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leahdrawsstuff · 6 months

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I get people not liking Toradora or even not wanting to finish it, but the way it’s become VERY popular online to openly bash it or call it the worst anime romcom is very…… weird

the thing is… Toradora is not a shoujo. the story isn’t meant to be fluffy and perfect. Taiga as a character is EXTREMELY flawed. And I think she’s a little too flawed for the average romcom anime watcher.

Firstly, no I am not defending how she likes to hit Ryuuji, and that behavior in a real life person obviously wouldn’t be ok, but Winry of Fullmetal Alchemist regularly throws a wrench at Ed’s head for comedic effect and I very rarely see that being held against her character. I don’t like it either, but it’s a fairly weak criticism of Taiga specifically since slapstick was pretty par for the course in early 2000s anime comedy.

But other than that, she’s basically just… annoying and mean. And pretty quickly you learn that this is because she’s a spoiled brat who simultaneously lacks both parental guidance and attention. And they address this head on, and she eventually acknowledges this and tries to change it. The way her story arc is handled is actually pretty interesting. Just because the female protagonist isn’t an uwu perfect shy nice girl doesn’t mean it’s a bad love story

I feel like I have way more to say on this but in conclusion if you really couldn’t stand Taiga then Toradora isn’t for you, and that’s ok, but that does not make it objectively bad. There are absolutely aspects of it worth criticizing, but there are also a lot of really interesting story elements with complex exploration of both romantic and familial relationships. It’s definitely worth a watch if you can handle a 16 year old girl being an asshole

#it has its issues for sure #but claiming it’s objectively bad is simply not true #not gonna name names but I see terrible anime get praised on the daily but Toradora is catching strays for no reason #also for the record I LOVE soft fluffy shoujo too #there’s nothing wrong with that genre you just can’t expect every romance show to be like that #Toradora #anime #anime romance #anime critique #disc horse #romcom #taiga aisaka

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tocomplainfriend · 4 months

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Can I be honest? I feel kind of guilty that Alastor is one of my favorite Hazbin characters, considering he is a racist stereotype of Creoles and Vodou practitioners. I just want to take him and completely rework his character into something less lazy and offensive. I love his personality and his backstory could potentially be very interesting and unique, but Vivzie is so bad at writing any sort of marginalized character that she always just ends up making offensive stereotypes. At this point I feel guilty that I even like her shows to begin with since they're just so full of stereotypes!! ;_;

That you are aware of the problem is amazing already! It's difficult to consume many pieces of media with these problems. It doesn't make you a bad person to still enjoy part of it, as much as you knowledge of the serious problems it has.

I enjoy a lot of characters and concepts in Helluva and Hazbin- that's why it makes me sad, all the bad stuff that it has. But I did like Millie before unhappy campers. I know the amount of effort the animators pun on it. I like Tom and Katie. I love Nifty and Sir Pentious. But there are bad and hurtful things important to point out and criticize.

Also, where there are problems, there is always an opportunity for people like you to create something good upon it. The amount of beautiful redesigns are crazy.

(either way I'm not watching Hazbin in Amazon Prime lol)

Take Aggretsuko for example, I really liked the series (before the final season). But how they dealt with many problems, it wasn't good. The way they develop Haida and Retsuko's relationship was awful. Haida needed therapy, not a screaming match. They tried to deal with the problem of Homelessness, they drop the ball on that one.

I also liked so much about the potential of rwby, but God damn. The tournament part of the story and what happen in it WAS CRAZY. But it has many flaws in writing, many having a bad take on racism and discrimination.

I love Dragon Ball and like Naruto. It doesn't delete how bad the pervert jokes were. -And the problem it has had with writing female characters and otherwise.

-and so on and so forth.

#vivziepop critique #vivziepop critical #helluva boss critique #helluva boss criticism #hazbin hotel critical #helluva boss critical #hazbin hotel criticism #hazbin hotel critique #aggretsuko critical #rwby critical #anime critique

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gamerdog1 · 3 months

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Samurai Champloo Review

What the hell even is a 'champloo' anyways? Ever since one fateful Passover seder, where my older cousin told me about this series, I've wondered about it. Its certainly not English, and though a quick Google search could give me my answer, the mystery of it all kept this show on my radar for nearly a decade. Its not often that a show with a title as puzzling as this get popular, especially enough for my slacker cousin to recommend it to me. With a recommendation like that, though, I knew there was something special about it.

