| Seen all | Rating | Comment |
| 5 Centimeters Per Second (movie) | Excellent | |
| 80 Days Around the World With Willy Fog (TV) | Not really good | |
| Aa Megami-sama: Tatakau Tsubasa (special) | Very good | |
| Ace wo Nerae! (movie) | So-so | Supposedly a classic of the shoujo and sports anime genres. I dunno about that - it just never managed to arouse my interest. |
| Aeon Flux (U.S. TV) | So-so | |
| Ah! My Goddess (TV) | Very good | |
| Ah! My Goddess: Flights of Fancy (TV) | Very good | |
| Ahiru no Quack (TV) | Very good | |
| Ai Yori Aoshi (TV) | Very good | |
| Ai Yori Aoshi ~Enishi~ (TV) | Very good | |
| Air (TV) | Very good | Outstanding animation, and a good story. There are a few rocky patches, but overall, this is a visual tour de force. Must be seen, if only to see just how good animation can get. Don't forget the tissues, this one will make you cry. |
| Air (movie) | Good | An alternate retelling of the TV series, and not quite as good. The story is more compact, leaving out extraneous details - but the overall impact is lessened. Also, the animation quality is significantly lower. |
| Air In Summer (special) | Very good | |
| Air Master (TV) | Good | This anime is an all-or-nothing experience: you will either like it very much, or you will hate it. I confess to being of the former persuasion. There's just something about it... Oh, and if you like this anime, check out "Tenjho Tenge" and "Fighting Beauty Wulong". |
| Aishiteruze Baby (TV) | Excellent | The first impression of this anime is of a lightweight series - but don't be fooled by appearances. It's got the potential to grab your attention, especially as a result of the outstanding skill of fledgling seiyuu Tsuzurahara Miyu, who plays Yuzuyu-chan. Give it a chance, and it might grow on you. Personally, I love it. |
| Akagi (TV) | Very good | |
| Akane-Iro ni Somaru Saka (TV) | | |
| Akiba Girls (OAV) | So-so | |
| Akira (movie) | Decent | Ehhh... the manga was better. |
| Alien Nine (special) | Very good | |
| Allison & Lillia (TV) | | |
| Ame to Shoujo to Watashi no Tegami (ONA) | Very good | |
| Angel's Egg (movie) | So-so | |
| Angel's Feather (OAV) | Weak | |
| Angelic Layer (TV) | Good | |
| (The) Animatrix (OAV) | Decent | |
| Antique Bakery (TV) | Good | |
| Appleseed (movie) | Excellent | |
| Ar Tonelico (OAV) | Decent | |
| Aria the Animation (TV) | Excellent | |
| Arjuna (TV) | Masterpiece | This is an outright beautiful anime. Not only is the animation some of the best I've ever seen, but the designs and the soundtrack and, in fact, every little detail of it - all grow together to produce a truly amazing anime. |
| Asatte no Houkou (TV) | Very good | |
| Azumanga Daioh (TV) | Masterpiece | Of all the anime TV series or OVAs I've seen, this is among the very best. As comedy, it's brilliant; as slice-of-life, it's touching. Every character reaches out to you in its own way, and it's hard to pick a favourite among them. |
| Azumanga Daioh - The Very Short Movie | Very good | This is a fine short, but it really fails on two important points. For viewers who are already fans of Azumanga Daioh, it provides nothing new, since all scenes are more or less rehashed from existing scenes in the TV series. For new viewers, it's a somewhat disordered and incoherent introduction to Azumanga Daioh - which is a shame, really, because AD is such a good series. See it, but don't expect too much, whether you're already an AzuFan or not. |
| Azumanga Web Daioh (ONA) | Not really good | |
| Azumi (live-action movie) | Good | |
| Azusa, Otetsudai Shimasu! (OAV) | Very good | |
| Bamboo Blade (TV) | Excellent | |
| Banner of the Stars (TV) | Excellent | |
| Banner of the Stars II (TV) | Very good | |
| Banner of the Stars III (OAV) | Excellent | |
| Barefoot Gen (movie) | Good | |
| BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad (TV) | Excellent | |
| Best Student Council (TV) | Very good | |
| Beyond (OAV) | | |
| Bincho-tan (TV) | Decent | |
| Black Lagoon (TV) | Excellent | |
| Black Lagoon: The Second Barrage (TV) | Excellent | |
| Bleach Rock Musical (musical special) | Decent | |
| Bleach: Memories in the Rain (OAV) | Decent | I'm crazy about "Bleach", but this "OVA" is really a gyp. The contents are more or less just rehashed material from ep. 9, 倒せない敵. This is worse than a recap episode, because it's presented as extra material. Don't bother seeing it if you've already been watching "Bleach" from the beginning. |
| Bleach: The Sealed Sword Frenzy (OAV) | Good | |
| Blue Submarine No.6 (OAV) | Masterpiece | CLASSIC |
| Bokura ga Ita (TV) | Very good | |
| Bokurano (TV) | Very good | |
| Boogiepop Phantom (TV) | Very good | |
| Bottle Fairy (TV) | Good | |
| Boys Be... (TV) | Very good | |
| Boys Over Flowers (TV) | Very good | |
| Brave Story (movie) | Masterpiece | |
| Burst Angel (TV) | Decent | This is a femmes-with-guns anime (like the similar "Daphne in the Brilliant Blue") , but in this case, there is also a bit of gratuitous mecha-bashing poked into the story, more or less at random. It doesn't really work, somehow. The characters seem somewhat superficially portrayed, and the overall impression is chaotic. What *does* work, however, is the music. Very nice opening theme, well integrated into the rest of the anime. |
