Amagi Brilliant Park Review

"If you want to make people dream, you have to start by believing in that dream yourself"

Once every season, Kyoto Animation shows up and grabs the immediate attention of the entire otaku populous after announcing whatever they've been up to the past few months. Being one of the biggest and most successful animation companies in Japan, people tend to automatically just chalk down whatever they license and eagerly await it, expecting something great. But does KyoAni succeed with their latest addition, Amagi Brilliant Park? Can they truly amount to more than just their wonderfully crafted artwork?

Amagi Brilliant Park (Or Amaburi for short) follows Kanie Seiya, a narcissistic and self-centered (Wait. Kanie...Kanye...I see what you did there, KyoAni) high school student and former child-star, as he is recruited as the new manager for a failing theme park. However, this theme park is currently owned and operated by a group of people that come from the magical world of "Maple Land". The women are beautiful and the males all look like mascots for college football teams, which is personally my ideal picture of a magic kingdom.

Even though the story seems a little odd, it does quickly become alluring when you find out the princess of Maple Land and former manager of the park has a sickness that prevents her from aging and resets her memory once every year. And so Kanye West Seiya must bring in a total of 500,000 visitors in a six month period in order for the Maple Landers to keep the park. If he does not succeed, Princess Frailty will lose her magic powers contained within the park and ultimately die a tragic death.

Amagi Brilliant Park has its ups and downs (LIKE A ROLLER COASTER. HA) but it isn't by any means bad. I found myself looking forward to it every week, just as I normally do with Kyoto Animation's stuff. But this time I didn't have to fully invest myself in the story like I had to do with sthows like Hyouka, which worked on solving mysteries and building up relationships. So, lets delve deeper as I once again break this show apart, piece by piece, to better illustrate how I feel about it.

Music: 7/10

Just like every other normal person in the world, I love clapping. The opening song to Amagi Brilliant Park utilizes clapping. Twice. That's cool, I like that. And since Kyoto Animation created the opening, the clapping looks sweet. But I digress. The anime sounds just like you'd expect a show about a theme park to sound. The music is lively and cheerful, and at the same time it delivers hope. And with Amaburi's story, that is absolutely vital. Background music isn't repetitious at all and plays an essential part in making each scene seem full. But because the music wasn't outstanding and didn't play a part in changing the way people viewed the show, it wasn't perfect and definitely could have been improved upon.

Characters: 9/10

As far as characters go, Amaburi has a solid line-up. Kanie is quite different from the dense male leads you'll often find in anime today, and the rest of the cast is pretty solid as well. Sento Isuzu (Whose name I just found out comes from 50 Cent) does a great job in supporting Kanie's character throughout the duration of the show. And all of the mascot-men are there with extremely strong personalities to provide sufficient comic relief for the theme park. The thing is, even though the characters were very original and unique all across the board, the majority of them were ONLY there to serve as that comic relief I mentioned. It's great to be funny, but if that's your only personality trait in real life, you're probably going to have a hard time and you aren't a perfect character. I would have liked to see some more development in anyone apart from the leads, but it just didn't happen.

Art: 10/10

This was probably a given as soon as Kyoto Animation's name was put under the title, but Amagi Brilliant Park delivers some of the best artwork this year. Character designs were outrageous and easily memorable, and the theme park as a whole, even when it was decaying, was a sight for sore eyes. It's refreshing to see KyoAni constantly improving and not just taking advantage of their position in the industry and settling down in a "safe spot". They are constantly pushing themselves to create something better, and it has been succeeding. As a reference point, please direct your attention to the Ferris wheel above. Isn't that the best damn Ferris wheel you've ever seen in an anime? You're damn right it is. Amaburi has zero issues when it comes to appearance, and that is vital in keeping the audience's interest locked in.

Story: 6/10 

What's disappointing about the story line of this show is that they throw in a lot of information that seems like it's important, but is never mentioned again. The viewers never find out what exactly happened to cause Kanie's fallout of the entertainment industry. Sento's affections never get let out and ultimately become meaningless when you look at the bigger picture. And then Kanie goes off on this rant about how he is terrified of heights and wants to hide it from everyone but it plays no part in determining how you look at the story. And then there was the whole thing with how Kanie somehow ran into the princess when he was a child and now felt like he was destined to save her life. It just started to seem forced, like the writers wanted there to be a story when in all actuality the show was just there to be fun. The idea was good, but countless attempts to make it deeper than it should have been really ruined its legitimacy.

