Tag / Review

by theoneaboutanime

Subete ga F ni Naru (Everything Becomes F: The Perfect Insider) – Series Review

Preface: So, for those of you who do not know, we will be writing series reviews for the Fall 2015 lineup as we were unable to keep up with the episodic reviews during the season. Our apologies, however we will be doing episodic reviews yet again when the 2016 winter season begins :3 ~TOAA

Review:

  1. Plot/Content: As far as the plot goes, I must say that I didn’t find any holes in it. There are probably people who are quite a bit smarter than I am in dissecting shows, but I can assuredly say that after having a few days to let the show digest in my brain a little bit, all my questions seemed to have been thoroughly answered by the show. The main thing I got reminded of when wathing this show was certainly the idea that plot comes before everything and anything else. It will always come before animation, music, and even characters. The content of this show is what drove it to success and kept me interested throughout its entirety. I was always dying to see what would happen next (save, the first episode).
  2. Character Developments: These characters were not necessarily the most cheerful (ok, maybe Nishinosono was) individuals, but they were certainly entertaining enough to keep an eye on. The whole time I felt like I could sort of almost trust all of them, so when it was revealed how the murders occurred, I just kind of placed my hands on my head and let my jaw drop to the floor. The usual. The likeability of these characters was very… Confusing. There were times where I couldn’t stand some characters and other times where I was just kind of fine with whatever was occurring. However, the fact that the characters were not extremely the most joyous beings on Earth kind of made it nice to watch. It was as if, because of not getting too attached to them, I could more easily focus on the content of the show. It was really cool to get to experience and was very unlike anything else I have experienced in regards to anime. The outcome of the characters also ended up being something I enjoyed, as I am indeed a fan of romance and winning. Lots of winning.
  3. Interactivity: This was the most frustrating category in the show for me. It was the part where I just sat, stared, and asked myself, “Why even?” There were multiple occasions in the show that the characters were far too passive in regards to the murders that had taken place. For example, they all just went to bed at one point. Right after finding out that some people had been killed. AND THEY JUST ACTED NATURAL ABOUT THEM LIKE THEY WERE NO BIG DEAL. If that were real life, no 19 year-old girl would just be so okay with it. I understand she’s a genius and that she wants to see the situation through to the end, but the fact that she’s just a regular college student should point to some kind of regular humanity. I’m only pinpointing her for example’s sake, but I can assure you that it wasn’t just her. It was EVERYONE. It was very odd and made the show feel very inhuman. Even if there would have been just A LITTLE bit of scare or fright, I think it would have been a little better. That’s all we really needed. Thus, it was a turn-off, and ended up doing damage to the show.
  4. Use of Time: Admittedly, this show started off slow. Right when it actually kicked off, though, it was like speeding train that wasn’t stoppin’ for no one. It had a logical progression where you could follow along on an episode-by-episode basis. However, this show most certainly seemed to be one that is better watched with the show in mind. What I mean is that you probably shouldn’t watch this if you plan on only seeing an episode per month. You won’t retain information that will make the show all that more exciting. It requires you to think as you go along in the show–not to the extent where you will get tired of thinking about it, but definitely to the extent that you will be confused if you don’t pay attention. This show’s certainly more along the lines of intermediate-expert taste for anime watchers. Definitely not for beginners.
  5. Music: You know, this series had an array of good music in it. I was unexpectedly surprised about the use of cheery yet melancholy orchestral tracks playing in the background (like that of Twilight Town in KH2). It added something bright and hopeful to the show that just wasn’t there before. I was also extremely partial to the opening and closing themes. They were truly wonderful, and added to the complexity of the show really well (especially the guitar parts in the closing theme–deliciousness).
  6. Animation: There wasn’t anything incredible in regards to the animation in this show. It was just a really good standard for what can be done with 2-dimensional animation, just like almost any other show out on the market for watching today. We have a new standard for what we consider the line of good animation–not great but good. This show did not cross the further line into the makings of great animation, though. That would be saved for other shows like that of Beautiful Bones -Sakurako’s Investigation-. Now there was one thing in regards to this section that did make me quite a bit frustrated. There were parts in the show where they used 3-D. And it was terrible. It was super obvious that it was 3-dimensional, and it simply didn’t fit well with its surroundings in my opinion. It didn’t flow well, and that was a big no-no for me.
  7. Voice Acting: My, my. The voice actors for the main characters were FLAWLESS. I especially enjoyed Dr. Magata’s voice actress (Ibuki Kido–SHE’S ONLY 18 IRL!!!). She effortlessly seemed very calm and extremely dominating. Her voice made her sound like a predator waiting to take down her prey with a single swipe. Quite devious, but alluring all at the same time. I ended up liking Nishinosono as a character, so I easily ended up liking her voice as well (Atsumi Tanezaki). It fit her inexperienced, child-like, college-student vibe. It hits pretty close to home seeing how she happens to be my age at the time of my writing this, too. Lastly, Sohei’s voice (Yasuyuki Kase) was completely spot-on. I mean, his cool attitude was portrayed super well along with a tired, deep-ish voice that screamed of someone who was done with regular life due to its heavy, dull experiences. He’s not my favorite voice actor by any means, but I can certainly say that he was probably the best choice for the character of Sohei.
  8. Uniqueness: I’ve never seen any who-dun-it like this before. This show seems to be in a league of its own. I have seen other mystery anime, but this one easily shines brighter than anything else in the category of mystery/murder. With its massive amounts of jaw-dropping content, it will certainly be one of the most well put-together shows in my list of known shows, as well as being highly esteemed for incredible content. It may just seem like I’m recapping the content section right now, but seriously, the content made this show stand out from any other in its genre.

