Kiseijuu: Sei No Kakuritsu (Parayste: The Maxim) Review

"Flies know how to fly without being taught. Spiders know how to spin webs without being taught. Why is that? Here's what I think: Flies and spiders are simply following an order. I believe all lives on Earth have received orders of some kind. Don't humans have any directive? When I took over this human's brain, I received a directive. It said, Devour this species."

What does it mean to be human? Is it our DNA that sets us apart from the other creatures that inhabit the earth? From a scientific standpoint, the answer to that question would be "Yes". However, we are not scientists, so we must answer that question in a different manner. For as long as we can remember, humans have been the champions of survival, conquering all obstacles in our path due to the sheer amount of knowledge that we can possess. But what if humans were no longer the champions? What if some other species showed up one day with the likeness of human beings and treated us as their prey? Would it be us that really deserve to survive -- or would it be the newer, more perfect human race? That is the common question brought up in the world of Parasyte: The Maxim.

Based on the 1989 manga by Hitoshi Iwaaki, Parasyte whisks viewers away to a world where a parasitic alien race is attempting to attach itself to and consume the life-force of human hosts. These parasites, however, are just acting on basic instinct. With that being said, it is no surprise that our main character (Shinichi Izumi) in Parasyte becomes "Infected" by one right at the very start of the show. Shinichi, however, notices the parasite as it burrows into his arm and cuts off any path that said parasite has to make it to the brain. The result of this lies in the parasite (Who we will come to know as Migi) controlling his right arm instead of his entire body.

Parasyte works off of a strong pilot episode that serves as an intense attention-grabber and coerces viewers into delving deeper into the series. Through the utilization of suspenseful endings and TONS of gore, Parasyte has become perhaps the most successful anime of 2014. But this doesn't necessarily mean that it is the best. It has flaws, just as 99% of shows do. But are those flaws enough to degrade the score of the show to a state in which it is not worth watching? Not really, no. But lets look into it further anyway as I break the show apart into a few key elements to better illustrate it.

Music: 9/10
I'm going to cut right to the chase here in the music section and state that Parasyte had the single best background song of 2014. That song (Hypnotik) was a powerful blend of techno and orchestra that made each and every fight scene in Parasyte literally ten times better than they would have been on their own. And the great thing is that the soundtrack isn't only extremely interesting, but incredibly dynamic, memorable, and packed to the brim with intensity and drama. The one complain I do have about it though, is that there just wasn't enough. There were only about three or four songs that just kept getting cycled through. And even though I really REALLY liked those songs, there just wasn't enough diversity. Regardless, the music was pretty astonishing and, thanks to Hypnotik, my favorite part of the show.

Characters: 7/10
Parasyte has a pretty heft cast of characters, and almost every one of them is equally important and serves as a stepping-stone in the development of Shinichi. Whether he be coping with loss or learning how the parasites work, his mind is never at rest. And for 22 hours of the day, neither is his right arm. Migi, though extremely annoying at first, quickly grows on you. No pun intended. Shinichi, on the other hand, stays pretty annoying throughout the whole damn show. He was developed well, don't get me wrong. In fact, it was some of the best development of the year. But there was just a certain unlikability to him that pissed me off almost every episode. Plus, this show killed off the only character I actually liked, so I have vendetta against it. Even though the cast is well-varied, none of them are really that all-that likable, and that's a big problem. Characters, being debatably the most important part of an anime series, need to be strong or interesting or funny or anything like that. But almost none of the characters in Parasyte really are. However, because of their development actually being good, this isn't something that should sway your opinion in watching the show.

Art: 7/10
Being the adaptation of a manga from the 80's, Parasyte handles the gap between old-school anime and new-school anime very well. It feels more like something that came out of the early 2000's than something from the past few years. This brings a certain endearing charm to it for those that actually read the manga version, while still allowing new fans like myself to grow fond of it. However, there is a slight lack-in-detail in the art department. The most visually interesting aspects of the show fall upon the parasites while they are fighting, and any time they aren't, the show just looks kind of plain and boring. There is just such a noticeable artistic gap between those two things that the art can't be called perfect. It's good, yes, but good enough to be considered great? Mehhhhh, not really. 

