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Dec 13, 2019
This is a review of the anime only. I have not read the manga.
This is the most brilliant, fun-to-watch anime I've seen in a very, very long time. I've started it over and rewatched it several times. It doesn't get old. It is 10 billion% my favorite anime of 2019.
What I Love About It:
1. It's gorgeous. The art style is breathtaking.
2. It's funny AF. I crack up every episode.
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3. The dynamic between the main characters is funny, sweet, endearing, and powerful.
4. It raises some really great philosophical and ethical questions.
5. It's a positive look at science rather than a negative one.
6. It doesn't focus on the details of science as much as the process and the type of person that becomes a scientist and the type of mentality it takes to be one.
7. While there's an over-arching theme posing unanswerable philosophical questions, it's also action packed. The questions are posed amidst the action if one is astute enough to pick up on them, but it doesn't slow the action or make it superfluous.
8. I love that the characters understand the usefulness of roles and stick to their roles for the most part, but also aren't afraid to step out of them when needed.
What I Don't Like:
1. One really blatant echii pose in one scene that was 100% unnecessary. The scene was necessary (and wasn't echii), but the overly porno-wannabe pose wasn't.
2. The shoes the village people wear don't make any sense to me. I don't see how they balance on them at all much less fight in them.
ART: I think this might be a love it or hate it style but I absolutely adore it. Each character looks completely distinct, not just by wearing different clothes or having different hair. They have very distinct facial shapes. Senku's is angular. Taiju's is blocky. Tsukasa's is a mixture of the two. Yuzuriha's is round and soft and adorable. Kazuko's has elven eyes. All are very different from each other.
I love the tattoos or markings that they have, many of which seem in accordance with their personality or role. Tsukasa's resembles scars. Senku's resembles lightning bolts. Gen's resembles part of a demonic smile, noticeable only when he demonically smiles, lol. (There's a super quick explanation for these in Episode 3. It doesn't exactly make sense yet but that doesn't detract from their aesthetic.)
But it's not just the characters that are gorgeous. The backgrounds are stunning. Every single one. There isn't a frame that makes me think they were lazy. They also use the art as part of the humor. When they're trying to overemphasize an expression, usually for the sake of comedy but not always, the drawing is insanely detailed! And it works perfect for creating the desired effect.
HUMOR: it's often over-the-top but it works. I crack up every single episode. It's also intelligent humor, which I adore. I crack up not just when they're being blatantly funny with the art as a cue, but also when it's subtle and requires a knowledge of the character's personality to get it.
CHARACTERS: I love every character in here. Every single one. They do such a good job of showing their feelings and thoughts without having to go into direct introspection for everything. But there's also a lot of introspection and I like that too.
The characters are blatantly divided into roles and types but it works because they each represent a sect of humanity and each sect is necessary to move forward. What's great is that despite this segregation, no one is belittled or humiliated. Each role is vital in its purest form and valued as such. If they step out of their role, they either fail completely or they have to work harder to perform a function outside their role.
They make mistakes and are real. Senku teases Taiju a lot but he never humiliates him. Each character has their own goals and motivations. They aren't just there as place holders. They have strong beliefs cultivated by their pasts and they pursue what they believe to be right. They care deeply for their loved ones and have their own ways of showing it. They are simple yet at the same time, complex. All are lovable.
Senku is one of the kindest characters I've met in a long time. He reads people quickly and accurately and won't act like he's being nice but he is. He goes out of his way to be kind and it's so touching. I adore him.
PHILOSOPHY: There is a lot of philosophical and ethical questions posed in this anime. Some are not spelled out for you. You have to pay attention and think. What does it mean to be a civilization? What makes humans different from animals? If you could start over, would you be selective? Should you be selective? What would you do for your beliefs? Is technology bad? Is there a limit where it goes from good to bad? Just how much do we rely on science and not even realize it? Could we live without science? Can you stop progress? And more.