Amagi Brilliant Park is a solid show, but it could have been much better. You'll find that the driving force in bringing you back to the next episode falls completely on the characters and artwork. It's definitely enjoyable, but one of the weaker shows KyoAni has brought forth in recent years, which may be a direct result of them setting the bar too high for themselves. Watch this if you are either an avid fan of the studio or just looking to have a few laughs and wind down. There are better options out there, but Amaburi will suffice if you don't want to look for them.

Overall score: 7.5/10

Ore Twintails Ni Narimasu (Gonna Be The Twin-Tails!) Review

"Put our dreams and wishes into these twintails"

Have you ever loved someone or something so much that it literally consumed you? Has that love swallowed you whole, allowing little to no breathing and forcing you into the darkest depths of your heart's inner-workings as you grasp for air and fight to regain control of your life? Or have you accepted that and started the trek toward a downward spiral in which everyone you know questions your fixations and starts to lose hope for you?

Souji Mitsuka is obsessed with twintails, a hairstyle only possible and acceptable within the world of anime. And even though this hairstyle is undeniably the greatest there is, there is a line that must be drawn. Because when a group of humanoid animal creatures invade your world with affinities of their own, your fetishes will not save humanity. Unless you are Souji Mitsuka. He loves twintails so much that he is given the power to transform his affection into a physical manifestation and annihilate monsters in order to save the world.

Still reading? Cool. I should also mention that this power transforms him into a girl -- and a cute one at that. And even though the entire thing is overly-spontaneous and silly, it really isn't all that bad. It's something you can just throw yourself into and have a good time with, which isn't all that easy anymore.

Now, I know that we've already come so far over the past couple paragraphs, but we need to go deeper in order to figure out just what this show is. So I'm going to break it up into a few key components in order to further this review.

Music: 8/10

I think this might be the first time I've reviewed a show where the music outshines the rest of the aspects. Gonna Be The Twin-Tails! brings you in-your-face and extremely catchy rock music for both the opening and closing of the show, being somewhat reminiscent of how the Power Rangers was many years ago. It's both a good and bad sign when you are waiting the entire episode for the ending song to play. And with lyrics like, "Put our dreams and wishes into these twintails," you really can't go wrong. However, despite how awesome the music is, it does quickly get repetitive having to hear the same songs every time a new fight breaks out (Which is at least once every episode). It does a great job and really pumps you up, but it honestly just gets boring after a while. Except for the ending song. I will listen to that all goddamn day.

Characters: 5/10

As far as the characters go, there isn't really much to be invested in. Each one is slightly interesting and completely different from the others, but there really isn't much to them when you break them apart. It's a harem, so each girl has a thing for Souji, but only one of them really has a reason to (That being the childhood friend and best-girl, Tsube). It's nice having three characters able to transform into different versions of themselves as soon as they yell "Tail-on!" but considering they are almost identical to the way they are when they aren't transformed, there just really isn't much of a point to it apart from gaining superpowers. The characters definitely had potential, but didn't develop as the story progressed. They were all just too static and not interesting enough to be considered good.

Art: 6/10

Character design is well-done and relatively intriguing in Gonna Be The Twil-Tails! But boring landscapes and art that grows weaker as the series moves on really depreciates the overall quality. It was clearly evident that the studio was either running out of money or just getting lazy in the later episodes. But consistent design of the humanoid monsters (Or guildies as they are called in the show) stay pretty decent overall. Fight scenes are disguised by flashing lights and magic pillars, so focus is taken away from what's on screen and is instead directed toward background music or the lame dialogue the characters have to yell at that point. The color schemes are solid and appear interesting at first glance, but quickly become dull and boring, just like the characters do.

Story: 6/10

I'm going to be direct here and say that story isn't all that important in comedic anime. Gonna Be The Twin-Tails! relies on its script to succeed -- and the script is actually pretty good. But the story feels like there is something missing. It works like this: Tailred and friends take on a lizard-man or insect-man, completely destroy it, and then move onto the next one. It's just recycled action over and over again. The series attempts to get more interesting with the introduction of Dark Grasper, a human that is idolized by and in control of the Guildies, but she is just another boring character essentially trying via reverse-psychology to get Souji's mentor to love her. It's not something you can't find anywhere else, but it is fairly decent and watchable.

