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Seen all▲▼
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Rating▲▼
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Comment▲▼
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| Abnormal Physiology Seminar (TV) |
Good |
(WARNING: about "perversions." If you have a strong tolerance for such things, you'll be fine watching it. I was very surprised at this anime. I totally expected it to be far worse than I ended up rating it. Though it is certainly about "perversions" but they generally animated it in a surprisingly tasteful manner. The subject matter isn't exactly "tasteful," but they are quite good at playing with expectations and tropes.) |
| Actually, I Am… (TV) |
Very good |
|
| Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero (TV) |
Not really good |
|
| Ah! My Goddess (TV) |
Good |
|
| Aiura (TV) |
Excellent |
|
| Akira (movie) |
Very good |
|
| Aldnoah.Zero (TV) |
Very good |
(I'm a fan of mecha anime, so I tend to forgive the fact that the overall plots are generally similar. I did appreciate that they kept the anime world-focused. I have heard many complaints about the main character - he is quite subtle and his growth is often hard to catch. I didn't see it as a problem, especially since it avoids the main weakness of the mecha genre - either mistaking psychological problems for character depth or devolving into whiny angst. Also, the ending (Taken as stand-alone) tempted me to put this into excellent. ) |
| Aldnoah.Zero (TV 2) |
Excellent |
(The best mecha anime I have seen in a very long time. It returns to the mecha genre's roots and focuses on the characters and the characters' machinations within the world. This season provided the strong character development necessary to fill out the weaker points of this anime and turn it into a excellent piece.
) |
| Amagi Brilliant Park (TV) |
Very good |
|
| Angel Beats! (TV) |
Decent |
(Certainly some emotional elements towards the end, but otherwise, not terribly special. The whole premise is based on characters that are 1-problem cardboard cutouts. Aside from that one problem, the characters lack depth. All of them.) |
| Aria the Scarlet Ammo (TV) |
Bad |
(what. the. heck. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle meets Japanese high school drama?) |
| Arpeggio of Blue Steel - Ars Nova (TV) |
Very good |
|
| Attack on Titan (TV) |
Weak |
(Very disappointing given its popularity and hype. The pacing and tempo of the anime was wholly crippling. For most of the anime, every time they managed to build solid tension and plot momentum, it very quickly stalled. Worse, it tended to stall for several episodes at a time. The lack of appropriate pacing presented a huge obstacle to character development, the use of violence as a plot device, and prevented the creation of atmosphere. As a consequence, almost all the characters were little more than cardboard cutouts. Along that same vein, most of the fight scenes were shockingly dull.
The good points of the anime compound these failures. The background art was fantastic and the mood music by Sawano Hiroyuki was very strong. The anime showed that it was capable of solid pacing and tension, mostly in the last handful of episodes. In that last handful, they also displayed more varied and interesting combat - the kind that should have been seen throughout the anime. However, these strengths weren't enough to pull the anime out of the hole it had dug itself into. Most galling is that this anime seems to be fixable through proper cutting and editing. The amount of filler in anime this short and the order of the scenes was horrific, to say the least. There were many scenes that would have been fine if placed at a different point, but many more that were plainly unnecessary, which contributed to the severe pacing problems. It was as though they had greatness within their grasp, but failed. ) |
| Azumanga Daioh (TV) |
Good |
(entertaining. Good for a silly slice of life anime. ) |
| Baccano! (TV) |
Excellent |
(#4 favorite. The timeline gets a bit confusing at first, but it eventually all makes sense. This is one of the few anime I recommend with a DUB. Yes, a DUB. Isaac and miria alone sell it. But they also try to give real accents, which helps with immersion.) |
| Baka and Test - Summon the Beasts (TV) |
Good |
(I have a feeling this anime is self-referential with respect to the studio. They do a pretty good job.) |
| Baka and Test - Summon the Beasts 2 (TV) |
Good |
|
| Bakemonogatari (TV) |
Masterpiece |
(#3 favorite. Recommended for anime veterans. Dialogue-heavy but amazing animation style & cinematography keep it interesting. Stories are really unique and quite interesting. The more you know about Japanese language and culture, the more you'll get out of the anime. There is a LOT of wordplay so solid knowledge of the Japanese language is important.) |
| Barakamon (TV) |
Very good |
|
| Ben-To (TV) |
So-so |
|
| Beyond the Boundary (TV) |
Good |
(Really, most of the rating comes from near the end. Basically, a revelation that happens later tends to solve earlier plot holes and put everything that happened earlier into perspective. They didn't explore as much as they could have, but it ends in a way that slightly weakens the impact of the finale. ) |
| Black Bullet (TV) |
Decent |
(I want to like it more, but it felt like they were trying to do too much. Very dark in places, but with this odd light-heartedness thrown in here and there. It gave a disjointed feeling and put the brakes on the dramatic tension they were building.) |
| Black Lagoon (TV) |
So-so |
|
| Black Lagoon: The Second Barrage (TV) |
So-so |
|
| Blade & Soul (TV) |
Weak |
(There were a couple good moments here and there, but it didn't really have a point. There wasn't really an overarching "story", just revenge and some pointless stuff after. Even so, getting there wasn't special in any way whatsoever. Go figure, since it's an anime made off an MMORPG.) |
| Blast of Tempest (TV) |
Good |
|
| Blood Blockade Battlefront (TV) |
Masterpiece |
|
| Blue Exorcist (TV) |
Decent |
|
| Blue Spring Ride (TV) |
Very good |
