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ゴシ ッ ク- Gosick is a great crime story with the nostalgic charm of the early 20th century. The short stories always contain an exciting mystery element that develops with each new episode. Alongside the comedy, a tender romance is elegantly woven into the growing drama.

Story: Nice crime story with political intrigues (7/10)
We accompany Victorique de Blois and Kazuya Kujo on their search for the truth through a network of lies, intrigues and secrets in the fictional kingdom of Sauville, which exudes a touch of French flair and elegance. The little mysteries are exciting, even if the solutions or the way they are ... solved are not always entirely convincing. The pipe Victorique always has at hand and her sentence about "reconstructing the fragments of chaos with the help of the source of wisdom" are a nice homage to Sherlock Holmes. The master detective in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's detective novels solved his cases using the deductive method, which he described as follows: "When you have ruled out the impossible, only the truth remains, even if it is improbable" (Sir A.C. Doyle, "The Sign of Four"). The further the plot progresses, the more the drama element reaches its climax and the initially disjointed criminal cases slowly merge into a whole. The last episodes magically cast a spell on the audience, even if the actual finale is somewhat abrupt.

Characters: MCs good and supporting roles adequately portrayed (7/10)
The main characters are well developed and have different preferences and inclinations. The rough edges of the MCs' contrasting mentalities fit well into the plot and enrich the dialogues with the genre-typical humour, situation comedy and word fights. The use of this concept promises success because it makes the characters concrete and tangible and thus enables the audience to empathise with them.
Victorique de Blois:
She is a gifted young girl with a pretty doll-like appearance. But her traumatic childhood, isolated and locked up only with books, has moulded her into a well-read shell. But her character is more than just a Loli in pretty clothes. Her development in particular is convincingly described and undoubtedly worth seeing.
Kazuya Kujo:
Because of his appearance with dark complexion, hair and eyes, Kujo is nicknamed "kuroi shinigami" and is shunned at Saint Marguerite Academy boarding school. Kujo is intellectually inferior to Victorique, but his gentle behaviour and friendly nature slowly but surely have an influence on the young girl.
As far as the supporting characters are concerned, series with an episodic structure unfortunately have a problem characterising them. In "Gosick", however, this has been done well because the supporting characters have been given as much screentime or personality as possible in order to create a balance with the main characters. Grevil de Blois, for example, is a character with potential, who was unfortunately pushed into the comedy corner at the beginning, but was able to develop convincingly towards the end of the series, despite the comedy.

Visuals: The adaptation is visually very beautiful to look at (9/10)
The beautiful art of the original light novel illustrations by Takeda Hinata is reflected in the adaptation in a truly enchanting way. Gosick shows a really good performance in terms of character designs and drawing style. Particularly impressive are the beautiful details, which are especially well visible in Victorique's graceful and exquisite dresses. The backgrounds such as mountains, buildings, vehicles and furnishings are also very well done, but especially the architecture of the cities appears in a unique visual aesthetic. The studio Bones is already known for good anime like Cowboy Bepop, FMA and many more. So it is not surprising that Gosick also offers a consistently high quality of art and animation, which is beautiful and fluid even in the action sequences. However, there are aspects that should have been given more attention. The adaptation of a light novel into an anime should be done very carefully, especially with regard to the visualisation of dialogue, gestures and the thoughts and feelings of the characters. Otherwise, the viewer can easily decipher the little secrets. In my opinion, this is the reason why the little secrets in Gosick are unfortunately not entirely convincing.

Sounds: Very good BGM and VA as well as great theme songs (9/10)
The BGM composed by Nakagawa Kōtarō is very well done and underlines the atmosphere of the scenes very well. Nakagawa-san was already responsible for the melodies in productions such as Code Geass, and 07-Ghost and knows how to underline the mood of the scenes. Not least because of this, the good visuals of the anime merge with the graceful background music to a harmonious overall picture that is as convincing as it is pleasing.
The OP "Destine Histoire" is sung by Yoshiki Lisa, is a wonderful song and, apart from the beautiful voice, impresses with a very good choice of images for the background animation.
The first ED "Resuscitated Hope" is sung by Komine Lisa. She has a graceful, classic sounding and very warm, soft voice that creates a cool sense of vibrancy with the modern rock music. The long version of the song features a beautiful guitar solo. This unusual ending sequence is further emphasised by a beautiful and unusual visual design.
The second ED "unity" is also sung by Komine Lisa, the style of the title is similar, but in this case more attention is paid to the accentuation of the voice, creating a very graceful, classical sounding closing track. All in all, a very fitting and beautiful ending to the series.
The dubbing actors were very good, especially the voices of Victorique, whose personality was portrayed by Seiyū Aoi Yuki. As always, however, my special attention goes to the supporting characters. Here, the voice of Kiuchi Hidenobu as Grevil de Blois stood out for me because he managed to make the character's personality audible with all its quirks. Last but not least, Sawashiro Miyuki was convincing as the voice of Cordelia Gallo because she really managed to stir the audience's emotions. The dialogues themselves, on the other hand, sometimes seemed a bit too simple.

A captivating story in the style of the early 20th century with numerous twists and turns, endearing main characters who search for the truth in a logical puzzle, as well as the very good visual and musical realisation make Gosick a very entertaining crime anime with a great atmosphere. Although there are other elements such as political intrigue, the climax is a beautiful, if somewhat bittersweet love story with a successful, if not surprising, ending.

As always, thanks for reading and have fun watching.

海辺のエトランゼ based on a very good manga, the love story of the two main male characters is told in a straightforward but not unaesthetic way, as all typical BL tropes like dominance etc. have been omitted.

The story: A chance meeting and falling in love, a great desire for many in times of Corona and so the story hits the right note (7/10).
The story centres on the relationship between Mio, a high school boy, and Shun, a young, promising novelist. Shun notices Mio sitting alone on a bench near the beach for hours, looking out to sea. The first shy contact, which Shun is able to ... overcome, does not quite have the intended effect. Nevertheless, both are swept away by the events to come, especially when the story jumps in time as Mio leaves the island of Okinawa for three years. The story is basically a beautiful love story, but at only 59 minutes it falls short of the emotional depth that would have been possible. In the time given, you can get an overview of the characters' feelings, you can enjoy the beauty of the art and then you are confronted with an ending that seems plausible because of the well-made source material, but you are not left with a memorable impression of the story as a whole. It is precisely this impression that leads to the often read criticism that the manga is better. However, it would be a shame not to watch the anime for this reason alone, as most people neither know nor will read the manga.

Characters: many of them unfortunately remain too sketchy compared to the original (7/10)
With a running time roughly equivalent to three episodes, the film unfortunately only manages to paint a sketchy picture of most of the characters. Their pasts are touched upon, the problems that arise from them are addressed, but the story moves on without any major obstacles. Regardless of the past, no one puts obstacles in the way of the two protagonists in their current life situation. On the contrary, the people around them even try to help, and basically it is Shun himself who stands in his own way. His story is solidly told, but the other characters, their motives, feelings and thoughts largely fall by the wayside in the film's short running time. Especially in relation to Mio, it is unfortunate that both main characters are not portrayed equally. Of course, films with such a theme are a particular risk and the industry has to think economically, but another 30 minutes of running time would have given the film the chance to describe the characters and their emotional world even more aptly. Even though the anime is very faithfully adapted from the manga by Kanna Kii, the inner conflicts and the resulting complicated romance, which also relates to Japanese attitudes towards same-sex relationships, the subtle part of the story, so to speak, are not the same. Everything is there, but the coherent atmosphere that the manga is able to create for the reader cannot be reproduced to the same extent by the anime for the viewer. But that alone, as I said, is not a sufficient reason to reject the anime.

Visuals: The simple beauty of a watercolour-like drawing style (10/10)
Studio Habari's drawing style mirrors the original in an enchanting way. The avoidance of the usual BL tropes is also evident in the drawing style, as the characters do not have the stereotypical long, sharp-edged physiques. As in the original, the character design is delightfully simple and endearingly humanises the scenario, reflecting the aesthetic of the story visually. The backgrounds are particularly appealing because they are simple but richly detailed and very colourful. The coastal region of Okinawa is simply beautifully depicted and even those who have not been there can imagine the ambience very well. In keeping with the delicate nature of the manga, the movements of the characters in the anime are also very smooth and flowing, so that the interactions of the characters within the beautiful backgrounds create a fantastic overall picture and give the film something magical.