Story: 8/10
The idea of humans being taken over by parasites isn't necessarily the most original idea. BUT, it's still a good one, which means there is a high-chance of success in the story department. And for the most part, Parasyte does succeed. Eventually though (Specifically in the last couple episodes), the plot gets a little too convoluted. I started to feel like the show was basically saying "Okay kids, what have we learned today?" instead of actually coming to a fitting resolution. This really spoiled things for me. Minutes ago, I was in an alternate reality where humans were at risk of dying out, and now I'm basically being told to recycle and not kill bugs. It ruined what was earlier a great plot by literally trying to teach you a lesson instead of letting the story do that on its own. Hell, there is at least five minutes of actual dialogue in the last episode where Shinichi is talking about the moral of the story. AND THEN, they literally take a complete 180 and basically say, "LOL NEVERMIND". It wasn't fair. It was like, for a brief moment, the director wanted to play a cruel joke on all the people who so diligently followed the show -- and it really ruined what could have been great.

Parasyte is pretty much the "Attack On Titan" of 2014. It received a lot of early praise for its ability to set the tone of a dark story, but was consequently blown out of proportion by all those people that thought they discovered the next Evangelion. Don't misinterpret that last sentence either, because I really like both Parasyte and AOT. But there are so many better shows out there than both of them, and they really don't deserve to consume the entirety of their respective year's spotlight. Give this show a watch -- I'm almost certain you will enjoy it to a certain extent. But I would sooner recommend a multitude of shows with interesting characters and a story that lets you determine the moral on your own.

Overall Score: 8/10

10 Cutest Girls Of Winter 2015

Okay guys, we've got a new type of article today. Instead of reviewing a certain show or compiling a list of the best anime, I will be compiling a list of what I consider to be the cutest and best girls to come out of this season. It's been something I've been meaning to do for a while now, so I figured I'd get around to it in order to avoid the essay that I should be writing for class right now.

This list DOES contain the leftover shows from Fall 2014 because I wanted to be fair and whatnot. I was also going to make a rule stating that no one show could have over TWO girls make it to list -- but I had to break that rule because this happens to be the season that new idols from 346 Pro decided to show their faces.

The girls will be rated by their personality, voice, and their appearance.

LET'S GET DOWN TO BUSINESS

10) Nona

Anime: Death Parade

CV: Rumi Okubo

To be honest, a huge reason for why I like Nona so much comes from the opening to Death Parade where she is playing DDR and just being flat-out adorable. In addition to that, there is a certain mystique to her that just grabs hold of my interest each time she is one the screen -- which isn't nearly as much as it should be, considering her importance to the show.

9) Anastasia

Anime: The iDOLM@STER: Cinderella Girls

CV: Sumire Uesaka

Foreign girls in anime are very often hit-or-miss. Anastasia is an absolute hit. Seeing her struggle to speak Japanese to the other girls in 346 Pro is what makes her so damn adorable. In addition to that, she is always optimistic and just a delight to watch.

8) Touka Kirishima

Anime: Tokyo Ghoul √A

CV: Sora Amamiya

Touka is so badass, yet so dedicated and cute. I've loved her since the first season of Tokyo Ghoul, but seeing her pushing herself in her studies all in order to get closer to Kaneki is just adorable. She's a lot more moe this season than she was last season, but it makes sense considering the amount of time that lapsed between them, which gave her more time to accept the way she feels.

7) Emi Igawa

Anime: Shigatsu Wa Kimi No Uso (Your Lie In April)

CV: Saori Hayami

Emi is so head-over-heels for Kousei she pushes herself to the edge every single performance just so he might notice her. There is an episode of Your Lie In April where Emi disguises herself to go see Kousei perform, but is then caught and goes into a fit of panic, denying the true reason for her disguise. Even though she had a lot less creen-time than the other girls in the show, Emi was my personal favorite just because of how love-struck she was.

6) Aoi Miyamori

Anime: Shirobako

CV: Juri Kimura

Aoi is probably the most realistic girl on this countdown. She struggles to figure out what exactly she wants to do with her life while all of her friends have clear-cut ideas on exactly what they want to pursue. It is this realism combined with her onslaught of cute outfits and tendency for over-analyzing things and thinking too much that makes her a favorite character of mine.

5) Eriri Spencer Sawamura

Anime: Saenai Heroine No Sodatekata

CV: Saori Oonishi

I love tsundere girls. I also love childhood friends. Put those things together and you get Eriri  Spencer Sawamura -- complete with the blonde-twintails that all proper tsundere girls must have. Out of all the girls in Saekano, Eriri is the one that deserves the MC the most. It just sucks that Tomoya is only into 2D girls. Oh well, I can relate I guess.

