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Apr 25, 2024
Released in 2012, One Piece Film: Z is also One Piece's 12th film, and, despite not having watched all 11 precursors, it would come in around 2nd place were I to rank them. One of the (currently, and I believe) 5 films to have Oda work on it, I was excited to watch it, especially after seeing the build-up presentation of four episodes in the anime, which was set just before the film. My opinions after watching it? See below, in my first movie review.
STORY: 6 (Fine)/10
There wasn't anything too interesting to the story, and seeing as it could be summarised within two minutes (including
...
every scene), it is difficult to understand how it managed to last so long. There was nothing special about it at all, and I don't like the idea of the End Points, mostly because two of them were destroyed, meaning the New World now (luckily non-canonically) depends on a single island's safety. However, story is my main problem with One Piece movies. Of the movies I have watched, Dead End Adventure had my favourite and even that is about a 7 in terms of story.
ART: 8 (Great)/10
I greatly enjoyed the new character designs from this movie, but I was disappointed that Z wasn't designed after a famous Japanese actor, as the other admirals are. The black and red (and various other colours for some) Straw Hat designs that appear later in the film were very aesthetically pleasing, but the Hanami (Cherry Blossom) season designs, particularly Franky, seemed a bit much for me, although Franky, as a character often over the top, was quite humorous. I also enjoyed the island the Straw Hats visited after hearing Z was there, where they met Aokiji again. In terms of animation, around the 91 minute mark, Toei's movie team really showed us what they could do. Although this is a lot more common nowadays, it is important to note this movie dates back to 2012, and that the dynamic, fast-paced and many-angled animation is something I am sure served as a great testament to how great One Piece could look, before the regular anime was able to reach the same level.
SOUND: 7 (Good)/10
I often run through this section quickly, but I have some things to say here. I didn't properly listen to the opening, but the ending, which was two songs played one after the other, I definitely did not enjoy as they were both English songs I didn't like. The music played throughout was good, but I can't exactly recall it. Z sings a song that appears multiple times in the movie, and I did like this. The voice acting was great, being One Piece.
CHARACTER: 7 (Good)/10
My favourite part of the cast was seeing Aokiji as someone other than an antagonist for the first time in a while. When he was introduced, this did happen, but he did not do much. After that, he, as a marine admiral, fought against Luffy, and later, he allies himself with a certain someone... (that I'd not like to spoil for people who are only caught up to when this movie is set). I liked Z as an antagonist, especially in the last five minutes of the movie, although I did think his idea of killing everyone in the New World just to exterminate some, not even all, of the pirates, was rather weak. After all, we know Blackbeard came to Drum Island and Whitebeard and Shanks both arrived at Marineford, so it's not so hard to figure out that powerful pirates don't always stay in the later parts of the Grand Line. I'd like to see Z become canon - not this movie, but him as a former admiral that left the Marines for the same reasons. He is definitely a memorable protagonist, one of the at least top two of the films I've seen so far.
ENJOYMENT: 6 (Fine)/10
I watched this film in three sittings and over two days, so that would have affected my enjoyment, but the story didn't seem very exciting, and while it had it's moments that I liked, especially the end, it wasn't anything special. My favourite part was definitely the fight animations and new character designs. Despite my relatively negative feedback, I think most One Piece fans will enjoy this, particularly if you have a lot of time and don't have to make an effort to finish it.
If you're a One Piece fan with a spare two hours, I definitely recommend a One Piece film. With friends, watch the later movies first, like Stampede, Gold and Red (probably in that order, unless one seems particularly interesting to you), but if you have time to kill, this is worth a watch - especially if you're near when this film is chronologically set - in that case, getting to see the elevated animation is great! So, if you enjoy One Piece, don't miss this film!
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Apr 4, 2024
As I write this review, Sengoku Youko has over 8,000 ratings - and yet the score is exactly 7.00. Does it deserve this figure of widespread agreement? Should it be higher or lower? In my opinion, it's exactly right.
