Still around!

Hey there guys, Endblade here. Though I'd do a short update, I'm still watching anime and following some of the series for Spring 2018, its' just that I have quite busy lately with other commitments and as such I haven't had the chance to post anime reviews!

But fret not, I will be doing up more anime reviews very soon in the month of May, so do look out for them as I post them! I might even do episode reviews of the anime series' which I am currently watching too, but that's more of an afterthought than anything.

Currently, I have a Violet Evergarden anime review in the works, since that was about the only anime series which I watched for the Winter 2018 season religiously! But this season for Spring, I'm currently following 2 series (might pick up more when I have the spare time): Tada-kun wa Koi wo Shinai and Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii. Those two seem pretty promising as of now, but I'm not going to be giving any preliminary ratings yet because there have only been 3 episodes aired (at the time of this writing), so I can't evaluate the entire series well yet.

Do let me know if you have any good anime recommendations which you would like me to watch and review! I do watch other dramas such as cop shows and webseries on Netflix/Hulu/Primevideo.

I might do reviews of those shows which I have found interesting to watch!

Until Next Time,

Endblade

Updated 2020: Do take a look at my not-so-comprehensive personal list right here!

Anime Preview: Winter 2018

Hey there guys, Endblade here. For the few viewers that chance upon this page, thanks for the support! Today we're going to be introducing a new post - anime preview! You may have already guessed it, but this contains sneak peeks of the anime that is to come, and my thoughts on those anime, whether I will be watching and reviewing those or skipping on them!

The upcoming anime previewed below will not be listed down in any particular order of preference, but rather according to the MyAnimeList.net's upcoming anime section.

The new year is upon us, for those of you celebrating Christmas, I wish you a merry Christmas! For those of you who don't, here's wishing you happy holidays. As 2018 dawns, new anime air in January.

Why is the title called Winter 2018? Because in Japan (Northern Hemisphere), winter usually falls between December in the previous year up till end-February the next year. Hence anime usually begins with winter season rather than Spring. Spring falls within March to May and is the second season of the year in Japan, followed by Summer from June to August and Fall/Autumn from September to November. The cycle repeats itself the following year with Winter anime season again.

Well, that was long-winded. On to the more important stuff! This coming Winter 2018 anime season brings uss the following 20 anime! Note that there are more than 20 anime, but listing and previewing them all (some of them total trash) would be unproductive.

1) Overlord II


What's with people and mmorpg animes? Granblue Fantasy, Tales of Zestria, Sword Art Online and now this. Not dissing on Overlord, but I don't really understand the popularity of RPG anime. Having not watched the first Overlord season, I am in no position to comment on the possibility of this being a success, and it is unlikely that I will pick this anime up because most MMORPG-based animes usually fall pretty flat. Except maybe King's Avatar and Grimgar: Tale of Fantasy and Ash


2) Nanatsu no Taizai: Imashime no Fukkatsu


This anime looks like its' been around for quite a while, this not being the first season. So its' unlikely I will pick this up either, but it really reminds me of One Piece or Akame ga Kill. Not really feeling it for this one, but given that it has quite a few sequels, this should be decent at least.

3) Fate/Extra Last Encore


Fate/Apocrypha sort of disappointed me with the bar being set quite high from Fate/stay night UBW and Fate/Zero, one of my favourite animes. So I'm slightly apprehensive about this installment in the Fate-universe. I would usually rate this higher, but the heavy fan-service element of the Fate series lately has been putting me on edge about this franchise. Still have hopes for this anime but given that it isn't produced by ufotable, it might not be the unlimited budget works hoped for. Will definitely watch at least a first few episodes of this anime.

Pre-watch rating: 7.75/10


4) Citrus


Not too sure what to feel about this. This gives me the Kuzu no Honkai vibes of forbidden love and secret trysts, but it could go south quickly and become a incoherent mess if not handled right. Have some expectations for this anime, but not a big fan of such themes but I will give this series a shot, hopefully it doesn't disappoint.

Pre-watch rating: 7.5/10

5) Dagashi Kashi 2


Another show with a prequel. Is it me, or are animes this season having quite a few sequels of which I have watched none of? Might be a good thing, this anime doesn't look too promising witht e premise being slightly wacky and weird. The vibes that this anime gives off isn't too great. But I could be wrong. I'd love to be proven wrong.

6) Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card-hen


Okay, I used to watch Cardcaptor Sakura way back when I didn't have the internet. That was a good 10-15 years ago. Not too sure what season I was watching, but it was on my local television channel and boy was it good. At that time at least. Not too sure if I'll watch this, because Cardcaptor Sakura has been around for a long time and I might have missed quite a lot in the years that I didn't watch this series. But I'll give it a shot!

Pre-watch rating: 7.75/10

7) Saiki Kusuo no Ψ-nan 2


Okay, this anime just looks plain weird. Not sure if its' going to be good, but it gives me the One Punch Man or Mob Psycho vibes. Given that this is a sequel, its' unlikely I'll ever touch this anime, unless its' critically acclaimed.

8) Death March kara Hajimaru Isekai Kyousoukyoku


This looks like another harem-fantasy RPG-like anime. Not up my alley but given that some shows like this can be quite comedic and interesting, I might give it a watch to see if it manages to enthrall me in its' fantasy setting.

Pre-watch rating: 7.25/10

9) Darling in the FranXX


A Gundam and Aldnoah:Zero mecha-themed anime? I'm watching it for sure! Looks interesting and sci-fi mecha anime with all the deus-ex machina has always appealed to the extreme side of me, and hopefully this anime will live up to my perceived hype and deliver all the robotic violent goodness.

Pre-watch rating: 7.5/10

10) Koi wa Ameagari no You ni


This anime seems like its' going to touch on some socially sensitive issues about love: the age gap - how big is too big of a gap? While I can see this anime becoming a silent masterpiece if handled correctly, things could also turn out horribly if the anime fails to describe the awkwardness and possible conflict the main character might have, if this anime seeks to address such issues in a real manner rather than something out of an author's sick fantasy.

Pre-watch rating: 7/10

11) Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san


Being adapted from a manga, this anime proves to be something interesting. It might just be the Tsuki ga kirei (yes I love that show) of 2017 if done right. I haven't read the manga but I have high hopes for this slice-of-life school romance anime.

Pre-watch rating: 7.75/10

12) Beatless

Can I say that this anime looks a lot like the game Nier:Automata and similar related sci-fi mecha series? Here's hoping that it will have actual thrilling action rather than just degrading into a robotic love story, which may not necessarily be bad but mecha ain't mecha without good animation fight sequences.

Pre-watch rating: 7.25/10

13) Kokoku


The vibes that I'm getting from the plot synopsis and the poster can only mean two possible outcomes: total disaster or absolute genius. The premise seems interesting, but can quickly go down the drain of slippery slope arguments and warped logic morbid fantasy into a spiral of insanity. For all intents and purposes, I am hoping that this anime will bring something fresh to the table rather than be your average psychological, predictable anime. Let it not be the horror and incoherence that is Ousama Game (no offense to those to like Ousama Game, too twisted and convoluted for me).

Pre-watch rating: 7.5/10

14) Ito Junji: Collection

What can I say? This absolutely unnerves me. A collection of an author's works of horror can only mean short stories of fright and despair, which appeals to me because it should provide a glimpse into the author Ito Junji's mind. Horror can be jump scare cliche, but it can be Stephen King-level of scary. Hopefully it is the latter and not the former. Not hoping for much, might watch an episode or two.

Pre-watch rating: 7/10

15) Touken Ranbu: Hanmaru 2


Okay. I have never watched Touken Ranbu, so I can't give a rating or evaluation on this one, because it isn't a standalone anime. But I just have this feeling that it will fall into the realms of mediocrity and plain cliche fodder.

16) Yowamushi Pedal: Glory Line

Not a big sports-anime fan, the last one I watched was Days, and I didn't really enjoy it much. Whats more is that this is a sequel, which I guess should appeal to fans of Slam Dunk or cycling enthusiasts. Not my type of anime, so unlikely that I will pick it up, unless rave reviews pressure me to sneak a peek.

