So I got a Crunchyroll premium free trial for 2 weeks just to watch Frieren: Beyond Journey's End. Then I watched 6 other anime. And I thought I might as well write short reviews on the 7 anime and then rank them at the end as my until-2-AM activity for today! I'll review them in order of how I watched them and then rank them at the end. ^-^
I'll try to avoid major spoilers, but if you're someone who really likes watching things without *any* spoilers, then I'll put a tldr; at the top and you should not read the rest of that anime's review.
Hereeee we gooooo...
1. Frieren: Beyond Journey's End
Frieren: Beyond Journey's End is an anime about a nigh-immortal elf who is currently on an adventure... after having been on a much bigger adventure 50+ years ago wherein she and her then-comrades defeated the overpowering Demon King and saved the world. The thing that's so cool about this anime is how it treats that first journey in comparison to the present. In most books or series, you never really consider just how the previous adventures a protagonist embarked on has changed them. And on the surface level, this makes sense as most of us don't spend every minute of our day considering our past. Yet, it's true that oftentimes many key points happen in our lives that change our very character and how we do things.
This is something Frieren captures quite beautifully. Whenever there is a moment in the present that can match well with a point of growth Frieren experienced on her journey to defeat the Demon King, the anime is sure to juxtapose them. It allows you to see how Frieren has changed - and how she has not - as a result of a journey that formed a milestone event in her life. The anime just makes you think about how life can be viewed as a small collection of experiences, each leaving its mark on us.
Beyond that, Frieren also has a major focus on remembrance and legacy - how it feels to seek it and how it can look like for both heroes and regular people as well. Maybe it's just because the idea of recording things interests me, but nonetheless I liked that the anime touched on this theme. Although it can be a bit on the nose sometimes and feels a bit beaten in - your mileage may vary on how much you like that.
The story of the anime is also pretty great, although probably not the most well developed one in my opinion, compared to other anime on this list, since it follows a more quest-by-quest kinda storyline which can make it slightly disjointed. The worldbuilding itself is pretty alright as well, but I think one thing the anime does well is its magic system. While the magic system itself isn't quite explored in depth, I do like how it is given the aura of being pretty much a type of science - grounded in experimentation and empiricism - and how the anime sometimes uses that as a discussion point to explore the world in a few combat moments. Speaking of the combat itself, IMO Frieren's is really, really excellent and fun combat. It's basically really satisfying to see good imagination matched with big magic kamahema blasts aimed with the precision of a needle, xD.
Overall, while the story and worldbuilding are great, they're probably not the best or most strongly developed relative to other anime of Frieren's tier. However, the story and worldbuilding are strong enough to support the main draw of Frieren, which is the deeper reflection on remembrance and life experience. Frieren is ultimately a bit more of a character-driven anime than a story one, but the story is still enough to keep the plot moving forward.
It is ultimately probably one of the most favorite things I've watched in recent times, maybe even all time, because of that strong reflectiveness and emotiveness. I heavily recommend it to anyone who likes more sentimental/reflective anime but still wants to see fantasy combat in action. I'd rate it a 10/10 overall - it's super, super great and I'm in love with it.
2. Solo Leveling
Solo Leveling is about an individual named Sung Jinwoo. In his world, humanity has to deal with monsters in dungeons - but if the dungeons aren't cleared soon enough, the monsters spew into the real world through portals. Humans who are "awakened" get abilities of varying degrees that make them hunters - though their abilities remain static. Sung is the lowest rank of hunter - class E - but somehow gets the power to start leveling up his abilities. The anime goes on from there to explore his exploits as being such a unique hunter.
Solo Leveling's themes focus primarily on not giving up and surpassing one's own limits. Certainly not a bad theme at all, of course, although it didn't quite stir me up as much as Frieren's did since it's a pretty common theme to see in different works. Don't have much more to say on that, heh.
As far as storytelling goes, I do think Solo Leveling's story paces a bit faster than Frieren's, which is pretty nice. The story itself also seems to be building up to a major plot reveal, which I think will definitely shake things up in later seasons (it's pretty clear what it's going towards, but it hasn't been explicitly revealed yet in season 2). That being said, while the story is a bit more better paced than Frieren's, it's also a bit less developed - most of the episodes kinda just revolve around Sung leveling up his abilities. While some specific episodes indeed have strong emotional moments, it seemed the story took a backseat to watching Sung level himself up. Which is fine I guess, although it began being a bit tiring after a few episodes The worldbuilding itself is pretty decent, though. It's interesting to see how humanity in Sung's world basically just normalized monsters appearing through portals, and how monopolies formed to take advantage of the need for hunters. It's how I imagine humanity would react in real life to such an occurrence, so that helped a bit with immersion.
The animation itself was also really good, in my opinion, although the stylistic choice to make everyone have triangle chins is not my personal aesthetic. In any case, the combat was great alongside the regular scenes. My only grip with the anime is that one or two episodes after he gets his level up powers, Sung becomes a shredded muscular man (how he does so will make sense if you watch the anime). Which isn't a major blow but kinda detracts from the anime's theme of determination, I think? If your entire conflict is that this hunter is too weak, then making him at least look really strong after a relatively short time frame kinda nullifies that theme a bit.
Overall, Solo Leveling is a pretty solid anime. It has a clear story with a clear build-up in overall plot, although the more specific between-episodes plot isn't as developed. The worldbuilding and animation are pretty nice though, and I think the theme is quite appreciable. I'd rate this anime a solid 6.5/10.
