Release the Spyce

Release the Spyce can be a serious competitor for the cartoon “Totally Spies” from Western and Princess Principal (I still consider the latter better). The main difference, the type of missions and the main characters. There is a mysterious taint created during all the episodes. Also, the bad commentaries do not give merit to the show and it deserves some praise. It is not that abysmal, and it is more entertaining than some shows of the same genre and it is highly better compared with some disasters from the season .. Gob.. On the other hand, the series at the beginning has a cartoonish behavior. For example, the heroines defeat the bad guys with some easy tasks, gadgets, skills gained from the spice, and they are ready for the next mission like the American toons. Lucky for all, the story revealed a very significant twist, and the outcome improved the whole show. --The story-- The story is too easy to follow. A group of heroines (Tsukikage) has a unique goal of protecting their beloved city (Sorasaki) from any criminal, including the organization called Moryo. One day, a Momo high student is involved in a Tsukikage operation and is recruited. This group has the Master and apprentice scheme. Momo is assigned a Master (Yuki) who trains her in martial and sword arts. There are other members of the group, for example, Mei and her student Fuu. Each pair had different skills, techniques and combined they are robust against criminals. These spies are young girls who use their student status as a cover. When duty demands, they become an active group with one unique goal. The city of Sorasaki is the center where the plot is developed, but some actions outside it affect the plot directly. One of the issues found, in the middle of the show the plot could be seen as too fantastic, cartoonish and focused on children where the good guy always wins. For example, I am the good spy, I throw a kick, and all the villains fall into the ground, easy, right?. This kind of outcome could be annoying for a more mature spectator seeking for some entertainment. However, as the plot advances, the mysteries are more prominent, and there is a breaking point that surprised several of the spectators, it creates a mysterious and dark atmosphere that you will love. Lastly, the pacing is acceptable. The plot advances constantly. Some details will hook the spectators even more. However, in certain parts, I think they beat some villains very easily. No idea if it is because they needed to rush the plot, but it was too easy and leaves you the impression that the show lacks something but is not a big issue. Overall, Release the Spyce is one of the best shows that I have seen in 2018. --Characters— The story has heroines and villains. The Tsukikage group are the heroes and has six members: Momo aka the noob aka tongue. She is the main character. In the beginning, she is insecure, weak, coward. She wanted to protect the city because her father was a police, but she does not have the courage. After she was recruited, her character evolved and thanks to Yuki, she surpassed her fears. She has a unique ability that is helpful under some circumstances. Yuki aka badass with a sword. She is strict, hard worker, intelligent, and very skilled with a sword and martial arts. She trains Momo, and for me, she is the leader of Tsukikage. However, there is something weird in episode 10, but I cannot give details. Mei aka cheerful. She is my favorite character. I love her personality. She is positive, very vivid enjoys life and …. never mind. She is the most agile member and is skilled in knives, espionage, etc. Fuu aka mask. A master in disguise, I consider her like a ninja. She is like Mei, well she is her Mentee, but I think she is obsessed to be accepted. Hatsume aka brain. She is the brain of the group. Hatsume is very calm, friendly, recursive, very skilled with gadgets and with a spear. However, she thinks that even the villains can become her friends and she tries to change them during the series. Goe aka muscle. She is Hatsume disciple. She is a powerful girl that in the deep could fear her strength but tries to be calm and loves her Master deeply. The other characters are the villains, I cannot give details because I could spoil the plot. --Art and Sound— The animation quality is good. I wasn’t expecting a good animation from this show but it is acceptable, and the battles are good and pleasant to the eye. There is a combination between action and sound that fulfills the scene. The camera angles help to maintain the visual in the crucial elements. The show uses a combination of a bright and dark color palette. This technique helps to contrasts the slice of the life and the action events. The sound is acceptable. It does the job and helps to boost the sequences. The OP and ED are good. The OP has a lovely rhythm, catching, and you could end hearing it a few times. --Enjoyment— I liked the show, but there are some "childish" parts as I already explained. The anime can be improved, it can be a bit darker, but the outcome is acceptable. There are some boring episodes but it is not a reason to bury the show. Lastly, you should give it a try at least you can be entertained for a few hours. PS: Now I need to wait for the game in 2019.

Madoka Magica meets Batman TV series. If you wanted to see a worthy spiritual successor to Madoka, this is what this is. Not because it actively tries to be one, like an entire sub-genre of “dark magical girls Madoka-wannabe” series, but because it’s a show with similar themes that succeeds in the similar ways, while being its own thing and telling a different kind of story. Like Madoka, this is a show with moe aesthetic, dark tone, yet optimistic message centered around cute girls. Also like Madoka, amusingly enough, in its very first scene it openly sets up a very dark tone, yet some people somehow miss it and get surprised when the heads start rolling. Like Madoka, it reaps all benefits of being an original anime story, not constrained by the arc/plot structure of the source material. Meaning, it’s a single well-constructed, well-paced storyline that starts in the first episode, ends in the last, and every episode in between has a purpose in advancing this story. Finally, the style of writing is very reminiscent of signature Gen Urobuchi’s writing - gadgetry/weaponry/fighting scenes that are both impossibly cool and feel very realistic and intelligent at the same time; healthy nihilism; complex narrative threads that pay off in a long run. Supposedly, it should be similar to Akame ga Kill and YuYuYu - other series written by the actual show’s writer, but I’m not familiar with those. Now, about what Release the Spyce does different and why it deserves attention: First, the selling point of this show is suspense mystery. A single mystery. In the first episode, we are introduced to a cast of cute girl spies, oh, and by the way, one of them is a traitor and works for the enemy, enjoy your CGDCT. Over the course of the series, all of them are built up to be cinnamon rolls that you simply don’t want to suspect. Scarce clues and red herrings are dropped here and there, making you pull your hair out, trying to figure who it is. The final reveal absolutely does not disappoint, and no amount of genre awareness, trope knowledge, or even twist/cop-out expectations can prepare you for how it plays out. Camp. This is a contentious point, because not everyone enjoys camp sensibility, and this show is very, very campy. When a character is shot point-blank ten times, spends five seconds in a hospital with a bandage over their head and then is completely fine - do you think the writer does not understand how bullets work, or do you think it’s funny? Your enjoyment of this series will depend greatly on your answer. If you do love camp, prepare for a wonderful parade of middle-aged women biker gangs, contract-killing preschoolers and okinawan vikings. Yuri bait. Deserves a separate paragraph because this is a yuri bait that will yuri bait the heaven. To quote someone else’s words, it’s like the series is playing gay chicken - it tries to make things as gay as possible before turning away and saying “no homo.” All part of the same camp sensibility, and it’s hilarious. 9.5/10 because it’s highly enjoyable, thought-provoking and unique series.

