Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
HezartfX_X
It was probably one of the most realistic and natural anime I've ever watched. Although it got really boring or frustrating at times, overall, it was very good. The characters are both very natural and annoyingly irritating to an uncomfortable degree. As for the art, I think it's pretty good considering its time, and it has added a more unique atmosphere to the story. Although it was very slow at first, it became quite engaging and captivating towards the final episodes. Watching Koyuki master playing the guitar was quite enjoyable. To get to the point, I don't think it's a work that absolutely must be watched, but I can confidently say that it would be a very enjoyable experience for people who like this genre and are interested in music. I don't think there's any need to talk about the m…
Read at the sourcemoriimori_
Actually, I'm not sure whether to recommend BECK or not. Briefly, this anime is about Yukio Tanaka (Koyuki), an ordinary high school student whose life changes completely after meeting a talented street guitarist named Ryusuke Minami, who then introduces him to the world of rock music and the process of forming an indie band with his friends.
Even though the premise is interesting, it feels like I have mixed feelings because the overall plot feels just okay, as do the music club or band activities which run very standardly. On top of that, the pacing of the story feels very slow, making the anime drag on, combined with my reaction to the characters which is right in the middle between liking and disliking them.
For technical matters, I actually like the color combination of the backgroun…
Read at the sourceCruzer969
Guys can rock too!
I won't deny that I'm a huge fan of musical anime (especially those with rock and metal music) or storylines where the heroes and heroines give concerts (an unforgettable scene from "The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya" and the song "God Knows," which I truly adore). I love "K-On," "Bocchi The Rock," and the recent "Girls Band Cry" and "Rock The Lady Modesty" (I still need to get around to "BanG Dream!"). Besides the good music, I also liked that all of these anime are in the "cute girls doing cute things" genre, and aside from "Given," I can't recall a musical anime that focuses on the fate of a male band.
"Beck," although it's the oldest of all the series I mentioned, definitely proves that guys can rock, and it's a shame that new series like this are so rare. I know t…
Read at the sourceaverageplayerjay
Came looking for some romance, got decently surprised by just how good it was.
This is definitely one of the best depictions of a band i've seen in a while besides maybe WA2 (The anime was meh but the visual novel peak) mc wasn't to much of a loser and actually would stand up for himself. Some actual decent black representation which is far and few between in anime, was good as well.
Sadly got left with not really a cliff hanger (kinda) apparently it continues more in the manga and I might read it but the anime does come to a decent conclusion.
Overall if you want a series that has music, little bit of romance/drama, realistic characters and depiction of how bang groups work. This is a good watch
Read at the sourceReze_My_Beloved
One of the best anime I've watched. Sad it most probably won't be getting a season 2.
Story - It's about music, school, and teenage life. There aren't any cringe or overly dramatic plot points, and it overall just feels really grounded and realistic.
Characters - The characters are well written though the main character is your average shy, non-confrontational boring looking anime mc (AKA Shinji). You'll find to like all the characters in the story and maybe creeped out by some.
Music - This is the best part of the anime. ALL and I mean ALL of the songs in the anime are bangers. I also like how they portrayed songwriting in an accurate way. I still listen to a lot of the songs in the anime. my favs are: Follow me, Slip Out, and Moon on the Water.
Art/Animation - pretty standard for a…
Read at the source0ldSk00l_Anima
BECK is a first-person (mixed) narrative that functions as a melancholic coming-of-age autobiography, where the slow pace aims to reflect personal growth rather than simply the rise to stardom of an indie band. I liked that it doesn't shy away from the protagonist's burgeoning sexuality and that the conflicts (debts, fights, legal problems) have quick but believable solutions within its dreamlike tone; however, compared to other music anime, there are very few songs, and the English dub is basic and awkward, which is very disappointing if you're looking for a series that relies on its music. As for the characters, Koyuki evolves realistically and justifiably, Ryusuke struck me as egotistical and shallow, the rest of the band (especially Chiba) are well-defined, the antagonists are mostly f…
Read at the sourcepickyviewer
I thought this show started out really good, but then it devolved into a mess of drama that spawned continuity issues. I guess it was rewarding to watch the main character Tanaka's growth throughout his messy life. The plot meanders, but that's also the point - it takes awhile for Tanaka to be brave enough to commit to pursuing his musical passion and potential.
