Legend of the Galactic Heroes - Watching Guide

Die Neue These is Recommended For First Time Viewers. This is a new adaptation of the books and not a remake of the 1988 Movie & OVA.

'The two versions are both fantastic adaptations of the book. Even though they cover the same material, they are both drastically different... For those who may be turned off by older animation and prefer a more cinematic presentation, Die Neue These (DNT) is the way to go. For those who like a slower story and a more sophisticated feeling, the 1988 OVA is the way to go...' -u/Jamull2013

'The thing is, the OVA itself was intended as a 'rewatch' of sorts for the audience - it was intended for people who had already read the novels in full, after all. This is why the OVA felt free to introduce characters or ideas early, out of (novel) order, and/or with little introduction, especially in the first two episodes.

While a person already familiar with all the material will probably wish DNT introduced more things faster, it is following the novel order almost to a T in introducing the world to a new audience, which still means a lot of new stuff in almost every episode.' -Gambio15

Here are more opinions about the DNT vs. 1988 OVA adaptations.

WHY WATCH THE LEGEND OF THE GALACTIC HEROES?

'Legend of the Galactic Heroes is a retelling of Yoshiki Tanaka’s beloved science fiction novels of the same name.  While many may remember the anime from the late 80’s-90’s, Die Neue These attempts to set itself apart with modern animation and a new format; the bulk of the story will be released in theatres as a film series...  By telling both sides of the story,  LotGH provides an in-depth study of the different types of characters and scenarios that have influenced the history of war itself.  It has the feel of a classic war film and the look of a space opera, but at its heart it is a historical epic.

Yoshiki Tanaka (also the author of The Legend of Arslan) is an avid history wonk.  He has a wide-ranging knowledge of conflict across the ages, and he focuses on how poor management influences the course of battle and compounds the tragedies of war.  The two protagonists, both genius strategists, take out lesser characters with an ease that can stretch believability; but every battle in the series is inspired by true events, and many of the characters are reimagined generals and conquerors.  Like any war film, a good amount of time is devoted to battle and strategy, which can be a bit of a slog for anyone not interested in great military endeavors.  However, an equal portion of the series is focused on political maneuvers and character development.  This combination leads to a somber look at human affairs with little to no humor or unnecessary feels.

Absolutely no expense was spared in the making of this series, and that includes hiring an all-star cast of well-known seiyuu. Reinhard, the protagonist most closely resembling Alexander the Great, is voiced by Mamoru Miyano (Light from Death Note and Tamaki from Ouran), while his counterpart Wen-Li Yang is Kenichi Suzumura (Lavi from D.Gray-man, and Sougo from Gintama). The rest of the cast is no less impressive, as most of them have extensive credits to their name...' -MyOwnAlarum

I'll have to add that English cast is equally good with Aaron Dismuke as Reinhard (Alphonse & Van Hohenheim from Fullmetal Alchemist and Senkuu from Dr. Stone) and Ian Sinclair as Wen-Li Yang (Brook from One Piece, Daikoku from Noragami and Yu KANDA from D.Gray-man).

'What It Brings to the Conversation

If you don’t like shows that are dialogue-driven, this may not be the show for you. But if you enjoy long and eloquent talks about religion, politics, philosophy, nations as tools to be used instead of inviolable and impermeable institutions, and the role of the military as a tool of control versus a tool of liberation, all while great space battles take place every few episodes, boy is Legend of the Galactic Heroes something for you.

What makes this show truly special is the great length it goes to be impartial, and to present as many sides of the argument as possible. You may find yourself leaning more heavily towards one side or the other, and the show may even seem to favor either the Empire or the Alliance a bit more depending on the episode, before the next one shows you the other side of the battle and you suddenly see things from a different perspective and maybe even rooting for the characters you hated only five episodes before. Due to the dialogue-heavy nature of the Legend of the Galactic Heroes, the message and themes of the show are presented via conversation instead of straight preaching to the audience – not only that, but most conversations involve one character offering counterpoints to the other, as to present both viewpoints and let the audience draw their own conclusions.

Legend of the Galactic Heroes is heavily concerned with history and the role people in power play in it. The writing is inspired by the “great man theory” which argues that history can be largely explained by the impact great men or heroes have on society and history at large. Characters are often talking about how history will view their actions and how the rise and fall of nations is but a natural part of human history. The rise and fall of empires, and the cyclic nature of history are at the very core of this show. The more we discover of the history of the show’s universe, one thing becomes clear: war never changes.' -Rafael Motamayor

The dub is excellent!

Continuation of the DNT Story. Covers episodes 13-16 of the TV Series.

Continuation of the DNT Story. Covers episodes 17-20 of the TV Series.

Continuation of the DNT Story. Covers episodes 21-24 of the TV Series.

Continuation of the DNT Story. Covers episodes 25-28 of the TV Series.

Continuation of the DNT Story. Covers episodes 29-32 of the TV Series.

Continuation of the DNT Story. Covers episodes 33-36 of the TV Series.

Continuation of the DNT Story. Covers episodes 37-40 of the TV Series.

Continuation of the DNT Story. Covers episodes 41-44 of the TV Series.

Continuation of the DNT Story. Covers episodes 45-48 of the TV Series.

This is by far one of the most underrated and underappreciated animes of the last few years. Most complaints are from people who didn't understood the plot, but if you are paying attention to the story then you'll be able to figure out everything important.

Innovation, when it's too out of the box, often pays the price of being quickly discarded for not conforming to the norm, perhaps because there is nothing to compare to. It happened to Van Gogh, Monet, Edgar Allan Poe & even Bach. This is the case of Geno Studio, formerly Manglobe, who always aims to create something new, something unique that has never been done before. I have a lot of respect for these artists as they hold in their repertoire some of my favorite animes of all time. But in the end, anime, like any other art form is very subjective, and two people watching the same show do not watch the same thing, as they each focus on different things while bringing their own interests, experiences & emotions. 

This is an excellent plot that plays around with the infinite amount of time between seconds! This was an excellent idea and while it has been explored before, it hasn't been done this well. I myself have never seen anything like it, and I have seen plenty of anime and Hollywood movies with similar plots and settings, but really nothing like this. It had me at the edge of my seat for the whole season and I had to binge-watch-it in full. It is really a good watch for anyone that loves sci-fi & supernatural mind-blowing settings, although the story it's mostly a thriller that keeps you wondering how they are going to solve the situation they are in. There is a lot of improvisation as things keep constantly changing for the protagonists.

