THE BEST ANIME OF 2023 IN MY OPINION – PART I

Hello my friends. Welcome to a new entry of my blog.

First things firsts…. Merry Christmas!!

I hope all of you had a very awesome celebration with your family and friends. From my regard, I was invited to a lot of parties, and I celebrated Christmas calling my family and friends. And we still have the New Years Eve.

Be as it may be, I am aware that I still have to update myself regarding my blog. And what a good way to end the year than to make many lists of, in my opinion, the best anime of all 2023?

Because yeah, I watched a lot of sweet anime during this 2023 despite not writing as much as in the previous years, some of them have their own pending entry, but until then, I will start mentioning six of my best anime of all 2023.

And I apologise beforehand if your anime is not in this list, but don’t worry, for I will keep doing lists like this for the upcoming days, and I am sure that in one of them, your series will be here.

Until then, enjoy…

THE BEST ANIME OF 2023 IN MY OPINION – PART 1.

6. MASHLE – MAGIC AND MUSCLES.

Yes. This is indeed one of the biggest surprises of all 2023. Just when I though nothing could be as funny as the premise of One-Punch Man, A-1 Pictures releases this little gem of 2023. From minute one, I was laughing hard with all the jokes, and also, I was surprised of the amazing hilarious situations that came from such a simple premise – A world in which magic is everything, yet, one young man, Mash Burnedead, who was born magicless, is going to make his way on Easton Magic Academy.

One could have thought that this is nothing but a rip-off of One-Punch Man, but it is not. It actually takes inspiration from the latter, but ends being its own thing, and that is awesome. You will still prefer One-Punch Man, but there is no doubt that Mashle is memorable by its own merit, for the comedy, the action, and the world itself.

At the same time, the animation is beautiful. I still can’t believe it came from A-1 Pictures. When we are talking about shonen anime, I come up with studios like MAPPA, Wit Studio, Bones, and of course Pierrot. But, somehow, A-1 Pictures perfectly proved it can stand out with other genres, aside from fantasy, sci-fi or romance.

Also, the characters, from Mash to the villains, and the antagonistic Lang House, are relatable and fantastic as well. My favourite characters are definitely Dot and Lemon because they are so eccentric, yet likeable and they beautifully move the plot in their own particular way, giving them more personality.

Combine this all together and you have one of the best and most hilarious anime of 2023.

5. HELL’S PARADISE – JIGOKURAKU

In every project that they release, Studio MAPPA finds a way to make their projects equally amazing, Jujutsu Kaisen 2 increasing the level of drama in many ways, and Vinland Saga 2 exploring a new face of our main character… And of course, Attack on Titan by… making us cry. But in Hell’s Paradise, I was genuinely scared, that was barely happened to me in anime, not even with Umineko, When The Seagulls Cry, because the story presents powerful, yet human characters, such as Gabimaru and Sagiri Asaemon Yamada, and you might be thinking… Nah!! They will survive!!

And then there is a point in which you definitely understand the dangers of their journey at Shinsenkyo, all of the characters, even the main ones, can die. I am not going to spoil anything, but this feeling is because of many factors, the first one is the pretty well-done first episode, in which we see through the complexity of Gabimaru the Hollow, character you end up sympathising with; and also the way story unfolds, allowing you to see that the convicts are not that bad and the not all the Yamada Asaemon are good people, without necessarily hating them – You want, in a way, for all the characters to survive.

And then…   the threats of Shinsekyo arrive, and that is where you understand that anything can die, and that they look like real abominations out of this world.

Take that and combine it with the sweet animation and the soundtrack, in order to give you another gem from MAPPA. Some say Hell’s Paradise is not as good as Chainsaw Man, and I kind of agree, but like Mashle, it stands out in the. Best way possible.

4. MY HAPPY MARRIAGE

Time to jump from the action to the drama.

I read about My Happy Marriage months before the anime was released, and I was already touched for the story of Miyo Saimori and Kyouka Kudou. That poor girl being mistreated all her life due to her apparent lack of supernatural powers, and that soldier who just wanted to find true love, in one of my favourite settings of any story – Meiji Restoration of Japan, or the Taisho era according to Wikipedia.

Thanks to their love, Miyo evolves from a quiet and meek girl to having more self-love and self-confidence, while Kyouka is able to open to his true self and finds hope in his life. Also, the first part of the first season does a great job at portraying the Saimori family as abusers without being too over the top, especially Kaya, who is the personification of this quote from The Simpsons.

