This is Literally About Clothes: 'Kill la Kill' Review

Kill la Kill

Studio: Trigger
Producer: Aniplex, Dentsu,Kadokawa Shoten, Mainichi Broadcasting System, Movic, Ultra Super Pictures, Lucent Pictures Entertainment
Genre: Action, Comedy, School, Superpower
Episodes: 24
Episode Length: 24 minutes per episode

After the murder of her father, Ryuuko Matoi has been wandering the land in search of his killer. Following her only lead—the missing half of his invention, the Scissor Blade—she arrives at the prestigious Honnouji Academy, a high school unlike any other. The academy is ruled by the imposing and cold-hearted student council president Satsuki Kiryuuin alongside her powerful underlings, the Elite Four. In the school's brutally competitive hierarchy, Satsuki bestows upon those at the top special clothes called "Goku Uniforms," which grant the wearer unique superhuman abilities. 

Thoroughly beaten in a fight against one of the students in uniform, Ryuuko retreats to her razed home where she stumbles across Senketsu, a rare and sentient "Kamui," or God Clothes. After coming into contact with Ryuuko's blood, Senketsu awakens, latching onto her and providing her with immense power. Now, armed with Senketsu and the Scissor Blade, Ryuuko makes a stand against the Elite Four, hoping to reach Satsuki and uncover the culprit behind her father's murder once and for all. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I've wondered why I haven't watched many animes. 'Magi: Labyrinth of Magic' and 'Your Lie in April'. After watching this anime, I want to buy all the 'Kill la Kill' merch. Including the Ryuuko Nendoroid (Who is ADORABLE.) And maybe the Mako one. Hm...

Trigger is such a fantastic studio. They did 'Kiznaiver' from the spring 2016 season. Their art style is amazing. I love it. The characters look dynamic. Everything about them is important. (Ehem, remember the ball-in-mouth on Gamagoori's original uniform? Yeah, that. There's a reason for it. You'll find out later.) The animation is fast-paced but amazing. I completely adore it.

The OPs for this anime kill my heart. Get it? Get it? But they're amazing. I truly love them. The second one starts out slow, but it speeds up. I hum it often. The first one is great too! The images in the background truly do suit the anime and what happens within that part of the anime. It works.
Check out the first OP here.

Every second of this anime is dedicated to action. We're thrown into fights and yelling and slashing immediately. There is no time for stopping. I love this. We have no beach scenes or lulls in the story. (It's not the long 8 episode randomness of 'The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya'. THAT was useless after episode 2 or so.) Everything IS action. This is how a story should be. No lulls. No stops. Nothing of that sort. Just story.
Because of this, though, the pacing is insane(ly amazing.) You don't get time to breathe or process what you're seeing. It's mostly positives, but because of this fact, I'm happy I didn't binge watch it all the way through. I'd be breathless if I did.

The characters are fabulous. Ryuuko is the badass I love. Mako is the energetic best friend. And Senketsu is a GARMENT, but he has more personality than some other anime characters (Insert any otome game turned anime character ever. I'm looking at you 'Brothers Conflict'. YOU.)
Ryuuko is desperate. And badass. She loves with her entire heart. Seeing her defend her friends is amazing. She's someone to admire. She's dedicated and fierce. Definitely in competition for best girl (Watch out, Rem.)
Mako is so cute. I love her randomness. And when she gets her spotlight? Adorable. (In case you're wondering, though, her hand motions match up to the Japanese, not the English.) She's lovable and crazy loyal. I love it. Plus, her Two-Star Uniform is BADASS.

You know that I hate ecchi? Well, I hate ecchi. I might never have said it before, but I do. But this anime does it well. (Much like 'Food Wars'. Which does ecchi pretty well.) We're not overloaded with boobs and butts. Instead, the uniforms are skimpy but for a reason. (It takes some time to understand why. They'll explain it, though.) We aren't forced to see ecchi. Rather, the ecchi is part of the story. It's part of the world. And that makes it tolerable, if not amazing, on its own.

There is only one problem about this anime.
It is literally about clothes.
You have to wrap your mind around that. It's a super amazing anime...about clothes. That's something that doesn't make much sense to me, but once you remind me of Senketsu and Ryuuko's relationship, I forgive you. Because those two are OTP. (Well...Gamagoori and Mako are OTP. Senketsu and Ryuuko are second OTP.)

