I know most people don't respond well if you say something negative about their favorite show but I can't help it. If you like it I'm glad for you (really) but please allow me my opinion.
I am one of those who doesn't think that this is THE best show ever. It's not even the best sitcom in my opinion. It had its moments but not many. Maybe it isn't fair to judge it 25 years after the fact because that is a long time in TV land and things change. But most of the stuff I dislike has nothing to do with timeframe.
First, why this is called Friends is beyond me. Those are the most dishonest, selfish, egoistic and sometimes even mean group of people I've seen on TV. They constantly try to withhold stuff and most of the comedic situations spawn from that. I don't see where it is funny to go behind your friends backs. There are those moments where there behave like friends should, but those come usually after they screwed up.
Than there is the characters. I've written in some episode's comment that Ross is the most obnoxious character I've ever seen on TV. And I've seen my share. And there is WAY too much of him and Rachel who I also disliked deeply. They pull down every episode they're in which is pretty much every episode. That constant back and forth, the bickering and their pretensious behaviour is so annoying. Joey was funny at first but that wears out fast once you get past 50 episodes. Very one-dimensional. I don't even know what to say about Chandler because he is that bland. Monica went from "I don't care" through "I kinda like her" but ultimately annoying. Phoebe I liked until she, too, got the I-need-to-marry virus. Until that she was honest in that she didn't care what others thought about her and just made her thing. Alltogether there was little character developement in any of them. I couldn't connect with them and was more interested in what guest stars might turn up next.
And what it is anyway with all the girls need to find guys to marry and get babies and the guys needing to score? It is a good thing there wasn't any social media available because with all those gay and trans jokes there would have probably been a lot of heat.
That laughing track is way over the top. It accompanied literally every sentence. It even ruined jokes by starting to early. And what is wrong with building up an emotional moment and going through with it instead of ruining it with a bad joke ?
So, why did I watch, and even complete, it ? It's simple. And I mean that in the true sense of the word. You don't have to pay close attention to the plot, f.e. you don't have to stop it if the phone rings, you can even skip an episode completely. It's like having a radio playing in the background. Sometimes reading the synopsis was as interesting as the actual episode. Let's be honest: continuity, logic and depth of story were not the trademarks of Friends. It is full of holes and errors. But it fitted my daily schedule. I could drop in a couple of episodes here and there. And I punished myself a little bit because I went out and bought the whole series at once. Had I watched the first season first I would stopped there and then.
This is the longest review I've written in a while which shows I thought about this show a lot. I like versitality, it would be boring if every show was the same. That doesn't stop me though from speaking my mind. This is a love or hate kind of show. I don't hate it as such. But there were only just one or two episodes a season I think were more than average. It became better towards the end (either that or I caved) but it was an effort to get through and I am glad I'm done with.
This show has nothing exceptional about it at all. It's pretty lame and cookie cutter. Disappointing.
How this has become a discussion about two very different shows, I can't possibly understand. (Seriously, TRUE BLOOD and THE VAMPIRE DIARIES? It's like comparing HOUSE, MD and GREY'S ANATOMY.)
I started watching this show when I was most definitely a part of the target audience, and despite my initial fear of this show being a TWILIGHT rip-off (despite the fact that the books had been written before, which yes, would make it a "Follow the leader"; mainly because Book!verse differs vastly from TV!verse), its flaws are entirely different.
THE VAMPIRE DIARIES has a protagonist-centered morality, that, when it comes down to it, isn't caused by Elena Gilbert's gentle or loveable personality (of which's existence, by now, only the Salvatores seem to be entirely certain), but the fact that she's got the special kind of boobs. Her magic hooha is infamous among fans of PNR and UF, the hypocrisy of the characters one of the most fandom-intern-critizised points of the entire show.
Despite that, we still watch it, and once you've come to the point where you hate a show with a passion, yet can't wait for the next episode, you do wonder why that is. (Or at least I do.) The heteronormativity, the lack of POCs, the annoying protagonist and love-triangle, the melodrama, the patheticly obvious loop-holes and inconsistencies. Even the beautiful and rather talented actors and actresses (and amazing music (and yes, to be fair, the few very well-written and often well-directed episodes) shouldn't be able to make up for it, right?
But in the end, the show is what the HOUSE OF NIGHT series is in the PNR bookworld. It might suck, it might be immature, sex-negative, and downright awful at times, but it's also compelling. I can't help but react to the insanities that ensue, and even though it probably isn't what the writers and creatores intended, my hatred for certain characters and the misery I feel everytime they mess an magnificent concept up beyond repair, are what keeps me coming back.
