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Dec 4, 2025
*No spoilers*
Summary
The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity, or Kaoru Hana wa Rin to Saku, is an anime adaptation of Saka Mikami’s manga of the same title. This story is listed as a romantic comedy, although it also explores some deeper themes and is more serious than a typical comedy. The art and voice acting, as well as the character designs, are highlights of this anime, while everything else is inconsistent in quality. Overall, the plot is compelling, although the first few episodes have melodrama that makes it hard to stay interested from the very beginning. In summary, the story explores themes of insecurities, friendships, and
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communication through the lenses of teenagers. Unfortunately, the storytelling is done through telling rather than showing, which is a self-destructive way to write a story.
Story: 5/10
The plot follows Rintarou, an insecure teenager, as he eventually befriends a girl named Kaoruko, who attends a prestigious school. Luckily, this doesn’t become a retelling of Romeo and Juliet, although there is some unnecessary drama in the first few episodes which weighs the plot down. Ultimately, however, the plot moves forward with some life lessons as the teenagers and their friends learn to respect others, themselves, communicate better, and form healthier friendships. Although some episodes include melodramatic conflicts with excessive apologizing and even an argument about who should be more sorry (literally), the story does a decent job of tackling meaningful themes and conflicts, such as what it is like to form healthy friendships for the first time, along with managing insecurities and fears, communication, identity, kindness, misconceptions, and embarrassment. This is done well,sometimes, although the excessive apologies and exaggerated drama near the start of the story detract from the overall storytelling. Additionally, many disagreements take an extreme form of telling rather than showing, which is a huge flaw. Without that, I’d say the story would have been far more enjoyable and meaningful.
Characters: 5/10
The character designs are wonderful. Unfortunately, there is supposed to be more to the story than just looking at them. The challenge, though, is that the characters' backgrounds are often excluded altogether, and their internal conflicts are instead broadcasted via exposition. The English voice acting (on Netflix) is nice, although it is impossible for it to make up for the excessive apologizing. Characters are introduced gradually, which is smooth, and they learn about themselves and one another as the story progresses. Some of the excessive apologizing and melodrama may have been caused by the characters, although it is unclear if this was intended. The anime was adapted from the manga, and this may have simply been caused by changes that were made to simplify the story and characters. Overall, the characters are likeable and would feel somewhat realistic if they had been fleshed out besides their dialogue-induced apologies. I am not sure if there will be another season or where this adaptation ends off within the manga, but this anime mainly focuses its character growth on acceptance, friendships, and challenging misconceptions (like stereotypes and thought distortions), with less of an emphasis on romance. Sadly, it does so with the excessive apologizing and without providing specific background information.
Art: 8/10
The art is beautiful and the character designs are fantastic. These are definitely the highlights of the show.
Sound: 6/10
The music is fitting and enjoyable, as is the voice acting. Some of the voices sounded very fitting.
Enjoyment: 4/10
First of all, romance is not a genre of anime that I would typically watch. Luckily, this wasn’t about romance as much as it was about identity, friendships, and general insecurities. I am a therapist, and I enjoy stories that explore growth, relationships, and identity. Although it is labelled as a romantic comedy, I believe it actually touches on some deeper themes, like human connection, overcoming misconceptions, and learning to accept oneself. The melodrama and over-apologizing were frustrating at times, but I felt that the story was somewhat enjoyable. There are definitely other anime and manga that tackle similar themes in a more succinct and less melodramatic and telling way, but this one had a few episodes that were particularly enjoyable. Ultimately, this left me with varying enjoyment after each episode, although the final few episodes were particularly lovely. Sadly, I loved the art and the message about kindness, but I overall felt that this these two components were not enough to make this an overall good quality anime, especially with the overall storytelling.
Total score: 5.6/10
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Dec 1, 2025
*No spoilers*
Summary
Pluto is a futuristic story which was developed into an anime based on Naoki Urasawa’s manga, which is an adaptation of an arc from Astro Boy. Plato has excellent characters, an intriguing plot, plenty of action and suspense, and it tackles interesting themes related to technology, life, revenge, and war. I highly recommend this anime if you are interested in these themes and/or the sci-fi genre.