None of these are really 100% answerable. There are too many factors, values, and variables. But it's interesting to see the characters' different views on it. There are some opinions given from the creators by nature of who the hero is and who the villain is, but in today's era where people are trying to go backwards and reject the technological advances of the last thirty years, this is a brilliant, thought-provoking look at it all.
SCIENCE: All the science in here is sound (aside from the premise of surviving 3700 years trapped in stone) even if it's used in over-the-top ways and accelerated (but Senku's coming from a place of hindsight so it makes sense that it would move faster). I love that the scientists are trying to do good as opposed to using it to hurt people and/or serve their own greed. The scientists aren't belittled or humiliated or made to seem like pariahs of society, nor are those who don't posses science or intelligence. It's wonderful.
SOUND: I really love the opening and ending songs for this anime. I honestly can't choose between the first and second openings as to which I like best, though I think I'm leaning toward the second. The ending songs are great too, as is the music during the show. The music fits the scenes and adds to them. Sound effects are often used for comedic effect, which I love. There is a sound effect while Kinro is bleeding profusely in Episode 18 and everything else about the moment is serious but the sound effect adds a level of humor to it that's just brilliant.
STORY: The premise is wonderfully unique and yet also a timeless classic. How do humans behave when set back eons? How do they form a civilization and what kind of civilization do they make? Who has the right to set and enforce the rules? What is the "right" type of civilization? Is there one? So many wonderful conversation starters.
OVERALL: I don't give many 10s. This one earned it because it made me laugh almost every episode and cry in many of them. This became my go-to anime to watch to cheer myself up. It made me genuinely very happy while watching it. Senku is one of the most endearing characters I've ever met. I recommend this 10 billion%.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Nov 8, 2019
This review is of the anime only. I have not read the manga.
This anime is sometimes listed as shounen-ai but it really isn't. It's really more shoujo than anything. There are some very strong male-male friendships but there's nothing that definitively says any of the relationships are more than friendship. Yes, Luka and Yuki's used to be more, and that's made clear, but that doesn't seem to have transferred over to Yuki's current male life in the anime, on either of their parts, to be honest.
What I liked:
1. It's gorgeous. Aside from the triangle faces, the art is truly stunning in everything else.
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2. It's a mostly male cast and the few females aren't annoying.
3. The characters have very strong motivations and wonderfully tragic backstories.
4. If one infers relationships beyond just friendship, then it's very romantic. Even if you want to keep it all on a friendship level, it's very touching.
5. The reincarnation aspect added a unique spin to an otherwise unoriginal plot.
What I didn't like:
1. Explanations are somewhat vague and rushed or simply alluded to, so it makes it seem like there's more plot holes than there really are.
2. Luka seems to get weaker over the course of the anime, which is kind of annoying. Maybe his enemies just got tougher.
3. Sodom can be annoying at the worst times.
4. Character depth is lacking.
5. No one ever kissed. Or even came close.
STORY: This isn't a terribly original theme - save the world from demons, one in particular, nevertheless, it works. Having the Zweilt be forcefully resurrected over and over is a unique twist, and having all of them but Yuki come back with their memories intact added some tension and mystery. We're given just enough information to answer questions on a basic level, but I would have liked more. The anime is already long for this sort of anime at 24 episodes but I would have liked to have seen more in-depth backstories and past scenes. But that could just be me. There's nothing glaringly inconsistent and upon reflection, there aren't any gaping plot holes, but even at 24 episodes, it feels like a lot was left out.
CHARACTER: There isn't a lot of depth to these characters. Hotsuma is probably the one with the most complete character arc and the most significant growth, followed by Shusei, and possibly Reiga. There is a variety of personalities, some that clash, which makes for some funny moments. All the characters remain true to what we're shown of them. They're consistent in their motivations and personalities. I loved that most of the males were on the taciturn side yet we somehow knew what they were thinking and feeling. I liked nearly all the characters and loved to hate the villains.
