MARIAH's THOUGHTS on How to Keep a Mummy (2018)

Genre:

Animation/Comedy/Fantasy

Series:

How to Keep a Mummy

Season:

1

Rating:

TV-14

Episodes:

12

Run Time:

24 minutes/episode

Aired:

Jan 12, 2018 to Mar 30, 2018

Plot Summary:

High school student Sora Kashiwagi is accustomed to receiving bizarre presents from his father, who is on an expedition around the world. Unfortunately, these gifts have been nothing but nightmares. As a result, when his father sends him a huge package from Egypt, Sora prepares himself for the worst, only to be greeted by Mii-kun—a cute, pint-sized mummy! While initially wary, Sora soon learns that Mii-kun is harmless, a delicate creature yearning for attention.

Throughout their amusing day-to-day lives, the unlikely pair meet other people with unique pets, while also strengthening their bond together. Although keeping a pet is a difficult task, Sora is set on caring for the lovable Mii-kun.

source

Cast:

Mutsumi Tamura, Keisuke Komoto, Ai Kayano, Himika Akaneya, Seiichiro Yamashita

See Full Cast & Crew on IMDB

~~~~~

*My Thoughts*

Everything must be cute.

How to Keep a Mummy the anime is a short feel-good anime with the cutest supernatural companions. The plot follows Sora Kashiwagi, a high school student, who is a pleasant character. Sora is friendly, considerate, optimistic, and most importantly open-minded. He frequently receives strange and borderline dangerous gifts from his traveling father to the point that he is unphased by them, albeit bracing himself for any possible danger. The tiny mummy, Mii-kun, and main attraction of this anime is subsequently welcomed into Sora’s home with little convincing. Mii-kun is shy, sweet, and clingy like a tiny kitten. He’s endlessly adorable and if anything bad were to happen to him, I would commit arson.

How to Keep a Mummy is a short twelve-episode anime that can be binged in a few hours, which leaves character development much to be desired, but what we do get are short escapades that show you how close Sora is to his friends. Sora is helpful to his friends who end up attracting other little creatures of their own such as a baby oni or ogre-like demon, a baby dragon, and a friendly baku that eats nightmares. Sora’s friend group consist of Sora’s best friend from childhood is Tazuki, Asa a very cheerful girl, and their last addition Daichi. This group of four do their best to babysit their respective creatures, keep them hidden from those unwitting to the supernatural, and spend their days together as summer break approaches. They hang out at Sora’s home, attend small festivals, and bond over their adorable new friends. It’s a rather refreshing anime where the supernatural is welcomed and formerly imposing monsters are transformed into cute companions.

My rating:

JASMINE's THOUGHTS on Trese Season 1

Genre:

Horror/Anime/Crime Procedural

Action/Adventure/Mystery/Supernatural

Series:

Trese

Season:

1

Rating:

TV-MA

Episodes:

6

Run Time:

25-33 minutes

Release Date:

June 11, 2021

Based on:

Trese by Budjette Tan and Kajo Baldisimo

Plot Summary:

When it comes to the supernatural, the cops have Alexanda Trese on speed dial. Set in Manila and based on the award-winning Filipino comic, Trese brings horror folklore like you've never heard before.

In Manila, where dark supernatural forces pervade the criminal underworld, it’s up to Alexandra Trese to keep the peace — but there’s a storm brewing.

source

Voice Cast:

Shay Mitchell, Liza Soberano, Jon Jon Briones, Darren Criss, Manny Jacinto, Dante Basco, Nicole Sherzinger, Lou Diamond Phillips, Steve Blum

See Full Cast & Crew on IMDB

~~~~~

*My Thoughts*

So... I binge watched this first season of Trese, based on the Filipino horror comic of the same name, on Netflix. I enjoyed watching this supernatural/crime procedural series, especially when it is set in Manila. An entertaining introduction into the world of Alexandra Trese with more to tell. Trese has a lot of stories to tell, especially when working with a lot of Filipino superstitions and folklore.

