Underrated Anime to Put on Your Radar [vol. 4] || Anime Ambush
pixcelation
[{'start': '0.080', 'end': '5.040', 'text': 'In the world of anime—as in the world of\xa0\ngames—there are a ton of shows that simply'}, {'start': '5.040', 'end': '10.400', 'text': 'don’t get watched. It’s crazy how, unless\xa0\na series is lucky like Attack on Titan,'}, {'start': '10.400', 'end': '14.160', 'text': 'Demon Slayer or DAN-DA-DAN, it’s destined to only'}, {'start': '14.160', 'end': '18.400', 'text': 'be seen by a handful of people who’ll\xa0\nsing its praises ‘til the end of time.'}, {'start': '18.400', 'end': '23.680', 'text': 'For example, the series I obsess over while\xa0\neveryone else seems to ignore it is A Sister’s'}, {'start': '23.680', 'end': '30.640', 'text': 'All You Need, and no … you’re not allowed to judge\xa0\nme; only the goddess Nayuta Kani can judge me.'}, {'start': '30.640', 'end': '37.280', 'text': 'In any case, to prevent my loyal followers\xa0\nfrom resorting to watching—[shudder]—live'}, {'start': '37.280', 'end': '41.760', 'text': 'action television, your platonic\xa0\npapa Pixcelation has returned from'}, {'start': '41.760', 'end': '46.240', 'text': 'buying milk with a new batch of anime I\xa0\nthink you’re really gonna like. If this'}, {'start': '46.240', 'end': '50.800', 'text': 'is your first video on the channel, then\xa0\nwelcome! If you aren’t new around here,'}, {'start': '50.800', 'end': '56.640', 'text': 'you know what to expect, so let’s hop\xa0\ninto a new assortment of underrated anime.'}, {'start': '56.640', 'end': '62.560', 'text': 'Ah—yes. It sometimes astounds me how\xa0\nmuch of an impact Danganronpa had on'}, {'start': '62.560', 'end': '67.200', 'text': 'the medium, but if there was ever a\xa0\ntestament to its profound influence,'}, {'start': '67.200', 'end': '71.200', 'text': 'it’s Tomodachi Game. A scathing\xa0\nindictment of late-stage capitalism'}, {'start': '71.200', 'end': '75.040', 'text': 'crossed with an armchair psychologist’s\xa0\nanalysis of the nature of friendship,'}, {'start': '75.040', 'end': '80.880', 'text': 'Tomodachi Game is both wildly pretentious and\xa0\nridiculously entertaining all at the same time.'}, {'start': '80.880', 'end': '86.400', 'text': 'Let me be clear—if this video somehow\xa0\nconvinces you to watch Tomodachi Game,'}, {'start': '86.400', 'end': '92.880', 'text': 'the first few episodes will likely have you\xa0\nquestioning my sanity, but … hang in there,'}, {'start': '92.880', 'end': '99.280', 'text': 'because while the stakes might not be\xa0\nas high as Battle Royale or Danganronpa,'}, {'start': '99.280', 'end': '103.280', 'text': 'at a certain point the melodrama\xa0\nmakes this one worth a binge.'}, {'start': '103.280', 'end': '109.040', 'text': 'Tomodachi Game follows Yuichi, Shiho, Tenji,\xa0\nMakoto and Yutori as they find themselves'}, {'start': '109.040', 'end': '115.200', 'text': 'drafted into a series of psychological mind games\xa0\nto clear—or multiply—their personal debts. As the'}, {'start': '115.200', 'end': '121.040', 'text': 'five friends play these extraordinarily fucked\xa0\nup games, their bonds are stress-tested. While'}, {'start': '121.040', 'end': '126.000', 'text': 'they don’t have to worry about losing their lives\xa0\nin the Tomodachi Game, the lengths each will go'}, {'start': '126.000', 'end': '132.400', 'text': 'to clear their debts could shatter any hope of\xa0\nleaving the game with their friendships intact.'}, {'start': '132.400', 'end': '139.520', 'text': 'And, for a quintet of anime kids, there might be\xa0\nno worse fate than a friendship lost to the wind.'}, {'start': '139.520', 'end': '143.920', 'text': 'I think this is one of those anime where you\xa0\nfinish the final episode, take a deep breath'}, {'start': '143.920', 'end': '150.000', 'text': 'and think to yourself … ‘Huh. That was actually\xa0\npretty decent,’ which is a sentiment that’ll be'}, {'start': '150.000', 'end': '155.280', 'text': 'immediately swapped with the immense dread\xa0\nof knowing it’ll never get a second season.'