ART: This is a gorgeous anime. There is a lot of light and shadow play in the outdoor scenes. The magic effects are beautiful. The indoor settings are detailed and lovely with a bevy of textures and colors. The hair on the characters is wonderful. My only complaint is the triangle faces.
SOUND: This is one of the few anime with background music that I really liked. I noticed it and it added to the scene. I liked the opening song but didn't particularly care for either of the two ending ones.
OVERALL: I recommend this anime. There really is a lot that's communicated in a short period of time so it's not just eye candy. If you want to come out of it with your questions answered, you need to pay attention to what's said, but also to the nonverbal cues. It's engaging and suspenseful and funny and yes, full of eye candy.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Nov 7, 2019
This is a review of the anime only. I have not read the manga.
I’m writing this review after rewatching the anime several years after it originally aired. The originality has worn off and in hindsight, it wasn’t terribly unique to begin with. I don’t say that as an insult. There’s only so many truly unique plots or themes so writers now must take what already worked and give it their own personal spin, and that’s what this anime did. The Ghouls are sort of a mixture between sentient zombies and vampires. I still liked this anime the second time around but wasn’t quite blown away.
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What I liked:
1. Both sides had empathetic motivations and feelings. Yes, we were led to feel more sympathy for the ghouls than for humans, but the story did a good job of creating sympathetic characters on both sides.
2. The story was engaging and suspenseful.
3. Most of the characters were likable or fun to loathe. They were complex with believable motivations and feelings.
4. The humans were just as, if not more monstrous than the ghouls.
What I didn’t like:
1. While I completely get Kaneki’s initial confusion and revulsion, after awhile, his indecisiveness about his nature and his role made him wishy washy and annoying.
2. Niski’s backstory and motivations were great but in direct conflict with his behavior when we first meet him and there’s no real explanation as to why.
3. I really wish Hide had been incorporated more prominently.
4. There’s a lot of things left unexplained. I can deduce some things for myself but usually prefer to have a clear explanation at some point to know if I’m right, if I’m understanding what the author wanted me to draw from it. I especially don’t like being left with completely unanswered questions, like “Why did the surgeon use Rize’s organs? Did he know she was a ghoul? Was it an accident born of a desire to save Kaneki or was there something more sinister involved?”
STORY: What this story lacked most was a clear goal. There was no clear “finish line.” There were a couple mini arcs but no overall arc. Even if it’s never attained, like getting the One Piece, there has to be a specific goal to strive for. There can be no end of detours and distractions that serve to build the characters and/or the story (such as in One Piece) but in the end, there still must be a clear goal in mind. We don’t have that here, not on a story level or a personal level for Kaneki. The lack thereof made the story aimless and confusing for me.
ART: The art was good. The kugane were done well, looking both natural on the ghoul body and alien, organic and solid. There was a variety of settings and backgrounds and each led to the atmosphere and mood to the scene. I found the color inverse during especially gory scenes interesting. The characters were distinct from one another in features and style.
SOUND: I liked the opening song and found it fitting in style and words. It was memorable and I found myself humming it from time to time. The ending song was okay and the music during the show didn’t strike me one way or the other. Of the hundreds of anime I’ve watched, less than a handful have left impressions with soundtrack music so that’s not an insult.
CHARACTER: I can’t decide whether Kaneki was complex or just confused, and I tend to lean toward the latter. Later in the season, he did become more resolute with a goal to protect those he cared about but through most of the season, he had no clear goal and seemed to wander emotionally and mentally. Since part of his character arc seemed to be about finding his way through his new situation, that’s not unreasonable. Personally, I felt that Touka showed the most complexity of all of them. She hated most humans but was completed devoted to her friendship with Yoriko, to the point of making herself sick eating her cooking. All of the characters were likable or fun to loathe, as in the case of Tsukiyama. I would have liked more time with some of them, like Uta, and more backstory. I think they could have removed some repetitive elements to show more backstory.
OVERALL: I enjoyed it. It kept my attention and definitely made me anxious to get to each new episode. I wanted to know more about the characters and spend more time with them. There could have been more explanation of certain things and more character development but overall, I do recommend it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Nov 7, 2019
This review covers only the anime. I have not read the manga.