STORY: 6 (Fine)/10
I was about to put a higher rating - but the story is quite basic until the end. My main problem with this show, something that holds it back from an 8 or even a 9, is the first few episdoes. I almost dropped the show - twice - because of it's incredibly dull start. The progress is very slow and nothing very interesting
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happens until around episode seven. The reason my rating is 6 is because it's quite a simplistic story, and lots of it is setup. However, I think that the second season (and I believe third, which will come out if the next season does well enough) will be much better, getting that 8 or 9 I mentioned.
ART: 8 (Very Good)/10
The artstyle of this show is my favourite - with lines and borders of various thickness and great shading, similar to Wano of One Piece - so it might just be my opinion, but I thought it was great. The coreography was pretty good but the moves themselves were not half bad, and the transformations were beautiful. It definitely adds to the vibe of the show and fits the setting.
SOUND: 6 (Fine)/10
I might go back and change most of my 7s on sound to 6, because I am yet to see a cast that sticks out as particularly bad, let alone below average. For the original sound track, I enjoyed the music played during the show, but as for the OP and ED, I think they were just average, but I have seen a handful of reviews describing each as a masterpiece, particularly the opening.
CHARACTER: 7 (Good)/10
The characters were like the story, but slightly better - they start out appearing quite basic, but they get more interesting and complex as the show progresses. Once again, my rating is held back by the slow start - so I'm definitely hoping for a good season 2. The character development was definitely good, especially with two characters in particular. I also enjoyed the antagonist because most modern shonen nowadays that I see have antagonists like Shigaraki and Sukuna, forces of chaos and destruction. In Sengoku Youko, the characters remind me of the World Government in One Piece or the (if you've watched, you'll know, this is a twist so I won't say it) of FMA - most of them believe they are fighting for good, but on the inside, they are corrupt and even experimenting on humans.
ENJOYMENT: 7 (Good)/10
Here, I will use the expression 'high highs and low lows' because that's pretty much sums up this show. To mentally illustrate it, if it was a graph, it would rise slowly, shoot up a bit around episode 7 and then rise slowly again. I did enjoy this show a lot, particularly the fights and episodes 7-10, but I also think the first 6 episodes really drag this down.
I reccomend this show, especialy since you no longer have to watch the boring start over 6 weeks, and can breeze past it in a day or two. But, I don't really reccomend it for the show itself, but so you have context for future seasons that I can imagine will be great.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Mar 29, 2024
Was this show amazing? No. Was it worth a watch? I think so.
The Wrong Way To Use Healing Magic is one of the new more common types of shows that air nowadays, with a small amount of weekly episodes. If you didn't watch it while it was releasing like I did, I can see this being something you'd watch on the weekend or even a single day. If you're going to breeze through this, I think it will make it even more enjoyable.
I'm going to use the MAL ranking system to make my reviews easier to look back on for myself, so here we go.
STORY:
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7 (Good)/10
The story of this show was quite basic with a few interesting but not unheard of concepts. However, for 13 episodes it was reasonable and didn't need to keep me hooked - the progression was basic, as it only covers about 1 chapter an episode, but there was no problem with it. What makes this show good for me is that it was rewarding for what you put into it. Longer shows, unless you watch them weekly, often have the problem of being weighed down by slow pacing and occasional filler. This show has a clear place to cut it - a perfect place to start Season 2, if they make it, so they probably didn't want to pass this point, and they did a good job of reaching it without dragging things out in One Piece fashion, which, despite it's brilliant story, makes it infuriatingly slow at times, with less than a chapter an episode (honestly, why would you even do this? You'd never need less than 1 chapter per weekly episode for a weekly manga) and very drawn out scenes - things go at a steady pace.
ART: 6 (Fine)/10
I want to make this section quick - all fine, not subpar and reaches 2024 standards. There's no problem here, so unless you were looking for some fabulous fantasy eye-candy, this should be good. I looked at the manga and I notice they've made the style less unique, but it's a positive change in my opinion as I wasn't really a fan of the manga's style.