Samurai Champloo is a strange breed. Created in 2004 by Masaru Gotsubo, and animated by defunct studio Manglobe, the series follows a trio of miscreants on a journey to find a mysterious samurai. Along the way, they dodge the law, fight assassins, and discover how hard it is to be a minority in a changing world.

Champloo's biggest draw is it's style. The series features a modern-style Edo that keeps the historical dress and architecture, but adds a contemporary kick everywhere else. The opening alone sets the tone perfectly: sharply colored characters, juxtaposed onto paper-like backgrounds, moving to a hip-hop flow. Its stylish, like an old-school music video, and draws you in in seconds with its funky beat and striking visuals. Its the perfect opening, and things only get cooler from there.

The Edo of this anime features a mix of traditional Japanese and modern North American styles, presented in a way that sets it apart from the rest. Its a show where you might find a samurai sword fight set to record scratches, or characters wistfully embarking on a journey while hip-hop music plays in the background. Early episodes use these scratches in the soundtrack as editing cues, cross-cutting between actions at the sound to create a wholly unique experience. It can't be overstated how much the musical styles of this anime make the viewing experience shine.

On top of that, much of the content of the show's episodes takes pages from a more modern handbook. One episode has the main trio caught up in the world of graffiti, as two brothers compete to see who can 'tag' the most dangerous places. Another has them play against American traders in a overly-violent game of baseball. All the while, characters talk with modern slang, ditching formalities and keeping with the tone the soundtrack sets. All this combined creates a historical anime that feels surprisingly contemporary, despite the obvious.

Over the course of the show's 26 episodes, we follow a main trio of characters as they journey to find a mysterious samurai who smells of sunflowers. The trip is long, and each episode usually features the gang stopping somewhere and getting involved in a stranger's problems, usually learning some moral or getting a lead on their quest afterwards. Its not often for series as mature as these to be episodic, given how seriously they take their plots, but here, it works well.

Every episode feels like another step along their journey, whether it be an eating contest in a big city, or hunting down a pick-pocket who stole their wallets. The series also does an excellent job at making the journey feel long, often referring back to the places the characters have been so far to keep track of it. You could actually track the trio's journey with a real life map if you wanted, since all the places they visit are historical, and probably still exist. Maybe someone out there has even tried their journey in real life...?

An anime is only as interesting as its main characters, and this one certainly has an interesting cast. The series stars three characters, who together, always find a way to screw things up in the most hilarious ways. First, there's Fuu, a young woman who meets the other two characters when they burn her workplace down, and enlists them to help find the samurai who smells of sunflowers. The show pulls no punches with her, often having her be the butt of the joke just as much as her companions. She's loud, whiny, naïve, and often eats the most out of all of them. Yet, she's usually the one that stops fights, is the voice of reason in all this show's chaos, and shows kindness to everyone she meets, even someone who tried to kill her. Though the other characters might play her off as another nagging woman, Fuu's right more often than not, and is a valuable member of the team.

Next is Jin, a ronin with a cool attitude. He's the level-headed one of the trio, often keeping to himself instead of jumping into arguments like the others. His cold exterior hides some pretty deep traumas, which were exciting to learn more about as the story developed. Characters like him are often stereotyped as unfeeling swordsmen, yet beneath all the sullen glances and reclusive body language, he grows to care about his companions more than any sense of pride.

Lastly, there's Mugen, the wild vagrant. His reckless fighting style, love for battle, and unquenchable pride endeared him to me pretty quickly, making him an easy choice as favorite. Compared to Jin and Fuu, Mugen is an old-school tough guy, a shonen protagonist aged up a decade and thrown backwards a couple hundred years. Like Jin, he initially is quite guarded, but learns to express himself little by little, eventually revealing his tragic backstory. Though, to be fair, most of his self expression comes in the form of violence or threats, but I'm not here to judge him.

