Kantai Collection Review

The "Mecha musume" genre of anime (Which turns WWII weaponry and vehicles into cute girls because why not) has been becoming increasingly popular within the last half-decade or so. With that being said, the idea of turning naval combat ships into adorable fap-mater...I mean waifu-material...seemed like an idea that could not possible go wrong. And so one fateful day, Kadokawa Games created a free-to-play browser game featuring over 9000 (Give or take around 8900) different ship-girls that would go on to live in the dreams of otaku everywhere. Following this explosion of moeboats, Diomedea quickly grabbed the premise of Kantai Collection and set sail toward creating an anime adaptation, knowing that the fans of the game would be immediately "On board" for seeing their favorites ships fully animated.

Keizo Kusakawa (Dog Days/Asura Cryin') came on to direct the series which would immediately receive an influx of mixed reviews. Some viewers hated the anime because it was nothing but cute girls doing cute things. But, on the other hand, that was the exact reason that so many other viewers were praising it. So now, critics are split down the middle in deciding whether or not KanColle is worth watching. And the answer to that really depends on what you are looking to get out of it. If you came for a story, go somewhere else -- this show is most definitely not for you. BUT, if you want to watch adorable boat girls just doing their thing, then get the hell on deck.

The first episode of KanColle introduces you to Fubuki, a destroyer class ship-girl who will go on the be the main character of the series. Fubuki, unlike the other ships, is incredibly clumsy and has zero combat experience whatsoever. Tired of being the weakest of them all, Fubuki goes on to practice day and night in an attempt to not weigh down her fellow boats. After a solid mix of naval combat and fan-service scenarios, Fubuki gains many new friends who will go on to shape the experience of what Kantai Collection really is -- a fun show. But are fun and good interchangeable? That's something you must decide for yourself. But I'm sure you'll get a grip of how I feel about it after I break it up over the next few paragraphs and weigh in on each aspect of the show.

Music: 7/10

The music of KanColle is actually pretty good. The soundtrack blends traditional Japanese styles with fast-paced and dramatic rock music riddled with miniature guitar solos. The music becomes essential for expanding the atmosphere of the fight-scenes (Which there are a handful of in the show). And the music in KanColle doesn't function the same way that a lot of soundtracks do, meaning it doesn't really blend in. You can always tell that it's there, the impact is not subtle at all. This is both good and bad, considering it can also work as a distraction. One other thing though, is that when the music ISN'T playing, something seems amiss. Like the scenes are too bland without it. And unfortunately, this happens more often than you would think.

Characters: 10/10

The sheer amount of characters you come across in Kantai Collection is extravagant. But that is to be expected when the game has a total of 156 playable girls (That number is still rising, by the way). Obviously, not all 156 of the girls get screen-time in the anime. But even without that, it will still be easy to choose a favorite considering how different they all are from one another. However, if you don't choose Kongou as your favorite, you obviously don't know what you're doing. Character development really isn't a factor for anyone other than Fubuki. But the thing with Fubuki is that her development seems a little rushed. Her transition from "Insanely weak and useless" to "Overpowered and unbalanced" comes along rather quickly. And even though this is a problem, it does not overshadow how delightful and varied the boatgirls in KanColle are.

Art: 8/10

I think it's safe to say that Diomedea has outdone themselves with the artwork in Kantai Collection. Out of all of the series they've done that I have had the chance to watch, this one is far superior. Character design is great and stays loyal to the source material. The enemies are dark and gloomy which contrast with the bright and vivid atmosphere of the rest of the show in a way that is basically impossible to ignore. Frankly, I was extremely impressed. When I got myself into this show I wasn't expecting anything phenomenal in the art department, but I quickly retracted those thoughts as the show progressed. HOWEVER, the one thing I really disliked as far as art went was when 3DCG was brought into the mixture. Adding dimension to the girls during floating (Or swimming? Sailing? I don't know what to call it) really took away the detail of their character just seconds prior. It created an inconsistent situation where I could love the image of a character in one scene and then go on to hate it in the next. In my opinion, the art should have just stayed 2D through the entire show.