| Campus (OAV) | Decent | |
| Canary (OAV) | So-so | |
| Candy Boy (ONA) | Excellent | |
| Cannon Fodder (movie) | Good | |
| Canvas ~Motif of Sepia~ (OAV) | Decent | |
| Canvas2 ~Niji-iro no Sketch~ (TV) | Good | |
| Capeta (TV) | Excellent | |
| Castle in the Sky (movie) | Excellent | |
| (The) Cat Returns (movie) | Excellent | |
| Ceres, Celestial Legend (TV) | Decent | |
| Chibits (special) | Decent | |
| Chobits (TV) | Excellent | |
| Clannad (TV) | Excellent | |
| Class Reunion Again (OAV) | Weak | |
| (The) Cockpit (OAV) | Excellent | |
| Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion (TV) | Very good | |
| Comedy (OAV) | Decent | |
| Comic Party (TV) | Good | |
| Comic Party: Revolution (TV) | Very good | |
| Cowboy Bebop (TV) | Excellent | |
| Cowboy Bebop: The Movie | Very good | |
| Coyote Ragtime Show (TV) | Very good | |
| Crest of the Stars (TV) | Excellent | |
| Crying Freeman (live-action movie) | So-so | |
| Daicon films (special) | Decent | |
| Darker than BLACK (TV) | Excellent | |
| Dead Leaves (OAV) | Excellent | |
| DearS (TV) | Good | |
| Dennō Coil (TV) | Excellent | |
| Densha Otoko (live-action TV) | Excellent | |
| Denshin Mamotte Shugogetten (OAV) | Decent | |
| Destiny of the Shrine Maiden (TV) | Decent | |
| Detective Story (OAV) | Decent | |
| Diamond Daydreams (TV) | Good | |
| Digital Juice (OAV) | Excellent | |
| Divergence Eve (TV) | Decent | There's nothing really wrong with the basic plot of this anime, and the animation, while a bit jumbled at times, is clean and attractive. What really ruins it for me is the completely excessive level of fanservice. If I never see another superhumanly large watermelon-like breast bouncing improbably inside a ridiculously tight uniform, it will be five minutes too soon. I'd rate this anime higher, were it not for that. |
| (The) Dog of Flanders (movie) | Good | |
| Dojin Work (TV) | Excellent | |
| Ef - a tale of memories (TV) | Very good | |
| Egao (special) | Excellent | If you've got the slightest soft spot for cuteness, this one can't help but take you by storm. |
| Eiken (OAV) | Decent | |
| El Cazador de la Bruja (TV) | Very good | |
| Elfen Lied (TV) | Very good | |
| Emma: A Victorian Romance (TV) | Excellent | |
| Emma: A Victorian Romance Second Act (TV) | Excellent | |
| Excel Saga (TV) | Decent | |
| Fafner (TV) | Very good | In many ways, this anime bears a strong similarity to "Neon Genesis Evangelion". However, this is "Evangelion" done right, without all the flaws. Don't miss this one. |
| Fairy Musketeers (TV) | Good | |
| (The) Familiar of Zero (TV) | Very good | |
| Fantastic Children (TV) | Masterpiece | |
| Fate/stay night (TV) | Decent | |
| Fighting Fantasy Girl Rescue Me: Mave-chan (OAV) | Good | |
| Final Approach (TV) | Decent | |
| Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children (movie) | Good | |
| Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (US CG movie) | Good | |
| First Kiss Story (OAV) | Not really good | |
| FLCL (OAV) | Masterpiece | |
| Fruits Basket (TV) | Masterpiece | |
| Full Metal Panic! (TV) | Good | |
| Fullmetal Alchemist (TV) | Masterpiece | |
| Fullmetal Alchemist: Premium Collection (OAV) | Excellent | |
| Fullmetal Alchemist: The Movie - Conqueror of Shamballa | Very good | |
| Futakoi (TV) | Decent | |
| Futakoi Alternative (TV) | Very good | |
| Futari wa Pretty Cure (TV) | Good | |
| Gakuen Alice (TV) | Good | |
| Galaxy Angel (TV) | Good | |
| Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo (TV) | Excellent | |
| Gantz (TV) | Good | This is an unusually violent and cryptic anime, based on an even more violent and cryptic manga. Unfortunately, the makers of the anime ran out of steam near the end of the second season, resulting in a rushed ending that deviates from the much more complex manga storyline. Furthermore, the second season has significantly poorer animation quality. The last half of the second season, and particularly the final episodes, constitute a huge disappointment. Although I'd rate the series Excellent based only on the first season, the disappointments of season 2 cause me to downgrade this rating to a mere Good. Bottom line: read the manga. |
| Gedo Senki (movie) | Good | |
| Genshiken (TV) | Excellent | |
| Ghost in the Shell (movie) | Decent | |
| Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (TV) | Excellent | |
| Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - Tachikoma na Hibi (OAV) | Good | |
| (The) Girl Who Leapt Through Time (movie) | Excellent | |
| Girl's High (TV) | Decent | |
| Girls Bravo (TV) | Good | |
| Glass no Kamen (TV) | | |
| (The) Gokusen (TV) | Excellent | |
| Good Morning Althea (OAV) | Decent | |
| Grave of the Fireflies (movie) | Masterpiece | CLASSIC. Warning: this is a film that will tear away at your heart. If you have any human compassion in your soul to begin with, you *will* shed tears, many of them, before the end of this film.
