AnimeSuki Forum - View Single Post - Air - Overall Series Impressions & Total Series Rating

roriconfan · 2011-02-15, 16:21

REVIEW TIME

Warning to readers: I don’t like Bishoujo and everything that accompanies them. This review makes generalizations that are negative towards those who like them. I know I shouldn’t be making them, but I have issues with some genres. Please consider them more comical rather than serious (especially while voting!).

PROLOGUE
Based on a very famous date sim game, Air is a mix of romance, drama, and magic, all cramped up in only 13 episodes. Well… 11 if you exclude the 2 recaps.

ART & SOUND SECTION: 8/10 [Puke-invokingly good]
Although I dislike utter cuteness and high-pinched voicing, I can’t lie at the fact that animation and sound were above average. If you like Bishoujo, this is as good as it gets. I’m sure that all of you who prefer Shonen and Seinen series (like me) would rate this department much less, just because of personal tastes. I would to; but I am obligated to make an objective review and admit that I HATE IT but it has AWESOME graphics and sound. They are detailed and of high quality and that won’t change no matter how much I bitch about it. Every aspect of it was made with care and love for this genre.

Art wasn’t a 10 because the girls:
a) had really thin limbs.
b) had faces that made them look like 10 year olds.
c) had same body types. Without the different cloths and hair color, they will look the same.

Sound wasn’t a 10 because I have heard better J-pop songs and squeaky voices than the ones found here.

STORY SECTION: 3/10 [People who disappear in thin air.]
Here is a big minus. Most episodes are stand alones. The story is about the leading male dealing with a personal issue of a different girl on each episode. Then the girl mysteriously disappears from the story after its issue has been dealt with. Meaning, you get no time to bind with most of the girls in the series.

Isn’t it great (and obviously fake) how girls seem incapable of deciding on their own and need the advice of a guy? And the strange girl with the wings in the end only gives a metaphysical side to a series that was supposed to be just about the every day lives and relationships of normal people.

I hear the story was a lot better in the game and that the adaptation removed many parts just to fit everything in 13 (or 11) episodes. Too bad for them; the story sucks big time because of that.

CHARACTER SECTION: 5/10 [Hey, I like her… Oh no, the episode’s over!]
Ok, dreamy-looking girls swarming a typical male is hardly realistic. But even if we leave this aside, most of them have only one episode of screen-time, making any character development really rushed, unreal and thus easily forgettable.

The several family and friendship relationships were nice to look at but without any REAL problem in their lives (a villain, a catastrophic event, a dark side in their personality), everything was really boring to stand for long. I know slice-of-life series don’t have rivals or villains but the lack of a common problem shared by all characters made me feel that the series was 8 short stories instead of one long and unified story.

VALUE SECTION: 7/10 [Not my cup of tea but…]
Again, I can’t lie that it’s a very well made Bishoujo series. I would personally never see it again in my life but those of you who like this genre, you will get plenty of kicks out of it. The plot was slow at first, confusing when that flashback occurred and the ending was silly; but if you like Bishoujo, reasoning is not an issue.

ENJOYMENT SECTION: 2/10
This part has to do ONLY with my personal tastes, so don’t take it personal. I speak about superficial Bishoujo in general (there are exceptions) and don’t really mention how much I liked Air (which I consider superficial).

I HATE DATE SIMS, BISHOUJO AND EVERYTHING THAT PRESENTS THINGS AS IF WE STILL LIVE IN HEAVEN. This whole deal with perfect girls hanging from your (male) aid is simply impossible to swallow. Yes, I know date sims, eroge and visual novels are made to give males the illusion that girls dig them, at least in digital form. I believe those who play/like them are mostly bookworms and shy virgins who haven’t even kissed a girl. This sort of games and series only make things worse. They don’t teach you what girls really want from a man (nothing does, actually) and they simply make you overconfident without actually improving you at something. It’s like a drug in a way; made to trap you into a bubble of false security. Reality sucks, but so does becoming a gynophobic without noticing. Yes, I bitch a lot and I’ll probably get plenty of low votes for that. But I personally watch anime that “teach” you about people and don’t make you escape reality.

VERDICT: 5.5 / 10
The accused is found … GUILTY! … For selling us a pretty box with nothing inside.

