Audience reviews
18 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
Zeoguri
Argento Soma is the very first original sci-fi anime from Sunrise of the 2000s that I mostly chose to watch because I found a stack of DVDs at the Goodwill and I heard a lot of people comparing it to Neon Genesis Evangelion. Unlike Evangelion which has a lot of very deep psychological themes and references to religion, Argento Soma (Greek for "Silver Soul") is a series about the assumptions, the projected fears, and the wishful thinking that fill the gaps created by misunderstandings; misunderstandings such as Argento Soma holding a candle to Evangelion.
Argento Soma is a series with a lot of issues, specifically its boring as heck. I found myself falling asleep watching this show way too often considering it originally aired at one in the morning (perhaps it should have been marketed as…
Read at the sourceChrisDC
Argento Soma is a "diamond in the rough" with many flaws. Such has slow and tedious pacing, dated animation and an uninspired soundtrack, minus the series's introduction opening, credits and final song.
While the flaws can be overwhelming at times, they don't undo what is in store for you, and OH BOY, this anime has a lot of twists and realizations. This makes it worthwhile to watch and is suggested for individuals that prefer a more realistic approach to storytelling that doesn't rely too heavily on action or cliches to push forward character development at the cost of feeling dull at times. It's the type of anime you need to be patient for and not try to control. It will reveal itself to you slowly and peel back all the layers exposing Argento Soma for what it truly is; A story about f…
Read at the sourceDreamTraveller
***Includes a few spoiler paragraphs that are marked***
What can I say, this was a curious experience. Despite having some obvious flaws, it still managed to be impressive by the end, making bold proclamations without shoving anything down your throat. It's an awkward dish made by someone you know and love, that nonetheless tasted home. It forced a smile on me, it made my eyes wet, while I was fully aware that what I was eating is going to fail on a competitive contest. Therefore, I could only grow to treat this anime with love, albeit a tough one. Which is rare, to be honest.
Thematically, this anime is incredible. The last five episodes are enough to change your entire perspective on this show, even if you considered everything up until then as mediocre. Among other things, it covers t…
Read at the sourceNeimaj
This show had so much potential, such a strong and compelling start and it squanders it all by doing nothing. Seriously, the show really doesn't do much throughout most of it's runtime, but I'll talk about that later. In the year 2059, aliens have invaded Earth and humanity is thrown into a war. Takuto Kaneshiro, a snobbish college student and mathematics major, I think, initially has nothing to do with that war. He's just an ordinary twenty-something in a strained and deteriorating relationship with his girlfriend, Maki Agata. The two were college lovers and you get more and more glimpses of how their relationship blossomed over time during flashback scenes. I say "flashback" because the first episode is essentially a backstory/origin story for Takuto. The real "story" happens afterwards.…
Read at the sourceGsarthotegga
Argento Some is sometimes referred to as pretentious, an Evangelion clone, or it's said that the main character is "emo." I'm hesitant to use the word pretentious in the many cases where it is used, as that usually just means "it had lofty ideas, but I didn't like it," and it's seldom a substantive word to apply. Similarities to Evangelion are numerous and probably the closest you'll find to a "clone" other than RahXephon; the cover, with the main's brooding, downward-turned gaze is a bit "these wounds... they will not heal..." if not "CRAWLING IN MY SKIN!" but as far as the writing and character of Ryu Soma goes, I don't see any real issue—I mean, going on a quest for revenge because your college girlfriend died in an accident is... kind of embarrassing, but it works in the realm of ficti…
Read at the sourceGrain_of_Salt
I have....very mixed feelings about this show. I love the concept, and I love the finale. But...man the majority of the show was hard to get through. Nothing was terrible or frustrating, it was just largely repetitive. I wanted to drop it at several times. But I persevered and I eneded up really liking the finale both as a story, and suddenly the characters clicked. Suddenly i was attached and I wanted an S2 with these characters i was suddenly fond of. Hell, it raised it back up to a 6 and while I'm currently riding the high I debated a 7. (Meanwhile the majority of the story was at a 5 and I fell asleep several nights watching it)
Argento Soma isn't bad as a story, as a character piece, or as an "Eva clone" whatever that title entails. (I fully believe you can take inspiration from NGE…
Read at the sourceFranBunnyFFXII
When people say this is a hidden gem, they aren't exaggerating. The air time slot and DVD release of this in both Japan and the Americas was poorly timed and this series got overshadowed and forgotten because of it.
This I would say is the closest thing to being a proper implementation of what Evangelion was after without the meandering plot and loss of focus that troubled EVA during it's later episodes. If you were at all disappointed by the way EVA handled itself later on, then this anime does a great job of picking up a very similar concept and follows through without needing a movie or OVA to wrap it up.
This anime focuses on its storyline and the effects war and service have on people. It's a very serious tone, and deals with a naturally unlikable main character. But this I feel ki…
Read at the sourceDarkRavie
Argento Soma is about Takuto Kenishiro, a young man who is offered a chance to get his vengeance on the monster he blames for destroying everything and everyone that he cared for. To get this revenge he is reborn as Ryu Soma and joins Funeral, a military organization that deals with the aliens that attack the earth.
My thoughts:
At first, I didn't think I would like the anime but it was surprisingly good. The animation was superb, the characters were likeable and the ending was surprising as well. It wasn't expected at all. This is an anime I would recommend watching.
Read at the sourceUnfortunateEvent
First of all, DO NOT start watching because you liked the promo photo. The protagonist in the anime has very little to do with this intriguing and mysterious guy. He is, in fact, a whiny child with no goals and no basic thinking abilities. Someone ready to panic for no reason whatsoever to the point of being ridiculous.