Together, these three form a simple comedy trio, and get into trouble at every turn on their journey as they learn to tolerate each other. From start to finish, the trio struggle to get along peacefully, but that's what makes their dynamic worth watching. Mugen and Jin's mutual hatred, balanced out by Fuu's persistence, is what keeps them going. Depending on what episode it is, they take turns being the 'straight man', keeping the dynamic fresh and free of stale tropes.

At the heart of this anime, though, is its theme of identity in a changing world. Throughout the series, the trio encounter various minority groups along their journey, and learn about their unique struggles. One episode has them protecting a secret Dutch immigrant, taking him on a tour of the city while they dodge immigration officers. When the man reveals that he fled his home country because of homophobia, it doesn't feel out of place or poorly handled. His queerness is just as much a part of his character arc as his foreign-ness, and though the show makes a few light-hearted jabs at his accent and obvious visual difference, it takes the rest of his identity rather seriously. This character, while only in the show for an episode, is just one of many minority characters in this series that is handled well, showing that a series doesn't have to be disrespectful to be historical.

Another major theme in this series is death, and the acceptance of it. Being an action series, its pretty obvious that a lot of characters die, but what's interesting is how other characters deal with those deaths. Many side characters who the trio befriend on their journey are dealing with loss in some way, whether it be a husband, sibling, child, or something else. We witness how their grief drives them, such as with Fuu, or various other characters in the series. In a world such as the one in this series, death is commonplace, but a healthy acceptance of it is unfortunately less so. Each encounter with death in the series opens up new discussions about it, and often had me pondering what these characters might do next, or how I would deal with their situations.

In the end, though, Samurai Champloo is a fascinating series that brings a unique blend of Eastern and Western styles to make a truly memorable viewing experience. It's hip-hop soundtrack pairs beautifully with flashy and quick-paced sword fighting, creating a simultaneous modern-historical vibe to it all. Its characters have an enjoyable dynamic that kept me coming back day after day for more, which inevitable led to disappointment upon discovering how short this series is. If we lived in a perfect world, this would have at least an extra season, but unfortunately, perfect this world ain't.

But hey, at least I can spend my Pink Halloween (read: Valentine's Day) knowing that Fuu is valid, Mugen is gender, and Jin defintely got pegged in that one episode.

#anime and manga #anime review #film critic #review #anime #anime critique #animation #animated series #samurai champloo #otakucore

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generally-surviving · 3 months

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my only problem with the undead unluck anime is how repetitive it is. they'll show us the same scene we JUST saw to remind us of what we just saw. and the recap of each episode is SO long. like bro I don't need to see the vision of god in all it's frigging length TWICE. and I've already seen all the bloody meteor scenes! I WATCHED THE PAST EPISODES! I don't need to spend 2 minutes seeing what I've already seen!

like if they sped things up, we'd already be at the UMA autumn plot. instead they dragged their feet on replaying flashbacks multiple times during billy's betrayal.

you can see how this slow pace affects fight scenes as well. as epic as they are, the fight in the second opening theme is faster paced than the fight that takes place during the unmove retrieval arc! also, that scene of fuuko being tickled in the classroom, as cute as it was, lasted for like a full half a minute.

I like some of the stuff they added. in the manga, you never got to see the plane crash or Fuuko watching it. and I like how the anime didn't make Fuuko turn away as Gina was dying. even so, I'd like it even more if they stopped slowing things down to a snails crawl!

this is a problem with a lot of anime. and this isn't to say I dislike the anime altogether just because of this. I simply have some complaints, that's all.

#undead unluck #uu spoilers #anime critique

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icyll · 2 months

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The After-party World, An Analysis of the Anime "Frieren: Beyond Journey's End"

Okay, so… I don't like Frieren. In fact I very much hate dislike it. Now what I'm going to do in this note is to explicate my main reasons for why I think Frieren is not a good anime, and how I'm in total disagreement with probably everything that people seem to believe to be the case about it. In doing so, I will explore three main points. One regarding the general message of the anime, or what it is about. The other being somewhat related to the same matter, but probably in a rather indirect way. And the third being the characters, one of them in particular. At the end I will make a general observation and try to expand on the minor points related to it.