Sounds: good, but pushes the viewer too much into predetermined emotions (7/10)
The background music is by the Japanese composer and pianist Mina Kubota, who has already written very beautiful BGM and theme songs for many anime, e.g. "A Letter to Momo" and "A Whisker Away". The arrangements in "Umibe no Étranger" are also well done, but seem a bit deterministic, as often the piano is in the foreground. Even though it is a very beautiful solo instrument, a more harmonious use with an orchestra would be perceived as less leading. The clear beauty of the instrument in the context of the scene and the music, evokes a very clear, emotional image of the scenario in the viewer and leaves no room for other interpretations, as image and sound fit together very well. The titles "Precious Person" or "Moonlit Night" are very apt examples of this. Moreover, the differences in the individual arrangements are sometimes very subtle, so that the typical listener often thinks he or she is hearing only one melody.
The anime title song "Zokkon" by the group "Mono No Aware" is an upbeat indie rock song and sounds a bit like a mixture of various Beatles songs. Even though the lyrics and the indie rock fit the anime, the theme song doesn't really meet my taste.
Among the male dubbing actors, Matsuoka Yoshitsugu, who voices the role of Mio, stood out for me. I found his performance very convincing, especially the change from the cheerful person to the sad way of speaking after the conflict with Shun. But the performance of Murata, Taishi in changing Shun's voice was also very good, especially the shifted tone when Shun is surprised again and again. Among the female voices, Shimamura, Yū particularly caught my attention. She voices the role of Sakurako, Shun's fiancée. The voice actress has an impressive versatility of expression and speech and also has a very clear, beautiful voice. Many will know her as the voice of Annie Leonhart from Attack on Titan. Her performance here is again a great achievement.

Umibe no Étranger surprised me with its aesthetic portrayal of the demanding subject without falling into the stigmatization of the genre. I would recommend the anime to anyone who doesn't immediately develop an aversion to the subject of gay romance, as the anime handles the subject very sensitively.

As always, thanks for reading and have fun watching.

The anime reminds me of the Bruce Springsteen song "Blinded by the Light" (1973) and I don't mean that in a positive way. However, as a spin-off from the live-action series, the anime is not convincing as it takes a different direction than the source material. At best, action fans will enjoy the short CG-enhanced combat spectacles and overlook the fact that the anime as a whole is simply much ado about nothing.

Story: Not bad, but too predictable & uninspired, doesn't hit the right tone for the target group (5/10)
The story opens with a scene that feels like a glimpse into the darkest chapter of ... European history. A woman has been found guilty of witchcraft and burned at the stake. The anime uses the theme of the medieval witch hunt. Surprisingly, it is portrayed in the right light, as a cruel, inhuman means to an end that only serves to eliminate anyone who presents themselves as an obstacle. In the Middle Ages, the so-called witches were mostly women who knew a little about the healing qualities of herbs. The church saw it as a threat and opposed it with the witch hunt. In the anime, the template is taken up in such a way that the royal advisor Mendōsa pursues his own goals and the witches and wizards are a thorn in his side. In essence, the story is greatly simplified, but still accurately depicted. The story is basically not the problem, but the realisation of the plot in the anime. Set against the backdrop of the Middle Ages, the theme of witch hunts, it is a gloomy story aimed at an older audience. However, the plot elements are kept simple, such as the easy distinction between good and evil, the one-dimensional and overpowering antagonist and the hero who simply doesn't dare in the beginning and is only set on the right path by a twist of fate towards the end. These are all rather plot elements for a shounen, but this anime is simply not intended for this target group because of its depiction of violence. The basic idea of the story had potential. Unfortunately, this was wasted due to the fundamental mistake that the producers had financial success in mind and tried to make the anime attractive for two target groups (shounen and seinen).

Cast: A bunch of clichéd characters that couldn't be more boring (4/10)
The characters are typical for a shounen, but as I said, it doesn't fit the story, and on top of that, the individual characters are unoriginal and the little development that few of them get is so trivial that it hurts.
Luis, Leon:
Leon is the 17-year-old son of the Makai knight German Luis and the Makai alchemist Anna. By birth he bears the title of the golden knight Garo, but due to the circumstances of his birth he is haunted by visions of his mother's death. Under the yoke of these visions, he grows into an expressionless and distrustful young man. He is naive and quick to anger. His greed for revenge and his burning anger over the past make social interaction and trust almost impossible for him. Personally, I wonder how it is possible for someone in this mental state to even put on the Makai armour?
Luis, German:
He is Leon's father and a Makai knight (Zetsuei Kishi Zoro). His character is given a dizzying complexity, consisting of an outward playboy with good manners, but which seem more like pompous antics. But when the situation calls for it, he displays virtues like empathy and courage. Nevertheless, he is not suitable as a father figure, as his antics not only make him a bad role model, but also offer his son neither guidance nor support. Please don't get me wrong, it is basically not bad to let the boy find his own way, but as a father he should at least give instructions. The distorted image of "shounen" versus "seinen" is particularly evident in this character. The outward behaviour is the typical shounen character of a womanizer, but the more hidden values and the way of upbringing would rather fit into a seinen-anime.
San Valiante, Alfonso:
He is the crown prince of the kingdom of Valiante, a noble and brave young man who will do anything to protect his kingdom and people. He can do no wrong, which is as one-dimensional as Leon's incompetence as a hero out of anger and a vague desire to become stronger. What really irks me is that the Alfonso-Leon combination had potential. But instead of making them opponents and growing from their rivalry, they become something like buddies. The described opponent scenario would also have been a shounen cliché, but at this point it would have actually contributed to the credibility of the two characters and also offered the opportunity to tactfully omit the superfluous father, who is only used for the repetitive comedy anyway.
Guzman, Emma:
Her character is the most clichéd, with the strongest shounen characteristics. On the other hand, she is the most interesting character of the ensemble, which is as amusing as it is sad. She is smart, brave, has the skills of a Makai alchemist and is also good at hand-to-hand combat, making her well prepared to pursue her goals as a lone wolf with cunning and feminine finesse. As an experienced woman, she allows herself to playfully tease Leon. Her character and motivation initially revolve around something mysterious that lies in her past. Unfortunately, the more of this is revealed, the more her shounen traits are highlighted. As if that wasn't enough, her character is also stripped of her inner strength, towards the end of the series. If this were a josei anime, this event could offer potential for a whole season, but here the scenario has been reduced to throwaway, really sad, isn't it?
Mendōsa:
He is a villain, he is evil and thinks he is superior to everyone else. That would not be wrong as a starting point, but unfortunately he remains one-dimensional, as is typical for a shounen. He is introduced into the story and everyone knows he is the bad guy. He looks sinister and speaks with clea malice. For those who wonder why his true nature is not revealed and the intrigue is not uncovered, there is a simple explanation. Typically for the target audience, there are only heroes or villains, in between only people who are friendly and open-minded but have no ambitions. Nobody asks questions, no soldier or palace guard to ponder whether something is wrong in the state of Denmark.
Octavia:
Her character also fits very well into the unbalanced overall picture of the characters. Although there are no critical voices, there is always an obsessive support for the villain. This is Octavia's role and you have to admit, she plays it with a dedication and an almost perfidious cunning that you find her most threatening.
One could continue with more examples of the characters, but what I wanted to explain is already apparent. Much more important is a fundamental aspect that makes it difficult to grasp the characters properly. The characters are embedded in a story that vacillates between episodic plot points and short arcs, and there is also a lack of explanation. The horrors are briefly explained, but not the belief system and world-building in its entirety. Sure, some of these archetypes may seem boring if you've known the story since the beginning in 2005. But since the structure is somewhat different, the world building would have been an important question to answer in order to engage the audience.

Visuals: Art the point that dazzles the most (6/10)
One can often read that the work of the art department is praised. My question on this is simply why? For the non-combat scenes, a normal D2 drawing style is used, which is not bad, but not spectacular either. For the fights, a lot of effort has been put into the CG. Especially the armour shines in CG mode. This may look great to some people and they may find the fights to be spectacular, but it doesn't really fit with the rest of the anime. Since the setting is medieval, the shiny armour looks out of place. Focusing only on the fights, the normal drawing style around it seems uninspired, which is a shame because the drawings aren't really bad. A large part of the budget went into the fight scenes, which in turn led to cuts in other basic artistic aspects. For example, sequences of movement that have nothing to do with the fights, or backgrounds where it has been well hidden that they are actually very simply constructed. This is especially evident when there is a fight with the flashy CG beforehand and then a drawn scene follows. As long as the objects are close enough, they also have drawn details, but as soon as there is potential for saving, this is used, for example by: Shadows, darkness and dim lighting. Also, many of the horrors often don't cut a good figure visually. Unfortunately, the 2D character designs with their subtle facial expressions do not match the 3D shiny and sharp CG models in garish colours and metallic sheen. Artistic reworking of the stilted CG would have been good to make the integration of the CG less questionable.