I've always liked uniqueness in visual media -- creativity is what I look for more than anything else when I review something. But there is a right way to do it and a wrong way to do it. Gonna Be The Twin-Tails! approaches entertainment from a non-serious standpoint, and so it can't be graded the same way a serious anime is. It is watchable, but it isn't by any means great or groundbreaking. Approach this anime the same way that you would approach a stand-up comedy routine. If you go in with high-hopes, you will come out disappointed. But if you go in expecting it to just be okay, you might wind up enjoying yourself.

Overall score: 6/10

Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works (TV) - First Cours Review

"I am the bone of my sword -- steel is my body and fire is my blood."

If you have so much as set a single foot into the anime community since 2006, you have most likely heard of the Fate series by now. And even though its first anime adaptation (Modeled after the TypeMoon visual novel) propelled it down a critically ignored hill of decency, the series has come a very long way.

Following the success of Fate/Zero, the prequel and first story in the Fate universe, studio ufotable announced that it was going to reinvent the original TV series. However, this time it would follow the route of Rin Tohsaka as opposed to the Saber version of the story. Needless to say, ufotable once again paints a beautiful image of exactly how the story of Fate should be depicted, while at the same time, adding new bits and pieces to renew the interest that readers of the visual novel once held in regards to the series.

Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works follows both the aforementioned Rin Tohsaka (Smoking hot super-mage) as well as Shirou Emiya (Redheaded not-so-super mage guy). The two are tossed into a battle that occurs once every few centuries, in which seven mages each summon a "Servant" of a particular class in order to help them attain the legendary Holy Grail. However, the grail can not be obtained until only one mage is left alive.

Unlimited Blade Works does an outstanding job blending action with the dark undertones of mortality, as well as friendship, betrayal, and the struggle of growing up and making the right decisions. Bloodshed paves the way to a new beginning (Or end) for each person fighting for the grail. Your attention will be fixed to the screen for literally every second of your time spent with this installment of Fate. Each episode's ending is overflowing with suspense, essentially beckoning you to spend more time with the show. In order to better describe what's in store for you, allow me to break this show up into a few key components.

Music: 10/10

As always, ufotable brings you an onslaught of up and coming J-Pop/Rock artists, while bringing back the ones viewers loved from Fate/Zero (LiSA/Kalafina). And shall you make it to the final episode, a special surprise is in store for those who watched the first anime or played the VN. Never in my life have I had as many chills as I did hearing Disillusion come on as this first part of this story came to a close. It was like being hit by a literally tangible wave of nostalgia. And on top of the music, the original voice cast from the 2006 production returns once again. But this time, they are stronger and more emotional than ever. No complaints from me this time.

Characters: 10/10

I've always had a soft spot for the characters in the Fate universe. In fact, Rin is constantly fighting for the number one spot as my favorite character in all of anime every time she speaks. Each mage has a motive and ideals that keep them going as they put their life on the line for the entire duration of the show. Each servant is based on a historical icon (Fiction and non-fiction) that even history lovers would enjoy. They each bring to the table a so-called "Noble Phantasm," accentuating a certain aspect of their past -- something that made them into icons. Even the characters you will wind up disliking are complex in their own ways. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that the cast of the Fate series is the best cast in all of anime. And for that reason, they attain the highest possible score from me in this category.

Art: 10/10

ufotable is quickly becoming known for their beautiful artwork. People all over message-boards and forums in the anime community have even been talking and gossiping about their budgeting for a while now, considering they consistently deliver some of the best art to date. Fight scenes are easy to follow, but at the same time a spectacle composed of vivid color and speed rivaling that of a Boeing 747. Character design in spot-on and landscapes are a huge improvement from the prior production of Fate/Stay Night, as well as looking nearly identical to its prequel, Fate/Zero. Each image is not only captivating, but refreshing in knowing that there is a studio out there who is able to deliver beauty on such a consistent level. Once again, no complaints from me.

Story: 10/10

TypeMoon has no qualms with telling dark stories. In fact, they love it. They build up each character almost perfectly and give them all their own time to stand in the spotlight. Character development is omnipresent and viewers go into each episode with open jaws and clenched fists, hoping their favorite master will come out on top. The Unlimited Blade Works route, which in my opinion is the weakest of the three different arcs, even comes out as mesmerizing. The story simply can't go wrong -- it just needed a studio who would be able to make everything else just as remarkable. It doesn't suffer from the same sporadic pacing issues that the 2006 Fate suffered from. ufotable picked a route and they stuck to it, adding many new flavors and new reasons to watch the series along the way.