SOUND: 7 (Good)/10
I don't want to put another 7 but this show was average in a good way, so it'll keep coming up. I can see someone putting 7 for every category. The music was enjoyable - I liked the opening but I'll probably never hear it again - no scratch that, it can go on my playlist - meaning I might hear it next December, if my shuffle play is kind to the song. My problem with it is that the OST was quite limited - I assume it had a reasonable amount of songs which I know were almost all good - but the number was a bit too small, so some scenes just didn't really go with the music. This doesn't happen in any very important scenes, though, and when it does you can just pay attention to the voices. On the topic of voices, I did actually try the English dub out of curiosity (though I watched the show in Japanese) just for a minute - it was mortifying. However, as a sub watcher, I liked the voices. They all fit the characters but there were no outstanding performances - just like the rest of the show.
CHARACTER: 6 (Fine)/10
It's a shame I can't be kinder to this show - but the characters were fine and no more than that. There was not really any character development, only minor things to the MC - but for 13 episodes it was fine. I didn't expect something special. Fine, just fine. One of the things I did like was the realism of the scenarios. The three 'isekaid' high-schooler characters were talking just like high-schoolers and there was only a very minor aspect of unneeded romance (which still fit by the way, but it wasn't really a plot point so they could have just left it) or exaggeration.
ENJOYMENT: 7 (Good)/10
Another one, huh? I think this is the kind of show anyone can like, as there's nothing major. In fact, the only people who won't like it are people who are looking for something major. I don't really reccommend it so somebody who doesn't like shonen (I say this because I know some isekais aren't really designed like shonen) but it's good for how I started this review - something to watch over one or two days, maybe while doing a particularly mind-numbing task. If that sounds relevant to you, I highly reccommend this show. But if you don't really want to use time unneccesarily, don't watch this. This is just fluff - it's something minor you don't need to spend much time on.
Weekend watch? Yes. Otherwise? Ignore this show.
Was this show about the Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic. Not to be rough, as I did actually like this show to an extent, but it taught me about the Wrong Way to Use Time. This was a good weekly watch, but it's like a friend you have in a job or school that you leave or finish and then never talk with again. Goodbye, The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Dec 30, 2023
Gege Akutami's villain arc has just begun in the eyes of 'anime-only' watchers, and the reason - Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2. The second installment of this tale of trauma is certainly highly rated - but what would I say?
STORY: 9/10
I'm going to start out by saying that my reviews of Jujutsu Kaisen have almost been entirely flipped. When rating Season 1, I found the story to be a simple amalgam of fights and battles. Yet now, I have seen those battles link an intricate story of death and destruction, where it seems to only get more hopeless as time goes on. Watched your favourite character
...
die? Your next one probably will too. So much thought went into the story this time, and everything has built up Season 3, where we finally get to see the villain's plan in full fruition. The story is one that is not necessary to be understood in order to enjoy the fights that are placed everywhere in the story, but it does greatly enhance the experience.
ART: 9/10
One of the things that is still true from my last review: the fight choreography is spectacular. Not only is the animation flowing, but each character truly embodies their personality in how they fight. The construction of each conflict, every punch, every dodge, is put wonderfully together. The art style many say has dropped, and I'm fully aware this is because of the tight schedule of the MAPPA animators. And I am on the team that enjoyed what I believe was an artistic masterpiece - the Mahoraga fight. Jujutsu Kaisen remains a show you CAN watch with your eyes alone - it's as if Demon Slayer was more exaggerated in every way (apart from the actual animation as opposed to the movement, which I say nothing produced so far can top)
SOUND: 8/10
My flaw with Season 1 is gone, far less background music with lyrics. This means the spectacular OST is allowed to thrive along with new additions. This time, both openings are incredible, and each fits the mood of the current arc. The voice acting is brilliant - it shows pain, lust and fear wonderfully. One of the best voices in the show is, in my opinion, the voice of Mahito - Nobunaga Shimaziki - also the voice of Shun Kaidou from The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. , one of my favourite animes - showed an incredible amount of emotion in his voice. Another incredible part of this show.
