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Blak3 Nikos



Joined: 24 Jun 2017
Posts: 158
Location: USA
PostPosted: Thu Dec 20, 2018 12:39 pm Reply with quote
Originally posted December 20, 2018 Happy Holidays

The third anime for this month (believe it or not) isn't going to be another revamp review. Instead it's a show I always keep spotting every time I look up anime related stuff on Netflix. Whenever I encounter this specific series I always get the feeling it's trying to tell me this. "Hey come give me a watch. I promise you you'll be intrigued with the content that I provide." Considering the fact that this the last week for Girls With Guns month and that this series keeps popping up in mind a lot. I might as well (no pun intended) bite the bullet and give this one a shot. So here it is my last anime review for 2018, Gunslinger Girl.

" "Henrietta" was an innocent little girl when her entire family was massacred and she was left for dead. She was rescued by a privately-owned social welfare organization and given cybernetic components over her battered body. Brainwashed by the organization, she and four other girls now work as cold-blooded assassins, doing the dirty work for the Italian government." (Info by Anime News Network)

In the words of Mayday Parker "Hoooo boy." Where do I begin? First of all this show wasn't as great as I hoped it would be. Similar to the Magical Girl Site situation; The first time I went to it's wiki page I read the plot, thought I was going to have a fascinating time watching this, but as soon as I finish viewing every single episode. My hope for this anime to turn out well completely dropped. Cause it turns out that Gunslinger Girl was a mixbag. I was not expecting for it to turn out this way. I really wanted to like this show. But fate unfortunately had other plans.

Now Season 1 in my opinion was fairly fine. It has some good parts and some flaws as well. But in the end I really liked it (it wasn't awesome, but it was good enough.) Season 2, however was whole different ball game. Unlike the 1st season there were tiny positives and a bunch of problems. But before I can address why it sucked and the rest of the issues that I have for this series. I have to elaborate on the stuff that was likable. For me it's always best to talk about the stuff that you like first before you get to the parts that you disdain.

The first would have to be the cyborg girls themselves. Thrust into a world they didn't ask to be in. These girls are created and train by the Agency (also known as the Social Welfare Agency as a front) to take out any enemy terrorist that tries to threaten their country. Thanks to their cybernetic enhancements they are given super strength, enhance agility/skills, excellent hearing, high resilience to damage or pain, and etc. Even though their half machines I'm still glad they were able to retain some parts of their humanity. I'm also glad that the anime allows you to get to know them down to a personal level and the relationship that they have with their handlers (their trainer/partner/boss.) Another thing that I like about them is that the more you get to know the girls, the more intrigued and sympathetic you feel towards them.

One of my favorite characters would have to be Henrietta. She is both a sweet and nice girl who always tries her hardest to keep Giuse (Jose) (her handler) happy and to complete whatever task she is given. Even though she can be over protective whenever he gets hurt or if anyone is being rude to him. That's only because it's in her coding to make sure that no harm or danger comes to her partner. That and deep down inside she doesn't want to lose another important person in her life.

Another character that I like would have to be Giuse. Out of all the handlers in the Agency he is the number 1 nicest guy. He makes sures that Henrietta does her job, he always rewards her whenever she completes her task, and (most of the time) prevents her from going berserk whenever something bad happens to him. Even though most handlers have their cyborg partners "condition" if they go out of line. He is one of the few that doesn't. He prefers that Henrietta learns from her mistakes, to keep the memories of the both of them alive, and to keep her living longer until her time is up. I'm really glad Henrietta got paired up with him. Without Giuse I don't think Henrietta would be the same person she is currently (Bonus note: if any cyborg girl receives any conditioning they'll lose some of their memories and have their life span shorten. It sucks, but that is the price of "conditioning.")

The last few things that I liked about this show would have to be the storyline (Season 1 was fine. Even though it was just the Fratello's (cyborg girls and handlers) taking down random terrorists. I like how each episode focused on all 5 of them, especially the girls themselves (I also liked that one short arc that happen between episode 10-11.) It really help keep the season together and likable to watch. As for season 2, I thought it was okay. Even though I appreciate Artland for giving the anime a more focused storyline and it did have some good ideas. I kind of wish it was a little better. During the time I was watching this I didn't really feel too invested with what was going on. Mostly because I felt a tiny bit bored and was too distracted by the many of flaws that they had.) The characters (aside from the handlers, cyborg girls, and Franco and Franca (to me these were the only good characters that I liked), the rest were just not appealing to me.)

The action scenes (Season 1 had the most enjoyable to be honest. My favorite would have to be this one part in episode 9 where Elsa (one of the cyborgs) went into this terrorist hiding spot and took down every member that was there in the most spectacular and coolest way.) The music (it was very nice. I love the beautiful orchestra and French music that the anime would play through out the series.) Lastly the animation/artwork (Season one's was average. The character's design was alright, while the area and background looked both plain and mostly competent. Luckily season 1 had 4 notable artwork moments that I really love. That one river stream that you see in the near end of episode 4, the great view of Milan at the end of episode 7, that nice view of Sicily Island at the end of episode 10, and the number one highlight the end credit scene (no I am not joking.) I really admire the love, care, and effort that they put into these scenes. I just wish they did the same for the rest. The only part for season 2 that I liked was the character designs (which looked nice) and the buildings (excluding episode 1, they looked normal and good.)

The downsides:

Season 1’s format can look pretty bad sometimes. Mostly because it looks a little blurry. You can still see what’s going on, but every time when you see it happening. You get this disgusted look on your face while at the same time wondering why MadHouse thought that this flaw was fine. Artland (the company responsible for the 2nd season) repeats the same problem.

2. {Episode 2) after the restaurant scene with Henrietta and Giuse was over. The show transition to some statue. The scene only last for about a few seconds + and then it transitions back to Giuse in a different building. I have no idea why the show would do something like that, but it did. An it isn’t the 1st time it’s done something like that too. Take this one scene from episode 1 for example. When Giuse meets Henrietta for the 1st time. He pauses to look at her for 14 seconds and then gives her a gun.

3. (Episode 3) the anime for some unknown reason decided not show show what happen after Rico shot Emilio (a kid who works at this hotel.) Sure in the next scene you see her teary eyed a little bit, but I would’ve preferred to see her reaction after she shot him. Did she fully regret what she did or did she not show any emotion, thus showing that she understand that this is her job.

4. (Season 1) The show’s editing can be off sometimes. A prime example would have to be this one part in episode 2 when Henrietta was walking upstairs to meet Giuse on top of the dormitory’s roof. During the time she was walking the show fade to black 4 times and then when she reached the last few steps. The show would pause her, then edit her on one step, and then does it one last time when she makes it to the top.

Note: The last few (including 1.) are the main reasons why I hate season 2 and wish that MadHouse or some other company could've handle season 2.

5. At the near end of Season 2 episode 3 you see Triela (one of the cyborg girls) feeling guilty about her actions. Instead of playing a soft sad song, the show instead plays this happy adventurous French music. This problem happens again in episode 1 (except the song that they play is stupid) and 4 as well.

6. Season 2 is way too addicted when showing flashbacks. Just seeing them all the time feels both unnecessary and annoying. Most of them aren’t even important or have nothing to do with the storyline it’self. Another thing that I hate about these flashbacks is that majority of the time they appear. The screen is always shaking for some weird reason.

7. Season 2 episode 9. During the last few moments of the fratello’s raid on one of the R.F.’s military truck. The anime decides to look up at the trees for a few seconds + and then later on transition to them finally defeating their targets.

And finally number 8. The biggest reason why I hate this season (right next to the flashbacks.) The artwork and animation as a whole isn't very good. The background looks pathetic (it feels like it was drawn and painted by a bunch of lazy artists.) The animation will sometimes have problems. A couple of examples would have to be this one part in episode 1 where the swat team are fighting some rioters. When your seeing both sides coming after each other the anime would slow down both of their movements on one second and then in the next have both of them clash together. Except their not seen moving, so the anime decides to shake the screen in order for the audience to feel the intensity of their battle.

The 2nd would have to be this one part in episode 7 where Franco (A freelance terrorist) was typing on his laptop. But here's the hilarious part, his fingers weren't even touching the keyboard even though you could hear the clacking sounds that was coming off it. The last would have to be the character's designs. An I know what some of you are going to say "but Blake you just said the character's design looks nice." I know that, but here's the thing. If your looking at any character far away they always look like crap.

In conclusion this anime was a total mixbag. I really didn't want to hate it. I was hoping that it would've turn out a lot better than what I previously imagine. To be fascinated by everything it could throw at me. Instead it gave me a fairly fine 1st season and a eh 2nd. If by any chance your still curious on checking this anime out, I gotta recommendation for you. Just watch the 1st season and then go read the manga. Because I bet it did a better job of capturing the audience attention than what season 2 could ever do. I'm giving season 1 a 7.3/10, season 2 a 5.5/10, and the whole series a 6/10. Let me know what you guys think in the comments and I'll see you again next year.


Bonus note 2: Happy 15 years Season 1.
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Blak3 Nikos



Joined: 24 Jun 2017
Posts: 158
Location: USA
PostPosted: Thu Jan 03, 2019 10:18 am Reply with quote
Originally posted January 3, 2019

We kick off the new year by reviewing a sequel of a popular anime I re:reviewed back in late 2017. It was called Steins;Gate. Steins;Gate is one of my top favorite science fiction anime's of all time. The show followed a mad scientist name Rintaro Okabe as he hops through time/world-line after time/world-line to discover different infinite possibilities. While at the same time him and his friends slowly learn how time travel and the mechanics of it actually works. However every time Okabe or Hououin Kyouma (a nickname he likes to call himself) does this, the bigger the consequences get. And trust me these consequences are very effective. A prime example (spoilers ahead) is that one of his friends Mayuri will eventually die (because Rintaro decided to save Kurisu's life, instead of letting her die.) Thankfully in the end he was able to save both of their lives, decided to never use the time machine that him and his friends built ever again, and they all lived happily ever after.

But I have feeling what some of you are thinking. "Then why the heck does this sequel actually exist?" Because my dear reader this sequel is actually a what if sequel. What would happen if Rintaro decided to give up saving Kurisu and just let time continue on? Luckily Steins;Gate 0 (aka today's review) answers that question and more. But one has to wonder. Is it any good? Is it even worth the look? Well "let's do the time warp again" and find out.