Story: 7/10
Pluto starts off by introducing the viewer to Gesicht, an android police detective, who attempts to solve the murders of certain robots and their creators. This leads to an intense race against the clock as conspiracies unfold. The
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first four episodes are easier to follow, although the second half of the story appears more rushed. Furthermore, certain characters are cast aside (no spoilers), which makes it harder for the viewer to understand the motives within the plot. Overall, the story comes together in a meaningful way and posits many questions about technology, robots, consciousness, and the aforementioned themes. In 2025, this story is particularly meaningful with the recent implementation of AI in many new settings.
Characters: 8/10
This story has excellent characters, which seems to be a strength of Urasawa’s works. The characters grow, learn, and they all have a role to play: There are no throw-away characters just for shock value. In Plato, the characters are used to explore the themes both indirectly, with their experiences, and with their identities, by being humans, robots, androids, etc. They explore themes of good versus evil. Can a robot be evil? What should its role be in society? Does a machine have feelings? These are questions that the characters explore throughout the story. Overall, these characters are excellent. To avoid spoilers, I will simply add that there are some characters that are sidelined which is unfortunate. They still have meaning, and their sidelining is important, but it’s harder to stay invested in a story when certain characters are missing.
Art: 8/10
The art is excellent.
Sound: 7/10
The music is fitting for the show. I especially love how one of the piano pieces was written by the manga’s author (Urasawa).
Enjoyment: 7/10
I enjoyed Pluto, although some episodes were not as engaging as the first four. I think there were parts that were particularly confusing which contributed to my disengagement. It’s also hard to watch an anime adaptation of Urasawa’s works without comparing it to Monster.
Total score: 7.4/10
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Dec 1, 2025
*No spoilers*
Summary
Witch Watch follows Nico, a young witch, and Morihito, her “familiar,” as they build a team of peers with other magical abilities. Season 1 has a fairly straight forward plot at the start, but the second half feels like a filler season. Overall, the story is bland, the characters are generic, and the comedy is not funny. The show isn't horrible, but it's also not particularly good.
Story: 4/10
Nico and Morihito are childhood friends, and Morihito is selected, as a teenager, to be Nico’s
Familiar.” This is kind of like being a protector or body guard for her as she gains experience with magic. Along
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the way, there is some comedy, but minimal growth in the characters. The first half of this season has clear goals and a few themes to explore, although these are completely ignored halfway through the season. In fact, Witch Watch attempts to introduce a fake anime into this anime, which makes no sense and is extremely absurd. Just when the plot becomes intriguing, the season splits each episode up into a pointless filler that is neither funny nor meaningful. Overall, the story is uninteresting and pointless. If it stuck to the main plot instead of diverging into filler nonsense, then it might be redeemable, but it instead throws useless episodes in for no reason.
Characters: 4/10
This part is easy to review. The characters are bland, predictable, and static. They don’t face long-term repercussions or learn,especially in the second half of the story. Sometimes, an episode spends more time introducing new, unrelated characters, which is foolish. Although the show is supposed to be a comedy, the episodes are not funny after the first half, and the characters seem extra clueless and forced.
Art: 6/10
The art is sufficient.
Sound: 5/10
The music is sufficient.
Enjoyment: 4/10
I enjoyed the first half of this season, for the most part. The second part was a huge waste of time. Overall, this show was a letdown.
Total score: 4.6/10
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Sep 25, 2025
*No spoilers*
Summary
Delicious in Dungeon (Dungeon Meshi), is a combination of a cozy genre mixed with adventure. The premise starts off simply and is intriguing, although it feels incoherent. Overall, it has average animation, soundtrack, story-telling, and characters. If you are interested in fantasy, adventure, and cooking stories, you may be interested in this one. It is enjoyable albeit nothing profound, and the general genre feels mismatched.
Story: 6/10
The plot is straightforward and interesting. It feels like a game of Dungeons & Dragons in anime form, but with the immediate need to slow the plot with cooking scenes and recipes of hacked up monsters. Overall, the pacing
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is a disadvantage. Characters witness death and are on missions to save people, with deadlines, but they suddenly stop to slowly cook meals and reminisce about their days. In fact, a certain (no spoilers) character may have been saved in time if the squad didn't take a break every episode to make a meal out of roasted monsters. The anime attempted to make this portion of each episode into a humorous break for the viewer, but it completely detracted from the meaning of the story. To some extent, it was quite repulsive. Characters even witness family members being maimed and slaughtered and what do they do? They have a feast. That's their immediate reaction. When I first watched this, I thought I had skipped some scenes or was watching an abridged version. Overall, I can't say that the story is anything beyond average. It has some high points, but the pacing is poor and the weird combination of comedy, cozy, and action does not bode well for cohesion.
