Jeoffrey

This anime series was not easy for me to rate. If I was going to just share my basic impressions, I would probably write about how it all looks very nice and that this anime series certainly was not a chore to watch, as it was often definitely quite interesting. I could walk away stating that I saw something that was pretty good, sometimes great, give it around 7/10 and go watch something else. However, it is just not that easy for me! There are lots of little bits and pieces and stories trying to form a coherent whole that I can mostly understand, although I would have to make some assumptions regarding what I think most of it is about. Some of the stories stand up by themselves, with their own interesting subject matter, and provide food for thought, and I am happy to think, naively, that I have figured most of them out and I believe I can understand some of the messages they were putting across. I even went so far as to defend this anime series in some discussions (something I normally do not do). However, on the other hand, all the bits and pieces are scattered around and thrown at the audience without any kind of coherence, and so I have to agree it seems to have been put together a bit randomly and I find it is rather lacking in consistency. Why does the main female protagonist’s behavior keep on changing all the time? Why are the parts which could result in some significant change in her character or some kind of character development just so unexpectedly sandwiched in between other episodes that could be described as, say, just ordinary stories about traveling, and do they actually have any effect on her character? For my part, I think I would have preferred to see some straightforward continuity so that I could better understand the main female protagonist’s decision-making processes. As it is, the last episode shamelessly and blatantly exploits the fact that I am going to be more confused and make assumptions, and they made it challenging to work it all out! Unfortunately, I also think that sometimes the screenwriters are bad at creating a good atmosphere and so, for example, many encounters happen too early on in the story, and so have almost no effect (there is no sense of nostalgia). At other times too much is revealed so, for example, after a few episodes I have pretty much worked out exactly who the renowned witch Niké is, and so a big revelation, later on, is not going to have the desired effect really. Sometimes it is amusing, sometimes it is dramatic, at one point it even tries to be a horror. In other words, the moods change like they do in real life. Sometimes it turns out OK, sometimes it turns out badly, and sometimes it turns out ambiguously - which I think is quite a positive thing, because sometimes even I never know what I am going to get in life next (why am I thinking about box of choccolates from Forrest Gump again?). Most of the episodes always seem to have a point and yet there are moments where I did not get it or it just felt very conventional. The world it is set in is interesting, magical, and also not utilized as much as I think it deserves. The fight scenes are beautiful, dynamic, colorful, and there are just a few of them because this is not a shonen (which is not a criticism, just an observation). I like the way the screenwriters created the main female protagonist who is a well-written complex character with her own distinct character flaws, like her selfishness, pride, self-consciousness, and many other observable traits which influence her decisions. It is good that the main female protagonist has some of those negative characteristics to balance the positive ones, however, for someone so used to tropes and clichés, it is quite a lot to take in (which is not the show's fault, it is mine). All in all, this anime series is definitely not as simple as I first thought, or rather, I found it quite complex (because I sometimes probably overthink everything), and maybe I just see things that are even not really there... Anyway, if the next season comes out, I am going to continue watching it, continue challenging my poor brain, and looking for answers, symbolism, and allegories - all the things I could see that meant the anime series made sense to me. I found it entertaining, intriguing and I definitely cannot say it is average (or below).