(Not my usual genre, but very good nonetheless. It's refreshing to see a straight-up drama/romance without the usual confusion/distraction of magical worlds that get in the way of character development. Good depth to the two main characters, but would have liked more of the group.) |
| Bodacious Space Pirates (TV) |
So-so |
|
| Broken Blade (movie series) |
Decent |
(Felt a little rushed. If it were about 2x as long, they could have developed more. As it stood, it was a little choppy and felt rushed in pace) |
| Campione! (TV) |
So-so |
|
| Castle in the Sky (movie) |
Decent |
|
| Chaika - The Coffin Princess (TV) |
Good |
(a lot of interesting things flying around, but a deal of it isn't explained. Gets progressively darker as it goes on. It also gets better as it goes on, progressing from "so-so" to "very good". Averages out to good) |
| Chaos;HEAd (TV) |
Weak |
(Best described by: what. the. heck. lots of technobabble that isn't really explained. Characters are generally pretty shallow.) |
| Claymore (TV) |
So-so |
|
| Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion (TV) |
Masterpiece |
(#1 favorite. Fast-paced from the start, dark, and melodramatic. I'd also consider this a mecha-lite anime. I most liked that the main character faced significant consequences for his actions and was far from perfect. Very dark if you take it as a standalone.) |
| Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2 (TV) |
Masterpiece |
(#1 favorite. Same fast-paced nature as the first. The melodrama and scale of tragedy quickly spirals out of control. The impact is greater, building for an amazing ending. one of the few endings I was left speechless. If you were paying close attention, you know what happened. ) |
| (The) Comic Artist and His Assistants (TV) |
Good |
(Starts out as decent, but gets better. I'm sure that many, if not most, of these stories are dramatized versions of something that happened in real life. ) |
| Cyborg 009 The Cyborg Soldier (TV) |
Very good |
|
| D-Frag! (TV) |
Good |
(not particularly special, but the gags were funny. They had very good comedic timing on the gags. All in all, it was pretty entertaining.) |
| Daily Lives of High School Boys (TV) |
Very good |
|
| Darker than Black (TV) |
Excellent |
(concept was very interesting. It really was pretty dark. Haven't seen it in about 6 or 7 years. It's due for a re-watch.) |
| Darker than Black: Gemini of the Meteor (TV) |
Good |
(Interesting. Not as good as the first. The camera follows the most uninteresting character. The ending created more questions/plot holes than it resolved. ) |
| Date A Live (TV) |
Very good |
|
| Date A Live II (TV) |
Very good |
|
| Deadman Wonderland (TV) |
So-so |
(Dark for the sake of being dark. It's like jumping the shark in terms of how dark it is.) |
| Death Note (TV) |
Very good |
(First half was probably a masterpiece, and may have been my #1 favorite IF they ended it there. What they did between part 1 and 2 felt like a betrayal. They have to re-build the tension and I couldn't get back into it as much. ) |
| Death Parade (TV) |
Excellent |
(This is quite a serious and dark anime. It is an exploration into people and judgment of souls after death. This anime has interesting material and the story told in an interesting way. They don't just do a "judge different souls each episode" kind of schtick. Sometimes, they delve into the characters judging and the nature of judgment as well. The climax had a strong intensity for what it was and was constructed in such a manner that you aren't sure what is going to happen. Overall, excellent. ) |
| Denki-Gai (TV) |
So-so |
(The biggest weakness of this series was its lack of consistency. There were certainly some very good points to this anime, both in comedy and in character relations. However, every time they started building something very good, they destroyed that momentum. This anime really shined in its little romances going on. Many of the (albeit few and far in between) truly excellent and genuine parts came from developing those little romances. Unfortunately, they didn't focus on this strength. A great deal of this anime felt forced or unnatural or fell flat. I felt like I had to weather all the parts in-between the good points.) |
| (The) Devil Is a Part-Timer! (TV) |
Excellent |
(Really darn good. Far better than I thought it could be. Interesting power concept for a "hero" ) |
| Dragon Ball (TV) |
Good |
|
| Dragon Ball GT (TV) |
Weak |
(Baby. That is all.) |
| Dragon Ball Z (TV) |
So-so |
|
| Durarara!! (TV) |
Excellent |
(#7 favorite. Tragic misunderstandings. Very interesting with A LOT of characters to keep track of. The characters do have good variety and depth to them. Durarara is made by the same author and helmed by the same director as Baccano. ) |
| Durarara!!×2 Shō (TV) |
Good |
|
| (The) Eccentric Family (TV) |
Masterpiece |
(It starts out slow, but needs the setup to get where it eventually goes. I appreciated the "real" touches that you hardly see in anime. They managed to create an interesting and unique atmosphere with the various players. Also, they provide for a wide variety of "villany" and complex character motives. All in all, it's quite a special anime in both what they create and how they create it. ) |
| Elfen Lied (TV) |
Very good |
(WARNING: Lots of blood, lots of nudity. A dark tale that had a few of the most disturbing scenes I've watched to date. ) |
| Engaged to the Unidentified (TV) |
Not really good |
(There were certainly some laughs to be had. However, they did some strange things with the plot. They added a tad of a supernatural element that could have had promise, but sort of fizzled out, going nowhere. Also, it felt like a few-episode filler in the middle, which is unforgivable in an anime this short.) |
| Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone (movie) |
Very good |
|
| Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance (movie) |
Excellent |
|
| Excel Saga (TV) |
Excellent |
(each episode is a parody of a different style of movie or anime. I think they do each one justice. Last time I saw this was 5 years ago, so... revisit?) |