Characters: 5/10
The characters had the potential to grow. While some grew in a few ways, they were generally stagnant. Each had one characteristic which was overused and represented 90% of each character's identity. While it's normal for characters to have flaws, these characters focus so much on them that their primary trait is the flaw. Additionally, the characters are often inconsistent in knowledge and history. Sometimes, they just know what to do; other times, they forget everything they've ever learned. I found it very confusing how the main character, Laios, goes from an inquisitive adventurer to suddenly knowing everything about monsters randomly. It defeats half the premise of the show. While the characters start interestingly and find creative ways to survive, they stagnate and are mostly forgettable after watching the show because they each have one characteristic that they repeat in every episode.
Art: 7/10
The art is alright. It's nothing spectacular, but it is fitting for the setting.
Sound: 6/10
The soundtrack is average. Some of the openings and ending themes are more interesting than the background music.
Enjoyment: 4/10
This ultimately felt like I wasted my time. The weird combination of adventure mixed with the laid-back cooking started off interestingly, until the cooking detracted from the plot and ruined the story. I couldn't take anything seriously after certain scenes, like when characters witness graphic deaths of family members and immediately eat meals jokingly afterwards.
Total score: 5.6/10
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Sep 25, 2025
*No spoilers*
Summary
Hell's Paradise (Jigokuraku) is an anime with elements from Naruto and Bleach that feels like it attempts to tackle the same themes as Vinland Saga. The animation is excellent, over all, but the general storytelling is a significant weakness. I have not read the manga, but I assume the anime rushes the source material, as it appears to be a poor and confusing adaptation of a generally intriguing concept.
Story: 5/10
The plot of this anime is challenging to follow for someone who has not read the manga, as the pacing is sporadic. The viewer is introduced to a unique world with dialogue sharing how
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things work. Then, the rules change as secrets are suddenly shared or discoveries are made. Unfortunately, everything is so rushed that it seems like the story is trying to explore five themes per minute without thoroughly introducing them or making a point. What could have been a compelling and enticing story about criminals and enforcers learning to coexist for survival grows into a sporadic cluster of nonsense. There are weird memory issues, sudden changes in characters' ambitions and objectives, and even episodes with characters being introduced, killed, and posthumous flashbacks, which is a bizarre way to tell a story. Ultimately, the main ideas in the story, while interesting, are not well executed. The power system is barely introduced until 3/4 through the show, and most of it is done by characters immediately learning how to use abilities that they already had in order to overcome supposedly immortal foes. The opening theme song and video is more cohesive and intriguing than the entire season of this show.
Characters: 5/10
The characters had so much potential. Most of them were likeable and unique, although they never had the chance to shine because of the absurd pacing. They change their minds, suddenly learn and unlock abilities out of nowhere, and sometimes they just shout louder and get angry which makes them stronger. Characters are the most important part of the story, and yet these were so rushed because of the rushed plot that they couldn't develop well. As stated before, characters are even introduced, killed, then experience flashbacks in one episode which is an abysmal method of showcasing them as people and detracts from the story in general. Unfortunately, the story favors perceived action over characters.
Art: 7/10
The art is the highlight of the show.
Sound: 5/10
The soundtrack is average. The opening theme song is quite catchy and by far the best part of the soundtrack.
Enjoyment: 5/10
This is another anime that had potential that was squandered along the way. I enjoyed certain aspects, but it was overall a let-down.
Total score: 5.4/10
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Jan 15, 2025
*No spoilers*
Summary
Fairy Tail is a popular anime adaptation of its manga, and it is the epitome of a generic, average quality, starter shounen. The anime combines a variety of elements from other anime of similar fantasy genres, but it does nothing new, meaningful, or particularly entertaining. This story may appeal to you if you enjoy fantasy, action, and are new to anime; however, I would not recommend this to anyone looking for well-written characters, a meaningful storyline, or tackling any evocative themes.
