Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e is a great crafty series. Made in Abyss goes only slightly behind. Knight's & Magic is a curious small, but surprisingly enjoyable thing.
1. Kakegurui 賭ケグルイ [MAPPA] (Finished 3/12) Tags: Shounen High Stakes Game, Psychological, School, Strategy Game Drama, Mystery Unlike many schools, attending Hyakkaou Private Academy prepares students for their time in the real world. Since many of the students are the children of the richest people in the world, the academy has its quirks that separate it from all the others. By day, it is a normal school, educating its pupils in history, languages, and the like. But at night, it turns into a gambling den, educating them in the art of dealing with money and manipulating people. Money is power; those who come out on top in the games stand at the top of the school. Yumeko Jabami, a seemingly naive and beautiful transfer student, is ready to try her hand at Hyakkaou's special curriculum. Unlike the rest, she doesn't play to win, but for the thrill of the gamble, and her borderline insane way of gambling might just bring too many new cards to the table. So the most popular anime this season is... this... mystery, silly ahegao, horrible gambling games, slavery, maniacs - everything is as I like it! Probably the worst gambling show that I've seen, and I've seen Mahjong Hishouden: Naki no Ryuu. Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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2. Made in Abyss メイドインアビス [Kinema Citrus] (Finished 13/13) Tags: Gore, Survival Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Mystery, Sci-Fi The Abyss—a gaping chasm stretching down into the depths of the earth, filled with mysterious creatures and relics from a time long past. How did it come to be? What lies at the bottom? Countless brave individuals, known as Divers, have sought to solve these mysteries of the Abyss, fearlessly descending into its darkest realms. The best and bravest of the Divers, the White Whistles, are hailed as legends by those who remain on the surface. Riko, daughter of the missing White Whistle Lyza the Annihilator, aspires to become like her mother and explore the furthest reaches of the Abyss. However, just a novice Red Whistle herself, she is only permitted to roam its most upper layer. Even so, Riko has a chance encounter with a mysterious robot with the appearance of an ordinary young boy. She comes to name him Reg, and he has no recollection of the events preceding his discovery. Certain that the technology to create Reg must come from deep within the Abyss, the two decide to venture forth into the chasm to recover his memories and see the bottom of the great pit with their own eyes. However, they know not of the harsh reality that is the true existence of the Abyss. Great memorable show. Still have not seen sequel that I'm looking forward to. Overall Rating: 8/10 |
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3. Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e Classroom of the Elite ようこそ実力至上主義の教室へ [Lerche] (Finished 12/12) Tags: Psychological, School Drama On the surface, Koudo Ikusei Senior High School is a utopia. The students enjoy an unparalleled amount of freedom, and it is ranked highly in Japan. However, the reality is less than ideal. Four classes, A through D, are ranked in order of merit, and only the top classes receive favorable treatment. Kiyotaka Ayanokouji is a student of Class D, where the school dumps its worst. There he meets the unsociable Suzune Horikita, who believes she was placed in Class D by mistake and desires to climb all the way to Class A, and the seemingly amicable class idol Kikyou Kushida, whose aim is to make as many friends as possible. While class membership is permanent, class rankings are not; students in lower ranked classes can rise in rankings if they score better than those in the top ones. Additionally, in Class D, there are no bars on what methods can be used to get ahead. In this cutthroat school, can they prevail against the odds and reach the top? I hardly ever use 9 score for new titles, but when I thought what I'd call a 9, Classroom of the Elite came to mind, in other words a great intelligent show with clever mind tricks that I still can't call a perfect masterpiece. Overall Rating: 9/10 |
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4. Tsurezure Children Tsuredure Children 徒然チルドレン [Studio Gokumi] (Finished 3/12) Tags: Shounen School Comedy, Romance Young love—it takes many unique and fascinating forms that flourish as children begin to mature into adults. From being unable to confess to not knowing what real love actually feels like, various obstacles can arise when learning about romantic attraction for the first time. But underneath all that, young love is something truly beautiful to behold, leading to brand new experiences for those young and in love. Tsurezure Children depicts various scenarios of young love coming to fruition, along with the struggles and joys that it entails. Half-length episodes and romance between multiple pairs don't make this anime enticing. Neither concept, nor execution can satisfy me. Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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5. Gamers! ゲーマーズ！ [PINE JAM] (Finished 4/12) Tags: Love Polygon, Otaku Culture, School, Video Game Comedy, Romance Keita Amano is a typical high school gamer living out an average student's life. One day, however, he has an unexpected meeting with the cutest girl in school that makes him want to disappear without a trace! This girl, Karen Tendou, is an exemplary student who is proclaimed to be the school's idol. She discovers that Amano is a gamer, and this newfound knowledge incites a passionate desire within her to recruit him into the game club. Upon visiting the club, Amano is forcefully made aware of a side to gaming wildly different than the one he loves so dearly. Tendou's interest in Amano begins shaking up what was once an uneventful life, filling it with spontaneity, awkwardness, and a little bit of mayhem. As a result, every day becomes a comical battle for Amano's sanity as he tries to adapt to these wild, unexpected changes. I'm very favorable towards anime about gaming, but this one is seriously flawed due to lack of story and poor characters (especially protagonist). Dropped it before and not feeling any attachment now as well. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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6. Isekai wa Smartphone to Tomo ni. In Another World With My Smartphone 異世界はスマートフォンとともに。 [Production Reed] (Finished 3/12) Tags: Harem, Isekai, Reincarnation Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Romance In a thoughtless blunder, God accidentally strikes down Touya Mochizuki with a stray bolt of lightning! As an apology, God offers him one wish and the chance to live again in a magical fantasy world. Touya happily accepts the offer and, for his one wish, asks only to keep his smartphone with him as he begins his journey into this mysterious world. Starting over in this new world, Touya finds it is filled with magic—which he has an affinity for—and cute girls vying for his attention. These girls—the twins Linze and Elze Silhoueska, Yumina Urnea Belfast, Leen, and Yae Kokonoe—provide Touya with no end of romantic frustrations, but also companionship as he discovers the secrets of this new world. Isekai genre just can't fail if it has a mature intelligent protagonist. And it's not the case for this anime as main character is generic harem trash one like in majority of harems out there. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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7. Hajimete no Gal My First Girlfriend is a Gal はじめてのギャル [NAZ] (Finished 3/10) Tags: Shounen Harem, School Comedy, Romance, Ecchi Following a prank pulled by his perverse friends, Junichi Hashiba asks a gal out in an attempt to change the fact that he's a hopeless virgin. Yukana Yame, the girl in question, is disgusted by Junichi's groveling. However, through a series of teasing remarks, she soon finds herself bonding with him and ultimately accepting Junichi's confession, much to his surprise. Hajimete no Gal follows Junichi as he overcomes his lack of self-confidence and suppresses his sexual urges, all while thrust into a whole new school life full of lively girls and unpredictable mayhem. First of all, it's harem with petty protagonist. Next, characters aren't really likable. The approach is direct and unfun, so there's just no charm to care or go on. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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8. Aho Girl AHO-GIRL アホガール [Diomedéa] (Finished 3/12) Tags: Shounen School Comedy, Romance Yoshiko Hanabatake is an idiot beyond all belief. Somehow managing to consistently score zeroes on all of her tests and consumed by an absurd obsession with bananas, her senseless acts have caused even her own mother to lose all hope. Only one person is up to the task of keeping her insanity in check: childhood friend Akuru "A-kun" Akutsu. Though he bemoans the ridiculous behavior he has to endure, the studious but terrifying A-kun is always ready to put an end to any stupidity Yoshiko gets up to, with no qualms about using physical force. Unfortunately, no matter how many times he attempts to knock some sense into her, the girl bounces right back to her usual shenanigans, even dragging in some other eccentrics along for the ride. Try as he might to rein in her nonsense, every moment is unpredictable with Yoshiko and her profound idiocy on the loose. Half-length episodes literally about an idiot, so humor is corresponding. Episode is usually divided in multiple separate yonkoma parts, like ten. Sometimes it's ok, but most of the time it's really silly. Overall can't say it's suitable for me. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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9. Fate/Apocrypha [A-1 Pictures] (Finished 1/25) Tags: Action, Fantasy, Supernatural The Holy Grail is a powerful, ancient relic capable of granting any wish the beholder desires. In order to obtain this power, various magi known as "masters" summon legendary Heroic Spirits called "servants" to fight for them in a destructive battle royale—the Holy Grail War. Only the last master-servant pair standing may claim the Grail for themselves. Yet, the third war ended inconclusively, as the Grail mysteriously disappeared following the conflict. Many years later, the magi clan Yggdmillennia announces its possession of the Holy Grail, and intends to leave the Mage's Association. In response, the Association sends 50 elite magi to retrieve the Grail; however, all but one are killed by an unknown servant. The lone survivor is used as a messenger to convey Yggdmillennia's declaration of war on the Association. As there are only two parties involved in the conflict, the Holy Grail War takes on an unusual form. Yggdmillennia and the Mage's Association will each deploy seven master-servant pairs, and the side that loses all its combatants first will forfeit the artifact. As the 14 masters summon their servants and assemble on the battlefield, the magical world shivers in anticipation with the rise of the Great Holy Grail War. Sequel. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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10. Koi to Uso Love and Lies 恋と嘘 [LIDENFILMS] (Finished 3/12) Tags: Love Polygon, School Drama, Romance In a futuristic society, Japan has implemented a complex system referred to as "The Red Threads of Science" to encourage successful marriages and combat increasingly low birthrates. Based on a compatibility calculation, young people at the age of 16 are assigned marriage partners by the government, with severe repercussions awaiting those who disobey the arrangement. For Yukari Nejima, a teen that considers himself average in every way, this system might be his best shot at living a fulfilling life. However, spurred by his infatuation for his classmate and long-time crush, Misaki Takasaki, Yukari defies the system and confesses his love. After some initial reluctance, Misaki reciprocates his feelings in a moment of passion. Unfortunately, before the two can further their relationship, Yukari receives his marriage notice. He is then thrown into a confusing web of love and lies when his less-than-thrilled assigned partner, Ririna Sanada, becomes fascinated with his illicit romance. Not fond of fake engagement/marriage stories and destined spouse. All this naivete of no one knowing how love feels makes it even more clumsy. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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11. Owarimonogatari 2nd Season Owarimonogatari Second Season 終物語 [Shaft] (Finished 1/7) Tags: Vampire Comedy, Mystery, Supernatural Following an encounter with oddity specialist Izuko Gaen, third-year high school student Koyomi Araragi wakes up in a strange, deserted void only to be greeted by a joyfully familiar face in an alarmingly unfamiliar place. Araragi, with the help of his girlfriend Hitagi Senjougahara, maneuvers through the webs of his past and the perplexities of the present in search of answers. However, fate once again delivers him to the eccentric transfer student Ougi Oshino, who brings forth an unexpected proposal that may unearth the very foundation to which he is anchored. As Araragi peels back the layers of mystery surrounding an apparition, he discovers a truth not meant to be revealed. Sequel. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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12. Ballroom e Youkoso Welcome to the Ballroom ボールルームへようこそ [Production I.G] (Finished 1/24) Tags: Shounen Performing Arts Sports Tatara Fujita is a shy middle schooler who has no particular plan for the future. He has gotten through life by avoiding any kind of confrontation and blending in with the crowd. But blending in isn't enough to get out of trouble, as some bullies harass him for money. Luckily, he is saved by a man named Kaname Sengoku. Kaname invites Tatara to his dance studio. Although he would normally never set foot in such a place, Tatara is captivated by Sengoku's commanding presence. Granted an opportunity to dance with fellow classmate Shizuku Hanaoka—who often practices at the studio—Tatara realizes there's something about the idea of being put in the limelight and dancing where people will see him that keeps him coming back. With an earnest, passionate drive to improve, Tatara begins his journey into the world of competitive dance. Seems to be homage to Shall We Dance movie. Anyway, I don't find performing sports interesting at all, more like useless and harmful, so not feeling anything towards it. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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13. Knight's & Magic ナイツ&マジック [8bit] (Finished 13/13) Tags: Isekai, Mecha, Reincarnation, School Action, Fantasy Having died in a car accident, Tsubasa Kurata—an otaku from modern Japan—is reborn in the Fremmevilla Kingdom, a medieval world where powerful mechs called Silhouette Knights are used to fight horrific demonic beasts. Born into a noble family under the name of Ernesti Echevarria and bestowed with prodigious magical abilities, he enrolls into Royal Laihaila Academy. This school of magic trains young men and women on how to pilot the Silhouette Knights, prepping them to protect the kingdom from threats, both demonic and human. Ernesti teams up with the twins named Adeltrud and Archid Olter with the goal to create his own Silhouette Knight one day, a feat unheard of for several centuries. Mature protagonist is always a plus in isekai. I remember watching it and enjoying development of different classes of mecha, their upgrades and their strategical use in battles. But I've never remembered about this anime since. And story is just reactions to someone attacking. I still consider it good and enjoyable anime, so can't deny it a small masterpiece status. Overall Rating: 7/10 |
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14. New Game!! [Doga Kobo] (Finished 12/12) Tags: Adult Cast, CGDCT, Otaku Culture, Workplace Comedy It has been a year since Aoba Suzukaze started working at the Eagle Jump game company. In that time, she and her eccentric coworkers in the character design department have worked hard to release the company's newest game: Fairies Story 3. With their latest title now complete, a new project must begin—starting with a contest to decide the character designs for the upcoming game. Through hard work, dedication, and some guidance from the previous character designer, Kou Yagami, Aoba wins the contest and begins her new role as lead character designer. However, her new job is not an easy one. In addition to having extra work and longer hours, Aoba questions whether she is the right fit for the job. As she overcomes her inexperience with the help of her friends and coworkers, Aoba is willing to face any challenge to make Eagle Jump's newest creation, a cutesy game called Peco. Sequel. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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15. Isekai Shokudou Restaurant to Another World 異世界食堂 [SILVER LINK.] (Finished 1/12) Tags: Isekai, Workplace Fantasy, Gourmet, Slice of Life Western Restaurant Nekoya is a popular eatery located on a street corner in a Tokyo shopping district. Serving both traditional Japanese fare as well as Western dishes, this eating establishment is popular among Tokyo's residents. But this seemingly ordinary restaurant is also popular with another type of clientele... While the restaurant is thought to be closed on Saturdays, the truth is that on this special day each week, its doors are instead opened to the inhabitants of other worlds. From dragons and elves to fairies and mages, this restaurant has no shortage of strange customers. Nevertheless, the enigmatic chef known only as "Master" will be waiting to serve up their favorite dishes with a kind smile and keep them coming back for many more Saturdays to come. Can't appreciate gourmet shows. Guess Souma was an exception, because it focused only partly on being gourmet. Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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16. Princess Principal プリンセス・プリンシパル [Actas, Studio 3Hz] (Finished 3/12) Tags: Historical Action, Mystery In the early 20th century, the discovery of the substance Cavorite allowed the production of advanced military technology and steered the country toward conflict. London is now divided by a wall, and the Kingdom and the Commonwealth of Albion battle a silent war where espionage is the only weapon that can destabilize the enemy. A group of girls from the prestigious Queen's Mayfaire school work as undercover spies for the Commonwealth. Led by Dorothy, an experienced driver with a striking personality, their group includes the talents of Ange le Carré, a cold-blooded liar and expert sharpshooter; Chise, a proficient samurai; and Beatrice, a voice-mimicking specialist. They use their unique individual skills for the Commonwealth to survive in a dark world filled with conspiracy, mystery, and infiltration. In the shadow of the war, they have only one goal in mind: completing their mission. Spies, turn of 19th century and especially mystery is a poor combination. I remember it being a huge deliberate mess that I can' enjoy, and restarting it brings all the poor memories about it back. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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17. Keppeki Danshi! Aoyama-kun Clean Freak! Aoyama-kun 潔癖男子！青山くん [Studio Hibari] (Finished 1/12) Tags: Seinen Gag Humor, School, Team Sports Comedy, Sports He is charming, cool, athletic, a good cook, but more importantly, he's a clean freak. Aoyama is idolized and respected by everyone, but they can only admire him from afar due to his mysophobia. Despite that, he plays soccer—a rather dirty sport! As the playmaker for Fujimi High School's soccer club, Aoyama avoids physical contact at all cost and cleanly dribbles toward victory. However, the path to Nationals will not be easy for Fujimi's underdog team. But alongside striker Kaoru Zaizen, Aoyama will show everyone that even as a clean freak, there are things he's willing to get dirty for. It's soccer, so whatever, not feeling involved. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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18. Netsuzou TRap Netsuzou Trap -NTR- 捏造トラップ―NTR― [Creators in Pack] (Finished 1/12) Tags: Drama, Girls Love High school students Yuma Okazaki and Hotaru Mizushina are childhood friends. With their respective boyfriends, Takeda and Fujiwara, their lives couldn't be more perfect. From playing in school to going on group dates, it seems nothing can break their bond. However, during one such group date, Hotaru makes an unexpected move. While Takeda and Fujiwara are distracted, she begins stroking Yuma's thighs. Taken aback by this peculiar action, Yuma awkwardly retreats to the toilets, followed shortly by her aggressor. Now in private, Hotaru forces the innocent Yuma into a locked cubicle and whispers into her ear: "You'll be more nervous with a boy; I'll help you practice." As usual, I need some comedy to enjoy yuri. Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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19. Katsugeki/Touken Ranbu Katsugeki Touken Ranbu 活撃／刀剣乱舞 [ufotable] (Finished 3/13) Tags: Historical, Samurai Action, Fantasy In 1863, Izuminokami Kanesada and his partner, Horikawa Kunihiro, arrive in the streets of Edo from the future to investigate their master's reports of an upcoming enemy invasion. As humanoid manifestations of the famous Toshizou Hijikata's swords, they have been tasked with protecting history from the Retrograde Army that seeks to alter it. Soon enlisting the help of other sword warriors, they continuously battle the mysterious army throughout the Bakumatsu period. However, their journey will not be an easy one. Fraught with blood and betrayal in the chaotic era closest to their hearts, the duo will be forced to make difficult decisions with everything they care about on the line. So super agents with talking AI camouflaged for an animal travel in time to samurai times to protect shoguns from monsters out of space-time distortions and prevent history from changing... who in the world read that and considered that an interesting stage... It means zero story and zero interesting antagonists. Seeing how it's based on some poor game answers this question, but does not add points for sure. Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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20. Konbini Kareshi Convenience Store Boy Friends コンビニカレシ [Pierrot] (Finished 2/12) Tags: Romance The lives of high school freshmen Haruki Mishima and Towa Honda revolve around studying, clubs, and girls. Amid their hectic routines, romance is certainly budding for the two best friends. Since childhood, Haruki has been pining over Miharu Mashiki, and a chance encounter at the convenience store reignites his feelings. As for Towa, the class representative Mami Mihashi has caught his eye; but unfortunately for him, his affections are not reciprocated. While Haruki's more reserved approach to pursuing Miharu contrasts Towa's persistence with Mami, love seems to be elusive for both. As the months fly by, only time will tell if romance is in the cards for the duo. Some seriously boring romance between two couples, and with ridiculously stupid and artificial drama. Since it failed to capture attention over two episodes, see no reason to go on. Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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21. Centaur no Nayami A Centaur's Life セントールの悩み [Haoliners Animation League] (Finished 3/12) Tags: Seinen School Fantasy, Slice of Life Himeno is a sweet, shy little centaur girl. In her world, everyone seems to be a supernatural creature, and all her classmates have some kind of horns, wings, tails, halos, or other visible supernatural body part. Despite their supernatural elements, Himeno and her best friends, Nozomi and Kyouko, have a fun and mostly normal daily school life! The beast anime about beast girls that I know. But main problem for me is that it lacks comedy. Investigating beast girls SOL is often funny, but some segments are are not, and after them I feel puzzled why I watched that at all. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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22. Shoukoku no Altair Altair: A Record of Battles 将国のアルタイル [MAPPA] (Finished 4/24) Tags: Shounen Historical, Military Adventure, Drama, Fantasy Tuğrul Mahmut is a young pasha serving on the Divan of the Türkiye Stratocracy. The clouds of war are gathering over his country due to the threat of an aggressive Empire. With the Divan split between warmongers and the pacifists, Mahmut begins his quest to keep the peace at any cost. As he finds himself deeper and deeper in the politics of the ancient world, new enemies and allies surface. Who will prevail? What will Mahmut do if war proves to be inevitable? And I thought Arslan Senki was boring. It tried to remain fantasy and had some plot, at least. Altair, in comparison, deviates from fantasy towards barbaric Turkie history, which results in spam of toponyms and names and terms. I don't see plot here - it's literally record as events pass by and everyone tries to survive or gain something or act morally in some cases. Arslan Senki at least had some nice battles. There's hardly anything in Altair to pique interest. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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23. Nana Maru San Batsu Fastest Finger First ナナマル サンバツ [TMS Entertainment] (Finished 1/12) Tags: Seinen School, Strategy Game As soon as he entered high school, the first year student Koshiyama Shiki was invited to the mysterious Quiz Study Group led by his senpai. What will Shiki run into when being dragged along by his class mate Mari into the dazzling world of competitive quizzes?! Puzzles and quizzes issue rejection reaction within me. I treat them as obligatory evil in games as long as it does not become obnoxious. But watching an entire anime about quizzes is a small torture. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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24. Jikan no Shihaisha Chronos Ruler 時間の支配者 [Project No.9] (Finished 13/13) Tags: Shounen Action, Supernatural Like many in her class, Koyuki Honda looks forward to her graduation ceremony. However, while her peers have family to attend, Koyuki has no one, as her only family—her brother—died years ago. While visiting his grave, she meets two brothers named Kiri and Victor Putin chasing a strange creature. They try to assure her that they are just actors shooting a movie; Victor, however, piques Koyuki's curiosity about the old legend of the clock tower at the cemetery: if you make a wish under the clock tower at midnight during a full moon, time will turn back, allowing someone to reclaim what they have lost. Deciding to make her wish, Koyuki learns the horrifying truth: the legend is a ruse for time demons called "Horologues" to steal humans' time. As they are drawn to regrets, Victor uses Koyuki as bait to lure a demon there. Kiri and Victor explain that they are Chronos Rulers, warriors who fight against the Horologues using the "Oath of Time"—an item allowing them to speed up or slow down time. With the demon destroyed and the crisis averted, Koyuki is able to go on her way free from regrets. However, she is not the only human with sorrows. The two boys must continue to hunt down Horologues in order to keep humanity safe. The essence is of generic action shounen with superowers. Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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25. Youkai Apartment no Yuuga na Nichijou Elegant Yokai Apartment Life 妖怪アパートの幽雅な日常 [Shin-Ei Animation] (Finished 3/26) Tags: Mythology, School Slice of Life, Supernatural Inaba Yuushi's parents died in his first year of middle school, and he moved in with his relatives. Though they did care for him, he could tell he was a burden. After he graduated, he happily prepared to move to a high school with a dormitory. Unfortunately, the dormitory burned to the ground before he could move in! Yuushi doesn't want to live with his grudging relatives, but it's rough finding lodging as an orphaned student with little money. He finally finds a room in a nice old building which seems too good to be true. The catch is that it is a Monster House, a place where humans and supernatural creatures—ghosts, mononoke, etc.—live together. Another high schooler lives there, a cute girl named Akine, and she's completely unfazed by the monsters. In fact, she can even exorcise evil spirits! Yuushi's high school life just got much stranger than he ever bargained for! Boring SOL with no story or development, and I see opportunity to like any of the characters let alone youkai. Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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26. Tenshi no 3P! Angel's 3Piece! 天使の3P！〈スリーピース〉 [Project No.9] (Finished 12/12) Tags: Music, School Since entering high school, Kyou Nukui has not attended a single class. Instead, he spends his days locked in his bedroom composing music and posting it on the internet accompanied by his only friend's drawings, an artist with the pseudonym "Kiriyume." One day, Kyou hesitantly uploads his newest composition, and first departure from his typical style, TR03. Additionally, he does not upload under his usual handle "HibikiP," but simply under the name "me," and without a drawing from his mysterious friend. Shortly after, Kyou receives a very polite email, not only praising his music but also somehow discerning that he is, in fact, the composer behind TR03. The e-mail also asks for a meetup in a nearby park, to which he cautiously decides to go. To his surprise, however, he finds three elementary school girls at the meeting place! Suddenly, Jun Gotou, Nozomi Momijidani, and Sora Kaneshiro ask for his help to hold a concert in their home, an old church now used as an orphanage. And though Kyou is reluctant at first, after seeing their musical abilities, he eventually decides to accept their proposal. Based on the light novel of the same name by the award-winning Sagu Aoyama, Tenshi no 3P! follows Kyou as these three angels change his life. Beginning is unusual, but then it becomes very ordinary. Generic cute girls, typical songs and interactions. Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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27. Jigoku Shoujo: Yoi no Togi Hell Girl: Fourth Twilight 地獄少女 宵伽 [Studio Deen] (Finished 1/6) Tags: Psychological Horror, Mystery, Supernatural If you have a grudge against someone, you can access the Hell Correspondence website at the stroke of midnight, type in your grudge's name, and the Hell Girl, Ai Enma, will appear to grant your wish. However, the price for ridding yourself of such a burden is a steep one: in return for condemning the soul of your tormentor to Hell, your soul will also face eternal damnation. In her long vigil as the Hell Girl, Ai has met many willing to pay such a cost. In Jigoku Shoujo: Yoi no Togi, Ai and her enigmatic companions continue to carry out their work, ferrying soul after suffering soul into the depths of Hell. However, as of late, a mysterious girl has been following them. This strange child, unable to even remember her own identity, questions Ai about her duty as the Hell Girl. Who is this girl, and what connection does she have to Ai? Sequel. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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28. 18if [Gonzo] (Finished 3/13) Tags: Mystery, Supernatural Waking up in a strange bedroom in a dream world, teenager Haruto Tsukishiro finds a strange app on his phone. When he activates the program, an odd woman appears and tries to drag him to her realm. Luckily, a mysterious, white-haired girl severs their connection and helps him escape, revealing that the woman is a witch; however, their conversation is cut short. As Haruto enters the realm again, he meets an anthropomorphic, talking cat named Katsumi Kanzaki. While the witch's minions pursue them, the white-haired girl opens a door for them to escape. After their ordeal, Haruto describes their savior—which only he can see—and Katsumi, the leading authority on dream world research, realizes that she must be "Lily," a being that resurfaces repeatedly across multiple dreamscapes. Hoping to leave the dream world through a blue door, they enter the witch's realm once again. Finding themselves in peril, Lily reveals the truth to Haruto: witches suffer from "Sleeping Beauty Syndrome," a coma-like sleep state induced by torment in their real world lives. Thus, they cannot wake until they are defeated in the dream world. After finally defeating the witch and locating the blue door, Haruto and Katsumi say their farewells, promising to meet up in the real world. However, when Haruto exits through the door, he awakens in the dream world bedroom once more. Seeking answers, Haruto and Katsumi try to uncover the mysteries of the witches, Lily, and Haruto's own inability to leave the dream world. It's pretty much an anthology as episodes are very different. I may be loosely connected somehow in a weird twist as in any mystery, but I don't care. Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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29. Dive!! [Zero-G] (Finished 1/12) Tags: Comedy, Sports The series revolves around the Mizuki Diving Club (MDC), which is on the verge of closing down after having financial troubles. The club's new coach persuades the club's parent company to stay open on one condition: that the club sends one of its members to next year's Olympics as part of Japan's Olympic team. For those who like Free!!. Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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30. Vatican Kiseki Chousakan Vatican Miracle Examiner バチカン奇跡調査官 [J.C.Staff] (Finished 3/12) Tags: Drama, Mystery, Supernatural Fathers Josef Kou Hiraga and Roberto Nicholas are Vatican Miracle Examiners who investigate the authenticity of miraculous phenomena reported from all over the world. In every seemingly sacred event lies horrors of hidden conspiracies, mysterious murders, and devil worship. In this battle of good and evil, Hiraga, a scientific and mathematical genius, and Roberto, a polymath in linguistics and classics, must work together to bring the truth to light. Will their friendship and faith endure the evils in their journey to find a true miracle? Feels like Black Jack anime, just with two protagonists and more religion focused. Theme together with mystery are repulsive for me, execution is also rather rough. Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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31. Saiyuuki Reload Blast Saiyuki Reload Blast 最遊記RELOAD BLAST [Platinum Vision] (Finished 1/12) Tags: Josei Mythology Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Supernatural Nora Handa is a boy who lives with Shachi Yuuri, who was adopted by his mother. With everyone supporting, the two of them grew up healthily even after their parents passed away. Shachi, who likes Nora the most, wakes him up every morning. Nora spends his happy student life with Michi Kuroki, who is a disciplinary committee, honor student at school and childhood friend of the main character, Yuuki Asuhara, who is a gal but is very bright and can talk his worries to, and more friends at school. One day, Nora meets a girl who calls herself Patricia at the park on the way to the school. Patricia is a queen at hell, and claims to come here to destroy the life on land. However, she is damaged heavily because she touched the life for the first time. The energy was stronger than her, so Nora needed to tend her. Patricia asked him to tell her about the mysteries of life, and he had to even explain the ero book that he found at the park...?! Sequel. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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32. Senki Zesshou Symphogear AXZ Symphogear AXZ 戦姫絶唱シンフォギアAXZ〈アクシズ〉 [Satelight] (Finished 1/13) Tags: Idols (Female), Music Action, Sci-Fi Hibiki Tachibana has defeated many powerful enemies, saved countless innocent lives, and escaped from numerous desperate situations, but she is currently finding herself unable to escape from her most desperate situation yet—summer homework! Although her high school life is relatively unremarkable, her career as a member of the military organization S.O.N.G. is anything but. Using powerful, ancient armor known as Symphogear, Hibiki and her teammates work with the United Nations to deal with international disputes and disasters. During a mission briefing at headquarters, Hibiki is made aware of a mysterious organization known as the Bavarian Illuminati, who has been responsible for several major disasters in the past and currently operate in the war-torn country Val Verde. Together, Hibiki and her team infiltrate one of the Bavarian Illuminati's manufacturing plants and free hundreds of slaves. Exposed, alchemists Saint-Germain, Cagliostro, and Prelati reveal themselves as the organization's top brass, and—using alchemical powers—declare a global revolution while sacrificing thousands of lives. Faced with yet another threat to the world's survival, Hibiki and her allies must confront the Bavarian Illuminati in their most difficult and destructive battle yet. Sequel. Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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33. Mahoujin Guruguru (2017) Magical Circle 魔法陣グルグル [Production I.G] (Finished 1/24) Tags: Shounen Parody Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy Nike was a simple boy from Boering Village, and the last thing he ever wanted was to become a hero. But when a sign appears from the king of Ainshent Castle Town recruiting heroes to slay the Demon Lord Giri, Nike's father enthusiastically forces him out the door. Along with Kukuri, a member of the Migu Migu Clan, Nike sets out on an adventure to become the legendary hero that the world needs. As Nike and Kukuri travel across different continents, they attempt to learn the secrets of Guru Guru Magic, a strange but powerful type of magic used to seal Demon Lord Giri's power. While reluctantly taking on their assigned quest, the duo does not fail to acquire new comrades and have fun along the way. Remake. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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34. The Reflection ザ・リフレクション [Studio Deen] (Finished 1/12)  Tags: Super Power Action After the Reflection, some of the people in all parts of the world are discovered with super powers. Some become heroes, and others villains. How did the Reflection happen? What was the cause of it? With many unsolved mysteries, the world is led into turmoil. It's not anime. It's western superhero movie. I'm not fond of that, and quality seems to be quite low. Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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35. Hina Logi: From Luck & Logic Hina Logic – from Luck & Logic ひなろじ～from Luck & Logic [Doga Kobo] (Finished 1/12) Tags: School Action, Comedy, Fantasy Liones Yelistratova, a pure princess from a small country, enters a school in Hokkaido on a spring day. The school is a specialized educational institution operated by ALCA to train Logicalists, who maintain world peace. Liones enters class S, where she meets many classmates with unique personalities, like Nina. A lively and cute everyday life begins now. Card game mahou shoujo duels. Nothing good comes of these marketing shows. Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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36. Battle Girl High School バトルガール ハイスクール [SILVER LINK.] (Finished 12/12) Tags: School Action, Sci-Fi Based on COLOPL's school action role-playing game. Set in the year 2045. The world has been contaminated by Irousu (mysterious invaders who suddenly appeared), and humans find themselves restricted and contained. Standing boldly against these invaders are ordinary girls everywhere, without a powerful army or even weapons. The Shinjugamine Girls Academy is a school for these "Hoshimori" (Star Guardians) destined to fight the Irousu. The player is assigned to this academy to train the girls and take back the contaminated Earth. And so, once again, the chimes echo through the sun-strewn schoolyard to mark the beginning of classes today... Very typical and boring - it's seen that it comes from action game. Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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37. Action Heroine Cheer Fruits アクションヒロイン チアフルーツ [Diomedéa] (Finished 3/12) Tags: School Comedy, Slice of Life Several years ago, local heroines—superhero characters who represent towns and perform stage shows in order to raise their town's acclaim—had a boom in popularity. The most famous of these local heroines, Kamidaio, is scheduled to perform in the small town of Hinano, much to the excitement of Mikan Kise's little sister Yuzu. Unfortunately, when Mikan takes Yuzu to the show, she finds out that it has been canceled. She promises her distraught sister that she'll make sure she can see the show. Desperate not to let her down, Mikan asks her classmate, the local heroine fanatic An Akagi, for help. Mikan and Ann put on their own Kamidaio performance clad in homemade costumes, which the kids in the audience love despite its lack of production value. The show is recorded by the student council president Misaki Shirogane, who posts it online to garner attention. Misaki is from a family of politicians and has taken it upon herself to revitalize Hinano. Impressed by their show, she recruits Mikan and An to become the official local heroines of their town. As the group works to improve their shows, they enlist the help of a variety of colorful individuals. Tokusatsu is a pretty bad theme. SOL itself here is also nothing special. Overall Rating: 510 |
