Rate the last anime you watched out of 10

I've been around long enough now that I don't expect to change people's minds @qaiz, you don't have to watch or like the things I do and that's perfectly fine with me. I simply saw your first and second posts regarding Made in Abyss as being founded on assumptions about the show which I personally consider inaccurate, so I wanted to offer my own thoughts on the subject. Like I say, I don't know your mind - As far as I knew you might have been open to reconsidering giving it a shot if I explained it wasn't the loli and shota fest you'd been led to believe. But there's other people reading on a public forum too, and I also wanted to explain for anyone else who might be reading and considering watching (or being put off watching). So please don't go away from this discussion thinking I'm mad at you for insulting Made in Abyss or for having a different opinion, I'm really not. Your points above are fair and it's A-OK for you to do what feels right for you. As for how maturely a show deals with things, I'm fine with both maturity and immaturity in my media (and I'd guess that as a fan of Dragonball Z you are too :p). Especially when characters are immature themselves, it seems okay to me to have them behave in an immature manner sometimes.

To go back to the beginning of this conversation, I guess what I really wanted to get across was that if the BBFC produced such a thing as a rating for loli/shotacon then I don't think Made in Abyss would warrant anything harsher than "Very mild / infrequent" and it's far from being a focus of the show. It seems to me to be an imaginative an engaging work of fantasy fiction which was designed to be that first and foremost. I think if the creator had just wanted to make straight-up loli/shotacon they could and would have, the world and story is not merely an excuse to showcase those things in the way say, ecchi anime is.

Also does no-one else besides me an qaiz have any opinions on this? Did you guys already talk about it last year when I wasn't paying attention?

I watched Made in Abyss and loved it, there was only one scene I remember quite early on which I thought was slightly inappropriate. The author also seems to focus on bodily functions a bit too much at time. That said it doesn't detract from the great story and world building. If Made in Abyss offends people then I'd say you moral compass is set rather high, so high in fact you would probably discount many current anime. The only shows that have genuinely made me cringe or feel uncomfortable are Hybrid Heart and my first Girlfriend is a GAL.

Also I 100% agree with Girls last Tour the atmosphere of that show is pretty great, im looking forward to picking it up when it gets its UK release.
 
If Made in Abyss offends people then I'd say you moral compass is set rather high, so high in fact you would probably discount many current anime.
I mean...yeah, although I'd drop the "current" from that statement and just make it anime in general.
 
Fate/Extra: Last Encore

As a less action-oriented, more introspective take on the Fate formula, I can see why it hasn't been the most popular anime entry into the franchise, but I really enjoyed this one.

With the obstruse dialogue, quirky camera angles and weird, empty world design, it does feel like Shaft are making Fate/Monogatari, yet, I think it works. There's a much more sci-fi oriented slant on the material here, and I think the oddball stylistic devices fit well as a conduit for its meditation on transhumanist notions of artificially stored consciousness and the effect on the psyche of passing time far in excess of any human lifespan.

The way it glosses over one of the in-world game's stages felt a bit off, but my only real complaint would be that it fails to muster a solid conclusion at the end. Hopefully the forthcoming tv special will provide just that.
 
Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms (Film, 2018)
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At almost 2 hours long you'd think that Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms would have more than enough time to comfortably tell its fairly simple story without feeling both jumbled and disjointed and yet the pacing felt both frantic and rushed and in many ways by the end I felt like I had just watched a TV compilation, a little harsh but the sentiment rings true. Without divulging too much into story specifics the film revolves around Maquia, a young girl belonging to a tribe made up of people that live for centuries, they live secluded from the rest of the world, spending their days weaving, the cloth they produce containing their memories and stories. Maquia is both timid and shy, typical traits for a protagonist within this type of story, and of course there's another girl who's both brash and outgoing, somebody that Maquia herself looks up to, envious of her carefree nature. Early on Maquia is told by the village elder to never wander outside the village and that if she ever does, to never fall in love because the fact that she'll live on for centuries would mean that the people she meets along the way will inevitably die long before she does, leaving her alone. The characters live a peaceful and tranquil life but that tranquillity is quickly disrupted when their village is attacked and Maquia is separated from the people she's spent her whole life with. Assuming that everyone's been killed she sets off to survive alone but in the desolate woods she hears the crying of a baby, and through circumstances she takes the infant as her own, her journey through motherhood begins.

