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Sep 13, 2025
A full blown action manhwa with some horror elements.
Early on I worried the story would feel too short or take a turn for the worse, since the narrative or character writing aren't anything exceptional. But despite there being some obvious issues, it held up well throughout. Great art, great setting, great fights and a decent story.
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I love the setting. The earth is completely submerged with water, with humans having to live on ships that float on its surface. During the day people can go about their day as they please, but as the night falls, this fragile peace fades away.
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Hostile marine life surfaces, and dozens, even hundreds of massive leviathans come to prey on humans.
The human colonies are on massive boats that have turned into dystopian cities—somewhat reminiscent of the images you'd see from the Kowloon Walled City—held together by duct tape and dreams.
Early on the setting for Leviathan seems really promising, and it does exceptionally well with the world-building and horror. Unfortunately it mostly stops expanding the world and starts deviating from the horror aspects. The setting is just a springboard to have a ton of bloody badass fights against enormous sea monster with OP main characters. Realism is thrown out the window. This might seem like it'd tank the overall quality, but with how great the art is, and how each fight maintains a fairly fresh feel, it simply manages to be a great action manhwa. I think if the writer had managed to intertwine the initial premise alongside its action packed story, the story would have been better.
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The overall narrative is not the best thing ever. I think there is a clear idea of a beginning and end that is followed through fairly well, with some solid character progression, good pacing and a satisfying conclusion that didn't make the story feel too short or dull at any moment... But there are some notable flaws.
Although the overall structure and narrative idea is quite good, the writer seems to be a bit whimsical with everything else. This "whimsy" started quite early, as the first few episodes felt like a quite mature horror story, but then turned into a very action and fan-service focused read. Then after a while the fan-service is gutted shortly after.
One of the bigger issues is that there were many subplots that started, but which never found proper conclusions. This issue ranges from side characters to the main cast in varying degrees. We see some side characters whose personal growth and motivations seem to shift around too much, and this results in them having a slightly inconsistent personalities. There were also some romantic subplots that started, but were either cut short or disappeared entirely—only for the involved characters to later be in an entirely different state of mind. Overall it doesn't ruin the comic, but it certainly holds it back from reaching greater heights. Especially for those who want a truly strong narrative.
Another issue is definitely the final act being slightly rushed. While definitely an issue, it wasn't a huge negative to me, as it still managed to reach a fairly satisfying conclusion.
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Leviathan definitely falls in the "shounen" categorization, but in my eyes it's one of the greatest ones. There was also an afterstory that's out, which hasn't been categorized on MAL yet, which allowed me to have more of an appreciation for the whole package than some of the earlier readers.
Anyhow, if you love action and want to see fights against sea monsters, or if the setting intrigues you, I urge you to give Leviathan a try.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Aug 7, 2025
When I started Bocchi the Rock!, I expected it to be a lot more narrative-driven and group-focused story than it turned out to be. This is a show based around four girls hanging out, with almost all of the gags being around Bocchi's silly behavior due to her social ineptitude. I enjoyed the vibes and the silly humor.
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Hitori Gotou, nicknamed "Bocchi", is a social recluse of the highest order. She is incapable of looking people in the eye, entering a store, or even stringing together a sentence to anybody outside her immediate family. Bocchi had started playing guitar when she was still in
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middle school in hopes of becoming a popular person despite her shortcomings. To do so, she wanted to start a band, but ultimately outside of social media her skills had gone unnoticed, as her personality ensured nobody knew what kind of a person she was.
One day while carrying her guitar to school in hopes of being noticed, she ends up being dragged into a band by a desperate girl in need of a replacement for their guitarist. This is the start to Bocchi's new life, as she finds herself befriending the other bandmates and slowly coming out of her shell.