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38. Clione no Akari Lights of the Clione クリオネの灯り [drop] (Finished 1/12) Tags: School Drama The story centers around an illness-stricken, constantly bullied orphan girl named Minori. After one rainy day, she doesn't turn up at school, having been admitted into a hospital in a distant town. Two months pass, and the girl's two school friends, Takashi and Kyouko, receive a mysterious email with no sender listed. The email reveals a summer festival taking place at a nearby town... Length of episodes is less than half. Character designs are rather poor, story is a usual friendship vs bullying stuff. Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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39. Quanzhi Fashi II Full-Time Magister 2nd Season 全职法师Ⅱ [Foch Films] (Finished 12/12)  Tags: School Action, Fantasy After defeating Yu Ang at the cost of revealing his lightning element, Mo Fan has been granted seven days to train in the Underground Holy Spring, where it is said that one can greatly increase their power level. However, Mo Fan's training is abruptly cut short when fierce monsters mysteriously appear all around Bo City, something which should be impossible given the city's border defenses. An emergency is declared, and Mo Fan is tasked with delivering the Underground Holy Spring—now condensed into a small bottle—to a special refuge zone that is protected from the havoc in the city. The path there is long, dangerous, and riddled with bloodthirsty beasts. To worsen matters, the malicious Black Order threatens to halt his advance. How will Mo Fan stop the sacred spring from falling into the wrong hands? Sequel. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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40. Wo de Tian Jie Nu You My Cultivator Girlfriend 我的天劫女友 [Big Firebird Culture, TrioPen Studio] (Finished 15/15) Tags: Super Power Adventure, Fantasy, Romance, Supernatural In the modern cultivation world, everywhere is law of the jungle, everyone feels insecure. After saving a cultivatior girl, the security guard Ma Yingxiong accidentally starts the journey of practicing cultivation. Finally Chinese anime starts to look like Japanese anime. It's a watchable shounen now, but far from masterpiece still. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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41. Lan Mo de Hua Lan Mo's Flower 蓝漠的花 [Colored Pencil Animation] (Finished 9/9) Tags: School Romance Gluttonous and tomboyish, Lan Mo is hardly anyone's ideal girl, but with a magical hair clip from a mysterious trinket shop that disappears the next day, she may be able to become just that. With its power, she can transform into a beautiful and feminine young lady, someone who may finally be able to catch the eye of her childhood friend and crush, Liu Yifeng. However, keeping the clip's secret proves difficult for Lan Mo when faced with Liu Yifeng's admirers and the mysterious stranger Xia An. And to further complicate matters, Lan Mo's possession of the hair clip may turn out to be more than just mere coincidence. Episodes are only half length taking into account opening and ending, so it becomes just random mahou shoujo romance. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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42. Xue Se Cang Qiong Bloody Code 血色苍穹 [CG Year] (Finished 4/26)  Tags: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Suspense Li Mingyang was originally an ordinary office worker. Because of a strange QR code, he was trapped in a killing city. Here everyone is forced to participate in a survival game that is going to kill or be killed. In the process of finding a way out of the city, the mastermind behind the whole incident surfaced step by step. Full CGI. Suspense mystery action, so of little interest to me. It means a lot of fighting and slowly unwinding something bigger. Action is not bad, and anime is without early Chinese anime flaws, so can rate it above average. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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43. Qiang Niang Gun Girls 銃娘 [ガンガール] [Hoods Entertainment] (Finished 5/12) Tags: Military, Space Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi, Slice of Life Qiang Niang mainly tells of the protagonist Carrie, who has lost her combat memories, searching for herself and the story of her final "Awakening". In the years between 2025 to 2030, a world war involving the entire world has resulted in the demise of half the world's population, and humanity has already lost control of the direction the war shall go in. In order to seize ultimate victory, war has gradually been turned into a battle without people, similar to a game. War has already become about Satellite lasers, Bomb drones, Intelligent AI, a battlefield between unmanned gun turrets and tanks... Then, there are also a group of young maidens who uses outdated firearms to engage in battle —— the Gun Girls. A chaotic show about CGDCT on one side and gunfight missions on the other. It does not make much sense early on and can't be called interesting either as interactions are full of cliché. Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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44. Di Ling Qu The Immortal Legend 地灵曲 [-] (Finished 2/18)  Tags: - During the night of July 12 in 1917, plenty of strange visions appeared, such as sun and moon shined together, waves and tides turned continually and so on. Dense clouds started darkening the sky, while buildings collapsed one after another in a sudden. In a while, the whole world fell into a crisis. Three grave-robbing aristocratic family, Zhang, Han, Cao, joint hands to solve this huge puzzle and save the world. Among them, the young master, Zhang Tianqi, who was kind and honest, with his team, had suffered from a lot of troubles in order to save the world in danger, and then finally figure out the Loulan Kingdom's secret. Loulan, with thousand years' secrets, had a grand and treacherous tomb, which almost dragged the team into death. So, what's the relationship between the mysterious visions and the Louland tomb? A story across millenniums is now beginning... Full CGI. Partially translated. Only tried it because stage is different from wuxia, but actually only some mechanical contraptions point at it as wuxia spirit is all over the place with constant martial arts fights and travel and dresses... Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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45. Shi Xian Time of Chord 时弦 [-] (Finished 0/1)  Tags: Action, Sci-Fi - Not found. Overall Rating: 0/10 |