Although I did not grow up in the Philippines, with the little I did learn while growing up in the few years of living there, Filipino culture is so rich with an incredible amount of history and beliefs. It was fun to see some of the Filipino superstitions made into a series. Just like in an episode of Grimm featuring the aswang. Loved that show! Trese has that same concept as those TV shows: Grimm, Constantine, and others in which someone is tasked with keeping the balance between the human and supernatural worlds.

Anyways, on the other hand, the characters needed more development. The characters seemed to fall flat, the interactions seemed stiff. As for voice casting for the English dub... Really?!?! Why not use actual Filipino actors, not Hollywood actors who are just "a little bit" Filipino, and yet, never grew up in the Philippines. That's probably why I wasn't too sold on the characters being Filipino. Hmmm... 🤔

Well, other than that, Trese Season 1 is a good start as an animated series with a strong foundation to build on: the rich history and folklore of the Philippines and its people. I think fans of these genres (horror,supernatural,mystery) would enjoy watching Trese.

My rating:

MARIAH's THOUGHTS on Devilman: Crybaby Season 1 (2018)

Genre:

Animation/Action/Fantasy

Horror Anime

Rating:

TV-MA

Release Date:

January 15, 2018

Season/Episodes

1/10

Run Time:

25-28 minutes

Based on the horror manga by:

Gô Nagai

Production Co.:

Aniplex

Netflix

Science SARU

Distribution Co.:

Netflix

Social Media:

      

Voice Cast:

Koki Uchiyama, Ayumu Murase, Megumi Han, Ami Koshimizu, Atsuko Tanaka, Rikiya Koyama, Avu-chan, Kenjiro Tsuda, KEN THE 390, Subaru Kimura, Young Dais, Hannya, AFRA

(For full cast and crew on IMDB)

Plot Summary:

With demons reawakened and humanity in turmoil, a sensitive demon-boy is led into a brutal, degenerate war against evil by his mysterious friend, Ryo.

source

泣き虫の高校生・不動明は、幼なじみの飛鳥了と再会し、

危険なパーティに誘われた。

そこで明は見る。悪魔に変わっていく人々を。

そしてまた明自身も……。

source

~~~

*My Thoughts*

Short, ten episodes, yet captivating, that is what Devilman: Crybaby is. It is a Netflix series that follows Akira Fudo, a track student, and a boy with a heart of gold, but one day his childhood friend Ryo Asuka appears. Ryo brings him to a Sabbath, more like a rave, where everything turns sour when Akira is possessed by the demon Amon and turned into what he calls a Devilman. The conflict is easy to follow and although characters are quickly introduced and tossed aside rather quickly, Devilman: Crybaby will get its audience somewhat attached to them. Although there are minor details to different characters sprinkled into each episode, they eventually tie up into the final episodes. What do we learn by the end? Humans are the demons and vice versa.

My rating:

MARIAH's THOUGHTS on Blood of Zeus 2020 Season 1

 

Genre:

Animation/Action/Fantasy

Anime

Series:

Blood of Zeus

Season:

1

Rating:

TV-MA

Episodes:

8

Run Time:

26-38 minutes per episode

Release Year:

2020

Series Directed by:

Shaunt Nigoghossian

Series Writing by:

Charley Parlapanides, Vlas Parlapanides

Plot Summary:

A commoner living in ancient Greece, Heron discovers his true heritage as a son of Zeus, and his purpose: to save the world from a demonic army.

source

Cast:

Derek Phillips, Jason O'Mara, Claudia Christian, Mamie Gummer, Jessica Henwick Elias Toufexis, Chris Diamantopoulos, Adetokumboh M'Cormack, Matthew Mercer, Melina Kanakaredes, Danny Jacobs, Matt Lowe, Adam Croasdell, Jennifer Hale, David Shaughnessy, Fred Tatasciore, Vanessa Marshall

See Full Cast & Crew on IMDB