So first of all, from what I have been able to notice, a lot of people, in fact the majority of its audience, believe that the main message of Frieren (we're going to assume there is one) is that we should move on from the past, while still cherishing our good memories from it and holding on to them. My dear frierends, even if that is what Frieren is supposed to be about, it does a very bad job of delivering that message, as much as it might have convinced some people that that's what it is about.

The whole plot of the anime (as far as such a thing manages to exist amidst all the flashbacks and the reminiscence) is about a lonely mage's journey to a place where she thinks there might be a trace of her past companions left. So that in itself is enough for us to suspect that the main character has not totally moved on from what has happened to her. If Frieren had moved on, she wouldn't have made it her life purpose to meet again with her deceased lover and friends.

Even after taking responsibility for her apprentice, she fails to actually do anything responsible and spend her time on a worthwhile endeavor, and instead just aimlessly wanders around collecting useless spells and fake grimoire ascribed to her (again) deceased master. Can we really say that she only does that because its her hobby, or is it because she hasn't moved on from losing her master neither, and is trying to gather all the scattered pieces of her lost belongings to maybe reassemble them into at least a resemblance of that lost heritage?!

The one person that she begins her journey with was left under her care by a dead friend, and the next person that joins her party was also requested to be taken in by an old friend of her, who probably would've joined in himself were he feeling like it. And at last the other member of the party is simply a placeholder for Heiter. Literally a duplicate. Somehow everything in the present has to be connected to things in the past in most possible ways, and even completely mirror them.

Freerun sees everything through the lens of her memories, and barely manages to see anything for what it is. Places that she visits are not this or that place that is such and such in and out of itself, it's the place that Heiter said that and Eisen did that and Himmel did this. She seems to be literally unable to comprehend anything without interpreting it by referring it to her memories. She has to take us through the whole memory of Himmel posing for the sculptors every time she sees a statue of him.

Now on to the next thing I want to deal with. The closest I think this anime ever gets to making any sensible point is when Frieren tells the priest "But that's just what you want…" when they are talking about there being a heaven. That's probably the first and last wise thing she says, only for it to be followed with a "Yeah, it might be better this way," referring to believing in an afterlife, in contrast to not believing in it. We are expected to accept that believing that there is a heaven without any reason is the right thing to do, only because apparently it is better this way. So much for moving on from the past, huh.

By enforcing the idea of an afterlife the author moves further away from preaching acceptance and detachment (of the kind associated with this anime.) By admitting that it is probably better to believe that there is a heaven where our loved ones go after their death, Frieren shows that she is less detached from her past than ever. She hasn't left her past behind, enough for this to be a story of moving on and looking forward to the future, if she has to cope so hard by believing in a heaven, and one on Earth at that! Unless of course that's what everyone's idea of 'moving on' is, and I'm just oblivious.

And now the characters. Sometimes in order for one to be able to connect with a work of fiction there needs to be some likable characters. It is not necessary, but it's better than nothing, especially when that fictional work doesn't have much else going for it. Now here in the case of this anime, most characters are acceptable, if not down right horrible or annoying. I'd say the best character in regards to likability is Stark. He is kind, respectful, and hard-working. But I wish he wasn't that patient with a certain somebody.

It seems for this anime when it comes to how they feel about them the community has focused more on the looks of the characters than their personality. This isn't anything new of course, but Frieren just isn't the kind of anime that you would do that with. There's much more attached to a character than just how they look or behave on a surface level. Yeah this character might be a tsundere and most anime have one or two characters like that, but those anime don't try to be deep (usually.) Frieren does, and so I'm going to treat it differently. And this is where Fern comes in.

Fern is (almost) everything wrong with this anime. Everything else about Frieren could've been flawless, and she would've been able to single-handedly ruin it. She alone is enough to make this anime annoying to a point that you couldn't watch one episode of it. IF and only if you see her for what she is. Not for the little tsundere girl that pouts for you, and not if you are a free-for-all masochist. She's whom I wish Stark had less patience with. Like, man, have some self-respect for the goddess's sake.

