Anime Review: March Comes in Like a Lion

 

Anime Review: Mob Psycho 100

Title: Mob Psycho 100 and Mob Psycho 100 II
Genres: Comedy, Action, Supernatural, Coming of Age
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

General Set-up: Mob Psycho 100 takes place in a fictional city called Seasoning City, following, at first, two main characters: Shigeo Kageyama and Arataka Reigan. Shigeo, otherwise known as Mob, is a middle school student at Salt Middle School who works part time at "Spirits and Such Consultation Office" run by Reigan. Mob, however is not a normal middle schooler--he has psychic powers. And what happens when he gets to 100%? No one knows.

Characters: Shigeo Kageyama/Mob is a second-year student at Salt Middle School (aka a 7th grader) who was born with amazing psychic powers. He is quiet and shy, but also desperately wants to become popular--something psychic powers can't help with. Also, Mob reasons, if he is popular, he will have more courage to ask out the girl he likes. While his powers are explored in the show, a greater focus is given to his internal growth. After all this is a coming of age story.
                    Arataka Reigan is the owner (and only full-time employee) of "Spirits and Such Consultation Office." He is confident and charismatic--but has a small problem--he doesn't actually have any psychic powers. He uses Mob to help with any job involving actual spirits, while he handles the jobs that don't actually involve spirits (the clients just think that it involves spirits). He is also known for exorcising spirits from photographs using Photoshop!

Plot: I, like many people, was under the impression that Mob Psycho 100 would be a tournament anime like Yu Yu Hakusho or Hunter X Hunter. Or maybe you assumed that this show would be similar to ONE's (the author) other work: One Punch Man. Mob Psycho 100 is  a touching coming of age story. While it most certainly is a story about crazy psychic powers, it is just as much driven by its characters. The content of the episodes changes and it may be about psychic battles, but could just as well be about personal growth--or even both. It is also surprisingly funny with an expanding cast of characters, and you just can't help but root for Mob and Reigan.

Ending (NO SPOILERS): While it has been rumored that there will be a Season 3, nothing has yet to be confirmed (as of 6/3/20). Currently Mob Psycho 100 has 2 seasons (the second being called Mob Psycho 100 II) and 2 OVA's. While the current ending is satisfying, there is still room for plot that can be resolved in another season. Plus, the show is so enjoyable that I could love to see more.

Sound Design: Like many anime, the soundtrack has a very limited number of songs: a battle theme, more emotional music, and background music. However the songs really do fit the mood of the scenes even if they are a little bit repetitive. And when the "battle theme" plays, oh man, am I excited for what will come next.
                        And the dub is seriously excellent and available to everyone on Crunchyroll. The voice actors for Reigan and Mob are especially good, able to capture the emotion, charisma, chaos, and conflict in the characters. While the translator does run into a few problems related to puns in English/Japanese, the dub does fit the overall production and tone of the show.

Animation: The 2019 Crunchyroll best animation award speaks for itself, but because it is go good I am going to talk about it anyway. This show has some of the most stunning animation I have ever seen, easily surpassing One Punch Man in the fight scenes (but that is just my opinion, so please don't come for me in the comments). The coloring specifically is something I wanted to mention as I don't know many shows that play around (well) with color. At first glance the coloring is nothing special, normal tones and colors, but once psychic powers begin to play, the colors change and the animations changes fluidly and unexpectedly.
                  On the surface level the animation is...unusual. Unlike Once Punch Man, Mob Psycho's animation is a lot closer to the author's (ONE's) style. Overall the style is quite simplistic. However the animation really shines with the fluidity of animation allowed by the simplistic style. It is very eye catching in the fight scenes, surprisingly colorful, and I, for one, love it.

Things to Watch our For: There are a couple of bare butts shots and torture is mentioned. Oh, and also a lot of psychic (and non-psychic) battles.

Other Media: Mob Psycho 100 is a manga written by ONE. ONE has also written the manga One Punch Man which is also now an anime. Additionally, Netflix has a live action adaption. I haven't watched it so I can't comment on the quality.

Where to Watch: Currently available for streaming in sub and dub on Crunchyroll. (Free with adds.)

Anime Review: Kaichou wa Maid-sama

This review is a bit of a re-review! I'm looking at a review I did all the way back in 2016! Wow! That's a long time ago! Listen in and see if my opinion has changed since then.

Read the original review: Kaichou wa Maid-sama

Anime Review: Skull-Faced Bookseller Honda-san

Anime: Skull-Faced Bookseller Honda-san
Genre: Slice of Life

General Setup: Honda is a skeleton who works in a bookstore. His strange appearance doesn't seem to be a problem, as all of his co-workers also lack normal facial features.

Characters: The show often breaks the fourth wall, which adds a dimension of humor. For example, popular current shows are mentioned and censored for copyright issues, but still recognizable. Also, Honda is displayed as the author of the "Bookseller" manga, while simultaneously starring in the anime. The cast of characters is wide and varied - maybe a little too wide for the show's length and genre. However, as a retail worker myself, I did appreciate the different stereotypes of customers portrayed.

