Just your friendly, incredibly long-winded neighborhood |Spider-Man|mercenary|anime enthusiast. I have absolute 0 patience for unhinged fandoms/hatedoms, but I'm typically chill to talk to otherwise. Sorry if I come off as toxic. Terminally online weebs from this site and others have made me jaded.
The way I see it, what matters most when partaking in any media consumption, not just anime, is literacy/comprehension. The whole "good taste/shit taste" flame wars sound more like elitists or deranged fans/haters trying to force a caste system into the community. Anime fans have already been ostracized before just for liking it...Deranged behavior from perpetually online people isn't helping...I'd like to believe I'm capable of respecting most opinions if people can just explain them without resorting to objectively false takes(e.g., saying some characters "never suffer" when the characters have had to deal with massive amounts of mental trauma). The only gatekeeping I'd support is stopping these puritans trying to "sanitize" anime. I'm tired of "its content is problematic" as some shitty excuse to neuter a series or to harass fans of said work...Anitubers are also guilty of this...You aren't wrong to complain about tourists trying to change your hobby permanently, but GOD have I seen these reviewers act just as insufferable...
Next anime to watch/continue(subject to change):
Dragon Ball: From the original through Dragon Ball Super with probably only a few movies between them. Partially nostalgia, partially because Chrono Trigger reignited my interest in works that Akira Toriyama made/was apart of(RIP, you absolute legend), partially because I want to commit to seeing it from beginning to end, partially because I'm in the mood for a long-running one, partially because I want to see why one of my good friends considers it his #1 favorite.
Mushoku Tensei Season 3: Finally watched it this year, and I'm blown away. "But Rudeus is a pedo. Diddy Tensei." Guess the Media Literacy Devil strikes again. Rifujin, the fans, and even Rudeus himself consider his starting point "human garbage". Plus, it was force of habit from giving up on life vs. pre-meditated malice. I'm already predicting some bullshit that might end in another Kawahara hate circlejerk once Turning Point 4 rolls around. People are pretending like Kawahara invented uncomfortable dark elements, even though this has definitely existed centuries before anime in general.
Daemons of the Shadow Realm: Want to see if Arakawa's still got it. I have almost no doubts it's going to be solid...but I'm also annoyed as hell over Creator Worship being common nowadays...I see it with Miyazaki, I saw the utter glazing of Oshi no Ko just because Aka Akasaka also made Kaguya-sama, I'm convinced Golden Time is being graded on a curve just because the author also made Toradora...It's. Fucking. Insufferable.
Glazers: "Well, you see, it's a masterpiece because I can't stop fanboying over Arakawa making FMA."
Me: "Fair to assume the best because she already made one masterpiece. Unfair if you're giving it extra merits solely based on an entirely different story by her."
The question I'm wondering is: is this being judged based on its own merits, or is it getting the 8/10 floor just because people are still judging it through the lens of Fullmetal Alchemist?
Chainsmoker Cat: It looks as hilarious as it does disgusting. lol Found out about this when on vacation during July. I think I agree with those saying this is "Neco-Arc: The Anime".
Best Series: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood - People weren't wrong. This is a prime example of a near-perfect story. Just wish the fans weren't so defensive on it, given all the rating bombing for stuff like Fruits Basket (2019) and Kaguya-sama... Favorite Series: Sword Art Online - Just know I'm not going to trust you to have a formed opinion on it for a nanosecond if you're going to act like it's the absolute worst thing in existence. The hatred this single series garnered is beyond unnatural and treating legitimate fans like they're less than human for liking it is unacceptable... Best Anime Studio: Bones, hands down. It's hard to compete against the studio that produced faithful adaptations/creative originals that were absolute hits, like Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, My Hero Academia, Space Dandy, Eureka Seven and Noragami. Most Overhated Studio: A-1 Pictures/CloverWorks. I see so many people getting hung up on petty shit with this and have even heard it compared to Studio Deen on a few occasions for "lazy animation"...assuming people don't immediately list "they adapted SAO" as their sole reason for hating it...Some criticism against it can be fair(Solo Leveling getting way too much accolades or fumbling parts of an adaptation), but "lazy animation" is almost objectively wrong. It's almost like they're criticized for things other anime studios are far more guilty of...almost like they're a scapegoat...It's the opposite of Madhouse for the default attitude viewers have before watching. Most Overrated Studio: Probably a tie between Madhouse and Trigger. I don't think either studio is BAD, but it's hard not to think this when they get 7/10 at worst with it being absurdly easy to get 10/10 for doing just about anything.
I think OPM is getting way too much praise over being a superhero and OP protagonist satire. HXH is fantastic, but is forgiven for virtually anything that was kind of "meh", like the pacing in the Chimera Ant arc(the "30 episodes IRL -> 10 minutes passed in HXH's universe" thing). Death Note is a great thriller, but it can be really overdramatic to the point of comedy. NGNL has a great concept, but the characters aren't entirely up to snuff and it's getting free passes for its fan service. Frieren is promising and has the potential to reach masterpiece status, but surpassing FMA:B from Season 1 alone...Are you insane? <(´=⩊=`)> Basically, I think too many anime are called "masterpieces" from this studio while refusing to acknowledge some legit flaws. I'm convinced at least half of the praise is due to production value.