SUGGESTION LIST
Kanon and Clannad. (good) Made by the same production team and with an almost identical look.

2011-02-15, 16:21	Link #50
roriconfan Banned Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Thessaloniki - Greece	REVIEW TIME Warning to readers: I don’t like Bishoujo and everything that accompanies them. This review makes generalizations that are negative towards those who like them. I know I shouldn’t be making them, but I have issues with some genres. Please consider them more comical rather than serious (especially while voting!). PROLOGUE Based on a very famous date sim game, Air is a mix of romance, drama, and magic, all cramped up in only 13 episodes. Well… 11 if you exclude the 2 recaps. ART & SOUND SECTION: 8/10 [Puke-invokingly good] Although I dislike utter cuteness and high-pinched voicing, I can’t lie at the fact that animation and sound were above average. If you like Bishoujo, this is as good as it gets. I’m sure that all of you who prefer Shonen and Seinen series (like me) would rate this department much less, just because of personal tastes. I would to; but I am obligated to make an objective review and admit that I HATE IT but it has AWESOME graphics and sound. They are detailed and of high quality and that won’t change no matter how much I bitch about it. Every aspect of it was made with care and love for this genre. Art wasn’t a 10 because the girls: a) had really thin limbs. b) had faces that made them look like 10 year olds. c) had same body types. Without the different cloths and hair color, they will look the same. Sound wasn’t a 10 because I have heard better J-pop songs and squeaky voices than the ones found here. STORY SECTION: 3/10 [People who disappear in thin air.] Here is a big minus. Most episodes are stand alones. The story is about the leading male dealing with a personal issue of a different girl on each episode. Then the girl mysteriously disappears from the story after its issue has been dealt with. Meaning, you get no time to bind with most of the girls in the series. Isn’t it great (and obviously fake) how girls seem incapable of deciding on their own and need the advice of a guy? And the strange girl with the wings in the end only gives a metaphysical side to a series that was supposed to be just about the every day lives and relationships of normal people. I hear the story was a lot better in the game and that the adaptation removed many parts just to fit everything in 13 (or 11) episodes. Too bad for them; the story sucks big time because of that. CHARACTER SECTION: 5/10 [Hey, I like her… Oh no, the episode’s over!] Ok, dreamy-looking girls swarming a typical male is hardly realistic. But even if we leave this aside, most of them have only one episode of screen-time, making any character development really rushed, unreal and thus easily forgettable. The several family and friendship relationships were nice to look at but without any REAL problem in their lives (a villain, a catastrophic event, a dark side in their personality), everything was really boring to stand for long. I know slice-of-life series don’t have rivals or villains but the lack of a common problem shared by all characters made me feel that the series was 8 short stories instead of one long and unified story. VALUE SECTION: 7/10 [Not my cup of tea but…] Again, I can’t lie that it’s a very well made Bishoujo series. I would personally never see it again in my life but those of you who like this genre, you will get plenty of kicks out of it. The plot was slow at first, confusing when that flashback occurred and the ending was silly; but if you like Bishoujo, reasoning is not an issue. ENJOYMENT SECTION: 2/10 This part has to do ONLY with my personal tastes, so don’t take it personal. I speak about superficial Bishoujo in general (there are exceptions) and don’t really mention how much I liked Air (which I consider superficial). I HATE DATE SIMS, BISHOUJO AND EVERYTHING THAT PRESENTS THINGS AS IF WE STILL LIVE IN HEAVEN. This whole deal with perfect girls hanging from your (male) aid is simply impossible to swallow. Yes, I know date sims, eroge and visual novels are made to give males the illusion that girls dig them, at least in digital form. I believe those who play/like them are mostly bookworms and shy virgins who haven’t even kissed a girl. This sort of games and series only make things worse. They don’t teach you what girls really want from a man (nothing does, actually) and they simply make you overconfident without actually improving you at something. It’s like a drug in a way; made to trap you into a bubble of false security. Reality sucks, but so does becoming a gynophobic without noticing. Yes, I bitch a lot and I’ll probably get plenty of low votes for that. But I personally watch anime that “teach” you about people and don’t make you escape reality. VERDICT: 5.5 / 10 The accused is found … GUILTY! … For selling us a pretty box with nothing inside. SUGGESTION LIST Kanon and Clannad. (good) Made by the same production team and with an almost identical look.