JAINITUOS ANIME REVIEWS – Yamada-Kun and the Seven Witches – My own Impressions

Yamada-Kun and the Seven Witches

Genre: Romantic Comedy, Harem, Fantasy

Studio: Liden Films

Hello my friends. Welcome to the third entry of the month.

I was just reading some reviews from Rotten Tomatoes, when… I remember that I still have a couple of hours before going to bed, and that’s why I decided to give a go and try to make this day even more special with a new entry. And I hope you guys like it.

Having said that, I want to bring you here….

Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches

But before I continue with this experiment, there is something very important that I must ask:

Are you guys ok? Feeling healthy?

If the answer is yes, then I am happy, and I assure you that, for those who love romantic comedies, Yamada-Kun will not disappoint you, especially if you want to relax and have a good time.

Now… let’s start with Yamada-Kun and the Seven Witches.

PREMISE

Based on the manga written and illustrated by Miki Yoshikawa, Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches tells the story of Ryu Yamada, a juvenile delinquent who likes to fight, get into trouble and hates to study, he is the complete opposite of Urara Shiraishi, the top student of the school. One day, after an accident that took place in the stairs, Yamada-kun and Shiraishi find out that they swap bodies. Thanks to the help of Miyabi Itou, and advised by the student council vice-president, Toranosuke Miyamura, Yamada-kun and Shiraishi revived the Supernatural Activities Club, where they discover the legend of the seven witches. Now they will have to gather all the witches together, resulting in a bunch of hilarious situations and heartwarming moments.

Yamada-kun was published by Kodansha, and published between February 2012 and February 2017, comprising a total of 28 volumes. Furthermore, the franchise released a television drama in 2013, broadcasted by Fuji TV.

Finally, the anime version of Yamada-kun was released in 12 episodes, between April 12 and June 28, 2015, with an OVA that came out in August 28, 2015. One interesting fact is that Urara Shiraishi is voiced by one of my favourite seiyuus of all time, Saori Hayami, and that Yamada-kun is voiced by Ryota Osaka.

Here are some characters voiced by him.

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Nariyuki Yuiga (We Never Learn), Sadao (The Devil is a Part-Timer), Eijun Sawamura (Ace of Diamond).

Finally, as a curious trivia, the composer of the series is the legendary Masaru Yokoyama, whom I mentioned before in my blog. Yokoyama composed the soundtrack of anime like Scum’s Wish, Fate/Apocrypha and Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans.

STORY

All right. There is something I really want to say regarding Yamada-Kun and the Seven Witches. The anime is incredibly hilarious. All the 12 episodes are full of really funny situations with all the main characters. so you will never get bored with any of the episodes; especially if you are a fan of anime like Saekano, My Teen Comedy goes SNAFU, Oresuki and others. But here is that element of supernatural, as well as the amazing chemistry of Yamada-kun and the rest of the characters, what makes Yamada-kun so entertaining.

From episode one, we basically have the same structure; there is a situation to be solved regarding the witches, Yamada-kun and Shiraishi work together, resulting in a lot of comedy, but at the end, the witch either joins the club, or befriends Yamada-kun (and by «befriend», I mean falls in love).

However, far from feeling old, the great creativity of the story is what makes every episode as funny as the last one; especially because of Yamada-kun and his wacky personality. But I will talk about him later.

And in the end, you got this feeling at the end of the episode.

And then… you got another good laugh.

One element that I must mention is the animation. Beautiful, colourful and pretty charming, as you would expect from an anime produced by Liden Films. At the beginning, the name of Liden Films was not familiar for me, but after some research, I found out that this studio is producing Tokyo Revengers, and many good anime, including…

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Like I said, every episode is as funny as the previous one…

CHARACTERS

Indeed, the characters from Yamada-kun are really wonderful. First I must say that our main protagonists, Ryu Yamada and Urara Shiraishi, have really wonderful chemistry. I know that I mentioned this before, but every time you see them together, you feel happy, not just for the perfect contrast, but also for the comedy, especially when they swap bodies.

And Yamada-kun has a lot of hilarious expressions.

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Honestly, every time I see this guy’s face, I couldn’t stop laughing.

And of course, we cannot forget the other witches.

1. Nene Odagiri – Charm Witch
2. Meiko Otsuka – Telepathy Witch
3. Maria Sarushima – Precognition Witch
4. Noa Takigawa – Retrocognition Witch
5. Mikoto Asuka – Invisible Witch
6. Rika Saionji – Mindwipe Witch

All of them offering their own, unique personalities. Seriously, after a while, you remember all after a while.