Mari Okada's directorial debut is clearly tackling an important topic, with what it means to be a mother as a cornerstone, among the fighting and action motherhood and all it pertains is the focus. Because of this, character interactions are the draw, it's a shame then that the film relies too much on talking and less on showing, Okada's background in screenwriting clearly taking precedent here. Rarely does the film allow its visuals to speak for itself, in fact characters almost never shut up and it's unfortunately very typical of these over-sentimental and melodramatic works, and this is a continuous trend throughout the film. Overwrought and theatrical the audience is often told how to feel without any of the work being done or any of the effort being put in, you're catapulted through the relationship at breakneck speed to the point that I found it hard to truly care or believe that the interactions were genuine. That's not to say that I couldn't resonate with any of it, in the end the core tenets, motherhood and parenthood are important and something that I hold dear, which is why I wanted to like the film more than I did. Truth being told, a few scenes did elicit a response from me and in the end some scenes worked better and were more effective at building the world and its characters than others, but these scenes are few and far between.

Visually the film is pretty, character animations are nice and backgrounds are detailed, colourful and varied, although some of the CG stands out. Annoyingly a few characters look almost identical and the main character herself looks really silly which took me out of some of the more serious moments, although you could argue the juxtaposition is intentional, Maquia after all being a young girl that's forced into an adult world. Whilst the visuals are ultimately a draw, the music was for me utterly forgettable, the talented Kenji Kawai was unable to muster up a memorable melody and I for the life of me cannot remember a single piece. The world itself is interesting enough, filled with medieval architecture and huge open fields but the world building itself is wafer-thin and there's nowhere near enough to grasp onto in this department. Early on I thought that the shot composition was strange and inefficient at depicting the necessary information but it improved as time went on and overall it's a pretty film but nothing too remarkable.

As the credits rolled I felt apathetic to what I had just watched, both generic and predictable, Maquia has its moments but I never once felt invested in its story. Not only did the tension and action feel forced but I felt that the film itself would've benefited from the removal of all the secondary plot points, but even then the mediocre writing wouldn't help matters. I may sound really down on the film but it wasn't offensively bad, but both inoffensive and generic it's not something that I'm going to be revisiting nor thinking about any time soon. A simple but fairly interesting story on paper bogged down by a rushed and forced third act, nicely animated and colourful there might be enough here for some but the story itself is ultimately uneventful with the drama missing the mark.
 
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Black Jack: The Movie (1996)

This brooding, gothic outing for Osamu Tezuka's iconic surgeon sees him drawn into the case of top ranked athletes whose bodies are suddenly failing them, in the most horrific fashion possible. Although a little more realistic than usual, the film's straight faced approach to even its most fantastical plot developments, mixed with Black Jack's typically intense melodrama, makes for a wonderfully over the top thriller, boasting a tough, well-fleshed out antagonist in the form of a femme fatale-like medical researcher. The film's increasingly bonkers storytelling is also matched shot for shot with director Osamu Dezaki's signature tricksy cinematography, throwing every weird flourish in his considerable arsenal at the screen, all wrapped up in an anachronistically noirish package that makes the end result like the anime equivalent of a Tim Burton Batman movie.

The film loses its way slightly in the final reel, with a slightly pedestrian conclusion, not helped by a shoehorned in last-minute environmental message, but as a big fan of Dezaki's earlier work on Cobra and Golgo 13, I absolutely loved this. I can guarantee it's the only time you'll see a villain's lair stormed by a private army of ethically sound doctors.
 
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Re:zero (1-12)

7/10

Initially thought I was going to write this off, seemed like an MMO anime without actually being an MMO anime. They use of the 'rebirth' plot point though, ironically, kept me going enough to find out exactly what was going on. Following the 'loops' and trying to figure out the solutions was interesting enough to stimulate me. I still find myself mixed on the MC, he can be be smart but also irritating when getting full of himself. The main heroine shows little personality and the whole show can lean too heavily on 'otaku self-awareness' at times.

Though to end on a positive, hearing Christine Marie Cabanos in a show always pleases me. Also, that last revelation will ensure I come back When the next half is out.
 
Lupin III: Part 5

Given the huge length of time between parts 3 and 4, it was a pleasant surprise to see another main Lupin series follow so soon after, and even more so to see how good it was! While not without fault, I thought this was a consistently very strong season that did much to breathe new life into the franchise and built on what Part 4 had achieved, while addressing many of the issues I had with it. Part 5 was well paced, I thought the arc-based approach to its plots was very successful and the 'ripped from the headlines' approach to its subject matter helped make Lupin's adventures feel fresh, in a way they haven't for a very long time. I do think they haven't quite nailed the tone yet, but I'd rather have the awkward lurches into more explicit violence than the generally toothless feeling that haunts a lot of the more family-friendly outings.

My only concern is what newcomers might make of the considerable number of in-joke references the show makes back to Lupin's previous adventures - some relatively obvious, others quite obscure. I imagine the writers did this specifically with the idea of getting fans discussing the show online to point out where they're all coming from, but it might be an idea if any future home release featured liner notes with maybe a brief history of the franchise, just to help accomodate those who aren't already superfans.

Also CR pls give us the OVA episode, thanks.