Sounds: The best element of the series, good BGM, great OPs and VA (8/10).
The BGM was composed by the music production studio MONACO, founded in October 2004 by composer Okabe, Keiichi. The music suits the anime well and enhances the moods of the scenarios. Overall, the soundtrack is dominated by tragic arrangements that bring darkness and fear very clearly to the fore and express the gloomy atmosphere through strong distortions and dissonances in the music. Examples of this are arrangements such as "Hai yoru kage", meaning creeping shadow, or "Inga aru tokoro horā araware", meaning "Where there is a shadow, there appears a horror ...". The arrangement "Majokari", which means witch hunt, has a fitting tragic melody realised by a full orchestra sound. In contrast, the character melody for "German" has a certain cheerful drive, which is evident in the interplay of guitar and oboe.
The two opening title songs of the anime are by JAM Project. The group was founded in 2000 by the Japanese singer and composer Mizuki, Ichirou. Mizuki-san has been composing countless anime and tokusatsu songs since the 1970s. This connection also explains the iconic retro design of the openings. The first track is called "Divine Flame" and is also a fittingly retro arrangement. The music is really catchy and puts you in a good mood. The name "JAM" here stands for "Japan Animation Song Makers" and all members are also known with solo careers in the anime music genre. Among the members are Kitadani Hiroshi, Okui Masami and of course Ichiro Mizuki as well as others. This background explains why the music is well received and it is not surprising that the second track "B.B." has a very similar style and also comes across well.
The first ED of the anime is the title "Chiastolite", sung by Sasaki, Sayaka. She has sung a few anime tracks before, but this synth/metal arrangement is not my cup of tea. Besides, the track doesn't really showcase Sasaki-san's voice.
The second ED track is called "Focus" and is sung by Morikubo, Shoutarou. I like the track better than the first ED, but the sometimes very inharmonious mixture doesn't really convince me. The vocals carry more, but the many confused music effects and tempo changes do not make listening a pleasure, at least for me.
And last but not least in the sound department, the dubbing actors. Many good Seiyū could be won for the anime, so the choice was not easy for me. Among the women, the voice of Park, Romi struck me as very pleasant. She voices the role of Emma and her performance expresses the characteristics well. Among the male characters, I would like to highlight two Seiyū. One is Tenjin, Hidetaka, who lends his voice to Raphael Banderas. The voice pitch is a little higher than one would have expected given Raphael's appearance, but the pronunciation is good and has an interesting intonation. The second voice I liked very much is that of Nomura, Katsuhito. He speaks Prince Alfonso, and although he is not as experienced as the other colleagues, I found his interpretation of the role very successful.

The dark fantasy story lacks substance. The series is a cliché and has nothing to make up for it. The characters suffer from stereotypical realisation, the narrative leaves the viewer in the dark about essential elements of world-building and also fails to settle on a target group. Furthermore, the art falls apart into two anime, a 2D frame and over-the-top 3D CG battles that just don't fit together visually. Despite the fact that the anime objectively receives an overall rating of (6/10) due to the good soundtrack, I don't recommend it as there are clearly better series out there.

As always, thanks for reading.

The series is neither the Yi Jing of anime (10/10) nor the bottom of the barrel (1/10). A slightly atypical romantic comedy with a focus on the age difference. Here, however, the 10 years are not the decisive factor, but the constellation of a schoolgirl to an adult. Those who already regard this starting situation as questionable should skip the series, as there are also some other weaknesses. Here's what I noticed, decide for yourself whether you want to watch the anime anyway or not. Personally, I have no interest in a sequel.

Story: Romcom with age difference that is unfortunately poorly realised (4/10)
Arima Ichika ... is a typical 17-year-old high school student with a faible for manga and anime. As luck would have it, she saves the life of Amakusa Ryō, a very desirable 27-year-old bachelor and womaniser, or at least prevents him from being seriously injured due to his carelessness. Amusingly, this incident is not the linchpin of the story. When they meet again, Ryō tries to show his gratitude in his usual way, completely ignoring the fact that he is talking to a young student who is completely inexperienced in matters of love. Accordingly, the student's reaction is clearly dismissive and, in my opinion, completely understandable and justified. Rejected by Ichika for his brash and direct manner, Ryō is now on fire. Unfortunately, the adaptation of the story offers no room for development, neither for the plot nor for the characters. I will take up this point again with the characters. The story has an ending, but does not really offer a satisfying explanation or even a conclusion.

Character: Good basis, but no development (5/10)
At first glance, all the characters shown seem aptly characterised, but then nothing more happens. Since this is a romcom anime, I don't expect a deep, psychologically based character study, but at least a credible development. However, this is missing until shortly before the end.
Arima, Ichika:
She is a nice, modest schoolgirl and in the first episode you sympathise with her and like the fact that she brusquely rejects Ryō. However, her development stops at that point. In the next one or two episodes, you still overlook this because her best friend is Ryō's sister and because her other classmates and even her mother have fallen for the charmer. Nevertheless, she doesn't take the chance to put an end to the Casanova's advances. She could talk to Rio and ask her to drop the matchmaking. Ryō is not a classmate, so she doesn't have to meet him. He's a businessman who could certainly stopped by threats with the police. But she never clearly says "no".
Amakusa Ryō:
His character, like Ichika's, would have had potential, but unfortunately none of it was realised. He could, for example, adapt his way of dealing with Ichika to her level of experience. She has clearly stated that she does not know how to deal with an experienced man. A grown man should be expected to understand that this makes her uncomfortable and scared. What I mean by this can be seen well in the example of the manga "Living no Matsunaga-san". Here it is a very similar constellation, only that the male protagonist doubts at first and does not try to be the greatest, but tries to deal with his lady of the heart in the right way.
Tamaru, Kai:
A pretty cool character. Despite his young age, he seems even more mature than Ryō. He knows his shortcomings and faces them, and says clearly what he thinks. The fact that he is not clear about his feelings at first fits his age. But he does a good job and even in conversation with Ryō he can keep up despite the age difference and the lack of experience.
Matsushima, Arie:
She would certainly be a good partner for Ryō and to me she seems like a slightly older version of Ichika. She actually has loving feelings for Ryō and is an attractive woman with a lot of heart. Probably Ryō wouldn't be good for her, but that's another story.
Masuda:
This is a buddy with whom I could well imagine going out for a beer. In his case, it's more like he gets drawn into the story between Ichika and Ryō because of the circumstances. I liked the scenario with Ichika at the Okonomiyaki restaurant. He told her something but let her figure out the conclusions on her own. Ryō could take a leaf out of that book.

Visuals: The graphics are average but the animation is substandard (4/10)
Unfortunately, the production values are too low for such a show to convey emotionality to the audience in a believable way. As a result, the overall visual appearance suffers. The graphics are not entirely bad, the character sketches could even be quite convincing. On the positive side, I noticed that facial expressions were present and could convey what the character was feeling to a certain extent. Unfortunately, there were also often external lines of the character that looked like thick pencil lines, which gave a sloppy impression. One could argue that this was intended to emphasise the comedy. So that alone would not be sufficient reason to devalue the art. But in combination with the background artwork, which consists mostly of emotionless CGI elements and an almost loveless colour palette, devaluation is inevitable, as the mood is often completely ruined, especially in emotional settings.
Animation, the second major discipline in the visual department, is even less convincing. On cursory viewing, most people probably won't even notice it, so here is an example that is repeated several times. The pupils walk through the corridors of the school building and are shown in close-up. Only the upper body is visible and the movements seem unnatural and stiff. Simplifying the animation effort with the help of the box of tricks in order to save the more elaborate drawings and working time is a double-edged sword. Because if you save the lower part of the body and the leg movements, both the proportions of the body and the rhythm of the movements are missing. Simply put, the saving makes drawing and animating more difficult than it would be with full figures. As a result, the studio has saved money but created a stiff-looking animation that, when used repeatedly, is just awful to look at. If this is compounded by the fact that the inserted still images appear one-dimensional, so that there is no good imaginable sense of space, then the animation is simply not well done.

Sounds: Beautiful OP & ED, but BGM is unimpressive and studio recording of VA flawed (5/10)
The background music was composed by Tsutsumi Hiroaki and it's not bad, but it doesn't stand out in a particularly positive way either. I know that Tsutsumi-san has composed very nice background music for other anime, but this time it can't convince me.
The opening title song is called "Monokuro City" by the band Ace Collection. The four-member Japanese rock band makes very cool J-pop. The group actually started in 2017 with cover songs and quickly became popular via Youtube. I like the music arrangement as the opening for the anime and the lyrics and melody fit well too.
The title "Rinaria" as the ending credit song of the series is very well chosen and again the lyric relate to the series. The two singers "MaRuRi" To "Ryuga" of the musician duo formed in 2018 make very nice J-pop. The ED's music starts quietly at first, but then develops a nice beat and the vocals fit well with it.
Looking at the dubbing voices, it is immediately noticeable that the voices are faulty. This faux pas also contributes to the negative overall picture of the series. The unsightly reverberation has made the rating more difficult. Nevertheless, I would like to highlight some of the dubbing actors, because they are not responsible for the poor studio recording and it would be a shame if their performance went unmentioned because of this. As always, I am more interested in the second tier of voice actors. Among the male supporting cast, Nakata Jōji particularly caught my eye. He voices the role of Zenji Amakusa, the father of Ryō and Rio. His deep voice and experience as a voice actor have a strong effect on the listener. This is also evident in the fact that Nakata-san only has short speaking roles and also only appears in a few episodes, but his performance still struck me as very positive. Among the female voices, I found Hasegawa Rena to be very pleasant. Her voice and her interpretation of Rio's character created a nice and coherent overall picture for me. I really enjoyed her performance.