And then for Trigger...I'll give them this that they actually have created some great works. Before Trigger was founded, they made Gurren Lagann at Gainax, which is an amazing Mecha anime, as well as Panty and Stocking(the most American anime ever which has been giving me Kill la Kill vibes. Get the impression it was an influence on KLK's development lol), they made Kill la Kill, which I still respect, they made Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, which brought new life back to CD Projekt Red's controversial video game, and they're adapting Delicious in Dungeon amazingly. That being said, the whole "they saved anime" comments are some of the dumbest I've ever heard(because as we all know the 2010s was absolutely the time anime was dying, right? /s It's not like tons of gateway anime were made at that time. /s), and I've seen people praise them for using tropes most other anime would be hated for. Deus ex Machina in particular comes to mind. Not to mention they kind of made the exact same story three separate times(Gurren Lagann, Kill la Kill and Promare all deal with extraterrestrials that can destroy Earth and have over-the-top stylish action that sometimes defies all logic)... Worst/Least Favorite Series: School Days or Fireworks, at least from those I've seen.
Sloppy story-telling, nothing characters, and a script bad enough to make someone bored out of their mind(Fireworks) or to want to puke(School Days). Most Overrated Series: Solo Leveling. Fun action anime, but WILDLY overrated with some people just using it as a springboard to roast a 14 year-old anime. Take a wild guess which one...The kicker? Solo Leveling is pretty much everything people accuse SAO of being just without the dark elements(so...worthless side characters, Jin-woo basically becomes a Gary Stu and he has the personality of a plank of wood, but at least the stakes don't involve sexual violence. Truly an upgrade.), but because of "hype moments and aura", they pretend that "it's different"...
We already have a hype Power Fantasy series with better writing and better characters. It's called Sakamoto Days or LITERALLY ANY OTHER MODERN SHOUNEN.
It's not like I don't entirely see the appeal of it, but what else can I call it other than "overrated" when Sung Jin-woo is fairly underdeveloped personality-wise after he gets stronger, yet so many anime fans act as if he's worthy of being in the Top 100? Meanwhile they hate Kirito over a straw-man argument...That Sung Jin-woo is mostly ACTUALLY guilty of being...Claiming Kirigaya "has no personality"(which isn't even remotely true) and "is unbelievably OP" that he rivals the likes of Satoru Gojo or Goku in power-level, yet Jin-woo under-reacts to everything after getting stronger to the point where anything of his weak self almost doesn't exist anymore and ACTUALLY DOES rival the likes of Satoru Gojo and Goku in terms of power-level. Jin-woo, outside of the tears he shed for his mom finally being healed, was a plank of wood with how little he reacted.
Solo Leveling has merits as an action anime(my goodness the SPECTACLE), but MAN is it overpraised for literally everything. I also hate "Aura Farming" now because this series made it regular slang and it sounds like a paper thin excuse to have inconsistent standards on OP characters. I think people are overrating Sung Jin-woo as a protagonist(even after what I saw in Season 2), most of the side characters are barely touched on, and this is some straight-up double-standards, given how people are praising this series for what they say they despise in what is pretty undeniably the most overhated series in existence. Speaking of that most overhated series... Most Overhated Series: Sword Art Online. No contest...Jesus...Christ...
14 fucking years and I'm still seeing the same trash used to slander it...The only difference is some fans are (maybe) FINALLY being taken seriously by a few people...Don't hold your breath, though...Youtube, MAL and Reddit are still filled with the usual slander and fan suppression via burying in downvotes to "maintain the agenda".
The hate I've seen is some of the most manufactured and deranged I've ever witnessed. Over half of it doesn't even make sense and sounds like a conclusion you'd draw from seeing one second of it, and literally nothing else. It's either vacuous, inconsistent standards, or straight-up gaslighting combined with poor reading/watching comprehension. Knowing people are still trying to label this as the single absolute bottom of the barrel worst series in existence makes me feel like I'm getting a brain aneurysm. Hell, I've legit had unpleasant dreams since people are acting like Reki Kawahara committed unforgivable crimes against humanity. This series is nowhere close to bad in terms of writing, seeing as how the stuff people say is pretty much the exact opposite(e.g., Kirito is "an OP god", yet he suffers PTSD, has a fairly balanced win-loss-team win ratio and often FAILS when it really counts/having to be bailed out by one of his allies. Asuna is "useless", yet she's actually instrumental in her own rescue in Fairy Dance. Suguha is "incest", yet actually wants to let go of her feelings since there's several reasons for why she's confused and trying to work out her sibling issues with Kirito. The "plot holes" either don't exist or aren't nearly as story-breakingly large as people say they are. Say Kayaba "forgor his reasons", yet the LN immediately goes over that "he meant he forgot it was a fake world" and the anime reiterates "he wanted to make the castle of his dreams a reality; including the inevitability of death". Claim it "fetishizes sexual assault/rape", when in actuality it's portraying it as absolutely horrific as expected, not unlike how Berserk or the Japanese dub of FFXVI portrayed it.). Just because you give into mob mentality easily and have the media literacy of 21% of Americans(i.e., you are barely literate to completely illiterate) doesn't mean it's a failure on the author's part...It, at worst, had growing pains as a LN series and pacing issues during Aincrad. Alicization proves Kawahara has gotten much better. You can't be writing for 20+ years, get this huge in popularity, this huge of a fanbase and NOT improve as a writer/be a good writer. Re: Zero didn't get a big fanbase on "bad writing", One Piece didn't get a big fanbase on "bad writing", Berserk didn't become the #1 highest ranked manga ever on "bad writing", and this is the same way...