3. Vinland Saga
"I have no enemies." - meme
Vinland Saga is basically about the life of a young viking named Thorfinn, son of Thors. Thorfinn essentially becomes a viking warrior during the start of the 1000s, whereupon he becomes a seasoned child soldier - capable of feats and atrocities his fellow soldiers can only hope to appreciate. But later on in his life, in the second season when he is no longer such a warrior, Thorfinn is forced to reckon with his violent past - and wonder at what his future holds for him.
The main theme for Vinland Saga is pretty clear - how to atone for the wrongs you did in your past and how you can step forward from them. Thorfinn is absolutely ravaged by his past, and he's forced to find a way to work through his evil deeds for a better future. Another theme Saga has is also on the idea of revenge and hatred. Thorfinn spends the first season being the embodiment of hatred against another character, but when that character ceases to be relevant in the second season, Thorfinn needs to find a way to deal with the emptiness his years-long hatred formerly filled within him.
I don't think I'm really doing the themes of Saga any justice - it's just kinda something you have to watch to feel. Nonetheless, the anime was truly an anime about a human life - how a person can change through the years, how life has its really bad and sad moments alongside the happy ones, how life can often be disappointing or rewarding on a dime. Like Frieren, it's an anime focused on character development (although Thorfinn's development is much more radical) and remembering, although in this case it's from the eyes of a redeemed savage warrior than a renowned near-mythical hero. The anime being set in historical times with no fantasy elements also makes it a bit more real. You kinda remember that, more likely than not, the anime could very well be a representation of the lives people lived in that timeframe and area. Hell, it's more likely than not that someone or a couple of people of that time in real life lived lives similar to Thorfinn. In short, the anime gives you a glimpse into a fictional life in a very real-seeming world that is loosely based on the real world.
Speaking of worldbuilding, Vinland Saga's is pretty solid. Which isn't really surprising, given that it's mostly building off a general framework made from IRL's history. But even beyond that, the anime gives a lot of reasoning for why certain people took certain actions. Like why Thorfinn's father ended up living where he did for the remainder of his life, for example. The anime makes it very clear the motivations of its characters, but also the effects of characters' actions on each other. Everything is well supported by the world being built. The story itself was also really decent as well, which makes sense since the story in this case is one continuous stretch of someone's life, albeit with some large skips here or there. But the story can also drag on for some periods of time in the first season, and it takes a much slower pace/tone in the second season as Thorfinn becomes more reflective and strays from war - to the point where it can be boring at times, and an episode can seem like nothing seemed to happen if you don't focus on how the characters change. But the general plot is solid nonetheless and makes sense in how it occurs.
The animation itself is also pretty solid in the first season, though it does pick up a little bit in the second season. It isn't as drastic as say, first season AoT compared to the last, but you can see some better detailing. Overall, I think both studios did really well with the season each was given, though I can't help but wonder how MAPPA would've handled the first season.
In any case, Vinland Saga is simply an amazing anime. While it can be a bit long and slow at parts, just being able to see the awesome character development in Thorfinn alongside all the interpersonal relationships that form between the relatively larger cast of characters is amazing. It really feels like watching a serialized account of an actual human life - one that pays homage to that person's struggles and their victories as well. It's a 10/10 anime for me, and I'd recommend anyone feeling bored to give it a try.
4. Goblin Slayer
Goblin Slayer is an anime about a notable adventurer called Goblin Slayer. Who just... slays goblins. And that's it. Though of course, this solo adventurer soon forms a party with a young Priestess (who he saves in the first episode), an elf, a lizard person, and a dwarf. The party goes on various quests as time passes, going on to do various impressive feats and saving many people.
In terms of theme, Goblin Slayer focuses a bit more on the idea of self-confidence and sacrifice. It explores self-confidence by exploring the character development of the Priestess, who goes from being a meek and timid adventurer into someone who can stand on her own two feet and save others in dangerous situations. But the anime also focuses often on the idea of having *too much* self-confidence, as it shows with rookie adventurers dying violent deaths due to their hubris in challenging goblins when they weren't yet ready to do so.
The idea of sacrifice is also often discussed in Goblin Slayer through the Slayer's duties. While other adventurers can kill a variety of beasts, travel, and make a name for themselves, Goblin Slayer is forced to kill goblins due to his personal code of killing all goblins once someone sacrificed their life for him from the goblins. Goblin Slayer himself can never meet the dream of being a big adventurer, but by killing goblins, he allows other adventurers (and non-adventurers who'd otherwise be killed by goblins) to live out their own dreams.
The themes of the anime are nice, solid ones that together make the anime a good emotional piece. However, the story itself isn't all that great - seeing as there isn't really an overall goal for the Slayer beyond just killing goblins. While all the major characters, including the Slayer, do change, there isn't a cohesive story arc supporting such development - mostly a few episode-long arcs that are mostly unrelated to each other (beyond new character relationships forming of course).
The worldbuilding, however, is excellent. The operation of goblin society is really interesting, albeit simplistic and brutalistic. But what's the best about the anime's worldbuilding is how it worldbuilds adventuring. From seeing how the adventurer's guild operates to the bulletin board to even how gathering equipment works, the anime works really hard to develop a cohesive culture of adventuring. The anime's magic is also super interesting as well, being well fitted to different styles based on people's cultures. For example, priests and priestesses use godly magic with spells like "Purify" or "Holy Light", while the dwarf spellcaster spits rocks at high speeds and the lizard man can summon bone warriors. Every magic system feels specialized to a specific culture or practice, which is really interesting to see as that's probably how it'd work in real life as well.
