A lot of the show is simply the characters speaking with one another, but these quainter moments are barely filled with movement. Seeing Yume’s butt, Shihoru’s breasts, and Merry’s legs, while each titillating in their own right, are not exactly relevant. He was smart. You don't get a free pass in the world, you still need to earn money to pay for lodgings and supplies. As a straight male, seeing the girls' different assets is more than welcoming. I would have tolerated the pairing more if the show hadn’t already paired Haruhiro and Yume together and if Ranta had been a bit more compassionate. Review by Nick Creamer, Apr 5th 2016. Titles are as sold in the West when available. This arrangement gives way to fiddle playing, back-and-forth lyrical singing, and some ending guitar work. Should we kill goblins today? The show basically doing away with Haruhiro and Yume’s intimate scene in episode five, and Ranta going back to his name-calling ways despite nearly dying only made me madder. Is there a government? What are you sayin'?! And it only got worse as it went along. Critiques are welcome. All because Haruhiro had that ideal to look up to. First, Grimgar : Ashes and Illusions is a japanese light novel series by Ao … Be civil and respect other people's opinions. Don't discuss past what the title says; if you already know what happens in the LN past what's been translated by J-Novel, don't ruin the fun for people who haven't read that far yet-- make sure to use spoiler tags if you want to allude to future events (see the sidebar). Nope. It starts off ethereal in tone thanks to the haunting vocalist and the calm build-up. Fear, survival, instinct. The whole world's most prominent feature is its red moon that no one even pays attention to! In other words, each battle isn’t a game, it’s literally a life-or-death situation – for both sides. BANJO! For Shihoru, she originally is very shy, almost scared. Grimgar can, in fact, prove otherwise. Manato likewise sits near the top. Uh....anyways the encounter with Merry's undead friends seemed like a logical step to me. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, http://myanimelist.net/profile/BanjoTheBear, http://myanimelist.net/animelist/Knee-chan, http://myanimelist.net/animelist/illuminatima. He can’t understand how the others are feeling like Manato could. They don’t know how they got there, and it’s not important. Action sequences are the same. Such lights add ambiance, a sense of familiarity and longing and happiness. The lack of world-building was also a gripe that I had. And Manato simply being a really nice person. It's one of the very few shows that I don't simply dislike, but also think is actually bad. #10 … Most interesting of all, though, is how the group stays within the same town for presumably weeks. Grimgar … The group not reacting to Haruhiro being alive and well, the relationships between many of the characters having not progressed all that much, and the uncertainty of what the group is meant to do next leave Grimgar ending on a questionable note. What is this, I've been lied to! Minecraft Skin. Yes, the culmination of their efforts which leads to that collective talk with Manato in front of his grave. And to be even more fair, they do bring up Ranta's remorseless way of taking spoils, but, yes, that's not on the same level as the group's for kill (or murder, depending on which side your on...). And let's not forget that the show tried to fool the viewer by not showing the arrow sticking from Manato's back for some inexplicable reason! Read the topic about Hai to Gensou no Grimgar Volume 14+ Discussion on MyAnimeList, and join in the discussion on the largest online anime and manga database in the world! I actually liked the visuals of the OP. It’s because of this that I was a bit skeptical of Grimgar of Fantasy And Ash which is another show about people who get transported to an MMO and have to deal with it. :). I have to read the novel/Wiki before i personally call bullshit on anything. Even the master had claimed that she saw them from time to time but seeing as she was a guild master she likely never particularly went out hunting monsters like that as often as Haruhiro did. The last stretch involves the mine and the myriad of conflicts that ensue. It doesn't drive the plot. It doesn't even drive the romance forward since, well, nothing ever fully blossomed there. At what point "should" a character be well defined versus just having a specific part to play? But that doesn’t mean they will always experience loss from then on. That small boat scene, Yume clinging onto Ranta out of fear for a brief second, and her I’m-totally-not-crying-about-Ranta-because-I-like-him-but-because-he’s-in-a-lonely-situation each made me shake my head at the anime’s implied thoughts. It also happens to be one of Grimgar’s highlights. Quite frankly I actually thought the lack of larger world-building was fitting, at least at this point. Neither does Haruhiro killing Death Spots. :P. Why are they insisting on the whole world being "harsh and cruel" when monsters never once threaten the town? Why are they insisting on the whole world being "harsh and cruel" when monsters never once threaten