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46. No Game No Life: Zero No Game, No Life: Zero ノーゲーム・ノーライフ ゼロ [Madhouse] (Finished 1/1)  Tags: Isekai Drama, Fantasy, Romance In ancient Disboard, Riku is an angry, young warrior intent on saving humanity from the warring Exceed, the 16 sentient species, fighting to establish the One True God among the Old Deus. In a lawless land, humanity's lack of magic and weak bodies have made them easy targets for the other Exceed, leaving the humans on the brink of extinction. One day, however, hope returns to humanity when Riku finds a powerful female Ex-Machina, whom he names Schwi, in an abandoned elf city. Exiled from her Cluster because of her research into human emotions, Schwi is convinced that humanity has only survived due to the power of these feelings and is determined to understand the human heart. Forming an unlikely partnership in the midst of the overwhelming chaos, Riku and Schwi must now find the answers to their individual shortcomings in each other, and discover for themselves what it truly means to be human as they fight for their lives together against all odds. Each with a powerful new ally in tow, it is now up to them to prevent the extinction of the human race and establish peace throughout Disboard. Prequels are usually not needed. And just when I thought that this movie might prove the rule wrong, it turned out to be alternative dimension than a prequel. So it brings next to zero to the table and does not bring sequel even a little bit closer... Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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47. Uchiage Hanabi, Shita kara Miru ka? Yoko kara Miru ka? Fireworks 打ち上げ花火、下から見るか？横から見るか？ [Shaft] (Finished 1/1)  Tags: Romance, Sci-Fi One summer, Norimichi Shimada and his friends want to know if fireworks look round or flat from the side. They forge a plan to find the answer at Moshimo Festival's fireworks display. However, Norimichi finds himself conflicted when his classmate, Nazuna Oikawa, plans to run away from home and wants Norimichi to join her. When things go awry in their attempt to escape, a strange orb in Nazuna's possession gives them another chance at staying together. Majority of it is banal brat romance. Sci-fi comes too late to matter. Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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48. Mary to Majo no Hana Mary and the Witch's Flower メアリと魔女の花 [Studio Ponoc] (Finished 1/1)  Tags: Adventure, Fantasy Mary Smith is a clumsy girl with wild red hair who can't seem to do anything right. After moving in with her Great Aunt Charlotte, Mary finds herself lonely and bored, until one day she spies a cat which seems to keep changing color every time she sees it. Curiosity gets the better of her and she follows it into nearby woods. Deep in the forest, the cat takes her to a clearing with dead trees and brown grass, where the only sign of life is a cluster of mysterious blue flowers that Mary has never seen before. The gardener of the estate later tells her that the rare species is called "Fly-by-Night," and is said to be sought by witches for its incredible magical power. When the strange cat returns to her one night, Mary is led once again into the woods, but this time to an old broomstick hidden by a gnarled tree. After she clumsily squashes some Fly-by-Night against the broomstick, it begins to glow, whisking her off into the sky. Her wayward journey ends at the Endor College for Witches, where she is mistaken for a new student. And so, Mary must learn to look after herself in this marvelous new world of magic, where things are not always as they seem. Another wannabe Ghibli - high quality, but very little interest in watching a typical girl getting surprised by environments all the time. Story is nothing prominent as well. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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49. Kimi no Koe wo Todoketai Your Voice -KIMIKOE- きみの声をとどけたい [Madhouse] (Finished 1/1)  Tags: Drama The story focuses on high school girl Nagisa Yukiai who lives in a seaside town. She has believed her grandmother's story that spirits dwell in words and they are called "kotodama" (word spirit). One day, she strays into a mini FM station that has not been used for years. As an impulse of the moment, she tries to talk like a DJ using the facility. But her voice accidentally broadcasted reaches someone she has never expected. A normal simple locodol story, easily forgettable. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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50. Yuuki Yuuna wa Yuusha de Aru: Washio Sumi no Shou 2 - Tamashii 結城友奈は勇者である -鷲尾須美の章- 第２章「たましい」 [Studio Gokumi] (Finished 1/1)  Tags: Mahou Shoujo Drama, Fantasy, Slice of Life The second movie in the Washio Sumi no Shou trilogy. Forgot to include in Spring season. Nothing unexpected, just silly SOL antics and action only by the end with finally drama kicking in. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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51. Yuuki Yuuna wa Yuusha de Aru: Washio Sumi no Shou 3 - Yakusoku 結城友奈は勇者である -鷲尾須美の章- 第３章「やくそく」 [Studio Gokumi] (Finished 1/1)  Tags: Mahou Shoujo Drama, Fantasy The third and final movie in the Washio Sumi no Shou trilogy. Very logical continuation, just sulking instead of silliness, plus another round of action with drama. If that's all it can offer, can't really call it masterpiece. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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52. Junk Head [Yamiken] (Finished 1/1)  Tags: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi, Suspense In the distant future, humanity is hurtling down a path of ruin. Global environmental destruction caused by chemical contamination, radioactive fallout, and UV rays coming through the patchy ozone layer has lead to deterioration of the human genome. Full plasticine. Arthouse trash, should have guessed from the title. And it lasts endlessly, over 100 minutes... Overall Rating: 5/10 |
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53. Dahufa The Guardian 大护法 [Nice Boat Animation] (Finished 1/1)  Tags: Action, Adventure, Fantasy A warrior named Da Hufa goes to save his prince from a dystopian village. He finds the dystopian village ruled by a fake God and his guards. In order to save the prince, Da hufa has to defeat the God and his men and discloses the whole conspiracy. Unusual bloody story with quite a lot of psychedelia stuff. A good watch overall with many weird moments, but can't call it enjoyable. Still, quality is high, so I encourage to see for yourself. Overall Rating: 6/10 |
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