What it does well is depict the harsh reality of chasing your dreams in entertainment and how easily bands can fall apart. What didn't work for me was the Engrish (a shame because I did like the songs in general), casual violence among middle schoolers, manufactured love triangles, and constant slander against pop. The main antagonists were comically evil.
Read at the sourceKAYOUR
This might be the most uninteresting anime I’ve ever watched. The characters are all boring, with zero redeeming qualities. Especially the MC—he has no personality at all. A random pedestrian in NANA has more personality than him. His actions are inconsistent: sometimes he acts like a typical shounen protagonist, and other times he suddenly becomes a bullied wimp. It feels like every character is just a puppet moved around by the plot for the sake of keeping the story going.
The one song the MC sings gets recycled for the entire show, which becomes annoying fast. It’s hard to relate to a main character with no purpose of his own. He just adopts other people’s goals with zero pushback, zero inner conflict, nothing. The bullies are overused to force sympathy, and even that stops working bec…
Read at the sourceaalk
Man, this show just felt... peaceful. Like, it wasn’t trying too hard. No over-the-top drama, no wild action—just a bunch of people chasing something that means a lot to them. And it pulls you in without you even realizing it.
At first, I didn’t expect much. Some parts make you lowkey mad—like how certain characters act or the way people just take Ls for no reason. But when someone finally stands up or takes a swing (emotionally or literally), it hits different. The payoff isn’t loud, but it feels real.
The music? I don’t even know much about American rock, but it still hit. You might miss some references, but the energy carries it. It’s not trying to impress—it’s just raw, and that’s enough. Even the fictional band feels legit somehow.
Near the end, I was hoping for more. Not ’cause it…
Read at the sourcezachmhm
this is one of those shows that sticks with u. it’s a raw and emotional story about chasing dreams, growing up, and finding yourself through music. the animation isn’t all that, but that just adds to its charm. the characters feel real, and the soundtrack is incredible. the references from real life rock albums adds such a good touch, putting me on some good ass albums that i didn't know about.
some episodes might be boring but the build-up for the next episodes makes up for it. the character designs are amazing, dressing them up greatly fitting into the 90s-00s theme, since it was in the era of where rock genre was sky rocketing in japan. i feel like if you have the patience to watch some of the boring episodes to wait for the build-up event to happen, you would love it a lot, and if yo…
Read at the sourceliving_wid_dying
It's the best SOL music drama romance anime, it's truly a masterpiece, take my word for it, I have watched so many anime and not many can keep you hooked till the end.
Don't worry about any perception you have about music-themed anime whether you have liked it or not before because this anime is not just about music there is a lot more to it, definitely beautiful songs, lyrics, and a great band but along with that, you can see old but quite soothing animation, a slice of romance(slow spaced, hide and seek kind of romance if you know what I mean) and a slice of comedy too(good one-liners at the end of scenes). Though not your regular romance or comedy anime, it's a little different, I can't explain it as I don't want to spoil the storyline for you. Just watch the first few episodes, and y…
Read at the sourceBibiXeraKolah
After finishing watching Nana and being a quite disappointed, this anime showed up as a recommendation. I decided to give it a chance, hoping it would be a good anime about music, but unfortunately, I can't say it was.
In fact, it was a quite mediocre, and that is the main problem with this anime: it is mediocre. The idea was good, a protagonist who seeks something to identify with and finds the music. The plot explores the journey to this dream, as well with some mystery, like the ones behind Beck (the dog) and the guitar Lucille. However, everything is executed in a very basic way, and the points that could have been more interesting are left behind.
There are some points I like to mention:
• The animation is quite simple, but that doesn't bother me at all, it’s pretty solid.
• The song…
Read at the sourceGon_freecs23
Just finished this series on a friend's recommendation. And to be completely honest, I did not find it enjoyable in the slightest. I've seen many series in my time, and this felt incredibly below average. None of the characters were at all engaging or interesting. The story dragged incredibly long very early into the anime. The love interests were very uninspired and uninteresting. And the band members all kinda sucked. Visually, I don't think it's held up well from the early 2000's (as someone who really enjoys this era) and as for the characters: No one really had any personality besides the singer (not koyuki), but he was really annoying. And as for Koyuki, he did not win me over whatsoever.
Almost all of the plot points he was involved in just felt empty and forced, which I guess is…
Read at the sourceReinKitamura
Beck was an up-and-down rollercoaster for me. Some moments feel like a 9 out of 10 and some moments feel like a 5 out of 10.
