13th Annual Secret Santa Review Thread

[Stardust262]

This thread will be the place to discuss your selected Secret Santa anime. Once you’ve completed your show, you can post your review of it here. A review format is provided below as a guideline, but you can also just write whatever you feel like talking about regarding your series should you so choose. As always, feel free to ask any questions you might have.

SELECTED ANIME:

* Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
* Grand Blue
* Gunbuster
* Haibane Renmei
* Karin: Chibi Vampire
* Record of Grancrest War
* To Your Eternity

PARTICIPATING USERS:

* AnimeKing2009
* Crazy888
* KILLER_BOB11694
* Quatre47
* Stardust262
* woody938
* ZERO_ninja


Review Format:


Series Watched:

Who You Think Assigned Your Show:

Who You Think You Assigned A Show For:

Episode Count:

Episode Length:

Dubbed or Subbed:

Favorite Character(s):

Least Favorite Character(s):

Favorite Episode/Moment:

Least Favorite Episode/Moment:

Favorite Voice Performance:

Least Favorite Voice Performance:

Favorite Opening(s):

Favorite Ending(s):

Most Episodes Watched In A Day:

Favorite Thematic Message:

Other Items of Note:

Review:



Rating System:

1 - Abysmal
2 - Terrible
3 - Bad
4 - Below Average
5 - Average
6 - Above Average
7 - Good
8 - Great
9 - Amazing
10 - Masterpiece


Plot -

Story Progression -

Setting -

Character designs -

Characters’ personality -

Characters’ development -

Acting Quality -

Subbing/Dubbing Script Quality -

Animation -

Backgrounds/Environments -

Soundtrack -

Rewatchability -


Overall Score:

 

[AnimeKing2009]

Series Watched: Frieren Beyond Journeys end

Who You Think Assigned Your Show: @Crazy888

Who You Think You Assigned A Show For: Not sure

Episode Count: 13

Episode Length: 24 minutes

Dubbed or Subbed: Dubbed

Favorite Character(s): Frieren and Fern

Least Favorite Character(s): Aura

Favorite Episode/Moment:

Spoiler

Least Favorite Episode/Moment: didnt have one

Favorite Voice Performance: Fern

Least Favorite Voice Performance: didnt have one

Favorite Opening(s):

Favorite Ending(s):

Most Episodes Watched In A Day: 13

Favorite Thematic Message: Fond memories

Other Items of Note:

Review:
Since fantasy stories are kinda my thing i really liked this one. My only complaint is that i wish it was longer and had more animated to watch. Its not often i marathon a show in one sitting but when i do it is one that i really like. I didnt expect it to go how it did when it started as i expected it to focus on that party of four going forward. But the way it went didn't disappoint. Stark hasnt been in it long but i like him. But Frieren and Fern were the mains of this part of it. And I will definitely continue following this one as more comes out.


Rating System:

1 - Abysmal
2 - Terrible
3 - Bad
4 - Below Average
5 - Average
6 - Above Average
7 - Good
8 - Great
9 - Amazing
10 - Masterpiece


Plot - 10

Story Progression - 10

Setting - 10

Character designs - 9

Characters’ personality - 10

Characters’ development - 10

Acting Quality - 9

Subbing/Dubbing Script Quality - 9

Animation - 10

Backgrounds/Environments - 10

Soundtrack - 9

Rewatchability - 10


Overall Score: 10

 

[Stardust262]

Series Watched: Frieren Beyond Journeys end

Who You Think Assigned Your Show: @Crazy888

You are correct!

 

[gsilver]

Not participating (because I've been really bad at actually finishing anime) but highly looking forward to seeing what is said about Gunbuster

 

[ZERO_ninja]

Not participating (because I've been really bad at actually finishing anime) but highly looking forward to seeing what is said about Gunbuster

0/10

Mech shows are garbage. I don't watch them because they're all about the mechs.

 

[gsilver]

0/10

Mech shows are garbage. I don't watch them because they're all about the mechs.

Autonomous robots may be better, but I still respect my piloted mecha brethren.

 

[ZERO_ninja]

Autonomous robots may be better, but I still respect my piloted mecha brethren.

All true anime fans know that genre is the lowest of the low. Worse even than isekai!

 

[AnimeKing2009]

All true anime fans know that genre is the lowest of the low. Worse even than isekai!

Not all Isekai are bad. And same for mecha as there are plenty of mecha that were good such as Gurren lagann and Code Geass ect.

The worst genre in my opinion is garbage plot harem rom com that exist solely for meaningless fan service.

 

[ZERO_ninja]

Not all Isekai are bad. And same for mecha as there are plenty of mecha that were good such as Gurren lagann and Code Geass ect.

The worst genre in my opinion is garbage plot harem rom com that exist solely for meaningless fan service.

Nah, those are just the few stand out exceptions. Every creatively bankrupt genre will have a couple.

Now, harem on the other hand Tenchi Muyo is great and Mamoru Oshii's version of Urusei Yatsura is peak anime!

