lolita71 - 2013-09-25 19:11:22

myrna.yundt - 2013-08-14 08:56:27

I am telling you if your just scrolling for reviews then don't bother because it's that damn good. Now if your looking for an anime with a massive story well your not really gonna find it here but what this anime depicts is 'not too refined' story line with the short episode count it has.

Animation was a big step in showing realistic explosions. Now be warned that if your not good at handling gore and blood then I suggest you turn away but if you like that kind of stuff than your going to have a fun time. Also just as a random point in the anime a fat guy 'try's' to get some from our man female protagonist Himiko (you will get what I mean in episodes 2 or 3 and this is not a spoiler) but I digress.

Sound was a meh for me but the explosions just pulled it a bit over the top this time :3.

Now I have to be a bit of a critic when writing this.

The characters were weak in parts that really needed to count and they really didn't stand the test of time. The main character's interaction was just too fun and just talking about development for our little bit, it was a full 180.

(Random criteria of the day) The OP was really fun for the first few episodes but the song was a bit too annoying but hey maybe some of you who read it will like it. If the OP was a bit better the overall score would have been a big change in my overall enjoyment of the show.

Just a fun, thrilling, action packed anime that will make you hang to the edge of your seat will having the biggest cliff hanger even recorded in anime history. Not including HOTD.

epowlowski - 2013-07-26 22:54:53

When i first watched this I thought it was going to be a classic video game like anime. But I was tooootally wrong. With all the action, Drama, and Romance that took place during the first episode to the last episode, I was blown away! I have not seen an anime quite like that in a long time. I some times go back to re-watch this show and every time i do, i still get blown away by the voice actors and art that took place in making this great anime.

sondricka - 2013-07-02 03:04:38

I expected Btooom! to be a fairly dull anime, but watched it on the off chance that it might surprise me. It did manage to surprise me, but only through being the biggest pile of shit I've ever forced myself to sit through.

There is nothing good or redeemable about this show. The setting is completely absurd, with nothing but the absolute flimsiest of premises presented in the hopes of warding off suspension of disbelief. The art and music are passable at best, and the characters are generally rather insulting approximations of actual human beings.

There's so very much wrong with this show. The premise of the show, fighting through hand-held bombs, is blown apart (that pun was entirely unintentional) by the bombs themselves. Their effectiveness varies drastically from scene to scene, generally being as effective as firecrakers, but suddenly blowing craters in the earth in the next scene.

Nothing pissed me off quite as much as the show's female characters, however. Btooom! takes Rape as Backstory to an insulting extreme, with female characters who exist entirely in the flimsiest of backgrounds, defined all but entirely by their abuse by males. Then the show decides to use the same characters for shameless fanservice.

And on top over everything, Btooom! doesn't even have an actual ending (yet). Please don't waste your time on this monstrosity (slight hyperbole).

tania79 - 2013-06-07 22:46:28

As a reader of the manga, I came into watching the Btooom! anime expecting alot. When I heard it was being made into an anime I was ecstatic. The thing about Btooom! that worried me the most was, nowadays, there are alot of "I'm in a video game!" anime out there, so for the anime Btooom! to come out now was pretty risky. But, since Btooom! isn't actually in a video game, it strays from the norm, and presents us with something new and exciting. Btooom! story wise, does have a video game undertone, but also has the psychological thrilling side like Battle Royale. I always like it when anime has alot of blood and gore in them, and Btooom! definitely has it's fair share. The story basically has to do with blowing each other up to survive, obviously I'm not going to tell you the whole plot, so if the explosions didn't blow people's limbs off, or even blow people up completely(which happens), then this anime would not be worth watching.The characters are great in Btooom!, and the characters are honestly the best thing in Btooom!. Characters ranging from murderers, rapists, otakus, NEETs, businessmen, and normal people like highschoolers, are trapped on the island fighting for their lives. The many professions or backgrounds of the characters really makes it interesting to watch this show, and it keeps you engaged every time they introduce a new character. Probably the best thing about this show is the main protagonist. His name is Ryouta Sakamoto, he is a NEET, and is ranked in the top 10 in the world in the Btooom! video game. It is difficult to find a good main character, but Ryouta definitely fits the bill. He is definitely confused at first, and kind of dumb, but that is explained. Since the survival game is based on Btooom!, he has greater knowledge than most other contestants, which makes him a force to be reckoned with. His character is progressively getting more smart and cunning, which is one aspect that makes a good mc.Another good aspect about Btooom! is the realism. The notion "I'm gonna kill you, cause I want to survive", is portrayed perfectly, and even though not all the characters think like that, it is still really great to see characters who do think that way. Although there is some rape, which is kind of disturbing, I do think that if they didn't have the rape, then some of the character's back stories wouldn't have been as impactful. I'm not trying to turn people away from this anime, I'm just trying to say that if you can see past the disturbing parts, then you will definitely enjoy this anime. All in all, this anime is not for the feint of heart. As a Btooom! manga reader, I think that you can believe me when I say that this is a must watch this season, if you are looking for a gory story-driven seinen anime. I haven't seen the whole anime, obviously, so I don't know what my final score will be, but right now it stands firmly as a 7(which on my scale is above average).