Overall, none of the characters are fillers; they are as hilarious as our main leads.

CONCLUSION

I really loved Yamada-Kun and the Seven Witches, definitely is one of the best and most entertaining romantic comedies I have seen. One of my favourites. Because if a romantic comedy, or any anime of any genre, makes me watching again and again, that is an achievement. You will definitely enjoy every moment, every character, and have a big smile whenever you feel down.

So, step in by and let Yamada-Kun charm you and a couple of hours.

One last thing, if there is a second season, there is something Yamada-Kun must include, and that is…

JAINITUOS ANIME REVIEWS – DANMACHI – SEASON 3 – FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Is it Wrong to try to pick up girls in a Dungeon? – Season 3

Genre: Fantasy

Studio: J.C. Staff

Hello my friends.

Welcomt to another anime review.

I am taking a little break from my blog entries related to Inuyasha, to talk about one small gem that has become one of my favourite series, and also that intrigues me more than I can ever tell. I will try to explain later.

I bring you…

But first, I must ask you the question:

Are you guys happy? Feeling healthy?

If the answer is yes, then I am very happy.

Now, let’s go with Danjon ni Deai o Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darō ka, or simply Danmachi – season 3.

PREMISE

Based on the light novels written by Fujino Omori, and illustrated by Suzuhito Yasuda, the third season of Danmachi takes place shortly after the events of season 2; Haruhime is now part of the Hestia Familia, Ishtar has been defeated, and the other Familias have reconciled. Nevertheless, in this new adventure, Bell Cranel, beautifully played again by Yoshitsugu Matsuoka, has meet a mysterious monster girl which has dragon features, or a vouivre. She looks innocent and confused, so Bell takes her to the mansion, despite the risks of the Hestia Familia and their reputation.

Yet, in his quality of a noble adventurer, Bell will do anything to protect her and prove that monsters and humans can co-exist; unbeknownst to him, many other monster can that communicate will appear, as well as another Familia led by an unnerving God, Ikelos.

The third season was supposed to be released in July, but that did not happen due to this damn COVID-19 pandemic, but now, we can start enjoying once more this amazing series, which has become one of my favourite. And despite being two episodes as of October 11th, 2020, the third season of DanMachi has hooked me. I still need to see season two though, as well as Sword Oratoria, as well as the movie Arrow of Orion. And with the ending of episode 2, you know that things are gonna be difficult for the Hestia Familia, especially because of the following picture from the opening.

Having Ais Wallenstein pointing at Bell with her sword is not a small thing, especially for those Danmachi fans such as myself.

STORY

Right now, I am going to do something a little bit different, and instead of simply talking about the positive elements from DanMachi, I will also try to express some of my feelings regarding the first season, and DanMachi in general. Again, I am still watching the second season, but you guys can assume that it is part of my judgment. Anyway. I will simply say that DanMachi has become one of my favourite fantasy series. But where to start on my opinion? You see. Overall, DanMachi takes its time to explore and construct all of its world, from the concept of dungeons to the Gods descending to Earth and living with humans, guiding them toward their adventures, all among a beautiful animation from J.C. Staff, one of my favourite anime studio.

Just check to the greatest superhero of history.

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Take that… Homelander.

Don’t look at me like that

And of course…

The cutest electromaster of history

Now that I am mentioning A Certain Scientific Railgun, just look at the still. The colour palettes, the lightning, the expression of the characters, and the simplicity of the lights. I am not sure whether this is digital colouring that it gives a lot of life and cleanliness to the image.

Well. That is exactly what happens to DanMachi.

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All this animation has a great balance between character and background. You see the faces of both Bell Cranel and Ais Wallenstein, and you immediately remember them because the colour and aesthetic strengths their identities. Furthermore, the colour is an excellent reminder of the tone of what is going on at the moment. Sometimes comedy… sometimes danger.

In other words, the storytelling gives you time to understand what is happening, and know our characters better.

Speaking of which…

CHARACTERS

Again, our beloved characters return in their best shape possible. This is another of the strengths of DanMachi, you can’t wait to see more about the characters, including Freya and Loki. In fact, Bell Cranel is one of the best characters Yoshitsugu Matsuoka, has ever voiced, along with Yukihira Soma, Inosuke Hashibara and Betelgeuse,. And… to be honest… I prefer Bell Cranel more than Kirito pre-Alicization.

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This is only my opinion, because while Bell Cranel has an organic evolution, he fails a lot, he stands up, he becomes stronger, and he proves that he earns his reputation; Kirito, at least until Alicization, tries to act cool for no apparent reason, and expects us to fall for him because… Yes.