It will be a masterpiece if it not were for the ending, for which they choose to use a lame Deus Ex Machina plot device to resolve the situation with a happy ending. I'm not sure if the editor/publisher forced the author to give a happy ending or it's just filler material from the anime team, or the author just gave up to writer's block? If someone has read the manga please let me know if the ending it's the same as in the anime. Anyway, the end is less than satisfactory, but I value creativity & innovation above anything else and this was one amazing ride like no other, that deserves praise for 90% of the show.

The ending is really the major flaw that brings this story down, and that is a problem of many animes that have an awesome ride just to crash down at the end. I also think that the power and setting were underutilized, not within this story, but it could have been explored more in subsequent seasons, but the way they ended this story does not leave it open to future seasons so easily, who knows? Anyway, a lot of ideas come to mind once you get the hang of how this power works and I would have loved to see them explored. If you want a better ending just stop watching Episode 12 at 16:25 minutes.

On another hand, the way things are explained is through observation & experimentation. If you are the kind of person that loves to solve mysteries and make your own theories about what's happening, then this is a show for you. But that is not necessary for the enjoyment of the anime, because as long as you pay attention everything will be explained in the end, but you'll definitely like it more if you try to figure out things for yourself.

The animation is good for its time. This type of setting is one that anime does really well, they couldn't have possibly made this story in real-life under a similar budget. They really take advantage of the anime medium to explore this world, including the character designs for the monsters which are mysterious with an eerie feeling. The use of gravity through the show also helps bring this world to life. The fighting scenes are intense and well animated for movement, also horrifyingly realistic at times.

The music is excellent, especially the intro. Sound Effects are also good, on par with the graphics. The voice actors did excellent work on both Sub & Dub. 

Regarding the characters, some of the reviews say that they are too generic, but that is not the case for all of them. Several characters suffer significant character development. The antagonists have compelling stories that clearly explain their motivations and you are bound to identify with some of them. Some are victims of circumstances and makes you wonder if you could act that way given such circumstances. It's especially interesting to see how committed they are to act for their goals, even when they have decided to commit crimes. Moral dilemmas are constantly explored throughout the story. There is a lot of emphasis on the fact that you cannot hesitate when you are in a life or death situation.

Overall, this anime is not for everyone as it has lots of violence and barely any comedy. If you like mysteries, sci-fi, supernatural stories, and thrillers then you should give it a try with an open mind. It is one of the most innovative settings in recent years and at the very least it will leave your imagination wandering about the possibilities of everything you'll see in this story.

'There is nothing wrong with this show. The characters may be somewhat simple but they follow through, it all makes sense and their actions have impact. The story has a concise and satisfying end and the mystery...

Man it starts out inexplicable but the progression is top notch. You understand every concept eventually.  That's superb story telling.

I don't know why this isn't rated higher. It's a short but enjoyable ride through a single millisecond of time.' -ryanshowseason2

The Dub is very good, but I notice that some dialog has been changed from the sub (yes, I already watch this anime twice! probably more by the time you read this review, lol), probably for lip-syncing reasons, but I prefer how some phrases are stated in the Sub.

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime - Watching Guide

This is just another iteration of 'living in a video game', this time as a slime! However, although the story is nothing new, just about getting overpowered and bringing characters together to form your empire, it is perhaps one of the best-executed iterations to date. With an excellent balance of comedy, adventure, action, and likable characters. Execution is king for this anime!

The story has some serious moments but they are kept light-hearted overall. If you like RPG game-like settings & light fantasies, then you'll probably enjoy this show. Otherwise, you may be better off moving into another type of show. 

"The story revolves around the everyday lives of characters and solving (very simple) economical/logistical/philosophical problems which I like very much. It’s just little adventures of the main protagonist and his friends. Similar to the slice of life anime the series is more about the characters than the plot itself.

I also have to mention that (obviously) the job and um … the race of the protagonist is quite different from other isekai shows. The series handles this very well: being a slime gives the protagonist many advantages and he uses them in clever and unexpected ways. 

The comedy elements of the show are pretty good and while they won’t have you rolling on the floor laughing I’m pretty sure they’ll get at least a smile from most people." -captivus

The dub is good.

Continuation of the story. Although not as good as the First Season, you may only want to continue if you really enjoy the anime. 

Continuation of the story.

Quite often, shows in sci-fi & fantasy genres are used as an allegory to talk about ideas and expose social issues that they will be too difficult to discuss otherwise, and this way they can show you a different perspective from the point of view of different characters. So I think is always important to 'read between the lines' and try to figure out what the show is trying to say.

Goblin Slayer is a very violent show that uses the Goblins as an allegory for people who commits felonies like rape, aggravated assault, robbery, burglary, etc. And as stated by the definition of justice provided by the show itself “Justice is not about striking down evil. But making people aware that evil exists in the world.”, in this sense the show succeeds in bringing attention to the subject, as it has everyone talking about that infamous rape scene and the traumas left on the characters. In my opinion, this is one of the intentions of the show, to make you aware that these things do happen in our world, and even if you avert your eyes from watching the violence in this fantasy setting, that doesn't mean that they will disappear from the 'real world'.

Having said that, not everything in the show is about deep themes or social critique, and the show does strike a good balance between action, comedy & drama, so not everything is as heavy. The story is divided into mini-arcs that take about 1-4 episodes but overall, this whole season is an introduction to the characters & this world. The first episode serves as a good introduction to the show, it won't get worst than that. The battles maintain a good level of tension and there is a lot of emphasis in practical tactics to get out of difficult situations, this is shown from the first episode as they compare the common missteps of novices vs. the tactics of an experienced Goblin Slayer. This becomes quite an interesting aspect of the show as Goblin Slayer is not particularly powerful, he is just a simple man and his strength comes from his imagination to create effective & practical tactics on the spot. I see other reviewers comparing him to Batman and I think this is quite accurate. 

The characters are quite likable, most of them are just standard archetypes from the fantasy setting in both looks & personalities but that's ok to keep the mood lighthearted in contrast to the dark themes in the story. We only get the backstories & development of the characters when they are important to the plot. 