CHARACTER: 7/10
A few great characters were in this show, but apart from that, I find the cast to be quite boring. Despite the amount of character development, especially for MC Yuji, and new backstories, they still couldn't cover the (understandably) large cast of characters for a 50 episode show. Most of the new characters introduced I felt the same about - and so, gaining some extra credit for the stars, I still give it a 7 for average characters.
ENJOYMENT: 8/10
The show was good, yes, but since the delicate story was only revealed in the final act, and I am one for story over intense fights, I still had the 'oasis in a barren desert' feeling I described in my Season 1 review, albeit with larger oases and a less barren desert.
In the end, despite quite a few nines appearing in this review, my total rating is still 8 because the best parts were not always there. However, I think anyone can and most will enjoy Jujutsu Kaisen - so despite my own feelings, knowing most people, I definitely recommend this. If I were to ever rewatch this show, I feel the only reason I would is if the entire story was finished in anime format and I wanted to go back to older episodes before 'the return of the golden age of sorcery' or whatever this show has in store.
And so, this was Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2, a rollercoaster of feelings that makes me forget what I disliked about Season 1. Do you want to continue and increase your level of trauma and keep watching this tragedy. Because if you are OK with mild depression - it only gets worse from here, so be prepared! This show is not to be missed!
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Oct 2, 2023
When one thinks of 'new gen' anime, Demon Slayer generally is one that soon comes to mind. This new arc of Demon slayer, commonly referred to as the 4th or 3rd season is a perfect representative of what the show has to offer.
When one, in turn, thinks of Demon Slayer, the animation is usually the first thought. One might state that the show is 'carried by its animation', and while I fundamentally agree, I don't think that's all this show has to offer.
I'm a fan of MAL's category system so that's what I'll be using to describe how I feel about this show.
Story
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- 7/10
Demon Slayer's story feels quite interesting and yet so simplistic. I've enjoyed comparing this show to an older one, 'Seraph of the End' in the past, because, while I did not enjoy 'SotE' nearly as much, I find the premise is an interesting parallel. However, Demon Slayer's setting and atmosphere is by far my favourite. The Story of this show can feel quite repetitive, and it feels like a repeat of the Entertainment District arc with new elements, just as Entertainment District was an evolution of Mugen Train. The fundamental structure of this arc and the last has been the same, but it is an enjoyable one.
1. The location is introduced
2. We see a deeper dive of some minor characters that we have seen before (ex. Uzui, Genya, Mitsuri)
3. The demons finally attack and there is a long final battle that lasts half of the show
4. The Hashira finish what the others started (not the case for Muichiro this time)
5. Tanjiro takes a leaf out of Deku's book and cries on the floor
However, I can't say I don't like this structure. I could add the backstories here but I'll save them for the Characters section
Art - 10/10
Do I even have to explain? Whether it's vibrant attacks, high-speed swords, spectacular lighting or simply a zoomed out shot, Demon Slayer may indeed be 'carried by its animation' to extent. Ufotable's work on this adaptation has earned it the top spot on the anime animation tier list. Finally, though they are from the manga, the characters' official art is also striking. I'll cut this short because, frankly, whoever calls themselves an anime fan simply must at least be aware of this show's impeccable animation.
Sound - 9/10
This arc's opening, 'Kizuna no Kiseki' is, as far as I'm aware, the first OP that has not been created by LiSA, who I have generally associated with Demon Slayer as she created the OPs 1-3, Gurenge, Akeboshi and Zankyou Sanka. I am a fan of these and they are all on my playlist. However, although Man With A Mission's new OP is, in my opinion, only third best of the four openings, it's still great. Additionally, I've always liked this shows music in general, especially the motif of 'Kamado Tanjiro no Uta'. Overall, I would say this Show's music, the voice acting, sound effects and background themes which traditional Japanese instruments, which are very appeasing to me, together mean this incredible visual experience is backed up by an incredible audible experience. Because really, what is any show, game or piece of media without its music. If you're a big fan of Demon Slayer, I suggest you now take a moment to play 'Kamado Tanjiro no Uta'. While I doubt it will increase your evidently high view of the show, it might get you into the mood of the show which will allow you to understand my criticisms - here comes my lowest score.