| (The) Familiar of Zero (TV) |
Decent |
(entertaining at least. Not particularly special in any way.) |
| Fate/stay night (TV) |
Weak |
(Kinda bad in general. It sort of fails in all areas. Characters are weak, action isn't too great. Makes sense, since Fate/Stay night is an adaptation of a visual novel (game). They are remaking it.) |
| Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works (TV) |
Excellent |
|
| Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works (TV 2) |
Excellent |
|
| Fate/Zero (TV) |
Excellent |
(#5 favorite. Hoooo boy. This anime succeeds in all ways where the original Fate/stay night anime failed. The summons are characters themselves and the main characters have quite a bit of depth. The action is pretty darn good. Very Very dark in some places. Unfortunately you probably need to slog through Fate/Stay Night to get some of what's going on, but you may be able to see this one first.) |
| Fate/Zero (TV 2) |
Excellent |
(# 5 favorite) |
| FLCL (OAV) |
Very good |
(???? The more you watch it the more it makes sense, i think. Maybe?) |
| Freezing (TV) |
Good |
(WARNING: lots of nudity, as expected for a "battle girls" anime. However, there is some good fighting. It gets a little lost in frivolity in the middle, but you can probably cast that away to "character building." At the end, it displayed a competent amount of intensity that is desirable from an action/ combat type anime. ) |
| Freezing Vibration (TV) |
Very good |
(WARNING: plenty of nudity like the first. However, this time much of the frivolity was abandoned and they take the story into some very dark places. The darkness of the subject matter and the way it is handled really stand out. Perhaps in response to the darkness, there is a great deal of intensity to this part of the anime. ) |
| Fullmetal Alchemist (TV) |
Good |
(the first one made. It was completed before the source material was, meaning that the ending got weird. ) |
| Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (TV) |
Excellent |
(#6 favorite. Very high end of excellent. As a remake, it's worlds better - not even in the same league. Very strong cast of characters, including supporting characters. Action was excellent and served to highlight important things going on. The fights themselves involve a good deal of cleverness. However, it's not exactly an action anime - this anime readily plunges into much deeper and darker explorations of themes than you might expect. ) |
| (The) Future Diary (TV) |
Very good |
(Quite slow for a very long time and you have to put up with a whiny character that gives shinji a run for his money. Picks up very well and gets quite interesting. If the anime were #1 (you'll understand at the end), I think it'd have been in the excellent category.) |
| Ga-Rei-Zero (TV) |
Excellent |
(slows a bit after ep 1, but it builds up quite well. Very dark. I do appreciate that the anime had a singular purpose - a single story to tell. ) |
| Genshiken (TV) |
Very good |
|
| Genshiken (OAV) |
Very good |
|
| Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (TV) |
Good |
(While certainly a classic, i think there are others that take the concept farther. Certainly worth a watch, but felt more low-key in execution.) |
| Giant Robo (OAV) |
Excellent |
(Truly amazing in the sheer insanity of it all. Hilarious too. It's kind of in the "so bad, it's really good" category. Another of the rare anime i'd recommend the dub. Because it adds to the terrible quality, but leads to some really funny moments.) |
| Girls und Panzer (TV) |
Decent |
|
| A Good Librarian Like a Good Shepherd (TV) |
Decent |
|
| Grave of the Fireflies (movie) |
Very good |
|
| Guilty Crown (TV) |
Weak |
(Interesting concept. However, they didn't really do it justice. I really wanted to like it more, but it started to feel like more of a burden to keep watching. It seems to start of a fairly solid note, but it goes downhill from there.) |
| Gurren Lagann (TV) |
Very good |
(Hilarious and over the top, but in an internally-consistent way. Apparently, it had an obscenely high budget for an anime and it shows. Very smooth animation.) |
| .hack//SIGN (TV) |
So-so |
(the first "stuck in a game" anime. Pretty dull all around.) |
| Haganai (TV) |
Good |
(bit crazy and the characters are somewhat insane. Starts to get good at season end. ) |
| Haganai NEXT (TV) |
Very good |
(Much better than the first season. The characters come into their own and it really tries to develop what it means to be a friend.) |
| Hanamonogatari (TV) |
Excellent |
(Comes after Monogatari Second Season. Still well done. Lots of character and motive complexity. People have a certain way they want to appear and complex motives that may or may not contradict that desire.) |
| Harlock: Space Pirate (movie) |
Bad |
|
| Hellsing (TV) |
Not really good |
|
| Hellsing Ultimate (OAV) |
Good |
|
| Heroic Age (TV) |
Decent |
|
| Hetalia - Axis Powers (TV) |
Decent |
|
| Hetalia World Series (TV) |
Decent |
|
| High School DxD (TV) |
Good |
(WARNING: pure fanservice anime, so lots of nudity. Looking at it broadly, this anime is "decent," but purely within the fan service anime category, it stands out. While the characters are generally flat, the anime does do a bit of solid world creation and focus. There are also some solid drama scenes and some really nice action sequences. Some cleverness in the fighting as well, but nearer to the end. That aside, there are two kinds of fanservice: fan service that is appropriate because it serves a greater purpose and fan service that is there for fanservice's sake. Generally, this anime falls into the latter category with fanservice serving as an interruption - it doesn't really add anything to the characters and often detracts from what's going on. ) |
| High School of the Dead (TV) |
So-so |
(more like fan service + zombies. ) |
| Himouto! Umaru-chan (TV) |
Good |
|
| Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere (TV) |
Decent |
|
| Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere II (TV) |
Decent |
|
| Howl's Moving Castle (movie) |
Excellent |
|
| Hozuki's Coolheadedness (TV) |
Good |
|
| HYOUKA (TV) |
Good |
