Jeoffrey

This show had such a nice start. Some adorable female protagonists were fighting over who would be the greatest magical girl, performing good deeds. So this is commendable entertainment with such a nice and attractive animation. Admittedly, the opening scene already hinted that it would not stay that way for long. The two-tone mascot Pon must have surely brought back some unpleasant memories for the few people who saw Danganronpa: The Animation anime series; however, I found it believable. Well, then came the first dark moment that caught me off guard and unpleasantly surprised me. I thought, "why do bad things always happen to the good guys?" and started wondering if watching this is what I want to do on the weekends in the evening. On the other hand, there are some good aspects. The action is quite brisk, and the atmosphere is similar to Akame ga kill, again something in that unpredictable "George R.R. Martin style" where just "Valar morghulis". Well yeah, although everything has its limits, and there are some things I really do not want to see and what I watched tonight in the ninth episode is kind of over the line for me. Sure, death is indiscriminate, however, MEGA SPOILER ALERT, pregnant women really should not be seen dying on screen, and I do not care if she was just an animated character, END OF SPOILERS. The tasteless death and the audience's hatred heaped on each character are probably the biggest moral fallout that makes me sick as a fan of cute animated girls. I understand that a lot of the female protagonists in this show come off as rather warped personalities. However, to wish death on a little girl who kind of does not quite know what she is doing, even though she is currently turning out to be quite a pretty nice little freak, well, I just cannot handle that. So I am done before the conclusion because whether this ends up being "last girl standing" or "one to revive them all," I already know I am just not going to be happy. In the first case, I would be annoyed by at least half of the deaths in this show, and in the second, it would completely kill any atmosphere that has been building up. I do not see how this could surprise me and make up for the bad aftertaste I often get when watching it. Dropped after the ninth episode, and "in terms of a higher moral principle," this is garbage. In terms of its plot, animation, soundtrack, and narrative, it would again be somehow around average, so I guess for the first time, I am going to be objective and quit with 4/10.

At first, Izetta: The Last Witch seemed like an anime series with a lot of potential, and I liked the main female protagonists and the storyline concerning an alternative Second World War was quite appealing. However, as it progressed, it became a kind of weird and sometimes highly illogical mess with the flavor of a certain girly love story. Furthermore, from the middle of this season, I had the unpleasant feeling that it would end with that typical "heroic sacrifice" and that the ending would demand me to shed tons of tears, which I am not really into lately. I did quite well to keep my head down because as the final confrontation got closer and closer, I got less and less emotional, and the twist with the cloning or "Deutsche hexe" killed my last effort not to think about it. So a sober assessment would be - the characters, animation, and soundtrack are okay, although the plot is a load of crap. It is still quite watchable, though. Even the conclusion did not give me a better feeling about the show either, because the final fight was too obvious; it was clear that the anime's authors were trying to make it look epic and dramatic, although I think they did not really pull it off. I also thought that even Fina's performance at the Germanian-led surrender conference was better than the magical fight. The ending was +/- as expected, with one small detail that I had been hoping for. Well, I guess that little thing at the end made me so happy that I am going to finally declare "Izetta: The Last Witch" to be a bit better than average despite all that. 5.3/10.

Time Prisoners had the potential to be interesting; the setting and the plot suggested it could have been, but the execution and the logic let it down. It has a mysterious narrative concerning vampires: there are secrets concerning the vampires themselves, their origins, abilities, and usefulness - it all sounds very good to start with. There is quite a bit of action, too, backed up by all sorts of special powers and abilities. In terms of the animation, it is pretty good. So much for the positive aspects. The rest of it, however, is horrible. Some of the main protagonists' dialogues, the behavior of the main characters, some of the shifts in the plot, and sometimes the movement during the action and the way nothing makes much sense, in general, are pretty tragic. I was left wondering about what was going on a lot of the time. (SPOILER For example, where did all the people go when someone was shooting at a detective in a normal town? There were tall houses all around, cars on the road, although nobody was there except the detective, his colleague and the few people who came to kill them SPOILER END). In the end, it makes for a strange and not very logical survival show about vampires, and I do not understand what anyone is really up to and what those involved are trying to do either at the moment, although mostly in the long term. Furthermore, I did not care for the characters with one minor exception, which is probably also very bad. Oh, and the conclusion of the first season was also pretty random, with the resulting cliffhanger being shocking again in that "WTF" way I was experiencing throughout the season. Time Prisoners was a very weird and, in some aspects, very bad show that raised a lot of questions and many things that I am still wondering about now, even though there are no answers. I think it is worth 4/10, albeit with the caveat that if this ever gets a second season, I probably want to see it because I still believe it must all make sense!