The animation is great, especially for the action scenes, I like that some scenes are stylized in order to convey certain feelings & emotions, like when they go black & white and start to get blurry like you are about to pass out. The music is very good too, mostly heavy rock, and helps to convey the feeling of the show, with moments of silence to help create tension.

'The Goblin Slayer creators do not overuse and exploit the fact that the goblins perform this and other heinous acts. What is shown are only minimal amounts that are used to tell the story and not be the story. Thank goodness because this Action, Adventure, Fantasy story is actually interesting and decently written without the repulsive behaviors of the goblins even needing to be shown on screen.' -HKBattosai

'...the central point of the anime (and the manga) is trauma and ways to deal with it. It’s so important that the show's title might as well be: „Posttraumatic Stress Disorder the Anime (oh and also they fight some goblins I guess)”. Considering the subject matter it would be unwise not to show something traumatic at least once, so the audience can empathize with the characters.

...In my opinion, the series would have a problem only if it showed similar scenes over and over just for shock value or to be edgy just for sake of being edgy. The show does not do that. It alludes to similar experiences of other characters but does not show them fully. That’s because it’s unnecessary for the plot or character development if you’ve seen it already. That’s also why I think the scene should be treated just as a plot point integral for the audience to get emotionally invested in the story.' -captivus

The dub is ok, but I prefer the voice from the sub for Goblin Slayer.

========================================================

Regarding Goblin's Crown Movie Although it's apparently canon, I can't really recommend it as I found it average at best. It's lacking the awesome tactics & strategies of the previous stories, in fact, the plot feels pretty stupid with lots of plot holes and inconsistencies. It also lacks the emotional intensity of the series.

This is truly an amazing story that transports you back to a time where men live by the land, and had to hunt to survive, had to protect themselves from everyone they meet on the road and have to help each other to survive even if they were strangers.

The fights are very realistic (except for one character that seems to have superhuman strength), they fight with their own skills and wits. I cannot help but thinking 'these people were strong!' as I watched the series. Those were far more difficult times than what we live in today and people have to adapt in order to survive.

The author Satoshi Noda 'was born in Kitahiroshima, Hokkaido, Japan. His great-grandfather was a military settler in Hokkaido and veteran of the Russo-Japanese War; Noda named the protagonist of his manga series Golden Kamuy after him.' -Wikipedia

'While Noda is noted for conducting in-depth research on subject material that appears in his manga, he has stated that he is not interested in maintaining strict historical accuracy in his work, citing historically inaccurate elements in Golden Kamuy such as skiing and certain firearms that were added for dramatic effect.' -Wikipedia

Ainu Representation in “Golden Kamuy”

The True History Behind Golden Kamuy This article describes the historical time period in detail.

8 Reasons to Go on a Manga Treasure Hunt with Golden Kamuy

Not everything is perfect, there are some historical inaccuracies, how much is violence for the sake of entertainment? Starting with the 2nd Season, the Comedy is sometimes out of place, there is a lot of homosexual fan-service jokes that only serve to derail the story and take the characters 'out of character'. The wavering of ideals is what brings Golden Kamuy down, but not enough so I wouldn't recommend it for anyone who can stomach its violent world.

The dub is ok for all characters, except the female lead.

Continuation of the story. Set concurrently with the events of Season 1 Episode 12, and shows how Hijikata and Ogata ended up traveling together.

Continuation of the story.

Continuation of the story.

Unfortunately, at this point, the sexual fetishes of the author start to take over the story, who seems torn between keep writing Golden Kamuy and BL Fetish Porn. By Season 4, the BL has taken over the story, I'm not sure if that's filler or not, but I wouldn't have watched it if I knew how much fanservice was in Season 4 while the story of Golden Kamuy barely moves forward.

Season 3 is a good point to stop watching this series, and while still has a lot of BL fanservice, at least you can skip those scenes without missing anything important about the story. But you cannot skip the fanservice in S4, since is taken over the story.

With respect to anyone who likes that type of fanservice, for me, Golden Kamuy was about the fighting scenes, the hunting, game cooking, the mystery of the treasure, and learning about the historical setting and Japanese, Russian & Ainu cultures. So for me, this anime ends up in disappointment, as another anime that forgot its roots and didn't know how to continue the story.

I'm of two minds for this one. Although the story is about demons, the overuse of gore, sex & violence does not seem to help the story, it just gets thrown out everywhere it can, it seems out of place at times, and the way the story is told seems quite rushed, not giving you enough time to care for all that is happening. 

On the other side, it's a whole new style for animation and storytelling, so that cannot be ignored either. The ending was original and very good in my opinion. This anime may not be for everyone due to the extreme violence, but I recommend giving it a try!

'This anime toys with your trust in people and makes you care about the characters in a deeper sense which is all wrapped up with world shattering cicumstances. Please give it your time and you (probably) won't regret it.' -vinnievulgar

'I absolutely love the animation. It knows when to be mind bendingly surreal, and when to tone it down to show the reality of the situation. I like the general art style as well. It's like the style of old 80s/90s OVAs, made with today's budgets and tools.

Devilman: Crybaby is stylish, trippy, silly, grotesque, sexual, violent, very dark, almost off-putting, and it accomplishes all this without being 'edgy'. It left me wanting to question it and own thoughts and reactions to the series. It's a series with something to say, but I think different viewers will hear a different message.' -CountZakula

'Overall this anime will blow you the fuck away, it did for me anyhow. You will be kept on your toes almost the entire time and wonder what will happen next. I tried to guess how it would've ended but I was proven wrong until the very end, and boy do I have a hate-love relationship with the ending as well. This anime is a beautiful work of art that conveyed a message that I think everyone needs to hear...' -SandySushi

The dub is excellent.

In this story, people develop a 'Crest' with their achievements, and the goal is that one-day people will be united under the same crest. This is an interesting concept, as the crest represents the path they have taken to achieve their goals. It is never explained how people can read these crests, but the concept is enough to make it clear that at the core, this is a war about ideologies & values. Crests created when they try to protect the people they care about are said to be beautiful, while crests created by subjugation are said to be terrifying, for example. Think of them as a representation of their souls and people who share the same values will unite under the same banner.