What makes it worse is that I've seen a disturbingly large amount of people just swearing off on watching the show for absolutely bogus reasons a lot of the time...Not so much 1-4(which are understandable), but 5 and 6 from the list below.
If it's out of general disinterest, I have no complaints. I'm not going to bust someone's balls if they don't like RPGs as a game genre in general, and I won't bust someone's balls over not being interested in watching it since it doesn't look like a show they'd enjoy.
If it's because you're tired of the whole Isekai/Isekai-lite boom, I don't blame you. It is being over-saturated.
If it's because it doesn't look like a show you'd enjoy, understandable. Different strokes for different folks.
If it's because there's too much baggage that goes along with it, I get it all too well. This controversy blew up with the force of an anti-matter bomb to the point where it's as popular and well-known as the series itself; surpassing even Bleach and Naruto in that regard.
If it's because you believe every word from YouTubers like Digi/MB/GR/Gigguk unironically, fuck you.
If it's because you absolutely CAN'T STAND that fans are vehemently defending it since the Anitubers above(or the devoted hatedoms that follow them) are almost intentionally getting things wrong for the sake of drama/pissing off the fans since "lol ur angr is s0 funne and I want to feel superior", fuck you still...
Did you people EVER stop to think that maybe the reason we're so vehement is because the hate-base treats us like we have no rights to complain about anything in any work of fiction because we committed the "crime" of LIKING this franchise?...And because this same hate-base is devoted to ruining the reputation of the author and the fans, as if this franchise will literally end the world if people enjoy it?...I haven't even seen this level of hatred for Naruto or Bleach...Not even Demon Slayer is getting this much hate, despite kind of becoming a punching bag recently(unfairly so)...What makes this series worthy of this much scorn?...
In fact, I'm convinced this goes one of two ways:
Never watch the show -> See what the fan base says they like about it -> Claim the show does the exact opposite, even if the fans' factual info is airtight -> Gaslight people into believing it -> Use your clout to convince everyone that a two or three word sentence claiming it's shit has more worth than an entire essay with examples claiming it's good
Watch any negative YouTube videos on it -> Believe literally everything they say, even if none of those claims match up with reality or they willingly ignore anything that disproves them -> Use subscriber count rather than the facts in their arguments to argue why they're right(probably because their videos are filled to the brim with misconceptions and factual inaccuracy...) -> Using your newfound arrogance, gaslight people into believing that a two or three word sentence claiming it's shit has more worth than an entire essay with examples claiming it's good
It's like they recite the hate like a madness mantra...None of the hatred feels normal in the slightest. If it were genuine, I'd see more criticisms that use evidence and critical thinking. Not the case for this waste-of-oxygen hatedom, as it's all statements, claims that don't line up with the story in the slightest, and douchey comments like calling it "piece of shit" every chance they get....
For where I'd rank it: I'd say it's NOT in the Top 10 for anime, probably in the Top 50, definitely in the Top 100.
If I run into anyone that acts like this IRL, I think I'm going to snap...Weirdly enough, though, I haven't run into this IRL. It's either been people saying it fell out of their favor due to personal preferences, but they still recognize it's really good, or have straight-up said it's fantastic. I've only ever run into dissenters a handful of times, and it was the same tired old song and dance.
Me, trying to have a good peace of mind with my anime hobby
Me, when I see terminally online weebs whose only purpose in life is being angry and harassing fans over what they like, even if the fans in question have airtight arguments...Sometimes this because good GOD some fans can be absolutely deranged and seeing that behavior ABSOLUTELY weighs on me...
Me, when I meet regular, nice people who are enthusiastic to talk about anime and manga(online or IRL)
Biggest Pet Peeve: Mindless opinions. If you're going to have a meaningful, formed opinion on a series, have good, factual back-up. You can even have seriously personal reasons for liking/hating it without critical thinking or meaningful reasons; just explain why. SAO's brain-dead hatedom that devote their life to hating it and infantilizing the fans(acting as if the people who spent countless hours reading/watching it and comprehending it don't understand media literacy from the "enlightened ones" who give the most brain-dead, easily refutable arguments imaginable) is a big one, but far from the only example. I'm also talking about stuff like review brigading because YouTubers said to give a series 10s to "own the haters/dubbing studios", the sudden influx of disrespect to KnY just because it got popular, saying Frieren is "promoting racism/fascism" because its demons are always Chaotic Evil, JelloApocalypse's newest video trashing One Piece under the pretense of "satire" while failing to understand basic story details, and unfairly judging the studios based on vocal minority opinion. Judge based on the actual product; not the reputation that may or may not be exaggerated. If you can do that, I have no problem.
