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Reviews
Mare of Easttown (2021)
Interesting up until the very last minutes.
"Mare of Easttown" didn't initially arouse much interest in me.
The first two episodes drag on a lot and the presentation suggests that the series is nothing more than another small-town crime story.
Over the course of the series, however, it becomes clear that this is not the case.
The discovery of the body not only creates tension in the viewer in terms of the mystery and the perpetrator, but the tension is also clearly felt in the society of Easttown.
The authors undoubtedly know how to arouse the audience's interest and maintain it throughout the entire series.
"Mare of Easttown" is a very tragic and sad series and allows the viewer to empathize with the characters - even if you haven't known them for very long.
If you are looking for a case that you haven't already solved yourself in the first few episodes, "Mare of Easttown" is undoubtedly a good choice.
Reservation Dogs (2021)
Slow but good burner.
"Reservation Dogs" is a welcomed change from the flood of series and films that streaming services bring with them these days.
The series is a well-balanced mix of excellent drama and good comedy. "Reservation Dogs" can probably be compared most closely to "Atlanta". "Atlanta" also brings a certain amount of seriousness with it, but still remains essentially a comedy show.
Both series also bring the viewer closer to a certain culture. In "Atlanta" it is the culture of African Americans and in "Reservation Dogs" it is the culture of the Native Americans.
I found learning more about the culture of the Natives to be extremely interesting to watch.
The series is also very "cozy", if you can put it that way. At times you have the feeling that you are simply observing a society in its everyday life. What contributes to this are the dialogues, which feel very natural.
The dialogues between the teenagers also feel as if they were not written by adults who have not studied youth language, but have consulted people of this age group.
The characters grow closer to the viewer's heart from episode to episode, which is why it is difficult to hold back a tear at some moments.
Anyone who watches "Reservation Dogs" should not expect a really exciting story. The series is mostly about living together in a society and growing up in it.
I would really recommend the series, as I really liked it.
Monster (2004)
Just too complicated for me.
"Monster" is very demanding and complicated. I can say with certainty that this anime is probably the most complicated I have ever seen.
When watching the anime, you don't really feel like you're just sitting back and watching, but it almost feels like you're solving the case yourself - your mind is constantly being challenged and trying to solve the mystery.
Unfortunately, "Monster" was just TOO demanding for me. It might not have been the best idea to watch this anime when you're sick in bed and your head is already pounding, but I've wanted to watch it for a long time and thought that now would be the best time because I have a lot of time - well, I thought wrong.
You can also read on the Internet that only a few people really understood "Monster" without doing some subsequent research.
I wish I could rate "Monster" better because I can really see the effort that went into it, but in my opinion the anime is just way too complicated and leaves you with a bunch of questions that you then have to decipher yourself afterwards.
Space Dandy (2014)
It's ok.
"Space Dandy" is many things, but above all one thing - unpredictable.
Every episode a new adventure awaits the crew consisting of the macho alien hunter "Dandy", his loyal companion and vacuum robot "QT" and the cat-like creature "Meow". Sometimes they travel through space to try a certain ramen, then they accidentally get drawn into a war between underpants and vests or they form a band with the commander of a space army. Every episode is an experience and you never know what to expect.
The anime is mainly a comedy that has no ongoing story and follows the logic of a cartoon in which actions do not necessarily have to have any consequences.
Personally, "Space Dandy" entertained me but I was also glad when I had all the episodes behind me and could turn my attention to other things.
For what "Space Dandy" wants to be, the anime is OK - I had to smile a few times, but I didn't laugh much.
The Program: Cons, Cults, and Kidnapping (2024)
How did I not know about this?!
"The Program" is one of the best but unfortunately also most shocking documentaries I have ever seen.
As the name of the documentary suggests, it gives a glimpse into the discipline industry. Gruesome details are revealed - children are kidnapped from their homes with the consent of their parents and put in re-education schools. What the parents don't know is how unimaginably their children are treated there - they are completely cut off from the outside world and have to follow strict rules. If they don't do this, they are physically and psychologically abused by being hit, kicked, strangled, locked up or even denied food - in short: they are systematically tortured.
Over the course of the documentary, it becomes clear that there is a system behind it that can already be described as a franchise for child abuse.
The director Katherine Kubler was herself a victim of this cruel system and in the documentary she also visits her former "school" with some of her "classmates". It is extremely interesting but also stressful to hear how these people talk about their experiences with the program.
