jibran-takes

[jibran-takes]

Is the Fate Series Worth It?

2/18/25

I recently began the original Fate/Stay Night. Before that, I told myself I’d dedicate the next few weeks to watching the entire Fate Series. I’m now 15 episodes in and asking myself is it worth it? So far, it’s only been the main character being annoying about death and killing people. If it continues how it’s going, I don’t think I want to stick it out. I know that the original Fate/Stay Night was animated in 2006 by a different studio than the more recent ones, so I’m hoping it gets better, but just because it’s different studios doesn’t mean it’s a different story. I’m also aware that Fate/Zero is a prequel and Fate Stay/Night has 3 separate sequels. Honestly, the only thing holding it together for me right now is the fact the Ufotable animated the rest of the series. The main character is so annoying and makes me so mad with his passive ideals and not wanting to hurt anyone, but save everyone at the same time. I cannot take how he treats Saber like she can’t handle herself in a fight. It gets to the point where I zone out or just want to turn it off. I know the original Fate/Stay Night doesn’t have the best reputation but is necessary for the rest of the show, so do I just stick it out? I am not one to drop shows and I always hold out hope, but dang this is hopeless. The last good thing to happen was Archer and Berserker’s fight. The story keeps me intrigued sometimes but the other times I just can’t stand it.

[jibran-takes]

Vinland Saga Fell Off

2/17/25

**Vinland spoilers**

My goodness, when Vinland Saga season 1 came out, I could not put it down. The setting was new, interesting, and really caught my eye. It was so good, I binged it in a week (which is fast for me). From Thors to Thorfinn's hatred, then to sailing with Askeladd and fighting as mercenaries. The story following Thorfinn was amazing, and seeing him become a bad *ss fighter was even cooler. Taking on Thorkell, meeting with kings, and doing all things vikings do. The season ended with Thorfinn being sold off as a slave, and that's where the snooze fest of season 2 began. Watching the weekly releases was atrocious. Seven straight weeks of nothing but farming, I could no longer take it. Thorfinn is all grown and working as a slave, and there was nothing more to it for SEVEN WEEKS. My friends told me to stick it out because it gets better, so I dreadfully finished the season. I will say, it definitely got better with Canute and all the fighting and such. At the end, Thorfinn escaped to return home to Iceland after his long journey, since he had not been home since he chased Askeladd. Although Farmland Saga was an absolute bore, I have hope for the next season. Unfortunately, I think the first season might be the best the show is going to get, but I wish the mangaka could have kept writing at the peak level. All great things must come to an end, but Vinland's fall off was way too soon.

[jibran-takes]

Bungo Stray Dogs is a Sleeper

2/11/25

**bsd spoilers**

I have been watching Bungo Stray Dogs since season two finished. I'll say, it is definitely one of my favorite shows ever. It is such a niche, unique anime. The story is fire, the plot is awesome, the character's are written great, and the rivalries are amazing. This show does something many can't, create and fix factions while keeping it interesting. Since season one, the amount of characters and groups have kept growing and growing, but somehow they all tie together. It is amazing seeing how Dazai was once a Port Mafia. His backstory was one of the best things I've seen, sewing seeds into the ground for us to see that flowers that have bloomed. What I find the greatest is how the characters interact and develop. Atsushi and Akutagawa's dynamic is absolutely amazing. They are tough rivals, always leveling up, but are able to come together to fight a greater evil. Same with Dazai and Chuya as well as and Fyodor. Dazai and Chuya's dynamic is even better because of the history they have together. As I mentioned before, this show is very unique. A small, but cool, example of this is how almost every character is named after some sort of literary writer. Many recognize the names of great authors who once lived. This anime builds plot like never before, and each season gets better and better. From revealing new, complex characters, showing action-packed fights, and displaying amazing relationships between the cast, Bungo Stray Dogs is my "hidden" banger. I cannot wait to see what they have in store of season six, the teaser was immense.

[jibran-takes]

Hunter x Hunter is Peak

2/10/25

**hxh spoilers**

Hunter x Hunter is the greatest long anime to exist, but for a different reason than you might think. Most of the anime community knows Hunter x Hunter from its most popular arc, the Chimera Ant arc. Most people have heard the name, or at least characters from it, such as Meruem. In my opinion, the Chimera Ant arc is not the best, or even top 3 arcs in all of the show. Yorknew City was the best part of Hunter x Hunter plot-wise. The villains were the coolest in the show, the setting was sick, and the way the whole arc played out was just amazing and entertaining. Kurapika's lore dump and him being the highlight of that arc made the audience really like him as a character. Now, you're probably wondering what other two arcs are better than the Chimera Ant arc. The Hunter Exam was the best opening arc to any anime series I've seen, and the Greed Island arc was such a fun arc to stick around for. The Chimera Ant arc is great, with amazing themes like the growth of Meruem as a person and the pure evil of Neferpitou. The scene of her holding Kite's decapitated head was insane! The tone that arc took was entirely different from the rest of the show, but it was a great chance to develop characters. However, I enjoyed the Hunter Exam and Greed Island a little more. The goofy aspect of Gon and Killua walking around while also having a serious goal in mind was very fun to watch. I am not hating on the show in any way, Hunter x Hunter was my favorite commitment to a long anime I've ever made, but I was hoping to show fans a new light and perspective of the show.