17) Ramen-Daisuki Koizumi San


Is this going to be the next Shoukugeki no Soma? Or is this going to descend into absolute chaos and become a trainwreck. Well, the poster seems enticing enough for me to watch at least one episode, if not all of it.

Pre-watch rating: 7.25/10

18) Mitsuboshi Colours


Looks like a happy show for happy people. Might skip this one unless people highly recommend it, the target audience seems like its' supposed to be for children ages 12 and under.

19) Yuru Camp△

Yuru Camp, or laid-back camp, seems to be your typical slice-of-life, chill story with two heroines camping out in the wilderness. Not expecting much from this anime, but I wouldn't be surprised if it offers a refreshing take on the overused premise of camping, outdoors and great adventure awaiting the protagonists. But again, not really expecting it to blow me out of the water. Rather, this anime seems more like what your might want to watch in-between other heavier, action-packed anime thise coming season as comic relief or just to unwind.

Pre-watch rating: 7.25/10

20) Gin no Guardian 2


Another sequel for an anime which I haven't watched the prequel, so I don't think I can give any rating on this one, might skip it for this season with all the other anime on my already filled plate.

Final Thoughts

Winter 2018 proves to be a season with some promising anime, others scandalous and even more mediocre-looking anime that I would drop in a heartbeat. While sequels abound as they always do for anime, most of the titles which I will be watching will mainly focus on single seasons, because for most of the titles I have not watched their prequels and hence cannot give a judgement on those. Not many heavy hitters (that I know of) which are airing this Winter, maybe a might be able to find a few diamonds in the rough this season.

Only time will tell.

Until next time,

Endblade

Anime Review: Just Because! - Vanilla or something more?

Hey there guys, Endblade here. Today we're going to be doing an in-depth review of the anime: Just Because! so do note that there may be minor spoilers up ahead, but nothing too major or plot revealing.

To start off, I have always wanted to do an in-depth review of an anime piece, just to give my thoughts on the various aspects of the anime from the animation, plot, setting and the character development, of which all four aspects are crucial in determining if said anime is going to be a big hit or a huge flop.

Spot all the characters!

Before I would like to go any further, I would like to say that this review is not sponsored, nor is it claiming any rights to any of the screenshots or pictures that I have taken from the anime, all such photo rights belong to the creators of Just Because! - Pine Jam studios and Sentai Filmworks, without which would not have been possible to create an original story not based not a light novel or manga.
Firstly, Just Because! is somewhat different because as mentioned above, it is a 'original' story not based on an adaptation of a popular manga or light novel. Such series rarely get greenlit by studios to air, notable recent exceptions include the 2017 hit romance anime - Tsuki ga kirei (The moon, so beautiful) and arguably one of my favourite anime titles to grace 2017.

Going back to the statement 'original' story - why did I place the word between inverted commas? Not surprisingly, this is related to the plot of the anime itself.

Plot
Simply put, the story revolves around a group of high-school students (yes, the cliche group of stereotypes that we have known and grown to love) in their final year of study before pursuing different careers or furthering their studies. Eita Izumi (blue-haired guy) is a transfer student who keeps changing schools due to his parents' work commitments, and he arrives back in the same neighborhood he grew up in middle school. Mio Natsume (red-haired girl) is the same age as Eita, and Eita has had a crush on her since meeting her in middle school (cliche much?) but Natsume of course is oblivious to such affection, because then there wouldn't be any story to develop.

It is your typical, slice-of-life student story with a love-triangle to spice things up. Well, is this that reveal considered a spoiler? I guess most romance genre anime feature some sort of variant of love-triangle relationship, so its' more of a standardized trope if anything else.

Just because its' overused doesn't mean it can't work (pun intended). And that sentence sums up the story of Just Because!, not something game-changing but tried-and-true plotlines which seem to tie themselves up easily. However, the ending is as cliche as it can get, and although it does tie the anime up well, it doesn't do the story justice with the amazing character development given to each character.

Some scenes may seem a little unrealistic with emotionally-charged dialogue that would most likely be impossible in reality, but certain scenes where awkwardness between characters like in the screenshot below which was taken in an episode where the group of friends were at an aquarium.

Such small snapshots help to convey the silent awkwardness between characters, and this brings me to the next point in my review: Character Development.