Regardless of its other flaws, I would not recommend the anime. In my opinion, the point and its implications, that Ichika is a teenager, are overlaid with too much inappropriate comedy. The constellation is better grasped in the context of a drama. At this point, the anime "Koi Kaze" would be a recommendation, but it is older (2004) and also deals with another taboo topic. Not yet adapted is the manga "Living no Matsunaga-san" with a very similar plot. Both are, as far as I am concerned, more credible in their realisation of the characters. You may also be interested in the manga "Kame no Naku Koe". If anyone is looking at the latter recommendations, I hope you enjoy them.

As always, thanks for reading.

A continuation of the popular fantasy adventure with very strong references to the original series. Unfortunately, the new series fails to score in any discipline. First impression, don't do it!

Story: feels like a cheap rehash of the original story (4/10)
The daughters of Sesshomaru and Inuyasha embark on a journey through time between modern and feudal Japan. They have very different reasons, but together they face the adventures that await them. The short introduction makes it clear that the plot will not be a firework of innovations. It feels more like a cheap remake. My personal low point is episode 14 with its discourse on a ... smartphone, built in for the target group, with no real reference to the series. Unfortunately, the plot largely consists of independent missions that often have little connection to the main objective and are also solved far too easily. The biggest shortcoming of the story, however, is that the end of this story arc is incomplete and requires a second season. This leaves one unsatisfied.

Characters: Cast is simply colourless, stereotypes created without care (4/10)
I will leave the original characters of the series out of consideration here, they are certainly known.
Unfortunately, the new characters simply have little personality or backstory to offer that is worth mentioning.
Higurashi, Towa:
She seems superficially likeable, but is incomprehensible and inconsistent in her behaviour. Dressed as a boy and acting like a girl, I wondered if it was meant to be an attempt at cross-dressing or gender issues in general? Her moralising is also inappropriate, she of all people makes the most mistakes.
Moroha:
She has a personality that is easily identified as a cross between Kagome and Inuyasha. She is adorable in her own right, but Kagome's face with Inuyasha's demeanour is not so easy to bear. Moreover, her backstory is very poorly written and doesn't make much sense.
Setsuna:
She has the looks and the backstory, unfortunately here the potential is lost due to the amnesia issue and demotes her to the most boring of the trio and the cold, condescending demeanour inherited from her father does the rest. Very sad.
Jyūbei:
He actually has a suitable personality and is even interesting, but cannot add much to the plot as he only plays a supporting role. Again, there is a lack of backstory, but that is less serious with his character than with the MCs.
Kirinmaru:
It is telling that the antagonist has the most striking and also fascinating personality. He seems to have integrity in his own way, even if one does not share his motives and goals. Well, where there is a lot of shadow, there must also be some light, it's just a pity that it's the only ray of hope.

Visuals: better average, with too much focus on the fight sequences (6/10)
The character sketches are generally too soft, too trimmed for beauty. The design, while felt to be true to the original, still fails to convince as simply the level of detail is too low for a 2020 series. Of course, one could counter that the creators did not want to go beyond the scope of the original series with too many details. That would be quite an argument if it weren't for the flaw that they have made the use of magical attacks, ubiquitous. On the other hand, Inuyasha had to train quite a bit before he could do it properly. So it means, subverting the framework of the old series is fine, but more detail isn't. Really? A fitting example of this is the dust cloud that arises when the three MCs are thrown onto the beach by Kirinmaru. It was probably not in the budget that the three girls have some sand on their clothes after the incident. On the other hand, the backgrounds are partly beautiful and have an acceptable level of detail. But if you contrast this with the fight scene in the cave, when Towa lost her demonic powers, which is again below average artistically, you simply have to realize that the graphics are not of consistent quality.
Speaking of the fighting sequences, we can also talk about the quality of the animation at this point. On the surface, one would say there is not much to criticise. However, if we take into account the choreography, we need to recognise that the fighting performances are repetitive. Often you can be dazzled by a flood of impressions, but a really good animation convinces with subtleties. As an example, when Setsuna plays the violin, not only should the bow hand move, but the fingers of the other hand as well. Art and animation are superficially acceptable, anyone who is easily dazzled will fall for it. All in all, the visuals are average and if you pay attention to the subtleties, it's even worse. The nadir is reached in episode 19. Here all the weaknesses come at once. It's filler with no point, the comedy is painful, much like the scenario in episode 4 with the grandpa and the gift for Moroha, there is also chibi, as well as the animation and art are again sub-par. You just don't miss anything by skipping this episode. Last but not least, the faded in "who's who". The names of the characters. It's not really a fault, but at a certain point it just bothered me.

Sound: Unfortunately, only a few bright spots and disappointing overall (4/10)
The BGM was composed by Wada Kaoru, it has its moments but is not overwhelming. This is surprising at first, as Wada-san was already responsible for the soundtrack of the original series. However, the reason why the music is not really convincing becomes clear when you consider that the new series is deliberately oriented towards the original. So it is not surprising that the music is perceived as a second rehash. This also fits into the overall picture, because the moments when the music is perceived as apt or beautiful are precisely the arrangements that have nothing to do with the old series. So it's not that the music couldn't have been done better, but there was probably a brief to stay as close as possible to the original for maximum success. Unfortunately, the opposite is the case.
The first OP (1 -13) is called "New era" and is performed by SixTONES, a typical J-Pop opening song by an idol boy band that has been heard a thousand times and most of the others are better. The animation for the OP is boring, so I listened to it once and then skipped it.
The second OP starting with episode 14 is "Burn" and is performed by the band NEWS. This J-Pop formation has been around for a while and the plus of experience is especially noticeable in the cool music, but also in the fact that the voices are clearer and stronger, so that the overall sound comes across better. Unfortunately, the animation is again designed with too rigid a reference to the predecessor, which shows that the new series cannot stand on its own.
The first ED "Break" is sung by Uru. The Japanese singer-songwriter gets a lot of attention and is also a bit of a mystery, as she does not divulge her personal information. She has a really beautiful voice whose true potential is revealed in the higher notes. The first bars of "Break" are rather inconspicuous and Mai Uru uses this beginning to start with a soft and somewhat smoky voice. Only gradually does the track develop into a successful J-pop arrangement, creating a beautiful and unusual track and a ray of hope.
The second ED from episode 14 is called "Kesshou" and is performed by the band Ryokuoushoku Shakai and the voice is Nagaya Haruko. A beautiful song with a great melody, as a mixture of rock and pop. Unfortunately, the composition does not emphasise the singer's voice and with the tempo changes, it seems unbalanced overall and does not bring out both the beautiful voice and the great music to its fullest.
Among the male seiyū, I really enjoyed Hosoya Yoshimasa's performance. He speaks the role of Kirinmaru with a pleasant yet powerful timbre that reflects the character's personality very well.
Unfortunately, none of the female voices really impressed me this time. I only liked Moroha's voice when she goes into her berserk mode. Her Seiyū is Tadokoro Azusa.

A follow-up 20 years after the first series started. For fans of the original, simply put: "don't watch it". The background is that the series not only looks like a half-hearted remake, but the major fault is that some of the characters and plot parts from the old series are literally dismantled.

As always, thanks for reading

風の聖痕 is a typical shounen that mixes action-packed magical battles with the basic elements of fire, earth, wind against demons with an element of drama that is easy for the audience to grasp, and lightens the whole thing up with some romance and comedy.

Story: Unfortunately, uncreative and written like a template (4/10)
Kazuma Kannagi was disowned by his family, who are fire mages, for not being able to use fire magic "enjutsu". About four years later, he returns to his homeland under the name Kazuma Yagami and, of course, immediately gets into trouble. The extent of his problems ranges from a simple family feud to ... fighting with other clans. The reason for this is that the protagonist is suspected on the basis of circumstantial evidence to have murdered some clan members. Although he is equal to the opponents, bloodbath within the family is not an option. The only thing left for him to do is to try to solve the murders and thus prove his innocence. The plot is not very imaginative but would have had potential, which is unfortunately lost in the unspectacular writing and partial strong predictability.