Personally, every time I watch it, I find myself walking around in a daze for several days afterwards. It really is that painful. |
| Great Teacher Onizuka (TV) | Good | |
| Grenadier (TV) | Decent | |
| Gurren Lagann (TV) | Excellent | |
| .Hack//G.U. Trilogy (movie) | So-so | |
| .Hack//SIGN (TV) | Weak | A good example of why beautiful animation and a great soundtrack aren't enough. A storyline that goes nowhere, and does so at a very slow pace. |
| Haibane Renmei (TV) | Masterpiece | |
| Hanada Shonen-shi (TV) | Excellent | |
| Hanaukyo Maid Tai OAV | Good | |
| Hanaukyo Maid Team: La Verite (TV) | Good | Although this is closer to the script of the manga, I much prefer the original "Hanaukyo Maids" series - both in animation and in storytelling, it worked better than this version. Somehow, this version lacks just a bit of the charm that the original series had. |
| Hanaukyo Maid-tai (TV) | Very good | |
| Hanbun no Tsuki ga Noboru Sora (TV) | Excellent | |
| Hand Maid May (TV) | Good | |
| Hataraki Man (TV) | Very good | |
| Hellsing (TV) | Very good | |
| Here is Greenwood (OAV) | Very good | |
| Heroic Age (TV) | Excellent | |
| Hidamari Sketch (TV) | Very good | |
| Higan (OAV) | Decent | |
| Higurashi no Naku Koroni Kai (TV) | Excellent | |
| Hijikata Toshizo: Shiro no Kiseki (OAV) | Not really good | |
| His and Her Circumstances (TV) | Very good | This is a wonderful anime series, with some of the best character development I've seen. So much greater the disappointment, then, when it slowly peters out in the last four or five episodes, and fails to provide any resolution to the storyline. On the basis of the first 15-16 episodes alone, I'd rate this Excellent, but considering the entire series as a whole, it's only Very Good. |
| Honey and Clover (TV) | Masterpiece | Until recently, I would have foresworn that any anime could surpass Haibane Renmei as my #1. Along came H&C, a wonderful, wonderful series. With a depth of characterisation that is unsurpassed (and matched only by a few anime); with charming characters and both humour and pathos galore, this is quite simply a masterpiece among masterpieces. |
| Honey and Clover II (TV) | Masterpiece | I rated the first series a well-deserved Masterpiece, and I was extremely worried that the second season would disappoint the expectations that this raised in me. By the time I'd reached the moving and dramatic 4th episode, though, I was no longer in any doubt: the second season keeps up the high level of storytelling excellence of the first, and Honey and Clover continues to deserve the highest rating I can give it. |
| Howl's Moving Castle (movie) | Excellent | |
| Human Crossing (TV) | Very good | |
| Hunter X Hunter (TV) | Very good | |
| Ichigeki Sacchu!! HoiHoi-san (special) | Very good | |
| Ichigo 100% (TV) | Good | |
| INTERSTELLA 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem (movie) | Good | |
| Iriya no Sora, UFO no Natsu (OAV) | Excellent | |
| Itazura na Kiss (TV) | Very good | |
| Jin-Roh - The Wolf Brigade (movie) | Good | This is generally regarded as a classic - however, as with so many of Oshii Mamoru's works, it lacks something. It's hard to put a finger on what's wrong with this film (for it is, honestly, a very good anime). Maybe it's the heavyhanded symbolism, or the slow pacing of the central passages of the film. Whatever it is, it leaves the film ever so slightly off target. See it, but don't expect too much. |
| Jinki:Extend (TV) | Decent | |
| Kabuto (OAV) | Decent | |
| Kakyuusei 2 (TV) | Decent | |
| Kamichu! (TV) | Excellent | |
| Kamisama Kazoku (TV) | Very good | |
| Kannagi: Crazy Shrine Maidens (TV) | | |
| Kanon (TV 1/2002) | Good | |
| Kanon (TV 2/2006) | Excellent | |
| Kanon Kazahana (special) | Good | |
| Kappa no Kaikata (TV) | Decent | |
| Kasimasi - Girl Meets Girl (TV) | Good | |
| Key the Metal Idol (OAV) | Excellent | In many ways, this is the portentuous and symbol-laden anime that "Neon Genesis Evangelion" and "Serial Experiments Lain" never really managed to be. Mysterious and potent, it slowly builds up an undercurrent of symbolism and emotion, which crests as a tsunami in the course of the story. Don't miss it. |
| Kid's Story (OAV) | Decent | |
| Kiki's Delivery Service (movie) | Excellent | |
| Kino's Journey (TV) | Masterpiece | An episodic anime delving into philosophical questions about life and its meaning or lack thereof. If you're partial to the works of Jack Vance, you'll fall madly in love with this one. |
| Kino's Travels -life goes on.- (movie) | Excellent | |
