The story revolves around high school student Akira Nikaido, a typical slacker living a normal life. That is, until he meets the mysterious Shirogane, a man who suddenly appears and tells him that they have a destiny together. When Akira hears this, he is shocked and doesn't believe a word of it. Aya, a friend of Akira, forgets something in the school one night, and asks Akira to help her and go find it. He agrees, and while there, he gets attacked by a shadow monster. Shirogane convinces him that the balance between the human world and the shadow world has been distorted and that Akira must become a "shin"- a creature of the shadow world- in order to help restore the balance. The anime has shonen-ai themes which are completely absent from the manga.
(Source: Wikipedia)
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Comentários
lekoweko
If this show were a video game it would be terrible. Thank your Wii's it's not. Basically the story revolves around a typical guy, Akira, as he and his friends try to stop the onslaught of "Kokuchi" or shadow monsters from invading Japan and ultimately the world. As you can guess, it can get pretty repetitive. That's not to say, however, that you won't enjoy it, as humor seems to substitute for plot most of the time, which, in this case was a good thing. Story- 4 Let me first say the pacing of this anime was awful. As acommon rule enemies are supposed to get stronger as the show goes on, but halfway through it I realized that nothing was going to change- thus my video game analogy. Sure, there's plenty of action to go around if you're okay with transformation sequences longer than the actual battle. There were a few interesting battles scenes though the enemies were very, very generic.
Like I said humor plays a very big role. Expect to laugh even when Akira is slicing and dicing some Kokuchi. Unfortunately, the humor does nothing to further the plot of the anime, though it does make up for it. You would hardly guess that it was time for the finale to come around because of an utterly humorous go-lucky ending from the episode before it, which again is due to horrible pacing. Luckily, the story, when it finally did pick up, was pretty satisfying and DIDN'T have me thinking "I waited twenty-somethn' episodes for this?"
Art- 6
Nothing special. Kind of generic. There isn't a lot of blood and the effects are mostly an embellished digital. I found some of the transformations laughable, but for the most part the art is consistent and mostly simple. The character designs are okay, though you really have to decide for yourself if some characters are really that beautiful or if you're okay with Akira's mullet (IMO- I just wanted to chop it off!).
Sound- 6
Hits and misses. Some pieces seemed like they belonged in the 90s while others conveyed the scene very well through piano.
Characters- 7
A very enjoyable bunch of character, albeit, shallow. The basic characters are here: the bossy girl, the dumb blond, the ambiguous guy, the badass, the genius kid, the guy who can do everything, I could go on. If you're annoyed by ditzy horny and/or violent women with high pitched voices you shouldn't watch this- but then again you're an anime fan so it's like you practically signed up for that kind of stuff anyway. Still, the characters try their hardest with chibi scenes to put a smile on your face, so you can live with them.
The series is also very ambiguous with relationships. They had it all almost- shounen-ai, shoujo-ai and even shota. Though none of them were expounded upon a great deal most of them had something to do with the plot, which can't be said for many other anime with these types of relationships.
Enjoyment- 9
Chances are you'll either be bothered by the pace or the character's antics, but that's exactly what makes this show fun to watch. It's a fun little ride for fans of the actions genre (and doubly fun for those who squee at shounen-ai). I found myself fully enjoying it and in the end humor won over the weak story. That can't really be done for most action anime which take themselves too seriously, so consider this a rare treat- at least where enjoyment is concerned. Overall, it's a fair 6 for me.
Chalis
Oh goodness where to begin with this... When I first learned about this anime, I was hopeful. During the episodes, I still waited for something--anything at all to make it a good series. The only good thing about it is Shirogane. He was the only one in the entire series that had potential to be the shining gem. However he just became annoying along with the rest of the shallow and unpolished characters. I have to admit though, for making such uninteresting characters, they sure did know how to make them all equally annoying. The novelty of BL in this show would be the only reason itmight attract a few viewers but the actual content of it (none) irks many away unfortunately too late as they are usually mostly through with the series.
The actual story is the old classic: "This is a complete accident but hey you're the chosen one anyhow so it's okay!". Oh and guess what, some of the characters get their own 'transformation sequence' and I guess the producers wanted you to damn well know how they do it because it happens in each episode all the way through. On a side note I would like to say how utterly pointless the scenes before the actual story line (a few episodes in, you'll understand). They are neither funny nor amusing, or anything close to having wit.
Now, the opening and ending credits are actually very beautiful. They were very well done and it may have been the only thing keeping me going throughout the series, that along with the soundtrack. For those of you fans of music, you may want to look around for the OST.
