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Aug 23, 2017
More importantly than reviewing this, I think it's important to put a big trigger warning on this manga.
It's dark. It deals with rape, self harm, sexual violence, etc.
It's drawn beautifully but it is a very dark and deeply disturbing manga. Although I'm unfinished with it at this point, I doubt I will do so. There is no feel good to this yaoi. In fact, I'm surprised Watase would write something as dark as this.
The characters have complicated names and are tough to follow who is who, since different people call the different characters by different names (ie their first or their last). It
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is a distinctly Japanese manga that is probably hard for Westerners to parse properly. Lots of translation notes needed and so on.
To be honest, I wouldn't recommend this.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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May 2, 2017
I know. I know. I'm a bit late to the party here, but I feel as if I have things I need to say. There is undeniably a large amount of hype and adoration for this show. The artwork is stunning and a rehash of a tired old cliche can be refreshing. I've seen reviews that said things along the lines of "I've never laughed so hard and cried my eyes out in every single episode of a show before." With that, I have to agree.
Although I'm going to write a review that might be a bit unfavorable, or at the very least, very
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much less rose colored than some others, there can be no denying that Re:Zero is full of gut wrenching scenes moments after I laughed my heart out.
STORY: 6/10
Let's rip the band-aid off immediately. You could argue that this is a show about knights, sorcery, dark fantasy, kingdom politics, or any and all of the above. You would be wrong. Re:Zero is a dark romance dressed up in all the frills of all of those things, but it is not, at any point, any one of those things in truth. The show lies to you. It pulls at your heartstrings and promises a great many things, but it never once delivers on any of them.
It tries to do way too many things at once. Overpromise, underdeliver.
As spoiler free as possible, you have Subaru/Emilia, Subaru/Rem, Subaru/Knights, Subaru/Betty, Subaru/Crusch, Subaru/Subaru, Subaru/Betelguese, Subaru/Wilhem. It's all well and good to have a connected character with lots of side plots and overarching storylines and where everyone has their own individual past and history, but this show is rife with unnecessary information that provides no benefit or bonus.
It spends a very long time building your hopes and then crushing them, as acutely and precisely as possible.
ART: 9/10
Nothing negative here. The show is gorgeous. It's fluidly done, the scenes are well composed and thought out. The attention to detail is really wonderful.
SOUND: 8/10
Again nothing negative. Great music and effects.
CHARACTER: 7/10
There are a lot of them. There are so many. And I care about and am interested in all of them. But none of them will ever be treated with any dignity or respect. They spend maybe 3-4 episodes on each (with the exception of one or two of them) and then you NEVER see that character again. Nothing ever comes of being introduced to anyone. They are only briefly useful and then they cease to exist. So while I really like them when they're around, they aren't around long enough to matter. It makes for a lot of loose ends.
ENJOYMENT: 8/10
I know I've done nothing but complain, but I did really enjoy the show. It was engaging and kept me desperate to learn more. I kept wanting to see everyone's storylines wrap up or become something. The only sour note is that it ends. It ends and there isn't any satisfaction in it.
OVERALL: 7/10
You need to go into this anime knowing that you will not get a satisfying ending. None of the loose ends will be tied up. Nothing will ever be clarified. Nothing will ever come of any of Subaru's interactions with anyone but Emilia.
Like I said at the beginning of my review... this anime is a love story. It's a dark romance about Subaru and Emilia, everything else in between is fluff. It's the story of his journey to become a man worthy of her and her love and affection. Everything else is just bonus.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Nov 17, 2015
Although there are already some very good and helpful reviews submitted for this show, I can't help but feel there is a very strong sentiment lacking in the reviews. Let us make very clear once and for all that this show is a "locked room mystery" masquerading as a fantasy action show. I think perhaps that is one of the most disappointing aspects of the show.
So let's come at it from two different angles, with that idea in mind.
As a fantasy action show, this 12 episode series falls extremely short of the bar. In the first several episodes, it creates an extremely detailed
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premise, quirky yet somewhat fulfilling character introductions, and captures the attention for it's quick witted conversation. For example, our introduction to our "protagonist" in full detail is held as a discussion in a prison. As far as setting up plot goes, this is a pretty solid go-to.
However, we very quickly fall out of favor with this style. A show with such a rich backstory spends the next several episodes (and admittedly, the rest of the series) playing Sherlock Holmes with us. In all honesty it seems as if someone desperately wanted to merge these two genres, but failed to take into account the sort of balancing necessary for such a feat (and why it's so rare in the first place.)