Show Rating: A- – Let me tell you, guys. This show was astounding. I had some great expectations of it, but I certainly did not expect to emit the kind of reaction that I gave to the show. I wasn’t ready for what happened and for what was to become of the characters all throughout. It was a well-rounded mystery murder that had semi-likeable characters. The plot was absolutely captivating. It kept me on edge after episode two straight until the end. I was actually pretty sad it only had eleven episodes because I got so sucked into it. One of the most unexpected parts about this show, though, is that it has RE-WATCH VALUE!!! That is always a good thing to have, and I don’t really have to say that but still. If you can somehow maintain that, people will go and buy the blu-rays. Just bear that in mind if you ever go into animation 😛

Silly’s Rating: PG

Aired from October 8-December 17, 2015

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ありがとうございます for reading and stay silly :3

~The One About Anime

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by theoneaboutanime

Fushigi na Somera-chan (Magical Somera-chan) Episode 4 – “Here We Go! Matsushima the Popular”

Just in case you aren’t following us on social media, here is why we are, for a short time, suspending our plot summaries:

“I hate to keep cutting back on the value of the articles that we write, but at the moment we simply do not have the time to make those detailed plot summaries due to work and college. With that said, until we are able to get into a consistent schedule, ~C and I will not be doing any plot summaries. When we catch up, though, please expect it to be back and fully functional.”

~The One About Anime

Review:

  1. Plot/Content: Dumping, freaking menoussoue. Also, popularity. I love it all. The simple fact that they’re even continuing on with the menoussoue is just wonderful. Even though it’s only about 10-20 seconds of every episode, those super shorts are certainly my most treasured moments of the series. Not sure why, but they’re so ridiculous that I just love them so much. … Menoussoue are so cool. For the actual plot of the show, though, considering how this was about the new chick, Ai, I felt pretty meh about the show. It was a good plot and all, but I would have liked it to have been more about… Idk… SOMERACHANMAYBE?! It’s a little frustrating to have a show about a certain character and then you find that that show isn’t really focusing on that character like… AT ALL. I would really like to see that change in the near future, but I have a feeling–just this creeping feeling–that it won’t. So there.
  2. Character Developments: Obviously, this section was pretty sparse, and it will certainly remain as such throughout the entirety of the series. There’s just no way you can really develop characters well (especially four of them) in such a blasting, in-your-face way like the story is pushing them to act like. It’s pretty sad because it is one of the most important things that a show could have, so when it gets less attention, there are less memories made about the show (because, aside from the plot, character development will stick with viewers more than most things).
  3. Interactivity: This really drove a nail into the coffin for me. I was super pleased with how jealous Somera and Shizuku were. It gave an interesting dynamic to the “friendship” they decided to develop with the “new chick on the block.” It is as if they have Ai (Matsushima) around just to have another character on the show. Which, honestly, it doesn’t really feel like she’s a part of the show anyway, so it’s not that surprising that the other characters would feel the same wall or distance between them as well. It just sorta happens for the show’s sake, I guess.
  4. Use of Time: On a scale from “rare” to “well-done,” this 3 oz. piece of anime was “well-done” in regards to use of time. There wasn’t a moment where I thought to myself that the show was being wasteful. It moved quickly and efficiently, covering a full story in a short amount of time. They were very proactive in their short space of time, and it was actually some of the best that this show has put out yet. I look forward to seeing how they do later on in this category.