In other words, if you are looking for a well-written, sex-positive, 21st century TV-show whose writers you can trust, look somewhere else. If you want a guilty pleasure "Jesus, why do they all look so good, and wth, how is this his voice?"-experience, THE VAMPIRE DIARIES should definitely do. (Then again, shows like LOST GIRL, TEEN WOLF, and BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER are, at this point, easier to recommend with a clean conscience.)
(That isn't to say the show isn't enjoyable. Especially if you are less involved, are able to be entertained by shows despite their influence on particular people, or don't question the characters' and writers' decisions, it should be a show you might come to like.)
I have been watching the big bang Theory ever since it first aired. Being an IT student at the time, the uncomfortable social situations and nerdy jokes spoke to me. However, much has changed throughout the seasons, more about that later.
We start out with our four nerdy main characters. There is the recognizable fact of the three people with higher degrees (PHD holding Sheldon, Leonard and Raj) who make fun and feel themselves better than "simple" engineer Howard. There is the desperate search for love coming from both Howard and Raj, and the differentiation between the confident yet single Howard and the timid, uncertain just-as-single Raj. Sheldon is the one who has no sense of what's going on around him, and is only interested in his own world. Leonard is the humble cute guy who manages to get a date from time to time, an inspiration to Howard and Raj, although his on/off fling with Leslie gives us the impression that he isn't really that successful after all.
Then we have the obvious babe, Penny, the complete opposite of our four nerds. She makes something stir in all three of them, but follows the cliché of going out with the "wrong" men, being dumb, and ignoring their advances.
Even though these are all cliche’s, the inside jokes and the disarming clumsiness of the four guys made the first seasons well worth watching. Gradually however, as the show became more popular, the writers started to abandon what once made it so.
With the introduction of Bernadette and Amy the female characters are drastically expanded, but they don't add any real value to the show. Bernadette is the caricature of Howards mother, where as Amy is an attempt to make Sheldon look more human. At the same time, we go from a show with it's own flair to a one-in-a-dozen sitcom. The laughing tape went from being an accessory to being the main engine of the show. The characters became aware they were going to make a pun and started smiling like idiots before they said it, and laughing like people high on weed after someone made it. The longer this series continues, the more painful it becomes to watch. The lines that are supposed to be jokes are simply not funny. The acting and stereotyping are more bearable in a highschool play. And, as stated in another review made before this one, the show changes from laughing with the characters to laughing at the characters. From a nerdy show to a show about nerds.
Conclusion: if you're looking for some nerdy fun, watch the first three or four seasons. After that, it gets the same illness so many American shows suffer from, namely that it becomes a cash cow for the producers and starts a long, painfully slow, continuously prolonged process of dying a silent dead.They never seem to know when to end something great instead of going on to make it something mediocre.
This show ruined television for me. Any other show and all I can think is Why am I not watching BoJack instead? It took me about half a season to start enjoying it, but once it hit me, it hit me like a long, hard kick in the urethra. Really, this is the only TV show that regularly brings tears to my eyes. I've become completely obsessed with it.
An over the top anime that should not be missed, Mob Psycho 100 is based on a simple boy with unlimited psychic powers, yet wanting only a normal life. The animation is fantastic and the story keeps up an action packed pace that keeps you glued to the screen, just like One Punch Man but with a story you get invested in.
It is a rollercoaster ride that you shouldn't miss and Mob Pyscho 100 is just one of those shows that you can't help watching nonstop.
Just done with this. Although I can't say I love it as a whole series or among my favorite comedies, this is surprisingly sturdy the whole way through. Even its worst season (in its late run) has at least one great episode and a few very good ones sprinkled throughout. Above all though, this has to be among the most perfect comedy ensemble castings ever? Not a weak link here, which carries it some way through even at its worst writing. I've seen comment here and there that often singles out Kudrow at the only "real" actor of the cast, which must be career retrospective bias or otherwise it's insane, since all work so well individually and together from the start, and honing their skills over time as the series progresses and even as their characters become more caricatures. Ross as a character, for example, regresses bad around the time of his second marriage crumple in Season 5, but that conversely frees Schwimmer up for some of the best physical bits ever in the show.