Anime about spies and espionage doesn’t appear too often these days on screen, or at least not popular ones these days. We live in a world where cute girls doing cute things has become part of the norm. So seeing an original show like Release the Spyce is rather refreshing. Actually, there was another show called “Princess Principal” that had similar base concepts. Yet, Release the Spyce stands out very much on its own as an action spy thriller. When we think of a franchise about espionage, the most famous one that comes to mind is James Bond 007. That franchise is not an anime but pretty much anyone who doesn't live under a rock knows who James Bond is. When I began watching Release the Spyce, it made me curious if this show had what it takes to capture the thrill of a spy-espionage. Granted, the first few episodes establishes the show’s core concepts as we are introduced the action girls consisting of a group known as the “Tsukikage”. They use a substance known as “Spyce” to enhance their fighting abilities and hence, we get cool girls doing cool things. The main storyline details of their conflict with the Moryo, a mysterious corporation with their own dark agendas. You should probably guess that with these expected concepts, this show can get quite complex. But not really. If we just examine the show on the surface, it actually feels like a slice of life at times when detailing the characters’ everyday lives. Momo Minamoto is a typical high school girl with nothing out of the ordinary and until the day she meets Tsukikage, she’s a rather normal person. In fact, Momo is so normal that a lot of the things she is introduced to often makes causes her to react in hilarious ways. But for the most part, there’s nothing out of the ordinary at first glance until you realize what this show is about. Once we are introduced to the other main characters, it’s pretty easy to say the series capitalizes on its storytelling and character chemistry. To be honest, the plot’s pacing feels just perfect as the first half consists of getting the viewers familiar with the creators’ ideas. The remainder half consists of episodes that builds into the climax with plot twists and revelations. Most prominently, character chemistry is something that really shines throughout the series that begins from the very first episode to the end. Momo’s character relationship with Yuki plays a big role and motivator for her to succeed. Throughout the series, she sees her as a role model and may even have developed a sense of romance towards her. It’s not really yuri or even shoujo-ai but the show does drop in subtle romance hints from time to time. This extends to other members of Tsukikage such as with Mei and Fuu. Character relationships stands out not just for their connection but how each influences each other. It’s especially important in later episodes as we see the length certain characters goes through to prove themselves. At some point, I even find the character relationships to be emotional; not in the tearjerking way but more of a meaningful way. On the other side is the mysterious Moryo. Much less is known about them although it’s clear that their intentions are malevolent. However, I would say that their characters are far less intriguing compared to the main cast. Characters like Kurara and Byakko are not fleshed out well enough to make fans care about them. Their existence seems to serve only as adversaries against Tsukikage. Even characters like Theresia Ray isn’t too well established with her relationship involving Hatsume Aoba. In respect, Moryo is more known for their actions rather than themselves. But hey, maybe you’ll be caught by surprise by a certain plot twist later on. Watch now, later, or never touch? To me, this show is best to watch when you’ve decided the first three episodes are ready for you. While the show’s story may get more complex later on, the first half doesn’t do too much to make itself distinctive. It can actually feel deceptive at times with the character designs. Let’s face it, these girls hardly look like spies. It’s also no surprise that their look resembles characters from Yuru Yuri considering some of the names attached to this project. But on most parts, I think the look and feel of this show is faithful to what it advertised. It’s essentially an action girl series with spies that stays closely to its premise throughout the course of its run. The action is also thrilling with vibrant chereography and style. It even adds elements of disguise and stealth to make the role of spies look more credible for some episodes. Yet, it also has time for lighthearted moments to make humor with some of the characters’ exaggerated expressions. Thanks a lot, Momo. While Release the Spyce doesn’t have much risks, I would say that it definitely had some with the voice acting. Given the premise, it may feel hard to take seriously at some of the character voice mannerisms. Momo stands out in particular since she sounds far too much like a stereotypical schoolgirl. But as the show evolves, you can see that she matures more and become a stronger person. Other characters all define their own personalities thanks to their voices. I could also say that a certain character from Tsukikage really manages to play her role deceptively to the point where it’s almost unbelievable. Oh and before I forget, who can forget that energetic OP theme song performed by the voice actresses themselves? It’s fabulous. Spa pa pa parapa 🎶 Spapapapaparapa Spa pa pa parapa 🎶 Release the Spyce is a show that may have turned some people’s heads away at first glance. Hell, this looked like Yuru Yuri but with action girls on the surface until you realize what’s really about. I have doubts this anime will be a big talk of the year but it definitely managed to capture the magic of how a spy espionage anime should be. It sets the example of badass action girls doing cool things, something that I need more of. Emphasis on the badass.