Story: 4/10

I wouldn't go as far as saying there is no story in KanColle. I would, however, say that literally no one cares about it. Not even the writers. Everyone was just more concerned with watching all the moeboats interact with each other. And those scenes of interaction were great. But every once and a while, KanColle tried to slip some naval battle you didn't care about under the radar in an excuse to further develop Fubuki. I get what the writers were going for, but it really just didn't work. KanColle was unsuccessful in creating a story line that viewers cared about. When that happens, there really isn't much hope for its progression. The story starts to "sink" in a way. Ha. Ha ha. Anyway, like I said earlier on in the review -- if you came here for a story, you might as well go watch something else. But if you want to watch different groups of girls act all cute and funny, register for a Crunchyroll account and go check this out. You won't be let down.

The one thing I wan't to add before I finish up this review is the amount of enjoyment I got out of this show. We can sit here all day and talk about "What makes a show good". But as far as I'm concerned, enjoyment has a harder impact on that than anything else. KanColle looks great, sounds great, and a ton of laughs for anyone that is just looking to have a good time. I highly recommend it for anyone that has room left in their "Favorite characters" column on MyAnimeList.

Overall Score: 9/10

10 Cutest Girls Of Spring 2015

Once again, it is time for the most important countdown of the season. This time around, I'm changing the rules a bit. I'll post them below in a second so don't worry. This is the SECOND time I have done this countdown, and it's probably something I will just wind up continuing to do each season from now on. After all, this is extremely important.

All of the girls listed below are from the current anime season (Spring 2015). None of which are leftovers from Winter (But if you'd like to see the winners from that month click HERE). I decided against the "No girls from sequels" rule because I realized it was unfair and I don't want to overlook cuteness.

The girls are rated by not only only their appearance, but their personality, voice, and other stuff as well.

SO LET'S GET DOWN TO BUSINESS

10) Asuka Tanaka

Anime: Hibike! Euphonium

CV: Minako Kotobuki

Asuka is the vice-president of concert band club in Hibike Euphonium. She is extremely talkative and is the only person in the world who actually wants to play the euphonium. In addition to all of this, her birthday is Christmas. Christmas is a good holiday and Asuka is a good character. Look at those eyes. Such blue.

9) Megumi Tadokoro

Anime: Shokugeki No Soma

CV: Minami Takahashi

Braided pigtails are quite possibly the ugliest hairstyle out there as far as I'm concerned. But Tadokoro somehow manages to pull them off. Maybe it's the hair clip. Who knows. Anyway, she's great because she's so easily flustered and always paranoid about something. It's a delight to watch. Who cares if she's the worst cook at Tootsuki Culinary Academy? She's better than I am and that's good enough for me.

8) Isla

Anime: Plastic Memories

CV: Sora Amamiya

This marks the second time a character voiced by Sora Amamiya has made it into the list (Previously Touka Kirishima from Tokyo Ghoul). Coincidentally, it is also the second time that character has come in at number 8. Isla and Touka are polar opposites though. Isla is extremely quiet, bashful, and clumsy. But she's always trying her hardest to improve herself, even if it doesn't really work out. She is also a robot. I haven't been this attracted to an android since XJ9 from My Life As A Teenage Robot was still on TV.

7) Kazuki Kazami

Anime: Grisaia No Meikyuu/Rakuen

CV: Akane Tomonaga

You find out some pretty disturbing stuff about Kazuki in the 60-minute Grisaia special Grisaia No Meikyuu. SPOILER ALERT!!!!: She molests her brother. This would turn most normal people off of her character...but it made me like her even more. Yuuji is a lucky dude. Like, come on. You can't even be mad at her for that. She can also play the piano, paint, and is an all-around super-child. She's the most badass bitch around. I kind of feel bad for even putting her this low on the top 10. It's okay Kazuki, I still love you.