Last but not least, the art. As I mentioned before, the opening and ending credits are beautiful, and I can actually say that the art style was fairly decent, however, side views are still--erm--odd. In front view, none of the characters have noses.
Overall the series gets a 2. Instead of watching this series, I would suggest watching (or re-watching) Loveless.
Bishounen_Hunter
So I'm starting to wirte reviews again...... And I'll start with this one. OK so, I picked up this title because most sites have this series pegged as a “shounen-ai” anime. But really? Is it really Shounen-Ai AKA Boy's Love? Because I don't see much “LOVE” in this series...at all. What I do see is one character, the lanky fem [and it's always a fem] character endlessly throwing himself at the main character, with no reciprocation whatsoever. This show has as much BL elements in it as X/1999 [X-TV] by CLAMP does And if no one views X [X/1999] as shounen-ai, then Monochrome Factor isn'treally shounen-ai either because it doesn't offer any true BL for anyone who appreciates that genre to enjoy. And once you remove this from the series, what have we got left, really?
~ART
Considering that this show was made in 2008, only THREE years ago! I would have to give the animation for this series pretty low marks. There are anime from the 80s with much better, much more impressive and innovative animation [Akira, Macross just to name a few] than what Monochrome Factor has to offer. The art looks very flat, cheap, low-budget...at least to me. Then you have the choppy animation sequences and frequent drops to the even cheaper looking chibi-mode with plain backgrounds, a lot of still frames with the blurred backgrounds [used for the fighting scenes] and of course the recycled changing sequences [which are totally unnecessary after the first 3-4 times we've seen it]. Monochrome Factor doesn't really give you a lot of scenery to look at either. They tried to do an Beach/Island Paradise episode and they might have well have been at a backyard pool party.
~SOUND
Can't say that I recall if there was any music during the series beyond the OP and ED themes....and those were both pretty generic. I watched the show in Japanese dub, it was OK. Just OK, though.
~STORY
OMG what story??? Each episode was basically the same thing!!! Don't get me wrong, I can totally appreciate the concept that they were probably aiming for, perhaps something of a BL series that really wasn't centered around the angst and turmoil of being attracted to the same sex or being gay. I can appreciate the intention at least, but if this is supposed to be the finished product.....then no, not so much. For all sakes and purposes this show might as well have been an American cartoon, There is an overall theme, yes, which is much like G.I. Joe or Teen Titans, but what lies beyond that theme? Not a whole lot.
There always seems to be hints of a bigger story popping up here and there but the series never delivers on the promise. Like most anime shows, the source is probably a manga and I'm sure the characters have more depth and dimension there but I'm only scoring the anime at this point, which again gets a low score, because of the dumbness. Another example, the Butler episode was just as dumb, if the rich boy, Haruka—isn't that a girl's name—didn't like the idea of the Butler's friend getting fired....then why didn't he just hire him as a second butler for his own house....or for one of his many houses? And there are many many episodes like this that grates on my nerves a bit.
Even though this show has some moderately good points, namely the comedy and the hint of BL elements, Monochrome could have been hacked down to 12 episodes....Maybe even a 4-part OVA easily!
~Character
Pretty one-dimensional if you ask me. I can see why a lot of people got irritated by these characters. They have no depth, no meaning: Akira = anti-social/rebel guy, Ken = Dumb Jock guy, Aya = the bitch, Shirogane = the flaming goth-guy...etc. etc, bleh! Homer and Marge Simpson have more layers than these guys. And yet, the anime is steadily fixated around these guys. You don't see secondary characters unless they are going to be possessed by those shadowy centipede looking demons. Even when the world is ending in episode 22, with all the huge tornadoes and red lighting, absolutely NO ONE is seen running out of the buildings or cars, you only see the main characters. And that's all you'll ever see: the good guys, the bad guys and the victim to be possessed per episode.
The characters were nice looking, but poorly coloured and shaded, which is why I think they look so cheap to me, because not a lot of effort went into the colouring and shading and it pretty safe to say that the character design came from the manga....tho I've never seen it. I also hate the fact that they're always wearing the same clothes, I know I'm being kinda petty at this point, but it still bugs me, if the show was any better I might have overlooked it.
