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Seen all▲▼
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Rating▲▼
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Comment▲▼
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| Abnormal Physiology Seminar (OAV) |
Very good |
Essentially, a concentrated dose of the TV show with some extra nudity. |
| Abnormal Physiology Seminar (TV) |
Very good |
Clinically fascinating and bizarrely hilarious |
| Afro Samurai (TV) |
Not really good |
Disappointing. The RZA has done FAR better music than what is featured in the score for this. |
| Akira (movie) |
So-so |
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| (The) Animatrix (OAV) |
Very good |
One of my first introductions into anime and a pretty decent way to start out, considering the high-profile list of creators attached to it. Hell, I'd even argue that this contains some of Yoshiaki Kawajiri's best work to date. Aside from Matriculated, I don't have a lot of fault to find with this. |
| Apocalypse Zero (OAV) |
Good |
It has more than a few stupid bits of dialogue, but overall the nightmare fuel visuals of the Tactical Evils, the badassery of Kakugo/Zero and the sheer insanity on display combine to make for a surprisingly good tokusatsu show that would NEVER meet broadcast standards. |
| Ben-To (TV) |
So-so |
Too inconsistent to rank higher; it's great when it sticks to its concepts, but it doesn't do that nearly enough. |
| Bible Black (OAV) |
Worst ever |
Fails in literally every aspect |
| (The) Big O (TV) |
Not really good |
For as much as I really dig the action scenes and the robot designs here, I have to call a spade a spade and call this thing out for being as derivative as it is. Yes, some bits of that were intentional but, at the end of the day, it crosses the line between inspiration and derivation. If the show stopped at 13 episodes, I could have even overlooked my misgivings but then it picked back up and immediately went downhill. |
| Blue Submarine No.6 (OAV) |
So-so |
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| (The) Boy and The Beast (movie) |
So-so |
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| Cowboy Bebop (TV) |
Excellent |
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| Death Note (TV) |
Masterpiece |
This has to be one of the best written THINGS I've seen yet, employing heavy logic to every single situation to give the sense that very few things have been left behind in the middle of the numerous battles of will and wit that take place. The acting is pitch-perfect (going by the dub) across the board, even for the occasional irritating character, and even when the series starts to dip around the midway point, it's still incredibly engaging. |
| Demon City Shinjuku (OAV) |
Awful |
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| Digimon Adventure: Born of Koromon (movie) |
Decent |
Despite the frankly annoying music, this works as a nice introduction to the franchise as well as a nicely encapsulated and well-told short in its own right. |
| Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods (movie) |
Good |
A fun watch, even if the ending and a few other bits and pieces of the plot were a bit lacklustre. It's a gag anime film pretty much, so it succeeded at what it aimed for. Oh, and Beerus looks decent and the new version of Cha-La Head-Cha-La is weak as. |
| Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection 'F' (movie) |
Good |
Good use of Freeza and Beerus' characters, well-animated (for DBZ at least) and the fight scenes are solid. It may take a while to balance out Dragon Ball: Evolution, but Toriyama is well on his way there between this and BoG. |
| Elfen Lied (TV) |
Bad |
Not a popular opinion, I know, but I found this anime to be REALLY stupid. Such a shame too, because this has my personal favourite anime opening. |
| Excel Saga (TV) |
Decent |
I think once I watch a bit more anime, so that I can get more of the parodies in this show, I'll revisit it. |
| Fist of the North Star (movie) |
Decent |
It may be dumb violence, but said violence is well-animated for the most part and the story is just thick enough to string them together, but not to the point where it warrants thinking about. The remastered version may look wonky in terms of consistency, but it still holds up for the most part and when it looks good, it actually outdoes some anime that have been released recently on the visuals. |
| FLCL (OAV) |
Excellent |
Through the frenzied haze of nonsensical slapstick, surreal plot and references to other anime, this is a coming-of-age story chock-full of moments that, once translated, should be relatable to pretty much anyone who remembers growing up, all backed by a great soundtrack by The Pillows. It's a universal story told through out-of-this-universal means; anything that can make this little sense and yet be completely understandable has to be given its props. |
| (The) Future Diary (TV) |
Awful |