The Slayers

So much of what has followed Slayers has borrowed so much from it, that I was apprehensive about what going back to the original show might feel like, but it's still a very enjoyable picaresque fantasy adventure, whose deft lightness of touch has rarely been matched. I think it's at its best when it's doing self-contained arcs, however; when they got into the main thrust of the plot and it's played a little less for laughs, the familiar fantasy tropes begin to grate, although the throughly likeable cast of characters makes it much easier to get over the dips.

I would also give them credit for doing a successful comedy anime without any reliance on fanservice, but I haven't seen any of the parts with Naga yet...
 
My Hero Academia - Season 3 (dub)

As good as season 2 with some lower lows ('Save the World with Love' being the worst episode of the whole show so far) but higher highs. All Might vs All off One being the best part of the series so far for me and Bakugo's brawl with Dekualso having a great emotiojal climax.

This show really does keep a great place and sense of progression which is why its been one of my favourite battle shonen anime ever. Even if its filler, I still hope I can get to the movie in December.

Well done to Funimation and al, the actors for keeping the same day dub going for ten weeks straight. It could have been eleven if not for episode 1 (which I'm suspecting was a last minute addition by the studio. I can only hope that the shows debut oj Tonnami US doesn't extend the delay back any further for the rest of us.

Thank you Horikoshi, thank you Studio Bones.

9/10
 
Penguin Highway SLA Screening

Having little idea what to expect from this film going into it, I was pleasantly surprised by this one. Despite appearances, it's far less 'cute family movie about penguins' than a character study of a young boy railing against his own limitations, as he tries to understand the baffling world of adults he so badly wants to fit into. It may frustrate some folk that, while the significance of what's going on seems tantalisingly close towards the end, the film concludes without giving away any of its secrets, but I still enjoyed the journey nonetheless.

It certainly confirms first time feature director Ishida as a serious talent, and definitely a name to look out for in future.
 
Magical Girl Raising Project (dub)

SPOILERS

Okay, I will say that this show has good component parts. The Magical Girls all have unique designs which makes a nice change from the usual uniformity the genre carries. The dub compliments this well by giving each girl a distinctive voice that compliments their personalities well. The animation is generally good and the music decent, I have a soft s'ot for its ending theme which seems kind of retro to me, not sure why.

Things really didn't come together though. Firstly, there's the problem of the main protagonist 'Snow White' who is frustrating to follow and hard to get behind as a lead being a complete wet blanket through most of the story and only showing any defiance at the end which was too little too late for me.

Most of the character's in the series end up dead by the end and most of them don't hit in the way intended. A lot of the time I was more frustrated by having characters I liked killed off before I really got to know them. The antagonists suffer even worse with only I actually found in any way endearing (and they were killed pretty quick after being introduced) and none that were compelling. The show also has a bad habit of revealing heroes and villain's backstories mere moments before their deaths. The final mastermind behind the whole plot has the vaguest of motivations that doesn't really satisfy.

In the end, at least one character I liked survived but it far from saved the show to me.

4/10
 
Megazone 23: Part II (1986)

While I'd kind of forgotten about Megazone until I suddenly found my DVD set buried in a box, I always remembered Part II being spoken of with some reverance, and it certainly did not disappoint. Maybe I was just in the right mood for it, but I really loved this one; it's hardly a great work of narrative, but when I started thinking about how much it made me think of a music video, it suddenly clicked. I think it the music-video style visual storytelling is so strong here, you could watch it raw and still follow nearly all of what's going on with the outcast biker gang drawing ever closer to the heart of a conspiracy, as a war rages in the background.

There is of course a more elaborate back story at work, but having forgotten nearly all the details from Part 1, I was entirely happy to just drink in the amazingly over engineered visuals. For a (relatively) early OAV, there's some staggering attention to detail in the small things like the fingers of a hand flipping a light switch or someone pulling the cellophane off a pack of cigarettes, to say nothing of Yasuomi Umetsu's strikingly realistic character designs staying consistently on model throughout.

There's no great depth to the story, and it does get a little cheesy toward the end, but this film did absolutely everything I wanted it to, and looked bloody good while it did it, so I really can't sing its praises highly enough.

Except Eve's songs, they were kind of garbage.
 
Last one I finished was 3D Girlfriend. I gave it about 7/10. It's a decent Slice of Life High School Romance show. Some nice moments, but nothing overly impressive.
I'm moving onto that one soon, so see if our scores line up!

I've just finished Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko (Ground Control to Psychoelectric Girl) and rated it 6/10
A prime example of a show that should of had more episodes, or a second season. Nice moments to be had, but too rushed and nothing really got wrapped up in the end.
 