Ugh, this was a disappointment. It started off great, but quickly went south. Like the first one, it lacked clear direction and suffered greatly for it.
What I liked:
1. They delved more deeply into some of the characters that had previously been minor characters, like Amon, Juzo, and Hinami.
2. The humans continued to show themselves to be the monsters we can be.
...
3. Kaneki got stronger and broodier which was preferable to the whiny character he’d been.
4. There was finally the all-out battle we’d been waiting for.
What I didn’t like:
1. The story still lacked direction.
2. Kaneki was still confused and lacking in purpose.
3. Hide was still only a minor character.
5. The ending was pointlessly tragic and ended in what I felt was a cliffhanger.
STORY: As before, there was no clear goal and no direction. I didn’t know what to root for. The main character was as confused as ever so I didn’t know how to cheer for him. There were several side character arcs but none were as developed as they should have been. The ghouls were the main characters in the story and yet, they never made any solid choices of their own. They were driven by the actions of the humans and reacted to those and made choices based on a lack of options rather than a true choice to take action.
ART: The art was about the same caliber as the first season. The kugane were drawn well, looking both natural on the ghoul’s body and alien, organic and solid. I really loved Juzo’s styling. Each of the characters was distinct and easily recognizable. The many different settings were realistic in style and atmosphere and added to the scene.
SOUND: I didn’t like either the opening or ending songs. The sound during the show didn’t strike me one way or the other.
CHARACTER: Again, there was a lack of depth of character. There was also a lack of focus of character. Kaneki is supposed to be the main character but overall, got very little screen time. His motives for his choice to join Aogiri were kept in the dark for too long. It was hard to sympathize with his choice when we didn’t know why he was making it and when it was so clearly hurting the people who cared about him most. Touka was still complex and showed the humanity of the ghouls probably more than any other character next to Hinami. The monstrous nature of the humans, most displayed by Mado in the first season, was taken over by Juzo in this one, a demented but fun to watch young Dove. It was nice to learn more of his backstory. Amon continued to represent the sane, good side of humanity, if misinformed. I would have liked to have learned more about the Aogiri characters. In all, there were too many characters and not enough focus given to any of them, most especially, the main character.
OVERALL: This really was a disappointment. The ending felt completely pointless and needlessly tragic. It continued to leave all the original questions unanswered and added more that were never answered.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Nov 7, 2019
This review covers the anime only. I haven’t read the manga.
If the second season was a disappointment, this was even more so. Instead of picking up where Season Two left off, it throws us into an extremely confusing future that doesn’t get any less confusing for most of the entire anime.
I can’t even do my usual “What I liked” and “What I didn’t like” lists because I liked almost nothing and disliked almost everything. The only reason I watched the whole thing was to find out what the heck was going on and if Kaneki would make an appearance. He did, and it was
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gravely disappointing too.
We’re immediately introduced to new characters, one of whom it’s quickly apparent is Kaneki but he doesn’t realize it. Sometimes the inner Kaneki is the one we expect and sometimes it’s a child so it’s completely confusing. What happened during the implied events at the end of Season Two when Kaneki was facing off against Arima. I take it Kaneki lost? That’s never explained in anything but the most vague of references. Ever! That’s a pretty important detail to just ignore!
The new characters have zero depth and are not interesting in the slightest. The returning characters have all changed so much in appearance and behavior that I couldn’t even recognize many of them. No explanations were given for their changes either. Sure, I can infer some but I don’t want to. I want to be told. The only character that had a shred of depth was, ironically, Tsukiyama, though it was in contrast to how he was in the previous two seasons.
The returning characters are also FAR weaker than they used to be, which is just downright annoying. The fight scenes are downright boring. The special squad of half-ghouls under Haise’s supervision are impossibly weak and incompetent. I don’t even know what Saiko’s role was supposed to be. She was absolutely useless in every scene she was in. There’s no way a squad like theirs would have remained active in a military-type organization.
