Jeoffrey

This is about artificial intelligence and its applications, or rather how such intelligent androids should be properly handled, and how to find the right ways for humanity and its machines to co-exist. Now we are going to do a little sociological experiment... We are going to unleash a few autonomous and intelligent next-generation androids into a world where robots already exist, with each one having its own secret mission written into its code. Then we are going to put some of them with owners perfect for them, which means people who are going to help them achieve their objectives. Which direction is society headed in, what results will it bring, and what will ultimately be the most ideal way, and the purpose of living with artificial intelligence? You are going to find out in the four-part conclusion this winter because the anime’s screenwriters are a bunch of total fucking amateurs who absolutely do not know how to create and sustain a decent atmosphere! For example, they managed to dampen any suspense by cramming four recaps into a twenty-four-episode series, making me feel like they thought I was a complete moron who could not remember what the previous five episodes were about, while at the same time permanently ruining any interest in what was going to happen. So, the conclusion? As I have already written - you are going to have to wait until winter for that. However, in the meantime, instead of a cliffhanger, something that would have left me open-mouthed and as wound up as a bowstring, all I got was a stupid load of blathering on about nothing. This means that I already know that when the "grand finale" comes out, nobody is going to care two hoots about this anime series, and I am not even going to even remember watching something called Beatless. Not even the narrative can save it, that is a narrative which might have been quite interesting under different circumstances. This show’s narrative, however, is just soulless, emotionless, and without any suspense. This is also “helped” by the main two protagonists, the main female protagonist is clearly in the foreground, doing something, and behind her, the main male protagonist is simply just flapping around behind her doing bugger all. Even though he admittedly has rock-solid convictions, still all he can do is blindly trust his robot, despite the fact he is supposed to be the master of it. It is also marred by the quality and frequency of the dialogues because they only minimally move the story along, and often just feature characters chattering on and on about what has already been discussed a hundred times (Arato x Ryo). Plus, there are the occasional fight scenes, which also did not grab me in any significant way and could not redeem this show. Personally speaking, the final impression of Beatless is very poor, and if it had been called Soulless, that would have been more accurate. 2.7/10.

Why do the power levels in the manga not look so bad, whereas in the anime series they just look like a bit of a pissing contest in a men’s room? How is it that the character Hawk did not bother me so much before, and now I sometimes have the urge to have him impaled on a very sharp spike? Instead of a fun and action-packed show with a simple plot, we have been given a much more complicated and convoluted second season, and it is clear that they are far from finished. So, why was I entertained only by two or three fight scenes at most this time? Why am I tempted to say that the manga series is better and that even the most epic fight scenes featuring Escanor and Estarosa are just cooler on paper? I probably should not have read the manga and thereby spoiled the watching of the anime series. In addition, the printed version (whether it is the manga or the light novel series in general) is always more detailed than an anime movie/series and gives more room for the imagination, so why should I be so dissatisfied, why should I even compare them at all? Well, yeah, but why not compare them? There are the aforementioned changes from the first season - they gave us a darker, more complicated, and convoluted narrative, albeit one that is definitely going to leave you waiting for the rest of what they need to tell you. The frequency of the fight scenes really suffers a lot because of that, and also that there are still a lot of things yet to be revealed... Furthermore, even that nice lightness that accompanied the first season is gone, as we are now on to the serious stuff - well, I guess that makes sense!!! Did I like it? Yes, however, when I compare it to the manga.... 7.8/10.

