CAA: Christian Anime Alliance

Contributor Report: Kilvakar
The following is a list of all ratings and reviews submitted by Kilvakar. The links below can be used to quickly scroll down to a specific title. Quickly scroll to... Bleach Squid Girl
Bleach (Jump to title) - Overall: 10 - Violence Rating: 5 - Nudity Rating: 3 - Theological Themes: 3 - Other Negative Themes: 4 Review Bleach: A Must-See for Shounen Fans Bleach, one of the "big three" in shounen anime (alongside Naruto and One Piece), is definitely a series worth watching. As with any series, there are ups and downs, but as Ichigo Kurosaki and his wide supporting cast of friends and fellow Soul Reapers fight to defend the world from evil, one can't help but be drawn into their story. While I gave this series a rating of 10, there are definitely some things to be aware of throughout the show. Violence/Gore: I gave this a 5 because this is an action-heavy series. Most battles occur between warriors wielding typical katana-type swords that are capable of transforming into more exotic (and more lethal) forms. While in battle even slight wounds tend to cause dramatic "blood spray" effects. Many characters are impaled with swords or other weapons, a couple have limbs severed, one gets beheaded, and one is sliced clean in half, although the worst violence usually occurs off-screen or is shown in an indistinct "shadow art" style. Nudity/Sexual Content: Hmm, for this one I gave a three because while for the most part Bleach avoids unnecessary sexual content and fanservice, there are still some issues to be aware of in this department. One character behaves like (and even admits to being) a pervert much of the time, and has a fixation with females with large chests. Others comment on the chest size of some of the female characters from time-to-time, and one woman tends to wear clothing that exposes a lot of cleavage. Also, one girl at the high school is apparently a lesbian and has a crush on one of the main female characters. What stopped me from giving this a higher rating is the fact that throughout this long-running series, these inappropriate moments do not occur very frequently, especially in later episodes. There is, of course, the seemingly obligatory beach episode, where many female characters are shown in various skimpy bikinis. Theological Themes: Another 3 here. Several unusual spiritual themes are present in this series, but cannot be discussed without potential spoilers... spoilerThere are three different "worlds" present within the Bleach setting: The real world, the Soul Society, and Hueco Mundo. When Humans die, their souls usually pass into the Soul Society, a world resembling pre-industrial Japan that functions as an afterlife of sorts. Life in the Soul Society operates nearly exactly as it does in the World of the Living (as the real world is called there), and when people die in the Soul Society they are reincarnated back into the World of the Living. Tormented or corrupted souls, however, may become Hollows, monsters who feed on Humans and Human souls. They live in Hueco Mundo and are some of the main antagonists of the series. There is also an actual Hell where particularly evil souls are sent when they die, but this is only mentioned once or twice. Residents of the Soul Society can potentially become Soul Reapers, called Shinigami in Japanese, which literally means "death god." They are capable of using a form of magic known as Kido, which apparently translates as "demon arts." Despite these names, they are never portrayed as actual gods and their magic has nothing to do with actual demons. Everything I've talked about is explained early on in the show and then accepted as part of the setting, there is no preaching of Eastern religious themes. Other: A 4 in this category, simply because there is a lot of minor swearing, mostly limited to hll and dn, with a few instances of a* thrown in, usually uttered during the battles. Also, certain characters have a penchant for drinking excessive amounts of sake. Things I Enjoyed: I really like how the majority of the characters are good and noble of heart. Ichigo, the main protagonist, is willing to fight a seemingly unending number of enemies in order to protect his friends. Each of the supporting characters have their own motivations, whether it be honor, love, friendship, loyalty, duty, etc...but nearly all of them will put their lives on the line in order to defend their ideals and the people they care about. While Bleach undoubtedly has a very large cast (the manga author admits he creates new characters to get around writer's block), nearly all of the characters are unique and extremely interesting. So even when the story shifts away from Ichigo, it's still enjoyable to watch. Bankai! One of the reasons I watch shounen-style anime is for the moment during a battle where one character inevitably decides to unleash their full power on their enemy and the results are purely epic. I have yet to see an anime that takes those moments of awesomeness to the level of Bleach when someone decides to activate their bankai. I won't give spoilers, just watch it! Things I Disliked: My biggest problem with the series is the fact that they place a lot of filler material in at very odd times. Bleach is known for having a lot of filler, in fact, it has several whole seasons that are nothing but filler. I actually watched the anime before I decided to read the manga, so I didn't mind most of the filler, and some of it blends seamlessly into the main storyline. On a couple of occasions, however, the story literally stops right in the middle of a battle and switches over to a filler arc, which can get very confusing, and sometimes downright annoying. While the action in Bleach is usually great, sometimes it can drag on for too long. Some later battles take several episodes to complete, and this can become tedious at times. Final Words: If you like action-packed anime, then Bleach is definitely for you! If you really want to experience the whole story without filler interruption, then look up which episodes the filler seasons start and finish at and skip over them, or watch them after the main story. I would recommend that you not skip the Bount arc (the first filler) and the Regai arc, as they are the fillers that blend into the main story and they're actually really good! If you decide to start watching Bleach, prepare to be hooked by the end of the second season and know it gets better from there!