 

[AnimeKing2009]

Nah, those are just the few stand out exceptions. Every creatively bankrupt genre will have a couple.

Now, harem on the other hand Tenchi Muyo is great and Mamoru Oshii's version of Urusei Yatsura is peak anime!

Tenchi and yatsura i would make exempt from my statement. i meant all the garbage ones that exist only for fan service. they exist only to see pointless fan service for the sake of it and topless waifus lol. Tenchi actually had good characters and was funny. Same with Yatsura. The movie of uresei yatsura beautiful dreamer is comedy gold. But the vast majority of that genre are just token series for fan service and nothing more. While mecha and isekai are hit or miss. i like some from each. and care nothing for some in each. so its a mix of win and fail.

 

[ZERO_ninja]

i meant all the garbage ones that exist only for fan service. they exist only to see pointless fan service for the sake of it and topless waifus lol.

I mean if that's your issue, I'm not sure why your champions of the terrible mecha genre are two of the most infamously fanservice heavy anime out there to the point that they're frequently criticised as being difficult to watch for how overpresent it is.

There was actually another Gurren Lagann image I was gonna share but I think, despite being a literal part of the animation, it'd be against ToS.

EDIT: And lol, the Code Geass compilation video is age restricted because it's the show is THAT bad for it.

 

[AnimeKing2009]

I mean if that's your issue, I'm not sure why your champions of the terrible mecha genre are two of the most infamously fanservice heavy anime out there to the point that they're frequently criticised as being difficult to watch for how overpresent it is.

There was actually another Gurren Lagann image I was gonna share but I think, despite being a literal part of the animation, it'd be against ToS.

EDIT: And lol, the Code Geass compilation video is age restricted because it's the show is THAT bad for it.

Fan service itself isnt so much my point. I meant shows that are basically garbage and exist just for fan service and would not be worth watching other than to just indulge in fan service. I beyond the point of my youth where i care about that as a reason to watch a show. Gurren and Geass didnt focus on fan service so much. While it was there in some episodes it was never a primary focus. Both had well developed characters and plots. I was talking about specific series that were made solely for purposes of eye candy. And in that genre there are many. Not all of them are what i was talking about. But too many are which is why i would put that genre at the bottom for me personally. Mecha is not my favorite genre by any means but i do like a handful in the genre and some i think are ok but would never watch more than once. Most mecha series follow the Gundam character personality model which leads to most protagonists being angst filled teens that are sometimes insufferable.

In the past i'd watch most genres except certain slice of life shows that arent my thing. The Harem fan service shows i would watch back then for the fan service. now i dont care enough to watch it if thats all it had going for it. Stories and characters more or less are what i enjoy and if a show gives me that in a way i like then i will usually at least like the series if i don't love it. It typically varies in each genre based on the series and its characters on how much i like one or not.

Frieren for example which i watched for this fits into the kinda show i love because the Fantasy adventure genre is my favorite kind. So i watched the whole thing in one sitting. While even if its one i like it will take me days or weeks to watch a slice of life or harem show because i wont be able to sit through and marathon most of them. Even Clannad which i liked a lot took me two weeks to watch back in the day.

With mecha i watched all the gundams at one point to be able to debate another user here in the old AFL game that used characters from it. Some of them i liked and some i didnt. it depended on the characters and plot of it for me usually. if angsty teens and war drama are not to your liking then you will hate mecha because that is pretty much the formula. Action is my go to so shounen, fantasy adventure, isekai, mecha ect all of those can possibly give me the type of series i like the most. I will watch some slice of life, or comedy or harem comedy ect and some i like some i dont.

I wouldnt put everything of every genre into the'' it sucks'' category. But i just meant that the Harem fan service shows are usually pointless series just for fan service like that stupid cat planet cuties show. Bland plot existing to show top less cat girls or give fan service scenes. it was a garbage show unless you just are there to get token fan service. That is the kinda thing i was talking about. Where as even bad mecha series were trying to have a story that mattered even if they didnt do it that well. lol.

 

[ZERO_ninja]

Thanks for the genre history lesson, though I don't think it's an exaggeration to say I'm by far the biggest mecha fan on the boards:


(That isn't even my full collection, I emptied that shelf from the usual Doctor Who stuff to quickly display that. There were some things, like the Iron Giant collectors set, that'd bee too big a hassle to get out and move at short notice).

Gurren and Geass didnt focus on fan service so much.

As someone who's a big fan of both (and you can see both on my shelf if you look) I think that's a reach of a claim. I remember taking a friend through Gurren Lagann, and while he did like the series, it took some reassuring when he's getting a giant cameltoe in the first ep along with everything that comes after that. I'm not saying they don't do anything else, but their fanservice is pretty constant.

Most mecha series follow the Gundam character personality model which leads to most protagonists being angst filled teens that are sometimes insufferable.

if angsty teens and war drama are not to your liking then you will hate mecha because that is pretty much the formula.