Characters: Stereotypical and not convincingly realized (4/10)
The cast is pretty extensive. Unfortunately, the individual characters are not presented in detail, which is not because there is no possibility to do so, but rather the writing simply does not implement it. The script's lack is especially obvious in light of the fact that character traits that fit the genre cannot be conveyed to the viewer. Ayano's temperament is a good example of how the other facets of Ayano's character are drowned out with a genre-typical comedy element through poor or non-existent transition. Furthermore, there is a lack of credible development across the cast as well.
Yagami (Kannagi) Kazuma:
He is a fuu-jutsushi (wind mage) who never misses an opportunity to drive the spirited Ayano up the wall with his arrogant coolness. The slightly vicious verbal battles are entertaining, but since Kazuma never really gets into danger, there is no development for his character and the entertainment value sinks increasingly, since the outcome is already foreseeable.
Kannagi Ayano:
Her character is temperamental, impulsive and therefore fits well with the fire element. She also once defeated Kazuma in a direct fight with fire, since he did not master this element. Because of this victory, she gained the position of the future head of the Kannagi family. She is skilled in the use of the Enraiha, the magical sword of the Kannagi family, which she obtained by defeating Kazuma in the succession ceremony mentioned above. She can deal well in battle with the sword, but she is impetuous and too proud. This often leads her to behave rashly out of insecurity and anger over this.
Kannagi Jûgo:
He is the designated head of the Kannagi family and a calm, level-headed character who can defend his position without being brusque. On the contrary, he is righteous and understanding, the clearest expression of this is his relationship with his daughter Ayano. Knowing her weaknesses, he places Kazuma at her side and his plan works out. Besides Ren, Ayano is one of the few characters that receives a small development.
Kannagi Ren:
He is Kazuma's younger brother, to whom no one attaches great importance. But he is the only one who lets something like emotional warmth arise in Kazuma's personality right from the start. His development is the clearest from the whiny to determined commitment to his lady of the heart.
Kannagi Genma:
He is Kazuma and Ren's father and a staunch hardliner. He is not unsympathetic, but somewhat narrow-minded and a bit stuck in his views. Shounen typical, the father-son conflict is unfortunately not addressed in the depth it deserves.
Shinomiya Yukari / Kudou Nanase:
Ayano's two friends aren't really of any importance, but I like to mention them anyway, because it's just cute how they keep getting Ayano into trouble explaining things. A large part of the nicely staged comedy stems from this.

Visuals: Animation and backgrounds are nice. In terms of design, more would have been possible (5/10).
Nanto, Hanamaru's drawing style was captured well in the adaptation of the character design by Nitta, Yasunari. However, the series is too much based on the LN volumes and the 2007 adaptation could have done more with it. For example, a finer character design would not have gone beyond the scope of a shounen and would have supported the implied fan service in the second half of the series with some sex appeal, which unfortunately is not the case. The somewhat colourless overall look of the characters, is also reflected in the expressionless colour palette and the textures. The design of the monsters is more reminiscent of old PC games. The play of light and shadow effects is okay and the backgrounds are also quite nice on the whole.
The animation by the studio GONZO is fine. The movements appear natural and fluid. I enjoyed the presence of appealing facial expressions, which always nicely underline the mood. Also, chibi was not constantly used on entire characters, the underscoring of comedy through the use of deforming was often limited to Ayano, with an interplay of her facial expressions from "pissed off", "super happy" to "I'm sorry". The lip sync was not successful in places, but that still happens in newer productions and therefore does not count as a negative in my rating. As is not unusual in a production by GONZO, increased attention is paid to the fight sequences. These are well done, regardless of the fact that the monsters seem somewhat unspectacular.

Sounds: Not bad, but too mediocre to raise the overall rating (5/10)
The BGM was composed by Fukuoka, Yutaka and is extensive with more than 30 music arrangements, including: Ensen, Tatakai no Yochou, Kazuma to Tsoirin and Enraiha and many more. The music goes well with the scenes, but can only appeal to the viewer superficially due to the strong focus on synthesizers. The music lacks that certain something, the sound of a real orchestra. The synthesizer technology of 2007 cannot reproduce this sound convincingly.
The OP is simple but visually impressive and the song "Blast of Wind", sung by Kiuji, Saori with her appealing voice, is beautiful. However, the title arouses the wrong mood in the audience. The arrangement is too melodious and affectionate, which is more reminiscent of a romance or a harem anime, which is also true for the lyrics.
Several titles are used as ED. One is the track "Hitorikiri no Sora," which is also sung by Kiuji, Saori. The music arrangement is unbalanced and blurs between idol song and rock music, completely losing the effect of Kiuji-san's beautiful voice.
The ED "Matataki no Kiwoku" by Fujimura, Ayumi; Inokuchi, Yuka and Itō, Shizuka is much more balanced. However, this track also seems out of place with the series, as it is a real idol song and thus does not fit the plot of the anime. The animation background for the EDs is a sequence with pinwheels that varies slightly. Additionally, a few select images from the series are included, but overall the titles seem like they ran out of money at the end.
The last ED is "Tsuki Hana no Inori" and is sung by Sakai, Kanako. This title is Ayumi song and so apt for the end of the episode.
Among the male seiyū, the performance of Terasoma, Masaki caught my eye. He voices the role of Juugo Kannagi very convincingly and the pitch of his voice also fits well with the character portrayed.
With regard to the female roles, it was clear that my choice would be Ohara, Sayaka. Her talent and experience as a voice actress always make her speaking roles a delight. And so it is here with the role of Kirika Tachibana.

Kaze no Stigma has too many weaknesses and therefore does not rise above mediocrity. It's not a total disaster, but I wouldn't recommend the anime either. If you like the idea of wind as a fighting technique, the anime "Ashita no yoichi" may appeal to you. If you really want to see the element of fire, you might like the anime "Shakugan no Shana".

As always, thanks for reading.

Monochrome Factor sends a group of teenagers into battle between beings of light (Rei) and beings of shadow (Shin). The anime shares this basis of action and supernatural elements with the manga. Unfortunately, the adaptation differs considerably in many ways from the manga by Sorano, Kaili.

Story: Poor pacing, too focused on comedy and the plot is often unnecessarily stretched (4/10)
The student Akira loves to get through his school day relaxed. But fate already has other plans for him. The fact that his classmate Aya teases him with lectures and uses him as a bodyguard for a night-time visit to the school is rather harmless. However, ... with the arrival of Shirogane-sama, his life suddenly becomes more turbulent. The balance between light and shadow seems to be out of whack. The lower beings from the shadow realm (Kokuchi) increasingly threaten the people. So a small group gathers around the two protagonists and takes on the fight against the shadows. Unfortunately, the deviations from the original are not very beneficial for the anime. The first episodes are exciting and even the ending can be called satisfactory. But the entire middle section, roughly 16-17 episodes, is quite boring due to predictability, and even some good and subtle jokes and comedy can't mitigate that. The plot and the anime as a whole lacks a good balance. The comedy almost comes across as self-deprecating due to its preponderance and the plot only manages to build up tension as a counterpoint at the beginning and towards the end. The manga is passably average and for fans perhaps a little more. The anime adaptation, on the other hand, is simply badly written, as it takes over and even reinforces negative aspects of the manga, especially plot holes. In addition, a lot of time is wasted on superfluous things and as a result the characters' portrayals suffer. As is so often the case, the end is a matter of opinion. There are arguments that call it both appropriate and unsatisfactory. However, the latter tends to prevail in the context of the overall impression.

Characters: Good at first, but lacking background & substance given the number of episodes (4/10).
The cast is more extensive than in the original. Since the story was changed, something had to be added. The characters are typical of the genre and basically not bad, but the villains in particular lack the depth one might expect from 24 episodes.
Nikaido Akira:
Actually a gifted teenager but he prefers to relax on what he thinks is a boring day at school. Therefore, he takes every opportunity to play hooky and avoids getting involved in anything whenever possible. His cool "it's none of my business" mentality, however, is severely disrupted when a mysterious man enters his life.
Shirogane-sama:
Cool character somewhat mysterious, eloquent and likeable. The little exchanges with Akira, when Shirogane-sama teases the young man eloquently, refreshingly direct and yet charming, are an entertaining and successful part of the comedy. Since it stays with allusions, it is basically too little to classify as "yaoi" or "shounen-ai", it remains more funny than serious. However, this part of the comedy is sure to put off many viewers.
Suzuno Aya:
She is the head of the school disciplinary committee and tends to use a kendo sword to emphasise her sense of justice. She is believable with the katana, but her character portrayal and development suffers because her role is overloaded with comedy elements.
Asamura Kengo:
Kengo's story has been revised. In the manga, he had a background and a twist that made him interesting. In the anime, however, he's sadly degraded to the usual comedy goof.
Wagatsuma Shūichi (Master):
The "Still Bar" (or "Aging Bar" for the manga readers) is the realm of the Master. Shūichi is the bartender and a very pleasant character (appearance and behaviour are very reminiscent of Sasakura Ryuu from the anime Bartender). He is friendly, helpful and his special abilities make him the healer of the small group. Unfortunately, his background is poorly sketched in the adaptation, so the manga is preferable in this regard as well.
Kujō Haruka:
Haruka was added for the realisation of the anime adaptation. His character is not a complete disappointment and fits well into the changed plot. Regardless, anyone familiar with the manga is right to wonder why the story was changed and this character added.
Nanaya:
Not the most colourful Shin, but not bad at all as a villain!
LuLu:
Cute but a bit colourless.
Homurabi:
A villain with style, unfortunately with too little screen time.

