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Jul 23, 2015
Yuki Yuna is a Hero, for now on being called Yuyu, is a magical girl series that surprised me. Being a seemly dark magical girl anime released after Madoka, and with another show making that a negative thing, (Daybreak Illusion), I really didn't go into the show with much expectation. Though Yuki Yuna is a Hero is a title worthy of being a stand alone anime that shouldn't be seen as a madoka rip off.
In a world ruled by a being named, Shinju-sama, Yuki Yuna and the Hero club help out the community. The Hero Club is chose by
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the Shinju-sama to fight off 12 monsters called vertexs. And so, the Hero Club ensembles with the power of cellphones and friendship and protect their everyday life. Though as their lives go on they learn of the truth of their duties. The brutal truth that make them question the world around them, and ask the most important question of all, why are they even fighting.
Yuyu is centered around a concept that is rather overused in the media, known as the power of friendship. While I do enjoy the concept; usually I find media to handle that concept horribly, due to fact that many shows don't exploit the actual friendship in question. Yuki Yuna does the exact opposite of that. Yuyu gets that friendship is about sticking up for your friends, but that what makes them so strong is being with them. Yuyu understands character interaction. The way the characters interact feels like how my group of friends act together, we just be ourselves. The conversations the characters feel like they do strengthen the bond between the Hero Club. It's because of those silly moments in the show that the serious moments have real impact. You feel the tension and the risk of their everyday lives, and their moments of happiness fading away.
The show is very character driven, and it’s a refreshing break from the plot and world driven show that is Madoka. The characters for the most part are likable and I really don’t think any of them are badly written. While I wouldn't call any of them complex; their simplicity is really what sells them to me. Everything about them is clear cut and simple. Even with huge explosions and fighting going on, their conflicts are understandable. Though admittedly I am a bit disappointed by the lack of inner conflicts. Yes, while I could understand what a character is going through, none of the conflicts in the characters are really personal. In short, a lot of the characters are missing the big flaw. The thing that makes them a bit more relatable. With the exception of a few, I feel that the cast is really lacking a human element. Even so, they are likable enough and I do care when something happens to one of them. By the end I felt that all of them went through some kind of character arc, and that they have grown as a person at the end.
Though...except for one... Yuki Yuna herself...Yuki Yuna is admittedly a very undeveloped character. She really doesn't have a character arc no matter how much I think about it. Yuna is kind of the same person she is at the end. She's heroic and selfless from beginning to end. So she kind of just exists for the sake of the plot and Togo as a character...Though she's not a complete Mary Sue, almost but she does have those moments when she's weak. She's not a perfect little flower, almost but no. Though despite all of that, I still cared for her at the end. For awhile I couldn't think of why I would like such an undeveloped character. Though it kind of just hit me when Yuna was fighting in the last episode. She was really similar to Hikaru Shidou, a childhood hero of mine. While Hikaru is a much better character, their personalities are similar; their outgoing and positive attitude and their I will never give up frame of mind. Yes, a bit of a shallow reason even for me, but yes I don't find Yuna to be a negative factor even though she should.
So I was pretty satisfied with the character work, even if it was nothing too complex, and it did disappointed me in some aspects.
The show’s biggest weak point is no doubt is the dialogue. I don’t think any of the dialogue is too bad, but it’s just that..some of it was bordering on cheesy due to the way the characters delivered their lines. (Both Languages) I mean someone times it worked, because it fitted some of the characters. Example, whenever Yuki screams shit about the Hero Club’s rules during battle, it fits because Yuna is a huge fan of those rules and it fits her outgoing and positive personality. Though in a case where things don’t work is when Togo screams her heart out. Yes while those lines are okay and aren’t something to complain about, what I mean is that Suzuko Mimori, while a great actress I felt like the direction given was basically: “Uhhh try to sound like you’re suffering, but...keep it cool some how...”.
The ending was a bit disappointing, I was hoping the show could go out with a bang and end with a bittersweet end, but I felt like it was a cop out. Though after re-watching the show, I have to say it fitted. The writers wanted to give the girls a happy ending, and they did it in the best way possible. While I'm disappointed, I can't say that it came out of nowhere.
Yuyu is a great treat, it's story is a spin on what is now a Madoka inspired landscape. The script and the lore is interesting enough for me even though it's simple and grabs things from Madoka. Though it really is the simpler things that make the story and characters so likable. No matter no messed up a situation is, I could always understand, emotionally what is going on. Since the show sets up its characters to be endearing and relatable.
Technically, Yuyu is quite impressive and performs well. Which is unexpected from a relatively young, Studio Gokumi. The color palate is light and fluffy, which gives the show a nice light hearted tone, but because of impressive lighting effects. The show got what it wanted across.
Directed by Seiji Kishi, Yuyu is what I'd like to say is his directing skills in one show. Yuyu has his dramatic and emotional direction tactics as well as his comedic ones. Ala Angel Beats and Carnival Phantasm. The show's comedic scenes have the familiar quick editing and goofy shots. It strangely works, despite the type of comedy this show works with is different than something like Carnival Phantasm or Persona 4. Whole those shows have comedy that relies on anime tropes greatly, Yuyu uses the familiarly of the characters and certain situations to get across it's comedy. I still found it strange that his comedic direction still works well, even though I think the style is more suited to silly anime comedy.