Anyway!

Hestia, on the other hand, has proven to be a very likeable and charming character. Aside from her… assets, her personality, her love for Bell, and her powers has made a really popular characters, and the chemistry she has with Bell is flawless. Every time I see them together, you get hooked of how cute they are.

Tell me if you do want to cuddle them.

And how we can forget Liliruca? Welf? Haruhime? Ais? Ryuu? And the rest of the Familias? I wish I could talk all of them, because they have great personalities, and I am ready to see them in this new season.

One of the greatest Familias in anime.

CONCLUSION

I have always understood why Danmachi is one of the most popular anime nowadays. Their stories, their characters, the world, the animation, and the art from the illustrator from Durarara!!! (At least from the light novels). And now, since the cycle of Sword Art Online: Alicization has come to an end, we can sit back, and enjoy how Bell and the Hestia Familia will face the challenge to bring happiness to Wiene.

And I hope I am there. Or maybe not, because…

Homelander is lasering me as revenge…

Remember, don’t compare Saitama with Homelander, or else…

JAINITUOS ANIME REVIEWS – Little Witch Academia – Studio Trigger analysis

Little Witch Academia

Studio: Trigger

Genre: Fantasy, Coming-of-age

Hey guys.

Welcome to another Studio Trigger review.

Like I promised on my previous review of Ninja Slayer; I am going to do this wonderful series, which I think it is one of the best works of this talented studio. Especially because, from my perspective, this series has managed to become as popular as Kill la Kill.

With that said, let me introduce you…

But before I continue with this review, I must ask you the typical questions:

Are you guys ok? Feeling happy and healthy?

If the answer is yes, then I am very happy, especially because I want to leave the same message:

Please, do not underestimate the COVID-19

Remember, dangerous virus, unpredictable consequences.

And now, I bring you Little Witch Academia.

PREMISE

Little Witch Academia is, like I said, one of the most notorious franchises created by Trigger, along with Kill la Kill, and SSSS Gridman, and from now on, I will use the acronym LWA when required. Anyway. LWA tells the story of Atsuko Kagari, a.k.a. Akko, a young Japanese girl who just enrolled in the Luna Nova Academy, a school of witches with students from all over the world, in a time where magic is almost forgotten. From her early years, Akko has been a fan of magic, because she saw a beautiful, wonderful show from the most famous witch of all time…

CHARIOT DU NORD (Shiny Chariot)

And that is why Akko wants to become a witch. Once there, she befriends two students, Lotte Jansson, a kind, soft-spoken witch from Finland who specialises in forest magic and summoning fairies, and Sucy Manbavaran, a witch from Philippines, who has a bizarre interest in mushrooms, and great talent in creating poisons.

There is one problem for Akko though. Two in fact, the first one is that Akko, unlike Lotte and Sucy, has no natural talent for witchcraft, and she is a natural troublemaker, which leads her to be involved in many insane, yet wonderful situations that will open her path to be the powerful, kind witch she is meant to be.

The second problem is that she has a rival. Diana Cavendish, one of the most talented Luna Nova students, is there for making things harder for Akko. Of course, we have other wonderful characters, but I will talk about those later.

There is a funny story though. The first time I heard about Little Witch Academia, around mid-2017, I thought it was an spin-off of My Hero Academia. Honestly, I don’t know why. Perhaps because both series included the word Academia, but obviously, the animation, the themes, and the universe have a lot of differences one from another. Luckily for me, when I start watching LWA, I not only understand that it was not unrelated to MHA, I also saw how wonderful this series is.

Speaking of Trigger, LWA is directed by Yoh Yoshinari, famous for being involved in Gurren Lagann and Kill la Kill, and is also the main director of BNA: Brand New Animal; and it was first released as an animated short film in 2013, and another Kickstarter-funded sequel, called The Enchanted Parade, until it was released as an 25 episode series in 2017, leading to a videogame, called Little Witch Academia: Chamber of Time. 

And of course… how could I forget the superb, incredible soundtrack from Michiru Oshima? Just take a look to the theme of Shiny Chariot. It perfectly catches your ear, as well as how colourful this series is.

Indeed, Little Witch Academia became big. And hopefully I can explain the reason throughout the rest of the review.

STORY

For the record, I will only focus on the TV series for the review, with some sporadic mentions of The Enchanted Parade, because the former is the one that has the best elements.