"A few months have passed since the members of the Future Gadgets Lab inadvertently unlocked the power of time travel using a phone and an old microwave, but for Rintaro Okabe it may as well have been an eternity. While his friends' memories remain mostly hazy, Okabe can still clearly recall crossing over hundreds of world lines, watching as his friends suffered and died innumerable times for meddling with the fabric of the universe. Though he ended up saving the life of his best friend Mayuri, Okabe is still suffering from the trauma of being unable to prevent the murder of the brilliant young scientist Kurisu Makise. He has focused on forgetting the past and moving on with his life, but he is constantly reminded by future freedom fighter Suzuha that their current world-line is set to be torn apart by a devastating Third World War, and all of the Future Gadget Lab members will be caught up in the struggle. Okabe must decide whether he will once again fight the future one final time." (Info by Anime News Network)

Steins;Gate 0 was surprisingly fantastic. You can pretty much say that 0 was the sequel that I never thought I wanted, but glad I got it. To be honest before I watched this anime I didn't know how it was going to turn out. Part of me thought it was probably going to suck, thus continuing my "beginning the new year by reviewing a terrible or ok anime" streak. But I'm glad this show turn out better than what I originally thought and that this stupid streak is finally over. But before I begin the review there's something I want to say first. I want thank every single person who worked hard on this sequel. Without them Steins;Gate 0 wouldn't have been a smash success.

One of the things that I like about this sequel are the questions/theories. Through out my time watching Zero I have been coming up with a lot of questions that I hope would be answered. At the same time I've been thinking about some theories as to what those answers might be. A couple examples (spoilers ahead for this one) would be who was the "foreigner" that Okabe and his friends have to watch out for (Alexis or Judy or someone else), why does Kagari almost look like Kurisu (is she Okabe and Kurisu's daughter from a different world line), and how can she fully regain all of the memories she lost (was it a gunshot?) Now 1 and 3 was later on answered (especially number 1, but I didn't know how "they" did it). The only one that hasn't was the 2nd one. But you know what? I'm okay with that. This show has done such a great job of impressing me that I'm willing to forgive the writer and director for not answering that question. I'm just going to have to consider it as one of those "mysterious questions that the viewers will have to answer for themselves" thing (If Tarantino or Shinichirō were allow to do that, then so can the director and writer of 0. They deserved it.)

One of my favorite characters would have to be Amadeus Kurisu. Using the memory data collected from the original. This intellectual machine cannot only look, sound, and act like Makise Kurisu, but it can also have and understand human emotions as well. Even though Rintaro was a little bit uncomfortable about it at first. He later on got over it and consider her a helpful ally whenever he needed it and a positive influence in his life. One other thing that I like about Amadeus is that she was able to perfectly replicate the same type of quarrel that the original Kurisu use to have with Okabe during the time she was alive in another world line. It was kind of like seeing the real Kurisu and Okabe going at it with each other all over again.

Another character that I love would definitely be Maho Hiyajo. One of Kurisu's closest colleagues, one half creator of Amadeus, and (according to Daru) "Legal Loli." She maybe uptight sometimes and may look like a kid, but don't think those are the only characteristics about her. She's a very smart and mature woman who goes gaga and loves tech, playing video games, can be seen as a mess sometimes (which is seen as a cute thing, not a bad one), and was helpfully to Rintaro (especially) and his friends when they needed assistance. In addition I love the interesting chemistry between her and Okabe. Some will probably think that she's some shoved in character that suppose to replace Kurisu. But I can sure she is not (at least from my perspective.) To me her relationship with Okabe and herself as a character feels natural. She never felt or look like a completely unnecessary or forced character. This is something that people who make movies or shows need to take notes on. Cause their are a bunch who do this type of idea incorrectly (Hotel Transylvania 3 for a prime example.)

The last few things that I like about this anime would have to be the storyline (I thought it was wonderful. It's pretty much the same Steins;Gate except for a lot of differences here and there. One of them was that unlike the original. Zero is a lot more intense. Instead of time being the only main antagonist. Rintaro and his friends also have to face off against a physical enemy and their secret organization (who is a bigger threat then SERN) who knows their every move, tries to stop them from changing the future, and use it for their own nefarious purposes. Them and their group don't care if they have to do every inhumane and illegal action. As long as they are victorious, nothing matters.)

The characters (while the new ones were good and put a lot on the table. The old ones (Excluding Rintaro and Suzuha temporarily) were still the same. But that's not seen as a bad thing. I love their original personalities and classic silly interactions with each other and with the new characters. Without them Zero would either feel off or too dreary to the point where I or anybody else watching this would wish if this anime would show something positive for once.)

The English Voice Actors (the old ones have done a splendid job with reprising their roles. I can definitely say the same to the other half who voiced the new ones as well. The only part that was disappointing to me was that Ashly Burch (The original VO for Mayuri) was only available to reprise her role in episode 1-13 (due to unknown personal reasons and time constraints.) Even though her replacement Megan Shipman did a great job filling in for her (the only difference between to the two was the pitch) I kind of wished Ashly stayed until the sequel was complete. But you can't stop a person from not leaving due to good reasons why.

Lastly the artwork and animation (Another thing that I was surprised about this show was that artwork and animation was still the same as the original. After all these years White Fox's art team hasn't changed a single thing and I'm alright with this. I couldn't imagine what would happen if they did. It's a likely chance that it might've been something good, but then there's a chance it could be bad.)

In conclusion Steins;Gate 0 is the best what if sequel I never thought I wanted, but glad I got it. It has a wonderful and intense storyline, same great old characters and good new ones, the VO's did a splendid job with voicing their perspective roles, and I'm still thankful that White Fox has kept the original animation and artstyle for this anime. If your fan of it's predecessor, then I strongly recommend you give 0 a watch. I'm giving S;G 0 a 10/10, let me know what you guys think in the comments.
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Blak3 Nikos



Joined: 24 Jun 2017
Posts: 158
Location: USA
PostPosted: Tue Jan 15, 2019 7:59 am Reply with quote
Originally posted January 15, 2019

So do you remember this one part in Jormungand where I talk about Valmet's lovely muscular figure? That it was rare for a female anime character to have because not a lot of anime fans are into that body type? Well it seems like it's starting to become more of a trend. Thanks to a couple of anime's that either return or debut in 2018. One of them (luckily) has something to do with today's review. An you wanna know the best part? She's a pretty cool talented maid.

"Having lost her mother at a young age, Misha Takanashi, a second grader who is half-Russian and half-Japanese, now lives with her Japanese father. Tsubame Kamoi, formerly a Japan Air Self-Defense Force, JASDF officer, comes to the Takanashi household as a housekeeper. This is a home comedy where Kamoi, a hardcore lolicon, attempts to get near Misha as she tries to fight against her." (Info by My Anime List)

Uchi no Maid ga Uzasugiru! or Our Maid Is Way Too Annoying (in English) was most definitely a very good watch. Granted it can be seen as very strange and weird sometimes (but then again (aside from Slice Of Life) what anime isn't?) But that doesn't mean it's like that all the time. Whenever a serious moment happens the anime will be very mature when showing it and when a nice moment occurs. It will either be seen as good or pretty heartwarming.

One of my favorite characters in this anime would have to be Tsubame Kamoi herself. Even though she can be SUPER creepy half of the time. She's mostly a great and hardworking maid. Who is very determine to make sure that Misha gets the love, care, and attention that she's been lacking ever since her mother passed away. Whenever Tsubami helps out normally it mostly has a positive effect in Misha's life. So much so that Tsubami sometimes reminders of her mother. Even though Misha found that hard to accept at first, but after spending more time and getting to know her a lot more than she usual did. She finally decided to come to terms and accept Tsubami and all of her abnormalities.

Another thing that I like about this show would have to be Tsubami's figure. Whenever it get's the opportunity. The anime would always love showing off Tsubami's muscular body. I understand that this mostly seen as a comedic gag, but I however see something completely different through my perspective. I actually really admire those moments. I love the effort and details that the artists put on her abs, arms, and legs. It almost makes her look like unstoppable unit that can take on anything.

The last few things would have to be the characters (the main ones were pretty good, but if there was another character that I would give kudos to. It would be Midori Ukai. She maybe a masochistic weirdo that really needs to see a psychiatrist. But I still consider her both my 2nd top favorite and a great addition to the anime.) The comedy (even though there were only a few moments where I laughed. I still enjoy watching the main characters and all of the crazy shenanigans that happens to them.) Finally the artwork and animation (I thought that they looked really nice. There was one little hiccup in this one part in episode 6 where Midori was opening up this specific door, but aside from that the rest were fine.

My favorite animation moment would have to be this one part in episode 1. Where Misha ran downstairs to alert Yasuhiro (step-father) that a creepy lady (Tsubami) climbed up a pole. Just to look at her through her window. The reason why I like this scene is because the anime literally follows her running out of her room to where Yasuhiro is at. It kind felt like one of those movie moments where a camera person has to follow a certain character/actor all the way from point A to B (no edits or cuts necessary.) The last time I saw an anime do something like that was when I watched the 1st episode of Stardust Crusaders. I really appreciate and respect those type of artistic moments. It makes them look notable and memorable.

In conclusion this anime maybe very strange and weird, but it's mostly a very good anime with a lot of positive varieties. It has good and great characters, good comedy, notable moments, a very nice and impressive artwork/animation. If your curious on checking this show out or if you want to see a simple comedy with some heartwarming moments or if you like muscle gals in general. Then I really recommend you give this one a chance. I'm giving UzaMaid an 8.8/10, let me know what you guys think in the comments.
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Blak3 Nikos



Joined: 24 Jun 2017
Posts: 158
Location: USA
PostPosted: Tue Jan 22, 2019 10:30 am Reply with quote
Originally posted January 22, 2019

Surprise, this weeks review will be focusing on Goblin Slayer. I wonder who saw this one coming. Now there are a couple of particular reasons as of why I'm reviewing this show. The 1st is that this is another 2018 anime that features a muscular woman. The second is that the three notable figures helped create this anime adaption was White Fox, Hideyuki Kurata, and Yōsuke Kuroda (These 2 have worked together on shows like Excel Saga, Hellsing Ultimate, and their latest work Drifters.) The third reason..... is that this is another anime deemed controversial by some people in the anime community. Later in the review I will explain why and what I thought about this specific thing that made them so controversial. For now let's find out what this show is all about.

"In a world of fantasy, adventurers come far and wide to join the Guild, in order to complete contracts for whatever jobs are available. An inexperienced priestess joins her first adventuring party, but comes into danger after her first adventurer contract involving goblins goes wrong. After the rest of her party is wiped out, she is saved by a man known as Goblin Slayer, an adventurer whose only purpose is the eradication of goblins with extreme prejudice." (Info by wiki)

Goblin Slayer unfortunately turn out to be an average and basic anime. Even though there were a couple interesting moments with the titular character himself. I still wish that the people who worked on this show would've tried a lot better with making this anime look more appealing and enjoyable to watch. And you wanna know what's sad? Instead of having a negative feeling, I was actually hoping it would've turn out a lot cooler than what I initially thought. I also have to painfully remind you again that the writers for this not so great adaption is Yōsuke Kuroda and Hideyuki Kurata. What the heck was going with their writing process for this show? Were they actually trying and this is just one of their off days? Or were they not trying at all and wanted to save their best ideas for their separate work (that their currently or will work on in the future?) Or were they saving it for Drifters? Either way this is not a good look for their permanent notable records. Now before I get to the positive side I want to talk about something that I rarely put up first. The negatives ones.