There’s really no line between “good” and “evil” anymore. The ghouls and the humans all behave monstrously. It’s just devolved to a war of attrition and hatred.
I don’t recommend this anime at all. It was needlessly confusing with really, no entertainment value.
Reviewer’s Rating: 3
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Nov 4, 2019
This is a review of the anime only. I have not read the manga.
This was an interesting anime. It started off as a standard survival anime but became more complex by the time it was done. While it kept my attention and was generally enjoyable, it felt rushed and was overall, a bit disappointing.
What I liked:
1. It was suspenseful and kept my attention.
2. It kept me guessing as to who could be trusted.
3. I liked most of the characters.
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4. It had a lot of potential.
What I didn’t like:
1. Thor’s supposed ages. It didn’t fit with his appearance, his voice, or his behavior. Thor could have started out as a 14yo and progressed to a 19yo and still have been young to be a leader.
2. Thor’s fight scenes. It made no sense for him to win the fights he did other than that it was convenient to the plot that he do so. He had no combat training and was going up against people who’d fought a lot.
3. There were a lot of convenient plot devices that could have been better disguised.
4. Thor falling in forever love with the first pretty woman he sees within a few hours of meeting her.
5. The ending was rushed and had a lot of huge holes. There wasn’t enough time to process all of the information and changes thrown at us. It also felt rather pointless, to be honest. Yes, he got his answers, but there was no real sense of justice meted out, and he lost more than he gained.
STORY: The story had a ton of potential. I think if it had been extended into a 24-episode series, it would have been better for it. There were technically enough clues to predict what was going to happen, and I did figure some of it out but not to its full extent. I would have liked my suspicions to have grown more slowly over time. I also would have like a more clear view of a certain character’s motivation to better understand why he did what he did. As it was, it seemed a poor motivation for such an elaborate and extended deception. The science behind Odin’s plan was … ridiculous. Perhaps if there had been more explanation and more evidence of both its possibility and its need, it would have been more believable. Really, the whole thing just fell flat and was confusing, disappointing, and needlessly tragic.
ART: Well, it was 2006. I’m not sure this would have gotten any awards even then. It really wasn’t great at all. The facial features were angular and blocky. I despised the noses. There was nothing special about the landscapes or textures. Overall, the art was pretty bad. The mixture of scifi, modern, and medieval cultures all into one was odd. Their dwellings and utensils were all medieval but they had modern assault rifles and futuristic air bikes. It was just … odd.
SOUND: Also, 2006, and again, I think bad even for then. It was more like a 90s anime in terms of sound, both music and effects.
CHARACTER: The only character that was truly interesting was Third and mostly because he was mysterious. None of them possessed any depth. I found Thor’s lack of true grief over Rai’s death disturbing. I found Thor to be impetuous and immature, which I guess was the only part of him that seemed the age they had him. His voice and appearance didn’t match his age at all but his behavior did. I found their obsession with having children understandable given the circumstances but disturbing for an 11yo girl to be talking about. Thor’s motivation to find out who killed his parents and why made sense. It’s the motivation of a lot of main characters, but somehow it just fell flat in this anime. It didn’t really have any punch. None of the characters were overly likable or endearing. I didn’t hate any of them but I didn’t get attached to any of them either.
ENJOYMENT: I watched the whole thing but sort of felt like I’d like those few hours back. I can’t really say that I recommend it. It’s not awful, but it’s not great. It had the potential to be great. It really did. But it wasn’t.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Nov 3, 2019
This is a review of the anime only. I have not read the manga.
This was an engaging and suspenseful anime. It’s not a terribly unique plot but it’s one that works well. It’s interesting that while there was a danger from the Gastrea, basically a zombiesque invader, they weren’t the real enemy of the series.
What I liked:
1. The enemy wasn’t as much the Gastrea as other humans. It wouldn’t have been bad for it to have been the Gastrea but it would have been predictable and expected. This made it much more suspenseful and interesting to me.
