novoten

An unusual example of a series that almost managed to turn me against someone I have sincerely liked since the beginning of her career, even despite more than one bad movie. But I'm stuck with Love Life, because the pilot episode entices with situations that honestly reflect life, believable relationships, both romantic and friendly, and the fact that Anna's love interest, Darcy, almost never leaves the screen, leaves you with the strange feeling that the series is only good when Darcy is off the screen and a completely different mood, character, or memory takes over. I would never have believed that when Anna Kendrick plays a hardworking, suitably sarcastic yet vulnerable girl next door for the twentieth time, that I would find it difficult to condemn those five hours. Unfortunately, that's how it turned out, and all I believe in were those bold quips from the main character, while the rest of the unfortunate adventures or, on the other hand, the moments of joy or relief, hardly resonated with me at all. Hopefully, the main creator, Sam Boyd, will improve his reputation in the next season, where the male perspective naturally gets closer to his point of view.

At first glance this draws on the slightly worn-out theme of an alternative version of modern Japan where not everything is as it should be. But on the second viewing, I was captivated by the amazing characters who took hold of me and wouldn't let me go. The charismatic Hei/Li, the ethereal Yin, and the determined Kirihara drew me into this world of contractors, puppets, and the Syndicate, and Darker Than Black turned out to be very pleasant and surprisingly intimate sci-fi. It works both in terms of the long-term development of characters and in the side storylines of the individual enemies, and even though the finale satisfied me more than enough, my excitement for the next series is in full swing.

Victorian England spreads its angelic wings, there is a mysterious atmosphere in the Phantomhive household, and Ciel, along with his faithful Sebastian, sets out to investigate some vile wrongdoing in a Sherlockian manner. I was hooked after a few minutes, and excited after the first episode. Black Butler combines subtle mystique with mythological characters of diverse origins, and the atmosphere of constrained yet corrupted Britain is a perfectly fitting setting. When various styles of humor are added by the supporting characters (Tanaka is clearly the standout for me), the series becomes an inconspicuous gem of anime.