Posts from Anime

I'm not even sure if it's worth watching the finale of Titans after the third season, where they revealed almost everything they could, it just became uninteresting.
But in general, I've made a list of titles that I want to watch, but almost all of them are ongoing -_-

Maybe it's because they skip events from the manga, as Ples said, I don't know.

They not only skip them but also change existing moments.

I don't even know if it's worth watching the Titans finale after the third season, where they revealed almost everything they could, it just became uninteresting.

Yes. I also think the third season was very weak, but the fourth is a complete reboot of the narrative. I'm not saying you'll like it, but don't draw conclusions based on what happened before.

Darling in the FranXX

Dropped it at some point during the first (I think) episode. You know how it goes — you start watching and realize you're not really feeling it, then you glance at the episode count and whatever motivation was left evaporates. This time I decided to give it a shot anyway, and it turned out pretty decent — kind of Gurren Lagann on a budget with a nod to some topical themes. 

Kaleido Star

For the last couple of years I'd wanted to check this one out but kept hesitating because of its length (51 eps) — figured filler episodes would wear me down like they often did back in the 2000s, but in the end it turned out really good. A great story about hard work, the paradoxes of human emotions, dreams, and friendship, packed with plenty of wise and touching moments; an exploration of a theme I wasn't too familiar with, beautiful choreography, costumes, etc., and on top of that, watching it gave me the motivation to get back into some physical activity. Also, the protagonist is very cute. 

Kaichou wa Maid-sama!

Pretty solid too — liked the vibe between the main leads, nice humor + a cool cafe — I'd totally hang out there myself if I had (the cash and lived in Nippon). The mom and imouto were also adorable, though there wasn't nearly enough of them, and I felt a bit sorry for the second guy... As for downsides — the last third felt somewhat tedious.

Revan will say that I'm a simpleton, but I'm a straightforward person and I'll give MAL and the latest season of Attack on Titan, and the latest season of Re:Zero, a 10. This isn't the place where I want to have a serious discussion about anime, so there won't be a detailed review. Oh, and Koshe should definitely watch BISTARS.

Evan would say I'm a philistine, but I'm a simple person and I'll give a 10/10 to the last half-season of Attack on Titan and the last season of Re:Zero.

As I said somewhere else, the last half-season of Attack on Titan is just very good, much better even than the first season (and especially everything in between). After finishing it, I only strengthened this opinion. Well, I don't know about giving it a 10, as I didn't experience any major change in my views, but it's definitely worth a 9/10. Finally, there are good intrigues, finally there's good drama, finally there are complex moral dilemmas... And finally, Eren has become an interesting (albeit not entirely straightforward) character instead of being a simple protagonist, which he was before.
The best character of the season is Pieck, and I'm ready to defend this position actively 😎

On the other hand, the second season of Neverland is a complete disgrace. After the first season, everything that could be ruined was ruined, and the plot moves forward solely through an accumulation of plot devices. And the main characters just drift along with this flow, practically doing nothing themselves (at least, their contribution isn't felt). The last episode was literally a slideshow. There was clearly enough material for at least one more season, but instead, we got a slideshow. It's just the culmination of this circus that the series has turned into. It's worth a four out of ten, I guess.

Well, the main characters are just drifting along with the current, practically doing nothing themselves (at least, their contribution isn't felt). The last episode was literally a slideshow. There clearly should have been a plot for at least one more season, but instead, we got a slideshow. It's just the culmination of this circus that the series has become.

It reminded me of a parasite.

Added 13 minutes later

The last half-season of Titans is just very good, even better than the first season (and certainly better than everything in between).

I disagree. There are dilemmas, backstories are revealed, and it's artistically well-made, but subjectively, I really don't like the disruption in the overall pace of the narrative. It starts normally, then there's some cool action, then it all calms down a bit, and then there's a swamp for half a season where the characters wander around in gloomy rooms and reflect for several episodes in a row. I understand that this is how the narrative structure is built, and that a whole season of constant fighting wouldn't be great for kids either, but I still want a more even and balanced pacing. Something similar happened in season 2, which disappointed me compared to the first, and because of this, it was particularly difficult to watch it as it aired. Plus, there were a few moments with overly abrupt transitions from scene to scene, from flashback to another time period with parallel introduction of characters, which made you lose focus for a second and you had to rewind to get your bearings.
Eren also got on my nerves in the second half, I don't know why some people are so fond of him.

The best character of the season is Peak, I'm ready to defend that position 😎

Isn't she a bit old? 😂

Isn't it a bit old?

Well, I'm getting old too, so we're probably about the same age, considering that titans don't live very long.

Oh, and Koshe should definitely watch Bistarz.

Why?

Are the Titans already dominating there, or not? Maybe I'll finish it just out of sporting interest, when I have the time.

Revan will say that I'm a simpleton, but I'm a simple person and I'll give a 10 to MAL and the final season of Titans, and the final season of Re:Zero.

I won't say.

And finally, Eren became an interesting (albeit not entirely unambiguous) character instead of being a stupid protagonist, which he was.