2. Satomi was a complex character with
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a mysterious past that was revealed over the course of the series. I loved that he wasn’t afraid to speak his mind or stand up to anyone, regardless of their station.
3. I found the rivalry between Kisara and Miori quite amusing.
4. Sensei was demented in the best way.
5. I found myself loving to hate Hiruko.
What I didn’t like:
1. Enju is a ten year old girl who keeps hitting on Satomi like she’s 25. It’s made clear in the anime that it’s disturbing but that doesn’t make it any less disturbing.
2. As much as I enjoy watching the rivalry battles between Kisara and Miori, it bothers me that a high-schooler (Miori) is openly offering sex to Satomi on a regular basis. I guess I’m getting old.
3. Regardless of your opinion of Ayn Rand’s work, she was a she. Making her a male villain is just wrong.
4. There’s no logical reason for the Cursed Children to be only females other than to create a bunch of loli fodder.
STORY: The synopsis makes this out to be a typical “defeat the invaders” plot when it’s really not about that at all. That’s an overarching theme, yes, but it’s really not the true focus. It’s more of a backdrop. The real enemies are humans -- political enemies, social enemies, peer enemies, familial enemies, unexpected enemies. It’s not just the Gastrea and it’s far more interesting for it. There are quite a number of deep themes touched on in here, more to be conversation starters, I believe, than to give any true answer. What defines social injustice and how should we respond? Does who we or our role in society play a part in how we should respond? Should it play a part? Who has the right to determine who lives and who dies, who’s worthy and who’s not? How does one determine any of that? How should we respond to death? How does war desensitize us to death? So many questions that aren’t really answered because they are almost impossible to answer. But they should be discussed.
ART: The art is good. Nothing struck me as amazing but nothing stood out as awful either. It was slightly better than average. There was detail in the hair and clothing of the main characters but not the “extras.” The facial drawing could have been better. The backgrounds were realistic enough and didn’t really add or detract from the scenes. None were memorable. There was a really lovely array of textures -- cement, marble, glass, steel, wood, modern and traditional.
CHARACTER: Satomi was the most complex of the characters but given that he’s the main character, that’s the way it should be. His motivations were straight-forward and remained consistent. He’s a Protector personality but he didn’t always succeed and that added suspense and realism and angst, and I loved it. He was often snarky and sarcastic, a fabulous combination. He struggled with his emotions in a variety of ways and was a well-rounded character who went through several mini-growth arcs. Stellar character writing, in my opinion. The other characters were nowhere near as complex but they weren’t shallow either. They each had their own distinct motivations and goals and acted accordingly. Enju had a small growth arc, as did Tina, and many of the Cursed Children showed their humanity in a variety of ways.
SOUND: The sound was okay. I rarely noticed it one way or the other. A couple times, I felt the background music wasn’t suitable but it was short-lived. I didn’t particularly like the first opening or ending theme but the second set, I liked better.
OVERALL: I enjoyed it. It kept my attention and while it never elicited a strong emotional response from me, despite many emotional moments, I did like the questions it posed in my mind. I liked that, in reality, they weren’t fighting the Gastrea as much as each other and oftentimes, used the Gastrea as an excuse for what otherwise would have been inexcusable. I recommend it and feel it’s best watched as a marathon or in chunks of four episodes for cohesiveness.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Nov 3, 2019
This is a review of the anime only. I have not read the manga.
This is an anime that you really have to pay solid attention to while watching. You can't miss even a few seconds without suddenly being lost. I like that it moves fast and is complex like that but it makes it exhausting to watch, especially if you're trying to marathon it, the way I did.
The first thing that jumped out at me about this anime was the art style. It's phenomenal. It's very different from what we're used to but it's still absolutely stunning. I usually despise Western cartoon art styles
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but this was done spectacularly well. I loved it. It was sort of shoujo-esque in that there was a lot of focus on the eyes and lighting but I liked that.