Fern is not cute, or a likable character. She is just rude, a prude, and imprudent. She is self-righteous, and doesn't know respect, for others and their boundaries. Even if you don't agree, the author is very much aware of that, and that's why she in the episode about her birthday goes through a development point which is supposed to open her eyes to how she has been presumptuous in regard to her attitude towards Stark. But of course as most character developments in most anime it is one of those that its effects hardly lasts until the end of the episode in which it occurs. Of course, that's what the fans are in it for, why would you get rid of it?!

This story takes place in a dead world. The Story has already ended, and it is as if the author is narrating it from the end to the beginning, such that the story is altogether 'spoiled' in a way. That could have been a fair approach to take, but the way it's done in Frieren is crude and unrefined. Frequent flashbacks of Himmel and the heroes journey at the turn of every corner is taken to a point that it's just ridiculous. This story takes place too much in the past.

It is hard to care about anything that happens in this world. The journeys they make and the challenges they face are more like the clean-up after a party. There is not much significance attached to them. All the important stuff have already happened when the original heroes were trying to defeat the demon lord. One may argue that there is another story-line independent from that of the heroes, that of Stark and Frieren and Fern in the present time, and therefore that's not so much the case, but with how much that alternative story looks like an extension of the past one and an attempt at a replication of it, it just cannot serve as a replacement for it.

I believe that starting from the "Journey's End" is not a good idea in general. That of course means it's not just Frieren, it's all of the stories that start from the end that I've got a problem with. But I'm not stubborn about it, I could see myself enjoying a story of this kind if it's well executed, but I can't do that with Failuren given the inconsistencies in its concepts and its nihilistic atmosphere, that makes you feel like none of the things you encounter in the course of the story matter in any way.

Yes, there has been a past. And you want to talk about that. But if you're going to put the audience through the things that are happening in the present, you can at least try to make them not appear so pointless. When all the purpose lies in the past, and the contemporary characters are hardly anything that one could become attached to given how they are just shadows of the previous set of characters, the present ceases to matter. And on top of that how even the past parts of the plot do not contain much that would appear of considerable significance is the nail in the coffin.

The interpersonal matters of the characters do not compensate for the lack of external conflicts when the characters are just stock that could be easily replaced with anyone else, without a particular background or personality attached to them except for the bare minimum that helps distinguish them from each other. This anime tries very hard to appear deep by long stares into the horizon and longer gaps of silence, but it only shows the depth of its foolishness. Frieren thus fails to add up to much in the end.

I must inform you here that I did not watch all of Frieren. No, that doesn't invalidate my point. If an anime is so unbearable that you can't bring yourself to finish it, then maybe it does deserve some criticism. Also, just as a movie that has murder happening all through it, and in the end those people that were seemingly killed turn out to have actually survived the murders, is not a movie about anything but murder, whatever might happen in those few left episodes that I haven't watched doesn't make too much difference for me as this anime has already spent enough time in the manner I described here for me to think of it like this and for it to be too late to redeem itself as far as I'm concerned.

Finally, I want to say it is just sad and frustrating for me to see such a flawed anime being glorified to the extent it has, as if all the anime of the past that were much better don't even exist, and Frieren is the best thing ever made (I suppose that's just another case of humanity's memory being refreshed every now and then, but anyway!) I believe Frieren doesn't deserve the acclaim it has received, and here I tried to persuade at least some of you of the same. Thanks for reading!

#criticism #anime critique #anime #frieren anime #sousou no frieren

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yurisorcerer · 10 months

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Floating this again. If you've liked anything I've written on my site recently, please consider supporting!

#trans #anime critique

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octocringe · 10 months

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I will never recover from the way the internet tricked me to believe that Oshi no Ko is a good show.

I had to see the reviews for Oshi no Ko after seeing the first episode, and almost all I see is people saying that it is a "masterpiece of storytelling". I expected people to be dissapointed with the show and how superficially it treats the matters it tries to talk about and how disgusting some elements are. But I've barely seen that and I'm truly shocked. This is an experience that finally showed me not to trust people on the internet, I guess.