Eita (top right), Mio (bottom right), Haruto (top middle) and Morikawa (second from right)

 Character Development
What Just Because! does well is in the subtleties of conveying emotion. Not to the detailed extent of Tsuki ga Kirei, but well enough to show the tension between characters like the unspoken affection Eita has for Mio, and other relationships that blossom during the course of the anime's run.

All the characters have their own hobbies, likes and dislikes. This is not an anime where the characters are simple character tropes. One good example is the character Komiya, who loves photography. Her emotions and dedication is seen in her work and the photos she takes throughout the series serve to highlight her character - straightforward, loud and dedicated.

Komiya and her love for photography

It is this silent nod to individuality where we can see each character develop in their own way, overcoming their own individual fears and struggles. The middle of the anime was the best portion, because the development of each individual featured Eita, Mio and their group of friends using the group for their own selfish reasons, much like how sometimes people in reality do so in their own circle of friends.

While the main five characters - Komiya, Eita, Mio, Morikawa and Haruto are well-developed and unique in their own motivations and personality, what I felt could have been improved would be the supporting cast and side characters. Their classmates were introduced but treated like their entourage rather than actual supporting cast, and their personalities were not well-developed. It could have been the large number of main characters which left little time for the minor characters to be explored further.

When someone talks about how real the characters feel, it is only as real as the setting of the anime allows it to be. The less realistic the anime setting, the characters tend to be less human-like and more extreme in polarities, like how like in Gundam you have the good vs. evil comparison and characters that fall into the 'absolute good' or 'absolute evil' stereotypes. Another example is the aniem Classroom of the Elite, which feature an over-the-top school setting with even crazier, complex characters. It doesn't mean that such shows don't do well, because their genre in anime allows such setting and characters to flourish.

Setting

Eita and Haruto

Setting the stage in Just Because! is your typical school type of environment, nothing crazy or out-of-sorts in this anime or some anime that features an unpopular club with weird characters cliche (looking at you Oregairu and you Hyouka). But it does well in using hobbies as the focus of the anime. Photography and Baseball, two hobbies which feature greatly in Just Because! and for good reasons. Baseball is popular in Japanese schools, and photography, well you can never go wrong with photography.

Using such hobbies to set a realistic and approachable environment where we grow to learn about the characters and see the story develop helps immerse us into the story and leaves us wondering - could such a story be an actual romanticized retelling of some writer's school life? While far-fetched, such themes are real enough to merit such thought and Just Because's normal Tokyo life helps to cement the idea of such a story playing out in reality.

I would like to use this time to praise the use of music, the moments where slow music is apt in certain scenes to help build tension or establish emotion and the absence of music in parts of the anime when it is not needed is another good point of Just Because!

Animation

One weak point is the sub-par animation of certain scenes, and the animation in general seems less of the selling point of the anime but the smaller budget such series' are allocated speaks volumes here. While the other aspects of Just Because! are compelling enough to make it a decent anime, the animation (hence the name anime) pulls down the overall rating and while not comical or horrendous, the vanilla animation (which isn't much because this isn't an action flick) makes it a little less impressive.

Final Thoughts

Pondering and wondering

While Just Because! is no pioneer in the school or romance anime genre, it sticks to its' guns and produces a simple, albeit slightly overused plot but mixes in apt use of music and framing to create a sense of realism and gives the feel that it might be someone's actual past, retold in a slightly romanticized manner.

When my friend told me he was watching Just Because! and it gave him the feels that he wasn't able to celebrate New Years' in a festival setting (one of the episodes in the show), I realized that the show itself evoked a sense of longing yet nostalgia of times past unobtainable.

A good watch if you are looking for something simple and enjoyable, and maybe it might offer you a chance to reexamine your own life and past. Not for the type of person who doesn't like to watch something true-to-life (one of the closest anime will get to reality).

You can check out my updated anime watch list (with ratings) over here.

Overall Rating: 7.5/10

Until Next Time,

Endblade

Anime Review #2: The Psycho-Pass Series

Hey there guys, Endblade here. Today is another special day, because today's review will touch on the highly acclaimed series Psycho-Pass and its' sequels, Psycho-Pass 2 and Psycho-Pass: The Movie.