1. The twist in episode 1. The twist was actually the catalyst that persuaded me to check this show out. Sadly the way how it was presented was done incorrectly. This is pretty pathetic coming from Yōsuke considering the fact that he helped write one of my favorite Trigun episode (The $$60 Billion Man.) (Spoilers) The main reason why I love this episode is because it throws in one of the best anime surprising twist that no one who has never seen the original adaption saw coming. To give a TL;DR version the show starts out talking about the evil and dangerous criminal Vash The Stampede. What makes him so dangerous and how much his bounty is (60 billion double dollars.) Later on you find out that everything you heard about the guy (except for the 60 billion double dollars) was actually wrong. Vash is really just a lovable idiot who always runs into a lot of bad luck.
Now let's look at what Yōsuke and Hideyuki did for Goblin Slayer's 1st episode (Spoilers ahead). The show starts off with Priestess (that is actually her name) trapped in some cave and scarred for her life. A few seconds later you see the Goblin Slayer coming to save her life. Can you take a crack of a guess what Yōsuke did wrong here? If you said spoil what's going to happen later in episode 1, then you are absolutely correct (give yourself a pat on the back.) Here's what Yōsuke should've done. He and Hideyuki should've started the episode with Priestess signing up to become an official Adventurer (make the scene look happy and cheery like how every cheese fantasy anime is.) Then later in the middle of the episode is where they can reveal the twist. If they have done that in the 1st place, then the twist would really feel surprising and out of nowhere.

2. Goblin Slayer's Guild Party. Even though these guys are very nice and are really good at assisting G.S. with killing Goblins and other creatures (which is only 2). They are still the most unoriginal generic characters I have ever seen (so far.) Priestess is basically the sweet and cute girl who can cast magical healing, distracting, and protecting spells, High Elf Archer is the typical cocky, easily pissed off elf (who is a tsundere to boot), Dwarf Shaman is one of those Dwarfs that is always cheery especially when he is drinking, and Lizard Priest is the typical magical wise guy that is always mature, but when it comes to certain things like delicious delicacies. He goes absolutely gaga for them. I'm not joking when I say that's all to their character and what makes things even worse is that their not the only characters that's generic. Practically everyone (except for Goblin Slayer) is one as well.

3. I don't care about the relationship between Cow Girl and Goblin Slayer. There are 2 specific reasons as of why I feel this way. 1. Because of the show's average writing and the way how the writers presented their chemistry (which isn't much.) I never really felt or saw anything special or sweet about these two. I've acknowledge it, but nothing more than that. 2. Cow Girl's generic personality. She's mostly seen as the childhood friend of the main character who not only grows up looking beautiful, but also eventually falls in love with him. How in the world am I suppose to be invested with this character and her obvious love life when I practically seen other shows do the same exact thing, but only some of them do it better?

4. Hunting goblins, 2 different creatures, and that's it. That's the only thing that Goblin Slayer and his crew ever does. I was kind of hoping that they do something a lot more intriguing than just that. Like going after the person who created them in the first place, the Demon Lord. Sadly in episode 10 (Spoilers) you find out that some female hero and her group (who you rarely see). Already took care of him. So the only thing for G.S. to do is the same exact thing he always been doing every since he became an adventurer. Killing Goblins (bonus note: You wanna hear something rich. This show has a lot of nervous letting everybody know that their planning on making a season 2. Maybe if this show was a lot better, then I would cared. Instead I'm shocked and baffled. How in the world did these morons get renewed for a 2nd season? The world may probably never know.

5. The infamous controversy. Like I said before in the beginning of my review. Goblin Slayer is mostly know for a specific controversy. That controversy... was not their fault. The one who started it was the orange streaming service itself and my arch-nemesis (that I still disdain to this very day) Crunchyroll. And I know what some of you probably thinking "Oh boy, what did they do this time." Well my curious reader as the great Felix Kjellberg would say "they made an oopsie." It would seem that once Crunchyroll released the first episode they forgot to warn everybody that a certain thing happens later in the middle. (Spoiler ahead) So remember when I was talking about the twist earlier? Well it has something to do with this controversy. During the twist you see Priestess group getting absolutely screwed over by the goblins. A couple of them started raping one of the party members. When a bunch of people saw this scene they were so mortified and furious that they not only started hating Goblin Slayer for this particular scene alone, but they also went to Twitter and tweeted @ Crunchyroll's official account about their complaint.

Here's my two cents on this whole controversy. A. I agree with the people who got mad at Crunchyroll. Not just because I hate them, but because they forgot to warn everyone who was going to watch this that there was going to be a disturbing scene that happens in the middle of episode 1. Not a lot of people are fine watching or is numb to rape scenes. B. (Before you say anything, please finish reading what I have to say and no I am not advocating nor will I ever for rape.) When I first saw this scene I thought it was a little messed up, but that was it. I feel like the G.S. Production team should've made the scene a lot more horrifying than what they originally put out. Granted they did try their best I will give them that. But it was wasn't as traumatizing or scary as what everyone who was complaining toward Crunchyroll described. I've seen worse.

A prime example would be this one foreign film I rewatch last month. The Girl With Dragon Tattoo (2009 version.) There was this one scene where Lisbeth (the main character) gets raped by this parole officer. Now when you watch this scene you don't see a Hollywood version of a woman getting raped. No, the movie makes you see it full front and center. When I saw this scene I felt pretty disturbed, felt so sorry for Lisbeth, and hoped she would get the justice that she deserves. If Goblin Slayer had replicate the same feeling I had for Lisbeth's rape scene, but make their scene more disturbing, graphic, and not like a hentai. Then I would've thought that scene was beyond a little messed up.

Now that I'm finish discussing the negatives. Let's talk about the positives (which isn't much.)

The only character that I only liked was Goblin Slayer (shocker I know.) When it comes to finding and executing goblins. This guy is a bonafide expert. No matter how difficult or challenging they maybe. He always finds way a to come up with a bunch of different, quick, and smart plans of drawing them out and killing them. Even when he's super injured he still finds the strength to take them out. He may seem like a narrow minded straight guy who only focuses on his goal until it's complete. But he's not like that all the time. G.S. does show time from time that he does care for those who are important to him and always helps them out no matter what. He also makes sure to protect and save those who are innocent as well.

The last two things would have to be the action scenes (I was pretty impressed with how Goblin Slayer took down his enemies and I did thought that episode 11 and 12's fight scenes were pretty cool. If you were to watch it again I bet they would still look good, but it won't be as intriguing the first time you've watched it.) The last would have to be the artwork and animation (I thought it looked really good, especially Goblin Slayer's armor design, The female characters lip design, and the Amazon's super built body design (it's just too bad she only appears in episode 11.)

In conclusion this anime was not only average and basic. It's also a poor portrayal to the original manga series. And if an anime does a terrible job adapting it's original format. Then not only will the people who read and liked the manga hate it, but there's also a less likely chance that anyone who hasn't read the manga or light novel will even check them out (Because some will think if the anime is bad, then they can't imagine what the manga is like.) It is very essential that every anime based of a good or awesome manga series makes a great impression with it's audience. That way more and more people will check out it's original adaption. If Tokyo Ghoul, My Hero Academia, and Attack On Titan was able to persuade me to do that, then so should've Goblin Slayer. I'm giving this anime a 5.8/10, let me know what you guys think in the comments.

Bonus note 2: I actually found out that it was a terrible adaption thanks to someone I follow on Twitter. He's name is Kukuruyo and as a fan of the original manga series he really hated what White Fox and the Goblin Slayer Production Team did to this show. He thought that they didn't do the original adaption any justice. If you wanna know more go seek him out on Twitter and please be polite when asking him.


Last edited by Blak3 Nikos on Sat Jul 20, 2019 7:24 am; edited 1 time in total
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Blak3 Nikos



Joined: 24 Jun 2017
Posts: 158
Location: USA
PostPosted: Tue Jan 29, 2019 10:34 am Reply with quote
Originally posted January 28, 2019

If you were to gather every review I've done lately through out the month of January. Put them all together on a tipping scale. The result will no doubt be balance. On the first week of the new year I reviewed Steins;Gate 0. Which turn out a lot better than what I originally thought. Then on the second week I reviewed Tokyo Ghoul Re. The 2nd season of Tokyo Ghoul that not only was a sort of mixbag, but I mainly didn't like it that much. But it was also a terrible adaption of original source materiel. Then on the third I reviewed UzaMaid. A very good show that featured a cool and super kind muscle maid (even though she still can be seen as ultra creep half of the time.) Finally on the fourth I reviewed Goblin Slayer. Which sadly turn out to be an average and basic anime. It too was a terrible adaption of it's original manga series. Hopefully this week's review SSSS.Gridman will end January with a bang.

"The story focuses on Yūta Hibiki, an amnesiac first-year high school student living in the fictional Japanese city of Tsutsujidai. He meets the Hyper Agent Gridman in an old computer, who stated that the boy has a mission he must fulfill, as he sets out to find the meaning to those words and his memory loss. The sudden appearance of Kaiju would eventually change the usual dynamics of Yūta and his classmates.[4] Yūta is able to merge with Gridman to fight kaiju, but after the kaiju attacks, people's memories are reset and those who die are forgotten. As the "Gridman Alliance", Yūta and his friends now seek to stop the kaiju and uncover the truth behind the disappearances, with assistance from mysterious friends of Gridman that can transform into weapons Gridman can use in combat."

2018 was definitely Trigger's year. Because not only did SSSS.Gridman unbalance this tip scale. It also turn out pretty interesting. Even though compared to Darling in The Franxx it comes in second place (I will explain why I feel that way later.) I'm just still glad that it turn out a lot more positively than the opposite.

One of things that I like about this show would have to be the storyline. When I first watched episode 1-5 I wasn't really all that impressed. It mostly felt like I was watching another "male protagonist gains a powerful weapon thanks to a powerful being. Decides to use that weapon to become a hero. In order to defeat a villain/monster of the week." Even though around that time the show had some good ideas. They weren't enough to get me fully invested. However when I reached episode 6 (technically at the end of episode 5) the anime started to become a lot better. An that was mostly because it finally decided to show it's audience what was really going on behind the scenes.