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The episode structure in the show feels very day-to-day, with the full runtime often spent talking to a drunk lady, or taking pictures for social media. They don't really try to cram many events into one episode, and it results in very slow pacing. The show also definitely fits in the "cute girls being cute" corner of anime. Visually, they're combining realistic backgrounds with simple anime designs, creating a strong contrast, which gives the show a unique vibe and atmosphere.
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If you dig comedy-focused shows and slice-of-life, Bocchi the Rock! will resonate with you. Extra points if you relate to the living embodiment of social anxiety that Bocchi is. While the show is not a masterpiece, it is a charming, funny, and visually distinctive series that’s easy to recommend.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Aug 5, 2025
I enjoyed the well-paced and tightly told first season, which balanced providing a lot of small, digestible details while maintaining consistently engaging storytelling. It handled emotional moments well, offered compelling mini-arcs, and had a cast I enjoyed watching. The second season doesn't quite reach the emotional or narrative heights of the first season, but still provides something fresh with its massive theater arc and by furthering character relationships.
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Season 2 spends most of its runtime focusing on Aqua's acting career and a theatrical stage adaptation for a manga series, making Ruby's involvement in the story less prevalent for a lot of it. The show
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goes quite deep into inner thoughts of all actors on set, and also spends a lot of time showcasing how the writing staff can run into issues, especially when trying to adapt written media into visual media, and accounting for screenplay.
I enjoyed the lead-up to the play and the difficulties they faced along the way, as the show is setting up rivalries and facing unexpected production difficulties. But once they got on the stage for the play, it dragged on a little longer than it should've. The show attempts to weave in character backstories and motivations into the play, while highlighting how actors handle their struggles differently. But the execution mostly felt like watching a mediocre show that constantly was interrupted to showcase different characters' struggles. I couldn't connect with the people involved, and despite a ton of flashy lights to try to make the theater stage feel more alive, it felt like being trapped in a box. Any time I saw a flashback where they were inside a normally lit room, I already felt a bit more free. All of these aspects combined made the experience more tedious than engaging.
Outside the stage adaptation, there are also major character and relationship developments, though much of it feels like build-up for what's to come rather than arcs with immediate payoff. Aqua's storyline has always had a bit of a detective aspect to it, and here the author added a new layer of mystery and worry for the viewers.
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Despite some of my strong criticisms here, I still think this was a good season. A lot of the elements I enjoyed this season are spoiler territory, so the review seems a little more negative than I truly felt. There's a lot of character nuance and narrative elements going on beyond just the entertainment industry aspects. If you enjoy the theater arc and can resonate with a darker tone, this season could outdo the first for you.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Aug 3, 2025
I had some preconceptions and assumed this show was just an idol show for weirdos, but I found myself fully engrossed in every episode.
The reason for my initial distaste was simple: Oshi No Ko begins with a pregnant 16-year-old idol going to a middle-aged gynecologist who happens to be a diehard fan of hers, and who gave the impression that he'd love to date her. However, instead of helping to deliver the idol's twin babies, he ends up being reborn as one of her two children. It seemed like something out of a poorly written fan fiction, and aspects of the main character's thoughts
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were off-putting to me.
Luckily, my worries were mostly unfounded, as I found the show entirely captivating and well written throughout. Once the first episode wraps up, it became the story of two siblings: a brother who has been completely disillusioned by the entertainment industry and seeks to protect his sister, and a sister who is desperately trying to become an idol.
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Oshi No Ko explores many facets of the entertainment industry—reality shows, TV shows, movies, YouTube, streaming and idol culture. Alongside the production and acting side of things, social media plays a significant role in the show. As the online reception to actors and the shows they star in can severely affect the entertainers' mental health, it is effectively used as a strong character progression tool, and to showcase the potential dangers and underlying cruelty of it.
The main cast for the show is overall brilliantly written, as each brings something unique to the table. The generic tsundere personalities were given a lot of character depth and room for growth, and side characters have enough personality to stand out on their own, with potential to join the main cast. I also really like the character designs. They are flashy and colorful, yet restrained, resulting in a pleasant visual style that is not too exaggerated.
