Reviews for Malevolent Spirits: Mononogatari

Ngl I don't understand why this is rated so low. It's definitely more slice of life than I thought, but mononogatari has a somewhat unique world/universe, at least one I haven't seen ever before, with interesting characters and an interesting plot. As of episode 10, the show seems to be more about getting closure/dealing with one's struggles, grief, and moving forward, more so than revenge, but I do enjoy the way the story is being told. There is a lot of setup and imo it's a little confusing at first because on certain episodes there's bombs of information dropped at once, but mostly they spaceout new info fairly well. I thought the heroine was going to be another bland character that might as well be supporting cast because there isn't much interaction with the hero but recent episodes have changed my mind and set up a n interesting dichotomy between the MCs. The plot/world building get a solid 8 from me while the writing/scripts of the episodes get a 9. I'm over how so many anime have to leave episodes on cliffhangers, and although mononogatari does sometimes, it's executed well so it doesn't get annoying.

The visuals/animation are nothing crazy but the action sequences are choregraphed well (looks like a dope fight) and kinda look better than slice of life sections (imo not a bad thing because both look fine nonetheless.) The music is again nothing crazy but still pretty solid, particularly the action music whips and is pretty funky imo. The non action scenes are funny enough to where they are still entertaining so that's a good thing imo.

Again, why this show getting shat on so hard? It's pretty entertaining, has a diverse interesting cast with good writing & interactions/history between certain cast members, with a solid overarching plot, a somewhat unique world that I can't really compare to any anime I remember, and multiple substories revealed slowly throughout. Would recommend if you like action/romance genre

Yes, it is Mono-NO-gatari. Please don't get confused with the Monogatari series. Anyway, I don't like complicating things so I'll keep this review simple and say that Mononogatari is indeed worth watching. According to some harsh critics, this anime is quite typical. I guess I can see why is that. MC with typical traumatic past that it shapes him growing to become a person full of loath, and that hatred is towards tsukumogami—a type of spirits. However, from the way the story is told and the way the dialogue is spoken, this anime somehow directs you away from seeing it as "typical" at times. In fact,the storytelling and the vibe it's giving are BE-AU-TI-FUL. They are not the only reason why I keep watching but they can be one of the reasons why you're able to proceed. There's just something about Mononogatari that can keep you engrossed the more you watch, and the relationships can get you intrigued. Mononogatari focused more on how the MC's perspective is changing and how the trust is built (with a bit of romance sprinkled). Of course, actions are also included.

Heads-up, you might be not fond of the MC from the beginning for his attitude. Know that he's just an awkward person and sterns with himself. It's the very reason why he was sent to Nagatsuki Botan's house, a girl that is on good terms with some tsukumogami, to change his attitude in which he always resort to force towards tsukumogami. HE IS changing for the better though so hope you don't keep the hate for him too long (only if you do). And he admits to his own mistakes.

I see a review mentions about chibi animations for comedic relief. They are very small amount in the beginning and the chibi keeps to only the face become a bit child-like with the adult body intact later in the show so the "chibis" can actually go unnoticeable. I'm not sure about the bad translation. Maybe you guys can try watching on bilibili instead, an official platform but free to watch. "Malevolent Spirits: Mononogatari" is labelled "Premium" (the official one) so you have to wait every week to get free access to later released episode.

Maybe I am being lenient but it's not in the least boring to me. And I'm not kidding when I say it has beautiful storytelling, along with the BGM. I'm dreading to listen to that beautiful OST full version if there's any. Hence, I am questioning the average rating under 7.00 tbh. Mononogatari is really good and it is an 8/10 for me. Not more, but definitely not less.

You know that expression: "My dog ate my homework"? It's more like "Your dog attacked it", and became something different all at once. Let's set the record straight for this show. If anyone of you is thinking that this is affiliated to NisiOisin's Monogatari series, it's clearly not that, OK? This is mangaka Onigunsou's Mono-NO-gatari, or more commonly referred to as Malevolent Spirits: Mononogatari. The manga that started almost a decade earlier in 2014 to the present day with (as if this review) 15 volumes out, with Seven Seas's English translation of the manga coming out at the same time as the anime had just startedairing on TV, it's definitely the telling of a "hidden work", something that didn't grow as big as it was in Japan. And I will be right to assume that its popularity, even in its home country, fits the moniker of the "under the radar" type of work that only some people will warrant an anime adaptation of it. Which is where we are now today with studio Bandai Namco Pictures's adaptation, courtesy of the kids series Aikatsu!'s franchise director Ryuichi Kimura.