So, the second season has finished. The main question is - was it better than the first one? Well, truth be told it is still kind of the same so probably not... There were plenty of fight scenes, however, they rarely came close to the fratricidal carnage of the end of the first season, both qualitatively and aesthetically. The background of the world and story unfolds, and some of the answers provided are definitely interesting and surprising, mainly because of the last episode’s finale. I got the feeling that the big stuff is yet to come in season three, and so the whole of season two was just a transitional part between the opening and the finale - the worldbuilding. I have already shared my first impressions in a discussion here, however, just to clarify - I was not really into the beginning. The first episode would have made a pretty cool OVA, however, it did not impress me very much as a wannabe cool and funny start. Likewise, I did not really enjoy the Chinese arc. I thought there were some important characters missing from the story and instead all we got were other characters that I mostly did not care for, and I also thought the talking animals were just an unnecessary peculiarity… However, on the other hand, it turned out that this arc has revealed something quite significant to the story. Likewise, some of the characters from that arc had a useful role in the following episodes, so I found that even the presence of the absolutely unremarkable Juggernaut ended up making sense. Furthermore, the later episodes were the best. I really liked Captain Shinmon and I absolutely adore the mysterious Joker, so the episode dedicated to them immediately put a smile on my face and I really enjoyed the Joker's version of Steve Miller's iconic song. The Haijima Industries and the Netherworld arcs were good, and I once again enjoyed watching the Fire Force, a feeling which I had almost lost during the Chinese arc. The finale was very good, as it set the stage for the next season. It made the main male protagonist upgrade and level up (and I am looking forward to him showing what he has learned in action now), and so all we have to do is wait for the third season to start. In conclusion, I enjoyed the second season on average as much as I did the first. I am telling myself that if I were younger (boomer alert!), I would have enjoyed this whole anime series and goofy humor a lot more. As it is, I have to make do with the (still) pretty good fight scenes, a story which, thanks to its mystery and sophistication, I find quite interesting, and a few characters I really enjoyed (Joker, Shinmon, Obi, Princess Hibana, Charon...). Oh, and what the hell was that Soul Eater moon supposed to be about? All the sixes, six-six-six - 6.66/10.

In one word: beautiful! Visually, it is simply awesome, especially the way the wolf's sensory perception is portrayed, the magical ending of the movie, the wonderful editing and transitions to widescreen that made the more intense parts so powerful... This was an amazing and spectacular movie, enhanced to pure perfection by the perfect soundtrack! I have probably only one minor criticism regarding this movie, and that is the narrative. Even if I leave aside the fact that after finishing it I was instantly reminded of James Cameron's Avatar, because the basic narrative is similar in many ways, I cannot say that watching Wolfwalkers affected me as strongly as Song of the Sea did. It was a really emotional movie, it had a strong narrative full of suspense and twists (however predictable), however, Tomm Moore did not manage to move and affect me as much as he did in the past. It is a wonderful movie, beautiful and magical, however, I still think that Song of the Sea remains the best movie in Tomm Moore's oeuvre. Still, I am awarding it a much-deserved 9/10.

Why do some people have a constant need to remake an ending to a story that was pretty reasonable already to something they think will somehow appease their audience more and be more satisfying? It is quite pointless, right? Why are some ideas not left as they were meant to be or some stories not left alone? Hey, you know what? I have an insane idea: we should bring back the Emperor as the ultimate evil being in order to defeat him yet again, it is going to be perfect! Oh, hang on a minute, someone somewhere has already done that! I am disappointed because I could have easily done without this alternative ending and been happy, although I can say I am not angry, which is good news for the screenwriters. I cannot say that I did not find anything particularly wrong with it either, because the animation and soundtrack were just fine. Likewise, it is nice to find out what happened next to some of the characters, and a certain part of my romantic soul thinks that because of that it is pretty OK. On the other hand, I have to agree with some of the other reviewers that this movie does not retain any of the depth of the original story, and it is just quite a mediocre movie. So what was the point of it? I think TomX2 said it best - it is simply fan service! It tries to make a perfectly reasonable ending somehow more satisfying, and yet unfortunately it kind of defeats the point of the original ending. For me personally, the imaginary canon is the whole of the Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion anime series, and this is more of an alternative ending in order to flesh out the story a little bit and wrap it up again, and while it is still pretty decent, it is also kind of pointless... 6/10.

