I'm going to be honest: I've only seen the first season, but it didn't have much going for it. And YES, I DID watch it in the correct order. (For those who don't know, they were for some reason released in the wrong order, purposefully.)
The characters. Well, Haruhi is an annoying tsundere. Like, near-unbearable. I'm sorry, when did molesting others become endearing? When did being super bossy magically transform into just being "strong-willed?" She literally uses the people around her for her own entertainment. Yuki is the silent type; I can't remember if she has personality or not. But generally if I can't remember, it means there was nothing remarkable about her. Mikuru... is basically the moe of the group. She's the nice, soft-spoken one who just does what Haruhi says, even when she herself is not comfortable doing it. But whatever, right? Having a backbone is so out; as long as you have boobs, who cares? Kyon is just your average guy. Again, nothing special. Itsuki is actually pretty interesting, though not because of his personality but rather what he does in the Anime... which, really, since he didn't do it super often, isn't a huge advantage.
The plot... pretty much happened in the first five episodes as they gathered the main characters together and introduced ideas. It's... definitely unique, but it doesn't set up for anything, really, as evidenced by the fillers that ensued after the plot was established. So then the plot is forgotten for 6 episodes or so and then BAM last episode, crazy stuff goes down, Kyon takes action, things go back to normal, season ends.
...I'm sorry, what? Where was the resolution? You call "things going back to normal" a resolution? No, no. Things aren't permanently back to normal; there is a good chance that this could happen again. I'm super mad that you set up this situation where cool things could happen and completely ignored it for the majority of the first season for stupid filler stuff.
Fanservice. There's some. It's not too ridiculous but... it's all filler. And that's all that really bothers me about it. Can we spend less time watching Mikuru's boobs bounce and more time doing something, oh I don't know, that has to do with the unique plot you set up? No? I should be happy that I get a cute dance animation sequence in the end? Oh, okay. Apparently I'm not up-to-date on what Anime fans are into, these days, 'cause I thought STORYline was important in a STORY. My bad. :/
All in all, 5/10. It wasn't ridiculously terrible, even with the filler, and the plot bunny they birthed for this Anime is so unique that I feel like maybe they redeemed themselves in the second season and I just don't know it. I'll watch it eventually and get back to you.
DO. NOT. WATCH. THIS. ANIME. UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. THIS IS NOT REVERSE PSYCHOLOGY. THIS IS ME SAVING YOU FROM A WASTE OF YOUR TIME AS WELL AS DISTURBING NONSENSE.
Now. I'll explain to you why: this Anime is entirely based off an eroge ("erotic game," if you didn't look at my blog about Oreimo).
If that hasn't already scared you away because you're into that, here's another thing: There are different endings for each girl, which means you have to watch the same crap with slight variation like, what? 4 times?
I am extremely sad to say I witnessed about two of these, having been too dumb to realize it was going back and repeating events rather than just continuing from when he slept with the first girl. I am also extremely sad to say that I Google searched it to find the Wikipedia (at which point I realized it was based off an eroge)... and also found out that he does, in fact, end up doing his sister. And if it's anything like the H-scenes ("hentai scene," for those not familiar with the term) I saw, it's most likely graphic.
Sure, the art is pretty enough, but there's nothing about the characters that's interesting. They're your standard stereotypes plus another "blank male" for the male viewers to insert themselves into. It's terrible. No plot, just the guy pretty much MYSTERIOUSLY seducing everyone. (Seriously, are all eroge like this? You can not know a person at all, yet fall in love and sleep with them? Sheesh. And guys say us GIRLS are unrealistic when it comes to relationships. =.=)
As this is based off of an eroge, you can imagine there's a lot of fanservice. I don't know why you're even bothering to read this far because everything you need to know what in the first bit: DO NOT WATCH THIS ANIME. I didn't bother to finish, but I don't regret it. I am glad I spared myself something so taboo. If you're into that, I assume this Anime is right up your alley. Even then, it's not something you could really admit to having watched and liked, because the story, art, and characters are so bland that everyone will know you liked it specifically for the H-scenes.
All in all, 0/10. Why did I even watch that far? Whyyyy? T~T Oh yeah, 'cause it was #6 on the Top 10 Anime List on ZOMGAnime. THANKS A LOT, ZOMGANIME.