Kishi's dramatic directing also exists, pulling off a lot of emotion through character expressions, and dramatic shots. Though to be honest, I could have used more subtly. For example, in Togo's emotional climax, the shot is positioned right at her face. Yes, while it's okay for her to cry and scream, I felt like the scene could have been more effective if they just kept a back shot and the background being quiet. The expression while didn't bother me too much, I feel like it's a tad over the top. So I feel like the scene should have let the admittedly great acting shine through by itself. Though the scenes still come off as emotional and it still hit me. It's just my wishful thinking. The lighting is also a great factor. I noticed that in the most emotional scenes Kishi uses the darkest variations on the already existing colors. Which is nice since it shows how straining and heart breaking a scene is.
On to the music aspect, the music is composed by KEIICHI OKABE, the man responsible for my favorite video game osts. I’m was honestly surprised when I saw him on the staff list. Didn’t know he did anime osts. I found this sound track of his in particular to be a rather interesting work of his..Throughout the show I always had a lingering feeling that the music was at least inspired by Okabe, as the arrangement of instruments and vocals were similar (and actually is) his style. So when I found out that he was the composer I was kinda surprised. Surprised that it wasn’t inspired, I began to see the OST in a different manner since it was composed by someone who has impressed me before.
I began to listen and compare my impressions to his past work. After listening to the OST a few times in it’s entirety. I feel that with a lot of his work, this soundtrack, was different. That’s why I like Okabe, with each soundtrack he does for a piece of work, he does something different. Even with his style being prominent, I always felt that the music he composed was fresh each time. That is the same for the score here. Since Yuki Yuna is a show very different in terms of tone compared to Nier and Drakengard 3, the soundtrack reflects this. There are a lot of calm and more simple pieces, but there are pieces with more intensity because this is an anime. Because it is an anime, the pieces can be short and not have a loop, unlike Nier and Drakengard 3, which are video games.
And really, that's the reason why Yuki Yuna's soundtrack is my favorite anime OST of all time. It's refreshing. It's style of music is refreshing from the bombastic and SUPER DRAMATIC osts from Madoka. (Still love the Madoka OST to death tho) The action pieces uses a combo of the violins and choir, but the way the drums were used made the scenes have more of an impact on me. The emotional pieces, with the exception of one are simple and contain the right amount of punch to get emotion across. You don't have to have an arsenal of violins to make a piece emotional. All it takes is one vocal and a guitar, then maybe a bit of violin. While this isn't Okabe's best work critically, it's an OST that I honestly liked because of the context I had while listening to it.
In terms of voice acting, the cast consist of mostly new people. Which is something I adore the producers deciding, since the acting also felt fresh and different than the usual Kana Hanazawa performance. (She's in the show too by the way, she does the job like always). Though the cast do have their fair moments where they mess up. While I do think the acting is solid for the most part, there are few times where I felt like some lines could have been delivered better. Sometimes I felt like it was the director's fault (the Togo scene previously mentioned), and sometimes I just felt like the actress could have put more into it. (Yuna mostly) Still, those moments when the acting falters, they are few and far between. Plus when I was watching the show without a critical eye, I was sucked in enough to not care about the acting.
In terms of the dub, which currently only has 4 episodes out at the time of this review. I like the fact the the dub also opted for newer voice actresses. They perform well, and is about the same level of the Japanese performances, for now. Though the script is mostly faithful, I do feel like the script does changes how a few characters feel. For example, Itsuki is less reserved, calling out on her sister's crap a bit more harshly. Fu is a bit more soft, with her tone of voice slightly less...Senpai like. I actually like these slight changes. Fu comes off a bit more relatable and Itsuki is quite nice as well. Though these changes don't make the two different characters. They still are the same Fu and Itsuki we know.
Overall even with the minor hiccups, Yuki Yuna performs amazingly. Certainly one of the better shows of the 2014 fall season. Yuki Yuna is a Hero was an enjoyable experience that is everything I wanted in a show. It reminded me of the times I had as a child as well as the special moments of friendship I have now. So even if it's flawed I'll always remember it as something more than a Madoka rip off.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Dec 7, 2014
STORY
Selector Infected WIXOSS, is a dark show, and I knew that as soon as I saw the first episode. While the show covered things up with its somewhat up beat disguise; the foreshadowing of the major tone shift could be seen. This isn't really a bad thing as it doesn't really ruin anything in my opinion, because when the shift happens you can still feel the impact of it.
It turns from a cute card game show to a show dealing with a number of themes. Themes such as incest, family relationships, loneliness, hate, and of course friendship. While
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these themes are explored well in my opinion, especially incest. Though my main problem with the execution is that to make these themes work, the writer had to sacrifice logical things a normal person would do. For example, why would these girls do anything to just please Akira. I know she's a popular, but they take it waaaay too far. I mean these people are acting like serial killers here.
Plus I felt like the anime took up too many themes for a 12 episode anime. I mean it does a really good job giving focus to each theme, but in the end they didn't really go as far as I would have liked as a result.