[jibran-takes]

Bleach is Not Good

2/4/25

I am caught up to Bleach, and it is not good. Watching all of Bleach, including filler, most of it is boring or poorly written. The best arc was the end of the Arrancar Saga when Aizen did all the stuff with the Hogyoku. He and Ulqiorra are the only two well written characters in that entire arc, and arguably the entire show. Bleach characters are just boring as a whole, they have nothing going on for them. Along with that, the power system is just dumb. Their swords can be anything and everything, from a big baby to a rocket launcher. I thought they would fix that with the quincies, but even they have random abilities. One power, the dude can just imagine anything and it appears. The fights are entertaining, and the dedication to a long anime means you have to like it somewhere, but overall Bleach just is not good. The only good characters were the Arrancar. Thousand-Year Blood War is carried by the animation and fights, which is always fun to watch. People cannot argue it is a good show, though. Entertaining is one thing, good is another. I really wish I could be a Bleach fan, but from the poorly written characters, to the bad openings and endings, the only thing going for it is the OSTs. If I were to give Tite Kubo some advice, I'd tell him to please stay consistent with something. Everyone is their own, very different, character, which is cool sometimes but not when it is every character in the show. Arguably some of the coolest characters are the ones with more basic abilities. One last thing, the Vizards deserve more screen time! That is all, Bleach is bad.

[jibran-takes]

Attack on Titan was a Let Down

2/3/25

**AOT spoilers**

I've been watching Attack on Titan since the ripe age of 13, since season 2 was releasing. It took a decade, but Attack on Titan finally ended in 2023. I was so excited to watch the weekly releases of season 4, but all they did was leave me confused. The action packed, full of twists, amazing plot from seasons 1-3 left a great impression on almost everyone, but season 4 ruined it. Every week we were excited for what was to come next; a fight, a crazy plot twist, or a simply good story. My friends and I couldn't stop talking about season 3 and the beast titan for weeks, and the fact they found the sea! Fast forward, season 4 starts in Marley, on the other side of the sea. It is later described that time passed, but things got really confusing. The first half of season 4 was almost impossible to follow weekly. So much new information, so many new characters, and so many new factions. It was all so much, even rewatching I was very confused. The fighting began and it felt like the old Attack on Titan is used to be, but Eren's character change was so weird. After diving deep into research, I understand his shift, and he's a well-written character, but season 4 was so hard to follow it was just unenjoyable in the moment. Where were the plot twists like Reiner and Bertholdt's reveal. Season 4 was just doing way too much. The part that really made my opinion set-in-stone was the rumbling. Specifically, the blue centipede. I was too confused to even have an opinion about it. Season 4's only saving grace was "On your feet, dad" and that whole plot point. Even then, there was no saving that season, it was a confusing wreck. I am still confused to this day, and I know I should probably take the time to rewatch season 4 and try to understand it, but my first watch left such a distaste in my mouth that I never want to revisit Attack on Titan. It is sad to think about the ecstatic high hopes I once held on for the show, it is like losing a loved one.

[jibran-takes]

Nintendo Procures the Best Spin-offs

1/28/25

I've been a Nintendo fan ever since I was a little boy. My grandma got me a Wii and I've been playing Mario Kart since I was five. Eventually, I got a DS. The main selling point on the DS was Pokemon. My parents blessed me with so many games from the Mario and Pokemon series. Although they didn't realize, most of the games they got me were spin-off, or not main-series games. I've played so many spin-off games, such as Luigi's Mansion, Mario Sports Mix, Mario & Luigi saga, Paper Mario, Pokemon Ranger, Pokemon Conquest, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon, Pokemon Rumble and Pokepark. I'm sure you recognize a title or two there. Of all these games I named, I didn't dislike a single one. I'd go as far to say I loved almost all of them. There is not a single bad game here; each has their own gimmick on the source content which works amazingly. Don't just take my word for it, each title, except for two, has more than one game in the franchise. Some where so successful, they had 3-5. Mystery Dungeon has 11, which is absolutely insane. Many of these series have been so successful that it keeps fans begging for more, creating their own franchise within the franchise. That should prove that it isn't just me who loves these games, but many Nintendo fans alike.