Finished Angel Beats last night

Spectacular show. it's full of great messages, but never once feels like it shoves any of it down your throats. Art style is one of my favorites, the characters are all amazing (especially Angel herself, who goes through some slight character development). Lots of twists and turns throughout, a lot which I didn't expect at all, especially in the last episode

And that opening theme is probably my favorite as well

Straight 10/10 for me.
 
Since I collated my anime ratings last year thought I’d do it again. Didn’t realise I’d watched so much. The beauty of not having much of a social life I suppose.
January 2018:
Persona 4: The Golden Animation (Crunchyoll) 3.5/5
Phantom: Reqiuem for the phantom 3.5/5
Ruruoni Kenshin 3/5 (first arc) 4/5 (Kyoto arc)
Sailor Moon Crystal: Dark Kingdom Arc 3.5/5
Sands of Destruction 3.5/5
School live! 4/5
School rumble 3.5/5
Scrapped Princess 3.5/5
Sengoku Basara 3.5/5
Senran kagura 3/5
Serial experiments Lain 4/5
Shounen Hollywood 2.5/5
Sword of the Stranger (film) 4/5
Tenchi Muyo! In Love (film) 3.5/5
Tenchi the movie 2: The Daughter of Darkness (film) 3/5
Tenchi Forever! The Movie 4/5
Terror in Resonance 3.5/5
The Comic Artist and his Assistants (Crunchyroll) 4/5
The Eccentric Family 4/5
The Eccentric Family 2 (Crunchyroll) 4/5
The Princess and the Pilot (film) 3.5/5
The Red Turtle (film) 4/5
The Troubled life of Miss Kotoura 4/5
---
Seasonal anime:
Devilman Crybaby (Netflix) 4/5
Junti Ito (Crunchyroll) (seasonal anime) [Dropped]

February 2018:
The Wind Rises (film) 4/5
The World God only Knows 4/5
The World God only Knows II 4/5
This artclub has a problem! (Crunchyroll) 3.5/5
Tokyo Majin 3.5/5
Tokyo Marble Chocolate 3.5/5
Vexille (film) 2.5/5
Whisper of the Heart (film) 4/5
Yatterman night 3.5/5
Your name (film) 4/5
Yurikuma 3.5/5
--
009 Re: Cyborg (film) 3/5
A centaurs life (FunimationNow) 4/5
Ace Attorney (On-hold) (Crunchyroll)
Aho girl (Crunchyroll) 3.5/5
Ajin 4/5
Akagi (Crunchyroll) 3.5/5
Akashic (FunimationNow) 3.5/5
Akira (film) 4/5
Amanchu (Crunchyroll) 4/5
Animatrix (film) 3.5/5
Anohana/ anohana film 4/5, 2/5
Armitage III OVAS, Poly-matrix, dual-matrix 3/5, 3/5, 3/5
Arriety (film) 3.5/5
Assassination Classroom Season Two (FunimationNow for second half) 4.5/5
Baka and Test Summon the Beasts/OVAS 3.5/5. 3.5/5
Barakamon 4/5
Berserk Season One (Rewatch) 4/5
Black Butler Book of Murders 4/5
Blassreiter 3.5/5

March 2018:
Cheat: Yuri!!! on Ice/OVA 4/5, 3/5
Cheat: 91 Days/Special 4/5, 3/5
Code Geass Akito the Exiled OVAS 3.5/5, 3.5/5, 4/5, 3.5/5, 4/5
Dragonball Super BoG RF and U6 arcs (crunchyroll) [On-Hold]
El Cazador de la Bruja 3.5/5
Expelled from paradise 3.5/5
Freedom 4/5
Free Iwatobi Swim Club (Crunchyroll) 3.5/5
Free! eternal summer 3.5/5
Fruits Basket 4/5
Fuse 3.5/5
GANGSTA 3.5/5
Gantz 3.5/5
Giovanni's Island (film) 3.5/5
Girlfriend Beta 3/5
Girls High [Dropped]
Grave of the fireflies (film) 4/5
Gungrave 3.5/5
Gurren Lagann: Childhood's end (film) 3.5/5
Gurren Lagann: The Lights in the Sky are Stars (film) 3.5/5
Haikyu!! (Crunchyroll) 3.5/5
---
Seasonal anime:
A Place Further Than The Universe (seasonal anime) 4/5
Basilisk: Ouka Ninja Scrolls (Dropped]
How to keep a Mummy (seasonal anime) 4/5
Miss Koizumi loves Ramen Noodles (seasonal anime) 3/5
Pop Team Epic (seasonal anime) 2.5/5
The Ancient Magus' Bride (seasonal anime) 3.5/5
Yuru Camp (seasonal anime) 4.5/5