Did Eren take an IQ test or something...? He was always fine with me; in this season, he just caught the right mood.

Are the Titans already done there, or not? Maybe I'll finish it just for the sake of it, when I have time.

They finished half a season and took a break.

Azur Lane: Bisoku Zenshin! (8)

A lighthearted and comedic slice-of-life with great scenes, vibrant visuals, and cards – a gift for any fan of the original game.

Jujutsu Kaisen (5)

24 episodes of fights. The animation is pleasing to the eye, but the fights themselves and the techniques/fighting styles of the characters are at the level of "hitting the opponent with fists," which is too simplistic for a story about exorcists. The characters' wardrobes are similarly bland, the mobs are ugly in a bad way, and overall, everything is very poor in terms of aesthetics and sensory experience (content for the mentally ill - 1, 2, 3). The overall impression is like chewing gum, but in the end, it left a more positive impression than at the beginning. At least I didn't have to force myself to watch it, so it might be better in the next seasons.

Mushoku Tensei: Isekai Ittara Honki Dasu (10)

I wasn't enthusiastic about just one moment, but otherwise – an excellent plot, excellent characters, excellent action, excellent humor, excellent world-building, excellent atmosphere – everything is very beautiful and emotional. I see huge potential and would like to have content for many years to come, like with the titans, but let's see how it goes – it's always easy to mess it up.

Shingeki no Kyojin: The Final Season (9)

Towards the end (last ~3 episodes), it got a little slow, but otherwise, it's great.

Tensei shitara Slime Datta Ken 2nd Season (7)

I've never seen anything like this before – when you watch a season of 12 episodes, and in the second half, they start showing recaps of the first half. At some point, I even doubted if I had somehow mixed up the order of the episodes? Too much screen time was spent on this, and the season itself turned out to be weak compared to its predecessor, but the characters, style, and setting are still holding it up.

I just started reading the Attack on Titan manga about 5 years ago, even before the second season came out... So, I've been waiting a very long time for the adaptation of those story arcs that were shown in season 4. I won't say anything about Re:Zero because if you don't like Subaru as a character and find some aspects of the world boring, I won't be able to change your mind. I'll be watching Mushoku Tensei next, as well as Wonder Egg Priority.

Horimiya (2)

I didn't think anything could ever surpass Golden Time as the most tiresome romance for me, but Horimiya actually managed to do it. At least Golden Time had some semblance of a soul, whereas Horimiya is just a bland slice of life sprinkled with humor that feels like it's aimed at fifth graders (haha, the guy can't tell faces apart without glasses, how funny xD). And the characters are off-putting, too real – not naive or idealized, but at the same time, they feel like robots, as if they were written based on a checklist. It's not just because the pink-haired girl was cute, and the animation and sound were decent. In short, it's been a while since I've watched something I disliked so much that I'm considering being more careful when choosing ongoing series in the future, instead of just picking them based on the cover.

Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu 2nd Season Part 2 (7)

Well-written and well-directed, but I guess my bad mood/state of mind affected my overall impression.

Kaifuku Jutsushi no Yarinaoshi (6)

I got a little tired of the H scenes and philosophical discussions, but overall it's decent – it reminded me of an expedition. Battle shonen series could learn from this author how to think through fight scenes.

Ore ga Suki nano wa Imouto dakedo Imouto ja Nai

If Franxx was Gurren Lagann on a budget, then Imo Imo is Saekano on the same budget, and in every respect at that. But overall it's not bad — only the art really let it down; though honestly, sometimes I even thought it was done deliberately, because the characters' suffering faces were way too comical at times. I especially liked the scene where the protagonist writes a light novel trying to cater to a wider audience, then rereads his creation and comments "this is just not interesting to read at all..." — that's exactly my impression of many franchises when all that remains is the brand name with no soul left in it. 

Release the Spyce

The general impression is about the same as with JJK which I mentioned above, except prettier and with more interesting characters. I really liked the antagonist's design + was pleasantly surprised to hear Shizuka voicing her. 

Violet Evergarden

A strange title. Beautiful landscapes, architecture, outfits, interiors — all of it in excellent artwork refined down to the smallest detail; pleasant to watch, although the colors did sometimes seem overly melancholic. On the other hand, the episodic stories are seemingly interesting on their own, but the moment an episode ends you immediately forget about them, so unremarkable they are. Moreover, they don't really lead anywhere — you could replace them with others or cut them out entirely and it wouldn't affect the narrative cohesion one bit. In short, I think I would have enjoyed this much more if I had watched it at least five years ago when I had less experience, or alternatively if I had grown attached to Violet from the very first episodes — then both her journey and interactions with other characters would have carried more weight. 

Yuru Camp△

I've never been interested in camping (what am I, some kind of rat, to huddle in a corner waiting for an inattentive opponent?), but I always wanted to travel around Japan, which was conveyed to some extent here. By the way, since I spent my childhood in a resort town, I know firsthand what it means to vacation off-season — it truly is pleasant when there's nobody around and all of nature is yours alone. Anyway, it's a cozy title, though I did get a bit tired during the episodes where they sat on the plains with the teacher.