There are some who believe that achieving their goals is all that matters, and quickly forsake their loved ones and even themselves. How far will they go to achieve their goals? While there are others who think the way we achieve our goals is as important, and they should not lose themselves during the process even if it takes longer, but Can they actually achieve their goals? or Are they being too naive and lacking commitment to their cause? This is one of the main themes of this anime, and this story does a great job of comparing those decisions against each other. While that is not to say that one group of people is good and the other one is evil, because both of them may actually share the same noble goal at the end, it's just the way they go about it and how they justify their actions that is different. As such antagonists are quite complex. Where would you be if you were living in this world? Who do you agree with?

Having said all that, the action is not the focus of this anime, it is more of a political drama with philosophical & moral considerations. As such, the dialog is quite important and if you are not paying attention you may lose track of what's happening soon. There are still good action scenes with lots of violence and gore, as well as an interesting use of tactics & strategies.

'I am always interested in this kind of setting but they generally don't seem very popular with others. Anime about medieval politics can find themselves unfortunately situated between being too realistic for those who love explosive shounen and too unrealistic or simple for those who enjoy the more mature and complex animes out there. They aren't too focused on romance or comedy and as a result, they really are quite a niche in anime, although I see them all the time on tv. 

Grancrest Senki is very fast paced and this is something I personally like, every episode has a battle or a dramatic encounter and plot or character development. It maintains a relatively mature approach and it never became too predictable, all of these things made it ideal for me. 

It is important to recognise though that you are coming to watch an anime about politics and war, if those things don't fascinate you then I don't know if watching it will be enjoyable for you...

Grancrest Senki is a masterpiece for its respective genre but that doesn't mean that it will be enjoyable to everyone. You need to enjoy the genre and be prepared for the fast pace of the anime. If you aren't paying attention you will quickly fall behind.

This is not a slice of life anime, it's not an adventure anime, it's an anime about politics and war in a medieval fantasy setting. If that's what you want, then this is as good as it gets.' -StevenSAKUJO

The dub is great!

Megalo Box was created in commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of Ashita no Joe (Tomorrow's Joe), considered to be one of the most influential manga and a classic anime that has the honor of being the first about boxing as far as I know.

Megalo Box reimagines the story in a sci-fi setting. I haven't seen the original yet, so I cannot compare it. But despite this being a show about boxing, the focus is not on the techniques and sometimes not even the fights, instead, it is primarily a show about 'finding & doing what you love' to the point you risk everything in your life for just a moment of bliss, regarding of the consequences that will come next. This is true not just for the main protagonist, but also for the people around him. You cannot help to respect the characters' for their strong convictions, regardless if you agree or disagree with their decisions and the way they live their lives. This is a manly man's show in this regard!

The animation is of excellent quality, with a style that is reminiscent of the '80s using hard black ink lines but done with current technology. There are a lot of details in every frame, often adorned with ink lines. It is not just visually pleasant but quite impressive as well. I would love to see this style in more shows!

The music plays a big role in this show from beginning to end, helping to establish it's own style & pacing, with the scene transitions & crucial moments perfectly matching the rhythm.

The sci-fi elements were not utilized properly, it is never explained how they work nor what are the advantages of using them, they have a cool steampunk look but they were unnecessary for the plot, the story could have been told just as well without them.

Overall, this is a simple and straight show, the characters feel real because they are just living their emotions, the animation is pure eye candy and the music is better than most shows. In my opinion, everyone should give it a try.

'Joe is genuinely enjoyable to watch, combining just the right proportions of brashness, arrogance, and integrity. He has a sense of humour and he doesn’t take himself too seriously. But he’s also damn good at what he does and loves his sport.' -VivisQueen

'The show does not try to sweep you away with strong dramatic scenes or deep character defining inner monologues. The characters are not exceptionally deep, eloquent or wordy but have clearly defined flaws which sometimes are explained through backstory. They are their own people and they fit the setting. It's characters, they're simple people acting on emotion and even with the backstory and character establishment present they remain simple people who you can quite easily emphasize with.

This show did what it set out to do and was stylish and involving with the ending being what you'd hope for in this show... I don't care much about the shows drawbacks as they were few and it's strength lays within it's style and execution more than in revolutionary plottwists or evolved story telling. It's a simple show that's just made well...' -Etue

The dub is good.

Continuation of the story.

This show is not for everyone, it is mostly about communication while using empathy in order to convey the meaning of what people feel, but often can't quite put into words by themselves.

Violet represents different roles through her character:

• For one part she represents the children who have lost their childhood and with that, the ability to understand and convey their own feelings as well the feelings of others.
• She also represents the people who have been traumatized by war.
• And though her innocence, the point of view of little children that is yet to understand what they feel and how to convey that properly.
• Her character is meant to be a point of reference to say 'if Violet can, everybody can learn to do this'.

They did a fair job of cramming all these roles into her character, but I'll have to question if this was really the best approach? They could have leveraged all her roles into different characters to make it more realistic because, in the end, she is a super-intelligent genius assassin that is able to do anything better and faster than anybody else, while still being completely naive & incompetent, not even able to take care of herself. So obviously, because of all of these traits, her character is hard to relate, the situations she gets in seem forced and unrealistic, while the plot advancement seems contrived, trying to forcing you, the viewer, into feeling something; instead of those feelings developing naturally through the story.

So from that point of view, her story is a failure, just look at what other reviewers are saying about it:

'Just to make certain that I'm being clear, Violet Evergarden is a person who transitioned from lovelorn, autistic mass-murderer into depressed, paraplegic postal transcriptionist. She's only slightly more clever than her typewriter, and this is why I find it more than mildly dissatisfying that what could easily be interesting explorations of pathos are instead hand-wavingly anti-resolved just because there's a blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl waifing around the place.' -Mayobe

LoL, at the end of the show you'll see how true those words are, however, I'll have to argue that is not the intent of the show.

Clearly the show is trying to teach empathy & assertiveness, with each episode being a lesson trying to prepare you for different aspects of life, like the loss of a child, a mortal disease, not knowing if a loved person is alive or dead, etc. Each chapter has a different story.  The show also places a lot of focus into pointing out that the words that people say are not often what they mean, and the importance of being able to decipher those true feelings.

I can only applaud the efforts of the author as there are not many shows like this around. But this requires you to have an active role by placing yourself into the shoes of Violet and ask yourself what would you say to those people? What would you write? What are they trying to say in that letter? If you can do that, then the show will be interesting, meaningful, and appreciated.