Release The Spyce is the worst thing ever written by a human. No really, it's there when you Google "Worst Thing ever written by a human". I could go on and on about how boring the show is, how disappointing it ended up being, how much it lacked commitment with its traitor subplot, or how useless and braindead everyone is without being fun or how Momo never really licked anyone despite it being one of the main gimmicks of the show, but I'm going to spend the rest of this review recommending several alternatives to Spyce instead. Cute girls doing cute action things? Toji no Miko's got you covered. Cute spy things? Princess Principal. But what if you want something from this season specifically with a trashy atmosphere with ninjas and is generally silly fun? Senran Kagura 2's got you covered completely. But what if you are a seiyuu-buta who absolutely wants to see Numakura Manami play a one-eyed girl who hides in closets and creeps on her apprentice 24/7 like a spy? Don't watch Spyce, watch Uzamaid instead! It accomplishes that and so much more while having a much more heartfelt and serious plot than Spyce could ever muster. Suzaki Aya voicing a traitor who brings down her friends and ultimately brings about her organization's demise? Happy Sugar Life just aired last season. However, you , and I know you, are just so hyped up for Namori's latest project and you must see something by her. Something involving spies and ninjas and traitors abound with intrigue, suspense and maybe, just maybe, a dash of fun sprinkled in between. Now have I got the perfect show for you. It's called Yuru Yuri. See? As much as Spyce loves to homage assorted spy films in its promotional posters, every element of it has been done better by so many other shows out there and it just serves to remind you of how much better other shows are at being Spyce than Spyce itself. Now that this is over, I would like to list my top 3 moments in Spyce. Are you ready boys and girls? It's gonna go by quick so pay attention as to not miss anything. 3. "Did you know? 'Spy' is derived from the word 'Spice'" 2. "VIKING AXE NUMBER 2!!!!" 1. "Besides...I've got a whole bunch of them" *opens hatch to reveal cache of viking helmets* 2/10 It's not all bad news. Endro next season is shaping out to be pretty good! Bunch of cute girls doing cute things by the same studio as YuYuYu. And what's this I'm hearing about Yuru Yuri Ten? I wonder who's making the OVA- no oh no NOOOOOOO -TO BE CONTINUED-

Please note while care has been taken to minimize story related spoilers there may still be spoilers within character analysis. You have been warned. The tale of how six girls protected the world from the predations of a global crime syndicate with daring missions, special abilities and strong bonds of friendship and trust that exist between them while maintaining the illusion that they are just your average group of high school girls. Based off an original idea Release the Spyce is a action and school genre anime that gives us the opportunity to see what will happen if a seemingly normal high school girl who always had unusually sharp eyes were to not just witness a team of ninja girls infiltrate a building while out walking but also not only be drawn into their ranks but also discover that beneath the hustle and bustle of the city that she grew up in and loves a secret war for the soul of the city and its people is currently being waged. Though hesitant at first the sense of love for her city as well as the sense of justice that defines her soon compels her to join the group and enter the shadowy world of Ninja spies where each mission no matter how straightforward it may sounds requires a combination of boundless caution, flawless teamwork and effective usage of the groups creative gear to succeed. While the subject matter of ninja’s is relatively common within the anime world due largely to the mystique that surrounds that profession animes that focus on the more traditional nature of ninjas which is spying and the gathering of information for their cause and in the process thwarting the enemy’s plans are rare ones indeed. Whats perhaps rarer than this however are Ninjas that in addition to having such traditional duties also have access to special skills that rather be used to fight large scale battles across different continents are instead used to help them defend their city from the predations of the many enemies that try to claim it. In an age where ability users allow them to take on entire organizations and countries in no time flat seeing a group of ninja spies make use of a combination of their unique abilities, teamwork and gear as they try to fulfill the original role of gathering intel and trying to piece it all together to find and neutralize the enemies plot to their home was something that I really enjoyed seeing it and was a definite breath of fresh air in the subject of ninjas and ability users. The first episode of the series was one that really impressed me and while it did well in introducing both the main setting and the team it also did well in showing the kind of power that the members of Tsukikage can command when they make use of fieldcraft, teamwork and the unique abilities that they command. As a result of this strong showing, I decided to stick with this anime and I'm glad that I watched it to the end. The overall story of Release the Spyce takes place in the modern day within the city of Sorasaki a large city whose unique location has allowed it to expand rapidly in recent years and contributed to transforming it into a metropolis that provides its inhabitants with both safety and economic prosperity while at the same time providing a home for hundreds of people. Among the people that call the city their home is Momo Minamoto a young teenage girl whose keen eyes and a unique sense of smell and taste that not only allowed her to meet the secret guardians of the city that she loves but also open her eyes to the fact that like her respected father who died defending the city she too can take up the mantle of becoming a defender of the city and help protect those people and things that are dear to her. As Momo goes through the training of becoming a spy and take part in the many ops that the team undertakes in their quest to defend the city she will slowly come to realize that while the training that she goes through may be harsh and that the missions in which they undertake may be tense and fraught with danger she knows that only by embracing the teachings that she got from training and only by learning to place her trust in her comrades will she be able to not just change as a person but also become an effective protector of the city and its people. But Momo will not be doing this alone for joining her in her mission is her comrades within Tsukikage that include the cool- and level-headed Yuki, the kind and warm Hatsume, the quiet but understanding Goe, the cheerful and confident Fuu and the carefree but surprisingly talkative Mei. Together these girls must while living the life of a high school student must not only make use of everything that they learned in training but also every ounce of intelligence, creativity, and teamwork that they have as they wage a deadly shadow war against the myriad number of factions that try to bring harm to their beloved city and stop them from corrupting this peaceful and prosperous city to achieve their own nefarious goals. Momo Minamoto Momo Minamoto portrayed by new seiyuu Yukari Anzai in one of her first main roles to date is one of the main characters of the series and is the main protagonist of the series. A second-year high school student that attends the local Sorasaki high school Momo in initial appearance can be seen to be a positive, energetic and determined person by nature that approaches each new day with cheerfulness and a smile on her face. While a positive person by nature it can be seen that in the beginning, she was someone that got nervous easily which when combined with her curious and innocent nature also had the effect of making her look cute to others as well. While she can be seen to be rather quiet in the beginning it can be seen quite easily that Momo is someone that is said to love the city of her birth as well as the many people that live within it very much and would do her best to protect them. At the same time, she was also noted to be someone that was law bound and preferred to obey all the rules and regulations that she encounters in her daily life which comes from both her strong sense of justice and the respect that she had for her late father who served the city as a policeman. However, despite this strong desire to become a policeman and follow in the footsteps of her father and her determined nature Momo hides within her a deep fear that restrains this desire of hers due to the belief that she won’t be effective in this role showing that she also has a chronic shortage of self-confidence in her. As a result of this, it's perhaps unsurprising that Momo would admire those people that not just possess boundless levels of self-confidence but also a sense of calm that shows their determination in taking their assigned path in life. While Momo always knew that she had both an excellent sense of smell and taste she never in her wildest dreams were to imagine that one day these unique traits of hers were to allow her to enter a life where she can not just protect the city that was so dear to her but also serve them as their guardians just as her father did. At first while dumbstruck by not just the scale of the resources that are available to the agency and somewhat put off by the cold attitude that her assigned master Yuki gives her Momo gradually learned to embrace the new sense of purpose that she had discovered after discovering not just the existence of the Tsukikage but also of their role of protecting the city from the shadows as well. While finding the training hard in the beginning which wasn’t helped by the coldness that she got from her mentor that had the effect of creating doubt within her this gradually began to change as a result of not just seeing the types of enemies that the team must face but also of the passion and determination that her teammates have for the role in which they play in ensuring the safety of the city. While still worried to a certain degree Momo gradually learns to overcome the fear that had previously…