'Attack on Titan' Copycat? Not Really: 'Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress' Review

Koutetsujou no Kabaneri (Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress)

Studio: Wit Studio
Producer: Aniplex, Dentsu, Fuji TV,Kyoraku Industrial Holdings, Kansai Telecasting Corporation
Genre: Action, Drama, Fantasy, Horror
Episodes: 12
Episode Length: 22 minutes per episode

As the world is in the middle of an industrial revolution, a monster appears that cannot be defeated unless its heart, which is protected by a layer of iron, is pierced. By infecting humans with its bite, the monster can create aggressive and undead creatures known as Kabane. On the island Hinomoto, located in the far east, people have built stations to shelter themselves from these creatures. People access the station, as well as transport wares between them, with the help of a locomotive running on steam, called Hayajiro. Ikoma, a boy who lives in the Aragane station and helps to build Hayajiro, creates his own weapon called Tsuranukizutsu in order to defeat the creatures. One day, as he waits for an opportunity to use his weapon, he meets a girl named Mumei, who is excused from the mandatory Kabane inspection. During the night, Ikoma meets Mumei again as he sees Hayajiro going out of control. The staff on the locomotive has turned into the creatures. The station, now under attack by Kabane, is the opportunity Ikoma has been looking for.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Many people called 'Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress' a copy of 'Attack on Titan'. But I disagree. Sure, there are elements that seem similar, but nothing is outright copied. It's a different anime with a different story. 

My favorite part of this anime had to be the main characters. 

Ikoma was this complex character, and I absolutely adored him. He was caring and kind, but he also had a troubled past. I wanted to know more about him. He was admirable for all the things he did. He risked his life for these people. He risked his humanity for them. 

Something I felt was a bit lacking was his motivations. His backstory was great, but I felt like it didn't explain why he became a Kabaneri. Was it his will to live? Was it his want to continue his research? It's never really explained, and I wanted to know why. 

Mumei was the best. She was all sweet and innocent until she whipped out her gun and turned you into a slice of swiss cheese. I loved how badass she was. But she still kept this air of innocence which made me love her even more. Through all that she's been through, you forget she's just a kid until she flashes you a sweet smile. It really shows what this world's kids have to go through on a daily basis. Even if Mumei is a bit of an exception.

She was this intricate character who went through a lot. She had an awful experience in her childhood with people wanting her to be killed, and she really saw Biba as her savior. It's something I find interesting. She loved Biba to death, and him being the opposite of sunshine and rainbows threw her for a loop. At times, the people you can trust aren't trustworthy at all. And Mumei really shows a good example of this.

I want to touch upon the supposed 'villain' of this anime for a second. Biba is also very interesting. I felt like his motivations fell a bit flat. He really seems like an antihero to me. Sure, he unleashed hell onto lots of different places, but I felt like he did it from a good place. He was all for lots of bad things, but I felt like his motivations were good. If we had more information about Biba, I might understand him better. He just didn't seem like an obvious villain to me.

I'm a huge fan of animes/books/anything that picks up the issue of human versus -insert monster here-. This anime does a great job of showing the human versus Kabane problem. Most people would turn on the Kabaneri because of the tiny portion of the Kabane in them. The Kabane terrify everyone, and they would do anything to get away from them. But Ikoma and Mumei are different. They're more human than the humans expect, and they do want to protect their loved ones. The Kabaneri can be more human than Kabane, and it's something the humans have to come to terms with. It's this struggle that is really interesting in this anime.

This is the best one I could find...

The OP was gorgeous. It's by EGOIST one of my favorite Japanese bands out there. They did the soundtrack. (OST) to 'Guilty Crown' which has the BEST OST ever. I love the OP to death. It's something I'd play on repeat forever and ever.

It's a beautiful song, and it really works with the anime. Especially the line about fighting for your friends. That's so true for Ikoma. He would die for his friends. And he almost does. Many, many times. 

On the other hand, though, the story was a huge problem for me. It felt way too drawn out. We had multiple scenes of Ikoma and Mumei fighting Kabane. Not that I don't love the animation, but I felt like the Biba arc could have come in earlier. The action truly comes from that arc and not mindlessly fighting Kabane. 

But the worst of all? The ending. I couldn't believe it. For a good second, I thought a certain important someone would die. That would have been interesting. Not every anime has to have a happy ending. Anyways, if he had died, then certain people could have had a sequel where they deal with their grief and try to figure out what happens next. The last episode felt rushed and abrupt. I couldn't believe it was the last episode. So many things that could have gone right were totally wrong.