At plain sight, Little Witch Academia looks like a typical story of a girl going to school, causing mess instead of trying to get good grades, and fighting a lot of evil monsters brought to life with magic, until the others graduate while our main character becomes better and better. You know, what you will expect from a school anime. However, after seeing the episodes, you understand that, perhaps, Little Witch Academia is more.

But before I got into this, I must clarify that the first half of the series focuses in developing the characters and the world of LWA through the adorable messes (Man! I bet you never thought in combining those two words) of Akko and friends, and the second half has a more visible story, with a defined antagonist and stakes. Personally, I like both parts equally. Of course!! Fans would prefer the second part of Little Witch Academia, for it has a story easier to follow, and better developed characters, and I understand that, especially because all of that brings one of the most epic, spectacular climaxes ever done by Studio Trigger, along with Kill la Kill and SSSS Gridman. 

But for me…

The first part of Little Witch Academia is very special, because we get to know how the magic works, how to do simple things as riding your broom, and the vision many characters have for the World; in fact, there is an episode where Akko must save Sucy from a spell, and the only option is to get into Sucy’s mind, bringing some of the best characters moments. Furthermore, in another episode, there is this aristocratic, called Andrew Hanbridge, who has no interest in magic, but after meeting Akko, he gets «enchanted» by what he experienced. However, there is more, because the father of Andrew has some dark intentions regarding Luna Nova, giving us a subtle social commentary about corporate monopolies.

Finally, one of the funniest episodes is where some staff of Luna Nova goes on strike.

This episode has a lot of comedy, but deep down, is a reminder of the hard work put by the people who perform what many call «menial jobs», and to be a bit more grateful.

As you can see, many episodes of Little Witch Academia can look like typical anime adventures, but they also have very important messages about friendship, loyalty, hope, perseverance. In that regard, it has the same strength of other great Trigger series, like Kill la Kill, Kiznaiver and Darling in the FRANXX. Along with a pretty solid character development, we witness a world building equally solid, and with the animation, it brings some sense of identity and uniqueness that many Western cartoons would like to obtain.

Despite this, the episode never lose its light tone. The main purpose is to have a lot of fun, and trying to reflex about these elements in life that we don’t think are important, but from a better perspective, they become special for us. Furthermore, when Little Witch Academia needs to be serious, it is serious, and it takes the necessary time to explore how some of their characters feel.

«When you are sad, accept that you are sad» 

Overall, this is what makes all the episodes of Little Witch Academia. Perhaps the first half is not as structured as the second half, but it definitely has its wonderful moments, moments that are definitely worth the watch.

CHARACTERS

People say that a hero is as only as good as his enemies. And in the case of Little Witch Academia, I would say that the story is as compelling as its characters. Aside from Akko, Lotte, Diana and Sucy, we got…

(Clockwise, Jasminka, Amanda and Constanze)

Amanda, a feisty witch from America, Constanze, a young German girl who likes technology, and communicates through her robots, literally, and Jasminka, a Russian student that loves to eat. And all of them always join, or are simply dragged, into the crazy adventures of Akko; all have incredible personalities, and are as powerful as their comrades.

You end up liking these characters, because of both their identities and the animation. Who do I explain this? Just look at Jasminka.

All the time, she has this smiley face, with a different food with her. It is very simple, but, somehow, it is funny and charming at the same time, you cannot avoid getting hooked by her. It is hard to explain. However, I assume that it is how the character, and the animation manage to bring her a balance that is beautiful and hysterical.

Still not convinced? Check this GIF.

Where does she get this much potato chips?

Furthermore, we got the best friends of Diana, Hannah England and Barbara Parker

Now, I will stop from a minute, and try to talk about Diana, Barbara and Hannah, because much like some elements of the plot of the series, they also got a deeper meaning that what meets the eye.

Diana, unlike Akko, is a better student and a more successful witch, and she is extremely refined, knowledgeable and perfect. Diana is the perfect foil of Akko, always trashing our protagonist in a very subtle manner,Hannah and Barbara are at her side. In other words, when you see Hannah and Barbara together with Diana, you might think of them as the typical henchmen of the bully.

That is correct. But there is something else. Unlike many henchmen, Diana cares about Barbara and Hannah. They are close, best friends. Many bullies in fiction see their gangs as disposable; with Diana, that is not the case; in her way, she also supports Hannah and Barbara when needed, and in the end, both are useful in the last episodes too.

Speaking of Diana, that bad treatment she gives Akko has a point, and I mention this because Akko can be excruciating. Akko gets annoying too easily because of her shenanigans, so Diana has all the right to berate Akko; surprisingly, the audience gives the reason to Diana. Furthermore, Diana is one of the most developed character in Little Witch Academia. She starts as the typical wealthy rival, just like Seto Kaiba, but then we come to know the reasons of her attitude.