(The ratings ran all over the map. This show certainly lacked consistency. The first story arc was one of the strongest. There were masterful elements in there, such as amazing visual depictions of what was going on in someone's head. Then... it sort of fell through the floor. The rest of the anime was spent clawing its way back up. There wasn't much character development until the second season (past ep 12). Still, I'm very mixed on where to place this anime.) |
| I Can't Understand What My Husband Is Saying (TV) |
Good |
|
| I couldn't become a hero, so I reluctantly decided to get a job. (TV) |
Bad |
(thought it'd be like the Devil is a Part-timer, but boy was I wrong. The fan service was both pointless and excessive. The series really wasted some good potential that they set up with the premise - "heroes" integrating into a society where they are no longer needed. ) |
| If Her Flag Breaks (TV) |
Very good |
(Low end of very good. I think it's slightly underrated on ANN. There isn't too much I can say without spoiling anything, but the anime goes very differently from how you'd expect. There is a good, consistent amount of humor throughout, and some pretty dark undertones. I found the balance of humor to dark actually fairly solid. I did appreciate how they kept changing the pace of things so that the main "flag gag" doesn't really get old. Don't be mislead - the anime isn't all about the flag gimmick, although it is an important part of the plot.) |
| Immortal Grand Prix (TV) |
Good |
|
| Immortal Grand Prix (TV 2) |
Good |
|
| Inari Kon Kon (TV) |
Very good |
|
| Infinite Stratos (TV) |
Decent |
|
| Inu X Boku Secret Service (TV) |
Very good |
|
| Inuyasha (TV) |
Weak |
|
| Is This a Zombie? (TV) |
Weak |
(What. The. Heck? Could be really dark if it weren't so darn insane. ) |
| Jormungand (TV) |
Decent |
|
| Jormungand Perfect Order (TV) |
Decent |
|
| K (TV) |
Decent |
(The world is really quite interesting, but i don't think they did it justice with the story going on. Sort of a failed execution.) |
| Kamisama Kiss (TV) |
Very good |
|
| Kamisama Kiss 2 (TV) |
Very good |
|
| KanColle (TV) |
So-so |
|
| Katanagatari (TV) |
Excellent |
|
| (The) Kawai Complex Guide to Manors and Hostel Behavior (TV) |
Very good |
(Probably on the low end of excellent. Really liked the animation style. Pretty rare for a love-com type anime. It's genuinely about a struggle to want to get closer and understand the other person. Remarkably entertaining. I had to rewind a lot to replay some scenes again and again. ) |
| Kiki's Delivery Service (movie) |
Decent |
|
| Kill la Kill (TV) |
Excellent |
(WARNING: lots of skin, if that puts you off. I watched it for the plot. No, seriously. Very hard to rate. There were certainly masterful elements in the anime, and the art style was very interesting. Though not particularly original in terms of plot, what it does, it does in a new and interesting way. Especially its use of tropes - it twists or puts a new spin on familiar concepts in anime.) |
| Kizumonogatari Part 1: Tekketsu (movie) |
Excellent |
|
| Knights of Sidonia (TV) |
Decent |
(I absolutely hated the animation style. It worked fine for the space scenes, but was terrible for everything else. It felt like most of the first 2/3 of the anime were wasted on frivolity. There were certainly really interesting/creepy/cool things that did happen, just there was a lot of buffer. It got significantly and consistently better after episode 7. ) |
| Kokoro Connect (TV) |
Very good |
(interesting concepts that serve as a vehicle for character interactions. Handful of stuff that isn't ever really explained, but that's ok. The focus is how the characters interact with each other given the special circumstances) |
| Kyousougiga (TV) |
Very good |
(Very strange anime. Many masterful elements of storytelling. First half is the strongest, but it gets this weird little hiccup near the end. It fixes it though. I'm convinced that all of the fantastical elements that crop up directly relate to what a family IS. ) |
| Last Exile (TV) |
Good |
(the first handful of episodes are DULL AS HECK. The main characters are whiny and dull, pity the camera follows them. In spite of that, everyone around them is much more interesting and there are many more "real" elements to the anime and in how it resolves.) |
| Laughing Under the Clouds (TV) |
Masterpiece |
|
| A Letter to Momo (movie) |
Very good |
|
| Little Witch Academia (movie) |
Very good |
|
| Log Horizon (TV) |
Very good |
|
| Lord Marksman and Vanadis (TV) |
Decent |
|
| Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions! (TV) |
Excellent |
(It's pretty silly, but covers some very deep territory. The overall theme is middle schoolers trying to figure out how to grow up in Japanese Society. There's a lot of good character interaction and dept to them. Also, the "combat" animations were really well done. ) |
| Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions! -Heart Throb- (TV) |
Excellent |
(sweeter than the first, it's more about the young couple learning what it means to BE a couple. Figuring things out as they go. ) |
| Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro (movie) |
Decent |
|
| Magi: The Kingdom of Magic (TV) |
Weak |
|
| Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic (TV) |
Excellent |
|
| Magical Warfare (TV) |
Decent |
(The problem with this anime, like many anime, is that it tries to tell two different kinds of stories and ends up diluting them both. The beginning was a standard high school drama in magical world. They then tried to tell a much grander story later on. As a consequence of this split focus, the best parts of the anime were forced together in the last half. I was going to rate it higher because of how it built. However, the end just set up season 2 rather than trying to resolve anything.) |
| Magimoji Rurumo (TV) |
Decent |
(Not really special. It was good for some laughs. Chiro was the only real character, and was the star of the show.) |
| Maid Sama! (TV) |
Good |
|
| MAOYU (TV) |
Weak |
|
| Mayo Chiki! (TV) |
Good |
(elements of very good. Also requires tolerance for ecchi. ) |
| Medaka Box (TV) |