There's always a shining star every anime season to emerge on top of its rivals. For Fall 2014, that show is Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works. It closes the season with a bang and is already climbing the charts on various sites for "Highest rated show". It most likely won't wind up at the very top, but that doesn't take away from the fact that it was executed perfectly and deserves the score I am about to give it.

Unlimited Blade Works picks back up for its second cours in April 2015. I'm looking forward to it more than you can imagine. You should be too.

Overall score: 10/10

Ushinawareta Mirai Wo Motomete (In Search Of The Lost Future) Review

"The world we saw that day, let's create it once more"

I honestly have no idea how to start this review, considering that anything I say in this first sentence will not be able to properly convey how let down I am at this moment in my life.

In Search Of The Lost Future (Or Ushinawareta Mirai wo Motomete if you have enough time in the day to read the full Japanese title) appeared to be a diamond in the rough of the Fall 2014 lineup. It showed remarkable promise and sported a seemingly convoluted story line by the end of its pilot episode. Everything you could possibly want out of a pilot was displayed right then and there, making it a contender for the more major productions of the season. Love, tragedy, an unconscious and naked silver-haired girl, comedy, etc. It was all right there. But as Robert Frost said once, "Nothing Gold Can Stay."

Ushinawareta is the newest piece from director Naoto Hosoda (Mirai Nikki/Shuffle!), and from what I've gathered, it is also the worst. It follows protagonist, Sou Akiyama, as he tries to (SPOILER ALERT) essentially turn back time and prevent his childhood friend from meeting her inevitable death. And of course the best course of action in doing this is to create another human being in a lab somewhere that is somehow capable of time traveling back to when Sou was in high school and hanging out with him and his friends in the Astronomy Club and basically telling inevitable-death-girl not to die.

As I mentioned previously, the pilot for this show sets you up for what looks like is going to be a trip down a tragic and twisted pathway on the way to heartbreak and despair. But everything you will receive after that first episode will either put you to sleep or make you question why you even bother watching anime anymore. BUT, if you're cool with watching a show composed of nothing but filler and exposition that isn't even relevant to the story, go ahead and watch the rest of the season. And without giving anything away, I'll try to separate this review into a few key components to better illustrate my disappointment.

Music: 7/10

The music for Ushinawareta really wasn't terrible (Apart from the opening which was borderline horrendous). The soundtrack, though not extremely varied, fits the overall tone of the show and is equal parts despair and mystery. This can easily be credited to one of my personal favorite sound-directors, Satoshi Motoyama. Considering the show an adaptation of a pre-existing visual novel, it is obviously going to sound at least somewhat decent and hold on to some of the music that readers have grown accustomed to.

Characters: 7/10

The cast of this show wasn't that bad either, to be honest. All of the characters were at least slightly original and not directly copy/pasted out of other anime. The thing is though, none of them matter. Only three out of six main characters are actually linked to the main story line of Ushinawareta, and the rest are essentially there to extend each episode to 22 minutes. And I still don't get what Hosoda was thinking dedicating an entire episode and a half to a girl that, once again, made absolutely no impact on the story as a whole. And even though I liked that character more than all of the others, I was still angry that I had to watch her and be pulled away from what was supposed to be a tale of alternate universes and unrequited love. 

Art: 4/10

Studio Feel isn't exactly known for their art, which is fair because it really isn't all that good to begin with. More care was put into the characters than the environment, but it isn't even that evident because they all look mediocre anyway. Animations were slow and lacked fluidity, and more times than not, it will appear that some of the objects were kind of just scribbled in rather than drawn with passion. Great art needs to focus on every aspect in order to be received well, and Ushinawareta falls short in this department.

Story: 5/10

Starting right at the end of the first episode, viewers are filled with suspense and shock. But immediately afterward, the story screeches to a halt and makes no progress until the second to last episode, where everything is essentially resolved. Ushinawareta is a prime example of how bad pacing can ruin a story that could otherwise be great. There was so much promise in this show, but it felt like it just gave up after delivering one good episode. I had basically given up any desire to watch the show three episodes in, but I still kept coming back in hopes that it would start to pick up. It just never does, and instead it feels more like one of my good friends betrayed me and severed our friendship.