I think it's pretty telling how horrible of a state the anime community is in when the second I distance myself from discussing/debating with hard-headed people online or get invested in a widely loved show(One Piece), the better my peace of mind or quality of life is. There are a few diamonds in the rough on here and on other websites, but by and large, it's a complete dumpster fire. I blame arrogant AniTubers, like MB, for practically encouraging this attitude by putting it on full display in their videos, thumbnails showing their disgust for others opinions or similar condescending crap.
Favorite Director: Mamoru Hosoda. I think I like him and his movies even more than Hayao Miyazaki, TBH. Not to throw shade at Miyazaki's work, though. Summer Wars, Wolf Children and The Boy and the Beast just hit different for me.
Favorite Genres/Themes/Demographics
Fantasy(High, Dark, Urban...I think the only Fantasy I'm iffy on is Power)
Isekai: Leaning more towards the love side because this is BEYOND over-hated as a setting. The problem isn't "transported to another world". It's that new authors sometimes try to go for the absolute baseline generic fantasy story imaginable, try to make an SAO/Jobless Reincarnation clone...while only looking at all the arguments made against them that often DON'T EVEN GET BASIC FACTS RIGHT(taking the lowest common denominator appeal, like skilled protagonists and multiple wives/potential love interests, and amplifying it by 10)...or it's made as a satire of whatever that retarded strawman argument is of "what makes an Isekai"(e.g., "I have a borderline useless skill. Is it actually OP and am I actually the strongest ever?!"). It has to be stated that just because an anime set a trend for people to follow, it's not that anime's fault for new authors putting little effort into it. The hatred revolving around this setting feels like a roundabout way of whining about SAO, which isn't even a true isekai since their bodies aren't physically transported to another world, for the septillionth time...I wouldn't be complaining about this so often if people weren't still being whining piss-ants 14 years later...
Also, stop associating "OP characters" and "wish-fulfillment stories" with this one setting...I would hope most people know that's being disingenuous, seeing as how Iyashikei can be so idyllically peaceful or Shounen ALSO have OP characters...Just because there's been an uptick of Isekai that use that shouldn't mean "the entire setting is changed forever"...
If anything, I'm annoyed how this and Battle Shounen feel like they're two sides of the same coin...yet only Isekai is ever treated like it's "inherently bad". So no comment on the hundreds of Battle Shounen with wide-eyed, dumb as brick protagonists whose special powers are Generic Ki Burst, Really Really Strong Punch and never giving up?...Annoyingly oversaturated? Understandable. Inherently terrible? I raise you Re:Zero, Slime and Mushoku Tensei, The Chronicles of Narnia and Spirited Away...
Ecchi: On one hand, I like fan service and pervy humor can get a laugh out of me(e.g. Shimoneta is a masterclass in pervy humor). On the other, sometimes it's distracting or all-consuming(e.g. High-Rise Invasion having at least one panty shot each episode; typically during fights or out of nowhere). Rosario + Vampire's manga is one of my favorites due to the weirdly good balance between this, harem antics and a battle Shounen with a great story and characters. Rosario + Vampire's anime is one of my most despised since they replaced all the cool and good stuff with boatloads of fan service. Chivalry of a Failed Knight scratched that Rosa+Vamp manga itch and I thought it wasn't intrusive at all, despite the fan service being plentiful. I wuv My Dress-up Darling specifically because it blends the romance with the fan service so well that it amplifies the more passionate/sexier/cuter parts of the romance genre.
Hated Genres/Themes/Demographics
Almost none with the exception of somewhat for Horror(I don't love the "being watched" feeling or when it sometimes becomes a gratuitous gore fest). I eat up Psychological Horror(Re:Zero, baby!), Cosmic Horror(Bloodborne, mainly, The Song of Saya has me intrigued to want to play it, and Void Stranger may just by my new obsession) and can like Body Horror if it's not mentally scarring(such as Parasyte -the maxim-. That one was fairly safe compared to some other films or shows out there). Most of the time Body Horror is one I absolutely refuse to watch, though.