oran13 - 2013-05-21 20:16:44

This is my first review and I'm not sure how to make one. (so all comments are welcome)Story (8):The storyline itself is good but not the way I really like it. In Betooom! Ryōta Sakamoto (main character) is pretty good with the bombs but never get any better at using them. (Almost never he used the Bombs) Most of the time he is running away and avoiding the bombs. In my opinion he should be less good at the beginning and get better over time.Art (8):I have not much to say about the art. I don't look at the details and stuff, I look more at how the characters are drawn. I don't dislike the way the characters are drawn but I have seen better.Sound (8) :I don't have much to say about sound either. In Btooom! it didn't sound wrong so I gave it an 8. (no real references)Character (7):Like I said by Story, He is good at the beginning and he never get any better. I would like to see him less good at the beginning and getting better over time.Enjoyment (7):At the end of each episode Btooom! didn't give me the feeling I should watch the next episode immediately, but that it could wait for a few more days. But once I started the episode it become enjoyable to watch.Overall (8):This isn't the worst season I've seen but it is also not the best. If you really like explosions and tactics Btooom! is something for you.

zbahringer - 2013-05-19 20:58:13

Btooom!: Same but different.

I've been seeing people try to be angry at this show simply for the fact that its another video game turned real story but honestly the creators of Btoom! did a great job with it.

Story:

I really liked the way they actually showed the characters  there was no Oh okay lets kill to survive like its something we do everyday. No, they actually made it so the characters had morals and weren't people killing to kill. They showed the characters as average people who sadly got taken to an island where they would be forced to kill each other, and the people didn't want to. Sure it still will have some of the classic elements of this type of anime but overall it was a nice different take on this ,almost classic at this point, type of anime.

Animation:

The art of this anime was great, it showed the blood, gore, and overall madness that had sprung up around the island showering people in death.

Summary:

If you like the video game turned real theme but you'd like it to be more realisitc or to have a more concrete theme then you'll enjoy this, it was a good show, not amazing, but not bad either. I enjoyed the way everything was laid out and presented although the all men are evil thing was a little annoying. Overall it was good and you can enjoy it if you look past a few negative things.