From this point of view, another reviewer wrote:

'I was actually impressed by this new anime. It hit me on personal levels. You have to really pay attention to the main character, Violet, to really understand whats happening. I can't wait for when the rest of it comes on, on netflix, since I watched it on kissanime. Violet is still trying to understand what she is going through, she doesnt understand human emotion. She doesn't understand love and sadness. It's truly a beautiful and remarkable story of her trying to find the meaning of love and face her past.' -Wavessss

So in the end, your enjoyment of this show will largely depend in your point of view, do you see it as soap opera storytelling that is just there to show you some melodrama, or as a collection of life lessons that need your active attention & empathy?

The animation & music are an excellent feast for the senses, nothing to complain about those departments.

Character development is shown through the transcendence of the letters to convey their meaning to others, enough to make them change.

The Dub is great.

Side story, this is a good watch that encompasses the feelings of the people who's never reunited with those who went to war.

Continuation & side story.

Continuation & final story. Make sure you watch both specials above before watching this one. 

I was pleasantly surprised with this show, it started with some slapstick humor and I guess nostalgia for retro games of the '90s (I barely recognize any of them, only the most popular, like Street Fighter & Mortal Kombat), but then the show evolves into a meaningful story about doing what you love and including a romance with good chemistry.

The female lead does not talk, but she is able to convey all of her emotions through her expressions, and through the witty dialog of the main protagonist that is always teasing her. There is a good amount of character development throughout the story.

The animation style is quite unique, and sort of matches the retro designs of the game characters and is a perfect fit for the comedy. The CG, in this case, helps accentuate the game motif. 

'I very much enjoyed Hi Score Girl as I'm one of those people that went through the golden age of gaming. I can easily relate to the main protagonist since I've owned and played on most of the consoles and games mentioned on the show.

Very cool coming of age story where a young boy can't think of anything else but gaming and slowly starts to grow into a person who starts to care more for his friends and his future while his friends still keep dragging him back into the game world. 

There is a nice little love triangle although it can be a little hard to follow since one of the girls doesn't say a word and instead of giving us a facial expression we understand she'll start punching the main protagonist instead.

Seeing all these old games is awesome, the characters are pretty cool and the CGI is a nice pick for this show...' -Gozza

The dub is great.

Continuation of the story.

Continuation of the story.

If you are wondering if you should watch the movie or the TV Series? Then you should know that it's the same story. In fact, the TV Series follows the movie almost to a T. But the movie has better animation by MadHouse and featured performances by the renowned pianist Vladimir Ashkenazy (I'm not sure who does the performances for the TV Series, but they are also very good). However, the story starts to differ with the ending of the movie. So you can start with the movie and then jump to the TV Series to finish the story, at Episode 5, where the differences begin. The only advantage of watching the TV Series is if you prefer or need the dub, as there is no dub for the movie.

If you think you don't like classical piano, think again! You've been listening to classical music all your life, its on commercials, TV Series, Movies, at restaurants, at the Mall, when they leave you on hold on the phone, etc, etc. And just like any other type of music, there are some pieces that everyone recognizes and everyone likes; this is the kind of piano music showcased on this anime, and the performances are great!

The animation is average at best and loses quality with the use of some terrible CG for the piano performances, specifically the hands. I guess it was just too difficult to animate them by hand, but being an anime about music, probably with some budget constraints, I can only say that they did make the right decision to put everything into the music rather than the visuals, after all, you want to hear the performances and when music is good enough, you may find yourself closing your eyes as well. There are some visualizations on the animation, but these vary in quality and will never be as good as if you are only focusing on the music.

Unfortunately, they added some dialog over the music in an attempt to guide and educate people about the kind of emotions that evoke and the kind of things that makes a performance better than others. This will usually be a good thing, but they added just too much, and don't give enough time to try to 'hear' in the music the ideas they are trying to convey, for example, they will say that a performance is warm, but won't give you the time to try to find that quality in the music, instead they go into the next idea/suggestion and the next, etc, etc. At times in some performances, I found myself wanting to yell at the narrators to shut up and let me hear the music, which was so good, but the narrators definitely ruin some performances.

The story is simple, mostly about the pianist's competitions and their struggles to find their own sound & style. There is a lot of criticism for the way judges assign points and even the politics behind the scenes that can move the voting in one direction while making or breaking the artists' careers. In the end, it also proposes better ways to make these competitions fairer.

I should also mention that in the movie, there is a lot of focus on the main protagonist's mother profession and circumstances, that highly gets ignored on the TV Series. I'm not sure if this is because of the TV censorship or the source material, but it's unfortunate that we never get to see how all of these struggles were overcome, and the issues with his mother are highly ignored.

The characters in this story are meant to fill certain roles and represent different ideologies & personalities that you often find in this kind of music scene. Everyone has a different approach to achieve the best performance and focus on different things. In the end, this anime tries to give its point of view for 'how things should be' and what they should really be focusing on.

Overall, this show may not be for everyone, but I do think that everyone should give it a chance. The movie may suffice to give you an idea if you want to keep watching this series or not as if that didn't grab your attention then you should not expect more of this show.

The dub is ok.

Continuation of the story.

This was an excellent family movie with themes of overcoming loss, finding happiness, and seeing life as a gift. There are plenty of lovable characters and the story is not afraid to challenge the theme of overcoming loss head-on and do so in a realistic way, but never feels too heavy. The animation & sound were just what you expect from a movie of this year. 

If you are wondering if you should watch the Movie or the TV Series, then you should know that overall, both cover the same stories. The TV Series goes into more depth and some events & character roles have been changed, but that does not necessarily make it better. I think the main ideas were polished and better executed in the Movie than in the TV Series. The shorter time in the movie helps to keep more focus on the important part of the story and although it may feel rushed at times, it does have better pacing than the slower TV Series, which was way too slow for me at least. The TV Series is just average, the climax of the movie does not appear in the TV Series. I will only recommend to keep going to the TV Series if you don't have anything better to watch.

'...the movie is a hidden gem that surprised me in all the right ways!

Okko's Inn is a film about loss, healing, growth, and acceptance. It's about a young girl who went through something tragic and learned to move forward and make the best of her situation. To move forward with determination rather than dwell on what couldn't be changed.' -duchessliz

The dub is great.