The animation itself is also really good, although I personally think it picked up in the second season. Combat is pretty amazing, especially. However, this anime really, really likes gore and other slightly NSFW stuff - the first episode is the worst, though elements of that NSFW stuff does exist beyond the first episode. But the gore is there the entire time and can be extreme. This anime also plays heavily into fan service and the "harem" trope, which are both major downer points to me - I'm not a fan of fan service, and in real life most people don't have people falling for them like a magnet. So the focus on gore and innuendo can be a bit much.
Overall, Goblin Slayer is a pretty neat anime. It has great characters with interesting interpersonal relationships, awesome animation, and great worldbuilding. However, it's pretty stark lack of an overall plot line alongside its gore/slight-NSFW/fan-service/harem-trope throws me off a lot, and kinda makes the anime drag on a bit. It is definitely an anime I'd watch a third season for still, but that's despite a lot of stuff in it. For that, it gets a 7/10.
5. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood (or as I'll abbreviate it, FAB) is an anime about two brothers - Edward and Alphonse Elric - who live in a 1900s fictional world built on alchemy. (Alchemy is basically just a magic system made to be a very hyper-scientific looking one.) The brothers are on a journey to restore Alphonse's body - which he lost when the pair failed to perform the sole forbidden "transmutation" in alchemy. But needless to say, their inquiries into returning their bodies to normal lands them in a central conspiracy involving their entire nation.
FAB's themes focus mostly on the importance of friendship. The entire anime tends to explore the meaning of friends, and it is often only with the support of friends that the Elric brothers and their supporting cast often end up succeeding. FAB does well to hit upon the practical and emotional support friends can give to each other - and how important they are in human lives. It also deals well with the loss of those friends - and how people can move on from such important deaths, either focusing on vengeance or moving on. The anime also explores redemption and change - seeing how select characters can change after living lives of doing evil, to set things right even if there is no true way to account for all the things they've done. Its themes are pretty nice and ultimately even share some similarities with the Vinland Saga.
In terms of story, FAB is pretty amazing and probably has the best story on this list. Every episode or two had me on the edge of my seat, and every single sub-plot tied in extremely well with the overall plot. Some of the final episodes were probably not the most well explained in terms of "how is the villain managing to carry out this massive plan of his" - but overall, the build up and slow release of knowledge by FAB was extremely well done. The characters' relationships with each other are also beyond amazing - I felt strongly connected to these characters and their losses. Hell, there were a few times I actually nearly cried - I think the only anime on this list I did that for. While many of the characters didn't see that much personality development in the present wherein most of the anime occurs (though some characters did develop since the flashbacks of the more distant past), the growth of their relationships and abilities much made up for it.
The worldbuilding itself is also really, really well done for most parts of the anime. The differences in alchemy between societies is really interesting to see, alongside listening to the foreign political government nearby Amestris (where the anime occurs) and seeing how people from outside Amestris fight. It's also nice to see the smaller details included about automail (steel robot limbs for amputees) - such as how nerves are connected and that it causes pain to connect them. There's a lot of other small details scattered in the anime, too. The world is pretty fully developed, which is nice.
The animation itself is also pretty decent, though it certainly gets a massive boost halfway into the season. The combat animations are also not that bad, although magic/alchemy combat doesn't really compare much to Frieren's until FAB reaches its last 20 episodes. The only thing that made me a bit uncomfortable about FAB is that Amestris seems to be modeled off of Nazi Germany The anime does not glorify genocide in any way though, and the genocide that does occur in the anime is used as a way for characters to reflect on their evil deeds and how Amestris needs to change. So I guess it's alright, although even with that, Amestris being modeled off of Nazi Germany so blatantly still rubs me the wrong way.
Overall, FAB is a great anime with great story, great characters, great worldbuilding, great animation - basically great anime overall. It certainly gets a 10/10 from me If anyone wants something to watch when bored - assuming you haven't watched this anime yet.
6. Spy Family
So technically I didn't really start Spy Family during the free trial, but I did finish season 1 and complete Season 2 - so I might as well include it!
Spy Family is about a "fake" family formed by superstar spy Loid Forger, or Twilight, in Operation Stryx - which aims to maintain the fragile peace between 2 wartorn countries. Loid's wife is Yor Forger, an assassin who works for the vigilante justice group, Garden. And their child is Anya Forger, an orphan who was picked by Loid for the mission and is a telepath. The most interesting part of the anime is that none of them know about each other's unique traits - to each other, they're just an everyday normal family. The anime follows this family's hijinks as they go through life, with Loid trying to use Anya to further his mission in the process.
While I'm not sure it's right to say Spy Family has any strong themes, it does focus a lot on the emotional bonds the Forgers form over time - which makes it a pretty emotional anime that I nearly cried at a few times ;w;. It's super cool to watch the family's dynamics evolve from stilted strangers to something more and more representing a real, close family that cares for each other.
In terms of story, while the anime does have a very clear overall plot, you could go multiple episodes with the overall plot not really mattering much to the story. Spy Family is more broken into different small arcs and a lot of one-off episodes, which is kinda like Goblin Slayer, though the overall plot does get a mention in some of these deviating episodes. That being said, the characters in Spy Family are all very developed - especially the main trio, each with their own unique personality and view of the family. Their emotional bonds feel quite real, which make the emotional moments of the anime super, super wholesome and deep and altogether amazing. It's also funny to watch how the dynamics between different characters develop, like how Loid quickly becomes exasperated with Anya or Anya gets terrified of her mother's lack of self control when it comes to her superhuman strength. The anime also has a lot of comedic moments as well, which get bolstered by us being able to see Anya's readings of other people's minds pretty often and her shocked reactions to the thoughts of others.