Plot: This show is a slice of life and so the plot is very episodic. Each episode showcases one or two happenings of Honda's adventures working at a bookstore. Most of these occurrences are comedic and somewhat exaggerated, although still appreciable in real life.

Ending: With the episodic nature of the show, there are few plot points that need to be tied up. However, the last episode leave the viewer on a feel-good note with some resolution.

Things to Watch For: As with anime and regular TV shows, books come from a wide array of genres. Some of the books in Honda's bookstore might be considered for mature audiences. However, few books, of any nature, are discussed in depth. There is also one instance of profanity.

Sights and Sounds: The animation for this show is very simple. A lot of the backgrounds from the bookstore and backrooms are reused, with the characters pasted on top. However, the simplistic nature of the show itself goes along with this theme. The opening and ending for this anime are both inspiring and relaxing, by turns. Also, I enjoyed the use of the sound effects and the English language for some of the more foreign customers.

Other Media: The anime is based on a four-volume manga series that concluded in March, 2019.

Fillers: N/A

Length: 12 episodes

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll

Related Shows: The Devil is a Part-timer

Anime Review: Sakura Quest

Anime: Sakura Quest
Genre: Comedy, drama

General Setup: Yoshino Koharu wants to work and live in the big city of Tokyo. However, even after applying at multiple different companies, she can’t seem to get a job. Yoshino is running out of options when she is offered a job in a rural town. Thinking it to be short term she signs the contract and gets on a train heading away from the city of her dreams. She is surprised to find out that the contract has a year long duration and that she will be playing the part of the Queen of the Kingdom of Chupakabra - a tourism stunt to revitalize the small town.

Characters: One of the things I really liked about this show was how fleshed out the supporting characters were. As Yoshino gets to know them she begins to be accepted into their community. As the viewer, that acceptance is extended to you. I felt like I really connected with all of the eccentric members of Manoyama.

Plot: The story starts off kind of slow, but as you get to know the characters they become the driving force that makes you continue watching. The slower pace is advantageous to the show’s ‘feel-good’ qualities. It is a relaxing show to watch with my different facets.

Ending: The ending is a bit of a surprise, even up to the last few minutes. However, I felt like it was very successful. It showed how far all of the characters had grown and tied everything with a nice bow. I even teared up a bit.

Things to Watch For: Sakura Quest is pretty clean. There is a small amount of fan service.

Sights and Sounds: The animation gets the job done, but is nothing spectacular. Bright colors and pastels are used often and the scenes set at night are well light enough for the viewer to be able to tell what is going on without turning up their brightness. I really enjoyed the music for this anime, especially the first set of opening and ending themes.

Other Media: Sakura Quest is a stand-alone, original series. However, it’s contemporaries include Hanasaku Iroha and Shirobako, other shows that focus on the working life.

Fillers: N/A

Length: This anime is 25 episodes.

Where to Watch: This anime is licensed by Funimation.

Anime Review: Sword Art Online (ep. 1 - 14) Video

With the new season coming out I thought I should get this up sooner rather than later. I feel like it has been a while since I have been able to post, but that might just be me. Part of that is because we've been having some technical difficulty issues. But hopefully we are past that and back in the running for the long haul! Time for me to start working through my backlog!

Anime Review: Restaurant to Another World

Anime: Restaurant to Another World
Genre: Slice of Life

General Setup: Once a week, on Saturday, portals appear, connecting another dimension with ours. All of these portals have a common end goal: The Western Restaurant Nekoya!

Characters: This show has a large cast of characters. At first, the cast expands each episode, as new characters are featured. However, before the expansion gets too top-heavy it slows down. I appreciated this deceleration because it kept the addition of new characters from being overwhelming and gave the chance for older characters to come back into the story. While the cast is wide and varied, little character development goes on. The only thing I can think of to label as development would be how shared experiences at the restaurant bring people of different backgrounds together and let down barriers.

Plot: The plot for this anime is very episodic. Each episode is generally divided into two parts, each part featuring a certain character and their favorite dish/how they came to know about the restaurant. Some of the characters recur, but many are just there for their segment and then gone. Instead of focusing on character development or plot, this anime focuses on the ability of food to bring people together and just be an enjoyable part of life.

Ending: The last episode continues in a similar vein to most of the others, but it reveals the connection between the two dimensions. Things come full circle, you could say.

Things to Watch For: I half-way expected some of the characters to have over-the-top reactions to the food, like in Food Wars. However, that did not happen. The only thing I would be on the look out for, are a few instances of revealing costumes in character design.

Sights and Sounds: Both the animation and the soundtrack are bright and whimsical.

Other Media: This anime is based on an ongoing light novel series . There is also a manga adaptation.

Fillers: N/A

Length: There are 12 episodes in this series.

