splotchydivinity's Anime
| Seen all▲▼ | Rating▲▼ |
| 5 Centimeters Per Second (movie) | Excellent |
| Aa Megami-sama: Tatakau Tsubasa (special) | Excellent |
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Ah! My Goddess (TV) It has been years since I've watched the original Ah! My Goddess (OAV) series, and only a few less than that since I watched the "newer" version of this series when it was re-adapted to a full-length season TV series and subsequent sequel. This was one of the very first anime I ever watched and I daresay it probably set the tone for all romantic-based anime since its time for me, at the very least, if not the rest of the anime world. The art, even in the OAV, was absolutely remarkable; even now Belldandy (and also the other goddesses) is perhaps one of the only female characters I never ever get tired of looking at, and I'm a girl. She's so beautifully drawn, the design from its basic frame to colors... I am such a huge fan now of Kōsuke Fujishima's work (loved his Tales of the Abyss designs - Tear Grants!!). The story is a simple one, about a very average college student whose luck suddenly takes a turn for the best when he meets a goddess. A definite must watch for anyone, if you enjoy these type of romantic comedies. |
Masterpiece |
| Ah! My Goddess: Flights of Fancy (TV) | Excellent |
| Banner of the Stars (TV) | Excellent |
| Banner of the Stars II (TV) | Excellent |
| Banner of the Stars III (OAV) | Excellent |
| Black Cat (TV) | |
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Chrome Shelled Regios (TV) Every season, I bet on at least one show that seems to be stuck in the absolute abysmal bottom of a pit known as the "Stereotypically-been-there-done-that-a LOT-boring" pit and hope that it'll turn itself around by mid-season and actually be worthwhile enough for drying out my eyeballs by staring at a computer screen for 25 minutes once a week. Chrome Shelled Regios fit the bill this season. Unsurprisingly, CSR managed to continue be top ranked in my book for being one of the worst shows of this season. Not only did none of its plot resolve itself, the characters showed very little development (if any), the art and animation quality continually amazed me for it's poor quality and palette choice, and the music was as unremarkable as it gets as well. I don't think there's a single redeeming feature in this series. At first, the show strings you along seemingly promising to explain itself, but as each episode gets aired, you slowly realize that they'll never get there and the reason is because the series simply doesn't know where it wants to head itself. There are so many triangle relationships the show tries to establish between its characters, but none of it is again properly done at all and the viewer is just left scratching his/her head wondering: WTF is going on?! I highly highly do NOT recommend this show for people of all ages. Though this show was extremely popular this season (from what I've seen of online viewership and downloads) I really do not understand the appeal. This show missed the mark in everything it did. |
Awful |
| Chrono Crusade (TV) | Excellent |
| Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion (TV) | Decent |
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Corpse Princess: Aka (TV) Shikabane Hime Aka stars two debut seiyuus for both the female and male lead of the cast. I have to say that it took me the entire 13 episodes of this two part series (Aka and Kuro are the same series, with the end of Aka marking a major turning point in the story) to get used to their portrayals of their respective characters. Why, you ask? Probably because they both deliver very, very flat lines. The casting of these two talents probably was my least favorite thing about the series, but the story is interesting enough to keep you dangling along to ignore them when they speak. I understand that Makina's voice isn't supposed to be the typical Japanese adolescent female voice pitch, but at the same time it shouldn't be so gratingly flat, in that every line delivered is the same (i.e. happy = sad = angry). Aside from that, the premise of the story seems kind of un-original at first (some dead thing must kill X number of evil things to gain redemption), but as the story progresses, you can see that the setup of the plot evolves and you begin to learn more about the world that it is setup in you begin to realize that there is a fuzzy line rather than straight that differentiates human and corpses. Not to mention at the end of Aka the enemy is finally clearly defined, giving Kuro a stepping stone to hit the ground running with. Something I liked about this series, that I have found that others haven't is the animation and art style. I think overall the panels have been animated very smoothly and for the most part it is very crisp and nice to watch. I think that it was more "unique" of the art director to choose to use those "shading" lines for the monsters you see in the OP and episode one of Aka, which some people thought were just the production team trying to cut corners on costs. The last thing I have to warn about watching this series, and the only other reason why I gave this series a "Very Good" rating over an "Excellent" rating aside from the poor decision to cast the two leads, was the slow plowing rate of the plot pace. However, knowing that Kuro is a sequel installment to Aka, helps rationalize to some small extent why the story is being stretched out the way it is, but it doesn't make you appreciate the snail-pace that the Aka series flows at. |
Very good |
