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Dec 24, 2025
I'm going to keep this short because the main talking point about this show has been thrown around on the internet a LOT so if you're here it's likely that you've already heard about it, this show has 3D animation with CGI in it, and yes it often looks pretty awkward.
They used real dancers to make all the moves realistic and accurate and if you're not focused on the poor physics and the models all the time you can genuinely appreciate the dance itself a lot more, and that's one of the things that this show actually does really well. It's very clear that it
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was a first for the studio, but you can generally see the quality improving as the show progresses and certain parts of the animation get more polished. It takes a bit og getting used to, but if you're not a stick in the mud about it, the show has a lot to enjoy.
Which brings me to everything else.
It's all quite well done. Characters are strong and memorable, the interactions between them feel real and fitting, the dynamic between Kabo and Wanda is endearing and wholesome. The show does a good job engaging you in its story and providing information about dance as a whole. Once the CGI settles in your head, the rest of the experience is solidly pleasant.
The CGI is still a downside, otherwise this show would be an 8/10. Perhaps if a season 2 were made it would be more polished now that there's some experience here. There's a live action in production, which is interesting.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Jul 20, 2025
Watching this show in for the first time the year 2025 made me forget that this show aired all the way back in 2017. Re:Creators has a premise that turns the traditionally used concepts of isekai and even reverse isekai on its head, and while a premise alone will only market the show, where you get fans and a lasting impact is with good execution. It's a rollercoaster of emotions, and has some of the most intelligent character writing and world building available to see. From start to finish, this show is very smart and knows exactly what it needs to do to deliver an
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engaging and meaningful narrative to its audience.
Starting with the story, Re:Creators begins by subverting the common genre tropes immediately, and maintains the feeling that it belongs in the story and is not just a gimmick for the purpose of writing an interesting synopsis. If your story doesn't have a reason to be something, then it doesn't need to be that in the first place. This show has a real and sustainable purpose to be a reverse isekai and it handles that incredibly well. The systems it has in place for the way the world works and the powers inside it all make sense and compliment the main concepts of the show, the idea that making stories is like making your own world that you can build to be whatever you want it to be, and that those who create should always do so with a passion for their work.
Given the year of its release, the art and animation are very strong. There are shows that have come out in the past few years that don't look as nice or leave as much of an impression as Re:Creators does.
The soundtrack isn't something that knocks your socks off, but it's certainly not offensive, distracting, or anything of the sort. The songs are effective and the sound design gives enough oomph to conflict and other scenes.
The show is one that is rather easy to derive enjoyment from, it's appealing to fans of the genre, and it's appealing to those that may not care for the genre because of the way it subverts and expands upon the concept in an engaging manner to build interest in the outcome of the narrative.
Now it's time for the meat of the show, characters. This will be a thick segment, there is SO much to reward for this part, because this show is VERY clever with its characters on both a macro and micro level.
Re:Creators has a very large cast of characters of many different types. Despite the large roster, they manage to make every single character important and give them believability and a way to garner interest. The designs stand out among their peers, too. Where things really stand out is how clever the writers are with the characters and how they engage with the systems at work in the show. Each Creation is pulled from popular media and the characters chosen are considered popular and iconic. The way most characters become popular or iconic is by being likeable. Every single Creation has traits that make them likeable or gives a very authentic reason as to why an audience may find them popular. It's easy to understand that Mamika probably has a ton of young girls that playground roleplay as her, Alicetaria is a courageous knight that serves as the last bastion of a falling kingdom and that builds sympathy and support, Magane is an antagonistic wild card that knows how to make the most fun out of any situation and keep things interesting which makes her enjoyable. Without fail, every single one of them feels authentic, and this is built up even more by how it's very clear which of them have more complex character descriptions like Selesia or Blitz and which ones were designed in a simplistic way like Mamika or Alicetaria. Simple characters aren't bad characters, and having a diversity of depth just builds up the authenticity of the roster, as an example, a protagonist in a children's show like Mamika is going to have no need for complex morals or mindsets.