I really love the spy anime genre. Despite being a pretty niche genre in the anime community they have grossly intrigued with great action scenes, fun and likeable characters and interesting narratives. Read, or Die TV and Princess Principal are my examples of this because not those shows had well-animated actions that perfectly. It was no surprise that Release the Spice was my most anticipated anime of the fall season as I really wanted the great spy action anime to continue and in the end, the show ended up my great spy action streak. It may not be as great as Princess Principal and Read or Die TV writing and character wise but I still believe that Release the Spice is still a great spy action series that has a lot of heart. Story. Momo Minamoto is your average, everyday Ordinary High-School Student, who goes out for a walk one night and sees five suspicious figures running across the rooftops of the factory across the river. It turns out that her city is a secret battleground between Tsukikage, an organization of ninja spy girls dating back to the Warring States era and Moryo, a Mega-Corp with sinister motives. Momo is scouted to join Tsukikage... the members of which turn out to be five of her fellow classmates! From there Momo's life as a spy apprentice begins. The story itself may start off as this typical cute girl with guns doing cute things with guns as they do a bunch of spy work that was given, however, as the series progresses the goes into dark territory where the series dives into serious topics and themes which I won't mention due to spoilers. The one thing that separates Release the Spyce from other anime of its genre that there spy training and mock test. As much I liked seeing the Paper Sisters from and the small spy group do they spy tasks we don't see them train all much. This is Release the Spyce really starts to shine as from episode 2 we see the main protagonist Momo doing through spy test and trails to not only prove herself but to prove her mentor that she's fit for the spy position. This was such a great of pace as compared to other spy anime because it's generally a great introduction to the characters as well origination setting itself. The spy missions in Release The Spyce were pretty entertaining as each of the girls use clever strategies and tactics to achieve the mission goal. The final thing that I want to talk about was how the show set traitor towards the end very unpredictable as set character through the series had no signs of the traitor whatsoever but when set character was revealed to be a traitor I was left speechless because I really set character to be a traitor whatsoever thanks to the lack of suspicious facial expressions. If there were flaws with Release The Spyce, it would be the very slow pacing at times at the show sometimes seems to drag plot aspects way longer than they should Other than that I thought the story of Release The Spyce to be pretty good. 8/10 Characters. The characters in a release the spice are pretty solid. While they aren't complex chararters by any means but least they were pretty fun and likeable. Momo is a nicely written protagonist. She starts off as a clueless spy but as the grows a person whereby the end of the series she becomes a powerful spy girl. Tsukikage group are all a fun, badass and likeable bunch. Yuki: The strick badass swordsman spy of who is very skilled at martial arts. She's is Momo trainee where she uses harsh training methods in order to make Momo a more capable fighter in spy missions. Mei: The cheerful spy who is filled with life who trains Fu. Outside of spy missions she plays the guitar and holds street performances in order to gather intelligence. Fuu: The ninja spy in disguise who has an obsessive relationship with Mei. Outside of spy missions, she works as a maid in a maid to gain money. Hatsume: The genius spy of the group who is very friendly towards others as well as being extremely skilled with gadgets. Goe: The powerful but shy spy out of all the bunch who uses a sniper rifle at long ranged combat to take down her enemies. She also has a big love for cute things. If I had to pick my favourite character out of the bunch, it would be Mei I really liked her cheerful personality as well as having great chemistry with her apprentice Fuu. As for the other characters, I thought were pretty solid. They may not be as memorable as the main characters but I thought there entertaining characters who served they propose of the plot pretty nicely. 8.5/10 Visuals. Visually Release the Spyce is pretty good. The characters design while more on the moe side was nicely done. The background scenery is very good, and it fits the tone of the show well for the most part. The animation is smooth, consistent and well animated making the spy cases and the fights more thrilling to watch. 8/10 Sound. The soundtrack for Release the Spice was pretty good for what it is. The series uses a series of dubstep, electronic and smooth track pieces to give the action and slice of life scenes more weight. The opening theme Spatto! Spy & Spyce sung by the Seiyuus who voiced each of the Tsukikage is an amazingly catchy song where despite being out of place at times it's still a joy to listen to thanks to the upbeat. Easily one of the best opening of 2018 by a long shot. The ending theme Hide & Seek by sung by the Seiyuus who voiced each of the Tsukikage is a pretty good ending theme. Now for sub vs dub. Both are great in their own ways but if I had to pick which one is better it would be the dub. Not only the acting was very spot on but the dub general just fits better with the show set and concept. 8/10 Final Thoughts. Overall I really liked Release The Spyce. Despite it having saddening MAL score of 7.00 from the time of this review this series ultimately managed to be a financing experience. While it was nowhere near as amazing as Read or Die series and Princess Principal Release the Spyce was still a fun and great spy anime that I enjoyed from start to finish. Final Score 8/10

I've been watching a lot of shoujo animes (majou shoujo in particular) recently and i came across this, my first thought was this'll probably a meh but hey i tried it and it was AMAZING like i did not regret watching every single episode of this anime especially the last episodes!!, this is an underrated anime fr, you guys should check this one out i swear this series gives me charlies angels vibes and so i honestly give this one out a 10/10, i'ts even better than madoka ppl, i like madoka but the ending didn't satisfy me but this one did.