| Kite (OAV) | Very good | |
| Knight of the Iron Dragon (OAV) | Very good | |
| Kodomo no Jikan (TV) | Decent | |
| Koi Kaze (TV) | Excellent | Probably one of the most controversial animes ever. The widespread controversy seems to have been the result of people focussing exclusively on the presence of an element of incest in the storyline, and completely ignoring the actual content. I'm willing to bet that more than half the people who decided this was a "bad" anime, did so without ever having seen it. Having seen it myself, I can tell you that it's a very good anime, indeed - well crafted and touching. See it, and be captivated by it. |
| Kumo to Tulip (movie) | Good | |
| Kurau: Phantom Memory (TV) | Masterpiece | |
| Kure-nai (TV) | Excellent | |
| Kyo no Gononi (OAV) | Excellent | |
| Labyrinth (movie) | Not really good | |
| Last Exile (TV) | Excellent | This anime will probably be considered a classic, a landmark of the medium. A few flaws in pacing are all that keeps me from rating it Masterpiece. Furthermore, I must warn you that it contains one of the most unsettling - even outright terrifying - villains of any anime I've seen. |
| Last Order Final Fantasy VII (OAV) | Decent | |
| (The) Law of Ueki (TV) | Very good | This rather odd little shounen series starts out strangely, and you might be put off by its somewhat contrived storyline. Bear with it, though, and it will grow on you. |
| Library War (TV) | Very good | |
| Like the Clouds, Like the Wind (special) | Excellent | |
| Little Nemo - Adventures in Slumberland (movie) | Decent | |
| Lost Chapter of the Stars - Birth (special) | Good | |
| Love Hina (TV) | Very good | |
| Love Hina Again (OAV) | Good | |
| Love Hina Spring Special - I wish Your Dream | Very good | |
| Love Hina X'mas Special - Silent Eve | Excellent | |
| Lovely Complex (TV) | Masterpiece | |
| Lucky Star (TV) | Very good | |
| Maburaho (TV) | Good | |
| Madlax (TV) | Very good | Hmm.. The initial impression is of "Noir" done somewhat in the style of "Shingetsutan Tsukihime", with added ".hack//SIGN"-style mysticism. There's a long run-up to the actual story, and this is mostly a bit of a yawn, but good in spots. However, as the plot thickens, "Madlax" moves from adequate to very good indeed. If you've got the time to spend, see it - but be prepared to tough it out for at least 5-6 episodes (that's 2-3 hours of viewing time, no small investment) until the story gets going. |
| Magic Knight Rayearth (TV) | Decent | |
| Magic User's Club (TV) | Decent | |
| Magic User's Club (OAV) | Good | |
| Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha (TV) | Good | |
| Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi (TV) | Very good | |
| Magnetic Rose (movie) | Excellent | |
| Mahō Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto: Natsu no Sora (TV) | Masterpiece | |
| Mahoraba ~Heartful days~ (TV) | Masterpiece | This is one of those rareties: an anime that isn't angsty or morose or melancholy, but which manages to take a feelgood story and turn it into a deep study of human emotion. It's at times funny, at times sad, at times heartwarming, and altogether captivating. Oh, and it's an entirely different take on the tired "harem" anime sub-genre. Top marks. |
| Mahoromatic - Automatic Maiden (TV) | Very good | |
| Mahoromatic: Something More Beautiful (TV) | Very good | |
| Mahou Gakuen Lunar! Aoi Ryu no Himitsu (movie) | Not really good | |
| Mamotte Shugogetten (TV) | Good | |
| Maria Watches Over Us (TV) | Excellent | |
| Maria-sama ga Miteru (OAV) | Excellent | |
| Maria-sama ga Miteru ~Haru~ (TV) | Excellent | |
| Maria-sama ni wa naisho (special) | Very good | |
| (The) Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (TV) | Excellent | |
| Memories (movie) | Excellent | |
| Memory (movie) | So-so | |
| Midori Days (TV) | Good | Starting off with a pretty damn silly premise, this series nevertheless grows on you. Occasionally, there's a bit too much comedy-of-errors, but it's forgiveable under the circumstances. |
| Mighty Space Miners (OAV) | Good | |
| Millennium Actress (movie) | Excellent | CLASSIC. |
| Mind Game (movie) | Excellent | |
| Mizu no Kotoba (special) | Good | |
| Mokke (TV) | Very good | |
| MoonPhase (TV) | Very good | |
| Moribito - Guardian of the Spirit (TV) | Excellent | |
| Mujin Wakusei Survive (TV) | Very good | An often-retold plot ("Swiss Family Robinson"). Not the first time it has been done in this genre, either (viz, "Lost in Space"). This version works very well, though. Don't miss it. |
| My Neighbor Totoro (movie) | Masterpiece | CLASSIC. |