I would really be very interested in the objective opinion of someone who has seen the original 1988 adaptation of Legend of the Galactic Heroes. I would be interested to know if this new adaptation can be compared at all with the thirty-year-old adaptation, what is the difference in the pace of the narrative, and are there any major differences (what exactly is new in Die Neue These)? Sure, I could find out for myself and just watch the older anime series, however, I am not really that sure I am prepared to watch one hundred and ten episodes, just for starters. This is because then there are some movies and other anime series, and something tells me that a few episodes would just not be enough to appreciate this magnum opus and give it a really objective and fair assessment. This is like a history lesson, a sort of a write-up of the galactic wars featuring many events, many characters, and thankfully only two sides pitted against each other. Despite the fact there are only two sides, I am still not able to choose which one to root for, because it is hard to tell who the good guys are and who are the bad guys. There is the Galactic Empire with its military traditions, and where one person holds all the power, and then there is The Free Planets Alliance, where its politicians are corrupt and do not want to lose face, plus are willing to do anything to get re-elected. In Star Wars it would probably be clearer who is good and who is bad, however, in this show, there is no real bad guy, or rather both sides have their own major problems to deal with… Also, I guess, thank goodness that the main focus in the first season is mainly on two characters only. Despite that, the number of supporting characters grows with each episode, and by the grand finale, we are already going for a battle between thirteen Free Planets Alliance fleets with their generals against (if I counted right) nine Galactic Empire fleets, although they are outnumbered due to the total number of personnel. There are different battles featuring thousands of ships and there are millions of people in just one fleet. It looks epic and spectacular, like the greatest encounters described in the history books, even though the spaceships look quite weird rendered in 3D... However, after saying that, I am only at the beginning. I have been introduced to two great generals, seen the magnificence of their brilliant minds, and their motivations. Plus there have been some interesting moments, even though I still am not sure if and how much I enjoy galactic history and so after the first season I am only awarding 6/10 - However, the potential for a better show is there, and I would just like to point out that the original 1988 adaptation is generally very highly rated (for example to date it rates number five on MAL chart of best animes ever made). It is not that popular, although those who have seen it usually do not regret it. So I am curious to see more episodes and what else they may surprise us with.

This is an original anime series, that is, one that does not have any manga, theater play, or light novel series as model. This always stirs up a certain sense of expectation for something unexpected in me just because of that word in the description - original. This is despite the fact I know this is a silly idea, and it is not going to work out that way in practice. Anyway, unfortunately, Tada Never Falls in Love is something so unoriginal that it is almost tragic! Scalpelexis accurately described the first two episodes as just as predictable and full of the moments you would expect from a rom-com, and unfortunately, it never gets any better. In addition, it all comes down to the conclusion, which is the biggest collection of romantic clichés someone like me could possibly imagine. I think they could have still pulled it back if only they had chosen a rational ending. However, that is not how romantic comedies end, and the audience would have probably never survived emotionally... Anyway, you could watch any romantic comedy, even the feature-length movie The Princess Diaries, or read something by Harlequin and I bet you are going to be more surprised by the twists in their works than by this. Tada Never Falls in Love is the most mediocre rom-com anime series I have ever seen. It throws together perhaps everything you would have expected from a romcom, and nothing is left out, except maybe the dramatic revelation of the student council president's secret by the president of the photography club. On the other hand, why change anything when this will eventually work for the romantic souls anyway, even though perhaps every twist and situation is simply going to remind you of something you have seen somewhere before...I should probably be stricter even though I am not sure what that would achieve. Should I be stricter about the fact that someone took perhaps all the tried-and-true recipes of a romantic comedy anime series and threw them all together in a way that simply works? Well, yeah, even though there are still a fair number of individuals who will like it... I for one, however, because of those recurring feelings of "I have seen this somewhere before..." and "well, of course... ", I am just not able to give a better rating than the most mediocre average - 5/10. Also, just for the record - you are probably not going to meet guys like Charles in real life.

This is a brilliant parody packed with absurd humor, brutally violent scenes, great characters, and lots of references to movies, history, and just about everything else. It is just a real shame there are so few episodes because I could have carried on watching this for much longer. Where else could you see a potato that peels itself, the most ingenious cheating in the history of school tests, the greatest cavalry battle, the greatest sports festival in living memory, and much more? It is rough, it is fucked up, it is really amusing, and it has a lot of unforgettable likable characters, including even the mascot (which is something incredible for an anime series)! 8.7/10.

