Archive for May 2016
Akame Ga Kill Review
Akame Ga
Kill is worth watching and kinda unique. It spans 24 episodes which are
decently paced. The story revolves around a group of assassins trying to
overthrow an empire in a fantasy world. The plot is great. The art style is
traditional. The character development is alright. The dub not so good. This is
one of those shows where the less you know the better, but if you want more
relatively vague details read below.
Story
"Once upon a
time, a boy and his 2 friends left their village seeking to make a name for
themselves and send money back to their village. After getting to the capital
however, the boy discovers that what he thought the capital city was like and
what it is, were two very different things"…
It’s a
little difficult to talk about this story without spoiling it. At its core it’s
a harem anime, with an ‘overthrow the government’ plot (similar to most mecha
shows), with a bit of Game of Thrones thrown in (saying how will ruin it).
The
characters in the show are all great, most being a particular trope, but having
a pretty unique twist. In terms of character development, the main protagonist,
and a few others have great development, the majority however don’t, but for
decent enough reasons (telling you will spoil it).
The first
few episodes or so introduce you to the world that the show takes place in
whilst giving insight into some of the characters.
The pacing
of the story is pretty good and the show tells a full complete story. There is
potential for a spin off show, but explaining how will once again spoil it.
8/10 (5
being mediocre, 10 being awesome)
Art Style
The art
style is traditional, with no real over the top super stylized effects. I did
feel like some of the fight scenes could have done with some better effects,
but that’s just a matter of taste. Scenes that had some particularly
emotionally intense moments did have a distinct difference with art style that
did help elevate the scenes being presented, but those last only a couple of
seconds at a go even though they will leave you with an impression.
6/10 (5
being uninspired, 10 being unique)
Sound, Music
and Dub
The sounds
for the show were ok, with nothing really outstanding. The music though was
amazing. This has one of the most unique soundtracks I’ve heard in a while,
containing oriental, Bollywood, African, and even industrial tracks that really
get you psyched for what’s about to happen. The dub was serviceable, but really
badly translated at times with some lines not really making any coherent sense.
The actual acting is also not that great, except for the main character, who is
just ok. This is actually one of those shows where I would strongly recommend a
subbed version.
6/10 (5
being mediocre, 10 being awesome)
Conclusion
You should
watch this show. Even though it’s a harem anime at its core, its plot is insane
to a point where you will actually have to think about whether it really is a
harem anime. If you are not ok with gore or violence, then don’t.
7/10 (5
being ok, 10 so good that you will create your own costumes for each character
and cosplay as them for the rest of your life)
Nanatsu no Taizai/Seven Deadly Sins Review
Seven Deadly Sins: Lion’s sin of pride, Serpent’s sin of envy, Boar’s sin of gluttony, Goat’s sin of lust, Grizzly’s sin of sloth, Fox’s sin of greed and Dragon’s sin of wrath.”
Action without reason or thought is just a testosterone-trip; complete with flashy powers and fights that drag on for way too long. So, it’s interesting to see an anime that suffers from these clichés and more – but also utilizes them to their fullest extent, giving rhyme and reason to them, and making the show a whole lot more fun and meaningful than was expected.
8/10 (0 being terrible, 10 being flawless)
Story
The core plot is simply the adventures (and misadventures) of an unlikely team as they traverse the land, looking for other members of a mysterious group known as the "Seven Deadly Sins”. While traveling, the ‘team’ comes across other past members, gets into fights with various characters, help people out, chat, joke and just generally try to have fun and do what is just while working towards completing their ultimate objective of reuniting all seven and reclaiming the land. The series has a great grasp on balancing the humor, the drama, and the action. One never seems to overpower the other.
The soul of this show though, is divided into two aspects: the fights, and the character development (which often ties into the aforementioned aspect). Most of the main characters (and many of the side characters and antagonists) get their time to shine and be developed. Character dialogue, actions and interactions, as well as fantastic back stories for many of the characters really flesh things out and add a sense of purpose and reason to the story.
Also, things don’t always end up being what they appear to be, and there are many points in the series where completely unexpected things happen that really help make the series more refreshing and less repetitive. But, some parts of the plot are a bit convoluted. Nothing that should detriment the experience, but things can sometimes seem a bit… off.
Lastly, the ending is a bit lackluster, but still thrilling to watch. And, the way it ends leaves it open to the possibility of a new season.
8/10 (0 being terrible, 10 being flawless)
Art
Art in ‘Nanatsu no Taizai’ is of an extremely high quality. Action scenes flow well and character designs, facial expressions, backgrounds, etc. are above par. The greatest thing about it though is that the quality is maintained throughout the series.
9/10 (0 being terrible, 10 being flawless)
Sound
The music in the series is more quality over quantity. There are many pieces that are repeatedly used, but they all fit the times and scenes in which they are used and didn’t become annoying.
All four of the openings and endings are great and add to the series, rather than being something that most people would skip.
Voice acting is also of a high quality. No lines felt hammy, forced or otherwise grated on the ears.
8/10 (0 being terrible, 10 being flawless)
Character
This is where this show absolutely excels – for most of the characters. A majority of them have unique personalities. They fear things, love things and hate things. They cry, they laugh and they have morals, hopes and dreams. The series does a great job of building most of the characters up and making it feel like these are living, breathing people.
The main female character, Elizabeth, has a decent amount of development. But, regrettably, the main male character, Meliodas, does not. He really doesn’t seem to change over the series, and remains – for the most part – an enigma. There is a backstory given to him that helps shine a little light on who he was and currently is, but so many things remain unclear concerning his character that it can be hard to attach yourself to him as the show progresses.
The secondary characters though - who I won’t name or give details for, as finding out who they are and what they are like is a part of the series’ enjoyment – are the most well developed in the entire series. There’s a great possibility of you coming to love a character you previously hated or vice-versa.
8/10 (0 being terrible, 10 being flawless)
Enjoyment
There are a lot of flaws. But even with those flaws, this was still an immensely enjoyable series. It had great fights with meaning to them, great humor, great characters, and some really powerful stories. I was pleasantly surprised with the anime and don’t regret the time I spent on it.We wait for the seconds season Nanatsu no Taizai: Seisen no Shirushi/The Seven Deadly Sins: Signs of Holy War in August 2016
8/10 (0 being terrible, 10 being flawless)