-Alf

rau.kasey - 2013-05-17 01:48:44

Enter the world of Btooom! through the eyes of Ryouta, a world-class player of the video game Btooom, a battle arena FPS game where guns are absent and bombs called BIMs are the only weapons available. Through unfortunate circumstances, he gets kidnapped and ends up on an island with real-life BIMs by his side. He soon realizes that he is trapped in a real-life game of Btooom! on the island and his only way to leave is to win.It’s a land of kill or be killed.It’s pretty clear from the get-go that there’s way more to the forced game of survival than what meets the eye. Btooom!’s pacing is fast enough to maintain constant interest. The show begins as a straight up survival thriller where Ryouta goes through hell’s worth of bombs and violence, desperately applying his skills in the video game as survival and battle tactics so he can live for another day. Of course, there is an external force working behind the scenes that prevents the outside from interfering with the “game.” A change in focus from the battle of survival to figuring out the method behind the madness takes place. The plot’s flow is fairly straightforward, but it overall feels very fluid and not thrown together. Btooom! reveals itself to be not just an anime about throwing bombs to keep living, but a strong presentation of reading between the lines and defeating the system that restricts the freedom of the island’s inhabitants.Despite the story being told mainly through the eyes of Ryouta, there’s a healthy amount of screen time and development for the supporting cast. Each character has a respectable personality and some even have compelling pasts that all add up to reveal the big secret behind Btooom! Island. No one particularly stands out since they’re all unique in their own way, but no one’s left behind either.The characters’ interactions with each other vary in many different ways. One would expect that every encounter on the island always leads to explosions and extreme adrenaline levels, but it’s easy to notice that not everyone is dead-set on staining their hands for their own sake. Not even a Btooom! master like Ryouta can have the same killing intent as he does in the virtual world. His skills in the game are refined to defend himself and destroy his foes, but he still has a rational sense of reality and wants to find a way to escape the bloodshed that was forced upon everyone on the island.The art and animation does not try to impress anyone with movie quality animation and pretty colors. Fancy special effects take a back seat as the art shows its focus on the fact that Btooom! is still set in the real world despite having video game rules set upon it. The island environment is not portrayed as the dream beach area, but drawn as close to a real island as 2D drawing can make it. It is a nice touch to see how the island slowly transitions from a peaceful resort to a bloody battleground of explosions as the episodes fly by.Even though explosions aren’t the most exciting visual effects for anime and Btooom! is all about bombs, the action is kept very real. There’s nothing top-notch to marvel at here, but the animation delivers and looks very fluid when intensity unfolds.Openings and ending aren’t all to what defines the sound of an anime, but nano really drives it home with powerful music that pumps the viewers up and portray the image of Btooom! quite accurately.Outside of that, here’s nothing new about all the other sounds. Explosions sound like explosions, and there is no reason to be surprised by much of anything in the SFX and voice acting department. They all get the job done. The background music is subtle and it’s really most noticeable during action and times of suspense. The mood is well-promoted by the BGM, and combined with nano’s impressive performance, a promising soundtrack can be something to look forward to.There’s no “boring” part in this anime, especially considering the likable cast of characters, the moderately fast pacing, and the intense moments that lead to engaging bomb fights. It’s very easy to stay glued to the screen when all these factors are playing.Overall, not only is Btooom! a true blast to watch, but all the major themes that apply to standard survival anime are shown with a noticeable presence. The themes are not up for self-interpretation. Btooom! is here to tell a message about being forced out of normal society and balancing personal morals with what is really needed to continue living in whatever conditions that are forced upon the outcasts.Final ratings:Storytelling (40%): 8 -> 3.2Characters (30%): 8 -> 2.4Visuals (10%): 8 -> .8Sounds (10%): 8 -> .8Enjoyment Value (10%): 9 -> .93.2 + 2.4 + .8 + .8 + .9 = 8.1Final Rating: 8.1

kelly.osinski - 2013-03-30 08:43:15

First of all, a caveat: If violence, blood, gore, child abuse, or rape are triggers for you, do not watch this anime. 

That said...Honestly, I didn't know until about the 8th episode whether I loved or hated this show.

I'm going to tackle the big issue first (spoilers for the second episode within): They use rape as a casual backdrop to give some instant emotional trauma to the main girl, and that sits badly with me. Yes, it's realistic. Statistically, 1 in 4 women will be raped at some point in her lifetime. And then in the high-pressure, control-seeking environment like the Battle Royale-esque island game, there will certainly be a threat of rape. What I found really unsettling about is that 1, the only real rape threat on the island is portrayed as fat, stinky, sweaty, and generally gross. Really? The attempted rape wasn't enough to make us hate him, you had to go the extra mile? Feh. 2, there's not a single instance of a male being threatened with rape. Or even torture. Only the girls get that threat, and while it's meant to be demeaning, rape is not solely a sexual thing. It's a control thing. And males can be controlled and broken (or hell even have torture insinuated! C'mon, really?), too. Girls are not all breakable princesses with targets on their chests waiting for knights in shining armor.

