Spooky
@spookyseeker5525.bsky.social
Sanctified toadstool whisperer, aspiring bone sartorialist, renowned fool
I would recommend this show if you are in the mood for some serious emotional gut punches, but content warning for… everything. Definitely not something to watch unless you’re ready for it.
August 4, 2025 at 8:39 PM
I would recommend this show if you are in the mood for some serious emotional gut punches, but content warning for… everything. Definitely not something to watch unless you’re ready for it.
I also want to say that it’s not a completely bleak story. I like media that, even if it depicts suffering and cruelty, ultimately has something more optimistic to say about life and the world. This show does that, even if it really does not feel that way for a lot of the runtime.
August 4, 2025 at 8:39 PM
I also want to say that it’s not a completely bleak story. I like media that, even if it depicts suffering and cruelty, ultimately has something more optimistic to say about life and the world. This show does that, even if it really does not feel that way for a lot of the runtime.
I don’t want to get into the plot or characters too much, since it is a very spoiler sensitive series. That being said, there are a lot of shocking moments and twists that are worth avoiding spoilers for so you can experience it blind.
August 4, 2025 at 8:39 PM
I don’t want to get into the plot or characters too much, since it is a very spoiler sensitive series. That being said, there are a lot of shocking moments and twists that are worth avoiding spoilers for so you can experience it blind.
The animation, art direction, and music are all really good. The characters' proportions threw me off at first, but after finishing the last episode I think it is a good design choice. It really makes everyone in the story feel fragile in a way that amplifies a lot of what the show is doing.
August 4, 2025 at 8:39 PM
The animation, art direction, and music are all really good. The characters' proportions threw me off at first, but after finishing the last episode I think it is a good design choice. It really makes everyone in the story feel fragile in a way that amplifies a lot of what the show is doing.
Final note: Yoshitaka Amano’s artwork continues to amaze me. Simply astonishing work for every game in the series so far. I’m looking forward to seeing what FF5 has in store for me!
August 1, 2025 at 10:41 PM
Final note: Yoshitaka Amano’s artwork continues to amaze me. Simply astonishing work for every game in the series so far. I’m looking forward to seeing what FF5 has in store for me!
FF3 felt like the first game to complicate the light vs. dark moral system (introducing the idea of balance), but FF4 seems less interested in that. This game seems like it would be confusing for a new player who doesn’t know about the four crystals, save the light, and defeat the dark narrative.
August 1, 2025 at 10:41 PM
FF3 felt like the first game to complicate the light vs. dark moral system (introducing the idea of balance), but FF4 seems less interested in that. This game seems like it would be confusing for a new player who doesn’t know about the four crystals, save the light, and defeat the dark narrative.
I also got a lot more TPKs in this game than any of its predecessors, which I think is a result of some of the mechanical changes I mentioned above. Not a bad thing, but the game did feel a bit harder.
August 1, 2025 at 10:41 PM
I also got a lot more TPKs in this game than any of its predecessors, which I think is a result of some of the mechanical changes I mentioned above. Not a bad thing, but the game did feel a bit harder.
I have mixed feelings about the game frequently switching up your party members. I think it led to a more engaging narrative, but cut down on that sense of party/character progression across the entire game.
August 1, 2025 at 10:41 PM
I have mixed feelings about the game frequently switching up your party members. I think it led to a more engaging narrative, but cut down on that sense of party/character progression across the entire game.
The ATB system took some getting used to after the basic turn-based combat of the first three games, but I think I’ve come to prefer it. The time pressure in combat can be a bit stressful, which is actually a fun added challenge once you understand it.
August 1, 2025 at 10:41 PM
The ATB system took some getting used to after the basic turn-based combat of the first three games, but I think I’ve come to prefer it. The time pressure in combat can be a bit stressful, which is actually a fun added challenge once you understand it.
The storytelling is still a little simplistic, but I think that’s a bit of an unfair critique for a game this old. I am definitely seeing progress on that front between games and a “the friends you made during your journey come to help in the final battle” scene will always get me.
August 1, 2025 at 10:41 PM
The storytelling is still a little simplistic, but I think that’s a bit of an unfair critique for a game this old. I am definitely seeing progress on that front between games and a “the friends you made during your journey come to help in the final battle” scene will always get me.