Episode Rating: B+ – Even though this was one of the better episodes of this show thus far, I still need to be objective and rate it according to how good an anime can be. Any show that is dumped down into this short amount of time will almost never amount to an “A” status. There’s simply not enough time in the episode to develop characters and plot (if plot is even a thing in that show, which, for this show, it doesn’t really seem to be a very important factor). It was made to be short with a lot of shock factor, I understand, but it’s just not juicy enough to have your teeth sink into it over and over again (unless, of course, you’re just in one of those moods to blaze through something ridiculous–which I pretty much always am).

Aired on October 29, 2015

Silly’s Rating: PG

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ありがとうございます for reading and stay silly :3

~The One About Anime

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by theoneaboutanime

Subete ga F ni Naru (The Perfect Insider) Episode 4 – “The Rainbow-C0lored Past”

Just in case you aren’t following us on social media, here is why we are, for a short time, suspending our plot summaries:

“I hate to keep cutting back on the value of the articles that we write, but at the moment we simply do not have the time to make those detailed plot summaries due to work and college. With that said, until we are able to get into a consistent schedule, ~C and I will not be doing any plot summaries. When we catch up, though, please expect it to be back and fully functional.”

~The One About Anime

Review:

  1. Plot/Content: Guys. I was so happy about this episode specifically because a lot of the content was new. I think there might have been one or two flashbacks at the most, so having this new content was a refreshing step away from what has been happening in the previous episodes. With the situation that the peeps be findin’ themselves in, I have started to formulate certain conclusions about why it’s been happening and who is doing the things. These kind of mystery show can be so good, or they can be a total flop, and I seriously think this one is turning into the former. They have revealed so little of what the conclusion will be, and it drives me crazy because it makes me just want to see more and watch it all unfold before my eyes. So. Good.
  2. Character Developments: There wasn’t much to be said aside from Moe’s development. She is proving to be less and less of a child. It’s interesting to me because she started to become a character that I really couldn’t stand, but it turns out she’s actually kind of brilliant and enjoyable to watch–only when she’s thinking, though. Intelligence is a big turn-on in reference to character likability for me. It’s not that strange considering how serious of a show this is turning out to be, a murder mystery. So, I’m glad that they are starting to show Moe’s true colors a little more rather than portraying her as some selfish rich kid who gets everything she wants.
  3. Interactivity: Is it just me or is it obvious that there’s something wrong with what’s been happening. To keep it spoiler-free I will describe it in this way: there is a certain situation to which all the characters are acting far too nonchalantly about. It’s absolutely frustrating because you know as a human being when you watch what’s going on, you think to yourself, “This is ridiculous. NO ONE would act like this in a situation like that.” So, yeah, if you’ve seen the episode, you’ll understand. Everyone is just way too calm. Like, they all just decide to go to sleep at one point even though something is happening and you’re just like… Wut.
  4. Use of Time: I was thoroughly impressed with this section this time around. I noticed after the fact that there were very few moments revisited at all, so the majority of the episode was new, plot-moving content. Thus, there was little to no wasted time to be mentioned. All the categories above were used in such a manner that I was consistently being drawn in and being made interested in the episode.

Episode Rating: A- – Ya know, I thought the episode this time around was pretty shweet. All around, it flowed really well, and I was drawn in for the majority of the time. A lot of building information was revealed, and I’m already beginning to make some theories of “whodunit.” I REALLY want to see the next one already.