Honestly, that really isn't the genre standard you think it is. I could rattle you off a tonne of mecha series that aren't angsty teens in a series that's a commentary on war. I'm not saying Gundam isn't influential, it really is, but it's really reductive to the genre to paint Gundam over the whole thing like that when there is so much more variety than that.
I would have guessed maybe just a very selective viewing led you to believe that, but glancing at your MAL I'd even argue, of the mecha shows you've seen, you've seen more mecha shows not like Gundam than ones that are. I know MALs don't tend to reflect most people's full viewing but still I find it a really weird take for someone who has seen a bunch of not Gundam-like mechas. Hell even one of the Gundams you watched intentionally breaks from that formula and is more like the classic super robot formula for mecha anime, as a gimmick for an anniversary. So not even all of Gundam is like that, never mind the majority of the genre itself.

With mecha i watched all the gundams at one point

Just a point of curiosity, and again I acknowledge MALs aren't always reflective, but did you? I never got the impression you had seen most of them, and your MAL shows you skipping from the original series straight to Char's Counter Attack cutting out Zeta and ZZ then other than a couple of short OVAs you don't seem to watch any other Universal Century and skip straight to just G, Wing and 00.

I'm not bothered if that's the case it's just weird to claim "all" if you've skipped over Zeta, ZZ and Victory, which is considered a big part of the backbone of the UC Gundams and all by Tomino himself, not to mention no sign of Tomino's ∀ ether. Again not fussed, it's just a weird statement if you've skipped most what's considered the core Gundam series. Two of those 4 are arguably the most acclaimed Gundam series ever (though not necessarily the most popular in the mainstream I admit, especially western mainstream).
It's sort of of like claiming to have seen all of Star Trek, but skipping over Next Gen, Deep Space 9 and Voyager.

 

[Stardust262]

Grand Blue has been replaced with Summer Time Rendering amongst the selected anime.

 

[AnimeKing2009]

Thanks for the genre history lesson, though I don't think it's an exaggeration to say I'm by far the biggest mecha fan on the boards:


(That isn't even my full collection, I emptied that shelf from the usual Doctor Who stuff to quickly display that. There were some things, like the Iron Giant collectors set, that'd bee too big a hassle to get out and move at short notice).


As someone who's a big fan of both (and you can see both on my shelf if you look) I think that's a reach of a claim. I remember taking a friend through Gurren Lagann, and while he did like the series, it took some reassuring when he's getting a giant cameltoe in the first ep along with everything that comes after that. I'm not saying they don't do anything else, but their fanservice is pretty constant.


Honestly, that really isn't the genre standard you think it is. I could rattle you off a tonne of mecha series that aren't angsty teens in a series that's a commentary on war. I'm not saying Gundam isn't influential, it really is, but it's really reductive to the genre to paint Gundam over the whole thing like that when there is so much more variety than that.
I would have guessed maybe just a very selective viewing led you to believe that, but glancing at your MAL I'd even argue, of the mecha shows you've seen, you've seen more mecha shows not like Gundam than ones that are. I know MALs don't tend to reflect most people's full viewing but still I find it a really weird take for someone who has seen a bunch of not Gundam-like mechas. Hell even one of the Gundams you watched intentionally breaks from that formula and is more like the classic super robot formula for mecha anime, as a gimmick for an anniversary. So not even all of Gundam is like that, never mind the majority of the genre itself.

Just a point of curiosity, and again I acknowledge MALs aren't always reflective, but did you? I never got the impression you had seen most of them, and your MAL shows you skipping from the original series straight to Char's Counter Attack cutting out Zeta and ZZ then other than a couple of short OVAs you don't seem to watch any other Universal Century and skip straight to just G, Wing and 00.

I'm not bothered if that's the case it's just weird to claim "all" if you've skipped over Zeta, ZZ and Victory, which is considered a big part of the backbone of the UC Gundams and all by Tomino himself, not to mention no sign of Tomino's ∀ ether. Again not fussed, it's just a weird statement if you've skipped most what's considered the core Gundam series. Two of those 4 are arguably the most acclaimed Gundam series ever (though not necessarily the most popular in the mainstream I admit, especially western mainstream).
It's sort of of like claiming to have seen all of Star Trek, but skipping over Next Gen, Deep Space 9 and Voyager.

I've seen Zeta and zz gundam all of the UC ones i just havent updated that mal since 2016. But yeah i have not likely seen as much mecha anime as you have. Most Gundams. Geass and Gurren, and a handful of others such as Gunbuster, diebuster ect. And on the fanservice comment I didnt mean that those two series dont have a fair quantity of it. But it isnt the primary focus of the story. Its just there. Fan service itself doesn't bother me. But when a series is specifically all about Fan service and has nothing else going for it, then it pretty much gets a trash rating from me. The stories of Both Gurren and Geass are good as are the characters so the fan service is made whatever in the narrative.