April 2018:
Haikyu!! 2nd Season (Crunchyroll) 4/5
Haikyu!! 3rd Season (Crunchyroll) 4/5
HAL (Film) 3.5/5
Hetali: Paint it white (film) 3.5/5
Hidamari Sketch series 3 4/5
Himouto! Season 2 (HiDIVE) 4/5
Howl's moving castle (film) 3.5/5
Hozuki's coolheadedness 4/5
Interview with monster girls & OVA (Crunchyroll) 4/5
JoJo: Diamond is unbreakable (Crunchyroll) 4/5
Kanon 4/5
Karneval 3/5
Kill me baby 3.5/5
Kinmoza (Crunchyroll) 3.5/5
Made in Abyss (HiDIVE) 4/5
Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ 3.5/5
Mob Psycho 100 (Crunchyroll) 4/5
Monster Musume/OVAS/Shorts 3.5/5, 3.5/5, 3/5
My hero academia season 1 (rewatch) 4/5
My hero academia season 2 (partial rewatch) 4/5
My love story (Crunchyroll) 4/5
My Neighbour Totoro (film) 3.5/5
Nichijou 4/5
Niea_7 3/5
Non Non Biyori (Crunchyroll) 4/5
Non Non Biyori Repeat (Crunchyroll) 4/5
---
Seasonal anime:
Overlord II (Seasonal anime) 3.5/5
Violet Evergarden (Seasonal anime) 3.5/5

May 2018:
Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood (rewatch) 5/5
One Piece: Strong world (film) 3.5/5
One Piece: Film Z (film) 3.5/5
Patema inverted (film) 3.5/5
Perfect Blue (film) 4/5
Porco Rosso (film) 4/5
Princess Mononoke (film) 4/5
Psycho-Pass (rewatch) 4/5
Psycho-Pass 2 (rewatch) 3.5/5
Psycho-Pass the movie (film) 3.5/5
Record of Lodoss War 3.5/5
Record of Lodoss War: Chronicles of the heroic knight 3.5/5
Recovery of an MMO Junkie & OVA (FunimationNow) 3.5/5, 3.5/5
Re-kan 3/5
Royal space force (film) 3.5/5
Rurouni Kenshin: New Kyoto Arc 3/5
Sengoku Basara Season 2 3.5/5
Soul Eater (Rewatch) 4/5
Tales from Earthsea (film) 3.5/5
Tenchi Universe 3.5/5
The cat returns (film) 4/5
Cheat: Persona 4 The Animation (Rewatch) 4/5
The Disastrous life of Saiki K. (Netflix) 4/5

June 2018:
The Seven deadly Sins (Netflix) 4/5
The Slayers 3.5/5
Trigun Badlands Rumble (film) 4/5
Unbreakable Machine Dolls & specials 3.5/5
Un-Go 3.5/5
Yowamushi pedal (Crunchyroll) 3.5/5
YuruYuri (Crunchyoll) 3.5/5
Yu Yu Hakusho (FunimationNow-seasons 2&3) 4/5
---
Seasonal anime:
Amanchu! Advance (Crunchyroll Seasonal Anime) 3/5
Comic Girls (Crunchyroll Seasonal Anime) 3.5/5
Dances with the Dragons (Crunchyroll Seasonal Anime) [Dropped]
Food Wars! The Third Plate (Crunchyroll Seasonal Anime) 4/5
Hinamatsuri (Crunchyroll Seasonal Anime) 4/5
Hozuki's Coolheadedness 2nd Season (HiDIVE Seasonal Anime) 4/5
Magical Girl Ore (Crunchyroll Seasonal Anime) 3.5/5
Megalo Box (Crunchyroll Seasonal Anime) 4/5
Railroad crossing time (Crunchyroll Seasonal Anime) 2.5/5
Space Battleship Tiramisu (Crunchyroll Seasonal Anime) 2.5/5
Tokyo Ghoul: re (Crunchyroll Seasonal Anime) 3.5/5
Uma Musume! Pretty Derby (Crunchyroll Seasonal anime) 4/5
Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku (Amazon Instant Video Seasonal Anime) 4/5