Squid Girl (Jump to title) - Overall: 10 - Violence Rating: 2 - Nudity Rating: 3 - Theological Themes: 1 - Other Negative Themes: 2 Review The Invader Comes from the Bottom of the Sea...and Quickly Conquers our Hearts! I have to admit, I started watching Squid Girl (Shinryaku! Ika Musume!) because I was curious and bored at the time, but this adorable Slice-of-Life series quickly became one of my favorite animes! The show focuses on the misadventures of Squid Girl, a humanoid squid who decides to invade the surface world to punish Humanity for polluting the oceans. However, her plans are quickly derailed once she sets her tentacles on dry land. Her first target for invasion happens to be a seaside snack bar owned by the Aizawa siblings: The two sisters Chizuru and Eiko and their younger brother Takeru. Rather than take her threats of impending world domination seriously, everyone mistakes her for a new waitress and she soon finds herself waiting tables instead of invading. Then, when she accidentally punches a hole in the store wall while squashing a mosquito, Eiko demands that she work for them until she can pay for the damages. As Squid Girl meets more Humans and learns about life on the surface, she grows more and more attached to the Aizawa family, and they to her. Squid Girl is designed to be a kid-friendly series, and as such there is very little objectionable content. Violence/Gore: This category gets a 2. There is no gore, and only mild slapstick violence in the show. One character who refuses to respect Squid Girl's personal space gets knocked away by her tentacles...repeatedly, and has the bruises and nosebleeds to prove it. (more on that character later...) On the other hand, Eiko tends to get rough with Squid Girl when she gets out of line, usually by yanking her tentacles or giving her a noogie. Nudity/Sexual Content: For a show that takes place almost entirely at the beach, there is actually no fanservice and very little innuendo at all. Many characters are shown in bikini swimsuits, but nothing overly provocative. One of the lifeguards has a crush on Chizuru, and it's hinted that he keeps pictures of her in his room. On a slightly stranger note, Eiko's friend Sanae becomes creepily obsessed with Squid Girl the moment they meet, and stalks her throughout the series. It's never mentioned whether Sanae's a lesbian, but her obsession with Squid Girl does get very strange at times, so that's why it gets a 3. Theological Themes: 1. In one episode, everyone hangs paper slips with wishes written on them for Tanabata. In another, they go to visit a giant Buddha statue, but there is no mention of any Eastern religious philosophy. Other: Again, this is a very clean show, so this category gets a 2 as well. Sometimes Squid Girl's lines can sound like she's swearing, she tends to say things like "What the squid are you doing?" or "That kraken hurt!" But there's little to no actual swearing. Things I Enjoyed: Squid Girl! Seriously, she has to be one of the most funny and adorable characters I've ever seen in an anime. The whole series has a very lighthearted, relaxed feel to it, and it's just plain fun to watch. Squid Girl makes a positive impact on the lives of the people around her, whether they always realize it or not. The bonds developed between Squid Girl and her new family are very sweet, but like any family they have to resolve conflict and work out their differences as well. Things I Disliked: One word: Sanae. As I mentioned above, her stalker behavior towards Squid Girl is the only thing I disliked about the show. Well, maybe the fact that it's only two seasons, too... Final Words: I don't usually watch a lot of Slice-of-Life anime, most of the time there's too much inappropriate content or it's just plain boring. But Squid Girl definitely ranks in the top 10 list of my favorite anime series. If you like Slice-of-Life series with a comedic mood and cute characters, than this is the show for you! Beware, if you start watching this series, prepare to have season 1's opening theme song stuck in your head for days!
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