If I have to take a gander of what Malevolent Spirits: Mononogatari is similar to shows out there, it would be in the vein of a mish-mash fusion of authors Yuki Midorikawa's Natsume Yuujinchou a.k.a Natsume's Book of Friends and Kafka Asagiri's Bungou Stray Dogs to create this homey, spirit-filled, supernatural-based action mythology series. The way that Mononogatari utilizes its story plot by having the Tsukumogami spirits (or "marebito") cross over into the human world and possessing objects and gain a physical form, that is typical of similarity to a rather underground work: novelist Megumi Hatakenaka's Tsukumogami Kashimasu a.k.a We Rent Tsukumogami (which got an anime adaptation way back in 2018). But where the show breaks the line to make it unique, is that there is a system of regulation, in which exorcists (or Saenome) from clans will help to clear out the wandering spirits that pose a threat to society, negotiate a deal and seal them back to the spirit world in a non-violent state, avoiding destruction.

Such is the case for the MC: Hyoma Kunato, the next heir of the Kunato Saenome house, having a rather horrific experience with Tsukumogami as one such spirit laid waste to his siblings. And since then, he's had a bad rep of extreme hatred with the general Tsukumogami that approaches his way, being nonchalant about their existence and treating them like he would on just about every other Tsukumogami, be it violent or not. This raises concern for his grandfather Zohei, which in the process of grooming him to be the next Kunato Saenome house heir, notices his own grandson's unravelling and unacceptable behaviour, so much so that he fires him from their own house, and places him under the supervision of yet another Tsukumogami family: the Nagatsuki family of a very well-protected Tsukumogami family, along with their master, a young college student named Botan, to try and change his mindset on accepting and reconciliating with fellow Tsukumogami.

For a start, I'd agree with you that Hyoma Kunato...is kinda unlikable at best. The hard-headed, pessimistic MC who always wears a stern, unfazed reaction on his face, it's as though he wears a facade both inside and out, that's the same wherever he goes. But then again, it's due to his childhood trauma, so that's justified. It's only when he meets the head of the Nagatsuki family Botan, is where he would start to calm his senses down and begins to trust the Tsukumogami again, as depicted by her 6 most reliable benevolent spirits: Nagi, Yu, Kagami, Suzuri, with caretakers Haori and Kushige. The thing is, Botan is possessed by a marebito that is the target of most if not all Saenome factions, making her a highly valuable figure in the community. As such, she is protected by a neutrality law that prevents others from attacking her. And it's this notion that serves to teach Hyoma about the difference between good and bad Tsukumogami, to learn about what it means to be a heir of the future Tsukumogami that will be inducted into his Kunato clan.

For a show that places emphasis on story and character at first glance, Mono-NO-gatari is a story about redemption and reconciliation, not just for the subtle hints at trying to make characterization work in the first place. If anything, Hyoma is the basis of how authors back in the day, would inject a "sad, childhood-inflicted" story to show that there is some semblance of motivation to keep the MC going about on his/her train of thought. Plus, the small amount of comedy gags in here, it felt like a haphazard effort at trying to be like Bungou Stray Dogs, and while the execution here is uncharacteristically funny at times to break the mold on the serious atmosphere, I find that to be a rather nice touch, actually. But when taken as a whole, considering that the manga started almost a decade early in 2014, this would've been in the mediocre-to-decent range by 2023 standards. Had the anime been adapted years prior, then it would at least still be relevant in its own age and time, but who can I say to assume that just for the sake of attention, would shows like this only get attention after a span of generally more than 5 years or so, or even worse for a show like this: an almost clear 9 years to be exact. Don't get me wrong, the show is actually watchable but really forgettable at the same time, and like its manga counterpart, will remain a cult-like status for the few that actually got a chance to watch this "flying under the radar" work.

The production is rather average and nothing noteworthy to talk about. Even though Bandai Namco Pictures have been trying to diversify their anime catalogue since 2015, it's mostly on the verge of producing more shows that are targeted for kids, and the niche ones like last Spring's Birdie Wing: Golf Girls' Story and most recently, last season's Koukyuu no Karasu a.k.a Raven of the Inner Palace, that are perfectly watchable by the general audience. Though for the case here with Mono-NO-gatari, it's...just there and does its only service is adapt the manga close to fruition. The frantic-paced action is also decent, though that's just par for the course and also is nothing more than getting the actual job done.