Oh, Code Geass. How pretty you are~ I guess I'll start with talking about the art, then. CLAMP did the character designs; you know what that means! Noodle arms and legs, longer-than-they-should-be torsos, nice busts/butts, amazing hair, cool outfits, and pretty eyes. As someone who draws, the legs, arms, and torsos DID bother me at times, but the prettiness and crispness of everything else definitely made up for that.
The plot. Basically, due to events in his past, an ex-prince of the Britannian Empire decides he wants to take it down and establish a new, utopian world in which his sister can live. When he receives a mysterious power from a mysterious woman, he has to learn how to use it so he can utilize it in challenging the Britannian Empire. Also there are MECHAS~ And the beautiful thing is that the plot isn't focused solely on them; they're just a supplement to help the plot move along.
The concept of Geass, the mysterious power, is extremely cool. It has rules and limits, and also has consequences if you use it too often. Furthermore, you can't just GET Geass; you have to form a contract with someone who has it already, basically promising to do something for them in exchange for the power. The mechas, called Knightmare Frames, are extremely well-designed with the exception of one that has a cape... (What's the point of a cape on a robot, really?) However, they, too, are not all-powerful and have limits, so they're not like the ultimate godmode weapon or anything. You could have a Knightmare Frame and completely fail at using it, resulting in losses forever.
There are also a lot of characters in this Anime. Let me just say that I really appreciate that the main character has no idea what he's doing at first. As a matter of fact, he wasn't planning on doing anything until he GOT the power, because he knew just how normal and clueless he really was. With the power, he feels like he's received the key to enacting his revenge, and has to use his wit to learn more about the Geass and be clever about how he goes about using it. Furthermore, he doesn't rely solely on Geass. Granted, he does use it a lot, but the guy is intelligent and comes up with great strategies and ideas in which his Geass usually plays one role that, when combined with the strategies, seals the deal.
Did I mention he takes on a secret identity that he has to hide from pretty much everyone he knows, adding tension? Did I mention one of these people happens to be his bff, who happens to be a soldier for Britannia?
There's really a wide range of characters and personalities; you'd be a fool not to explore them by really committing to watching the entirety of this Anime.
The beginning of the second season will throw you off; calm down, take a breath, just keep watching and everything will fall into place and make sense. You'll be glad you didn't quit the Anime because you were confused for a moment, because second season is where things get real. Some people have said the director felt like he had to rush the second season, and therefore it "didn't turn out as good." I, however, did not feel this way. Yes, there were instances where a scene would feel a tad faster-paced than it should be, but the twists and turns that happen are so worth it, in my opinion. Which, by the way, there are a lot of, and they will BLOW. YOUR. MIND.
The ending... Well, the director has had to clear up confusion, because the way it was directed seemed ambiguous to a lot of fans. In my opinion, this is a good thing, because if you're not happy with one interpretation, you can leave it up to your imagination to use the knowledge you've gained about the universe of Code Geass to piece together your own version of the ending. It's really pretty interesting, in my opinion. Just don't bring up the ending in a forum anywhere unless you want to start a fanwar. Some people get super srs about the ending. xD
***Note: The videos are nooot really safe for work.***
This Anime isn't about zombies, contrary to popular belief.
It's about fanservice.
Literally, this is an Anime made for someone who is into girls and violence and gore. Don't watch it if you're not okay with those three things. Oh, and did I mention a crappy ending? Don't watch it if you're not into crappy endings that make you go, "WHY DID I SPEND SIX HOURS WATCHING THIS WHEN I COULD HAVE WATCHED THE LAST 2 EPISODES AND PRETTY MUCH GET WHAT HAPPENED?!"
Literally, the plot is "ZOMBIES EVERYWHERE! WE MUST SURVIVE!" and that's it. There's a HINT of a suggestion as to why the zombies appeared in the first place, but it makes no sense at all. Without telling you what it is (because this is spoiler free), let me tell you why it makes no sense: IT'S NOT USEFUL TO ANYONE. AT ALL. And are you trying to tell me that no one, oh I don't know, THOUGHT ABOUT THE RISKS before all this crap went down? No, no, that doesn't fly with me. Sorry. Try again. :/
The characters. WELL. They're actually pretty cool. The one thing I thought was stupid: You know how in most zombie movies/Anime/etc the creators write the characters as people living in a world where zombies don't even exist in fiction? So therefore the characters know nothing about them, not even fictitious facts, and then their absolute helplessness makes more sense? Well in this Anime, they DO have zombie movies/Anime/etc... and yet for the first episode, no one remembers the first rule of zombies: GET 'EM IN THE HEAD! I facepalmed when I found out that they SHOULD have known this, but just CONVENIENTLY FORGOT. (Convenient for the sake of screaming girls and pantyshots, not convenient for the characters, obviously.)