When i classify my least favorite genre being harem fan service rom coms i don't necessarily mean all of them. But the wide majority that are pointless eye candy series with no substance to them outside of the fan service and topless ladies. lol. If i dont like a shows story then its not gonna hold me. Which is typically the case with the comedy slash fan service harem series genre. Many slice of life series fall into the category i dont care for often also but for a different reason.
I'm not a big fan of the kinda stories they tell overall in such series. Some of them were exceptions just like some rom coms or harem shows were ok enough for me to finish and like. But for the most part that is my most disliked genre because for the most part i dislike most of the stories and characters in them because most of the girls in those are just eye candy and the protagonist is those is usually a complete tool lol.
With Gundam the main one i watched all of and pretty much disliked was ZZ gundam. But i always preferred Gundam Wing and Gundam 00 over the UC Gundams overall because i liked the characters better in those.

 

[gsilver]

Grand Blue has been replaced with Summer Time Rendering amongst the selected anime.

Ooh. I've been watching Summer Time Rendering with a few people week-to-week for the last few months.
Really intriguing so far

Though it is particularly weird about its fanservice.

 

[KILLER_BOB11694]

Series Watched: Summer Time Rendering

Who You Think Assigned Your Show: Stardust262

Who You Think You Assigned A Show For: Idk lol

Episode Count: 25

Episode Length: 23 mins

Dubbed or Subbed: Subbed

Favorite Character(s): Shinpei, but they're all pretty enjoyable

Least Favorite Character(s): Tokiko

Favorite Episode/Moment: I went into this series pretty much blind, so I think my favorite moment was just when I realized it was a time loop thriller, which is very early on (episode 1 or 2).

Least Favorite Episode/Moment: Some of the mechanics and what characters are capable of get a bit convenient later on, and there were a few of these types of moments in the later episodes.

Favorite Voice Performance: Anna Nagase did a really good job as Ushio.

Least Favorite Voice Performance: I don't think anybody stood out as doing a poor job.

Favorite Opening(s): First opening

Favorite Ending(s): First ending

Most Episodes Watched In A Day: Not sure. I watched the series in 5 days. I just watched the last 6 episodes now, so it may have been 6.

Favorite Thematic Message: Not sure this was much of an intended message through a lot of the show, but it shows up a few times (especially near the start and the end), which is basically about letting the people you care about know how important they are to you while you can.

Review: I think Summer Time Rendering is an extremely fun time loop thriller series. The series starts out very tense, with almost a horror feel to it, but the most impressive thing about the show for me is that while that horror-like tension fades a bit as the show progresses and makes way for almost an action series type approach with lots of fights and ridiculous powers, the stakes always felt pretty high and my eyes were always glued to the screen. I feel like a lot of thriller series like this can lose their tension when the rules of the game become more clear to the viewer. Also I really liked the cast a lot. Picking my favorite character was genuinely difficult above. I can think of like 4 characters in the show that I'd be happy to list as my favorite. Shinpei, Ushio, Mio, Hizuru, and Nezu were always fun to have on the screen.

If I have issues with the show it's probably just that the writing felt a bit convenient pretty often. What characters were capable of often felt made up on the fly, and I think there were like 2 different situations where the villains probably could've won but they ended up backing up because they got spooked by something. This type of thing definitely became more evident down the stretch in the show. Thankfully the sheer amount of fun and just wanting to see how things would get resolved made up for it and I was really enjoying the show all the way through. I'd also probably make some changes to the very end of the story if I had my way. I liked certain things about the ending but I think it was maybe taken a bit too far in that direction.

But yeah overall a very fun watch. Kind of like a schlocky fun at times, but a high quality version of it. I didn't mention fanservice in my review yet but I should probably note it since it was brought up, but yeah there is quite a bit of fanservice and it can be a bit weird. Adds to the schlocky feel honestly.



Rating System:

1 - Abysmal
2 - Terrible
3 - Bad
4 - Below Average
5 - Average
6 - Above Average
7 - Good
8 - Great
9 - Amazing
10 - Masterpiece


Plot - 8

Story Progression - 8
Plot was good in terms of fun factor, and there were some cool ideas. Story progression was probably the strongest suit here. Things moved nice and quickly and generally kept me on my toes.

Setting - 7

Character designs - 8

Characters’ personality - 9
Characters were a lot of fun, and I think they generally had really good designs too.

Characters’ development - 6

Acting Quality - 8

Subbing/Dubbing Script Quality - 7

Animation - 8
Series looked nice. Seemed like a good adaptation without much in terms of obvious shortcuts or anything.

Backgrounds/Environments - 8

Soundtrack - 7
I liked the opening and ending themes, but the actual soundtrack didn't leave much of an impression, but also never really stood out in a negative way either.

Rewatchability - 5
Can't imagine this would be a great rewatch, mostly because I think most thriller type stories generally aren't made for rewatches.


Overall Score: 8

 

[Stardust262]

Series Watched: Summer Time Rendering

Who You Think Assigned Your Show: Stardust262

You got it! Glad you enjoyed the show!