The OST is rather nice though. ARCANA PROJECT is back after a year and a half's absence with P.A. Works's Shiroi Suna no Aquatope a.k.a The Aquatope on White Sand, and their 4th Anisong here for this show...I'm even surprised to say that it is actually fairly good, and it fits the themes of the anime quite solidly. Miho Karasawa (also known as TRUE)'s ED is also a nice song that has a calm and soothing feel to it, and is also quite appropriate for an ending song. All in all, it's the highlight of the anime as a whole for me.

In retrospect, Malevolent Spirits: Mono-NO-gatari isn't a bad show per se, but it's just that there is no hook to the show being interesting and unique in one way or another. I suppose that for the few of you watching this show, it just so happens that the anime has piqued your interest in wanting to know more, so that's why you're in for this kinda quiet ride. Even then, I can only recommend this if you have some free time and want to experience something that's out of the ordinary, and for that, Mono-NO-gatari has got you covered. Just be sure to tamper your expectations first and foremost, for it has no wow factor, but a decent time-waster of a show.

See you in Season 2 when this show comes back in Summer, I guess, if you're still sticking around.

Overall Impression: Mononogatari is a battle shounen/romance that follows Hyouma, a young warrior monk (for lack of a better term) with a burning hatred for tsukumogami (spirits of inanimate objects) after watching his older brother and sister get killed by one in front of him. He is taken in by Botan, a girl that lives with several tsukumogami as a family, to let go of his hatred and learn that they aren't just creatures to be destroyed. The premise sounds more interesting than it actually ends up being though, this is a pretty run-of-the-mill battle shounen with an identity crisis and a total inability toanimate thrilling action scenes. It can be safely skipped.

+ Positives: Hyouma is an actually interesting main protagonist, and a convincing portrayal of someone whose grief has warped into hatred. He and Botan's tsukumogami have a fun rapport. The character designs are pretty solid. Very good OP and ED. The plot has some promise if they can figure out what to do with it in the already-announced second season. Botan and Hyouma's relationship is pleasant and mostly free of aggravating romcom cliches, but hopefully there's a bit more heat to it in the future.

- Negatives: Visually atrocious. The backgrounds have a horrible filter over them to make them look like faded photographs and it makes almost every scene look glaringly ugly. Poor compositing and things like characters' feet not lining up with the ground compounds the problem. Action scenes are boarded in the blandest and safest way possible and even then the animation is incapable of rising to the task. One particular action scene where Hyouma has a house thrown at him (you read that correctly) almost made me cry because of how cool it should have been on paper, and how pathetic it looked on the screen instead. The series also seems unsure of what to do with itself. Long stretches are simply boring or forgettable because it fails to identify a clear conflict or villain. While Hyouma is supposedly working his way towards destroying the paper umbrella, the tsukumogami that killed his siblings, you only ever see it in flashbacks, and a large percentage of this season just feels aimless as he screws around with random small time villains that have only a tangential connection at best to the paper umbrella. If it were a monster of the week type of series, that might be okay, but it's clearly plot-driven and it makes you constantly wonder what the point or the significance of anything that you're watching is. Hyouma's transition from seething rage machine to guileless dork is a bit too sudden. He's great as a guileless dork so the change itself is fine, it just happens too fast and leaves a lot of nuance and potentially interesting character building on the cutting room floor.

Well this was the seasonal suprise for me, Spirits is a solid B grade not bad not great. pretty much everything is around average across the bored. the better aspects is the story, this kind of story was done fairly often for a bit but with isekais flooding the stage its been a while so its refreshing. okay animations and sound with decent characters make this a solid watch if your nearing the end of your list. So for the ole 3-4 episode if you think the story is lame or characters boring then drop it, there isnt a conclusion pending the outcome of thesecond season. thats it for the short one now heres the more detailed spoiler free review.

First off the animation is looks good compared to shows a few years back but now id say its about as par for the course as you can get but its very consistent so no complaints here

sound is meh not good not bad which is pretty normal

for the characters its a bit hard to say, the "paranormal" characters are for the most part are just an work around to super powered humans or demons becasue they seem to act just like humans despite them trying to convice the viewer otherwise. th few human characters that we get a decent time with are all good. they start 1 dimensional but as more time is spent with them you do see more dynamic interactions which is the main reason i kept up with the show.

now the story youll either like it or find it completley boring. the major issue with the story is that there are 2 man story lines going on and neither one is progressed in any meanigful way other than the hyper vague refrence. most of the first season is just an introduction oif the world and story so that leaves only the last episode to take us a few baby steps towards the actual story

Yes is did say season 2 is pending not sure when but hey at least almost every show is now getting a second season with quick turn overs so the waiting game is more of small pause than a 6 year hiatus.