Again, not everything has to have a happy ending.

Verdict:

If you like lots of action scenes and little story, this is for you.

Who is Bad? Who is Good? 'Tokyo Ghoul Root A' Review

Tokyo Ghoul Root A

Studio: Studio Pierrot
Producer: None (As stated by MAL)
Genre: Action, Drama, Horror, Mystery, Psychological, Seinen, Supernatural
Episodes: 12
Episode Length: 24 minutes per episode

In Tokyo Ghoul √A, monsters live among humans, looking like them while craving their flesh. That is the world Ken Kaneki has struggled to navigate ever since a first date went horrifically awry and transformed him into a half-human, half-ghoul. For months, he has fought against his new cannibalistic hunger and violent tendencies. But after being captured and tortured by a sadistic ghoul, Kaneki has accepted his darker half as his only means for survival.

His choice could not be more timely. Tokyo has become a battleground between humans and ghouls. The CCG, a government agency created to deal with the perceived ghoul threat, has ramped up its efforts to eradicate the inhuman monsters. In response, the terrorist ghoul organization, Aogiri Tree, has made destroying the CCG its priority. And throughout it all, the ghouls who frequent the coffee shop Anteiku merely want to live a peaceful life. But Kaneki, who worked at Anteiku while he attempted to reconcile his human and ghoul halves, makes a shocking decision: he joins Aogiri Tree. Even as his choice sends shockwaves through his newfound friends, many more questions are raised. What is Aogiri Tree's true purpose? Will the CCG triumph over the ghouls? And has Kaneki truly betrayed his friends and everything that Anteiku stands for?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It's been a while since I saw 'Tokyo Ghoul'. But I loved it. It was the amazing story of human versus ghoul. You felt for the ghouls as you saw their society. That anime truly embodied the idea of good guys being bad and bad guys being good. Just because you're a human doesn't mean you're good. Just because you're a ghoul doesn't mean you're bad.
This was the thing that drove the anime forwards. Many people loved that. And I did too.
But that doesn't mean the anime continued this theme. Season two was more about loss and grief. With lots of action scenes.

Something that I loved about this season was the multiple perspectives. We saw the nice ghouls the Anteiku group, the evil ghouls Aogiri, the good humans, and the bad humans. It's not a show about a clean and even divide between good and evil. Touka killed, but she was 'good'. Amon was righteous, but he attacked harshly. Even Juuzou who seemed like this crazy killing machine had a heartfelt backstory.
This anime showed us that there is always a good and evil force. It changes from person to person. Perspective changes how things are seen. As the saying goes, history is written by the victor.

Because of the different perspectives, you saw the truth. The truth is that everyone will die. You have to accept this and move on. But coping with your grief is okay. This anime, both seasons, had high body counts. People died left and right.
But the living had to deal with that. It's something to have to take as fact. There is no magical healing potion. There is only death. (Dark but true.)
I honestly think that if there was a third season, it would be great to see their coping mechanisms. I know that if we followed the manga, we'd have a massive time skip (Thanks, Google.) But wouldn't it be cool to see a ghoul's burial service?

The second half of the anime was very action-y. I quite liked the raid at the end. It was tension-filled, and we finally got to see the two employees of Anteiku fight. I never knew they were important ghouls. It was this amazing arc, and I really loved seeing the different fights.
I love action scenes a lot. So it was exciting to see this.

I really didn't like the lack of Kaneki. It was because of the multiple perspectives. I didn't mind seeing Akira and Amon and Juuzou, but I would have preferred Kaneki's perspective more. He was the star of the last season. Why couldn't there have been more about him? He wanted to get stronger and protect the group at Anteiku. I wanted to know more about that. What did he do? I have unresolved questions.

Even though the second half of the plot was interesting, but the first half was tiresome. There were a lot of raids. The CCG and Aogiri really danced around each other. The conflict wasn't anything special. Kaneki wasn't really seen. I was annoyed at his elusiveness. And while the CCG was given depth, I felt like there wasn't a lot of characterization in general. I was tired of this back and forth.

Verdict:
This anime wasn't as amazing as the first season. But I do quite like it. As always, the message is amazing, and the action sequences are fabulous. Not too bad as a sequel for the 'Tokyo Ghoul'. But it could have been much better.

