After over one year away from anime (I’ve watched a few episodes here and there but nothing serious) I’m finally back with a full length review (not that any of you missed me XD).
Kiznaiver centers around a group of students in high school who are chosen to participate in an experiment dubbed the “Kizna system”. Agata Katsuhira, the proclaimed protagonist, is one of the people involved in this experiment. The leaders of this project believe that world peace can be achieved through the sharing of one’s pain with everyone else.This experiment was designed to try that out. So when a person is hurt (physically and emotionally) the pain is split however many ways there are people to share it with. Katsuhira is a special case since he doesn’t feel pain at all. His mysterious past and his lack of feeling has led him to be distanced from others and he often gets beat up by the neighborhood goonies. His childhood friend Chidori is the only one that has remained by his side all this time. Spoilers will now commence.
The plot actually has a pretty solid premise with the aim for world peace and an interesting approach in how to achieve that. I’ll admit I wasn’t completely sold on the idea until I started watching it. The animation style has high contrast and its very eye catching. The characters are well designed and are quite vibrant as well. The high contrast backgrounds and sharp character design creates a very color rich anime that seems to fit the summer season. The animation in combination with the plot is actually a really nice fit. The first couple episodes are relatively light-hearted and have this quirky sense of humor that makes you laugh because its so ridiculous. But after you’ve had your laugh, it changes pace and it becomes this random mish-mosh of Penguindrum and some dark conspiracy anime. It switches between those two extremes so fast that sometimes you can’t even tell the difference between the ridiculous parts and the serious parts. In one episode, the characters have to share their darkest secrets. Yuta Tsuguhito, the stereotypical popular playboy, shares his secret that he used to be a fat poster boy for a toothbrush commercial. He’s so ashamed of being fat but everyone takes this opportunity to call him cute and poke fun at his sensitivity towards how he eats. Even more ridiculous is when Nico shares her secret: she doesn’t actually believe in fairies. As the resident “eccentric chick” she’s really admitting she’s not fitting her stereotype. As the “perfect” rich girl who’s smart and pretty, she felt she needed something to make her “imperfect”. Its ridiculous logic but those two secrets have definitely been dealt with in other anime in a much more serious fashion. They make the problems so light-hearted that you can’t help but laugh sometimes.
The same goes for the characters. Nico is hands down my favorite character from this anime and I can’t get enough of her antics and how her appearance doesn’t deter her from being smart and wise (in some situations). Sure, she has this desire to be weird, but I think she’s the one that understood friendship and bonds the most in this whole series. When Honoka tries to avoid them, Nico was the one to suggest they try to reach out to her. When they lose their Kizna, she’s the one that reaches out to the group to try and bring them together. When she learns of Sonozaki’s backstory she expresses her opinion of her but doesn’t let that hinder her from helping in the end (*coughChidoricough*). Her maturity in the situations they went through was probably one of the best things to happen to Kiznaiver. The other characters were interesting as well, but for both me and my friend, it was Nico that made the show really interesting. We also shipped her with Tenga, but once again, she puts him before herself and tries to give him a chance with Chidori before herself. A prime example of a good friend, right there.
The mechanics of the anime, plot wise, its rather episodic. The concept of kizna and Sugomori city tie the anime together but each episode can stand on its own for the most part. It was interesting how the writers decided to poke fun at certain current trends that are apparent over the internet. There’s one episode about halfway through the anime where the researchers want to test the extent of emotional bonds within kizna holders. This basically degraded to a huge shipping episode. They paired off the people they thought had the strongest emotional bonds and waited to see what happened. Does it subtly hint at the shipping culture that is rampant among drama and anime viewers? I definitely think so. There was also the episode that referred to sharing your dark secrets, another where they went on an overnight trip together, another doing fireworks on the beach. All of it blatantly stated itself to be stereotypical summer things before doing that exact thing. It makes the stereotypical summer things seem like a bit of a joke, that what you think good friends do over the summer really happens. Its kind of fun to see that.
Overall the anime is worth watching (12 episodes, its short and sweet) and can definitely fill some time in your summer. I would recommend watching with friends so you can roast the characters to your delight and see how it changes your perspective on “issues” within society. Of course, the ending is rather abrupt and I would have preferred one more episode to make it fluffy and fun but I guess the budget didn’t allow for that. Go watch it and let me know what you think!
OH. MY. GOSH. For something that I was kind of interested in, this was quite fun to watch. I don't know how to take it... is it a parody of magical girl anime? A serious aim at a magical boy anime? The emotional bits they fit in (like with the boy who turned into chikuwabu because he felt he was ordinary) really confuse me. Am I supposed to take this seriously or am I to take this as a comedy and laugh at everything?
I was basically saying "oh my gosh... OH my gosh... OH MY GOSH" the whole time because: 1. They're reluctant heroes, the best kind there are. 2. They don't magically know any attack names so they just say "random... _____". 3. The attacks are so cute and adorable but they're high school aged young men doing them.