~Verdict
Sometimes I can feel an underlying irritation when I watch anime, and I'm not quite sure what it is exactly but it mostly comes up with shows like this one. Where there's no plot, but not only is there no plot, the art is underwhelming....and then there's all the Euro-pandering going on, ie., big western-styled homes and this “aristocratic” behaviour which is NOT common to Japanese people whatsoever. And WTF with the whole butler thing....like, really? Frankly I was intrigued in the beginning and and then mildly interested again by the end, around episode 22....but all that shit in the middle I could have done without, they could have used all those episodes to develop the characters, maybe create a deeper bond between Akira and Shirogane or maybe an Akira X Kendo storyline. Something to make this anime interesting, but no...they didn't, so the only thing that's really “awesome” about this series is the title itself: Monochrome Factor.
b0n3s
It's my first time writing a review so i apologize if it's vague and not of help to you. :| Story (6): The story has got two main characters that is somewhat like loveless; Akira and Shirogane, sharing a bond to fight off evil and with Shirogane carrying unconditional love for Akira. Both of them, together with Akira's peers, fights to defeat darkness which are mostly in the form of kokuchis. However, It's somewhat predictable as to what might happen in the first 15 episodes of this anime? [spoiler]A character will appear in that particular episode. Wallow in sadness for their whichever reasons. And suddenly, takingadvantage of their situation, someone will appear and plant kokuchi(s) in their body hence, making them transform into a monster. However, they'll definitely transform back to normal with the help of Akira and Gang.
There was a twist to the story but unfortunately, the most exciting part of the story came to an abrupt halt at the final episode. It kind of leaves you hanging there. Perhaps, there might be a second season to this. [/spoiler]
Characters (6.5):
Don't get me wrong that the characters are boring. The reason as to why I'd give the characters a 6~7 score is because i felt that there was a lack of development in relationship between Akira and Shirogane. If you're a yaoi/shounen-ai fan like me, you will most probably be disappointed by this anime. Yes, I'm here because I'm into shounen-ai/yaoi and therefore, I'm here to warn of those who might be cheated to watch this anime cause of its genre.
The main character, Akira, is surrounded by a group of friends that's got extremely interesting personalities. They've got really laughable actions that gives this a Humour level of (7) to me. Watch this anime not for the un-promising shounen-ai genre but more for the foolish things that these group of youths will do and how they will save the world from "darkness". (-. -) I felt that the bond between all of them as friends were much stronger than that of ShiroXAkira. As for the Antogonists, there was only a small amount of them. Therefore, I was hoping for them to posess more powers. I was also looking forward to more actions and less setting up of booby traps (kokuchis. kokuchis. kokuchis.) to defeat Akira and gang.
Overall (6.5)
I'd give it a 6.5 in overall for the humorous studs & cranky female characters and the drawings of the character. The sound was okay - nothing amazing in particular. If you're those that's for light-BL anime, you can go for it. Don't expect too much of this anime but just enjoy the humor and see how this group of friends come together to save the day from being engulfed by darkness.
Gravitation
I was entertained by watching this series. At first i thougt that it would be only fighting, but there's more to it. In the series there's some episodes that are alike, when they just have to fight the shadow monsters, but the ending was very good. The character Shirogane was the most interesting person. I think it's a good story, allthough in the middle it gets boring, but you just have to watch it till the ending.
Diamond_Dust
Honestly, what a disappointment. I had high hopes for Monochrome Factor when I read the synopsis, but unfortunately the experience turned out to be mediocre at best. The story was weak and predictable. It had all of the elements it needed to succeed, but anything they could have developed and used to their benefit, they completely ignored. Above all though, what destroyed this show can be narrowed down to one horrible mistake. The comic relief. And really, it can't even be called relief, because they never left it to begin with. Seriously, I can't be the only one who thought it was excessive, annoying, out of placeand down right shameless. There were times when I literally screamed at my computer screen.
Oh God, stop it! It's not funny! Can you people be serious for just one episode? One, that's all I ask. No, he just got kidnapped. We're not laughing. No, somebody just betrayed you. We're not FUCKING laughing. I don't want to see Kengo whining about "Akira-kuuuuun!" or Aya smacking somebody in the head with her kendo stick. For God's sake people, you're supposed to be distraught. At least pretend you give a damn that the world as you know it is collapsing around you. I'm not asking you to be serious all the time, but occasionally would be nice.
This show can't go five minutes without cracking cheep jokes, or doing random 'funny' chibi scenes where the characters laugh and beat the shit out of each other. Seriously, what the fuck? Comedy is entertaining if used in moderation, even in a serious show with a sophisticated plot, but if you're doing it every two minutes, you're going to completely ruin any attempt you make at being serious, not that you did much of that anyway.
If you don't take your show seriously, why should I? Apparently the producers of this anime wouldn't know tone if it punched them in the face. I certainly hope the manga isn't like this too, because if so, what the hell.
Anyway, this one is a hit or miss. The theme song was catchy. I guess that's something.
