Reviews
Tengoku daimakyô (2023)
I can't recommend this...
I can't say this was a bad show, but I also certainly wouldn't recommend it to anyone without some massive caveats.
One of my critiques starting from the first episode was that the fan service and slightly pervy nature of the show seemed to clash with such a post-apocalyptic world. Though, I could have excused that. I thought maybe this was going for a dichotomy similar to that of Jobless Reincarnation. However, Robins actions combined with how little justice he has faced make it so I simply can't accept that. Obviously, the only justice for his actions would be something like a spell at the end of the Eragon series to force him to truly come to terms with the pain he's caused others, and that's basically impossible in such a world, but I would have at least liked to see Robin removed from this world so he couldn't ever do that to anyone else.
Add onto that the fact that Maru doesn't seem to feel much guilt for letting that happen to Kiruko, and that Kiruko doesn't even seem traumatized makes it seem like this story's writer wants to include these monstrous elements without handling the psychological effects it would have on its characters if they were real people. Perhaps the author of the manga this show came from is a poor writer, or maybe they desperately included those edgier elements just to try to give this story more notoriety.
I'm really stretching myself to offer them that much charitability, and so I can't help but be reminded of the kind of person who says inflammatory things just to get a rise out of people. With enough charitability, I can see them being more of a victim of circumstance than a jerk, but no matter what, I can't see them as putting more good than bad into the world.
But, this is just the first season. I could end up eating my words, and I hope I do, because as the story is now, I can only feel utter disgust.
Kuromukuro (2016)
I Suppose this is Like Bad Pizza
The initial mecha fight that this anime pre-viewed had me worried that this was something I wouldn't enjoy. I watched the English dub version of this, and aside from Johnny Yong Bosch voicing Ryoto Akagi, I'd say they all sounded just fine. Though, maybe I wouldn't have been bothered by his voice if I didn't asociate him with the voice of Meliodas from The Seven Deadly Sins. The mild cliffhanger at the end of season 1 did leave me hoping for a second season. Though, I really hope its story comes to some kind of stopping point if it does recieve a second season. Like is said in the title: this story is a bit like bad pizza. Not great, but even crappy pizza tends to be somewhat enjoyable.
Maoyû: Maô Yûsha (2013)
Surprisingly Good
Based on the super fast paced intro of this story, I wanted to give it at least eight stars. Overall, I really enjoyed this story about managing to solve a conflict without violence. The whole dynamic of none of the character not having real names was also kind of amusing. That being said, I found that the romance really dragged after the first episode due to the main character being so inexperienced. While this does make perfect sense within the story, the first episode gave the impression that it would be doing quite the opposite. It was also frustrating because of the unnecessary drama it caused between the characters. Will they, won't they is a dynamic that has been played out to oblivion, and its answer is even more clear in this case. At least a bit more time could have been spent on the main story without this drama, and I think it would have made this anime far better for it.
Loveless (2005)
It's... it's even worse than I expected
I can only assume this has so few reviews because people saw the concept for this show and thought "Oh dear God no!" to themselves.
After having watched this, I can say that they were probably right to do that...
This show features a romance between a young man in college and a middle schooler. I knew that going into this show (and the fact that the characters have cat ears until they lose their virginity) and it was still somehow worse than I expected.
I thought the plot of this show would be about that middle schoolers unreciprocated feelings for that college student, with that college student being unable to take himself away from that middle schooler due to seeing the middle schoolers late older brother in him. It was worse than that... I won't say anything more in order to avoid spoilers.
Perhaps some will find it beneficial to force themselves to endure the extremely disturbing plot elements of this show, but only if they can remain cognizant of just how messed up they are. That potential from the uniqueness of this shows plot is the only thing that caused me to give this show two stars instead of one. The idea of this show normalizing any of the many disturbing elements of its plot to any of its viewers horrifies me.
Majo no Tabitabi (2020)
I Can't Help But Be a Bit Disappointed
I think the reason I've seen such a surprising amount of video essays praising a show that I find so lackluster is because it's different. If you're tired of all the Isekai that have been coming out, I can see how a show with an overpowered protagonist with a darker tone seems like a breath of fresh air. However, Wandering Witch - The Journey of Elaina seems a little jarring to me.
Maybe that's what makes the show good, but in my opinion, if your protagonist is going to be boring, they have to be at least somewhat altruistic to make up for that lack of personality. Overlord (to offer a contrast) certainly gets edgier than this show (though perhaps not as dark) but it feels far more tonally consistent to me. Though, I do have criticisms for Overlord as well.
The only reason I can give this show a 6/10 instead of 5/10 is because of one of the darkest elements in episode three that was so subtle that I actually missed it the first time watching that episode. That's a rather mature piece of writing for a show like this, and I really didn't expect that. I will say that them specifically referencing and joking about how boring Elaina is in the last episode helps, but it's not enough to boost this shows score. Especially, given that they call her "the protagonist." She simply isn't anywhere near altruistic enough for that title in my opinion.