}, {'start': '155.280', 'end': '162.480', 'text': 'I owe a lot to Guilty Crown. It—alongside\xa0\nEureka 7—helped to inspire my creativity'}, {'start': '162.480', 'end': '167.680', 'text': 'in a crucial time. It was one of the\xa0\nfirst anime I ever wrote a review for;'}, {'start': '167.680', 'end': '170.720', 'text': 'it directly inspired part of The Intermine Legacy,'}, {'start': '170.720', 'end': '176.400', 'text': 'the fictional series I have been working to make\xa0\nreality for more than fifteen years, and I even'}, {'start': '176.400', 'end': '183.680', 'text': 'recorded a cover of the opening song back in\xa0\nthe day, and … it’s as bad as you can imagine.'}, {'start': '183.680', 'end': '188.720', 'text': 'I recall a friend trying to get me into\xa0\nGuilty Crown about a year before I would'}, {'start': '188.720', 'end': '193.280', 'text': 'actually give it a fair shot. But,\xa0\never since the series has followed'}, {'start': '193.280', 'end': '198.720', 'text': 'me. It’s also an unbelievably cool\xa0\nconcept that is executed very well,'}, {'start': '198.720', 'end': '204.000', 'text': 'even if it ended up becoming the discount\xa0\nvariant of Code Geass. And—believe it or'}, {'start': '204.000', 'end': '209.440', 'text': 'not—it’s one of the first examples of what\xa0\nwould come to be known as the Sawano Drop.'}, {'start': '209.440', 'end': '215.280', 'text': 'Guilty Crown follows Shu Ouma, who sleepwalks\xa0\nthrough life in a version of Japan ravaged by'}, {'start': '215.280', 'end': '220.320', 'text': 'a disease known as the Apocalypse Virus.\xa0\nIn its wake, an authoritarian government,'}, {'start': '220.320', 'end': '226.080', 'text': 'GHQ, has risen up in an effort to guide\xa0\npeople back to some semblance of normalcy,'}, {'start': '226.080', 'end': '232.160', 'text': 'but the way to Hell is paved with good intentions.\xa0\nAs if by providence, Shu runs into Inori,'}, {'start': '232.160', 'end': '237.520', 'text': 'which leads to his receipt of the ‘Power of the\xa0\nKing,’ allowing him to manifest the psyche of'}, {'start': '237.520', 'end': '242.560', 'text': 'those around him as physical weapons. Shu\xa0\njoins the resistance group Funeral Parlor,'}, {'start': '242.560', 'end': '248.480', 'text': 'despite friction with the group’s leader,\xa0\nGai, as they seek to free Japan from the GHQ.'}, {'start': '248.480', 'end': '254.640', 'text': 'I really dig almost everything about this one.\xa0\nI know I mentioned earlier it’s basically the'}, {'start': '254.640', 'end': '261.280', 'text': 'discount variant of Code Geass, but—to be frank—I\xa0\nthink the concept was executed brilliantly here.'}, {'start': '261.280', 'end': '266.640', 'text': 'I like how they chose to visually depict the\xa0\nApocalypse Virus as the crystallization of'}, {'start': '266.640', 'end': '272.400', 'text': 'its victim’s flesh, and the progression of\xa0\nShu from passive nobody to vindictive cynic'}, {'start': '272.400', 'end': '278.640', 'text': 'and back again was really neat. I think the\xa0\nending was a little weak and may leave some'}, {'start': '278.640', 'end': '284.480', 'text': 'viewers wanting more, but at the same time\xa0\nit’s an appropriate—if poorly paced—turn'}, {'start': '284.480', 'end': '289.840', 'text': 'of events that makes sense in context. If\xa0\nyou choose to give Guilty Crown a chance,'}, {'start': '289.840', 'end': '295.040', 'text': 'you’ll find that it’s one of those anime that has\xa0\naged rather gracefully, if I do say so myself.'}, {'start': '295.040', 'end': '301.280', 'text': 'If you’ve seen anime rom-coms before, you know\xa0\nwhat you’re getting into with Momokuri. While'}, {'start': '301.280', 'end': '306.640', 'text': 'it might not be revolutionary in the genre,\xa0\nit’s so damn cute that I don’t even mind.'