Visuals: Art is okay, the animation is not, so overall not good enough to improve the rating (6/10)
The drawing style of mangaka Sorano Kaili was well adopted by Suga Shigeyuki in the character design of the anime. However, due to the changes in the plot, some visual changes have been made. An example of this is the character design of Shirogane. His appearance and especially the facial features have been made slimmer and more feminine through various accents. This added beauty and attractiveness, also combined with the character's behaviour, certainly appeals to a larger female audience, but causes resentment like "shounen-ai or yaoi" among other parts of the fan base. The overall design of the characters is good and nice to look at, although I personally prefer the design in the manga.
However, the animation by Studio A.C.G.T does not impress me. The animation is not bad in principle, the colour palette and the light and shadow effects are good for an anime from 2008, but several aspects lower the overall rating. On the one hand, the blurring as a frequently used technique is disturbing, especially in the action sequences. On the other hand, the constant super-deformation is distracting because it is simply used too often. Personally, I found the fights somewhat monotonous overall.

Sound: BGM & OP are good, but the EDs are not, so overall only average (5/10)
The background music was composed by Abo Takeshi and is well adapted to the plot. Unfortunately, this is precisely why the music is hardly perceived positively and therefore cannot improve the overall rating despite a good performance.
The OP "Metamorphosis" by the indie metal band Asriel is a cool musical arrangement, the first bars calm and then continue with great rock sound and the beautiful voice of KOKOMI. This track was the breakthrough for the band, consisting of composer Kurose Keisuke and singer KOKOMI. The track is accompanied by a decent animation, matching the music! Unfortunately, the only bright spot.
"Awake - my everything" by the seiyū Ono Daisuke & Kamiya Hiroshi is used as ED in episodes 1-12 and 24. The animation is well done in black and white, but the sound is just too "easy listening music" and doesn't impress me at all.
The second ED in episodes 13 to 23 is "Kakusei - Light and Dark", sung by the other two Seiyū Suwabe Junichi & Konishi Katsuyuki and is overall no better than the first ED.
As always, I would like to conclude the sound section by talking a little about the seiyū, especially the second row. Among the male voice actors, I noticed Okiayu, Ryoutarou, who voices Homurabi. He has a great versatile voice, which he has already shown impressively in many anime. As an example, the role of Akio Furukawa in the anime Clannad immediately comes to mind.
Among the female dubbing actors, I particularly enjoyed the voice of the charakter Aya Suzuno, who is spoken by Asano Masumi. She has a clear and direct pronunciation that suits the role well, and yet you don't miss the feminine charm. All in all, a very good performance.

The anime has its moments, but the many plot holes lead to confusion. Furthermore, the content shown is simply dragged out too much by a multitude of fillers and superfluous chibi comedy. If you are looking for good or at least passable entertainment, you will surely be disappointed by this anime. Nevertheless, if you like the idea and the character design, I would recommend the manga, which is not excellent but better than the anime.

As always, thanks for reading.

The first impression is disastrous and in the end I was gobsmacked that it took me three months to endure these 13 episodes. If you read something that makes you curious about the series, you have been fooled in my opinion!

Story: Focused on the manga's Ark project, but poorly implemented (3/10)
The barely visible common thread of the series is that a terrorist group is trying to destroy the existing order, which is based on the fact that bioroids (=genetically engineered human beings) create a balance to human emotions in society and thus enable peaceful coexistence. The story structure follows that of the 1988 OVA, in ... which Deunen and Briareos are already in the city of Olympus and in the special unit E-S.W.A.T. So it's a different route than the one we know from the OVA 2004. Unfortunately, the plot is so poorly written that you don't feel guided through the story. On the contrary, the plot elements feel more like cobblestones being thrown at you. The allusions to Greek mythology are not well integrated into the plot and since they are not self explanatory, the viewer wonders what the background is? It is a pity how uncharitably the mythology has been treated. Basically it is much ado about nothing and the only episode that creates a tangible reference to the mythology for the viewer is episode no. 10 Hydra (Lernaean serpent). The incarnations of Greek mythology are omnipresent. The city is called Olympus and is administered by an AI called Gaia and the names e.g. Athena and Nike would actually be hint enough. But the series refers to the tasks of Heracles again in the opening credits and each episode title bears the name of one of the twelve tasks. This is followed by scenes with statues of heroes, pictures and mosaics made of ceramics in the ancient Greek style, alluding to the myths discussed in this episode. Literally every few minutes you get a metaphorical paving stone thrown at your head asking whether you understand that there is a reference to ancient Greek mythology. This is, if you'll pardon the expression, not profound, but a slight case of overbombing and terribly annoying!

Characters: Compared to the OVAs, the cast is a bitter pill indeed (3/10)
The cast is the next downer. On the one hand, they are pretty unsympathetic and on the other hand, they are simply not believable in their roles. Why do I say that, because they actually know what's going on halfway through the series at the latest, and yet they let the opponents act with practically no resistance worth mentioning.
Knute Deunan:
Unfortunately, her character development is a step backwards. In the OVAs, she was a cheeky but militarily well-trained, responsible young woman carried out her duties with pride. In Appleseed XIII she appeares as childish, immature, selfish and by times vulgar brat. She drinks more than she can handle, everything is a big kerfuffle, whether it's her relationship or holidays. As sad as it is, her character is just plain unappealing.
Briareos:
He is Deunan's partner in the series, both professionally and privately. You can't blame him for taking on the role of the mother goose, as childish and immature as Deunan behaves. Compared to the films, however, the characters in the series are only a shadow of their former selves.
Hitomi:
The change in her character is almost grotesque. As a bioroid, she should ensure harmony in the community free of emotions. That she asks Briareos for help while he is on duty, just because a baby is crying a little, completely contradicts this idea.

Visuals: Out of the frying pan and into the fire (3/10)
The artistic effort is ambitious, but that doesn't mean that the idea of having each episode animated by a different studio results in an appealing anime. In short, it doesn't! The design of the characters and backgrounds does follow a uniform structure overall, but that does not apply to the quality standard in general. The art is not of consistent quality. The backgrounds are good and look very appealing with the technology used. This is true for buildings, roads and airplanes, for example. With the character designs, on the other hand, the world seems upside down. Deunan looks like a shiny Baribie doll and her hair rather resembles the scales of a fish. On the other hand, Briareo's appearance as a cyborg seems rather incongruous due to the manually sketchy textures of his outer shell. In addition, light and shadow effects as well as the colouring vary in quality. If it weren't so sad, one could laugh about the fact that the films are better because the computer technology was less sophisticated and the characters fitted better into the overall picture.
Like the films, Appleseed XIII was created with CGI and cel-shading, but the animation quality is often below average. The level of detail is often too low in relation to the possibilities of the technology used and to add insult to injury, the rotoscopic process in the animation is not a feast for the eyes. The quality of the animation is very different. On the one hand, the fighting sequences are well realised, you get a good sense for the space in which the characters move. On the other hand, simple movements, such as walking, very often appear choppy and the posture of the character seems unnatural. The attempt to create a greater variety of suitable facial expressions using motion capture technology is unfortunately only moderately successful. The characters remain alien to the viewer, so that one cannot identify with them. Overall, the series is theatrical, but this loses its effect due to the poor rendering of textures that go beyond the outlines of the character models. The overall picture can best be compared with video sequences from old computer games.

Sounds: Basically the best part of the anime, but still just average (5/10)
The BGM was composed by the Japanese music producer Conisch (Konishi Hiroaki), who is also responsible for the music in several Mardock series. In keeping with the composer's preference, the music arrangements are focused on the use of synthesizers and therefore oriented towards the electronic genre, as well as a jazz-like tonality. The music is largely appropriate, but unfortunately can not improve the overall score.
The opening and ending of the series is a track called "Polovetsian Dances". With a lot of good will, one can relate it to Alexander Borodin's opera "Prince Igor - Dance of the Maidens (end of the second act of the opera) with the eponymous title "Polovetsian Dances". Since the animation once again refers to the twelve tasks of Heracles, I don't feel like going into it any further.
As always at the end of the sound section, I'd like to mention the voice actors who caught my eye. In this case, among the male actors Uchida Naoya as the voice of the chief officer of the E-S.W.A.T. He has good pronunciation and a strong ability to change. He is also very experienced, maybe you know his voice from series, such as Naruto (Suien) and Drifters (Oda, Nobunaga). Among the female voice actors, I liked the voice of Hitomi, spoken by Takahashi Mikako. She has a supporting role, but I really enjoyed her tender, feminine voice and her empathy with the character she portrays.

The series is miserable and it's a shame that Masamune Shirow's great manga idea is butchered in this way. The series has far too many lows to overcome the first negative impression. For me personally, along with Elysium (2003) and Berserk (2016, 2017), it is another example of the negative side of using CGI. I am still puzzled and wonder what episode 13 was good for? But I guess for nothing.
I would not recommend this series to anyone. It is a waste of time!

As always, thanks for reading.

アルテ - The anime adaptation is based on the manga series by Ohkubo, Kei. The idea is borrowed from the life story of a real painter and tries to give an insight into a chapter in contemporary history. Since I am very fond of historical references, it was only a matter of time before I stumbled upon this anime.