In some cases they even identify former employees and confront them with their actions.
Unfortunately, no one has been held accountable for these actions to date, although some of these programs are still running to this day.
But Katherine is determined to keep fighting for justice and, in the best case scenario, we might get a second season of the series with new information at some point.
I can only highly recommend the documentary!
Definitely in my top 3!
Kaiju No. 8 (2024)
Not innovative but still great!
In my opinion, "Kaiju No.8" is best described as a mixture of "Jujutsu Kaisen" and "Haikyuu".
Like in "Jujutsu Kaisen", ominous monsters are slaughtered in epic battles, while the team dynamics of a unit are improved - like in "Haikyuu".
The story and characters aren't really that unique, but I still had a great time watching the first season.
This is also one of the few animes I've seen that involve international artists in their production when it comes to music. The opening was written and perfomed by the British alternative rock musician "Yungblud" and the ending by the American pop rock band "OneRepublic".
I'm definitely excited to see what "Kaiju No.8" has in store for the second season!
Under the Banner of Heaven (2022)
What a great tension!
"Under the Banner of Heaven" is an unexpectedly excellent series!
I didn't have great expectations going into the series because the reviews weren't exceptionally good and I thought I was just going to get an exciting small-town crime thriller, but after the first episode I knew that this series is much more than that.
Aside from the great acting, the series is also exceptionally well written. They really manage to maintain a tension for the entire duration of the series that kept me on my toes.
From the reviews I read that the biggest criticism is the amount of information and flashbacks to Mormonism, which I can even understand in part - there really is a lot of information. However, I think that this narrative structure was necessary to make it clear how these people came to see something as cruel as murder as completely plausible.
Liebes Kind (2023)
Something is missing. Could've been better.
"Liebes Kind" proves that Germany is more into series than comedy.
The series has an incredibly exciting presentation and often leaves the viewer with many questions. The acting - especially that of Naila Schuberth - surprised me in a positive way, as I didn't expect such a young actress to act so well.
After the very strong 2 episodes at the beginning, the series steadily declines and is unfortunately not much more than average in the end.
It just lacked that certain something to give it an 8/10.
But it needs to be admitted that this is one of germanies stronger series, aside from Comedy.
The Venture Bros. (2003)
Unique and good.
"The Venture Bros." is a series that is both funny and complicated.
In addition to the simple comedy, the series offers a sophisticated story, detailed world building and well thought-out characters.
The series becomes relatively difficult to watch at some point because you are never sure whether you have to pay attention to understand the story or whether you can sit back and enjoy the comedy.
I still really appreciate the idea and uniqueness of the series - it was something different.
A healthy mix of comedy, action and drama - I would recommend the series, for people who yearn for something new.
Tengoku daimakyô (2023)
Very exciting Anime, if it would stop with these weird jokes.
"Tengoku-Daimakyo" actually has everything you could want from a good anime - the story is extremely exciting, the characters are well written, the animations are excellent, the art style is unique and even the opening is acoustically and visually great.
I only have 2 wishes for the second season, if there ever is one:
1. Less "sexual" comedy - I can live with the occasional sexual joke, but unfortunately most of the comedy here consists of "Haha, penis" or "Haha, boobs".
The fact that Maru tries to get closer to Kiruko once may be funny, but the fact that he continues to harass her even though she has made it clear several times that she doesn't want that does have some weird vibes.
But in the last few episodes, that hardly happened anymore, so I just hope that it will be also avoided in the future.
2. Please don't let Kiruko develop romantic feelings for Maru - the two of them are a good "sibling duo", but it would be better if it stayed that way and Maru's feelings for Kiruko were not reciprocated. Especially because she is much more mature than him - that would just be weird.
Otherwise the anime reminds me a bit of "The Promised Neverland", but I hope that the second season will be better here...
Kino no tabi (2003)
An anime like no other.
"Kino's Journey" follows the duo consisting of Kino and the talking motorcycle Hermes. Together, the two travel through various cities and learn something about the history of the city and its inhabitants.
This is a completely unique narrative structure, which is very refreshing if you like to watch a lot of series (like me, for example).
Each episode contains a short story, which is often quite interesting - the themes of the story range from war to technological progress to grief.
In addition, the relationship between Kino and the motorcycle Hermes is written very warmly.