Sunbloom
*NOTE* I know some of you may enjoy Shounen-Ai, and I have nothing against you, but I hated seeing one of my favorite mangas of all time reduced to this... shit. Story (7) : Like I said I totally LOVED the original plot. Fighting kokochis to save the world from darkness? Check. Akira being pissed at Shirogane? Check. Oh and let's not forget Akira falling in love with Shirogane, even though they pretty much despise each other, and Haruka. WTF?! That ain't in the manga. And they COMPLETELY MISSED RYUUKO AND HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH SHIROGANE!!! That was my favorite part of the manga and they completelyTHREW IT OUT THE FUCKING WINDOW. Oh sure, Ryuuko appears at the end, but for those who didn't read the manga, they don't even know why the fuck he's there. The plot was killed once they met Haruka, no, maybe even before that. Maybe the kiss scene? AGH.
Art (7) : Well I don't have too many complaints here. I just put a 7 cuz I just like the manga style better. The chibis are especially funny and the other scenes... well their okay.
Sound (3) : Alright, I may be wrong here, cuz of my suckish headphones, but the sound is so... mechanical, and it sounds like robots.
Character (5) : Now I have a fight to pick here. Haruka. WHO THE FUCK IS HARUKA?! He is a crybaby rich boy who doesn't do ANYTHING except whine and drag the plot down. HE'S NOT EVEN IN THE MANGA. Also, Ryuuko didn't have much time to shine, and you don't even hear his name! >:T Akira hates Shirogane, then in the end kisses him. WTFAREWRONGWITHANIMATIONCOMPANIESTODAY?!
Ahem. Furthermore, there is no develops for the side characters. They're just... there.
Enjoyment (2) : I hated seeing my favorite action and drama packed manga being reduced to shounen-ai monster of the week shit. I am sorry. I just hated this so much. I only completed it to see if it would get better. (and also to see Ryuuko animated ;3)
Overall: 5. 5. 5. 5. 5. 5. 5. That's all there is to it. I give it a 5. And that's being generous!
I apologize for my language in this review, but if your about to watch this, this is children's play. If you have time to waste on this shitty anime, read the manga or find help. Trust me. This just ain't worth 12 hours of your life.
Sirup-chan
I know that there are very different opinions on this show, especially since the adaption of the anime varies so greatly from the original manga. Fortunately excellent voice acting, nice artwork and hilarious characters are all able to save the series from a complete failure. Story - 6/10 The story is a common one. Ordinary highschooler meets mysterious stranger and gains mighty powers with which he has to save the universe. Of course, his friends join him in the quest. And we can't forget that he has a destiny. As if the plot wasn't bad enough, the entire series seemed to drag on, especially when it came tothe fights. Not even half of the episodes had any real relation to the plot and the "real" evil was only revealed in the last episode, where it all seemed awfully rushed. This could have been done a LOT better!
The major downside of Monochrome Factor is, that the manga was not finished by the time that the anime was made. Therefore what we get is something that can be compared to the first Fullmetal Alchemist series; it starts out promising, but takes a wrong turn.
Art - 8/10
As a fan of this genre, I liked the artwork of the characters. The artwork was slightly different than other shonen-ai series I had been watching and it was really nice. The background art was a bit generic though, but I like the way the characters were drawn, as at least that point stayed true to the manga. I found the transformation scenes rather silly, but overall, the artwork was just as I liked it.
Sound - 8/10
I do not remember much of the background music in this series, which drags this down to an 9, but the ending themes and voice acting was top-notch:
Daisuke Ono as Akira, Hiroshi Kamiya as Kengo, Junichi Suwabe as Shirogane and Katsuyuki Konishi as Kou. Those are just the voice actors that I can remember. The entire cast of this series was absolutely wonderful. And the ending, oh the ending! I absolutely adored the first ending, sung by Ono and Kamiya. Overall, wonderful.
Character - 8/10
Apart from being a bit flat, the characters where humorous. You have a wide range of characters with each its own personality. I especially enjoyed the interaction between Akira and Kengo, the childhood friends and between Akira and Kou, who has also have a relationship from far back (no spoilers!).
Unfortunately, this once again leaves me wanting more. I want to know more, especially about Akira's past and how he and Kengo first met Kou (which is a rather important part of the manga). Also, I slightly dislike the personality of Shirogane as he constantly flirts with Akira, something which I found non-existant in the manga.
Enjoyment - 9/10
Apart from dragging on too long, Monochrome Factor was able to keep my attention with its constant joking. Also, the appearance of Kou in the opening left me wanting to know who he was (funny how much 5 seconds can leave you wanting more).