the town? Manato's "shocking" death had zero impact on me. :P. But I am with you. Title: Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash Vol. (pictured: The Devil is a Part-Timer!) Hey, just finished volume 3 of the light novels. Merry is without a doubt the strongest character that the anime includes. Granted, the show focuses more on this group and their mission rather than expanding its vision, and, indeed, they do realistically stay in one place the entire time. If you want, take part in the discussion below! Food costs money. After all, the show is trying to go for a realistic approach, so (as you say), the characters not worrying about the outside world means that we, the audience, shouldn't worry about the outside world as well. Nothing! To be fair, they do show Haruhiro training with Teacher Barbara (which I swear he calls here Bara-Bara after his first time showing us his glowy ability. :P, (Ashes to ashes! Its stylized, watercolor backdrops are splotched in their depiction yet serene in their feeling. Conflict arises between themselves, and Merry, their new party member, proves difficult to work with due to both parties’ resignations. … Indeed, that’s basically what happens. Grimgar's approach to the enemies is a fresh take for me, the enemies not being NPCs, but having personalities and lives made it all seem more real which made some of the encounters a bit harder to watch. There are basically 2 camps here. Despite the … As for the ending, it, too, has problems. I can't call bullshit on grimgar. I was just as confused as you were about her name, so I wandered over to her MAL page. This investigation covers roughly three-quarters of the show. We'll butt heads here the most I believe. As I said there, it would have been more than fine in my books had they 1) not already paired up Haruhiro and Yume (especially after the final, elongated scene in episode five) and 2) Ranta actually been nicer to just Yume (especially in the final episode after escaping death). 2 Author: Ao Jumonji (Story), Mitsumi Okubashi (Art), Eiri Shirai (Characters) Publisher: Yen Press Language: English Format: Paperback Pages: 240 Genre: Sci-Fi, Action Publication Date: October 31, 2017. Man, the weekend feels good. I enjoyed it from beginning to end because I just love sword and magic fantasy stories. Some titles may still use the Japanese original until an English title is announced. Granted, they could have been the bestest of friends, but that's something that we didn't really get from what the anime showed. Granted, I had always seen as Mary, too. All reviewed Anime listed in scoring order. I think either works, although, depending on one's attraction to Merry, it could be a hot point of contention. I was actually so against it that I even hesitated to put any examples involving them in my "Enjoyment" section because I didn't want to even indulge for a second them being together. At the minimum, they weren't around together long enough to bring everyone to a grinding halt both physically and mentally. I wanted to go more in-depth on this idea, but I didn't have the room. This is a good point that I never thought about. The Story. The goblin is as every bit out to kill them as they are him. That, at the very least, would give us more in terms of the spells, magic system, and world in general. A fantastical yet realistic narrative, roles and change for its characters, and pretty art are some of its highlights. My biggest gripe with this anime is pretty petty. The piece is both varied and passionate, crowning it as one of the better musical offerings. Story: Fine, a realistic portrayal of a fantastical setting sees highs in its mundane events and dramatic happenings and lows in its botched final stretch, lack of world-building, and unnecessary sexual content, Animation: Fine, beautiful art, nice character designs, and below average actual animation, Characters: Good, Merry stands on top, with Manato supporting Haruhiro’s development, Ranta, Mogzo, Shihoru, and Yume filling their roles well, and a theme on non-lasting loss threading between them, Sound: Good, good OP, good ED, good OST, and okay VA performances, Enjoyment: Fine, likable characters and emotions throughout, but forcing Yume’s romantic pairing is a no-go, Epilogue: Thanks for taking the time to read my review. Its difficult to break down how the skills work sadly because there is very little information in the anime regarding how they work and how they activate. Not wanting to be outdone, the ED goes in the opposite direction tonally. move isn't even the correct call out (I think. The Story. Somebody buy them some more underwear! Good to see you're against Yume x Ranta! As it appears Ranta can now Keijo!!!!! Her not being that strong of a fighter also doesn’t help her self-esteem much. It happened in episode eight, and one can probably guess which scene it is. Arguing against the idea that the anime is completely realistic is a fool’s errand. Would I like to see a second season? But through their own interpersonal problem and her, the group comes to understand that they, individually, are not the only ones experiencing hardship – everybody is. If nothing else, the preview piece – just the singular acoustic guitar – that played during (coincidentally enough) each preview was simple in its execution yet serene in its sound. Even though KonoSuba was more of a parody, it and Grimgar both nail down the fact that being an adventurer isn't easy. 1 Author: Ao Jumonji (Story), Mitsumi Okubashi (Art), Eiri Shirai (Characters) Publisher: Yen Press Language: English Format: Paperback Pages: 224 Genre: Sci-Fi, Action Publication Date: June 20, 2017. But I usually go with MAL's spelling for "consistency" sake. Actually, why don't they all just band together and kill all the enemies? Such "nakedness" lets us "see" more of their characters, how they act when "laying bare," in those brief moments. He’s a rude, mean guy, and she’s a funny, lovable girl. Hai to Gensou no Grimgar is a rather unique watch. I went with Merry for MAL-consistency sake. It’s “just one goblin,” but, as the group immediately discovers, it’s not that simple. Loved the leisurely pace that let me really sink into the mindsets of the characters. Considering the show's slow pace and focus on down-to-earth moments one would expect the magic system to be similar to that. I thought it was really interesting when they killed the first goblin and it was really taxing on them mentally and morally. ...would be kicked faster than you could ask "What would Manato do?". Oh wait, Goblins killed Manato..." cue 30 seconds of sad silence. In other words, I find that a character doesn't have to necessarily be "well defined" in the beginning-middle-end character-arc sense. Now that's something we can always agree on! It did seem as though they were a bit too attached to him. However, whether due to the extensive care given to the art itself or just not having enough resources, the Grimgar’s animation can honestly be tough to watch on occasion. Suffice it to say that I can understand this line of thinking. That whole altercation and idea in general was easily a highlight of the anime. The astute or the quick to point out would argue that, no, Grimgar is not realistic. The realism is. She’s floated from group to group without staying for very long. They’re not complex characters whatsoever, but they’re likable nonetheless. Hai to Gensou no Grimgar - Haruhiro [poncho-less version in desc.] The group’s struggles don’t stop after Manato’s death. If I had to choose between a regular bed and one of those beds, I would choose the former every time. Go check them out! If there's no army then what prevents adventurers from just taking over the world? Sometimes we have to accept the reality presented to us – no matter how harsh it may be. I like Ranta’s character, but I don’t like his personality. He was someone that they all looked up to in one way or another – and nobody more so than Haruhiro. :D. Thanks for the comment, ill. And please make sure to answer my questions with those spoilers (if you can). Once again, human down-to-earth moments provide an excellent opportunity to make the world more believable and show us how the world operates, how people in it live their daily lives, etc. Or at least the person who says what’s really on everyone’s minds. I can accept that. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, Press J to jump to the feed. Format: 1.8+ Only Skin 64x64 Model: Alex (3 pixel arms) playlist_add. Beyond my frustration and the cast, one moment in particular got to me. She deserves way better. Despite me feeling that way, it doesn’t make Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash a bad series. He was hardly one. The only ship I was really okay with was Mary x Haru. And Yume combines both with her redder colors symbolizing her warmth and her attractiveness through simplicity. I thought the fight scenes were done really well, and had a really good sense of actual danger to them, but the dialogue bits were really boring sometimes. Anything else is not acceptable!!! She’s changed from the likable, carefree girl she used to be. It has to be she ends up with Haruhiro, Merry and Yume end up with Haruhiro, or Yume ends up with a different, new character altogether. Everything else felt lacking in terms of creativity. Why? It’s slow, filled with just a piano and the vocalist for nearly half the track. One of the biggest errors the anime makes is in Merry’s resolution. I never was on the Yume x Haru ship. How does it work? Perhaps the most surprising is the lack of world-building. Shihoru’s sweetness. Where fantasy games include downtime, it's rarely seen as "relaxing" or even "lifelike." ...where things you normally do in a fantasy game without a second thought (like killing a basic grunt) have completely different effects on the individual when done in person. Haruhiro has been training himself to basically fill the hole that was left by a lack of leader as well as their "grinding" for (assumed) weeks on end with the Goblins. If you see a missing review below, … Trying to survive on the highway with maniac drivers on a daily basis represents one more day to live. ), (And if you like lounging around, follow me on Twitter @thechuunicorner!). I hope you enjoy the review and the discussion that follows! In fact, Mogzo's "Thank you!" Don't downvote because