}, {'start': '306.640', 'end': '314.560', 'text': 'Momokuri centers on … Momo, a first-year\xa0\nhigh schooler who is confessed to by Kuri,'}, {'start': '314.560', 'end': '320.480', 'text': 'a second-year and follows their attempts at\xa0\nnavigating the perils of first love. It gets'}, {'start': '320.480', 'end': '328.960', 'text': 'a little … different when it’s revealed Kuri’s\xa0\nlove language looks a whole lot like stalking;'}, {'start': '328.960', 'end': '333.200', 'text': 'she takes candid pictures of\xa0\nMomo, recovers his used straws,'}, {'start': '333.200', 'end': '340.960', 'text': 'hyperventilates while observing him in\xa0\nclass … y’know … normal anime rom/com stuff.'}, {'start': '340.960', 'end': '346.640', 'text': 'You might wonder, based on that synopsis, if\xa0\nthis is some kinda subversion into horror,'}, {'start': '346.640', 'end': '352.080', 'text': 'but no—it’s one of those anime that depicts\xa0\nthe pseudo-stalker’s behavior as cute,'}, {'start': '352.080', 'end': '357.280', 'text': 'because neither of them are really aware that\xa0\nwhat she’s doing is considered a red flag.'}, {'start': '357.280', 'end': '361.840', 'text': 'Then again, Kuri’s best friend is constantly\xa0\ncalling her out any time she goes overboard,'}, {'start': '361.840', 'end': '368.480', 'text': 'so maybe that’s not a valid defense after\xa0\nall. It’s still adorable; if you find yourself'}, {'start': '368.480', 'end': '374.960', 'text': 'enjoying anime like My Sweet Tyrant and My Love\xa0\nStory, check out Momokuri. That is, if you can'}, {'start': '374.960', 'end': '388.400', 'text': 'find a legal avenue to do so; the license has\xa0\nlapsed, so you may need to sail the high seas.'}, {'start': '388.400', 'end': '394.960', 'text': 'As I started Sonny Boy, I couldn’t help but think\xa0\nit was the most pretentious thing imaginable. It'}, {'start': '394.960', 'end': '400.800', 'text': 'felt like one of those series’ that is confusing\xa0\nfor no other reason than to be confusing.'}, {'start': '400.800', 'end': '408.160', 'text': 'But … the more I watched, and the more I sat with\xa0\nthis one … the more I realized there could be more'}, {'start': '408.160', 'end': '415.840', 'text': 'to it that I failed to see at first glance. It’s\xa0\nless about answering questions about its world'}, {'start': '415.840', 'end': '422.400', 'text': 'and more about asking questions, taking a step\xa0\nback and letting the audience figure out their'}, {'start': '422.400', 'end': '429.520', 'text': 'own answers. And incidentally, because Sonny Boy\xa0\nis a multiversal romp through infinite dimensions,'}, {'start': '429.520', 'end': '435.360', 'text': 'any answer to any question you might come\xa0\nup with can be—and probably is—canon.'}, {'start': '435.360', 'end': '440.080', 'text': 'To be frank, this one might actually be one\xa0\nof the only times a multiversal narrative'}, {'start': '440.080', 'end': '444.960', 'text': 'sticks the landing for me. The concept of\xa0\na multiverse is inherently complicated,'}, {'start': '444.960', 'end': '450.720', 'text': 'and any story that tries to dumb it down\xa0\nfor the lowest common denominator—i.e.,'}, {'start': '450.720', 'end': '458.080', 'text': 'me—is likely to fail. Sonny Boy refuses to\xa0\nhold our hand as it weaves this tapestry of'}, {'start': '458.080', 'end': '462.080', 'text': 'convoluted and enigmatic drama\xa0\nand multi-faceted characters.'}, {'start': '462.080', 'end': '466.400', 'text': 'It’s a coming-of-age story where,\xa0\ninstead of common adolescent struggles,'}, {'start': '466.400', 'end': '471.760', 'text': 'our bloated cast has to learn to cooperate when\xa0\nthey find themselves trapped in an infinite void'}, {'start': '471.760', 'end': '477.280', 'text': 'leading to a whirlpool of dimensions and worlds\xa0\nwith their own unique rules and limitations. To'}, {'start': '477.280', 'end': '482.400', 'text': 'add insult to injury, they also have to cope\xa0\nwith the aforementioned adolescent struggles,'}, {'start': '482.400', 'end': '488.720', 'text': 'which leads to schisms in the group. It’s the\xa0\nkind of show where time doesn’t really matter;'}, {'start': '488.720', 'end': '493.200', 'text': 'characters could be there one episode\xa0\nand be gone the next because it’s been'}, {'start': '493.200', 'end': '499.360', 'text': 'several decades and again, the show refuses to\xa0\nhold your hand and trusts you to understand.'