We were born to make history! That is because this is truly a historic moment and this figure skating anime series takes its well-deserved place under the spotlight. Its qualities are so strong that it might even compel someone who intensely rejects anything that even smacks of any romantic tension between two men to not only finish this season but even give it a high rating. Do you not want to believe that? Give it a go! However, from the top, I am going to start with the opening, which I think is the best of this season (I especially love the energy and intensity of the music), and the ending is pretty good too. Most of the musical motifs (during the numbers), both classical and original, are very good. I must admit, for example, that I liked the song "King JJ" a lot. Then there is the animation, and to be frank, it is gorgeous. I have to say that the depiction of movement, especially figure skating numbers, is very good. Not only does it look fluid, but it also looks realistic, and even the jumps performed (lutz, flip, toe loop) are very nicely quite well portrayed. Yuri on Ice is also quite funny at times; they are not clutch-your-stomach, cry-laughing, fall-off-your-chair, make-it-stop kind of jokes, even though they still make you smile. The characters are also interesting and likable, and the one I think is the best is definitely Viktor. However, I guess each of the gentlemen in this show has their own charm and brief narrative, so everyone will find someone they like, and it does not matter if it is the first Czech anime figure skater, "King JJ" or young Pitchit. There are many characters to choose from. As far as the main characters are concerned, there is a natural development not only in terms of individual characters but also in terms of their relationships with each other. The characters gradually open up more and more, improve, gain various new motivations and work on their relationships with each other. Thus, also in terms of development, a rather complex spectacle. The narrative is pretty predictable on the whole, although the way it is presented, it is impossible not to enjoy and root for the characters. Then there is the overall realism. Have you ever seen an anime series where they actually speak French or even Russian? When I think of the Japanglish that is thrown at me from many other shows and compare it to how the different languages are showcased in Yuri on Ice, then I can see that they just really went the extra mile, and even that should be appreciated, too! The environment of each race and the facilities should also be appreciated. As for the fan service for the girls, yes, some moments are very intense, and there are moments that I personally did not care for and could do without; however, for this anime series, they are essential in my opinion, because that is also part of the character and relationship development. It was a hard decision to make in the end because objectively, it is simply a five-star show in many aspects, although my purely subjective impression comes out to only 8.4/10.

You can never have enough sports anime series, and there was even one about motorbikes (Bakuon!!). Therefore, I guess it must now be time to bring out the good old folding bike and take up cycling. Well, now we have Long Riders!, which is an anime series that is basically a kind of moe fun on wheels. However, in my opinion, it is nothing like the anime series about motorcycles mentioned above, unfortunately. So while I enjoyed it because of the cute girls, who are, of course, as always terribly easy on the eye and very simple characters, the show is nothing more than a better average for me 6.3/10.

