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Jul 7, 2025
Sigh. I am basing this review off of my experience from reading the manga and watching it become "alive" through animation.
This is one of my favorite arcs in the manga, but the anime adaptation really disappointed me. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed watching the show, but there were too many little things that really began to bug me as I continued watching the show. The most obvious downfall of this arc, which is even obvious in the manga, is that this arc is very short. You could argue that the number of chapters for this arc is similar to others, but truly
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this arc is one of the shortest, and is followed by one of the longest. And this is what really irks me, but I'll explain later.
The first red flag for this anime were the lengths of the opening and ending songs. Almost exclusively, these songs only account for three minutes of the twenty four minute run time. But for this season, they total to four minutes, on twenty three minute epsiodes. Now this may not seem like a big deal... but it becomes a problem later on when the show continuously makes these time shortcuts throughout the series. For example, in episode nine, the recap is almost five minutes of previous episodes content, and with the four minutes of op/ed and minute of ending content, the episode really only had fourteen minutes of actual content. It makes watching the show so much less enjoyable.
Second, the animation. Don't get me wrong, it was beautiful. But the story boards were exact copies of the manga panels, like I kid you not, for example, episode nine, followed the same panels of chapters 100 and 101. To a T. At this point what is the point of the adaptation if nothing is being changed, if there are no new additions to it. An anime that does not use its won storyboards and shamelessly uses the manga as a base for each scene can never surpass the original work. Like why even animate it at that point? Ugh. it bothers me so much because I genuinely love the story and this arc, but the anime didn't bring anything to the table except my frustration.
And now this is what really gets me. Because the content for this arc was so small, the anime team decided to use so many recaps that it easily bores the audience (who just watched the episode the previous week). Furthermore, this destroys the rewatch value because who would want to rewatch recaps? especially if you just watched the full episode previously (also I could just read the manga, it takes way less time and has the exact same effect as watching the anime). I wish the anime was either eight episodes (aka shorter with less recaps) or that they included some of the next arcs content and ended in a cliffhanger. And this is what actually angers me. Because I do not see it possible to animate the next arc into just 12 episodes due to the amount of content that needs to be covered (the arc itself is only around twenty chapters, with a massive cliffhanger that makes moving to the next arc almost seamless)
Ugh anyways, I still liked this arc of the story, but the shameless recaps and longer op/ed as well as the poor storyboarding disappoints me.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Jun 24, 2025
(I am writing this because I very much disagree with the one other review not recommending this work, and I cannot stand for that misrepresentation being the only review.)
Payback is a story about revenge and growth. This story revolves around Lee Yoohan, who went down the wrong path as an adolescent, resulting in bad company that killed his younger brother (this is all exposition). When he finds out that this bad company has become a famous actor, he pursues an acting career to get a 'sponsor' strong enough to complete his revenge against them.
From this premise alone, it is obvious that this work will
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deal with the idea of selling oneself to a sponsor to get roles and help, and the good and the bad that come with this, including the power struggle, dubious consent, and the like. It gets very into the "dark side" of the entertainment industry, so be warned that there are some uncomfortable and graphic scenes.
Now, what I really enjoy about this story is the growth that Lee Yoohan undergoes as he shifts from a very depressed shell of himself, willing to do anything to get revenge, to a more well-established actor who begins to like his career and the struggle that comes with life. His character is a bit... slow, which becomes obvious when we learn the backstory between the two lead characters and love interests. But the banter and dynamic between these two characters is so fun to read, and is a breath of fresh air compared to many other works in this genre.
While it is true there is not much growth in character for Yoon Jay, it's not the worst characterization, as the story is mostly from Yoohan's perspective, trying to play out his revenge. He plays more of a stable character despite being referred to as a "wacko" by Yoohan. Which can be a downside if you are very curious about his life, but honestly, this story isn't about him. Not every character needs to grow; sometimes, the main character needs that stable guide to help them along the way, and Yoon Jay is that supportive role.
