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Chi no Wadachi delves into the chilling horror of manipulation—a theme profoundly expressed and eerily familiar to many. The manga artfully explores these sinister dynamics, turning the conventional understanding of horror on its head. As the narrative unfolds, it thrusts the reader into an inescapable nightmare, akin to the cycle of manipulation that entraps its characters. This vivid portrayal not only heightens the sense of entrapment but also blurs the line between reality and deception, leaving readers as disoriented as the characters being manipulated.

The thematic journey through manipulation is poignant and resonant, allowing the reader to persevere through the manga's occasionally sluggish moments. The narrative's ... heavy emphasis on this cycle crafts a haunting atmosphere where escape seems impossible but necessary. As the protagonist, Seiichi, grapples with breaking free from these controlling forces, his struggles reflect a universal and relatable battle, enhancing the narrative's depth and emotional impact. This connection is especially significant during the middle chapters where the plot seems to wander—yet, these segments are essential for building toward the story's resolution.

Regrettably, around chapter 100, the manga experiences a noticeable dip in momentum, and the central themes appear somewhat diluted. However, this shift is not without purpose. The ending, which some might find controversial, actually ties the story together with a sense of finality that might have been lost had the manipulation theme been relentlessly pursued without evolution. This conclusion offers a bitter reflection on Seiichi's journey, suggesting that some cycles, once begun, are almost impossible to break. This important realization resonates deeply, making even the story's weaker portions worthwhile.

For fans of manga art, Chi no Wadachi is a must-read, independent of its narrative strengths. The artwork is nothing short of spectacular, with each panel meticulously crafted to enhance the story's oppressive atmosphere. The character expressions are particularly notable—they vividly convey the intense emotions and psychological turmoil faced by the characters, adding layers of depth to the already complex narrative.

In summary, Chi no Wadachi is a compelling exploration of psychological horror and manipulation, presented through both a gripping story and stunning visuals. This manga is highly recommended for those who seek a narrative that challenges the boundaries of traditional horror and delves deep into the psychological landscapes of its characters.

Demon Slayer is a manga that serves as a great starting point for those seeking to immerse themselves in the realm of manga as it effortlessly blends simplicity with engaging storytelling, making it a good choice for leisure reading. The manga itself is a quick read, but the narrative unfolds with clarity and a steadfast focus on the ultimate objective, making sure the readers can easily follow the plot without feeling overwhelmed with complexities. However, I found that this approach comes at the cost of depth, particularly in the development of the lore and characters that are part of the Demon Slayer universe. A more ... comprehensive exploration of the Demon Slayers' history and the antagonist, Muzan's, backstory, if woven into the narrative earlier on, could have enriched the storyline, adding more layers to the intricate historical context that is only addressed in the concluding arcs.

Moreover, the manga sets expectations with the introduction of interesting and intriguing characters, whose actual portrayal throughout the series falls short of the anticipation built around them. This includes the depiction of Tanjiro's father, whose significance, especially in relation to the sun-breathing technique, felt underutilized, highlighting the missed opportunities to deepen the narrative through familial lore and ancestry.

Despite these criticisms, the manga's strengths lie in its coherence and evolution of its cast. The primary characters remain true to their paths, with little to no deviation from their set ideologies. This consistency showcases the author's focused storytelling. Additionally, as the series progresses, what initially seemed to be a cast of side characters gradually becomes of greater significance. The Hashira in particular, evolve from just supporting roles to becoming more central figures whose stories and contributions enrich the final arc of the story.

On the visual front, the artwork of Demon Slayer does not evoke strong feelings of either admiration or disappointment. While it lacks the dynamic vibrancy and detail found in the anime, a comparison that might not seem fair or justified, the manga's illustrations sometimes struggle with clarity, especially in the depiction of combat scenes involving the Hashira and Tanjiro in the latter half of the series. These moments of visual confusion could be because the author hastened the pace towards the manga's climax, suggesting a possible compromise for completion over advancing the storyline.

In conclusion, Demon Slayer is a manga that, despite certain shortcomings in character development and world-building, offers a compelling journey to protect those you love with your entire being, no matter the consequences. If that is something you want to see then this series might just be for you.

10cm attempts to answer a question many high school students face, what do you want your future to look like? The story is deeper than just high school and looks at mental health, love, and one's journey of life. To be quite honest the relationship between the main characters and how they were connected curated an interesting dynamic between them and all the side characters. The anime does a good job of connecting the side characters to the story of the main character, in just 6 episodes. Furthermore, the emphasis on creating art and making films throughout the anime highlights how deeply connected the ... two fields are.

If one is an avid romance watcher then this may not be the perfect series, but for those just trying to watch something short and light with a bit of emotion, this anime is a great starting place. 10cm does a good job of including typical romance tropes while also tying in bits of other genres that can spark interest in a variety of people.

The music was alright, and the intro was decent but the music used within the episodes was much better from my perspective. In a couple of episodes, I did find the animation slightly odd or offputting (basically not pleasing to the eye), but it got better by about the 3rd episode. Furthermore, the character dynamics and colours were great during the art or firework scenes.

If you enjoy love, overcoming challenges, art, and film, this is a very enjoyable watch and I would recommend it to you!

The premise of the story seemed quite interesting but throughout the entire series it felt like something was still missing. The concept or story line could have been executed differently than what actually unfolded throughout the mere 12 episodes. Leading a normal life as a descendent of an ancestral being sparks the imagination in such a spectacular way. To be honest the missing piece was the "WOW" factor.

Romance is not my favourite genre, but I have started to enjoy it more recently and this certainly did not meet my expectations as some of the other series I have been watching. There is a lot of ... similarities to other series like Wotakoi but you won't feel the same enjoyment as the season comes to a close.

The animation was one of the best parts of the anime. It was absolutely stunning and kept me engaged even when the story begun to fall off completely. It kept me wanting more in a very strange way, not in the way where you get excited for a new episode but in a way that you are hoping that the next episode will give you what you're looking for. I also did like the opening and ending themes and the VAs were great.

For anyone looking for something to watch to just pass the time I would totally recommend it, but if you're looking for something new and exciting this might not be the watch for you.

I’m going to try and make this review as spoiler free as possible! To be honest with you, what drew me to this donghua was various clips I had seen on TikTok. I was not really expecting that much from it, but to my surprise it was fantastic.

I’ll start off with the aspects of the anime that I did not like, which was mainly the fact that every episode ended with a cliff hanger. I guess that could be seen as both a good and bad thing because it forces the person watching to continuously be engaged with the story, but I felt that ... there was not a lot of room to breathe or take a quick break because you always wanted to know what happened next.

Another aspect that I did not like was that there was not much back story for one of the main characters and I wish that we got to understand more about him and the powers that he has. Furthermore there was no real explanation of how their powers work and I guess that was meant to be up to inference, but I do think that was a missing throughout the story.

Now let’s get to the good stuff. I not only enjoyed the animation, but both the opening and ending themes were quite good and I did not feel a need to skip either of them at the beginning and end of the episodes. The concept of travelling through time using pictures was also an amazing idea that I have personally not seen before, and it was nice to see something different from the trope of always going back in time to save people and alter the past. The character dynamics were interesting and although I’m not sure how I feel about the ending just yet; there is definitely room to continue the story, which I hope they do.