So if you do decide to watch it i hope you enjoy for everyone who made it this far thanks for the read and have a good one!

Spoiler Free: First off, the description of the show is misleading, now lets continue. Since there are no reviews yet for Mononogatari (no, not Monogatari, mono-no-gatari), I will go ahead and write some thoughts as I proceed to watch this show. At first glance this show on paper seems like a variation on similar themes as natsume's book of friends or noragami, and maybe some monogatari themes mixed in, with a few flakes of shounen thrown in. From the first few minutes, this show seems great, but literally half way through the first episode, I already feel like the show doesn't want to take itself seriously, whilealso having set the stage as something serious. This is because the show utilizes a few chibi clips for comedic effect, which I felt weren't necessary. A show that pulls off seriousness and comedy well would be Bungo Stray Dogs, but in this case, Mononogatari falls flat.

Another issue, is the main protagonist is almost too typical. A traumatized kid from childhood holds many grudges. This makes him a bit cringe early on. Not terrible, because he could be much worse. Later on in the first episode, the show feels more like bleach than anything else, just with less screaming moves out loud.

Another show that gets blended into this anime smoothie is fruits basket. But, unlike fruits basket, we have real adults here, and sometimes this show needs to remember that and not dumb things down for the audience.

This show really seems like its trying very hard to be everything at once. Luckily the pacing is quick enough that it doesn't get boring. The animation quality is both mediocre and amazing at the same time. The reason for this, is that any time there is any real action happening, the special effects and lighting are gorgeous, but in more mundane scene's the show drops off to basement budget quality. And as I mentioned before, the chibbi quality for comedic relief is jarring and breaks the immersion of what otherwise is a relatively serious show.

Lets circle back now to the main character. He's cringe, and most definitely immature from the get go even though he tries hard to be the big and tough guy. He has some good moments though, admitting his faults. Its almost like he wants to be cringe, and compensates with skill and merit over being good at communication and dialogue. The main female protagonist is almost the same, except from a feminine perspective. To balance out her naive, bubbly, and shy exterior, she is obviously a demon on the inside.

I don't see anything in this show that is so bad that it warrants not watching. Its definitely worth watching, its just that like most modern anime, it feels like it has to do too much at once that the purpose is lost. A show with such heavy themes like childhood trauma, getting over your fears, and learning to live amongst those that you hate is trying so hard to be a comedy at the same time, and this as I said before, breaks the immersion.

So this is a PSA to all anime studios in general, please, you don't have to dumb it down for us, there is no need for 1990's level humorous cut ins during serious conversations for the sake of "lightening up the atmosphere". We can handle the reality just fine.

I think if this show doubled down on its facts and focused on an adult audience, it would have been a 10/10 banger, but instead, it doesn't follow through on the serious aspects, and muddles it with mediocre comedy skits that just aren't necessary. Its very "mid" and other than the fundamental story, could have been better in all aspects. This really feels like a group of amateurs tried to adapt a plot written by a professional.

One more absolutely giant issue which shows how much the studio threw away and how the manga writer that this is based on sucks. That point being that the show starts of with very good character building and then throws it down the drain to turn the show into a romance ship anime. It threw away all the potential for the characters to evolve naturally in episode 3.

Finally, the subtitles have so much bad translation...that I had to rewind to double check if I read it correctly.

Plot Summary: Main character hates spirits because they killed his brother and sister. He grows up sending these spirits back to their world on behalf of his family. Instead of talking to the spirits, he chooses to beat them up. His grandfather sends him to a family full of spirits to learn to live with them and learn about them. He hates being there and is judgemental towards everyone. Kind and balanced female character helps him change.

TLDR - Could be better in all aspects except the plot. Serious story ruined by random comedy. Doesn't consider its audience adults that can handle reality. Dialogue goes from college level to middle school really fast in some cases. So many great ideas, and so much potential. Worth the watch just ignore the bad parts. Combines bleach, noragami, bungo stray dogs, and fruits basket into one show.

9/10 Plot

7/10 Animation

6/10 Characters

7/10 Sound

Recommend the watch just because its not a bad show, its just it could be better. When you get to episode 4 you will see what I mean.