Honestly, I am not sure what was worse in this anime - the Swiss-cheese-like plotholes or the mostly-abysmal characters, who acted with no reasoning, so let's say both.
I am still struggling to understand what this was all about - was it love or was it aliens? Anyway, it was ALL very bad.
The screenplay is terrible. I have watched the anime on double speed and still had some moments, which dragged on endlessly, needlessly.
The story began with a walk through the live…
Read at the sourcejpmc
I Won't write a long review. Argento Soma it's said to be slow. Well, honestly, i didn't care, and i didnt notice until the half way. The construction and the interior drama are outstanding, each character has its own complexity of motives, truly remarkable.
The fights are pretty good. The art has some problems that, i think, come from the character design(too slender and no nose).
In my vision, the only flaw is the final form of the show. What does that mean? Each episode is great, but the whole is not. What was the point after all?
(SPOILER)The message of understanding others doesnt fit. It was impossible since the beginning. Then we have the buddist shit of the will creating something, that doenst fit in the plot at all. Mr. X being actually the good guy is not a problem, but it betr…
Read at the sourceZephSilver
When a show is described as a "hidden gem" it immediately calls into mind something that you've stumbled upon by happenstance with no prior expectations. These are the titles that come in and out of focus partially thanks to the presence of much more all-encompassing works made around the same time period. It's a common occurrence that spans across every medium but perhaps most notable in anime, where only a handful of shows per year are thrust into the limelight, while the rest are left to gather up dust and become yet another mortared in brick to support the weight of the juggernauts resting on top of it. These "hidden" titles were at the wrong place at the wrong time. Like in the case of 2015's superhero show Concrete Revolutio, which unfortunately had to compete for views in the same s…
Read at the sourcejyagan0
Some anime fans have condemned Argentosoma as another "Neon Genesis Evangelion clone." It does bear some similarites, especially when it comes to the mechas and the secret that lies beneath their armor. Otherwise, they're two different concepts. The scenes and dialogues in Argentosoma are much more serious, while in Evangelion they are often sprinkled with comic relief (like those funny faces) and "fan service." The actions scenes in Argentosoma are often much more intense than those in Evangelion. My favorite aspect of Argentosoma is the character design. It is less "kiddie" and the protagonist, Ryu Soma, is probably the coolest and sharpest looking anime character ever animated. I recommend this series if you like mecha-themes, and especially if you haven't seen Evangelion.
Read at the sourceLadyJenna
This is a wonderful anime. It is NOT like EVA. Keep reading and I'll tell you that this anime is not just entertaining, but full of amazing human relationships, and has a beautiful, satisfying ending. Yes, it takes some time to get to the "serious" action, but the character development is wonderful. Like one reviewer said, don't let the "fairyland stuff" turn you off--it's not what you think.
Most of the reviews for this anime (and there aren't many) are not complete or are incredibly unfair in how they portray the story. I have a feeling they watched this show with only one eye open (or didn't finish it). Otherwise, it was not their cup of tea. I have no idea why--I loved it. Here's my short, yet succinct, review:
What it IS:
The musical score AND Shakespearean stuff is lovely and flo…
Read at the sourceBurntJelly
At first I thought this was going to be an EVA clone, but it isn't really. I had actually dropped it after the first 2 episodes. I picked it back up and finished it a couple years later.
The majority of the episodes consist of the para-military organization "Funeral" defending earth from alien invaders with their mecha. Meanwhile the understory consists of Takuto's desire for revenge against Frank (the monster/hero created from the parts of defeated aliens). Things get quite a bit better once you find out "why" all the aliens are trying to reach the same location on earth.
The storytelling itself is sub-par, and character development is lacking. It still turned out to be a decent enough show to watch.
Read at the sourceSexyjutsu
Fairly droll for the first dozen of so episodes by at around episode 18 it starts to move, emotions set in and things go somewhere.. worth watching, don't let the lack of action and fairy land stuff put you off, it's a short series, stick with it.
Read at the sourceUthred
Not really sure what to make of this. It seems to change a lot over the course of the series and nothing ever really becomes that clear. It also has a main protagonist who is very hard to like, but unlike other such dislikeable leads (Guts from Berserk, Sunabozu from same, etc.) has nothing which really redeems him in terms of interest (other than his snazzy hair cut). I think it’s the murkiness of the plot that leaves me with a general sense of dislike for the series. While the major plot points are addressed (or thrown away in PLOT TWISTS!!) there is a veritable multitude of other issues which don’t get addressed. All in all this series just left me feeling a bit meh
Read at the sourceshellshock
The anime was fantastic, yes the main character may might have been a bit villainous, but he shows his true self in the end. The anime is very mysterious, and it does have its fun moments, but it is a serious type of anime. I personally thought this was a masterpiece, and beats all the junk. Yes it was a bit repetitive in the middle, but it was all in the plot.
Overall 10/10 and it is a must watch, if you think the main character is too "emo" like the other review, then DON'T EVEN bother watching this.
Read at the sourcetwillit
This Anime was almost dropped. There are some problems with this show and they mostly revolve around the primary character Ryu .... err sorry Takuto is his name in the beging and this guy is an exreteme emo! He is a victim and he wallows in it. I won't go into his reasons for victim hood, but I will say that he starts as a emo and ends as one and I get the feeling he would be a wife beater. Needless to say, I greatly dislike Ryu. Fortunately, he is not the only character, more on that later.
Aside from Ryu, there is another annoying aspect of this show, the music. Music was by Katsuhisa Hattori, a famous and accomplished composer / conductor. Argento Soma is a military show, based in the US, so they used military style music, kind of. It was more like music from a military graduation cere…
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