Spy X Family Season 2: Overview

Summary

A spy, an assassin and a telepath pretend to be a happy family this time with added cruises.

I think this second season is even better than the first, in many senses the series really hits its stride here and gets into what you want to see from it.

The world building on display is solid and we get to find out a lot more about the lives of the characters we met in the first season and though there isn’t as much high stakes action as in the first season I think the character work here is stronger and that makes up for it. Also Yor’s fights on the boat more than match any of the action scenes we got in the first season.

The family boat trip is easily the best part of the entire second season, not only do the a and b storylines work really well together, it feels like an epic event as it spills out over so many episodes, and the final of the mini arc where they get to enjoy a nice family day out at the island is one of the most wholesome things I have seen on tv in a long time.

Overall, a fantastic follow up season with my only real complaint being that it is a lot shorter but hey at least we are getting a film fairly soon.

4.5/5

Pros

It is wholesome

It ups everything that worked from the first season

It has great action

The boat mini arc is my favourite so far

It is a lot of fun

Cons.

It is too short

If you enjoyed this review, then please head over to my Patreon to support me, I offer personalized shoutouts, customised film recommendations to suit your personality and tastes, the ability for you to pick what I review next and full access to my Patreon exclusive game reviews. Check it out!

https://www.patreon.com/AnotherMillennialReviewer

Spy X Family: Season One Overview

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

A spy, an assassin and a telepath pretend to be a happy family.

This is one of the best animes I have watched in a while, and easily replaced some of my favourite animes in my all-time ranking. I would put it up there with Way of the Househusband, and Demon Slayer for sure.

I think what works so well about the first season of Spy X Family is how wholesome and sweet it is, but rather than have it be so soft that there are no stakes and nothing to care about and move the story forward, you have the action and the comedy elements as well which provide for a nice contrast. I think the three areas mesh well together as the healing aspects, action and comedy work together to create a well rounded package that does have something for everyone.

My one criticism of the first season would be that some of the B stories drag. Often you get an episode with an A and B story that both work well together and that provides the contrast I was talking about earlier, but sometimes you just get a random tacked on feeling B story that doesn’t add much and just feels like a way to pad out an episode which can then hamper even the most well done A plot.

Overall, a delightful time and an anime that I would say truly for everyone.

4/5

Pros.

The wholesomeness

The action

The comedy

The character work

Cons.

Some weak B-Plots

https://www.patreon.com/AnotherMillennialReviewer

Flying Witch: Anime Overview

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

A new witch moves to town and gets lost frequently along the way.

I discovered this series as I was looking for a replacement after Way Of The Househusband and this fulfilled the same sort of wholesome and at times comedic sensibility. I would argue it is far more wholesome than comedic and more often than not it is just a good show to watch if you are feeling down as the relentless positivity will make you feel better.

I liked most of the characters though I would say the lead herself is quite bland. I think blandness on the whole is an issue for this show as though it is very wholesome and that is nice the problem arises from the fact that there are no real stakes or drama or threat of any kind and that doesn’t lead to the most interesting of stories.

However, something this series does well is its worldbuilding which feel unique and special in a way I have not seen from other animes. There is such a sense of wonder here as the supernatural crosses over with the regular that it is a shame the show didn’t get picked up for more seasons as there is far more exploring to be done in this world, ah well that’s what the manga is for.

Overall, wholesome and inoffensive but lacking enough punch to keep you engaged.

3/5

Pros.

It is wholesome and sweet

The wider cast of characters are quite entertaining

The worldbuilding is well done

Cons.

The lead is bland

There are no real stakes and that makes caring about things hard

https://www.patreon.com/AnotherMillennialReviewer

Demon Slayer To The Hashira Training Event Film

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

Tanjiro and co begin their training to become Hashiras

As I have already reviewed the Swordsmith Village Arc I won’t be talking about the first half of this event film. It was fine but I had already seen it and talked about it so why waste words.

The opening episode of the new arc however was intriguing. The Wind and Serpent Hashira chopping down a legion of demons and unwittingly discovering the Infinity Castle that has been used to organise demon meetings before is interesting as now the Corps will seek it out. I also liked that Tamayo is now going to be more directly involved in the series if she goes to help the demon slayers.

My main complaint of the film was that it didn’t show what the remaining high ranking demons were up to, the implication is that they will now all come for Nezuko but it would have been nice to have got a moment seeing them discuss this.

