Earlier around this year I started some anime recommendation blogs of early 2017 anime’s or as I call them “animu’s” to watch for anyone that was entering with a blind eye with some hype ones not being out at the time.
Namely Masamune-kun’s Revenge and Chaos;Child, two animes I had high hopes to stick the landing but both sadly enough fell on their butts hard. Granted I’ve had an off and on thing with anime as of late due to figuring out what really exhausted me from liking or talking about it is just fans in general; ones that go to the next big thing and claim it’s the bread and butter of their existence and you’d be stupid to not like it.
Granted that’s it, I generally dislike/don’t believe in any big or small groups when it comes to anything regarding an anime or show as words or opinions can get misconceived from what one say’s. Along with it becomes a bitch when you post something and others ask state “why would you get or like that the series?”.
Yes I got burned and learning to just like what I like by myself or with some I consider friends.
Let’s get to the meat of this post!
Masamune-kun’s Revenge
For this show I was interested if Masamune, MC who was once a chubby kid turned Adonis complex through hard work by his grandfather’s training to burn that weight and eat lean foods with no ounce of fat in his diet.
*MC; I’m too sexy for my shirt*
Arrogant MC wants revenge of the main girl, Aki, a rich girl who was once his friend as a kid but a haughty attitude, gave him the nickname “Pig’s Foot” when he tried expressing his feelings to her which started his motivation to get fit and start a plan to make her fall in love with him and crush her as she once did.
*Main girl; the ice cold princess that likes to eat food*
However plans don’t go as planned, especially in a rom-com anime like this. This was not what got me out of it but how long it just seemed. Though I get that both characters need to develop but the tropes were too much for me to process. Along with the hot/cold tsundere denial modes they go through (Aki more as she’s the main tsundere of this series). I get tropes are a thing and you can take it or leave it but still seeing it so much I roll my eyes at easy things that others like (a lot).
*The “I’m going to fuck you in every room” look we all know in our perverted heads*
Another point was the loli mother that acted more like a child and that high-pitched voice was not doing any favors. And what’s with the mom always making high fatty foods? From what I gather mom’s nowadays try to relegate kids/teens food with healthy foods but this mom just on “fatty food” kick which got on my nerves.
The episodes also were good (more or less) in the middle when another character with big oppai (boobs), Neko, came in and I liked her as she actually fell in love with this vapid character even when he was chubby as a kid for some reason. That’s where my anime mindset got the better of me and I made this big deal with Neko going to be the one to change up the dynamic of this show and actually be the “Rem” of the series but actually get the male in the end.
*Yes, she was top for me*
Do yourself a favor, never hold out hope for the second best “waifu” to get the male as it will never happen. Though that theory has been tested and proven wrong that it’s not always the case, anime nowadays just goes for the first girl MC sees and they will (somehow) wind up together.
*That’s some devotion; loved him back than with no shame*
Just remember this; even if the characters wind up, they are together in high school. You can assume they will stay together “forever” but given this is part of the “school” trope it doesn’t mean their relationship will last outside of it and that’s the one thing as fans we don’t usually see.
We try to think of this grand thing of them living happily ever after but sadly not the case. I mean it’s implied they will be together but come on, if the creator of this series comes out of left field at some press conference like they are J.K. Rowling (Queen of sniping off trolls) and reveals “Aki and Masamune lasted until their first year of college before life intervened and that’s where their love story ended. They are still on each other’s Christmas card list though…”, fans would riot over that.
*Gives no F’s!*
For me I’d get my Chandler Bing on and laugh like no tomorrow.
Cross-dressing also turned me off as it wasn’t really needed. One character looks like a girl but is a boy (trap as we call them) and another is actually a girl pretending to be a boy…when did this turn into Kinky Boots?
Opening and ending themes were bland after getting in the middle of the series as it didn’t sound outstanding or something I would listen to on a daily basis.
Overall this series (in my opinion) it was subpar and it could have (not that it would being a current gen anime) go a different direction from the usual formula that is seen a thousand times.
I give this one a 6 out of 10 for plot, characterization, music and entertainment value. Ironically I’ll probably check out the funimation dubbed at some point when it’s sold on Bluray/dvd probably next year.
You notice anime dubs come out a year or two later from when it’s airing on sites like Crunchyroll or Funimation?
Chaos;Child
*Not what I expected*
Boy I remember my hopes for this show was so innocent and good. What could have made this a let down?
Well this isn’t a concrete answer but it’s one for me and an opinion so bear with me.
The mystery of mysterious killings going around was what kept me coming back week after week…however just like it’s predecessor, Chaos;Head, the foundation of the plot was cut short.
*Drama left*
Characters introduced in the opening song didn’t really do anything due to being only 12 episodes and which ones that were didn’t feel fleshed out in the least!
*Felt like this*
Main character Takuru’s is the center of all this and even though he wasn’t annoying or lacking he suffered for always gasping or not really getting development other than for his plot.
*Looking at the bleak future*
The thing with the characters using their latent psychic powers wasn’t even explored and briefly touched on but it wound up only with clashing of swords to get rid of the bad guy in the end.