While I do think the execution is a bit shaky, what we got was still pretty good. The pacing is just right. It wasn't too fast that I couldn't absorb the info, but it wasn't too slow either. The story the show told was engaging, and while I could guess what was going to happen a few times, I wasn't 100% right most of the time. As for the conflict, it's an internal conflict is mostly about the choices out main character, Ruko was going to do about these games she was thrown into into. While it felt a bit more like a conflict out of a magical girl anime, it was handled with a psychological edge to it. Plus the awesome directing also helped greatly.
Overall, really engaging, despite the lack of logic for certain segments. I could overlook those moments, because they weren't related too much to Ruko's conflict.
CHARACTERS
If I could describe how I felt about this cast in one phrase, it would be above average. I like most of the characters, and the only one I truly didn't like were the ones without explored motives. Characters like Akira. I can somewhat see a broken character in her, but the picture failed to fully developed because she motives weren't explored. Like why does she hate Inona so much? Cuz she's more pretty? Cuz she's more successful? Maybe, cuz she has some kind of past relationship with Inona? I don't know, and I could maybe only find out the the next season. Though, in this season, while I found Akira amusing in the beginning; she slowly started to be annoying.
As for our main characters, they were likable, and I was invested in their conflicts, and I could sympathize with them. The one that I liked the most however, is Ruko. Her uncertainty through the journey is typical, but I liked how it was done. I related to it, to a very stretched extent. She doesn't know what to do, but there was one thing she knew. She loved battles, and it's this conflict against her desire that made me like her as a character.
Though, I was disappointed in how we don't really get know know any LIGS characters, besides Tama. I mean they served their purpose and that was it. Hanayo seemed rather interesting, as we don't really know if she's happy in the position she is in.
Overall, the cast has its up and downs, but in the end shines with its main cast.
ANIMATION
Animated my J.C. Staff, this is very surprising. As, from what I have seen from them, they don't make anything too stand out, in terms of animation. (Not to say they're bad, cause there're not.) WIXCROSS, has very good animation. The fights look really good, and while I do think the card game aspect limits the direction, they are exciting enough to watch. Though, what really stood out to me is the tone. The colors of the characters; bright and colorful, contrasts the dark tone the backgrounds give off. Which is fitting, for WIXCROSS. Although, the character designs are very forgettable, and their noses bothered me. I mean the noses looked fine from the side shot; up front it looked like a hole, rather than a nose. Overall very exceptional, and is a stand out for J.C. Staff in my eyes.
SOUND
The music is... okay.... I mean nothing really stands out. Besides the dub step that show up in battles. Which is fitting, but forgettable. Even though the music itself was forgettable, the way it was used was nice. Sometimes during scenes, the music would just stop, letting the silence to either sink in, or to break tension. Though, right after, the music resumes, bring you back into the action. This helped made many scenes very memorable. Though, what I have to note is the opening. Sung by Kanon Wakeshima, it's super nice to listen to. Although, I like the second season's opening a lot better, this song was nice as well.
OVERALL
Though this show has flaws that I couldn't ignore; I enjoyed Selector Infected WIXCROSS. So, much that I wished I could give a better score. Though it's not perfect, and it's not for everyone. I mean if you can't take incest, or can't overlook the problems described, then the show isn't going to be for you. Though, there is one last problem, no, nitpick I have. I felt like story could have just ended at the final episode, though I realize that would leave too many questions. The story could have just ended there, and I personally would have been fine. Because the characters were tied up enough, and I was satisfied. Although, that's not saying I think the second season is going to be bad. In fact, I hope for the second season to fix some of these flaws present in this season. So, let's hope for the best.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Nov 16, 2014
STORY
In my opinion, the first season was a very comfortable and enjoyable show. So, when I heard there was more, I thought "why not?". I mean it couldn't hurt to get more. I only expected for Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya 2wei! to be entertaining. Although it wasn't too much of a step up as a story, it was certainly more entertaining than the first season. The main contributors to why this show was more entertaining to watch, were the Fate/ throw backs. I mean, the first season had a few of these, but they were mostly weren't used to move the plot. This
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season, however used them in a serious sense. Like the connection between the Illya of the Prisma universe and to Fate/Stay Night. They actually used this plot point to an extent. Which made the show more enjoyable.
As for the main story, it has improved. It threw away the magical girl tropes, and adopted a more Fate style. For the most part anyway. It had one trope that was a used for jokes but that was it. This season upgraded the yuri scenes, to kissing. So, if you don't like yuri, then this season isn't for you. Anyway, as for the conflict, the conflict felt a lot more genuine. Meaning that I actually felt invested in what was happening. Now, why this is such a difference to the first season. Well, while the conflict in the first season was okay, it was typical. What only really pulled me in was the scene direction. This season, however, made me care without the director. Which is an improvement in my book.
With that said, the story is still nothing too special. It didn't really spoke to me in any emotional level, it was just another anime. Which is fine, because not all anime needs to do that.
Overall, an improvement, but still nothing too special. (I would give this section a 7.5, only if MAL had a decimal grading system.)
CHARACTERS
If you read my review of the first season, I found the characters to be passable. This section is also another improvement. The season's new character is Kuro. Kuro's character in a way is a throw back to the Fate/ series, which makes her automatically more likable. (For me at least) Her character arc is rather interesting and the way she develops is really nice to see. Her development isn't too typical. It doesn't revolve around acceptance, like Illya or Miyu, it revolves around the desire to live. Which is why she is the best character in the show. As for Illya and Miyu. They already developed, but Illya gets some extra spotlight. Since Illya has accepted that she had a duty to the class cards, she now needs to accepts the changes that come with it. It was nice to see Illya come to terms with her life situation, and confirm that she has changed. Miyu on the other hand, doesn't really have a development in this season. Her character strength here is showing that she have changed because of what has happened. Which leads to one of my favorite moments in the show. In fact I enjoyed Miyu here than the first season, just because she is a lot more likable.
