Jeoffrey

There’s no question that the second season of Made in Abyss is simply a treat. There were a lot of things I probably wouldn't normally want to see, things that sent chills down my spine and even made me slightly nauseous at times. And yet it all made sense, felt incredibly intense, and I perversely enjoyed it. I wouldn't have believed that, once a week, I would feel like a passionate masochist who’s just been to a BDSM dungeon, and that it would bring a happy smile to my face because of how great it all was. The series literally tortures the viewer mentally but wraps it up in a story so powerful, emotional, logical, and clever that you'll wish it would never stop. Akihito Tsukushi is probably a very complicated personality, a writer with a huge imagination and a talent for profound and well-thought-out stories with more than one deeper message. Then again, I couldn't help feeling that this guy has some serious personal issues. During some scenes, I literally pictured Akihito as a little schoolboy who hates all his classmates and kids in general with a passion, and in his room, night after night, he tears up all his cute stuffed animals into bits and pieces, pretending they’re people he knows. And then this kid grew up and started writing fantasy... Made in Abyss not only knows how to sell all the powerful and gory scenes without sugarcoating it or censorship (they're not there just for effect), but it contrasts them with moments that are absolutely beautiful, making them stand out even more. It's often a literal rollercoaster of emotions. One moment it’s sending chills down your spine and the next you’re smiling, ending up completely moved by it, all in one episode. You don’t need to fear being bored by the series. What’s more, the whole story is set in beautiful and skillfully drawn scenery, inhabited by creatures of all shapes and sizes. It is fantasy at its best, with places you wouldn’t encounter in the real world and creatures you have never dreamed of. I do have one minor quibble, which is that we don't actually see much of the Abyss this time around. The setting is the same most of the time, but the series made up for this deficiency with all its peculiar inhabitants and their stories. The music is also excellent. Kevin Penkin can be rightfully proud of his work on this series. He considers it his best work yet, and I cannot but agree. The music is literally on a cinematic level in the last two episodes. Kevin knows how to use the choir, orchestra, and vocals - creating an impressive score that adds to the intensity and emotion of each scene. The second season of Made in Abyss was an absolute blast for me. It’s a great example of what fantasy, adventure, and drama should look like, and proof that the contrast between beauty and repulsion can be the source of some truly powerful moments. At the same time, it's also an example of great writing. Everything makes sense and the two storylines intertwine and complement each other perfectly. Plus, there are many moral dilemmas to ponder, such as what people are capable of in order to survive, or what can be of value to a person... If you've read this far, you probably know how I’m going to rate this - 10/10.

Definitely better than the previous two seasons. There's nothing here that I didn't enjoy or that distracted me from the main storyline. No lizard courtship, scenes of everyday life in the village of Carne, or other filler. Sure, you could say that the opening plotline with the empire or the dwarves could be thought of as similar digressions, but to me, they were important, intriguing, and fun parts of the series, and they didn’t feel redundant. Oh, and the second half is literal carnage. It's interesting to watch Overlord’s actions and to realize, with a chill running down my spine, that I'm watching the other side of the story than is common in fantasy. Instead of wondering if Overlord will take over the world and how much more epic the journey is going to be, you start to wonder if anyone will be able to stop him, and you gradually come to the realization that someone probably should... Luckily, this series also introduces new and interesting antagonists who could play a big role. It hints towards a big faction being formed, so the future confrontations could be epic and insane. Everything is well thought out and put together, and all the world-building truly pays off. At the same time, everything keeps expanding in new directions. Many characters get closure, some unexpectedly quickly... What the story goes to show is that the biggest and most dangerous monster that set everything in motion is nothing but a human. Heightened and intense emotions (Renner) as well as stupidity (Philip) can sometimes do more harm than you’d expect. It's simply a breathtaking series. I'm looking forward to the continuation of the story (in the form of a movie this time), and I pray that Kugane Maruyama will find new strength and motivation to write, get over his burnout, and return to his original plan, which is that the Overlord novella will have at least 30 parts, and the anime a few more seasons. His talent is undeniable and it would be a waste for an office job... 9/10

After five years, the cruel and emotionless manipulator with the face of a dead fish and the voice of a snake tranquilizer is back, and I can enjoy more of his elaborate tricks and maybe even learn a little more about his mysterious past. The second season doesn’t bring many new revelations, though. What I did enjoy here was the gradual fleshing out of certain characters and the first real confrontation between the protagonist and a sufficiently dangerous opponent, which is topped off with a very decently animated fight. The second season could be roughly divided into three parts. The opening part on the ship and the final one with the test were quite fun and interesting. I learned something new and saw some very powerful scenes. On the other hand, the middle part about the sports tournament was rather mediocre, almost boring. I find this series intriguing, and I don't see why some people consider it stupid and dull. I think the opposite is true, but everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and it would be boring if everyone perceived everything the same way. I'm excited to see new episodes and find out more about the "white room". I’m also curious to know if Ayanokoji will ever become a normal person with at least a semblance of emotions. The season took care of one antagonist while showing the danger and motivations of others, so I have reason to look forward to Season 3, also thanks to the last scene. It's a quality show, but one point off compared to the first season (mainly because of the weaker middle part).

