Ten Pledges by telling Steph that she has to love him because he beat her in a game of rock-paper-scissors, which comes within a hair’s breadth of being sexual extortion, and even Shiro (who’s quite dirty-minded herself despite her age) calls him out on it. He’s also quite the know-it-all, often going on about the flaws in every day analogies, like an anime Sheldon Cooper. Fortunately, his ego is kept from being anywhere near as annoying as it could have been by the fact that it’s revealed overtime to be largely a façade. This is evident by the fact that when Sora is separated from Shiro by so much as a closed door, he becomes an apologetic shell of his usual self and suffers what appears to be a nervous breakdown. He also admits in one episode that he thinks humanity sucks, including himself when he says so, but excluding Shiro. See, Shiro, despite her age, is actually much smarter and more intelligent than Sora, and he knows it. As such, having her around is the only thing that makes him feel special, with him desiring to be just as amazing as she is, which goes a long way to explain his dependence on her. Plus, at the end of the day, he cares a lot about the people around him, even if he does often pick very bad ways to show it. Ultimately, his pros as a character outweigh his cons.

That being said, my favourite character would have to be the other half of the protagonist duo, Shiro. Not only is she incredibly cute (with Sora outright saying so), she’s also extremely intelligent. As if having a computer-like brain at 11 years old wasn't impressive enough, a flashback shows that she was solving problems and equations even as a ONE-year-old, making her a prodigy on the same level as Matilda. With that in mind, it’s hard not to see why Sora views her as one of the few truly special humans, as while he doesn’t believe in humanity itself, he DOES believe in its potential, which he believes Shiro embodies. Despite her great intelligence, however, Shiro is just as dependent on Sora as he is on her, and similarly suffers a nervous breakdown whenever she’s separated from him. Additionally, even if she is easily the smarter out of herself and Sora, she’s not all that good at strategizing due to her computer-like mind, making it hard for her to improvise whenever her opponent does something unexpected. Fortunately, Sora has her covered in that area, due to being an expert at planning, improvising and manipulation. This is precisely why they are an unbeatable duo, as they cover each other’s weaknesses and both have strengths that the other one lacks. While Shiro does often end up getting overshadowed by her brother, mostly due to not talking nearly as much as him, she’s overall just as centric to the plot as him and actually has even more screen time, with the ninth episode in particular being pretty much entirely about her. And while she does have her own flaws, I found her a lot easier to put up with than Sora, and she’s often the one to call him out when he goes too far.

While Sora and Shiro are both great characters, the rest of the cast aren’t quite up to snuff. Rounding up the main cast is Stephanie Dora, or Steph for short, the former princess of Imanity who ends up losing all her possessions to a cheater, forcing Sora and Shiro to get them back for her. She’s pretty accurately described by Sora as an “emotional time-bomb” with her feelings towards Sora constantly wavering between admiration and annoyance, which sometimes happens several times over the course of a single episode. While her gaming skills are lacklustre, she does have strengths that Sora and Shiro lack, like her many connections due to being a former princess. Unfortunately, she’s a pretty bad judge of character who’s too quick to trust others, something Sora even calls her out for. There’s also Jibril, a member of a race of angel-like weapons called the Flugel whom Sora, Shiro and Steph meet just under halfway through the series, and becomes their ally shortly afterwards. While she’s certainly useful in games and it’s entertaining to see her geek out over knowledge, I also had two major problems with her; she’s a sociopath who frequently talks about how she used to slaughter people during the old war, viewing them as “fond memories”, and is so egotistical she makes Sora look downright humble by comparison, especially since unlike him, her narcissism seems to be completely genuine. In general, while there isn’t any character I outright despised, almost all of them either didn’t contribute much to the story or had a trait or two that really got on my nerves. The only solid exception is Shiro, since, as I mentioned above, even Sora can be very annoying at times.

Enjoyment (8/10):
Even if “No Game, No Life” may fall short in a few areas, its entertainment value is definitely not one of them. While the truly big games don’t begin until the third episode, there’s plenty of great comedy to keep you invested in the meantime. And when the games start, you will absolutely want to watch them to the end, as they are just so fun to watch, even when you ultimately know who’s going to be the winner in the end. That none of the games are like each other in any way helps immensely, as you’ll always find yourself wondering just what crazy challenge the siblings will have to take on next.

Overall:
“No Game, No Life” is a very interesting and exciting anime that any gamer is likely to find some enjoyment in. Even if I didn’t like it nearly as much as some other people, largely thanks to the superficial art style and inconsistent quality of the music and voice acting, it’s still an anime that I had a great time watching and would gladly watch again if I’m in the mood, with an entertaining story, a fascinating, if fairly unexplored, world, genuinely funny comedy, great set-pieces and an awesome pair of main characters.

Score:
7.5+7.5+8+7.5+8=38.5/50=7.7/10