This is a very plot-heavy story, which is why I like it. There are only a few chapters of 18+ content, so if that is what you're looking for, you won't find it in every chapter; you'll have to wait until the end of the first season to even get anything. I love this story, and I would recommend this not even as a BL, but for its great story.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Jun 20, 2025
I just finished this season, and it is one of my favorites. The biggest reason for this increase in appreciation is the constant flashbacks that answer most of the questions the story has hinted at for a while.
This season focuses on Father Shiro Fujimoto (Rin and Yukio's foster father), Yuri Egin (Rin and Yukio's mother), and Satan's backstories and relations to each other. The story is enjoyable to watch and can be a tearjerker if you really get into it. "It's quite tragic," as Mephisto says. It's so satisfying to see everything come together, especially because it's so obvious the author has had the
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story planned out since the beginning.
In the greater context of the story, I became disinterested in (reading the manga during) the content from the previous season. The author does such a good job with Yukio's character, and he and his intentions are greatly misunderstood. So much so that when I read his arc, I really could not care less... But I think people (including me) keep forgetting the ages of these characters; they are only 16, they are just kids going through puberty with a lot of emotions, but being forced to "grow up" way too quickly based on their situations. It's kind of sad, but this is a plot point seen in a lot of fighting/war anime. ANYWAYS. This season made me finish the manga, and I am so glad I did. I cannot wait to see what else the story has to offer. (For context, this season left off at chapter 120 of the manga, and currently we are at 158 as of June 2025.) I recommend that you guys to keep watching and commend those who have reached this point. The story keeps getting better, and sometimes the filler and boring episodes are necessary to set up the scenarios for greatness, like this season.
Also, I keep getting annoyed at people complaining about the animation style change. The original anime came out in 2011; it would be surprising if the animation style remained the same. Furthermore, we are SO lucky to get a continuation of the story. It took 6 years for season two to release after the first season, and another 7 years for seasons three, four, and five to release after the second. (aka it's been 14 years since the OG anime, and 16 since the manga began). I am just happy we are getting good animation. Yes, the style is different and can sometimes look weird, but it has vastly improved since the previous season, and you get used to the style that you don't even notice it. Like, ppl need to get a grip, not everything has to look pretty to be enjoyable. As someone who waited for season two, it feels a bit entitled to complain about the animation style when this is what we have been wanting. Anyways, change isn't always bad. That's my spiel.
ANYWAY, the final episode of this season was so satisfying to watch because there are parallel scenes in this final episode and the first episode of the series. If anyone is on the fence about watching this or watching the other seasons to reach this point, I promise it is worth it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jun 9, 2025
Can they please stop drawing underwear clad underaged girls almost getting raped and actively assaulted by weird older men twice their size? The answer is no.
You may be asking me, "Hey, why did you read the manga if the anime was exactly like this? You knew what you were getting into."
You're right. I'm the stupid one for even attempting to give this a try. It's quite annoying bc the actual premise of the story is interesting: a girl believes in ghosts and a boy believes in aliens, while simultaneously disbelieving the other. Turns out both exist and thrive off of "sexual energy/desire,"
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but that is sort of where the interesting part ends. For every good action/plotline, there just HAS to be an assault, and literally for no reason. Like the past two arcs, each one had a "shock factor" assault. Let me explain. Spoilers for the arc around chapter 30.
Momo, Okarun, and Jin go to help Jin's haunted house. ANYWAYS. Momo goes to a hot spring (onsen) bc the town they are in has natural ones powered by this volcano. And the concept of a "gator" or ワニ (wani) is explained, aka a man who goes to a mixed hot spring waiting for women as their prey (like an alligator waits for their prey). This term is also used outside of the Onsen setting and means a sleazy man. What annoys me about this whole concept is, sure, the energy fueling the hot spring is important to the story, but Momo being in a towel and surrounded by old men who try to grope and take advantage of her is not. Like, I understand that is an issue in real life, but it's unnecessary in the context of the story. This work is not a critique on society, no matter how hard it tries. Without it, the story would still flow. It's completely unnecessary and is again for the "shock factor." Furthermore, these assaults on Momo almost do not affect her; immediately after they occur, she's always like "oh, that was weird," and moves on. She literally says verbatim, "Sometimes a run-down bathhouse isn't such a bad thing. I sure am lucky," immediately after she is saved by the cat thing. WHO TF THNKS LIKE THAT.