A few fun characters and a cool concept can't save the aggravatingly inconsistent and tone-deaf writing that is flooded with plot holes. Most of the horrifically bad writing is centered around Yuno and how her character is treated, in that they didn't seem to know how she was supposed to be treated, and everything else just caves in around her more and more as the series trudges on. This may have certain aspects that are better than a lot of other anime I've categorized as "Awful", but this gets a special placement for presenting me with occasional moments that were fun to watch, particularly the ending gags with Murmur, and then snatching away my enjoyment of them and replacing it with just utter pain. |
| Genocyber (OAV) |
Awful |
Mangled story, characterization that finds several fresh ways to be jarring across the five episodes and easily the worst dub I have heard yet, both with the voice acting and overall sound design. Seriously, the VAs are so grating as to strip your stomach lining. |
| Ghost in the Shell (movie) |
Not really good |
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| Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (TV) |
Decent |
An improvement on the film, as this doesn't take itself as seriously and has a bit of fun with its concepts. It works better when taken piece by piece, rather than as a complete series, as the weakest part is the overarching storyline. Bonus points for Batou, whose portrayal in this series made him one of my favourite anime characters. |
| Girls und Panzer (TV) |
Decent |
A fun series, even if it does feel derivative at times and some thematic elements are just left hanging |
| Grave of the Fireflies (movie) |
Excellent |
While I take some issue with director Isao Takahata's intent with the story, which admittedly is the core reason why I don't rank this film as an all-out masterpiece, that doesn't detract from how outright soul-crushing this film is. The characterization of Seita and Setsuko, the score, the small humanizing moments that help make said soul-crushing a little easier to swallow; all of it meshes together to create a captivating film that is worth getting depressed over. Given the over-abundance of World War II-centric films that exist out there, especially nowadays, I thought myself to be largely immune to these kinds of stories. It's a rare occasion when I am glad to be dead wrong. |
| GYO: Tokyo Fish Attack (OAV) |
So-so |
Amazing animation, but the rest of it doesn't hold up as well. |
| Hellsing (TV) |
Decent |
It's a bit rough around the edges. Okay, it's VERY rough thanks to the animation and the wonky voice acting. However, thanks to the voice acting that actually works, mostly the creepy cool of Alucard, the horror moments managing to get some good surface chills and some nice dialogue, it makes for an overall fun watch... although I get the feeling that another series that makes better use of the material is out there somewhere. As an OVA, perhaps. |
| High School of the Dead (TV) |
Good |
Gleeful in its violence and completely shameless in its fanservice, this is an embarrassingly fun watch. It's quite stupid, but it helps that it is aware of just how stupid it is, and said fanservice can get surprisingly creative with how it's framed. |
| Jin-Roh - The Wolf Brigade (movie) |
Very good |
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| JoJo's Bizarre Adventure (OAV) |
Good |
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| Karin (TV) |
Decent |
There's an awful lot that annoys me about this series, like the typical rom-com plot contrivances and the atrociously "makes it easy" ending, and the dub is spotty in several places. However, points where they're due for nice characters, including a great success at an intentionally inept and stupid character with Winner, plenty of funny moments and enough self-awareness about the tropes of the genre to nimbly side-step some potentially painful plot developments. Insert joke about seeing far worse romances involving vampires than this here, but it's a nice watch. |
| Kino's Journey (TV) |
Masterpiece |
This can only really be summed up as a very fulfilling experience, and while parts of me want to pick apart the simplistic animation and the occasional off-putting writing moment, not to mention the relatively weak Coliseum two-parter, this is one of those rare moments where the whole is just THAT damn good that I honestly don't care to. Every parable told in this show left me kind of floored with the core lesson(s) they had to impart and the overall theme of the passing on of knowledge and experience is done expertly throughout, even during those two episodes I think slightly less of. |
| Kite (OAV) |
Good |
Stylish, sleazy and just a bit squicky in places, it's not hard to see why this particular anime is as influential as it is. |
| Knights of Sidonia (TV) |
Excellent |
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| Kogepan (TV) |
Excellent |
An almost Seussical show that comments on life, death, race and the pursuit of happiness, all through a piece of burnt bread who gets drunk on milk. A great example of just how intelligent media aimed at kids can really be. |