“Sweet on the outside, poison on the inside.”

Luckily, she receives her comeuppance, and that is one of the sweetest moments.

And the second half, and possibly the rest of the light novels, it’s mostly about Miyo and Kyouka learning to trust each other, sharing moments together, facing problems as both a couple and individuals. But you feel their love, they enjoy being with each other. And for me, that makes them more enjoyable to watch.

Also, the animation by Kinema Citrus is superb, the soundtrack is beautiful. And yes, I am aware that not everyone would enjoy the story, because it is a bit slow and not so action-packed.  Nonetheless, due to its story, it brings a wonderful sensation of happiness and comfy despite its initial melancholy.

Finally, My Happy Marriage does something with the story I will be always grateful for – making Miyo and Kyouka a couple from the start, instead of directly confessing their feelings at the last episode, making the narrative more interesting and original.

Because of this, and many other reasons, I consider My Happy Marriage as one of the best anime in 2023.

3. MUSHOKU TENSEI – JOBLESS REINCARNATION (SEASON 2)

Those who read my previous entries might know that Mushoku Tensei was one of my favourite anime in 2021. It offered a new perspective with the Isekai genre, in the way of a mixture between bildungsroman, adventure and fantasy, I really welcomed that, especially since I am a very big fan of Isekai, even the worst isekai can actually attract my attention.

From the start, the life of Rudeus Greyrat has been difficult, in a personal and in a social way, and also because the trauma of his previous life deeply affected him; despite this, he worked hard in order to move on, especially after the end of season 1, which for me, was… bittersweet.

But in the beginning of the season, we understand that he truly hit rock bottom, just when we thought he could move on… he hit rock bottom once more. However, with the help of some friends, and due to his previous endeavours, Rudeus is able to enrol into the Ranoa Magic Academy, and meet his childhood friend Sylphy… more or less.

Overall, the season 2 is about the story of Sylphy and Rudeus. We go with them in their difficult trials, and we smiled when we see they made the best of them and evolved as characters, and then, we were present when they know “this something” was missing in each other’s life, and… SPOILER ALERT.

The ending when Rudeus reunites with Sylphy is heartwarming. I was waiting every week to see when they meet again, and when they did, and Rudeus proposed to Sylphy I was almost in tears. Such a beautiful ending for such a beautiful story, despite Part 2 is still waiting.

If there is something that Mushoku Tensei – season 2, taught me is that if we work hard and persevere in life, we can become more than we could ever expected, especially if we are genuinely good people, because our beloved ones might give us the “push” we sometimes need in the most difficult moments.

And for that, and the beautiful animation, is Mushoku Tensei – season 2 is in this list.

2. OSHI NO KO

Oh my gosh!! Speaking about surprises.

I will be honest with you. When I saw the cover of Oshi no Ko, I thought… “Nah. It is another formulaic story of Japanese Idols.” It is not like I hate them, in fact I loved both Idolmaster and Love Live!! But I am not sure that I will be that invested.

And then…

MY POOR AI. WHAT HAVE THEY DONE TO YOU?

This scene was the one who pushed me into Oshi no Ko. But that was only the tip of the iceberg, because I realised this story… is better and more complex than I thought. It got fantasy, it got drama, it got good characters, it got such a catchy opening song, and there, it got our attention.

Furthermore, we are on an idol anime that, unlike many of its predecessors, portrays the ugly side of the entertainment world in Japan, not just the beautiful one, with many real-life similarities that makes Oshi No Ko more relevant that we could ever thought.

Also, the part of the “origin” of both Ruby and Aqua was so heart-breaking and heart-warming at the same time, and the fact that it has some of the most tragic deaths in all anime history makes it more impactful.

But just because Oshi No Ko is dark does not mean it lacks comedy. Check it out.

I know it was a matter of time before Oshi No Ko became this popular, although I am still surprised of how it apparently became so entangled into the anime community.

I am really looking forward for season 2, and the ending of Aqua’s quest of revenge.

1. DEMON SLAYER – THE SWORDSMITH VILLAGE ARC

My friends…

It cannot be in another way.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is one of my favourite anime of all time. And after the ending of Mount Natagumo arc, I wanted to watch both Demon Train and Entertainment District arcs. But I couldn‘t watch them completely. Happily, I could watch more of The Swordsmith Village Arc, and… it is pure gold!!