Even so, these Creations have room to grow from their experiences in the real world, showing that while they have preset personalities and mindsets, they are capable of change within the confines of their deep-rooted perspectives. This is seen many times throughout the show, and the growth these Creations have after meeting Creators and learning new things is another factor in making this cast of characters so likeable. Each Creation has a character description that acts like a filter on the way they navigate this unfamiliar world and collect new information. When they meet with their respective Creators, they have drastically differing reactions to their personalities and even have different things that they're looking for to ease their minds. Some just want the Creator to have put passion into their world, others scorn the Creators for creating tragedy, and more than one are shocked and disappointed with the idea that they live for the entertainment of people looking upon their lives from another world entirely. Every action taken by the Creations is in line with their personalities, some are conniving, some are naive, some are dedicated, and others are uncaring. Each inclusion adds another piece that plays a natural and important role in the narrative.
The Creators are similarly diverse and certainly are not lacking. Matsubara's passion is the most notable one, because he's a driving force of inspiration throughout the show. Suruga's depth of understanding of her own Creations makes her stick out, too. Marine's clear self doubt despite her skills is something many can likely relate to and her enthusiasm over meeting all these Creations is almost unmatched among the Creators. I could keep going but nothing else mentionable is as noteworthy enough and also avoids the spoiler territories.
And now to turn to one of the stars of the show. Altair. To put it simply, Altair has a laundry list of positives going for her. As a key player in everything that happens, she's constantly involved in some way, and Altair delivers on all fronts. I would love to gush about this character for a dozen sentences or so, but much of the excellence this character delivers would be regarded as a spoiler. Without touching those details, she is an incredibly likeable character with unique circumstances among this roster of already very diverse characters and this is instantly spelled out in the very first episode before our two leading protagonists, Sota and Selesia, even have a proper conversation. Adding on, her design is fantastic, her actions are stylish, she's entertaining to watch, she challenges others, her abilities are cool as heck, and the way she interacts with the systems of the world are a major part of the plot and the execution of it is incredibly clever and keeps the audience on its toes. Altair is easily one of, if not the, most engaging characters in a show that already earns the attention of its viewers with ease.
Re:Creators is a very smart show that deserves all the praise and attention it gets, and even more. What hasn't even been mentioned yet is how self aware this show is. As a story that focuses on storytelling and the fictional worlds created by stories, it doesn't falter to mention the minute details. Most authors don't bother to flesh out all the details, because the reader doesn't particularly care for the way bread tastes in that world, what matters to them more is how much bread they have or if it's stale. Not many pieces of media have stories within their stories beyond things like myths and legends or historical records and origin stories of heroes from the old days. These kinds of topics get brought up multiple times with the show being aware that it can deliver a meta commentary on the nature of stories and audience reception on top of the standard themes it brings to the table, and while this kind of message about stories can be delivered through another method, the self aware and sometimes seemingly 4th wall breaking nature of fictional characters being brought into a fictional real world talking about their stories while they're still in a story that we, in the real real world, are witnessing unfold is layers dee and gives a unique lens to deliver this type of commentary through.
An incredible work of art and a masterclass of intelligent character and world design/writing.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Jul 10, 2025
When I found Gosick and read the synopsis I was expecting some slightly dark, lightly fantastical mystery show themed around the early years of the industrial revolution with a duo going around focused on solving random cases creating terror in the town. Not only was I surprised by what it actually was, but it delivered above expectations on the relationships between different scenarios and the culmination of each case leading into a metanarrative that doesn't reveal its true nature until it has you grasped around its finger.
The show takes the audience on a rollercoaster, going up and down on the excitement and emotional pulls it
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throws your way, and by the end it leaves off with both an incredibly climatic finish and conclusive ending that successfully brings the ride to satisfying closure. A mystery show that leaves the audience with a mystery unsolved wouldn't be the most gratifying experience, would it?
While Gosick is not some revolutionary show, it does surpass expectations, doubly so for a show that aired in 2011. Despite the 14 years of age, it holds up quite well and is a much better watch than many of the common riff raff that is seen in the current years of the mid 2020s.
Kujo is admittedly not the most interesting character, he treats the people around him properly and stands up when it matters, making him at least endearing enough to enjoy even if he is far less engaging than our other protagonist, Victorique. The short, sassy, blonde girl is the most engaging character in the show, and it isn't a competition. The mystery that this show presents that's most intriguing is the one it starts off with: Who is Victorique?