*SPOILER-FREE* I randomly picked this show to binge post-season because I thought high school girls being spies and acting all silly would be funny and entertaining. Although nothing in this show is ground-breaking, I ended up enjoying it way more than I expected, putting it probably in my fall 2018 top 3. The "worst" part of this show would probably be characters and stereotypes that I've seen quite some times before, even though there was still quite some interesting character development and relationship development. The visuals and sound were on point. The OP kinda makes it look like it's just a silly girl spies show but IMO the track is pretty nice. All action scenes were well made over the course of the entire show. And lastly the story and topics that take place in this show are quite serious and interesting. I've read many detective novel, thrillers, etc. and this story was definitely comparable to some of the better stories I've read. So for me it's a top 3 for this season & definitely a show you should watch ASAP if you haven't already. I think 9/10 score is very justified and that it's quite underrated.

There's little reason for me to enjoy this show, but I did. The concept is simple. Replace James Bond with a team of cute anime girls that can hulk out eating spices. That's exactly what you're getting here. However the show really embraced it's concept and ran with it, giving you a fun ride. So, the story for this anime is wrought with spy tropes. You see everything coming from a mile away, but the point of the story for this series was clearly to get you from set piece to set piece. The humor is prevalent but rarely more than just okay. The characters pretty much all have a single dominant personality trait that defines them, with little else going on. With exception to the villain. The villain doesn't even have one personality trait. I swear, if she had a mustache, she would have twirled it. Yet still, I had fun with this show. The animation of the action sequences were pretty good. The girls were certainly cute but still bad ass. I knew I was not watching something brilliant, but none of the missteps in the writer's room were jarring. They didn't do anything so stupid it could take you out of a show that is presenting itself as good dumb fun. To me, that's the saving grace of Release the Spyce. They knew they were never going to have a masterpiece here, so they had fun with what was there. Is this a must watch? Not in the slightest. Still, it's fun enough to where you will not feel like you wasted four to five hours of your life.

a simple words to describe this anime is "moe turns into sh*t". madoka magica, gakkou gurashi, shoujo shuumatsu ryouko everyone!!. yeah, when you expecting some moe dose anime, and they give you bloodbath instead lol. lets move on to the review. Story : story is simple, about bunch of cute girls in a mission (read: princess principal with yuru yuri art style), the story is still enjoyable at last. Animation : nothing outstanding about the animation. in fact, what's wrong with the last 2 episode lol, those lazy animaton tho.. Sound : the opening is okay but somehow catchy, it stick to my ear for a while. the ending... i don't even remember the ending haha, so i don't think it was that good. meanwhile i kinda like the insert ost, especially in the battle scene, since i'm a fan of dubstep music. but in the end it's about taste after all. Characters : Momo or the main character is your typical "genki" girl, fuu is definetely a copy of chinatsu yoshikawa from another universe, the rest is okay i think.. not too powerful also not too bland either, except for goemon, which makes me want to know her more. Enjoyment : yeah i enjoy this anime, but i kinda hate about a certain episode, there was a cliffhanger and left me frustrated a bit, but it was okay since it's one of anime formula "left you curious till DEATH". Recap: this anime is okay and still enjoyable, but i don't highly recommed it, and also i don't recommend this anime to those who can't stand whenever their beloved waifu is being tortured. ================================================= Story : 7.5 Animation : 6.5 Sound : 7 Characters : 7 Enjoyment : 7.5 Overall : 7.5

First, sorry if my English is bad. [Release The SPYCE] [a little review and personal opinion] From the beginning of making the series (LN / Anime / manga) it did apply Mentor-Pupil ties, as explained by Takahiro as the 'Series Composition'. So it's very natural if the story is very focused on Tsukikage. Besides that, the story is indeed deep and systematic, in episode 10 makes the audience feel 'Shock Therapy'. It's not enough just that, I think it will be fully Happy ending but again Takahiro makes heartache. A proper ending, let's think, if the Mentor and Pupil are only separated by distance and place, it can still be reunited but if the Teacher and Disciples have shared memories, on the one hand they don't know that being in the same place is painful. Many unexpected stories such as when May and Katrina planned double spies 2 years ago and many others. The coolest thing is when Momo vs Tendo, Momo uses the existing service, great when Momo smeared his sword using Sunblock to become Invisible Sword The Minus of this anime is an inconsistent art, but for me it is not a big problem, because an extraordinary story has covered up the shortcomings. Nah, This is just my opinion, actually Yuki had asked for a reminder of the bullet eraser bullet to Hatsume beforehand, so the bullet eraser effect didn't work on her. Yuki lied to Momo. Remember, spies are liars. Yuki's goal was to do that so Momo could move forward and not ask Yuki to be spoiled again, so Momo could be independent and have his own pupil. Yuki once told Momo that Yuki wanted to see what Momo pupil looked like later. That means Yuki did lie to Momo that Yuki's memories were erased.

This is such an underrated gem out there. To be clear: it is a "fairly" light hearted story about a group of ninja spy girls looking over the city and fighting an evil powerful organisation that works in the shadows. Do not expect to be mindblown by some deep plot or highly intellectual content, or every detail being completely covered with no flaw whatsoever. There are some aspects or happenings that are quickly disposed of with some ready explanation and you are just supposed to go with it. But there will also be a lot of scenes that will hit you right in the feels and it is not holding back. That being said! This serie was such a good surprise! I picked it up out of nowhere and with little expectations as I was just looking for something of good company and it's been an absolute blast to go through! The pace is good, some episodes are slower than others but they never felt boring. There are a lot of cute moments of affections between the girls which I personally enjoyed but it can definitely feel cheesy if you are not into that. The animation is great! The fight scenes are rich and exciting, the music is always on point to make you immerse in this little spy world and the characters are all interesting on their own and you will soon enough get immersed, enthralled, in their lives and struggles. I feel like the studio put all their heart into this work and really wanted to make something good out of it and it shows in all the cares for the little details, as simple as the concept itself might be.

Well, I'll be honest. With NO spoilers. I really enjoyed Release the Spyce, in lots of moments reminded me of Totally Spies! The score does not give merit to this show as it is actually enjoyable and gave me an overall good time watching. I only gonna warn you that the first 5 episodes are really great, then until the 10th it's a little repetitive.. but to the 10th till the last one, it really gave me some killing/emotional/wtf/great moments. Some said that the plot kinda got predictable, but for me, all the twists got me unexpectedly. Overall, I really enjoyed it! the soundtrack is really cool, the OP is amazing (gonna miss it a lot), the characters although are not my style, didn't make me feel weird about it and the animation is cool. I recommend watching if you liked totally spies and if you want a chilling kinda cute and fast anime.

