Jeoffrey

I can agree that this anime series is a perfect example of the slice of life genre, and it is best watched when you need to relax on a horrible, rainy day, or maybe to chill out after a very hard day at work. I think fans of this genre are going to really enjoy this show, getting carried away with the great endearing characters (I still cannot decide who I like more, Renge or Komari, as both of them are just amazing in my opinion), and the nice pleasantly peaceful atmosphere rounded off with adorable jokes. If you are not a fan of this genre, then you are probably not going to be able to watch it without your eyes possibly glazing over at times. However, I am lucky enough to be entertained and energized by this type of anime series, and so it more than adequately holds my attention. Plus, the cuteness of the show and the various jokes throughout the season make me smile from ear to ear. If you take into account my love of nature, it explains why I really enjoy the setting, the panoramas, and the contrast between city life and the tranquility of the countryside. I consider it a perfect experience - it fits me like the proverbial hand in glove... 9.5/10.

The second season of No Guns Life has a much more linear storyline. It is no longer about solving various seemingly unrelated cases, but rather follows a main plotline, which I like to call "The Ballad of Free Will". The ambiance of the show and some of the characters in particular are still quite charming, however, it still feels like there is something missing. For some reason it is just not as engaging as it could be, I did not find it very engaging and had no real interest in what happened next. I mean I was a bit interested in it (it just does not rock my world...). Sure, if there was a third season, I would watch it because I was intrigued by the line "Now I see how big the monster I have to face is", although if there is not I am not really going to care. The second season is probably no worse than the first, yet my interest in this anime series is slowly waning (which is a bit disappointing). 6.5/10.

I like Hachiman, he is probably the character I identify with the most in this anime series (I often have a similarly deadpan outlook). He is a deep thinker, cynical and sarcastic, yet he shoots straight from the hip. Because of how deeply he thinks about everything, it is difficult for him to take a straightforward approach to things because he has to work it all out first. He is also aware of a lot of what is going on around him, so his definition of it all actually being about one love triangle made me very happy and I was quite amused. What I did not find so amusing though was the way the relationships were handled. Holy shit, the Japanese really went to town, it was all so long-winded... What could be sorted out with a few simple words was analyzed from a few different perspectives so you end up confused about what you think and feel like it is actually a complex and superhuman task and that sometimes words like "I love you" are actually completely inadequate to express what you feel. It may be right, however, if we made everything as complicated as Hachiman and co. we would never do anything for the rest of our lives, and probably in time humanity would simply die out because we would just be obsessively analyzing everything that happens to us instead of just trusting our instincts and going with the flow. Sure, you are probably going to be into this show if you are a deep thinker type of person, even though sometimes enough is just enough... There are not only philosophical and social issues being discussed, there are also emotional dramas tugging at the heart-strings, telling the audience that even the underdog girl is actually a straightforward and interesting person, and if we were the underdog, that would have its upsides and we should therefore feel some sort of sympathy for her. I think that the characters are really good and endearing, and truth be told I actually did not care how the love triangle was resolved in the end because I liked both of the girls involved (so I guess it all worked out in the end). To be perfectly honest here, I have had my mind made up about the best (and sexiest) female character in the entire anime series since the first season, who is obviously Shizuka Hiratsuka the teacher! Anyway, this season has now finished, the ending is actually relatively satisfying (just by figuring stuff out), although I think the decision not to give up even when your crush has a girlfriend is certainly a woman's prerogative, although it turns out to be the wrong decision in the long term. In other words, sometimes you have to draw a line under everything, burn your bridges and not keep reopening old wounds. Although I have said this many times before - what do I know about love? It was interesting, it definitely gave me some food for thought, and in addition, it was also challenging, at least to sort out the relationships after all the drawn-out drama. Oh, and there was also some stuff about organizing graduation balls too... 7/10.

