Deadjournal

A sweet, calm, and pleasant anime, best enjoyed on a rainy day, wrapped in a warm blanket with a cup of hot chocolate in hand. The first few episodes nearly put me to sleep, but gradually, I found myself drawn into the world on the other side of the screen.

This anime is both clichéd and original at the same time. The plot is predictable and reminiscent of your typical dime novel, but it avoids most of the common anime clichés. I watched the entire series with ease, found the events on screen believable, and even empathized with the characters (even though, of course, I knew how it would end from the very start). The pacing is calm and slow, with a focus on slice-of-life moments rather than drama. There are no excessive emotions or other typical anime tropes, which is quite refreshing. That said, this is one of those shows that fades from memory almost as soon as you finish it.

I also read the manga and can say that the series stays pretty faithful to the source material.

I've read the original visual novel, but I only decided to watch the adaptation recently. I have to say, I was truly impressed by the visuals in this anime. It’s hard to believe it aired in 2006, the artwork, 3DCG, and special effects rival even some modern TV series.

The main issue with the adaptation is its fast pacing. With only 24 episodes, there’s not enough time to fully develop the plot. As a result, viewers who haven’t read the original visual novel may find themselves confused. On the other hand, this might serve as a great incentive to dive into the VN. For the average viewer unfamiliar with the source material, there will undoubtedly be plenty of unanswered questions by the end. Perhaps this explains why it has a relatively low score on MAL.

That said, it was still a pretty good adaptation overall.

This anime felt pretty mediocre to me, both in terms of story and visuals. Sure, animation quality isn’t as important as the narrative, but here the plot feels even cheaper than the art, it’s riddled with inconsistencies and plot holes that only the least demanding viewer could overlook. There are so many silly moments and logical gaps that I found myself instinctively facepalming more often than not. But considering the target audience, little girls, the creators clearly didn’t bother too much with such “unnecessary” things.

As for the characters, hardly anyone stood out. Maybe Nakago, but even he’s made entirely of clichés. Nuriko was somewhat interesting, but their abrupt shift from hatred (and even an attempt to drown Miaka in a swamp) to unconditional love and friendship with her was jarring and felt completely unearned. It was unnatural and lacked any believable justification.

And then there’s the ending. It’s awful. Not only is it overly drawn-out with way too many convoluted twists, but it’s also entirely predictable from the start. If the series had wrapped up around the midpoint of its final arc, it would have been far better than the agonizing mess we got in the last episode.
Final Score: 6/10

This anime will likely only appeal to fans of retro shows.

That said, Fushigi Yuugi had tremendous potential. The ancient China-inspired setting and the isekai genre are both concepts I really enjoy. Unfortunately, it didn’t live up to what it could’ve been. Even so, I don’t regret watching it.

Overall, the performance isn’t even that bad, the animation is solid, especially when compared to To LOVE-Ru, which I watched right before this. But, as always with anime, there’s just too much idiocy packed into the story. It’s impossible to take this seriously, attempting to do so might induce mental nausea.

That said, the plot concept is intriguing: a cold-blooded pickup artist–Japanese high schooler who, almost every episode, “wins over” a new girl. Unfortunately, it comes off clumsy and downright stupid, sometimes intentionally, for comedic effect, and sometimes unintentionally, like in the arc with idol Kanon (that one had me figuratively throwing up rainbows).

As for the characters, the only one I liked was Elsie, a clumsy, adorable airhead. Sadly, she didn’t get her own arc, which is a shame. Here’s hoping she’ll get fully fleshed out in the second season (though I’m not rushing to watch it anytime soon).

Arc Ratings:

• Sports girl arc: 5/10


• Loli-brat arc: 7/10


• Idol arc (the longest, unfortunately): 3/10


• Library girl arc: 8/10

Final Score: 6/10

Also, this is the third or fourth anime in a row I’ve seen where a regular Japanese high schooler gets a girl literally dropped on him from the sky in the very first episode. What’s up with that? Is it some kind of divine message? Or, as they’d say on Russian TV, “Coincidence? I don’t think so.”

I finally powered through all 50+ episodes of Eureka Seven. Fair warning, there will be spoilers, so read at your own risk.

The first half of the series was enjoyable, with a lively pace despite the schizophrenic setting and plot (a hallmark of Bones productions). However, around the halfway point, right after Charles and Ray’s deaths, the show took a sharp turn. It shifted from an adventurous narrative into a run-of-the-mill teen romance wrapped in a completely deranged setting, seemingly cooked up by a screenwriter drowning in a triple dose of sake and self-loathing.

Character personalities abruptly changed, and the level of nonsensical absurdity skyrocketed. Maybe those who watched the series as it aired didn’t notice this as much, but binge-watching made these shifts glaringly obvious, leaving a rather unpleasant impression.

Take Holland, for example. In the first half, he was a selfish, immature jerk who’d beat up Renton, only to suddenly transform into a mature, kind, and caring mentor figure. Or Eureka, initially a classic kuudere with autistic vibes, she suddenly morphed into a generic and unremarkable character.

Anemone was my favorite character, but even she wasn’t spared. By episodes 48 or 49, she inexplicably stopped being the unhinged maniac and Dewey’s lackey she had been all series long. Out of nowhere, she started hating Dewey, fell in love with Dominic, and turned into a friendly "cute girl." At least they didn’t kill her off until the very end. Renton changed as well over the course of the series, but his development was far less abrupt compared to everyone else.

To be fair, you could try to connect these sudden changes to the plot if you really pay attention (for instance, Anemone’s transformation is linked to her stopping the use of certain substances). Still, the execution feels awkward and unnatural, leaving an unpleasant aftertaste. Don’t even get me started on how they squandered the individuality of the characters.

As for the ending, it’s pretty standard and predictable, nothing to evoke strong emotions really.

On the bright side, I really enjoyed the OST, even though it’s nothing particularly groundbreaking.

If I were to rate it:

First half: 8/10
Second half: 5/10

Final Score: 6.5/10.