Laughing under the cloud

Most inaccurate title this year, the title should be "oh look i'm crying again"

This was really the only Funimation show i stuck with this season. it had an interesting art style and even though the actual plot isn't revealed for a few episodes it was intriguing enough to keep watching. Granted i did wait till the season was nearly over and just marathoned it (which i think is the best way to watch it)

The plot follows the three brothers of the Kumoh Shrine, they have been tasked with ferrying criminals to a prison in the middle of Lake Biwa that is  said to be inescapable.
However thats not the plot at all the plot is actually about a giant Snake named Orochi that is revived every 300 years in a human host and must be destroyed before it fully awakens or else the world will be destroyed.

While i quite enjoyed the show a thought hit me while watching this final episode.
"damn i've already written my top 10 shows of the year" but then i paused and really thought about it. despite enjoying the show it's no where near the top ten of the year for me... it wouldn't even crack the honourable mentions.
Why?

Well the obvious one being that my top ten was hard enough to pick already, i love pretty much all the shows on it more then i can describe.
But besides that this show has some huge problems... the biggest one being pacing and the second biggest being lack of direction.

Like i said there are two plots and the first one is really inconsequential to the overall story.  you only see them ferry anyone across the lake twice.... three times tops.The mystery of the prison is solved incredibly early and what happens in the second half of the series regarding the prison feels forced and unexplained.
Without spoiling too much when a character is introduced quite late in the series what happens just felt way too convenient and in part destroyed some of the set up from earlier.
The ending is also really rushed, the problem with a 12 episode show that doesn't introduce the actual plot till halfway i guess.

Still i did enjoy the show, i got connected to the characters enough to cry at certain parts, the lore of the world is really well done but there is just way too much convenience with characters meeting or acting a certain way or changing at certain parts... i just didn't always buy into it and that took me out of the experience.

Still if you are north america i suggest checking it out on FUNimation's website, it's all available for free (and if you pay you can actually see the Dub, the whole SimulDub is a pretty neat advancement if you ask me, i don't have a sub to Funimation site though so i haven't heard it yet)

otherwise i don't have much else finishing this season... i do hope next season has a few more shows to enjoy (even though i may end up working soon)

Anyways
The good:
Animation, music, intro and ending song changing it's visuals depending on plot progression.

the not so good:
Scattered, poor pacing, doesn't introduce the actual plot till quite far in and it makes you wonder why bother with the first half of the show.

The bad:
Short, potentially could have had more depth with more time.