Also known as Grandmaster of Demonic Path/Cultivation, or The Founder of Diabolism, is a Donghua or Chinese Animation and as such, it has themes of Cultivation & Xianxia. It will be helpful if you are familiar with those themes before you watch this show.

This anime has excellent animation with some very smooth mix of 3d. The artistry of the animators really shows through the composition of the scenes, the fluidity of movement (especially in the fighting scenes) and there is a great use of the color palette both for aesthetic reasons as well to make it easier to identify the characters and which sect they belong.

The music is superb, it is mostly traditional Chinese zither, and it works great to convey the mood of the show at every step. One of the protagonists actually uses this instrument to fight.

Not everything is perfect, the pacing is inconsistent, with many episodes of just dialog and slice-of-life that feel more like a soap opera than relevant to the story. The pacing starts to get better after episode 8, when the main plot starts to develop, but then quickly passes over important fights while spending more time in less meaningful fights. Also for this being a story about the war between clans, there is a lot more emphasis placed on the slice-of-life and character relationships than the war itself.

Many of the problems between characters are caused just by lack of manners & diplomacy to the point that regular politeness & etiquette is depicted as 'wisdom' in this show. I'm not sure if this is a cultural difference, but everyone on this show either talks super arrogant or super submissive with nothing in between. This aspect seems to be common to all Donghuas, but for me, the plot seems very contrived because a lot of the problems could have been avoided by talking with respect (and some characters actually prove that this is possible), they just don't choose to do it (so there is an excuse for a fight), therefore it comes to no surprise they raise enemies everywhere they interact with someone, lol. The environment they chose to live in seems to be the real monster here.

The characters are also inconsistent, sometimes they are able to figure out things that are complicated while other times fall to traps that seem too obvious, especially with the aspect I mentioned above, when it comes to communication and diplomacy. This causes the big revels to feel weak, as they could all have been avoided and they end up just being overdramatized and contrived.

There are also some BL undertones on this show, but not enough to stop you from watching in my opinion, that's why the show does not have the tag on it. Nothing is depicted graphically, it is just insinuated.

Despite the flaws, I still think this is great Donghua to watch, the artistry alone for the graphics and sound makes it worth watching and the story is not a complete loss itself.

'Our MC is Wei Wuxian, shortly described as a cunning little shit, with a hero complex, who likes to pester people until they face-palm. He was (before death), the Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, playing a flute to control corpses, to, in essence, massacre and do evil deeds (or at least, that's what people think).

No, the MC is not a stupid teenage boy that has mush for brains and the temper of a two-year old. No, the MC is not 100% OP. No, the MC does not have a harem of girls, loved by everyone for no reason.

On ep. 3, we are brought to the past to find answers to some of the mysteries presented, see the tragedies, and in general, to flesh out a rather large cast of characters...

The show's presentation of this story is thoughtful and beautiful. I was actually impressed with the depth they gave a chunk of the side characters. Overall, the plot is fairly simple, but for what they were trying to do, and the refreshing feel of a chinese cultivation world setting, it really kept me entertained...

Another thing to note are the bits of foreshadowing, symbolism, and details in each episode.

For example, symbolism in some of the plants, such as the symbolic meaning of a lotus flower in china being applied to a character. Another is a scene where a turtle dives into the water while two cranes fly above the surface, signifying one character staying relatively hidden/not true to themself, while the other two 'cranes' fly openly in the sky. Subtle expression changes in characters that aren't even in main focus on the screen during a scene, indirectly revealing their inner feelings. Even what a character is writing on a piece of paper, that is only in the screen for a few seconds, could actually have a piece of plot relevant information in another episode?! If only I could read Chinese.

One main theme in the show is the grey in between 'good vs. evil'. A lot of the characters have obvious flaws or do questionable things while still being likable, or even having justifiable intentions.' -asterris

I think this show will benefit from a good dub, the subs were too fast in the version I saw and there is lots of dialog, so I found myself pausing a lot (and it's not that I'm a slow reader, some subs were left for less than a second). 

This anime deserves a Dub!

Continuation of the story.

Continuation of the story.

This turned out to be an excellent film, with the quality of the 3d animation, characterization & storytelling on par with animation studios like Disney, DreamWorks & Pixar! From beginning to end, the story has excellent pacing, there are beautiful animated scenes full of creativity & imagination, the music, the narrative, the dub & voice actors, everything was of excellent quality.

For those who don't know, the film was inspired by the traditional Chinese fable Legend of the White Snake, which was previously adapted in The Hakujaden (1958), which is the first color anime feature film. The story of this film seems to be like a prequel to the 1958 version, although this is only my impression.

Since it's all based on Chinese folklore it will help to have seen some animes based on Xianxia, like Douluo Dalu, to expand your understanding of what's going on in the film, but it's not a requirement.

'I was reluctant before, but after watching it, I can say it is one the most beautiful animated movies ever. I cried so much at the ending. It is romance, action , mythology all mixed in a one beautiful peice. The chracterization is so damn great. The ending fight and its scenes left me starry eyed.' -Crimsonsongbird

'The story reminded me a little bit of Lord of the Rings, in the way that it's really about the journey, and not the end destination. The animation blew right past my expectations, and was absolutely stunning at every turn. The faces reminded me a little bit of 3D Disney, namely Frozen. The shapeshifting animations are divine, and the small weather based details- snow, trickling water,  flying petals, and dandelions are beautiful, and make the aesthetic extremely pleasing, and memorable. 

   The characters were solidly built, each with their own troupes, and personalities and my heart honestly hurt for them towards the end. ((A particular favorite for me was the Fox Demon girl at the workshop- both in voice, character design and animation. )) The way the characters move is so fluid, you can tell Gkids put a lot of love into this movie.

   There were also a lot of unexpected aspects, like giant paper birds, and uh... the snake-catcher boy, and the snake demon literally having sex in the middle of the movie, in a shrine built with the intent of killing demons?

  The soundtrack is also lovely, with a wide range of traditional chinese intruments. 

   For just plucking a movie off the shelves, I feel like I really lucked out by it being White Snake. It was a very refreshing watch. 10/10 don't let yourself miss out on this movie.' -Symka

The dub is excellent!

Continuation of the story? Sort of... 

There is a big gap of time that may be filled with The Hakujaden (1958), or by reading the traditional Chinese fable Legend of the White Snake. This sequel certainly expects you to know that and then it goes into its own surreal tale of the struggle to survive.