This show came out of nowhere and I didn't expect it to grab me like it is. I'm not usually a viewer of magical girl shows but this show alone has caused me to become addicted to the genre. It's not a comedy, not a deconstruction, not a kids' show, just a straightforward action show with fantastic writing. I'm not sure what the intended audience is for this show, given that it mixes cutesy highschool drama with actual violence and adult themes like whorehouses; which is a good thing in my opinion as it probably means the creators were just trying to express themselves, to write a show for them rather than for someone else. There's a moment near the end that I disagree with, but otherwise the show's writing is flawless. And the soundtrack...You wouldn't think that rave music would gel so well with a show about Magical Girl Batman but it works fantastically.

I really can't bring myself to like this anime. There seems to be little reason why the girls are so overpowered as compared to regular human beings...because they are supposed to be regular human beings. Regardless of what you say about training methods, it simply feels cheesy and cheap, with no proper foreshadowing towards any of the characters' so called hidden abillities/potential. I get that this is an anime that really just isn't meant to be taken with any sense of realism, but at the very least make things look somewhat believable. At least Black Widow's fighting style in the movies looked more believable than this. Fact of life, women are physically weaker than men on average. And ignoring sex, being less than half the size of another person with no muscle development leads to very unrealistic and unbelievable fight scenes that feel cheap and overplayed. At the very least, use fighting styles that highlight making up for the physical differences in strength level, rather than having some chick be strong enough to pick up a man that likely weighs around 75-80 kilos with a single hand at arm's length like he's nothing. At least Batman looks like he can do that, she definitely does not. Even John Wick can't fight more than two or three guys at a time, and most of the time he does it with a gun. This really just feels like one of those anime that is centered around overpowering characters when convenient and never presenting any real threat or genuine fear for the situations they're placed in. At the very least I'd hoped they'd steer away from the general tropes about love and friendship but I guess the writer said nope. Their villains don't look threatening, their storyline is not interesting, there is no tension in anything that the villains or characters do, and there is no sense of foreboding regardless of the events that transpire. It really isn't because of any one part of the anime, but more a mixture of all the things from the art style to the music to the story, but this makes this a bag of bad things mixed together and presented to you in a jumbled mess. The story feels like it has no direction, and without a good story there is really little else to make this anime worth watching. Ultimately, please leave the wanking to when you're alone in your room, and don't place it into an anime. Stuffing 15-17 year old girls that look like they're 12 into skimpy outfits and having them fight crime is really not the way to go to create a real masterpiece in anime. John Wick had no story whatsoever, but still managed to become one of the best movies ever due to wonderful choreography and great action scenes. Having a highschool girl clock someone in the face with an arm half the size of his and sending him flying does not make for an entertaining fight scene. Rather it's still entertaining, just not at all for the reason you're going for.

*Sorry for my bad English* This is Horrible. I don't know how this anime gain score to more than 7? This anime have nothing than yuri girl. First is Story, In the beginning I'm interest with chasing drug trafficking, terrorism and strategy in every mission, I'm enjoy with them. But but but What that the end? Made smoke that brainwash people around the world? that made no sense! I'm no idea what villain motive all episode 1-10 and motive is this? All villain do is not according to that end! How it come? Finally for short, all of this anime is justice heroine with cringy villain, Main protagonist always good and justice, villain is always bad and no any motive of doing, I'm going to brainwashed people around the world because I'm villain, only that. I don't found other of this, Social Criticism of this story? I'm interesting but story never use of that. Next is mei, sorry but I'm don't understand with traitor plot in this story, in episode 6 said had someone in group is traitor and leaking out personal information and in episode 10 solve is mei was traitor, but they solve again that mei is made up. So why said about leaking out personal information in episode 6? Conclude traitor has for real? or that only made up? If made up, why epsiode 6 said that? like director want happy end, everyone shake the hand and run in lily field together! we are fighting together! WOW!!! Personally, I think this anime emphasize with this too much by no thinking about story. Art and Sound is good, I'm so enjoy with opening song. Then is character, I'm okay with background story of girls, but I think it's too much with use time 1 episode for 1 yuri couple, that made story vignettes, like all of this anime have only yuri and forgot story, when the end this anime stuffe story of brainwash smoke that use in episode 7 come in by no thinking about it. Relationship of girls, If you are yuri fan, you may love and enjoy. but for me, There is very annoying especially fuu, she is bad girl for me. Only couple that I like in this anime have only Momo and Yuki, I'm enjoy this relationship of them. Enjoyment, I'm enjoy with terrorism and strategy in the first of story, but they forgot main part story and made in the end horrible. Overall, If you are yuri fan, love yuru yuri, you may watch it with no problem, but if you going to watch this series because want something back, I'm recommend to avoid to this series. Personally, If this anime not had cute yuri girl, this series is nothing than cringy anime.