I have often heard that Uzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out! is a very controversial anime series. People were up in arms about Uzaki appearing in an advertisement campaign for the Japanese Red Cross. However, is there anything really controversial about an anime series that simply delivers exactly what it promises in its title, which is that Uzaki wants to hang out and play? Because of the over-sexualization of the main female protagonist? So are you trying to tell me that there is no such thing as petite girls with large breasts, or that there is something wrong with them? Sure, this is an ecchi anime series, and a lot of the male audience’s attention is drawn to the “story” (plot) which lured the audience in question in with the new slogan, “Sugoi Dekai” (“So Big” or “Super Huge”), even though it is primarily a story about two different characters and their amusing interactions. In fact, it is the two main protagonists who pull everything off, the rest of the characters act more like wallpaper, just spectators enjoying the show. There is some ecchi here and there, and sometimes it seems to be a bit overkill, although there were two boobie grabs that made me laugh (in VR and Melons on the Beach) and note that the last time I laughed at a boobie grab was about five years ago! In the end, I guess it all depends on whether you like Uzaki being so energetic, amusing, and crazy, which I personally love, although if I were in Sakurai's shoes, I might not always be comfortable with her dogged persistence. I also once knew a girl who wanted to go out with me and was texting me thirty times a day even though I answered her less than a third of the time, which was definitely not half as fun as this anime series makes it out to be. However, in that case, it was mostly due to Jeoffrey’s lack of interest... This show seems to be largely based on classic misunderstandings between Japanese people, and so therefore a lot of the comedy is about someone misinterpreting something and getting it all wrong, and to be honest, it is not always that funny. I would level another criticism at the animation, I think the characters are OK, despite the fact I never really liked the use of 3D for the backgrounds (such as with the cars), although I understand it makes the show cheaper of faster to produce and it does not affect the characters and their interactions which is the focal point. So what did I like about this show? I liked the important stuff - the chemistry between the two main protagonists (I watched one episode eating a bowl of rice), however, I have some quibbles about the rest. The second season has already been confirmed and I am going to watch it if I have time. I am awarding the first season something around 6.3/10.

I can see why the reviewer Scalpelexis likes The Millionaire Detective Balance: Unlimited and he was right, it is quite stylish and entertaining. A lot of this is down to the charisma and demeanor of the smooth, cool main male protagonist who has a technological arsenal that could rival James Bond, and who has a similar superpower to Batman's - he is extremely rich. I also liked the fact that I could watch the season in two halves, as the first half has a display of wealth showing it can get you almost anything and there is some larking around. The second half of the season is a convoluted case full of quite interesting and sometimes unexpected twists which means it does not become samey. I also appreciate that the characters are not stereotypical, and it is not that classic buddy cop thing where you use two different characters to bounce off each other resulting in their relationship helping them grow and changing them as people. Although these two characters do change a little, it is a natural process, so the character development (or transformation if you prefer) is more believable. Katou was not that impressive as Kambe's partner, he struck me as the straight-laced nice-guy detective who is a decent counterpart to the other main protagonist. That should have made sense, although I thought he was just unremarkable, a weaker link - and he was not that entertaining. I was not able to suspend my disbelief and just lose myself in the hilarious absurdity (which I have had absolutely no problems doing with other shows). For example, how the hell do you get from England to Japan in eighteen minutes, or how do you get a band from its gig onto a train full of pensioners in just a few minutes? Well, the paradoxes of time and distance are only the tip of the iceberg! I should not have to deal with that on a TV show, I know such paradoxes exist in other productions like the Bond movies, etc., however, in this show I thought there were just too many... When I look at it and think about how much I enjoyed it, I think that an above-average rating is quite fair really, the important points work for me and the things that bother me are basically secondary. When compared to the shows I have awarded 7/10 to recently, I decided on a fraction less. 6.5/10.

Deca-Dence is an adventurous anime series that tries to combine several interesting themes and ideas, yet ultimately fails by trying to do too much. It means that it does not go too deeply into any of the subject matter, and truth be told, I thought that even some of the basic elements did not really work very well. The beginning was pretty good, because the setting was really intriguing, and the moment when the moving fortress defeats the giant creature (a Gadoll) looked really cool. The twist at the end of the second episode got my attention. It was quite original and I was waiting to see if this added dimension would help or bury the show. I had my doubts and some reservations, such as the visual presentation of the robots and their world because they did not seem to quite fit in. What I did like was the way the relationships between the main characters gradually developed and the fact that the promo text’s assertion that the anime series would “shake up the whole world” was so true. However, can I say that it was an emotional rollercoaster ride? Well, not for me, I do not know about you. I watched most of this season with mild fascination, I accepted a lot of things going on and I was like, OK, however, I did not really get into it too much, it was not an immersive experience for me. Similarly, I did not feel much affinity with the characters, as likable as some of them were, I did not care about them, their problems did not really affect me... So, you would say that an anime series with such an interesting combination of different subject matter must be at least the kind of production that makes you think? Not really. In my opinion, this anime series has no sort of deeper insight, it almost has a very black and white view, and some of the moral and social dilemmas are admittedly far-fetched, yet not really explored from differing viewpoints. What is this show then? It is a show with some rather unfortunately under-developed albeit interesting ideas, without which it would actually be just a really mediocre show. However, it did not really bother or bore me and the attempt at some originality was appreciated, so I shall award it 6/10.