Through the first half of the series, it was mostly the funny shonen-ai moments between Akira and Shirogane that kept my interest, as well as Kengo's silly personality. During the second half, it was mainly the flirty Kou, who kept my interest up.
Again, the reason I can enjoy the series so much is because I always enjoy series with good voice acting which can leave me watching it over and over again. So far, I have watched Monochrome Factor from beginning to end 4 times and I still have not grown tired of it.
Overall - 8/10
Despite the shallow and rather ridiculous plot, the series is saved by a wonderful cast of characters and a good dose of shonen-ai hints for the fangirls. This is not a series for people who wants a deep plot and serious characters, but rather for girls who likes a lighthearted and funny story with lovable characters.
As a last recommendation, for those who enjoyed the series and wishes to know more about the series, read the manga! You will not be disappointed.
honkykong13
All I can say is AWESOME. Although I was a little disappointed in the lack of boy x boy action (i was quite hopeful...) I still give it 5 stars. Its a great story, good characters with alot of laughs and some evil shadow butt-kicking. Highly recommended
Deletedice
I enjoyed this story, but it may not be for everyone. It takes a few episodes to gain momentom into the story line, as well as devoloping characters, but over all its a really good anime. The way the charaters interact with each other is a way that ive never seen before and seem to be completely different for each other. The basic plot follows a person getting possesed and the team find ways of destroying them. Story- 9 Art -10 Sound-9 Character-10Enjoyment-10
Overall-10
ajlashleigh
This anime is one of my favourites right now, the main characters, especially Shirogane are so easy to fall in love with. The story line begins on an impressive note but I noticed how the main story line as unfolding the fillers where slightly boring and yet comical. This anime has a strong theme of light, dark and love. I do realise the manga didnt have any Shounen Ai themes but i believe this makes the anime even more attractive. The graphics are generally quite good, mixed with the storyline it makes this anime top notch. The supernatural themes, love and action makes thisanime worthy of a 10 rate, although i do believe that there should be another series as I would most probably fan girl over it.
But yes, all things considered i really enjoyed this anime and would recommend it to anybody looking for a complex, comical and yet serious anime to watch.
soursoda
I was baited into watching this as it was tagged with 'Shounen Ai' which is really nothing to do with this entire show other than a few outdated shallow jokes about guys being intimate. The show goes nowhere and feels like the worst filler arc of your least favourite show. All the characters are bad stereotypes, theres no depth or growth. I feel like anyone giving this show above a 4 out of 10 either watched it when they didn't know any better and have nostalgia glasses on when they left the review score or rewatched it or they just genuinely have awful taste. There isn'treally much to say other than I honestly cannot recommend to anyone.
This is a bad show.
Don't waste your time with this show.
domokun1134
This series was just ok. The story had potential, but it ended up being very repetitive throughout the majority of the series. Most of the battles were the same, and while exciting in the beginning got boring quickly. This anime's strong suit would be comedy though. It was quite funny most of the time, and the characters were pretty good. Plenty of bishonen to oogle at too, but that's where the positives end. I don't regret watching it but it definitely wasn't the best series I've seen.
porko
I watched this a few years ago, but the fact that I still remember the plot and characters is something to comment on. Story~ 6/7 Monochrome Factor is one of those animes with a decent set up for a plot, but the build up to the end is rather tedious. For the first 4 episodes or so, you get a real feel for the kinds of characters you're going to be with for the next 20. Unfortunately, despite this solid beginning, the following episodes do tend to be predictable; the protagonist fighting the bad guys, except there's a twist in how he does it, or maybe they'llspan it over two episodes instead.
That was one of the bigger let downs, because I did fall in love with the characters. They did contribute a lot to the comedy of the show, which did compensate somewhat for the dryer episodes.
Characters ~ 8
The gang of 4 (plus 1 in later episodes) are an epic team with different strengths and weaknesses, which makes them so effective together, and you really can't imagine them without each other. Akira is a kid with attitude and gives a whole new meaning to leading a double life. I adore the concept of him switching between a normal and shadow form, though it's not a new idea. It's more than just changing outfits and new hair colours, but you can see the differences between his two forms without losing his character. The others all contribute to a fantastic four; the best friend, Kengo, doubles up with Akira, and is the comedy behind the show. Shirogane certainly spices the show up, with his near-yaoi nature and his quirky personality. He can also get a bit dark, which is refreshing to see. And we can't have an anime without a girl, right? Aya fills in that role, and fortunately she's not one of those chicks lavishing in this harem, but she has a real kick-ass side to her. The character development for all of them is definitely noticeable, although subtle for some.