One of them has something to do with my favorite character on this show, Akane Shinjō (Spoilers.) Now when you first meet Akane you would probably think she's both a nice and sweet girl, but then when you see what's she's "really like." You take back everything that you thought about her before because you mostly see her as a petty, spoiled, and selfish child. However it turns out that there's more to her then meets the eye. Because as soon as you get to episode 6-10 you find out that she's actually a God who created not only the Kaijus and is responsible for erasing everyone's memories. But also created the city that she lives in and the people who live there as well. "But why" you may probably ask. Well one of the reasons is that she's lonely. She wanted a bunch of things to fill up her empty heart. But deep down (and she later on knew) this wasn't enough. No matter what she did she would always end up feeling miserable inside and out. Before I watched this show I read only a fraction of what Akane was like in the anime. I at first thought she was going to have a ridiculous, but entertaining personality like how some Trigger characters have. But I'm glad the result turn out a lot different than what I expected and that the writer took her characteristics more seriously instead of goofy.

If your wondering about what the 2nd reason is then I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not going to tell you what it is. You're just going to have to find that out for yourself. It's not because I don't know (I actually do.) It's just that I don't want to spoil too much of what happens in this show.

My second favorite character would have to be Alexis Kerib (a little spoiler here.) Alexis is a digital alien who helps turn all of Akane's Kaiju sculptures into reality. The guy is very smart, clever, is always calm and there for Akane when things don't go her way. Later on in the show you find out that he has a secret motive and as soon as you find out what that is. You won't be surprised, but you'll most likely feel both impressed and disgusted. Keiichi Hasegawa (the writer) did a very good job in making him into a great villain that the audience would later on have to keep an eye on.

The rest of things that I like about this show would have to be the characters (Aside from Rikka (I thought she was both a nice, good, and important character in the anime) the rest were mostly ok. Except for the Neon Genesis Junior High School students. Aside from the fact that they were assist pieces for Gridman to use. I could care less about them because there wasn't much going on for their characters.) The music (Shirō Sagisu (most notable for helping out with Bleach's, Berserk The Golden Age Arc's, Berserk 2016's, the Evangalion and Rebuild's soundtrack) has done a great job with the show's score.) The action scenes (excluding episode 1-5 (I will explain later) they were pretty cool. It felt like I was watching a Power Ranger or Super Sentai mecha battle. Except instead of doing it in real life, the fight was performed in the anime and was executed in a more cooler way. The artwork and animation (They were both lovely and good. I loved the design of the area and background (including this one scene from episode 1 where you the trees leaves and the river stream right next to it.) The character's design (especially Rikka's) and the mech's and Kaijus designs (both of them looked very colorful and vibrant.)

The downsides:
1. (Episode 2) Akane wonders if the kaiju that she created has killed her homeroom teacher or not. But a few seconds later she decides that she doesn’t care. That doesn’t make any sense. The main reason why she creates these kaijus was to get back at the people that pissed her off. An in this episode it was her homeroom teacher.

2. (Episode 2) so for some unexplained reason Gridman can’t automatically fuse with Yuta in order to become a bigger version of himself like how he did in the 1st episode. Instead Yuta has to do it himself by using this wristband that Gridman gave him. My guess is that writer or maybe the director put this idea in there during the time they were working on episode 2. I also feel like this was just a excuse to make a mecha/Super Sentai reference.

3. (Episode 3) After the quick fight between Anti and Gridman (w/ Sword Caliber) ended. Rikka and Shō automatically assumes that both Gridman, Yuta, and SC are dead. I understand why they didn’t want to ask anyone if they’ve seen Yuta or not. Mostly because they were afraid that there's a possible chance everyone’s memories of him got erased. But if that's the case then why did they visit his apartment and on top of that why didn’t they try knocking on his door or ring his doorbell to check and see if he was there or not? Instead they just decided to not even try. Like it was pointless. Some friends they are.

4. The action scenes in episode 1-5. Whenever your watching them they go by so quick that your left feeling unsatisfied. The visual may look great, but the entertainment (at least for me) is dry. Thankful episode 6-12 made up for it.

In conclusion this show was both pretty interesting and creative. It had a rough beginning, but it got better as you continue watching it. It also had some good characters, pretty cool action scenes, great music, and a lovely and good artwork/animation. If your a fan of Super Sentai mecha fights or a fan of Trigger. Then I recommend you give this one a watch. I'm giving SSSS.Gridman a 9/10, let me know what you guys think in the comments.

Bonus Note: Now I know what some of you are thinking. "Why in the world does Gridman come in 2nd place to Franxx when they both have the same grade?" Here's the thing even though they have the same grade doesn't mean their on the same level. The're some anime's that I have watched that are like that, but these are one of the few that don't (Allow me to explain.) DITF had a lot going on for it even though it had some flaws (one of them being an almost clone of Neon Genesis Evangalion.) Most of the storyline's originality was interesting, it's themes were fascinating, and it had a lot more good characters than Gridman did. Now just because I like Franxx more than Gridman doesn't mean it's a bad show. I still love it in it's own way. It's just that I find Franxx a lot more enjoyable to watch (Plus it made me tear up 2 times.)
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Blak3 Nikos



Joined: 24 Jun 2017
Posts: 158
Location: USA
PostPosted: Tue Feb 05, 2019 8:42 am Reply with quote
Originally posted February 5, 2019

February, the last month of winter. The month of Presidents Day, George Washington's, and Abraham Lincoln's Birthday. An also the month of love. But to me it's the return of something special that I have been working since 2018 (Romance Month.) Now to those who had follow me on G+ or still follow me on Anime News Network. You would know that the last time I did Romance Month I only did two reviews and that was it. The reason was due to my head feeling so stressful at the time. I couldn't fully commit on writing the specific amount of reviews that I was suppose to do. But this year is going to be totally different. For the next four weeks I will not be reviewing two, but 4 reviews (aka the specific amount I was suppose to do last year.) So let's start off the first week by reviewing B Gata H Kei.

"B Gata H Kei revolves around lascivious 15-year-old high school student Yamada, who makes it a goal to have sexual relations with 100 different guys. However, her insecurities as a virgin herself lead her to reject every guy who attempts to make a move on her. To overcome this mental barrier, she searches for a "cherry boy," an inexperienced guy who will be her first. At the bookstore, she falls on her rather plain classmate Takashi Kosuda, and makes him the target of her seductions, without realizing that she might actually develop true feelings of love for him." (Info by wiki)

Before I begin I wanna thank wrongfully exiled Youtuber Mumkey Jones. Without him I don't know exactly what I would've reviewed for this week. Probably next week's review? Who knows? But with that out the way let's get back to the review.

B Gata H Kei in my opinion was actually very good. It's been a long time since I've seen an INTERESTING coming of age story. The previous time I watched something like that was with FLCL. But there are three major difference between B Gata and FLCL. 1. If I had to rank this anime it would definitely be a B. It might be 2 levels below FLCL, but it still does a good job doing it's own style and entertaining it's audience. 2. At least this show only last for one season and knows when to stop. 3. B Gata is more of a coming of age love story that's about two different gender high school students who actually have somethings in common than they both realize. Also I wanna give props to the writer for showing a sort of dramatize version of what two future couples look like when their falling in love.

One of things that I like about this anime would have to be the fast pacing. Now I know I give some anime production teams a lot of flack for using this method. But the truth is that it can actually be seen as a positive use. It's just that whenever the ones I give a lot of flack use it they usually don't have a good excuse why they do and it's mostly seen as a bad flaw. However there are a couple of examples of when it can actually be seen as a good thing. A. Whenever your showing a random funny scene (a prime example of that would be those 2 dinner scenes from FLCL season 1.) B. Whenever the viewer is watching a shonen fight scene. An lastly C. (Which is what this show did) use it as a metaphorical comparison to what the characters are feeling right now.

One of my favorite characters on this show would have to be the main character herself, Yamada. She may be a haughty gal who is 100% fine with expressing her own sexuality, but the truth is that she's mostly an absolute try hard. A dramatic and nerve-wreaking girl who is always on edge whenever she tries to express her feelings toward the guy she's trying to bang or whenever things don't go her way. She later on realizes that her try hard methods never works and decides to fall in love with Takashi (her love interest) the right and proper way. She even slowly starts to see him more of a person than a tool to achieve her goal.

Speaking of Takashi he's the next character I also liked from this show. Unlike the main character, Taka was always seen as an all around good dude. Even though in the beginning he never realized Yamada had feelings for him (mostly because she made things difficult for him to understand.) He too had feelings for her as well (he's just not as super horny as she is.) But whenever he tries to understand her or tries to express he's love for her. He always ends up feeling freaked out or worries that something bad might happen (kind of like Yamada.) He eventually learns to try to break he's ambitions and goes along with what he's heart tells him to do whenever he gets to be alone with her.

Another thing that I like would have to be the relationship between Takashi and Yamada. I find it both kind of hilarious and sometimes heartwarming to watch. Even though it started out rough at first (but then again not every relationship will go as smoothly like some do.) It later on slowly gets better step by step as you keep watching the series. I also liked what happen at the ending as well (can't tell nor can I describe what it's like otherwise you (the reader) will automatically figure out what happens.)

The last few things that I like about this anime would have to be the storyline (Even though some parts of felt like an anime high school parody (which is nothing wrong with that unless you make it look like crap.) I thought it was pretty good.) The characters (the only ones that I cared about aside from Mayu (who I thought was both a sweet and kind lovable character and I also felt kind of bad for) was Takashi's older sister, Yamada's little sister, and Miharu (Yamada's normal best friend.) Not just because they have a good relationship with the two essential protagonists, but also because they offer them great advice on how to form a natural and beautiful bond between two lovers.) The comedy (it was fine from time to time. It didn't make me laugh all the time, but I was still thoroughly entertained by the crazy stuff that happens between Yamada and Takashi.) An lastly the artwork and animation (I thought it was very nice. It might still share some late 2000's artwork and animation from some anime's that some people have seen before. But I still think it looks fine, even after 9 years of it's release.)

In conclusion B Gata H Kei was most definitely a very good and weird coming of age love story. It has great main characters, the production team made a positive use for the quick pacing, a heartwarming and kind of hilarious love relationship between the 2 essential characters, a pretty good storyline, fine comedy, and a very nice artwork and animation. If your looking for another entertaining and sort of relatable COA anime, B Gata H Kei is most likely the show you should watch next. I'm giving this BGHK a 8.5/10, let me know what you guys think in the comments.
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Blak3 Nikos



Joined: 24 Jun 2017
Posts: 158
Location: USA
PostPosted: Tue Feb 12, 2019 8:59 am Reply with quote
Originally posted February 12, 2019

Jukki Hanada is slowly becoming one of my favorite anime writers of all time. If you never heard of the guy you maybe familiar with the specific titles he helped wrote. Mahoromatic season 2, No Game No Life, Princess Jellyfish, Robotics;Notes, and his 2 10/10 most notable works: Steins;Gate and Steins;Gate 0. He also helped out K-On's and Chobits script as well. But today I will be reviewing the latest anime he helped out on. A yuri romance anime that was based of a manga called Bloom Into You.