"Kino's Journey" was clearly a surprise hit for me and thrilled me with its unique premise.
Black Bird (2022)
Had more potential.
"Black Bird" tells a more or less exciting story about drug dealer Jimmy Keene, who is placed undercover in a prison by the FBI and is supposed to get information out of the suspected serial killer Larry Hall - if Jimmy manages to provide enough usable evidence to keep Larry behind bars, his 10-year prison sentence will be annulled and he will be released.
In my opinion, the series itself was quite drawn out with 6 episodes. I think if they had reduced this to 4, the series would have had a much more pleasant pacing. The series consists mostly of officers running around desperately and two inmates who either talk very slowly or look at each other skeptically.
The only thing that was outstanding about the series was the acting of Paul Walter Hauser as Larry Hall.
In general, however, I think this true story could have been implemented better.
Yuukoku no Moriarty (2020)
Philosophy and Heavy Dialoge.
"Moriarty The Patriot" is the group consisting of the Moriarty brothers and some like-minded people, who soon become known throughout England as "The Lord of Crime". The main goal of the group is to eliminate the great gap between rich and poor and to unite them into one society - no matter what has to be done to achieve this.
In my opinion, the anime shines most in the first few episodes, in which the principle of the group is made clear. After that, there are also some high points, but unfortunately the anime is extremely dialogue-heavy compared to others and these dialogues are also formulated in an extremely high-concept manner and therefore seem quite long-winded here and there.
In general, I would have liked more sensation and excitement, but "Moriarty The Patriot" is definitely worth watching.
Kureimoa (2007)
Why do so many Animes go with weird Fan-Service?!?
"Claymore" is an average anime. We've seen characters that are half-human and half-other a few times now, and the typical character who then befriends something that most people only see as a monster is nothing new.
I liked the design of the Claymores and their armor, but other than that, "Claymore" is pretty average - average fights, average animation, average characters, etc.
I watched about half of it and then stopped because of the weird kissing scene. I don't mind fan service if it serves a purpose and makes sense (e.g. In Neon Genisis Evangelion), but this scene was nothing but weird. And of course fans of the series try to explain it logically, but if we're honest, it was just pure fan service. If the characters had at least been on the same level of maturity and the relationship had been better developed beforehand, that would be fine, but Clare is just so much more mature than Raki and their relationship felt more platonic up until then, which is why it was just weird.
I just don't understand why you always have to put something like that in when the story would have worked anyway. I mean, I've never seen a mature boy kiss an immature girl, even though it would actually be the same, but I've seen it the other way around at least 10 times now...
Overall, the anime had a lot of potential but didn't really use it and was ruined for me personally by that one unnecessary and weird fan service scene...
Adventure Time: Distant Lands (2020)
Exactly what I expected from it.
"Adventure Time: Distant Lands" gave me exactly what I wanted from the series - more entertaining stories from the AT universe and answers to the question of what happened to individual characters after the war was over.
I would have liked to give it a 10/10, but the last episode somehow didn't really fit the concept for me. It was entertaining too, but all the other episodes dealt with characters that I was really interested in (BMO, Marceline, Bubblegum, Finn and Jake) and the last episode was about Peppermint Butler, who I also found very amusing in the original series, but there are characters that would have interested me much more and of whom I would have preferred to see an extra episode.
Good Night World (2023)
Give it more than three episodes.
"Good Night World" didn't really convince me in its first few episodes, which is why I was ready to stop watching after the third episode - but I'm glad I didn't.
Because although the anime seems a bit boring at first and has no recognition value, it picks up speed after the first hour and tells a story that is peppered with sadness, mistrust, fear, solidarity, etc.
Visually, the anime is also impressive, as the animations and character designs are very impressive in some places.
"Good Night World" was definitely a surprise hit for me personally. I would suggest looking past the first hour of almost pure world-building.
Eric (2024)
A mediocre story and trashy pacing in pretty wrapping paper.
"Eric" looks very well done visually - the set design is very well done and the contrast between the colorful image and the littered New York is well presented.
The premise also sounds quite interesting at first - an eight-year-old boy suddenly disappears on his way to school and his mentally ill father suddenly imagines a large furry monster that follows him everywhere.
And here lies my first point of criticism of the series - the eponymous monster of the series, "Eric", actually hardly contributes anything to the series. You see Eric roughly 3 times per episode. There is another series that is similar to this one called "Happy", but the imaginary companion is much better integrated into the story.