The Good:
The premise is great.
The concept is awesome; especially if you love music.
The basis for most characters is decent.
There are great emotional moments.
It expresses social problems like bullying as well as social issues very well.
The Not So Good: The execution is not so great though.
The pacing is pretty bad.
The transitions are pretty weird, the way events jump from one thing to the other is poorly done and there are a lot of things in here that just don't need to be in the show. I had the same problem with the manga but it was more unbearable with the show.
This is one is more of a problem with the author than the show but my god, his female cha…
Read at the sourceKeiYukio
This anime is the most special anime for me. I first watched Beck when I was a kid, back when I barely even understood half of what was going on, but I just felt it. The music, the grind, the way those kids chased their dreams… it hit something deep in me. I remember staying up late, eyes glued to my screen, pretending I was in some band too.
I’ve rewatched it so many times since, and every single time it breaks me all over again. There’s something about how real it feels, the struggles, the small wins, that bittersweet feeling of growing up. I cried every time I finished it because it reminded me of all the dreams I had as a kid it's loud, messy, and full of heart. It’s not the best anime ever made, but for me my heart screams for it every time
Read at the sourceDeaj
This show is not for everybody, but the people who like it will absolutely love it.
What makes this show so great beyond the concept is the characters. They're all so easy to root for, and in general this show is extremely relatable. It's like watching another universe where my life could have easily mirrored some of the characters. I can't speak enough about how much you end up loving each band member as well as the cast outside the band.
This show at times is able to summon some incredible tension. It's not the world is ending, or this character is about to die. It's more like "Shit, the asshole school bully wants to ruin my life and he's really close to doing so." Or "Man I just can't get this riff clean and the show is in a couple days, what do I do?" That kind of real life drama, it…
Read at the sourcemichinokudrvr
BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad is pretty great for what it tries to accomplish in a pretty short amount of time, and it becomes a pretty gripping and enjoyable experience. Like others have said, it feels like a thoroughgoingly accurate depiction of what being in a band is like, including all of the trials and tribulations. In BECK, there are no "easy answers" for the band. Everything feels pretty earned, which is something inconsistent with series akin to this. And I feel this culminates all in the Fuyuki, the stereotypical unremarkable main character, trying to overcome a task to get to a goal. That's pretty much the central point to the main plot. But the main way that Fuyuki tries to do this, specifically his dynamic alongside with the band, is the most interesting aspect of the show. It's…
Read at the sourceinternetfemcel
'beck' is a coming of age story drenched in all the pains of childhood, with growing pains included. it is not a perfect anime, but it really doesn't have to be; this show knows what it is and takes it in stride.
much like FLCL, beck wears its western influences on its sleeve by weaving them into its musical tones and story beats. i cannot claim to be a musical expert by any means (especially in the realm of classic rock), but even i can see how much heart and soul from the genre was poured into each and every song played. the music comes across magically with how it is incorporated into the show and utilizes it to give the viewer an incredible window into the characters' motivations, thoughts and feelings. it's the string that ties the characters together and the narrative to them.
the…
Read at the sourceThatAnimeSnobRE
Beck is a slice-of-life/romance/motivational show about everyday teenagers aiming to become *random shounen lead pops up* THE BEST MUSIC BAND IN THE WORLD! Now before I start I have to clarify how slice-of-life is for me the dullest genre imaginable. What saves face is when they try to mix it with something else besides that. Romance is the easy way most of them head for. We can’t have a series about everyday people who can’t have love problems, right? And since this is an anime, we just can’t have a show without an indecisive lead or the world will come to an end. Ok, we might as well throw in some youths who want to accomplish something great and awesome that will inspire the audience to cheer for them. All that sound just fine and we can have something good if all go well.
… And guess…
Read at the sourceOneFaintingRobin
It's been a little while since I've found a show that really resonated with me like this one. I'm something of a musician myself, and while I can't relate to any of the specific situations the band finds itself in, that's definitely a part of it. Songwriting, a love of performing, it's definitely stuff I can relate to at some level. Certainly, I also appreciate the detail it goes to; I've started to realise that the mark of a truly great band anime comes from its willingness to bring real bands into it; musicians care about their instruments, and the love this story gives the different types of guitars involved (and it's particular fondness for my beloved Telecaster) make it feel so much more real and authentic, you really buy that these are people who love what they do.
Because it's the…
Read at the source