One reviewer here delivers a harsh truth about fan service on her profile (I am not going to disclose her username; search!). I saw how true this statement was once again while watching the first episode of Hip Whip Girl: Keijo!!!!!! (it really has too many exclamation points in the title.). When a girl wants to see fan service in an anime series with swimsuits, she goes for Free! although I have not seen that particular anime series. However, I suppose my idea is that a group of nice, well-proportioned boys parades around in swimsuits most of the time, dealing with their problems and being sensitive and charismatic. I do not know; I am just guessing that is what it is about because I have not even started watching Free! Why not? Because most guys are usually not interested in watching other men in swimsuits (even if they are only illustrations) and charismatic, sensitive male protagonists dealing with their problems would just be quite boring really. That is simply the reality of it. So OK, but what if a young man longs for some swimsuit fan service action? Well, there is Hip Whip Girl: Keijo!!!!!! What is that young man to expect? First and foremost, there will be some boobies (sorry for that particular term, although for certain bust sizes, I do not think any other description actually fits), then bottoms, then well-proportioned female bodies in swimsuits. Then, of course, there is some action, whether in the form of boobie to boobie fights or action along the lines of "you have got a tight ass, I have to feel it." There are the assorted whiny characters (because that is how some guys see women) speaking in different dialects (because that is exotic). There is maybe a hint of a narrative and some trouble may be lurking somewhere in the distance, lost among all the bagpipes. However, is there any need for a decent narrative? A substantial enough group of men are going to assume the English word "plot" is just another name for deep cleavage anyway, so who cares? Unfortunately, Jeoffrey needs a lot more to be entertained by anime series these days than just fan service and action. So my prediction regarding this show is probably this - the main female protagonist is going to be competing against other well-proportioned classmates in most of the episodes; her cute ass and boobies will get to know many other asses and boobies in some dynamic contests. She is going to learn the latest crazy techniques and meet lots of friends and rivals, each with a unique character and way of speaking. At least once per episode, there will be some "close contact" between the girls outside the pool (in the first episode, the main female protagonist + the blonde girl). We get a look at the spa in the middle of the anime series because those assets need to be shown in other ways than merely restricted to a swimsuit. Plot-wise, it is going to be the same as ninety-nine percent of classic sports anime series, so competitions, wins, losses, training, camaraderie, and rivalries. There will either be a tournament or an important test in the end. If there is going to be a test, then the female protagonist is going to shine. If, however, there is going to be a tournament, then the female protagonist is going to finish second with the realization that she still has some way to go, and the audience is going to realize that there is probably going to be a second season in the works. This anime series is going to be very popular because there is pretty much everything an ecchi fan (usually a young male in the fifteen to twenty-five-year-old age bracket, even though there is also a decent portion of males over twenty-five years old) could want. On top of that, there are the standard shonen action scenes (again, usually targeted at young males aged fifteen to twenty-five years old) and a certain amount of the drive that sports anime series have. In other words, if I were fifteen again, I might have my tongue hanging out drooling and throw five stars away. However, the older a person gets, the more their preferences change. So I would rather gush over the cuteness of the little Lolita girls in frilly magical girl costumes, or playing table tennis that makes me smile, or the odd interesting girls playing brass instruments or fighting the Third Reich. I am going to keep waiting to see if I get a decent, interesting narrative this season to engage my brain. This is because that is precisely the organ I want to get my blood pumping around while watching anime series. Hip Whip Girl: Keijo!!!!!! is a dream come true for fans of swimsuits and erotic anime series. For Jeoffrey, however, this is yet another anime series that is dropped without a rating after the first episode.

I've Always Liked You is a charming romantic movie with a relaxed pace and the animation is quite respectable. It also features some charming characters and a pleasant soundtrack. Basically, I cannot think of anything substantial to complain about. On the other hand, although I spent a very enjoyable hour watching this movie, I reckon that in a few days, I am probably only going to vaguely remember having seen "I've Always Liked You." So it is pleasant and enjoyable, although it somehow lacked any real impact. I wonder if it needed some dramatic tension to at least spice up the narrative a bit or if it lacked something else. However, I do not know the answer to that question. So the fact remains that this movie is actually a respectable love story, albeit without any suspense. This is because you can predict the ending after about twenty minutes and during the next forty minutes, almost nothing happens to make you change your mind. So I finally found something to criticize, and I can finally take one star off the rating because the writing of this movie was nice, even though it was still lacking something, and awarding five stars is just not my style (why should it be that easy, right?). 7.5/10.

Four boys in prison uniforms escape from the most high-security prison in the world! It is all shimmering and glittering, and one of the men has blue nails. Where did he find nail polish in that prison? However, the really crappy thing is that I was not even remotely impressed with the traps in this show. So if you do not like the animation style or the characters, the introduction to the plot is so rubbish it is not funny, then the conclusion is logical. Run away, quickly! Run before you get caught! Dropped after the first episode.

Oh my God, this is so perfectly moronic!! Its cuteness is incredibly over-the-top, and it is completely stupid and predictable. The animation is not very good, which on the one hand, looks terribly simple, almost to the point of being a bit of a cop-out, but on the other hand, it actually suits this show. The characters are unbelievably flat; the main female protagonist is not a girl, she is simply just a puppy dog, and there are also some stupid tropes about big boobies and who knows what else. On the one hand, the action is dynamic; on the other hand, it is quite a weird show because of the liters of sweat and the strange ball movement. However, somehow even this fits in strangely. Practically after a few minutes of the first episode, I had a smile on my face as if I was afflicted with polio, and the pleasant feeling that emerged while watching lasted despite all the obvious shortcomings (and there are quite a few) until the end. It is just that this is so endearingly stupid that it is actually cool! At least it was for me. 8/10.

The only genre tagged for Touken Ranbu: Hanamaru on MAL was fantasy, so I figured why not check it out. This show is not so much a fantasy anime series; it is just the opposite of my favorite "cute girls do cute things" type-entertainment. By “opposite” of course I mean it is about boys, from little shonen to big bishies. So the target audience is quite obvious, and there is the occasional fight scene which is unfortunately not really worth watching. I could not enjoy this show because it is just frantic sequences of crazy and cluttered cutscenes. Dropped after ten minutes, and I am not going to judge it or rate it.