@WatchingStuff

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Review of Japan Sinks: 2020 Overview Rating: 6/10 Worth watching?: Yes, because it's not a huge time investment and still quite a roller coaster of a show. No, if you don't like depressing situations. Episodes: 10 Synopses: A family must come together to survive island ending earthquakes. Review The trailer made it out to be a bit more or surviving the earthquake and its aftermath rather than getting through the implausible situations the family is put in. I did put that it's worth a watch because it is short but that also becomes a hindrance because so much stuff happens that you don't get a chance to get immersed. Instead of feeling like you're part of their journey, it becomes more like watching the disaster on the news. It's horrific but you're detached. If you've seen Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 then that's closer to what I was expecting but I was wrong (by a lot). After finishing the series, I found out that it was co-directed by Masaaki Yuasa who directed Devilman Crybaby which explains the sentiment of Japan Sinks: 2020. There was a bit of outrageousness that worked well for Devilman Crybaby but not so much for Japan Sinks: 2020 that pulled me further away from the characters than drawing me in. You will enjoy the show more by embracing the craziness instead of analyzing it.

Review of BNA: Brand New Animal Overview https://read.cash/@WatchingStuff/review-of-mobile-suit-gundam-iron-blooded-orphans-6135952f#overview Rating: 6.5/10 Worth watching?: Yes, I watched it on Netflix (USA). Episodes: 12 I've liked everything of Studio Trigger's anime I've seen (all of Kill la Kill and Little Witch Acadamia lol) and BNA is no exception. The strength of the anime is its style and setting. The details and colors are lively, characters, not as much. Being from Studio Trigger, I expected more but on it's own, it's definitely not trash. BNA touches upon many themes - racism, classism, religion, + more - but it doesn't get fully explored. They're just there and expected to be taken as the norm, to provide some basis for the story to exist. Done well for a 12 episode series but I imagine it would have been considerably more memorable and impactful if it were a 24 episode series and took the time to develop and explore the themes more. Overall, it does nothing particularly well but would be fun if you're looking for something to watch.

Review of Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans Overview Season 1 (25 episodes): 8.5/10 Season 2 (25 episodes): 6.5/10 Rating: 7.5/10 Worth watching: Yes, I watched it on Netflix (USA). Season 1 The anime has plenty of action and events that progress the story at a constant pace. It's good at ending with cliff hangers so make sure you don't have to get up early if you start watching in the evening. Good music and animation help selling the story and world. It mainly follows two protagonist teens, Orga and Mika, and their friends with a dream to rise up from nothing to become powerful and carve out their place in the world. Mixed into all that are political situations, ethical questions, sacrifice, and individual values. Watching them navigate all of that with a healthy dose of mecha action is a fun ride. Season 2 Definitely not as strong as the first season. It goes from a story line with a strong direction to one that isn't sure how or where it wants to end up, a little bit like the protagonists. Which isn't bad per se, it's just how life is sometimes. What weakens the story is the borderline plot holes or out of character decisions to shoehorn more action to fill the number of total episodes. The main drive to finish season 2 is to find out what happens to the characters you've grown fond of but impatiently waiting for it to happen already so you can move on. Season 2 turns into a mafia/yakuza type anime which isn't terrible on its own, it just doesn't live up to season 1. It reminds me of Gun Grave, even though I don't really remember it. Maybe it's only the mafia trope they have in common. The music and anime feel a bit rehashed and recycled at times taking away from the experience. It is still good, just not as good as the first. Closing Even if you're not into mecha, it's worth watching as they're mainly a vehicle for the story and could have been done without Gundams. If you've seen it, what do you think?