And strangely enough, the father is no different, even though he should actually be the main character. You get the feeling that you see the policeman who is investigating the case much more often. That brings me to the next problem with the series - there is simply too much time wasted. The policeman's subplot is actually almost completely irrelevant to the main story. The story could easily have been concluded in 4 episodes.
On top of that, the actor who played the missing boy "Edgar" just doesn't act well. I don't know what the people in charge of casting were thinking when they cast the boy.
Edgar's behavior doesn't make much sense either. He says he ran away from home because he's afraid of his father, but no real reason is given for that. Sure, the father isn't perfect and the night before he disappeared his parents argued, but the father never got physical or even loud towards his son, so I don't see any reason to be so afraid that anyone would run away.
American Manhunt: The Boston Marathon Bombing (2023)
Shocking and interesting.
I had never heard of the Boston attack before this documentary series, which is why I found the series interesting and exciting.
The series clearly illustrates the irony behind the attack and similar attacks. Misguided Muslims feel they are being treated unfairly and confronted with racism in the USA and then plan an attack that gives people who already feel hatred and contempt for Islam just another reason to keep it.
It also shows how quickly a person can change fundamentally. It all started when the big brother was not allowed to compete in the Olympic Games and that set a can of worms rolling that ultimately ended with hundreds of injuries and 3 deaths.
I also find it interesting that there were still differences of opinion among the officials regarding this case up until the time this documentary was filmed.
All in all, a documentary worth watching, but I personally found these re-recordings of the "brothers" pretty pointless. The documentary would have worked just as well without them.
Time (2021)
I expected a mediocre show, but got a well-crafted masterpiece.
In its two seasons, each with three episodes, "Time" tells the stories of two people who are imprisoned for the first time and, in my opinion, it does this excellently.
The series illustrates very well the nervousness and oppressive feeling that you imagine when you have to go to prison.
In general, the series is a rollercoaster of emotions - excitement, sadness, grief, despair, relief, etc. "Time" writes its characters and story so well that you completely empathize with them and hope that they are doing well, even if you have only known them for a short time.
The series also shows very well how imprisonment can fundamentally change a person - be it for the better or for the worse.
The actors also do an extremely good job for the most part. Bella Ramsey in particular proves why many see her as a reliable young talent. She already convinced me more than enough of her talent in "The Last of Us" and here she plays her role frighteningly well too.
For me, "Time" is definitely a diamond that can't shine enough among all the big series.
Hajime no Ippo (2000)
An Anile can't feel more natural.
"Hajime no Ippo" tells the story of a daydreamer becoming a highly respected professional athlete better than almost any series before it.
The development of Ippo, who suddenly falls in love with boxing and puts all his enthusiasm and ambition into boxing, couldn't feel more natural.
That is the greatest strength of "Hajime no Ippo" - naturalness. Everything about the relationships, the characters and even the dialogues just feels natural.
As someone who isn't normally a fan of romance, I was pretty surprised how much I liked the romance in this anime because it just felt like honest love and not like they just wanted to check another box.
The fights are just normal boxing fights - the creative scope is relatively narrow, but I actually liked the anime better outside of the fights. Sure, the fights had their good moments, but watching the characters and their development over the course of the story was the highlight for me personally.
Personally, I wouldn't count "Hajime no Ippo" as one of my favorite sports anime, as I've had more fun with animes like "Haikyuu", "Megalo Box" or "Kuroko's Basketball", but it's definitely worth watching!
11.22.63 (2016)
One of the worst shows I've ever seen.
I've always been very cautious about time travel media because I think that people will always be confused by it because the concept of time travel is almost incomprehensible to people.
In addition, the story element of time travel usually seems very boring to me because there are only two possibilities - either it works or it doesn't.
So far, at least, no time travel film or series has convinced me...
"11.22.63" is unfortunately no exception.
The main character is unfortunately more than stupid. He is told beforehand that he shouldn't change anything in the past, except for the murder of JFK, and yet he changes the past all the time - he prevents the murder of one of his students' family, takes a job as a teacher, lets another guy in on his plan and gets engaged to a woman?!?!
How can a teacher be so incredibly stupid?! It's so obvious that the guy was written to be stupid on purpose so that the story works.
And the ending was extremely predictable!
Oh, who would have thought that preventing a murder in the past could have bad consequences??