Aired on October 29, 2015

Silly’s Rating: PG-13

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Thanks for reading and stay silly :3

~The One About Anime

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by theoneaboutanime

Beautiful Bones -Sakurako’s Investigation- Episodes 4 & 5 – “The Cursed Man, Parts 1 & 2”

Just in case you aren’t following us on social media, here is why we are, for a short time, suspending our plot summaries:

“I hate to keep cutting back on the value of the articles that we write, but at the moment we simply do not have the time to make those detailed plot summaries due to work and college. With that said, until we are able to get into a consistent schedule, ~C and I will not be doing any plot summaries. When we catch up, though, please expect it to be back and fully functional.”

~The One About Anime

Review:

  1. Plot/Content: This was a very dark episode. Everything about it was dark. Dear goodness, the whole concept of curses is just dark by itself. As I got deeper into the episodes, I felt like I was getting descending into darkness and trouble. The settings and what was happening in them set these two episodes to have a dark theme straight from the beginning. They, at certain points, made me feel extremely uncomfortable, especially in regards to what the entirety of the episodes were about: murder. Which, usually this is no biggie, right? But the ill intent of certain individuals in the show just kind of made me feel icky. Don’t get me wrong, the plot and content were really good. It just had a certain feel to them that is very… Unique. Dark. Invasive.
  2. Character Developments: GUYS. IT TOTALLY HAPPENED. If you go back and read my review on episode three of this show, you will certainly find that I wrote about the individual wearing black with the hat in the opening theme sequence. He dumping showed up. There are few times that I actually get stuff right when predicting things that will happen in anime, so I’m super hyped about this. The guy ends up being suggested to be bad individual; so much so, Sakurako is actually worried about him. She never saw him, but just by what had occurred, she has pegged him to be one who was intentionally trying to harm the family that these episodes were about. For Sakurako to legitimately feel worried about another character due to his evilness… I’m actually a little frightened about what might happen in the near future in this show. Most likely, he probably won’t show up ’til late on in the show toward the end of the season, but if he does show up soon, we’ll be in for a treat. Even more, if Sakurako actually knows the guy, I’ll be dying on the inside. Like… WHAT IF THE DUDE IS ACTUALLY SOUTAROU, HER LITTLE BROTHER?!  AND HE’S NOT REALLY DEAD, BUT HE’S REALLY JUST A SUPER VILLAIN WHO LIKES TO KILL FAMILIES?! *Dies* That would be shocking, right? In all seriousness, I’m super excited to see where they will be going with this character. He’s very peculiar in an evil way in the few seconds that we’ve actually seen him in the episodes.
  3. Interactivity: Ok, so listen, listen. The animators and writers and peeps did a super fabu job in this section. You could feel how distraught and twisted the presence of the guy (the main subject of the episodes) was. This wasn’t just some passing feeling, guys. Art has a way of getting emotion and imagery across through a wide variety of mediums. Film is one of those mediums, and to get it done through anime is all the more impressive. For this situation specifically, though, it is a legitimately praiseworthy feat. Often times I can easily recognize what the writers were trying to do when they purposely make a character seem off. I will get it mentally. I will understand why and how those things are accomplished, however those scenarios seldom speaks to me. It never really tugs at my core. BUT THIS DID. The whole time I felt legitimately not ok on the inside. Like, something about the situation and the way the character was acting just put me in this uncomfortable, ominous state of being. Overall, it was exceptionally well done. Not many anime are good at making me feel the situations for myself, so I really appreciate what those moments were and want to highlight them when they happen, even if I didn’t necessarily enjoy the feeling it gave me.
  4. Use of Time: Meh. Especially at the beginning when they were driving to their destination, I was bored out of my mind. Yes. We understand the cop guy is obnoxious. Yes. We get it. BUT. You don’t need to go and emphasize that certain aspect of him for minutes at a time. A lot of episode four’s time was seen to be more wasteful than episode five’s was. This is most likely because it is, indeed, the episode used to set up the scenario for more intricate problems that are solved later in episode five. I get why we need it, but it doesn’t always have to be filler time. It could be used for something more productive, I personally believe. Idk. It was just a little bit of a letdown.