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll

Anime Review: Granblue Fantasy the Animation (Video)

     I am now working through my back-log of pre-filmed videos, so hopefully production will be expedited. In the meantime, enjoy!

     A written version of this review is also available.

Anime Review: Tsukigakirei

Watch the video version!

I also did a first impression for this anime, so I would like to respond briefly to some of the comments I made for that impression.

I didn’t notice the music as much as I was hoping I would. That does not mean that the music was bad, it just blended in with the animation and storytelling to the point that unless, I concentrated on it, it was an indistinguishable part from the whole.

Thankfully, there was not as much angst in this anime as I thought there might be (ex. Kimi ni Todoke season 2). Playing into that, I really enjoyed the way that they used LINE. The characters did have to struggle a little to get used to interacting in the real world, but the app did not become a crutch for their relationship.

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let's get down to business!

Anime: Tsukigakirei

Genre: Shoujo, romance, drama

General Set-up: Kotaro and Akane are entering their third year of junior high. They become acquainted through an awkward meeting at a family restaurant and being on the same committee for the sports festival. They exchange LINE information and Kotaro soon asks Akane to go out with him. She agrees.

Characters: Both Kotaro and Akane were balanced characters. Often, one character is stronger than the other, but I felt like Kotaro and Akane balanced each other’s strengths and weaknesses out nicely. Both of them grow throughout the course of the show. Akane comes to be more confident and Kotaro learns to be more independent. I liked how Kotaro would play boxing matches with the hanging string for his bedroom light fixture. It felt like something I would do.

Supporting characters play their roles well. They influence the main characters and the main plot and complete and fleshed out. The only side character that I felt could have used some work was Hira.

Plot: This anime is different from others in its genre, in that the two main love interests acknowledge their mutual attraction and become a couple within the first few episodes. This causes the pacing of the anime to change a little. Instead of leading up to the point where they become a couple, Kotaro and Akane have learn HOW to act like a couple.

Ending: The ending for this anime was interesting. It had a few twists that I was not expecting, but it was very good - especially the end credits. They gave a level of resolution that you can only wish and hope for! I was so overcome by the feels that I cried. It was very sweet.

Things to Watch For: For the most part, this anime is pretty clean. There were one or two minor incurrences, but in the interest of not being a nitpicker I won’t talk about them now. Instead, I would like to take this time to talk about the age range of the characters. Unlike most romance anime, this one is set in junior high, not high school. Middle school is around the age where boys are starting to notice girls and girls are starting to notice boys. I had my share of crushes in middle school and some of my friends even had ‘boyfriends.’ I would like to think of myself as wise for my age because even in my early teen years I realized that dating in middle school is not always the best idea. You are still growing, physically and mentally. Also, it doesn’t always work out that you go to the same high school, or even college afterwards, so keeping in touch beyond three short years is difficult, especially at such a young age. However, while I would not necessarily recommend dating in middle school, I don’t think it is a glaring issue that needs to be redressed.

Sights and Sounds: Tsukigakirei is interesting because it contains a mixture of both 2D and 3D animation. 3D animation is used for transition sequences and smaller actions. Most of the animation is done in 2D. Even in 2D the characters often have a white outline that mimics 3D animation. I think this was done in an attempt to blend the two styles together. The mixture of 3D animation may bother some people, but I got used to it farily quickly, so I’m not going to call any attention to it.

For the most part I didn’t notice the sound track much. This is partly my own fault, but I don’t think it reflects badly upon the anime. Often soundtracks can painfully stick out for all the wrong reasons. The music and sound effects for Tsukigakirei blended together into a cohesive whole, helping to tell the story. The music ebbed and flowed to where some scenes had no music at all. This allowed the music to have a greater impact when it came in, instead of being a constant drone in the background.

Other Media: Tsukigakirei is an original anime series.

Fillers: After the first 6 episodes, there is one recap episode.

Length: Tsukigakirei contains 12 episodes.

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll

Interesting Language tidbit: The meaning of the title!

Literally translated into English Tsukigakirei means “The moon is beautiful, isn’t it?”. However, it is also a way to say ‘I love you’ in Japanese.

My Hero Academia (Boku no Hero Academia) Season 1 Review

Title: My Hero Academia (Boku no Hero Academia)  Season 1

Genres: Shounen, Superhero, Action, Adventure

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Set-up: Izuku Midoriya is a student hoping to get into the prestigious U.A. High School (a school for heroes in training), but there is one small problem. Izuku doesn’t have any powers, or “quirks” as they are called in the show. His whole life, Midoriya idolized the powerful All-Might, who was said to be the greatest hero ever. However, despite being “quirkless,” he is determined to become a hero one way or another. And his luck is about to change.

Characters: The most interesting part of the show isn’t the setting, it’s the characters! Izuku is the ultimate underdog, powerless in a world of superheroes. However his perseverance is enduring, and you find yourself rooting for him. Likewise, All-Might is very different from the typical hero. In his own way he is enduring. Like Midoriya, he struggles in his own way within the society.