This is such male fantasy material, it irks me. My issue is NOT that it is male fantasy material, but that it is not marketed as such. Like, yes, this is marketed as Shonen, or marketed to adolescent boys, and is published in Shonen Jump +. But this contains mature material. In bookstores, it's marked and marketed as mature, but if you just found this online, like I did, its genres are marked as action, comedy, and supernatural.
I like shonen, I've seen/read many of the anime/manga on the shonen genre page, and I like them. So this being what it is, but marketed as shonen bothers me. Sure, maybe I am not the intended audience, but at least market this correctly. I know for a fact that young boys will be reading this. And like, idc if they read worse things, I'm just bothered by how this series downplays serious things and make it the butt of the joke. esp bc this isn't even ecchi, its just using assault as a joke and for the shock value.
Like, all these scenes are so unnecessary. Just call it fetishization of minors and sexual assault and move on.
If they just got rid of it, I would enjoy this story so much more. The budding romance, the ghost, and the alien fighting. It's all like good, generic shonen material, but every arc, the sexual assault shock factor just kills me. It's annoying too bc I know a lot of people like this manga and the anime. While I will probably watch the second season of the anime, I do think I will drop the manga for now.
Reviewer’s Rating: 4
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Nov 27, 2024
Suzume is a story about understanding trauma and finding meaning in life. Or that's what I took from it. Beautifully animated and with an amazing story, the 2-hour-long feature hopes to leave an impact on its viewers, but despite everything, the plot falls flat, and that is one of the most important parts of a story.
The general premise of the story is that there are these doors or portals that lock away a 'worm monster' that is attempting to destroy Japan through natural disasters. It is not explained why this happens. Suzume manages to release one of two 'keystones' keeping this monster locked away
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and is now tasked with closing the remaining doors and locking the worm monster away with the help of Souta, who comes from generations of door 'closers.' One of the biggest loose ends occurs here when the old keystone, which ends up being a cat (diety) called Daijin, turns Souta into a chair Suzume's mother gave her as a child. There is no explanation as to why this happens, which bothers me more than it should.
The animation is beautiful, and many of the scenes are incredibly beautiful and could be used as still pictures with their vibrant colors. The storyboarding and cinematography are also phenomenal, with shots of the everyday life of people past (passed) being shown multiple times throughout the movie. These scenes are very impactful and are tastefully depicted with the viewer embodying the people in the past with our viewpoint coming from their perception (basically a first person pov.) The last fifteen minutes within the final door are also beautifully animated, and I can tell the animators spent a lot of time and care into these few moments in the movie.
The music is wonderful to listen to. It's no surprise that RADWIMPS created amazing music, but the title track from this movie has to be my favorite of their anime OST's.
Another problem this film had was pacing. And it reminded me a lot of Miyazaki's Boy and the Heron in that aspect. The pacing felt slow and then fast at different points in the movie, and it felt like there was so much content being fit into a 2-hour feature, which I think is the leading cause of the pacing issue. There were two main climaxes to the movie, and both 'hero's journey' outlines take an hour, yet somehow the first hour felt so much longer than the second, and this was because the rising action of the first half did not measure up to the rising action of the second half. If you don't pay close attention to the plot at all, you will still enjoy the film, but because the plot falls flat, the message does, too.
It's important to note that this story deals with trauma and memory of natural disasters, specifically the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, in which Suzume lost her mother when she was four. This movie serves as a journey of growth in which Suzume begins to remember her repressed memories of when this all occurred and ends with her understanding the meaning of living and persevering through life because life is fleeting and because it's fleeting, it's beautiful. (I think because it ties to the cultural memory of this earthquake and tsunami, the movie may have been more impactful to Japanese audiences who still feel the effects of the recent memory of the tsunami and earthquakes on them.)