July 2018:
Afro Samurai 3.5/5
Afro Samurai Resurrection 3.5/5
Attack on Titan season 3 (Rewatch) 4/5
Azumanga diaoh 4/5
Baka and Test- summon the beasts 2 3.5/5
Bakuon!! (Crunchyroll) 3.5/5
Bananya (Crunchyroll) 3.5/5
Blend S (Crunchyroll) 3.5/5
Cromartie High School 4/5
D-Frag! 3.5/5
Durarara x2 Ten 4.5/5
Durarara x2 Ketsu 4.5/5
Erased 4/5
Eureka Seven AO 3.5/5
Fate/Kaleid liner PRISMA ILLYA 2wei! (Crunchyroll) 3/5
Fate/Kaleid liner PRISMA ILLYA 2wei Herz! (Crunchyroll) 3.5/5
Flip Flappers 3.5/5
Flying witch (Crunchyroll) 4/5
GATE 4/5
Gintama Season Two (episodes 64-99) (Crunchyroll) 4/5
Hello Kinmoza!! (Crunchyroll) 4/5
Hetalia: The Beautiful World (FunimationNow) 3.5/5
Hetalia: The World Twinkle (FunimationNow) 3.5/5
Hidamari Sketch x Honeycomb 4/5
I can't understand what my husband is saying (Crunchyroll) 3.5/5
I can't understand what my husband is saying: 2nd Thread (Crunchyroll) 3.5/5
Jormungand 4/5
Jormungand: Perfect Order 4/5
Kaiji: Ultimate Survivor (Crunchyroll) 4/5
Kaleido Star 4/5
Kemono friends (Crunchyroll) 3.5/5
Konohana Kitan (Crunchyroll) 4/5
---
Seasonal Anime:
Darling in the franXX (Crunchyroll Seasonal Anime) 3.5/5
Mr. TONEGAWA Middle Management Blues (Crunchyroll Seasonal Anime) [On-Hold]
The Master of Ragnarok & Blesser of Einherjar (Crunchyroll Seasonal Anime) [Dropped]
Yuuna and the Haunted Hot Springs (Crunchyroll seasonal anime) [Dropped]

August 2018:
KonoSuba (Crunchyroll) 3.5/5
Last Exile 4/5
Log Horizon 4/5
Love live! The School Idol movie (film) 3.5/5
Love Live Sunshine! 3.5/5
Lu over the wall (Film) 3.5/5
Lupin the Third Part IV 4/5
March Comes in like a lion (Crunchyroll) 4.5/5
Mobile Suit Gundam The Origin OVAs I-IV 4/5, 4/5, 4/5, 4/5
My Hero Academia Season 2 (partial rewatch) 4/5
Nabari no Ou 3.5/5
Nyan-koi [Dropped]
Orange 4/5
Parasyte -The Maxim- (Crunchyroll) 4/5
Pom poko (film) 3.5/5
Rideback 3.5/5
Rokka Brave of the six flowers 3.5/5
Rosario + Vampire 3.5/5
Sailor Moon S 3.5/5
Sakura Quest (Funimationnow) 4/5
Soul eater Not! 3/5
---
Seasonal Anime:
Full Metal Panic! Invisible Victory (Simuldub) (FunimationNow Seasonal Anime) 4/5
The Thousand Musketeers (HiDIVE Seasonal anime) [Dropped]

September 2018:
Squid Girl (Crunchyroll) 3.5/5
Sweetness and lightning (Crunchyroll) 3.5/5
The Slayers Next 3.5/5
Tokyo Ghoul Live Action 3.5/5
Toradora (Crunchyroll) 3.5/5
Yowamushi Pedal: Grande Road 4/5
Yowamushi Pedal Movie (Film) 4/5
Yowamushi Pedal: New Generation (Crunchyroll) 4/5
Yowamushi Pedal: Glory Line (Crunchyroll) 3.5/5
Yuruyuri 2nd Season (Crunchyroll) 3.5/5
---
Bleach Bount arc (Rewatch) 4/5
Ace Attorney Season One Part Two (Funimationnow) 3.5/5
Angelic Layer 4/5
Aria the Scarlet Ammo 2.5/5
Bamboo blade (FunimationNow) 3.5/5
Black Butler: Book of the Atlantic (Film) 4/5
Dagashi Kashi (FunimationNow) 3.5/5
Encouragement of Climb (Crunchyroll) 3.5/5
Gabriel Dropout (Crunchyroll) 3.5/5
Gintama Season three (episodes 100-149) (Crunchyroll) 4/5
Gintama Season Four (episodes 150-201) (Crunchyroll) 4/5
Heaven's lost Property 3.5/5
Heaven's lost Property Forte (FunimationNow) 3.5/5
Heaven's Lost Property: Angeloid of Clockwork (Film) 2.5/5
---
Seasonal Anime:
Asobi Asobase (Crunchyroll Seasonal anime) 4/5
Back Street Girls (Seasonal Anime) 3.5/5
Cells at Work (Crunchyroll Seasonal Anime) 4/5
Chio's school road (Crunchyroll Seasonal Anime) 4/5
Dropkick on my Devil! (Amazon Instant Video Seasonal Anime) 3.5/5
Free! Dive to the Future (Crunchyroll Seasonal Anime) 3.5/5
Grand Blue Dreaming (Amazon Instant Video Seasonal Anime) 3.5/5
Hanebado! (Crunchyroll Seasonal anime) 3/5
Harukana Receive (Crunchyroll Seasonal Anime) 4/5
Holmes of Kyoto (Crunchyroll Seasonal Anime) 3.5/5
Kakuriyo -Bed&Breakfast for Spirits- (Crunchyroll Seasonal Anime) 3.5/5
Music Girls (Crunchyroll seasonal anime) 3/5
My Hero Academia Season 3 (Crunchyroll Seasonal Anime) 4/5
My Sweet Tyrant (Crunchyroll Seasonal Anime) 2.5/5
Persona 5 The Animation (Crunchyroll Seasonal Anime) 3/5
Phantom in the Twilight (Crunchyroll Seasonal Anime) 3.5/5
Planet With (Crunchyroll Seasonal anime) 4/5