This new tale is less aimed at kids, since there are more deaths and the themes won't be easy to understand for little kids. Is also more than 2 hours long.

However, the movie is more about the graphics and action scenes. This is really where it excels.

The dub is good.

This anime starts as a detective story with lots of mystery and plot twists, then adds some supernatural elements. It is certainly well crafted and executed from beginning to end, the mysteries are not complex, but the way the information comes in and the many lies of the people behind it, are what keep you guessing as they try to solve these mysteries, with many things hidden in plain sight.

Their world is like a parallel world to us, with many things that are similar but with a different history, myths, politics, and contradictions like using older and more advanced technology at the same time than what we currently have in our world.

This first arc has a satisfactory ending. I'm not sure if the supernatural elements were really necessary to tell this story, but it seems they'll have more focus on future seasons where I hope they get more developed.

The animation & music as an excellent choice for this series. 

'The story begins strongly, with so many mysterious - about Killer B, about RIS - the Royal Investigation Service - which are fighting crime, and its investigators. Then it continues with even more mysteries, plot twists, flash backs, good music, nice animation and interesting characters.

There is also lots of humour especially around Keith - the genious and legend among investigators, who kind of acts crazy and as he lost his memories or is living in the past...' -kyandibaburu

'Story:  A really twisted physiological story that will keep you in and wanting to know what will happen next. The whole story is in future with some SciFi but cars and building and some background features looks like in 40s or something around that time.' -Deo2

The dub is excellent.

The Sequel, however, is just a sorry attempt at capitalizing on the success of the first season. I'll even say that it destroys some of the things that make the first season so good by reviving characters whose death added meaning to the story and adding cliches like the brother-sister incestuous complex that anime creators just seem unable to get over, and in addition to superpowers, cars can now drive on the wall of a building defying gravity (yeah, its that bad). I don't recommend watching it.

This show has everything you would expect from a sports anime. The matches have lots of intensity, characters go through hardcore training while trying to find their reasons for fighting, opportunities are created not just through hard work, but also through tactics & strategies, and respect is found when you display your full potential, even if you win or lose the match.

The character personalities & development are what make this show enjoyable and worth watching. The characters have real-life struggles and there is good chemistry between all teams. Even the side characters make their contribution to the plot.

There is no much of a story, all show is basically about tournaments and training for them. Each character does get a backstory and while some are looking for reasons for fighting, others are trying to overcome their own obstacles and test themselves.

The animation may be one of the weakest parts of the show. At some times the characters look muscular at other times just fat with odd body types, it is very inconsistent on this respect. But when it comes to fighting, the editing is really able to create a sense of intensity and power for each match, and the action is easy to follow showing the moves each character make (although is not particularly fluid motion, the cuts are spot-on for each move and countermove they make).

The sound effects and music are good, nothing stands up either good or bad on this aspect.

Overall, I would recommend this show to anyone who likes sports anime, even if they don't care about Sumo at all. Give it a try to the first 2 episodes before you make your own mind to keep watching.

Personally, I never care much about Sumo, and my only encounter with the sport so far was one time that I played Street Fighter using Honda, and I never give that character a second try afterward :), so I was not sure if this show will be interesting enough for me. But as it turns out, although I cannot say I'll be following Sumo, nor interested in watching any real-life matches, at least I can say I have a newfound respect for the sport after watching this show.

The dub is good.

I'm not sure how historically accurate is this anime, but at the very least is an interesting look at those harsher times.

'The story follows a group of prisoners who are exiled to Tsushima Island to help form a first line of defense against the first Mongol invasion of Japan in 1274.' -Wikipedia

And as such, you as the viewer are thrown together in a boat with a bunch of strangers who just come together in order to survive the imminent threat. From there is only to figure out what to do for each of them in order to survive while learning some historical events and customs of their time.

Regarding the animation, they overlay some textures on top, I guess to make it look more interesting under a low budget, but the problem is that they are affixed to the camera, so it looks really well when the camera is static and the characters are moving, but it's awful when the camera moves, as it makes it look like they didn't clean the lenses and the dirt is moving along the camera. This effect takes you out of immersion sometimes, quite an overlook from the animation team, if only they had those textures stay put when the camera moves this wouldn't have been an issue. I mention this because is one of the major complaints against this show.

'Solid, Historical anime adapted from a manga.

While I didn't find the art style beautiful, it works and well depicts the history of the Mongol invasion. 

Being on an island and removed from the larger parts of Japan proves challenging to the small number of Samurai attempting to protect their home and fellow countrymen from the foreign invaders whose attack methods are new to them.  This anime provides an interesting window into the weapons, armor, technology and beliefs of medieval Japan around 1274. It also emcompasses many situations that the Tsushima Islanders must have encountered whilst under attack. It is a good study into human interactions and their responses under the stress of war.

I can't say that the music is memorable, but it doesn't detract from the anime either. As far as characters go, there is no real stand out in the group but for this type of anime, I don't think that's a huge detraction. It is a nice solid Historical piece. There is bloodshed and war, but it is not too graphic or overly depicted.

Although this is not a stand out this season, I have enjoyed each episode and the little snap shot it gives on medieval Japan. It is a nice solid, realistic portrayal of an historical event.  I would say watch this if you like historical anime, enjoy learning a bit as you watch, or just want a change of pace from the usual anime on offer.' -KarmicJoke

This anime deserves a Dub!

Anthropomorphic Cells! Who would have thought this could be an interesting idea? But the genius is in its execution, with a perfect balance of comedy, action, and educational information to keep our body working.

I especially loved the action moments, although its hard to tell who the bad guys really are, as you may end up feeling sorry for the pathogens' cruel impending doom, lol. The show can get very violent at times, but it's for a good cause!

It was also fun (and worrisome) to see how bureaucracy gets in the way of the body's responses and often causes more trouble than it's needed to solve a problem.

It's a rare treat to see a show that is as informative as entertaining, and you are unlikely to forget these lessons if no other for the shock value.