However, my biggest issue with the movie was the unnecessary romance. Suzume goes out of her way to save Souta, not because they became friends throughout their journey, but because she has fallen in love with him. This I didn't find the strangest because a high school girl could totally start crushing on the older, good-looking guy she is working alongside to save the world. However, during almost all of their time spent together, Souta is a chair. It's literally a walking and talking chair. So the romance just doesn't make sense to me and seems... strange and out of the blue when Suzume suddenly professes her love for Souta to his grandfather as she begins her journey to save him literally halfway through the movie.
Another loose end that is never cleared up is how Suzume was able to enter the door when she was four years old after her mother died. It's never cleared up despite being mentioned at the end of the movie.
Long story short: I recommend this movie for the musical and animation experience. The plot and message fall a little flat, with a couple of loose ends, but it's a good movie to play on a night you're bored.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Nov 9, 2024
So. Naruto is a great show. I think a lot of people get too comfortable being so critical of this show when they forget this series debuted in 2002, over twenty years ago. Look at the other shows from this year, none of their names are particularly famous. So now when people watch this show with the expectation that it is the best thing out there, (when they became anime fans later on and watched a plethora of other shows beforehand) they forget that this show is a product of its time.
When I watched Naruto, there was the "big three of Shonen" One Piece,
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Naruto, and Bleach (Dragon Ball, Evangelion, Inuyasha and Yu Yu Hakusho were a bit earlier). It's hard to speak about Naruto and ignore the impact the show had on the anime industry as a whole. Naruto brought a lot of international anime fans, and there's a reason; not only are the story and characters compelling but the animation is good. I won't lie, there is a lot of "filler," but if you look at the bigger picture the filler adds important characterization to the story.
Naruto is one of my favorite shows, so much so that I wrote about it in my diary when I was younger. The soundtrack also SLAPS. Since this review is only for the original and not for Shippuden, I will give it a higher score. While yes, Shippuden shares qualities with the original, there were some misses in its execution.
ANYWAYS, I think critique is good, but people need to realize this is a 20+ year-old show, from a different time, when there were fewer international anime fans, and when anime wasn't as mass-produced as it is now. I digress.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Aug 9, 2024
Season's of Blossom, at first, appears to be a nice romance and slice-of-life story about a group of friends. However, be warned, that this work delves into topics such as mental health, bullying, family problems, and more.
I'll start with the story. there will be spoilers. you've been warned.
The story is told in four arcs, or seasons, with four different 'couples.' The story is told in chronological order, with a couple of flashbacks here and there. The first season is light and funny; it is about spring and has a fake couple-falls-in-love plot. The second season is very heavy and low-key traumatized me. It is summer,
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with heavy rains and heavy heat. This season is sad and juxtaposes the happy summer with sad eyes hidden behind a smile. We lose a cherished character to suicide, and we see the repercussions of such an act on everyone else, including the audience. While I did say everything happens in chronological order, the romance aspect and character loss happens in the past. This season more so speaks about the repercussions of such an event on those left behind. The third season is autumn, and in comes the cold, and the leaves turn red. There is a main and side couple that begins here. This season also deals with heavy topics, such as bullying and self-harm in the past. This arc was rather funny, and because those actions were in the past, the audience isn't worried something bad will happen to the main character, as she has grown stronger in light of what happened. The final arc, winter, is where we witness a combination of all of the arcs. A character has been bullied (this is foreshadowed throughout the entire story), and he goes through a suicide attempt but is stopped by the rest of the characters. This arc is also very emotional, because it includes the buildup of everything that came before it, and we see that the main character of season 2 left a larger impact than everyone thought, because this season's main character's pain wouldn't have been noticed without him. There's a lot more to it, and we see that even more so when he was alive, he left a large impact on all of the characters.
OKAY, now to the characters. There isn't a single character that I did not like or understand their motives. Of course, there were actions I did not agree with, but I understood each character's motivations, even the 'villains.' All of them were very complex, and none of them were one dimensional. This aspect is further amplified due to the various situations the characters go through due to the changing storylines, and the complexity of youth. My favorite character is Lee Hamin, he is the main lead for the second season, and he resonated the most with me, which made the 'reality' of the story hit so much harder.