The fact that this anime series is an adaptation of an online free-to-play role-playing game is quite easy to see. I could imagine going on missions with the main male protagonists, visiting different cities, fighting Spirals, fending off the ubiquitous "Team Rocket" (OK, in this show the Wiseman gang), plus the final boss fight... I do not know how much fun a game like this is, however, the anime series is certainly quite an entertaining watch. In the beginning, it does come across as a terrible piece of crap, which at first glance comes across as a kids' show with an extremely uncomplicated narrative, often to the point of naivety, and yet despite that it has a certain charm. I do not know whether this is because of Choco and her occasional sarcastic remarks, which give it the distinct air of self-parody and prove that Choco knows much more than everyone else. It could also be because of the Wiseman gang, who in the end are not as irritating as they might have seemed at first, and personally speaking, I could say I probably even liked them more than Haru and his gang (not counting Choco) by the end. The artwork is cute, and the soundtrack is also cheerful, including the opening and ending. I think the whole thing is such a laid-back anime series that does not take itself too seriously, and if you can take it for what it is, it can be a pleasantly surprising and even entertaining show at times. 6.2/10.

Many of us have a little place that we love to go back to; for some people, it could be a restaurant; it could be a café; and for others, a tea house. These are places where we feel comfortable, we can take our friends and acquaintances there, or simply go there alone when we need to relax. Most of the time, these places have a great atmosphere, ambience, and friendly service, which impressed us so much we returned because we felt so comfortable there, it just made sense. Well, the tea house in this show is just such a place, and it is incredible how the anime’s authors have managed to convey the pleasant feeling of such a place to someone sitting on the other side of a flat screen. It is obvious that the setting of a traditional Japanese tea house can be impressive, as is the bamboo-lined entranceway alone, and so is the tea house: it is so traditional and cozy. You can get that pleasant feeling of being a guest in this lovely space. The staff make your visit enjoyable, as they are so calm and helpful - people who make you feel that they care about their customers because this also enhances the pleasant feeling of security. In other words, they make you feel right at home. What would a tea house be without great tea, delicious cakes, and even some good food? I have always admired how the creators of some anime series can portray food, how colorful and beautiful, and how they can show the enjoyment of preparing and then eating something like that. I have seen this in a few shows. However, it still works for me and can still make me crave something tasty. In other words, this anime series seems to substitute the complex experience of one incredibly fantastic restaurant that does not necessarily have to lead to other worlds to convey its magic (I could not resist the Restaurant to Another World reference...). Everything is laid-back, and even the biggest dramas are resolved with a certain calmness as if there is nothing that a delicious cup of tea and something sweet is not going to fix. However, it is not always so peaceful and charming; this anime’s writers know that they are not able to solve everything immediately and so they succeed in incorporating a grown-up and realistic approach to it all. They do this, for example, by making sure that when you expect a significant and dramatic happy ending, all you get is a calm and quiet exchange of emotions without words. On the other hand, it does not seem to do much, you still feel that it still did. Similarly, the guests seem realistic, and they have their worries and problems they have come to take a break from, or think about how to solve, which the helpful staff is happy to help them with. It is not silly or overly dramatic. However, it is rather just about the ordinary things and worries that any of us can experience. Okay, sometimes it is a bit over the top, although mostly it just comes across as light banter that could not offend anyone and is just entertaining. In the end, Rokuhoudou Yotsuiro Biyori is a very pleasant, endearing, relaxing, and charming show. Sometimes it even gives you some food for thought. I thought it was the biggest surprise of the anime Season 2018, as I would have never expected to have enjoyed a narrative concerning four very likable gentlemen and their tea house. Well, as a result, I consider it also one of the two best anime series of the spring 2018 releases in my mind - 8.3/10.