Good |
(certainly not what I expected. First 3/4 was fairly light-hearted and silly, but the last 1/4... It's almost like the anime hopped genres.) |
| Millennium Actress (movie) |
Excellent |
|
| Minami-ke (TV) |
Good |
|
| Minami-ke Tadaima (TV) |
Very good |
|
| Minami-ke: Betsubara (OAV) |
Good |
|
| Minami-ke: Okaeri (TV) |
Good |
|
| Minami-ke: Okawari (TV) |
Good |
|
| Minami-ke: Omatase (OAV) |
Good |
|
| Mobile Fighter G Gundam (TV) |
Not really good |
(you know you've screwed up when you have to officially retcon the anime as a "TV series" within another gundam anime.) |
| Mobile Suit Gundam (TV) |
Good |
(I love the mecha genre. However, it does suffer from some glaring weaknesses. The main one you see here is described as "whiny angst." Some of it can be fine, but you generally see it over and over again... ) |
| Mobile Suit Gundam 00 (TV) |
Weak |
(mistakes mental problems for character depth.) |
| Mobile Suit Gundam Seed (TV) |
Good |
|
| Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Destiny (TV) |
Good |
|
| Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Destiny Final Plus: The Chosen Future (OAV) |
Good |
(the "original" or "complete" ending. Was cut out of the main story due to time concerns or something. ) |
| Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ (TV) |
Good |
|
| Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam (TV) |
Good |
|
| Monogatari Series Second Season (TV) |
Masterpiece |
(Comes after Nisemonogatari. Low-end of masterpiece. The first story was really quite good, the second one not really that much. However, after that it gets remarkably better with the final story being the best by far. I must say it's excellent writing and cinematography that can hold such interest after ~40 total episodes) |
| Monster Musume: Everyday Life with Monster Girls (TV) |
Very good |
|
| Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun (TV) |
Masterpiece |
(I'd recommend this for anime veterans. You need some experience in anime to fully appreciate the handling of the tropes and characters. In its category, it certainly stands above the rest. Pure comedy anime is very hard to do and can easily stagnate. This one manages to keep everything interesting and fresh throughout, providing a good deal of depth to the characters in the process) |
| Murder Princess (OAV) |
Good |
|
| Mushi-Shi (TV) |
Masterpiece |
(Very soft-spoken anime - I'd describe it as "quiet." It's all about people and has a variety of stories - stories that are sad, happy, bittersweet, etc. The main character ends up having a very real feel to him, even though he's not necessarily the focus. The background art is spectacular - like watching a painting.) |
| Mushishi Tokubetsu-hen: Hihamukage (special) |
Excellent |
|
| Mushishi: The Next Chapter (TV) |
Masterpiece |
(Still as good as the first. This season had a bit more focus on Ginko. What makes this series so great is that the episodes all carry a sense of the unknown. Episodes have impact because the outcome is not certain and no one is really "safe." That's not to say it's just dying for the sake of proving a body count in anime or having people die in furtherance of a cause. It's about the dangers of everyday life that include mushi.) |
| Muv-Luv Alternative: Total Eclipse (TV) |
Not really good |
|
| My Little Monster (TV) |
Good |
(I'm seriously conflicted between good and decent. While the general cast of characters was somewhat interesting, it felt like the anime stagnated somewhere in there. It had its points, but it felt somewhat forced or stretched too thin in terms of plot/interaction.) |
| My mental choices are completely interfering with my school romantic comedy (TV) |
Bad |
(it felt backwards. The concept was eventually interesting, but you don't learn the point to it until the end. Getting there is a chore though...) |
| My Neighbor Totoro (movie) |
Good |
(A classic) |
| My Neighbors the Yamadas (movie) |
Very good |
|
| My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU (TV) |
Very good |
(It's an interesting commentary on more individualistic people in Japanese culture. The characters struggle to distinguish friendship from "something more") |
| My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU TOO! (TV) |
Excellent |
|
| My Wife is the Student Council President (TV) |
Not really good |
|
| Naruto (TV) |
Not really good |
(Some excellent material in there, but waaaaaaay to much filler to be good. ) |
| Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (movie) |
Decent |
|
| Nekomonogatari (Black) (TV) |
Excellent |
(Sequel to Bakenonogatari. Best to watch before Nisemonogatari. ) |
| Neon Genesis Evangelion (TV) |
Excellent |
(Shinji's a little ***** the ending is generally understood to be "What the *((&^%") |
| Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death & Rebirth (movie) |
Excellent |
|
| Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion (movie) |
Excellent |
|
| Nisekoi - False Love (TV) |
Good |
|
| Nisekoi: (TV 2) |
Good |
|
| Nisemonogatari (TV) |
Very good |
(since it's part of the same series, #3 favorite. More fan service-y than the first but still quite interesting) |
| No Game, No Life (TV) |
Very good |
(Odd yet interesting art style. The anime starts off in the decent category and builds to excellent by the end. Lots of very clever elements, especially at the end. ) |
| No-Rin (TV) |
Weak |
|
| Nobunaga Concerto (TV) |
Very good |
(Honestly, didn't think this would be interesting or good. However, it built up very nicely. If you know some of the Japanese Warring States period, it gives you a roadmap of what happens, generally. If you don't, then you are in a bit more suspense, actually. That said, they do an excellent job of how they went about telling their story. I was impressed how they managed the impressions the characters give you. All in all, it was very interesting and quite entertaining. Also, the voice cast is very well represented - they have a lot of very good seiyuu from other anime I enjoy.) |
| Noragami (TV) |
Decent |
(Quite interesting, but it falls off as it goes on. It ends on a fairly weak note. ) |