October 2018:
Hyouka 4/5
If her flag breaks 3/5
Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress 3.5/5
Kaiji: Against all Rules (Crunchyroll) 4/5
Keijo!!!!!!!! 3.5/5
Kiznavier 3.5/5
Log Horizon 2nd Season 4/5
March comes in like a Lion 2nd Season (Crunchyroll) 4/5
My little monster 3.5/5
New Game! 3.5/5
Night is Short, walk on Girl (Film) 4/5
Oniai 3/5
Orphen 3.5/5
Persona 3 The Movie #1: Spring of Birth (film) 3.5/5
Persona 3 The Movie #2: Midsummer Knight's Dream (film) 3.5/5
Persona 3 The Movie #3: Falling Down (film) 3.5/5
Persona 3 The Movie #4: Winter of Rebirth (film) 4/5
Shingu: The Secrets of the Stellar Wars 4/5
Shirobako (Crunchyroll) 4/5
Silver Spoon (Crunchyroll) 4/5
Squid Girl 2 (Crunchyroll) 3.5/5
Star Blazers: Space Battleship Yamato 2199 (Funimationnow-2nd Half) 4/5
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Seasonal Anime:
Angels of Death (Crunchyroll Seasonal Anime) 3.5/5
Attack on Titan 3rd Season (Crunchyroll Seasonal Anime) 4/5
Hinomaru Sumo (Crunchyroll Seasonal Anime) [On-Hold]
Muhyo & Roji's Bureau of Supernatural Investigations (Crunchyroll Seasonal Anime) 3.5/5
Overlord III (Crunchyroll Seasonal Anime) 3.5/5
Steins;Gate Zero (Simuldub) (FunimationNow Seasonal Anime) 4/5
We Rent Tsukumogami (Crunchyroll Seasonal Anime) 3.5/5

November 2018:
Sword art Online II 3.5/5
Tenchi in Tokyo 3/5
The Seven Deadly Sins: Signs of Holy War (Netflix) 3.5/5
The Seven Deadly Sins: Revival of the Commandments (Netflix) 4/5
The Slayers: Try 3.5/5
The tale of Princess Kaguya (Film) 4/5
The World God only Knows: Four Girls and an Idol OVA & Tenri Arc OVA 3.5/5, 3.5/5
The World God Only Knows: Goddesses 4/5
Tsurezure children (Crunchyroll) 3.5/5
Ushio and Tora (Crunchyroll) 3.5/5
Ushio and Tora 2nd Season (Crunchyroll) 3.5/5
Vandread 3.5/5
Wagnaria!! 3.5/5
Working buddies! (Crunchyroll) 3/5
Working Buddies! No. 2! (Crunchyroll) 3/5
Yuyushiki (Crunchyroll) 3.5/5
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A Letter to Momo (Film) 3.5/5
A Sister's All you Need (Funimationnow) 3.5/5
Barakamon (Rewatch) 4/5
Encouragement of Climb Season 2 and OVA 3.5/5, 3.5/5
Gintama' Season Five (episodes 202-252) (Crunchyroll) 4/5
Gintama': Enchousen (episodes 253-265) (Crunchyroll) 4/5
Golden Kamuy (Funimationnow) 4/5
Hinako Note (Crunchyroll) 3/5
In another world with my smartphone 3.5/5
Inferno Cop (Crunchyroll) 3/5
Inferno Cop: Fact Files (Crunchyroll) 2/5
KonoSuba 2nd Season (Crunchyroll) 3.5/5
Kurenai 3.5/5
Macross Plus 3.5/5
Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt: December Sky (Film) 4/5
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Seasonal Anime:
RErideD: Derrida Who Leaps Through Time (Crunchyroll Seasonal Anime) 3/5