A simple and likable short film with very nice animation and background music, on a somewhat clichéd theme about a shy girl opening up to the outside world through an encounter with the supernatural. I liked how it was handled, even with such a short running time. 7.5/10

Is it because of COVID that there are so many pharmacies in anime lately? Anyway, this series has a certain appeal to it. The main character has noble and, thanks to a good backstory, understandable goals. His opponents are not just any old ordinary monsters but tuberculosis, plague, and other diseases that do, in fact, look quite terrifying. Plus, the authors also show how society reacts, be it positively or negatively, to all the changes in pharmaceuticals and medicine, as well as the appearance of a strange boy with very special abilities. We also get to see the various anti-epidemic measures in practice. I do get why some people might like this strange isekai concept. Unfortunately, I wasn’t impressed by it, perhaps because medicine has never been an area of interest for me, or because I didn't find it thrilling enough. It wasn't a bad show, but not more than a 6/10.

It was short and maybe even silly, but it often had me laughing. I was even moved a little in the final episode. Most importantly, it won me over with its exuberance, energy, and likable characters. 7/10

The protagonist is a kind of a moron, so I figure that he probably deserves his troubles as well as the crazy harem of girls who would fight to the death over him (and maybe even want to kill him). It's probably the first time I don't envy the protagonist one bit. On the other hand, I also have admiration for Shuu. He's an interesting example of what a man is willing to sacrifice to learn the truth about his family. I also wonder if the final revelation was really worth it. Anyway, the story wasn't that bad, it had some compelling ideas and interesting twists. On the other hand, things sometimes got so illogical that I had to take it with a massive pinch of salt to make it to the end. Some situations were quite transparent, for example, when it was mentioned in the show that there was a traitor among those around the main character, I just smiled to myself and immediately knew who it was. The characters didn’t really do it for me. The girls aren’t very likable, plus, they seem rather dangerous. Apart from them, there’s nobody interesting or particularly memorable, except for the weird Mikhail perhaps. I didn’t understand how he could be put in charge of anything, let alone protecting the city. What I find excellent about the series, thanks to the A-1 Pictures animation studio, was the visuals and the fights, which were the main reason why I kept watching the show. It was the animation that made me give this below-average series a slightly higher rating. 5/10

Lycoris Recoil is simply a nice show. There are plenty of likable characters and an action-packed plot, and it's all wrapped in gorgeous visuals that prove that A-1 Pictures has still got it. The music isn’t bad, either. Unlike others, I don't see this as the anime version of “John Wick in a skirt.” The fact that there's a mysterious organization of assassins that has its corpse cleaners and that the main character is more dangerous than an entire SWAT team is just a minor and inconsequential coincidence. On the other hand, there are probably some of the best and most entertaining shootouts and fights I've seen in anime this year. As I said, A-1 Pictures did a very decent job indeed, and the movement of the characters in battle, and the way the camera skillfully captures it, is a real treat. Of course, the show has its flaws. Gun and ammo experts must be tearing their hair out at the sight of ammunition going through almost every material object except people and their clothes. As a layman, I am unfazed. The biggest appeal for me, besides the fights, were definitely the characters. The two protagonists were extremely likable and had great chemistry, so it really worked as a great buddy series. I especially liked Chisato. She's exactly the kind of energetic and crazy girl full of life that I love in anime as well as in life. This is why her story and emotions worked for me, although it was obvious that there would be a more serious plot right from the moment when it was explained why Chisato can dodge bullets. Mika and Yoshi were great characters, too. Their relationship and secrets were portrayed in an interesting way that made me understand them. Similarly, Majima as the main villain had something going for him, and while it took me a while to make sense of all his motivations, I did get to like him as a character. The concept of helping ordinary people in need is another reason why Lycoris Recoil is a nice show. 7.8/10