Shokei Shoujo no Virgin Road (2022)
This Definitely Has An Interesting Concept
I'll be honest. The whole plotline where Akari was so quick to love and trust Menou made me think rather poorly of this anime. It seemed like a rather egregious contrivance to create a Yuri anime. However, I kept watching because the English voices of Menou and Momo are Yukino and Yui from My Teen Romantic Comedy.
Having watched The Executioner and Her Way of Life this far, I can say that it does get interesting, at least in my opinion. Now, is it good? I'm not sure I can say that, but it definitely has a unique premise and I've enjoyed it. What can I say? I'm a sucker for stories of romance.
Yahari ore no seishun rabukome wa machigatteiru. (2013)
Better (& far more painful) than your average RomCom (the first half of this review doesn't contain any major spoilers)
I saw a review on here that complained about how the events of this show are only allowed to persist for so long due to how dishonest the main characters are with each other, & honestly, I can't even disagree with that. However, it completely makes sense given Hachiman & Yukino's lack of emotional maturity.* Hachiman seemed especially hopeless at the beginning of this show. Though, that may have been to aid the comedy of the first season, a season that was far more comedic than the second & third seasons of this show.
Very minor spoilers:
With all this being said, Hachiman definitely lacked the emotional maturity (& thought too poorly of himself) to accept the love he was being given for at least the first season of this show, & probably for the second season as well. I probably would have had Hachiman make his choice by the end of the second season in order to spare at least some of the pain that some in this show endure, but elaborating on that will require major spoilers. One thing I liked about this show was how one of its last episodes took the time to quote Hachiman's words from the first episode just to show how far he's come. Granted, he still has quite a ways to go, & I would like to see him make some of that progress in a fourth season, but as it stands, I'm quite happy with how the third season resolved, at least in comparison to that cliffhanger of the second season.
Major spoilers:
I have the impression that my relative satisfaction with the end of season three is an unpopular opinion, and that is why I feel it's important that I explain my reasoning for that in this review, despite it being a little out of place.
Last chance. I truly hope you'll refrain from reading this until after you've finished the third season of this show.
I actually liked Hachiman's choice of Yukino at the end. I just wish he had made it earlier. I feel so much pain could have been avoided on Yui's part if he had had the emotional maturity to tell Yukino how he felt about her much earlier. I love Yui, & my God does my heart ache for her, but I don't know if a relationship between her and Hachiman could be anything but incredibly one sided. I feel like the main reason her friendship with the two individuals as closed off as Hachiman and Yukino worked is because of just how much she pushed for it.
I know Yui is such a good person that she would have been happy to carry the burden of such a one-sided relationship on her shoulders (and she wouldn't have even seen it that way, at least initially) but as someone who appreciated Hachiman's efforts to approach every situation rationally (& who adores Yukino often being at least a step ahead of Hachiman in her efforts to do the same) I would have been much more unhappy with an ending in which Hachiman chose Yui instead of Yukino. Yui is also far more equipped to find someone better than Hachiman. With Yukino & Hachiman together, they will depend on each other to improve far more than one depending on the other in the one sided way that Hachiman would have depended on Yui.
* I can't say I blame them for being terrified of what would happen to their friendship if Hachiman chose a romantic relationship with Yui or Yukino. I think even Yui was terrified of that. She was ultimately correct in her assumption that Hachiman would choose Yukino & not her. Despite having more emotional maturity than Hachiman & Yukino combined, she still feared that she would lose her best friends (Hachiman & Yukino). By the way - props to her for still trying to maintain a friendship with her best friend & the boy she loves in the end, despite them dating. I don't imagine there are many teenagers who could do that.
Da Wang Rao Ming (2021)
Surprisingly Good
Like the last reviewer said, I wouldn't call this an anime. I mean, it's Chinese and not Japanese, but honestly, I kind of prefer that.
There's a lot of really cringey elements to Japanese anime that I find I always have to put up with, and this avoids those, while still making its main character quite interesting.
This anime takes such a simply concept (a person who powers up by bringing out negative emotions in others) and builds an amazingly deep story around that.
Dota: Dragon's Blood (2021)
It's Not Enough
I wish I could give this a better rating, but this show is not enough to carry the depth of the story it tries to tell. This would be better as a kids show, where none of the main characters die. Some shows can certainly handle the weight of such devastating plot points. This cannot.
Legacies (2018)
It's Terrible... But I Love It.
Everyone's criticisms - that this show is tiresome, with noncreative TV soap level acting (eye candy actors) & script - are all true. To top it all off, nearly every episode has one of its characters saying its title in the most campy way possible at some point in said episode.
That being said, I can't help but love this show. Maybe I'm just refreshed after watching something like The Vampire Diaries, which took itself far too seriously, but I like all the comedic moments in these show, even if they are very campy.