Thanks for tuning to another one of my reviews. I promise I’ll crank these out more frequently now, especially since I’m pretty worry-free this winter break. Look forward to me struggling to articulate the greatness of some of my favorite shows ever in some of the reviews I have coming up. If you haven’t already, check out my updated waifu list! I worked pretty hard to update it, so I’d appreciate if you check it out and leave a comment! Enough getting sidetracked, let’s get straight to the point. I’m doing a review for the recently finished airing Release the Spyce, and I’m doing this for two reasons: one, to clear up misunderstandings about the show for the people who dislike the show after having finished it due to the misguided expectations they had for it. Two, to get more people to watch this show and hopefully patch up its average MAL score. Just yesterday, Release the Spyce had a 6.70 average rating. Although at the time of me writing this it has drastically increased to a 7.00 average, shows like Kishuku Gakkou no Juliet from the same season has a 7.63 rating. And Kishuku Gakkou no Juliet is no more than your average, tropey rom-com harem show. While Release the Spyce is by no means a masterpiece, it was the highlight seasonal show of the season for me and I aim to express that through the following review. Let’s get started. To sum it all up in one short paragraph, here’s what my whole entire review is trying to say. I’ll go more into detail later if you’re still here to read it. To be honest, I didn’t start watching Release the Spyce during the Fall 2018 season until episode 9 had already aired. I had avoided the show because the revealing outfits of the girls in Release the Spyce led me to believe that it was just another “skimpily dressed girls battle in your run-of-the-mill battle girl ecchi show” like Ange Vierge or something, but I was way off the mark. Release the Spyce is a moe action yuri spy thriller. Now, you may be confused after hearing that. The bottom line is that Release the Spyce takes two seemingly incompatible things like cute high school girls and high-profile secret agents, mixes them together, and makes it work really, really well. Release the Spyce is a moe slice of life at its heart, with shounen and yuri elements mixed in as supplements. For people who haven’t watched Release the Spyce and are considering it, Release the Spyce heavily resembles most Cute Girls Doing Cute Things shows. If you enjoy CGDCTs like K-On, Gochiusa, New Game, Blend S, etc., definitely give Release the Spyce a watch. You definitely won’t regret it since it’s fundamentally structured like your typical CGDCT show, except the cute thing they’re doing being ninja spies. That’s it for the summary. Let’s elaborate on the things I may have glossed over in the summary for the sake of brevity. The first question about Release the Spyce someone may have is how can something be considered an action thriller if it has overarching moe (cute) undertones to everything? The answer to that is I don’t know, and I don’t care. It just works. Release the Spyce is able to take some awesome action tips from shounens like Naruto and mix it together with the campy cuteness of shows like K-On to create something cohesive, entertaining, and unique. It’s not a surprise since other shows from this season have done the exact same thing by mixing up two seemingly unrelated elements and coming up with something that works much better than it has any right to. To name some of my favorites, Zombieland Saga made an idol show about zombies and Tonari no Kyuuketsuki-san made a moe yuri slice of life about loli vampires. Although it’s fundamentally still a moe show, Release the Spyce incorporates many media tropes from the action genre very well. You’re gonna get some serious My Hero Academia vibes with the first episode, with “do you want to become a hero/spy” being synonymous among the two shows that come from two pretty unrelated genres. If you were one of those kids that got all giddy watching the old Batman cartoons that aired on Saturday mornings or really like the Spy Kids movies, then Release the Spyce is definitely worth checking out if you don’t mind that cute anime girls are the focus of the show. To be honest, some of the technology that Tsukikage works with looks a whole lot more practical than a lot of the stuff Batman has in his belt. A VERY IMPORTANT thing to consider though, as you continue getting engrossed in this world of smartphone pistols, grappling hooks, holographic decoys, and invisibility lotion, is that this is a show about cute girls doing cute things. This especially goes out to the people who were “disappointed” by the ending. No matter how badass these girls are and how much the stakes are raised as the show goes on, the focus is on the moe and the yuri of the cute girls. So don’t expect some Tom Cruise jumping out of a burning helicopter to retrieve the detonator to a nuclear weapon or some insane 007 mind game. Release the Spyce may employ many elements from the action and spy genre very well, but that’s all it’s doing. It’s merely employing those elements, not identifying with them. Don’t be tricked; remember: all spies are liars. Got it memorized? Hating on a moe show for not fulfilling your ultimate fantasy of an anime action spy thriller is the same as hating imouto shows, watching Eromanga Sensei anyways, and then complaining about it. (someone please notice my Eromanga Sensei review) From here on I’ll move on to covering the story, art, sound, character, and enjoyment of Release the Spyce. To do this thoroughly though, there will be at least some SPOILERS or references that may become spoilers. If you haven’t already quit reading my review to go watch Release the Spyce, go do it now! It’s honestly a really good time. Whether you’re a moe fan that just tolerates action, an action fan that just tolerates moe, or someone that paradoxically loves both moe and action like me, Release the Spyce will be an extremely entertaining ride. Story: 007/10 The story is honestly the weakest part of this show. I was serious when I said not expect some crazy 007 shit. There wasn’t some crazy plot twist and the show didn’t go all Madoka Magica on us, which led many people (haters, cough, haters) to be let down. That being said, the story isn’t bad at all. As someone who regularly watches moe shows where the narrative is sometimes episodic at best, the story of Release the Spyce is very cohesive, clear, and somewhat moving. Release the Spyce is about our main girl Momo Minamoto, or as she likes to be called, Momochi (lol Peach). Momochi’s father was a police officer that gave his life protecting the city, and Momochi is motivated to step up and protect her home of Sorasaki City to honor her father’s legacy. She looks up to her senpai Yuki Hanzomon because she’s your typical smart, talented, cool, and beautiful senpai that all the girls at the school want to be acknowledged by (yuri intensifies). It turns out Yuki is a secret agent of Tsukikage along with the other girls Momochi met at school and Momochi is scouted to join their ranks, even becoming Yuki’s apprentice (shishou yuri intensifies). From here on out continues Momochi’s story of growth from an introverted schoolgirl to someone who has founded her courage through her efforts and achievements. The cyclical resemblance of the first episode to the last episode is always something I appreciate in shows. Momochi taking her turn after Yuki to be the one standing up for the city and instilling courage in a kouhai definitely demonstrates deliberate consideration and awareness of the overarching theme of a narrative, something that separates mediocre anime from good ones. While it isn’t the most innovative way to lay the foundation for a show, it served its purpose well enough considering how this is a moe show driven by a demand for cuteness as much as it is by the narrative. HEAVY SPOILERS …