~~~~~

*My Thoughts*

Blood of Zeus (2020) is an original Netflix animated series. Taking from Greek mythology with gods, titans, giants, and particularly the union between a god and human to create a demigod, Blood of Zeus makes its own demigod in the form of Heron. He is a man raised as a commoner and ostracized by the polis in which he and his mother live. Heron is raised without the knowledge of his true parentage until it is too late. He loses the people that he lived with for years, his beloved mother, and essentially everything he owns. He is then thrown into the role of the hero who must save the world. Along with Heron’s side of the story, Blood of Zeus jumps around from different characters mainly Zeus, Hera, and Seraphim, one of the series’ antagonist. And in that short summary, the Blood of Zeus (2020) does everything right. The protagonist and the main antagonist are revealed with fluid storytelling along with the conflict of the gods and giants. But not only is Seraphim introduced as an antagonist, midway through Blood of Zeus, twists and turns bring Hera in, shining radiantly in all her jealous glory, as another antagonist. 

 

 Blood of Zeus had a perfectly executed story, albeit a bit rushed, nice artwork and animation, but it didn’t deliver something new that could get me hooked. With only eight episodes, the series put in every bit of exposition needed to build up to the final fight i.e. a lot of death, a training montage, Seraphim’s struggles that lead him into the man he is during the present storyline, and Heron’s emotional struggles which he overcomes to fight the final fight. There are some unanswered questions by the last episode that make me curious, like the final whereabouts of Hera or if Seraphim drops his pride and rage to save himself from suffering. I am also interested about how Heron will later advance his relationship with his half-siblings Apollo and Hermes, as they seem to be the only two who accept Heron before he became a hero. While I do enjoy Blood of Zeus, I will unfortunately drop it as a three-and-a-half-star worthy watch.

My rating:

MARIAH's THOUGHTS on Weathering With You (2019)

Genre:

Slice of Life/Drama/Romance/Fantasy

Release Date:

July 19, 2019

Run Time:

1 hr. 54 min.

Directed and Written by:

Makoto Shinkai

Studio:

CoMix Wave Films

Plot Synopsis: Tokyo is currently experiencing rain showers that seem to disrupt the usual pace of everyone living there to no end. Amidst this seemingly eternal downpour arrives the runaway high school student Hodaka Morishima, who struggles to financially support himself—ending up with a job at a small-time publisher. At the same time, the orphaned Hina Amano also strives to find work to sustain herself and her younger brother. Both fates intertwine when Hodaka attempts to rescue Hina from shady men, deciding to run away together. Subsequently, Hodaka discovers that Hina has a strange yet astounding power: the ability to call out the sun whenever she prays for it. With Tokyo's unusual weather in mind, Hodaka sees the potential of this ability. He suggests that Hina should become a "sunshine girl"—someone who will clear the sky for people when they need it the most. Things begin looking up for them at first. However, it is common knowledge that power always comes with a hefty price... [Written by MAL Rewrite] source Voice Cast: Kotaro Daigo, Nana Mori, Tsubasa Honda, Sakura Kiryuu, Shun Oguri, Kana Hanazawa, Yuki Kaji, Chieko Baisho