Story: Simple and suitable for the target group, but unfortunately too romantic from a historical point of view (6/10)
In the archaic world of the 16th century, a young daughter from a noble family wants to become a painter. This does not sound very exciting at first, ... but the story has a kernel of truth. It is not immediately obvious, but the first name Arte could be short for Artemisia and would thus refer to the Italian painter Artemisia Gentileschi. Well, one could object that the anime is set in the early 16th century and Artemisia was born in the late 16th century (1593 - 1656), so her works are more likely to be assigned to the Baroque period. This argument would be justified, since it is accurate. But given the parallels between the anime and Artemisia's life, to name just a few examples, leaving parental home, finding a teacher, and moving to another major city, the argument in this regard can be neglected. Unfortunately, the story only contains those elements of Artemisia's life that are bearable for the target group of young people, especially Shoujo. In my opinion, the indication "Seinen" is not correct, because then the anime would be considerably darker and would depict or at least hint at more of the very tragic and sad circumstances in Artemisia`s life. The criticism of historical transfiguration will run like a thread through my review, and as I know I will get a bit carried away at some point due to the subject matter, I apologise in advance.

Characters: Pleasant but simply structured, a plain attempt to impart wisdom (5/10)
Both the characters and the depiction of their individual stories serve to convey life wisdom. While the historical circumstances are basically portrayed correctly, the difficulties that women could hardly overcome are too romanticised. With that in mind it becomes understandable why the supporting characters, such as Arte's father and especially Ubertino, have a huge influence on Arte despite the little screen time they have at their disposal. Due to the target group-specific focus on the main character and the comedy, deeper insights into contemporary history, such as the humiliation of the baker in episode 4, remain peripheral.
Arte Spalletti:
An enthusiastic young woman who, after the death of her father, is heiress to a noble but penniless family of the Florentine nobility. Determined to realise her dream of becoming a painter, she defies time and her mother's will and tries to stand on her own two feet. The anime shows the difficulties, but very mildly. In a historical context, this would be seen as being on the verge of feasibility. To cut a long story short, the portrayal in the anime is simply too cute and does not do justice to the hardships and sacrifices of women in order to free themselves from the shackles of the early modern period (16th century).
Leo:
Given his humble origins, despite his talent, he had to work harder, be more diligent, and endure more hardships to build a reputation and be recognised as an artist. He accepted Arte as his apprentice because her determination and actions reminded him of his youth. He is a good character whose development is outlined and also plausible, yet he is a fiction. The historical role model in this case would be Agostino Tassi and this one would be exactly the opposite. So this deviation is elementary, makes the anime more romantic and less gloomy, but the indication as historical is not accurate in this respect.
Ubertino:
His character is actually one of the most important, so I am surprised that so little attention is paid to him. His character reflects the nature and mindset of the "de Medici" family. Starting with the textile trade, the Medici created a dynasty that lasted from the 15th to the 18th century and is inextricably linked to Florence. Their actions are considered the basis of today's banking system, and their patronage shaped the Renaissance in Florence. One might object and ask what the evidence of a Medici family connection is. Again, the name, in this case Ubertino, can be helpful as a clue. Around 1516 Lorenzo di Piero de 'Medici was enfeoffed with the Duchy of Urbino, which fits into the time and the historical background of the anime plot. However, Ubertino's actions are much better suited as evidence. As an art dealer, or a merchant in general, he takes on the role of a middleman, which was crucial at the time. On the one hand, he bridges the local distances between artist and customer by taking care of the transport, on the other hand, the time delay is part of his activity, because a work of art takes a long time to be finished. He can provide the financial means for the procurement of paints, ingredients or tools. Since he often deals with different works of art by different artists, his knowledge of value also provides a certain expertise in evaluating the art objects. In rare cases, for example when recognizing a great talent, he may also act as a patron. In my opinion, Ubertion is the best portrayed character, which also impresses me because he has received relatively little screen time.
I have read a couple times that the supporting characters come across as boring. I think that's a bit of an exaggeration, the characters of Katarīna or Angelo Parker, among others, are likeable and fit well into the plot, but it is unfortunately true that they are basically just colourless extras. However, in my opinion, this does not apply to Veronica. The characterization here is also a kind, basically good-hearted person, but clearly shows that every life has a dark side. For me, she clearly stands out from the extras and is the best elaborated supporting role next to Ubertino.

Visuals: Try to present the appearance of the era well, but too flawlessly due to CG (6/10)
The visuals are praised in some reviews, as far as the architecture of the buildings and the artistry used are concerned, that's fine. Through the use of computer-aided graphics, the famous sights of the city are impressively reproduced with a high recognition value, for example the imposing Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, which is rightly the city's landmark with its beauty. The Ponte Vecchio, one of the most famous and beautiful bridges in the world, which crosses the Arno River, is also well done. The bridge was built in 1345 at the narrowest point of the river. The construction of the small overhanging bridge shutters makes the Ponte Vecchio unique for tourists today. In the series, I was thrilled that the bridge was depicted correctly. It used to be mainly butchers who hawked their wares here, but when the ducal family moved to the nearby Palazzo Pitti in the late 16th century, they decreed that only jewellers could do business on the bridge. This was because they felt disturbed by the smell of meat and so the little bridge shops came into being, which did not exist in Artes' time. The first 30 years of the 16th century were marked by many changes in Florence, including the temporary removal of the Medici from power and their reinstatement by military means around 1530, which resulted in a great famine due to the siege of the city. Against this backdrop, and despite the fact that the architecture is beautifully rendered, the overall impression of the city is too neat and tidy for the era in which the series is set. The streets are wider and more neatly swept than usual at the time. Indeed, it is the ease with which one can say that the graphics are beautiful that clearly reflects the characteristics of the focus on a younger audience. The most striking example for me is the shed where Arte lives. At first it looked like a real drawing, but the renovation made it sterile, neat, precise and thus computer-generated and soulless. What I want to say is that because of the CGI, the viewer's gaze is focused too much on the surroundings and thus misses what is really important. My criticism corresponds to what Leo-san does with Arte in the third episode. He has her draw the background to a painting several times until she asks why she should draw it over and over again. The explanation is that the background is not the focus of the painting. It's a portrait, so the person in the picture should actually be the focus. Arte has brought the background to the fore with her expressive painting. I couldn't have put into words more beautifully and aptly why CGI will never be my cup of tea. To complete the thought, the character designs are simple but very beautiful. The simplicity is especially noticeable in relation to the very pretty and far too accurate and pleasing environment. The character designs do not harmonise much in this environment, although they are the essentials.
In contrast, there is hardly anything to criticise about the animation. The movements are well executed and have a natural posture and flow. I also noticed that movements that take place in the background actually remain in motion. Arte's market visits can serve as an example here. The people moving in the background are really going in one direction. The backgrounds are rarely a still image, this is not standard and I liked it very much. Unfortunately, even very good animation cannot completely mitigate the shortcomings in the art, but it is a definite plus.

Sounds: Mixed impression, therefore unfortunately only (6/10)
The music for Arte was composed by Itō, Gorō and bears the signature of the all-rounder. Itō-san is a composer, arranger, guitarist and producer. He has performed as a solo artist and as a member of the bossa nova duo "naomi & goro" in Japan and abroad. He successfully produces his own albums and also writes film scores. Many different styles can be found in Artes' musical arrangements, whereby the cheerfulness of bossa nova as original Brazilian dance music always comes to the fore a little. The spectrum of musical styles used ranges from classical to rock to modern. Some of the music is very soulful, such as Katarīna's Past "カタリーナの過去", a beautiful piano solo arrangement, or "Arte Alegret", classical with full orchestra and a slight emphasis on strings and grand pianos. But also very suitable for the series is the arrangement "In Venice", for example, which has a gentle touch of medieval music, played by a modern orchestra. The melodies of "Prayer 1 and 2" have, in keeping with the name, a sacred touch. My criticism of the music section relates less to the music itself than to its use. Occasionally I found the BGM to be too intrusive or a little out of place in the scenes, as it either started too abruptly or with an inappropriate time delay. I find it very unfortunate that the basically very appealing music was not used to its advantage.
The Japanese actress and singer Sakamoto, Maaya sings the first OP "Clover". She has already appeared in many anime and the performance here is also very successful. The title song was kept cheerful, light J-pop, accompanied by an orchestra, similar to Idol songs. Overall, the piano and guitar sound is somewhat in the foreground and the vocals harmonise well with it. Like the background music, it is not exceptional, but well done. As described above for the art, it is easy to say that it is beautiful because it is flawless. It was created to please, but it lacks the idiosyncrasies that generally make art special.
The ED is called "Hare Moyō" and is sung by the Japanese seiyū and singer Yasuno, Kiyono. The arrangement has a beautiful guitar playing as the basic melody and the vocals are beautifully matched to it. A very nice musical arrangement that also stands out from the usual with the orchestra and harp in the background. The animation of the ED is not very fancy, which spoils the overall impression a bit, but that does not detract from the beauty of the music at all.
The dubbing actors for the main characters are very well casted. As always in my reviews, I like to take a closer look at the supporting roles and here, among the male dubbing voices, Fujiwara Mitsuru in particular caught my eye. He has a good voice and pronunciation in relation to the characters portrayed, especially as he speaks two very different roles, Danilo and the Baker. Among the female voices, I particularly liked the soft voice of Daphne, spoken by Tomatsu, Haruka. Her timbre is very pleasantly soft and a little deeper. In keeping with the role, she speaks clearly and somewhat slower. A very beautiful performance.