Another character of note is Katsuki Bakugo (or Ka-chan). He is Izuku’s childhood friend and is comparable to Sasuke from Naruto. He is used to being the best at everything he does, and becomes upset when someone threatens to upset that balance, especially when that person is weaker than him.

Plot: Much to my surprise (and delight) the plot is coherent. Many Shonen or Superhero shows are extremely episodic and repetitive--and that makes them boring. Not so with My Hero Academia! While there are several arcs in this first season, the overall plot holds together. Generally, the plot does not drag on needlessly or go too fast. That alone speaks volumes.  

Ending: The arc concludes, but the plot continues in the second season of My Hero Academia (now being released).

Things to watch out for: Other than a little gore and language, this anime is clean.

Animation: My Hero Academia was animated by Studio Bones, so naturally, the animation was flawless. Many of the costumes are based off of Marvel and D.C. characters, with the colors to match. For example, All-Might is “American,” making his costume red, white, and blue. Each character has their own costume design that is unique, but drawn artfully. The action, for the most part, is fluid.

A little more about the costumes because the show focus on them so much. All-Might is clearly based off of American superheros such as Superman, but other characters are much more unique. Some of the costumes have that well-know tights and cape look, while others are more unique. While, as an American, I wouldn’t say that they look American, they do look less Japanese than shows such as Naruto.

Sound: The soundtrack is what saved this show for me. I was very skeptical at first. Although the show seemed interesting, I knew that historically, Japan doesn’t do very will with the more “Western” animes. I started the first episode not really thinking that I would watch the second. But I have to say the composer Yuki Hayashi (composer for Death Parade) really did a good job. The music is loud and bombastic, shounding right at place in the newest Marvel movie. This is one of the times that music adds to the show. Without the music, the show is still good. But the music used within the show takes it to the next level. Honestly, I would have never progressed past the first episode without the music. I think it is important the mention that the "English" used in the dub is not great. But what did we expect? Since when have Japanese animation studios proofread the English? The voices (at least in the sub seemed to fit, but nothing other than the poor English stood out.

Other Media: My Hero Academia is also a manga of the same title.  

Fillers: N/A

Final Thoughts: If you are a fan of comics like Marvel or D.C.'s comics, or like the series Naruto, you will like My Hero Academia. Even if you are not into superheros, the story of an underdog is always an enduring one.

It is interesting to see that My Hero Academia may become the next long running shounen. Although, thankfully, it seems that Studio Bones is going to let the manga get ahead, then adapt the source material.  

Anime Review: Alderamin on the Sky

Anime: Alderamin on the Sky

Genre: Shounen, fantasy, strategy,

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

General Setup: After being shipwrecked on enemy territory and making it back across the border in one piece, with the crown princess in tow, a band of teenagers is enlisted into the army, much to their leader’s regret.

Characters: Ikta Solork, your main character, is best described as a combination between two characters from the Naruto franchise: Shikamaru and Jiraya. While extremely skilled at strategy and war tactics, Ikta is generally lazy and apathetic about life (especially anything to do with the military). Yatorishino Igsem is Ikta’s closest friend and a member of a key family of nobility. While we are comparing characters from other shows, she reminded me a bit of Erza from Fairy Tail, but with just two swords. Along with Ikta’s band of friends from the ‘shipwreck incident’ there are several minor characters. All of the characters grow throughout the show as they experience conflicts and controversy.

Plot: It takes a little bit for the action in Alderamin to truly get started, but when it does you won’t be able to stop watching! Like Shikamaru, Itka’s military prowess allows him and his friends to obtain victory, most of the time. I enjoyed the tactical aspect of this anime and thought it helped to move the pace along.

Throughout the course of the show Alderamin takes on several topics, such as the ethics of war and the dynamics between religion and science.

Ending: The show ended in a good place, given the amount of story shown previously. While far from over, the viewer is given a glimpse of what the future may hold.

Things to Watch For: Some of the character’s casual clothes are a bit revealing. Also, Ikta is a bit of a pervert, which taints some of the better aspects of this show.

Sights and Sounds: The animation for Alderamin is consistent and easy to watch. There is a balance of light and dark colors, although some of the darker scenes (color-wise) are a bit muted. The only thing that bothered me in terms of color was that all of the main characters had really bright colored hair, thus reinforcing the anime main character stereotype. I really liked the opening theme. It was catchy, but also showcased the show itself well. The soundtrack, as a whole, is balanced and instrumental.  

Other Media: Alderamin is based off of a light novel series. There is also a manga adaptation.

Fillers: There are no fillers.

Length: There are 13 episodes.

Where to Watch: You can watch this show on Crunchyroll.

Check It Out! - How Disabilities and Diversity are Handled in the Anime GANGSTA.

     Kay takes a look at how characters with disabilities are portrayed in modern media, specifically in the anime GANGSTA. She also talks about how the anime handles diversity, in the context of Japanese culture. For more information, and a bit of a review, read her article!