Oh yeah, that's right - YOU IN THE FIRST DAMN EPISODE, YOU IDIOT! THEN JUST DON'T DO IT!
To write a good time travel story, the author needs at least a rough understanding of the subject matter and Stephen King simply doesn't have that.
All the positive aspects of this series stem solely from the budget. Sets, actors, props, camera, etc.
The Boondocks (2005)
Exactly what today's Comedy is missing.
"The Boondocks" is a self-ironic series by cartoonist Aaron McGruder that combines social criticism with black humor.
The series follows the siblings Huey and Riley, who, after their parents can no longer care for them for unknown reasons, move to live with their grandfather in a rich and mostly white area.
There they are confronted with a wide variety of situations every day. Be it racism, poverty, crime, encounters with celebrities or anything else.
In my opinion, the series is extremely funny, even if it is difficult to fit into today's world because of its very harsh humor.
I also really like the art style and especially the character design of the two brothers.
It is a shame, however, that during the production of the fourth season there were differences of opinion between Sony and Aaron McGruder - the creator of Boondocks - and that the last season was therefore produced without him.
Unfortunately, you can feel that very clearly. Even if the last season is not necessarily bad, it is clearly the weakest of the entire series.
It's probably better that the series ended after that, even if a spin-off series was planned afterwards, but then it was scrapped.
I can only recommend "The Boondocks" because the series embodies something that I miss a little in today's media landscape - risk.
Unfortunately, it has become the norm these days to pillory everything on social media and "cancel" it. I also think that there are certain limits, but if a comedy series has to be careful what it says because it might otherwise lose money, I think a large part of the art is lost...
Jigokuraku (2023)
Maybe another Demon Slayer?
"Hell's Paradise" tells the story of the legendary shinobi Gabimaru who was sentenced to death. His only hope for pardon is to find the elixir that promises eternal life on a remote island.
This premise isn't particularly innovative, but it lays the foundation on which to tell an interesting story.
What struck me most about the anime is that it is obviously heavily inspired by Naruto.
It is partly about shinobis, the main character comes from a village called "Iwagakure" - just like a village in Naruto, one character wears a headband that looks suspiciously similar to the headbands from Naruto, the design of one character is obviously based on Sakura Haruno, there are various jutsus and even genjutsus are mentioned at one point.
Since the anime comes from MAPPA, great animation is inevitable here.
In my opinion, however, "Hell's Paradise" introduces too many characters at the same time. This means that there is little time for the individual characters and the telling of their backstory, and therefore no character is particularly memorable for the viewer because everything is told so quickly.
In my opinion, the number of characters should have been reduced a little so that the anime has a more pleasant pace and can take its time.
I also think that the amount of fan service is too high. I don't mind if a little fan service is included here and there, even if I find it rather annoying, I know that there are others who appreciate it a lot, but here, in my opinion, it just takes over.
The last episode of the first season, however, aroused my interest in following the story further, so I will take a look at the second season.
However, I am a little worried that "Hell's Paradise" will turn into another "Demon Slayer" for me and won't have much to offer apart from its animation...
Over the Garden Wall (2014)
I can't help but wanting more...
With its very short running time of less than 2 hours, "Behind the Garden Wall" is a short but definitely worth seeing adventure.
The series follows the siblings Wirt and Greg, who got lost in the forest - now they have to find their way home. This quickly turns out to be a bigger challenge than it initially sounds.
I quickly took the brother duo to my heart - especially Greg, and was therefore all the more sad that the series is so short. But maybe that's exactly what makes this series so good.
In any case, I would have liked to have seen more of the brothers.
The series is also visually well done and sets the right mood for the series.
I definitely recommend it!
Odd Taxi (2021)
Great, but too many storylines for such a short anime.
"Odd Taxi" is a unique anime.
In a universe in which animals live like humans, the viewer accompanies a walrus taxi driver who learns more and more about the criminal machinations in his city through his job.
"Odd Taxi" is a refreshing change in the otherwise often boring world of anime, but unfortunately I have to say that in my opinion the anime follows too many storylines, which can quickly lead to confusion and boredom.
I was briefly confused a few times because a plot was continued that I had already forgotten.
It all ends nicely, but it still prevented me from following the story properly.
I really liked the ending, though, and I finished "Odd Taxi" with a positive feeling.
I also really liked the art style.