Art~ 7
You know, it's just generic anime style, right? Nothing as impacting as the fight scenes in Sword Art Online, or characters as cleanly designed as Hyouka, but it's a solid art style to be appreciated.
Sound~ 7
I for one, loved the opening track, but that is all that left a significant mark. The instrumental throughout wasn't memorable, but they did fit the scenes relatively well. Nothing to be overly praised, but certainly acceptable.
Enjoyment~ 8
Overall, despite the somewhat disappointing carry of the plot and the plain animation, I did enjoy the anime and didn't regret finishing it. The build up to the finale did seem to trail a bit, but I feel as if it was worth waiting. It did come to a quick conclusion, but there were a lot of factors gained throughout. Worth a try.
moonlitneko
Let me first state, the manga is better. I haven't even gotten halfway in the manga and it's much better than this. Review time. Story - 6 - The story...was a little neglected. There were bits and pieces that were like the original story of the manga but other than that, it was mostly filled with fillers. The anime actually resolves mostly around a character that was made just for the anime. He did appear at all in the manga, so, most of the manga was left out and a lot was added in. It was actually a poor job of substation. Art - 8 - Iliked the art, it had a nice and clean look to it as well as stayed consistent, quality wise. All the characters looks were like how they were in the manga, even the style was like the manga. So they get good points for that. They somehow made the completely new character seem like they could belong to the manga.
Sound - 9 - The opening and ending fit well with the anime and the story. Even if that story was completely made up from the manga. I actually would find myself singing along with the opening. The voices also all suit the personalities and looks of the characters, I have to say that all the voices matched. And the sound effects fit well with the visual effects. So, at least the sound was well thought out.
Character - 9 - Since most of the character traits were from the manga, I have to say that I liked them. Each person was their own and nothing seemed of the norm when it came to characters, except one or two. It rarely showed side characters who appeared more than once in an episode. Most of the characters shown were all of the main or supporting class. The interactions between the characters was genuine and settled well with the mood and plot.
Enjoyment - 7 - Like I said before, the manga is better. So my enjoyment with the anime was a little on the low. I liked watched it at some points and others, it lost me and took me a few days to get back into it. I eventually did get bored with the repetitiveness of the different scenarios. The only time something exciting happened was when Shirogane was involved, and that was often rare. Those events usually happened near the end of the show. Personally...it lost my enjoyment about halfway through.
Overall - 8 - I personally did not like the anime, now that I am finished with it, I am eager to continue the manga to I can know what REALLY happened. So, to those who are fans of the manga, I recommend just ignoring this anime, for it will not be like the manga and will just bore you. To those who have not yet read the manga but are looking to watch the anime, I suggest you forget about the anime and just go read the manga, for it is much better and contains a lot more information than the anime provides.
There is my review. I hope this is helpful to those who are looking to watch this, cause really, I don't want you to waste your time on this when you could spend it on the manga.
Rens277
Monochrome Factor I decided to give this series a try considering the amount of perfect 10 given by other reviewers, and after finishing all 24 eps I'm wondering if I even watched the same anime as those reviewers who gave this a perfect score -_- STORY = 5 The premise of Monochrome Factor isn't exactly anything new. Good v Evil, Light v Dark, MC must prevent the impending destruction of the world. Nothing exactly groundbreaking and easy to swallow. However this show fails massively with the pacing of the story. Monochrome Factor is a 24 episode anime however if you actually look in detail only really about 8of the 24 eps actually move the story forward and the rest are filler eps. The filler eps follow a generic pattern of the MC encountering an issue for the first half of the episode then have the other half fighting monsters. There ARE so many eps which you could've missed all together and not missed anything important story wise -_-
Also if you're watching for the shounen-ai aspect, don't bother with Monochrome Factor unless you're like really desperate. You'll get jokes about it, but the actual Shounen ai is very very light.
ART = 7
Monochrome Factor actually has nice character design. There are a lot of characters in this anime so you do see a lot of well drawn characters. The artwork for the background are nice as well and there are a lot of different settings which is nice. There are a lot of comical scenes and they are really done well with the art style in Monochrome Factor
SOUND = 6
Nothing really that special, quite a generic soundtrack. Fast paced dramatic music for action sequences and comedic music for the more comical scenes.
CHARACTER = 8
This was actually a strong point of Monochrome Factor. The characters you are introduced in Monochrome Factor are fun and lighthearted. You have the Tsundere like MC, the tomboyish girl of the group, the idiotic best friend, the mysterious cool guy, the hot guy and of course the kid genius. The characters interact really well together and the voice acting of the characters is quite good. As I mentioned before the series is 24 eps so you do meet a large variety of other characters and some of these characters are more well written than others but still great in their own way.