The story was really confusing to me but I wasn't able to devote 100% of my focus and I got tired of rewinding every few minutes. There's a lot going on in the fore and background--a lot of players, a lot of plotlines. I don't know how they could have done it differently without it getting boring so honestly, it's just one of those that requires your full attention. Know that going in and you'll probably fare better than I did.
My one real complaint was that there were so many characters that I never really got attached to any of them. I liked a lot of them but not as much as I could have. I really would have liked to have had more depth with James, more backstory. I also would have liked him to be a little less immortal. This show suffered from Stormtrooper syndrome in the worst way. Hundreds of rounds of bullets flying around and James doesn't get hit by a single one. It got to be ridiculous.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Nov 3, 2019
This is a review of the anime only. I have not read the manga.
If ever an anime was a "kid's show," it's this one. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it is sterile. It's a great show for kids. It's not bad for adult either, just, as I said, extremely sterile. And a bit saccharine.
What I liked:
1. It was an engaging and sweet story.
2. It was just romantic enough without being a Romance.
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3. I liked that they didn't spend a lot of time on the ship but on the islands.
4. It had all the traditional Fantasy elements in a sort of new setting.
5. It was episodic, with each episode wrapping up and leading into the next one without a cliffhanger.
6. It had a touch of darkness in each episode but it rarely darkened the characters, which could be a good thing or bad thing, depending on your tastes.
What I didn't like:
1. It was sterile. I can't really go into more detail without giving spoilers.
2. There was one too-convenient plot devise that really didn't make sense. Again, can't go into detail without giving a spoiler.
STORY: The story's not unique in the slightest. It's an adventure story. One character is running toward something, two are running from something, one's wandering for the sake of wandering, and one's along for the ride. Pretty typical adventure group. That's not a bad thing, especially for a Fantasy story. It's predictable after a point, but that's not bad either.
ART: The art was pretty good. The panorama of the GrandCypher was gorgeous though the interior was pretty bland. The characters were distinct from one another with a good amount of detail. Many of the cityscapes were stunning.
SOUND: There were a couple times the music was too Fantasy or rather, too Children's Fantasy for my taste but it wasn't terrible. I did like the opening and ending themes. The sound effects were good.
CHARACTERS: These aren't real deep characters. They're archetypes more than characters but they fill their roles well and for the most part, are likable.
OVERALL: I enjoyed it. I'd recommend it if you can stomach the saccharine sterility. Definitely one of the few I've watched that I'd actually recommend for kids.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Nov 2, 2019
This is a review of the anime only. I have not read the manga.
I liked this anime quite a bit. It was suspenseful and kept my attention throughout. It's an age-old trope that got really twisted halfway through, which I loved.
What I liked:
1. The art style was great.
2. The initial premise wasn’t unique but is always a fun one, and it did steer away from the typical zombie premise about halfway through.
...
3. There wasn’t a lot of depth to the characters but they were likeable.
4. I loved that the villain was an horrendously evil villain.
5. I liked the ending a lot though it was a bit abrupt. I’m hoping there’s a second season.
What I didn’t like:
1. And there's a reason it's #1. Ayama-baka. Not because she’s nice and kind-hearted, because she’s effing stupid. And a little too kind.
2. There were some things didn’t make sense and I list them later in the review.
3. There were a fair number of stupid things done, some of which are part of the above-mentioned listed below, that was mildly annoying.
STORY: To say that this an Attack on Titan remake is not entirely untrue (but not entirely true either), but to be fair, Attack on Titan was pretty much a remake of the zombie trope so … deal with it. Yes, there is a strong similarity between the motivations of Eren and Ikoma, but Eren was hardly the first character ever to be motivated by his hatred of the people who killed his family so it wasn’t original to begin with. Once you get past about episode six, it’s not anything like AoT anymore. There’s a giant plot twist and it becomes more about surviving the villain as much as the kabane.
ART: The characters were drawn unique from one another and in a good amount of detail. The trains and their interiors were gritty and grungy and gory. The few non-urban landscapes were gorgeous. The urban landscapes were also well done. I loved the steampunk elements.