There are too many characters to talk about them all individually, so I'll just name the three characters I had a problems with. 1: the nurse. She exists for moar fanservice and comic relief. She's successful in the former and fails so miserably hard in the latter. I was not amused by her stupid, dazed personality, and found myself wondering what kind of school would ever hire her. (I'm telling you, it couldn't have been because of her "intelligence" in the medical field, because A, nurses don't have to be ridiculously skilled to work at a school, and B, she did like one medical thing the entire series and that was rub salve on someone's back.)
2: Saeko, a.k.a. BA kendo girl. She was AWESOME at first... and then she explained something to the main guy in a temple, and she was ruined. It's not even the little tidbit of information she shared that ruined her, it's that there's no explanation for it. Maybe if we knew more about her past, and there were legitimate REASONS for it, I'd be like "OMG SUCH DEPTH" but no. Instead I'm just like, "WHERE DID THIS COME FROM?!"
3: Crazy pedobear teacher guy. I can't remember his name but he wears a pinstripe suit and looks like a creeper. And he is. He's supposed to be "charismatic" to the point of almost resembling Hitler in some moments, but there was absolutely no point to this. His character barely--BARELY--advances or hinders the plot. If anything, he gave Rei and Komuro the motivation to break off from the group for a bit, and later gave Rei a moment to look mature, but that's literally it. ...Speaking of, the reason Rei hates him is kind of weak. I can understand how you'd be pissed at the guy, but it's definitely not a good enough reason to leave safety over, imo.
The art. OMG THE ART WAS SO AMAZING. I mean, it's an Anime, so I didn't expect to be scared 'cause it's drawings... I figured nothing could be made to look scary enough that I would freak out. But seriously, I jumped, I gasped, and I full-out screamed at some points, THAT'S how good the art was. (And I suppose you could argue that directing + sound also contribute, but STFU THIS IS MY BLOG YOU NO ARGUE ANYTHING OKAY? OKAY. ...Although I must add that both were also rather fantastic, especially in a certain scene where you hear the sound of teeth clacking together. 8D If you've watched, you'll know.)
The fanservice. It's ridiculous. Honestly. There were WAY too many minutes wasted in one particular portion of the Anime where they kept showing the girls sleeping or whatever thing were doing, all of them just happening to be naked or might as well be. Oh yeah did I mention STUPIDLY LONG bathroom scene where the girls are like "THERE ARE ZOMBIES OUTSIDE BUT WHO CARES LET'S PLAY WITH EACH OTHER'S BOOBS! 8D" No, I'm not kidding. And this lasts for way longer than it should. Worse yet, they keeping switching from serious scenes to THAT, and it really disrupts the flow of the Anime. I THINK they were trying to balance out all the DEATHDEATHDEATH with some comic relief, but they did it in a really poorly executed way. Also, I can understand pantyshots when a zombie with no regard for underwear is dragging some girl down the stairs... that's just realistic. But when Rei is getting ready to lance one in the head, suddenly we need to see her butt as she gets into position? No, we don't. Try again.
The point where I got really disappointed in this Anime: There is literally a scene where Saeko's boobs are jiggling at JUST THE RIGHT PACE so that a bullet can pass through them as they undulate back and forth. I am not joking. It was stupid. The bullet that passed between her legs as she leapt forward to attack, leading to a pantyshot? That was epic. The bullet that passed between her boobs? No, that was just stupid. Really, really stupid.