 

[Sagara-san]

wow, people actually picked haibane and karin as their shows? damn that puts a smile on my face!

@AnimeKing2009 @ZERO_ninja i read every word of those text walls. likely the only person who did.....

Also, Frieren isn't done yet AK, you're just at the halfway point. I'm on ep 16.

 

[AnimeKing2009]

wow, people actually picked haibane and karin as their shows? damn that puts a smile on my face!

@AnimeKing2009 @ZERO_ninja i read every word of those text walls. likely the only person who did.....

Also, Frieren isn't done yet AK, you're just at the halfway point. I'm on ep 16.

yeah i am caught up to 16 on it. When i finished it in December it was only at 13 and i could tell that it wasnt a ending since it didnt really have what could be considered a conclusion. Fantasy series like that like i mentioned in the review are more my thing than most other genres. So it hooked me early on.

 

[Stardust262]

Series Watched: Karin: Chibi Vampire

Who You Think Assigned Your Show: Woody

Who You Think You Assigned A Show For: Killer_Bob

Episode Count: 24

Episode Length: 23 minutes

Dubbed or Subbed: Dubbed

Favorite Character(s): Maki, Anju

Least Favorite Character(s): Ren, Fumio Usui

Favorite Episode/Moment: The backstory for Karin’s grandmother

Least Favorite Episode/Moment: The stuff where Anju begins her transformation late in the show. I get why she acted the way she did, but it felt like drama that didn’t really need to be there with the show was reaching its conclusion anyway.

Favorite Voice Performance: Paul Pistore as Boogie

Least Favorite Voice Performance: Meriem Bella as Fumo Usui

Favorite Opening(s): Only 1, it was okay

Favorite Ending(s): Only 1, I liked it

Most Episodes Watched In A Day: I think 4

Favorite Thematic Message: Don’t ignore the option for your own happiness because it’ll make someone else happy and/or get them off your back.

Other Items of Note: #JusticeForMaki, she deserves better

Review:
Karin was a show that took me awhile to get through. It doesn’t have the strongest start, and if I were watching it on my own there’s a good chance I’d have dropped it early on. The show does find its stride however, and improves a lot as it goes on. It manages to make its central romance feel earned and even heartwarming, especially in the home stretch. It finishes strong by providing a powerful backstory to Karin’s grandmother and tying it into the present story fittingly. The comedy doesn’t always land though, and can certainly feel dated if you’re not in the mood for it.

The dub is really strange. Almost the entire cast was only involved in this show, and those that did more than Karin still didn’t do that much. I guess Geneon outsourced it somewhere? Regardless, you can definitely tell these aren’t experienced voice actors for the most part. The dub starts out rough, with a lot of overacting. Thankfully the actors do settle into their roles as time goes on, and the majority of them improve a good bit. Some of the overacting never goes away though, most notably with Winner Sinclair. Though in his case, the overacting kind of feels like an intentional choice given his over-the-top nature as a character. None of that makes up for his not accepting Maki’s feelings #JusticeForMaki

Ultimately I think Karin is an alright time, albeit a rough one at first. It finds its footing unlike some other shows, and that is definitely worth something.

Rating System:

1 - Abysmal
2 - Terrible
3 - Bad
4 - Below Average
5 - Average
6 - Above Average
7 - Good
8 - Great
9 - Amazing
10 - Masterpiece


Plot - 6

Story Progression - 6.5

Setting - 6

Character designs - 7

Characters’ personality - 7

Characters’ development - 7

Acting Quality - 5.5

Subbing/Dubbing Script Quality - 7

Animation - 6.5

Backgrounds/Environments - 6

Soundtrack - 7

Rewatchability - 6


Overall Score: 6.5/10

 

[woody938]

Series Watched: Karin: Chibi Vampire

Who You Think Assigned Your Show: Woody

You are correct!

Glad you got some value out of it.

I watched it when I binged a few hundred shows in like 12-18 months so I've basically forgotten it all but I know I loved it.

Nah, those are just the few stand out exceptions.

GunBuster is one of the few stand out exceptions. It has one bit in the OP that needs a fart sound effect.

//howzat for synchronicity? First time going through the thread jus' now... wearing the GunBuster sigpic that is on random with like 20-30 others

///has the luck of an anime protagonist, or the "devil's luck" if you will

 

[ZERO_ninja]

Sorry this took so long, Life was being well life and I've had a lot going on. Even when it came to finishing the show last weekend I couldn't write the review till now because I shortly afterwards possibly fractured my elbow (it's a spot they can't tell usually in an x-ray and have to take a guess apparently, but it seemed like I did) and had to rest my arm for a few days. I really didn't fancy typing up a full review with one hand. But here it is, without further ado the long awaited review:

Series Watched: Haibane Renmei

Who You Think Assigned Your Show: KILLER_BOB11694

Who You Think You Assigned A Show For: Quatre47

Episode Count: 13

Subbed or Subbed: Subbed of course

Favourite Character(s): Probably Reki

Favourite Episode/Moment: The payoff of Reki's emotional journey.