The first episode is a bit of an oddball in all of this, as it has both nothing and everything to do with how everything else within the show plays out. A lot of the writing early on was more humorous and over the top. It quite brilliantly sets up the idea of a perfect idol being someone who lies—that a "perfect idol" is something that cannot exist in reality. It also sets up expectations and tears them down in a way I was very happy with—toning the ridiculousness down a bit, while still retaining a bit of the power fantasy aspect and not going too overboard with it.
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In conclusion, Season 1 was a great experience for me. I am not terribly familiar with the entertainment industry and especially not the one in Japan, but I have heard it's not all sunshine and rainbows. Regardless, it's hard to comment on how realistic it is at the end of the day, but this works solidly as entertainment, and I could see it even inspiring people to be more creative in whatever field they work in.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Apr 9, 2025
A prologue to hopefully bigger things.
First season of Sword of Coming explores Chen Pingan's childhood, sets up some relationships with different characters and displays powerful individuals having some fights. The story is confined to a village where cultivation levels are suppressed, allowing mortals and cultivators to live together.
What I like about Sword of Coming as a whole is how unique this start is.
The MC is pretty useless for the entire 26 episodes. He's a guy who does a lot of stone picking, herb collecting and fishing, but is constantly dealing with cultivators regardless. This allows for at least some action and plot developments. It's also
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very obvious that some of the people in the village are extremely powerful, and Chen Pingan probably won't be as strong as they are for a while. Kind of sets up power structure in a believable way, since we have strong people in the prologue, rather than having it "scale" to Chen Pingan. And if it's not obvious already, no, he doesn't cultivate yet at all.
Visuals are good, biggest thing I'd point out is how some textures were a little lower resolution than they should've been, and I think some character models were a lot more refined and lifelike than others. So the graphics can be a little unbalanced.
At the time of writing this, I couldn't find any official english source to watch, and the translations I found made understanding the overall plot a bit hard. Hence the mixed review. Hopefully there is some sort of proper western release later.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Apr 7, 2025
Slow beginning & weak characters make for a quite boring start. But once the show finds it's footing, it's enjoyable.
Early on the show reminds me a lot of A Record of a Mortal's Journey to Immortality:
- The visuals & plot pacing are very similar
- Both main characters begin as a mortal
- Both main characters have a story reason for slow cultivation
What results in a bad start for Shrouding The Heavens:
Ye Fan does not feel believable or relatable as a main character. Shrouding The Heavens spends the first 6 episodes showing Ye Fan & his former classmates' journey after being taken away from Earth by a
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mysterious coffin. These early episodes were mostly spent running away from monsters, and did not provide much information on Ye Fan or his former classmates. This beginning is then tied to Ye Fan's character motivations & story progression, resulting in a fairly poor & uninteresting foundation.
The story also starts slow. Most of the first 20 episodes are pretty much spent on running away from dangers, or watching other cultivators from the sidelines. These 20 episodes are followed by small arcs that don't really tie together well. It's only starting episode 36 that the show begins to find it's footing, as the different story arcs & characters connect in a more coherent way.
To anyone who is fine with a slow start & still wants to give Shrouding The Heavens a chance, mainly expect a balance of romance/harem elements, comedy, action & several recurring characters.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Mar 25, 2025
Decent action show hindered by an overabundance of camera cuts, sudden plot developments & a lack of proper continuity between different scenes.
This is a magic/cultivation setting within the modern world. Deities grant some humans powers, and in exchange they wish for these humans to do something for them. Our main character met one such deity as a young child so he's cool like that. Some other people can seemingly use "Taboo" powers, but I'm not sure how those were gained. Maybe I missed that plot detail.
Character & environmental models are high quality. I also think the soundtrack overall is decent.
Just sucks that it essentially
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feels like the whole show was directed by a former Cocomelon employee.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Sep 8, 2024
This was the first 3D Donghua I personally liked, but this might be a hard sell for a lot of people.