This show would have been better if it was just an edgy MC mindlessly killing tsukumogami to find revenge with some sort of perspective changes between characters or something. Instead, we have a very typical shounen show that doesn't try to do anything interesting. How do I say this? The whole handing of the situation around Hyouma is just shallow and without any depth. There's not much empathizing the grandfather gives or takes on, and instead he kind of just throws the emotional baggage towards a "good guy group" of Tsukumogami in hopes of reforming him. I'd say Hyouma already has a pretty good head onhis shoulders, with mental stability to boot for a guy that witnessed his siblings get murdered in cold blood by Tsukumogami, yet his grandfather doesn't understand that. The show doesn't. Hyouma's treated like an anomaly and a brat for not "getting over" his hatred for Tsukumogami, which is completely normal phenomenon considering his past with them.

There's no attempt at an in-depth analysis of emotions, memories, and psychological trauma. This gets reflected in the dialogue and characters. There's unfunny and awkward attempts at comedic dialogue, and the master of the house that Hyouma gets sent to is similarly emotionally immature despite having such command over powerful beings. In the end, the focus on the show is more about battles, slice of life, and romance and whatnot rather than any actual depth. The story goes nowhere, and it's a generic story about "good guy organization" vs the "bad guys." Another typical shounen battle show that tries to incorporate edgy themes and doesn't try to actually integrate it into the plot at all.

Although filled with somewhat generic tropes, Mononogatari's execution of said clichés helps differentiate if from other run of the mill action seinen. I'd go as far as to say that the first couple of episodes are misleading, in that they deceive you into thinking that 'battles' and action are a much larger part of the story than they actually are. Although fight scenes are frequent, they do not take away from the real crux of the show, which is (surprisingly) the interpersonal relationships of the characters, and how they try to fit into the world they inhabit. It is rare to see an action seinenthat is, in its core, so character driven.

The main characters are used to create an interesting dichotomy; one of them has completely given up on normal life and pursues their obsessions single-mindedly, while the other yearns for normalcy even though they couldn't be farther from it. Loud and soft-spoken, apathetic and gentle; the show does a great job of portraying them. Not the most original, but they are consistent and well-polished characters. The plot point used to develop their relationship is very unorthodox, and one of my main gripes with the show would be that it does not lean even heavier into the aforementioned plot point and do away with the occasional unnecessary, almost fanservice-y action scenes.

As a side note; the supporting characters, mainly the Nagatsuki 'family', although at times two dimensional are handled well for a show with such a large cast.

Now moving on to the action... It's fine. There's really nothing more to say. The powers used are varied but consistent with the rules the show sets and they manage to be interesting for the most part. There are a couple of standout action sequences which are definitely above average. It's worth mentioning that the animation quality unfortunately seems to have taken a bit of a hit as the show progressed, but it remains serviceable.

It is not an outstanding show by any means. However, even factoring in the decrease in animation quality and some groanworthy moments, it manages to stand out as a good one in an otherwise rather mediocre season. The verdict is a solid 7.0.

It's a great shounen with great characters and motivations. Hyoma might be too stoic and somewhat bland but the times he shows softness that makes him more endearing. We can see him being softer throughout with not just Botan. Botan is just a cute heroine that tries to live a life while being watched by thousands every single second. And it makes it hard not to cheer for her. I read the manga years ago and was very excited to watch this. Like Kekkaishi which is in my top 3, it feels quite similar but with a way different turn. I'm pretty sad the reviewsare lower than I expected. But I hope the writer goes further and in depth. And I wish somehow I can read all 15 vol of the manga, and it's still being written/ongoing! I have high hopes and wish I can see the ending.

If you are looking for a fluid narrative, where the characters have charisma, an appropriate design, good sound effects and with a great script from start to finish, always being very conclusive in each act? Well this is the perfect anime for you. Secondary characters that appear only once and leave, are already as well done and written with as much affection as the protagonists who develop the plot and make everything go. Each problem and situation is not placed at random, everything serves to make you feel part of the universe and better understand what is really happening. Several times you will have Mindblowsfollowed by situations, where you, not expecting a certain conclusion, get a blast of surprising information in your face, and your willingness to watch is fed more and more. The reason my evaluation is not perfect is the visual production of the work, which does not match the level of the original material. I hope that its sequels improve in this regard, as it is something very important in the eyes of consumers that weighs heavily when it comes to caressing the work.

Overall, a solid 8.75/10 from start to finish.