My Overall Rating System
10/10-Masterpiece: Has very solid plots, exceptionally well-characterized/developed main characters at least, deeper and sometimes thought-provoking themes, or the plots are just so enjoyable that I can't find much to hate about them. Can sometimes deal with real-life issues that everyone faces. Does not need to be flawless since no anime is flawless. Only for anime that amaze me in a good way. I can forgive changes to some rules if they are explained later down the road, or are practically non-existent in the source material(Something that SAO has done exceptionally well.). If characters aren't well-developed or characterized, they must be extremely lovable. Anime I gave this rating: Sword Art Online(check the Show Rant if you're a bad-faith tourist, since I KNOW you will use that garbage Echo Chamber...The hate this series gets is usually either objectively incorrect, which says more about the viewer's reading/watching comprehension than the writing quality of the show, manufactured as fuck or just plain gaslighting...80.1% of viewers on MAL gave it above a 5, so please try and tell me that lie that "hating it is the majority opinion", assholes...Even going by 7-10 ratings, it's still 68.5% aka A MAJORITY), Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Steins;Gate and Noragami Aragoto. 9/10-Great: Has mostly fleshed-out plots, very well-characterized/developed main characters at least, can have the deeper themes, but doesn't need them. For series that still manage to get me to show a lot of love for them, but feel a little incomplete. The line between this and 10 out of 10 is thin, so my rating may switch easily when it's rated this highly. May have a few things that don't make sense that I can forgive. As long as they answer it later down the line, I'm fine with it. If characters aren't well-developed or characterized, they must be very lovable. Anime I gave this rating: Gargantia, The Devil is a Part-timer!, Noragami(1st season), Magi(both seasons), and Accel World. 8/10-Very Good: Has good plots, maybe a little flawed though. At least one or two of the main characters have to be well-characterized or developed. For series that manage to get love from me, but probably not in the usual amount. If characters aren't well-developed or characterized, they must be lovable. Anime I gave this rating: Howl's Moving Castle. It's whimsical, it's fun, the characters are great, but there are some scenes that kind of seem pointless(Sophie carrying the dog and the Witch of the Waste trying to walk up stairs with all of that fat she has), Turnip Head's curse and how to break it is non-sensical(his true love was Sophie all along, but loves can change...What?! Based on her helping him in Turnip form or something?! I don't get it.) and VITAL PLOT DETAILS FOR UNDERSTANDING THE STORY are literally in the background with characters you can barely hear.
Or the original D. Gray-Man. Very good Shounen series marred down by Akuma power-creep, a bit of meandering pacing in the middle, and Lenalee is out of commission, like, 70% of the time. 7/10-Good: Is all around good, but there are some obvious weaknesses that are seriously detracting from it. If it's very cliché, or just not that fleshed-out. At least one main character has to be well-characterized or developed. If characters aren't well-developed or characterized, they must be likable. Anime I gave this rating: Uzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out is this for me. Nothing ground-breaking, but Hana Uzaki and Shinichi Sakurai make a cute enough couple. There are good laughs to be had over Uzaki's smug attitude and the usual rom-com shenanigans, and some decent heart warming moments. Not super deep, though. Kuso Cat is tied between annoying as shit, like its name, sort of funny from its only purpose being "look jealous and shocked at Uzaki and Sakurai" and weirdly hilarious from it being kind of an omnipresent god, as evidenced by EVERYTHING having its face on it. It's a little like One Piece's Panda Man, only VERY hit-and-miss for how funny it is(as opposed to almost always funny, like all Panda Man appearances). 6/10-Fine: Is very, very flawed, but still enjoyable. At least a few characters have to be enjoyable, and the individual episode plots have to be fun. Overall plot with a deeper message is almost non-existent. Anime I gave this rating: High-Rise Invasion. Cool death match/pocket dimension anime, the plot is decent with trying to create a new god by having "Those Closer To God" as candidates and the masks being a key to create one, the action is pretty good...but most of the characters are very much lacking in background and "I assure you. It's absolutely necessary to show at least one girl characters' panties every episode during these pretty kick-ass fights. We have a quota to meet". I believe there's at least one review calling it a "hornier and dumber Alice in Borderland". Gotta say that sounds accurate. 5/10-Average: Not that much good, but not entirely bad. They have to be at least visually appealing if they're lacking in plot or characters. Characters are stereotypes or archetypes that don't do much to separate themselves out from other characters. Just to make things clear: almost every character has an archetype. It's a matter of what they do to separate themselves out from others that determines well-done characterization/character development for me. If characters aren't well-developed or characterized, they must be likable.
Anime I gave this rating: Mirai. Mirai was unbelievably disappointing, especially since I love Hosoda's other work...The main problems come from "did that all happen or was it symbolic?", it being all too realistic for raising kids(the good and the bad...namely with the tantrums), and Kun's parents kind of being terrible by sort of neglecting him...he's 4 years-old, right?... Made me realize that trope of "Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane" kind of sucks... 4/10-Bad/Decent: Has more bad than good, but may have one or two fun moments/a few good episodes. Badly developed/characterized characters that only hold to their stereotypes/archetypes to a T. Almost no visible plot that makes any sort of sense. Maybe has a few inconsistencies with no promise of a correction later down the line. Can still have a few likable characters. The source material is likely butchered.
Anime I gave this rating: Hot Take: Your Lie in April became this for me. Initially it got a 7 out of 10, but I quickly realized the whole Butt-Monkey trope is overplayed in this and it's done in such bad-taste. Not even the visuals and music could change my opinion at this point. I only like Kousei and his piano teacher that called out his abusive mother. I basically hate the rest of the characters because the author thought 1.) it was a good idea to have slapstick humor paired with physical abuse, and 2.) it would be a good idea for all of Kousei's so called "friends" to go from neutral to
for just about anything he does. Need I mention Tsubaki firing fireworks at him all because he was looking at Kaori solemnly?...
It's not like it can't be done well either, as Yu Ishigami in Kaguya-sama is on the end of both dramatic slander/heart-break and slapstick abuse for some rude remarks he gives. The difference is when each are used and neither being literally back-to-back.
