Review of The World is Still Beautiful

Where do I begin with this one? I had such high expectations for this anime, only to be met with a disappointing piece of poorly written garbage. Soredemo Sekai Wa Utskushi is an abomination of utter cringe and forced romance. In my honest opinion I have no clue what the writers were thinking, heck, I don't even know if they were thinking at all. Story: 2 Oh God, I actually might need a medical prescription after witnessing these writers try to create anything even close to a story. The story in this anime can be compared to a ship that broke down before the journey began, butdecided to set sail anyway! There's absolutely no real, lasting conflict that is presented throughout the entire show. No main antagonist, no rising action, no climax, no nothing! It's like watching every filler episode from Naruto and expect the plot to develop, which is absurd. If you thought that this show was going to provide political warfare, wars, or even romance, then you are sadly sadly mistaken; All it will provide you with is a fast one to your nearest emergency room.

Art: 7

Now I have to say, despite the dreadful story, this anime certainly tries to correct itself when it comes to animation, and I used the word 'tries' for a reason. It's nothing incredibly special, but sometimes you might catch yourself mesmerized by the beauty and color of the environment. The characters aren't dull either, which provides them with a certain distinctiveness that's aesthetically pleasing. However, in general, the overall animation is only slightly above average. With only a select few scenes in each episode that make this production stand out, in terms of artwork of course.

Sound: 7

Maybe I'm being slightly generous here, because I absolutely dread the song that Nike sings to call the rain, which, may I tell you, has been milked more times than an average cow’s lifespan. I think the director thought we would really like this song, which probably explains why he clearly felt no shame in gracing us with the abruptly annoying soundtrack every other episode. Well, aside from that, the opening and ending songs were actually quite enjoyable, and I found myself singing along a couple of times. The anime soundtrack is also pretty decent, incorporating many instruments widely used in medieval times, in order to set the right mood. If only the scenes matched up with some of the tearfully dramatic music, I would have reveled it a bit more, because instead, I was left cringing to the point of actual, physical pain.

Character: 2

It's been a while since my mind has experienced this type of agony, but this show reminds me that it really hurts. I'm not sure how many migraines I got throughout the journey, but I certainly can't count them with one hand. What, just what in the name of sweet Neptune was the director thinking when he tried to develop these "characters". My cat has gone through more genuine development than every single one of these morons combined. None of the people in this anime actually follow their supposed given agendas. The king, livi, or livius, or whatever, is supposed to be a cold hearted king that managed to conquer the entire world and its kingdoms. Let's ignore the fact that he's only a 12-year-old kid with an 8-year-old body, how did someone like him manage to do something like that with such a flimsy, plastic personality. I kid you not, the boy has a new personality in every new episode. One time he's angry at everything, one time he's loving and easily flustered, and one time he's just purely arrogant and pretentious. Then comes the princess, Nike, this girl has successfully made me cringe more times than I've actually said the word. She's described as rash and brave, but all I can see is blinding stupidity. She accepts challenges that put her life in danger, when there is clearly an easier option that yields the same result. Of course, her knight in shining armor that can't even fit the armor comes to her rescue, and somehow still tolerates her every time. I swear to God I still cannot figure out why she fell in love with him or why he fell in love with her, there's just nothing that these two can do together that won't look awkward, add to the fact they have absolutely nothing in common, add to the fact that he’s a child and she’s almost an adult. It becomes clear halfway through the show that there isn’t much to support the reasons for why they feel affection towards each other. It’s just bluntly forced to keep the romance going. Next up are the antagonists, oh and what a joke they are. Calling them antagonists just doesn't even feel right. They're just a couple of lousy "bad guys" with ridiculously weak drives behind their actions, which ultimately makes you beg the question "why did you do it in the first place?!" I mean, they go through so much trouble to prove their point, but the moment anyone fights back, the moment someone makes a peep, they seem to just give up and realize that indeed, they were wrong after all. Of course, all of this incorporates dangerously meaningless dialogue that'll leave you with multiple seizures and severe brain damage.

Enjoyment: 4

Yes, sure, there were some rare moments throughout the show where I wanted to know what happens next. However, most of the time I was just spacing out. There was a time where 2 episodes flew by and I was still thinking about why a princess would wear the same clothes every single day, and then sleep in them. Another time I decided to practice how to dab midway through an episode, and spent around 15 minutes trying to perfect the move, all the while I’m watching this sad and boring anime. I hadn’t felt this happy finishing a show since my graduation in 2014. I felt so happy that I wanted to share the experience with all of you, so that you never make the same mistake I made.

Overall: 5

In the end, you’re left with a bitter taste in your mouth, that just won’t leave no matter how hard you rinse. Soredemo Sekai Wa Utskushi is an insult not only to the anime industry, but also, to human intelligence, because there is no way people could actually be that profoundly stupid and still be considered normal. I am willing to pay money to wipe this title off the shelves. It would be an act of charity on my part, because I’d actually be helping people. If you want to end up like Leonard Shelby from Memento, then here’s your chance. Otherwise, please stray clear from this dreadfully mortifying anime.