December 2018:
Naruto Shippuden (Seasonal Partial Rewatch) 4.5/5
New Game!! (Crunchyroll) 3.5/5
Patlabor: The Mobile Police OVAs 3.5/5
Patlabor: The Movie (Film) 3.5/5
Patlabor Movie 3: WXIII (Film) 3.5/5 (with MiniPato 2.5/5)
Patlabor 2: The Movie (Film) 4/5
Ranma 1/2 Christmas OVA 3.5/5
Shonen Hollywood season 2 3.5/5
Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju (Crunchyroll) 4/5
Silver Spoon 2nd Season (Crunchyroll) 4/5
Sound! Euphonium, OVA and Specials 4/5, 3.5/5, 3.5/5
Space Dandy (Rewatch) 5/5
Sword Oratoria: Is it wrong to Try and Pick up Girls in a Dungeon? On the Side 3.5/5
Tenchi GXP 3.5/5
The Familiar of Zero 3.5/5
Tokyo Godfathers (Film) 4/5
Wagnaria'!! (Crunchyroll) 3.5/5
Wagnaria!!! & Lord of the Takanashi Special (Crunchyroll) 4/5, 4/5
When Marnie was There (Film) 4/5
When they Cry: Rei 3.5/5
Yamada's first time: B gata h Kei 3.5/5
Your Lie in April (Netflix episodes 12-22) 4/5
Yuru Camp (Rewatch)
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Seasonal Anime:
Anima Yell! (Crunchyroll Seasonal Anime) 3.5/5
Banana Fish (Amazon Instant Video Seasonal Anime) 3.5/5
Double Decker! Doug & Kirill (Crunchyroll Seasomal Anime) 3.5/5
Goblin Slayer (Crunchyroll Seasonal Anime) 3.5/5
Hinomaru Sumo (Crunchyroll Seasonal Anime) [Dropped]
IRODUKU: The World in Colours (Amazon Instant Video Seasonal Anime) 4/5
Jingai-san no Yome (Crunchyroll Seasonal Anime) 2.5/5
Merc StoriA: The Apathetic Boy and the Girl in a Bottle (Crunchyroll Seasonal Anime) 3.5/5
Ms. Vampire who lives in my Neighborhood. (Crunchyroll Seasonal Anime) 3.5/5
Rascal does not dream of Bunny Girl Senpai (Crunchyroll Seasonal Anime) 4/5
Skull-face Bookseller Honda-San (Crunchyroll Seasonal Anime) 4/5
SSSS.Gridman (Crunchyroll Seasonal Anime) 3/5
Tokyo Ghoul:re 2nd Season (Crunchyroll Seasonal Anime) 3/5
Zombieland Sagas (Crunchyroll Seasonal Anime) 3.5/5
I think that’s everything. Doubt I’ll ever be able to watch this much in a year again, what with dissertation work and whatever job I end up with after university.
 
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IRODUKU: The World in Colours. Loved pretty much everything about this show. Art style is almost movie quality, the characters are all memorable, little to no tropes, and it's got a great ending

10/10
 
Miss Hokusai: 7/10
WHY THOSE EYEBROWS!? A glance into 1814 Edo life presented as a movie. Rarely more cohesive than a collection of subplots. O-Ei's relationship with her blind little sister was deeply touching, and the writing / nice direction made it fun.

Princess Arete: 6/10
Won me over via world-building as Arete escaped her tower to watch craftsmen work. Her suitors trying to win her over reminded me of 'Virgin Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors'. A repetitive mess once Boax takes her away. Pity: had non-anime artistic flair.

Mary and the Witch's Flower: 6/10
Begins as a more upbeat tween spiritual successor to Marnie (self-conscious, relatable heroine). Then... 1D Madame Cock & Doctor Dee. It becomes a hollow attempt at being a boyXgirl Ghibli adventure. A nice looking & sounding but disappointing film.
 
Finally! Someone else who thought Mary and the Witch's Flower was not so great - I couldn't stand how silly the characters and their actions at the school were portrayed, it just went downhill fast, from an interesting anime to some inane Saturday morning cartoon for kiddies. I was super-disappointed in MatWF because I love Yonebayashi's Marnie (now my #1 favorite Ghibli movie, overtaking Nausicaa's spot) and I also liked Arrietty quite a bit, too (top 12 Ghibli).
 
Aye, that's how my very good friend that sent it me described it, I do believe: that it turned into a Sat morn cartoon. I haven't re-watched Arrietty or Marnie, but Marnie in particular intrigued me because - Nausicaa aside, really - Miyazaki very rarely focused on characterisation. It was other Ghibli directors that typically got the more serious/adult, character-driven works. And Marnie was the last example of that.

Instead of building on that with Studio Ponoc and trying to be more than Neo-Ghibli, Yonebayashi instead seemed to try to imitate Miyazaki by transitioning into a magical adventure. Badly. It became fake, rushed and just outright messy once the school was reached and having red hair was suddenly the best thing ever. I still mostly enjoyed it but it could have been so much more.

PS: @Professor Irony -- I couldn't agree more about Kakegurui. It was Prison School and Kaiji rolled into one, and I love both. The jazzy soundtrack enhanced the gambling tension and Yumeko's OTT, lust-fueled arousal over the gambles was oddly liberating.
 
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