As for the other characters, they're all throw backs to the Fate/ series, and they mostly serve comedy purposes. Besides Rin and Luvia, there's only two side characters that I'd call important. Even then they don't really have character arcs.. which is fine for side characters I guess.
Overall, despite a lack luster supporting cast, this show really shines with its main characters.
ANIMATION
The animation is about the same as the first season, really good. The lighting and tone are good and give away the same light feeling as the first season. The fights are even better, because of the amazing fight direction. Especially a certain fight between Kuro and Miyu. I mean the fights use camera angles that show the tension from each move the characters make, which make for some really cool looking fights. Overall the quality is about the same. I noticed that the character designs are a bit more consistent, but that was about it for animation improvements.
MUSIC
Again, nothing has changed much. Although in this case it's a problem. I don't think I heard any new tracks. Which meant they were reusing the tacks from last season. And with the old tracks being over used already, it made the music feel stale.
OVERALL
Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya 2wei! is a fun entry into the series, and is a worthy continuation. It retains the fun stuff of the first season and improves its story as if it never ended. Although the ending was a tiny bit cliff hanger-ish, another season has been announced. Which is suppose to be the second half to the second series. Anyway, I'm looking forward to it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Nov 8, 2014
STORY
On the outside, Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya just seems to be a magical girl parody of the Fate series, and in many ways it is. Though, it manages to stand on its own with a story I can take seriously. The story starts off as a monster of the week show, but like any good magical girl show, it deviates from the formula. With focus on the internal conflict with Illya and external conflict with a new character Miyu. Though, I found the two conflicts to be cliche and predictable (Rehash of MGLN). The whole conflicts between rival magical girls and personal
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motivation, has been done else where and done better. Although, thanks to the direction of Shin Oonuma, the drama and conflicts were actually enjoyable. With Oonuma directing many drama series before, he knows how to make the viewer care for what's actually happening on screen. I felt emotion for what was happening, whenever the show was being heartwarming, chilling, etc. And I have to give credit for that. Also, the throw backs to Fate lore was very much enjoyed and appreciated. Overall, while nothing new, the story was highly enjoyable.
CHARACTERS *This section contains spoilers*
The cast consists of mostly alternative versions of their Fate/ counterparts, with there only being two new characters. The magical stick sapphire, and its master Miyu. With Miyu being the only new character worth talking about. Miyu is that typical cold isolated girl you see in a lot of magical girl shows. And, she also goes through the typical development that comes with the cliche. Not saying that's a bad thing, it's just predictable. She grows from a cold person to our main character, then to a nice one. It's that simple. Speaking of our main character, we have Illya. Illya is a character from the original series, and is the only one that has a dramatic personality change. In Fate/Stay Night, she's a cold killer, but is somewhat mischievous to the people she trusts. In this show however, she's a normal girl. Illya a normal magical girl protagonist, but what also comes with this is the typical development. Like Miyu, Illya also goes through a typical magical girl character's development. She's been given a duty she knows nothing of, then she begins to doubt her position in that duty, but in the end she grows to be stronger to protect what she loves. Although, unlike Miyu, Illya's development was refreshing. Illya's internal conflict takes up a lot more time than the average magical girl protagonist. The show made an effort to give her internal conflict real meaning. Illya actually gets inner monologues on her how she really feels about the duty she has been given. And, while I've seen better magical girl protagonists, seeing things done this way was refreshing.
*End of spoilers*
As for the rest of the cast, none of them really get any development, but are just throw backs at the Type-Moon universe. They're most there for comedy relief, and they do their job. While the comedy isn't Carnival Phantasm funny, it got a few laughs out of me. All in all, with there only being 2 stand out characters, and both only having slightly above average development, the overall characters are passable.
ANIMATION
Animated by Silver Link, the animation is pretty good. With decent use of lighting, the tone the art gives off is a fun lighthearted feeling, with dark undertones. The character designs of the original characters, stay faithful, but they have a bit more cartoon style than their original's. I also like Miyu's out of costume design, for some reason. Though, I notice the character designs aren't always consistent. There's a few times a character would go off model, although that can be forgiven. As for the actually animation, the regular scenes are standard fare. Though, the action scenes are particularly impressive. The movements are fluid, and combined with the really good directing, makes the action look even more impressive than Fate/Zero's. (Fate/Zero had crappy fight direction, in the first season at least.) Overall, while there were some small dips, the animation is well above average.
SOUND
Composed by Tatsuya Katou, the music isn't standard magical girl music. The style is more of a mix between F/SN's and magical girl OSTs. This results in some calm slice of life music, and epic battle music. While the slice of life ones aren't anything special, the epic battle ones, are pretty good. I particularly like the Illya version of the EMIYA theme. It's probably my favorite version of it. (Maybe) As, for the OP and ED, I liked them, but I admit they weren't that special. Catchy and that's it.