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Corpse Princess: Kuro (TV) There is more side character development in this second installment of Shikabane Hime. I think the series would have been better if it had ended on the second to last episode. The last episode just threw everything the series had worked so hard to build itself up to and left it open-ended and kind of wasted all the climax and point of the story. Plenty of action this second season for those who are looking for it, but in the end it felt kind of bland after all. |
Decent |
| Darker than Black (TV) | Good |
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Elfen Lied (TV) I’m not quite sure how to describe what I feel about this series. It’s been a long time since I’ve watched it and I haven’t re-watched it. I do remember being very impressed by the series composition and themes and how daring the production team was to make something like this. And not all of that was in the “good” sense of the word. If you have seen Chrno Crusade and thought that was pitch-black, this show is black beyond your darkest imaginations. There is a lot of violence, it’s very graphic, but I think if you need a series that highlights darker themes, this may be a possible fix. |
Excellent |
| (The) Familiar of Zero (TV) | Very good |
| (The) Familiar of Zero: Knight of the Twin Moons (TV) | Good |
| (The) Familiar of Zero: Rondo of Princesses (TV) | Good |
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Fate/stay night (TV) I find myself re-watching this series every now and then. It isn’t a particularly “great” anime per-se but something good to fill the gaps between better series. It plays with a stereotypical cast of characters, nothing particularly out of the ordinary. Again kind of like Bleach where you have the fights between characters occurring with regular frequency. It is enjoyable enough though as a regular watch in and of itself. |
Excellent |
| Fruits Basket (TV 1/2001) | Very good |
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Full Metal Panic! (TV) Full Metal Panic....some very good memories associated with this series. I'm always surprised by how many people have chosen not to see this or haven't really thought about ever watching it because I really think that this series ranks up in the top 5 animes I've ever watched. The story is serious, but not completely without comedic elements to it. Sure, I remember the first time watching it and really not liking the art style, but you come to love the art, even if it is different from mainstream, smoothly drawn characters, because the characters are just that fantastic. Let me repeat myself for effect: FANTASTIC CHARACTERS. Souske, the lead male character is so serious in all of his actions that he is absolutely hilarious when paired with his female lead, Chidori who exercises common-sense in light of his of-times ignorance of the way things work in real life, due to his military training. While this series is not nearly as dark as its sequel (TSR - The Second Raid), it does give you a very great sense of what this series is meant to be as it lays out the groundwork for everything yet to come. Like I said before, the cast is awesome. I don't know who decided to cast who in all of these roles, but they play their parts perfectly. The animation is very smooth and the fight scenes are well done. I was never a huge mecha fan, but never had anything against it either. And although this series is predominantly based upon the role of mecha in what is essentially a world war between good and evil, it really does feel like the story puts mecha in a secondary position compared to the plot and character development. That is to say, the mecha is there as a tool to help tell the story, rather than the story being centered around the mecha. You'll see what I mean when you watch this for yourself. The character designs are original and fun to deal with, from the way they are drawn to their very awesome personalities. All of the main cast, including, but not limited to Souske, Chidori, Mao, Weber, Tessa, Mardukas, and Kalinin all are very endearing. You'll likely never come across a cast quite like this again, at least not in anime. All in all, a very big two thumbs up to recommend this anime for anyone looking for a great story, with plenty of laughs as well as serious moments, and also an amazingly well done cast (for the Japanese dub). Go watch it, now! |
Masterpiece |
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Full Metal Panic! The Second Raid (TV) Full Metal Panic (TSR) continues the story of Full Metal Panic, but with a much darker storyline. In this one, comedic elements are far and few in-between with a lot of the story exploring more adult elements (displays of nudity, etc.) as well as the difficult struggle Souske and even Chidori come in battling their own demons. Again, Full Metal Panic TSR doesn't stumble once in the entire season. The action is very fluid, the story is as awesome as ever. The cast is still very noteworthy and well done by the Japanese dub team. All in all, an absolute must-watch if you were a fan of the Full Metal Panic first season. |
Masterpiece |
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Full Metal Panic! The Second Raid (OAV) Full Metal Panic TSR OAV, was absolutely hilarious. The story centers on Tessa and her lost memories from a hangover the previous night. It's awesome in that every minute of this is hilarious (I won't list any examples, because it would spoil the wonderfulness of the episode) and it gives Tessa, finally, some more coverage than she got in either of the two main seasons. |
Masterpiece |