The worldbuilding of Spy Family is also really well done. The nation the Forgers reside in, Ostania, is shown in well developed fragments as time goes on. An example of that is the State Service, which serves as the secret police of Ostania and are often referenced as people who Loid needs to avoid in his spy work. In the second season, an episode also sees a discussion of the war between Ostania and Westalis (the country Loid is originally from) - and how the horrible effects of that war now have committed much of Westalis's spy agencies to maintain the fragile peace. The worldbuilding isn't wholly expansive though, and mostly comes from Loid's sections when he's busy doing spy work and monologuing to himself.
In terms of animation, Spy Family is not lacking at all in that department either. The combat scenes are pretty spectacular to watch, and it's also funny seeing a lot of Anya's scenes, which often turn bright and glowy or dark and moody depending on how she's feeling. The animation tends to do the best in focusing on the shocked comedic reactions of all the characters whenever something happens to them - like Anya running off or Yor kicking a dodgeball hard enough to decapitate multiple trees.
Overall, Spy Family is a pretty awesome anime. While it can sometimes feel a bit too disjointed, the story certainly exists - but the biggest draw is just seeing all the fun gimmicks the Forger family gets up to. It was an adorable and sweet anime to watch, and I can't wait to watch the third season one day. Thus, this awesome anime also gets a 10/10.
7. Bocchi the Rock!
Bocchi the Rock! is about a high school girl named Hitori Gotōh, who has severe social anxiety. Hitori gains the goal of being a rock star and making friends - both which occurs when she joins with a new upcoming band called Kessoku Band. The anime then explores the band's struggles as it tries to establish itself and holds its first three concerts - also exploring Hitori's growth in the process as she overcomes her anxiety.
Bocchi is about a lot of different themes, but the easiest one to touch on is friendship, of course. A lot of the time, Hitori tends to believe her new friends, her bandmates, will disparage her and bring her down. But most of the time her friends are quite supportive and helpful to Hitori in ways that Hitori doesn't even know - giving her space to grow, allowing her to step back from stimulation when needed, and celebrating her accomplishments. The anime makes a pretty big point that good friends are those who have your back through thick and thin. But the theme that's more important and probably resonates a lot more is that of change. Hitori is a person who clearly struggles to get over her anxiety, often only 'cuz her friends force her to do so. But the thing is that she *is* getting over it - and it wasn't overnight either, seeing as she practiced guitar for three years in the hopes of making friends. In a world full of lonely people, it's awesome to see an example, even if fictional, of someone working to strip their loneliness as a result of their own efforts - of course, luck plays a role in it, but nonetheless to see such effort is also nice. I feel like the anime could've very easily slid into a role wherein it just joked about Hitori's social anxiety but never fixed it; instead, it uses Hitori as a way to show that change is possible and that, through work and luck, loneliness is never permanent.
In terms of story, Bocchi has a pretty nicely paced story. There is very much an overall plot, although it does get dropped in two or three filler episodes - but the general goal of the band to establish and make a name for itself is always in mind. The worldbuilding in Bocchi, however, isn't really that exemplary although it isn't too bad either - which makes sense since this anime isn't really about the world, but about the life of one girl. It's also based on real life, so the need for worldbuilding really isn't that important. As for characters, Bocchi's characters are pretty amazing - every character has their own unique trait that makes them stand out from the others, even a lot of the major supporting cast. The band in particular tends to shine with the 4 competing yet very much unique personalities making for a cool friend group to watch.
One thing that is absolutely amazing about Bocchi, though, is the animation. The anime does mostly seem to use traditional anime styling, but every detail is well animated and well focused on. There was even a point where I was just watching the characters' hair bob up and down and wondering if hair looks like that in other anime as well, xD. Another unique thing about Bocchi is that it has no fear of being quirky and funny when it wants to - and many funny moments are punctuated by 5-10 second breaks into other art styles - like 3D modeling for example. It's probably one of the best animated shows I've ever seen hands down in my life so far, and its usage of non-anime style at select points also makes it extremely unique. The animation is actually what caught my eye in the first place!
Bocchi the Rock is ultimately an awesomely animated anime with awesome interpersonal relationships and a great story. It was also probably the anime that I personally resonated the most with, seeing as I'm a more functional copy of Bocchi. I'd really recommend this anime to anyone who likes slice of life - 10/10 rating.
Final Ranking
Yuhhhh
1. Frieren: Beyond Journey's End / Bocchi The Rock!
Maybe I just really like more sentimental/reflective anime, but these two anime had pretty neato overall stories, awesome animations, and most importantly - really impactful themes that are important to me for some reason. Some of the best stuff I've ever watched to date, and I hope both get many more seasons to come!
2. Spy Family
Spy Family is just a fantastic anime that is super funny to watch, and the Forger's antics made me laugh a bit and also feel like nearly crying at certain points as well.
3. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood / Vinland Saga
These two animes, unlike the previous two, kinda had a bit more serious tone throughout (although FAB certainly does have quite a bit comedic value). Both animes have heavy-hitting stories in their own way, and Vinland in particular makes you think a lot about what it means to get angry at people and/or hate them. Honestly, I could see them being ranked next to Spy Family as well - it's either or for me, so I decided to just make this list slightly longer :3
4. Goblin Slayer
Goblin Slayer is a pretty neat and fun anime to watch, and it does have its deeper moments. But a lot of the stuff it has like fan service and harem tropes kinda put it a bit lower compared to the other anime on this list. The cohesive lack of story also doesn't really help all too much.
5. Solo Leveling
Solo Leveling is also a great anime, but out of all the anime in this list it had the least amount of impact to me. It was kinda just like watching a movie that I was interested in but would probably forget in a few months. It's a good anime and many people clearly like it a lot more than I do... just not my thing, I guess.