Story: 4/10
Fairy Tail is comprised of 19% filler episodes. These are poorly written and often detract from the continuity of the story to the
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point where they make the plot nonsensical. This review will exclude the filler in the rating and focus on the content that is original. The plot of Fairy Tail is straightforward and predictable, with plenty of room for exploration that was set aside and forgotten about. The world-building is interesting, but the power system is both generic and pointless. Systems with magic have the potential to grow, especially when the abilities are related to the characters. However, decisions and abilities in this anime are built more so upon characters shouting, powering up, and randomly finessing their opponents by shouting louder. The plot twists are unnecessary, dull, and generally ridiculous. In fact, most of the plot twists have to do with characters’ identities, including bringing back people from the dead with obscure and unnecessary means. Not only does this completely remove the stakes for the characters, but it only makes the story more absurd. There are some interesting settings but using them to bring characters back is genuinely senseless and terrible writing. The story is supposed to follow Lucy, a character who does not grow except in breast size, and it instead follows the more stereotypical protagonist: Natsu, the dragon slayer. His character is just an amalgamation of other anime protagonists, but in a less meaningful way (see the characters section). One of the biggest flaws of the story is the general lack of direction with the characters, as they don’t face meaningful challenges and power themselves up by thinking about being stronger (even more so than the anime adaptation of Ichigo in Bleach). The plot relies on weird drawings (look them up), strange “funny” gags, poorly adapted character tropes, and lots of breasts being drawn progressively larger in each episode, rather than intelligible and eloquent writing. Consequently, the overall story is barely even average quality.
Characters: 4/10
There are a variety of flaws with the characters. Many start intriguingly because they have unique magical abilities. However, as the story progresses, they are extremely static. Occasionally, their character doesn’t develop, but their identity changes completely; in other situations, the characters are merely emotionless tools for the already meaningless plot. Part of the issue is that their abilities are insufficient in describing their character growth, and this relates back to the poor writing. The characters don’t learn from their mistakes or grow in a meaningful way: They think about getting stronger, they shout louder, and then they solve their problems with the plot solving everything for them or a new magical ability arising for no reason. Most of the time, they talk to their enemies and convert them to their side in the most ridiculous ways. There are literally characters who try to kill each other and then, within a few episodes, they’re in the same guild and in a romantic relationship. Such writing is genuinely appalling for any viewer who has basic maturity. Most of the female characters are written to be ditsy and cute, overly sexualized, or just useless. As aforementioned, Lucy, the main character, is simply present for her appearance, but in creepy ways. There is more time spent with characters talking about her underwear than there is depth to her character, and the writing is so poor that the animators just spent their time making her boobs bigger, probably thinking, “We’ll really show how she has grown this way. It’s genius!” Aside from this, there are characters written as plot points, and yet they fail miserably at that. One of the clearest mistakes in characters is the background for Natsu and his childhood friend. Imagine, in real life, that you had a childhood friend who died and impacted you and your motives. This is tragic and devastating in real life. Then, you find out that they didn’t actually die but were transferred to another dimension. What’s your response? According to this show, you should not be emotionally impacted about her wellbeing, make absolutely no effort to connect with her, and you should instead charge up your powers for fighting, pretending like nothing happened. The entire story revolves around this kind of logic, with horrific character writing. There are so many tropes in the story, but none of them are executed well. The characters are not memorable for uniqueness or profound traits; rather, they are meme-worthy.
Art: 6/10
The art is slightly above average, although some fighting scenes have drops in frame rate.
Sound: 8/10
Mr. Takanashi is a well-known composer, and his music is by far the highlight of the show. You are probably better off just listening to the music than watching the show.
Enjoyment: 4/10
Fairy Tail is an amalgamation of other anime stories and characters. The world could have been interesting, but the whole story was meaningless. The writing was horrible, the plot and character interactions were cringe-worthy and sometimes creepy, and the mediocrity in storytelling was truly unmotivating. I can’t recommend this story, except to people who want to see what generic fantasy anime is like. Almost all of the enjoyment came from the music.
Total score: 5.2/10
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Nov 27, 2024
*No spoilers*
Summary
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is a series based off the Cyberpunk videogame series. As the title suggests, the series follows a cyberpunk theme, set in a dystopian world. The main character engages in a series of cybernetic implants and procedures to become a stronger Edgerunner. Along the way, the story explores themes of classism, social pressures, poverty, loss, grief, and power. It starts off wonderfully and sticks to these themes, though is feels rushed halfway through and falls into a cycle of action rather than focusing on the characters. If you are interested in the action genre, then this may be of interest to you.