| My-HiME (TV) | Good | |
| My-Otome (TV) | Very good | |
| My-Otome Zwei (OAV) | Excellent | |
| Nagasaki 1945 ~ The Angelus Bells (movie) | Good | |
| Nagasarete Airantou (TV) | Good | |
| NANA (live-action movie) | Excellent | |
| Nandarou (special) | Decent | |
| Nasu: Summer in Andalusia (movie) | Masterpiece | |
| Natsuiro no Sunadokei (OAV) | Decent | The best thing you can say about this anime is that it has an interesting basic story-concept. However, the OVA format is way too short to pull it off in any convincing manner. The result is a sloppy piece of work, with a rushed, half-hearted feeling. I'd rate it lower if the premise weren't more intelligent than average for this sort of thing. |
| Natsume Yūjin-Chō (TV) | Excellent | |
| Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (movie) | Excellent | CLASSIC. |
| Negima! (TV) | Decent | |
| Neo-Tokyo (movie) | Not really good | |
| Neon Genesis Evangelion (TV) | Good | |
| Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death & Rebirth (movie) | Good | |
| Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion (movie) | Good | |
| NieA_7 (TV) | Good | This series has a lot of promise, and the characters are charming - but it lacks a certain essential something. Maybe it's a lack of dynamism. Not much really happens in the series, if truth be told. Still, it shows promise, and deserves to be continued. |
| Night Wizard The Animation (TV) | Decent | |
| Nodame Cantabile (TV) | Excellent | |
| Noein - to your other self (TV) | Very good | |
| Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu (TV) | | |
| Now and Then, Here and There (TV) | Masterpiece | |
| Ocean Waves (special) | Excellent | |
| Oh My Goddess! (OAV) | Very good | |
| Oh! Edo Rocket (TV) | | |
| Ojamajo Doremi Na-i-sho (OAV) | Excellent | |
| Okusama wa Maho Shojo (TV) | Good | |
| Omishi Magical Theater Risky Safety (TV) | Good | |
| On Your Mark (movie) | Good | |
| Onegai Friends (Drama CD TV sidestory) | Good | |
| Only Yesterday (movie) | Masterpiece | |
| (The) Order to Stop Construction (movie) | Good | |
| Other Worlds (movie) | Very good | |
| Otoboku - maidens are falling for me! (TV) | Good | |
| Ouran High School Host Club (TV) | Masterpiece | |
| Outlanders (OAV) | Decent | |
| Paprika (movie) | Excellent | |
| Paradise Kiss (TV) | Excellent | |
| Paranoia Agent (TV) | Masterpiece | This is a story that really plays games with your mind. Don't watch it if you already have a tenuous grasp on sanity, because it will push you over the edge. |
| Patapata Hikousen no Bouken (TV) | Very good | |
| Perfect Blue (movie) | Excellent | |
| PetoPeto-san (TV) | Very good | |
| (The) Place Promised in Our Early Days (movie) | Masterpiece | |
| Planetes (TV) | Masterpiece | This series starts off slow, so I had initially rated it lower. By episode 6-7 or thereabouts, however, the characters are fully formed, and the quality improves. In other words, it grows on you - it just gets better and better throughout, and avoids the many problems of pacing and closure that plague other anime. The story builds to a climax, then provides a fine finish - no loose threads, no problematic last-minute plot twists. The final episode was a true joy to watch. Another reason for seeing this anime is to see space scenes done right. What a pleasure to see a thruster rocket firing in space, and not hear a sound! And the zero-G motion is just perfect. |
| Please Teacher! (TV) | Very good | This is a well-told and charming romance series. Most people rate it higher than the sequel, "Onegai Twins", but I have to say that I definitely prefer the sequel - which is not to say that this isn't still a fine anime. |
| Please Teacher! (OAV) | Decent | An appendix of sorts to the "Onegai Teacher" series, but terribly inconsequential and uninteresting. It has more fanservice and more ecchi, but less plot and less charm. See it as filler between "Onegai Teacher" and "Onegai Twins", but please don't expect too much. |
| Please Twins! (TV) | Excellent | As a comedy, this is great fun. As romance, it works very well, too. The story is well-paced (a rarity in romantic anime, which always seem to have long stretches of inactivity built into the storyline), and the characters are easy to grow fond of - especially the side characters (I absolutely love the always-scheming president of the student council). |
| Please Twins! (OAV) | Good | A worthy addition to the Onegai story, unlike the rather gratuitous Onegai Teacher OVA. It also looks like this one is setting up the basis of the storyline for for the next Onegai series... good! |