And then there's Carole & Tuesday...I loved seeing the world it created, the music was pretty good(the "Fucking Bullshit" song is legendary), and I love it that this is technically in Cowboy Bebop's universe. However...if I wanted to watch a show injecting real-life politics into almost every inch of its identity(and being so hyperpartisan that it's fucking sickening...), barely any developed characters, and uses a Strawman of what the opposing party believes in, I'd be watching just about anything that comes out of modern Hollywood...This anime was as ham-fisted as that type of garbage from the West Coast...I have only ever run into a handful of modern shows here in the U.S. that DON'T inject this stuff in...and those end up being GOOD as a result. Yep...As someone that lives here, I'm ashamed that the U.S. has become an absolute circus for where its priorities are and demonizing groups of people almost daily is just going to make things worse... 3/10-Very Bad: So much bad and so little good. Same as 4 out of 10, but also may have characters that act like assholes or bad morals that are kind of supported. Has much fewer likable characters than 4 out of 10. Anime I gave this rating: Sadly, Rosario + Vampire's anime...I love the manga, but what the hell happened?...Rosario + Vampire's anime earned this from butchering the source material to hell and back. None of the good character development, the action became more of a running joke("That fight took 10 seconds! Wii!") than actually engaging and cool as hell, no Fairy Tale or Fang Fang in sight, just good voice acting from some legends in the anime industry(namely Todd Haberkorn, Cherami Leigh, Alexis Tipton and Ian Sinclair) and panty shots...LOADS AND LOADS OF PANTY SHOTS!! I'm pretty sure they even tried to sell it on "Monster MILFs" for the advertising...Ugh...I know the manga is an Ecchi too, but that was well-placed instances vs. cluster sex bombs...It's like the difference between Nero's F-Bomb to Vergil in DMC5 vs. El Donté's F-Bomb contest with the Succubus in Ninja Theory's game...One is the culmination of Nero's frustrations with his newfound family, the other is trying to make Dante more appealing to a Western market by being an edgelord... 2/10-Horrible: Same as 3 out of 10, but worse. Has almost no characterization/character development. Almost none of the characters are likable. Anime I gave this rating: Fireworks. It's barely passable as a story. I swear over half the script is just arguing on the shape of the motherfucking fireworks...What I remember from it: The school boys being pervs, one of those guys ditching a girl he supposedly likes, that guy trying to kill the main guy character over the male MC's perceived romance with her, the female MC trying to run away from home, something about parallel worlds made by wishes not elaborated on, and...at least half the script or a sizeable chunk being a debate over "are fire works round or flat"...How thrilling... 1/10-Nearly Un-watchable: The bottom of the barrel. No discernible plot. Almost none to no character development or characterization. The things that I can barely call "characters" are most likely assholes. May have awful morals supported rather than punished. NONE of the "characters" are likable. Anime I gave this rating: School Days...If you expect me to feel something for a cheating sex maniac, characters with little to no details about them, mean-spirited plot elements, and the admittedly pretty iconic ending, you have another thing coming...
My Favorite Anime from #10 to #1:
#10: Made in Abyss(debating with whether One Piece should go here)
#9: Re: Zero
#8: Kaguya-sama: Love is War
#7: Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann
#6: Violet Evergarden
#5: Steins;Gate
#4: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
#3: Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet
#2: Noragami
#1: Sword Art Online
Favorite Characters
Honorable Mentions:
Honorable Mentions:
Notes: Manga ONLY for the Rosario + Vampire characters. The anime was a legit adaptational trainwreck. I was indifferent to Luffy during the start, but he REALLY came into his own with his post time-skip character development(marginally wiser, his stupidity isn't as brain-dead and undeniably acting more like a proper captain).
My thoughts on good characterization/character development include(but aren't limited to): backgrounds of characters, being able to relate to them, charisma of the character, clear strengths and weaknesses(both in personality and physical), and clear growth in personality or physically. Every character in any fictional series EVER has at least one archetype with them, so if I see an archetype in a character, I usually don't bash it. They just have to be detailed enough and work with the anime.
Character development(i.e. significant changes) in the season a character is introduced is optional(though appreciated if it's shown sooner than later), characterization(i.e. personality, fears, etc.) in that season is mandatory.
Advocator for sexual content in anime being judged as fairly as gore. I find it borderline brain-dead that, in America, watching the most gratuitously gory entertainment possible(e.g. Corpse Party, Another, the Saw movies, The Boys), bordering on gorn, is hand-waved, yet when something even suggests sex or includes tame examples(e.g. a single skimpy outfit, beach episode, PG sex(implied by a close-up of passionate kissing and nothing else) or panty shot) it's treated like a war crime. Even mentioning "sex exists" causes outrage, good lord...The double-standard of "male nudity = funny/fine, female nudity = horrible/objectifying" makes it worse. If beefcake, such as toned thin bodies, bulging biceps, crotch bulges and six packs, can be used as fan service for women viewers, cheesecake, such as nice curves, ample breasts, slender builds, smooth skin and toned butts, can be used for men.
Anime enthusiast and pretty much a critic(though self-proclaimed, I'm fairly certain people would consider my thinking to be along the lines of an ACTUAL one). I'll admit I can be a dick with how I present my thoughts, but it's typically towards bullshit controversies and the assholes that cause them.