Gosick is a series of mysteries serving a greater mystery, and every step along the way keeps things moving in fun ways. The show has a strong start and finish, while the middle portion is only slightly weaker at times, mostly as it starts reaching the halfway point. Viewers that can sit and enjoy a show that takes its time to reveal its fruitful hand will enjoy this show.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Oct 13, 2023
Nanatsu no Maken ga Shihai suru, or Reign of the Seven Spellblades, if you prefer, is a great show that takes its time to develop itself. As an adaptation of the LN given a runtime of 15 episodes, it did a pretty nice job at what it was trying to do. That being said, it wasn't able to be as indulgent as the LN but what it does provide is enough to satisfy what it does cover in the story without leaving too many things undeveloped. That being said, the "3 episode rule" many people follow does this show a disservice. The suggested minimum episode
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count for this show is 6 episodes. Watch that far and then make your decision, but it's definitely worth giving it a shot.
Each of the members in the main group have their strengths and weaknesses. This becomes apparent as the show goes on and they have to solve various problems that come up. Everyone relevant gets enough background and definition in a timely manner before they become relevant, providing the proper introductions in ways that feel fluid to the narrative and doesn't break it up too much.
The scenery and world leaves a lot to be discovered. There's a good amount of varied locations that the show visits despite being placed at a single academy. Many places get familiar, but not stale when returning to them multiple times throughout the duration of the show. It doesn't take long for the show to introduce one of the biggest reasons why there's so much for the students to explore, and leaves no doubts to them and the audience that exploration might be someone's downfall.
They aren't afraid to pit peers against each other, and they talk about the school's 20% rate of mages being "consumed by the spell" which is a nice of way of saying that someone died from magical circumstances. That's also not something they treat lightly, the show has a dark undertone to start and without getting into spoiler territory, it doesn't go away and makes sure it's known to be there. They try to cover it up with the day to day circumstances but it still lingers on the edge of perception.
The score is fantastic and at all times provides a proper atmosphere to the content being shown on the screen. Combat? Appropriately balanced brass and drums. Maybe some whirring strings in the mix. Minor mishap in class? Not overly dramatic yet still urgent flurry of notes. Day-to-day student interaction? Calm and collected background track. Both the opening and the ending songs are absolute perfection in musical composition for evoking the right feelings of wonder in both cases. Active curiosity and reflective pondering.
The animation of the show is very pretty. The characters are expressive, the choreography is well done, and the motions of characters feel fluid and dynamic. The colors blend nicely, things don't stick out unless they're meant to, yet nobody fades into the background outside of the nameless characters that are part of the background. Even the actions taken by things like brooms and plants sfeel fitting and real. With all the very beautiful animation to see, it's a shame that this didn't particularly carry over into some of the magic. The spellcasting itself is great, the magic circles that appear around the wands and such blend nicely and fit into the scenes where they're present. After the spell cast though, most elemental spells and other adjacent categories feel rather mundane to see. There's a lot of effects for more specialized spells and even some of the spells that aren't orientated around combat feel "magical" in their own ways, yet some of the more common spells used that are still magic to the audience and should feel magical, just don't. It's not a particularly major thing, but it is somewhat noticeable.
Unfortunately, on the more critical side, they did bite off a bit more than they could chew. 15 episodes was enough to get all they needed in, but it sits on the border of being too indulgent and not indulgent enough. This story is one that wants to be a 24 episode long haul so badly but it doesn't get that chance, and it's not often that a show ever comes out of the blue with that opportunity these days. Almost all of the shortcomings of Reign come from how the structural format of a show airing in 1 cour doesn't take well to the way a story like this wants to be paced and built up over time. If this show gets a season 2 then it will only benefit overall as it will have that time that it really wanted to shine.
Overall, the show is a lot of fun and a balancing act of dark tones and day-to-day life in the magic academy. There's a lot to love here but still something to be desired. That being said, the 15 episodes that we got are satisfying on their own while still allowing for a continuation in the future. It's worth giving it a shot if you're not one for reading, get to episode 6 and make the decision. If the show doesn't cut it, the LN doesn't have to follow the limitations the show has to deal with, and gets to be exactly what it wants to be.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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