Selector Infected Wixoss

Motherfucking plot twist. That's all i can say.

The basic premise of the show is that the main character, a girl by the name of Ruko, gets a deck of cards from the recently popular card game, WIXOSS (pronounced we-cross) and finds a LRIG in one of the cards. Henceforth, Ruko becomes a 'selector' and is able to battle other girls in order to fulfill their 'wishes'. However, as the show goes on she starts to discover the darker side of this card game and the consequences that follow.

I quite enjoyed the anime, despite the irregular pacing. Many accuse the show of being a Madoka Magica ripoff but let's face it, most animes are never original. Usually, they're inspired by other shows of the same genre, so there's no point in pointing out how X and Y parts of Selector Infected Wixoss have the same vibe/psychological theme as Madoka Magica. But enough of my rambling and let's get on to what I liked about the show.

PLOT: 7/10

It started off as your usual generic magical girl anime (but replace magic with LRIGs) with Ruko coincidentally finding Tama, an adorable white haired girl, amidst her deck of Wixoss cards. From then on, the plot begins to take shape. However, the ball doesn't start rolling until episode 2 or 3, not surprising as it only has 13 episodes. Overall I liked how the story defied my expectations. The plots twists were well executed and not so unrealistic that it made you go 'wtf' while watching.

The ending was extremely unexpected as well, one would've never thought that the anime would end in such a way. Though i should be angry at the cliffhanger the show left off with, I think it made me more hyped for the second season. Though the story had many good twists, there were also many unanswered questions, due to the show breaking some of it's own rules.

Satisfying? No.

 Enjoyable? Yes, definitely. 

CHARACTERS: 6/10

Look, I love the cast of characters. I really do. But there's a fine line between being 'generous' and 'stupid' (Yes Hitoe, I'm looking at you). I felt that Ruko didn't have much development. I mean sure, she eventually realized what she wanted and etc. but overall, it was predictably generic and i could sense what was coming from a mile away. Not only that, they focused much of the development on the supporting cast instead of their own main character.

Yuzuki's development was brilliant, and honestly, it was heartbreaking. Her fiery and determined personality makes a nice balance to Ruko's occasional airheaded moments and serves as a good contrast between them; Ruko having no wishes and Yuzuki with a wish that she's willing to do anything to fulfill. I loved the dynamic. She's my favourite character in the show, with Ruko right behind her. At best, Ruko's development was sort of meh. Some small flashbacks here and there, but not much. Although, the relationship with her grandmother really shines through. It was flawlessly executed, and i found myself wishing to see more of those heartwarming scenes.

Hitoe on the other hand...

I felt that the spotlight was focused on her. I didn't particularly like it or hate it, but i wished they had concentrated more on Ruko instead. Yes, I sympathized with Hitoe and her position, and yes i do respect her wish, but i felt that she was a pretty generic character. Her development was pretty predictable, and it was what it was. The plot was also quite heavily centered around her, which can be a good or a bad thing based on how you feel about her.

All i can say is that I hope Ruko gets more development in the second season. And also, that cute little chibi at the extreme left of the poster? Yeah, she only appears in one episode so you can forget about watching Selector Infector Wixoss if you want the spotlight to focus on her. Yet another 'silica' if I have to compare her to someone.

OSTs: The ending really suits the somber and dark theme of the show. The music at times can be forgettable, but the more intense scenes is where it shines. Opening was enjoyable, but the ending really takes the cake for me.

ENJOYMENT: 7.5/10 

Some parts shined through while others just sort of flew over my head. It's a good anime to pass time but  not especially spectacular. It was a fun and mind bending ride and i would watch again if I'm in the mood for angst.

Psycho Pass 2

And so, after much time wasting, i finally got around to finishing Psycho pass 2.

PLOT: 7/10

I think we can all agree that there are an extremely, extremely small percentage of sequels that truly outshine the original material. And sadly, I feel that Psycho Pass 2 is not one of them. Despite its best efforts, the story is not as good as the first. The pacing is slightly off and there is a lot of complicated dialogue thrown in. I've actually had to pause and rewind some parts of the show, because I simply could not understand what the hell the characters were talking about!

You really need to think when you watch, and if you're not in a mood for a much thinking (trust me there's a lot of thinking) and are looking for something fun to kill time, don't even think about watching this. On a side note, I found the talk of paradoxes and Omnipotent gods quite interesting. I find that the way the anime manages to fit this in is quite fascinating, especially with everything that is going on.

"The moment the Omnipotent god creates a rock so heavy that even he cannot carry, he is no longer omnipotent. But if he cannot create that rock, he is also not omnipotent."

"A paradox."

(That is so not what they said, I'm just quoting from memory. The real thing is soooo much better)

Characters: 7/10

Akane: Akane is a badass inspector, even without Kougami. At the end of Psycho Pass I wished that we could've gotten to see more of this new and 'mature' woman that she had become. Psycho pass 2 has fulfilled this wish. Her good leadership skills and level-headed thinking are clearly showcased throughout the show, ad not only that, her attitude towards Enforcers and Inspectors alike have gained her both respect and disdain. In a way, I feel that Akane has been forcibly isolated from her team. Because no one will ever know what has happened between Kogami and Makishima, except for herself and Sibyl.

Not only that, she also makes mistakes. That is what makes her a believable character, not just some cut and paste powerful main character. The anime shows that she has flaws, and how she constantly works to overcome them.

Mika: Oh how you annoy me, Mika. I think they inserted her into this anime purely to make us sympathize anyone working with her, and that is NOT an understatement. It would be fine if se actually contributes to the Plot, but she mostly just hinders it (much to my frustration). I  really tried to like her, but all her actions are carried out on the basis of trying to one-up Akane, despite the fact that she's her senior and has more experience in the field, and ends up digging her own grave.

Despite all of it however, the ending made me pity her. That scene was heart wrenching, and despite the fact that I would give to see her get punched by an enforcer, I wouldn't wish that on her. I feel that she represents 'what could've happened' to Akane if she had been arrogant and overstepped her boundaries. In a way, I'm glad that Akane did not end up like this.

Kougami: Many kougami fans will be pissed to find out that he only makes Cameo appearances in the anime. However, I can honestly say that he helped Akane more than Mika ever did. In a way, it shows that even if he's gone, Akane still draws on his previous lessons and applies them.

Supporting characters: Since it only has 12 episodes, I'm glad that they didnt try to expand on the old and new cast of characters. I hoped to see more of Ginoza, Shion and Yayoi but sadly, they were put on the back burner for Akane and Mika. It frustrates me somewhat because they had so much to work with! Instead of just focusing on the backstory and development of the antagonist(s) I felt that they should have put in more work on the Enforcers. Oh well, no use crying over spilt milk.

Music: 8/10

I very much prefer this opening over 'abnormalize'. The ending is so-so, and as for the OSTs, i would say that they did a pretty sound job of conveying the right emotion at the correct times.

Enjoyment: 8/10

It was a fun ride, and while i think it could have been done better (damn you Mika) it's a pretty good sequel. Unfortunately, most fans seem to think that a sequel should have not been made but i disagree. It was nice to see a sort of 'what happened after' the events of Psycho Pass. I would recommend fans to watch this but ONLY if you discard all notions that this is going to be the best sequel ever, or that you'll be able to see Kougami return and sweep Akane off her feet.

I'm seriously looking forward to the movie.