Rate the last anime you watched out of 10

Dai said:
The series has had an awkward licensing history. Season 1 is on Crunchyroll. Season 2 was on Amazon Prime, but was removed earlier this year, and season 3 is exclusive to HiDive. While Sentai have licensed all three seasons, their press release was ambiguous on which rights they've acquired for the first two. I asked them about this on Facebook, but didn't receive a response. The first episode of season 3 is on HiDive now, but there's no sign of the first two seasons. It's possible that they might be for physical release only.

That said, having watched the start of season 3 (which was a great opening episode), I don't think it would be too jarring to jump from season 1 to 3, since half of season 2 was a prequel anyway.
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Yeah it is pretty odd that Sentai make no mention of streaming for the first two. For Season 1 I guess it's understandable considering it's on Crunchyroll but then again series like Cinderella Nine and Between the Sky and Sea started on CR before being licensed by Sentai and later showing up on Hidive. Same can be said for Amazon series like Magical Girl Site and After the Rain.

In short, licensing is never simple and makes no sense
 
D1tchd1gger said:
I think it must have been an exclusivity thing on Amazon and that period ran out, both were 2018 shows Spring and Winter respectively. I'm pretty sure they showed up on HiDive around 3 years after they finished airing. I know Killing Bites (also Winter 2018) appeared on HiDive in April
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Yeah I didn't mention it but that's definitely the case for Amazon shows. Same happened to Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress later appearing on Crunchyroll. Given YuYuYu Season 2 definitely falls outside the three year range (having aired in Autumn 2017) I'd say the exclusive period varies but that doesn't really make too much sense since it's no longer on Amazon. Ah well I'm sure it'll show up eventually. Fun times with anime licensing
 
Got done with Akudama Drive. My opinion of it improved constantly as it went along and it's indeed very good.

It utilizes the setting to great effect, putting the focus on cyberpunk stuff like true human connection, corruption, abuse of authority and such and it's completely no-nonsense, no bullsh.it anime. If you've watched a few series you know no-nonsense anime doesn't come along that frequently. Every character serves their purpose, giving the impression that the story was well thought out. Good ending as well. I'm now more interested in watching Astra from the same writer.

The visuals were stunning all throughout with deep blacks, accentuated reds and of course neons everywhere. Very visually vibrant overall with excellent character design that communicates a lot of who they are. 3d was very good and the final episode has a really good setpiece that makes great use of it.

It's not the kind of series that blew me away but it handled all the important things consistently well and that's really what matters. It's extremely solid.

Only con would be the conclusion to the boss character. I was itching for something more...
 
Violet Evergarden: The Movie
Between this and The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya, Kyoani have made two of the longest anime movies ever. TDoHS needed its 150 minutes due to how much happens, and it never felt longer than it needed to be. Can the same be said for the 140-minute Violet Evergarden movie? Not so much, but that's not necessarily a flaw. The plot could have been comfortably told in an hour without feeling rushed, but something would have been lost. More than any other part of the series, the movie is concerned with stillness, silence, contemplation, and the tension of inaction. This works for the most part, though there are a couple of shots that will have you wondering if the video has frozen.

The structure of VE:TM will feel more comfortable to you if you've watched a decent amount of live-action Japanese cinema, especially non-action titles that don't ape the Hollywood formula. The inciting incident doesn't happen until an hour into the movie, for example. Part of this is because it's trying to make the story accessible for people who haven't seen the TV series, with parts of the first 20 minutes spending a lot of time recapping the story (albeit with mostly new animation, from what I can tell). Unfortunately that can make the opening section feel quite sluggish if you have seen the series.

As for the story itself, it offers more definite closure than we're used to getting from anime these days. I didn't find it quite as compelling as some of the TV episodes, but it's a satisfying capstone to one of Kyoani's best shows.

8/10
 
Monogatari

With the recent release of the final 3 parts by MVM - which I've never seen before - I decided to go back and start the show from scratch and do a big binge of the whole saga. On balance it's an incredible experience to watch. The non linear way the parts are presented, the huge and mad array of characters, the exquisite "set and background" design, and the stories themselves are all top notch even if Koyomi Araragi's behaviour often leaves a lot to be desired.

I like the way almost no one is presented as wholly good or bad. Koyomi himself being a prime example of this. He's the hero and you root for him but his inappropriateness towards many of women, including his sisters, is face palm inducing at best.

The ultra violence is also something to behold. It's often animated in a truly wondrous and artistic way but doesnt diminish the brutality of the moment.

Anyways the real reason to watch the show are the character interactions. So much if the show boils down to 2 people talking and the dialogue and writing is on point. When it's being irreverent and comedic it's so much fun and when it switches to dramatic and/or expository its gripping. This is all accented by the weird and wonderful way animators play with backgrounds, text frames (often/always quotes from the books), character placement/position/posture and blocking. Its Shaft at their absolute peak Shaftiness...if you know what I mean.