Like a really chilled out version of Jujutsu Kaisen on a lower budget, focused more on a single character's purpose and socially awkward humor. The premise is pretty simple. The main character Hyouma, at a young age witnesses his two older siblings die in battle with an evil spirit. He spends his youth training and sealing spirits (sending spirits back to the afterlife) in order to get revenge on the entity that killed his family. With such a hard nosed focus on this life goal, his grandfather sends him away to experience the good side of his narrow-minded viewpoint of all of them being evil. The showbalances between being a humorous house full of differing personalities and action. The show's main humor comes from the main character growing up isolated and sheltered away from social norms, is clueless to this and brutally honest and overly transparent. He's so steadfast in his goal of revenge, is often oblivious to common courtesies and feelings of those around him. It makes for great entertainment throughout the show, and watching his growth and the way he learns to adapt is a nice journey to follow.

It won't necessarily blow you away visually or narratively, but it holds its own ground as a subtly funny and action driven show. I thoroughly enjoyed every episode, and found often at times that side characters were some of the gems of the show as the main two can be bland and a bit too one-note at times. The way Hyouma is clueless about romance is also a key note throughout the show that is enjoyable without falling into raunchy territory that most anime tend to do. There isn't a ton of depth, but sometimes it's nice to have a show where everything is straightforward and not an overly convoluted web of story.

Overall I would recommend if a toned down and chill action-spirit hunter comedy interests you.

This show definitely fall under my cup of tea for supernatural/occult genre. Which is why I think this show's rating here is a little on the low side. I hope my review can bring about the right audiences for this show to support it. TL;DR: Decent animation and sound. Story is paced slower than the usual shounen, but not boring. Premise is easy to understand and accept. World building is done well enough to not leave questions as the story progresses. Would have been better if is a full 24 episode season instead of a half season. adding 1 more point for my rating as thisis my kind of story (Rate 9/10, overall review 8/10), and it got me excited for the next season. Recommended if the fast paced, adrenaline pumping, noisy shounen is not the only kind of shounen you can accept. But fight scenes are less than desirable, so will have to tolerate that.

Just going to split the review into a few basic categories.

Story

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Background: There are spirits(supernaturals) in the land of living, and like humans, there are good and bad ones. But unlike the average normie humans in this world, the average spirits have (you guess it), super natural powers. So like any civilized world, there needs to be order and sanctions involved. Of course land of living belongs to the living humans, so they have more authority in the rules etc.

The premise of the show is that the MCs are living people who are very connected to the supernaturals due to their family. They both have very high/ unusual importance among the community of people involved with supernaturals, and the supernaturals. So the show starts them off with their connections in the community, and also their stance/pov on this community.

Story includes understanding of the characters, and their circumstances through both action(fight) scenes, and daily (very) normal interactions. Slight use of comedy to diffuse non- critical tension, which gives the character an added depth, and a more realistic(?)/humane/ personal touch (Just makes the characters more dimensional like how real people are)

Pros:

- World building is great, no nonsense, they even used narration to help speed up the understanding of the world

- Story starts of with a few characters and their importance, then progress naturally to include more characters. In most story-telling, the introduction of each character means more information about the world and the general direction of the story. But I think the author handles the new character introductions well to not overwhelm the story with a lot of information, even if the characters may be of complicated background, they managed to only bring in information that is concerning to the situation at hand. So there's no long winded back story for each character if the current situation have no need for them, the information that each character brings will be revealed throughout the show slowly.

- Premise is clean and simple, easy to understand and accept (probably fall on the side of cliche, but I like this formula)

- (Subjective) Pacing is smooth (or slow). I like the way each critical character or information slowly gets revealed. Anime is only 12 episodes long, so honestly is not the best pacing to make an impression on people(might be better with a full 24 ep season). Pacing falls closer to a slice of life story-telling than of a shounen style story. is not exactly slow-burned, but is not exciting enough for they typical shounen expectation. I would actually say the pacing is similar to Attack of the Titan first season, ofcourse this story is less dynamic as AOT has a more complex world and more characters involved from the get go. But is similar as in there's so many things you learnt by the end of the anime but then nothing essentially happens. Such story pacing and story telling really gets me to crave more. Also knowing the next 12 episodes is planned for this year kind of calmed my nerves(unlike AOT S1 where I was pretty annoyed and bewildered by it ending where it did). Everything that happened in these 12 episodes is a build up to the main event. So there is no win/lose yet as you see in typical shounen (like Onepiece have a clear villain to defeat that impacts the development of both story and character)

Cons:

- Is only 12 episodes!