And that's my review! Thanks for taking a peek at this I guess, though I doubt anyone will read it xD. It's... not well written, admittedly :3. And since this is like 4k words, I am not reading this over a second or third time. =w=
Anyways, have a nice day!
I'll try to avoid major spoilers, but if you're someone who really likes watching things without *any* spoilers, then I'll put a tldr; at the top and you should not read the rest of that anime's review.
Hereeee we gooooo...
1. Frieren: Beyond Journey's End
Frieren: Beyond Journey's End is an anime about a nigh-immortal elf who is currently on an adventure... after having been on a much bigger adventure 50+ years ago wherein she and her then-comrades defeated the overpowering Demon King and saved the world. The thing that's so cool about this anime is how it treats that first journey in comparison to the present. In most books or series, you never really consider just how the previous adventures a protagonist embarked on has changed them. And on the surface level, this makes sense as most of us don't spend every minute of our day considering our past. Yet, it's true that oftentimes many key points happen in our lives that change our very character and how we do things.
This is something Frieren captures quite beautifully. Whenever there is a moment in the present that can match well with a point of growth Frieren experienced on her journey to defeat the Demon King, the anime is sure to juxtapose them. It allows you to see how Frieren has changed - and how she has not - as a result of a journey that formed a milestone event in her life. The anime just makes you think about how life can be viewed as a small collection of experiences, each leaving its mark on us.
Beyond that, Frieren also has a major focus on remembrance and legacy - how it feels to seek it and how it can look like for both heroes and regular people as well. Maybe it's just because the idea of recording things interests me, but nonetheless I liked that the anime touched on this theme. Although it can be a bit on the nose sometimes and feels a bit beaten in - your mileage may vary on how much you like that.
The story of the anime is also pretty great, although probably not the most well developed one in my opinion, compared to other anime on this list, since it follows a more quest-by-quest kinda storyline which can make it slightly disjointed. The worldbuilding itself is pretty alright as well, but I think one thing the anime does well is its magic system. While the magic system itself isn't quite explored in depth, I do like how it is given the aura of being pretty much a type of science - grounded in experimentation and empiricism - and how the anime sometimes uses that as a discussion point to explore the world in a few combat moments. Speaking of the combat itself, IMO Frieren's is really, really excellent and fun combat. It's basically really satisfying to see good imagination matched with big magic kamahema blasts aimed with the precision of a needle, xD.
Overall, while the story and worldbuilding are great, they're probably not the best or most strongly developed relative to other anime of Frieren's tier. However, the story and worldbuilding are strong enough to support the main draw of Frieren, which is the deeper reflection on remembrance and life experience. Frieren is ultimately a bit more of a character-driven anime than a story one, but the story is still enough to keep the plot moving forward.
It is ultimately probably one of the most favorite things I've watched in recent times, maybe even all time, because of that strong reflectiveness and emotiveness. I heavily recommend it to anyone who likes more sentimental/reflective anime but still wants to see fantasy combat in action. I'd rate it a 10/10 overall - it's super, super great and I'm in love with it.
2. Solo Leveling
Solo Leveling is about an individual named Sung Jinwoo. In his world, humanity has to deal with monsters in dungeons - but if the dungeons aren't cleared soon enough, the monsters spew into the real world through portals. Humans who are "awakened" get abilities of varying degrees that make them hunters - though their abilities remain static. Sung is the lowest rank of hunter - class E - but somehow gets the power to start leveling up his abilities. The anime goes on from there to explore his exploits as being such a unique hunter.
Solo Leveling's themes focus primarily on not giving up and surpassing one's own limits. Certainly not a bad theme at all, of course, although it didn't quite stir me up as much as Frieren's did since it's a pretty common theme to see in different works. Don't have much more to say on that, heh.
As far as storytelling goes, I do think Solo Leveling's story paces a bit faster than Frieren's, which is pretty nice. The story itself also seems to be building up to a major plot reveal, which I think will definitely shake things up in later seasons (it's pretty clear what it's going towards, but it hasn't been explicitly revealed yet in season 2). That being said, while the story is a bit more better paced than Frieren's, it's also a bit less developed - most of the episodes kinda just revolve around Sung leveling up his abilities. While some specific episodes indeed have strong emotional moments, it seemed the story took a backseat to watching Sung level himself up. Which is fine I guess, although it began being a bit tiring after a few episodes The worldbuilding itself is pretty decent, though. It's interesting to see how humanity in Sung's world basically just normalized monsters appearing through portals, and how monopolies formed to take advantage of the need for hunters. It's how I imagine humanity would react in real life to such an occurrence, so that helped a bit with immersion.
The animation itself was also really good, in my opinion, although the stylistic choice to make everyone have triangle chins is not my personal aesthetic. In any case, the combat was great alongside the regular scenes. My only grip with the anime is that one or two episodes after he gets his level up powers, Sung becomes a shredded muscular man (how he does so will make sense if you watch the anime). Which isn't a major blow but kinda detracts from the anime's theme of determination, I think? If your entire conflict is that this hunter is too weak, then making him at least look really strong after a relatively short time frame kinda nullifies that theme a bit.
Overall, Solo Leveling is a pretty solid anime. It has a clear story with a clear build-up in overall plot, although the more specific between-episodes plot isn't as developed. The worldbuilding and animation are pretty nice though, and I think the theme is quite appreciable. I'd rate this anime a solid 6.5/10.
3. Vinland Saga
"I have no enemies." - meme
Vinland Saga is basically about the life of a young viking named Thorfinn, son of Thors. Thorfinn essentially becomes a viking warrior during the start of the 1000s, whereupon he becomes a seasoned child soldier - capable of feats and atrocities his fellow soldiers can only hope to appreciate. But later on in his life, in the second season when he is no longer such a warrior, Thorfinn is forced to reckon with his violent past - and wonder at what his future holds for him.