What strikes me is that the name Psycho-Pass distinctly sounds like a play on the word Psychopath, and that word clearly describes the emotional and psychological roller coaster that the viewer is subject to throughout the series.

This review will attempt to give an viewpoint which contains as little spoilers as possible, but for continuity's sake and when mentioning Psycho-Pass 2 and Psycho-Pass: The Movie, some plot details from the prequels may be discussed, although only very briefly and nothing major. So if you haven't watched the Psycho-Pass series, you can still read this review and decide for yourslef if you would like to pick up the series.

We will be discussing the shows in a chronological manner, but before that a broad overview on what the world of Psycho-Pass is like, and my thoughts before I watched this anime.

Having binge-watched the show Shinsekai yori (you can see my review here, its spoiler-free, don't worry), I wasn't too keen on watching something dark or psychological, but I decided to give it a shot, having heard amazing things about Psycho-Pass but being unable to discuss the subject matter due to my lack of exposure to the anime.

Psycho-Pass Season One

The first episode of Psycho-Pass, was for lack of a better word, harrowing. The themes touched upon in the first few scenes already indicated that this anime was not going to be a bed of roses. The setting of Psycho-Pass is reminiscent of Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, a dystopian future depicting Tokyo under the rule of a seemingly omniscient entity called the Sybil System. This system has replaced conventional democracy and methods of rule into a autocratic and bureaucratic filtering of people according to their Psycho Pass, or their emotional, mental stability and the likelihood of them committing crimes.

It paints a seemingly peaceful and perfect utopia where undesirables are filtered out and only the peaceful remain. Watching this made me draw similarities with the movie Minority Report, the one where there is the concept of pre-crime enforcement. This is somewhat similar in Psycho-Pass, where the protaganist Tsunemori Akane has everything handed to her on a silver platter due to her aptitude as deemed by the Sybil System as superior, while her friends and those she meets may not have this privilege. Psycho-Pass is based on the Sybil System and its' analysis of people, giving them ratings known as a Psycho Pass to differentiate dangerous members of society to those that are co-operative and productive. It directly results in a more peaceful and harmonious society on the surface, although as will be discussed in the series, results in cracks due to this intentional suppression on individuality.

Psycho-Pass touches on the struggles of inequality, profiling and the inner psyche briefly while filling its 22 episodes with action-packed sequences and interesting conversations. While the antagonists' motives may seem to be unclear at first, the build-up where Akane discovers her own strengths and weaknesses through a series of cases link up to create a conclusion that is not only satisfying, but keeps you thinking about the idea of omnipotence and the concept behind artificial intelligence.

Character development in Psycho-Pass was adequate for the main characters Akane and Kougami Shinya, but what makes Psycho-Pass season one great is the development of the supporting cast. This plus point could be due to the longer run in the first season (22 episodes) as compared to other animes, but some episodes were dedicated to fleshing out the supporting cast, which further built on the world of Psycho-Pass  and lent a realistic feel to the story.

One gripe that I had with Psycho-Pass season one was the way the antagonists were revealed and the minor crimes which served to push the story further. The reveal of these characters to the audience was too premature and removed the suspense behind each crime, although we got to see the inner workings and thought processes of these - for lack of a better word - psychopaths (pun intended).

Kogami and Akane: the Dynamic Duo

Pros

Cons

·        Character development was detailed, especially the supporting cast ·        Futuristic setting was largely believable, although specifics and technicalities were not addressed ·        Riveting plotline where main antagonist’s motive is not revealed until towards the end ·        22 episodes were just right for Psycho-Pass, not too short like most anime but every episode was utilized well to fit in either plot progression or character development

·        Minor antagonists’ motives and MO (Modus Operandi) were revealed too early; lack of suspense and immersion ·        Superficial discussion about real-world issues, most arguments and plot points are based on the dystopian setting ·       Violence and gore may be too gratuitous in some scenes, but most scenes are done well

While Psycho-Pass: Season One may not be the best anime of all time, it ranks pretty high in my books of a complete anime with a riveting story and fleshed-out characters. Psycho-Pass has the making of one of the best psychological anime without going overboard on complicated sci-fi conspiracy theories that may zone out the casual viewer. For viewers that can't take violence and gore, Psycho-Pass may not be the anime for you as its' depictions of crimes and action sequence make use of blood and gore to depict the cold and violent world of Psycho-Pass.