That being said, we cannot fully condone this show as a fantasy action, seeing as it fails to go anywhere beyond introductory storylines, despite having the well built foundations for such an attempt.
Let's go back to our mystery angle.
This show then presents to us one of the most classic mystery scenarios: the locked room. Six people destined to show, seven show, one of them is the bad guy. But who? The show tries to run off of logic that is... illogical, at best. Most of the character's refutes are emotionally charged, with no real evidence, and yet the majority of the characters believe the refutes without question. Then, to make matters worse, a romantic pairing is forced upon two of the seven for an uneasy alliance that assists the accused with an easy escape from the corner the writers backed him into.
All in all, the show fails on two fronts and claims to deliver more than it is able. If you are looking for a fantasy action show, this is not it. If you are looking for a subpar locked room mystery show with fantasy elements, welcome to the party!
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Aug 20, 2013
I know, I know... barely halfway through and you feel the need to write a review? There has only been one time I've done this, and it was with Durarara! and I was correct in my assumption then, as I can only assume I will be again.
If you liked Revolutionary Girl Utena, this review is not for you. You will LOVE this show. Star Driver is almost exactly like Utena but with mecha. If you found Utena to be sub par and not worth the hype, continue reading, this review will make complete sense to you.
I may or may not retract this review upon
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series completion, take it at your own risk!
Art: 9
Bones. Bones. Bones. Bones. Bones! In this category you have never ever failed to disappoint me, it why most of my favorite shows are made by you and why I continue watching things you make again and again! Alas, if this show could survive on your art alone all would be well and good with the world! There are some lazy points and it is not as beautiful as some of the other Bones' shows I've seen, but it has a fluidity and brightness that I absolutely adore. If nothing else, the art is why I am still watching this show and why I'm reviewing it first... since it is honestly the high point of this review.
Sound: 7
Let's roll on down~ I happen to be a fan of the music for this show. It's very lovely and usually apt and fitting per the scene. I even enjoyed hearing the Shrine Maiden's songs per episode (the only repetitive thing I liked.) Was it top notch blow me out of the water Eureka Seven class? No. Was it lovely? Yes. Lovely and average, sadly, but lovely all the same.
Story: 3
Story? What story? Oh you mean the thing they put there to pretend something is happening? Nah, they don't have one of those. Seriously? No I'm telling you, it simply does not exist. This show is slow as balls. A snail could beat this story in a race. I am on episode 12 and so far... we had a bunch of uneventful battles, little to NO reveal about the CRAZY things they've introduced as norm (a fox for the Vice President of the 'Drama Club', and the purpose of Cybodies to begin with.) Halfway through the show with NOTHING to go on? If this were an hour long program, I'd have left at the half hour break! If they are going to reveal anything at all, at this point, it is going to be rushed/half assed/nonexistent. That's very sad. It makes me think of Ponyo. Endless potential, all worthless.
Character: 4
Flat. Flat. FLAT! Since when did Bones write such two dimensional stereotypes?? The weak damsel in distress. The quiet boy who feels powerless but is more powerful than anyone. So on and so forth... waste of my time. Insert lots of complaints about the boring characters here. Move along.
Enjoyment: 4
I'm bored of the show and I'm bored of reviewing it. The only thing propelling me from episode to episode is the hope it'll get better... I let that carry me through Utena, I don't know if I'll make it through this series which is half the size of that one.
Overall: 5
Star Driver is a show that tries very hard (too hard) to be serious without taking itself seriously. In short, it fails heavily and falls flat on almost every turn.
Sorry Ginga Bishounen, you're just lukewarm to me!
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Jan 2, 2011
Okay, so after surrounding all the hype that encased this show, and because Crispin Freeman made a big deal about it at NYAF 2010, I decided to give it a shot. Half of me feels like it was a waste of time, and the rest of me isn't so sure. I am almost finished with it at this point, but I feel that writing the review now might be best (the end that is in sight isn't looking good.)
Now, if you're one of the people looking to watch this show because you enjoyed Baccano! (I mean, who didn't?), then this is NOT for you. It
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will rub you all sorts of the wrong way. If you are someone that enjoys psychological thrillers with violence and mythology, step right up! However, I warn you now that it is a LOT to keep track of and isn't an overdose of any one genre specifically (except the sick pervy romance kind.)