Full Cast

~~~~~

**My Thoughts** Note: This review contains SPOILERS From the same director and studio for Your Name, the viewer is offered another cinematic masterpiece and its name is Weathering with You. Within the first twenty minutes of this film, I was captivated not only by the visuals but the ongoing story. Weathering with You is set in a modern-day Tokyo with endless rain. Although it seems gloomy, the film is amazing at raising emotions of hope and joy and here’s why. It starts with a fourteen-year-old Hina Amano in a hospital room holding her mother’s hand until she sees a patch of sunshine. When she goes to investigate, it is illuminating a small Shinto shrine on top of an old, condemned building. Skip forward one year, the film switches to a sixteen-year-old boy covered in band aids, Hodaka Morishima, who has run away from home to live in Tokyo. From the start, it seems like both characters have a hard life or trouble at home. It isn’t until they find each other and Hodaka encourages Hina to use her prayers to make the sunshine that they begin to live and smile happily.

Of course, a film is not complete without some conflict. Early in the film, the weather maiden foreshadows Hina’s fate. When Hodaka is investigating the “100% sunshine girl,” he encounters a fortune teller that gives him information about Weather Maidens. Hodaka, also earlier in the film, found a gun and becomes a wanted suspect, Hina begins to disappear as a sacrifice for using her sunshine prayers, but before anything else can go downhill, they decide to run away together. Their friends and family get wrapped up in their desire to have a life together, such as Keisuke Suga. After seeing some resemblance to himself in Hodaka, Keisuke saves the boy from getting swept off the side of a ship headed for Tokyo and was the first employer to take in Hodaka. But as the police investigate Hodaka’s whereabouts and question his possession of a gun, Keisuke chooses to kick Hodaka out in favor of saving himself and his relationship with his daughter.

The accumulation of all these character relationships ups the drama, but I can’t possibly forget to mention the visuals of this animated film. The animation is fluid and the artwork otherworldly, no puns intended. There was a heavy emphasis on making the rain and water creatures iridescent. The colorful and transparent creatures played very well in Weathering with You’s attachment to mentions of mythology, but instead of a snow woman we get a rain maiden. Overall, I would say Weathering with You is a beautifully made film with emotional soundtracks to accompany it and a deep romantic storyline.

My rating:

MARIAH's THOUGHTS on My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! Season 1 (2020)

Genre:

Comedy, Drama, Romance, Fantasy, School

Air Dates:

Apr 5, 2020 to Jun 21, 2020

Season:

1

Episodes:

12

Original Title:

Otome Game no Hametsu Flag shika Nai Akuyaku Reijou ni Tensei shiteshimatta... 

(乙女ゲームの破滅フラグしかない悪役令嬢に転生してしまった…)

Based on the light novel written and illustrated by:

Satoru Yamaguchi and Nami Hidaka

Produced by:

Mainichi Broadcasting System, Asmik Ace, King Records, Ichijinsha, Nichion

Plot Synopsis:

Most people would prefer being the protagonist of a world full of adventure, be it in a game or in another world. But, unfortunately, a certain girl is not so lucky. Regaining the memories of her past life, she realizes that she was reborn in the world of Fortune Lover—one of the games she used to play.

Unfortunately, the character she was reincarnated into—Katarina Claes—is the game's main antagonist, who faces utter doom in every ending. Using her extensive knowledge of the game, she takes it upon herself to escape from the chains of this accursed destiny.

However, this will not be an easy feat, especially since she needs to be cautious as to not set off death flags that may speed up the impending doom she is trying to avoid. Even so, to make a change that will affect the lives of everyone around her, she strives—not as the heroine—but as the villainess.

source

Voice Cast:

Maaya Uchida, Tatsuhisa Suzuki, Shouta Aoi, Yoshitsugu Matsuoka, Tetsuya Kakihara, Saori Hayami, Inori Minase, Miho Okasaki

Find the full cast on MyAnimeList.net

~~~~~

**My Thoughts**

My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! is an isekai anime with nothing but light-hearted moments and enjoyable content. The main character, Katarina Claes, is a young girl with vivacity, determination, and almost carefree childishness. She aims to change her fate from a bad end to a slightly less bad end. Considering she is reborn as the antagonist of an otome game, Fortune Lover, her actions are understandable. Given this, the anime doesn’t limit Katarina’s choices like a real otome game. She has the freedom to make her own route, make her own choices, and subsequently, make her own ending. But like an otome game, this anime describes the leading male roles by describing their overall personalities in quick succession and their relationship to the main character, such as Gerald Stuart who is Katarina Claes’s fiancée. He is described as secretly terrible on the inside but also a genius at anything. Diving deeper, Katarina detours from the mean girl role she was reincarnated into and essentially turns this new world of hers into a reverse harem. To do so, she chooses to be kind, generous, and inclusive of the game’s characters regardless of their original roles and she eventually wins over their hearts. It is because of her attitude and character that the others break their own molds that the game has set for them. Each character and their deepening relationship to Katarina helps piece this short anime series together into enjoyable content.