}, {'start': '499.360', 'end': '504.160', 'text': 'Shingo Natsume, known for directing\xa0\nACCA: 13-Territory Inspection Dept.,'}, {'start': '504.160', 'end': '508.880', 'text': 'Boogiepop and Others, as well as Tatami\xa0\nTime Machine Blues not only serves as'}, {'start': '508.880', 'end': '514.720', 'text': 'the director of Sonny Boy, but also its\xa0\ncreator. MADHOUSE is already a legendary'}, {'start': '514.720', 'end': '520.240', 'text': 'anime studio, but when you pair it with\xa0\nan equally legendary creator in Natsume,'}, {'start': '520.240', 'end': '524.880', 'text': 'the end result is a series you’ll think\xa0\nabout for years after finishing it.'}, {'start': '524.880', 'end': '529.920', 'text': 'It takes a lot for a workplace comedy anime\xa0\nto stand out. In the case of Working!!,'}, {'start': '529.920', 'end': '532.480', 'text': 'or as it’s known in the West, Wagnaria!!,'}, {'start': '532.480', 'end': '537.840', 'text': 'it helps to have an amazing cast of memorable\xa0\ncharacters that drive its story forward.'}, {'start': '537.840', 'end': '543.200', 'text': 'I used to joke that the last thing I wanted\xa0\nto do when I got home from working my dead-end'}, {'start': '543.200', 'end': '547.680', 'text': 'restaurant gig was watch an anime about a\xa0\ncast of characters working at a restaurant,'}, {'start': '547.680', 'end': '552.080', 'text': 'and … well, I was right, which\xa0\nis why I waited until I wasn’t'}, {'start': '552.080', 'end': '555.760', 'text': 'working in a restaurant to sit\xa0\ndown and seriously watch this one.'}, {'start': '555.760', 'end': '561.520', 'text': 'Working!! is a workplace comedy following the\xa0\nstaff of a family restaurant called Wagnaria,'}, {'start': '561.520', 'end': '565.200', 'text': 'most notably the main leads\xa0\nSota, short queen Popura,'}, {'start': '565.200', 'end': '570.400', 'text': 'and the androphobic Mahiru. But that’s\xa0\nnot all—there’s the delinquent manager,'}, {'start': '570.400', 'end': '576.480', 'text': 'the chief of staff who carries around\xa0\na katana, diet Sanji, Izaya Orihara,'}, {'start': '576.480', 'end': '582.640', 'text': 'the waitress who lives in the restaurant’s attic,\xa0\nand a whole slew of other wacky characters.'}, {'start': '582.640', 'end': '586.400', 'text': 'Across three seasons filled\xa0\nwith slice-of-life shenanigans,'}, {'start': '586.400', 'end': '591.760', 'text': 'we see these characters grow and mature\xa0\nand fall in love despite themselves,'}, {'start': '591.760', 'end': '597.360', 'text': 'and by the end I was left absolutely\xa0\ndevastated. It was an amazing series,'}, {'start': '597.360', 'end': '605.120', 'text': 'but you know how it is when a good thing ends …\xa0\nyou want more, no matter what. Admittedly, another'}, {'start': '605.120', 'end': '617.120', 'text': 'series was released in 2016, WWW.Working!!, but\xa0\nit wasn’t as good and only got one season, so …'}, {'start': '617.120', 'end': '622.880', 'text': 'Thank you for watching this episode of Anime\xa0\nAmbush! It’s always fun taking a look back at'}, {'start': '622.880', 'end': '627.040', 'text': 'some of the anime the general populace\xa0\nseems to ignore, but hopefully there’s'}, {'start': '627.040', 'end': '631.280', 'text': 'at least one you’ll be watching next!\xa0\nIf you’d like to support the channel,'}, {'start': '631.280', 'end': '636.480', 'text': 'you can subscribe here on YouTube, or join\xa0\nthe Pixcelation Patreon by following the link'}, {'start': '636.480', 'end': '642.000', 'text': 'in the video description. I’m not nearly big\xa0\nenough to attract a sponsor yet, so that’ll'}, {'start': '642.000', 'end': '649.440', 'text': 'have to do until then. I’ve been Pixcelation, and\xa0\nuntil the next time I see you, stay Pixcelated!'}]