| Noragami Aragoto (TV) |
Good |
|
| Nyan Koi! (TV) |
Very good |
(one of the rare love-triangle (light harem?) style of anime where the main characters are well developed so that it isn't blatantly obvious which one the author wants you to root for. Also, there were a lot of laughs to be had.) |
| Oreimo (TV) |
Decent |
(WARNING: INCEST THEMES The anime is fine, but for the hints that brother and sister like each other more than that. Remove that and it's a solid core concept) |
| Oreimo 2 (TV) |
Weak |
(as if one season wasn't enough WARNING: INCEST THEMES They set up a good series of events and relationships and then... throw a random wrench into it just because. ) |
| Oreshura (TV) |
Good |
(This anime starts to shine about 2/3 of the way through. Interestingly enough, it's when the girls all start to fight over Eita that their personalities come out and there's good character development. This anime covers roughly the same territory as Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions, but Chunibyo does it much better.) |
| Ouran High School Host Club (TV) |
Excellent |
|
| Ozma (TV) |
Decent |
(Visuals were nice, music was pretty good. Voice acting was spotty at best. Other than that, nothing really noteworthy.) |
| Pandora Hearts (TV) |
Very good |
(need to revisit this - don't remember it too well) |
| Paprika (movie) |
Very good |
(Another of those surreal-type anime. While surrealism isn't really my thing, it was quite interesting. Very very strange tho') |
| Paranoia Agent (TV) |
Masterpiece |
(WARNING: recommended only for hardened veterans of anime. You need significant understanding of Japanese culture and/or anime or it will make no sense. Also, you need to be paying close attention at all times. Once you do, it's truly something strange and special. It depicts many different people's struggles within Japanese society.) |
| Penguindrum (TV) |
Very good |
(Very very hard to rate. This is a very strange, dark, and interesting story. Overall, it's about people and coping mechanisms in dealing with "fate." The first part of the Japanese title is a very accurate descriptor of the story- "輪る", roughly translated as "circling." For each step forward in plot, they circled around to the past to highlight motives and reasons for particular actions. A significant portion of the story is told via flashback, but it's not as though they are flashing back to an already told part of the anime - the flashbacks convey new information. Interestingly, they shift perspectives, making sympathetic characters positively villainous and vice-versa. All in all, I found it a highly unique story, told in a highly unique way. ) |
| Perfect Blue (movie) |
Good |
|
| (The) Pet Girl of Sakurasou (TV) |
Excellent |
(The voice acting was pretty impressive, with great lines to match. The comedy is both varied and unusual. I found myself rewinding scenes to play again and again. The drama has good gravity especially because of how the course of events is unexpected. It's an emotional roller coaster with tons of great highs and lows. ) |
| Phantom ~Requiem for the Phantom~ (TV) |
So-so |
(First third of the series is excellent, but loses steam as it goes on) |
| Place to Place (TV) |
So-so |
|
| Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea (movie) |
So-so |
|
| Porco Rosso (movie) |
Very good |
|
| Princess Mononoke (movie) |
Good |
|
| Princess Resurrection (TV) |
Not really good |
|
| Problem children are coming from another world, aren't they? (TV) |
So-so |
(similar concept as No Game No Life, but inferior in all ways. At the end, it suffers from Dragon Ball Z syndrome where he who punches hardest, wins. Potential for clever things were thrown by the wayside in favor of punching.) |
| Psycho-Pass (TV) |
Masterpiece |
(The story is highly interesting and deals with very deep concepts. The "setting" is somewhat like Minority Report, but the way they use it as a vehicle for the storytelling is quite new. The characters represent different views of the world - highlighting those views through their interactions. They have a great deal of depth - they aren't just "idea cutouts." In all, the anime has a very smart feel - it's as though it was a dialogue between the author (through the characters) and the viewers about concepts such as human nature, society, and the law. Brilliantly done. ) |
| Psycho-Pass 2 (TV) |
Bad |
(The original concept creator, who wrote the script for Psycho Pass 1, was absent from this season. Sadly the anime was far worse for it. As a result, this season was missing all of the delicacy and nuance of Psycho Pass 1. Frankly, it lost all of its intelligence. Up to a certain point, this anime was merely "weak" - really just a dime-a-dozen cop drama. However, as the problems with writing started compounding themselves it was just clearly bad. Basically, the writing problems stemmed from a lack of understanding of the material and character development that happened in Psycho Pass 1. This created horrific, glaring inconsistencies which were "solved" by breaking rules that were developed in Psycho Pass 1. As if it weren't enough, there were even glaring inconsistencies WITHIN psycho pass 2. Fortunately, it doesn't appear that the events in Psycho Pass 2 really did anything to the world, settling its place as a "throwaway" arc. Frankly, that's for the best. Don't watch Psycho Pass 2. Pretend it never existed.) |
| Puella Magi Madoka Magica (TV) |
Very good |
(Mahou Shojou art style which I found annoying. This anime is surprising. I'd describe it as a darker look at the Magical Girls genre. It ends up being quite interesting.) |
| Pumpkin Scissors (TV) |
Not really good |
|
| Queen's Blade: The Exiled Virgin (TV) |
Weak |
(Ecchi. What else to expect off an anime based on a card game?) |
| Rage of Bahamut: Genesis (TV) |
Very good |
|
| Rave Master (TV) |
Decent |
|
| (The) Rolling Girls (TV) |
Weak |
|
| Romeo × Juliet (TV) |
Very good |
(Far better than expected. I like it better than the original play. ) |
| Rurouni Kenshin (TV 1996) |
Good |
(probably longer than it needed to be) |
| Rurouni Kenshin: New Kyoto Arc (OAV) |
Decent |
|