THE ENDING IS TERRIBLE. There better be a second season because that... UHG!! Even then, that pisses me off. You know who does cliffhangers right? TRUE BLOOD. They resolve the main conflict that was going on in that season, and then in the last minute of the last episode of that season, they leave a cliffhanger so you're excited for the NEXT season. Newsflash Anime creators: IT'S NOT AN EFFECTIVE CLIFFHANGER WHEN YOU HAVEN'T RESOLVED ANYTHING. THEN I'M JUST PISSED OFF THAT I WASTED THAT MUCH TIME ON AN ANIME I'M NOT EVEN SURE YOU'RE GONNA CONTINUE. (I'm lookin' at you too, first season of Haruhi Suzumiya!)
All in all, I give it a 3/10. Bashing zombies was entertaining for a while. Then there was a lull and I got bored. Throw in ludicrous fanservice and a crap ending, and you get a 3.
Really, this is a classic. It's really long (112 episodes), and not all of those episodes are completely worth it (towards the end of each season they'll draw out the "final" battle), but I really enjoyed this Anime.
Let me talk about the plot first. A boy dies, but a Spirit Guide says the afterlife has no room for him because they didn't expect him to die. So he's offered a chance to live again, which he takes. Later he finds out he has special powers dealing with Spirit Energy, and is asked to work for the afterlife as a "Spirit Detective." He encounters demons and apparitions alike, and eventually forms a team of two demons and a spiritually-gifted classmate. They go on missions together to keep the balance between the Spirit, Demon, and Human worlds. BATTLES ENSUE~
Seriously, what's not to like about this Anime? There's plenty of action, there's a hint of romance to draw in the female viewers, and there's a lot of great humor! The characters develop really well over the series, and each season's plot usually has a twist that keeps things interesting amidst the seemingly neverending battles.
There are really too many characters to talk about individually, but let me say that Yusuke Urameshi is probably one of the best heroes I have ever seen in Anime. What I like about him is that he knows the meaning of teamwork, and though he does get the spotlight sometimes as the protagonist, the others often get chances to shine. This lets the bonds between them grow stronger because they know they can rely on each other. We also get to see into everyone's motivations and pasts--not just Yusuke's--so we can come to appreciate if not love all the characters. Moreover, they're very well balanced. 2 serious types, 2 goofy types. 1 fights with brute force, 1 often leaps before he looks, 1 fights by moral code, and 1 fights with strategy. There are 2 characters that can be considered "bishounen," and 2 that appeal more to the male audience in that they aren't supposed to look pretty. Like I said, everything's in pretty good balance.
The art... Well, there were times when I noticed a bit of a change in the style, probably due to sudden increases or decreases in budget. You have to remember that this is an Anime from the 90s, so we can't expect perfection. Even so, this is better than a lot of 90s Anime, in my opinion.
All in all, I give it a 9/10, taking off a point just because the battles were sometimes a little long. Still, I recommend that everyone watch at least part of this Anime if not all of it. I loved it even when I hadn't finished it because Adult Swim took it off the air, and I loved it when I watched all the episodes in a marathon with my friends. It really is a classic, in my opinion.
Don't let the title fool you; though the creators sometimes WANT you to think it's that kind of Anime, it ends up not being one.
The main characters. KIRINO IS PROBABLY THE MOST ANNOYING TSUNDERE EVER. EVEEEEEER. I literally have nothing good to say about her. She's the younger sister of the protagonist--her older brother, Kyosuke. She's a pretty, popular middle schooler who does modeling part time. Her quirk? She's into eroge ("erotic games" for those not familiar with the term), especially the kind that deals with Older brother x Younger sister relationships. Yeah, I know, warning bells are going off; they did for me, too. (AND YET YOU CAN'T LOOK AWAY; THE ART IS TOO PRETTY D8) Kyosuke... I mean, he's not a BAD character, but there's nothing special about him. (I'm seeing a trend of "essentially blank male hero that makes it easy for male viewers to insert themselves" in these fanservice-excessive Anime...) He and his sister don't get along at first, but after her secret is exposed, he decides to help her protect it because he's her older brother.
The side characters are actually quite enjoyable. Well, Kirino's otaku friends, anyway. Her model friend pissed me off in one scene and never really redeemed herself in my opinion, but it didn't really hinder the flow of the Anime for me so that's fine. That said, there really aren't many characters in this... xD' 6 that I can remember off the top of my head, meaning they're the only important ones. Kyosuke's female friend is... eh. I personally disliked her at first because she was just sooo stereotypically that "quiet, domestic neighbor-girl" character. But she did get kind of interesting later on, and I came to appreciate her. As for the otaku friends (since I just noticed I didn't expand on them at all--D'OH), they're really funny and just overall great characters.