Why 'Magi: Labyrinth of Magic' Works

Magi: Labyrinth of Magic 

Studio: A-1 Pictures
Producer: Aniplex, Dentsu,Shogakukan Productions, Mainichi Broadcasting, Movic
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Magic, Shounen
Episodes: 25
Episode Length: 24 minutes per episode

Dispersed around the world, there are several bizarre labyrinths hiding incredible treasures within them. These mysterious places, known as "Dungeons," are said to be the work of Magi, a class of rare magicians, who also help people build their empires by guiding them to a dungeon. Djinns, supernatural beings that rule over the labyrinths, grant successful conquerors access to their immense power and choose them as potential king candidates to rule the world.

Having spent life in isolation, Aladdin, a kind and young magician, is eager to explore the world upon finally leaving his home behind. He begins his journey only accompanied by his mentor Ugo—a djinn that Aladdin can summon with his flute. However, Aladdin soon becomes friends with the courageous Alibaba Saluja after causing the destruction of a local merchant's supply cart. In order to pay for the damages, Alibaba suggests that they attempt to conquer the nearest dungeon, taking the first step in an epic adventure that will decide the fate of the world itself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I recently finished the amazing anime that is 'Magi: Labyrinth of Magic'. This anime is really popular. (I mean...there are Aladdin and Alibaba plushies out there!) I've heard about it before (Many times over.) But I never really got into it. (I went through a 'No mainstream ANYTHING' phase. Yeah, that was not fun...)
So, basically, this summer is 'Wren catches up with popular animes'. Derp. ~(._.)~
But, gosh, this is an amazing anime. It's so amazing. I can't stop gushing about it. (Well...I'll stop as soon as I start 'Your Lie in April'. Then ALL my Tweets will be GIFs of me crying. Can't wait for that, am I right?)
Even though I wasn't a huge fan at first. (Truth.)

This anime blew me away. (Which is another way to say 'I LOVE MAGI' subtly. Subtle.) You're probably wondering why. I mean, that's what this review is for! And you're obviously reading this review. Sooo. You know.

1) I actually felt something. 

In my cold, stone heart, I felt something. This anime seems like a lighthearted shounen until it slams you in the gut and screams "NO" really loudly. And flips the table. And steals your drink. (This anime is very cruel at times.)

I had so many feels while watching this. Okay...I'll admit the first half or so with the 'Morgiana and Alibaba and Aladdin are separated. Oh no!' stuff, I got bored. Very so. But I persevered! That's when I hit the jackpot. 

This anime turns into a ball of deadly kill-your-feels scenes with a little dash of tears. Okay...more like a lot of tears. 

(I'm going to direct you to my analysis of episode 17. Ehem. Episode 17 Crying and laughing at the same time is a sign of madness...I meant an amazing anime. Hahahaha...ha.)
My emotions were constantly on a rollercoaster once this anime started to pick up. This really happened with the Balbadd episodes. And, man, was that a good arc... 
But really. The emotions behind Alibaba's decisions and his rough past were really moving. And then the whole light and dark thing in the Zagan/the Organization arc? WOW. That was gorgeous. 

There were also many scenes that made you root for the underdogs. All the fight scenes for example. You cheered for Alibaba and Aladdin and Morgiana. I might have actually shouted loudly...once...or twice...or thrice... Yeah, this anime got me really riled up. (Not to mention all the times I yelled 'Democracy!')

So, yes, this anime will make you cry. And scream. And cheer. But it's great because of it.

2) The power of light is tainted with lies and deceit but ultimately gets through it all.

Yes, this is a typical shounen with the light versus dark theme. But this anime does it better than I've seen before. The rukh symbolizes the light and dark (As does the Sindria arc's growing purple-ish bruise-ish thing.) 

The fight between light and dark is fantastic, and it starts when Judal is introduced really. (Which is really early on.) The Sindria arc focuses more on the dark and light, but the Balbadd arc touches upon it (With Kassim. You can hear my wailing now.)

I want to talk about the Organization instead. I talked about Kassim in my episode analysis. (Another shameless plug.) 
This is a group of bad guys. As typical of a shounen anime. But they infuse themselves with 'depravity'. In case you need to know the definition, I've pasted it below:

"Depravity: noun

moral corruption; wickedness."