Anime Review: Granblue Fantasy: The Animation

Anime: Granblue Fantasy: The Animation

Genre: Adventure, fantasy, action, shounen

Rating 2.5 out of 5 stars

General Set-up: Lyria is a test-subject of the Empire and Katalina is helping her escape. Just as the Empire is catching up to them, the two run into Gran, a boy who is talented with the sword. Gran decides to help, but is fatally injured. In order to save him, Lyria shares her life-force with him. Gran decides to leave the island and travel with Katalina and Lyria to the edge of the earth and the island of the Astrals, where his father awaits him.

Characters: Gran’s dream is to become a skyfarer like his father. He is friendly and compassionate towards those in need. Before escaping with Lyria, Katalina was a lieutenant in the Empire’s army. She is a strong sword fighter. Lyria has the power to talk to and understand Primal Beasts, a power the Empire wants to use for themselves. She doesn’t know where she came from. Vyrn is a flying lizard who accompanies Gran and reminds me a bit too much of another high-pitched flying companion. The focus for character growth is mainly on Gran and Lyria, which makes sense, but it would be nice to see the other main characters have their chance to shine as well.

Plot: Sad to say, but the plot for Granblue Fantasy is pretty standard (which I guess shouldn’t be surprising, considering it’s based off of a video game). It follows the basic outline for quest narratives: The main characters meet and set out on their quest. They arrive in a new location. Something happens. They meet someone. Stuff keeps happening until they solve whatever problem the people in the area are facing and the person they met decides to join their adventure. The depart for a new location and the same thing happens again.

Ending: Considering the last episode is a filler, I’ll be referring to the second-to-last episode for the ending. Things seem to be happening too fast. The plot is accelerating at an unaccustomed pace with little to no explanation. Also, in the last showdown, multiple random new characters pop up to join in on the action. This seems a last-minute attempt to get characters from the original material screen time. What is more, they seem fairly overpowered, which just adds to the confusion. I did appreciate the development of Lyria’s character, but the ending seemed to open up more issues than it resolved.

Things to Watch For: There is fanservice in this show. Thankfully, it’s somewhat toned down and not blatantly obvious, but as you get closer to the end more of it pops up - especially with the explosion of characters in the “last” episode. Most of them were girls and almost all of them had less clothing than would be deemed reasonable in a combat situation. The filler ‘swimsuit episode’ certainly didn’t help.

Sights and Sounds: The soundtrack for Granblue Fantasy goes from slow and whimsical to march-like and adventurous. I really enjoyed the opening theme. The color palette for the show is vibrant, with an emphasis on blues and greens. I also enjoyed the design for the world and characters in the show! It is a fantasy world, with a bit of a modern and steampunk twist. For example, the main characters travel on an airship and Gran wears a hoodie!

Other Media: Granblue Fantasy: The Animation is based off of an RPG game. There is also a series of light novels that have been adapted.

Fillers: There is one filler, at the end of this show.

Length:This anime is 13 episodes long.

Where to Watch: You can watch it on Crunchyroll.

Final Thoughts: Granblue Fantasy has a lot of potential and there are a lot of things it does really well. It just tries to be too many things. It could be a war-strategy battle of empires show. Or it could be a show about a group of friends going on a quest. Or about an escaped test-subject hiding from the law. Or it could be about a boy’s search for his absent father. It could be all these things. The problem is, Granblue Fantasy tries to be all of these things at once and ends up having to sacrifice too much. It burns brightly, but soon fizzles out. It’s not that Granblue Fantasy: The Animation is bad, it’s just not as good as it could be.

Anime Review: WWW.WAGNARIA!!!

     First of all, I would like to make something clear: This review is NOT covering the series called Wagnaria!! that was released in 2010 - 2015. I am doing a review of the show released in fall of 2016 titled WWW.Wagnaria!! As far as I am concerned, the two shows have nothing in common other than a shared setting (the restaurant chain) and a tiny Easter egg scene at the beginning of the first episode of WWW.Wagnaria!!

Anime: WWW.WAGNARIA!!
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Genre: Comedy, drama

General Setup: As previously mentioned, this anime is mostly set at a restaurant by the name of Wagnaria where the main character gets a part-time job. Daisuke Higashida is forced to do this when his father’s business goes bankrupt and his father has to cut expenses. If Higashida wants to be able to pay for his phone, bus ticket, or have any pocket money he needs to get a job.

Characters: Higashida starts out as your average guy. He isn’t really excited to have a part time job, but is a hard worker. However, after going through a traumatic experience, his personality gets slightly warped. He becomes more apathetic about life and can be slightly harsh to his co-workers, especially Hana Miyakoshi. Miyakoshi is a high school student, like Higashida, but she also acts as the floor chief at the restaurant. She does her job with competence and good customer service, however outside of work she is somewhat mediocre. She doesn’t have any outstanding life skills, has poor grades, and is horrible at cooking.
     In his days at Wagnaria Higashida meets many different coworkers and customers. Together they form a varied and quirky cast. What is more, the characters of the show really change and grow. This is one of the best things about the show, in my opinion.