Let's begin with the STORY, which I gave a 6. I pondered over this one for a little because it's actually a lot of stories all jammed in together, and individually they are all pretty boring, but together it makes for an interesting mix. In Baccano, which I highly recommend, you have three or less stories to keep track of at any one time; in Durarara, you have ... I dunno... a lot? A lot. You've got headless horsemen, sick doctors, unloved high school girls, a psychotic informant, some guy that throws vending machines, high school kids that lead huge street gangs, and some manga-obsessed quad-team that doesn't seem to matter but takes up screen time to confuse you. And yes, all of these things are stories that all interlace and run headlong into each other, until you don't know which was is up or down, and if you wanted it to be either of them!
Granted, people throwing vending machines is REALLY cool, so Crispin Freeman can have his kudos for being one of the few awesome characters. But I mean. If you're just gonna watch it for Shizzy-chan, then just watch episode 7, which is his backstory, and be done with it.
I just have a sinking feeling that this is the kind of anime that won't ever be resolved in a satisfying way. Why do I say that? Well, at the point where you find the epicenter of ONE of the plot lines, and two characters meet head to head (figuratively speaking, since one of them is headless), there is the feeling that the source of all the pain should be taken and everything can be resolved and we can move forward. What happens? One of the characters says 'Nice job killing everyone. Bye.'
Seriously?
Anyway, the art (which got an 8 in my book). Well. It's very stylized, and I particularly love the grayed out background people, because it helps you keep track of who is not important. Until of course, everyone gets colored in as a huge 'EVERYONE IS IMPORTANT' statement. Hello Captain Obvious! I won't deny that the animation is fairly well done and the background work is phenomenal. Very rarely do they reuse any of the footage. We see the inside of one man's office maybe 20+ times, and only 3-5 of those times is it the same art. I really appreciate them not half-assing it artways, but it doesn't necessarily make up for the shitty incoherent plot they tried to concoct.
As for sound, I'm extremely picky. If I don't notice it, it sucked. My favorite sound track is from Eureka Seven, but I can honestly say DRRR comes pretty close! It is not very often that I actually LIKE the OP and ED songs from a show these days. It is even rarer that animators use music correctly! However, they have a refrain that they play several times when everyone should be rainbows and butterflies, and I love it! Absolutely love it! So the sound got a 9!
The characters were... mediocre at best. They were all very stereotypical, and nothing was TOO surprising. Watching them develop hasn't been the most interesting thing in the world, in fact it sometimes seems irrelevant despite the fact that the whole thing slowly seems to be turning into a slasher soap opera. As I said for the 'story' section, it is more about the characters than anything else, and so their histories ARE, essentially, the story. But you know, innocent high schoolers being majorly important gang leader/murderer/opposing gang leader... that's really original. I totally didn't see that coming in Higurashi when all the girls took out butcher knives and killed everyone. Come. On!
I did enjoy all the character DESIGNS. Especially Shizuo and his bartender outfit, and Selty with her shadow-leather biker suit. So I didn't score it TOO badly. I just wish... all the characters had been less typical. In Baccano, all the characters kept me guessing; I couldn't tell bad from good and I loved every second of it! (Jacuzzi was the most surprising!) But man... like I didn't know Celty was gonna turn into a pile of mush around her captor (Stockholm Syndrome much?) Shinra? Everyone can see it coming, so it's not a spoiler. If you didn't, this anime is too dense for you, you need some light hearted shojo. (May I recommend Kaicho wa Maid-sama?)
As for enjoyment, I gave it a 6. I'm still watching it aren't I? Could be I'm cooped up in the house for winter break like any anime fan, but it also could be that it has a mildly captivating watch value. I would recommend a rewatch, but only because it's so damn confusing. I feel like I should make a chart or something; in fact... I almost did. But how silly is that? If you have to watch anime with a chart, then it's too fucking complicated. Even Spice and Wolf, which people complain has a LOT of dialogue, isn't that complicated (AND IT INVOLVEES MATH PEOPLE.)
So anyway, I gave DRRR a 6. And I wanted to be able to provide a comprehensive reason as to why I'm scoring so low, so as to provide a new and fresh look on things. I hope it helped!