I absolutely loathe the SAO hatedom with every fiber of my being. 14 FREAKING YEARS later and I still hear the same bullshit arguments, the exact same writing off of fan analyses by automatically considering them wrong about literally everything and people shouting "it's the worst anime of all time"...Probably to instantly get enough money to pay rent via YouTube video revenue since the algorithm LOVES pushing any new SAO hate video if you watch ANY anime clips...Another hour long hate video in 2025...get a hobby...These people are the definition of unhinged and obsessed. If you plan on looking for a fight with me, I'll give everything I have to argue that it's a fantastic series, not nearly as flawed as people claim(namely because most of those "many fatal flaws" you're parroting from YouTubers are LIES, and you have an unconditional bias against Kawahara for unclear reasons), and unbelievably over-hated. I'm going to be cautious when accepting friend requests because I've been burned too many times by keeping comments open to everyone. DM is probably the only form of discussion I'd accept if I haven't accepted your friend request due to my own doubts.
And the LN purists usually aren't much better...I appreciate when they tackle misinformation, but the amount of nitpicks of the anime adaptation borders on unreasonable. There's "wanting the best adaptation possible" and then there's "being a dick about the adaptation team's attempts and saying they're never good enough".
I'm an absolute Yuki Kajiura fanboy when it comes to her music. Sword Art Online, ERASED, and Madoka Magica's soundtracks are, in my opinion, some of her best work. Though, being serious here, I think these works shine in their stories and characters.
If I ever judge an anime fan or a fandom, it's based on their toxic to borderline sociopathic behavior; not their interests(e.g. JJBA's fandom acting like superior jack-asses. The series is good; the fandom is toxic as hell.). I won't argue with human garbage that will just resort to "you have shit taste". They're a lost cause.
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Warning: Enormous salty rant ahead regarding a lot of shit that I've seen involving Sword Art Online's controversy. No apologies to the pieces of shit who harass the fans/treat Reki Kawahara like he committed crimes against humanity, and I don't care if you're offended.
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I've heard at least a handful of people say SAO is the best example of "everything wrong with anime". I completely disagree here because 1.) an enormous amount of the anime community is hating it for what many other anime that they love do(such as complaining about 3 minutes and 31 seconds of fan service for Season 1, yet letting Kill la Kill and other ecchi anime off the hook), 2.) there has been ZERO criteria for calling it that other than personal, unconditional hate, 3.) it's been called worse than most Japanese or Western media, even considered equal to/worse than the bottom-of-the-barrel stuff(which could include: School Days, Boku no Pico, Mars of Destruction, Twilight(some being delusional enough to say "they're exactly the same story-wise"), The Emoji Movie...) Being a drama queen much? In fact, you people take absolute pride in calling it "1 out of 10", 4.) you assholes view it as the ONLY "bad" anime in existence(despite your reasons being based off of lies), even going so far as to say anime would be "saved" if this series died, and wishing death on the author since you actually believe that, 5.) it's home to some of the most brain-dead complaints I've ever heard, and 6.) those brain-dead complaints are repeated over and over until people are basically brainwashed into believing it(how many people call this franchise the "worst anime/LN ever" even when they haven't even fucking watched it?). If anything, it serves to show just how far a series can be used as a scapegoat, a problem with a lack of respect in the anime community and flame wars, and how easily people can be influenced by bandwagoned opinion.
Vocal hatred does not automatically equal "factual accuracy", so keep the links to Gigguk, GRArkada, Mother's Basement, and Digibro's garbage rants on SAO out of my comments. I've seen both Gigguk and Arkada's reviews(same hive-mind criticisms as the troll reviewers on this site), and I've heard from more credible people that both Digibro and MB ignore information blatantly given, lie, intentionally misrepresent things(e.g. Geoff saying Chudelkin was "humping Quinella to death" in that dumpster fire of a video calling Alicization just that...), and do it for fun(e.g. Geoff's 13+ videos or podcasts revolving around the series, almost exclusively negative, and taking shots at it in other videos when unprompted). They've resorted to name-calling several times in the past(I heard Digi says anyone that likes it "has shit taste" and MB has implied anyone that likes it is 12 years-old and anyone older than that would be smart enough to call it "a bad anime"), and Digibro even admitted that his video was inaccurate, saying it was one half-attentive watch through. I'll delete these comments immediately if you do this.
I just want to get this out there. It's really annoying me with the "official prayer", or "broken record player" criticisms of the SAO hatedom such as:
Mary Sue Protagonists: Kirito and Asuna go through some serious shit together, clearly have their limits, absurdly obvious human flaws(Kazuto's low self-respect, leading to him being suicidal more than once, Survivor's Guilt, and overconfidence, and Asuna's inability to speak her mind when faced with legitimate authority(her mother and Heathcliff in this case), short temper, and is easily influenced by her emotions), and, hell, even admit to their weakness in Episode 24 of Season 1(for Kirito), and Episode 19 Season 2(for Asuna). It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that, yet you people double-down and try to change the subject when you fail to give any convincing opposing argument.
Honestly, it's been used so much that I can rarely take it seriously, namely because anime fans OFTEN use this on flawed characters or characters that are slightly above average.
