Mar 23, 2024
Sousou no Frieren
(Anime)
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The basic plot of this show is what would it be like to live in a fantasy setting like Lord of the Rings long after Sauron is defeated, and in this show, it's from the perspective of an elf who will live for millenniums. Her view of time is elongated and she does not have the same concerns with time as humans do. She's patient and can be lost in her world of finding rare spells, but finds new purpose in trying to enjoy her time with the people she has with her. The last episode summarizes these ideas well as the journey with all
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Dec 31, 2023
Jujutsu Kaisen 2nd Season
(Anime)
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Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 had beautiful animation and art direction for nonstop action throughout the two arcs. At most there was half an episode that went without a fight, and they all had such interest and care put into them. There are too many to remember but some of the standouts were Yuji versus Choso, Sukuna versus Jogo and later Mahoraga, and of course the real finale of Yuji versus Mahito. They all come to mind with different color palettes, locations, fighting styles, and degrees of power unleashed. Sukuna has an awe-inspiring display of energy even in his destruction, but never to the point of
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Sep 10, 2023
Tengoku Daimakyou
(Anime)
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A show called Heavenly Delusion kind of gives that game away that everything the characters are after will not be what they seem. That applies in so many ways to Kiruko and Maru with what they're after and who they really are.
Some people seem to take issue with what goes on at the end for being over the top or something, but the whole show is very violent, a bit gory, and always carries a weight to these conflicts. There's a double suicide in this show, but rape is a step too far apparently. It even goes the opposite way as even in a ... 
Sep 10, 2023
Cowboy Bebop: Tengoku no Tobira
(Anime)
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Cowboy Bebop: The Movie does have the feeling of one long episode that can sometimes feel relaxed, but also languid, honestly. I know there are so many shots that make for a good gif and #mood post, but between that and some of the dialogue not really fitting the characters, or even feeling too stereotypical, I do think this is a step back from the show, but a small one. The music is as good as ever, mainly paired with action scenes that you can't take you eyes off of like Spike flying the Swordfish or the ISSP raid on the water treatment plant. On
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Sep 9, 2023
Cowboy Bebop
(Anime)
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Cowboy Bebop as a show is set up as a stylish action-adventure sci-fi, which it certainly delivers with its great choreography and set pieces and rich backgrounds. The soundtrack goes through many genres but this is when the jazz kicks in and makes it feel so energetic. But people also talk about its episodic structure like every episode starts and ends the same when they really don't. In a broad view they start with a bounty, chase after it, and then some twist makes them come away with nothing, but so many of these stories are more driven by the characters, dealing with their past
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Aug 27, 2023
Summertime Render
(Anime)
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The first OP is good and about the first half of the show is also interesting with its mystery setting and how Shinpei attempts to turn the tables on these murdering copies of people. Then the OP changes to something more generic and the show becomes more like a shonen battle anime of outwitting the opponent, but the rules become more convoluted and how threatening anyone actually is in a fight becomes muddied, and I lost interest, especially by the last third after the scene in the gym. The setting and art style is nice, but it feels overloaded with stuff that doesn't feel as
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Jul 19, 2023
Baccano! Specials
(Anime)
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These episodes carry the same energy and style as the main series, with the main difference being the introduction of a new character taking the spot of Ladd as the impulsive psychopath, but wielding a big monkey wrench. I didn't find him as interesting as the other characters and the amount of time he has and long monologues that all sound the same was a bit of a drag on the fast pace of the series. I also get the metacommentary at the end about there not being a proper ending but these episodes feel more deflating knowing that they aren't leading to anything and
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Jul 17, 2023
The main thing that comes to mind when I think of this anime is its music, both the bombastic OP and the very nice, wistful ED. The 1930s American gangster setting with the big band jazz, an intro taking inspiration from Snatch, and Pulp Fiction-like narrative switching makes for an energetic watch. It can be hard to keep up with all the little threads and see what kind of payoff they get at the end as the different timelines change the perspective on different characters. From what I've heard and seen about this anime, I assumed Firo was the main character, but he's only a
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Apr 21, 2023
Fire Punch
(Manga)
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Fire Punch feels like an evolution from Attack on Titan where the shonen protagonist is led by vengeance instead of a more positive goal. So now Fujimoto created a grim-dark world where the main character is constantly suffering and everyone lives in a miserable world that only becomes more unstable as the story progresses. But what starts as a simple enough plot gets twisted around when everything Agni tries to do to get his revenge only leads to more destruction, even if some people were helped along the way. That's about the halfway point of the series, and after that becomes Agni's crisis of identity
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Apr 8, 2023
Sayonara Eri
(Manga)
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If all of Tatsuki Fujimoto's work takes particular reference from film, then this one is more based on home movies and the lasting impact they have on the memory of a person, both the subject and the filmmaker. It's funny how this is like a meta version of Look Back, where the elements of that story are present here and commented on for what they are doing as this kind of dramatically heightened autobiography. The mixing between real life and film where it becomes hard to distinguish one from the other reminds me a lot of Perfect Blue. I think this also gives justice to
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