Of course, I will not go into spoilers, but I was witness of how her background makes her unique from other rivals or bullies.

Now, before I finish, I must say that as excitable and passionate as Akko is, she can be incredibly annoying and unlikeable sometimes. This is one of the main criticisms to Little Witch Academia, and it is true. But LWA: The Enchanted Parade reflects that. It is one of the many moments in which Akko can be repelling.

Yet, she is still a well defined character, and some are her friends.

CONCLUSION

To sum up, Little Witch Academia reminds me why I like Studio Trigger so much. It is a great series with fantastic animation, wonderful characters and a charming setting in general.

It is one of this greatest series and for good, freaking reasons. It is a story of magic, with everything that inspires us to continue fighting and try to be who we are, and another great example of the amazing talent of Studio Trigger in general.

I know I said a lot of things. But it is that Little Witch Academia is so special for me, I got to let my thoughts go. And I will do it again.

Guys. Thanks again for stepping to my Little Witch Academia review. And I got done with Earth… let’s go to space.

JAINITUOS ANIME REVIEWS – Shirobako – My own Impressions

SHIROBAKO

Studio: P.A. Works

Genre: Comedy-drama

 

Hey guys. Welcome to another anime Review.

And this time, I am working on an anime that, despite being released in 2015, was one that lead me through a really beautiful experience, about anime industry and fighting for your dreams.

And that anime is…

SHIROBAKO

Also, because a movie of this anime was released on February, and I have been working on this review. Now it is the time for publish it.

But before I start, I must ask the typical question.

Are you guys feeling ok? Washing your hands? Keep social distance?

If the answer is yes, then I am happy, just remember.

Do not underestimate the COVID-19

Now, having said that, let’s continue with Shirobako.

PREMISE

Shirobako centers on five girls, Aoi Miyamori, Ema Yasuhara, Shizuka Sakaki, Misa Tōdō, and Midori Imai really love anime, and during high school, they create an anime of their own. And after graduation, they made a promise to make a second anime together. Shortly, Aoi works as production assistant for Musashino Animation, while Ema works as an animator for the same studio, Midori is a college student and aspiring writer, Shizuka is a voice actress, and Misa works as a 3D graphics artist. Furthermore, all of the girls know what they want to do, except for Aoi, who is still undecided.

Mostly the show revolves around the process, difficulties, and elements used to create an anime, just like Eizouken, but on a bigger, more realistic scale.

Like I said, the movie was released on February 29, 2020; while the anime has 24 episodes, including two OVA that are two of the animes produced in the story, Exodus! and The Third Girls Aerial Squad. Also, there is a manga, called Shirobako: Kaminoyama Kōkō Animation Dōkōkai, released between 2014 and 2015.

All of the episodes of Shirobako are available at Crunchyroll.

I still haven’t seen the movie, especially in these complex times, but now that it is been five years since I saw first Shirobako, I want to watch more of the great adventures of Aoi and gang.

STORY

Don-Don-Donuts, let’s go nuts!

The real story of Shirobako comes from Aoi dealing with the stress and difficulties that comes from making anime, as well as her fight to decide what does she really want regarding anime industry. But also in many episodes, we see the conflicts and doubts of our other protagonists on their respective professions. And although I have never been witness of the hardships and work conditions of people that work in anime, shows like Shirobako and Eizouken really teaches us that producing anime is not precisely all honey over flakes, especially because apparently the conditions of its industry are getting worse, despite anime industry generates more $19 billion of annual revenue.

Here is an article that I just read.

https://www.vox.com/culture/2019/7/2/20677237/anime-industry-japan-artists-pay-labor-abuse-neon-genesis-evangelion-netflix

I can’t tell how true is everything I read on that article. But when I think about its content, it makes happy to see animes like Shirobako, because it is like a love letter to all those workers of the anime industry that is bringing a lot of joy and wonder to both Japanese and Western fans.

Anyway.

Shirobako has everything, comedy, drama, slice-of-life elements, and also the anime takes its time to develop some of the characters, telling us why they love what they do, what inspires them to adopt some habits for their jobs, among any great elements that makes story richer.

The animation is beautiful, not too bright, but not too grim. It keeps many of the feeling of being an anime intact for those who want to simply have a good time watching anime, or anime about making anime for that matter, but also, does not dare to be too cartoonish or bold, like in the style of Eizouken!, in order to make the realism more convincing.