Ufotable, once again, has proved to know what to do on the adaptation of Kimetsu no Yaiba, how to make the battles memorable, how to make Mitsuri shine, how to transit the feeling of the story, how to make Mitsuri shine, and how to adapt one of the best moments of Kimetsu no Yaiba.

And… Did I mention How to make Mitsuri shine?

I am going d to watch again The Swordsmith Village Arc from scratch, because there is nothing that I love more than relive the feeling that I got from this adaptation, and everything that has to do with the franchise of Kimetsu no Yaiba.

Nothing else to say. It is something that you must experience… Simple as that.

And there you go. Six of my favourite anime of 2023, I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Stay tuned for Part II.

And… Merry Christmas and happy new Year 2024.

JAINITUOS ANIME REVIEWS – Shaman King – My own Impressions

SHAMAN King

Genre: Adventure; supernatural

Studio: Xebec

Hello my friends.

Indeed, 2020 has been a very strange year. I still trying to come to terms with the events of the last twelve months; however… it is impossible, for I was unable to bring all the reviews that I wanted to do in this year. Don’t worry, I will come back to bring you more reviews in 2021.

Until. let’s take opportunity of the last two days of life of 2020.

Let’s see how much I can do.

And now, I want to start with another series that brought me a lot of fond memories, especially because every time I though about this anime, it remained me of one of the best times of my life – University life.

I mean…

And, of course, because there is going to be a remake in 2021.

But before I start, I must ask you the right questions:

Are you guys ok? Staying safe?

If the answer is yes, then I am happy. Now, let’s go with Shaman King.

PREMISE

Based on the manga written by Hiroyuki Takei, Shaman King tells the the story of Yoh Asakura, a very laid-back shaman, or medium that becomes a «bridge» between the living and the dead, who lives a very simple life. The goal of Yoh, however, is to become the Shaman King, who is able to contact the Great Spirit, allow himself to acquire great power over the world, and especially the power of making his dream come true. Yoh has two very close companions that will help him to achieve his goal; Amidamaru, the spirit of a 600 years-old samurai, and Yoh’s fiancee, Anna Kyoyama, a very blunt young woman who puts Yoh through a very brutal regime.

Also, Yoh befriends a normal high school student, Manta Oyadama, who accompanies him to the Shaman Fight, a tournament held every 500 years between shamans for the title of Shamana King. However, during the fight, Yoh must face his «twin brother» called Hao, a really powerful shaman who has his own dark agenda.

There are other great characters, but I will talk about them later.

The manga of Shaman King was published by Shonen Jump, and was released between 1998 and 2004, for a total of 32 volumes (35 in the complete edition), while the first anime was broadcasted between July 2001 and September 2002.

Before I continue any further, the first anime fo Shaman King run through 64 episodes; and since it was released before the original manga was finished, there were some deviations from the story. I won’t go into detail, especially since I am reading the manga. For now, I will go…

STORY

At plain sight, Shaman King looks like your typical shonen story, in which a very simple, yet noble protagonist, attempts to live in peace and enjoy life, but he also sets a goal, to become a better version of himself, or herself for that matter, (sometimes without his/her knowledge) and face many challenges as new friendships are made and new powers are acquired… and of course, more characters are developed.

In other words, Shaman King solidified, inside me, what I indirectly learnt from Shonen genre. I don’t know if Inuyasha counts, for I see more Inuyasha like a mix of adventure, and romance, or a shonen with a big influence from shojo, but Shaman King helped me to understand that shonen genre has bigger, more powerful tropes than I thought, even before Naruto came out. And yes, anime like Dragon Ball Z, Ronin Warriors and Saint Seiya were the first shonen anime that I meet in my life, but by then, I thought that anime was just handsome boys, and girls, fighting great battles, and that’s it, regardless the weapon. All the same, despite Sailor Moon introduced me to magical girl genre, Pokemon to gacha, and Captain Tsubasa to sports anime.

My point is that I stopped being simple-minded regarding shonen anime with Shaman King. Furthermore, I learned that, for the most part, anime can help you to be creative and unique with what you do, especially if you pay attention to detail. And this is one of the things about the story. Shaman King constructs a pretty interesting concept and making it bigger, in this case, spirits. Pretty much like Bleach, Shaman King creates its own world by developing the concept it is based on, and establishes characters who unfolds according to the mythos of the world they live in, in terms of story and character’s evolution. In other words, it knows how to tell its own story without forgetting the other elements of the series.