Plot: When I first watched this show (could include link for fi) I said that this show was a slice of life. I would like to retract that a bit now. The show mostly focuses on the adventures and shenanigans of the crew at Wagnaria. It’s main focus is on the relationships between the characters. This can make the show seem somewhat like a slice of life (the fact that it’s a comedy tends to add to this impression), however, the episodes of the show are not just randomly assorted happenings. Each episode builds on the last and weaves together to create a somewhat ridiculous but heartwarming story.

Ending: The ending really made this show for me. In fact, without the show’s ending being what it was, my rating for the show would have probably dropped at least half a point. The last episode of this show is like the epilogue you always wish for but don’t always get after finishing a series. It highlights how much the characters have grown and gives the viewer a wonderful resolution.

Things to Watch Out For: So, there is some sexual innuendo (for lack of a better term) in this anime. Now that I’ve said that, let me go back and explain what I mean by that so I don’t give the wrong impression.This show is a comedy and a lot of the humor in this show comes from how the characters respond to each other. Most of the humor is clean, but there are a few ‘dirty jokes’ that usually arise from misunderstandings between the characters. Nothing indecent ever happens, but it is something to be aware of.

Sights and Sounds: The art style of this anime is bright and colorful. The opening theme song is ridiculous and random. Things start to make a bit more sense after watching the show, but if you like being slightly confused and thoroughly entertained, I would encourage you to watch the theme song.

Other media: WWW.Wagnaria!! is based off of a webcomic by Karino Takatsu. This webcomic is surprisingly the predecessor of the original materials for Wagnaria!!, even though the anime version was released before WWW.Wagnaria!!.

Fillers: There are no fillers in this anime, as far as I’m aware.

Length: WWW.Wagnaria!! has 13 episodes.

Where to Watch: You can watch this anime on Crunchyroll.

Recommendations:
- The Devil is a Part-timer
- Kaichou wa Maid-sama

Terror in Resonance (Zankyou no Terror) Review

Title: Terror in Resonance (Zankyou no Terror) aka When anime goes too far...

Genre: Thriller, Psychological, Crime, Terrorism

Overall Rating: 1 star out of 5

Note: I am going to do something a little different for this anime. Because I gave Terror in Resonance such a low rating, I will break up this review in two major sections: the good and the bad.

Overview: The modern city of Tokyo is rocked by terror attacks in which no one dies. It is then revealed (to the audience) that the terrorists behind these attack are your main characters. Twelve and Nine are two mysterious high school-aged teens behind these attacks. In a new attack on the Tokyo Metropolitan Building, one of Nine and Twelve’s classmates, Lisa, inadvertently gets caught in their plain and is given a choice: become an accomplice or be killed.

THE GOOD

Animation: With a producer such as Watanabe, near perfection is what was expected for the animation. Let me say, they delivered. The animation, with the exclusion of the people (i.e. eye size, body proportions), was drawn in the most realistic way possible. The animation is always fluid and detailed. It is breath-taking and a joy in itself to watch.

Music: Per usual, Yoko Kanno blew the music out of the water. She added an undertone of Icelandic vocals, something different than her previous work. Also the theme song “VON” was beautiful, and haunting at the same time. While there is a wide range of music throughout the show, the entire soundtrack gives off this haunting vibe. Unlike her world for Cowboy Bebop, this soundtrack seemed more like one very long song. If you do nothing else with this show, at least listen to the soundtrack.

Entertainment value: Despite the low rating I have given this show, it was still enjoyable to watch. And I watched every single episode. But because I write analytical reviews, I must maintain the low rating for Terror in Resonance. Though entertaining, Terror in Resonance lacks substance.

THE BAD:

The so-called plot: The greatest failure in this series is the plot, or lack thereof. The characters constantly contradict themselves. For example, in the first episode, the main characters (Nine and Twelve) wonder if they should kill Lisa. Yet, even in the first episode, Nine and Twelve risk their lives and freedom for complete strangers and acquaintances alike. To me that was the first red flag that something was up. Other than the fact that the sequence of the first terror attack was almost identical to 9/11. But that’s my next point.

Terrorism as entertainment: Before we talk about my problems with terrorism used as entertainment, let us define terrorism. Terrorism is the destruction of property or loss of life intended to strike fear/terror in the target(s) that were unprovoked. Unprovoked is the key reason that I believe terrorism should not be used for entertainment. The reason that I have a problem with terrorism being used and not war, is that in war two sides are attacking one another. Although, sadly many civilians do get caught up and killed in war, in terrorism, it is almost ONLY civilians who are killed. And that is where my problem lies. I do not find the taking of innocent lives entertaining. I see it similar to the Holocaust. The Holocaust is not simply something for entertainment. Schindler’s List is not a movie made simply for entertainment, but an acknowledgement of the terrors that happened in WWII. The movie also causes the audience to mourn what happened, and join together to never let it happen again. Terror in Resonance does not do this. It does not acknowledge the horrors that occurred, nor even justify them. It does not deal with real ways to combat terrorism. It simply was meant to entertain.What an opportunity missed! Terror in Resonance tries to bypass the horrors of terrorism by causing no loss of life. This does not negate terrorism. Their attack realistically would cause some loss of life, and millions of dollars worth of damage. It would also affect the well-being of the citizens of Tokyo.