"Yuu has always loved shoujo manga and awaits the day she gets a love confession that sends her heart aflutter with bubbles and blushes, and yet when a junior high classmate confesses his feelings to her...she feels nothing. Disappointed and confused, Yuu enters high school still unsure how to respond. That's when Yuu sees the beautiful student council president Nanami turn down a suitor with such maturity that she's inspired to ask her for help. But when the next person to confess to Yuu is Nanami herself. Has her shoujo romance finally begun?" (Info by Seven Seas Entertainment)

Bloom Into you was no doubt absolutely magnificent. Jukki has done a tremendous job with the show's writing and properly handled the complex relationship between the two main characters. I feel like if a girl or a guy were to watch this. They would no doubt relate to the same feelings and issues that the 2 main protags had to deal with through out the entirety of the show. This is also one of the many reasons why I love well written romance anime's. It's great to share the same emotion and experience with a single or more relatable character. Without it you would probably end up watching a generic romance show that will never be as great as the well written ones. You could never relate to any of the characters. You wouldn't fully understand some of the true positives and negatives of what it means to fall in love. An you'll probably come across a lot of pointless fanservices scenes because the creators needed to come up with one upside side to their show (Hi Rosario + Vampire.)

One of my favorite characters would have to be Touko Nanami. An outgoing, intelligent, President of the Student Council, and perfect girl that everyone loves, talks to, and depends on. No matter what the situation is. But the reality is that this persona is nothing more than just a farce. A mask she only puts on just to make her family, friends, associates, and herself happy. She also does this to prevent herself from going back to who she was original was as well (There is an additional reason why she does this, but that would be spoiling something important. So it's best for you (the reader) to find out what that something is.) However deep in her heart she hates this illusion that she has created. It has brought her nothing, but sadness, pain, and loneliness. But that all change until she meet someone who not only relates to some of her problems, but also fully accepts and cares everything about her.

An that person is the next character that I like, Yuu Koito. A mature, curious, and helpful gal who has been both a good friend and lover to Touko Nanami. Although in the beginning when it came to understanding love, herself, or her feelings toward the same sex or opposite. She never understood a single thing. An you wanna something sadder? She always knew this. Knowing that her family, friends, and etc could understood this feeling, but she can't has always made her feel upset and frustrated. An just like Touko as much as Yuu wants to tell those close or associated with her this secret. She always felt afraid of what the result is going to turn out (you could say that she has mostly felt distant between them.) But after meeting and spending a lot of times with Touko, she slowly started to gain the answers that she's been seeking this whole time.

The last character I like would have to be Sayaka Saeki. The Vice President of the Student Council and the best friend of Touko Nanami. The reason why I chose this character as my last favorite is because I love the side character arc of her struggling to accept her own sexuality. Before the beginning of the anime she has always been in love with Touko, but has never had the courage to tell her due to both having a hard time accepting who she is and not wanting to ruin the relationship that she has worked so hard to have with Touko. During the middle of the show she finally finds the strength and comfort to fully accept her own sexuality thanks to the help of a female cafe owner name Miyako Kodama (who too is a lesbian as well.) But sadly even after fully accepting who she really is she still couldn't tell Touko how she truly felt about her. Instead she decides to keep things the way it should be. She also never bothers to help Touko out with the problems she was struggling with through out the series. Because she thought Touko could be able to figure this out all on her own (also again she didn't want to over step her boundaries.) I know I should be furious with Sayaka over this, but instead I feel nothing, but sympathy toward her. I hope one day she'll learns to overcome this problem as well.

Another thing that I like about this anime would have to be the relationship between Touko and Yuu. To me it feels both special and unique. It's also kind of rare to see the type of relationship that these two have (I am not talking about lesbian romance. I'm refereeing to their chemistry.) It feels both new and refreshing to watch. Even though the two of them go through similar problems like dealing with nervousness and change for example. They'll eventually learn to conquer these issues either by themselves or together. Bonus note: I also find their chemistry both natural and amazing.

The last few things that I love about this show would have to be the storyline (I have thoroughly enjoyed watching this wonderful arc between Yuu and Touko. I also love the themes behind it as well.) The characters (excluding the ones I've already talked about the rest were actually fine.) The artwork and animation (was both beautiful and pretty. I really love the details that they put into the area, background, and the female characters as well. I also love the visual metaphors that express how either Touko or Yuu is feeling at a certain moment. But the number one thing I have to give the artists and animators props for the most would have to be the opening. It looked visual stunning.

In conclusion Bloom Into You was kind of like watching poetry in motion. You could never stop being fascinated by everything good feeling it throws at you. It has an enjoyable storyline, great themes, relatable and fine characters, and a beautiful, pretty, and stunning artwork and animation. If your looking for a good yuri romance show to watch by yourself or with someone you love (even on Valentines Day.) Then you should most definitely go watch this show. I'm giving BIY a 10 steamy yuri kisses out of a 10, let me know what you guys think in the comments.
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Blak3 Nikos



Joined: 24 Jun 2017
Posts: 158
Location: USA
PostPosted: Tue Feb 19, 2019 8:44 am Reply with quote
Originally posted February 19, 2019

You know there are many ways of showing the person who your into how much you love them. A few prime examples would be A. Telling them in person from the bottom of your heart. B. Write them a heartfelt emotional letter. Or C. By taking them somewhere that makes them feel special. However one of things that you should never do (aside from killing those in your way.) Is actually wishing to become apart of their body. Which is exactly what the titular character of this anime did. Here is my revamp review of Midori Days.

"There isn't a single person in Sakuradamon High who hasn't heard the legends about Seiji "The Mad Dog" Sawamura's demonically powerful right hand. His reputation makes it fairly difficult for him to approach girls, and after being rejected 20 times straight, he half-jokingly vows to finish high school with his right hand for a girlfriend.

Much to his surprise, after waking up the next morning, Seiji discovers that his demon right hand has mysteriously turned into a miniature girl, Midori Kasugano, who reveals that she has had a crush on Seiji for the past three years. Because their situation is not ideal for either of them, Seiji attempts to return Midori to normal. But after causing a big misunderstanding at the Kasugano household, the pair decide to keep their predicament between them until a solution is found. Thus begins an odd relationship, and what could be the only chance for Midori to finally be with the one she loves." (Info by My Anime List)

When I first watched Midori Days I was both weirded out and kind of interested what this show had to offer. In the end I thought it was okay. But ever since I decided to rewatch again (mostly due to my original review not turning out the way I wanted it to be.) I've to realize that while this show is still abnormal, it's also pretty good too. I really do enjoy watching romance anime's with a special oddness to it. But it mainly depends if it's good or not. Luckily for Midori Days it turn out pretty well and I'm glad.

One of my favorite characters from this show would have to be Seiji Sawamura. He may be a delinquent that loves getting into fights, an idiot, and a hopeless loser when it comes to finding love. But he's mostly a goodhearted and sometimes a reasonable guy that always help those whoever need it. When it comes to his relationship with Midori (whenever it's not seen as awkward or bad) it's really nice. He's sometimes kind to her, takes care of her whenever she needs to be, and always does his best to protect her from any harm no matter what the cost is. The guy truly does love and care for Midori. Even though through out the beginning and middle of the series he doesn't realize that.

Another character I like would have to be Midori Kasugano. She maybe a pain in the butt to Seiji at times, but she's mostly a sweet, kind, innocent, and good person who just wants the one who she cares for to notice her love for him. Before she mysteriously became attached to his right hand Midori was mostly seen as a shy and timid girl who was mostly (at the current age that she is (16)) sad. She always wishes she could tell Seiji how she truly feels about him, but whenever she does the words would never come out. But ever since she replace his right hand she's been mostly positive, became more of a fun loving and outgoing girl, and she finally had the courage to confess her true feelings to him.

Another thing that I like from this anime would to be the relationship between Midori and Seiji. I again understand that during the beginning and middle of the show. Most of the percentage of their chemistry has been mostly strange and rocky while the last few are sort of genuine and sweet. But all of that changes until you reach the end of the show. However I feel like that's the point what the director and writer is trying to convey to their audience. That not every relationship is going to be perfectly balance. Sometimes it's going to be mostly messy and less sweet, but it mostly depends on one of or the two couple on how they want things to go down in the end. With them either breaking up or by finding away to make things better so that way they can continue being together forever.

The fourth would have to be this particular theme. Through out the show you see that Seiji, Midori, Takako (a girl in Seiji's class who secretly likes him), and Kouta (Midori's best friend) share one thing in common. An that's trying to find the courage to confess the one you love. Most of us have probably gone through that scenario where we could never tell the person that we like how we truly feel about them. Whether because of pride (Takako), stubborness or not realizing it (Seiji), struggling to say the words, and not having the guts to say it out loud due to shyness (Midori or Kouta.) But one of these days we're going to have to shed these flaws and relief ourselves from this pain or regret. So that way we can go out and tell the one who we care for the most how we really feel.

The last few things would have to be the story (It's kind of good. It was great seeing these two again and the crazy scenario's that they always got themselves into.) The characters (aside from Takako and Rin (Seiji's shameless and crude older sister) because those two were pretty interesting to watch whenever they appeared on screen. The rest were ok.) The voice actors (the English Dub cast did a really good job with their performance. It's kind of rare seeing less popular anime's actually get treated with good English VA and a cast having a good time with it, but I'm grateful that Midori was one of the few that received it.) The artwork and animation (It was alright. It mostly looked like one of those 2000's anime's that had an average budget (not great or bad either.) A couple of examples of anime's almost sharing the same type of style as this one would have to be Mermaid Forest and Elfen Lied.

Before I end this review there's one flaw that I actually want to expose from this show. An that's this: (Episode 1) how did Seiji know that Midori was separated from her original body? For all he could know he probably was already attached to it. (By the way the show never explains how he knows this. He just for some strange reason knew that she was separated from her original body.)

In conclusion this was a very weird, but mostly pretty good show. It has nice characters (sort of), kind of good storyline, great Englsih dub VA's and theme, and an alright artwork and animation. Again I'm really glad I got a chance to see this show in a better perspective than how I did a originally. Makes me appreciate it even more. If your curious on checking this show out, but aren't sure if it's worth looking at. I say give it a try and see what you think. I'm giving Midori Days a 7.9/10, let me know what you guys think in the comments.
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Blak3 Nikos



Joined: 24 Jun 2017
Posts: 158
Location: USA
PostPosted: Mon Feb 25, 2019 10:19 am Reply with quote
Originally posted February 25, 2019

Today I feel like reviewing an OVA. But not just any ordinary OVA. This is one of the most notable OVA's that has debuted in the 1990's. The same one that people like to make memes or share one of their favorite moments that they like on social media (mostly on Twitter.) That's right I'm talking about the thing, the myth, the legend: Golden Boy. And I think I know what some of you are probably going to say. "But Blake, this show is an erotic comedy." True, however the definition of erotic connects to romance. So that means I can get away with reviewing this. Plus I wanted to see if this was actually worth watching or not. So with no further introductions, here is my review of Golden Boy.