My only problem is that sometimes I believe there are so many ideas and elements inside the series that the rhythm and pacing don’t allow enough time to develop, such as when one of the employees leaves his job in order to pursue his dream, out of anime industry.

Furthermore, there is a character that, apparently, has a handicap, if not disability. I will say which one, because it is mere speculation, but I think the series didn’t make as interesting as she should be. And other two that had a lot of potential.

Of course, Shirobako is not perfect, but definitely I still enjoy every single moment of all the episodes

CHARACTERS

Now that is what I called Passion!

Finally, what will it be of Shirobako if it wasn’t for its main characters? Like I said, there are many cool characters in Shirobako, and because of the rhythm of some of the episodes, we get to know them well enough, but the true soul of the series is our five passionated girls.

Generally speaking, the character development might not be the best in Shirobako, but it is definitely one that you will always enjoy, either for the main cast or the supporting cast; my only problem is that sometimes the pacing does not give enough time for others members of the supporting cast to shine. And that is a shame.

But there is a supporting character that I really grow attached to, because of the personality and appearance.

Rinko Ogasawara

She is beautiful, she is talented, she is calm, and an excellent mentor for Ema. And a good example of why some Japanese really enjoy gothic fashion. One of my favourite characters.

In time you will grow to love Shirobako characters a lot.

CONCLUSION

Time to wrap this up!

Shirobako is an excellent alternative for those who really want to see something different from Eizouken!. Personally, both series are beautiful, and each one has its strengths and weaknesses, at the end of the day, both are beautiful love letters to those animators, writers, directors and producers who bring anime dreams come true, so it is very important to acknowledge their work through anime like this.

I hope you agree with me, my precious friends.

Now, I want to eat some donuts.

Don-Don-Donuts, let’s go nuts!

 

JAINITUOS ANIME REVIEWS – Ninja Slayer From Animation – Studio Trigger Reviews

NINJA SLAYER FROM ANIMATION

Studio: Trigger

Genre: Science-Fiction, Action

Domo my friends!

I am Jaime.

Welcome to another entry of Anime Review.

And, as I promised, I am working in another entry of Studio Trigger Reviews, in this case, one that definitely has some of the most insane, hysterical, and mind-blowing ninja troupes to the maximum, becoming a worthy successor of Inferno Cop in all its glory.

I am talking about…

Forgive me, here, these lovely maidens are our protagonists.

And I am ready to juice off this series with my review. But before I continue, my friends, I must ask you the typical question, especially in these days:

Are you ok? Feeling healthy? Staying at home?

If the answer is yes, then I am very happy. And I leave you with the same words that I left before on my reviews.

DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE COVID19!!!

Remember, the coronavirus is a very dangerous disease, because its damage is unpredictable, so listen to the doctors and follow the quarantine, avoid social gatherings. I know it’s hard, but its necessary.

We will beat this together. We will!!!

With that said, let’s go with Ninja Slayer: From Animation.

PREMISE

(Featuring a cameo from Rocksteady)

Based on the novels written by Bradley Bond, Philip Ninj@ Morzez, and illustrated by Warainaku, Ninja Slayer From Animation tells the story of Kenji Fujikido, an average salaryman whose family is killed by ninjas in a turf war; seeking vengeance, Kenji was possessed by a mysterious entity, called Naraku Ninja, and both create this powerful being called Ninja Slayer, who hunts ninjas in all the fictional city of Neo-Saitama.

Sorry, can’t stop thinking of ONE-PUNCH MAN every time Neo-Saitama is mentioned

Ninja Slayer consists in 26 episodes, and since is a ONA, like Inferno Cop, each episode is 10-15 minutes long. Overall, the series is directed by Akira Amemiya, a renowned figure in Studio Trigger, animating many episodes of Little Witch Academia, Gurren Lagann and SSSS Gridman.

STORY

YEEART!

Oh boy… Where to start?

Firstly, Ninja Slayer is animated in the same ridiculous way as Inferno Cop, but with brighter colours and more facial expressions. The animation uses a single full body cut of each character and crashes it with another one. Imagine that scene of Spaceballs, in which Dark Helmet plays with dolls, but louder.

Ah!!! Childhoods!!

Finally, loyal to that insane style of animation, it features explosions out of nowhere every time an opponent is defeated, thanks to a very magical word.

(Sorry guys. I couldn’t find decent GIFS)

And like I mentioned before, Ninja Slayer wants vengeance for the murder of his family, just like The Punisher, and there some flashbacks featuring his wife and son, so you get hooked with the character because you feel his inner turmoil. And that is wonderful. The only problem? You end up forgetting about that. Why? Because you are so distracted by the absurdity of the action, the sloppy editing, the shaky camera, the bright colours, etc, that you forget there is a story.