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      Moving on to the next installment, Psycho-Pass 2 picks off about a year and a half after the events of Psycho-Pass, with the roster of characters changing but with Tsunemori Akane remaining as the main protaganist. While only half the length of season 1, Psycho-Pass 2 builds upon the story left off at the end of the first season and introduces new antagonists with puzzling motives. 

What made Psycho-Pass great is replicated in the sequel, with new antagonists and motives, although with varying successes. The plot mainly revolves around Akane and the Sybil System. the second season feels slightly rushed due to the shorter run of 11 episodes compared to the prequel's 22, and at certain points the suspense and slow build-up which makes a psychological anime so enthralling was replaced with rushed confessions and rapid discoveries. This detracted from the formula which made the initial season great, and while standalone Psycho-Pass 2 would have made for a great anime by itself, when compared to season 1 it pales in comparison. 

Don't get me wrong, Psycho-Pass 2 is still a great anime and definitely worth watching especially since you grow attached to the characters in Psycho-Pass, but it doesn't live up to the initial expectation and bar set by the prequel. To use an analogy to describe Psycho-Pass 2 would be similar to comparing a set meal from MacDonalds (Psycho-Pass 1) with an a-la-carte McDonalds' burger (Psycho-Pass 2). Amazing, but leaves a taste of what could have been.

Psycho-Pass: The Movie is set after seasons 1 and 2 of Psycho-Pass, and while you could watch the movie right after season 1 (because there isn't any plot spoilers from season 2 in it), watching them chronologically helps to show the time distance between the plot of the movie and the first season.

Psycho-Pass: The Movie

What I liked about the movie was that it managed to tell the story well within the 2 hour timeframe, although the pacing of the movie could have been improved as the first half of the movie was basically setting the stage while most of the revelations and action occurred mainly in the last 30 minutes of the movie.

Short, succinct and sharp would be the three words to describe Psycho-Pass: The Movie. It features what seems to be a Southeast Asian country (most likely either present-day Thailand, Myanmar or Laos/Cambodia/Vietnam) due to the cultural icons present in the movie but fails to really establish the motives of the antagonists clearly, painting them as clear bad guys rather than showing the grey line between good and evil, which the first 2 seasons of Psycho-Pass touched on. While restricted by the runtime of 2 hours, it felt like the creators were trying to squeeze in a season's worth of plot into effectively 4 episodes.

While I would definitely recommend Psycho-Pass: The Movie to Psycho-Pass fans, you can skip this movie and still not miss out on the main developments in the first two seasons as those are based in Japan. But the movie does offer interesting insight into the idea of peacekeeping in war-torn countries and while largely ignored in Psycho-Pass: The Movie, more could have been done to include a native character (of Southeast Asian culture) as a main supporting character rather than just using it as a setting. Otherwise, a breath of fresh air from metropolitan Tokyo featured in the first two seasons and done decently.

Final Thoughts

The Psycho-Pass series is a captivating and riveting anime which sends you on a thought train on the concept of violence, justice and governance and is depicted in digestible capsules which do not require a lot of processing to understand the ideas being relayed throughout the series, thus making it suitable for the casual viewer looking to dip their toes into psychological or darker anime. 

While the first season was great in the direction and development, the lacklustre second season and confusing movie did not meet the high bar which the first season had set and while the sequel did come close, the movie felt more like fanservice with cameos rather than an actual stimulating plot. 

However, this does not mean the sequel and movie is not worth watching, the world of Psycho-Pass is still overall a compelling one. Definitely in the top 20 anime series' in my opinion and worth the watch if you can binge them all at once!

Overall Ratings:

Psycho-Pass                     8.75/10

Psycho-Pass 2                  7.5/10

Psycho-Pass: The Movie  7.5/10

Until Next Time,

Endblade

Updated 2020: Do take a look at my not-so-comprehensive personal list right here!