As for the dub.... It was a a big meh. It's one of sentai's better dubs, but it's not that hard to be one of the "better" sentai dubs. While the acting is okay, the a few of the voices don't match the characters. Illya sounds too old in my opinion and Rin doesn't really have that charm to her voice. I kind of wish they went to bang zoom for this dub, but I understand that they wouldn't make as much of a profit on this show, compared to the F/SN UBW movie.
OVERALL
I've always liked Type-moon, particularly the Fate/ series. With Fate/Zero being my favorite anime. So, when Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya got announced, I was a bit "ehh" about it. I mean, Fate and magical girls? One part of me was expecting for it to be bad, and another was being optimistic. So, when it actually turned out to not half bad, I was honestly pleased. I seriously enjoyed Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya, and I'm looking forward to where ever this sub-series will go in the future
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Nov 1, 2014
STORY
While the first season was a failure in my opinion, this season was a huge improvement. With the change of directors, White Album took a different direction with were it went. First of all, they resolved all of the unimportant subplots from the first season quickly (as quick as the show can be..). Then, they replaced it with a few more subplots, which was tied more to the main conflict. Even then, they didn't side track as much as the first season. This was a great choice on part of the production team. The story for this season, was more spread out.
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It wasn't just about Touya, it gave some other characters screen time as well. As a result, I actually felt invested in the drama involving the other characters. Though, all of this is pulled down by really slow pacing. I seriously thought this season was a tad bit more slower than the first season. I was still asking myself "when is this episode going to be over?", and I wished they could have improved the pacing. Also, the ending also lowered my opinion for the show. While it was satisfying on a certain level, I felt like the twist at the end was out of left field. Maybe it was foreshadowed, and I just couldn't see it. Even then, I think the twist was ridiculous. Plus, it felt anti climatic, it made all of the build up, wasted. So, with all of the let downs, the story of the second season of White Album was mediocre.
CHARACTERS
This is where things are a big "meh". Well, Touya is still an idiot, but I have to admit. He changes, and sees his flaws as a person, and for that I have to give credit for. Now, why do I still hate him as a character. It's because while he did go through some kind of development in the first season, that was all thrown away. What he "learned" at the end of the first season was lost, and he ends up stumbling and making the same mistakes as before. Which is also why this season got weighted down. Now, as for the rest of the characters. Since they got some decent screen time, I actually cared about few of them. Yuki and Rina both were interesting, at many points. I liked Yuki in the second season, because they showcased her conflict (Somewhat). I felt like her conflict about what was more important in her life something that could be relatable. Though, she has a fair share of times I felt that she needed a slap. Rina, was an already interesting character from the first season, and she keeps on being an interesting character. Though, she also has a few "I want to slap you" moments. Plus, Rina and Yuki had a believable friendship. I really felt for the drama and tension between the two. As for the rest of Touya's whores, they weren't in the show as a romantic interests, but I still found a couple of them as "throw away characters". Though, Mana's little subplot was interesting, and I was surprised to how she was connected to everything else. Overall, a huge improvement, but still lacking in many ways.
ANIMATION
Also an improvement, was the animation. While it's only average, there were a few scenes that were animated well enough. The lighting also improved. While in the first season, things were always dark and grey. Seven Arcs actually drew the lights shining on the characters. Well, it's still nothing special. The lip sync during the small music segments, was better than I thought they would be. (Still crappy anime lip sync.) As, I said a few times in this section, it's an improvement, but it's average.
SOUND
I don't think anything here was changed, I still felt like the ost was
forgettable. The pop songs, while good, aren't seen much. Also, I have to complain about this. I don't think they ever played the song White Album in this season at all. If you aren't going to play the song at all, then why is your show named White Album. As a result the song comes off as an afterthought. I like the use of the song Powder Snow, because it was meaningful to the story, and I like the song. (Though I like the version sung by WA 2's Setsuna more.) Overall, not much change here.
OVERALL
Overall, I feel like this season was pretty decent. It improved in most areas, but it's still brought down some of the same problems from the first season. I don't regret watching this season, but I'm hard press to say you NEED to see this. You would have to sit through the first season to get to this, and I don't think that's worth the time. Though, I would recommend you watch the indirect sequel, White Album 2 over the original. (Not White Album second season. That's the show I've been reviewing.). If you're up for something like this then go ahead.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Oct 30, 2014
*Review based on only the first season*
STORY
Drama is something that can be beautiful and heart breaking, if done right. White Album is one anime that had the potential to be both of these things, but unfortunately it doesn't live up to that potential. (In my opinion, of course) Well, I have to admit. The idea of the show is pretty good. I mean the premise showed a lot of potential to show the effects and results in a relationship where work might get in the way. Though, that's where the good things end. First problem that plagued the show from the
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first episode, is that there's too many sub plots. This would be somewhat fine, if the sub plots are tied to the main plot. While some of them are, a there's ones that are not needed. This results in scenes that are poorly transitioned into, that don't feel connected. Though, that's the least of White Album's problems. In my opinion, the drama wasn't written well. To make me feel and care for the drama on screen, White Album has to make me care for its characters. Frankly, I didn't care about most of them. This make certain emotional high points to make my eyes roll, and check how many minutes I'm in the episode. Combine with the snail pace, makes the whole story of White Album a drag.
