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- JoinedFeb 20, 2021
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Jan 23, 2025
Shoujo and Josei enjoyers are really starved in the anime industry and I thought this was a beacon of hope with a promising and interesting premise.
It wasn't that. This series really wants to be too many things at once. You can't build a fluffy romance on top of a morally grey crime syndicate story and make the protagonists at times crazy, badass, calculative mind gamey but also kind of innocent, deeply in love cinnamon buns. I'm not saying you shouldn't do it, but what will come of that is protagonists that feel like they have dissociative identity disorder with the whiplash they give you
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with their motivations and reactions. I was watching this screaming "this doesn't make any sense" so many times. Does it want me to watch a matching-their-freak sado-maso badass Yakuza girl romance with a guy head over heels with a calculative badass or does it want me to watch a more or less earnest and innocent girl fall in love with a kind of morally grey and a little bit of a social dimwit but totally deeply in love with her fluffy romance? Is it trying you be 'i love you but you hate me'? Its trying to act like it is! But she stops hating him after like an episode and just acts mildly irritated with him while at the same time apparently trying to get her revenge on him because she hates him but also at the same time they're kind of besties who rely on each other?
This is a mess in so many ways by trying to be and have the characters be too many things at once, where nothing they do makes any sense. Its like Schrodingers Josei, with how the characters exist with multiple personalities at once until observed by an unassuming Josei enjoyer.
Reviewer’s Rating: 4
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May 2, 2021
I've read 26 chapters as of now.
Whooo boy. This started out as an interesting story about an alternative fantasy world in a secluded village, ruled by strict gods and even stricter customs and traditions - and one very curious girl's journey to find out what lies beyond the mountains. If the story had continued that way, I would've probably given it a 10/10. It gave me heavy Dororo and To your eternity vibes.
However, I literally have no idea where this story is going anymore or what the author wants.
(The following lines have spoilers)
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I have a deep seated hatred in my soul for fantasy stories that turn out to be: "actually this isn't an alternative fantasy dimension, it was all a government experiment/training facility/reality TV show thing all along and we're actually in the modern age."
The reveal of this plotline was just..... frustrating. I was crying in pain. Another fantasy child has been ripped away from me in service of always having an explanation for something, no matter how stupid it may be.
All i can ask myself is just. Why. Literally why?? Why does it have to be like this??
Who is this in service of? Is this some kind of convoluted allergory about the nature of humans?? A statement about Japans rising average age in the demographic, falling birth rate and the aging of the population??? Welfare and pension??? Is it cultural relativism all along?? "The goal of capitalism is breeding loyal, good, unquestioning workers"?? No matter what excuses I can imagine, all of them involve the story going off the goddamn rails and becoming messier and messier. Just what the hell does the author want??
Why?
Just why?
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Apr 4, 2021
Mostly Spoiler-free review and discussion
Dororo is a story about Bodily Autonomy as well as the question about the sacrifice of one for the needs of the many - it's also interesting in context of this being a japanese show. Is it right for few people to suffer so that many people can survive? Everyone has their own take on it and purely logically speaking, the needs of many people should be prioritized.
However, most people would probably choose their own bodily autonomy instead of taking the sacrifice. No matter how demonic or humane Hyakkimaru may become, we always side with him. He
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doesn't need a reason for wanting his body back, even if it means the people of his father's land will suffer again. It's his, so he wants it back. I'm glad the show favored this side of the debate - you don't need a reason to want control over your own body. Bodily autonomy is a human right.
The cultural context in it - considering this is actually a story from the 60s by someone(a.k.a. "the father of manga"), who was 17 in 1945 - is also very interesting. Historically speaking, it was forbidden or shameful for japanese soldiers to run away or surrender (if you compare statistics of surrendered soldiers japanese vs. other nations). Families would rather commit suicide than be captured.
"...1942 Americans learned that Japanese servicemen regarded surrender as unthinkable. Virtually every Japanese unit fought near to annihilation—a record unparalleled in modern history. Voluntary surrenders were rare." (Source: nationalww2museum.org: There are no civilians in japan)
Ever heard of Kamikaze pilots? Those pilots that flew aircrafts full of bombs into their enemies naval personnel, essentially commiting suicide? A Suicide, or rather sacrifice of one person for the japanese military and population.
Knowing all this puts the shows message about how the needs of many people (on his father's land) do not outweigh Hyakkimarus needs (to have his body back), no matter how humane or evil one side is, into a surprisingly progressive perspective. It's against all established cultural norms of "your suffering will be for the greater good" - progressive for a nation that has a word for when you work so much, you die (Karoshi 過労死).
Should you watch this, tho?
The story is a monster-of-the-week travel format that offers a diverse range of sub-stories shining a light on the daily lives and problems of japanese villagers dealing with demons. The animation is some of the best I've seen from Studio MAPPA (tho the quality does tank at around 15 ep in - it picks up well again and delivers a good finale).
Someone in the comments of an episode said: "Its like watching a baby growing up, but with swords" At the end you feel like you've seen Hyakkimaru regain and loose his humanity over and over again. You feel like you've seen him suffer from his disability enough to justify wanting his body parts back, yet everytime he regains a sense, his first exposure to it is too overwhelming or sad. Dororo feels like a dark and gritty fairytale, a tale of tragedy.