Characters - 6/10
Gee.
A typical protagonist, comic relief, the hothead and the necessary female deuteragonist. Wow, Gotouge. The best part of this show is, honestly, whatever ufotable has done to make this into the success it is today, these being the previous two categories. If Demon Slayer looked like early One Piece and sounded like Pokemon Journeys, it would not be nearly as big. The designs of the characters carry their uninteresting concepts. Every background manages to be different enough to not look like a template but similar enough that, now that the formula has been found, it does not deviate from what Gotouge had recieved poistive reception to. There are a few characters that break the mold in such uncreative ways it makes it feel like there is a mold for breaking the mold. But, in the end, most people don't watch Demon Slayer for it's sad backstories. For example, take a look at Genya and Tanjiro's backstory.
1. There is no father in their big family with many siblings (At least four brothers and exactly two sisters)
2. An important member of the household leaves for work
3. Demons are attacking the main home!
4. Only two siblings are left alive
I realise that, when you take into account that neither of the brothers are demons, and their mother was their attacker, it's not too similar. But it still fits the 'Demon Slayer Tragic Backstory' mold - my family was slaughtered and there was a demon attack, I want revenge. The only exceptions I can think of to this rule are easily explainable. Rengoku was raised to be a hashira, Inosuke's backstory(I know from the manga does in fact fit the mold, Zenitsu has no apparent backstory as far as I am aware and Mitsuri's backstory is 'My last husband rejected me! I want a husband', which is absolutely ridiculous.
In the end, this section was simply a huge rant about the whole franchise. I feel like those more educated in this show might be able to give a good argument. Also, keep in mind, as someone who wants to be an author, I am keeping in mind that so far, Gotouge has done much better than I have.
Enjoyment 9/10
I didn't watch Demon Slayer for more than raw entertainment. It has action, an OK story and good animation. One might think me a hypocrite if they read my review for Jujutsu Kaisen, but keep in mind I did not enjoy the otherwise generally well-reviewed animation of that show. Demon Slayer is a show where you don't need to follow much story, and you can just watch it and enjoy the sights and sounds. I watched this show within a 24 hour period (I watched the first episode a night before the rest) and I did enjoy all of it. In general, Demon Slayer is a good franchise - even the manga, which I might have come off as disliking.
As always, please don't let my review of the show change how you feel about it. After all, stories are subjective. Please, enjoy this brilliant tale.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Aug 12, 2023
So, Jujutsu Kaisen, a rising anime that is gaining popularity. The show is classed a shonen anime, and much like other notable shonen, it adheres to the 'fight stuff and rise up the in-universe ranking system' method. However, Jujutsu Kaisen doesn't like to make this clear. The show feels like a different take on this method. Here's my review on it.
1. Story:
For me, the story is filled with good and bad parts. Often, I found myself sitting through the episodes for no reason, feeling no emotion. At other times, such as when watching Yuuji confront Junpei, I was a roaring flame. Junpei's death was
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an episode that got a 10/10 for me. So, whilst the story can be boring at some points, it is also frequently compelling. However, there are a few major criticisms. However, at the end of the day, Jujutsu Kaisen isn't a show to go to if you want a compelling story. If you want action, madness and fast-paced fights, then you've come to the right place.
Rating: 7
2. Art:
Jujutsu Kaisen's art is a tough one. So, to break it down, here are the pros and cons. For pros, the fight scenes are incredible. Fast-paced action, flashy moves, clever strategies and the ability to make you disoriented. Another thing I noticed was how impressive the angles can be at points. For cons, I'd say the show's appearance is very basic for this day and age. If compared with other shows, and no, my standards aren't Demon Slayer, the art has nothing on it's own. It's the movement of the show that makes the animation good, not the thing that is moving.