Not ranking the cast (genuinely can't do it at the moment), but (alphabetic) praise for each:
Aniston - best dramatic acting
Cox - best (barely suppressed) manic energy
Kudrow - best throwaway airiness/non-sequiturs
LeBlanc - best facial expression/reaction
Perry - best line delivery
Schwimmer - best physical comedy
Having finally finished my slow burn of this series all I can do is agree with other comments here. This series offers a sense of tranquillity when watching that I have rarely seen anywhere else. You just get absorbed into sometimes dreamlike atmosphere of it all. Each episode is somewhat self-contained and you really never know how it will end. Some end on a happy note, some on a sorrowful one, some are more ambiguous or bitersweet.
The message throughout is very much that Mushi are not malevolent or evil, they are just like forces of nature, and can be harmful or helpful to humans. Each story is more about how people deal with these things, with Ginko travelling around and helping where he can.
With a second season just around the corner all I can really do is repeat other people's recommendations - if you haven't already, watch this series.
This show is streets ahead.
The first three seasons is where it's at, after that it becomes formulaic. Characters become caricatures of themselves which is disappointing. In saying that though, the cast have such a great dynamic together.
Friends is really easy to watch, which for me has ultimately become it's drawback, as I've seen the episodes too many times. I find myself getting annoyed with the characters now more often than I did 10 years ago, which has altered my perception of the show. Seinfeld's strength is Friends' weakness, given Seinfeld has no overarching storyline (with minor references in some episodes to past episodes), the episodes become standalone, giving Seinfeld the unparalleled advantage on focusing purely on the characters and their nuances in certain situations.
A beautiful tale of the price of glory and pressure society puts upon its greatest artists. But it is also a reminder to hold tight to those closest to you.
8/10
Emotionally and visually appealing, this show is a great example of how to do a post-apocalyptic tale with children. It brings the charm from another anime that has not long since aired, 'Made In Abyss'. Having an atmosphere of everlasting chaos, it manages to lighten the mood with the innocent discovery of the two young characters as they traverse the old broken world around them. It leaves me feeling sad and happy that these two will not experience some things, yet, they are happy with each other and have fun finding new things. But with new discoveries come consequences. Which is where the series really shines. Having a darker side to an already undertoned tragic story. Really making you feel for the girls and wanting to continue with them on their tour of the land of before. From its large scale of landscapes, it still isolates you with the girls in this empty world. Still having myself engrossed in the experience though. Truly a great anime overall that really couldn't be told any other way. Which is what anime should be about.
Initially I thought it was another "Cute Girls doing Cute Things" type of anime but half way through the show I changed my opinion. Both the story and the anime was impressive and really stood out. A lot of things were left unclear so I'm hoping for further seasons to come.
I would definitely recommend everyone to watch this.
Wow... This is such a great anime, too bad that it's underrated :(
Please give this anime a try if you have the time! One of the best animes I've ever seen tbh.
Ranking of Kings is a life lesson!
Not only is it a quite original anime with its particular character design.
The young prince Boji teaches us that no matter how hard the life is, no matter how much people make fun of you, you must always keep smiling and move forward to achieve your goal.
It is not because everyone tells you that it is impossible and that you will never succeed that it will necessarily be the case.
Boji has proven us that if you put enough effort and willpower, nothing is impossible!
This is not the only thing that this series teaches us.
It also discusses the theme of forgiveness and friendship.
After the betrayal of Domas, can and should Boji forgive him?
After all those bad things Miranjo has done and after all those things she has endured, is it really impossible to forgive her?
These are really interesting questions that the anime is dealing with.
This anime is a real jewel, you will not be disappointed to discover it.
Another reboot with Seth McFarlane like animation is unnecessary when this show already was a funny reboot. The show finally made Fred interesting with him actually as the oddball of the group.
I strongly recommend watching this series on Netflix.
For all the Slice of Life Genre fans, this is the one you must watch!!!!
"The Midnight Gospel" is a weird series. On the one hand, the animation is beautiful, abstract and imaginative. But on the other, the podcast philosophy talks are hard to focus on. I still hear the full conversations, but now and then, it sounds more like noise, and I let the animation carry me. It's an odd yet strangely relaxing series.