Story: 7/10
The
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worldbuilding in this anime is wonderful. It opens the door to so many possibilities while highlighting the cruelty of poverty and classism in this dystopian city. The viewer is introduced to the protagonist, David Martinez, as he learns about a life changing loss. The plot thickens as more characters are introduced, and the worldbuilding continues, accordingly. However, the pacing begins to accelerate at this point, and the anime focuses more on action. There are also some unanticipated scenes that seem unnecessary. For instance, there’s just a random bunch of robot boobies flying around in the middle of one scene, and it doesn’t add anything but cringiness to the storyline.Around the midway point, the action exceeds the character development, and this is when the story feels less impactful. The characters that were originally introduced go through abrupt changes (see the characters section) which detract from the cohesion of the story, and the anime focuses more on action and plot twists. Although the ending is anticipated (no spoilers based on the genre and foreshadowing, there isn’t enough time to appropriately build up the characters within the plot. Instead, it seems as though the second half is an action-lover's fan fiction. The story focuses less on morals, personality, and characters’ decisions, and more on battles. The changes in the main character’s behavior, in particular, are exceptionally abrupt because of the action and emphasis on combat. Near the end, there are also unnecessary plot twists and identity twists that provide nothing helpful for the story and diminish the quality of the ending. Cinematically, there is a beautiful scene with a popular song playing, but the viewer is less likely to be as emotionally invested after the jerking plot and identity reveals. Overall, the story started interestingly with important and meaningful themes and excellent worldbuilding. From there, it focused less on characters’ intentions and more on the violence within the dystopian society. This would have been fine if the pacing weren’t excessively accelerated and didn’t overlook the pivotal moment of characters’ changes. Overall, it is still a great story, and I do recommend it; however, it had more potential that was squandered in the second half.
Characters: 6/10
David Martinez starts as an excellent protagonist who provides context and perspective to his dystopian world. He makes decisions at the start of the story which propel the plot and help him to grow. Characters like Lucy and Rebecca are interesting, although they don’t have enough time to shine. The character designs are the highlight and are quite unique. Unfortunately, romance and friendships are rushed, especially with the rapid pacing of the story. There isn’t enough reasonable tension and growth between the characters to portray realistic relationships, and that’s partly because the anime is only ten episodes. Beyond this, some characters seem to have been written simply to make the story seem more profound in an unexplained way. This results in extra edginess by using strange dialogue and profanity that doesn’t fit the situation. Furthermore, the characters tend to fall short in development because their backstories are nonexistent. If the series were more fleshed out and focused on the characters instead of the action, then this story would have been excellent, and the characters would have been well above average.
Art: 6/10
The art is slightly above average. The style is fitting for the world, although it makes some of the fighting and action scenes challenging to follow, particularly with the use of certain angles.
Sound: 6/10
The soundtrack is average. I’m sure that people love the song near the end, as it was a song that was popularized and used for a particular emotional scene. Aside from this, the soundtrack is relatively forgettable.
Enjoyment: 6/10
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners had been hyped up and, while it did not meet my expectations, it was still enjoyable. There are some emotional scenes, although I felt that the pacing was unnecessarily fast. The end had completely needless twists in a character’s identity, the main character suddenly changed between episodes, and the second half felt tremendously rushed. I always watch a series twice before reviewing, and the excessive action in the second half was even more disappointing the second time. The old saying that “less is more” could have been applied to this show and would have gone a long way. I would still recommend this to people interested in the genre, but I feel that this anime had so much potential that was wasted by the end because it crammed excessive action into a ten-episode series and neglected the characters.
Total score: 6.2 good)
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Nov 20, 2024
*No spoilers*
Summary
Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans follows a set of orphan child soldiers who form a group called Tekkaden, as they engage in an escorting mission through space. The story is part of the Mobile Suit Gundam (MSG) universe, though watching other MSG shows is not required. There are plenty of giant machine battles, as is expected in the mecha genre. The story starts off interestingly by introducing themes of freedom, liberation, war, mistreatment, and loyalty; however, the story develops more into action, battles, and politics which detracts from these themes. There are excessive characters, and very few of them have time to satisfactorily develop with
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all the action. Overall, this series may be of interest to you if you enjoy the mecha genre, sci-fi, and action, and you don’t mind subpar character development. If you are interested in a similar genre with more meaningful characters, dialogue, and thoroughly explored themes, then I recommend Eighty-Six instead.