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Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu (TV) Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu. Let's just say, have a box of kleenex prepared at your side, and it isn't going to be because you're crying your eyes out. Well, I take that back. You will be crying your eyes out, but it's not because your sad. It's because you can't stop laughing and your sides feel like they are going to burst from the pain of having curled over from laughing for so long. This spin-off of the Full Metal Panic series is NOT TO BE MISSED. I would watch this series in between the first and second seasons of Full Metal Panic!, but not because it has any relation in linking the two season together, but rather it's some much needed comedy to fill in the gap between the seriousness of the second season compared to the first. I won't say anymore than, you'll smile everytime you hear the word Fumoffu or see a Bonta-kun on a screen somewhere after watching this hilarious, yet action-packed spinoff of Full Metal Panic! |
Masterpiece |
| Fullmetal Alchemist (TV) | Masterpiece |
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Ga-Rei-Zero (TV) I had never heard of the manga or anime series before I started watching Ga-Rei Zero. Even though I watched this seasons after it had actually aired, I was as shocked as any viewer after the first few episodes. I dislike writing spoilers in any of my reviews, so in keeping with that, I won't divulge the contents. As the episodes progress, you finally get a better sense of what is going on and I know I for one at that point began to thoroughly fall in love with the character development of the series, in particular Yomi Isayama. As a female viewer, I find that Yomi as the series began to chronicle Yomi's descent into madness and complete her story as tragic heroine (which apparently is how you find her when you start the manga), she increasingly became a very human and approachable character. The viewer could easily relate to (perhaps not identify with since she's such a badass with the sword against these weird monsters/spirits) her as you see her put through all these obstacles. Although this series runs sort of like a typical Shounen film in that there are man vs. monster fights, I think that chronicling Yomi's development as a character makes this series completely worthwhile. Even though I thought the animation was awkward at best for the monster, the way the plot and character development is paced makes it feel more substantial than your average run-of-the-mill show. While Ga-Rei Zero will not rank among my all-time favorite shows like Seirei No Moribito, Full Metal Panic, etc., I do believe that Yomi at least makes it into one of my favorite all-time heroines list. I also feel like I should give props to the Natsuki character (I swear I thought she was almost a copy of Natsuki from Mai-HiME) for her albeit short-lived part in the show. That was some interesting animation they chose to do with her and I had hoped she would be further developed in the series. character(s) rank among some of favorites. |
Excellent |
| Grenadier (TV) | Decent |
| Heroic Age (TV) | Excellent |
| Hikaru no Go (TV) | Excellent |
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Kannagi: Crazy Shrine Maidens (TV) Having just finished watching the series, I think in retrospect Kannagi was a fun series overall. For the most part, Kannagi falls into the comedy genre although it does have moments where it dabbles in the drama (serious moments) genre as well. Overall, I think they did a good job of handling both types of scenes throughout the anime, though none of them particularly stand out, head and shoulders, above any other anime I've ever seen before. There is the use of stereotypical characters in this series, but they do get fleshed out a bit more than usual so viewing of the show isn't particularly bland. I found myself laughing out loud every once in a while though the humor in general tends to cater to dead-pan moments of fan service to illicit laughs, which I'm not entirely a huge fan of, but it worked itself out for the most part. The character designs were also again for the most part, generic, though something about Nagi's face and her bangs annoys me on some subconscious level. Other than that, the music was average as was the character development. My biggest gripe with this was that despite the promising initial setup in the first episode or two, there are many questions left unanswered about Nagi, why she is there, etc. at the end of the show. Seeing as how the show concluded itself, I imagine that there will likely (or hopefully) be a second season to build upon these 13 episodes as an "introduction" into the actual series. |
Very good |
| Kaze no Stigma (TV) | So-so |
| Kekkaishi (TV) | Excellent |
| Kiddy Grade (TV) | Excellent |
| Last Exile (TV) | Excellent |
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Macross Frontier (TV) Macross Frontier is an anime show of the Macross franchise celebrating its 25th anniversary. (Or so I read somewhere, can't remember where anymore.) In any case, I never got into the Macross franchise before I watched this series, and I don't think you had to be a fan of this franchise to buy into, and love this adaptation. I'll say it now, and I'll say it throughout this review: the music is absolute L-O-V-E in this series. Granted, the faster numbers (ones that were more Japanese rock-type pieces) I did not like that much, but the instrumentals and the major theme songs (mainly those sung by the debut seiyuu Megumi Nakajima (aka Ranka Lee)) were all AMAZING. I rarely find OSTs that I have to have from anime, and let's just say, this is one of them that I had to (read: HAD TO) have in my collection. In my opinion, one of the best OST music sets