| Pokémon (TV) | So-so | |
| Pokemon - Jirachi Wish Maker (movie) | Good | |
| Pokemon - Mewtwo Returns (special) | Very good | |
| Pokemon 2000 - The Movie | So-so | |
| Pokemon 3 - The Movie | So-so | |
| Pokemon: The First Movie | So-so | |
| Pom Poko (movie) | Very good | |
| Popotan (TV) | Very good | |
| Porco Rosso (movie) | Excellent | CLASSIC. |
| Princess Arete (movie) | Excellent | |
| Princess Mononoke (movie) | Excellent | CLASSIC. |
| Psychic Academy (ONA) | Not really good | Fanservice. Oodles and oodles of fanservice. Every other second - I'm not kidding, this thing is tits and arse from the word "go". Meanwhile, this is a fairly poor anime. The basic idea is OK, but the quality of the animation is low, the sound is tinny and substandard, and the plot has holes you could drive the Death Star through (including a ridiculous last-minute plot twist that doesn't improve the story at all). Still, it has its moments. And fanservice. Did I mention the fanservice? |
| Puni Puni Poemy (OAV) | Very good | |
| Punishment (OAV) | Weak | |
| R.O.D -The TV- | Masterpiece | |
| Ramen Fighter Miki (TV) | Very good | |
| Read or Die (OAV) | Masterpiece | |
| REC (TV) | Excellent | |
| Red Garden (TV) | Very good | |
| Rizelmine (TV) | Good | |
| Rocket Girls (TV) | Very good | |
| Rozen Maiden (TV) | Excellent | |
| Rozen Maiden: Ouvertüre (special) | Excellent | |
| Rozen Maiden: Träumend (TV) | Very good | |
| Ruin Explorers (OAV) | So-so | |
| Rumbling Hearts (TV) | Excellent | Although this anime has intermittent problems with pacing (the first few episodes move very fast, then there are long periods with seemingly little activity), I'm very happy with it overall. The characters manage to grab your attention, engage your sympathy, and sometimes to exasperate you. It's not a tear-jerker, but it is moving. |
| Running Man (movie) | Weak | |
| SaiKano (TV) | Masterpiece | |
| SaiKano: Another Love Song (OAV) | Very good | |
| Samurai 7 (TV) | Very good | I was prepared to loathe this, since I am great devotee of the original 'Shichinin no Samurai' by Kurosawa Akira. However, after having watched about half a dozen episodes, I began to reluctantly admit that this is a very worthwhile retelling of the classic story - and by the time it was over, I was convinced. I'm impressed - it takes a lot to change my mind like that. |
| Samurai Champloo (TV) | Excellent | |
| Sayonara Zetsubō Sensei (TV) | Excellent | |
| School Days (TV) | Good | |
| School Rumble (TV) | Excellent | |
| School Rumble: Extra Class (OAV) | Very good | |
| Serial Experiments Lain (TV) | Very good | I like the series, but even so, I think it is generally overrated. Because it is intentionally mysterious and leaves a lot of questions unanswered, it appeals to the same crowd that loved The X-Files, Twin Peaks and Neon Genesis Evangelion. Honestly, I think that's a minus - but your mileage may vary. It's a good, tense story, but let's not get carried away... that's all it is. |
| Sexy Voice and Robo (live-action TV) | Good | |
| Shadow Star Narutaru (TV) | Very good | |
| Shakugan no Shana (TV) | Very good | |
| Shamanic Princess (OAV) | Decent | |
| She and Her Cat (OAV) | Very good | |
| Shigofumi: Letters from the Departed (TV) | | |
| Shinigami no Ballad: momo the girl god of death (TV) | Very good | |
| Shrine of the Morning Mist (TV) | Good | |
| Shuffle! (TV) | Good | |
| Simoun (TV) | Excellent | |
| Sky Girls (OAV) | So-so | |
| Slipstream (OAV) | Excellent | |
| Sokyuu no Fafner - Single Program - Right of Left- (special) | Decent | |
| Sola (TV) | Good | |
| Solty Rei (TV) | Very good | |
| Someday's Dreamers (TV) | Good | This is a good series, full of interesting characters. Still, it somehow lacks that essential something that raises an anime above the level of competence and quality into the level of the truly outstanding. I won't call it forgettable, but it could be much better with some more creative scripting and editing. |
| Sonic Boom Squadron (OAV) | Excellent | |
| Sora Iro no Tane (special) | Good | |
| Spice and Wolf (TV) | | |
| Spirit of Wonder (OAV) | Good | |
| Spirited Away (movie) | Masterpiece | |
| Starship Operators (TV) | Excellent | |
| Stellvia (TV) | Good | |
| Step Up Love Story (OAV) | Decent | I'm not much of a fan of strongly ecchi or hentai anime, but this one is the exception. Here, the sex is a valid part of the story - which is a very sweet and captivating tale of two inexperienced newlyweds discovering their sexuality together. I found myself charmed by it. |