Rating: 7
3. Sound
Jujutsu Kaisen's OST is quite different to other anime because a large part of it is in English! Even in the sub version of the show, English lyrics often accompany the background music. However, I am not the biggest fan of this, not because it is in English, but because it has lyrics in general! In most forms of media, including anime, you will notice that music with lyrics is mostly only played when the characters are silent or singing the lyrics themselves. I am also not a fan of the story's openings/endings, with the exception of Kaikai Kitan. However, on the other side of the sound department is voice acting. This is one of the pros of the show. Being one of the 'big' anime of the 2020s and generally standing at around #15 on the leaderboard as of recent, the show is expected to have good voice acting, and I can simply stay that does not disappoint.
Rating: 7
4. Character:
I will just say it flatly, I don't like the majority of characters in this show. Firstly, Yuuji's motivations make sense, but makes him feel like a character that is not similar enough to the viewer. Often, viewers love to see themselves in the main character's shoes, but Jujutsu Kaisen makes that hard. He's the typical stupid, energetic, powerful and goofy trope. While I'm sure some viewers may feel like this describes them to an extent, I am yet to meet a single member of the anime community to match with all of these. Secondly, many of the side characters with a few notable exceptions feel very similar, especially Mai, Kugisaki and Maki. They all feel like the same character with an added defining trait added onto each of them to make them seem different. When a character I liked quite a lot was introduced, they were killed off within a few episdoes! However, this being Junpei and, in my opinion, the best part of the show, is easily forgivable.
Rating: 6
5. Enjoyment:
As my rating shows, I have mixed feelings about the show. I would say that I enjoyed this show, but I often felt nothing at all while watching. I wan't bored, but I cannot say I was interested in what was happening on screen, apart from during the fights. However, it's not the show's fault. While for me, I gave the show a seven, which is below average in my standards, I can see this show getting much higher scores as shown by the total average. It is important to note that I love to watch compelling stories, and that is not what Jujutsu Kaisen is about.
Enjoyment: 7
In conclusion, whether or not you enjoy this show seems a simple assessment for me. Do you like compelling stories or fast-paced action? Please, don't let my review change your opinion on the show, just take it as another perspective.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Apr 16, 2023
Isekai Ojisan, or Uncle from Another World, is an anime available only on Netflix, and this show is not publicised enough.
The premise of the show is, in simple terms, a 'reverse-isekai' where someone goes to another world and then comes back. In this case, the MAL ranking system is perfect to describe this:
Story - 9
The story is quite typical of an isekai, however, it is presented to the viewer in a far better way. Firstly, we do not see the hero build up power, instead, he somehow is an extremely powerful magic-user from the start of the show. The best thing I have to
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say about this is that the show refrains from using romance as a plot point despite there being three main girls in the series who could serve as a love interest, including the typical tsundere. The story is not particularly compelling, but it is well-written and having the reactions of the other main characters watching the memories through 'icuras elran', the show's memory projection spell. However, the story was not boring and rather entertaining, using humour not as a way to spice it up but rather as the base foundation. The show had no filler, and the pacing was perfectly on point, not too fast like the start of FMAB or slow like One Piece. Each scene or short arc went into plenty detail, but nothing took too long. The ending was also plenty satisfying (the rest of this sentence contains minor spoilers), finally giving us the isekai battle we could expect from a finale. Honestly, it left me expecting a season two, but the show had no plot points at the very least. His first few days in the other world are also surprisingly dark. However, a flaw I have with this show is how not enough time is spent in the actual world. From episode one or two, the titular character becomes a YouTuber, showing off his magic and passing it as effects, which could have had more focus apart from one or two scenes.