[jibran-takes]

SEGA needs to stop with "remakes"

1/27/25

Specific Sonic titles have gotten "remakes", which end up being entirely different games. Sonic Unleashed on the Wii and PS2 ended up being a very different game than the Xbox 360 version. I grew up with the Wii version, but the 360 version definitely looked better. The one thing that made it a huge upgrade was the filled space, but the whole game played differently. From the title screen, to the world map, medal collection, and more. These games were very different. Neither game was bad, I just feel like they should not have the same title because they are almost entirely different. There is way more content in the 360 version, too. Similarly, Sonic Colors on the DS vs the Wii are entirely different games. The only thing they share is a common theme and setting. The story cutscenes are different, the bonus content is different, and most importantly, the stages are completely different. Colors on the DS is an entirely 2D game and features a void wisp that isn't included in the Wii version. The Wii is almost fully 3D and has 3 wisps that aren't included in the DS. I don't think it's correct for these games to share the same name because of how different they are. It is misguiding. Up until a few months ago, I thought they were the same game until I bought Sonic Colors Ultimate (A remastered game of the Wii version). I understand that going from a Wii or Xbox to a portable console some things have to be sacrificed, but this does not feel right.

[jibran-takes]

Code Geass was Perfect

1/21/25

*Code Geass Spoilers*

Contrary to popular belief, I thought Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion was perfect, from beginning to end. Every episode made me want to keep watching. Although season two opened and had the audience confused for a few episodes, in hindsight it was all to set up a turning point in the plot. Code Geass is my favorite piece of media ever, so I am biased when I say this, but nothing I've watched has come close to it. This show got my dopamine so high that nothing can ever satisfy it. Many argue that episodes with the Black Knights were boring, but I thought that was where Zero could shine. Many say the fighting was boring, in general. I thought it was a cool mech-anime, but that is not the point of the show. It is considered in the mech genre, but anyone with a working frontal lobe should realize that is not the biggest point of the show. If anyone was bored watching but made it through, the ending alone should make up for any boring moment. One of the biggest plot twists ever, and it made me fall in love with the show forever. (I have a Geass tattoo)

[jibran-takes]

Tokyo Ghoul Manga was a Fraud

1/20/25

*Tokyo Ghoul spoilers*

I watched the Tokyo Ghoul anime series awhile back, but recently I just finished the manga. I'll say, the art was amazing, but the anime carries the same story for most of the first season. The general opinion is that the manga is so much better than the anime, and the anime does not do the manga justice whatsoever. I agree, to an extent. Much of the anime is a watered down version of the manga, and the manga deserves to be portrayed much better than it was, but I preferred the anime ending. In the end of the manga, Aogiri gets away, everyone is beaten and ran away or died, and the main character dies. I do like tragic endings, but Kaneki played too significant of a role just for him to be killed off like that. I like the anime ending more because it leaves off on a cliffhanger. The scene of Kaneki carrying Hide is just too good. Although there are holes and patches in the anime story, I enjoyed it more than reading the manga.

(I haven't read or watched Tokyo Ghoul:re)

[jibran-takes]

Sonic Frontiers Revived the Series

1/15/25

As an avid sonic fan, it has been a rough couple years of 3D Sonic games. I remember being a young boy playing Sonic Colors on my DS, or Sonic Unleashed on the Wii. Although Sonic Unleashed Xbox 360 version was better (I'll cover that another time), those games were a great era of Sonic. Since Colors, Sega gave us Generations, Lost World, and Forces. In my opinion, those games were utter garbage all around. When I heard Colors was getting a remake, I was ecstatic. Then, the game turned out to be awful. A remake should make the game better, and although the stages were gorgeous, the controls made them insufferable. My favorite game series and spiny, blue hedgehog no longer got me excited. That was until Sega released the first open-world Sonic game, Sonic Frontiers. I spent hours playing this game. I completed it 3 separate times and platinumed it on two separate consoles. The game was beautiful, the story was exquisite, the music was sick, and the stages were so much fun. All around it was an amazing game, although the Final Horizon DLC was absurdly difficult, as well as the final boss in the original game. Still, I stayed up until 5 in the morning to finish the game. That alone should show just how worth it that game is. Along the topic of revival, Sega has released Sonic x Shadow Generations recently. Shadow Generations was great, although really annoying to 100%. I have great hopes for Sega and their future Sonic titles!

[jibran-takes]

JJK Ending was Fantastic

1/14/25 *jjk manga spoilers*

I recently finished reading the Jujutsu Kaisen manga. As opposed to popular belief, I thought it was amazing. Many people consider the ending rushed, but the final fight needed to end somehow. How can it be rushed when it lasted 30 chapters and over a year. After throwing everything at Sukuna, it only makes sense the main character finishes him off with his best move. Yuji showed development through the show and used his brain to separate Sukuna from Megumi. A good piece of media develops its main character just as JJK did. The popular opinion to this ending was very negative. People often say so many characters' plot points were thrown away. While that may be true, these same fans were ready for the show to end. The author, Gege Akutami, cannot make miracles come true. Gojo died and the one eye theory that was "hinted at" never happened, but I am glad he stayed dead. I wouldn't say it was perfect, but I really enjoyed the long 30 chapters of dragged out fighting, but Sukuna should have won. Overall, I think the poor opinion of the ending of JJK was not Gege's fault. The fans set unreasonable expectations of them, so it was the fans' fault they were all disappointed.