Diary of Our Days at the Breakwater is a delightful show. Sure, it is another anime series about girls who have their own little club (this time a recreational fishing club) and get up to all sorts of things, and everything is adorable, entertaining and educational - I have seen shows that attempted to do this a few times before, and I definitely consider this anime series one of the better of its type. I liked the make-up of the characters. I liked the execution of that transformation from "I definitely cannot fish" to "I like catching fish". I also commend the occasional ecological overtones. Likewise, one learns a bit about fishing and gets some of those basic tips and tricks. I just like this type of show where they show the good sides of a hobby, want to teach you something and look at the cause and effect. Well, if you like the overall atmosphere (accentuated by well-produced animation and soundtrack), then I think it is winning and the result is a most enjoyable show. 7/10.

This is a beautifully complex story, filled with lots of bittersweet emotions, nice pacing, interesting twists, and the gradual development of a large number of characters. The atmosphere of the show, delivering different moods where some moments are just beautiful, and sometimes there are also some sad moments, and even scenes that make us angry - it is just like what real life is supposed to be like. I thoroughly enjoyed every episode and I did not really care who it was focused on because there are so many interesting characters, and they have such complicated stories and there are the never-ending struggles of the individual protagonists, with, more often than not, themselves... The best thing about it is probably the simplicity and consistency ...the way everything happens, the quality of the workmanship that convinces me that things that happen in the show are completely believable. There are a lot of colorful rainbows, enchanting moments, and yet also a lot of heartache and suffering... I found the second season was also enchanting, and I am happy that I am finally watching the uncut story in all its complexity and ambiguity. I am happy to write a gushing review of so many wonderful, difficult, and complex characters. This is an awesome show, and along with the wonderfully chosen openings and endings, which evoke the right kind of welcoming, enchanting, and maybe even a bit of a thought-provoking atmosphere, I really enjoyed this and it is not just the ending that is making me look forward to the third season. This is an excellent adaptation, a wonderful season, and please, keep it up. 9.5/10.

What a ride! This is incredibly full of contrasts, beautiful, and also completely twisted, terrifying, painful, enchanting, and intense... It is really well produced, really emotional, and a really decent action movie. I feel like I have seen a lot in one movie and it will definitely resonate in me for a while. It is going to take me a long time to want to go on this ride again. Bondrewd was also a very interesting, entertaining yet totally twisted bastard. This is a must-see for fans of the Made in Abyss anime series hungry for a follow-up! Well as far as I am concerned,  I am blown away and I want more! 10/10 P.S. If you have the DVD version, then do not turn it off - after the credits, there are two more Marulk shorts.

This show has a great dark fantasy atmosphere, and the screenwriters do not hold back on some rather explicit elements to create a decent narrative with interesting scenes and ideas that make it a really good anime series. There are obvious comparisons with Berserk, and the creators of the show have not deviated from that formula. The world it is set in is quite charming and at the same time repulsive, the clear motivations of the characters lead to all sorts of more or less surprising outcomes... Each episode is named after one of the seven deadly sins, and they are produced ​​and elaborated on based on the title (sin) really well. The fans of the aforementioned Berserk are going to feel right at home, the story is fairly straightforward and it is easy to grasp what is going on. The whole narrative is actually uncomplicated, there is no deep philosophizing, just hints here and there, and the rest is just simply another epic journey... Due to the short running time, some scenes and changes feel a bit rushed although it does not seem to affect the narrative. At most, you will just be left wondering where all of a sudden some protagonist (or character) came from although you can usually figure it out in the end. The general concept of the show is an intriguing proposition, as is the character development. Please do not talk to me about the animation! I do not like CGI, and the first time I saw the dragon I turned purple and cursed Netflix and their obsession with 3D animation, which is rarely very good. Fortunately, the opening theme song calmed me down a bit, and I have to say that these opening credits are impressive and would put any fantasy anime movie or series to shame. In the end, I got over the CGI (I got even used to the new Berserk (2016) anime series, and their CGI and 3D character models were much worse), there are scenes where it looks pretty good (The Lich King, the use of magic), however, I remain unconvinced that this is the right direction for anime... On the whole, Dragon's Dogma is a successfully produced anime series, a tasty treat of a show for lovers of darker fantasy, a decent advertisement for the original game (which it is based on although it is not an adaptation), and I think an above-average experience. 7/10.