| Rurouni Kenshin: Reflection (OAV) |
Very good |
|
| Rurouni Kenshin: Trust & Betrayal (OAV) |
Very good |
|
| Saekano: How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend (TV) |
Masterpiece |
|
| Samurai Champloo (TV) |
Very good |
(Revisit: The art style was very good. They did lots of interesting things with the story. However, it felt like they got lost a bit in the middle. They found themselves again at the end. ) |
| Samurai Harem (TV) |
Not really good |
|
| Sankarea: Undying Love (TV) |
Bad |
|
| Sekirei (TV) |
Good |
(Warning: Ecchi. From the outset, this is a harem-type fighting girls anime. I am toying with putting this in very good. Overall, the story builds nicely - they don't get overly distracted between the "harem" fighting and the story. It ends on quite a solid note. ) |
| Selector Infected Wixoss (TV) |
Very good |
(loved the art style. Pretty dark anime, but quite interesting as the card game is the vehicle for the characters' development. The ending is quite good if taken as a standalone. It's the epitome of the theme they were going for all along) |
| Selector Spread Wixoss (TV) |
Very good |
|
| Senyū. (TV) |
Very good |
(Usually, anime shorts aren't really my thing. However, it's very funny. It's very irreverent with its fantasy setting. Also, it manages to keep a good narrative in spite of its lightning pace.) |
| Senyū. Dai 2 Ki (TV) |
Very good |
(gets much more serious. It's still pretty funny, but manages to have a pretty good plot. This could easily have been a full-length anime.) |
| Servant × Service (TV) |
Decent |
|
| Shirobako (TV) |
Masterpiece |
(A must-see. It's an anime about making anime. I've heard that it's very accurate about the day-to day struggles and difficulties present in the anime industry. Through this anime, I have gained a deeper appreciation of even anime I have rated on the lower end. This anime is particularly special because it highlights for the viewer the excellent techniques and practices in anime. The most telling indicator of this anime's mastery is the fact that it made me want to watch the "fictional" anime they were creating. Throughout, they did an excellent job with their characters and character development. They were even able to create lots of interesting situations and dramatic tension. I learned so much from this anime. All told, a masterpiece. ) |
| Silver Spoon (TV) |
Excellent |
|
| Silver Spoon (TV 2) |
Excellent |
|
| (The) Slayers (TV) |
Decent |
|
| (The) Slayers Evolution-R (TV) |
Decent |
|
| (The) Slayers Next (TV) |
Decent |
|
| (The) Slayers Revolution (TV) |
Decent |
|
| (The) Slayers Try (TV) |
Decent |
|
| So I Can't Play H (TV) |
Weak |
(Ecchi. pretty weak even at that) |
| (il) sole penetra le illusioni ~ Day Break Illusion (TV) |
Good |
|
| Spirited Away (movie) |
Very good |
|
| Steins;Gate (TV) |
Masterpiece |
(#2 favorite. Truly special. The atmosphere they build throughout the anime is stellar - the main character's plight has gravity and impact. This is the only anime I've seen where they've managed to push a character to a believable breaking point. Truly masterful. ) |
| (La) storia della Arcana Famiglia (TV) |
Weak |
|
| Strain: Strategic Armored Infantry (TV) |
So-so |
|
| Strike the Blood (TV) |
Good |
(harem-style anime with vampires and fighting. Pretty entertaining just off that, let alone the interesting things they do with the world. ) |
| Sword Art Online (TV) |
So-so |
(I don't know why it's so popular. It's a dime a dozen high school drama in a magical world. I was sad because the first few episodes showed such great promise for this anime. Unfortunately, there were lots of missed opportunities to do very interesting things with the plot. Characters were uniformly shallow, which would have been fine if they did more interesting things with the world. They didn't, so it wasn't great.) |
| Tenchi Muyo! (OAV 1/1992) |
Excellent |
|
| Tenchi Muyo! Ryo Ohki (OAV 3/2003) |
Good |
|
| Tenchi Muyo! Ryo Ohki: Final Confrontations (OAV) |
Good |
|
| Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki (OAV 2/1994) |
Excellent |
|
| Tenchi Muyo! War on Geminar (OAV) |
Decent |
|
| Tenchi Universe (TV) |
Very good |
|
| Terror in Resonance (TV) |
Bad |
(i was very, very disappointed with this anime. The characters were little more than mannequins delivering lines. The plot felt like it was a western-style cop drama written by an abject amateur who was afraid to take any risks with the plot. It may be because I'm used to watching western cop dramas that I'm so disappointed here. I can see how it could be attractive to people new to the concept, but everything about this anime, including the plot twists, were poor.) |
| (The) Testament of Sister New Devil (TV) |
Good |
(Warning: ecchi that gets... moreso as it progresses. However, it's heavily censored, so there's that. I am mixed in feeling about this anime. There is some quite good setting material - interesting stuff that's going on. Of course, it's more of a harem-type anime with a bit of a twist. So mostly, it's here for its potential. By the end, it got somewhat violent and VERY ecchi... but it was all censored out, which is very painful.) |
| Tokyo Ghoul (TV) |
Not really good |
(The last 4 episodes felt like a teaser of how the show could have been - very dark and very psychological. There was more character and world development in the last 4 than the first 8. The only reason this anime is rated this way is due to how good those last 4 episodes were. Up until that point, the anime has a frivolous feel, which was odd, given the subject matter. The character with the most depth was set up to be the standard "crazy villain" guy. ) |
| Tokyo Godfathers (movie) |
Masterpiece |
|
| Tokyo Ravens (TV) |
Good |
(First part and second part felt like two entirely different anime. In a sense, they are. First part was high-school drama in a magical world: read - every other anime out there. This first part was where the manga material went up to. The second part, not yet covered by the manga, was excellent. You learn more about the world, there's a pretty good plot going on, and you see some really good, clever Onmyo battles. ) |