4) Rin Shibuya

Anime: The iDOLM@STER: Cinderella Girls

CV: Ayaka Fukuhara

Rin was originally my favorite out of the Cinderella Girls. She is the only one out of all of them that was reluctant to even become an idol. Her character is basically the result of a semi-tomboyish girl being sucked into the world of cute outfits and singing, and watching her adjust to it over time is what makes her so great.

3) Mika Jougasaki

Anime: The iDOLM@STER: Cinderella Girls

CV: Haruka Yoshimura

It took me little while to accept that I liked Mika more than I liked Rin. I think the driving force in changing my original opinion really stems from how she is always looking out for her little sister, Rika. That mixed with her hair. She has really nice hair. Just look at it. I have a soft-spot for idols and she is 346 Pro's star, which earns her even more bonus points. Even though she isn't part of the main squad that Cinderella Girls revolves around, she is still my favorite.

2) Shizuka Sakaki

Anime: Shirobako

CV: Haruka Chisuga

Shizuka is an awesome character because she is the only girl in Shirobako that things never really go well for. She is also debatably the most driven and the only one who has always known what she has wanted her career path to be. It's just that voice acting in Japan is such a competitive job market that newcomers often have an incredibly hard time getting their foot in the door. Watching her fail and constantly get back up on her feet while trying to support herself with her part-time restaurant job makes her not only adorable, but strong and determined. 10/10. Also, her hair.

Winter 2015 Champion: 1) Kongou

Anime: Kantai Collection

CV: Nao Touyama

Kongou is the cutest boat you will ever see. But those of you that haven't watched Kantai Collection will have no idea what that means, so go watch it and come to terms with your love for ship-girls. Kongou is half British and half Japanese, which is a plus on its own. Having her constantly weave in English words during conversation makes her ten times cuter and a hundred times more hilarious. Having half of those words be vulgar earns her EVEN MORE points. PLUS, she makes up her own names for all of the other ship-girls. Kongou needs more screen-time and ten seasons of an anime purely about her. I'd watch the hell out of it. She is the ultimate champion of the season and I will defend that until I sink.

And there you have it, everyone. These are the absolute cutest girls from the past three months. Feel free to change your phone wallpapers, desktop backgrounds, etc.

- See you at the end of next season for my next "Top 10 Cutest Girls"

Feel free to read my reviews on here or Pulp365.com until then

Shigatsu Wa Kimi No Uso (Your Lie In April) Review

"The world is not a wish-granting factory"

From the moment we are first born until to moment we die, we are not alone. And though more times than not it may feel like we are, we must overlook all of the pain and anguish -- all of those things that we are afraid of -- and slowly stumble forward in an attempt to lift our legs. This is something that I have learned from Naoshi Arakawa's Your Lie In April.

At first glance, Your Lie In April may seem like your typical teenage melodrama, laced with bits of music to brighten up the tone. However, within its first few episodes, we are graced with a coming-of-age story so unique and so vivid that it rivals even the most notable dramatic visual arts. Arima Kousei can no longer hear the sound of his piano. Following the death of his mother, any ties he had with music have been seemingly asphyxiated and tossed out the window. After years of constantly winning every tournament he would enter, Kousei hangs up his coat and tries to forget those times where he would play in front of hundreds upon thousands, all while just trying to make his mother proud of him. Then, one day, he meets Kaori Miyazono.

Kaori, much like Kousei, is a concert musician. The difference between them though, is her sheer optimism and drive to push forward. It quickly becomes evident that she not only plays to express her feelings, but that she just wants to be remembered by someone. And so she and Kousei embark on a journey together in which they try to recover his hearing and leave a lasting mark on anyone that they play in front of. That road, however, is just as difficult as you would think. Kousei must get over the death of his mother while, at the same time, battling feelings of romance and the slope that all teenagers must ascend on the way to adulthood. I might find it difficult to properly convey the sentimentality and immense beauty of all this, but I will try my best as I try and break Your Lie In April up piece by piece in order to better illustrate what is contained within it.