Art - 7
This show's style is not bad but neither is it exceptional. It gets an extra point, however, for the greatly entertaining 3D animation that is shown in the intro - truly a masterpiece. I must mention, though, that the animation was fluid and did not hold back the show in any way.
Sound - 7
I'm going to go through this section quickly. Voice acting: on point and fitting. Music/OST - OK, but not too much of one track. OPs/EDs - I didn't even notice the ending, but the show's intro wasn't terrible and grew on me throughout the show, to the point where I stuck out through the credits on the last episode to enjoy it. It's a check mark if the OP ended up on my playlist, which did eventually happen.
Characters - 8
The characters of this show were many things. They were well designed, and their personalities were good, but they all felt typical. The only exception to this is the MC, who is known by many names, but we can call him Wolfgunblood (you'll know why if you've seen it, otherwise - go watch it now!) Wolfgunblood is the perfect exception to the 'typical comment'. He's not handsome, though the many faces he has throughout the show are, in my opinion, hilarious. He's not particularly strong in personality either, what with getting everything he knows from video games. Overall, this show might be worth watching just for him.
Enjoyment - 10
I started out with this show maybe being a 7, but it went up quickly in the last half of the show. The jokes were on point and I could rewatch this show again and again - in fact, with the mindset of the last few episodes, I might enjoy it more. The show is memorable and I would recommend everyone to give the show a go. It's not too long either - this is the perfect show to binge.
With a 42/50 - this show is worth your time, even if you don't have much to spare.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Apr 13, 2023
The scene is Anima City, the only haven in a world that shows as a dark allegory for us. Human forces are closing in and Beastman Michiru has just arrived, a young teenager separated from her best friend and transformed into a beastman due to unknown causes.
BNA is an anime which stands out amongst Studio Trigger's catalog. The main premise of the anime is that a girl has become a beastman, animal human hybrids who populate this world, and must experience life through the eyes of someone different.
Firstly, something that should be mentioned is that, for me, this show's character design is highly
...
well done. The characters each embody their own animals even in human form and viewers get to envision this concept easily through the show's well-thought designs. For instance, one of the show's side characters is Jem, a chicken beastman whose human form clearly shows his chicken roots and has a seamless transition into beast form (Browse the characters at https://bna-anime.com/character/). The show is also animated well and is filled with vibrant colours which keep you focused on the scene.
The show's soundtrack is debatably good, but for me, the outro is one of my personal favourites. As someone who prefers anime outros to intros, this show did not disappoint. As said by a commenter on the song on YouTube:
"AAAMYYY: So how much aesthetic do you want for this song?
Trigger: yes"
The show's intro, 'Ready To', was not as interesting to me but after I found it stuck in my head it eventually made its way to my playlist.
Thirdly, the show's story was well done. Every episode or two, we get another plot as the viewer gradually builds up the clues and understanding until what they have learnt so far about the world of the show seamlessly comes together in the finale with returning characters, plot points and ideas. Each little episode is often a bite-sized look into how Anima City works, and honestly, it wouldn't be too bad if the show had no overarching story and was simply filled with these different episodes. In this way, the show can avoid the odd chunks of worldbuilding or 'filler' used to fill up these episodes. However, these episodes fill up the majority of the anime to the point that it is not filler, and the story does well with revisiting characters from previous episodes. One criticism I have with the story is a single episode which uses the common trope of a 'baseball episode'. I will not elaborate so as to avoid spoilers, but this singular episode of the show felt cliche and predictable, although we do get to see the baseball team later on in the show, which builds on their characters. Additionally, the game presented to us is not simply regular baseball but a more wild Anima City version. Overall, the show serves as a metaphor and a way to explore discrimination.
Finally we come to the main question. Is the show enjoyable? The simple answer - yes. Each episode, including the aforementioned baseball one, serves as an entertaining watch. The show is easily bingeable and is something fun to watch with friends during a sleepover or a Sunday. If you're still planning on watching BNA or just reading the reviews in order to decide, go ahead and grab your snacks, because BNA is going to be something you won't want to take your eyes off of.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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