ENJOYMENT = 6
I love to watch anime and I love to marathon many episodes in one night, however in the case of Monochrome Factor I could not. It actually took me more than 2 weeks to finish Monochrome Factor. After watching 2 filler episodes I had to take a break and watch something else. It was simply too boring and repetitive. The final few eps did capture my attention and I did watching in suspense so the story did have it strong point at time.. The comedic scenes are another saving grace of this series, they do make you laugh and are genuinely funny.
OVERALL = 6
Overall this anime IMO is disappointing. I did have high hopes considering the amount of perfect 10 I saw before but for me this show did not deliver. The amount of filler eps really threw off and did not make this series enjoyable for me.
Sesshomaru
Monochrome Factor sends a group of teenagers into battle between beings of light (Rei) and beings of shadow (Shin). The anime shares this basis of action and supernatural elements with the manga. Unfortunately, the adaptation differs considerably in many ways from the manga by Sorano, Kaili. Story: Poor pacing, too focused on comedy and the plot is often unnecessarily stretched (4/10) The student Akira loves to get through his school day relaxed. But fate already has other plans for him. The fact that his classmate Aya teases him with lectures and uses him as a bodyguard for a night-time visit to the school is rather harmless. However,with the arrival of Shirogane-sama, his life suddenly becomes more turbulent. The balance between light and shadow seems to be out of whack. The lower beings from the shadow realm (Kokuchi) increasingly threaten the people. So a small group gathers around the two protagonists and takes on the fight against the shadows. Unfortunately, the deviations from the original are not very beneficial for the anime. The first episodes are exciting and even the ending can be called satisfactory. But the entire middle section, roughly 16-17 episodes, is quite boring due to predictability, and even some good and subtle jokes and comedy can't mitigate that. The plot and the anime as a whole lacks a good balance. The comedy almost comes across as self-deprecating due to its preponderance and the plot only manages to build up tension as a counterpoint at the beginning and towards the end. The manga is passably average and for fans perhaps a little more. The anime adaptation, on the other hand, is simply badly written, as it takes over and even reinforces negative aspects of the manga, especially plot holes. In addition, a lot of time is wasted on superfluous things and as a result the characters' portrayals suffer. As is so often the case, the end is a matter of opinion. There are arguments that call it both appropriate and unsatisfactory. However, the latter tends to prevail in the context of the overall impression.
Characters: Good at first, but lacking background & substance given the number of episodes (4/10).
The cast is more extensive than in the original. Since the story was changed, something had to be added. The characters are typical of the genre and basically not bad, but the villains in particular lack the depth one might expect from 24 episodes.
Nikaido Akira:
Actually a gifted teenager but he prefers to relax on what he thinks is a boring day at school. Therefore, he takes every opportunity to play hooky and avoids getting involved in anything whenever possible. His cool "it's none of my business" mentality, however, is severely disrupted when a mysterious man enters his life.
Shirogane-sama:
Cool character somewhat mysterious, eloquent and likeable. The little exchanges with Akira, when Shirogane-sama teases the young man eloquently, refreshingly direct and yet charming, are an entertaining and successful part of the comedy. Since it stays with allusions, it is basically too little to classify as "yaoi" or "shounen-ai", it remains more funny than serious. However, this part of the comedy is sure to put off many viewers.
Suzuno Aya:
She is the head of the school disciplinary committee and tends to use a kendo sword to emphasise her sense of justice. She is believable with the katana, but her character portrayal and development suffers because her role is overloaded with comedy elements.
Asamura Kengo:
Kengo's story has been revised. In the manga, he had a background and a twist that made him interesting. In the anime, however, he's sadly degraded to the usual comedy goof.
Wagatsuma Shūichi (Master):
The "Still Bar" (or "Aging Bar" for the manga readers) is the realm of the Master. Shūichi is the bartender and a very pleasant character (appearance and behaviour are very reminiscent of Sasakura Ryuu from the anime Bartender). He is friendly, helpful and his special abilities make him the healer of the small group. Unfortunately, his background is poorly sketched in the adaptation, so the manga is preferable in this regard as well.
Kujō Haruka:
Haruka was added for the realisation of the anime adaptation. His character is not a complete disappointment and fits well into the changed plot. Regardless, anyone familiar with the manga is right to wonder why the story was changed and this character added.
Nanaya:
Not the most colourful Shin, but not bad at all as a villain!