That aside, this was a really fantastic show. I'm not usually one to jive to the massive amounts of blood and vomiting, but this was a beautiful train wreck that I couldn't look away from. It explores morality and human psychology in a way that can only be done in such a high-stress setting. Battle Royale did it well. Hunger Games did it surprisingly well. And BTOOOM! does it in a manner that leaves me clasping my chin in philosophical thought, just as the other two did. 

The character designs are mostly awesome, with the exception of a few truly unappealing people, but the ugly ones don't tend to stick around for long. I wish they'd made the one strong female character less of a total bad word that starts with B, but the main girl does grow a backbone by the end of it.

I am hoping that the story will be continued, but the manga isn't very far ahead from where this season ended, and apparently the sales weren't very good in Japan. So...we'll see if we get a second season.

elyssa.reinger - 2013-03-15 08:28:53

Btooom! is one of those shows that tries to be as edgy and mature as it can simply for the sake of being edgy and mature, while at the same time tries to pull off a laughworthy plot with a straight face. Unfortunately the results are less humor inducing and more cringeworthy.The setting relies far too much on the “humans are bastards” trope, wherein many of the characters resort to murder to survive when there really isn’t any need to. The players are simply given a bag of bombs, dropped off on a deserted island, and are told to go kill each other if they ever hope to return home. That’s it. Nothing’s actually forcing them to partake in the game, so why not band together to survive on the island, and use their bombs to combat against the evil corporation facilitating the game? Of all the characters, only two of them are convicted criminals; otherwise it’s just a bunch of average people who were jerks to their family and coworkers.The characters in general are horribly written. Ryouta is the archetypal chivalrous hero who manages to ward off evildoers and protect his woman each episode, giving us too stark of a contrast between the huge asshole we see in the flashbacks; Himiko is the useless damsel in distress most of the time, and Taira’s character gradually degrades from the brosky sidekick to someone who must be at Ryouta’s side at all times–otherwise he’ll go insane with worry. Most of the other characters are villains who, in accordance to the shows over reliance on “humans are bastards,” are much too cartoony to be taken seriously.Sometimes the bomb fights themselves can be entertaining, but more often than not Btooom! will focus on the tactics of the fights, and there’s just not much to work with if you’re trying to make this a battle of the minds. Even with the variety of different bomb types, chucking multiple bombs while hiding in the bushes would be the most effective strategy in most cases, and yet the show tries to have to have the characters “outsmart” each other. They don’t even ever outsmart each other; once a character simply catches a bomb before it can detonate, and suddenly everyone acts as if he’s “outsmarted” his opponent. If anything this just makes them look even more unintelligent than they already doPerhaps worst of all is that Btooom! is a series riddled with sexism and rape culture. There are quite a few scenes where Himiko is violated in some way or form, and although none of these scenes are as bad as they could be–especially in comparison to the pornographic source material–they’re still gratuitous and titillating to the point of being fanservice. And rape as fanservice simply isn’t something that belongs in a dramatic narrative.The main problem with Btooom! in regards to rape however, is how it depicts Himiko and her virginitiphobia. For one, the writers seem to equate the phobia with misandry, and tries to make a point of how Himiko should learn to be more trusting of men; that alone is reason enough to believe that they don’t have enough respect for rape issues as they should. Yes, it’s obviously wrong to distrust every man you see, but trying to drive this point across with an episode about a woman who is alone, ugly, and crazy because she distrusts men, is pretty unsympathetic to people suffering from virginitiphobia.Then there’s the several scenes where Himiko becomes suicidal in the heat of battle, either to protect her “purity” or because she’s simply lost all hope of winning. This is understandable seeing how she’s gone through several traumatic experiences, but problematic in how it only serves to make her a damsel in distress, and not to actually make a compelling character out of her.As a mindless action series, Btooom! succeeds at being mildly entertaining. Otherwise, it’s easily one of the worst animes of 2012.