The art style is beautiful. It's simple and not complex like Van Gogh, but I prefer it that way. The simplicity of the drawings compliments the complexity of the plot. The story would have felt much different if a lot of what was being talked about by the audience was the appearance of the characters.
All in all, what makes me give this work such a high rating is the message, and that I think it was successfully delivered. I won't say what it is because.... I feel like we can all reach that conclusion for ourselves. I will say please give this one a chance! and pick it up again if u dropped it! (I did put it on hold while it was updating bc the time between updates and seasons was too long, but look at me now!)
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Jul 23, 2024
Darker than Black has got to be one of my favorite adult-oriented anime out there.
As the title suggests, this series deals with the morally grey, and dark parts of the underworld crime scene. DTB takes place in a dystopian world where certain people have powers, known as “contractors” and “dolls.” An important aspect of the show is that “contractors” don’t have emotions, and act as rational beings, however, our main character, Hei, seemingly has both powers and emotions.
The series is episodic, with each one bringing the viewer a step closer to understanding the implications of such people and appearances of powers in the world.
What
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makes this show shine is its characters, specifically Hei and Kirihara, but the recurring side characters also add charm to the show. The world-building is intriguing always leaving the audience wanting more, and ever so slowly revealing important missing pieces to the full equation of how and why the world came to be.
I first watched this show in my early teens, but even then, I could understand how this series showcased that animation is not just for kids and holds so much potential in adult-oriented genres. Having rewatched the show as an adult, I can attest that it is just as entertaining and even more intriguing than I remember. Take each episode to be a character study, showing us, rather than telling us, the way the world has and has not changed since the appearance of the “gates” and “contractors.”
All, in all, I never feel like I’m wasting my time rewatching the show, it has phenomenal pacing, timeless animation, and a great story. I admit not everyone will like this show, as it might not be their cup of tea, but I sure as hell did.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Jul 23, 2024
Princess Tutu is a masterpiece. (If you love ballet, fairy tales, and classical music this show is for you)
The series opens with a duck who, in love with a boy (who turns out to be “Prince Mytho”) and wanting to save him, becomes the storybook character “Princess Tutu” fated to never profess her love to him.
These “characters” belong to the fairy tale The Prince and the Raven, written by the dead author, Drosselmeyer, and Duck has unknowingly stepped into the fairy tale that has enveloped the town. But a duck becoming a human isn’t the strangest thing you’ll see in this town; as the
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town includes a cat dance teacher and an assortment of other animals that live side by side with fellow humans.
What I love about this show are the characters, Duck is an enjoyable mess, who in her human form is very clumsy and goofy, and not very good at ballet. But after her “Princess Tutu” magical sequence she is suddenly graceful, majestic, and a perfect ballerina. (Alternatively, she has a duck form, which she ‘poofs’ into whenever she “quacks.”) However, Duck is so charming, with her naive and strong-willed spirit, her unique innocence and passion push the story into motion.
Fakir is my favorite character, and his growth throughout the series is enjoyable to watch, specifically how he and Duck become close as friends. I won’t spoil. But I liked the ending to their story.
The music is everything to me. I am an avid classical music fan and this HITS the spot. I first watched this show when I was a kid, and I still remember every single song in this series, from Swan Lake to Sheherezade, Gymnopeide to Dance Macabre. I kid you not, this is the best introduction to classical music for a kid (also ballet, I did ballet before watching this show, but it made me love it more.)
It’s not meant for children, with its PG-13 rating, but I watched it at, maybe age 10, and enjoyed it very much. It has some nudity (in the form of Duck transforming), violence and gore (fighting and blood), as well as some scary images and themes (the ravens and all that.) If your child has seen the Harry Potter series, this shouldn’t be too much at all.
I want to emphasize this was released in 2002, over 20 years ago, and still, the animation is incredible. I will admit I tend to like the animation style from the early 2000s better than anything released today, but it has that timeless feel, like any of the old Disney animated movies. The pacing is something I enjoy the most, and what I think makes it suitable for younger audiences to watch.
This series is something I would recommend to everyone. It’s timeless, funny, has great pacing, and the ending is fulfilling (at least to me, I have heard some complaints, but I cannot see the series ending in any other way.)
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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