Thanks, Google.
This is really interesting. The Organization has good intentions. (They want to avoid something...that seems unavoidable. Yup, no spoilers!) And they just chose the wrong way to do it. Then they try to bring everyone else to the dark side (Which I am a member of. I have fun here. We have cookies. And Darth Vader. And Victor Vale. WOOT WOOT.) 
But while the Organization is very stereotypical, the approach is different. This is focused on depravity and infecting people with darkness. Which is very interesting. Most 'organizations' just want to destroy everything. But this one doesn't. Hm. Interesting, no?

3) Alibaba isn't your stereotypical hero. 

He debates between light and dark. He falters. 
I would say a spoiler here...but I won't. You're welcome. But I'll SHOW a spoiler instead! -evil laughter-

Constantly, he's teased by the dark side. But he has friendship and hope. And this brings out the best in him. He doesn't succumb to darkness (Or depravity as in this anime.) He fights through it. And that's amazing. He's not this insane hero of the light. He's a hero of the gray. 
And that makes him real. Not every real life hero has the most amazing scruples. They might fall. Maybe a little smoke or a little drink. Or, in Alibaba's case, a little DESTRUCTION OF AN ENTIRE KINGDOM. You know, small stuff. But they bounce back. And so did Alibaba. 

I admire him. That's for sure.

4) Aladdin and Alibaba are FRIENDSHIP GOALS.

The two of them are so close. They barely know each other in the beginning, but, by the end, they're best friends forever and ever and ever. They go through so much together. And they grow a connection because of it.

And, the thing is, Aladdin is Alibaba's light. He saves Alibaba many times. Sure, this gets a bit awkward if Aladdin was, say, Alibaba's love interesting, but this anime pulls the friendship card. And this works really well. 
You get invested in their friendship. And you just want them to be together. Forever. 

And last, but not least, the best reason of all.

5) Cute boys.

Yes, this is petty, I know. But still! These boys were very attractive. And that's a nice touch for a viewer. And I will now rate them on their level of attractiveness. The results are surprising.

Numbah One: Ugo

He's blue and cute. And really helpful. The first glimpse of him is deceiving, but his face is extremely attractive.

Numbah Two: Hakuryuu

I mean...brooding, distant prince is attractive. Plus, that scar, though. It reminds me of Zuko from 'Avatar: The Last Airbender'.

Numbah Three: Alibaba

Alibaba is awesome. He's cool even without his childish, chubby face. But the face tops things off.

Numbah Four: Sinbad

You're probably wondering why he isn't higher on this list. It's because UGO IS LIFE. Sinbad isn't that bad. He's really ripped, though. But you know...I like Romano and all. So.

So have you seen this anime? What did you think?And how cute is Ugo? SUPER DUPER RIGHT?

How Episode 17 of 'Magi: Labyrinth of Magic' Made Me Cry So Hard

Aka a picture of me during the end of this episode

Oh my god. I just watched this episode. To get an idea of how much of a rollercoaster it was, I'll tell you this: I ended up crying and laughing at the end of the episode.

Here's a bit about the episode if you forgot or something. By the way, SPOILER ALERT.
We're in Balbadd, Alibaba's home country.  We have the Fog Troupe that attacks nobles and government officials in the fog. Aladdin and Sinbad and Morgiana go to fight the Fog Troupe, but they discover Alibaba, and his childhood pal Kassim, are in charge.
Of course, things are thrown off course by the Kou Empire's arrival and want to annex Balbadd. The king Ahbmad is a weakling who succumbs to the wants of riches and gold and accepts this annexation. Ahbmad is to marry a Kou princess and sign an agreement to hand over his people as slaves to the Kou empire.
The people, though, are thirsty for blood, and the Fog Troupe prepares to attack. Alibaba, on the other hand, sides with Sinbad and Aladdin on a mission for peace. He tries many different strategies, including trying to talk to the king, but none work.
His last solution is to announce a republic and tear down the agreement. The Kou princess agrees, but the king is reluctant to give up his power. He finally does, but Kassim comes in with his weapon of smoke/fog and turns into a monster. Alibaba has to defeat the Kassim demon...but can he?

And that's a short recap of the goings-on so far. Now, onto the episode itself.