6) Michiru Kinushima

Anime: Plastic Memories

CV: Chinatsu Akasaki

You can feel the tsundere emanating off of Michiru just by looking at her. Her sleeves don't even have to listen to gravity. They stay there just because they don't want to leave her. And I don't blame them, those sleeves are smart as hell. Michiru's personality is as fiery as her hairstyle, but she still has time to advise the protagonist of Plastic Memories on almost every issue she has. I wish I got to work with her instead of him. 

5) Yui Yuigahama

Anime: Yahari Ore No Seishun Love Comedy Wa Machigatteiru. Zoku.

CV: Nao Touyama

Here come the sequels. When season two of SNAFU was announced my heart melted. This meant I got to see Yui again. THIS MEANT THE ROMANCE HAD MORE TIME TO BLOOM. What I didn't know, however, was that the series was switching studios. WHAT I DIDN'T KNOW, was that they were going to make her even more cute. I didn't even know that was possible. If Yui doesn't come out victorious in the Yahari love triangle, the world is going to end. I will make sure of it.

4) Komachi Hikigaya

Anime: Yahari Ore No Seishun Love Comedy Wa Machigatteiru. Zoku.

CV: Aoi Yuuki

Second SNAFU character in a row. This one has the added imouto bonus. I was worried at first because Komachi wasn't getting as much screen time in the second season as she did in the first, but then all of a sudden she was back in full force. Komachi is way too cheerful and flat-out adorable to NOT make it into this countdown. She's also the only person who is able to really influence Hachiman at all, and that's damn impressive considering his character. (I'd even be totally cool with it if they got together)

3) Hestia

Anime: Is It Wrong To Try To Pick Up Girls In A Dungeon?

CV: Inori Minase

LOOK AT THAT FACE. Hestia is the only goddess in DanMachi with only one member of her familia. Coincidentally, she's absolutely head-over-heels for him. But Bell is mentally handicapped so he doesn't even realize it >=O !!!! She works so hard and likes him so much that it is completely heartbreaking to see Bell not even notice. Hestia, I will join your familia and I will love you. I promise. 

2) Shinoa Hiragi

Anime: Owari No Seraph

CV: Saori Hayami

I wish GIFs worked on this blog because there are literally 6000 I wanted to post. Shinoa coming in this high up in the countdown isn't even debatable. I don't care what you have to say. If somebody walked up to me one day and was like, "I'm going to replace every anime character ever from this point on with Shinoa Hiragi," I'd be like, "Omg pls yes". She might have the best personality I've ever seen and ON TOP OF IT ALL, she's a fucking scythe-wielding badass. Oh, and she has purple hair. 10/10.

Spring 2015 Champion: 1) Rin Tohsaka

Anime: Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works

CV: Kana Ueda

There was never really a fight here at all. We all knew that Rin would be the champion as soon as UBW Part 2 was announced. She's the second best character in the anime world and my first ever waifu. Twintails, check. Tsundere, check. Magic, check. Cool red sweatshirt, check. She has every important attribute there is. And since this is the UBW route, you get to see her get all embarrassed and lovey! I have dreamed of this moment since I was 16 years old. To all of you Saber fans out there, I'm sorry, but Rin is the only real choice for best-girl.

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

Death Parade Review

There are plenty of unsolved mysteries and unanswered questions out there. Perhaps the most common among all of these is, "What will happen to us when we die?" Most people turn to faith to answer this question, coming up with places like Heaven or things like reincarnation. But if we tossed faith away for a moment and let our imaginations run rampant, we could create bizarre ideas and outlandish theories for what happens when we die and they would be just as credible and plausible as the idea of Heaven or Hell. After all, no one truly knows what happens in the end. And the sad truth is that we probably never will.

In Death Parade, the first anime series to be fully-directed by Yuzuru Tachikawa (Who served as an episode director for Bleach and Steins;Gate), we are greeted with just one of many possible scenarios for what comes after life. Instead of going directly to Heaven or Hell, humans instead wind up at Quindecim, a full-service bar with a plethora of dark secrets. However, when these people show up, all of their memories are completely erased before being greeted by an "Arbiter" disguised as a bartender. This arbiter then coerces the two parties into partaking in a randomly-selected game which he will then use to judge them and assign one to the void while granting the other reincarnation and a second chance to live their life.