Overall it was really fun to watch, even seeing the villains be all confused about who they are despite seeing two of them earlier in the episode. The boy in the red, the first year, oh he's fabulous XD. He just adapts to the situation right away, combining attacks and saving the world like he's been doing it his whole life. I can't wait to see how this progresses.
Well, it has definitely been a while since I've written a review for anything, but a manga works, right? Anyways, here we go~
Generally the plot is well written (its a shojo manga, give it some slack) and the art is to be well praised too. Unlike many of the current love stories out there with love triangles and confusing relationships, Otomen is able to provide a straight-forward love story with something close to normal life. While love triangles do provide more drama and tension, I tend to appreciate a simple love story more. Yes, you took a lot of effort to stay together, but in reality, how many love triangles are there? Not many, I'll tell you that. I've seen more simple relationships in my life than I have in manga, which kind of disappoints me. Otomen provided something that was really refreshing and different compared to lots of novels, anime and manga these days. While it does focus on more of a romantic plot, I also saw lots of other themes pointing to being who you are and not letting people restrain you from doing so. There's character development in this manga, while its not like, super evolutionary or anything, its something that is quieter, easier to watch.
I don't really have favorite characters, but when I started reading this a couple years back I definitely supported Ryo. She's tomboyish and all she knows is how to fight, yet there's a strong personality with the urge to protect and stand up for others who can't do that for themselves. Ryo can't cook, she's horrible at doing the laundry and ironing, if its housework, she has troubles doing it. The manga reverses the stereotypical gender roles and gives a different spin on how a relationship can be done. The girl isn't sexy or controlling, but leads softly in the relationship where the guy doesn't feel like their masculinity is being questioned or they feel pressured to be super manly.
The series ended after about two ish years and I'm glad I've seen it through to the end. I guess there was just something intriguing about seeing a guy like cute things and seeing a girl that like sports more than cooking or fashion, not that there's anything wrong with that. Though I guess I always thought this, a guy who can cook is my kind of guy, I think its cool if you can cook your own meals. That's one thing I think Otomen got wrong (though the typical gender roles in Asian culture is that the woman stays at home to cook and clean while the man goes out to work), cooking is cool, its manly, its something I think most women would like to see a man do. Overall, definitely a sweet non-stressful read, if you're looking for that. Or if you just like simple love stories without stereotypical gender roles and the development of a character trying to grow into themselves, this is probably something to check out. I never felt worried over the characters or what would happen next, I was satisfied to know that the characters were living a life they enjoyed and created for themselves. (the ending is a little cliche, but hey, who doesn't need a little cheese in their life?)
Started Noragami anime today as well, watched the first two episodes that were available. As for a first impression, I really liked it. The characters are spunky, if not a little predictable, but still create a great atmosphere that is comfortable to watch. Yato, the male protagonist that is trying to become a major god, can I just mention I love his eyes? The perfect shade of blue that can totally shock you when you first look at them. The characters in the anime like to make fun of him for his way of dressing but that's never bothered me about him. His black tracksuit paired with a scruffy (fluffy-fluff as he likes to call it?) scarf and brown boots does seem to suit his all-over personality no matter how much I look at it. The female protagonist is quite interesting, though I didn't like her as much as Yato. She's... unique but still possesses the normal "I-think-I-can-help-so-I-will-do-what-I-think-is-best" gene that tends to get people like her in trouble. Overall the plot moves smoothly and though no large problem has yet to arise, I'm sure one will pop up eventually.
The plot follows Kuriyama Mirai, a Spirit World Warrior with the power to manipulate blood. The ability comes from her family and her past is full of dark things. The story begins when Kanbara Akihito, a second year student in high school, sees Kuriyama on the rooftop, seemingly attempting to suicide. He runs up tot he rooftop and passionately proclaims his love for a girl in glasses, which Kuriyama happens to be. The way she greets him: stabs him in the shoulder with her blood sword.
Definitely a lot to say on the characters, considering there were so many that played significant roles in the anime. I honestly liked all of them. I'll try and be picky and choose interesting ones to talk about though. Akihito was a definite favorite, even though he's the main character. He's a megane lover but at the core he's a very warm-hearted person who cares for others. His bravery and maturity in handling situations was what really caught me, seeing as he would chase after Kuriyama and try to help her even though she didn't want him to. He has his own problems in dealing with his mother, his half-youmu status and being a normal human. While Kuriyama was a very cool character, I find that talking about her may be a bit excessive. I'll skip her and go to Nase Hiromi. He has a sister complex and is a little perverted but like, Akihito, knows how to handle a situation with maturity. He's got some history with Akihito and has had his fair share of youmu battles. There isn't a lot to say since there wasn't much revealed in the anime but I definitely like his personality. The character I really wanted to talk about was the head of the Nase family, Izumi. Its revealed at the end of the anime that she has some huge secret and a bunch of stuff happens. If you want to know, watch the anime ;). Anyways, one line she says at the end is that, "you'll understand later" or something like that. I get that, I get the fact that your younger siblings might not understand what you did or why you did it and it may take some time for them to understand your reasoning. Though it wasn't the best uhm... situation... I think her siblings did not handle it the best way. Her character did come in later in the anime but she was a vital character till the end.