produced in 2008. Now, where were we? Oh yes, talking about Macross Frontier. I know a lot of people may disagree with me on this next point, but I did not really like the animation style of this project in general. Yes, it was smooth, and there was clearly a LOT of effort put into it overall, but maybe it's because I'm a little "old" that I don't appreciate the 3D animation that was thrown in. Flashy it was, but pretty to my eyes it was not. I'm not a mecha fan, but I certainly don't begrudge any series that uses mecha themes a chance if they have a promising storyline and good characters. Macross Frontier definitely delivered on that front so I watched it without skipping any episodes or scenes like I do with some anime because the pacing is too slow or the way the story is unfolding is too obvious/boring. I think overall, the directors and screenplay writers did a good job with setting up the story and also ending the story in an appropriate fashion. It's not a straight-forward story, despite its appearances. There are some twists in the plot to keep you entertained through all 25 episodes, though it can't begin to even compare to the madness that was Code Geass R2 (which I did not like at all, nor did I like the original Geass). It wasn't the perfect ending, but it wasn't awful in the slightest. The only thing I have to gripe about in terms of the story/character in general is the main character, Alto Saotome. I spent most of the series hating his guts for being so poorly written and indecisive. So, without saying anything else and making this a biased review with spoilers, I'll just end that rant with: be aware that in the process of watching this anime, you may find yourself wanting to punch/strangle the male lead. As I mentioned earlier, one of the two female leads in this series is definitely worth your time and attention - Miss Ranka Lee (Megumi Nakajima). As a debuting talent in a lead role of a major anime franchise, clearly someone in charge of production had high hopes for her and needless to say I think she definitely fulfilled those expectations. She is one of my new favorite seiyuus that I'll be keeping tabs on from now on. She wasn't "perfect" in every moment of this anime, but she has a really lovely speaking (and especially singing) voice. It's not the usual high-pitched female voice we find in quite a few typical Japanese seiyuus when they are portraying young to adolescent girls, but rather really balanced and smooth voice that stands out most when she's singing. Even if you choose not to watch this series, go on YouTube and search for "Aimo" or "Seikan Hikou" or anything with "Ranka Lee"/"megumi nakajima". You'll see what I mean, though I think "Aimo" is the best piece to showcase her talents out of this series. I had high hopes for Sheryl's seiyuu (Aya Endo, speaking role) as well seeing as how she was the voice of Lena Sayers in the Mai-Otome spin off (Mai Otome S.i.f.r). She delivered well in her performance. But, I do have to say, I did not like many of the songs that Sheryl sang, but that may be due to the nature of the composition of her pieces. My favorite song by Sheryl, would have to be Diamond Crevasse, the first portion before it gets to a more pop-beat. All in all, you don't have to be a mecha fan to enjoy this nor do you have to be familiar with any of the Macross world/terminology. It was a very enjoyable ride and once I started watching I didn't stop watching until I had finished the entire 25 episodes. The plot doesn't really have any major sagging points (i.e. repetitive/boring/pointless fillers) and aside from the poorly written male lead I think overall it was a pretty neat series that scores an Excellent in my book. If you like 3D animation, this one is also for you. Even if you're like me who enjoy some slight cinematography shots, but with mostly traditional 2D arts (i.e. Seirei no Moribito gorgeousness, as 3D as I enjoy watching) don't try to forgo this anime entirely. Give it a chance, and perhaps like me, you can look past that animation detail and enjoy the wonderful (read: you may find yourself addicted to the soundtrack) music and story that is Macross Frontier. |
Excellent |
| Millennium Actress (movie) | Masterpiece |
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Moribito - Guardian of the Spirit (TV) I can't recommend this one enough to everyone I meet. The art is absolutely breath-taking. I know that most people, even as casual viewers, will really appreciate the high production values placed in each and every scene. The animation quality never drops and the details are painstakingly clear to see how much effort was put into crafting this piece of art. As an amateur graphic designer, I think I may be even more awed by just how gorgeous everything is in this anime. The color palettes used by the artists were amazingly detailed and varied. Just look at the opening sequence if you don't want to watch the whole series: the clouds, the scenery, the lighting are all perfect. All of the character designs were very original and not like your typical anime today where the busty heroine takes the spotlight because of her assets...No...here everything is realistically proportioned. For example, Balsa, though while she does have the feminine curves, obviously has the build of a warrior. The animation is second to none (i.e. the best battle scene ever made in episode 3) because it is crafted as if it were a real movie. The shots and angles in which you see this story develop are well placed and gives you a very real feeling of the story. Of course, one of the components of this show that turns away the younger generation (who is obsessed with stuff like Bleach or