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Anime Review: Shinsekai yori

Hey there guys, Endblade here once again with a new series which I am trying out now. Being an anime fan (not a hardcore fan though) but watching seasonal anime; as well as catching up on older titles once in a while, I would like to give my two cents on anime which I have enjoyed. For now, I will be reviewing anime that are NOT in my top 10 lists, because those have a short write-up on the synopsis on those recommendations.

If you haven't already seen my anime recommendations, you can take a look at them here and here! Those links will take you to my top 10 recommendations for 2017!

Without further ado, let's dive into the anime that is: Shinsekai yori (From the New World)

Taken from MyAnimeList - poster for Shinsekai yori

Now, I know that this review comes about 4 years late, but I was only recently introduced to Shinsekai about a day ago by a good friend of mine (fellow NEET and anime-lover). What he told me I think perfectly sums up this anime: " The first three episodes are quite slow, but try to make it to the camp scene."

This review will be as spoiler-free as possible, as I know that some of you that are reading this post might not have watched Shinsekai, and the plot although seemingly slow-paced at first, builds momentum over time to become much better and more nuanced towards the end.

In this review, I will be listing down some of the pros and the cons of the anime, so that you as the reader can make an objective comparison based on my subjective opinion. Sounds unreliable, isn't it? But aren't all news outlets or online reviews like this anyway?

Pros	Cons
·        Riveting storyline and well-thought out plot	·        25 episodes; plot can feel slightly draggy at certain points
·        Subtle attempts to reconcile fantasy setting with real-world events and human behaviour	·        Initial 2-3 episodes of setting the stage and introducing the characters might feel slow paced to some
·        Stellar character development of main characters ·        One of the best conclusions to any anime	·        Use of time-skips may leave viewer slightly disoriented ·        Side characters do not feel as fleshed out, probably rushed attempts to fit the storyline

As you can see, this anime isn't perfect. No anime is. Nor is this anime in my opinion a cult classic or something worth rewatching. However, what Shinsekai does impeccably is tie in real world dilemmas and ethical concerns into the plotline without making it feel forced; unlike how a company would advertise its' brand on television.

It isn't 'in your face', but the subtlety and grace by which Kishi Yusuke, the author behind the manga of Shinsekai hints at is amazingly accurate, frighteningly so.

Shinsekai yori is a fantasy take on the future of humans: what happens when you have a minority of people wielding frightening powers of psychokinesis? While the basis of it isn't very scientifically sound, the analysis of the human condition in the case of Shinsekai 1000 years from the first psychokinesis users appearing in the year 2011 is unspoken horror.

Where humans and animals alike have evolved over the centuries to fit this new world order, we find our group of schoolkids which have this gift of 'Cantus' (what people in the future call psychic powers), they are drawn into the dark history of mankind's struggles to build a utopia which they are currently living in. The code of ethics and laws that safeguard this utopia is challenged and shaken to the core throughout the anime of Shinsekai, and protaganist Watanabe Saki is thrown into a struggle where the lines of good and evil are constantly blurred.

From left to right: Squealer (far left), Aonoma Shun, Itou Mamoru, Akizuki Maria, Asahina Satoru, Watanabe Saki and Kiromaru (far right)

The plot revolves mainly around Watanabe Saki, with her schoolmates and groupmates Shun, Maria, Mamoru and Satoru playing the supporting roles. The narrative follows her point of view and follows her story from age 10 to age 26. Such large periods of time are resolved using timeskips, which can be good to advance the plotline with more complicated ideas as the characters mature accordingly. However, the timeskip may feel very arbitary and the age compressing of such time to fit a narrative over 16 years does leave out certain points where characters mature into adults, which may remove some of the immersion into the world of Shinsekai.

While the main characters are largely well-developed, the side characters seem to be there to keep the plotline going or feel dispensable, like you could replace them with any other character and change their name and it would still work out to push the story to its' climax.

One remarkable point in Shinsekai would be the final 2 episodes, where the build-up from the first 23 episodes finally come to fruition and we see the plot resolve itself. While the ending is quite satisfying, it may feel rushed to some extent, given that the main bulk of the action happens in the middle of the anime and towards the end. The beginning and transition from middle to end of Shinsekai at times feels predictable and slightly slow and the cliffhangers between episodes don't leave you in suspense for the next episode.