Long story short, this show isn't really worth watching. And unless you are a fan of the visual novel, I can't imagine you having a good time. There are so many other shows out there that do what this one tried to, but properly and with good pacing. In Search Of The Lost Future essentially gets lost within itself and forgets what it wants to be almost every episode. The studio gets lazier and the show goes on, and the viewers are the ones that have to pay for it in the end.

Overall score: 5.5/10

Akame Ga Kill! Review

"Where there is life, there is darkness. Where there is darkness, there is evil."

This world is not a kind place, we all know that by now. No matter how much humanity tries to improve itself, the outcome is always the same. War is a constant. But both sides of war contain bodies with stories of their own and ideals they hold close. So how does one choose which side of war to empathize with? There are no winners after the fighting stops, just a side with less fatalities than the other.

Akame Ga Kill broke its way into the anime scene July of 2014, and ever since then it has been sending viewers on an emotional roller-coaster as they waver back and forth in an attempt to decipher not only their own feelings, but the feelings of society as a whole. It is directed by Tomoki Kobayashi (Sola/Steins;Gate) and is the first original piece from the writer, Takahiro, who gave birth to the story in early 2010.

The anime showcases terrific use of flashbacks, emotion, and has no qualms with killing off characters in order to advance the story. But Akame Ga Kill is not perfect and does have some issues with it. 

There are countless plot holes brought forth that are quite easy to either misinterpret or just overlook completely. On multiple occasions, characters will engage in shouting matches with enemies nearly a mile apart from each other. Anyone to pick up on the physical distance between the characters during these exchanges will quickly lose the sense of realism and validity of the world within Akame Ga Kill. In one episode, a character yells something from the ground to another character nearly a mile in the air, riding on the back of a flying manta-ray. And the most unrealistic part of this scenario isn't the flying manta-ray, its the fact that the two were able to hear each other from that far apart.

There are many things Akame Ga Kill does right, but there are also many things (Like the one above) that it could have easily avoided had it been given a little extra care. So I'll dissect the show into a few key components to better illustrate these things.

Music: 6/10

Akame Ga Kill paints a beautiful portrait of hope and misery, but by itself that portrait can't carry the rest of the show. One issue I had was the immense lack of background music during situations where it could have easily elevated the emotions of those scenes. More often than not, you will find yourself watching an intense battle between opposing forces with nothing to hear apart from the clash of swords and the characters announcing what move they were going to use next. It created somewhat of a detachment between the show and the audience. Had the creators given a little more thought into each scene, it could have been exponentially more enjoyable.

Characters: 9/10

The characters in Akame Ga Kill, apart from the immensely dense and unoriginal main character (Tatsumi), really sculpt the better part of the series. Each one is a twist on a typical character you can find in almost any action-adventure, but all of these characters are dependent on each other and become more complex throughout the course of the show. Character development is crafted phenomenally and the use of flashbacks provide sufficient background detail on characters in order to help explain why they are acting the way the are. As I mentioned before, Akame Ga Kill is not afraid to kill off characters, which is a feat that many shows struggle with now due to the fear of losing viewers that may only be watching the show for a specific personality. In addition to this, each character's wardrobe color can even tell us more about the type of person they are. Mine, pictured on the far left of the image at the top, wears nothing that isn't pink. In this case, the color demonstrates not just her purity, but reinforces the fact that she is just a normal teenage girl when you take away her gun and tsundere tendencies. One more thing about the characters (And I know I'm dragging on here, but this is really the high point of the show) is that each side of the war has personalities that are basically congruent to another on the opposing side. Because of this, viewers have an even harder time choosing who they want to come out on top and often find themselves worrying about characters on differentiating sides.

Art: 7/10

Apart from the fantastic character design of Akame Ga Kill, the animation of the overall show seems rather lazy and blasé. When Night Raid and the Jaegers aren't fighting each other, it just feels like there is something missing. I'm not sure what that something is though (I might have just been distracted by the intense, heavy outlining of everything). The environment is nice, but it isn't something you can't find anywhere else. Had it been a little more original, I would have had no problem giving it a higher score.

Story: 8/10

War is hard to properly craft within television, but Akame Ga Kill does a solid job deviating from the typical portrayal of it. What's great about this series is that you will have an inside look at both sides and see that there really isn't much different about them at all. And this is great because it is essentially telling you that fighting is pointless, but at many times inevitable. It's very relatable and will constantly have you questioning morality. Any show that is able to have you sympathize with a character known for slaughtering innocent people is doing something right. Akame Ga Kill is one of those shows.