Favourite Voice Performance: V-mon Reki

Opening mini-review: Free Bird gave me Picard PTSD. They're not really that alike, but it's uncommon for shows to have a purely instrumental string instrument heavy opening so my mind went there. That aside it was a nice piece and it fit the feel of the show. Had a sort of laid back but upbeat vibe. The visuals weren't super interesting but again they did fall in line with what the early parts of the show are with people just sort of living.

Ending mini-review: I really liked Blue Flow, it hit the tone just right for being suitable to follow up either a laid back or heavy episode. Plus Masumi Itou has such a really unique voice I always just find really appealing. Though it felt like an unusual song for her from what I've experienced in other shows. I'm used to say Azumanga Daioh and Jinrui wa Suita Shimashita where her stuff is way more bouncy and energetic but she really nails the more strange and contemplative style of Blue Flow. Visually it was really simplistic but I guess the visuals were quite effective at creating a feeling.

Most Episodes Watched In A Day: I dunno... 9?

Favourite Thematic Message: Forgiveness

Other Items of Note: There's a bit in episode 10 that I thought was censored. It seems like Reki is meant to give someone the middle finger but instead raises her index finger. But I purposefully sought out a copy of that scene from a Japanese BD to compare and... it's the same. So either it wasn't censored or Japan used the censored version for the basis of their remaster too. *shrug* Maybe it's meant to be a gesture that has meaning in Glie.

Review

I really dig the world of the show. It's a really distinct world with a lot going on. There's this very real tangible lived in feeling to it, I really can believe in it as an actual place. It felt so fleshed out with unique culture and customs that so clearly informed on the characters world views. It's not often a series is so meticulous like that with its setting but I definitely appreciate when one is. Even by the end of the series I felt like it'd only scratched the surface of that setting and there was so much more going on that we didn't get to learn, but in a way that felt really satisfying. It just added to that aspect of it being "real" and we only got a small window into it. I wanted to know more about Glie but I think it adds to it that we get so little and I have enjoyed pondering since and coming to my own answers about some aspects.

That said for all my praise of the setting, it's customs and culture, that's not really what's important. Everything is sort of a backdrop to support Rakka and Reki's character journey's where the real core of the series is. For all of the light hearted daily living in the first half of the series there's some implications of a heavier and darker tone to the series. The characters are clearly all dead and there's a heavy religious allegory to it all. Living out their afterlife as Haibane, there's very on the nose Judeo-Christian visual motif but it goes no deeper than window dressing. Harking back to Japan's constant love for the "cool visuals" of Christianity with none of the rest of it. I'm sure some people like to draw parallels between this and Evangelion for that especially given in the west it likely caught the same generation of anime fans at a similar time, but in the case of both it's just a wider trend in Japanese media. It goes back to UltraSeven doing it in the 60s and leaving a whole generation of Japanese kids growing with one of the most the iconic visuals in the Ultraman franchise lifted straight out of Christianity. Then it would be replicated repeatedly since throughout Japanese media from the 70s to now. That said, I don't think a comparison to Eva is entirely without merit, although the religious imagery is just shallow window dressing in both, the deeper more meaningful aspect of both series digs in quite heavily on looking at mental health. That's not to say I'm remarking on any direct influence but it is interesting to look at how both deal with similar topics.

So ramble aside, characters right... that's totally what I was talking about there. Characters and mental health. The series eases you in with a sort of comfortable slice of life aspect, there's definitely a unique world and culture being presented to you, and some hints of darker undertones, but it clearly wants you to relax at first and just enjoy living. Then the series ramps up steadily on the mental health side, dealing with topics like self harm, suicide and body dysmorphia. There's a pivotal moment that triggers the switch and I really like the execution. These two tones of the series work well juxtaposed. For all of the fantastical elements of the setting the show wants you to connect with it like real life, there's a sense of just living for the first stretch of the series and that really works to make the main characters' struggles with their mental health so grounded and real. There's a big theme of forgiveness running through it, that people in a dark place emotionally with an unhealthy relationship with themselves need someone else to "forgive" them before they can heal. The setting of Glie and the life of the Haibane is clearly one designed for the Haibane to overcome their personal or emotional issues from their past life on a spiritual level. With the Judeo-Christiain immagery it's easy to think of Glie as a "purgatory", but the themes of that journey of self-healing is more in line with the Hundu/Buddhist concept of enlightenment.