It would also have made more sense for this to be a combination of the first two episodes of the new season rather than the last episode of the last season and then the first new one as most of the people in the audience, myself included had already seen the first half of this compilation film.

Overall, a promising start to the new season but it would have been better if it didn’t rehash the end of the last season again.

3/5

Pros.

A promising new start

The opening is strong and heavy on the action

It is nice to see the characters react to Nezuko talking

Cons.

It would have been nice to have had a better insight into what the demons were planning

It shouldn’t have re-shown the last episode of the last season it just seems like filler

The Boy And The Heron: Ornithophobia

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

A boy enters a mythical world in order to save his surrogate mother figure whilst also investigating the death of his actual mother.

I thought this was a beautiful film to look at every ounce of it had the Ghibli magic that we have all come to know the studio for. The world is so dense and rich and easily explorable, and as you go on this adventure there are so many interesting little side stories established but not fully explored allowing your imagination to fill in the blanks.

The actual plot relating to motherhood family and generations feels very personal, and you care about the character’s journey and want to find out what happened to the mums, and the families connection to this other realm. Though the film doesn’t give away all the answers I would say the ending we got was satisfying and feels weighty.

The one thing I would say about this film, and it didn’t bother me personally but I would be remiss not to say it, is that at times it can be very unsettling, especially in the early parts of the film wherein the heron seems like an almost demonic force intent on harming the kid. As such my point is that this aspect of the film clashes with the wider family friendly tone of the film and if you are considering watching this one with your kids it is something to bear in mind, there are a few frights.

Overall, a lovely swan song for a true titan.

4/5

Pros.

It is a fantastic world

The story is impactful

It leaves a lot to your imagination

It is a sweet film

Cons.

It is not always the most family friendly

If you enjoyed this review, then please head over to my Patreon to support me, I offer personalized shoutouts, the ability for you to pick what I review next, bespoke film recommendation to fit you as a person and full access to my Patreon exclusive game reviews. Check it out!

https://www.patreon.com/AnotherMillennialReviewer

Demon Slayer: Swordsmith Village Arc

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

The Demon Slayer gang head for the Swordsmith Village to rest and repair following the battle in the Entertainment District.

I think that in some ways this is a step up from the Entertainment District Arc and in other ways a step back or a continuation. I liked the story more here I thought it had a lot of good moments such as Nezuko being able to move in the sun, and the introduction of the love Hashira Mitsuri Kanroji who is a scene stealer. Moreover, I thought the threat of the demons themselves were felt more accurately here as the scale of their attack felt larger, in the last arc it was an entire district sure, but here it is the whole village doing battle against the demon attacks which makes the scope feel more epic.

However, I didn’t like that again their was more filler, you could argue that what I call filler is actually backstory for the characters and what not, but I would say a lot of it is largely needless and doesn’t inform much of how we see the characters going forward. It just feels like they don’t want to get on with the main storyline quick enough so they have to pad it out in order to meet the episode count. I also thought the other new Hashira was quite dull and the arc spent a lot of time trying to give him more of a personality but even then you still didn’t like him, one could argue that it is a poor story telling decision to centre so much of your season around an aloof character and expect audiences to them like them or not want to skip through it.

Overall, though it had some cheer worthy moments this is another step backwards and if the filler issue doesn’t get addressed one could foresee that the next arc will be an even further slip in quality.

3/5

Pros.

Some cheer worthy moments

The scale of the final battle

The love Hashira

Cons.

The other Hashira

Far too much filler

https://www.patreon.com/AnotherMillennialReviewer

Demon Slayer: Entertainment District Arc

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

The Demon Slayer gang head for the big city.

I preferred the more individual style of the first batch of episodes wherein they would be less serialised and more loosely connected, like some episodes would carry over but for the most part it felt more like they were going on individual adventures. Anyway, I liked this batch of episodes on the whole, I thought that the new Hashira and his wives were fun and worthwhile additions to the cast, I hope they come back again the future.

I think my major gripe with this arc is that it is a very slow start, the build up to the show down with the siblings takes far too long, there are multiple episodes that almost drag by as though they are killing time, filler I know. In terms of pushing things forward, I think this arc does a lot of good character work and improvements on the main cast as characters in a number of ways. I will say here that making Nezuko into a woman in demon form and giving her a rather low cut top and what not feels a little icky when it is clear that she is clearly a little girl at other points in the show, but maybe there is something cultural I am missing there.

Overall, a little slow in parts but for the most part another fun arc with a lot of entertaining moments.

