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Seen all▲▼
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Rating▲▼
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| Azumanga Daioh (TV) |
Excellent |
| Great, cute little slice-of-life anime whose humor breaks cultural bounds (something that is really difficult to do, given that the show is about a Japanese high school) 95%. Love the animation and all the memorable characters, from Sakaki's struggles with cats, Osaka's wackiness, Chiyo-chan's cuteness and braininess, Tomo's over-the-top attitude towards life, and Yomi's self-depreciating intelligence (reminds me of myself, this one does). |
| Cowboy Bebop (TV) |
Excellent |
| Excellent only because of some glaring flaws with the plot that remained unsolved at the end of the series. Specifically, I had a problem with the nature of Spike and Julia's relationship; I felt it was not explored at all and I really couldn't care for Spike's emotions towards her.
Do not take this as a reason not to watch it. Awesome action sequences (from spaceship fights to gunplay) which have not at all lost their luster in comparison to the modern day blockbuster, each episode representing one "mission" for the crew of the Bebop. Also, effing amazing soundtrack which is good on its own. |
| Eureka Seven (TV) |
Masterpiece |
| Masterpiece. This is currently my favorite anime. I love the way everything unfolds pacing-wise in this anime, and the subtle contributions towards the themes just work so well. Nearly every character is memorable and just great by the end, and boy do they know how to keep you hanging on till the last second and pushing you through to that next episode. Great commentary on the nature of war, families, although a bit idealistic on the relationship side. Still, Eureka and Renton... cute couple and just something so lovable about their relationship and their family. Besides that, huge mecha battles which look good and a lot of memorable action sequences, along with a great orchestrated/electronica soundtrack which just works so well. |
| Eureka Seven - good night, sleep tight, young lovers (movie) |
Not really good |
| Eughh. Now this was not good at all. I mean, the animation and a few good action sequences are all there, but the characters and the plot just went to shit. I'm all for retelling a story if you can retell it well, but this... after the TV series, it's just disappointing.
The main problem here is that character empathy is nil. I understand it's a movie and that there's limited time for character interaction, but you can't just introduce the two main characters, say they were a cute couple, and then just expect us to give a shit. Spend some time letting us get to know them. The new Gekko State is just disappointing for the same reason. Maybe it's because I was expecting them to be like the Gekko in the TV series, not a bunch of prematurely aged children. However, I ask again why should we feel for them, especially considering the way they behave, beyond pity? I've seen movies which evoke great character empathy which take up less time than this. Don't SAY. SHOW. They had this down in the TV series, and I have no clue why it didn't transfer over.
Also, one of the things I really dug about Eureka in the original is that she was actually a pretty damn strong female character - independent, had morals and opinions, could pilot a mech, hears Nirvash, what she does at the end of the series. It's obvious she's no pushover, and even when she takes on the needy state later, it makes sense given the plot and really makes it seem as though she needs Renton (and Renton needs her, as he later discovers). But even at the end, the strength of her character still shows through. In the movie, she is an emotional, needy, hopelessly in love stereotypical damsel-in-distress. Come on now, Bones.
The pacing of the story though was completely broken, just jumping from a bunch of semi-related sequences via lore explanation. The story is confusing because everything is so rushed (hell, it seems like the writers just couldn't come up with anything good, so they got 3/4 of the way and bullshited through the rest of it).
The music pretty comparable to the original for the scores in the movie though, which is a plus. |
| FLCL (OAV) |
Very good |
| This anime, I'm sure as anyone will tell you, is a fucking trip for 6 episodes. And yet, in all it's bizarreness, you get something that's funny and a good amount of action. It's an experiment that worked, and I only give it a very good because I just wish everything weren't so breakneck and a little more developed. But part of enjoying this anime is the pacing... it's a love/hate thing. |
| Gurren Lagann (TV) |
Excellent |
| Paranoia Agent (TV) |
Very good |
| Paranoia Agent isn't a masterpiece, but it's a great ride. A bunch of great, entertaining, interesting short stories which are all tied together by Li'l Slugger, leading into one hell of an ending. It is up there with FLCL on the weirdness scale, but decent animation, and some legitimately disturbing sequences perfect for the detective/horror/thriller scene it sets. |
| Princess Jellyfish (TV) |
Excellent |
| My first venture into more recent titles. I cannot speak much without spoiling the first episode (though, the page will do that for you). It's an entertaining story of a bunch of total geek girls in Japan which is just enjoyable to watch, especially with the flamboyant other who joins them in order to save their home. The romance is touching, if a little weird, and the animation and humor is great with good characterization in there too. |