Music: 10/10

Your Lie In April does something that not nearly enough writers and directors try to do. It uses music as it's key force in conveying emotion. Throughout the course of the show, we come in contact with many different musicians, each with stories of their own. These stories, however, are best expressed when those musicians take to the stage. Splashes of Chopin, Mozart, and various other classical artists are all encased and modified within Your Lie In April. The background music is not only extremely touching, but extremely memorable and easily blends into the art of each scene, culminating in what becomes a completely seamless masterpiece. Until I watched this, I never experienced anything that utilized music the way Your Lie In April did. And I will never forget it. You can literally just listen to this anime most of the time and understand how each character feels when it is their turn to perform. Character development is usually one of the most gripping parts of not only anime, but all television. But when that development is done so often and so perfectly through the usage of music, the end result can be nothing but sheer beauty.

Characters: 10/10

A glorious ensemble of characters is another powerful force in driving this show forward. It sounds weird when I put it to words, but I often have a hard time connecting to male characters in anime. I feel like they are often disregarded and simplistic; I normally feel like more care is placed within the female characters. But Kousei Arima is the best and most realistic character of 2014. He faces so many problems and deals with them the same way that any other 14 year old kid would -- and a lot of the time that entails just curling up and not knowing what to do next. He encompasses fear and despair better than almost anyone else I have seen. Kaori, on the other hand, is the epitome of what everyone wishes they could be. Fearless in almost every situation, she is extremely inspiring and a delight to watch throughout all of her development. I could go on and on about the other characters in Your Lie In April, but it would take up the rest of this review. Each one is just so real that is almost impossible to not find a way to relate to them.

Art: 9/10

Your Lie In April is one of those shows where it took me a little while to really get a feel for the artwork. The thing is though, it is strikingly close to its manga counterpart, which came out coincidentally in April of 2011. And even though it took me a few episodes to really understand what they were going for in the art department, I eventually took a huge liking to it. It made sense. The characters' appearances were all very realistic (Except for Aiza and his crazy hair). This becomes a driving force in relating to them even further. Bearing some of the most enchanting landscapes and breathtaking lighting effects of the season, the art of this anime is just about as much of an endearing spectacle as the other aspects of it.

Story: 10/10

Drama has been and will always be my favorite genre when it comes to anime. I find it much easier to fall for animated characters than human ones, simply because they can express so much more. Humans have limits and animated characters don't, it's plain and simple. With that being said, coming-of-age stories will hit me ten times harder when they appear in this manner. And the coming-of-age story that is Your Lie In April is one of the best that I have seen. It is a textbook example of how a plot should unfold. The problem is stated in the beginning, the main characters go through obstacle after obstacle in order to solve it, more problems arise in result of that, and then it ends -- leaving you mystified and wanting more. My advice for you if you decide to pick this up is to go out and buy a box of tissues. Or two. Hell, buy seven. You'll need them come the later episodes.

Finding a show or a character you can relate to is not always an easy task to undertake. But when you do wind up finding one, everything revolving around that character essentially becomes somewhat of a symbol. You'll find some meaning or some personal connection within everything. Your Lie In April is done in a way where nearly everyone will be able to connect to it in some manner. With an ensemble so realistic and so well-crafted, it is easy to give this show a near perfect mark. It left a lasting impression on me and I hope from the bottom of my heart that it will do the same for you.

Overall Score: 9.5/10

Top 10 Anime Of 2014

What's going on everybody? For the first time (Out of many more to come) I am compiling what I consider to be my personal favorite anime in an attempt to wrap up a relatively exciting year. We've seen carnivorous parasites taking over humans, a squad of psychologically disturbed students coping with their pasts, and even a few cute lesbian high school girls. And even though these topics just barely scratch the surface of everything we've encountered this year, they've still played a hefty role in everything good that has emerged from it.

So before we get down to business, I'd like to clarify that everything on this list BEGAN airing during 2014. I am not counting shows that ENDED during the year (Sorry, Nagi No Asukara). This list includes a few sequels to shows that aired in years prior, seeing as I'm not a jerk and would still like to give respect where respect is given. So without further ado, I bring to you the best of the best -- at least in my opinion.

10) Chuunibyou Demo Koi Ga Shitai! Ren

Though being but a shadow of its former-self, the second season of Chuunibyou brings back our beloved Rikka Takanashi, or the "Wielder of the Wicked Eye". However, this time we are also graced with the presence of her arch-nemesis, Sophia Ring, also known as Satone Shichimiya. And even though the level of comedy has been dumbed-down overall, Chuunibyou still feels the same as it did in 2013. The relationship between Rikka and Yuuta is making progress, and it's clearly evident within this installment. Focusing on the inner-workings of both heroines, Chuunibyou Ren exemplifies how romantic curiosity can impact any unsuspecting adolescents just trying to survive high-school. Those curiosities are dealt with in a multitude of ways, and the viewers of this season get to witness it all through different pairs of eyes (One of those pairs being exponentially more wicked than the others).

