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While going through my backlog I realized I never watched Twelve kingdoms all the way through, when looking at concept art and reviews from the show I couldn't remember anything about it. To the point where I couldn't even tell if I had even attempted to watch it.
This week I proceed to watch the first few episodes then it hit me, I must have rented the first volume for this anime from Blockbuster or Netflix when I was younger which must have contained the first 6 or so, back when that was a thing. And for 1 of 2 reasons I did not continue it, ... either it was horrible or they only had volume 1, regardless it was not amazing or I would have gone to the 7 seas to find it even as a child, as renting Vol 1 anime was more of a exposure to things then anything.

So here I am watching the first few episodes and it all comes back to me, this show is horrible. Don't get me wrong, the animation is peak late 90's Golden age animation, and this came out before Modern anime destroyed the isekai genre. However this anime is plagued with the old English dub problem that its just awful to listen to that most non-OVA anime went through from about the 80s to 2010ish. Anything for this 30 or so year period you know was going to be terrible if in English unless it was randomly praised for having a good dub which was rare and stands out. And the pacing, my god this shows pacing in the first 5 episodes is pretty unbearable, things just happens, there's no reasoning. The intro to the first episode is also horrible, tis a bit too artsy and nonsensical.
I have nothing to watch right now, so I will give it a few more episodes as this has a 8.01/10 on here and that's a bit impressive for a 22yo amine, also just wanted to write down my thoughts. I will add more to this unless nothing changes lol

5.5/10

I am very confused how this got a 8.07/10, this show is extremely mid by todays standard, Okay graphics and animation, okay character design, sub par plot, not great pacing, and tropes up the butt. However the thing that kept me going was the use of early 2000/2010 gaming humor that I dont hear alot these days, as someone that played alot of Vanilla wow, RuneScape, Ultima Online and FFXI some of the plot devices were amusing enough. I would say the first 13 or so episodes were a solid 6/10... maybe even a 6.5/10... but around episode 15 I realized there was a drop ... in quality that I cannot put my finger on, which really perplexes me. The drop in quality comes down to somewhere between 4.5 to 5.5 / 10 at most points, so I will average it out with the best parts at 5.5/10. And as I say in most reviews, 5/10 is average, so this is technically better then the average show, at least in its genera.

Honestly unless you are or were a huge MMORPG fan, I would just hard skip this one and save yourself the time, I doubt I will watch the next season unless I can confirm it gets better. 🤷‍♀️

5.75/10

So this show is all about the fights, and when compared to shows that have come out recently like JJK or Chainsaw man, or newer one piece this show really falls flat. You could probably skip around and watch just the fights and be satisfied, but the bar is so high now for battle Shonen type shows (yes I know its Manhwa) that you can probably skip this one.

As far as the characters and story, everything is just so bland, flat and unredeeming. The most redeeming part of the story is it is not a haram (yet) and there is no real fan service. The ... show is also quite graphic/gory which isnt too much of a draw for me, I can take it or leave it personally.

All that being said, 5/10 is average and this show is certainly ever so slightly above that mark. hurray I suppose.

6.75/10
This season was the weakest by far, with 1 being an amazing start and 2 being a fine sequel and the 3rd just being fine. However when I take a step back and look at the story as a whole it truly deserves my 7/10 rating and anyone that knows how I rate that is pretty high, because as everyone should know 5/10 is average and most things truly sit around that mark.

This show really uses the isekai genre well unlike most shows, and this truly does not feel like the copy and paste genre that most anime memes on for. I am looking ... forward to the next season and I truly hope that it has an upward trajectory or atleast plateaus instead of this downward one we are on.

7.0/10
I gave the 1st season/beginning of the story a 7.5/10 and think where the story transitions over to focus of the church vs family was a bit of a downgrade, but still enjoyable none the less. Whereas the first season revolves around Main’s relationship with her family and local friends, the second season mainly focuses on Main’s relationship with the church and her retainers.

I watched the first 30 or so episodes /40 in one sitting for a plan ride, so where each season lies is a bit fuzzy. That being said, season 1+2 really felt like it should have been released together, there is a ... clear change from season 2-3 that is more obvious to me, and I know I would have been very disappointed if I had to wait however long in the air gap of season 1-2. The very first season of Myne putting on the magic devise to share memories is the last season 2 scene and it really comes together.

