Majisuka Gakuen 3 (2012)

When I read the summary of this season, I was skeptical about them changing the scene to a prison instead of the school. But I am really happy I watched this. I read the other reviews and I disagree. This season actually became my favorite. I tend to think of this one as a different story so I don't really compare it with the other seasons (only noting which characters that the actresses are playing.

Story 10:
I actually really loved the story line. I didn't really like how open the ending was but with the main character, Paru, fighting for survival and uncovering conspiracies, I thought that it was really worth it.

Acting/Cast 8:
The acting was similar to the other seasons. It was easy to tell that the fighting was fake but if you watch it for the story and don't go into the show believing that the acting will be terrible, then it is easy to look past. The cast was interesting again because I saw many from the previous seasons and I found myself unconsciously comparing their characters. This means comparing their appearances, behavior, and fighting styles. I was really impressed that they could act so differently while still showing that they were yankees.

Music 8.5:
The music was very interesting and the ost's were well chosen.

Overall I really loved this season. And as much as I would love a sequel I know it would be terrible unless they can come up with something good.

Lire davantage

Majisuka Gakuen 3 might as well be called Majisuka Prison considering the setting is not in school and in no way is a proper sequel to the second season. In fact it is at this point you wish they either bring back the older AKB48 girls or stop making Majisuka Gakuen.

Story 6:
In episode one I was shocked to see the whole setting change to a prison setting,however the story was tolerable. Paru is the new girl in the prison whom lost her boyfriend and is accused of killing him. She does not remember whether or not she actually killed him and you are thrust into her story as she tries to find the truth. But this wouldn't be a Majisuka Gakuen without fighting so while trying to figure out her past she fights her way reluctantly to the top. In ways she is like Maeda in how she takes off her hair bow when she is serious or as defending her "real stuff." However the copying falls short. What could have been a good story is ruined as the writers mess up the script towards the end of the story. It tried to make things complex, but ruined it by adding an unnecessary plot to the story. Plus it left a side plot unanswered. It the story ending was an open ending.
Characters 6 :
The characters are in some similar to the characters of the first two season of Majisuka Gakuen, however overall they are inferior. Yagi is a fail as another Gekikara considering we never see her actually fight and Paru is not like Maeda as she fights as if she is superior to everyone, but does not act cocky. It is not understandable. The only person who tops a character from the previous season is the guard who is way more perverted then the school doctor.
Acting 5:
It's bad enough that the characters are bad, but what makes it worse is the acting. Some of the members from the idol group should really stick to singing because their acting sucks. Probably the worst was Shimazaki Haruka. She made Paru character worse than it actually is by how she portrayed her. It was as if Paru had no emotion at all even when she was supposed to. NOt all the members were bad at acting, but they weren't spectacular either. It was mediocre at best.
Music 8:
What saved this show was it's catchy music. Unlike the first two seasons this season theme actually matched with the concept of bad ass girls fighting. I wish there was a full version. The ost's were typically played at the right moments and the fighting music was catchy.
Overall it was an okay drama. Nothing good, but it is not horrible. It's the type of drama you would watch if you were bored.

Lire davantage

This one is going to be somewhat hard for me to review.

First off you don't need to have seen the other seasons to watch this. But you might aswell since they are alot better.

Anyways I found Majisuka Gakuen 3 to really be a mixed bag. The acting isn't great for most of these people, especially Shimazaki Haruka. But some of them are really good and the cast improves alot as you go along with it.

The story was initially pretty decent but they introduce new plotlines halfway and stuff gets really out of focus. The pacing on some episodes is pretty horrible too.

The music is great though, really love it. They manage to capture the grim and dirty prison situation really good.

The reason I had a hard time rating this is for a few reasons. First off at the time when I watched Majisuka Gakuen 1 and 2 I didn't know much about AKB but through those shows I actually became a fan. So now that I know who these people are, I become pretty biased and whatever was wrong with the episode I still enjoyed.

Something else that makes it hard was when I look at this thing objectively the show is pretty slow and dragging. But on the other hand the last couple of episode are amazing.

In the end I have to give this an overall 7/10 for the sake of this review. Even though I personally rate it slightly higher personally since I loved the ending so much. It's a show that has it's moments while still suffering from some poor acting, slow pace and other various problems.

If you're an AKB fan, I got this to say. There isn't alot of senbatsu members in this but the girls that are here are ultimately doing a great job and you should definetly watch it to see more of the "younger generation".

To everyone else, I also actually recommend it. It's some (mostly) mindless campy fun that has some great moments but you should also go into it knowing there are problems.

Lire davantage