The battles are really exciting, and despite the animation looks a but grainy and dated, it is visually wonderful. My issue with this is that, when we see the night scenes, sometimes the scene feels sloppy and lazy, because it doesn’t truly feel like night, more like a bad lightning.

I think, at least in the background, a lack of balance in colour background. Now pay attention to this still from Bleach.

One simple glimpse of Soul Society

I don’t know. That is how I feel. You can disagree with me. It is a minor detail anyway.

Finally, if you have read all the manga from Shaman King, and see the first anime, you might not like it, because, like I said, the manga was ongoing by the time the anime was released. Unless you think that it is the case from 2003’s Full Metal Alchemist, in which they closed the story in a decent way, you will find that the anime from Shaman King is pretty unsatisfying.

Does it make the story bad? Of course not. I don’t feel it that way.

I guess that, what I am trying to say, is that take a look to the anime of Shaman King and make your mind.

CHARACTERS

Now… What can I say about the characters?

I love them all!

If there is anything that you will remember Shaman King for… is its character roster. Seriously, personally, I remember them with more detail and fond memories than anything that Naruto has ever created. Aside from Yoh, Anna, Manta and Amidamaru; we have really colourful characters that are as relatable as the main protagonists, including the street-smart Ryo; the ice shaman, Horohoro; the enigmatic, yet sympathetic Faust VIII; the young Lyserg, and of course… one of my favourite characters:

REN TAO (Or Len Tao)

Honestly. Len Tao nails it at being the rival of our protagonist, and, for a while, an antagonist. Every time I saw him, I thought I would wet my pants. I found Len Tao frightening, and a really worthy foil of Yoh; and sometimes I thought Len Tao would be this close to kill our protagonist. So… when I watched subsequent episodes, I was surprised of what kind of story arc and role was reserved for him, which made me love Len Tao even more.

One last detail… I think… Len Tao is much interesting and catchy than… than… Sasuke.

There… I said it!!! (Sorry Sasuke)

Finally, we got… Hao Asakura… as a great antagonist.

Seriously… What great, terrifying villain Hao is.

Again. Shaman King is as great as its characters.

CONCLUSION

For me, it is no wonder why Shaman King is so good. It has great characters; great story, if not perfect; good story arcs; memorable moments; exciting battles. In other words, a really worthy shonen anime.

I think the best we can do is re-watch the 2001 series, and then the remake. I have my faith, because Shaman King, to this day, is a series that I remember with love.

Now, if you excuse me… I need to write my testament. Because I will be killed. By who, you ask? Simple…

BY SAKURA. OF COURSE!!!

The lesson is… Never… Ever… disrespect Sasuke… Sakura’s ears hear… everything.

JAINITUOS ANIME REVIEWS – BLEACH – MY OWN REFLECTIONS

BLEACH

Genre: Adventure, Supernatural

Studio: Pierrot

Hello my friends.

I am still working on the Part II of my Own Reflections of this fantastic anime that means so much for me, for I enjoyed it in during some of my best years – Inuyasha. I am still eager to watch the first episode of:

Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon

But, due to chance, I was checking the catalog of Crunchyroll, and then I saw that another sweet story was released, and that story is…

BURN THE WITCH

So, then, I decided to take a little break from everything related to Inuyasha, and give some time to another of those anime that absolutely had an impact on me, unlike any other, except for Inuyasha. And again, the title says it all.

For me, talking about Bleach is like talking about many elements that helped me shape my vision about narrative and character development. I know it sounds very odd coming from a shonen anime, but I am looking forward to explain this feeling in the following entry.

And of course, it comes then the typical questions:

Are you guys feeling ok? Healthy and happy?

If the answer is yes, then I am happy. Now, into the review.

PREMISE

Based on the beautiful manga written and illustrated by Tite Kubo, Bleach tells the story of Ichigo Kurosaki, a 15-year-old high schooler that, since he was a child, has the special ability to see ghosts and spirits; one day, he meets a very strange-looking girl wearing miko clothes, called Rukia Kuchiki, who claims to be a Shinigami and hunts evil spirits that can kill humans, known as Hollow. Shortly after their encounter, Rukia and Ichigo are forced to fight one of these Hollows; and despite winning, Ichigo «steals» Rukia’s Shinigami Force, something that makes him a Substitute Shinigami and hunts Hollows.