- Fight scenes are not very exciting. There's little tension in the fights though the characters' expressions and monologues all indicate how serious the fights should have been. Pretty sure animation plays a part in the lack of tension, but also the focus on the fights are pretty shallow. Other than the monologues/dialogues saying out what the exact key technique or tools being used, there's very little going on to show strategies or even critical thinking of the fight itself. (if there is more emphasis on the fight scenes, there will be more excitement to the show, like how in My hero Academia, Deku was able to strategize his first 'fight" scene to save Bakugo from a random slug villain on the streets, and then each action was well animated and focused for us to see his strategy playing out)

Story points: 8/10 (if fights were more thought out it would be 10/10, I do like my action scenes exciting where it mattered)

Characters

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Background: There are 3 main group of characters in the show. We have the enforcers to keep law and order between the world of the living and the spirits, aka Saenome. We have the Tsukumogami who are the focused supernaturals in this show, they are beings who don't belong in this living world, but yet able to exists, thus there's law and order necessary to keep the peace. Then there is average humans who by right should have no involvement with the Tsukumogamis and the Saenomes in normal circumstances.

So we have a Male MC being a Saenome, Female MC being a normal human who have deep involvement with Tsukumogamis (not out of her own will), and we have many important side characters who are Tsukumogamis.

Pros:

- Characters in all these 12 episodes are all very distinct. (I do love a wide variety of personalities even for non-essential characters)

- Most characters that plays a role in developing the story are multi dimensional (they are not just cardboard standees there acting like a NPC)

- Male MC character is endearing (Slightly), and also not overly dumb/naive like typical shounen MC, AND most importantly not noisy like typical shounen MC. MC is also more grounded and realistic as compared to (yeap, you guess it) the typical shounen MC. Smart, serious, straightforward, pure (not ignorant) boy with a sad and traumatizing past. (first impression of male MC is that he is a Sasuke from Naruto)

- Male MC's past defined his actions, but not his personality. This really gave the author a lot of room to grow the character, and create a multi dimensional MC

- Female MC is cute but not annoying (this is a plus point because somehow many authors think annoying cute girls are the only cute girls in the world). Female MC is draped in a layer of mystery because she is the key to the climax of the story anyway. But not overly mysterious to the point that we don't see her as just a piece in the puzzle, but also a player. there's a good balance in trying to bring out the personality traits and the backstory of the Female MC without exposing too much of the core pieces of the story.

- Side Characters are fun, and each plays their role really well. In 12 episodes, we are able to understand most of their back stories, and also get a grasp of their core personalities, as well as a hint of how they will be developing the story together with the MCs.

- Redundant characters are appropriately involved in small drama without strong focus or long-winded "redemption" story

- Characters are generally what they are, if you are bad, you are bad. No weird redemption/sob story.

Cons:

- Is ONLY 12 episodes!

- Honestly though, because of the slower than usual pacing, I do find myself wanting abit more backstory on some obscure characters, and also more interactions from the important side characters. Since is not fights after fights, but there are proper day to day interactions, it would be good to see more of the side characters to build more feelings towards them

- MCs growth are well written as compared to side characters. If the side characters weren't written so endearing, I wouldn't have noticed the lack of focus on their growth.

- Lack of technical growth, even in main fighting character. Male MC does not grow in terms of his fighting skills or fight related critical thinking. Only grow mentally and emotionally and spiritually (those intangible stuff). At the end of the anime, it does show the Male MC trying to train himself to be stronger for fights, but details of training are glossed over. Somehow, doesn't seem like there will be a sort of "training" arc to level up the Male MC.

Characters points: 8/10 (would be a 10/10 if there's more technical growth, I like training arcs is my shounen anime, hahah)

Visuals

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I like the art style, I like the watercoloured, blurred background. Basically , decent art quality to me. Aesthetics is also my cup of tea. easy on the eyes. Characters are physically distinct.

Pros for art:

- Everything. From character designs to colour scheme to background works, I like all.

Cons for art:

- Nothing

Animation is decent quality, up to par with 2020s quality. No glaring ugly CGIs that I absolutely hate, like the choreograph sequence of Bakuten!!. Animation quality is consistent in all 12 episodes, so no wonky looking characters appearing out of nowhere, like Haikyuu!! season 4 onwards. Though there's also no amazing animation happening like how in onepiece Wano arc, audience gets treated to very good animation for crucial fight scenes.

Pros for animation:

- Consistent, easy on the eyes

- foreground characters are well animated. Detailed facial animation

- Nothing ugly lol

Cons for animation:

- Lack of effort of background activities and characters.