The plot. Well, there is none. It's a slice-of-life with a twist, what did you expect? Pretty much it's just daily nonsense until the end, but it's fun nonsense so that's fine. Kirino ruins everything, though. Seriously.
The ending. There's two. I know right? IT'S LIKE AN EROGE~ except not erotic. (Maybe. There was some fanservice, though not in the form of nudity.) The first ending sucks, imo. Like I said, there were moments where the creators want you to think the brother and sister will end up together, but by the time you hit the episode right before the first ending, you don't feel that way. I realized after a while he wouldn't end up ROMANTICALLY loving his sister; he just loved her, in a "I'm your big brother and I don't want anyone or anything to get you down!" way. For that, I was actually really touched that he would set aside all the crap she put him through, INCLUDING HER AWKWARD INTEREST IN BROTHERXSISTER EROGE, and still NOT ONLY accept her as his sister, but want to help her.
...But then the first ending kinda ruins the certainty of that. Basically, it leaves things ambiguous. After seeing the first ending, I still didn't get the feeling that HE romantically loved HER... but maybe that SHE romantically loved HIM. Awkward. Like a lot. Some people say it's just because she wants to stay with her brother, because she loves him as a SISTER, but I'm sorry. She would have to face that choice SOMEDAY; it's only easier to get it out of the way early.
The second ending is much better, in my opinion, but still with its own problems. I like that life has to change and the characters have to adjust, but I don't like how things ended between Kyosuke and Kirino. What she did is harsh to do to a sibling. On the plus side, Kyosuke was hinted at becoming romantically involved with a different character, and it was a character I definitely felt fit better.
The art. It was very cute and colorful. There were never really any blaringly lazy moments; at least not that I can remember, as I watched this about 2 weeks ago.
The fanservice. Was pretty minimal, from what I can remember. Still kind of awkward, but tolerable enough.
I would NOT suggest this Anime if you're overly sensitive to suggestions of incest. Like I said twice already, THE CREATORS WANT YOU TO THINK IT WILL END THAT WAY. There's scenes that lay on the border, not crossing into "THIS IS DEF INCEST" nor "THIS IS DEF NOT INCEST" and they really keep you guessing 'til the end. It was muted enough that I could tolerate it, and that's saying something since I generally can't stomach that kind of thing.
First off. Let me start by saying that I've seen quite a few slice-of-life, highschool romance type Anime, and this is by far my favorite. FAVORITE. AS IN I SMILED 'TIL MY CHEEKS HURT, SQUEE'D, AND ROLLED AROUND ON MY BED FROM THE ADORABILITY THAT IS THIS ANIME.
This review pretty much pertains to both seasons, by the way. ^_^
Let's start with the characters. OMG THE CHARACTERS. They are so remarkable that I HAVE to talk about each one individually.
Okay, first: Kazehaya. DEAR GOD KAZEHAYA. I've been super annoyed lately with the trend in Japanese and Korean dramas/Anime/movies/etc where the girl falls for the verbally abusive, violent, and just plain rude guy when the perfectly nice guy is totally into her. Kazehaya being the way he is is basically like God looking down at my frustration and being like, "You know what, Rai? You've been a pretty good girl lately; I think I'll give you a break." Kazehaya would be the epitome of sweet if the main character hadn't already taken that title; lemme tell you, he comes in a close second, though. He's always helping others, really social, very polite, but he's still a teenage boy with his share of competitive edge, jealousy, and hesitations. Yet he doesn't express these in an attitudinous way; he's mature and handles everything with a relatively level head. To put it simply, I was wishing a Kazehaya existed in real life. (Especially the live action version... Mmm cute guy~)
Yano and Chiizu. They are the perfect set of BFFs ever. But the best thing about them is that you get to see them grow and learn with the main character. Well, Yano not as much as Chiizu, because Yano is already pretty mature. She's got this almost maternal energy, like a Mother Bear protecting her cubs. Chiizu, too, protects the main character, but with a sisterly feeling. Chiizu would probably be one of the main sources of comic relief, as she's generally very energetic, chipper, and funny. Yano is the one that usually provides us with the deep stuff. The duo are definitely portrayed extremely realistically without being boring, something I find really admirable about this Anime.