These arbiters -- these judges aren't human though. And though they look and act like they are, they're incapable of feeling human emotion and must make decisions based purely on what they deem right and what is wrong. But can someone without the capability of feeling truly make the decision of who gets a second shot at life? As Death Parade goes on, this question becomes harder and harder to answer. With each passing pair, the idea of mortality becomes more and more distorted. What happens if neither party "Deserves" a second chance? What happens if they both do? These are all questions that Death Parade tries to answer. So before I get into spoiler-territory, I'm going to break this show up and illustrate how I feel about each aspect of it.

Music: 9/10

The soundtrack of Death Parade features nearly a half-hour of original music composed by Yuuki Hayashi (Gundam Build Fighters/Haikyuu!!). The OST to Death Parade is enchantingly dark and overflowing with sorrow and panic. This is an absolute MUST for a show so centered on mortality. With each passing moment, the music pushes both viewers and characters to the edge, making everything that happens appear so much more important. Suspense is a key factor in how the events of Death Parade play out, and without Hayashi's soundtrack, that wouldn't have been possible. If you get the chance, head over to Youtube and search around for the track "Moonlit Night". It is a great example of what you can expect to hear throughout the course of this show.

Characters: 7/10

Most characters you will come across in Death Parade have very little time to spread their wings and show you their true colors. Most of the time, they only have around 20 minutes to do so. So within those 20 minutes, you will experience their entire lives leading up to their deaths and be forced to make your own decision on which character should get to live again. And yes, that is too short of a time period to be able to make a decision that heavy. But that is what makes the judgement so hard for us and raises the question, "Is this really the best method to sort people out?" The Quindecim staff is memorable for the most part, but Decim (The bartender/main arbiter of the show) really gets the most love from Tachikawa. He's the only one that truly develops throughout the entire series. And his development was fantastic, but there just wasn't enough for anyone else in the ensemble for me to really say that the characters were great. If anything, the sheer amount of lives that viewers get to gaze into really shape an interesting experience that raises many questions. That will always be entertaining.

Art: 8/10

As far as art goes, Death Parade contains a handful of mesmerizing landscapes and background art that heavily outweighs the appearance of the characters. The colors are dark and brooding all-around and match the tone of the show almost perfectly. And though there aren't many, the lighting effects were definitely something that really resonated for me, particularly how they were used for the stained glass and design of Quindecim. This show has a sort of Hell Girl feeling to it. Not purely for the art, but the story as well (But I'll get into that in a second). Character design isn't something to get wrapped up in, but these people are supposed to be real. Real people don't always look extremely interesting. It is for these reasons that I'd go as far as saying the art in Death Parade is actually very good. But it isn't something that MAKES the show what it is in the long run.

Story: 8/10

Once again, the story of Death Parade functions the same way as the story of Hell Girl if you ever had a chance to watch that. Following the pilot episode in which we are introduced to Decim and how Quindecim works, we get a few more episodes we can use to feel out the show. Each one goes on to function as exposition for the last arc of the show, in which everything comes together. But until that point, it's just pair-after-pair of people playing games that will be used to decide their fate. The entire concept of the show is great. And the execution of said concept is great as well. But I would have liked a longer-ending arc. I don't know if I would go as far as saying it felt rushed, but I just felt like there could have been more. The ending is very satisfactory though, leaving room for a second season but not necessarily NEEDING one -- seeing as the point that Death Parade set out to make definitely got across in the end.

Death Parade should be an enjoyable experience for nearly anyone that decides to pick it up. It isn't hard to understand and could even be one of those shows that you lend to a friend that doesn't really understand how anime works. It doesn't require serious investment, but at the same time, it could be a series that you easily get wrapped up in and want to finish all in one go. And for it being only 12 episodes, that is completely possible.