9) Grisaia No Kajitsu

Grisaia busted its way into my heart immediately after its pilot episode. Being the adaptation of an adult visual novel (Which earned it extra points right off the bat), the course of the show was already known to many when it graced the eyes of the general public in late 2014. Though the visual novel still reigns supreme in comparison to its anime-counterpart, Grisaia introduces us to five of the most interesting characters all year. And each one is complete with their own emotional trauma! (Batteries not included). Needless to say, this show comes equipped with an extremely unique story and one of the most memorably bad-ass protagonists I've ever come across. Watch this, pick up the VN, do whatever -- just don't overlook it. It's worth the watch and has my stamp of approval.

8) Fate/Kaleid Liner Prisma Illya 2wei!

If you aren't into magical loli-girls or the Fate/series, feel free to just scroll past this. But for those of you that don't hate fun and actually want to make the right choices, pick up the Fate/Kaleid Liner series. This sequel and comedic-spinoff takes place immediately after the first season of Fate/Kalied Liner with Illyasviel and Miyu continuing their search for the servant cards desired by the London "Mage's Association". However, something goes terribly wrong and Illya's consciousness is split in two, with the outcome being another physical manifestation of her (Just this adaptation is tan and wants to make out with everything). So, obviously in this scenario, the best thing for Illya to do is find a way to stop her second-self from making out with all of her friends while keeping her true-self alive both socially and physically -- because Anti-Illya also wants to kill her and become the REAL Illyasviel Von Einzbern. Regardless of the oh-so complex story line, Fate/Kaleid Liner 2wei is completely adorable and each character is lovable in their own way -- especially Kuro (Anti-Illya). The show gets better as it goes on and easily fits itself into my top ten for the year.

7) Kiseijuu: Sei No Kakuritsu (Parasyte: The Maxim)

Parasyte took the world by storm when it first hit the TV-screen late in the year, nearly two and a half decades after its manga was publicized. Set in a world where a new species is attaching to and consuming the life-force of humans (And some other lesser-creatures), Parasyte takes viewers for a ride every single episode. Within the first twenty seconds of the first episode, I witnessed a spectacle that immediately set the tone for everything that this anime was willing to put out. Death, fear, and social unrest will take the forefront in guiding you down a path illuminated by the one true human desire -- the need to live. The great thing about Parasyte is that not only the main character evolves throughout the course of the show, but the world and even the parasites themselves are evolving, both literally and figuratively. It's always refreshing seeing a show that isn't afraid of killing off characters. But seeing one that kills them off just because they are weak is a phantasm I will always look forward to, no matter how dark that may sound.

6) Sakura Trick

Okay listen up, Sakura Trick coming in at number six MIGHT make me look like a bitch. Especially after Parasyte came in at number seven. BUT this damn anime is filled with so much cuteness that I literally overloaded week after week until the point where I wished I was a lesbian high school girl. Do you know how many times I've ever wished something like that before? Zero. Never even thought of it. But now, oh man, you don't even get it. At least not until you feast your eyes on this. Sakura Trick follows best-friends Haruka Takayama and Yuu Sonoda as they make a promise to always be together. They then seal this promise with a kiss in the shadows of an abandoned classroom and try their best to keep their relationship a secret from everyone else. Haruka and Yuu have the best on-screen romance and chemistry out of any other couple this year, hands down. They are completely dependent on one another and you will cheer them on the same way you'd cheer on a best-friend confessing to some girl he's been secretly Facebook-stalking for years. The story is barely there, but those two are just so cute together that it overshadows everything else you could possibly want out of an anime.

5) Tokyo Ghoul

Dark fantasy is a genre I've been interested in ever since my days in middle school. When you mix that with horror, something I've loved for even longer, there are only several ways you can go wrong. But none of those ways find their way into Studio Pierrot's "Tokyo Ghoul". The Ghouls are a superhuman race that have been running rampant through different districts in Tokyo, killing and eating humans in order to survive. But these ghouls aren't just mindless killing machines. They are intellectual creatures and have dreams and desires the same way humans do. Ken Kaneki becomes a ghoul after having the organs of a deceased one transplanted into him after the two suffered a would-be fatal accident. From that point on, we follow him as he undergoes a transformation in which his human self starts to fade away. Kaneki must fight the urge to consume those he once walked alongside, but at the same time he must stay alive. The greatest part of Tokyo Ghoul lies within the remarkable voice acting from literally ever single character. Up-and-comer, Natsuki Hanae, seemingly becomes Kaneki during his transformation, and I can't even put to words how impressed I was. Tokyo Ghoul only gets better as it goes on. The most fantastic part, however, is that you will wind up wanting the ghouls to win instead of the humans.

