Jeoffrey

Is it possible that a bad adaptation could still end up being a good anime series? Well, in my opinion, it could be given the right circumstances... However, let us first talk about why many people think this adaptation is so bad and what made quite a large number of fans of the original (web novel) and other, according to them, more accurate adaptations (the manga series), to criticize this anime series so brutally reflected in the ratings on various databases (like on MAL and AL). In other words, in order to better understand what is supposedly wrong with this particular show, it is necessary to familiarize yourself with the original, and if you do it is really easy to discover all the main differences... For example? An awful lot of events in this anime series are not shown in the correct order. Some of the introductory parts have been omitted, which the anime series only references much later on in the season in the form of flashbacks. Some of the characters (like Nano) have been designed in a totally different way. Another character, the first female villain we see, only appears in the anime series and the quality of her character is something on the level of the Team Rocket from Pokémon. The main issue with the anime series is the tone and setting of the show. While the original web novel has an entertaining narrative with mysterious, even slightly dark undertones, this anime series is mostly a cheerful tale of cute little girls, which is full of memes and pop culture references, and the show’s over-the-top craziness often drowns out any hint of seriousness, darkness or mystery. A lot of the storylines in an anime series have completely random outcomes, all in an attempt to provide the funniest scene possible, and it does not seem to matter if it fits the show or if it just makes your head spin. Some malicious whispers even claimed that, for example, the way the aforementioned Nano looks in the anime series had only one purpose - to make one hilarious joke at the expense of Pokémon... I mean, fans of the web novel and the manga could see how someone has taken an interesting and original story narrative and turned it into a total fiasco, picking out only some choice moments from a narrative too sophisticated for them, and twisting it out of shape! So, if that is the case, it is obviously a bad adaptation... However, after saying all that, there are those who are unfamiliar with the original web novel, and who have only watched the anime series because they perhaps like fantasy anime or cute little anime girls. There are even some people who are going to like it a lot, because it is an entertaining, laid-back and really funny show, no matter how stupid the jokes may be, plus it also contains a lot of cheeky references to other (but not only) anime series you are bound to recognize. The show features some very likable characters who work out their situations in ways that are sometimes quite original... Now, if you last until the end of the first season, you will get the (un)clear message that there is going to be some big mystery element, that something in this show’s world is not quite right, and perhaps this is going to pull you into the show more, so some people are definitely going to end up thinking this was a very good anime series. Except what about Jeoffrey? In all honesty, I think I have got a pretty good idea of the direction the animation studio (Project No.9) went in. It appears to me that the anime’s creators were probably not planning on a follow-up, and that is why they did not want to develop the narrative fully. This is because if they had stuck to the formula within the original source material, they probably would not have gotten very far during twelve episodes, and it would not have perhaps been that interesting for a lot of people. Instead, they picked out only the best and funniest moments from that original, spiced it up with some more comedy, and loosely threw it all together. However, by focusing on being more entertaining at the expense of the original narrative, all these plot-holes and shortcomings do not matter as much as they do with, say, Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest. Why? That is because you are supposed to take Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest seriously, which is just not possible with the plot holes and the crappy exposition and the set design. However, comedy is primarily about letting loose, and just being entertained - in other words, this aspect can be overlooked to a certain extent and in this regard, I therefore do not feel the need to get extremely pissed off that this anime series largely went its own way in that direction. I enjoyed it, and I think that was the whole point! 7/10.

Despite only a handful of romantic experiences, I can still confirm that it is fun to tease and gently pick on someone you love. I can also confirm that if you can get to know the other person a little, in other words, if you are a little observant (and usually you are if you are with someone you care about) then there are deductions you can make, and you can also sometimes predict what is going on in that person's head. From my experience as a viewer, I can also, therefore, confirm that watching an anime series based on such a relationship is usually a very enjoyable experience. When the central couple works well together, the entertainment and romantic elements of the show are properly balanced, plus, there is some development in the relationship and characters occurring - then you have something like Lovely Complex... The biggest problem I have with this anime series, and the fact that I decided to give it an above-average rating only at the very end of the first season, stems from the fact that the central couple are not really that equal, and there is no character development most of the time. Regarding Takagi herself, I would probably just ignore the latter criticism completely as she is an amazing character, she is very cute, funny, and smart... In other words, she is a girl who could keep me entertained for maybe a lifetime. However, there is also Nishikata. The boy is far too straightforward, his plans are extremely naive, and by being so shy all the time he does not stand a chance of keeping up with the girl. If it had not had that romantic aspect, and if it had not been for the last two episodes, as they partly convinced me that the main male protagonist might perhaps not be such a waste of space in the future, I would not give it more than average rating, however, as it is - yeah, this is a very charming anime series (mainly thanks to the main female protagonist) with lovely animation (which helps make Takagi seem even more endearing), a good soundtrack, plus a lot of comedy... 7/10.