4/5

Pros.

It advances the characters

The new Hashira and his wives are interesting and good new additions to the cast

The fights are epic

It pushes the story forward in a meaningful way

Cons.

It is a slow start

https://www.patreon.com/AnotherMillennialReviewer

Demon Slayer The Movie Mugen Train: The Embers Of A Dream

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

Our friendly band of Demon Slayers ride the rails only to come up against one of their toughest challenges yet.

I watched this film in the episodic approach as that was what I had available to me.

I thought this was a great film, perfectly expanding on the ending of the first season and nicely bridging the gap between the seasons. I think what is so impressive about this was the depth of emotional maturity they aimed for with it especially when you consider this series is supposed to be for kids. The scenes wherein Tanjiro went back to see his dead family, though dreams, and had to leave them again as they were begging him not to go, hit hard and you really do feel the emotion behind them.

I am somewhat mixed on the new Hashira Kyojuro Rengoku, on the one hand he has a number of strong scenes that make him a very welcome new addition to the show. However, on the other his ultimate fate is teased heavily in the opening credits, and as such I felt that the impact was lessened at the end when he did die. Though that said I still liked the character and was sad when he died.

The action and the fight scenes are well done and the film as a whole does feel like it has a bigger scope than the first season of the show, allowing it to really tap into the horror and monstrosity more which greatly benefited things.

Overall, a great follow up film.

4.5/5

Pros.

The action

The emotional impact

Nezuko really shines in her limited appearances

It gets me excited for the next season of the show

It widens the scope

Cons.

Rengoku’s death is a little spoiled by the opening credits

https://www.patreon.com/AnotherMillennialReviewer

Demon Slayer: Season One Overview

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

Tanjiro must save his sister after she is bitten and turned into a demon, this then leads him on a quest to become a member of the Demon Slayer Corps.

I am aware that this show has been popular for a while and that I am late to the party, but I must say that after having just finished the first season that this is one of the best anime series I have watched in a long time.

To me the series evokes the vibes of classic Pokémon, if you get it you get it, this is especially true after the rest of the traveling companions show up mid-way through the season. However, I think the biggest strength of this show is its emotional core and the fact that the focus is often on the relationship between Tanjiro and his demon sister Nezuko which allows for the show to deliver some gut punches right to the feels.

In addition, I would say that this series does quite a lot with the horror elements considering the series is supposed to be child friendly as well, I thought there were a number of scenes especially during the forest arc where they managed to shock and disturb me. Although it must be said that the same forest arc also points out the major downside of this show, its pacing. For the most part this show moves along nicely, however, in some of the more action heavy episodes the same battle can stretch on for multiple episodes and feel like it outstays its welcome.

Overall, definitely an anime to check out the next time you’re on Netflix.

Ps. The little meta scenes at the end of each episode wherein they talk directly to the camera are frequently a delight.

4/5

Pros.

The end credits scenes

The emotion

The bond between the characters

The horror elements

Cons.

The pacing at times can drag

https://www.patreon.com/AnotherMillennialReviewer

Record Of Ragnarok: Season 2 Overview

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

The fight between Gods and Men continues.

In my mind this first half of the second season is both good and bad. Fairly split down the middle. Unlike in season one where all the fights were interesting, this time around it is decidedly more one sided.

The fight between Shiva and Raiden did little for me, even when the backstories of both tried so hard to get you to care about them. I thought Raiden’s death made little sense, though I did like the fact that he and his Valkyrie found love before they died. However, the fight between Hercules and Jack the Ripper on the other hand was fantastic, easily the best of the series so far. Jack the Ripper as a character is so downright sinister that he is a treat to watch, I like that the series has dipped into his origins and brings him back in the very last episode as there is so much more they can do with him. Likewise I really enjoyed how his episodes have almost a horror quality to them and feel a lot darker than the rest of the show.

I like that with each new season, or halve season in this case, the show is deepening the mythology of its own world and I hope next season dips into more about the Valkyries background and motivation.

Overall, still a very good show and one to watch.

3.5/5

Pros.

Jack the Ripper

A deeper mythology

The fights are entertaining

It manages its tone well

Cons.

I didn’t care very much about the Raiden and Shiva fight

If you enjoyed this review, then please head over to my Patreon to support me, I offer personalized shoutouts, the ability for you to pick what I review next and full access to my Patreon exclusive game reviews. Check it out!

https://www.patreon.com/AnotherMillennialReviewer