you don't agree; downvotes are only meant to be used on comments that don't contribute to the discussion. I don't like his personality, by the way. And, if nothing else, him sacrificing himself for his friends, much like Manato and Merry’s former leader did, easily prove how much of a leader he has become. ...but the dialogue bits were really boring sometimes. Seeing Yume’s butt, Shihoru’s breasts, and Merry’s legs. MAL has it as Merry, and Crunchyroll used Mary. :P, Once again, human down-to-earth moments provide an excellent opportunity to make the world more believable and show us how the world operates, how people in it live their daily lives, etc. Grimgar Of Fantasy And Ash Season 2 Release Date: As stated earlier, Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash receives mostly positive review. Nope. I could cheer for her all day. The OP is a welcome addition to Grimgar. Holy fuck, how could a show called Grimgar of FANTASY and Ash that spends so much fucking time showing slower and down-to-earth moments, fail so miserably at crafting even a tiny bit compelling or interesting world?! Smaller issues also exist, such as some of the dialogue relying a bit too much on “Yeah…” and none of the apparent romance getting followed through on. You are right again. Some scenes involving him made me laugh, but they were almost always at the expense of his person, usually in the form of a teasing insult. Manato doesn't, but that doesn't make his character bad since his death serves a narrative purpose as well as a character purpose (for other characters, specifically Haruhiro). Would you like to submit a guest review? I thought her name was Mary?! Except Harurhiro. In most fantasy games, you die and come right back to life. In fact, I would argue that the only good "dialogue" was between Haruhiro and himself. "Hey guys! The realistic portrayal continues to the group themselves. For me, in this case, I felt that Manato was used appropriately and accordingly, ending up as one of the better characters in the show overall for this reason. Grimgar has some beautiful background art. In the Cyrene Mine, she literally finds her old companions, saving them from themselves which, in turn, saves herself from herself. Just Rakugo to go and then my Top 10 for the season. I.e., fan-service. Otherwise, his skill trainer has a weird sense of humor.) 6 thoughts on “ Review: Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash (Vol 1) ” … But then the anime throws in, without warning, her now-undead previous group. Shut up and take another fucking montage! But these moments are merely passable whereas the offending ones are wholly unacceptable. A small chat on a bridge with some birds. Mogzo’s easygoing attitude and “Thank You!” attacking. That’s Manato’s best contribution: He allows Haruhiro to grow as a person. It was telegraphed from the very beginning, so it was impossible to get attached to Manato's character. Thanks for the comment, Smurf. Mostly in the wrapping-up department. But you are right again. By far, it's the most realistic take on "trapped in a fantasy world / MMO." share. It’s a gradual process, a realistic process, which slowly melts her icy exterior. Ships from and sold by … In the end, her cries for Haruhiro, her friendliness towards the others, and simply the smile on her face demonstrate that she has fully progressed as a character, proving the high level of execution in her arc. Some have color symbolism: Shihoru’s lavender coloring represents her sweetness, Merry’s blue coloring represents her (initial) coldness, and so on. They can sometimes have continuity errors or even long still-frames to give the appearance of dynamism. For Ranta, he is the voice of reason. This added piece of realism, that surviving in a fantasy world is tough, really adds to both series (though in completely different way for both). Unfortunately, Grimgar somewhat drops the ball (or, maybe in this case, drops the sword). As though the show already knew in advance that she and the group would not be taking out Death Spots, so they had to come up with something to get her over her mental block. I love Grimgar. I'd like to hear your thoughts! 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Link | MAL Fantasy games include downtime, it comes down to drawing that line, not her. Impossible to get better at reviewing/analyzing anime with Ranta normal yet relatable looks there did n't quite Yume. Seeing him cry after killing the goblin is one of Grimgar’s highlights remorse since enemy... In one way or another – and nobody more so than anybody else with this anime is realistic. To disrupt the group immediately discovers, it’s better than any goblin could! Sloppy – she was meant to defeat death Spots, not dispel her old friends 's appearances, compromise... Represents one more day to live `` dialogue '' was between Haruhiro and Mogzo so! Honestly probably the most realistic take on `` trapped in a Fantasy world / MMO. the.! The last stretch involves the mine and the calm build-up death makes it appear as though they n't... Them or simply being aloof and apologies about Merry/Mary 's name spelling!!!... 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