Story: 5/10
The story starts, captivatingly, with an emphasis on the mistreatment of the orphan characters as child soldiers. It begins to explore themes such as mistreatment, freedom, and loyalty, although most of these ideas fall short partway through the story. The plot incorporates political tomfoolery as the members of the Tekkaden group embark on an escorting mission. The pacing is satisfactory, although the plot accelerates partway through. This amplifies the action at the expense of character development. By the end, the story is complete, but the meaningfulness explored at the beginning is overshadowed by the action of flashing machines, space travel, and weird political figures with fancy beards. Whereas similar shows tackle political themes in a meaningful way, Iron-Blooded Orphans tosses in unnecessary political rules for plot convenience (or inconvenience, as is the case near the end). The story overall is average, and the biggest flaw is that the plot focuses too much on action and thrills and not enough on the characters. If you are looking for a generally straightforward story with an emphasis on action and moderate suspense, then this will likely suffice; however, the change partway through does detract from the overall meaning.
Characters: 4/10
There is a plethora of characters in the show with insufficient time for them to develop because of all the action. Some barely have backstories, some are used merely as plot devices, and even some of the interesting characters are practically written out of the story altogether once their bland character arc is completed. This is quite problematic for any story, and it is especially so for Iron-Blooded Orphans because the story itself could have been compelling: The themes lend to character development, yet the story focuses on fights and uncanny political subterfuge instead of the characters’ decisions, wants, needs, emotions, etc. Ultimately, these characters end up generic and one-dimensional, despite beginning with plenty of potential.
Art: 6/10
The art is a highlight for this show, especially for fans of action, since the majority is a bunch of giant machines blasting at each other. Some character designs are quite extravagant, especially with the fancy hair styles. These designs help to differentiate between the characters.
Sound: 5/10
The music is generally dull and unforgettable, but it is adequate.
Enjoyment: 4/10
I have never been a huge fan of the mecha genre because it often focused on action and battles over substance. I had read the reviews of Iron-Blooded Orphans and thought that this one might be different. It does start off nicely and seems to tackle meaningful themes, but I did not enjoy the second section because it shifted to action rather than developing the characters.
Total score: 4.8/10 (low-average)
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Nov 16, 2024
*No spoilers*
This review is for the anime, Ingress the Animation, and does not reference the Ingress mobile game.
Summary
Ingress the Animation is an anime series based off a mobile game called Ingress. This adaptation follows Makoto Midorikawa, a rookie, and other characters such as Sara Coppola and Jack Norman, as they traverse a battle between corporations and factions. This story incorporates the fantasy power of Exotic Matter (XM) to supply special abilities as chaos ensues. Ingress the Animation follows the same tropes as other action and fantasy tales, and it does so with mediocrity. If you enjoy action, this may be interesting; however, the story and
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characters are unexceptional at best, and the overall quality of this anime is below-average.
Story: 5/10
The story of Ingress the Animation is one of the most average and mediocre imaginable. There is some action and adventure, but the emphasis on the plot and disregard for developing characters is a huge setback. Basically, there’s a mysterious substance, like a radio wave, called Exotic Matter. Two factions form over time to battle for power. There is some secrecy, suspense, and lots of action. Overall, there’s nothing special about the series’ story, but there’s also nothing terrible. Unfortunately, the emphasis on “stuff happening” without explanation, and the sudden changes in plot points does make it hard to follow at times. There are some interesting plot twists, but there are also major plot armor scenes and significant conveniences for the characters. There really aren’t any high stakes. The story also doesn’t explore deep or meaningful themes. It’s just intended for action and entertainment. That’s not necessarily bad, but it does limit the meaning behind the story. In summary, the story is average.
Characters: 3/10
The characters are forgettable and as generic as possible. They are barely introduced, never mind developed, and the entire series revolves around action with minimal room for them to make decisions. The writers left too many plot conveniences for the characters to grow or even feel touchable. This left the high stakes out of the picture and detracted from the meaning of the series in the first place. I always watch a series or movie twice before reviewing, and I can honestly say that Makoto Midorikawa, Sara Coppola, and Jack Norman are the most forgettable characters in any media I have experienced. I didn’t remember their characteristics within a few weeks of watching. Overall, the characters are poorly written and uninteresting.
Art: 6/10
The CGI is sufficiently decent. It isn’t breathtaking but still an overall strength of the anime.
Sound: 6/10
The soundtrack is slightly above average. Alt-J is just too cool to pass on. With that said, even the English dub is average and passable. It’s not the voice actors’ fault that the writing and dialogue are poor.