'As someone in the medical field who's had to take several biology and anatomy classes, this anime is very accurate! What was even more interesting was how everything was explained to make it simple and understandable. I also loved how they drew the viruses and bacteria based on their names and how they actually look. Not only was it enjoyable to watch because of its accuracy, but it was also a very funny anime! The characters were funny and very interesting because they had personalities based on what they do in the body. I would suggest this anime to everyone, especially to those interested in anatomy and healthcare.' -sweetdesu

'Dr. Satoru Otsuka, postdoctoral fellow in the molecular neuro-oncology department of Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia, praised the series' depiction of cancer cells during the series' seventh episode. Biology teachers at a high school affiliated with China's Southwest University were so impressed with the accuracy of the series that they assigned it as homework for their students.' -Wikipedia

'The story and characters were great. I love how we all have little Jojo's in our bodies beating up germs. The ridiculousness of everything amused me greatly. The last two episodes of season 1 (now there is an OVA episode 14), were just so great that my minor critiques just melted away like snow.' -DreamertK

The dub is great.

The Common Cold needed a special episode to tell its story.

Continuation.

Another, much darker story.

This was a surprisingly good slice of life. The story is about making your dreams a reality. People will tell you they are impossible, that you should wait, that you don't have the resources, etc. How do you deal with all those obstacles, keep yourself motivated, and make things happen? Those are some of the themes in this story.

Despite the slow pacing, there is never a dull moment. The obstacles they face are believable as well as the solutions they find. The characters are likable and most people will be able to relate to their stories.

'I really loved this anime and I honestly feel so motivated to go on many trips and live out my youth. Make friends and say yes to things I usually wouldn't. Although with how much it was hyed up I did expect more but nevertheless it was a really good anime it made me cry and laugh and it will definitely be a memorable experience for me. I think the message is really important and I wish there were more episodes but with the short 13 I think the anime delivered and completed the message it wished to present very well.' -iamnotneechan

'The characters were sweet and it felt like they were actual people with emotions and not drawings put together on a screen, I never really enjoy the slice of life genre but this one was definitely different. Although it's pretty uncommon for a group of high school girls and a young celebrity to go to Antartica together it still felt realistic and didn't quite have that dramatic artificial touch to it. The story made sense and it clearly represented all of the characters drives and determination to make a change in their lives and better themselves.' -mickeyxox

This anime deserves a Dub!

This is based on a novel written by Tomihiko Morimi, the same author of The Tatami Galaxy.

This was a compelling story full of meaning & symbolism. The characters are not only likable, but they also have excellent chemistry as shown through their witty dialog, which in my opinion is one of the best parts of this movie. The surrealist presentation invites your imagination to make your own interpretation of the events while trying to figure out what's going on and what kind of movie is this? In the end, I think the journey will leave you satisfied, even if not everything is fully understood.

The animation is great, at times feeling like a daydream, which is in stern contrast against the scientific approach that some of the characters take within the story.

'PENGUINS!!! This movie is absolutely adorable and surprisingly the plot was pretty intricate. I expected a fairly simple 'There are cute penguins in town and we will watch them be cute' but it was actually somewhat philosphical and deep. It's a really good 'feel good movie' that will make you feel relaxed and whimsical and if that's what you're looking for than snuggle up in some warm blankets, get some hot cocoa and enjoy some fluffy penguins in amazing animation (really everything is so sparkly).' -iamnotneechan

'This movie felt like a true fantasy. Each element of the story, characters, score, and visuals reflected the piece's whimsical outlook. The story felt like it was created, shaped, and told by the children starring in it, allowing the plot creative freedom to play with their fantasies. This is best demonstrated in the sequence where the kids come every day during their summer holidays to make observations about the bubble. It was such a simple concept, yet it was realized perfectly. It captured the kid's thoughts and feelings about their work, each other, and their discovery. Additionally, the final conflict felt like something only a child could dream up, yet it was grounded in reality, having real world consequences to the world and its characters within. I would have loved to learn more about the penguin girl, but I think her ambiguous details again contributed to the idea that the children shaped the story. Sometimes you don't know or have access to all the information you want, left to your own devices to piece together your version of the solution. 

This movie was a whimsical ride and I hope you take the time to enjoy it like I did.' -HoneyHam

The dub was excellent!

This type of story has been done before, but this is a good iteration in anime form, I wouldn't say it's the best I've seen, but it's still a good one. Your enjoyment of this story will depend if you have seen something similar before or not.

The protagonists feel a little fictitious, one too stoic & unemotional and the other one too chummy for what's happening to her. But the story is on a mission to get a message across and I think they do a good enough job with that.

This is not a romance, it's more about life & death. Are you living to the fullest? Or are you a living dead?

'This type of story has been tackled by a few animes in the past so in someways it feels a little generic. But it's just so heartfelt and engaging that it never feels forced and therefore the tears that most viewers will shed feel honest and deserved.

Some will draw parallels with Your Lie In April but for me it was closer to A Silent Voice with the protagonist unable to interact with anyone and the romantic relationship left a little ambiguous. Like A Silent Voice the film is really about the growth and development of the protagonist as a person rather than the romance.

Still a beautiful film though, definitely recommended and worthy of your time.' -Balam

The dub is good.

Clearly, the author created this comedy with the thought in mind that 'even cute girls can be terrifying!' as epitomized by the intro & outro songs, so if you think this is going to be a cute comedy or slice-of-life then run away while you still can!

This is a hilarious comedy! Each episode consists of 2-3 sketches that varied in themes & quality, but overall they do maintain a great level of comedy and manage to surprise you while keeping you interested and wanting more.

Just watch the first episode to have an idea of what you are getting into, the rest will be alike in quality & themes.

'I don't usually watch comedy anime due to my picky tastes, but Asobi Asobase had me cracking up from beginning to end. I wasn't bored throughout 95% of the show and it constantly left me guessing. Just when you thought you knew what was going to happen next, the show throws a twist at you. Absolutely amazing. Definitely recommend watching if you need some cheering up or a really good laugh.' -KittyyRose

'Asobi Asobase is quite possibly the funniest anime I have ever watched.  The only reason I wouldn’t say it’s hands down the funniest is due to the brevity of the series.  It just can’t match up with a heavyweight like Gintama that has a decade of solid humor...but pound for pound, Id consider Asobi Asobase funnier.  Every episode is non-stop laughs.

There isn’t much of a story, the show is very episodic, but doesn’t change the fact that it is friggin hilarious.  The characters are some of the best ive seen in years.  You won’t find any recycled anime girl tropes here' -Foshizz

This anime deserves a Dub!

More funny stories.