So once again, after a long time, I made it through a shoujo featuring a reverse harem. However, to be honest, it was not a great experience this time around. I did not mind the naive main female protagonist, and it did not really bother me that none of the male characters were very remarkable. I actually had no idea who would be the most compelling character from their harem, or perhaps which gentlemen would be the most charming. Would the girls pick their favorite guy? I guess so; there are a lot of classic archetypes in the show. Some of them will probably be in some way interesting, even though I did not find any of them fascinating at all. However, I guess that is understandable since I am a heterosexual guy. The show was killed by the dramatic twists, as there were just too many. I was left wondering if they had attempted to cram as many as possible into it. Things like "I am your father" or "He is my brother" or even "I am your fiancé" were all shoved into only a mere twelve episodes. This sort of thing would generally take hours with the average soap operas. Do girls seriously like melodramas like that? Well, the reactions of women and girls will probably give me a clue. Anyway, this is not very watchable for a guy. At times, I even had to laugh, which is not appropriate in such serious situations. In other words, the show's narrative is not that great, in my opinion, and the constant "huge twists'' somewhat spoiled it for me. It is good that the show Kakuriyo: Bed and Breakfast for Spirits was released at the same time. It is a reminder that there are decent and exciting shoujo shows even for guys. I am only awarding this 3.5/10.

Yes, Caligula is a tedious lesson about people learning to face their problems alone, even though everyone is different. The show is wrapped up in a supposedly complicated environment that tells us about as much as we have already learned in the previously mentioned The Matrix. It goes something like this - "The first Matrix was a perfect paradise, it was a disaster, humanity could not accept it." Unfortunately, the show was like a twelve-part lecture, and I again could not accept how it was presented. I did not get to build up a relationship with anyone because there were so many characters. Also, how was I supposed to be somehow shaken up when I learned their real-world secrets? Furthermore, the tediously presented narratives were just bullshit. Some scenes were filled with dry stilted lines that fell flat ("I am a bad mother because I never hugged my son..."). Others had supposedly dramatic and completely unnecessary fight scenes. Still, they made it even more bullshit than it needed to be. As a colleague rightly wrote in their review - they simply symbolize defiance. All in all, it is very tedious and I was just waiting to see what the ending would bring. Then there was the final lecture about humans in a way that even artificial intelligence would understand. So, my view is this: ideas: mediocre, action: useless, suspense: none, emotions: weak = my overall impression is about 3/10 because even the soundtrack was not my cup of tea.

Remember The Revenant with Leonardo DiCaprio? I was thinking about him a few times while I was watching this anime series. If only because Golden Kamuy, like The Revenant, contained a memorable bear scene! However, be warned, while the bear in The Revenant is the best CGI bear I have ever seen, and it is hard to tell that it is not a real bear, the bear in Golden Kamuy is the most hideous of animated creatures that have ever seen the light of day. In general, watching any fight scene involving a bear is sheer agony and is going to make you look like someone put what Ainu refers to as "osoma" in your food or just laugh in despair. You will hang your head or laugh because you cannot take this too seriously. The bear does not do very well, and the wolf does not come out well in some scenes. In other words, in terms of the animation, there is room for improvement. Fortunately, this is probably the only thing that went wrong because Golden Kamuy has a lot to offer otherwise! It is a narrative about an adventure set in a beautiful environment, the harsh but charming Japanese wilderness. Golden Kamuy knows how to draw you into it. You can get to find out something about the animals, or even something about the customs of the local natives, hunters, and everyday people. On the one hand, everything is a bit rough, even though at the same time it is fascinating and visually attractive. Golden Kamuy is also a thrilling treasure hunt with an atmosphere, primarily due to the solid and distinct characters. Indeed, one very quickly remembers who is who; each character is unique in their charming way. The chemistry between the two main protagonists, which is spiced up with witty interactions, definitely puts them ahead of the rest. Even the actual hunt for the tattoos that lead to the treasure is decently dramatic at times, featuring various surprises and amusing situations. In conclusion, you are definitely not going to find this show boring because it is gritty, suspenseful, and entertaining. It even manages to be cute, and most importantly, it is interesting + I liked the opening a lot. 7.8/10.