| Stink Bomb (movie) | Good | |
| (The) Story of Saiunkoku (TV) | Very good | |
| Strawberry Eggs (TV) | Very good | |
| Strike Witches (OAV) | Not really good | |
| Sugar: A Little Snow Fairy (TV) | Excellent | |
| Sugar: A Little Snow Fairy Summer Special | Good | |
| Suicide Club (live-action movie) | Good | |
| Sumomomo Momomo (TV) | Very good | |
| Super Kuma-san (TV) | Decent | |
| Suzuka (TV) | Very good | |
| Tactics (TV) | Very good | |
| Tantei Gakuen Q (TV) | Very good | |
| Tenchi Universe (TV) | Good | |
| Tenjho Tenge (TV) | Good | This will appeal to you, if you liked "Airmaster". If you hated "Airmaster", then you probably won't like this anime. |
| Tenjho Tenge: Ultimate Fight (OAV) | | |
| Tenshi na Konamaiki (TV) | Excellent | This is drop-dead funny - it's like Ranma 1/2 on speed. |
| This Ugly Yet Beautiful World (TV) | Good | |
| Tide-Line Blue (TV) | Good | |
| To Heart (TV) | Good | |
| To Love-Ru (TV) | Decent | |
| Tobira o Akete (OAV 1995) | Very good | |
| Tokyo Godfathers (movie) | Excellent | |
| Tomorrow's Song (special) | Good | |
| Toradora! (TV) | Masterpiece | |
| Trigun (TV) | Excellent | |
| Tristia of the Deep Blue Sea (OAV) | Decent | |
| Tsukihime, Lunar Legend (TV) | Good | |
| (The) Twelve Kingdoms (TV) | Excellent | |
| Twilight Q (OAV) | Good | |
| Twin Spica (TV) | Excellent | This is a little gem; a coming-of-age story with a strong element of the supernatural. Carefully crafted, the tale is unfolded at a calm, well-measured pace. See this as a complement to two other space anime with similar themes: "Planetes" and "Uchuu no Stellvia". |
| Ugokie Kori no Tatehiki (movie) | Good | |
| Urotsukidoji (OAV) | Weak | |
| Utawarerumono (TV) | Very good | |
| Uta∽Kata (TV) | Good | |
| Uta∽Kata (OAV) | Decent | |
| Vampire Hunter D (OAV) | Not really good | |
| Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust (movie) | Weak | |
| Video Girl Ai (OAV) | Excellent | |
| Virgin Touch (OAV) | Decent | |
| (The) Vision of Escaflowne (TV) | So-so | |
| Voices of a Distant Star (OAV) | Masterpiece | This is an amazing anime, a masterpiece produced under extraordinary circumstances, and with extraordinary results. For the brief while that you are watching it, it grips your full attention and doesn't let go. We'll still be talking about this one, twenty years from now. |
| (The) Wallflower (TV) | Good | |
| When They Cry - Higurashi (TV) | Excellent | |
| Whisper of the Heart (movie) | Masterpiece | |
| A Wind Named Amnesia (movie) | Masterpiece | CLASSIC. The Japanese take on the post-apocalyptic road movie genre. Must be seen. |
| Wind: A Breath of Heart (TV) | Weak | All right, I'll be honest about this one. The story isn't bad - somewhat clichéed, but not bad. It's certainly better than the animation. However, that isn't saying much, because the animation is awful. Really. I'm not kidding. The foreground animation is pretty sketchy, but the backgrounds are third-rate CGI animations, low on detail and jarringly glued together with the foregrounds, to produce a true eyesore. So, even though the story is a decent little romance with a touch of mystery, it really hurts to watch it. Bottom line: see it with your eyes closed. |
| Windy Tales (TV) | Excellent | |
| (The) Wings of Honneamise (movie) | Excellent | CLASSIC. This is a genuine gem of the anime medium, the film that really put Gainax on the map - you can't claim to be an anime connoiseur if you haven't seen it. |
| (The) Wings of Rean (ONA) | Not really good | |
| With You ~Mitsumeteitai~ (OAV) | Not really good | |
| Yami to Bōshi to Hon no Tabibito (TV) | Decent | |
| Yoake Mae Yori Ruri Iro Na -Crescent Love- (TV) | Good | |
| Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou (OAV) | Masterpiece | |
| Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou ~Quiet Country Cafe~ (OAV) | Masterpiece | |
| Yomigaeru Sora - RESCUE WINGS - (TV) | Very good | |
| Yonna in the Solitary Fortress (movie) | So-so | |
| Yume Tsukai (TV) | Very good | |
| Yumeria (TV) | Good | |
| Zaion: I Wish You Were Here (TV) | Good | |
| Zegapain (TV) | Excellent | |
| Zero no Tsukaima: Futatsuki no Kishi (TV 2) | Good | |
| Zettai Shonen (TV) | Excellent | This anime has a strange "Twin Peaks" vibe to it. If you like slow, mysterious tales, set in sleepy backwaters, this is for you. |
| Will not finish | Rating | Comment |
| Adventures of Tom Sawyer (TV) | Weak | |
| Agent Aika (OAV) | So-so | I tried very hard to finish watching this, but I simply couldn't stand all the absurd and pointless fanservice panty shots. Too, too, too much. |