It is definitely worth watching.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Mar 1, 2021
Honestly the art isn't good enough for me to overlook the flaws of this show. I'm a big fan of supernatural detective stories, especially when those are about urban legends. This show just doesn't do it for me. The pacing is all over the place, the pay-off doesn't hit, it's straight up boring at times, the characters are nothing new. I'll keep watching to see if its still gonna end up being worth it. The first episode had some amazing horror elements that reminded me of Shiki the Anime, but that gets shoved away for demon slayer-shounen-knock off plotlines. The horror of the first episode
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alone was enough to drive a mystery story for at least 5 episodes but man. I'm disappointed. A fun watch, still.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Feb 21, 2021
It was so promising. This was one of the anime that i looked forward the most and had the highest expectations for. But it just had to go and disappoint me.
Honestly, I've been starving for sex-positive non-ecchi anime. Teens coming into contact with sex has to much comedic potential. Its nice not to see it shunned too. Sometimes when I finish an anime I have to remind myself that kissing someone on the lips isn't nearly as scandalous as anime portrays it to be.
I thought this was going to be the second coming of Yamadas First Time: B Gata H Kei.
A sexual-romantic
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high school comedy that doesn't slutshame or is only for the male gaze/ecchi fanservice? Count me in!
OOf. Watching this is like watching the corruption of a loved person into a demoralized husk of its former self. I recommend you watch the episodes up to where the main leads get together. Don't watch past that.
It started out sooo good. All the jokes hit. Characters where tropey but likeable. We even got a crumb of lesbian representation. EHhhh questionable teacher/student relationship but hey I like risky scandalous (even age-gap) relationships if its fictional! But it delved head first into annoying melodrama..... that isn't even played for funsies or anything.
Spoilers: male lead borderline cheats on the female lead, who is his girlfriend at that point (i if remember correctly) with her friend. Cool cool. You seriously want me to take his "I am romantically attracted to u, but sexually attracted to ur hot best friend" bullshit? What is he, my ex?
Besides that this is one of the other anime where a girl is unpopular bc she's ugly but HuOUHAHahOOHOO oh shit. she take off glasses and make hair loose - she hot now??
Spare me. I'll be damned if I dont admit that the confession scene was cute tho.
The first episodes was a banger. I wish this anime hadn't disappointed me and had kept up the sexual/awkward/innuendo comedy
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Feb 21, 2021
God, i saw this anime in the recommendations of another animes recommendations list. The memories hit hard. I genuinely thought this whole show was just a fever dream, and honestly thats how it feels like to watch it. Its got a lot of awkward pauses and silence.
The art is typical low budget 2010s anime. Acceptable but not good.
I like it for the fact that i love femboys and the whole premise is that a couple of dudes get dressed up as girls in an all-boys school for the biz
..and get harrassed for it. Harrassed, not in the homophobic way, but in the catcalling way.
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Talk about walking a mile in womens shoes.
TW:
Most BL/Gaybaitey/Yaoi stories have some sort of harrassment/non-con/dub-con/sexual assault subplot. I think at this point its a given in the genre and thats why most shows like these leave a sour taste in my mouth. so yeah.
I still think this is a classic in the genre. Something about its atmosphere and weirdness stops me from straight up hating it. Check it out if u like niche BL classics
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Feb 21, 2021
I am not even that big of a fan of ecchi. This ecchi comedy tho.....
Keep in mind that I've been obsessed with this show since i watched it when I was a teen. Yamada played a part in my bi awakening.
The main character is a girl obsessed with the idea of having 100 sex partners, but she can't reach her goal until she overcomes her insecurities (like the way her lady parts look weird or her B-cup boobs). This show isn't about her overcoming her insecurities and growing or character developement, its about how this arrogant perverted teen girl fails time and time again
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to seduce one of the most seduceable boring milk-toast guys. Honestly? Queen shit
This stupid bimbo knows exactly what she wants and she sure as hell is not gonna get it cuz she's that much of a bimbo.
I wish i could roll my eyes at the ecchi comedy. I wish i could call this male-gazey. I wish i could call this anti-feminist. My bisexuality will be the downfall of me
I think I've just been so starved for sex-positive non-slutshaming slutty characters (that aren't very sexy late twenties pencil-skirt-so-thin-you-can-see-her-thong red lipstick buisness succubus type of women), that this one anime still hits different 10 years later.
Please check it out. Don't mistake it for a shoujo heartthrob anime tho
Peace
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Feb 21, 2021
This was one of my first animes I've watched, along with Yamadas First Time: B Gata H Kei. I've been chasing the serotonin this show gave me back then ever since.
I am hopelessly in love with the main lead - I don't think I've ever seen a shoujo main lead be a femboy/crossdresser.
How obsessed am i? His name was my password for three years on mutliple platforms.
I adapted the main characters obsession with jellyfish dresses. It's also one of the only shows where i don't get second lead syndrome.
Look. Give this a try. If you don't like it, fine. If you
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become obsessed with it, hmu.
Persoal obsession and nostalgia aside, this show definately has flaws and plotholes. The fun i had watching this however makes up for those mistakes. It's also got a very unsatisfying ending. On top of that, the manga this show was adapted from, has only translated 12 volumes into english (i think?) so you will never find out how this story ends. You'll have to live with that knowledge. Or learn japanese.
Peace
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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