LuLu:
Cute but a bit colourless.
Homurabi:
A villain with style, unfortunately with too little screen time.
Visuals: Art is okay, the animation is not, so overall not good enough to improve the rating (6/10)
The drawing style of mangaka Sorano Kaili was well adopted by Suga Shigeyuki in the character design of the anime. However, due to the changes in the plot, some visual changes have been made. An example of this is the character design of Shirogane. His appearance and especially the facial features have been made slimmer and more feminine through various accents. This added beauty and attractiveness, also combined with the character's behaviour, certainly appeals to a larger female audience, but causes resentment like "shounen-ai or yaoi" among other parts of the fan base. The overall design of the characters is good and nice to look at, although I personally prefer the design in the manga.
However, the animation by Studio A.C.G.T does not impress me. The animation is not bad in principle, the colour palette and the light and shadow effects are good for an anime from 2008, but several aspects lower the overall rating. On the one hand, the blurring as a frequently used technique is disturbing, especially in the action sequences. On the other hand, the constant super-deformation is distracting because it is simply used too often. Personally, I found the fights somewhat monotonous overall.
Sound: BGM & OP are good, but the EDs are not, so overall only average (5/10)
The background music was composed by Abo Takeshi and is well adapted to the plot. Unfortunately, this is precisely why the music is hardly perceived positively and therefore cannot improve the overall rating despite a good performance.
The OP "Metamorphosis" by the indie metal band Asriel is a cool musical arrangement, the first bars calm and then continue with great rock sound and the beautiful voice of KOKOMI. This track was the breakthrough for the band, consisting of composer Kurose Keisuke and singer KOKOMI. The track is accompanied by a decent animation, matching the music! Unfortunately, the only bright spot.
"Awake - my everything" by the seiyū Ono Daisuke & Kamiya Hiroshi is used as ED in episodes 1-12 and 24. The animation is well done in black and white, but the sound is just too "easy listening music" and doesn't impress me at all.
The second ED in episodes 13 to 23 is "Kakusei - Light and Dark", sung by the other two Seiyū Suwabe Junichi & Konishi Katsuyuki and is overall no better than the first ED.
As always, I would like to conclude the sound section by talking a little about the seiyū, especially the second row. Among the male voice actors, I noticed Okiayu, Ryoutarou, who voices Homurabi. He has a great versatile voice, which he has already shown impressively in many anime. As an example, the role of Akio Furukawa in the anime Clannad immediately comes to mind.
Among the female dubbing actors, I particularly enjoyed the voice of the charakter Aya Suzuno, who is spoken by Asano Masumi. She has a clear and direct pronunciation that suits the role well, and yet you don't miss the feminine charm. All in all, a very good performance.
The anime has its moments, but the many plot holes lead to confusion. Furthermore, the content shown is simply dragged out too much by a multitude of fillers and superfluous chibi comedy. If you are looking for good or at least passable entertainment, you will surely be disappointed by this anime. Nevertheless, if you like the idea and the character design, I would recommend the manga, which is not excellent but better than the anime.
As always, thanks for reading.
meilynne
I must admit, the title itself, "Monochrome Factor", got my entire attention. According to the dictionary, "monochrome" is an adjective that means a product produced in black in white. This explains the entire story. It is believed that everything that has been created has the opposite, black - white, good - bad, heaven - hell and light - shadow. The story deals with this belief and the main characters tries to balance it. With these so called monsters of darkness, the "kokuchis", Akira join forces with Shirogane to fight these monsters. Despite the fact the world is about the end because darkness will be takingover the light, they still make it into a hilarious show. Even when u stop watching it, you could be still laughing considering the priceless jokes and amusing acts! This makes everything worth watching. The characters builds this atmosphere when everything goes wrong, somehow, they seem have to have the energy left to make things funnier.
Overall, everything seems to be okay, there's a twist which seems to be quite interesting and makes the viewer to watch further, yet since there's only 24 episodes, the only thing we can do is to read the manga.
KaylaKalilaa
The main idea with the light/darkness theme was okay but there was very little development. It could have been much more complex and diverse. The characters didn't have a real purpose or were undertaken random changes. Especially the main character Akira lacked a certain motivation for why he was fighting and randomly accepted things as they are, or at least only questioned things for a short time. Strange was the other side to Shirogane, which was introduced in the center of the story but it was never really picked up again. There weren't any significant development within any of the characters (maybe except for one).Overall, the anime wasn't very enjoyable. It lacked suspense and the plot seemed to be somewhat made up on the way. If you've got better things to do, don't waste your time watching it. If you're really bored, it's fine to watch it.