| Tonari no Seki-kun: The Master of Killing Time (TV) |
Good |
(A series of fairly entertaining shorts about a girl that slowly gets more and more distracted by her classmate's goofing off in class.) |
| Toradora! (TV) |
Decent |
|
| Trigun (TV) |
Excellent |
(A classic. My first anime... so it may be nostalgia talking. First half is silly but second half gets really serious in a hurry. I think it sets up an excellent contrast in terms of the hero's personality while dealing with these issues.) |
| Trinity Seven (TV) |
Decent |
|
| (The) Troubled Life of Miss Kotoura (TV) |
Good |
(it certainly belongs in the "psychological" genre. It explores some dark side-effects of being psychic. There's also plenty of comedy to balance it out. The first half of the first episode...wow. In terms of impact, it's probably on the masterpiece level. The rest of it, while interesting, isn't nearly as impactful as the first 10 minutes or so.) |
| Tsukimonogatari (TV) |
Very good |
(Comes between Monogatari Second Season and Hanamonogatari. Not quite as good as second season, more like on par with Nisemonogatari. ) |
| Unbreakable Machine-Doll (TV) |
Good |
(Solid pacing and the action is quite good. There are some good moments of cleverness in the fighting as well. There are many things we aren't told about the world, but it doesn't detract too much from what's going on. Characters show some good depth and generally interact well. However, it uses a bit too much of the "jealous harem banter." ) |
| Vandread (TV) |
Decent |
|
| Wagnaria!! (TV) |
Good |
(Takes a while to build interest. It's sort of weak because it is a challenge adapting a 4 panel manga into an anime. Necessary for season 2) |
| Wagnaria!!2 (TV) |
Very good |
(amazingly good. Better than the first season because the characters are developed, and the anime is about the interaction between them. They finally settled into how to adapt a 4-panel manga strip into an anime.) |
| Wakako-zake (TV) |
Good |
|
| Welcome to the NHK (TV) |
Weak |
(This anime felt as though it were stuck in a rut. When they started to get something good, the payoffs were understated at best. It felt like it wasn't really going anywhere. If they wanted us to feel as though we were a hikikomori by watching that anime, they succeeded. ) |
| When Supernatural Battles Became Commonplace (TV) |
Good |
(high end of good. There were many excellent elements to this anime. The character interactions were great. They balanced the themes quite well between silly, serious and funny. However, the anime seemed to lack an overarching framework to tie the elements together. Unfortunately, the supernatural element was mostly unnecessary in the anime, except for a couple of really interesting situations.) |
| (The) Wind Rises (movie) |
Excellent |
(Very interesting movie. I'd describe it as "peaceful." Loved the highly artistic elements throughout, especially the sound effects. ) |
| Witch Craft Works (TV) |
Good |
(they had a lot of good material in there, I just wish they spent a bit more time piecing it all together. Also, I wish they spent time on some of the side battles which promised to be really interesting) |
| Witchblade (TV) |
Good |
(At first blush, this is a fighting girls anime. However, the content is quite different. It's more about family - what it means and how important it is/can be. That said, the quality of the anime varies. Where it focuses on the protagonist and the family/relationships there it shines - the best example is the last few episodes. It ends on an excellent note, but getting to that point is a bit of a chore. They get a little distracted from the protagonist, and that's where it loses some steam. ) |
| Wolf Girl & Black Prince (TV) |
Good |
(it took a bit to hit its stride, but it needed the buildup. Interestingly, this anime has one of the few real Tsundere males - very rare. It was pretty amusing - in general, it's the story of two terrible people that end up becoming better together. ) |
| Wolf's Rain (TV) |
Very good |
(Second anime I saw. Made a strong impact then, but it's probably due for a revisit now that i've got a lot of anime watching experience.) |
| World Conquest Zvezda Plot (TV) |
Good |
(kinda crazy in a "world domination over somewhat trivial things" kind of way. As it evolves, there is certainly a lot there.) |
| (The) World God Only Knows (TV) |
Excellent |
(Surprisingly good. Concept could easily have been very dull, stupid, or obnoxious. They pull it off. While the first couple "captures" are relatively straightforward, they set the stage for much more interesting things that happen.) |
| (The) World God Only Knows Season Two (TV) |
Excellent |
|
| (The) World God Only Knows: Goddesses Arc (TV) |
Excellent |
|
| xxxHOLiC (TV) |
Decent |
(I din't find anything here particularly special or unique. The comedy routines felt spastic and got in the way. While it did deal with some darker concepts, it felt as though their treatment of those concepts was superficial. Many of the supernatural elements were more an affirmation of fables than any sort of exploration into them.) |
| Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches (TV) |
Very good |
|
| Yozakura Quartet ~Hana no Uta~ (TV) |
Excellent |
(Basically a remake of the not-so-good yozakura quartet that aired in 2008. Excellent pacing and the characters have definite personality to them. Very good balance of silly and serious. There are a lot of "real" touches that add flavor. All of the elements were well done. Oh. You need to watch the Hoshi no Umi (the OVA) between episode 8 and 9.) |
| Yozakura Quartet ~Hoshi no Umi~ (OAV) |
Very good |
(As a standalone OVA, it's very good, but excellent as part of the overall yozakura quartet anime. You have to watch this between episode 8 and 9 of Hana no Uta.) |
| Yozakura Quartet ~Tsuki ni Naku~ (OAV) |
Excellent |
|
| Yu Yu Hakusho: Ghost Files (TV) |
Good |
(Saw this a long time ago. I remember liking it quite a lot but it started to suffer from Dragon Ball Z syndrome near the end.) |
| Zatch Bell (TV) |
Decent |
|
| Zoids (TV) |
Good |
|
| Zoids Genesis (TV) |
Good |
|
| Zoids/ZERO (TV) |
Good |
|