Aladdin has returned from his comatose state and comes to help Alibaba. He's been out of commission for a good few episodes after trying to help Alibaba and that group fight the other magi Judal. His magoi was depleted, and Ugo seemed to be lost to him. He, of course, is fine and is just resting. Aladdin returns and gives Alibaba (who has little to no magoi left) some power. This power helps Alibaba go through the black demon and to its heart--where Kassim is. And this is where I get emotional. Kassim acknowledges his faults and his reasoning for this whole mess (which can be pinned on him.) And this scene crescendos to this masterpiece of light and sound.
And Kassim is saved.

And that's what happened in this episode. So why do I care so much?

The thing that hit me the most about this episode was not the magic but the emotions behind the episode. Sure, Judal and Aladdin had lots of fun destroying each other (Or trying to), but the real heart of this episode is in the connection between Alibaba and Kassim. I felt so many emotions watching their exchange in the glassy otherworld. Kassim finally opening up to Alibaba was a knife to the heart.
There were so many things he did wrong, but he did have a good heart. Really. I know that the show might try to paint him as a villain, but he had this good heart. And it showed.
We got to see his change from cocky to open in this episode, and it really resonated with me. I know not everyone is as open as they should, but Kassim really was an extreme form of closed off. If he had spoken to Alibaba more, something else would be the result.
Also, we got to see what their lives could have been if Kassim was more open. And, man, was that gorgeous. I love seeing things where the possibilities from other options are seen. (Maybe that why I love 'Steins;Gate' so much.) It really hit the nail on the head. If things HAD been different, live would have been drastically changed. (Then again...Alibaba wouldn't have met Aladdin.)

And another thing. The ending scene where Aladdin grants the dead souls a chance to be with their loved ones? I started to cry. And laugh. Because that was such a good deed. I can't even imagine.

So, overall, this episode was gorgeous. I adored it, and it really got me in love with this show. I'm not done with it yet (At least as I write this post), but I do appreciate it's awesomeness.

Four Reasons Why I Couldn't Get Into 'Fate/Stay Night'

Fate/Stay Night

Studio: Studio Deen
Producer: Geneon Universal Entertainment, Frontier Works, TBS,The Klock Worx, Notes
Genre: Action, Fantasy, Magic, Romance, Supernatural
Episodes: 24
Episode Length: 24 min per episode

After a mysterious inferno kills his family, Shirou is saved and adopted by Kiritsugu Emiya, who teaches him the ways of magic and justice.

One night, years after Kiritsugu's death, Shirou is cleaning at school, when he finds himself caught in the middle of a deadly encounter between two superhumans known as Servants. During his attempt to escape, the boy is caught by one of the Servants and receives a life-threatening injury. Miraculously, he survives, but the same Servant returns to finish what he started. In desperation, Shirou summons a Servant of his own, a knight named Saber. The two must now participate in the Fifth Holy Grail War, a battle royale of seven Servants and the mages who summoned them, with the grand prize being none other than the omnipotent Holy Grail itself.

Fate/stay night follows Shirou as he struggles to find the fine line between a hero and a killer, his ideals clashing with the harsh reality around him. Will the boy become a hero like his foster father, or die trying?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Many have hailed 'Fate/zero' as this amazing anime, and Saber one of the most amazing waifus to ever walk this earth. I decided to hop on the bandwagon with this series, and I started my delightful journey with 'Fate/stay night'. 
And, man, do I disagree.

This anime is, simply, mediocre. The art is meh. The characters meh. Nothing really stands out about this show. Yet people seem to like the series (the whole Fate series. Not this show specifically. People actually seem to dislike this one.) 

Normally, mediocre shows have at least one interesting thing. This typically ends up being an interesting premise or some cool action sequence. 
But some things really made me dislike this anime. And I couldn't find any redeeming qualities.

So here are the four main things that I disliked about 'Fate/stay night'.

The Otome Game-esque Animation

I put the animation first on this list because it's one of the main factors that goes into my decision to watch an anime or not. An older style of anime (For example, 'Fate/stay night') is not as appealing to me compared to a new, brightly colored style of anime (For example, 'Hyouka'.) I thought that the characters looked like they jumped out of an otome game. (And as you know, or may not know, I kinda hate otome turned anime adaptations. They just don't sit well in my stomach.) 
Seriously, they strike poses that mimic otome character poses, and it really made me want to cry.
This funny (NOT) because the show is based off a light novel, not an otome game. Oh well. 2006 animation, right?

See? Otome game!