Episodes’ Rating: B+ – Although the episodes were, for the majority, rather excellent, I felt that some of the time was wasted. On top of that, some of the feel of the episodes were rather bland. This was very possibly due to the main color scheme of the house and gloomy rain outside (color itself plays huge role in how we, as an audience, perceive the situation), but I think it was more than that. Something about these episodes made me feel uncomfortably restless. Of course, there is the possibility of that being the goal of the show’s writers, but I don’t believe it to be the case. It felt difficult to watch these episodes at certain points. Why? Not a clue. This strange vibe that the show gave off to me was something I just couldn’t find myself enjoying. Regardless, I look forward with much enthusiasm to the next episode. It’s still one of the best shows coming out right now, and I expect to see many more great things tom come from it.

Aired on October 28 and November 4, 2015

Silly’s Rating: PG-13

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Thanks for reading and stay silly :3

~The One About Anime

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by theoneaboutanime

Kometto Rushifa (Comet Lucifer) Episode 4 – “Storm”

Just in case you aren’t following us on social media, here is why we are, for a short time, suspending our plot summaries:

“I hate to keep cutting back on the value of the articles that we write, but at the moment we simply do not have the time to make those detailed plot summaries due to work and college. With that said, until we are able to get into a consistent schedule, ~C and I will not be doing any plot summaries. When we catch up, though, please expect it to be back and fully functional.”

~The One About Anime

Review:

  1. Plot/Content:  Carrying on with silly antics, I didn’t think this episode was going to etch further into the story, but to my surprise, I am wrong.  Most of the episode was full of Felia’s childish amusements.  The people around her seem to be growing more casual when it comes to her powers. In fact, the only person who seems to care about her exhortation of power is Moura.  If you recall, Moura is the snake/lizard creature who happens to be able to transform into a robot fighting machine with a mission to protect Felia.  Not only does everyone seem to be more nonchalant about Felia’s ability, they seem to also assume her to be able to fend for herself.  She was left completely alone in the house, which I thought was completely stupid considering how naive she is about literally everything. As a result, she suffers a catastrophe that Sogo must work to resolve.  Pressing questions kept flooding my mind as I watched the end of the episode: What could the government want with Felia? Are those people really part of a legally operating government faction?  Why do they require the assistance of criminals?  I was left on a cliff-hanger, which was nice because this show hasn’t really had any of those, so now the viewers can experience that antagonizing need to see what happens next.
  2. Character Developments:  As I mentioned above, all the characters except for Moura became lax when it comes to Felia’s levitations.  I’m not exactly sure why Moura is so strict on her.  I assume her use of magic also acts as a beacon?  Maybe the government can track her that way.  Of course, she may also experience physical repercussions from overuse.  Anyway, now that Felia has experienced letting her magic loose and partying with all her friends, she’s become stubborn and spoiled.  All she wants to do now is have a party, but because she can’t have her way she pitches a hissy fit.  It’s humorous because her childishness surpasses her good nature.
  3. Interactivity:  The dynamic with the characters hasn’t changed too much, save for the fact that Felia’s power is generally being overlooked.  However, I think this episode gave the viewer a little sneak peek into Sogo’s past.  He’s got mommy problems.  Kaon tries to talk with him about his conversations with his mom, only for his face to sink into an expressionless seriousness.  Evidently, Sogo’s mom was probably persecuted for her adamance in suggesting the “red crystals” were real.  I’m interested to know of her fate as she isn’t in Sogo’s life currently.
  4. Use of Time:  Filled with dancing vegetables and other fun magic tricks of levitation, this episode didn’t make wise use of its air time.  I get it.  Creating a scene similar to Beauty and the Beast with inanimate objects floating and beep-bopping about is nostalgically entertaining.  However, I feel that it distracted from the focal point of the plot.  Plus, that stuff stopped being amusing in fifth grade.  Maybe if they had been levitating giant robots it would have been a better use of time.

Episode Rating: C+ – I’m giving this episode a solid C+, not because it wasn’t enjoyable, but because it lacked impactfulness.

Aired on October 25, 2015

Level of adultiness:  PG–This episode was exceptionally clean and relied on the element of surprise as its source of humour.

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Thanks for reading and stay silly :3

~The One About Anime~C

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