All in all it was an absolutely wild ride with weird, wonderful and definitely not perfect characters. The climax of the main saga in Owari 3 was magnificent and actually had me crying which is ridiculous for show like this. Despite its flaws when it's at it's best it transcends to the level of masterpiece.

In the spoiler tags below I'll copy what i wrote about each part as I watched them in the viewing journal thread in case you haven't seen them and are interested.

Bakemonogatari rewatch
What a visually amazing show this is. I'd forgotten how well the snake fight is animated.

Nisemonogatari rewatch
It was interesting to note some changes in the dialogue from the books. For instance Yotsuki catchphrase is "I said with a posed look" here but in the book is translated as "he said with a dashing look"

Nekomonogatari Black rewatch
For a character comedy this show sure knows how to turn on the ultra violence.

Kizumonogatari rewatch
Stunning films. Seriously the way they blend nonsense humour with ott fan service with mega violence with art house pretentiousness is outstanding. The final 30mins of the 3rd film are astonishing even on a rewatch.

Nekomonogatari (White) rewatch
Feels like another step up in animation and for once Araragi isnt the narrator which is a good switch up for the series to make.

Kabukimonogatari rewatch
Really great story. I remember being disappointed it didnt end in a huge fight the first time round but this time I really appreciated the way the whole thing was put together. Probably the best entry so far.

Otorimonogatari rewatch
Season 2 is great. Love the way it mixes up the established formula. Nadekos descent is pretty shocking and the way its left open for future consequence is also pretty refreshing.

Onimonogatari rewatch
Obviously its deliberate but it is interesting that Kabuki is labelled as a Hajikuji story but is really a Shinobu story and this one is labelled as a Shinobu story but is really a Hajikuji story. Easily the most emotionally investing story.

Koimonogatari rewatch
I'd completely forgotten how good the OP animation for this was! I totally forgot we get a Kaiki narrated story. Man this story is so good. Probably the new best entry so far.

Hanamonogatari rewatch
The basketballs all over the court episode is always one that's stood out for me. And being a Kanbaru story it's another big highlight.

All in all season 2 is a massive improvement over a good season 1. The art and animation of course but mostly the storytelling is just massively improved. Season 1 is basically random chat with previous girl, new girl gets into shenanigans, ultra violence, resolution. Whereas season 2 just seems so much more smartly written. It's also nice that other characters get to be narrators this time.

Tsukimonogatari rewatch
Even though I must have seen this before I couldnt remember a single thing, even while watching. Really enjoyed it though. The show has a great capacity to mix things up whilst retaining its core elements that make it monogatari.

Owarimonogatari volume 1 rewatch
The first 2 episodes set in the classroom are so good. How 2 people talking in a locked room can be that engaging is amhazing! As the episodes progress it turns into the heaviest story yet but also one of the most satisfying. Maybe because it shifts into more of a mystery story which I'm totally down for.

Owarimonogatari volume 2 rewatch
The final parts of season 2s puzzle are put in place. Its quite remarkable to see these stories come together and fit in their places.

Koyomimonogatari
Yay more Oshino! Though not enough! Anyways this was like a little palate cleanser before the final course. Little mini episodes with little stories. AND THEN THAT FINAL EPISODE HAPPENS!!!!!

Owarimonogatari volume 3
Wow, just wow. What a goddamned masterpiece. How a show as stupid and at times plain wrong as this also has the gall to be plain brilliant is astonishing. I actually cried during the last episode...something must be wrong with me.

Zoku Owarimonogatri
What a fun epilogue to the saga of Koyomi Araragi and quite heartfelt in its final moments. Managed to throw in some surprises and the one thing bugging me throughout (where was Senjogahara) was very nicely dealt with at the end and made perfect sense.

Monogatri as a whole has been well worth the ride.
 
The way that Monogatari all came together in the Season 3 arcs was awesome, I honestly think it could have ended with Owari 3 and I'd have been satisfied. I even loved how a lot of the OP songs were done by the VA's as well.

I was wondering how Zoku would be after seeing Owari 3, how could it make me want to watch more after the satisfying conclusion we'd just had? and yet somehow it did.

The slightly questionable behaviour of Araragi put to one side, I've only given out 10/10 scores twice so far. Once was Monogatari, and the other time was Madoka. Both animated by SHAFT, and yet I haven't enjoyed other SHAFT productions anywhere near as much as these two.

In both cases I think it's because the writing was on-point.

I'd encourage anyone who hasn't seen Monogatari to give it a try, I don't think it would be universally appreciated, but it's certainly worth giving a go.

I love the little things like this scene:

 
Vinland Saga

I had to force myself not to ugly cry at some points during this series, holy ****. The emotional release in the final episode is so powerful. I understand now why this is often mentioned in the same breath as Berserk.

Like it, what really draws you in, what really makes it stand apart from so many other anime series is the way the characters feel so human in their range of emotions and allegiances. That mix of complexity and simplicity that makes us, for better or worse, human.