My rating:

MARIAH's THOUGHTS on Uta Koi (2012)

Genre:

Historical Romance/Comedy/Drama

Animation

Air Dates:

Jul 3, 2012 to Sep 25, 2012

Episodes:

13

Original Title:

Chouyaku Hyakuninisshu: Uta Koi

(超訳百人一首 うた恋い。)

Based on the manga written by:

Kei Sugita

Directed by:

Ken'ichi Kasai

Written by:

Tomoko Konparu

Plot Synopsis:

Uta Koi tells the "super-liberal interpretation" of the Hyakuninisshu anthology compiled during Japan's Heian period of 100 romantic poems from 100 different poets such as The Tale of Genji's Murasaki Shikibu.

source

Voice Cast:

Junichi Suwabe, Yuki Kaji, Aya Endou, Saori Hayami

Find the full cast on MyAnimeList.net

~~~~~

**My Thoughts**

Note: This review contains NO spoilers

Chouyaku Hyakuninisshu: Uta Koi or simply Uta Koi, is a thirteen-episode anime with vibrant artwork that captures the beauty of Heian period poetry. Kimono with floral and seasonal designs to match the poems being recited, little historical facts dropped into the anime, and an opening theme song that matches the loosely interpreted history behind it, all bundled with twenty first century humor. The anime seems lively and comedic at first with anime characters’ trademark exaggerated facial expressions, but each little episode contains a mini lesson from the poet’s life in the luxurious court life of Japan at the time. The anime may have thirteen episodes, but each is split in half to tell the story of a different poet. Uta Koi focuses on the most famous of Heian poets such as Ono no Komachi, Ariwara no Narihira, Murasaki Shikibu, Sei Shonagon, and Fujiwara no Sadaie. As such that the anime does not have a definitive storyline. It does, however, have an overarching theme of love and passion being brought into the world through poetry. It is a very nice and quick anime to watch in your free time, but my only criticism is that the viewer might need to know a bit about Heian era literature to fully understand or enjoy this series.

My rating:

MARIAH's THOUGHTS on One Piece: Stampede (2019)

Genre:

Animation/Action/Adventure

Release Date:

October 24, 2019

Run Time:

1 hr 41 minutes

Directed by:

Takashi Otsuka

Screenplay by:

Takashi Otsuka, Atsuhiro Tomioka

Created by:

Eiichiro Oda

Plot Synopsis:

The world’s boldest buccaneers set sail for the great Pirate Festival, where the Straw Hats join a mad-dash race to find Gol D. Roger’s treasure. There’s just one little problem. An old member of Roger’s crew has a sinister score to settle. All bets are off when the most iconic pirates of One Piecehistory band together for a swashbuckling showdown, the likes of which have never been seen!

source

Voice Cast (English Dub):

Felecia Angelle, Major Attaway, Greg Ayres, Tia Lynn Ballard, Brian Barber, Johnny Yong Bosch

Find the full cast & crew on IMDB

~~~~~

**My Thoughts**

Note: This review contains SPOILERS

One Piece: Stampede, hyped and highly anticipated, was an action adventure fantasy film that I was incredibly excited to see. The synopsis of the film was as follows, Buena Festa, a master of festivals and parties, invites pirates from all over the One Piece world to participate in a Pirate Festival where the grand prize will lead them Gol D. Roger’s legendary treasure, the One Piece, on Laugh Tale. But little did anyone know that Buena Festa’s ultimate goal was to use the escaped prisoner from Level 6 of Impel Down, Douglas Bullet, as a catalyst to “start a new era” that would overshadow Roger’s era of piracy. To do this, Buena Festa made a deal with the World Government to collect as many pirates onto one island and have them make a “Buster Call,” the mass eradication of an island and its inhabitants, and with it display the power of Douglas Bullet the man who rivaled Gol D. Roger in power. This synopsis alone piqued my interest enough to want to see Stampede in theaters.