"Kintarou Ooe is a specialist in part-time work, riding all over the highways and byways of Japan on his trusty steed, the Mikazuki 5, and finding employment wherever he can. His adventures bring him knowledge and experience that can't be taught in a classroom, from political corruption to the delicacy of a young woman's heart. With nothing but the open road before him—not to mention the many beautiful women along the way—Kintarou pursues his spirit of education while attempting to hold down his various odd jobs, however undignified they may be. As he learns from each task he takes on, who knows what could happen? He might even be able to save the world one day. One thing is for sure—this will all be very educational!" (Info by my anime list)

Goodness, people who like this show weren't even kidding. Golden Boy was definitely very entertaining to watch. It might not be one of the top best 1990's anime's out there or even the greatest looking. But I believe it's a legend in it's own way and right. When I first watched this I was kind of weirded out by it's style and sense of humor, but the more I watched and understood where it was coming from the more I enjoyed it and went along with whatever it had to offer. Many props to the people who worked on this show and to it's original creator as well.

My favorite character from this OVA would have to be Kintarō Ōe. Kin may be super strange, very weird, a pervert at times, and a goofball. But when he puts his brain to work he can show to have some intelligence and even help those who require assistance. He's also an excellent drawer, (shockingly) is able to win the hearts of every female he comes across, and loves taking notes that catches his attention the most (especially when it comes to women and learning all about them.) Kintaro is no doubt one of the best idiotic/1990's anime character that the Japanese entertainment industry has to offer.

The other things that I like from this OVA would have to be the comedy (even though this one part in episode 3 was the only one that got a laugh out of me. The rest of comedy that the show provides was very satisfying and amusing to follow. If I were to ever feel down or just wanna watch something that would make me laugh, GB would most likely be one of the things I go look at in order to perk myself up again.) The voice actors (aside from these two Yakuza guys from episode 1, the voice acting was surprisingly good. Even though the English dub actor for Kintarō was unbearable to listen to at first. I learned to get use to it after episode 2 (plus when I think about it actually goes well with character himself.) The artwork and animation (aside from the areas and backgrounds (which are ok at best) the rest were fairly good. The part that I like the most would have to be Madam President's, Ayako's, and Reiko's character design and the facial expressions that the characters give off. I really love the details, attention, and effort that the art team has put into them.

Now before I end this review there's one thing that I want to talk about first. An that's the area and background. I feel like these two could've been a lot better than how they were originally presented. I hope one day someone will give Golden Boy a proper and excellent remaster. The people who were to remake this can keep the original voice acting and humorous style, but just improve the backgrounds and areas. An if they want, they can update the character's designs and facial features as well. Just as long as they replicate or maybe improve the style that the original art team has created.

In conclusion I had a great time watching Golden Boy. It was very "educational" to watch and is still a legend in it's own right. It also has good voice actors, satisfying and amusing humor, an interesting main protagonist, and a ok, but fairly good artwork and animation. If your looking for enjoyable erotic comedy that's not a hentai (believe it or not), then Golden Boy is.... well your boy. I'm giving GB a 9/10, let me know what you all think in the comments.

Bonus note: Did you know that most (practically majority) of the English Dub voice actors in Golden Boy are the same people worked on Neon Genesis Evangelion? I'm not even joking. Even Spike Spencer (Shinji Akari himself) helped out too. However he only had a minor role, which was a maid.

WHAT A MINUTE. I just came up with an intriguing theory. Golden Boy is actually alternative world where not only is Shinji a background character (and only appeared in 1 episode), but also.... is A WOMAN. Don't believe me, well just look back at the original NGE. It makes perfect sense. Shinji has sometimes shown to have some femininity to him. The first time he got in EVA unit 1, the way he's sometimes sassy towards Misato and Asuka, the way how he acts around Kaworu in episode 24. An last, BUT most certainly not least. Again Spike F'N Spencer voices a maid. It makes perfect sense, it's mind blowing, and there's NO WAY this extraordinary theory I just came up with now (as I'm writing this) has any flaws to it for whatsoever!
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Blak3 Nikos



Joined: 24 Jun 2017
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Location: USA
PostPosted: Thu Mar 07, 2019 9:19 am Reply with quote
Originally posted March 7, 2019

It's been 3 years since I reviewed season 1 of The Seven Deadly Sins. I originally wanted to review season 2 last year, but unfortunately Netflix decided to put it on their platform at the most inappropriate time. October. Because of that I had to delay the review so far back to the first week of March. Thanks a lot Netflix. By the way (on a unrelated note) It's 2 more weeks until spring arrives and those morons still haven't given us an update on when Evangelion is finally going to be on their roster. An if the original English dub is going to come with it.

But I can worry about that unrelated problem later. Right now let's focus on today's review. The Revival Of the Ten Commandments.

"The fierce battle between Meliodas, the captain of the Seven Deadly Sins, and the Great Holy Knight Hendrickson has devastating consequences. Armed with the fragments necessary for the revival of the Demon Clan, Hendrickson breaks the seal, allowing the Commandments to escape, all of whom are mighty warriors working directly under the Demon King himself. Through a mysterious connection, Meliodas instantly identifies them; likewise, the 10 Commandments, too, seem to sense his presence.

As the demons leave a path of destruction in their wake, the Seven Deadly Sins must find a way to stop them before the Demon Clan drowns Britannia in blood and terror." (Info by My Anime List)

Well to those who haven't seen the second season yet I have some good news for ya. I can happily announce that season 2 turn out very well. It has truly outclassed season 1 by tenfold. Even though it contains some flaws; one of them being episode 1-2 being a little rough to deal (I'll talk about that and the rest of the problems later.) However it makes up for that thanks to 4 and the rest of the episodes making this season look better, great writing, surprising twist that I actually didn't see coming, some pretty cool action scenes, and so much more.

One of things that I love about this season would have to be the Seven's undying determination. Whenever things look grim or if anyone of them is on the brink of death. The crew always finds away to bounce back and defeat their enemies. But that's mostly thanks to their strong desire to protect the ones that they love and care about. I respect characters with that type of personality. If written properly it cannot only be seen as an impressive thing, but it can also be an inspiration to those who need it.

The second thing that I loved from this season would have to be the Sins past. Through out season 2 not only do you get to see the seven go up against stronger foes, but you also get to learn and understand more about some of the members as well. 2 of my favorites would have to be Meliodes and Ban (but since Meliodes's past contains some big spoilers, I better mostly just explain why I found Ban's past interesting.) Seeing Ban going through a trouble past at a young age, not knowing what it means to have a kind heart, always getting treated like crap by everyone he knows, eventually finding a father figure he can love/depend/and rely on, and seeing them reunited again (on good terms) after his father figure left him to save his real son. All of that touch my heart in a sort of big way. It also got me to respect and like Ban a lot more than I originally did.

However Meliodas and Ban aren't the only ones that impressed me the most this season (aside from Merlin and King.). An that would be the Lion Sin of Pride Escanor. By night he's just a regular guy with no abilities for whatsoever. But by day he's the most powerful and strongest member of the Seven Deadly Sins (he also has the power of the sun and loves to fight tough opponents.). The guy was able to beat one of the members of the 10 commandments and was able to give a good thrashing to 5 of them. Even if one of them tried to eat his soul they would just burn into a crisp and then his soul would return to his body. Also whenever the guy fights he always has a calm and cool demeanor look to his face (the guy always knows what he's doing and who he's up against.) I"m really glad a guy like Escanor exist and is on the Seven's side. Without him they'll technical be alright, but they won't have a huge advantage over their enemies.

Speaking of enemies, the Ten Commandments are the next characters that I liked from this season as well. A group of elite demon soldiers who work under the Demon King who's goal is to kill Meliodas and rule Britannia. What makes these guys a bigger threat than Hendrickson is not just because they give the Seven an actually challenge. No, it's what happens when you go against their symbol. Every time a person does something terrible or horrific will happen to said person. For example (Spoilers) if you go against Grayroad's commandment (pacifism) you will rapidly age until to you reach the end of your life. Another example would Melascula's commandment. Go against her's and you will permanently lose your vision. This is one of the reasons why this group is an actually challenge to the Seven, feared by the kingdom of Britannia, and is called a natural disaster according to Denzel (one of the leaders of the Holy Knights and the Kings brother.)

The rest of things that I liked from this show would have to be the storyline (it was both great and enjoyable to follow. Aside from episode 1-3 this season would always thrown in some entertaining or surprising or likable moments that has kept me invested until it finally concluded.) An the characters (most of them were pretty good, especially Jericho (one of the Holy Knights) and Matrona (the former giant race's chief and Diane's leader.) The both of them received some good character development. Instead of always being a serious leader who only enjoys fighting whenever she has too. Matrona later on became a kind and lovable woman who later on married a human with 2 kids who she loves and cares for deeply. As for Jericho instead of being a stubborn fool who was desperate to become a powerful member of the Holy Knights. She later on became a nice, caring, and strong woman by her own accord. She's also matured through out this season as well.

Now as much as I wanna end this review. There's still one more thing I have to discuss. The downsides. Sadly this season had 3 flaws that I got on my very nerves and I hope they don't do this again in the next one.

1. Even though it only happen in these 2 episodes I still don’t like the fact that 1,2, and 7 (but only at some parts of Diane’s flashback) had a pretty quick pace. I wish the production team would’ve take their time with what they were showing.

2. Power levels. Ever since the beginning of season 2 the show decided to use one of the most annoying anime gimmicks that I despise the highest: power levels. Here’s the thing I don’t care what number of strength or power a certain character has (I’m pretty sure many others can agree as well.) Their actions (along with how they are as a character) are the only thing that I should give a crap about.

I know that Dragon Ball did the same thing in Z and sure it was ok at the time, but the more they kept doing that gimmick. The more ridiculous and eye rolling it became. I’m glad they stopped doing that after the Cell arc.

3. Subtitled words. When ever someone with a magical ability announce their moves the subtitled words appear showing you the name. I find this completely unnecessary considering the fact that you can hear them say it loud and clear. It also doesn’t help make their moves look cooler as well.

In conclusion season 2 went very well. It might've had some flaws here and there, but it turn out great in the end. If you haven't seen season 2 yet and if your curious if it's worth the watch. Then I strongly recommend you give it a look. An to those who haven't seen TSDS before, but is a big fan of fantasy. I suggest you give this show a try (but start with season 1 of course.) I'm giving season 2 a 9/10, let me know what you guys think in the comments.
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Blak3 Nikos



Joined: 24 Jun 2017
Posts: 158
Location: USA
PostPosted: Thu Mar 14, 2019 8:18 am Reply with quote
Originally posted March 14, 2019

The law and order system that we follow has some problems. There are some officers out there who would love to abuse their own power for their own needs or entertainment. The same can be said to some regular civilians. We can never tell if the person that we know or see in are everyday lives is either good or bad. An what's worse is that the good cops can never tell when a crime happens unless someone calls it in or if they see it themselves. But what if mankind created an AI that could be able to solve all of the problems I just listed and more. What would the result be?