One-Piece) is the absolute lack of display of superpowers (by this I mean, if you get stabbed multiple times you still won't die). Whereas in Seirei no Moribito, a slash to the abdomen will have you down in no time flat - as would be true in the real world. The story is based on a novel and the anime directors and screenwriters did a fabulous job sticking to that and bringing the story to life. At times, the story may seem slow, but I think it's all a part of the way the story was meant to be told. There are no fillers in this show, it gets right to the point and every episode serves a purpose - it's just not everyone understands all the arcs the first time around. If you're looking for something with a unique story, fantastic art and animation, and an amazing cast, this is for you. I believe Seirei no Morbito has redefined some of the genre for fantasy and even pushed the limits of animation techniques and artistry in its time. If I were asked to recommend a show to anyone (causal or experienced viewer, anime or non-anime fan) I would hands down recommend this one. WATCH THIS ONE NOW!!! |
Masterpiece |
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My-HiME (TV) My-HiME and its sequels (My-Otome and that series' spin-offs) all do one thing brilliantly: make a very large cast (at least 20, relatively main characters) work. I think it would be stretching the truth a bit to say that ALL of these characters are developed throughout the series, but it would be a lie to say that they aren't at least spun out more than just being side-kicks to the heroine of the show (Mai). Of course, this series has plenty of fanservice moments, which as a female viewer, is occasionally awkward, but I am willing to overlook such occasions if the story is worth my while, which in this case it absolutely was. The story here still banks of on the traditional "super-powered heroine-save-the-world" type of line, but it gives the story plenty of twists along with the interesting character developments that make this story very unique and endearing. The animation is superb and clean, as is expected of a Sunrise studios production. One of the special things about this series, at least for me, is how much you come to love everyone else in the cast along with the heroine of the story. Natsuki, Shizuru, Shiho, Haruka, Nao, Miyu, to name a few in no particular order all endear themselves to you with their odd, quirky personalities. I think the one detracting point of this anime though, is the villain(s) and ultimately how the writers chose to end the series. It seemed like a letdown compared to how the rest of the story developed, though I suppose in retrospect it was a fitting end. In any case, I highly recommend this series for those who are looking for some comedic elements, with a relatively strong storyline that builds upon itself with its unique, but very loveable cast. |
Masterpiece |
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My-Otome (TV) My-Otome, is another anime of the My-Hime franchise. It is not exactly a sequel to My-Hime, though in the OAV (My-Otome 0-S.ifr) it does explain that the history and relationship between the two series a bit more. I found this anime to be as wonderful as its predecessor. Again, the cast development was back, with similar personalities to the HiME characters. There were plenty of laugh-out-loud moments for me, and also moments in which I gripped my seat in eager anticipation of the next episode. There are perhaps even more twists in this anime than its predecessor, which are all nicely resolved by the end of the series (albeit in a slightly anticlimatic fashion.) Again, I'm not sure if the ending was the best possible one for the series, but it was fitting enough. The animation was very fluid, as expected of Sunrise studios. Character design and ideas were original and enjoyable. Though the lead herione was slightly annoying at first, the rest of the cast makes up for it and you'll get over it by the end of the series. I highly recommend this series for everyone who enjoyed the My-HiME series. Furthermore, even if you haven't watched My-HiME, do that before you watch this one because while you don't necessarily need to in order to understand Otome's plot, it gives the series a lot more depth, in my opinion. |
Masterpiece |
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My-Otome 0~S.ifr~ (OAV) This was a wonderful anime for the first 2 of the three episodes. I thought episode 3 could have been developed a lot more. Though the beauty of this series lies in the understanding of the awesome character that is Rena Sayers (aka Arika Yumemiya's mother from My-Otome). I won't write much, since anything would be a spoiler for this short OAV, but be prepared for extreme amounts of fanservice (one of the components I did not like so much about this OAV), as well as moments that have you at the edge of your seat wanting to know more about the characters. Be prepared though, that even at the end of episode 3, you may still be left in this same questioning situation. |
Excellent |
| Noir (TV) | Excellent |
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Planetes (TV) Even though I remember very little about this series, I do remember that I thought it was very well done. A more mature title, if that’s what you’re looking for. I don’t remember much action going on in it, but there are a lot of themes that they choose to explore that I remember being well developed. Overall I think it is character and plot driven. |
Excellent |