The film started on the deck of the Thousand Sunny, the main ship of the Straw Hat pirates and main protagonists. They explained what the Pirate Festival was and that the prize was a key to Gol D. Roger’s One Piece, the ultimate treasure for every pirate sailing the seas. From there, the film rushed through thirty minutes of introduction in the form of a Straw Hat pirates shopping spree and quick introductions of members from the Worst Generation. With that being said, Stampede required some background knowledge of One Piece to really enjoy it. Despite that, Stampede could easily make new fans’ interest pique with the appearance of different character designs and their personalities. While this was true, I must admit that there were some bland moments and some predictability to the plot of the film, such as Luffy dealing the final punch to Bullet with a giant fist and “Talk no Jutsu.”

I would say the overall plot of this film was lacking in pizzazz. The main antagonist, Douglas Bullet, was so bland and cliché, I forcefully stopped my eyes from rolling into the back of my head by focusing on the screen. Bullet was large, buff, strong, arrogant, and had a devil fruit that demolished an entire city in moments. He saw friends and comrades as burdens and wanted to be the strongest man alive. But what else is new? He was lacking in any sympathetic or redeeming qualities. And Buena Festa was hardly worthy of being called an antagonist. The only thing he did do was act like a narrator to the film while Bullet fought against everyone else. The plot was so predictable that I even figured how Law, Smoker, Hancock, Luffy, and Sabo would defeat Bullet after seeing his devil fruit, the Clank-Clank fruit. Basically, break through Bullet’s haki and whittle him down to deal a finishing blow.

What really got me excited to see Stampede was the cameos of some of my favorite characters, members of the Worst Generation. I was particularly fond of Eustass Kid, Killer, Jewelry Bonney, and X Drake getting some screen time and seemingly having fun. I was excited to see my One Piece sons, Kid and Killer, so much so that I squealed and squirmed in my seat when Killer flew onto screen and clashed with Zoro. Speaking of appearances, the animation of the film was amazing and fluid. It had a sumi-e, Japanese black ink painting feel to it. However, the artwork seemed a little weird to me. For example, Sanji and Zoro in particular looked a little lanky or scrawny in comparison to their usual anime appearance. That did change later in the film for Zoro when he was fighting the Marines and Vice Admiral Issho. At that point in the movie, Zoro’s muscles became more defined.

The hype was more exciting than the movie. It was a movie of cameos, flashy attacks, and fast paced battles to keep the adrenaline pumping. It can easily make it into someone’s top five favorite One Piece films, but for me, it was simply pretty. Overall, One Piece: Stampede was entertaining but the pacing could have been dealt with better.

My rating:

MARIAH's THOUGHTS on Pokémon: Origins (2013)

Japanese Title:

ポケットモンスタ

THE ORIGIN

Genre:

Children

Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy

Rating:

PG – Children

Episodes:

4

Run Time:

21 min per episode

Aired:

Oct 2, 2013

Directed by:

Daiki Tomiyasu

Cast:

Junko Takeuchi, Takuya Eguchi, Katsuji Mori, Rikiya Koyama, and more in different languages

source

Plot Summary:

Pokémon are marvelous creatures that come in a variety of types and sizes, with abilities, powers, and personalities as diverse as they are numerous. Doctor Yukinari Ookido has dedicated his life to studying these fascinating beings, that can be caught, trained, traded, and battled against each other. There's only so much he can do from his lab though. With this in mind, Ookido entrusts two young boys with a Pokémon of their own and a computerized encyclopedia to catalog them. One of them, Green, is brash, passionate, slightly arrogant, and Doctor Ookido's own nephew. The other boy, Red, is equally passionate, and filled with a wide-eyed, mildly naive sense of wonder.

Pokémon: The Origin follows Red in his journey through the region of Kanto in his attempt to complete his "Pokédex" by capturing and cataloging all the Pokémon that exist. Along the way he'll discover there's more to himself and his goals than he originally thought. Red will have to put both himself and his Pokémon to the test in special Gyms whose leaders are steps along the way to the Pokémon League, in order to challenge the Elite Four and become a Pokémon League Champion.