Thors, Thorfinn, Askeladd, Knut, Bjorn, Thorkell, Ragnar... So many names that I would usually have to google but here, I grew so invested and attached to them that they became engraved in my memory along the way. You'll want to see where these characters go, what they do and how they change.

Thorfinn got the short end of the stick in that it takes a whole season to set up his growth, but I'm so eager to see the places he'll get to. Even more so after the last episode or even remembering the seed that Thors implanted early on in his heart.

If somehow you're interested in this but keep pushing it back in your backlog, know it's completely worth it. It's incredible. Shout-out to the way the team managed to capture the stunning beauty and color of nature. The backgrounds are all rendered with so much detail that your eyes will sometimes deviate from the characters themselves. Very picturesque, in another way reminding me of Berserk, more specifically the 97 series. This is even better, though.

Also the final episode is called end of prologue lol

Roll on season 2, I guess.
 
Violet Evergarden-The Movie-9 out of 10 points. Absolutely fantastic conclusion to the series-you'd better make sure you have a handkerchief handy, you'll need it.
 
After having been in licence limbo for a year, Yuki Yuna is a Hero season 2 is available to stream again, courtesy of HiDive. I've been wanting to rewatch this season for ages, and it's even better than I remembered. For the uninitiated, season 2 is split across two arcs, one set before season 1 and the other set after. It's best to watch the series in broadcast order though, since watching the flashback chapter before season 1 would spoil all the mystery.

Yuki Yuna is a Hero: The Washio Sumi Chapter
In this prequel set two years before season 1, we follow a team of three magical girls who protected the world before Yuna. With only six episodes in this arc, it moves faster than season 1, and in some ways is stronger for it. I can't say anything specific about the characters without getting into spoiler territory, but they're another likeable bunch who quickly gel as a team and are easy to root for. The show does a good job of making you care for the characters in its lighter moments, and then cranks up the tension in the action scenes. They face tough battles from the outset, and the stakes only get higher as the arc progresses, culminating in a riveting final battle.

Yuki Yuna is a Hero: The Hero Chapter
If season 1 left you in any doubt that Yuna earned the title of this show, those doubts will be gone by the end of this sequel. This is a heart-wrenching arc for Yuna specifically, and I struggle to think of another magical girl who has faced such gruelling circumstances without breaking. The sheer desperation of the situations in this arc, and the chilling solutions presented, make it a nail-biting experience at times. Yet it never succumbs to the grimdark excesses of many lesser magical girl shows from the last decade, and retains its heart and humanity throughout.

9/10
 
Dai said:
Yet it never succumbs to the grimdark excesses of many lesser magical girl shows from the last decade, and retains its heart and humanity throughout.
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I managed to watch the first season on crunchyroll and completely agree with this point, also as per your previous review for season 1. It certainly challenges the protagonists heavily without relying on grimdark exploitation that is in some of the wannabe Madoka shows these days. Definitely keen on watching the next two seasons now at some point, but don't have hidive and will save my money (or use the trial period at some point) whilst getting through my watchlists on the other services for now heh.
 
Dai said:
Yuki Yuna is a Hero season 2
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Will likely give the first two seasons a rewatch at some point before the third. Pacing was definitely an issue for me when watching the first season but I do recall the second improving a lot on that front. Definitely still appreciate that it took a darker spin on the genre without going full edge like some series. Still hilarious that edgier series like Magical Girl Site are published in shonen magazines
 
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I think a lot of you may have heard of this but perhaps have not made the time to see it, or it didn't sound interesting enough, or maybe you thought it was some kind of BL thing (honestly the two male MC's kind of look like they belong in one, but I can categorically state this is not a BL show).

I won't add spoilers here, but I will say the general premise is interesting. We have two friends who can use photos to go into the past, and that is the setup for what goes on, I won't add more detail than that.

The general execution is nice, the animation quality is good, I like the music in it. It has a slightly different vibe than most anime I watch.

The only negative is that being a Chinese based anime, you have to put up with the Chinglish they seem to use. Some odd phrasings and the subs also being a little odd at times. But it's interesting watching an anime that doesn't use Japanese audio for a change of pace.

Bonus points for having quite a funky intro, I always like it when the intro doesn't just sound generic. Complete with an almost Platinum Disco hand routine in the middle.


Link (click it!!):
myanimelist.net

Shiguang Dailiren

It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words. In this case, it holds an infinite amount of secrets. These are secrets that only Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang are able to find. In a small shop called "Time Photo Studio," the two friends provide a special service: using their extraordinary...
myanimelist.net myanimelist.net

8/10
 
Geriatric hedgehog said:
(reminded me a lot of one that came after: Iroduku - The World in Colours)
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I finally got around to watching World in Colours as well. Whilst the artwork was nice, the story wasn't that great, the characters weren't that great either. I think it was like a Shinkai-light with less meat to it, and dragged out for much longer than a single film :)

Scenery work in particular was excellent though!
 
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