This show is absolutely phenomenal. Rise of the TMNT is similar in tone and execution to the DuckTales 2017 reboot. This takes characters that were relatively flat (don't get me wrong, I loved the 80s run back in the day) but injects so much more life and personality and depth into all of these characters. Their relationship is much more believable that they are all brothers, with Splinter as more of a comical dad figure. The bold creativity reflects in their new different designs: Raphael is a giant snapping turtle, Mikey an ornate box turtle, Donnie is a soft-shelled turtle (which gives him the excuse to create interchangeable tactical shells), while Leo gets the best character overhaul, a red-eared snapper turtle who isn't just the notoriously boring leader and is arguably the funniest character (what!?). In fact, Leonardo isn't even the leader in this, and Rise of the TMNT is could also be considered the rise of Leonardo as a leader. The animation itself is beautifully stylized and has some GREAT action scenes (the best of all TMNT series) they don't rely on trotting out the same villains beyond Shredder and The Foot. It's a creative and lovingly-crafted interpretation of the Ninja Turtles that honors its past but forges ahead on its own path. Oh, and it's actually FUNNY.
Joyful sigh.
“Over the Garden Wall.”
I love animation. The way it bends and threatens to transform into different shapes. The distinct art styles and unique interpretations of reality. It allows us to see things reality won’t let us, either because it’s difficult to see or impossible. I love it all.
It’s the spooky season, and what better way to start it off than by watching a spooky little animated series? A friend o’ mine told me about “Over the Garden Wall” back in 2019. But here in Australia, it wasn’t available on any streaming services at the time. Well, it’s available now, and I’m pleased to say I loved it.
Although it’s not Autumn here in Australia, this show gives you its fair share. Forests, bluebirds, pumpkins. All the strange characters our heroes meet on their journey are as zany as they are weird. It’s a peculiar show, but it feels familiar somehow.
The art style evokes old-timey animation; the 20s. The music, with soothing strings and Gregory’s catchy tunes, just sends me back in time. The eyes and some of the character designs remind me of Cuphead.
If you can watch the series, I highly recommend it. It’s only 10 episodes, and each episode is around 12 minutes long. It plays well episodically (at first, I watched one each day), but it also plays well while bingeing. I know my score doesn’t show it, but I wouldn’t change anything about this series. I adore it.
"Infinity Train" is... special. "Infinity Train" is unique. When I first got into this show, I was pleasantly surprised by how it provided consistent, short storytelling.
Season 1 is a good start, with a singular protagonist (who couldn't be more "the hero") as they change the entire train world by the season's end.
I fell in love with the series in Season 2. This season had two protagonists: Lake and Jesse. Both faced struggles I deeply relate to, and it continues the theme of friendship in a beautiful way.
Season 3 was the darkest and all the more interesting for it. It also had two protagonists, Grace and Simon, as they both learned what "empathy" means, let alone "sympathy".
Season 4 toned it down a bit. It's my least favourite of the series, but it was far from bad, so it didn't end on a downer note. It still followed two protagonists as they grappled with their relatable issues.
"Infinity Train"'s cancellation makes me very sad. I hope Owen Dennis can continue it someday because I would love to see four more seasons of this beloved cartoon. Maybe I'll watch other Cartoon Network series, who knows?
8/10
Amazing show. Takes the whole concept of "magical girl" shows and throws it out the window. Very dark and emotional concepts thrown into a beautiful looking world with great characters. This is a must watch.
this anime ruined my entire life. i want 17 more seasons.
Did NOT expect to enjoy this show as much as I did. Serious emotional punches thrown into what feels like one great dream. Art is astoundingly good, music is great, characters are relatable, plot is amazing, but seriously, did I mention the art?
If you're like me and have been wondering whether or not you should watch Madoka for a while now, trust me: you definitely, undoubtedly should.
Season 1 was good, like a 9 for me. But season 2 was even better, no idea how they pull that off.
"If I'm just a normal person and you were beat by me, then what does that make you?"
This has to be my favorite anime of all time, and Mob has to be my favorite character ever. Mob is a boy with incredibly overpowered psychic powers, but he would rather develop himself as a person than rely on his powers for everything. This is the core message of the story, and one I felt like I needed. Mob doesn't want to be defined by an overwhelming strength in one aspect of life, but rather how he is in every facet of reality.
If you want see how white people were in 1994, this is the show to watch. Haha.
A really fun, mostly light-hearted show that wears its influences on its sleeves.
Amazing characters, actually funny jokes, a story I want to see more of, and superb animation at certain points.
Pacing is a bit of a mess in the first season, but hopefully this improves with time.
Edit: So almost halfway through season 2, the pacing has certainly improved much more than I expected it to.
Characters have continued to improve, story is progressing very well, and have I mentioned HOW FUNNY this show is?
Edit 2: Never updated for the end of the second season, but without spoiling anything going into the third season the plot is at a fantastic point.