Gambling can be exciting, gambling can even be very exciting! Gambling can be so exciting that it can give you an orgasmic experience, and I bet some audiences will feel the same way. After all, watching characters at the peak of pleasure can be so sexy... I do not think there is anything else, however, when I see the positive ratings and position in the seasonal rankings on AniChart and MAL, I think this has to be the most popular (= the most-watched) anime series of the anime season Summer 2017. Also, apart from the idea of how thrilling it can be to try your luck at gambling, and a lot of lustful looks and really strong gambling orgasms a few of the characters had, I did not think there was anything special about this show. The characters are pretty clichéd, the games are varied even though they are mostly pretty weird, and there is nothing new about cheating, although every cheat is usually exposed and used against whoever dared to desecrate the sacred ritual that is gambling. Sure, the tension could be cut with a knife in places, where most of the characters accompany with extremely enthusiastic expressions bordering on sexual satisfaction, however, you subconsciously suspect that the main female protagonist will still somehow give it a go even when her life is on the line, and so you are rather betting on how much said game will excite Yumeko, and who will be "climaxing" first, Yumeko or her opponent... ​​It is a strange concept that attacks the viewer in an interesting style and for me personally, it actually managed to hold my attention without any problems. It is pretty low-key, however, it works, and some people might find it extremely enjoyable... The show features pretty decent animation and soundtrack, and a narrative about a new student standing up to the school board and battles her way up to fight the hierarchy - all of which has been done many times before... So even though the anime’s creators kept trying to convince me of how exciting a ride this is, and how all the characters have thoroughly enjoyed it, I only got through it with the slightest bit of enthusiasm, so I am not going to give it more than 6/10.

Let us now take a look at how a professional wrestler with the tender soul dreams of finding or ideally building paradise of people, animals and dreams... Let us also look at how the mangaka Natsume Akatsuki who was behind KonoSuba: God's Blessing on This Wonderful World! largely repeats himself... Let us be honest, reviewer q66 is right, the first few episodes are hilarious, the jokes are really good, the timing is good and works, even one of the first fight scenes, the one with the Orc King, is very dynamic, well animated and has a great atmosphere. Sure, there are moments in the beginning (like when Genzo shows the three-headed dogs who the Alpha male is) where you think this is more cringe-fest than entertainment, however, it does not really matter. The biggest problem, though, is that it all runs out of steam awfully quickly. The jokes get so repetitive that they stop being funny. The characters react in the same way all the time - so predictably, so I stopped laughing after some time, and even the action gets weaker by the episode. Therefore, after a while, the only way to enjoy it is to compare the characters in this show with those from KonoSuba: God's Blessing on This Wonderful World!, like how little you find it surprising or amusing... Then you expect a change with the arrival of Genzo's main rival, even though nothing much is happening. The last part is just an attempt at an epic ending with a spectacular battle, from which I do not feel that it would be any better than the one already mentioned with the king of the Orcs from the first parts. This is mainly due to the static editing, which in combination with the ongoing dialogue just looks weird. The characters are a strange collection of misfits, some of whom may be interesting or even likable, although when you end up considering the best character to be a weird ant, who is there in a supporting role even though he is still actually the most effective member of the ensemble, then something may be slightly wrong. Oh yeah, it started so nicely, I was enjoying it so much at the beginning and now at the end it is just meh... 5.3/10.

Scalpelexis fairly quickly and very accurately summed up the basic skeleton of this whole anime series. On the one hand, we have some minor gamesmanship, where we get to know the rules and gameplay a little (although really only a little), and in the midst of it all, we have to deal with some of the minor and would-be major troubles of life. However, the main problem is that there is not much gameplay, and all those problems are not half as original, dramatic, or otherwise interesting as they should be. Plus, it is a typical anime series about a bunch of young girls with a basic premise, that everyone already knows all too well, that "friendship solves every problem". Also, the storylines are really fucking obvious and without any other, somehow successful crossover. Still, if you like relaxing, unpretentious anime with young girls, then this is easy to watch. There is nothing in the show that would make me angry or is that offensive, or which otherwise negatively affected me in any way, however, at the same time there is very little that caught my attention and stuck in my head. So in the end, I guess the only thing I am going to take away from this anime series is some advice, however, I could have probably come up with some advice too (like if you are making a game, you should give it to someone to play... ), a few general facts that would not be hard to find out though (like that a lot of games were created by someone simply changing or modifying the rules of an existing game), and maybe some general game strategy, though no, as far as new strategies and tricks go, I am going to have NO advantages here. If I also mention the uninspiring animation, the rather formulaic (albeit tolerable) characters, and the unexceptional soundtrack, then I end up with a poor average overall. 4.6/10.