I touched upon this already talking about the juxtaposition of tones and styles within how the series progresses, but I really love its approach to depicting mental health. That people can find themselves in these awful places even within what would seem like a peaceful life as well as depicting how it can often be the people that outwardly seem the strongest and most supportive who are themselves internally struggling most. This is a big part of why I like Reki most. Most of the characters in the show are relatively thin, they're there to support Rakka and Reki's emotional journeys. But those core emotional journeys are so powerful. Reki's in particular, peeling back the layers of how strong and supportive she is outwardly to the mess she actually is underneath it all. I also really love Rakka's journey and the way that being someone who's had a similar struggle and found her "forgiveness" she's the one who can understand and give that to Reki. The ultimate climax of the series comes with a big emotional payoff and I defnitely felt it land. I always value series that have something meaningful to say and successfully mix that artistically into their narrative and Haibane Renmei is defintiely one that pulls that off. It's a clearly deeply personal message to yoshitoshi ABe and I really appreciate the way he so creatively shared it through his art.


Numbers lack nuance so I want to give a blurb of my thoughts for these rather than a score:

Plot - I touched upon in the main review, there's not a lot of it outside of character journeys.

Story Progression - I think this was really skillfully done, the way it eases you in with just life being lived with some hints of darker undertones before switching gears and really digging into the pit of poor mental health. You really feel the emotional whiplash of it and that's definitely the point.

Setting - I loved it, I wanted to know more about it, but I also love that I don't. I like that we don't learn everything and I can come to my own answers.

Character designs - This is an interesting one. I think anime of this era can look a bit plain in this regard, but also that's sort of the point with Haibane Renmei. It's meant to feel so akin to just life. That said I do think the ABe's character designs really suit each character perfectly and there's a real skill to that. When I flick through an artbook for the show I think the character designs really are great and ABe's art has such a style and mood. The problem though is that I think something is definitely lost in adaptation and the anime doesn't really capture the spark of ABe's designs. I think they still fit the characters super well, they're just a bit flatter than in ABe's own sketches.

Characters’ personality - For most, the show really only scratch the surface beyond Reki and Rakka which I already spent so much of the review on. That said, I wanted to find somewhere to say, while I think the supporting cast exist to facilitate the emotional journey of the 2 main characters and are otherwise quite thin, they have that same quality that the setting does of having these clear personality traits that speak to more depth that the series doesn't explore. The most obvious example is Hyouko's clear discomfort with being seen to be a Haibane and the effort he goes to to hid his halo and wings. Little touches like that just make the characters feel real even if they're not very explored.

Characters’ development - So I gushed plenty about this in the main body of the review, but yeah the set up, development and payoff for Reki and Rakka is probably my favourite aspect of the show.

Acting Quality - Strong and really well done. The main characters are really given some heavy lifting emotionally especially as the series goes on and I think they really meet the challenge.

Animation - This is probably the area the show is most lacking. it's not the highest budget affair but it doesn't need to be. It tells a very grounded story about life despite all the fantastical elements in the setting and the animation definitely doesn't detract from the show's style. My one real complaint is being a mid 2000s show it's pretty cursed visually by being a digitally animated show made for SD, so it has that unfortunate situation of looking way worse than anything that came before or after that era when you try to remaster it. It's not one of my prettiest blu-rays. A lot of artifacting and blurry shots.

Backgrounds/Environments - I thought they were great. The world is filled with such personality. Every location feels so lived in and sets such a distinct mood.

Soundtrack - It was consistently enjoyable and again really suited what the series needed, but I don't think it's a soundtrack I'll come back to outwith the show.

Rewatchability - There's a strong message worth revisting, and the mysterious and vague elements of the setting really does add a lot worth coming back to and chewing over how you want to interpret is going on in this world as the audience. It's definitely one of the anime more deserving of multiple sit throughs and likely one of the ones that gives you a little more to take away each time.


Overall Score: 9/10

 

[Stardust262]

Who You Think Assigned Your Show: KILLER_BOB11694

Correct!

Who You Think You Assigned A Show For: Quatre47

Incorrect!

 

[ZERO_ninja]

Correct!


Incorrect!

It was a 50/50 I thought I should guess Crazy888 because I've had Quatre47 be it before, but then went for Quatre47 anyway.

 

[AnimeKing2009]

i know what crazy got so that means Woody got mine. unless Quatre did.

 

[woody938]

I presume GunBuster is the show the person you recommended to chosen, I wouldn't chose a show I've already seen, even if it's as epic as my favourite of all time.

I finished season 1, I could stop here and write the review and stay under the episode limit, but I'll go on and finish season 2.

//has a clear favourite moment, he doubts it can be topped

///is reminded to buy more Haikyuu

 

[AnimeKing2009]

I presume GunBuster is the show the person you recommended to chosen, I wouldn't chose a show I've already seen, even if it's as epic as my favourite of all time.

I finished season 1, I could stop here and write the review and stay under the episode limit, but I'll go on and finish season 2.

//has a clear favourite moment, he doubts it can be topped

///is reminded to buy more Haikyuu

nah. whoever had mine picked Record of Grancrest war.

 

[woody938]

Ah, sounds like a familiar franchise that I'm pretty sure you're into.