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Jul 8, 2009
I'd like to start by saying... whoever wrote the fanfiction that this was based on, I'm so sorry. /sarcasm
I have never seen a more pathetic excuse for an anime movie in my entire life. Eureka Seven is one of the greatest series to ever be created. It's animation and soundtrack is unusually top notch as well as it's character development and well balanced plot. This sorry excuse for a movie under the same name of that epic animation should be beat down with a stick like a bad cosplayer.
True fans of the Eureka Seven series, spare yourself the two hour torture. If you want cute
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fan pictures or stories of Eureka and Renton, just browse the internet. I'm sure you'd find more things that would probably even satisfy you better.
Moving on, let's get down to each of the categories.
The storyline: 5. Why? I'm sorry but taking the plot of the actual anime, condensing it into two hours and renaming every major plot point is NOT creative. It's not even original. It's silly. Okay, sure, you made some of the characters evil and it was a little different. Hell, Eureka knowing Renton since they were little could even be called adorable! Not to mention Dominic the vampire teacher, let's not forget him in all his awesome Adrock-like glory! However, the small plot that was thought out seemed like an interesting backstory to the 'Desperation Disease' at first and then moved onto being something akin to some kind of backwards fountain of youth that related to the Image (*coughCoraliancough*). If it had been explained a little more, I could have given it more respect, but as it was, it was difficult to follow, not properly thought out and pretty much just vomited into animated form. Nice try guys!
The art: 2. Taking scenes from the completed anime and editing them to be put into a movie is not artistic. I was so distracted by the blatant use of actual anime images that I could not properly concentrate on the movie (I actually would stop and try and think which episode it was from and I got them all nearly correct with a three episode margin of error, whoo!). Unlike Mamma Mia... taking already made things and trying to mesh them into a movie does not work here! Just because it can work with ABBA songs does not mean it should be tried with a perfectly awesome mecha anime. For goodness sakes, make something original!
Sound: 7. I liked the sound. I liked the ending song. I really didn't pay attention to much else. I can be satisfied by the fact that, although strange, mini-fairy!Nirvash was cute and made nice noises. (Yes that really was one of my favorite things.)
Character: 7. Thinking of this as a separate entity from the actual ES series and using this thought to understand the characters better, I was at first intrigued by how everyone had changed. The Sages became very important military figures. Holland and the Gekko State became evil misguided souls. Dominic and Anemone were main people and highly important to the overall status of the movie. To be honest, I could really appreciate this change. Though I disliked some of it, there was development here I could respect. Still, what happened with some of the Gekko State members annoyed me. Evil and misguided is okay. But vicious paranoid rapists? Sorry. I don't approve.
Enjoyment is self explanatory. It's obvious I didn't like it nor did I amuse myself by watching it. However, I gave that category a four. There were parts with Eureka and Renton that sometimes made it worth sitting through every painful scene edit. I guess I just love those two that much, but next time I want cute stuff like that, I'm just gonna google it.
I suggest you all do the same.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Sep 17, 2008
If you like the manga, for all that is good in this world, don't ruin it and watch the anime. Sure, the storyline is top notch in my opinion... but the TERRIBLE voice acting in BOTH English AND Japanese is just not worth the pain of watching it. If you would sit around and watch 50 episodes, then there is no reason why you can't go out and read 9 volumes. It would take you less time and you'd enjoy yourself more. This is not to say it's not an enjoyable anime. If you can get over the awful voices than it's still a pretty
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fair anime. The animation is kind of half-assed though. In comparison to the beautiful manga art of Kazuya Minekura's, the anime just kind of rips the characters up and makes them incredibly shiny (shading wise) and rather strange in hairstyle. There are quite a few points where the four main characters just don't seem portrayed correctly AT ALL. Not to mention most of the youkai in quite a few of the episodes are just terrible stereotypical excuses for muscular human beings with large ears and funny colored skin. Oh and let's not forget the feral set of canines complete with each demon!
If you must however feel connected to the Saiyuki anime in some way shape or form, I suggest a soundtrack or something. Then you can better use your time; instead of watching all 50 episodes, grab volumes 1-9, play a few of the anime theme songs, and enjoy. (And then you can grab Saiyuki Reload volumes 1-8 too!)
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Aug 18, 2008
After waiting a pretty long time for this manga to be translated, it did not let me down. The art was wonderful and gave new life to the classic .hack characters. It's an absolute masterpiece and the character designs are as amazing as ever (especially some of the new ones!) Although it gets slightly hard to follow at some points and it really is almost like replaying the games, it's awesome refresher with an even crisper new feeling to it. It is well worth the read!
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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