Okay, this show finally convinced me that it deserves an above-average rating, even if it took me an incredibly long time to get used to the pacing and put up with all the humorous interludes, which at times spoiled the mood and atmosphere and were often in stark contrast to the serious stuff the anime series was aiming for. Anyway, it is true that you really do not see much of this kind of thing, and that even though the pace is slow and the development of the main protagonist is even slower it still manages to engage and make you think. There is an outsider, a man wrapped up in his own world, which slowly opens up to us and we are able to penetrate his world, which is depressing on the one hand, and, on the other hand, sometimes quite beautiful. Everything is explained mostly in allusions, you have to make a lot of assumptions and try to empathize with the characters. There are a lot of supporting characters and you can find out stuff about all of them, however, again these characters are introduced gradually and very slowly. All in all, it is a pretty deep, complex, and fairly well-crafted look into the life of one man dedicated to a sport that might not be everyone's cup of tea, and I imagine there will be many who give up after a few episodes. As for the style of animation, it is very distinctive and I cannot say I liked it. The soundtrack, however, was very good. So, on reflection, and given the fact that I eventually got to know the main protagonist and discovered some very interesting characters (like Shimada and Souya...) I am ending the first season with 7/10 and will continue watching more episodes in the fall of 2017.

If you are not familiar with the manga, this short OVA, which practically throws you somewhere far beyond the beginning of the story (which it briefly introduces you to) and only introduces the characters, does not really tell you much of anything. For fans of the original source material and participants in the fundraiser for this project (a short anime promo for the manga), it is a dream come true. I am in the former category, so this was my first encounter (I was intrigued by the content and the fact that it is a fantasy and comedy together). However, I did like the atmosphere of this OVA and I found some of the characters intriguing, while others I would have quite possibly found irritating over time. Even though the jokes were quite poor, it was still at least a little bit interesting, so it was not a complete waste of time. 4.7/10.

This anime series is really a monstrosity. In the beginning, it looks like a narrative based on Romeo and Juliet, however, it quickly turns into a feud between two clans with brutal slaughter, where someone dies in almost every episode. It also has an amazing atmosphere, heaps of violence, and a decent amount of rawness in places, which makes this a real gem among action-adventure anime series. Moreover, the whole narrative is superbly crafted, and so besides all the slaughter it can sometimes be surprising, with really interesting twists, and there are some pretty strong emotional scenes too. The characters are not extremely complicated, however, they are certainly well developed and you are bound to find a character you are going to like (I liked Gennosuke, Oboro, Koshirou, Hotarubi, Saemon...) and hate (I hated Tenzen, Jingorou, Shougen...). The ending is very emotional and entertaining... So if you like animated violence and epic action, then Basilisk is for you. 9/10.

Original review from 2015: Lina Inverse is definitely one of the best main female protagonists I have ever seen, and she is in one of the funniest fantasy anime series, along with a bunch of really unique supporting characters that complement her nicely. Compared to the movies and OVAs I have seen (because the plot of this anime series precedes them and I wanted to go through the narrative chronologically) I found this first season much more entertaining and the chemistry between the main characters was a bit better in my opinion. Nothing against Naga the Serpent, with "The Twins" and her terrifying laughter, however, Gourry, Zel, and Amelia (I could have done without Sylphiel) were far more diverse and interesting as supporting characters. Despite all that, I would not have minded if Naga had completed this elite group, perhaps instead of the aforementioned Sylphiel... Sure it has a few shortcomings and the humor can be slightly infantile at times and for some even a bit insane, however, that is kind of exactly the kind of entertainment I am into. So far, I am really satisfied with this anime series, and the only thing I am wondering about before I watch the next season is why I have not come across this anime series before? 9/10.

This is a very good shonen anime series with good animation and soundtrack, interesting characters, and a fairly straightforward plot. I really like the concept of the seven main protagonists being each of the seven deadly sins and even having the princess as the main female protagonist. This is because usually this genre actually portrays the main female protagonist as totally useless, however, in this show she is surprising and makes a decent effort to contribute something. I even liked Hawk who is a heroic talking pig. All in all, I have nothing to complain about, and in the final episodes, it gets to a stage where it is full of really epic fight scenes that even reach the levels of good old One Piece. So I have to say that I am incredibly hooked on The Seven Deadly Sins and I am going to start reading the manga series next week because I am incredibly interested in the continuation of this particular narrative. I think it is clear what the rating has to be - five stars (9.5/10).