Change Your Image
enarttong
Reviews
Mushishi (2005)
Unique Masterpiece
Mushi-Shi is by far one of my favorite animes. It follows Ginko the mushi master who travels between villages and helps people with mushi problems wherever he goes. In each episode he encounters new characters and their mushi problems. Each episode is a self contained story that rarely is ever mentioned again. The lack of an over-arching plot should be bothersome, but somehow Mushi-Shi makes it work. By avoiding a season-long quest and plot, Mushi-Shi invests itself fully into each episode. This creates more focus on the plot and characters unique to each episode, and ultimately makes each episode extremely satisfying to watch (most likely because the audience doesn't have to worry about saving the world or some other sort of season-long quest in the back of their minds).
Besides Ginko, other characters rarely reappear. Despite this, Mushi-Shi manages to makes memorable and compelling characters. The way the show treats its female characters is especially notable. The female characters are never sexualized, pushed out of the action, or poorly characterized. They get the same treatment as the male characters. Mushi-Shi always makes sure to explain enough about its characters for them to feel realistic in their situations, but always holds back enough information to keep a mysterious tone.
The soundtrack for Mushi-Shi is perfect. It feels calm, mysterious, and chilling all at once to fit with the strange situations Ginko faces. It contributes a lot to this anime's unique feel.
Though Mushi-Shi may feel a bit slow compared to other popular animes, it has a way of sucking you into Ginko's strange mushi-filled world. I found it a refreshing change of pace and an enjoyable adventure.
Meari to majo no hana (2017)
Visually Exciting but Characters are Lacking
Overall, Mary and the Witch's Flower is a solid family film. The plot is simple, but decent, just don't expect any wild twists. There weren't any glaring plot holes, although I wouldn't have minded more explanation on Endor College. The score is decent, but doesn't have any compelling pieces. The visuals are by far the strongest aspect of this film. The animation is similar to Studio Ghibli's with its vivid colors, fluid motions, and interesting character and setting designs. Visually, it's a masterpiece. Sadly, what drags this film down is its characters. Mary isn't an unlikeable protagonist, but she isn't that interesting either. She is just able to go through some character development and be courageous enough to advance the plot. The dynamic between her and Peter wasn't developed, and that killed a lot of the story's emotion. Madam and Doctor D were ok as villains, but their motives and personality never get flushed out. Mary and the Witch's Flower was enjoyable enough, but the underdeveloped characters held it back from being a masterpiece.
Hataraku Saibou (2018)
Lighthearted and Repeatative
Cells at Work is a fun and light educational show that presents human biology in a unique way. However, the characters endlessly repeat the same cycles (they are cells after all), which can get a little monotonous. The only breaks in monotony are when character development sporadically happens. There really isn't an overarching plot line, and random character development isn't always enough to carry the show. Still, the uniqueness of it all is enough to make you keep coming back for more.
Sennen joyû (2001)
Captivating
Millennium Actress is the time jumping tale of a fictional actress's life through her memories and the films she was in. The art style employs muted colors that give the scenes an old photograph feeling. This contributes the reminiscent tone throughout. The characters' motivations and time lines can be a little confusing at first, but as the story progresses things become clearer. The film asks what motivates us and if our end goals are worth the effort. It also examines how life passes by quickly and how the elderly were once young. It's a thoughtful tale that leaves us wondering about where we're heading in our own lives.
Ano hi mita hana no namae o bokutachi wa mada shiranai. (2011)
Plot Holes Ruin Emotional Magnitude of Story
Anohana follows five friends who split up after the death of their mutual friend Menma. When Menma reappears to Jintan, they begin to come back together.
Anohana has its moments, but other times it leaves you confused. Jintan and Menma make decisions that don't make any sense. When people don't believe Jintan about Menma he just insists that she is real instead of proving it. Menma is able to lift objects, why didn't he ask her to do that? Also why didn't Menma try to prove her existence more? She said she wanted to be seen by everyone, so why didn't she try? These major plot holes ruined the emotional brunt of the story for me. It was hard watching the characters struggle to get back together and resolve Menma's death, but I couldn't lose the nagging feeling that if Menma and Jintan made smarter choices things would've turned out a lot better.
Saiki Kusuo no Psi Nan (2016)
Funny but has a few problems
Generally Saiki Kusuo no Psi Nan is very clever with its humor but there were some running gags that dragged the show down. Toritsuka constantly trying to harass female students and Saiki messing with his plans isn't funny. It seemed to be making light predatory behavior. Also what's with all the male characters trying to look for dirty magazines (reguardless of whether or not they are present) whenever they visit each other's houses? The only time it actually makes sense is when Kaidou's mom is looking for them in his room. And Teruhashi's brother? His infatuation with his sister feels more creepy than funny.
Overall though, the show is excellent. Saiki's constant sarcastic monologue and fourth wall breaking contributes a lot to the unique feel and humor of the show. The way his powers over complicate his life instead of helping him is a nice change of pace to other shows. All the characters are over exaggerated anime stereotypes, and the show isn't afraid to make fun of anime tropes. It's very self aware to the point that characters are conscious that they are watched by an audience. I've never seen anything so wonderfully weird, but it's a shame that there seem to be no boundaries of what it'll make fun of.