Enjoyment: 4/10
Total score: 4.8/10 (low-average)
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Nov 14, 2024
*No spoilers*
Summary
Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop tells the tale of two teenagers who work through their insecurities as they connect with one another. The movie explores topics such as neurodiversity, communication, and insecurities, with some wholesome intentions, young romance, and friendship. The story explores these themes with success, wrapping up with a pleasant ending and incorporating characters and a simple plot that slice-of-life fans will enjoy. In this way, it homes in on insecurities in a way that is likely relatable and palatable for teenagers. However, it is not a ground-breaking story, and it does not deeply examine these themes. I recommend this film
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for its entertainment, pleasant, and “chill” approach to addressing the topics, though it is not revolutionary.
Story: 7/10
The story is unpretentious, and this simplicity keeps the viewer intrigued without exploring dark topics. In a way, this maintains a slice-of-life feel while also exploring some challenging themes, such as insecurities, neurodiversity, and relationships. There are plenty of shows, movies, and novels that explore these themes in more depth, although some are more effective and some fall short when compared to Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop. The main characters, Smiles and Cherry, each have their own insecurities and challenges with communication which is evident in the opening scenes. From there, they mix up their belongings and end up developing a friendship. The story follows these two, as well as the side characters, as they support one another and help an elderly man find a certain record. The pacing is slow at the start, and there are times where some more development could have been used (see characters), but the plot sticks to a rather linear approach to story-telling, which works sufficiently. It also challenges the characters well so that they can develop by the end. One weakness is that the character’s initial interactions seem somewhat forced. They meet up to exchange phones, but then the plot puts them back together for another reason. That second reason (no spoilers) could have been explored more, which is also included in the characters section of this review. Overall, the story is simplistic and predictable, but it is moderately meaningful and genuinely enjoyable.
Characters: 7/10
Generally, the characters are interesting and bring meaning to the story. Personality wise, Cherry and Smiles are wonderful, and they are written to grow individually and by supporting one another. Their friendship (no spoilers) is wholesome and feels natural once it starts to develop; however, there are flaws with these two characters. First, the story would have benefited from more initial information about Cherry and Smiles. The viewer knows from the start that Cherry has some form of a communication disorder, and we know that Smiles is insecure about her teeth. However, we don’t know why she goes from loving her teeth to this sudden insecurity. Additionally, Smiles seems rather unrealistic when she is introduced. She’s supposed to be a popular social media streamer named Smiles, despite covering her smile. Although this irony is probably intentional, it does cause some misconceptions at the start. The second issue with Cherry and Smiles is their clear initial social differential. It is uncertain why Smiles, who is clearly popular and socially has many potential mates, returns to Cherry at the mall. The story would have grown immensely if it had touched on this topic, especially because we know Cherry struggles with communication. Even something simple, like having a short conversation with her sisters about characteristics she likes about Cherry, curiosity, or even wanting to learn about his disorder, would have gone a long way. As I mentioned, these two work great together once their common goals are established and they interact more regularly, and they have the potential to complement one another in essential ways, which is the premise of the story. The side characters add to the plot, although they are rather basic and not spectacular. However, what makes the characters above-average is how they are wholesome. The story really focuses on the good in people, which can be quite uplifting. Sure, the story doesn’t blast the viewer with the injustices of society and the bullying that is a common occurrence for people like Cherry, but it sheds some light onto how wholesome people can still exist. That’s a beautiful theme that’s developed through the characters.
Art: 8/10
The art is probably divisive for some anime fans, but the unique textures and vivid colors really bring the characters to life. It also shines in expressing the importance of art in the movie: haiku is used to communicate in the same way that the vibrant and distinctive art conveys its own message. The character designs, walking animations, and even the scenery, are all captivating and unique. They bring out the positive vibes of the story. Nonetheless, the scenes with more action are a bit jerky on the eyes. Specifically, there’s a skateboarding scene that doesn’t seem too fitting for the art style.
Sound: 8/10
The soundtrack is perfectly fitting. It has a chill but bright vibe that helps to develop the setting. Kensuke Ushio’s work is wonderful, as usual. I will say that this soundtrack may be different from what the viewer might expect, but that’s a good thing. The English dub is excellent.
Enjoyment: 8/10
I thoroughly enjoyed this film. Sure, it wasn't as deep as I would have liked, but it was certainly a pleasant story.
Total score: 7.6/10 (great)
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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