| Koi Kaze (TV) |
Decent |
Easily one of the most uncomfortable watches in any media... at first. Yeah, for as questionable as the main couple is here, major props to the production crew for treating this usually fetishized idea with a lot of maturity. It slips and stumbles at points, and the last episode is a bit head-scratchy, but overall if you can stomach the premise of the show, it's worth a watch. |
| M.D. Geist (OAV) |
Awful |
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| M.D. Geist II - Death Force (OAV) |
Awful |
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| Macross Plus (OAV) |
Decent |
Well-developed characters, excellent dogfights and absolutely breathtaking music courtesy of Yoko Kanno, this is an anime classic for a reason. HOWEVER, some of the character development is a little too cliched and the story focuses too much on its build-up for the admittedly well-crafted pay-off to have the punch it should have. I may have my hang-ups with it, but ignore my ranking here: Much like Shinichiro Watanabe's other works, this is essential watching for any otaku. |
| Memories (movie) |
Good |
I call this 'anime in a nutshell', as it showcases a lot of anime's potential artistry (Magnetic Rose), humour (Stink Bomb) and creativity (Cannon Fodder). This is probably the first film I'd point a person to if they wanted to start getting into anime. |
| Mezzo Forte (OAV) |
Good |
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| Midori Days (TV) |
Decent |
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| Mononoke (TV) |
Excellent |
Very striking animation style, definitely stands out against pretty much every other series out there, and it does amazingly well at getting under your skin with its horror elements. |
| Monster (TV) |
Good |
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| Neo-Tokyo (movie) |
Decent |
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| Ninja Scroll (movie) |
Decent |
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| One Piece Film Gold (movie 13) |
Good |
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| Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt (TV) |
Decent |
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| Paranoia Agent (TV) |
Masterpiece |
Combining Satoshi Kon's brand of psychological thrills with experimental visuals, an eerie soundtrack and occasional moments of surreal and/or gallows humour, this is an unflinching look into our relationship with our fears... and how submitting to them might be the best thing for us. |
| Perfect Blue (movie) |
Excellent |
Satoshi Kon's penchant for mangling and twisting the line between fantasy and reality, along with the spot-on acting and deeply unsettling score, makes for one hell of a head trip and a great psychological thriller. |
| Pokémon the Movie: Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction (movie 17) |
Bad |
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| Pokémon the Movie: Hoopa and the Clash of Ages (movie 18) |
So-so |
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| Pokémon the Movie: Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel (movie 19) |
Good |
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| Porco Rosso (movie) |
Good |
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| (Le) Portrait de Petite Cossette (OAV) |
Decent |
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| Princess Tutu (TV) |
Excellent |
The writing is on-point at every turn, whether it's deeply emotional or indulging in traditional anime weirdness, the characters are engaging (Lilie is easily my favourite just for how twisted she is) and the story crafts one of the most enthralling modern fairy tales I've seen, building on the classics while carving out its own path at the same time. |
| Puella Magi Madoka Magica (TV) |
Masterpiece |
Gorgeous animation, looking like what Dave McKean would come up with if he had to draw for anime in the labyrinth sequences, matched by jaw-droppingly amazing writing. After watching Episode 8 for the first time, the impact of everything that had just transpired hit me harder than any other story I'd experienced up to that point, anime or otherwise. Add to that the fact that the beautifully constructed story only got BETTER from then on, and you have an anime that has made the top lists of so many otaku and for good reason. It is also the only thing that can make me cry from happiness with its ending every single time without fail. Without a doubt, this is my favourite anime series. |
| Puni Puni Poemy (OAV) |
Excellent |
A madcap parody of magical girl anime that pretty much redefines what it means to be hyperactive in anime. If it was any longer than 2 episodes, the high-energy might prove too much to take, but as it is, it is incredibly hilarious with one of the highest ratios for memorable gags of any media I've seen, anime or otherwise. |
| Pupa (TV) |
Bad |
Needs more plot resolution and less incestual overtones |
| Royal Space Force - The Wings of Honnêamise (movie) |
So-so |