"Justice, and the enforcement of it, has changed. In the 22nd century, Japan enforces the Sibyl System, an objective means of determining the threat level of each citizen by examining their mental state for signs of criminal intent, known as their Psycho-Pass. Inspectors uphold the law by subjugating, often with lethal force, anyone harboring the slightest ill-will; alongside them are Enforcers, jaded Inspectors that have become latent criminals, granted relative freedom in exchange for carrying out the Inspectors' dirty work.

Into this world steps Akane Tsunemori, a young woman with an honest desire to uphold justice. However, as she works alongside veteran Enforcer Shinya Kougami, she soon learns that the Sibyl System's judgments are not as perfect as her fellow Inspectors assume. With everything she has known turned on its head, Akane wrestles with the question of what justice truly is, and whether it can be upheld through the use of a system that may already be corrupt." (Info by my anime list)

Psycho Pass season 1 was absolutely spectacular. Even after watching it a 2nd time I'm glad it's still holds up to this very day. I truly appreciate how much hard work and effort that was put into making this show. Including the themes behind it (I will talk more about that later.) Season 1 to me is more than just a treasure. It's also something that definitely deserves a lot of praise and love from many anime or non-anime fans around the world. Well all except for China. Because their Ministry of Culture banned this and 38 anime's and manga's as well.

One of things that I like about this show would have to be the technology in Psycho Pass. I'm really impressed how fascinating and advance it is. You can wear hologram clothing, have hologram rooms that will help make your place more interesting to your liking, tiny robots that help with investigating a crime scene, self driven cars, camera's that not only do it's regular thing, but also checks everyone's Psycho-Pass, and etc. I probably wouldn't mind living in a world like this (probably.)

The 2nd thing that I liked would have to be the Dominators themselves. Just like the camera's I talked about before (except different.) These guns are not only connected to Sibyl itself, but can also scan a person's Psycho Pass and determined if the person it's judging has a healthy hue (mental state) or an unable stable one. If Sybil sees that the person's hue is under a hundred it won't deem the person as a problem. If their hue is on a 100 or higher then the gun will go into paralyzer mode. Once the user (which by the way can only be used by the police or the enforcers only) shoots it's target. They must immediately send the person to a rehabilitation site (so that way they can get the help they need.)

If their hue is at 300 or higher then the gun will go into lethal mode. Once it's on that and the officer/enforcer shoots the target. Any body part they shoot will explode like a bloody and gory balloon. But just like any new tech the Dominator has some downsides to it. 1. If the user is in area with bad wifi, they won't be able to connect with Sybil. an without Sybil the gun won't work. 2. The gun can be hacked and 3. one huge specific flaw (I will reveal that later on the theme paragraph so keep this in mind.)

The 3rd would have to be themes. Psycho Pass contains two particular themes. The first would have to be the societal and psychological theme of living without negative emotions. In other words what would happen (excluding at funerals, you're allowed to feel sad there) if we where to live in a world where we weren't allow to show these feelings. In order to gain a peaceful civilization. While you might get some positive results, that doesn't mean there won't be any repercussions. Prime example: some people will feel like the state that we would be living in to be both unnatural and wrong. They would hate that an AI/machine told them that they weren't allowed to show any of these emotions because it would ruin the peaceful society that they worked so hard to give to humanity.

Another prime example would have to be the one huge specific flaw. An that would be the police always relying on Sybil. Here's one thing that I didn't mention about Sybil. The way how it judges someone with a cloudy hue is always a probability. That means there's a chance that person maybe innocent or just needs help (just take what happen in the last part of episode 1 for example. Kogami point his gun at an innocent victim, saw that her hue was 300, and was almost about to eliminate her until Akane intervene. Realizing herself that the victim just needs some rehabilitation.) An the worse part is that most don't even question Sybil or it's judgement. They just do whatever it tells them to do. Like they were nothing more than just puppets or cogs in a machine.

The 2nd theme would have to be fear. The people of Japan have only one fear on their mind and it's not crime. It's Sybil's rules. Like I said before (excluding funerals) no one is allowed to display any negative emotions. Because once Sybil spots you breaking it's rules, not only will you be label as a latent criminal. But that also means you screwed yourself and your life over. Can you imagine how horrible that must feel? Knowing that if you display these emotions in Sybil's view you would be deemed as a deviant, an outcast, or a freak to not only it, but the rest of society itself.

One of my favorite characters would have to be Akane Tsunemori (aka the representation of the audience's point of view.) Even though she's a rookie detective at the Public Safety Bureau and will make some mistakes sometimes. She still has a good heart, sometimes fun-loving and curious, smart, and a hard worker. She's also treats the enforcers with kindness and respect too. One of things that I really like about her is that she's always composed and collective in some situations. Another reason is that no matter what happens to her, her hue is always at a normal percentage (She's one of the few people out there who has this type of ability.) I also love the character development she goes through out the season as well. Going from an innocent beginner to a tormented, but mature woman (you can pretty much say she's an adaptable type of person.)

Another character that I like would have to be Shinya Kogami. Formerly an inspector, but currently an enforcer after letting an obsession of his former partner's murderer get to him way too much (according to the PSB he was chasing nothing more than just a "ghost.") Now he maybe on edge and is hardheaded at times, but he's mostly a pretty cool, selfless, righteous, and very smart man (he's almost as smart as he's sensei, who's intelligent is on par with Sherlock Holmes.) Just like Akane he too loves, is faithful, and questions his job, but mostly let his obsession over his partner's murderer get the best of him at times.

The last character would have to be Shogo Makishima aka the clever and intellectual main antagonist and the "ghost" Kogami was trying to chase after. Now to some of the characters in the show (and probably some of the people who have watched this season as well) at first would mostly see him as a psychopath who loves to manipulate people and spread chaos everywhere for his own amusement. That is until you get to know him a lot better. He's true intention is to trick Sybil, get everyone in Japan to realize the many flaws that Sybil contains and doubt it's system, and shut down the very core of Sybil itself. Why you may ask? Well remember when I said these 2 sentences from my theme paragraph: "some people will feel like the state that we would be living in to be both unnatural and wrong. They would hate that an AI/machine told them that they weren't allowed to show any of these emotions because it would ruin the peaceful society that they worked so hard to give to humanity."

Shogo absolutely hates Sybil and it's system. He hates that negative emotions are being censored, he hates that everyone in his country are taking everything that Sybil says is gospel, and that some innocent civilians are being deemed latent criminals. You know if his methods of taking Sybil wasn't so deadly I would definitely join his cause in a heartbeat.

The last few things would have to be the storyline (So far it's wonderful. I really love how non-stop enjoyable this season was, it's excellent writing, and how it gives it's audience food for thought on certain topics that it discuss.) The characters (majority of them were actually great. I love the chemistry that each member of unit one has with one another.) The English voice actors (they have truly nailed their perspective roles.) An the artwork and animation (It is both gorgeous and so well made. I love how they made it look well balanced and avoided doing anything moe related (mostly because they were banned for doing that.)

In conclusion this season was both spectacular and treasure to watch. I'm really glad I got an opportunity to both rewatch and re:review this amazing masterpiece. If your new to anime or the opposite and if you love well written anime's with themes to them. Then Psycho-Pass season 1 is the show you should definitely go watch. I'm giving this season a 10/10, let me know what you guys think in the comments.

Bonus note: Did you know that the creators was trying to go for a male only demographic, but unfortunately got both a male and female one? Take a crack of guess how they manged to make that happen.


Last edited by Blak3 Nikos on Mon Apr 15, 2019 12:34 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Blak3 Nikos



Joined: 24 Jun 2017
Posts: 158
Location: USA
PostPosted: Mon Mar 18, 2019 9:35 am Reply with quote
Originally posted March 18, 2019

On July 2013 it's been revealed that Psycho Pass would be renewed for another season. Once 2014 arrived we would gain even more information on the season. The good news is that Naoyoshi Shiotani return as the director, Koji Yamamoto/George Wada/Kenji Tobori return as the producers, and Yugo Kanno returned to handle the music. The qustionable news is that instead of Katsuyuki Motohiro returning to assist Noayoshi with the directing. He would be replace by Kiyotaka Suzuki. Instead of Production I.G., the studio that would handle season 2 was Tatsunoko Production. Gen Urobuchi (aka the genius behind Psycho Pass) would no longer be the head writer and was replace by Tow Ubukata. An finally season 2 would last for about 11 episodes (not 22 or 12, just 11.) You know one would have to ask. Despite some of the changes in the crew; did Psycho Pass 2 turn out well? Let's find out.

"A year and a half after the events of the original sci-fi psychological thriller, Akane Tsunemori continues her work as an inspector—enforcing the Sibyl System's judgments. Joining her are new enforcers and junior inspector Mika Shimotsuki, a young woman blindly and inflexibly loyal to Sibyl. As Akane ponders both the nature of her job and the legitimacy of Sibyl's verdicts, a disturbing new menace emerges.

A mysterious figure has discovered a way to control the Crime Coefficient—a number compiled from mental scans that allows Sibyl to gauge psychological health and identify potential criminals. Through these means, he is able to murder an enforcer, leaving behind a cryptic clue: "WC?" scrawled in blood on a wall.

Akane and the rest of Division 1 soon find themselves playing a deadly game against their new foe, coming face-to-face with a conspiracy threatening not only the authority of the Sibyl System, but the very foundation of Akane's own convictions." (info by My Anime List)

To make a longer story short, no. The second season was not only a mess, but it was also a mistake. The first time when I watched this (back when it was new) I didn't really think much of it. But after re-watching all 11 episodes. I finally understand why this season received such a mix critical reaction. An before you say "were the replacements the main reason why it sucked?" My answer is that they are only one of my main gripes to why I despise this garbage.

The second reason why I dislike this season would have to be the 2 issues that the production team had when making this season. During the time it was being made Shiotani revealed that him and the crew was having a hard time coming up with ideas that would work for season 2. I can definitely understand why. Season 1 was so great that not only did it end on a good note, but when you think about it didn't need a continuation (practically anybody can take a crack of guess what would happen next.) To make matters worse the crew only a short period of time to work on the second season before their deadline hit. One could probably imagine how bad it must've been when working on this.

However (believe it or not) the only team that took the biggest bump was reason number 3, the writing team. Despite having the first season staff helping him. It felt like Tow was just spit balling ideas that would benefit season 2. Because of that the show's writing looked like it was deteriorating. There were some ideas that were good (like Ginoza having somewhat of a good character development and Akane's struggle with keeping her emotions in check), some bad ones (I will discuss those later), and others that retreaded old ideas that the first season already did, but different. Now before I elaborate what I mean I want to say something first. There's nothing wrong with using old ideas. Just as long as you both improve them and add more ideas that would work for your sequel and please your core audience.