| Ah My Buddha (TV) | Not really good | This is like all the worst parodies of fanservice you've ever seen, all rolled up into one repulsive lump. Where Eiken had charm and a humorous storyline to carry it off, Amaenaideyo! is just plain boring. |
| Akane Maniax (OAV) | Weak | I was looking forward to this, since KimiNozo was a favourite of mine. What a disappointment. |
| Alice in Wonderland (TV) | Not really good | |
| Aquarion (TV) | Weak | Cliché City, downtown. This is truly one of the most unoriginal and derivative anime I've seen in years. It's as if somebody decided to rip off Shin Seiki Evangelion and Soukyuu no Fafner, with absolute lack of shame. Even the title reads like an amalgam of the two. If it weren't for the fact that the animation quality is tolerably good, I'd place this in the Bad category. As it is, it really isn't worth the effort. |
| Basilisk (TV) | Decent | This is a well-made anime, with fairly high production values. If ninja killing each all over the place, in various bloody and horrific ways, is your thing, then you'll like this. It's not my thing, so I choose to not finish watching this series. I'll give it a courtesy rating of Decent, to reflect the quality of the animation. |
| Battle Programmer SHIRASE (TV) | Weak | Bleah. Angsty, quasi-misanthropic "hacker" with a heart of gold. Medium-sloppy animation and poor characterisation. Poor grasp of the computer tech that is supposed to be the gimmick of the storyline. In other words: bleah, bleah, bleah. |
| Descendants of Darkness (TV) | Not really good | |
| Dragon Pink (OAV) | Weak | |
| F3 (OAV) | Bad | |
| Ghost Slayers Ayashi (TV) | So-so | On the face of it, this might be an interesting anime, but no matter how I've tried and tried to let it captivate me, it fails. |
| Hamtaro (TV) | Bad | My two oldest kids (boys, ages 4 and 7 at the time) liked it. I find it unbearable. It's like all the cutesy anime animals you've ever seen, rolled up into one big mess. |
| Hell Girl (TV) | So-so | The animation is pretty, but when you get right down to it, this is a bunch of infantile revenge-fantasy wish fulfilment. The characters are essentially cardboard cutouts, with almost no depth - a feature made even worse by the superficial mission-of-the-week episode format. I just couldn't bring myself to watch any more of it. |
| Hikaru no Go (TV) | Bad | You know, I play Go, so somehow I really ought to like this series... but all I can see is how superficial and stilted it is. I just can't grasp why it's such a success. I rate this: Yawn. |
| Knight Hunters (TV) | Awful | This anime is worth seeing - not as an example of good anime, but as the opposite. I recommend seeing it with two or three friends and a case of beer. This series is so bad, it has all the makings of a good drinking game. |
| Koi Koi Seven (TV) | So-so | |
| Magikano (TV) | So-so | |
| MÄR (TV) | Weak | Weak story, derivative and with fairly low animation standards. This pretty much give the feel of a totally unoriginal cross between Kyou Kara Maou, Duel Masters, and Ruin Explorers. Not worth my time, sorry. |
| Mars Daybreak (TV) | Weak | This is a mediocre anime. Stereotypical characters, stereotypical storyline, stereotypical mecha. The future Mars on which the story takes place is unconvincingly portrayed, and the whole thing is a poorly-made mish-mash of ideas lifted from better anime. |
| Medabots (TV) | Bad | |
| Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory (OAV) | Bad | |
| Musashi (TV) | Awful | |
| My Santa (OAV) | Not really good | |
| Petite Cossette (OAV) | So-so | Like Serial Experiments Lain, this is an anime that wants to be pregnant with meaning, full of half-stated significances and subtly chilling implications. Sorry, this is not a pregnancy, it's an abortion. |
| Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (live-action TV) | Bad | This is simply wonderful. Though I've rated it very low, and place it firmly in my 'Will not finish' category, I *do* recommend that you watch at least one or two episodes - if only to experience the glorious absurdity of this series. It's beyond silly. |
| Revolutionary Girl Utena (TV) | Weak | |
| Sukisho (TV) | Not really good | |
| Tokko (TV) | Weak | |
| Ultimate Girls (TV) | Weak | |
| Vampire Princess Miyu (TV) | Weak | |
| Yugo the Negotiator (TV) | Not really good | Good concept, but fairly dreary, humdrum execution. Worth watching if there's nothing better - but don't make the effort to seek it out. |
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