4) Akame Ga Kill!

Akame Ga Kill isn't your average "Warring kingdoms" anime. Instead, it is an action-packed voyage through the workings of Night Raid, a group of assassins that our main character, Tatsumi, gets himself caught up in. Each member of Night Raid is immensely different from the next, but they are all lovable in their own way. You wind up caring and worrying for each one within just a few hours. But just when you find yourself getting a little too attached to a specific character, they are yanked away from you and you are left petrified when everything was bright and sunny just moments before. The story actually makes progress and so do the characters (The ones that stay alive, at least). And within almost no time at all, yet ANOTHER assassination group is sprung on you with a cast of characters that nearly parallel those of Night Raid. So now viewers are stuck cheering on one of the two groups only to find that they aren't very different at all. Although it might take a few episodes for Akame Ga Kill to get into the right mood, it quickly becomes an unforgettable tale and a contender for one of the best war-stories to ever be animated.

3) Shigatsu Wa Kimi No Uso (Your Lie In April)

Being a singer/songwriter, it's easy to say that music has always been a huge part of my life ever since I was young. But for the main characters of Your Lie In April, music is the only thing that keeps them going. After losing his mother at young age, Kousei Arima can no longer hear the sound of his piano. Being an award-winning concert pianist without the ability to hear, he drops his talent altogether and falls out of what was once his entire life. That is, until he meets another musically-inclined girl one day that has a secret and a past of her own. Needless to say, Your Lie In April tugs on your heartstrings from the get-go and continues to boost tissue-sales all across the country every Thursday. The sound quality is remarkable the same way the characters are. The story-telling is unparalleled and riddled with flashbacks to a time when things were much better than what they have become. And with perhaps the strongest character development of the year, Your Lie In April is safely locked as a personal favorite of mine.

2) Shirobako

At its core, anime is just another form of visual entertainment -- the same way movies and regular television shows are. And just like in those aspects in the industry, there are many different forces that must come together in order to properly craft it. Shirobako gives us a glimpse into the world of actually making anime, and a very realistic and accurate one at that. The only thing that Aoi Miyamori knows for certain is that she wants to work in the anime industry. But once she winds up inside it and sees everyone with pre-determined aspirations of EXACTLY what they want to do, she starts to question why her dreams aren't as specific as theirs. Shirobako is gleaming with comedy and an extensive cast of characters that all get the screen-time they deserve. And I'm talking a good 30+ characters -- it's an entire studio's worth. The problems these characters face are realistic and easily extend outwards to the real-world in which many of us aspiring filmmakers and anime-makers inhabit in the same exact manner. Considering how I can personally relate to this story and how it's so different from anything else I've seen animated, it is easy to say that Shirobako is an all-time favorite of mine that it pained me to put at number two instead of number one.

1) Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works Pt. 1

For those that know me personally, this shouldn't be that much of a surprise. I've been a huge fan of the Fate series for years now. And being the avid fan that I am, hearing of another installment focusing on my favorite character, Rin Tohsaka, easily gained my attention. Unlike the Unlimited Blade Works movie from 2010, this episodic version does not feel rushed and adds many new aspects that even the Blade Works route in the visual novel didn't touch. In addition to that, the first two episodes are each the length of a short movie and set the tone of the story right away. The original voice cast is back once again and they are explosive in their respective performances. Hell, if the second season of this route is as good as the first, it might even wind up as my favorite Fate adaptation out of all of them. If you haven't gotten into the series, I highly implore you to do so. If you have tried to get into the series and it wasn't your cup of tea, try again with this series. It is great for both newcomers and avid fans alike. Equipped with an unforgettable cast and a story riddled with so much loss and despair, it is no surprise that Fate/Stay Night Unlimited Blade Works Pt. 1 has come out victorious as the best anime of 2014.

Thanks for reading, everyone. It has been a fantastic year in anime. I'll see you all next year.