CHARACTERS
As said before, I didn't care for most of the characters. When I said most, I mean the whole cast, except for one. Well, staring our show, is Touya Fuji. I found him to be a big reason to why this show fails. Touya is a nice guy. Which results in stupid girls falling in love with him, but that's the thing. Touya is too nice, and most people would know what he does. Anyway, while I understand why he does these things. I felt like his problems could have been resolved pretty quickly, but the show just drags it on and on. Which makes the show drag on and on. Besides Touya, we have his whores. Most of the girls are unlikable in a way or another, just boring, and I couldn't care less about them. Except for one character. Rina Ogata is the only character that I can call well written. She has her flaws as a person, and reasons for what she does. She's the type of character that has ulterior motives for what she's doing, that you really have to dig deep for. Which is a thing I like, though she gets sidelined for most of the show. In favor of other character sub plots. So her little bits of character development is what make the show tolerable, but doesn't save White Album's by a long shot.
ANIMATION
Animated by Seven Arcs, the animation is really stiff, all over the place, and just looks flat and grey most of the time. Seven Arcs haven't done anything too visually stunning, besides the latest Nanoha movies. Though, I don't remember them being this bad. The actually animation (how little there is), runs at a very low frame rate. Which makes certain scenes a dread to look at. They also use a lot of still frames, which aren't even pretty! The only note worthy thing, are the almost painted like animation. Which was used to either save money, or for creative reasons. (I'm betting on the former) While the animation for these small scenes weren't good, they were nicer to look at than the ugly regular art. Speaking of the art, the character designs are shallow, and while the girls are suppose to look "pretty". I just didn't see them as "pretty", and they don't look good to me. So, yeah, the art and animation is just bad and not pretty at all.
SOUND
The soundtrack consists of a lot of violin pieces, and a lot of dramatic songs to support the scenes, they were used in. Though, while I was watching the show, I can't say I remembered the score. (Most likely because I was too busy thinking "when is the episode going to end?) Anyway, all that's left are the insert pop songs. Which by the way, are barely in the show. I liked the songs, and enjoyed listening to them. Sound of Destiny by Nana Mizuki, was a super catchy song, and I liked this version of the song the best. Though, I'm liked White Album sung by a White Album 2 character much better. So, yeah, the songs are good, but it doesn't show up in the show as much as I would liked it to be. Which means, sound won't be getting a better grade.
OVERALL
White Album was a real drag to watch. It's bogged down by a poor story, unlikable characters, and bad animation. It's a real shame too, since White Album had a lot of potential. In the end it fails at what it wanted to do, and it just becomes barely tolerable. With White Album only having one good character to help me drag through the anime, it was still a dreadful experience for me.
Reviewer’s Rating: 2
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Oct 12, 2014
STORY
The story may seem like a typical romance, with a sea people twist, but it's so much more. At first, it was focused on the children and their feelings for each other and the surface. But as the children realized they were apart of something much bigger, the series was about accepting change and how some people wish for it and some fear it. More importantly, I thought this series told a good mixture of fantasy romance quite well. I loved the characters and was interested in the story's lore. The themes of unrequited love, change, and acceptance, were mashed around well. But, there lies
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a weakness in this story. The pacing. While you don't really notice this until the last quarter, it's pace is a bit too slow. Instead of dragging things out, there should have used that time to some a bit more interactions between the characters. Since they didn't do this, relationships were given poor resolutions and the ending was somewhat of a mixed bag. But in the end, I still enjoyed the story Nagi no Asukara told.
CHARACTER
Most of the characters are nicely developed, with a great main cast and supporting cast. With each character having their own personal problems and flaws to deal with. My favorite character, has to be Chisaki. She arguably goes through the toughest times, and I can kind of relate to her fears. But, there's also a few characters I'm disappointed with. Manaka is probably the most controversial character in the show. Some people are annoyed by her, and some are cool with her. I'm with the latter, but I wasn't too pleased with her character in the second half. While she does develop I found her presence to be a plot device in the second half. I just feel what they did to her character was freeze her development, and in a show about change, that's a bad thing. Another thing I didn't like was that, in the end, the character relationships weren't tied up as I liked. This traces back to the pacing problem, and it's a shame. There was room for things to be tied up better, but overall, the characters are the best part of the show.
ANIMATION
Animated by P.A Works, Nagi no Asukara is amazing to look at. From the stunning backgrounds, lighting, and the overall feel of the show. I have to say, it's probably P.A's best work. Rivaling their past show, Hanasaku. The animation is also pretty good for a romance, and that's because of the fantasy aspect of the show. The swimming looks really good, and while it's no where near Free!'s animation, it's fluid enough. The best aspect of the animation has to be the backgrounds. I felt that P.A Works know what a run down fishing town looks and feels like, and the show wouldn't be the same without these backgrounds.
MUSIC
The music of Nagi is very relaxing to listen to. Fitting of the theme of the show. A half of the ost was light summer like songs, but the latter half leaded on the cold and emotional parts. I really like this variety of songs, because it reflects the story. I find that the ost, to be a very nice listen for doing homework, or cleaning up your room. It's really nice to listen to. As for the openings and endings, I found every song to be nice. Like the ost they were nice, and I didn't really skip them. Okay, I admit, the second one is pretty amazing. It's a really good song with great build up, and emotional relevance to the plot. Overall, it's really nice, and I would give it a listen if you are doing your homework.