Aside from his goals to become a Champion, Red has other problems brewing. There are others who capture and train Pokémon for more sinister reasons, with the infamous criminal organization Team Rocket being one of them. If Red can defeat them, fellow trainers, his rival Green, and wild Pokémon all through Kanto, he just may fulfill his own dream, and Doctor Ookido's as well.

source

~~~~~

*My Thoughts*

Note: This review contains NO spoilers

With the development of the games and the to be announced release of Pokémon Sword and Shield I thought it would be appropriate to watch Pokémon: Origins. The four-episode short has been out for six years as it aired in 2013. It follows the original Pokémon trainer Red, his journey to become a Pokémon master, and complete his Kanto Pokédex. The four episodes were fast paced and skipped to important plot points in the original Red and Blue games. Such as Team Rockets takeover of the Pokémon Tower in Lavender Town and the Silph Co. in Saffron City, please note that these are the English names to the towns. What caught my attention aside from the story telling was the curious intro to each episode. Each episode started with a recap of events that happened off screen and away from the viewers gaze, most of Red’s gym battles. And then, the producers brought nostalgia to the long time Pokémon fans because the intros were like log ins from a players’ last save point on the Game Boy.

Unless you had prior knowledge of the original Pokémon games, the characters would seem a flat and lacked depth. Red started his journey as a naïve boy trying to catch ‘em all but after his first real battle with rival trainer Green, Red showed the viewer his compassionate and determined side. Green was an arrogant and highly gifted Pokémon trainer and wholly unlikable or unsympathetic character but not much else. We simply have a protagonist, their rival, and an antagonist with little background information to each. The transitions in character were swift and I, as a viewer, had little time to grow close to them.

Not only was trainer Red a more serious competitor, the battles were closer to the violence in the manga without being gruesome. The artwork was crisp, clear, and vibrant. I enjoyed watching Red develop and seeing the original games turn into an anime, even if it was rushed. In the end, I felt that Pokémon trainer Red and Pokémon: Origins were the series we needed for the Pocket Monster franchise.

My rating:

MARIAH'S THOUGHTS on Violet Evergarden (2018)

Japanese Title:

ヴァイオレット・エヴァーガーデン

Genre:

Fantasy, Drama, Slice of Life

Season:
1
Rating:

PG-13 – Teens or older

Episodes:

13

Run Time:

23 min per episode

Release Date:

Jan 11, 2018 to Apr 5, 2018

Directed by:

Taichi Ishidate

Producers:

Lantis, Pony Canyon, Rakuonsha, ABC Animation

Cast:

Yui Ishikawa, Aya Endou, Kouki Uchiyama, Minori Chihara, Haruka Tomatsu, and more in different languages

source

Plot Summary:

The Great War finally came to an end after four long years of conflict; fractured in two, the continent of Telesis slowly began to flourish once again. Caught up in the bloodshed was Violet Evergarden, a young girl raised for the sole purpose of decimating enemy lines. Hospitalized and maimed in a bloody skirmish during the War's final leg, she was left with only words from the person she held dearest, but with no understanding of their meaning.

Recovering from her wounds, Violet starts a new life working at CH Postal Services after a falling out with her new intended guardian family. There, she witnesses by pure chance the work of an "Auto Memory Doll," amanuenses that transcribe people's thoughts and feelings into words on paper. Moved by the notion, Violet begins work as an Auto Memory Doll, a trade that will take her on an adventure, one that will reshape the lives of her clients and hopefully lead to self-discovery.

source

~~~~~

*My Thoughts*

A simple story of self-discovery and emotional growth, Violet Evergarden is enhanced by the beautiful art and soundtrack. The story follows the main character, Violet, as she adapts to her new life at the CH Postal Services. She is mysterious, enigmatic, dutiful, and to top it all off, she is as small and elegant as a doll. In the beginning of the anime, Violet is stern and blunt when she writes letters for her clients and it leads to less than pleasant results. But throughout the anime, she learns more about how to interact with people and how to help them express their most heart-felt emotions, all the while learning about how to enjoy life herself. But Violet Evergarden is not just, about Violet. It is the connections she builds and those she helps that make Violet Evergarden so captivating. The empathy that Violet learns throughout the anime makes her an unforgettable friend to other characters. Her different view to see the world in a literal sense, helps them solve their problems and show their most sincere words.

My rating: