|
Seen, Rated, Ranked▲▼
|
Rating▲▼
|
Comment▲▼
|
| Azumanga Daioh (TV) |
Decent |
Watched it all in the course of three days, of course, and the cutesiness of it quickly reduced my brain to an unsavory liquid. The girly comedy is excellent, but the lack of any real substance begins to wear. Graphically pretty minimalistic; the character designs were simplistic, allowing for extreme cartooniness, and the settings were unremarkable as well - perfect for the show. Voice acting could get a little over-the-top in its kawaii high-pitchedness, but the soundtrack was fitting, and the OP and ED make me giggle a little. Overall, an unpretentious comedy that anyone can enjoy... for as long as he or she can tolerate it. |
| Azumanga Daioh - The Very Short Movie |
So-so |
Very cute. |
| Banner of the Stars (TV) |
Not really good |
For those who loved Crest of the Stars? Sure, this is great. For those who love Star Wars-style space battles? I suppose. For me, it was a dragging, uncaptivating war tale with cute main characters, one badass female admiral, and a largely uninspired cast. Featured convincingly mystical, futuristic setting, but not my cup of tea. The best part of the series, character interaction, often lost ground to lengthy, boring fights. |
| Banner of the Stars II (TV) |
Decent |
Contingent on having seen Crest, of course... Crisp graphics. Excellent soundtrack. Heartwrenching dynamic, spiffy cast, with lots of bright spots in a generally weak world. Easily better than Banner of the Stars I, perhaps surpassing Crest of the Stars. Didn't develop anything thoroughly but featured copious amounts of awesome from Admiral Spoor. The Lafiel-Jinto dynamic is still adorable. On the downside, uninspired supporting characters and cliche still plague this anime. |
| Banner of the Stars III (OAV) |
Decent |
Contingent on viewing of previous series. But for those who endured Crest, Banner I, and Banner II, here's a great way to wrap up the series for what it's worth. Updated graphics, continuedly decent music, cute voice acting. The Lafiel-Jinto dynamic is more tender, given the less strenuous circumstances. Predictable, meaningless plot doesn't detract from it at all. |
| Cardcaptor Sakura (TV) |
Decent |
My first foray into shoujo-y type of stuff was pretty appealing when I was a little kid. The action's not spectacular, and a lot of its charm is in the piece of it tha occurs at school. Sakura is one of those characters you can't help but like, and Lee is your generic badass with multiple soft spots. Much childish fun. |
| Castle in the Sky (movie) |
So-so |
Every seven-year-old's fantasy world. Traditionally bright and friendly Miyazaki with darker tones. Painfully formulaic with a ton of wretchedness, an abysmal villain, and a pathetic last 30% - but besides those complaints, it's actually quite charming for a Miyazaki movie. Pirates can happen to anyone. |
| Cowboy Bebop (TV) |
Good |
A "mature" feel accompanies Cowboy Bebop, in the sense that it ignores some childish anime cliches. But it maintains its cartoon roots by being slightly goofy. Graphics and sound are absolutely superb, really emphasizing its dynamic settings: animation and character design are very classy. The jazzy soundtrack is western and stellar. Its subtle storyline style is something else, letting you really get attached to the characters. Complaints about Bebop's "filler" are unfounded, as they are its essence and soul. Ranking lowered because while it is a whole, brilliant, but taken episode by episodic episode, it is not always consistent. |
| Crest of the Stars (TV) |
Decent |
Visual and aural pleasure. Cute interactions with excellent voice acting; Jinto and Lafiel are adorable, as one would expect. It has a distinctively sci-fi setting, albeit generic. Storyline and action aren't much to discuss - it's really just a pleasure to watch, driven entirely by Jinto and Lafiel. |
| Dragon Ball (TV) |
Good |
A very fun spinoff of Journey to the West. Character interactions are fairly cute and doesn't drag on like its successor. Wittily written and a milestone in any anime/manga fan's experience, whether or not he likes it. |
| Dragon Ball Z (TV) |
Very good |
The definitive shounen. Despite the oft-bemoaned tendency to drag, the fights are surprisingly gripping, and everything is way over the top. Plot twists and Deus Ex Machina up the wazoo actually lower predictability and make watching more interesting. |
| Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone (movie 1) |
Not really good |
A fucked up combination of Raditz and the Garlic Jr. filler arc in the anime. Or is it the other way around? In any case... rather fun but definitely nothing to celebrate. |
| Dragon Ball Z: The History of Trunks (special) |
Decent |
For the hardcore DBZ fan only - but good for them. Pound-for-pound, it's better than the actual Dragon Ball series, but there's less stuff, since it's a considerably smaller package. Worth seeing, though; it illustrates the described backstory as Tsuiokuhen illustrates Kenshin's. |
| Dragon Ball Z: The Tree of Might (movie 3) |
So-so |
Probably the best of the three DBZ movies I've seen. Pre-Vegeta Goku somehow worms his way back to earth to fight a chap who looks exactly like him. The Tree of Might is a stupid idea, but it's one of those plot devices that's not quite deus ex machina but is still strange and necessary to progress the action. Not great. |
| Dragon Ball Z: The World's Strongest (movie 2) |
So-so |
Fighting mecha sounds rather DB-esque (rather than DBZ), but I can live with it. It's pretty fun. |
| Elfen Lied (TV) |
Awful |
A terrible assortment of gore and fanservice. Its cast is morbid beyond terrible. Development is very poor; it focuses almost entirely on backstory. Atmosphere is its saving grace. Visually and aurally pretty weak. |
| FLCL (OAV) |
So-so |
Confused the hell out of me; didn't understand a thing that was going on. Lots of weirdass random stuff happens. The voices are intimidatingly high pitched in the dub version, but the soundtrack really makes the "insanity factor" that much better. Probably worth a rewatch when I clean out my ridiculous backlog. |
| Full Metal Panic! (TV) |
Good |
Very shounen and very good. The heart of the action is in mecha, something that I can't say I enjoy very much, but Sousuke's awesomeness is like a ten on a scale of five, and Kaname is a lovable heroine companion. They drive the show, for me, not the rather clunky giant robot action. |
| Full Metal Panic! The Second Raid (TV) |
Masterpiece |
The final chapter of the FMP! series is probably the best. Launching out of the sidestory that was Fumoffu, TSR manages to incorporate the romance, comedy, and action of both of its prequels into thirteen manageable episodes. Absolutely incredible with climactic resolution - make sure you watch FMP! and Fumoffu before watching this masterpiece. |
| Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu (TV) |
Excellent |
A short romp into the pure-comedy realm of FMP!. Fumoffu really highlights the best aspect of its prequel - Sousuke's pure awkwardness in school and everywhere else. The continuously developing relationship between Kaname and Sousuke is great. |
| Fullmetal Alchemist (TV) |
Very good |
It's shounen, all right. Style isn't much to discuss in FMA. FMA's length is its greatest asset. It needs its 51 episodes really to develop its characters and storyline. Watching FMA is a quest upon the viewer; like Ed and Alphonse, some parts of it are smooth sailing, and some are extremely slow and tedious. I found it really similar to Monster in that aspect, overall. And as a final note, FMA's second and fourth OPs and second ED are like, the greatest musical achievements to come out of anime, ever. |
| Grave of the Fireflies (movie) |
Good |
Grave of the Fireflies is one of those anime that play off of the viewers' sympathy. We know how tough life was in war-time Japan, and we've heard of the countless personal tragedies that have happened. It brought nothing new to the table. But it is so emotionally powerful, so bitingly real on the most basic levels, that I cannot bring myself to dislike it. From the beginning, you know the end and try as you might to dissociate yourself from your emotions, from the characters. But over the course of an hour, the movie will build up your attachment against your will and thoroughly tear you apart. The movie's focus is extremely intense, and as a result, I can't say much for its visual or audio - they all contribute damn successfully to their end of bringing out the greatest sense of loss. |
| Hajime no Ippo (TV) |
Masterpiece |
Simple, repetitive, juvenile... amazing. |
| Hellsing (TV) |
Not really good |
Its dubbing and soundtrack are great, rivaling that of Cowboy Bebop. Alucard and Seras Victoria are of the "leet" variety, and the mindlessness of the first seven episodes is great. However, the setting becomes grating, and the story falls very hard on its face as it progresses and tries to take a "focus." Thoroughly anti-climactic ending brings its rating way down. |
| Hikaru no Go (TV) |
Good |
A simple sports anime with catchy visual and audio. Does not excel in any category but is sincere and surprisingly relatable. An interesting insight into a game overlooked in both America and JApan. |
| Howl's Moving Castle (movie) |
Not really good |
*puts Miyazaki stamp of "looked pretty but don't remember anything about it" on movie* |
| Last Exile (TV) |
Bad |
A weak, uncaptivating sci-fi war story with a dabble of realism and no compelling tales. Graphically it was passable; there were some rather sketchy CGs used, but the actual art and character design was very nicely done. Unfortunately, integrating art and CG didn't always go over so well. Most grating of all was the color scheme, however; a constantly drab setting and war clothing on vanships made the spectrum rather unattractive. Music, sound, and voice acting were all good, featuring some exotic tracks. Unfortunately, the characters wasted much of their dialogue spewing useless war lingo. Development was minimal and unexciting. Gave some backstory, none of which was interesting. Basically a weak package overall. Almost picked up for a few episodes near the end and recollapsed with its conclusion. |
| Legendary Armor Samurai Troopers (TV) |
Weak |
Japanese Power Rangers with a semblance of Japanese storyline? I'll take it! |
| Monster (TV) |
Good |
Explosive production values and heavy research tell a dark and thoroughly enjoyable tale of a psycho killer. Unfortunately, watching the story unfold is at points a chore. Highest points include the characters and their development - no character is neglected. The atmosphere and pacing are also perfect. Monster is like literature: everyone should watch it. Even if it isn't always the most interesting thing around. |
| My Neighbor Totoro (movie) |
Not really good |
*puts Miyazaki stamp of "looked pretty but don't remember anything about it" on movie* |
| Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (movie) |
Not really good |
The most comprehensible Miyazaki work for me, by far. The plot was far from compelling, however, and the characters were extremely flat and undeveloped. Nonetheless, the overall prettiness was ... well, pretty good. |
| Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion (movie) |
Bad |
Didn't understand a thing that was going on, since I didn't watch the show, and mecha action basically sucked. |
| Pokémon (TV) |
Weak |
A nice, juvenile TV companion to the games that eventually took its own directions and dropped hugely when it started to drag like an SUV in quicksand. |
| Pokémon: The First Movie (movie 1) |
Bad |
Meh. For fans only. Nothing here to see. |
| Princess Mononoke (movie) |
Not really good |
*puts Miyazaki stamp of "looked pretty but don't remember anything about it" on movie* |
| Read or Die (OAV) |
Bad |
Pretty miserable. Not even "high quality animation" could save it from insufferable characters and stakeless action. It did not entertain me at all. |
| Rurouni Kenshin (TV 1996) |
Masterpiece |
A simplistic and hugely flawed shounen series that carries little emotional power. But has so much raw fighting excellence and such an amazing cast of vicious fighters that it is the best anime/manga I've ever seen in spite of its flaws. Love the protagonist. Love the antagonist. Love everyone else. |
| Rurouni Kenshin: Trust & Betrayal (OAV) |
Masterpiece |
Much darker than the rest of the anime/manga, there is really no way not to call Tsuiokuhen a masterpiece. It takes one of those more "serious" directions, and its poetic language and art are absolutely key to its nature. For those who don't read the Kenshin manga, this is a must-see, and for those that do read the Kenshin manga, this animates the Kenshin backstory better than the manga itself does. |
| Spirited Away (movie) |
Not really good |
*puts Miyazaki stamp of "looked pretty but don't remember anything about it" on movie* |
| Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie |
Decent |
Both hilarious in its "STREET FIGHTER!!!" way and awesome in its own action-based right. Anime movies aren't my forte, but this was quite entertaining. |
| Trigun (TV) |
Very good |
It's certainly not flawless, but Vash's skill, goofiness, and morals are very endearing. With comedic idiocy and a good-guys-win rule throughout the entirety of its first half, the darker nature of Trigun's second half becomes that much more powerful. The Gung Ho crew was a letdown, and the villains basically sucked, but the show raised theoretical and moral type questions that it resolved with great conviction. Definite respect here. |
| (The) Twelve Kingdoms (TV) |
Decent |
The art and setting of Juuni Kokki are very unique among anime I've seen. Everything is highly stylized, resembling auld Chinese paintings. There are a few notable tracks, among them the OP and ED, which were both worth the time to hear each time I watched. It was hard for me to get excited about Juuni Kokki as a whole. Its protagonist and fantastic art were great, but it has a host of flaws: abrasive supporting cast, unpleasant Chinese nature, contemptuous politics, unresolved plotlines, blind faith without reason, unconvincing "fantasy" world, and lackluster fighting keep it from ascending on my list. |
| Welcome to the NHK (TV) |
Excellent |
A darkly comedic look into the life of an unemployed college dropout with severe social disorders. Very high marks for character interaction and general tension. Would have been my #1, but weakened for around five episodes before ending stronger than ever. Graphically very chill and more realistic, with extreme surrealism when working in Satou's mind. Musically, ranks up there with the likes of Hellsing and Cowboy Bebop, if not more powerfully. |
| Yu-Gi-Oh! (TV 2/2000) |
Excellent |
Deus Ex Machina, a surprisingly strategic card game, and an unforgettable dub. How often do you see a show revolving around a children's card game that saves the world? Don't answer that question. This show kicks ass. |