In fact, it looks like the ONA itself forgets about that.

PURE EPICNESS!!!

Furthermore, the fights are extremely basic in terms of structure. What do I mean by this? They all follow some determined steps. The fighters introduce themselves with Domo, I am… , next

1. there is some filler dialogue,
2. fighting in the laziest fashion possible,
3. the bad guy dies,
4. the bad guys says sayonara…
5. explosion (Bakuretsu)

Again, going with the weirdest elements possible, Ninja Slayer also pays homage to those 90s ninja animes, including Ninja Scroll, Ninja Gaiden, Rurouni Kenshin, but also in a really over the top fashion that you cannot stop laughing about. In other words, the disparity between the background of our protagonist and the story-telling, if there is any, is so evident that you cannot stop enjoy it for the most ludicrous reason.

In terms of story, I even compare Ninja Slayer with…

Venom is supposed to be a faithful adaptation of the Marvel anti-hero, and it starts well, but from the second act, the movie abruptly departs from its source material, becoming a weird mix of ridiculous dialogue, unintentional comedy, messy action, awkward chemistry between Tom Hardy and Michelle Williams and parts that as logical as another entry of The Fast and The Furious.

But before this becomes a Venom review, I wanted to say that, just like with Inferno Cop, it is impossible to tell if this vision was intended for Ninja Slayer or not, but you are trying to cope with all that mess. Unless you don’t take too seriously Ninja Slayer, you will immediately think that this ONA is as bad or worse than Inferno Cop. Even after the supporting cast is slowly introduced, it happens the same.

And forgive for this.

BEHOLD NANCY LEE… THE QUEEN OF FANSERVICE

I will get there later.

But yeah. Don’t take the story too seriously. It’s basically for fun, like the rest.

CHARACTERS

And with Ninja Slayer, we got a bunch of «lively» characters, that help our hero in his quest of vengeance, including the high schooler Koki Yamoto, who gets possessed by another entity; Dragon Yukano, a well-endowed ninja, who is the daughter of Ninja Slayer’s sensei, training him to keep Naraku Ninja in check, and… Nancy Lee, a journalist and hacker that gets information for Ninja Slayer.

And, with the exception of Koki, both Nancy and Yukano have a very important purpose… Fanservice.

The supporting cast has a lot of cool scenes and great powers, and the background of Koki is one of the best elements of Ninja Slayer From Animation, but, for the most part, you see them adding more sauce to the madness of the series.

And, I want to mention to Nancy Lee and her… attributes.

With great well-endowed, comes great responsibility

But seriously, you will be surprised of the ridiculous amount of fanservice that comes from her, as well as Dragon Yukano; but, to its credit, you always enjoy it, even as some kind of guilty pleasure.

But what kind of ninja will Ninja Slayer be without rivals? We got these two.

DarkNinja

And…

Silver Karusu

Both of them really adding a lot of fun.

…

SAYONARA!!!!!

(Megumin’s wet dream)

CONCLUSION

And that was Ninja Slayer From Animation.

To be honest, it is a really bad ninja ONA, but that is part of the fun. The crazy action, the bright colours, the lazy editing, the fanservice, the over-the-top elements; all combined to make a really entertaining series that, like Venom, will always bring you with a great time, or a big laugh.

In other words, a guilty pleasure.

Definitely is better than Inferno Cop, but not a merit due to the latter also being bad. Just don’t take them seriously, and you will have a great time.

NEXT TRIGGER REVIEW

And thanks guys for being with me in another Studio Trigger review. Join me next time for another one, until we get to BNA: Brand New Animal, but before I give you a hint, here is a question.

Have you ever imagine Harry Potter combined with Magical Girl genre?

Let’s ask this lovely lady.

 

 

JAINITUOS ANIME REVIEWS – Magical Girl Site (Madoka’s twin sister) – First Impressions

Hey guys.

Welcome to another anime review.

And this time, I must do something extremely special, for I am going to talk about an anime… a magical girl anime that I still can’t believe exists.

And that is…

MAGICAL GIRL SITE (Mahou Shoujo Saito)

Just when I thought the Magical-Girl genre could be turned out again with Madoka. But before I continue with my review, I must ask you guys… The Question.

Are you guys ok? Are you having a good time?

If you guys are ok, then forgive because this anime will ruin a bit of your childhood. Don’t hate me. Please.

Until then.. enjoy the review.