It does not follow the psychology of terrorism: The main thing that separates terrorism from the actions of the mentally ill (such as the Sandy Hook school shooting), is a real cause behind their attacks. Environmental terrorist fight companies who damage the earth. Groups like ISIS and Al-Qaeda attack countries that oppose their ideals. And so on. But Twelve and Nine in Terror in Resonance do not have a “reason” behind their attacks--at least one not revealed to the audience nor the police nor the city of Tokyo. When terrorists attack, they make sure that people know why. But Twelve and Nine never put forth much effort into helping anyone understand why, even Lisa, who becomes their accomplice. It fails to follow logic. In fact, Twelve and Nine have more in common with BTK (serial killer in Wichita, Kansas) than they do with any terror group I know. Rather than having a reason for what they do, they do it out of some twisted sense of “revenge.” They find joy in taunting the police and FBI. Much like BTK, Nine and Twelve enjoy sending cryptic and taunting messages to both the police and media. And like BTK, they feel no regret for what they have done. At least, none that is expressed to the audience.

     According to psychology, Nine and Twelve are not terrorist, but mentally ill. Which makes a lot more sense in hindsight. And you'll know what I mean if you choose to read the rest of the review.

From this point on, this review contains SPOILERS.

I repeat, this is your final SPOILER ALERT!

The Police are either corrupt or incompetent (or both): After the first terror attack, Nine and Twelve (collectively called Sphinx) release a video to the police about their next attack. In the video, it hinted that the police (or at least someone within the government) knew the reason behind the attack. The police force, however, did not know what Sphinx was talking about and enlisted the help of a disgraced cop that was moved from active duty to the archives. I personally didn’t find the “riddles” too complex, but apparently no one in the police department is not intelligent enough, or not motivated enough to solve these. And when I say I didn't find the riddles difficult, I mean I solved it before the next episode began. And I watched this show after it finished airing (I watched it in one week). And that brings us to the next character, the deus ex machina detective. He is the only one who can solve these riddles, and really the only character that seems determined to get to the bottom of all this mess. Just because we needed someone to do that.

The FBI’s attitude (in the show): After several terrorist attacks,the FBI gets involved with the investigation. This, in itself, is not surprising. After all, the U.S. and Japan are allies, and Japan houses many U.S. military bases. However, the way the FBI was portrayed was…incorrect?...offensive?...wrong? While I am not well-versed in how the FBI operates, I am sure that they would not place bombs in areas with many civilians (regardless if they were Japanese civilians or American civilians) for the slight possibly that the terrorist would be caught in the explosion. I’m not saying that the FBI hasn’t makes some questionable or even just plain wrong calls in the past, but if a child can explain the flaw in the plan, an entire bureau should know the flaws in this plan. The plan itself is just one big flaw! "Let's just bomb the **** out of civilians and see of the terrorist stop attacking, then we can assume they died!" Imagine if this was done with the case of BTK. A bomb is dropped over Wichita (a city of about half a million) and the FBI is like, "BTK is dead!" Yeah, BTK is dead, but so are thousands of people. More people died in that attack than would have been killed by BTK. I just can't get over how stupid the plan is. But I digress. Yes, I have simplified what role the FBI has in the show, but as an American, I still have a problem with it. Not to mention, that no one who voiced any of the FBI characters in the show was a native speaker of English. I sounded (literally) like the writers of the show simply put Japanese through Google translate. (But that is a whole topic of its own!)

9/11: Perhaps the biggest and most unforgivable flaw in this show is the references to 9/11. The creators of the show claim that it is not based off of any real persons or events. I think that is a bunch of crap. Do the creators think that I am stupid? I’ve heard a rumor that the main character’s names were going to be Nine and Eleven (subtle, I know), and were changed to Nine and Twelve (the day that it would have been in Japan when the news broke). Ok, so your main characters, terrorist, are named after the worst terror attack in America’s history. How is that not supposed to be offensive?

Now, let’s talk about the first terror attack in the show. I happened at a building called the Tokyo Metropolitan Building. Now, for those of you who don’t know, that is a real building in Japan. I’ve been to that building, I have a picture of me in front of the building--bottom line, it is a real place. When I first saw the building in Tokyo, I, like many Americans, thought of the World Trade Center. Even at my college, were we have two dorm towers that are 7 stories high, many people on campus are reminded of the World Trade Center. That act of terrorism is burned onto the minds of many Americans.