Yano and Chiizu are Sawako's first real best friends. Here they're giving her a makeover~
There are a lot of smaller roles such as Ryuu, Kurumi, and Pin. Ryuu is Kazehaya's bff, Kurumi has had a secret crush on Kazehaya for years, and Pin is their quirky homeroom teacher. Probably only Pin is the uber goofy character that matters, but even so, it only adds humor, not annoyance. Kurumi... well, she was pretty average for a while. Your standard "rival of the main character" type. Later, though, she changed... She actually developed and made me really appreciate her. Not LIKE her, per se, 'cause she's a bit bratty, but you know. I understood why she was needed in the show and how she added some depth to it. And then Ryuu... Usually the bff of the main character's love interest doesn't play a significant part. He may not have a huge amount of scenes, but Ryuu is anything but insignificant. He gives thoughtful advice (though he may not remember your name when he gives it), and he's always very calm and composed. Though he seems like the strong, silent type (at first reminding me of Mori-senpai in Ouran), he's also polite and has a soft spot that he displays now and again.
And finally, the main character: Sawako. OMG I LOVE HERRRRR. Seriously, she is the type of person that if she were real, she would make me want to be a better person. Wait, scratch that, even as an animated character, she makes me want to be a better person. She is nice to EVERYONE, polite to EVERYONE, and always gives EVERYONE a chance to show the good in them. When bad things happen, she doesn't blame anyone; she knows bad things happen usually because of misunderstandings, so she makes it her mission to clear up misunderstandings and be direct about her feelings (though in a well-mannered way). She's a bit naive, but this isn't really a hindrance of her character. Rather, it's super endearing.
D'aww~ she's smiling big for once~ :D
And I know, I know. As soon as you hear the words "naive" and "endearing" used in the same sentence, you think, "Uh oh. Mary Sue?" But actually, the glorious truth is that she isn't! While she is the nicest, most genuine Anime character I've ever seen, people don't like her because her looks (long black hair) and name (Sawako) make them thing of Sadako, the scary little girl from The Ring. For a long time, people pick on her and expect bad things to happen if they even look at her. Slowly, as she begins to open up and try harder to be understood, her classmates begin to see that she's not like they thought. She doesn't become THE most popular girl or anything, but she does become generally liked. Still, it's not in a "-rolls eyes- Here comes Miss Mary Sue" way; it's more like a well-deserved reward for her effort.
How Sawako's classmates see her: as Sadako from The Ring.
As is it slice-of-life, highschool, and romance-themed, there isn't much of a plot. Rather, you watch the relationships between the characters grow and deepen, as well as watch the characters themselves change slightly. There's a lot of well done humor that keeps the show entertaining. Like, I was laughing out loud numerous times. You have a few tense, emotional moments, too, but not so much that the show seems like an emofest.
The art style is a little different; I think they tried to keep it as close to the manga as possible. For added humor, they often use a style that I want to describe as "chibi," even though I know it's not really the same thing. Whatever the name, it's not overused at all, so everything is really well-balanced. I personally really like the art style, and as someone who used to be a big shoujo fan but got jaded of the genre, I was happy that such a stimulating Anime used a lot of shoujo elements like the sparkly eyes, sparkly and rosey and dreamy backgrounds, and lots of blushing. Kimi Ni Todoke wraps you in a warm, happy atmosphere and makes you think that's what life should be about: trying to be a good person while getting your feelings across to the people you care about so you can all continue to grow closer.
All in all, 10/10. I recommend that everyone at least give this Anime a try. If it's not your cup of tea, I can understand, but I couldn't forgive myself if I didn't advise you to at least watch the first episode right now.
Also I love the opening and ending themes for both seasons. SO. PRETTY. Okay so this is actually the second season's opening. STFU I LIKE IT MOAR OKAY? OKAY.
I'm new to this, so I'll just go step-by-step with what comes to mind.
You think that's a lot of women? Get this: It's missing some.