*None of this happened*
Along with the ending…I’m STILL trying to wrap my head around it and felt cheated!! If anime companies are going to adapt a visual novel they better make it a 25 episode run and not some measly 12 episodes!
It felt like the show blitzed its way and didn’t keep up the stamina. What happened to half the cast in the end?
*Visual interpretation of me*
Chaos;Child is decent, it had me with the opening just like in Chaos;Head but it won’t leave anyone feeling satisfied with the ending. That’s what make or break a anime; if it can stick the landing.
Opening was fantastic but it hyped up stuff that really didn’t happen which is disappointing. That’s what’s called “flash” or “marketing”.
I did like the twists in the middle ground when it comes to one of the characters I liked and that was just fresh sauce (not a word but leave me alone, working on a belly full of water).
I wish Chaos;Child was more better than from it actually gave. If you’re curious of wanting an ending (various ones at that) play the game to get a feel for it.
Of course my own imagination made it out to be this big thing than it was and maybe I’m missing the point of a series that didn’t deliver. I did like it but dang, it’s hard to eat ground like this and trying to be a hype-man.
For me I give this a 6 out of 10 for plot, characters, development, music and entertainment value. Once again I will look to the Funimation dub when it comes out in 2018.
*Sorry girls…*
Bleach
Oh no what am I doing with watching Bleach again? This show left a bad taste in my mouth. It has the sum of “Spiky Hair Syndrome” and Shonen tropes to the nth degree…is what I would have said a few years ago being hot-headed and dogmatic with my approach with dealing with hard opinions and being a jerk.
*That I was my inner Chandler*
Bleach is the show that I see as the one to make me actually like it a second go through. This is away from when it was hype and I couldn’t get away from it fast enough. I was happy when it left Toonami years ago as it dragged ass but I can see I was an arrogant asshole that never really gave it a chance.
*I was a douche…*
Fandom poisoned me and I wasn’t following this show for what it was. Yes, I standby that the fillers and other world stories killed this show due to the anime coming close to the manga and had to spread it out HOWEVER this show isn’t the shit stain I thought it was.
*I’m sorry*
Looking calm on the characters, story, plot I can see that this is a steady series that does bring the usual tropes as you’d expect; declarations of friendship, power ups to defeat a superior oppanant at the time, butt load of too many characters to give them decent if any development outside their comfort zone but this series is good.
You can *gasp* skip the filler and continue on with the main story to shorten the viewing experience by a considerable amount. I mean episodes do feel dragged out but other than that, it’s decent to good.
Characters I thought were the bane of my existence have now become good companions on this trip to defeat Aizen. Ichigo isn’t the 2 dimensional character I thought he was, Rukia is actually good, Uryu still cool and even Orihime has grown on me.
A character I felt had much potential to do anything she wanted but didn’t due to her pacifist and gentle/nurturing nature wouldn’t and I feel her that she really is the heart of the series. I mean, thinking on it I didn’t like her as when it was on Toonami, asshats were always harping on Sakura Haruno and I felt angry and lashed out this character for I was upset. That was uncool of me and in hindsight I’m glad I’m not into Tonami, if at all anymore, and feel like I have a weight lifted from my heart.
What I’m getting at Orihime can defy fate with her powers but wouldn’t as it goes against her nature as a whole and seeing that shows my own immaturity all those years ago.
FYI my favorite character in this series from even when I was in my hater days, is Coyote Starrk. Something of his past of escaping loneliness really captivated me along with playing his character in that old PS3 game. I rekt some shit in that game and that made me part of the Starrk fanboy’s. He’s just cool and his pistols are awesome!
I’ve been speaking to my friend Charlie on the matters of Bleach as of late and he agrees on some points but he is right; this series is good. The reason I got back into this series is I’ve been playing that Bleach game on my android phone and it has me hook, line and sinker.
The various openings/endings are hit or miss for me but some stood out that made me cement my like for this series once again.
I think I’ve come a long way from disliking a series I dismissed off a whim and my own annoyance levels with the anime fandom as a whole.
Granted I don’t “hate” but have a neutral view on the aspect of people gathering together to be like minded, which is a good but you also need the ones that can, and I can’t stretch this enough, RESPECTFUL views on not just being driven by flash and hype.
*Yup*
The thing on hype is that it might look glitz and glamorous but it fades like a firework being set on the night sky of Independence Day. It’s for an instant and many of the fans that clamoured for it will move on to the next fad.
That’s what I find exasperating. However I view the ones that do that are just casual fans or ones only driven by hype. It holds no basis, like getting jacked up on sugar and crashing later.
But Bleach has me once again and it won’t leave my system for awhile so good on you Bleach. Even though the manga ended unexpectedly with some characters winding up with a good if not neutral ending.
Of course it also settled the “coupling” angle of the series that plagued fans like the black death swooping over Europe all those years ago.
*Just a-no, it is what it is*
And that’s it for this blog, I hope you enjoyed my coming back into the anime-like blogs. Not sure what to type next but I’ll leave that to what I want to do next.
Till next time!
jmr1022 blog 