SOUND: I didn’t like either of the soundtracks and sometimes the background soundtrack was just a distracting set of noises rather than music but I think that may be my hearing.
CHARACTER: As I said above, the characters were deep but they were likeable, with the exception of Ayama-baka. I even liked the villain. He was brilliant if dastardly. The character that showed the greatest amount of growth was Muemei. She was the only one that had a true arc and full growth.
ENJOYMENT: I enjoyed it! It was suspenseful and raw and people died and it was a great way to pass an afternoon being sick. (Not that you have to be sick to enjoy it.) That said, there are flaws in this show, usually for the sake of Deux Ex Machina, however, they detracted from my enjoyment for only a moment and from my overall enjoyment not much at all.
As promised, here is my expansion of dislike item #2 above.
Things that make no sense:
1. The suicide bombs are too powerful and impractical. The problem with the suicide bombs is two-fold. For one thing, since it’s a blood virus, and the bombs explode the heart (and not just the heart is the other problem) then they’re sending blood all over the place. If someone gets it in a cut or in their eye, then they’d contract the virus. There was also at least once where someone was leaning against a wall and used the bomb and it blew a gigantic hole in the wall. With a bunch of kabane outside the wall. Really bad design.
2. Not allowing anyone but bushi to have access to the pressure gun blueprints. For one thing, use a pressure gun to self-suicide rather than the stupid bombs. For another, keeping the majority of the populace unarmed for no reason other than “privilege” is really stupid. They will eventually turn on you.
Everyone cutting their arm so deeply that they expose the vein just to “donate blood.”
3. I’m not sure why Ikoma looks zombiesque when Muemei doesn’t. It’s really not explained or I missed it. It’s a little visually offputting.
4. One of the colony hearts firing a Cero and another using telekinesis. This made zero sense. There’s no basis for magic in this world of any kind and no kabane or kabaneri has displayed magic to this point. Granted, the only two colonies that used magic were synthesized colonies with kabaneri hearts but those kabaneri had not displayed magical ability prior to becoming colony hearts. It makes no sense.
As a counter to things other reviewers misunderstood, I’ve also included:
Things that seem illogical but aren’t:
1. The main character didn’t “just” hang himself to avoid the virus spreading (this happens in the very first episode so I don’t consider it a spoiler). As another reviewer pointed out, there are two types of asphyxiation, one restricting blood flow, and one completely cutting off air flow. Ikoma did both, the latter which was only a byproduct of doing the former. It wasn’t explained in painful detail but it should have been obvious from the contraption he effing bolted into his flesh. It showed his skin purpling which doesn’t happen from strangulation. That happened because he constricted blood flow at all major arteries. As the other reviewer pointed out, a small amount of blood will still get through with strangulation but since he’d already restricted it so much, it’s entirely possible that it wouldn’t have. This doesn’t necessarily mean he would have lived through that whole process, but we’re already suspending our disbelief to accept zombies so can we can accept this small detail for the sake of the story as a whole?
2. Muemei easily defeating hordes of kabane isn’t inconsistent with her being a kabaneri. And they establish consistent and logical weaknesses for her so she isn’t overpowered. She’s also had extensive combat training whereas most of the kabane have not.
3. It’s clearly explained why the wazatori are able to wield weapons. They retained their warrior training despite having become kabane and since warrior training is a training of the body as much as the mind, it makes perfect sense.
4. The people are suspicious and fearful of the kabaneri. Over and over again. It’s annoying, but it isn’t against the grain of every anime ever made where people suspect that which they don’t understand and/or is fearful and/or is outcast, etc., and it’s not untrue of people in general.
5. The “black smoke” is explained also. Yes, visually, it’s a bit much and there’s no real reason it needs to take a humanoid form other than perhaps it’s how the colony views itself because of some leftover human thinking pattern. Given the shape a certain black smoke takes later in the series, this is probably spot on reasoning.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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