However, having binge-watched Shinsekai, I can safely say that I really wanted to get to the final episode, not because the anime wasn't good but because I wanted to really see the plot weave itself together into a beautiful conclusion. The journey was slightly arduous but the end was largely worth it.

With that, I hope that you will give Shinsekai a fair chance, as I did! It grabbed my attention for the 25 episodes which and aired, and towards the end I felt a tinge of sadness knowing that it was about to end.

Final Rating: 7.75/10 

Until Next Time,

Endblade

New hobbies: Pokemon Card Collecting

Hey there guys, Endblade here.

Today I'll be talking about a recent hobby that I picked up around the beginning of 2017. I've always been collecting cards of different types, from poker cards (you can check out my post on poker card collecting here), to random TCGs over the years.

I've always been interested in card games since I was in primary school (or elementary school), I can't really remember the first cards I bought, or what type of card it was. Duel Masters and Yu-Gi-Oh were what I played quite often back then. One thing I hated (and still hate), is the fact that foil cards usually warp, and quite badly. Where I'm from, the heat and humidity does get into the cards and even with protectors, the deck tends to warp, which irritates me.

That's not really related to the topic at hand today, but I figured some of you card collectors out there (whichever TCG you collect) will surely dislike warping.

I never really played the Pokemon TCG, I did buy some single packs once in a while when I felt like opening something different, but other than the occasional loose booster pack I never really got to collecting or playing it often.

However, when I was introduced to the hobby by a mutual friend, I took a look at the prices and the art of the Pokemon and boy, did it not disappoint. Opening my very first booster box made me nostalgic and I remembered when I was a kid, opening those packs and anticipating getting something good. Something about nostalgia that just does it for me.

Look out soon for Pokemon collecting related articles!

Until Next Time,

Endblade

Anime Recommendation Spreadsheet!

Hey there guys, Endblade here.

Today its going to be a short and sweet post, because I realized it is much easier for people that just want the ratings straight up rather than a definitive list of top 10 or top 20 etc. It is more transparent and you can see the criteria by which I rate the anime. Note that the ratings most of the time do not vary over time because I usually fill in the ratings immediately after I finish watching the said anime.

Certain personal biases may skew the ratings of certain anime, but I can't really help to eliminate that entirely because the following ratings are based largely on personal opinion and not representative of a population. For an aggregated rating of the anime, you may check out MyAnimeList, which features cumulative ratings over time and may be more representative of a larger audience.

Personally, I may not agree with some of the ratings given on those websites, but I have not watched all of their top recommended anime. However, I do go on that website to look for recommendations on what to watch next, especially those older anime since I only started watching anime around early 2015 (hence a lot of catching up to do).

I will be providing a link to a Google Excel spreadsheet with my recommendations, which will change over time (live!). So no matter when or where you find this post, the excel sheet will be updated regularly as I follow up on or catch up on anime.

My ratings usually follow a spread of between 10 to 6, because I do not really believe in giving shows below that rating unless it is atrocious.

Generally, you can interpret the data as the following:

9 or higher: Must watch even for people who don't watch anime, you're missing out if you don't! Forerunners in the field of anime and the best works of their time.

8.25-8.75: Highly recommended, you should check these out if you're looking for something fresh. Some of the better anime out there.

7.75-8: Recommended, check these out if you're looking for a series to binge-watch. Mildly satisfying and enjoyable overall.

7.5-7.25: These pass for decent anime and worth a watch only if you have already watched those above. I cannot in good conscience recommend these, but they are passable.

below 7.25: Please, onegai, don't watch these anime. I watch them so that you don't have to subject yourself to such pain. Watch at your own risk.

Generally I do not give perfect '10's for any anime's overall score, yes, some might excel in certain criteria but they may be lackluster in others. I don't believe in the 'perfect' anime. Or at least I have not seen any anime worth that pedestal. Maybe one day I might.

With that, I hope you find my list useful and keep checking back to the sheet. Reviews for specific anime will still be done on this blog, so check back for updated content!

Updated 2020: Do take a look at my not-so-comprehensive personal list right here! Enjoy!

Until Next Time,

Endblade