PREMISE

You are my new dream angel

Based on the dark fantasy manga written and illustrated by Kentaro Sato, Mahou Shoujo Saito tells the story of Aya Asagiri, a middle school girl whose life is, literally, a living hell; she is bullied at school on a daily basis, and to add insult to injury, her older brother, Kaname, verbally and physically abuses her due to the pressure from his father due to having perfect scores at school, forcing her to vomit due to his punches on her stomach. Unsurprisingly, Aya is contemplating suicide until she finds a website with that creepy looking doll (Well, duh), who grants Aya with magical powers, in the shape of a cute-looking gun (Or Wand).

On the next day, she meets her bullies, with a friend of theirs who attempts to rape her, until she uses the gun to make them disappear; however, much to her horror, they are transported to a near railway, where they are killed by one of the trains.

Of course, Aya is horrified and traumatised by the ordeal, but he meets another fellow magical girl, Tsuyuno Yatsumura, and together they learn more about this website, the magical girls, and the end of the World, known as The Tempest.

In other words, imagine that we take a blender, put Happy Sugar Life, Puella Magical Madoka, Jigoku Shoujo, a bit of  Saya no Uta.

And…

This…

No questions asked.

STORY

Well, that is exactly what you will see after watching the first episode of Magical Girl Site. Just when you thought that Puella Madoka could twist that beautiful genre that perhaps impacted all of us during our childhood.

And the second episode gets edgier, because as soon as Aya and Tsuyuno meet… SPOILERS ALERT…

One of the bullies of Aya, Sarina Shizukume, confronts Aya on the girls’ bathroom, armed with a box cutter, but then she is saved by Tsuyuno, who can stop time, and she immediately slices Sarina’s neck open, leaving her to die… Except that she survives… Somehow. 

AND THEN AYA AND TSUYUNO CHASE A SERIAL KILLER OF MAGICAL GIRLS.

Anyway… I must be honest. The only reason of why I decided to check this series was because of a video at YouTube about anime that simple are too edgy. And this is definitely one of them.

But wanna know something that I discover by watching Magical Girl Site and revisiting Puella Magica Madoka? That, surprisingly, this is what makes these series so engaging. Aside from the deconstruction of the magical girl genre, it is a very well-constructed psychological thriller that explores the slow consumption of the protagonists due to a power that we already know is extremely… nightmarish, as well as the fight of these broken protagonists for keep believing in hope despite all the sh*t they have to endure, and these antagonists, to demonstrate their enemies that they are above law and humanity, guided from their own twisted delusion. Furthermore, unlike Puella Madoka, Magical Girl Site is more realistic; regardless the culture, country or continent you come from, we know that problems like bullying, domestic abuse, drug addiction, sexual abuse, harassment, and suicide are real, and the destructive outcomes for their victims, and I think that is what will cause an impact on the animegoer, as profound and longlasting, as Madoka did, at least, from my own perspective.

Because despite so similar in both tone and story, Madoka and Magical Girl Site are very different. With every single episode you see, you will soon find out that each series has its own mythos, its own background, and own feeling, allowing the viewer to enjoy it even more. On the other hand, sometimes the violence here can be a bit extreme, not as extreme and tasteless as…

Pupa (Bloody!!!)

But, ultimately it depends on what the fan is looking for. I am not saying that Pupa is very popular (let alone pleasant to watch), but whatever the case is, the options are there…

For the fans to see something darker and edgier, different, or simply to prove that there is always anything that wants to shock, and to break the status quo of a genre.

CHARACTERS

As I said before, Magical Girl Site has protagonists and antagonists of different types, those who we will immediately sympathise with, and those who will hate with a passion. (Trust me, I now hate all of the villains). But each of them represent a real-life problem, and the real side effects of them, giving them more motivations, more variety, and, ultimately, more nuances.

Personally, I think it is better to face them than to introduce them, but we have an idol, a trans girl, an heiress, the daughter of a yakuza, etc.

That might help you to keep your interest. But again, let me warn you that the episodes will become more and more twisted, as expected from a premise like this.

CONCLUSION

To sum up, Magical Girl Site is that kind of anime for those fans of Madoka who want to see more, but different. Or for those who want to adventure on unknown territory. Either way, I think it is an interesting premise. I will watch it, for the sake of the history and the characters rather than for anything else.

And I invite you to do the same, as the anime fan I am, but remember, this… is not for those of weak stomach.

Magical Girl Site is produced by Production doA (Let me know if you find something else from them), and it consists of twelve episodes. i☆Ris sings the opening, «Changing point», while Haruka Yamazaki sings the ending «Zenzen Tomodachi».