Oshi no Ko is a superficial and fake deep story that treats it's viewer like they're stupid. It's a horrible story that exploits the suffering of it's female lead to create drama and pretend to talk about issues around the entertainment industry. The show denies the women it portrays any humanity and personality and treats them as dumb, background characters in front of which the male protagonist can shine and prove his intelligence. I find it to reek of misogyny and irony and even the beautiful design of the starry eyes doesn't shine bright enough for me to be able to accept it. I'm shocked that people love this anime.

#oshi no ko #critique #anime #personal blog #rant #anime critique #oshi no ko bad

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theanimecritique · 1 year

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Tomo-chan is a Girl Review: A Heartwarming Slice-of-Life

Tomo-chan is a Girl is a delightful slice-of-life romantic comedy that’s sure to leave a smile on your face. While the story may be simple, it’s elevated by its well-written characters, charming animation, and excellent music and sound design.

The heart of the anime lies in the relationship between Tomo and Jun, and watching their journey towards a romantic relationship is both heartwarming and relatable. The show explores themes of unrequited love, friendship, and self-discovery in a way that feels honest and genuine.

The supporting characters in the anime are also well-crafted, with each one bringing their unique personality and quirks to the show. Whether it’s Tomo’s best friend Misuzu or Jun’s childhood friend Carol, each character feels like they have a purpose and adds to the overall charm of the series.

In terms of animation and music, Tomo-chan is a Girl is well-crafted and perfectly captures the essence of the manga it’s based on. The animation style is charming, with a focus on character expressions and interactions, while the music and sound design complement the overall tone of the series.

Overall, Tomo-chan is a Girl is a sweet and charming anime that’s perfect for fans of romantic comedies and slice-of-life shows. It may not be groundbreaking or revolutionary, but it’s well-executed and sure to leave a lasting impression on anyone who watches it.

#tomo chan is a girl!#anime review #anime critique #romcom anime

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notgoingwell · 3 months

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lovedaisy02 · 3 months

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All Shonen have a few slumps but those were some of the worst fights I've seen. I'm hoping JJK will really revamp itself like other Shonen.

#also nobara is not dead #i dont believe it #manga readers dont say anything #jjk #anime #anime critique

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leahdrawsstuff · 8 months

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can people stop including Saiki K in those compilations of criticizing anime for having weird incest siblings like tell me you don’t know what satire is without telling me

it’s literally there to make fun of that trope, just like every other character in Saiki K is making fun of a common anime trope, it’s ok to not like it but to completely ignore its purpose by including Saiki K in those “ugh I hate when anime has weird random incest” posts is completely missing the point because it is not random at all

#not art #random rant but I see this ALLL the time like pls have some media literacy #Saiki k #the disastrous life of saiki k #anime #anime critique

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cherry-delite · 1 month

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Because I'm a design freak, I went and color picked the pallets of each main character for comparison.

For a "fun" lil' guessing game, they are presented unlabelled and in no particular order. These pallets are so unbelievably redundant that I actually put one character twice by mistake at first, and it took me way too long to realize.

#hazbin hotel critical #helluva boss critical #hazbin hotel criticism #hazbin hotel critique #helluva boss criticism #helluva boss critique #i feel so bad for any animator that has been underpaid to animate alastor and his 1700 different shades of red #main tags are for filtering purposes I apologize if this ends up on those #hazbin hotel #helluva boss #hazbin hotel negativity #helluva boss neg

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gamerdog1 · 7 months

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Baccano Review

Since the early days of humanity, we humans have been fascinated with storytelling. From cave paintings, to oral storytelling, to the invention of the printing press and beyond, stories have been a staple of how we share experiences, lessons, or histories with subsequent generations.

When it comes to the recounting of events, though, therein lies a problem: from which perspective is the story told? Who are history's main characters? How can we possibly get a complete look at an event (or events) from only one person's perspective?

While most stories take a singular perspective, linear approach to storytelling, some attempt the daunting task of rounding up as many perspectives as possible, showing that there is always more than one side to every story.