At first I was getting big FF2 vibes from this game, especially with Kain’s arc feeling somewhat similar to Leon’s from FF2 and the geopolitical focus early on. However, I think it comes into its own identity in the later parts of the game.
August 1, 2025 at 10:41 PM
At first I was getting big FF2 vibes from this game, especially with Kain’s arc feeling somewhat similar to Leon’s from FF2 and the geopolitical focus early on. However, I think it comes into its own identity in the later parts of the game.
I would rather have a happy and healthy author working more slowly than have them suffer burnout and injuries to stick to their weekly schedule. I am not at all confident this will change anytime soon, but I’ll remain hopeful.
July 20, 2025 at 9:56 PM
I would rather have a happy and healthy author working more slowly than have them suffer burnout and injuries to stick to their weekly schedule. I am not at all confident this will change anytime soon, but I’ll remain hopeful.
One final note: I hope that the slower publishing schedule of Kaiju No. 8 proves that a successful manga doesn't need to adhere to the tortuous weekly publishing schedule that is still quite common in the industry.
July 20, 2025 at 9:56 PM
One final note: I hope that the slower publishing schedule of Kaiju No. 8 proves that a successful manga doesn't need to adhere to the tortuous weekly publishing schedule that is still quite common in the industry.
Also, the resolution to whatever was going on between Kafka and Mina just didn’t happen, but that’s also nothing new for a manga like this. Overall, I think you’d enjoy the series if you want a bit of classic shonen battle action, but don’t go in expecting anything that will reinvent the genre.
July 20, 2025 at 9:56 PM
Also, the resolution to whatever was going on between Kafka and Mina just didn’t happen, but that’s also nothing new for a manga like this. Overall, I think you’d enjoy the series if you want a bit of classic shonen battle action, but don’t go in expecting anything that will reinvent the genre.
I do think the ending lacked a bit of emotional punch, but it was satisfying enough. The final battle was a pretty standard “punch the bad guy harder” conclusion. This isn’t necessarily bad, but I’ve been spoiled by rule-bending, technical spectacles like the ending of JJK.
July 20, 2025 at 9:56 PM
I do think the ending lacked a bit of emotional punch, but it was satisfying enough. The final battle was a pretty standard “punch the bad guy harder” conclusion. This isn’t necessarily bad, but I’ve been spoiled by rule-bending, technical spectacles like the ending of JJK.
At the end of the day, there is something viscerally satisfying about seeing a person punch a giant monster in the face, which the series always succeeded in delivering.
July 20, 2025 at 9:56 PM
At the end of the day, there is something viscerally satisfying about seeing a person punch a giant monster in the face, which the series always succeeded in delivering.
These criticisms are true for the rest of the series, which stuck to a pretty standard battle shonen formula. That being said, it was well executed. The art was impressive, the hype moments were always fun, and the character writing was good enough to get invested in at least some of the main cast.
July 20, 2025 at 9:56 PM
These criticisms are true for the rest of the series, which stuck to a pretty standard battle shonen formula. That being said, it was well executed. The art was impressive, the hype moments were always fun, and the character writing was good enough to get invested in at least some of the main cast.
That path is pretty common for shonen protagonists, but I always enjoy when a story does more than have the protagonist join the supernatural cops/military/guild without complicating that idea at all.
July 20, 2025 at 9:56 PM
That path is pretty common for shonen protagonists, but I always enjoy when a story does more than have the protagonist join the supernatural cops/military/guild without complicating that idea at all.
I felt the same way about the early arcs with Kafka operating under a secret identity and being in almost as much danger from his fellow humans as the kaiju. However, the first few arcs more or less resolved that tension and it never had much relevance for the plot afterward.
July 20, 2025 at 9:56 PM
I felt the same way about the early arcs with Kafka operating under a secret identity and being in almost as much danger from his fellow humans as the kaiju. However, the first few arcs more or less resolved that tension and it never had much relevance for the plot afterward.
That ended up not making much of a difference with Kafka going through the same character beats and acting the same way as the stereotypical shonen male lead (aside from occasional gags about him being old). I don’t hate that character archetype, but I had my hopes up for something different.
July 20, 2025 at 9:56 PM
That ended up not making much of a difference with Kafka going through the same character beats and acting the same way as the stereotypical shonen male lead (aside from occasional gags about him being old). I don’t hate that character archetype, but I had my hopes up for something different.