Unfortunately, the production cannot fully present the subject in a mature way. With the implementation for a younger audience and many comedy elements, an imbalance is created with the deep theme of the anime. The result is that a young target group finds most of the series uninteresting, while an older target group finds the presentation of the topics inappropriate and historically incorrect. Regardless of the entertainment value of the series, both target groups are not completely satisfied. That said, I would recommend the anime if someone is looking for fun entertainment and the historical background is of little interest.

As always, thanks for reading and have fun watching.

全职高手之巅峰荣耀 is set about nine years before the first season and adapts several prequel chapters. With great graphics, action-packed and emotionally charged, the anime tells the beginnings of "Glory" in the professional league. Even though it is a prequel that tells part of the backstory, it would be good to have previous knowledge.

Story: Describes the backstory to Xiu's professional career (6/10)
A request in advance, if you have not yet seen the first season, watch it first. The story and the plot are decisive for the recommendation in two ways. On the one hand, the plot starts right away and not much is explained, ... so prior knowledge from the first season is helpful. On the other hand, there is a basic story and various plot points run alongside. Unfortunately, none of these subplots are fully integrated into the main story line, leaving one wondering where the journey is going? With the length of a feature film, it would have been easy to portray the family background of Xiu and his younger twin brother Qiu, whose name Xiu uses as a pseudonym for his professional career, or to give Muqin's actions a more present influence on further events. Regrettably, very little of this potential was used, which is why my rating for the story is rather low. However, content from the first season is explained as the plot progresses, as references are made to every aspect of season one, be it friendship, camaraderie or simply the fun of playing online. These references, while not elementary, are emotionally moving, suggesting that the movie was created as a bonus for the fan base. However, watching the prequel first would, in my opinion, spoil the excitement of the first series, while the movie is still just as fun to watch after the first season.

Characters: Unfortunately, not all characters are shown in detail (7/10)
The portrayal of the characters is quite well done, for those who get enough screen time. Although it is a prequel, the viewer can empathise well with the personalities of the characters depicted in detail. The cast has some new or former characters, in addition to those familiar from the first season. I think that many characters are given short shrift, so in addition to Xiu, Muqiu, Mucheng and Mingkai, whose descriptions in the film are good, I would like to at least describe the other members of Excellent Era a little.
Ye Xiu (One Autumn Leaf):
He has a pale face and a fair complexion. His appearance has been changed compared to the first season, he has become more handsome but still does not pay much attention to his appearance. He cares for his close friends and treats teammates like family. He doesn't get angry or frustrated and has tremendous patience, but because he's also straightforward and sometimes sarcastic, he comes across as arrogant, which he isn't at all. On the contrary, he plays and chats with everyone in Glory and cares little about awards or money. As a result, he could not pay the penalty fee for leaving the club as he had given all his wealth, gained in the years of professional gaming, to some of his friends who were in financial need when Glory started. His younger self still has doubts, but it already shows how his personality will develop.
Su Muqiu (Autumn Tree):
He is revealed as the older brother of Mucheng and best friend of Xiu. He is quite a likeable character and a well-known player in Glory before the game went pro. As a best buddy and friendly rival, Muqui is indispensable to Xiu's character development and playing skills. The weapon "Evil Annihilation" that One Autumn Leaf uses was invented by him and the game character "Dancing Rain" is also his creation.
Han Wenqing:
Is a true rival and also has the skills to stand up to Xiu. The fights between the two have a prominent place in the series and watching them, it's clear why.
Su Mucheng:
She also appears in a younger self, of course, and she's just cute. A little sister who teases her elder brother a little from time to time.

The other players of Team Excellent Era are:
Wu Xuefeng (Qi Breaker):
He is the former Excellent Era Vice-Captain and has used the Qi Breaker account. He did very well because he is low-key but also very determined. As his personality is also characterised by a strong bond with the team members and their well-being, he fits well into the position of vice-captain. Since he was older than the other players at this point, he retired relatively early.
Xue Mingkai (Total Darkness):
He was part of the Excellent Era team in the first championships (Inaugural Championships). He was a former member of the Royal Style team but was expelled due to his incompatibility and individualism towards the other team members. He is deterministic, quick-tempered and hates to lose. He tends to jump to conclusions, which among other things leads to him excluding himself from Team Excellent Era. Although he is not the smartest, he has the heart and skills of a gamer, but needs someone to steer his ambitions in the right direction.
Qin Tianran (Emotionless Magic):
He is also part of the Excellent Era team in the first championship. His personality is open and straightforward. However, since he has reached an advanced age to start a professional gamer career, he is concerned about the team's future. He is talkative and sometimes speaks without thinking, which on the one hand makes him somehow likeable and on the other hand also provides some comedy, as the recipient of his inconsiderations literally steps on his toes when the opportunity arises.
Xia Ming (Heaven):
She is the only female player so far in the Excellent Era ranks and enriches the team not only in the game. She is warm-hearted and calm. Her loving nature is particularly evident when she accompanies Mucheng home and comforts her when she starts to cry. She is also fully involved in the Excellent Era team, and although she gets a little nervous when the going gets tough, she shows full commitment to give the team a chance of victory. There is a great young woman hiding behind the cute glasses and I can understand why one of the members has a crush on her.
Yin Xiong (Woven Shadow):
He is also a member of the team at the first championships. His personality is marked by the fact that he tends to shy away from social interactions in real life. He generally does not have much confidence in himself and others, but his teammates are very important to him. He even tends to act selflessly in the game, but he is also smart and acts thoughtfully, which makes him a good and reliable teammate.

Visuals: Art and animation have been upgraded compared to season one and are excellent (8/10)
The art is superb, although CG is still fundamentally not my cup of tea. The 2D-3D rendering of the buildings, streets, flats, the inventory and the people who live in them, the city as a whole, can only be described as photorealistic. For example, Muqui, Mucheng and Xiu's house in Hangzhou city is on Wu Shan Road, the internet café and the place where Xiu and Mucheng go shopping is on Hefang Street, the flower market of Wu Shan. The same goes for the backgrounds in the game Glory, these are also impressive. A magnificent example is the gorgeous library, which is well thought out not only for the game but also in its construction. The colour palette appears natural and yet so rich that the moods, whether sad or happy, sunshine or cold, are brought to life. Moreover, the play of light and shadow effects is so well balanced that the overall picture is breathtaking. Amusingly, the few not-so-impressive scenes are mainly representations of game characters seen on a screen in the real world or plush figures in a skill crane. I don't see this as a negative, because on the one hand there are very few scenes in an otherwise overwhelming graphic and on the other hand it seems to be intentional, because it could easily have been done better if one had wanted to.
In terms of animation, the anime is a feast for the eyes, especially the fight scenes are impressive. The choreography of the fight sequences as well as the magic and game skills used are great and make the fights so eye-catching. As mentioned above, the film is more aimed at fans or those familiar with the first season, so almost nothing is explained in terms of the techniques or terminology used.

Sounds: Very good BGM and sound effects, pleasant to listen to, as is the VA (8/10)
The background music in the film has been well chosen to heighten the emotions. But not only that, the music is also very pleasant, the Mandarin of the insert songs, such as Walk with you (陪 你 走过) by Li Xinyi [Rex] or Miss you (想念你) by ZJ Hsu (许莉洁) have beautiful melodies and touching lyrics. So the film also has a beautiful musical score and is emotionally moving.
The theme song Top Glory (巅峰 荣耀), sung by Ayanga and Yunlong Zheng is a little more energetic. The musical arrangement sounds good, the voices contrast a little because the pitch and intonation are different. Ayanga-san is originally from Mongolia and Yunlong is a native Chinese, so the sound is different, but that makes it appealing.
The sound effects, or better sound designs, are very good. I have nothing to criticise about the sounds for cars, footsteps or the sounds of combat. They have the right texture, reverb and frequency shift to create the appropriate sound for the scenario. The effects sound really good to me.
Among the voice actors, for me, Bian Jiang stood out as the voice of Muqiu. In my season one review, Zhang, Jie was my favourite as the voice of Xiu. But here, Bian, Jiang has come out on top. Maybe it's because I have a lot of sympathy for the role of Muqiu, but the voice is clear, even a little softer, and embodies the role perfectly.

The anime has enough depth to please and the gameplay comes across well with very impressive graphics and good sound. Those looking for more than that will probably be disappointed, so I would recommend this anime to anyone who is or wants to become a fan of the series. Action seekers will certainly get their money's worth too.

As always, thanks for reading and have fun watching.