I still think it's worth giving at least a try to see if you're into it. But don't go in with big expectations.
I want to touch a little on future seasons, so this review reveals what you can expect later on without going to any plot details.
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Visually, I think the artstyle is inconsistent. Some environments look way too empty & unnatural. At times it's like the characters are driving through barbie land with a couple of plastic trees on a plastic ground. Even texture quality
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is inconsistent.
Animations are very stiff, and the combat sequences are not that well made. It's especially bad when the main character fights beasts for the first time. You won't even see the sword making contact with them. After first 12 episodes there are some improvements I noticed though, since the swords start making cuts on the enemies.
Both the visuals & animation do slowly get some improvements as episodes pile on:
The scifi style is pretty well pulled off & the show gets more futuristic the further you go. Past first season most fights are done midair & it's a lot prettier to look at than ground combat choreography. Nice visual effects & the animation quality feels less relevant.
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The plot begins with humans defending earth from beasts, but future seasons eventually start to become more & more scifi & eventually there's even space travel & space combat.
I think the story writing is pretty terrible outside the major plot of winning the earth back. The subplots are always very surface level "You offended me, so I will end your bloodline" type of deal.
Personally I wasn't a fan of fighting overgrown beasts or dinosaurs & thought the subplots were cringe, so the future seasons with their scifi settings are where this show shines: dope armors, lots of nice visual effects during combat, nice spaceships, nice metallic interiors, lots of combat.
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Overall I'd say first 2 season are a 6/10 on average, but seasons 3-4 are a 7/10 for me.
It's cringe, but it's also fun.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Sep 8, 2024
An early review, but this show is a total disappointment for me.
Going in with no information on the source material has been a pretty miserable experience.
The visuals are fine. The animations are fine.
The story is not. The pacing is not. The characters are not.
You are constantly starved of any sort of meaningful character development, fights feel meaningless & there's no plot ever being developed. There is barely any context as to what the main character is trying to do at any given time, or what happened between time skips. You are constantly asking who these random characters who look identical to eachother are.
The official?
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subtitles seem to be machine translated & also ignore on screen text.
Only reason I'm not giving it a fully negative review is because it has okay visuals & I think some people just want to watch the main character kill people occasionally & that's enough for them. Or maybe people familiar with the original novel want to watch it & perhaps it's good for that.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Sep 7, 2024
Reasonably good, but probably created for a younger audience.
Consistent visuals & a reasonably good artstyle. Very high contrast color scheme. Bright red / pink hairstyles. Pink/rainbow color horses. Everything pops out a lot. Environments are often very flat & lack details in textures & debris, furniture, trees etc.
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Story revolves around a humans vs demons premise, where the war has been at a deadlock for 6000 years. It's overall well told, abilities, strength, character thoughts are all expressed well. And the show pacing is very good.
However I personally find that often the show feels too contradictory between characters & world lore:
There are several virtues
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that the knights are trying to uphold. "Compassion, honesty, bravery, fairness...", yet the people who receive screen time are always bickering and fighting like toddlers, adults included. There are moments where some bystanders even mentioned a knight freezing people around her during a fight. Another time some temple officials overlooked a murder attempt. They seemingly can also fight in the middle of busy towns for some reason. One of the central adult characters for this season was even willing to beat up a child in a fit of rage because the child gave him praise.
The characters are all mentally unstable & it's never explained that the knights would be corrupt or anything. I can only assume it's a narrative conflict.
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For the most part I enjoy fights & I actually could tell how most skills used between different disciplines were consistent with their class. It didn't feel like everyone had developed completely unique skills, it was consistent with lore. None of the fights thus far were that over the top, usually they were very simple trading of blows. You attack. I block.
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Putting aside the conflict between how you'd expect this society to work & how it actually seems to work, I genuinely don't have anything negative to say. It's a pretty good show.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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