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R.O.D -The TV- R.O.D., how should I start this review...In all honesty, I tried watching this series a few years back and I gave up after the first episode because it seemed really dumb and pointless. I had some free time recently and decided to give it another shot. I think it goes without saying, but that was probably one of the best decisions in my anime-watching career that I've made. This story can only be described in one word: AWESOME. Sure, the plot seems really disorganized and full of one-shots for the first half of the episode, but all the pieces really come together by the end of the anime. Even though the first half feels like random fillers, it really isn't. I think that this series is probably one of the more "unknown" and underated series of the early 21st century. I definitely plan on recommending this series to everyone I know now who are looking for very good character development, original plot, and well delineated storyline. The art and animation is nothing spectacular, and there are even moments in which I think that it is choppy (but that may just be my crappy old computer), but nothing that detracts from the viewing of the series in any major way. Back to a better description of the main plot: You start off by getting to know a writer with a sort of an odd name, Nenene Sumiregawa, who finds herself in a situation where she is the target of assassination. Who comes to save her, but three "paper-users", people who seemingly use magic to control the properties of paper. These "paper-users" happen to be a group of 3 sisters (Anita King, Maggie Mui, and Michelle Cheung). I thought that the most interesting of the seiyuus for this anime was Nenene's seiyuu: Satsuki Yukino of Inuyasha (Kagome Higurashi), Full Metal Panic (Kaname Chidori), and Bleach (Shihouin Yourichi) fame. She is one of the best seiyuus out there in my opinion, and she really creates a very great character in Nenene. All of the other cast members do a good job in their various roles as well. Perhaps the last thing, but certainly not the least thing I loved about this series was that despite the obviously large female cast there was pretty much little to no-attempt at fan service throughout the series. It made for a much more coherent and less-distracting plot centered series. All in all, I highly recommend Read or Die to people of all ages looking for a well performed, original story. |
Excellent |
| RahXephon (TV) | Excellent |
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Ranma ½ (TV) This is probably the first anime I ever watched in my life. I recently started to watch the series from the beginning again. All I can say, is....it's still as funny as ever! I think I would be wasting your time if I gave a long review like I did with some other shows, because you have to just watch this series to believe it. It's so damn good. DAMN GOOD. All of the characters are amazingly written and hilarious. GO WATCH IT! |
Masterpiece |
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Rideback (TV) I just started watching Rideback even though it has finished airing its season in Japan. I tend to be a little impatient when watching any series, to the point where I will skip through many slow scenes in a series even if that scene only lasts a total of half a minute. I'm always interested in getting to the point, though I'd be the first to admit that sometimes a necessary spacer for such "filler" scenes does add to the storytelling. In Rideback, there are quite a few scenes which I skipped through in various episodes, but overall I don't get the feeling that skipping of these scenes deteriorated what I got from the show, which I think highlights a good quality of this anime: there are some slow parts, but overall the story is quite well told. It is an interesting story, a ballet prodigy who after an injury finds a natural prowess with a futuristic mecha that resembles a half motorcycle/half human robot thing. I was never one to enjoy 3-d animation in anime, most shows handle the transition and use of 3-D animation very poorly artistically in my opinion (i.e. the 3D components tend to be eyesores compared to the frames they are built in, and the fractals are so obvious, they seem to jump out of the screen to blind you with their pointed edges). Rideback, I think while it isn't perfect in the use of this animation technique, it certainly does use it often enough in the show to embellish certain sequences, which I think fits the story relatively nicely. The story progresses at a good rate and the nice thing about it is that is a short series, only 12 episodes long. It's not exactly the type of story that has the protagonist saving the world, but rather a good, if slightly shallow, exploration of the development of the characters that bring together the story. All in all, I recommend Rideback to most any audience. It's a good watch, but not a masterpiece level watch. |
Excellent |
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Romeo × Juliet (TV) I wavered between giving this an "Excellent" vs. a "Very Good" rating, but in the end I could not justify giving it better marks for a few reasons I'll list shortly. I was hesitant to start watching this series because I think that the original work of Romeo and Juliet was not a very interesting story; but fortunately this series only uses the basic premise and names of the Shakespearean work and gives it a few different twists. What I liked most about this story was how it made most of the characters into a bit more fleshed out, independent, and purpose-driven characters than the original work. Juliet is no longer just an object of affection to be fought over; she goes out and kicks her own share of evil villain butts. Romeo is a weaker character in my opinion in this version; they seem to strive to develop