During season 1 I thought the use of her getting sick and blacking out was a really good tool for scene change or time skips, but it feels so much more forced in Season 2 and 3. The characters in the church also feel like more stereotypical rather then the first season.

By the time Myne is in the church, no one really treats her like a child, by this point she's like 7 or something and its getting a bit ridiculous that most new characters are just like "yes, genius lvl child that acts like an adult... yes this is fine"

Over all I am still enjoying the show and I will see it through assuming it does not fall bellow this quality.

7.5/10
I crammed Both Season 1+2+part of 3 on one plane ride so my line of where the shows "breaks" are a bit fuzzy. I was very surprised when I found this show, and how much I enjoyed it. It took my favorite parts of most isekai and just ran with it, but managed to discard all the bad parts.

The beginning of the show just skips right to the start of the story and doesn't have a whole lot of pandering to the audience and lets you the viewer slowly digest the world as this small girl grows up, a bit similar to Jobless Reincarnation. Then ... the character only naturally with perseverance paves her way to add luxuries to her world that surrounds her by re-inventing all a manor of things. It is also very amusing as the character grows up poor and sickly, with no means of anything from money, tools, and physical prowess. Watching them go from nothing to something is very enjoyable. This is a bit similar to parts of Konosuba or Eminence in Shadow, but alot better done and with alot more detail that is easily digestible. The story too goes over the economic impact which is a bit similar to spice and wolf.

I really really enjoy all the "boring" parts that they go through, There is some action. And by the time season 3 rolls around it does pick up a bit, but it is never the focus.

Overall I am very happy with the series and I do plan to follow the show till it ends, which is not something I can say for all on going shows.

6.5/10
Felt like a better 'Gun Slinger girls' but also some how slice of life ~ John Wick but Anime. Had a beginning, middle and end and a decent conclusion, for a 13 ep series that makes me quite happy.

The show was just fun and cute and overall as much as it was exclusively targeted towards anime fans also felt like it made fun of everything which I enjoyed immensely. The animation was top tier. The characters could have used a bit more fleshing out, as many of them were walking stereotypes/tropes.

It was just a good time, and the little bit of philosophy ... was a nice touch.

7/10 I hate that I enjoyed this

Im not usually one for Romcoms, especially when it comes to anime. I would prefer a full blown drama like Nana or something. Despite that as someone with a sewing background and have had a parallel lifestyle to the hole cosplay thing. So it was all to relatable for me. Marin was certainly written and animated to be 'Best girl', and I normally HATE characters like Gojo however he was not an audience’s insert which I deeply enjoyed. Inserts for audience are my all time least favorite character's. This kid has hopes and dreams and enjoys life... it ... was all refreshing to see.


Gojo is NOT an audience’s insert. I was of this sentiment when the show first started airing. I genuinely believed that this anime was nothing more than “Loner, introverted, average-looking dude with no friends meets cute, popular and outgoing girl that everyone will simp for”. Well, thankfully I was proven wrong. Gojo is a realistic character, he has a passion for making hina dolls, and i think this is where My Dress-up Darling shines the most. It captures what having a passion looks like really well in both Marin and Gojo. Gojo's attention to detail to the level of near-obsession and his perfectionist yet intimate standards of "beauty" is something I can personally relate to, and I'm sure literally anyone that is fervent about a hobby can also see themselves to varying extents in Gojo. He is still flawed in his work, he can't draw faces well, largely due to his lack of social interaction, because no one is perfect at anything, there will always be room for improvement.

I think the two leads bounce off each other really well. The saying “opposites attract” fits really well here. Gojo is introverted, and Marin helps him break out of his shell. Marin can’t make cosplay outfits, despite wanting to cosplay characters, and Gojo helps realize that passion for her. Marin is eccentric and somewhat impulsive, whereas Gojo is more grounded, which does help them in a lot of situations. It makes for an enjoyable dynamic as they complement each other really well, and they cover for the other’s flaws.

A largely overlooked reason that it is so beloved is because many people, myself included, agree with the themes and the overall message of the narrative. It is not subtle at all with its intent of preaching the message “Don’t be ashamed of liking whatever you want”. It’s something that surely everyone can agree with. Back in the days when anime was not as popular as it is today, and it even still happens today, it’s not uncommon for anime fans to be ostracized by others on the sole basis for liking anime, and I think this show speaks to them on a personal level. It’s refreshing, and it’s always uplifting to have one’s hobbies validated, no matter how weird it may be perceived to be.