OVERALL
Nagi no Asukara may start out a bit bland, but it;s really a coming of age story about friction between two lands as well as relationships. I felt for the characters, because of how they changed and grew. And, I like how each character was characterized because of how it revolved around how everything has to change. Your home, family, friends, and most importantly, you as a person change. And that makes Nagi no Asukara worth watching.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Oct 5, 2014
STORY
The story is no doubt is the best part of Shin Sekai Yori, since everything is crafted so carefully. Every element is needed, and yes even the more uncomfortable and shocking ones. (Ep. 8....) The themes of Shin Sekai Yori are themes that don't really get focus in anime, or movies. Except for daring few. "Do us as humans have the right to be the controlling on Earth?" and the most important, "Have we humans actually changed as a over the many years?" These are the questions make Shin Sekai Yori the roller coaster it is. It made me think about these themes
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throughout the whole ride, and I think the story manages to open up my mind to these questions very well. But, everything isn't perfect. The anime had two time jumps that took me by surprise. There was information in that wasn't presented to the viewer, but rather told to us by Saki, and I really think that's a shame. Because once a plot twist happens and the conflict is over, they would skip over a couple years, and have Saki tell us the bits of what happens in between. But there is upsides to this. The time skips allow us as the viewer see how much the characters changed, after a few years. This is a very good tactic to make me care about the characters. It's kind of like seeing someone grow up. Seeing how certain events effected a character years later. By the end I really care for the characters, some more than others, but lets will deal with that later. I also found the pacing not for everyone. It can be very slow at times, and with the time jumps, it's pretty much all over the place. But, I strangely liked the pacing. It allowed different events in the story to flow in their own natural way. Instead of keeping one pace through out. So overall, I founded the story it told to be one of the most compelling stories I have ever seen.
CHARACTERS
While I was attached to the five main characters in one way or another, it's hard to say that most of them were stand out or great characters. This is because Shin Sekai Yori takes place all in Saki's point of view. Which means, we only see what she sees. Sometimes other characters might be off doing something else, and we wouldn't be able to see them. Some of these things might be important to their development, and we miss out. With that said, the only characters that get any "good" development are Saki and her friend Satoru. Out of the two, Saki is the only complex one. She's a great main character. She might be a bit plain at first glance, but really she's a strong female protagonist. She's not strong in a physical sense, but in the way that her choices effect those around her and the overall story. I also have to mention the villain. He's a villain that I hate, but I can understand why he acted the way he did. He's a character that I wanted to die, but in the end, I felt sorry and sort of related to him. The characters of Shin Sekai Yori aren't stand out by any means, but for some reason I feel attached the main cast.
ANIMATION
Animated by A-1 Pictures, Shin Sekai Yori's main weakness is the animation. Don't get me wrong, it looked visually pleasing to me during many moments. But, it's really average. The character movements aren't bad, but the show tries to use as many tricks as it can. To hide the low frame amount. The lighting is not that good. The show lacks shading and and highlights, which makes things look flat. The actual art on the other hand is very nice to look at. The clothes the characters wear are mixture of Japanese with another style. The characters designs are lacking in detail, but are simple and nice to look at. Though, this doesn't excuse bad animation. If I could describe the animation in one sentence, it would be this: Average with a few sprinkles here and there.
MUSIC
Composed by Shigeo Komori, From the New world's sound track is all the round pretty good. There are many tracks that stand out and fit the show. It can be unsettling, somber, and soothing. Though, I'm not too keen on how reused it gets, but this is a small complaint. Aside from the background there's no opening, but 2 endings. Which are both amazing singles on their own. In particular the first ending song warata ringo. It's a joy to listen to, and I consider it to be one of my favorite endings. Overall the music, is wonderful and truly is worth to sit and listen to.
OVERALL
Really, I felt like the reason why I like this show so much is because of the connection I felt with the main character, Saki. I can see myself making the choices she made, and her journey is exceptional. Shin Sekai Yori is a unique show that only certain people can enjoy. It's really worth watching, if you can take some of he daring themes it throws at you. It's no character piece, so it's really only for those looking for a great story.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Oct 4, 2014
STORY
I found the story of White Album 2 to be a rather simple, but mature one. It's rare that I'd find a romance this mature. What makes this show different from let's say Clannad is that while the focus is the romance; it covers other themes as well. The themes of betrayal is real heavy, as well as the theme of selfish love. But when it's not deep into drama, White Album 2 is an enjoyable story about three people in a band. The problems the band go through to get things done before the festival, and the bond of the Haruki, Setsuna, and Kazusa
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is very strong. The only thing that might bother others, is the very slow, but subtle pacing. Some may feel not much was done in the episode, but something was done; that may come into focus later. But, really this isn't a problem for me. As, I enjoyed the interaction of the character a lot.
CHARACTERS
The characters are what really made the show for me. Well, three characters. Haruki, Kazusa, and Setsuna. They really do seem like the typical anime characters, at first. Haruki, is your harem main character, Setsuna is your misunderstood idol, and Kazusa is the silent expert. But as the series goes on, they turn out to be all very flawed characters, in a good way that makes everyone give off a very human vibe. They are all selfish in one way or the other, and it really makes the relationship between them really interesting, and heart breaking to watch. Setsuna is notable for this. Her actions weren't always likable, but I understood them, and she didn't come off as a character of malice. But as a rather humane-like character. Same thing with Haruki and Kazusa. They both come off as humane. But, I found Setsuna the most easy to relate to, because of her overall character theme of her character arc. Which I would not dare spoil.
