Building an AI-Powered Anime Discovery Platform with 15+ Free KendoReact Components

This is a screenshot using AI.
The GitHub version doesn't work, so I've added a fake one.

I had Claude Code write it for me.

↓

What I Built

I built 🌟 KendoReact Challenge App - a comprehensive anime discovery and management platform that showcases
the power of free KendoReact components combined with AI capabilities. This multi-language application features an
intelligent anime recommendation system, interactive analytics dashboard, and complete database management
interface.

The app addresses the challenge of anime discovery by providing:

• AI-powered mood-based recommendations using natural language processing
• Multi-language support (Japanese, English, Chinese) for global accessibility
• Dark/Light theme toggle for personalized user experience
• Interactive data visualization with charts and analytics
• Advanced search and filtering across 25,000+ anime database
• Responsive design with beautiful gradient animations

## Demo

🌐 Live Demo: https://moe-charm.github.io/dev0
📁 GitHub Repository: https://github.com/moe-charm/dev0

Key Features Showcase:

• 🎌 Main Tab: AI anime search with mood-based discovery
• 📊 Database Tab: Advanced search with grid/list views
• 📈 Analytics Tab: Interactive charts showing genre distribution and trends
• 🎯 Discover Tab: Smart recommendations based on user preferences
• ℹ️ About Tab: Project information and Nuclia KB upload

Screenshots:

• Multi-language interface with instant switching
• Dark mode with beautiful gradients and animations
• Interactive charts displaying anime statistics
• AI-powered recommendation engine in action

## KendoReact Components Used

Successfully integrated 15+ free KendoReact components:

Layout & Navigation:

• Card - Component containers and sections
• ButtonGroup - Tab navigation and controls

Data Input:

• Input - Search fields and text inputs
• Switch - Theme toggle functionality
• Checkbox - Multi-selection options
• DropDownList - Genre and type filtering
• ComboBox - Advanced filtering options

Data Display:

• Grid - Anime database table view
• GridColumn - Table column definitions
• ListView - Alternative data presentation
• Badge - Status indicators and counters

Visualization:

• Chart - Analytics dashboard
• ChartSeries - Data visualization components
• ChartCategoryAxis / ChartCategoryAxisItem - Chart configuration
• ChartTitle - Chart headers

Feedback:

• Loader - Loading states
• Skeleton - Content placeholders
• Notification / NotificationGroup - User feedback system

Indicators:

• Various indicator components for enhanced UX

All components are from the free tier, ensuring no license warnings while maintaining professional quality.

## [Optional: Code Smarter, Not Harder prize category] AI Coding Assistant Usage

This project represents a unique AI collaboration story:

Phase 1 - Architecture & Design (ChatGPT-4 with Codex)

• Initial project structure and component architecture
• Base KendoReact integration setup
• Core functionality framework

Phase 2 - Advanced GUI & Polish (Claude Code)

• Enhanced UI/UX with 15+ KendoReact components
• Multi-language internationalization (i18n)
• Dark/Light theme implementation
• Interactive charts and analytics dashboard
• Advanced search and filtering capabilities
• Responsive design and animations
• GitHub Pages deployment automation

Claude Code specifically contributed:

• Complex state management for multi-tab interface
• Advanced component integration (Grid, Charts, ListView)
• Animation and gradient design systems
• Multi-language translation system
• Dark mode implementation with CSS variables
• GitHub Actions workflow for automated deployment
• Error handling and user experience optimization

This demonstrates how different AI assistants can collaborate effectively, each contributing their strengths to
create a comprehensive solution.

## [Optional: RAGs to Riches prize category] Nuclia Integration

Integrated Nuclia's RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) capabilities for intelligent anime recommendations:

Backend Integration:

• Express.js proxy server (server/index.js) for Nuclia API communication
• Environment-based configuration for API endpoints and authentication
• CORS-enabled endpoints for seamless frontend integration

Key Features:

• /api/nuclia-search - AI-powered anime search with natural language queries
• /api/nuclia-upload - Knowledge base management for anime data
• Intelligent fallback - Mock responses when Nuclia isn't configured
• Streaming support - NDJSON response parsing for real-time results

RAG Implementation:

• Knowledge Base Upload: Anime data in Markdown format for optimal retrieval
• Contextual Search: Natural language queries like "romantic anime for rainy days"
• Source Attribution: Proper citation of retrieved information
• Mood-Based Discovery: AI interprets user emotions to suggest relevant content

Technical Highlights:

• Environment variable configuration (.env support)
• Multi-format upload support (Markdown, CSV)
• Error handling with graceful degradation
• Authentication flexibility (Bearer tokens, service accounts)

The RAG integration transforms a static database into an intelligent recommendation engine that understands
context and user intent.

## Technical Excellence

Architecture Highlights:

• React 18 with modern hooks and state management
• Material Design theming with custom gradient overlays
• Responsive CSS Grid for optimal mobile experience
• GitHub Actions CI/CD pipeline for automated deployment
• Environment-based configuration for multiple deployment targets

Performance Optimizations:

• Code splitting with React.lazy for reduced bundle size
• Efficient re-rendering with React.memo and useCallback
• Optimized asset loading with proper caching strategies
• Lightweight deployment (removed large datasets from git history)

This project demonstrates how free KendoReact components can be combined with AI technologies to create a
production-ready application that rivals premium solutions.

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Built with ❤️ using free KendoReact components, AI collaboration, and modern web technologies.