The main theme for Vinland Saga is pretty clear - how to atone for the wrongs you did in your past and how you can step forward from them. Thorfinn is absolutely ravaged by his past, and he's forced to find a way to work through his evil deeds for a better future. Another theme Saga has is also on the idea of revenge and hatred. Thorfinn spends the first season being the embodiment of hatred against another character, but when that character ceases to be relevant in the second season, Thorfinn needs to find a way to deal with the emptiness his years-long hatred formerly filled within him.
I don't think I'm really doing the themes of Saga any justice - it's just kinda something you have to watch to feel. Nonetheless, the anime was truly an anime about a human life - how a person can change through the years, how life has its really bad and sad moments alongside the happy ones, how life can often be disappointing or rewarding on a dime. Like Frieren, it's an anime focused on character development (although Thorfinn's development is much more radical) and remembering, although in this case it's from the eyes of a redeemed savage warrior than a renowned near-mythical hero. The anime being set in historical times with no fantasy elements also makes it a bit more real. You kinda remember that, more likely than not, the anime could very well be a representation of the lives people lived in that timeframe and area. Hell, it's more likely than not that someone or a couple of people of that time in real life lived lives similar to Thorfinn. In short, the anime gives you a glimpse into a fictional life in a very real-seeming world that is loosely based on the real world.
Speaking of worldbuilding, Vinland Saga's is pretty solid. Which isn't really surprising, given that it's mostly building off a general framework made from IRL's history. But even beyond that, the anime gives a lot of reasoning for why certain people took certain actions. Like why Thorfinn's father ended up living where he did for the remainder of his life, for example. The anime makes it very clear the motivations of its characters, but also the effects of characters' actions on each other. Everything is well supported by the world being built. The story itself was also really decent as well, which makes sense since the story in this case is one continuous stretch of someone's life, albeit with some large skips here or there. But the story can also drag on for some periods of time in the first season, and it takes a much slower pace/tone in the second season as Thorfinn becomes more reflective and strays from war - to the point where it can be boring at times, and an episode can seem like nothing seemed to happen if you don't focus on how the characters change. But the general plot is solid nonetheless and makes sense in how it occurs.
The animation itself is also pretty solid in the first season, though it does pick up a little bit in the second season. It isn't as drastic as say, first season AoT compared to the last, but you can see some better detailing. Overall, I think both studios did really well with the season each was given, though I can't help but wonder how MAPPA would've handled the first season.
In any case, Vinland Saga is simply an amazing anime. While it can be a bit long and slow at parts, just being able to see the awesome character development in Thorfinn alongside all the interpersonal relationships that form between the relatively larger cast of characters is amazing. It really feels like watching a serialized account of an actual human life - one that pays homage to that person's struggles and their victories as well. It's a 10/10 anime for me, and I'd recommend anyone feeling bored to give it a try.
4. Goblin Slayer
Goblin Slayer is an anime about a notable adventurer called Goblin Slayer. Who just... slays goblins. And that's it. Though of course, this solo adventurer soon forms a party with a young Priestess (who he saves in the first episode), an elf, a lizard person, and a dwarf. The party goes on various quests as time passes, going on to do various impressive feats and saving many people.
In terms of theme, Goblin Slayer focuses a bit more on the idea of self-confidence and sacrifice. It explores self-confidence by exploring the character development of the Priestess, who goes from being a meek and timid adventurer into someone who can stand on her own two feet and save others in dangerous situations. But the anime also focuses often on the idea of having *too much* self-confidence, as it shows with rookie adventurers dying violent deaths due to their hubris in challenging goblins when they weren't yet ready to do so.
The idea of sacrifice is also often discussed in Goblin Slayer through the Slayer's duties. While other adventurers can kill a variety of beasts, travel, and make a name for themselves, Goblin Slayer is forced to kill goblins due to his personal code of killing all goblins once someone sacrificed their life for him from the goblins. Goblin Slayer himself can never meet the dream of being a big adventurer, but by killing goblins, he allows other adventurers (and non-adventurers who'd otherwise be killed by goblins) to live out their own dreams.
The themes of the anime are nice, solid ones that together make the anime a good emotional piece. However, the story itself isn't all that great - seeing as there isn't really an overall goal for the Slayer beyond just killing goblins. While all the major characters, including the Slayer, do change, there isn't a cohesive story arc supporting such development - mostly a few episode-long arcs that are mostly unrelated to each other (beyond new character relationships forming of course).
The worldbuilding, however, is excellent. The operation of goblin society is really interesting, albeit simplistic and brutalistic. But what's the best about the anime's worldbuilding is how it worldbuilds adventuring. From seeing how the adventurer's guild operates to the bulletin board to even how gathering equipment works, the anime works really hard to develop a cohesive culture of adventuring. The anime's magic is also super interesting as well, being well fitted to different styles based on people's cultures. For example, priests and priestesses use godly magic with spells like "Purify" or "Holy Light", while the dwarf spellcaster spits rocks at high speeds and the lizard man can summon bone warriors. Every magic system feels specialized to a specific culture or practice, which is really interesting to see as that's probably how it'd work in real life as well.
The animation itself is also really good, although I personally think it picked up in the second season. Combat is pretty amazing, especially. However, this anime really, really likes gore and other slightly NSFW stuff - the first episode is the worst, though elements of that NSFW stuff does exist beyond the first episode. But the gore is there the entire time and can be extreme. This anime also plays heavily into fan service and the "harem" trope, which are both major downer points to me - I'm not a fan of fan service, and in real life most people don't have people falling for them like a magnet. So the focus on gore and innuendo can be a bit much.