Not very often am I able to find myself completely invested in shows spanning a full 24 episodes. But I kept crawling back to this one each week, worrying about whether or not my favorite characters would be able to make it to the next airing.

If you embark on the journey that is Akame Ga Kill, prepare yourself for intense fight scenes, emotional collapse, and a load of metaphors that apply to society today. But at the same time, you must be willing to tolerate some silly dialogue, nonsensical scenes, and a few over-the-top anime archetypes that I'm sure you've seen before.

This is definitely worth watching, and I highly implore you to give it your full attention. Go Night Raid.

Overall Score: 8/10

Jinsei Review

"Everyone knows that handles are the weak point of any closet"

The quote above properly depicts the deepest moments of the slightly glorious anime that is Jinsei.

Jinsei, directed by Keiichirou Kawaguchi (Hayate no Gotoku/SKET Dance), immediately throws its audience into the world of Yuuki Akamatsu, the newest member of the Kyuumon High School Second Newspaper Club (One newspaper club was just not enough). Akamatsu was placed in charge of the club's "Life advice" column and was assigned three girls with extremely differentiating social standpoints to help address the concerns of Kyuumon students looking for help of some sort.

That's it. There really isn't much more story to it. It's just a day-in, day-out look into the second newspaper club and the outrageous tasks they must undertake in order to help a specific student get over their fears/problems/anything else that burdens high-schoolers nowadays. But that alone doesn't stop the anime from being loads of fun. 

What makes Jinsei great (Kind of) is that it is spontaneous, hilarious, and self-aware. It knows that it is an anime, and you just don't get to see that often. The characters aren't complex, the situations are outrageous, and the dialogue is so fast-paced that there is never a dull moment on screen. With a few tweaks, this show could have gone somewhere. And so I will break it down into a few key components to better detail what went right and what went wrong.

Music: 6/10

There really isn't much to expect as far as music goes in a slice-of-life school comedy. And I'm not saying that background music doesn't matter for the genre, I'm saying that it doesn't make much of an impact. It was fitting, but it wasn't memorable. The opening was as fast-paced as the dialogue contained within the shows, and the ending songs were fun and filled with dry-humor for viewers to chuckle at as they dragged their cursors to the X on their media players.

Characters: 8/10

Don't misinterpret this -- the characters in Jinsei are not particularly unique. They can even be viewed as carbon copies of characters from other shows to a certain extent. Each one fulfills an anime stereotype of some sort. There is the rambunctiously sporty girl (Who is also the best), the quiet, yet extremely smart girl with glasses, and the girl with huge boobs whose only character trait is that she has huge boobs. And so I'm not directly handing each character a score card with the number 8 on it, I'm handing them a giant 8 to share based on their interactions with each other. The conversations exchanged between Ikumi (Sporty girl), Rino (Smart girl), and Fumi (Boobs) easily craft an enjoyable experience for anyone that doesn't feel uncomfortable engaging in young-adult humor.

Art: 7/10

I have no complaints about the art of this show. I also have no good things to say about it. It's all just normal. Considering a good 90% of it took place in a high school, I can not commend the artists for painting a memorable landscape. I can also not commend them for character design considering the characters were limited to school uniforms and looked essentially like characters from any other slice-of-life anime you can find out there. The art was nothing above or below average, and because of this it does not deserve to be demeaned or praised in any manner.

Story: 6/10

The main problem I had with Jinsei is that there just wasn't a story. And without a story, character development ultimately becomes extinct. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed almost every episode of this show, but I never felt the drive to watch another one. Problems were announced on a piece of paper in the beginning of the show (Like, for real. Akamatsu held up the paper and read it to the girls), and were then resolved in the last scene. It wasn't until the last four episodes where there was an actual problem the second newspaper club faced. Even then it wasn't a problem big enough for viewers to care about.

I feel like Jinsei forgot what it was supposed to be somewhere down the line. If it had stuck to just quirky dialogue and irrational high school problems, it would have most likely been received a lot better than it was. It isn't often that I actually find myself laughing at anime, but Jinsei succeeded so many times that I would need to grow around three more hands to be able to count those times.

Jinsei is an anime with minimal plot and maximum comedy. And because of that, if you go into it with expectations higher than the arm on a "You must be this tall to ride" sign, you are going to be let down. But just because it lacks in plot doesn't mean that you can't pick it up and have yourself a damn good 24 minutes.

Overall score: 7/10