First, our main characters. Aoi Kazuya is your standard nice-guy-with-WTF-power. I honestly can't say there's anything really special about him. You'll like him enough but not in a memorable way, just in the "Oh, you don't annoy me" way. Satellizer el Bridget (wtf is up with her name) is a pretty good character, actually. At first you think she's your standard tough chick who doesn't wanna let anyone in, hates the world, blah blah, because she's so quiet and ruthless. But it turns out this toughness has reason, and once you find out what the reason is, it makes perfect sense. And believe me, you find out early on. There are hints dropped that are glaringly obvious. I think maybe the only thing I DIDN'T like about her character was the fact that the uniform she wore--while longer than the others'--showed huge amounts of boob. This isn't me being a prude; when you find out about her past, it just doesn't make sense for her to show them off like that.
The only angle where they aren't overly exposed.
Then we have a ridiculous amount of side characters. Luckily the show didn't spend more than an episode or so on each one. Rana was probably the best out of them, as she was bubbly and cute--a great refresher after seeing cold Satella (Satellizer's nickname) and tsundere Ganessa all the time. Ganessa was annoying. I personally hate overly competitive characters in Anime, and she was ridic with the competition nonsense. She redeems herself in the end, though, and actually brought tears to my eyes. The other side characters aren't really worth noting. ...Well, maybe the school president, but only for the fact that she reminds me of Brock from Pokémon, 'cause her eyes are always squinted. xD
Brock's long lost sister?
The plot. Well... it was okay. "We're a school that trains girls to battle these weird creatures from an alternate dimension!" Lately I'm getting tired of "young" Anime characters, as since I'm in college now, I can't relate. BUT, as that's just a personal thing for me, it's a pretty okay basis for a plot. At first the terms are confusing... "Ereinbar Set," "Limiter," "Pandora Mode"... But you get the hang of it after a while. THE ONLY THING THAT BOTHERS ME ABOUT THE PLOT: At first it seems like a bunch of random fighting. "OMG THIS THING IS LARGE AND CAUSES DESTRUCTION KILL IT!" But you don't know WHY the Nova (the "things" I was referring to) are doing so until like, literally, the second to last episode. And even then, it doesn't make sense as to WHY they're doing THAT, even. The very last 30 seconds of the last episode make it seem like there's going to be another season... So hopefully they'll explain more in the next season?
The fanservice. DEAR LORD THE FANSERVICE. I mean, I'm 19. I'm in college. I take Human Sexuality and Culture, for crying out loud. Boobs and buttcheeks don't scare me. Sex sells; I know this and I'm not afraid of it. BUT DANG. It was excessive. There were literally moments where I felt like the creators had a quota for each episode, and that quota had to be around 10 fanservice moments AT LEAST. Seriously, in every battle, someone's boobs pop out because apparently at West Genetics (the name of their school) it's customary to rip someone's shirt open when attempting to battle/humiliate them.
Filler episodes. Technically you could say most of the episodes in which they introduce a new character were filler, as the plot pretty much happened in all of 5 or 6 episodes. But they had their own battles, so they were enjoyable for the most part. Nothing special but nothing that made me absolutely POed at the time I spent watching them. There's one LEGIT filler episode when they go to "Prom"... It was cute, but that may be because I'm a girl and I like things like Prom. If you're a dude, ...well, you'll still probably like it, because the fanservice in this episode is out of control. xD
The art. It was pretty enough. There were definitely some instances of laziness on the animators' part, like in the one scene where you see Satella's mom tell her never to lose. It's basically Satella's shining eyes while her mom, from offscreen, talks to her. Lazyyy~ BUT! For the guys, you'll be pleased to know that the animators drew nipples on the girls. For the girls, you'll be lol'ing or D8'ing. Everything seemed proportional enough (besides the boobs), but they DEFINITELY used hairstyles to differentiate characters; a trait I find rather disappointing in Anime.
Yes, yes. The first blog post. I suppose I should make it witty and interesting but frankly I'm in the middle of watching an Anime and it occurred to me: I've been watching a bunch of Anime lately; maybe I should write reviews of them. After all, there can never be too many reviews. I used to rely on them to decide whether or not I wanted to watch an Anime or play a game.
Now, I am passing on my knowledge to you, O noble reader. (Or not so noble, depending on the type of Anime you search to get here. :/)
I guess I could do other stuff here like talk about my life, post art I've done recently, and maybe review some KPOP or JPOP. We'll see.
And with that, let the blogging begin~ (Watch me completely forget about this in the next day.)