more of his brain and personable/feminine traits rather than emphasize the stubborn, bull-headedness in the original work. Probably the strongest point of this series is how it starts off with a bang. However, from that point on (about 8-9 episodes in) it starts to lose steam. Once you get past the point where Romeo and Juliet both realize their undying love for one another that this deteriorates into just another extremely cliched romantic drama. The arcs start to seem pointless in the middle and only barely recover a bit of the original strength of the first few episodes by the end. It got so bad that by the end even though I knew that the original work was a tragedy, I couldn't bring myself to feel any grief or sadness at all, not even pity, for the characters at the end. This is made all the more disappointing because I thought it was off to such a strong start for something that took a very well known and cliched subject to a new level only to back up and not be able to make up its mind about where to go from there. The ending felt rushed and I don't think that everything was properly explained. The animation quality also notably declined over the course of the show. The music was fitting for most of the scenes it was used, but I didn't find any of it particularly moving. I can see how many people rave about the opening theme by Lena Park, who does indeed have a beautiful voice, but since I already fell in love with the song she covered back when it first was sung by Josh Groban, the song itself did not have such a great impact on me. Overall, I would still recommend this series for anyone who is looking for a romantic drama. The characters and plot do experience some initial development, but it falls short towards the end of the series; characters that once had potential to be more than one dimensional, remain that way. And for those of you who like me had doubts about starting this series because of its title, I would still recommend giving it a try because although it borrows from the original play (and also other Shakespeare characters), it is still a decent use of your time in between your search for the next great series. I also wanted to add, that if I ever had the time (and money) I'd seriously consider re-watching this series with the English dub, which I thought I would never say in this lifetime. I am extremely biased against English dubs in general, but because this work did have origins in what was originally an English play, I think it might actually be even more enjoyable to watch this series with the English cast that doesn't break the name of every character into more syllables than it should have. |
Very good |
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S.A (TV) Special A was an unexpectedly good anime that I came across recently. It is unique in today's mainstream anime that it uses a lot of comedy in the "boy-meets-girl" setting without ever having to resort to fanservice moments. That alone, should say a lot about its script and its cast. There is crude humor and the pairings amongst the cast is at times generic, but at the same time, I don't think I've enjoyed a series that speaks of cliches so much in such a long period of time. The first time I watched the series, I became bored and gave up after the first few episodes, but giving Special A the second chance it needed was probably one of the best anime-watching decisions I've made in a while. Sure, sometimes the humor is a bit childish. Sure, the art proportions/color palette/uniqueness aren't exactly something to ogle over (like Seirei no Moribito). But! But, this series did give me plenty of laughs throughout the entirety of the series. The manga is still on-going, but the anime series gave its own twist on the story (the manga and the anime stories aren't 100% alike) a fitting end. I recommend this series to anyone who is looking for a bag full of fun and laughter with some time to spare, because you'll be hooked on this series and won't stop watching it until you're finished with the whole thing. |
Excellent |
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Saki (TV) I know how to play the basics of the Chinese version of Mahjong, but that totally did not prepare me for this anime. There are so many terms, some similar to the Chinese version, but the point system and play style are almost completely alien. I think each episode will probably need to be watched twice so I can slowly digest each of the explanations. Overall, it was enough fun while watching to warrant my continued attention for this season. -Update (05/12)- One of the only series I'm seriously following this season. So far it's been fun to watch every week and the pace is finally picking up with the debut of the tournaments. :D The fanservice is a bit off-putting, but if you ignore it, I think it's a nice simple piece to follow. |
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Scrapped Princess (TV) Scrapped Princess (the sub, not the dub (which I thought was absolutely terrible)) is an amazing piece of work. I think the artistry of the characters was perhaps one of the only lacking things in this series. While the artistry does fall a bit flat, the story most certainly does not. It is unique in the sense that, the heroine is a young girl the entire world is trying to kill, and the reason for this you won't figure out until you get further along into the story. The cast is small here, most of the screen time is centered around either Pacifica or her brother (Shannon). It saddened me to see Pacifica's sister (Raquel) get relatively little screen time when it is obvious that she is an awesome character just waiting to be developed. There are comedic elements to this drama, and most certainly also moments in which you feel sympathy and sadness for the characters involved. There are also plenty of twists (which if you've read my other reviews, is something I love to see in a story) that keep you entertained throughout the entirety of the series. The ending I thought was as well as could be done. This series has my full recommendation behind it for anyone looking for a different type of story, with plenty of small twists along the way, and relatively good character development. |