That leads him to know the Soul Society and meet many fascinating characters, both Shinigamis and Hollows, along with other Human World residents, including Orihime Inoue, Yasutora «Chad» Sado, and the Quincy, Uryu Ishida; all of them with their own powers and personalities.

Kubo published Bleach from August 7, 2001 to August 22, 2016; shortly, he started publishing Burn The Witch, as some spin-off of Bleach, first as a one-shot manga, and then as a mainstream work. Furthermore, Studio Pierrot animates Bleach. I must confess that when I discovered this last fact, I was surprised. I simply couldn’t believe that Pierrot was the one behind Bleach, but some time after watching both Naruto and Black Clover, I finally convinced myself about that fact.

Finally, Shiro Sagisu composes the soundtrack. Do you know what other anime he composed? Neon Genesis Evangelion. Of course. That’s why I spent hours listening to the soundtrack.

STORY

Before I start, there is a funny trivia about Bleach. At the beginning, Weekly Shonen Jump rejected Bleach, because its plot has some similarities with Yu Yu Hakusho, so Tite Kubo desisted of his idea, but after receiving a letter from Akira Toriyama, praising his work, Kubo tried again and again, until Bleach was finally published.

As a whole, and for those Bleach fans, the manga has many story arcs, including The Substitute Arc; Soul Society Entry Arc, Soul Society Rescue Arc, The Arrancar Arc; The Thousand-Year War arc among others. Of course I am not going to talk about all of these arcs, because it will take time, and, unfortunately, Bleach has the same problem as Naruto, it has so many unnecessary filler arcs.

But despite this gigantic flaw, Bleach, as a story, has an impressive quality; it is constantly developing. What do you mean by this? Simple. Every new arc expands everything the previous one established in terms of story and characters. Of course, except for some fillers. During the first arc, after the encounter between Ichigo and Rukia, Bleach takes good care of his narrative, mixing world-building, character development, with some of the best fights scenes in anime, probably not as flamboyant as Gurren Lagann, or as psychologically intense as in Death Note, but they are well choreographed, and have a lot of substance. What do I mean by this? That the emotions of the characters are present in many of the fights, and sometimes, like in the Arrancar Arc, these fights are symbol of a previous tragedy that one of our characters must face once and for all.

Those who are well-aware of the fight between Ichigo and Byakuya Kuchiki, will know what I am talking about.

Furthermore, the animations is pretty fluid. Well. That’s nothing to be surprised about, since it is Studio Pierrot we are talking about; they are heaps of experiences regarding fighting scenes. And colour palette gives some uniqueness for the settings. I.e. Hueco Mundo.

Black and White, quiet, unnerving.

And Soul Society.

Colourful, unique and at times… folkloric

And this is just the world in which Bleach takes place. So imagine the rest.

The best for you, regarding the story, is to follow it one episode at the time, so you will fully understand how the world of Bleach works. But for me… How do I explain it? Every time Rukia, or Uryuu, or Yoruichi introduces us in every new concept of the Soul Society, or Shinigami, or anything, they are straight forward, no digressing. And this small fact is very important for me, because it taught me the importance of keep developing, to get your story to new grounds, and never to stop taking your narrative toward other places, as long as you acknowledge what you did before, it is all good.

CHARACTERS

For me, Bleach has some of the best characters in anime history. Ichigo Kurosaki has a pretty interesting backstory, one in which he can delightfully see that balance between a pretty serious-looking hero, and an altruistic personality that makes him a balanced, compelling hero. And he evolves through training and knowledge, and we relate with him straight away. The same goes for Rukia Kuchiki; we see her, fighting, suffering, growing, and having her own story. An event of such a wingspan that it even gets us.

The same happens with Orihime, Chad.

And Uryu. The way he introduces us to the Quincy is so interesting i think we immediately root for him too.

And finally…

SPOILER ALERT – I think Sosuke Aizen is one of the best villains in anime history. He is so unpredictable, so powerful and so terrifyingly resourceful you, at some point, will think he will win. Seriously, every time I saw this guy, I was shaking in fear. And let’s not forget about Gin Ichimaru.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, there are so many great things to say about Bleach; it is definitely one of the greatest anime of the 21st century, and a great member of the Shonen world. Definitely I will recommend it to anyone, even those who are not anime fans.

Trust me. Everything is worth the time. And I hope that this entry perfectly serves as my personal love letter to both Bleach and Tite Kubo.

And next time, join me, because I am gonna BURN THE WITCH (LOL)

Sorry. I know it was a terrible joke.