The follow up to "Attack on Walking Dead Seraph" has arrived! Half a year on from the events of the Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress anime series, the fortified steam locomotive continues to roll across the landscape and now faces the castle of Unato, where the Kabane horde has fortified itself and for some strange reason is using combat tactics that are perhaps a little too advanced for the zombies... The movie has the same characteristics as the Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress anime series, and an unsurprising storyline where it gets philosophical about how different the Kabane are from humans again. There is also the expected revelation that the Power of Love is simply too awesome... It is all delivered in a nice graphics package (because Wit Studio really knows how to do that really well), and so some of the fight scenes are, once again, a feast for the eyes. I was surprised how short it was. After all, the movie’s running time is only sixty-eight minutes long, however, otherwise, I found most of it quite predictable really... The plot is quite average, and it was the action scenes, animation, and soundtrack that impressed me most about the movie, and thanks to them I am awarding it 6.7/10.

Do you know the story about the lecherous male protagonist who is infatuated with a young girl, dreams of various sexually perverse activities he would like to engage in with her, and, thanks to some unexpected coincidences falling out of the screenwriter’s pen, gets into strange, almost-erotic situations? This is the kind of ecchi anime where the main male protagonist tries in vain to get into the panties of the main female protagonist, sometimes getting at least close to it before it ends in a total beat down from the object of his desires each and every time. The male protagonist is of course a filthy deviant, although he mostly has a heart of gold and helps his chosen one out of the predicaments she gets herself into, albeit often unwillingly. He is a loyal and devoted, unappreciated protector whose value is usually only appreciated at the very end, when it may be too late, just like good old Golden Boy and his ilk... That is basically this anime movie too albeit with one major difference - the main character is a German Shepherd dog! So here we have a totally bizarre movie with a strong zoophilic tinge, and I thought even the comedy scenes looked very weird, twisted, and fucking stupid... Too often I wondered what the hell I was watching, whether I should laugh or cry, and that the creator of the movie was just a real lunatic. On the one hand, it is nice that there is an anime movie with no taboos, where anything goes, and yet truth be told there are things I probably do not need to see. I did not need to see a German Shepherd dog have the facial expressions of a lecherous perverted old man! If I disregarded the fact that the main protagonist Rin Tin Tin is a dog, I think we would just have a pretty mediocre ecchi anime movie here. However, the fact that there is a dog in the main starring role just makes it - well, let us just say it is not exactly a sort of lovable insanity. Add to that the fact that a lot of the supporting characters occasionally act like they would be quite happy if the dog managed to see his interspecies lust become a reality, that they might even be cheering him on at times, and I was just left scratching my head. Damn, what the hell was I watching again? If I knew what I was getting into I would have opened a bottle of something strong or gotten high on something green in color, and then it might have been the best comedy I have ever seen. However, trying to watch it sober - no thanks, never again! Although I am reluctant to do so, I am going to award give it one star, just for the outrageous audacity to even make something this stupid, for hitting me with something unwanted yet original which I just cannot unsee. So, if you want to watch something totally cringe-worthy for half an hour, you like the bizarre, and the notion of bestiality - love between animal and human sets you apart from most other people, then please, help yourself to this. In this case I would rather be a dead lion than a live dog! 1.5/10.

I have kind of the same impression about season three I got from previous seasons, and this new season has a weaker start, although it soon starts to pick up a bit faster this time. What about the rest? It is a message of tolerance about the fact that violence only leads to more violence, from which there is only one way out, an understanding of what we all sort of have in common, and that the greatest enemy is once again human ignorance even though that is actually quite understandable. This is all wrapped up in a package of imaginative animation. I found the biggest draw throughout this season was the interesting world it is set in and its different animal cultures. The rest was not that surprising, however, it was still really well produced. “Yumyan still owns you all!” 6.7/10.

Season two roughly follows the same formula as the first season, only this time the greatest enemy ceases to be a mysterious, life-threatening disease and becomes the fight against social injustices. It is no longer so much about new minor inventions, it is more about trying to restructure certain sectors of their local church, convincing others of the main protagonist’s value to society, and fighting social injustice on many fronts. Sure, the subject matter is interesting and comes on quite strong at times, but the show has lost a bit of the lightness and relaxing vibe that I thought made the first season so enjoyable. It is not that noticeable a difference, yet you can feel the difference is there. It is still a very enjoyable show with lots of endearing characters (old and new), and my personal favorite was the main priest Ferdinand (as well as the adorable main female protagonist). I guess it is like comparing the two openings for me - I found the one for the first season just wonderful, and the one for the second season is very similar (it is even sung by the same singer), however, it just does not feel as good, while still great, however, it just feels a bit watered down... Still, the second season gets 8/10 and I am really looking forward to the next one.