Overall, Goblin Slayer is a pretty neat anime. It has great characters with interesting interpersonal relationships, awesome animation, and great worldbuilding. However, it's pretty stark lack of an overall plot line alongside its gore/slight-NSFW/fan-service/harem-trope throws me off a lot, and kinda makes the anime drag on a bit. It is definitely an anime I'd watch a third season for still, but that's despite a lot of stuff in it. For that, it gets a 7/10.
5. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood (or as I'll abbreviate it, FAB) is an anime about two brothers - Edward and Alphonse Elric - who live in a 1900s fictional world built on alchemy. (Alchemy is basically just a magic system made to be a very hyper-scientific looking one.) The brothers are on a journey to restore Alphonse's body - which he lost when the pair failed to perform the sole forbidden "transmutation" in alchemy. But needless to say, their inquiries into returning their bodies to normal lands them in a central conspiracy involving their entire nation.
FAB's themes focus mostly on the importance of friendship. The entire anime tends to explore the meaning of friends, and it is often only with the support of friends that the Elric brothers and their supporting cast often end up succeeding. FAB does well to hit upon the practical and emotional support friends can give to each other - and how important they are in human lives. It also deals well with the loss of those friends - and how people can move on from such important deaths, either focusing on vengeance or moving on. The anime also explores redemption and change - seeing how select characters can change after living lives of doing evil, to set things right even if there is no true way to account for all the things they've done. Its themes are pretty nice and ultimately even share some similarities with the Vinland Saga.
In terms of story, FAB is pretty amazing and probably has the best story on this list. Every episode or two had me on the edge of my seat, and every single sub-plot tied in extremely well with the overall plot. Some of the final episodes were probably not the most well explained in terms of "how is the villain managing to carry out this massive plan of his" - but overall, the build up and slow release of knowledge by FAB was extremely well done. The characters' relationships with each other are also beyond amazing - I felt strongly connected to these characters and their losses. Hell, there were a few times I actually nearly cried - I think the only anime on this list I did that for. While many of the characters didn't see that much personality development in the present wherein most of the anime occurs (though some characters did develop since the flashbacks of the more distant past), the growth of their relationships and abilities much made up for it.
The worldbuilding itself is also really, really well done for most parts of the anime. The differences in alchemy between societies is really interesting to see, alongside listening to the foreign political government nearby Amestris (where the anime occurs) and seeing how people from outside Amestris fight. It's also nice to see the smaller details included about automail (steel robot limbs for amputees) - such as how nerves are connected and that it causes pain to connect them. There's a lot of other small details scattered in the anime, too. The world is pretty fully developed, which is nice.
The animation itself is also pretty decent, though it certainly gets a massive boost halfway into the season. The combat animations are also not that bad, although magic/alchemy combat doesn't really compare much to Frieren's until FAB reaches its last 20 episodes. The only thing that made me a bit uncomfortable about FAB is that Amestris seems to be modeled off of Nazi Germany The anime does not glorify genocide in any way though, and the genocide that does occur in the anime is used as a way for characters to reflect on their evil deeds and how Amestris needs to change. So I guess it's alright, although even with that, Amestris being modeled off of Nazi Germany so blatantly still rubs me the wrong way.
Overall, FAB is a great anime with great story, great characters, great worldbuilding, great animation - basically great anime overall. It certainly gets a 10/10 from me If anyone wants something to watch when bored - assuming you haven't watched this anime yet.
6. Spy Family
So technically I didn't really start Spy Family during the free trial, but I did finish season 1 and complete Season 2 - so I might as well include it!
Spy Family is about a "fake" family formed by superstar spy Loid Forger, or Twilight, in Operation Stryx - which aims to maintain the fragile peace between 2 wartorn countries. Loid's wife is Yor Forger, an assassin who works for the vigilante justice group, Garden. And their child is Anya Forger, an orphan who was picked by Loid for the mission and is a telepath. The most interesting part of the anime is that none of them know about each other's unique traits - to each other, they're just an everyday normal family. The anime follows this family's hijinks as they go through life, with Loid trying to use Anya to further his mission in the process.
While I'm not sure it's right to say Spy Family has any strong themes, it does focus a lot on the emotional bonds the Forgers form over time - which makes it a pretty emotional anime that I nearly cried at a few times ;w;. It's super cool to watch the family's dynamics evolve from stilted strangers to something more and more representing a real, close family that cares for each other.
In terms of story, while the anime does have a very clear overall plot, you could go multiple episodes with the overall plot not really mattering much to the story. Spy Family is more broken into different small arcs and a lot of one-off episodes, which is kinda like Goblin Slayer, though the overall plot does get a mention in some of these deviating episodes. That being said, the characters in Spy Family are all very developed - especially the main trio, each with their own unique personality and view of the family. Their emotional bonds feel quite real, which make the emotional moments of the anime super, super wholesome and deep and altogether amazing. It's also funny to watch how the dynamics between different characters develop, like how Loid quickly becomes exasperated with Anya or Anya gets terrified of her mother's lack of self control when it comes to her superhuman strength. The anime also has a lot of comedic moments as well, which get bolstered by us being able to see Anya's readings of other people's minds pretty often and her shocked reactions to the thoughts of others.
The worldbuilding of Spy Family is also really well done. The nation the Forgers reside in, Ostania, is shown in well developed fragments as time goes on. An example of that is the State Service, which serves as the secret police of Ostania and are often referenced as people who Loid needs to avoid in his spy work. In the second season, an episode also sees a discussion of the war between Ostania and Westalis (the country Loid is originally from) - and how the horrible effects of that war now have committed much of Westalis's spy agencies to maintain the fragile peace. The worldbuilding isn't wholly expansive though, and mostly comes from Loid's sections when he's busy doing spy work and monologuing to himself.