I started watching Release the Spyce because someone said it was something similar to Toji no Miko (an underrated masterpiece). And yes, the truth is they are somewhat similar, if we are based only on the concept of 'high school girls fighting with a bit of yuri', but they are quite different apart from that. Story: 6/10 Well, the story is interesting. The 'spies' theme is something I haven't seen in many anime, and this one somehow executes it decently. It places the story from the perspective of an average girl who starts out as a spy in the group 'Tsukikage', it presents us with an interesting plot about an evil organization called Moryo that is related to certain drugs, and through the series, we see the Spygirls defeat various members of other organizations that are related to Moryo, but that in the end of the case are only used as distractions by this evil organization, which made me intriguing. BUT, here lies the main difference with Touji no Miko. While the latter at least gave you a kind of context about the world and where the superpowers of the tojis came from, in Release the Spyce we know that girls obtain superhuman abilities from the 'spyce', but it is never explained to us why this Spyce only It works on young girls, we don't know the complete past of Tsukikage and when and why it was founded, nor do we know what the 'spyce' really is and where it comes from, which leaves many things unknown. Obviously, it was 12 episodes, but I feel like several episodes were unnecessary and could have been used for worldbuilding. Art: 9/10 I can't say much. The animation is generic and so are the designs, but is that bad? Not at all, I'm not picky about these sections. The designs are simple, but I found them cute, so that's fine. There were parts where the animation looked weird, but I didn't complain too much about it. Mind you, the fights were beautiful in my opinion, I enjoyed them too much. Sound: 10/10 Umm, I think one of the things I liked the most was the OST of the show, as well as the OP and ED. They were just great, nothing more to say. Character: 8/10 For a series that doesn't aim for much, the characters are really great. I don't believe in dividing the characters into 'three-dimensional' or the like, but I can say that these characters were to some extent realistic and well done. But, unlike the characters in amazing Touji no Miko, although in Release the Spyce each character has their own conflicts and thoughts, I feel like many needed a little more background. Momo is the best character in the series, obviously, not only is she the best girl, but she is the best written, but there are characters like Hatsume who were not a big deal. Momochi: Momo is a very good character. She is presented as an average high school girl, sweet, kind, cheerful, but somewhat shy, which is why she starts out as a social isolate in her second year of high school. She has a strong sense of justice, especially since her father was a cop, but at the same time she is a coward. By joining Tsukikage, we see how Momo strives to become stronger day by day, this thanks to the help of her 'shishou', she goes through hard training but gets used to it over time, we see her fail and make mistakes in some missions , but learn from these, to take the lead in the final mission. The end of the series shows great maturity on her part, because although she was unwilling to separate from her 'shishou' and that she lost her memories, Momo ended up accepting the decision, and transmitted the feelings inherited from her shishou to her next student. I don't want to extend too much, but the other characters were also interesting, with their own problems, but they, unlike Momo, do not show great development and lack a background. Enjoyment: 10/10 Well, the series is not boring at all. Every episode is entertaining, comedy is good for this type of series, the fight scenes were the best, and it keeps you hooked if you are someone who enjoys this type of series. Overall: 8/10 A better-than-average series speaking of CGDCT (although it doesn't have much moe), but it still doesn't surpass the masterpiece for superior people: Toji no Miko.

I'll try not to be too wordy here. In an absolute nutshell, I love this anime. Sure it's story is kinda cheesy, reminding me of some of the 1980s western cartoons such as GI Joe, Thundercats or Defenders of the Earth. Colorful, packed with action, an overarching plot against a Big Bad enemy. Interesting characters with obviously different personalities and abilities. Great opening theme song and pretty decent soundtrack (well, maybe not Defends of the Earth on that last point). Indeed, its better animated than the three I mentioned, and better voice-acted. I won't lie and tell you that it has the best story, or that the characters aren't the most interesting in anime, cause they're not. The story itself, because of its reminiscence of 80s western cartoons, is relatively simple and straight forward; it doesn't NEED to be complicated though. Its not a drama, its an action-thriller. There are certainly parts of the show where I get a little frustrated by odd time-skips, or explanations of things rather than not showing them (NOT referring to episode 11), but when I take the show on the whole I love it. I don't expect everyone to agree - its average rating as I write this is 7.0 where as I gave it a little smidge over 8 and I know plenty of people who write it off. Now, the next part I'm going to touch on is something I am *extremely* passionate about. And that is that this anime SHOULD BE TAGGED AS YURI. There is zero doubt in my mind that every single member of Tsukikage is at minimum bisexual. There are three obvious pairings who show romantic and very subtle sexual interest in each other. Indeed, the pairings of Mei and Fuu, and of Hatsume and Goe, are pretty damned overt. I will not accept people saying that 'theyre just close friends'. Bullshit. I am lesbian myself. I know lesbian romance/desire when I see it. Furthermore, and maybe this is out of the scope of the review, but if one were to take the time to read the manga spin-off it becomes even more overt. I won't spoil it, as it should be read, but its super clear that the two above pairings plus of course Yuki and Momo are just that. Couples. That Release the Spyce isn't tagged as Yuri frustrates me, because all the streaming sites (ok well, HiDive is the only one that carries it, so.. HIDIVE LISTEN UP I EMAILED YOUR SUPPORT STAFF MONTHS AGO ABOUT THIS) do not tag it as (in the case of HIDIVE) LGBTQ. Growl! Now, from the perspective of it being a Yuri anime? I think that it rates pretty high up among the best of them, able to compete with some of the classics. Is it as good as Bloom into You? Well no, nothing is at this point in time. But is it as good as Sakura Trick? Absolutely. I might even say its as good as Strawberry Panic in its own way. Better than Citrus. FAR FAR better than NTR and Kuttsukiboshi. If you like 80s-inspired action thrillers, funky-ass music (and a GREAT OP), and solid Yuri, then you must give Release the Spyce a watch.

Now Release the Spyce for me was a great series. Its rating did change quite drastically at times but overall it was a great series. One the music for the series is the most catchiest I've heard it a while and it always gives off the hero/spy vibe which really helped me enjoy the series to the max. The characters are lovable and the whole apprentice/master relationship really makes for some great scenes and really made me like the main two Momo and Yuki. It also helped slip in some yuri like scenes which I always approve of. The story is very basic bad guy vs good guy but that's what makes it so lovable as you can just sit back and enjoy the cliché we've seen all the time but with a new refreshing hero spy twist that you don't see often in anime. The series however also has surprising twists that I didn't expect as it did give off a hero vibe. These twists I personally I got very emotional over which goes to show how invested I was. Also just got to point out I like the use of wordplay with the title Release the "Spyce". Personally I just really like this. Overall Release the Spyce is a great hero series for anyone who likes stuff like Robin and heroes without powers. (If you don't count spice as a power) with its catchy as hell OP and overall soundtrack I definitely recommend people to watch this. Loved the series and overall give it a 8/10.