A pretty average isekai that is neither impressive nor terrible. There are some things I quite liked and some that were not so great. What I consider a plus is the main character who probably has the most personality of all the new isekai protagonists this season, and he's just a likable guy who isn't that excited by the harem that's formed around him. Wait until he faces a strong opponent, though. Speaking of which, I also liked the choice of the final antagonist in the last episode, where it finally felt, at least for a moment, like two equals confronting each other. At least it had some energy and made more sense than when the protagonist was so bored that he had to create opponents for himself (a shoutout to the local bunch of heroes). It sure is tough to be OP... I was quite intrigued as to why the hero was this powerful, what he was willing to sacrifice for his strength, and if it would have any effect on the rest of the story. I also cannot but admire him for being able to convince a goddess to ditch her duties and become his guide and part of his harem. Another thing that got me intrigued was the background story. What the writers only started to reveal towards the end concerning the neighboring kingdom could make for quite an interesting story in a potential next season. The rest of it wasn't as entertaining. There were too many clichés for my taste, mostly ones that I find boring (a demon princess, an onee-chan character, etc.). I also wasn’t impressed by most of the fights, especially the use of CGI in them, which, while not the worst I've seen in anime, still left a lot to be desired. The music is barely noticeable. As for the supporting characters, the one that I found most relatable was the only man here, Gerard. As I said, it’s not amazing but not bad either. 5/10

It’s quite likely that you'll question whether Ao Ashi is worth watching during the first couple of episodes. There’s something, or rather someone, that you might find very annoying. The main character doesn’t make a very good first impression. In fact, he could be summed up as "Asta from Black Clover playing soccer". Aoi is loud, overconfident, extremely emotional – simply unbearable. On the other hand, the show does an impressive job of portraying soccer. There are many great shots of the game, and I immediately took a liking to Coach Fukuda, who decides to give Aoi a chance because he sees his undeniable talent. I’m sure you’ll be able to see this talent and what makes the protagonist special, too, though you may wonder how it will be used in the story. You might not like how dramatic the opening is at first, and you might find a lot of the emotionally charged, loud scenes to be exaggerated. However, in the context of relationship building, it makes sense and actually works. If you don't drop the series, you'll be rewarded and your overall impression will gradually improve until you become convinced, like me, that Ao Ashi is an excellent sports anime worth looking forward to. How did the writers achieve this? First of all, by having the main character face reality, letting him fall flat on his face a couple of times, and having everyone around him, coaches as well as teammates, confront him with new problems and his own mistakes from which he gradually learns until everything falls into place and you'll grow to like the kid and his transformation. Aoi's story is excellently written, perfectly capturing the hero's ups and downs. Aoi’s growth and development feel very convincing. The atmosphere in the team is also wonderfully handled. There is mistrust and discord stemming from different motivations and approaches to the game, but also logical compromise and teamwork to achieve a common goal. There's also strategizing on the part of the coaches, a good demonstration of the work involved in raising young people who “have to figure it out for themselves, but sometimes they need a little push." The coaches themselves are also excellently portrayed. They are struggling to do their best and sometimes questioning themselves, too. The best character of the whole series for me is definitely coach Date Nozomi, who is an excellent version of Snape. Both character development and team development are great, and even the supporting characters are given enough room to be engaging and show us their importance for the story. But that's not all. The depiction of the matches is also great, and the series perfectly builds up the tension, especially concerning the last match of the season, where it doesn't forget to introduce the opponent, and escalates the tension between the teams (on several fronts), so you really get the impression that it’s a big deal and a climax of the whole series so far. Yūgo Kobayashi obviously knows a lot about soccer. You can tell by the individual shots of the pitch, the use of familiar strategies, or dropping famous soccer names, but also the analyses and insights that the supporting characters have while watching the game. And this is where it differs from Love All Play. The series either shows you the whole thing first and then explains it in quite a bit of detail (so that even a layman can understand it), or it uses on-the-fly analysis of the situation, with the main character sketching out a plan in his head, quickly explaining it and making it happen. These moments are a delight to watch and feel like highlights from soccer matches complete with an analysis from an expert. The animation is also great. For example, the last opening has some absolutely amazing shots such as the one inside the goal in the first few seconds. All in all, Ao Ashi keeps on getting better, becoming a really great show in the end. I believe it has a lot more to offer in the future, and I look forward to a potential next season. The fact that Aoi starts off as a "whiny kid" is great for character development. The room for improvement is very large, and the potential is used very well. After the first season, I’m giving it 8/10. If there is a second season and if it keeps up the trend, it could soon turn into a five-star experience.