- Fight scenes are too boring. There's not enough oomph! No tension, no dynamic panning, no speed . I might as well have read the fight as a paragraph of texts. Even the animation in a running (sports) anime, kaze ga tsuyoku fuiteriru, got my heart thumping. Think there's only 1 fight scene at the end of the show that got me slightly excited.

Visuals points: 8/10 (and same as above, if the fight scenes were better animated this would have been 10/10. I really like my fight scenes hahah)

Sound

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Sound points: 8/10

Because nothing awful stood out. By default, sound is usually 8/10 for me if there's nothing unusually awful, like a super noisy main character (like in Black clover) hahaha. But VAs are decent here for the characters. sound effects are not overwhelming. OP, ED are nice (their OP, ED visuals are also very pretty and enjoyable to watch). Not above an 8 because there are even more exceptional OPs and EDs out there, and higher points are ofcourse reserved for them. No noticeable flaws. but maybe they can up their fight scenes if they employ better bg music and create tension for it.

Overall is 8/10

Please note that this show will get at least 1 more season this year, so if that's not for you then wait until the anime is finished. Summed up in short, this is one of those feel good shows you can't fault much about. It's good at giving enough from the characters that matter to make you feel for them, know them, with a pretty good in-between of stuck in the past yet moving on/growing. A man on a mission ends up in a situation plot that might be for those that like the concept of stuff like JJK/BNHA etc but don't want as much angst,trauma, gore, etc.

There's humor, emotion, secondhand embarrassment, nice sceneries and quite interesting dynamics as well as character designs. It's not your usual "put this hotty we've seen dozens of times before in a new attire so we will sell", some of the char designs are reminiscent of known chars but others are almost a bit jarring until they grow on you.

All that mixed with some fights, banter, a complex world and an adult cast.

There's somewhat of a love story in it as well, but in this season it feels like a gag more than anything - and without knowing the og source i can't say if it's meant to go anywhere or not. It's another part that adds fun and interesting points though and doesn't seem to be involved for nothing.

The only issue I found was that in comparison to most shows these days the fight sequences were really not that great or eye-catching but we've been spoiled quite a bit by other shows as to where the standards have just kinda taken a massive rise.

It's a 10/10 for now because I actually had to force myself to stop watching and go to bed, finishing it in no time while being genuinely entertained and distracted from what life throws at you all throughout. I was looking forward to picking it back up where I left of, as much as each next episode and the season that's still to come.

In short, if you're maybe having a bit of a rough time this one could be a good pick to lift your mood while still being interesting, deep and more than a comedy.

Your average battle shounen, with a tacked on forced romance component The only interesting thing about it is the tsukumogami designs. They're basically just gijinkas for traditional japanese tools, but the way they incorporate the properties of the tool into their physical appearance, their personalities, and their combat abilities is honestly pretty creative and refreshing, definitely the highlight of the show. However, the show is extremely stale otherwise. The protagonist is a gary stu and his love interest/macguffin is the perfect mary sue to match. There's not a moment where you feel anything is in danger, the stakes are wholly nominal,the fights are a mere formality, everything narratively is bog standard. The show would work better as a Natsumi Yuujinchou clone, without the forced save the girl save the world crap that comprises the vast majority of the runtime. Despite the archetypal characters, in contexts removed from specifically the romance subplot, the muted slice of life comedy is actually amusing but it's not enough to justify this as is.

Let’s start this off with by saying I’m making this as spoiler free as I can, so might be a bit vague~ That being said✨ The main character is okay, I don’t love him and I don’t hate him~ and would lean towards more of enjoyment. He is “cringe” but I think that’s on purpose, and I feel there is a very natural build in character development. This isn’t a anime that I expect to blow anyone out of the water, but I watched both seasons in a single sitting~ so it’s enjoyable enough to binge. I feel like the issues that comeup with the main character also helps explains some of the “cringe”, lots of elements of trust and understanding wrapped into this anime from episode one; I still don’t think it will make anyone sob.

I find it enjoyable, and not offensive~ animation could definitely be improved; but I’m not comparing this other high budget studios like MAPPA~ The fights and some little details do hit the nail on the head tho. 7/10 due to me not having to many complaints about the show itself, and not finding anything particularly annoying. -3 points because there’s nothing to original here, and the animation doesn’t always hold up. Aswell as it not grabbing a special place in my heart~ BUT THATS OKAY. Not all anime has too!!

I hope you enjoy if you give this one a watch!!

Stay happy and healthy!!

~ Fokushi