In terms of animation, Spy Family is not lacking at all in that department either. The combat scenes are pretty spectacular to watch, and it's also funny seeing a lot of Anya's scenes, which often turn bright and glowy or dark and moody depending on how she's feeling. The animation tends to do the best in focusing on the shocked comedic reactions of all the characters whenever something happens to them - like Anya running off or Yor kicking a dodgeball hard enough to decapitate multiple trees.
Overall, Spy Family is a pretty awesome anime. While it can sometimes feel a bit too disjointed, the story certainly exists - but the biggest draw is just seeing all the fun gimmicks the Forger family gets up to. It was an adorable and sweet anime to watch, and I can't wait to watch the third season one day. Thus, this awesome anime also gets a 10/10.
7. Bocchi the Rock!
Bocchi the Rock! is about a high school girl named Hitori Gotōh, who has severe social anxiety. Hitori gains the goal of being a rock star and making friends - both which occurs when she joins with a new upcoming band called Kessoku Band. The anime then explores the band's struggles as it tries to establish itself and holds its first three concerts - also exploring Hitori's growth in the process as she overcomes her anxiety.
Bocchi is about a lot of different themes, but the easiest one to touch on is friendship, of course. A lot of the time, Hitori tends to believe her new friends, her bandmates, will disparage her and bring her down. But most of the time her friends are quite supportive and helpful to Hitori in ways that Hitori doesn't even know - giving her space to grow, allowing her to step back from stimulation when needed, and celebrating her accomplishments. The anime makes a pretty big point that good friends are those who have your back through thick and thin. But the theme that's more important and probably resonates a lot more is that of change. Hitori is a person who clearly struggles to get over her anxiety, often only 'cuz her friends force her to do so. But the thing is that she *is* getting over it - and it wasn't overnight either, seeing as she practiced guitar for three years in the hopes of making friends. In a world full of lonely people, it's awesome to see an example, even if fictional, of someone working to strip their loneliness as a result of their own efforts - of course, luck plays a role in it, but nonetheless to see such effort is also nice. I feel like the anime could've very easily slid into a role wherein it just joked about Hitori's social anxiety but never fixed it; instead, it uses Hitori as a way to show that change is possible and that, through work and luck, loneliness is never permanent.
In terms of story, Bocchi has a pretty nicely paced story. There is very much an overall plot, although it does get dropped in two or three filler episodes - but the general goal of the band to establish and make a name for itself is always in mind. The worldbuilding in Bocchi, however, isn't really that exemplary although it isn't too bad either - which makes sense since this anime isn't really about the world, but about the life of one girl. It's also based on real life, so the need for worldbuilding really isn't that important. As for characters, Bocchi's characters are pretty amazing - every character has their own unique trait that makes them stand out from the others, even a lot of the major supporting cast. The band in particular tends to shine with the 4 competing yet very much unique personalities making for a cool friend group to watch.
One thing that is absolutely amazing about Bocchi, though, is the animation. The anime does mostly seem to use traditional anime styling, but every detail is well animated and well focused on. There was even a point where I was just watching the characters' hair bob up and down and wondering if hair looks like that in other anime as well, xD. Another unique thing about Bocchi is that it has no fear of being quirky and funny when it wants to - and many funny moments are punctuated by 5-10 second breaks into other art styles - like 3D modeling for example. It's probably one of the best animated shows I've ever seen hands down in my life so far, and its usage of non-anime style at select points also makes it extremely unique. The animation is actually what caught my eye in the first place!
Bocchi the Rock is ultimately an awesomely animated anime with awesome interpersonal relationships and a great story. It was also probably the anime that I personally resonated the most with, seeing as I'm a more functional copy of Bocchi. I'd really recommend this anime to anyone who likes slice of life - 10/10 rating.
Final Ranking
Yuhhhh
1. Frieren: Beyond Journey's End / Bocchi The Rock!
Maybe I just really like more sentimental/reflective anime, but these two anime had pretty neato overall stories, awesome animations, and most importantly - really impactful themes that are important to me for some reason. Some of the best stuff I've ever watched to date, and I hope both get many more seasons to come!
2. Spy Family
Spy Family is just a fantastic anime that is super funny to watch, and the Forger's antics made me laugh a bit and also feel like nearly crying at certain points as well.
3. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood / Vinland Saga
These two animes, unlike the previous two, kinda had a bit more serious tone throughout (although FAB certainly does have quite a bit comedic value). Both animes have heavy-hitting stories in their own way, and Vinland in particular makes you think a lot about what it means to get angry at people and/or hate them. Honestly, I could see them being ranked next to Spy Family as well - it's either or for me, so I decided to just make this list slightly longer :3
4. Goblin Slayer
Goblin Slayer is a pretty neat and fun anime to watch, and it does have its deeper moments. But a lot of the stuff it has like fan service and harem tropes kinda put it a bit lower compared to the other anime on this list. The cohesive lack of story also doesn't really help all too much.
5. Solo Leveling
Solo Leveling is also a great anime, but out of all the anime in this list it had the least amount of impact to me. It was kinda just like watching a movie that I was interested in but would probably forget in a few months. It's a good anime and many people clearly like it a lot more than I do... just not my thing, I guess.
And that's my review! Thanks for taking a peek at this I guess, though I doubt anyone will read it xD. It's... not well written, admittedly :3. And since this is like 4k words, I am not reading this over a second or third time. =w=
Anyways, have a nice day!