Now, clearly from the score, I also have some criticism to lobby here, and now I'll explain why some people may not like this show, and the gripes that I personally have.

The characters. Wait, wasn’t I just gushing about how good the characters were? Well, let’s start with Marin, while parts of her personality are relatable, she’s an unrealistic character. No sane person, no matter how whimsical or capricious, would stalk a dude that they have just met and barge into his house, uninvited. No sane person, no matter how whimsical or capricious, would accidentally rent a love hotel and mistake it for a photography studio. Her outright stupidity at times is used as a plot device to get them into the situation that the author wants when there is no other seamless way to do it. It makes some of the funny moments feel really convenient. As for Gojo, he comes off as a typical, generic nice guy romcom protagonist in the first few episodes, it was only later on when i started to really like him, not to mention, his “sad” backstory in order to get the audience to sympathize with him and justify his introverted Ness comes out of nowhere, when we barely know the guy. It can seem manipulative, and I really didn't buy this introductory episode. I unfortunately could not empathies with him as an introverted loner, and I ended up liking Gojo for other reasons.

The fanservice. I hate to be that guy who comes off as “the fanservice hater”, because I do not hate fanservice in general. However, I do dislike the fanservice in My Dress-up Darling. In ep 2, for example, Gojo was clearly uncomfortable with Marin when she stripped to get him to “take her measurements”. The scene was clearly contrived for fanservice, and when it's at the expense of someone’s dignity, it does not sit well with me. The love hotel in ep 11 once again was contrived to provide the usual romcom hijinks. Once again, Gojo, the voice of reason, was against the idea of them, being minors, spending time in a love hotel. However, Marin replied with “yeah, if you’re normies”, and then pulled out the sunk cost fallacy argument, which is just really helpful in assuaging these kinds of concerns. This “fanservice” that the show has does not add much enjoyment to it for me. On the contrary, it can be annoying at times and I really think this show could have done without the fanservice.

Overall, I think My Dress-up Darling was a really enjoyable ride. However, it’s far from perfect, and there were parts of it that hampered an otherwise amazing show. While I'm willing to overlook most of the flaws and i think the show is good for the most part, I would ABSOLUTELY NEVER feel safe recommending this to the average person, for obvious reasons."

7.0/10
First of all this is a reboot of the 2003's version of the anime, both were adapted from a light novel written back in 2000.
Disclaimer: I have not scene or read the other 2 pieces of media.

That all being said this show was an adventure, it made me sad, it made me laugh and saying 'wtf' a few times. The show really is self-aware with all its jokes and lore which I really appreciate. Really feels like a collection of short stories and there is kinda a over arching story, but over all most of the episodes could be watched in almost any ... order to get a similar effect. Some of the side characters do advance forward, but Kino and Hermes could almost be placed in any random episode at any time and it would make sense. The show does quite a good job showing you how awful the world can be, but despite that you can still enjoy life and move forward in life. I really resonated with this fact and the whole thing kinda felt like an allegory for depression. I too know a show is good when at the end I say to myself... "wait, thats it?!" and this was certainly one of those moments. Would not say this was particularly a master piece by any means, I believe there are other pieces of media that convey the various emotions much better, but it was not bad, not even close. Over all it was a good exsperiance and I would recommend this.

Feels weird that the closest thing I could compare this to, would be Mushishi, despite not liking that one.

5.5/10
This felt like watching a Shojo's interpretation of Gundam with out the mechs but keep the Space Opera and add in elements of Medieval fantasy.

The show felt like it needed a total of about 40-80 episodes to really tell the story it wanted, the premise is actually really neat, but constrained into 26 ep, and they felt the need to have the endless amounts of early 2000's anime tropes, it really felt rushed, especially the ending.

That being said if you are looking for a space Opera and want it to focus more on the drama and romance, this was a decent enough pick. ... Just ignore the fact that space, the void that kills all life is not an optical in this story and you will probably enjoy it. I just wish someone at least mentioned that they dont need a normal suit like Char Aznablel did that one time lol