Oh, and those "stupidly OP" claims? You seem to be ignoring far more deserving candidates from other anime or are just fine with them being that OP, and even showed a double-standard by calling LLENN and Pitohui "believable" and "justified" in AGGO when it's beyond obvious that they're on the same power level...I mean at least Pito played Beta SAO, but LLENN is a complete newbie to VR, so her SAO Survivor reflexes and experience is a little...stupid...Acting like the characters didn't train when it was beyond obvious that most happened off-screen(as evidenced by Kirito's fight against the lizardman in episode 8 and the constantly growing levels you get full view of) won't make your claims true...
Exposition Dumps: 1.)You people cry that no matter what is said for what length. It could literally be two sentences and you people would cry that, 2.) I think it's needed to have lengthy explanations for stuff that aren't obvious or made up in universe since guess what IT FALLS INTO SCI-FI, especially when you people cry "plot holes" at the drop of a hat, and 3.) Three words: Jojo's Bizarre Adventure. If you people can forgive a franchise that literally explains the obvious that you can see right in front of you, you have no ground to (enemy) stand on.
Forced Love: Knowing each other for 2 years, emotionally connecting multiple times, sharing thoughts about the world of Aincrad, and interacting on nearly every occasion is FAR from "forced". A truly force romance would be something like Kayo and Hiromi in ERASED, where we literally saw NO chemistry. And before you cry "harem", Kirito's never once cheated on Asuna. None of the girls fight over his affection and most of the time, he's oblivious to their feelings that it's basically a running gag.
Plot Holes Everywhere:...that no one ever elaborates on. And despite it staying fairly consistent...seriously, all I've heard is "THERE ARE PLOT HOLES EVERYWHERE" and next to no explanation or calling really small points "huge points that you can drive a truck through". Hell, people are now even claiming things that were totally explained in the anime are plot holes. Do you know what a plot hole is? It's an inconsistency, missing, yet relevant, information, or things that make next to no sense that are never explained.
No Strong Female Leads: Oh, I see...so a girl character has to be devoid of emotion, make no mistakes, have no flaws, never suffer, and has to be able to kick their enemies asses easily to be considered a "good character"...NEWSFLASH!! Before "strong female character" became a cringe-worthy term due to Disney's attempts, it meant "well-written" and "bad-ass". And yes, I consider Asuna and Sinon to be both of what I mentioned. Sue me.
Misogyny and the series supports it: Excuse me?! Yes, scumbag characters exist in this, but it's basically just Grimlock, who is told off by Asuna for being possessive, and Sugou, Raios and Humbert, all of which ARE PUNISHED WITH EXTREME PREJUDICE. Saying that SAO is supporting it "constantly" from 3-4 PUNISHED INSTANCES is like saying PMMM supported it because of the guys that Sayaka killed in episode 8, or A:TLA "supported it" when early first season Sokka(since he grew past that) and the North Pole's values in general(also worked past it by the end from what I understand) got a lot of crap from Katara for having that sexist mindset. Is this along the lines of JelloApocalypse's bullshit "sexist" claim from "So This is Basically One Piece" where "it's sexist if a girl isn't in a lot of fights"? The guild/party complications with Asuna and Leafa were because their guild/party would lose a valuable member; not "because they're girls and thus are basically items they can use at any time". Honestly, this sounds like your typical Tumblr/X brain-rot...Nothing against those supporting equal rights and I can totally understand it with Sugou and Grimlock(since they were possessive assholes), but going so far as to say the entire series is supporting it because some girl characters have moments of weakness, complications, Asuna just happening to enjoy cooking out of her own interest(Aria of a Starless Night shows she found joy in cooking since she had to deal with stale food at first in Death Game SAO), and maybe needing help ONE TIME from Kirito, a known chivalrous hero, is complete BS. If you're really all about equality, it shouldn't matter if the person that helps is a boy, especially since about 90% of anime have something like that, including anime widely regarded as masterpieces.
I've even heard claims of sexism just for the whole "same face" aspect of the character design...
1.) Faces aren't all to a character's design, 2.) some of the younger guy characters have it too, if you didn't notice(just look at Kazuto, Jun, and Kyouji),
and 3.) "same/similar face syndrome" for girl characters didn't start with this series, people...and it isn't "inherently sexist"...Not to mention how fucking convenient that SAO is the only one to receive this complaint...Some other examples include:
Studio Ghibli
Madoka Magica
K-ON
the Fate series
and several others. It's an art-style choice. SAO wasn't the first and won't be the last to do this...
Masturbatory (Male Power or Gamer) Fantasy/Wish-fulfillment: 1.) If you're calling Kirito OP along with this, you must have very little criteria for what OP is, 2.) Kazuto has plenty of limits and flaws, and 3.) yeah, dealing with depression, guilt, seeing people die right in front of you and eventually going into a catatonic state from self-destructive behavior reeeeally sounds like someone's wet-dream...I'm sure people have an unending orgasm from this...only if they're a fucking masochist that hates themselves...Honestly...Reki can't even use "fully immersive VR" as a premise without people jumping down his throat...That's like saying most Shonen are the same thing because of the hard magic systems they use...
No Character Development/Characterization Whatsoever/Bland: It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see the main characters have defined personalities and character development.
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