Proof 1: No one (especially Akane) realizes that Kirito Kamui is doing some similar tacits that Shogo has done in the previous season. Most of them think that criminals aren’t getting any help with committing their crimes or having the crime coefficient being lowered. The members of PSB also think that Akane is chasing after a ghost (why are we repeating the same situation that Kogami was in season 1. This makes no sense.) But when you reach episode 5 Kogami’s mentor Joji Saiga finally realizes this.

Proof 2: Mika Shimotsuki is kind of like Ginoza (personality wise) except take away any redeemable qualities that he had back in season 1 and she only trust Yayoi (one of the enforcers.) In other words she's almost like unlikable version of Ginoza. Great, because that's exactly what every fan of this show wanted.

Proof 3: Kirito Kamui is basically a Shogo Makishima clone except for 5 differences. A. He cares about the people he frees from Sybil's control, B. he somehow was able to create a medicine that can lower anyone's hue to normal, C. some of his plans and reasons are different than Shogo's (he mostly wanted to get back at Sybil for almost killing him and killing his friends on that plane crash they were on.) , D. I'll explain later (trust me), and E. He's both a bland and unappealing character.

Here's the thing. The reason why Shogo was so interesting is that he was a fascinating, unique, and charismatic ideals man. Even though he was seen as a sick and heartless psychopath doesn't mean he's an irredeemable character. He cares for the people of Japan, he wants them to realize they can still be a great nation without following a problematic AI, and there was a point behind the cat and mouse game he played with the PSB. He wanted to test them to see if they were willing to follow their own instincts on how to take him down or were they going to keep relying on Sybil's flawed judgement. There maybe some fictional characters out there who are like Shogo, but thanks to Gen's writing he stood out from the rest. Thus he was seen as an original character you can both like, somewhat agreed with, and sympathize.

Reason number 4 the artwork. It feels a bit off. Ever since Akira Amano and Production I.G. got replaced, the look of the show began to look a little peculiar. For instance instead of the show’s tone looking balance. It looks a little more bright than it’s usually look. As for the character design. While it may not look much of a problem, that doesn’t mean there aren’t any flaws. Compare to Akira’s version, season 2’s character design just looks a bit off. I understand it’s a different artist and that their trying their best to make it look good, but that doesn’t mean I should automatically accept this and move on. To me Akira’s design looks both original and unique. Something that can’t be replicated at 100%. The same can pretty much be said for the rest of the show’s design. No offense, but that’s just how I feel.

Finally reason number 5. The rest of the gripes that I have with this season. Spoilers ahead.

(Episode 8) After One of the members of the Sybil system (Misako) found out the Mika found one of their biggest secrets (Go to number 3 to find out what that was.) She decides to let her live and tells her the rest of the secrets behind the Sybil system. Once again. This. Makes. No. Sense. If any of the members find anyone (aside from Akane) that found out about their secret. Their suppose to eliminate them immediately and considering the fact that Mika is not like Akane. She should already be dead. But NOPE Misako decided “let’s keep her alive, use her for my own purposes, and tell her all of Sybil’s SECRETS."

2. (Episode 11) instead of just hacking Kirito’s dominator in order to prevent him from killing it. One of the members of the Sybil system decided to discard a few brains so that way it would prevent everyone of the members from being killed.

3. (Episode 8) aka season 2's biggest nosedive and will forever be a stain in the Psycho Pass franchise. It’s been revealed that Kirito is not only a survivor of a plane crash (Which Misako and her medical team caused), but in order to fully survive. Misako and the rest of her team used some body parts of his fellow students on him. 7 of them where their brains (the reason: because she wanted to do an experiment on him to see if Sybil will notice him.) This kind of stuff sounds like something you would hear or see in either a fantasy, superhero, or supernatural show, movie, or etc. An considering the fact that Psycho Pass is neither any of these. It makes itself look not only stupid, but also insult it’s audience’s intelligence.

In conclusion this season is not only a mistake. It's also a stained to what was once a great show. An we can all thank the crew behind this stupidity and the replacement studio as well. This anime should've just stayed a singular season. But you wanna hear something mind-boggling. Surprisingly they got renewed for a third season and not only will Shiotani be returning, but so is Production I.G. and Akira Amano. Now as much as I wanna say I can't wait for season 3 to arrive. I'm unfortunately still skeptical. Because the only way I would ever be fully persuaded to watch the 3rd season is if I hear that Gen is returning as well. Without the original writer the show would just take another huge nosedive. So with that being said I'm giving Psycho Pass 2 a 4.5/10 (I never want to watch this ever again.) Let me know what you guys think in the comments.
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Blak3 Nikos



Joined: 24 Jun 2017
Posts: 158
Location: USA
PostPosted: Thu Mar 28, 2019 8:33 am Reply with quote
January 4, 2014 8:30 PM Pacific Time/11:30 PM Eastern Time. In other words it was a great time to be an anime, but most importantly a Shinichirō Watanabe fan. The reason is because not only were the fans going to receive another new content by him (the other one (Terror In Resonance) would be coming out later in July.) But Toonami (a nighttime block that would always air every Saturday on Cartoon Network) was the first international network block to air this show a day before it's initial release in Japan (this would keep going until the last episode.) But was this mysterious show that gain this amazing privilege name? The answer is Dandy baby. Space Dandy to be precise.

"The space opera follows the misadventures of Dandy, an alien bounty hunter who is "a dandy guy in space", in search for undiscovered and rare aliens with his robot assistant QT and his feline-like friend named Meow. Though he and his crew act with the best intentions, despite being normally dimwitted and next to useless, Dandy is unaware that he is being pursued by Dr. Gel of the Gogol Empire.

The series has loose continuity, with several episodes featuring the main protagonists and antagonists dying, getting turned into zombies, or getting trapped in different dimensions for periods of time, only for them to show up as normal in the next episode." (Info by wiki)

I can't believe I have forgotten how great this show was. Even after 5 years it still holds up and more to this very day. If you haven't heard or watched this before, but are curious to see if this anime is worth watching. Trust me when I say it most definitely is and your missing out. Space Dandy is pretty much what would happen if Cowboy Bebop was a full on random space comedy. Except there are aliens, a crew that goes on wild and strange adventures mainly to capture rare aliens, and the crew are bunch of morons (lovable, but still morons.) There also times when this show can have a Gainax inspired type of vibe (the good kind) and it's filled with some many internet, music, science, and of course anime culture references (if you worried that the references will feel overdone or cheesy, don't worry their not either one of those. They mostly feel natural and well-balanced out.)

One of things that I love about Space Dandy would have to be the adventures. One of the things that makes SD seen as a great show would have to be the wild and crazy adventures he and his crew goes on. Sometimes it's seen as regularly entertaining, sometimes it's odd, sometimes it's a head-trip, and other times it's all 3. Whenever I'm watching an episode from this series I'm always thoroughly enjoying myself. There is never a time when I feel bored or annoyed or feel like something is off or casually saying "this part could've been better if it had little more ump or so and so." In short if you were to ever watch this show you will always receive a fun time with zero dull moments.

The second thing that I love about this anime would have to be the mystery behind Dandy. In some episodes like 7, 14, and 22 for example show that there's more to Dandy that meets the eye. Not even he knows or acknowledge this until the very last episode. Unfortunately as you can already guess I cannot reveal what that mystery is. The only thing that I can tell you is that it explains why the show has a loose continuity. It also shows how great of a writer and director Shinichirō and his team is.

The third thing would have to be the music. Space Dandy's OST is so freakin good that to me and probably others who have saw it would recognize it as one of the best anime OST's out there. Right next to it would be Ghost In The Shell, Cowboy Bebop, Noir, Samurai Champloo, Death Note, and etc. Whenever you listen to them you always get the feeling that it fits along perfectly with the show's style and you can't help but to immediately fall in love with it. The Space Dandy Band truly knew what they were doing when they were creating this. I wouldn't mind owning a copy of this soundtrack.

The fourth would have to be the artwork and animation. So remember when I said this following line in my music paragraph "you can't help but to immediately fall in love with it." Well there is another thing you would also fall in love with as well and that's the artwork and animation. The artwork always looks so beautiful and visually stunning and they way how it changes it's style from time to time is so creative and captivating. An the animation always looks so sharp and smooth. Sometimes it's like seeing something flowing along an ocean's current. While other times it moves like any other original animation would. In the end it's another part of this anime that I both respect and admire.

My favorite character from this show would have to be Dandy. AKA the Johnny Bravo of anime. The first time you get to know him you can tell that he is a lover of woman (especially their butts), a guy who most of the time goes along with the flow, and a rarely successful alien bounty hunter. Even though half of time he's seen as a heartless jerk who only cares about himself, money, Boobies (it's like an alien Hooters restaurant), and of course the booty. But there are also times when he can be seen as a cool and good dude. A prime example would be the times when he helps those who are needed of it (but that mainly depends on the situation.)

The last things that I love about this show would have to be the storyline (even though again this show has a loose continuity. I still enjoy myself watching the strange adventures of Dandy and his teammates. Especially the recurring arc of Dandy and his unknown feud with Dr. Gel and the Gogol Empire.) The characters (most of them were seen as really good. Especially Scarlet and Honey (two women who are important in Dandy's life and have interesting characteristics (no I am not referring to their figures, but they maybe one of them.) The voice acting (the English VA's were phenomenal. You can easily tell that they were having a blast doing this job.) Lastly the comedy (there are times when it got a laugh out of me, while the others were just regularly satisfying to look at. Either way I had fun and that's all that matters.)

In conclusion it was great to see Space Dandy again. I'm glad I reminded myself how good the anime was and more. Ever since I finished the series the second time I find myself loving and respecting it a lot than what I did before. If your looking for another great Shinichirō masterpiece or your just looking for an anime that will give you an awesome entertaining time. Then you gotta check out Space Dandy baby. If you don't you might just regret it. I'm give Dandy a 10/10, let me know what you guys think in the comments.
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Beltane70



Joined: 07 May 2007
Posts: 3879
PostPosted: Thu Mar 28, 2019 7:27 pm Reply with quote
Speaking of Space Dandy's music, I really enjoyed its closing song, "Welcome to the X Dimension" by Etsuko Yakushimaru, whose music I've just recently started enjoying. While I always liked the song, I didn't really pay any attention to the artist until she did the closing song to Hi-Score Girl.
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Blak3 Nikos



Joined: 24 Jun 2017
Posts: 158
Location: USA
PostPosted: Fri Mar 29, 2019 5:57 am Reply with quote
Love that song as well. Also I didn't know she did a song for Hi-Score Girl
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