I was left questioning why the creators of Terror in Resonance chose this specific building. When most people think of Tokyo, structures like Rainbow bridge, Tokyo Tower, and Skytree come to mind--far more popular destinations for school trips too. Why not attack one of those places? The sole goal of the first attack was to simply announce their presence in Tokyo. Wouldn't attacking Tokyo Tower have had a much bigger effect? Why the one building in Tokyo that looks like the World Trade Center?Another issue that I had was the way the attack was carried out. It just so happened that one tower blew up and then the other, like 9/11. It just so happened that one tower collapsed and then the other, like 9/11. It just so happened, that despite the differences in construction between the two buildings, it fell the same ways as the World Trade Center did. Really!?

I remember watching the newscasts, trembling, the images forever burned into my mind. To use that simply for the sake of making a few bucks is disgusting. I remember not being able to sleep, just crying until I slept simply from being exhausted. Several years after, I remember a girl in my class bringing several items on 9/11: a urn with ashes from the World Trade Center and a folded flag. She told us that her father worked on the floor that was the epicenter to the first plane crash. That as soon as her mother turned on the news, she knew her father was dead. They didn’t even get a body, just some shrapnel put into an urn.

I remember seeing (on the news) the subway walls plastered with thousands of “Missing Persons” posters. I knew, even then, that most (if not all) of these people were dead that that their bodies would never be recovered. That their families could never have anything but an empty coffin at the funerals.  

One of my co-worker's nephew was killed in the attack. He was only eight. He, his twin sister, and father were fleeing the area when the first tower collapsed. He was hit in the neck with a piece of metal and died in the arms of his sister and father.

Excuse me if I have lost my taste for terrorism. I fail to find 9/11 anything other than one of the worst things perpetrated throughout history.  To use the Holocaust for simply entertainment is disgusting. And in the same way, to use 9/11 for entertainment and shock value to make a few more dollars is disheartening.

Anime Review: Silver Spoon

Note: To read my first impression of this anime go here.

Anime Review: Silver Spoon/Gin no Saji

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Genres: comedy, drama, coming of age, shounen

General Setup: Hachiken Yuugo doesn't know what he wants to do in life. He does know that his prep-school junior high was too intense for him and he doesn’t want to continue that path. So when Hachiken’s counselor recommends an agricultural-focused school out in the boonies Hachiken readily agrees. However, farm life has its own challenges, like getting up at 4 a.m. and sending animals to slaughter. As Hachiken makes new friends and tries his hand at novel experiences he comes to a new understanding of who he is and what should be valued.

Characters: Silver Spoon displays a wide cast of characters that I won’t be able to completely cover. So, in the interest of time, I’ll just be covering who I consider to be the three MAIN main characters.

First we have Hachiken (obviously). Having experienced being a clueless high school student who has no idea what the future will hold, I feel like Hachiken is a very relatable character. He is trying to figure out what he wants to do with his life, as well as gaining confidence in his abilities. Also, Hachiken serves as the middleman between the agricultural-crazy characters and the viewers who don’t know the difference between a heifer and a holstein.

Mikage Aki is a girl who Hachiken befriends shortly after starting at Ooezo High. She is also the one who gets him into the equestrian club.  Her family owns a small ranch, but Mikage’s dream is to work with horses. Hachiken has a crush on her, and she just might like him back.

Komaba {name} is a self-described muscle-head. He and Mikage are childhood friends. Also, Hachiken and Komaba are in the same group for (practicums). One of Komaba’s passions is baseball. He hopes to catch the eye of recruiters in high school and go pro before retiring to take over his family’s farm.

Plot: A lot of this plot centers around Hachiken’s activities at school. Because this is an agricultural school the focus shifts away from the academic aspects of high school to the more agricultural aspects. This gives the plot a fresh take on the standard life of a high schooler.

Ending: I wasn’t as satisfied with the ending as I was with some anime. However, with only two seasons and an ongoing manga of base material, the anime had to end somewhere. As is the norm for most anime based off of ongoing manga, the conclusion of the anime resolves some of the issues, but leaves plenty in the air for a later continuation of the story.

Things to Watch For: There are a few crude jokes in this anime, but nothing you shouldn’t be able to watch with your parents (I speak from personal experience on this one).

Sights and Sounds: The style of animation for Silver Spoon is clean, if a little lack-luster. The style of the art is distinctly Hiromu Arakawa (the creator of Fullmetal Alchemist and one of the only mangaka I know by name) so fans of Fullmetal Alchemist and Arslan Senki should enjoy watching this series. The soundtrack has a very orchestral feel (think Legend of Zelda). It ranges from calm and flowing to upbeat and march-like. Also, I especially liked the first opening and the last ending songs.

Other media: As mentioned previously, Silver Spoon is based off of an ongoing manga. There is also a live-action film that has been released in Japan.

Fillers: There are no fillers in Silver Spoon.

Length: Silver Spoon has 2 seasons, with a total of 24 episodes.

Where to Watch: You can watch all of Silver Spoon on Netflix and Crunchyroll.