 

[AnimeKing2009]

Ah, sounds like a familiar franchise that I'm pretty sure you're into.

it was made by the same people that did Record of Lodoss war. Which was the first anime i ever saw. if you didnt pick it then it had to be Quatre that got my list. Think everyone else posted theirs already except Crazy but he dropped Gunbuster i think so he likely wont be posting a review.

 

[woody938]

Ah ok, Noriko was pretty much Shinji in the 1st 1/3. Other than that I don't understand people not liking it, it is all about her, I think the robot is treated as just a tool for her story.

 

[AnimeKing2009]

Ah ok, Noriko was pretty much Shinji in the 1st 1/3. Other than that I don't understand people not liking it, it is all about her, I think the robot is treated as just a tool for her story.

Yeah i liked it and her from the moment I watched it after Darkfire told me i should watch it years ago. I think he just doesnt like mecha series in general so i don't think he watched more than the first or second episode but i'm not 100% sure if he continued it after that or put it on hold. But i know he was thinking of dropping it.

 

[gsilver]

Gotta admit, though, Gunbuster gets pretty ambitious for a series that starts as a parody of a 70s tennis anime/manga.

 

[woody938]

Now I'm curious about what that tennis anime is.

//every anime girl wears tennis skirts so it's not like every anime isn't a sports anime

 

[Stardust262]

Now I'm curious about what that tennis anime is.

//every anime girl wears tennis skirts so it's not like every anime isn't a sports anime

Well how else was the show gonna bust your gun if they weren’t wearing tennis skirts?

 

[woody938]

A one-piece with a loose crop top.

 

[gsilver]

Now I'm curious about what that tennis anime is.

//every anime girl wears tennis skirts so it's not like every anime isn't a sports anime

Aim for the Ace! - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Gunbuster's subtitle was "Aim for the Top!" which is a direct parody. and there are a lot of plot similarities.

They even try to give Gunbuster some directorial flair that's similar to Aim for the Ace.
I'm a fan of Osamu Dezaki, who has a rather distinctive style. There are a bunch of scenes that mimic what he does in his series.

 

[woody938]

Nice, love how the skirt is drawn in some of the cover art pictures.

//already had it on his plan to watch list, must've had this convo before

///looks like GunBuster 3 got axed

 

[woody938]

Series Watched: To Your Eternity

Who You Think Assigned Your Show: Quatre

Who You Think You Assigned A Show For: Stardust

Episode Count: 40 (2x20ep seasons)

Episode Length: 25min

Dubbed or Subbed: Dub

Favorite Character(s): surprisingly, Bon, he's pretty legendary,

Least Favorite Character(s): hmm… hmm… Cylira

Favorite Episode/Moment:

Spoiler

Hayase’s confession, or rather Fushi’s reaction to it in addition. When it was coming I was like “holy shit! She’s gonna confess”, a confession like that never happens… ever, so it really stuck with me.

Least Favorite Episode/Moment:

Spoiler

The moment where Fushi was not forced into using Hayase’s body, that was a big disappointment. There was even a philosophical set up for it too, **big fucking sigh**

Favorite Voice Performance: Cherami Leigh’s role as Rynn Cropp, more like a refined princess than a rich girl.

Least Favorite Voice Performance: Bryce Papenbrook as Gugu I suppose, he jus’ suits the boy version more than the teen version.

Favorite Opening(s): Just 1, but I really like it
Favorite Ending(s): Neither are spectacular but I think I prefer the ED2, Roots by Misashi Hamauzu
Most Episodes Watched In A Day: 10

Favorite Thematic Message: Everything you perceive is a part of you. Honestly, there are a lot of possible messages, I reckon no one here will double up with another.

Other Items of Note: With the monsters being called the “knokkers” it got me thinking a lot about boobs.

Tonari kept reminding me of Katara, maybe they’re both just modeled after the same race?

Review: Overall, season 1 was a pretty fun and interesting watch, I’d give that a solid 8/10, but season 2 got deep and philosophical, I’d give that a just barely 10/10. The start of season 2 is rushed though. Some of the philosophies are exactly what I needed to learn at the time.

It’s a beautiful show for an action shounen, no notable fanservice, lots of unusual things handled well. I recommend you watch it if you haven’t seen.



Plot - 8

Story Progression – 9

Setting - 8

Character designs - 8

Characters’ personality - 8

Characters’ development - 9

Acting Quality - 9

Subbing/Dubbing Script Quality - 9

Animation - 8

Backgrounds/Environments - 8

Soundtrack - 7

Rewatchability – 7 (high for me)


Overall Score: 9/10

 

[Stardust262]

Who You Think Assigned Your Show: Quatre

Correct!

 

[AnimeKing2009]

That guarantees that Quatre had mine since everyone else has posted but Crazy and i know he had Gunbuster from whoever's list that was from.

 

[Stardust262]

I guess I’ll write the exchange-chain out for everyone at this point:

Me-> Killer_Bob -> Zero_Ninja -> Crazy -> AK -> Quatre -> Woody -> Me

 

[woody938]

So Zero recommended GunBuster.