ANIMATION
The animation is actually nothing too special, it works,and that's it. While White Album 2, does not excel in the actual animation, it does do some excellent shading and lighting. Every character in the show has some shiny appeal to them, and it makes the character designs look more pretty than it should. The lighting is very pretty. During the night is particular good looking. The night just gives off a cold tone to me, and when it's after school, the sky just looks like how I'd like after school in real life to be. (Instead we get hot sun...)
MUSIC
The music of White Album 2 is kind of underwhelming , but at the same time I it supports the scenes they were used in greatly. I notice the music and at the same time I don't. I don't remember most songs, but the moment I hear them; memories flood in. But what really made me like the music, is the insert songs. I usually don't go for the 90's pop, but I really like the insert songs. One of my favorites is the song, "White Album", really is a great song, that connects the characters. Overall, while the soundtracks mostly just support the anime greatly, the insert songs, are very effective.
OVERALL
I found White Album not to be the best or original romance ever, but really this shows has some of the most complex characters in a romance I have ever seen. While anime like Nagi no asukara, do indeed show that being in love means possibly hurting someone else. White Album 2 shows us that being in love really makes us monsters, selfish, and sometimes it can make us do irrational things. Overall, White Album 2 has to be one of the best shows that aired in 2013. And, I kinda regret passing it off as a shit harem. Man, as much I would like the rest of the story animated, I don't think it will. With the low sales in Japan, but for what we have, I'm satisfied.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Oct 4, 2014
STORY
I found Glasslip to be interesting in the beginning at least. I was wondering where this was going to go, but in the end, Glasslip disappoints. It really didn't went anywhere, it's a mess. So many things unexplained and things just end up confusing. I mean, it'll try to go into a direction, but the show just ends up back where it was. This is apparent with the whole "future foresight" plot point. By the end of the show you don't even know what is this certain skill that Touko and Kakaru has. Not to mention the show is very very slow paced.
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Usually I don't mind a slow pace, in fact I love slow paced shows a lot. But.... Glasslip's plot is so uninteresting, that it was really hard just to care. Slow paced shows work for me, because no matter how slow they are. THEY GET SOMEWHERE. So, the pacing really does hurt the show. Also, I just have to mention, the final 2 episodes of Glasslip. These episodes were a lot more enjoyable than the rest of the show, because admittedly it had a few interesting concepts. While the show went somewhere, during these 2 episodes, it drew to a open ended ending. Which I couldn't care less to interpret . Overall, I found the story of Glasslip no where near as compelling I hoped it to be.
CHARACTERS
While the story is the main reason why this show suffers, I felt like a big factor to why the story sucks, was our cast of characters. The characters are really one note, and I can describe all of them with a few sentences. While a few characters do go through a development, the build up to that change was very weak. This is because of the weak relationships between the characters. Most of the main characters are suppose to be friends, but I just couldn't feel the connection between them. Not to mention the "amazing" relationship between Touko and Kakaru. These two share almost no chemistry. Really, most of their conversations are about the mysterious power to see the future thing. Which is a plot point I couldn't care less about. But when they do sit down a have a normal conversation(which is rare.), I can kind of see a growing relationship? Well, anyway, this aspect of the anime suffer because of weak character bonds and just shallow development.
ANIMATION
Animated P.A Works, Glasslip does look good. While the character designs aren't P.A's best ones, they are decent. The feel the animation gives off is very summer like. With the look of the town the characters live in. The scenery is beautiful as well, as expected from P.A Works. Now, to the problems. The actual animation is lack luster, still frames, and out of place chibis. They really skip on the animation. I found P.A Works to be the one studio that has a nice balance between, flowing animation and nice designs. And, it's a bit disappointing that Glasslip doesn't have this balance.
SOUND
The music of Glasslip consists of relaxing, dramatic, and even classical songs, which is a nice. I expected this kind of OST, so I'm not surprised that it doesn't stand out. Yeah, sometimes I thought "Oh! This song is nice.", but really, that's only because there wasn't much going on screen, and I would forget the song in another second. The opening is a very nice song, is a waste on this show, and it really should have gone to GOOD slice of life. The ending was catchy and cute, that's it, it wasn't memorable.
In terms of voice acting, the actors/actress do their job, trying to make the characters interesting, but in the end they don't have much to work with, so their efforts are useless. One notable fact is Fukagawa Seria, as Touko. She is new to the job, and She did her best as Touko, and I can tell she was having fun, with the number of times Touko said, "EHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?!".
OVERALL
So, with the combination of a messy plot, a ending couldn't care about, bad character relationships, lackluster animation, and a unmemorable OST. I should hate this show right? Well, I kind of don't. I just don't know why I can't bring myself to hate Glasslip. I am disappointed, but not enough to hate it. It's a drag to watch, but somewhere in Glasslip there are tiny pieces of enjoyment. Though, in the end I wouldn't tell anybody to watch Glasslip.
Reviewer’s Rating: 4
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