Lack of Interesting Plot

Sure, there's some semblance of a plot. There are fights and story arcs, but they're not well-done. We have the main characters (Emiya and Saber) who fight different people. For example, they fight Rider and her Master. This is one of the main 'arcs'. It's not much, and the fight scene isn't even good. Rider barely even uses her Rider-ness to fight. (One horse scene. ONE.) 

Rider barely uses her horse, and she fights with chains. That's it. (Well...Archer doesn't fight with a bow normally. So.)

The show basically implies a large Servant v Servant battle (Reminiscent of 'Future Diary'.) But we all we get are smaller arcs which aren't very interesting. The fight scenes were boring, and I just want the story to continue on. The last 'major' battle wasn't anything special, and I kept staring at my screen in complete confusion. Just what was happening?

As I sit at my desk and write this little list, I still have no clue how to sum up the plot.
And that shows you just how awful the plot was. 

Boring, 2-D Characters

Let's go down the list of main characters. And analyze them one by one.

Just look at his derpy face...

Emiya Shirou

He's this 'powerful' Magus (You know this because Archer helps him out with the visualization thing, and it actually works. Also, Toosaka mentions this 'special snowflake' quality of his a few times.) Honestly, he makes me mad. There was nothing special about him. If you have a character with a strong moral code, you can work with that. But Emiya was just so stubborn. I felt so annoyed listening to him talk. Even the people with the strongest morals would have backed down at times. He's supposed to be the good guy in it all, but I honestly didn't care if he won or lost a battle. I just wanted to get to the next scene, preferably without him. He was ignorant and completely childish at times. There was no character development whatsoever. 

Saber

Saber's Emiya's wonderful Servant. Who is of the Saber class. She's this strong heroine...who seems to always need Emiya. She has this really cool Noble Phantasm but passes out after using it and...you guessed it NEEDS EMIYA. The fact that show subtly adds some lovely sexist tones with Saber's character made me want to roll under my desk and hide for a million years. No, you can't say 'But that was 2006! It's 2016 now!' I'm still going to hide. Has our culture changed that much in ten years? Nope. I don't think so, but that is a topic for another time. Back to Saber. 
Not only is she a 'strong heroine', she is also as interesting as a piece of wet cardboard. Her character barely gets any interesting lines, and she has no characterization at all. I know she might get better with 'Fate/zero', but, so far, my opinion of her isn't very good.

Toosaka Rin

Toosaka might be the only interesting character in this show. She is sassy and quick to retort. But the fact of the matter is, she is really just an ally for Emiya. I know that she isn't the main main character, but she could get some characterization too. We have a hint of backstory, but it's never explored enough for me to care. I felt like she was just the more experienced Magus for Emiya to learn from. She could have been a great mentor...if she wasn't basically another girl in the Emiya Harem. (She's the smart...but sexy one. Mysterious and pushes you away. What will happen next?) Plus, in the last few episodes, she's completely ignored for the bull romance. Thanks? And it's not like I'll watch 'Unlimited Blade Works' and see her side of things. So she's forever this empty sort of harem girl in my mind.

Archer

I can't even start talking about him without cringing. For one of the main characters, Archer gets no action. He's seen maybe...three times total in the whole show. Really. And he's supposed to be one of the main characters? Uh...no. And he also gives advice to Emiya (whom he hates.) I deny your argument. I can't care about him if he is given no role in this show. So bye-bye. 

The Bull Romance

Oh, look. The lovely couple. How cute... -rolls eyes-

The second Emiya whipped out the 'I care for her' card, I wanted to slam my fist against the wall. (Which I may or may not have done.) Romance can be done right, but, normally, that's not the case. And with 'Fate/stay night', the romance was unnecessary. You can build up a great romance between friends, and that would have been fine. 
What's even worse is that you can't believe the romance. There's no indication of a crush, and the things we do get can be labeled as 'Virgin Dude Unexposed to Sex Appeal'. (Namely, the scenes where Saber stands naked in front of Emiya.) 
The romance is too forced, and it lacks the spark a normal romance does. So no. Just no.

Why Didn't I Watch This Sooner?: 'One Punch Man' Review

One Punch Man

Studio: Madhouse
Producer: TV Tokyo, Bandai Visual,Lantis, Asatsu DK, Banpresto, Good Smile Company
Genre: Action, Comedy, Parody, Sci-Fi, Seinen, Superpower, Supernatural
Episodes: 12 
Episode Length: 24 min per episode

The seemingly ordinary and unimpressive Saitama has a rather unique hobby: being a hero. In order to pursue his childhood dream, he trained relentlessly for three years—and lost all of his hair in the process. Now, Saitama is incredibly powerful, so much so that no enemy is able to defeat him in battle. In fact, all it takes to defeat evildoers with just one punch has led to an unexpected problem—he is no longer able to enjoy the thrill of battling and has become quite bored.

This all changes with the arrival of Genos, a 19-year-old cyborg, who wishes to be Saitama's disciple after seeing what he is capable of. Genos proposes that the two join the Hero Association in order to become certified heroes that will be recognized for their positive contributions to society, and Saitama, shocked that no one knows who he is, quickly agrees. And thus begins the story of One Punch Man, an action-comedy that follows an eccentric individual who longs to fight strong enemies that can hopefully give him the excitement he once felt and just maybe, he'll become popular in the process.

'One Punch Man' was the it anime of 2015, but I didn't jump on that trend. Only now did I look into it. I was looking for a newer anime with a lot of love. And, man, did I find it.
And I am stunned. It's completely amazing. Why did I watch it sooner?

Likes:

• Saitama was smart and understanding. He was humble. Even though he had insane powers, he didn't flaunt it. He called himself a hero just for fun (as in the sub.) He would let others take the glory. And he didn't care about that. He would give them the glory on purpose. And he was so lax. His daily life was hilarious. And not to mention his hilarious reactions to battle. He would say things about his chores or whatnots. And that one scene where he freaks out over missing a sale? Hilarious! I loved it. I smiled and laughed while I watched this anime. Not that I thought I would.
• The god modding isn't bad. I could ignore it because of how good he was. That world doesn't deserve Saitama. He was too good for that world.
• Genos isn't given enough screentime. He was a completely likable character. Not to mention quite cute... I thought he was adorable when I first saw him. And he was funny too. He took notes on Saitama's teachings (even if Saitama was just making something up.) I loved it when he let himself get hit by acid spit to save a little girl. It was admirable. Honestly, there should be more Genos-es in the world. He was kind and caring and highly intelligent. He didn't flaunt his status as a hero, and he really did try to protect the world. Saitama might be the protagonist, but Genos does deserve more credit. He isn't some cyborg sidekick; he's a hero in his own right.
• And then Mumen Rider. Gosh, I didn't care for him at first, then I fell for him. (Not in that way. Stop thinking that way.) He was so caring. He was different than Saitama and Genos. He wasn't that strong; he was a C Class hero. (Even though he was the top C Class hero.) But he jumped into all sorts of situations. He didn't hesitate to risk his life for the citizens of the city. He was admirable. (In a different way than Genos.) I respected him. A lot.
• This show was too funny. As I mentioned, Saitama had this sort of humor that made me laugh every time. I couldn't help it. He was oblivious to what was happening around him. His comments before, during, and after battle were unrelated to the situation. A good example is the mosquito swatting scene. He was so strong but couldn't kill a little bug. (Which contradicts what happens in the rest of the episode.) I cracked up each time. The laughs worked well with the darkness of the whole show. They were a good counter to the gore. Kudos to the show's creators.

Dislikes:

• If you don't mind 'Attack on Titan' level gore, 'One Punch Man' is for you. When Saitama punches things,  they explode. No seriously. The blood splatters everywhere. The guts spill across the floor. It's dark. Really dark. While I can stomach that, I know some people might not be able to.
• Puri Puri Prisoner is stereotyped. Really bad. He's gay (as seen in his obsession with the other male heroes.) He was this sparkly character with 'angel forms'. I couldn't help but gag. How stereotypical can you get? Very, I'm guessing. The gay-ness of PPP, I'm guessing, is because the creators wanted a character for levity. This is how NOT to do it. I cringed every time he was on screen. Sure, he was powerful, but that is negated by the stereotype. And not to forget the fact that he has a boyfriend and avidly chases after other people. Are you implying that gay people are all infidels? (But this could be me taking it too far.) And, one more thing, WHY IS HE NAKED?
• The plot is focused on small battles with strong people. Only at the end do you get an overarching plot. I wanted more of a story. The battles were cool; that's true. But I wanted a more well-rounded experience. Create an experience. That's what I wanted. The end's overarching story was much better. It was more interesting, and it really got me excited for the next episode. (Though, I'm not a huge fan of cliffhangers.)