No I didn't mean most popular by any means, but best anime critic I do think is my title. Imanol certainly watches a lot of anime, but I've not actually seen him be critical / analytical over anything, whereas I written countless reviews and generally try to voice both my issues and compliments towards a series as well as my reasons why (these can be found on my YouTube channel, along with the occasional review posted to MAL). I recommend things as often as I can and try to justify the recommendations as well.
Also, I've linked to my MAL before but here it is:
http://myanimelist.net/animelist/KorStonesword
In case you're not convinced, and you don't feel like clicking on my video, here's an excerpt from the script for my Haruhi review if you're not already convinced.
The characters aside, the story holds up pretty well on it’s own as I mentioned earlier. It throws enough curveballs to never get dull or routine. The Melancholy arc is well-paced and satisfying, and the standalone episodes are very enjoyable and oftentimes quite funny. One of my favorites out of those being Live Alive. What I particularly love about the series is how if you pay close attention, there are a lot of subtle character hints littered throughout. However, there are two in the second season that are quite controversial. The infamous Endless 8, and to a lesser degree, the Sigh arc. I’ll talk about them both briefly.
Endless 8. Ah, endless 8. A curious bystander might ask what exactly is this “endless 8”? To put in the simplest possible terms, it is an arc in which, due to a time loop, the same day is repeated thousands of times, wherein we see 8 of these repeats. The undiscerning eyes would think each episode exactly the same, and while the story and dialogue generally remains unchanged, all the lines are rerecorded, and it’s all been reanimated, with different shots and small changes. Some are bored by this arc, and others downright hate it, but to be perfectly honest, I didn’t mind it all that much, and I think this is partially due to a couple factors. Firstly, I legitimately really enjoy the Endless 8 episode itself. I find it incredibly relaxing and calming, so watching it several times didn’t hurt me too much.
Secondly, I was not one of the unlucky few who had to suffer through watching this on a week to week basis for two entire months, so I can’t really understand the rage that others have gone through.
And Thirdly, I really respect them for doing this. Do I think it should’ve been shorter? Most certainly. I’d say that 5 episodes at max would have been more than sufficient for it’s goal. I also think the ending, while in character, was ridiculously anti-climactic, and the misleading “hints” were pointless. When I rewatched the series, I watched just the first and last episode and found it to be a signifigantly more enjoyable experience. That said, enjoyable or no, I do believe that it is important to have watched endless 8 in it in it’s entirety without skipping any episodes at least once. How you feel about it will vary from person to person, but it’s a unique experience that you’ll likely never see or experience anything similar to again, and of which you really should formulate your own opinion on. I particularly like it, and many agree with me on this point in that there are a lot of subtleties to it, and the experience of watching Endless 8 in itself plays into making The Disappearance film all the more powerful.
And then there is the Sigh arc. Haruhi and the group are going to make a movie, and it starts off as a typically fun and energetic arc, but gradually degrades into chaos. There is some very important character conflict that IO think had to take place for development, and while this makes for some of my favorite moments in the show during the falling action, I feel the buildup and events that caused it in the first place could have been handled much better. Events that in any other episode would’ve been played off as “funny” were handled dramatically, and the climax felt really odd and out of place. I do think the sigh arc was necessary, but it was still very flawed.
All of this builds up to the brilliant Disappearance film. It’s really quite the experience, especially since it clocks in at over two and a half hours, but I’d say it’s for good reason. It takes up a more methodical and slower pace than that of the show, but also gives an even bigger sense of depth and realism. While I would say that particularly for one rewatching it, in the first two hours or so, but moreso in the first hour, there are quite a few moments where it feels like the story has slowed down or come to a halt, and other moments of second-hand-shame that made me hide my face and pull myself out of the immersion. The second time around there’s no sense of mystery any longer to keep you fully engaged for those first two acts, so if you’re watching it the first time around I’d say to really cherish that. However, those final forty minutes, much like Clannad’s final episodes, are what makes the film. Forty minutes of brilliance, that the movie and the series have been building up to. The dialogue is phenomenal, the visuals stunning, the music perfect, everything blending together to create some of the most unforgettable moments in all of media. There is a reason everyone says Endless 8 is worth it, just for the movie. I say the buildup was slow, but I think that the buildup is largely part of the reason that the final arc is so intense.
Eww a life-haver! Go away!