Plot wise I don't think I could have asked for a better story. Though some issues were resolved much more quickly than they should have, I think the problems and the characters were blended perfectly. Every episode moved so fast it was over before you even realized it and everything just... felt very in place. The ending has something to be desired though... I mean... they don't even explain anything at the end... and it just bugs me. So, she dies and then I'm coping with this fact and trying to accept it... and then probably about three minutes later she literally reappears again... and she's ALIVE. Like... come on people... I won't take this... someone... anyone... please... explain what happened in the last 5 minutes of this show... I have yet to understand what happened....
Overall I would recommend watching it now that its over. Its only 12 episodes so for those of you on winter break, its perfect for a start-off to your anime marathons.
I have to admit that I feel rather unfulfilled....
Maybe I'm just different but I wouldn't be satisfied knowing my child was living in the mountains next door and doesn't come see me. Yes, I understand that he's "living his own path" and stuff like that but really.... really... I just felt sad for Hana. She worked so hard to raise the kids and Ame ends up just leaving. Aside from being about wolf children, these characters are very realistic. Its very reminiscent of a Miyazaki movie but at the same time brings back a nostalgic feeling of something very very classic. Since its from the same creators of Summer Wars the animation style is the same, which I love. Maybe its nostalgic because it reminds me of Digimon...
The character designs were really solid and I loved all the characters. The way that each of them turned out was very interesting. To do character development in two hours takes some real skill. Yuki is really cute and I understand why she would want to grow up differently seeing as she's a girl. As a child she loved her wolf heritage but as she got older she realized how dangerous it can be. When she hurt Sou (is that his name?) she felt bad and was scared to tell him the reason why he got hurt like that. That kind of stuff doesn't just go away and I can see the way she grew through that event. I love that in the end she embraces the wolf part of herself and finds acceptance in knowing that Sou had known who/what she was the whole time.
Ame is... quite the case, I will admit. In the beginning he was such a crybaby but falling into the river as a child really made him grow up. His character development was fast but it seemed right for a child to change quickly. He remains introverted but manages to decide what his life is going to end up like. I'm not 100% happy with his choice but that is what he decided on so yeah. I see Ame as being closer to the father than Yuki since he was more in touch with his wolf side but I wonder how Hana could have loved a man like that... I don't think she would have fallen I love with a wild animal, free spirit yes, but not wild. I think Ame really did inherit the free spiritedness from his father though, knowing how to see his own way in life and everything.
Hana was really interesting, giving up her schooling to take care of Yuki and Ame so that they could live a comfortable life. The way she works so hard at everything and wants the best for her kids actually sets a really good example of parenting (wolf children). She's a firm mother and I think that's just part of her nature. She's a natural mother and her compassion is astounding. She didn't change too much throughout the movie but I think that's how its supposed to be. While she watches her own children grow up she stays the stable rock for them to cling to when they need her. Like what her husband says, she really has don a great job raising the kids. Each one found their own path and stuck through it.
Overall I enjoyed the movie though I don't think I could watch it again. The movie actually made me quite sad with the unsatisfying ending and the way Ame turned out kinda made me a bit disappointed in him. Uhm, if you're okay with bittersweet endings that may not go the way you want, you go right ahead and watch Wolf Children. I had trouble getting through the movie near the end but overall a good impression. I will now contemplate my existence as this is posted.
Nagi no Asukara actually has an interesting backstory and I enjoy watching the animation contrast between underwater and on land. The storyline is kind of interesting and a definite conflict hasn't been identified yet but I still enjoyed it. The characters are pretty typical but it almost seems like their type chemistry is almost too perfect, as if it was staged. I don't really like that aspect but maybe its just me. There is a sense of something like racism and traditional cultures but that's what's so interesting about the differences between land and water people. There's a sense of subtle hostility towards the opposite race and the tension is easily felt in classroom scenes.
Personally, I'm just gonna watch it with lower expectations than Kyoukai but I hope that the plot will pick up as the series develops.
Uhm, there isn't much to say except for the fact that I really like how this started. I did feel that there was a lack of explanation for the background and everything but they started to explain things as the episode develops. Unlike Free! this anime didn't set its own bar too high before it even debuted. I didn't know too much about Kyoukai before I started watching and I admit that I wasn't disappointed by what I saw.
The character chemistry is amazing and the witty dialogue they use is so amusing. The problem hasn't shown itself by episode 1 but it definitely has large promise. I'd keep my eye on this one.