I honestly like the political themes throughout, and even the religious notions ring true for me. But due to some extremely silly moments, Shiro's wonky characterization and Riqunni's entire existence, to say nothing of 'the scene' between them, this felt way too uneven for me to really get into. |
| Samurai Champloo (TV) |
Excellent |
Fun characters and a moving story, not to mention a design aesthetic that feels custom-made for Rule of Cool: Samurai action scenes and setting injected with heavy doses of hip-hop culture. This would already be high-up with me on style concept alone, but the fact that it is executed as well as it is makes it that much better. |
| School Days (TV) |
Awful |
It's the kind of awful where even when it grants your wish of bodily harm to the absolutely loathsome main characters, it's STILL unbearable |
| Serial Experiments Lain (TV) |
Bad |
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| Sex Pistols (OAV) |
Bad |
First episode made me wish that a full series existed, second episode made me wish that these two OVAs didn't |
| Steam Detectives (TV) |
Good |
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| Super Dimensional Fortress Macross II: The Movie (OAV) |
Bad |
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| Sword for Truth (OAV) |
Awful |
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| Tokyo Godfathers (movie) |
Excellent |
The numerous plot conveniences were a bit distracting at times and the score sounds odd in places, but otherwise this is simply gorgeous both in terms of animation and character realization. The writing strikes a nice balance between caustic and heart-warming, making for some good comedic and emotional moments throughout, but then again this is what happens when two greats in the industry team up for a movie. It may not carry the same psychedelic touches as Satoshi Kon's other work, but its themes of Japanese culture and its people have his fingerprints all over it. This easily ranks up there in my canon of great Christmas movies. |
| Trigun (TV) |
Excellent |
Rocking soundtrack, great cast of characters on both sides of the conflict, excellent balance between the slapstick and fourth wall breaking moments and the examinations into morality and how far people will go to keep/change it, not to mention one hell of a finale stretched over its last three episodes that is at once heart-breaking and triumphant. |
| Vampire Hunter D (OAV) |
Bad |
The Count gets all of one scene where he is actually kind of fun in how badly written he is, but beyond that there is not a lot to like about this thing. The lore is extremely lax in any kind of explanation, so going into this without knowing the source material will cause nothing but anger, the characters are very one-note and the story is non-existent. |
| Violence Jack (OAV) |
Awful |
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| Violence Jack 2 (OAV) |
Awful |
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| Violence Jack 3 (OAV) |
Awful |
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| Voices of a Distant Star (OAV) |
Excellent |
Accomplishes more in 20 minutes than some full series, anime or otherwise, do in their entire run |
| When Marnie Was There (movie) |
Decent |
A beautifully drawn story that, even if it is held back by certain questionable plot developments, still hits emotional depth more times than not. It follows the studio’s standards for English dub casting and artistic integrity, but it also falls into some of the studio’s lesser work in terms of narrative cohesion. As a potential capper to a very long and storied institution, it’s a bit of a letdown. |
| Wicked City (movie) |
Bad |
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| A Wind Named Amnesia (movie) |
Awful |
I have no patience for pretentious cinema, and this is easily one of the worst I've seen in that regard. The sickeningly empty platitudes about the nature of man, built around a complete nothing of a story, all leading to an outright insulting ending that claims that humanity is better off in this state... I am seriously confounded that this film is as highly regarded as it seems to be. If sanity is defined by considering this to be provoking any thoughts other than blind rage, I welcome the padded cell with open arms. Or, I WOULD if it wasn't for this straitjacket. |
| Wolf Children (movie) |
Good |
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| X (movie) |
Bad |
If I never hear the name Kamui again, it'll be too soon. Aside from the hilariously odd nomenclature, the second Kamui is kind of stupid in how easily he's led to the side of the Dragons of Earth while the first one is pathetic in what little he actually does, the pacing may have worked for a TV show but is pretty shoddy for an 80 minute film and the fight scenes are very monotonous. I'll give credit where it's due on the art style, and I admit that Kanoe is characterized surprisingly well, but neither are near enough to save this mess of an anime. |
| your name. (movie) |
Excellent |
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