One such series is Baccano (2007), an anime based on the light novel series of the same name, written by Ryohgo Narita. Unlike most historical anime, Baccano's story is told from a dozen or so perspectives, creating a unique viewing experience that rewards audiences' close attention with a satisfying thrill ride.

Describing Baccano's plot is a bit difficult, simply because of how much goes on in it. Its a gangster story about various crime families in New York, and their endless cycle of violence against one another. Its a horror story, about a train hi-jacking that goes wrong after a murderous monster climbs aboard. Its also a comedy about a pair of goofy criminals who mess up their plans all the time, yet still somehow get away with them.

Yet, all these separate plot threads are interwoven in a such a way where each is essential to the overall story. Characters encounter each other in key moments of the plot, and their stories are changed because of each other. In one episode, we see a major character watching a fire break out at a factory, where he bumps into a mysterious woman. In the next episode, we see what the woman was doing before she got to the fire, and where she went afterwards. By doing this, Baccano weaves a complex story where dozens of 'main characters' can shine to their own degrees.

Where this comes most in handy is with how the series doles out scenes and important information. Instead of showing scenes in a linear fashion, Baccano cuts up events and scatters them to the four winds, forcing audiences to put together a timeline as best they can. One minute you could be seeing a gunfight in 1932, then the next you're seeing people board a train in 1931, seemingly unrelated. I found myself trying to plot each scene on a timeline as I watched, but by episode 4, I didn't need it anymore.

The non-linear storytelling of this anime can be tricky to anyone not accustomed to it, having a keen eye and keeping track of the three major events of the story is all you really need to understand the order of events. Each scene is book-ended with something shown in a previous episode, or relates to something that is revealed in the next episode, showing you exactly when each event takes place in the overall narrative. Its not rocket science to understand the story: it just takes a keen eye, and a basic understanding of cause and effect.

Beyond the story itself, I really enjoyed this series, especially because of its atmosphere and setting. Its a rare treat to see an anime set outside of Japan, especially a historical series like this one. Much like Black Butler (2008), another historical anime set outside of Japan, the English dub is a treat, featuring all the old-timey accents that you'd expect for the time period. That, combined with the occasional use of slang (such as using 'giggle juice' to refer to alcohol) and references to 30's pop culture, made the dialogue flow smoothly, and feel natural for the setting.

While taking place in the 1930's, Baccano is in no way a realistic depiction of history, something which isn't helped by it's fantasy plotline. The fantasy element of Baccano's plot doesn't ruin the show (I believe it actually makes the story cooler, though I feel like it could've been integrated more smoothly into the setting, or at least given more time to develop.

That, unfortunately, is the main issue with this series: it really needed more time. With a plot as dense and complex as this, you'd think it would get more time to stretch out and get comfortable. 13 episodes is shockingly little, especially for an adaptation of a light novel series with over 20 books in it. It baffles me that Brain's Base (the studio behind this anime) didn't give this series a longer run, or even a second season. It certainly could do with it.

Still, this series makes the most of its short stay, like a tourist who insists on 'doing everything' on their weekend vacation to New York City. Every character gets a decent amount of screen time and a clear goal, and that goal is either reached or missed tragically. For a show with such a short run, its quite impressive just how much information and story is packed into its 13 episodes. By the end, I felt a connection to the key players, like we'd spent a whole afternoon together (which may or may not be related to me watching most of this anime in one afternoon).

All in all, I quite enjoyed Baccano, though I wish it was longer. The non-linear storytelling was a bit jarring at first, but didn't take me too long to understand. The characters ranged from hilariously stupid to genuinely cool, and each was entertaining to watch. At the end of the day, though, I only wish this series was longer. Characters like Ennis didn't feel like they got the time they deserved, and could've brought this series up from 'great' to 'excellent' if they had gotten more time to develop and explore.

I definitely recommend this series to anyone who hasn't seen it. Sure, its violent, bloody, confusing, weird, and ridiculously short, but it makes the most of what it has. We can only hope for a surprise second season announcement in the near future.

(Also this guy is the best character. I will not apologize.)

#anime and manga #anime review #review #anime #film critic #anime critique #animation #baccano!#claire stanfield

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