Ascendance of a Bookworm is a wonderful and enchanting anime series, from the fantastic opening, which is definitely the best opening of the anime season Fall 2019, to the very end of each episode, along with the magnificent (artsy) pictures at the end. Sometimes, just when you think that those isekai anime shows have said and done it all, along comes something new which surprises you again... This anime series is really well-produced even though it admittedly has a very slow pace. The whole wonderfully calm, sweet, and pleasant atmosphere of the narrative is only occasionally disturbed by some of the more suitably mysterious, thrilling, and dramatic moments, thanks to the fact that the enemy is a strange, life-threatening illness. While nine out of ten isekai protagonists are on a mission to save the world, the impossibly adorable main female protagonist in this show just wants to make her little dreams come true, so instead of fighting monsters, she creates much simpler and more ordinary things like shampoo, paper, and various decorative ornaments. Do you think that sounds boring? Well, there is the storyline going on in the background following her constant struggles in life, and then there are other seemingly run-of-the-mill storylines in the foreground that stem from her need to create and therefore needing materials, people and finances. All of that plus the fact that Myne has to constantly hide the fact that she is not really an ordinary little girl means that it ends up not really being that boring. On the contrary, it is quite charming in its own way. On the one hand, it is very understated and about everyday life, and yet at the same time it is quite beautiful with hidden depths that have a profound impact. It is great to watch, you cannot help but like the main female protagonist, and I thought several of the other characters were great too. Also, it is very hard to find something to compare this anime series to - for me personally, it is like Spice and Wolf meets Hakumei and Mikochi - both of which are also very strong and charming anime series with a few similar aspects... Anyway, I was really satisfied and this was one of the highlights of anime season Fall 2019 (and I am really looking forward to the next season in the spring 2020) 8.4/10.

This review probably contains all sorts of peculiar references and indirect SPOILERS, so anyone who wants to enjoy this anime series without SPOILERS should not read this... My first impression of this show - Among Us set in the world of My Hero Academia gone wrong?!? The show is peculiar, and yet also strangely intriguing... My second impression is not as strong, I am thinking that if this was a game in Among Us, the players would definitely not be the "sharpest pencils in the pencil case", and the way one of the characters keeps getting out of scrapes starts to get pretty silly over time! There are not even any great, dramatic, or well-executed battles of wits (even though the screenwriters were obviously trying to go for that)! The main protagonists are not that brilliant, they are just not complete morons like ninety percent of the cast (and so in the country of the blind, the one-eyed man is king...). Even Nana switching between good and evil using wannabe dramatic backlighting and internal monologues does not work for me. The third impression, however, not only saves it all, it lifts it from the pits of mediocrity, and it is due to the arrival of one "cat" on the scene and the final drama with the "dog", which is somewhat predictable (there are signs along the way...) however, this unfortunately does not affect Jeoffrey as much as the main protagonist. However, the arrival of that "cat" foreshadows what SonGokussj writes about, that the story is really much deeper, it shows that nothing is ever just black or white and this promises us that the screenwriters really did plan it all out and it is much more interesting than what I thought it would be in the beginning. I am keen to watch the second season. If it is going in the direction I think it is going, then it is all good. I am particularly interested in seeing how the one thing I am expecting will be handled, which I am not sure the character in question has any right to do anymore, however, I am not going to say more, this review is already full of ambiguous and indirect SPOILERS again, so enough, I do not understand why you are still reading this... I enjoyed it despite its shortcomings, so I am awarding it 6.9/10.