Excellent |
| Shakugan no Shana (TV) | Very good |
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Shion no Oh (TV) I watched this series at the behest of my younger sister. She claimed it was good, but I beg to differ. Having seen some of the ratings on ANN, I know that likely the majority of people will disagree with me, but I found this story to be really very boring and unexciting. I already was able to predict the direction and likely perpetrator long before the story ended. The characters were bland to me, and the art was nothing to marvel at. I found myself skipping many episodes, just to pull through to the end of the series and give myself closure. |
Not really good |
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Shonen Onmyouji (TV) If I had to sum up this show in one word, I'd say: mediocre. It's not a poorly written show in the least, but it is very generic shounen anime with some elements of a passable-to-good level of story potential. Unfortunately, this show does not realize that potential in its 26 episode series, but I wasn't really expecting much of it anyways. All in all, if you are very bored and just need the typical shounen fix with a semi-decent story-line this one may be for you. The art style is nothing remarkable in itself. The animation is middling, if not I dare say, a bit on the poor side. A lot of the frames seem to be static with barely noticeable animation when the character is talking as if the production company decided to save money by leaving certain frames running at what seems to be a standstill for a few seconds at a time, at the least. The characters themselves have their own, small endearing qualities, but even at the end of the series (which had a mildly offsetting/incomplete ending) you don't find yourself thinking back and savoring their development or personal stories. |
Decent |
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(The) Story of Saiunkoku (TV) Saiunkoku Monogatari (The Story of Saiunkoku) is a very interesting piece I stumbled upon a while back. Thank goodness though, that I found this anime when it was fully subbed, at least season 1, or else I would have been driven to insanity waiting for every episode. This series is one of the few that takes a very large series of episodes and makes the story that flow through the series both fluid and addicting from arc to arc. There were some filler episodes, but it's not such useless arcs to the point that it would deter you from watching the series, but rather just further whet your appetite for more of Saiunkoku's own arc. This is also one of the few anime that relies upon the brains of a character rather than flashy action sequences or brawn of the character. Saiunkoku is the story about a strong, young woman's adventures into a world that is predominantly governed by men. Throughout the series (and its sequel, which I did not like nearly as much as this first season) you explore some of the glass ceilings that she faces as a young woman trying to find her place in government, along with some of the trouble she faces as someone of her gender balancing both love and family in light of her dreams. All in all, some people I have spoken with about this think that the series is boring, because it depicts the daily life aspects of the heroine rather than large arcs that deal with saving the world that is all too over-done in many anime series these days. But, I believe if you're looking for a good-old-fashioned tale that is funny yet plays along a well-developed story-line, this is definitely not one to miss. |
Masterpiece |
| (The) Story of Saiunkoku Second Series (TV 2) | Excellent |
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Tokyo Majin (TV) I wanted to finish this series after reading the Wikipedia details about the characters, but it just takes so much patience to watch this show. The type of patience that I don't have even when I'm extremely bored and have absolutely nothing better to do, to give you any idea of the magnitude of patience I would need to watch this through from beginning to end. I stopped around episode 4, I think. The first episode is a hook, line, and sinker type of deal. The art is pretty well done, animation quality is definitely above average, and although the characters are definitely stereotypical, they aren't annoying. The major problem I have with this series is how it is told. It doesn't seem to be linear in any remote way, which while some shows can pull that off, this one is so disjointed in its storyboard that I have to sit down and pay careful attention while sorting through the scenes to try and chronologically sort through each of the events to make sense of the plot overall. (Which in my books does not equal enjoyable time in front of a computer.) The flight scenes while well choreographed as mentioned by some other reviews I've seen, seem to me as if they are again lacking in transition. This goes for all other scenes in this anime as well. Sometimes I cannot tell if an event I'm watching is a flashback or current - which is very very troublesome because the characters come without any introduction so there is no base point for the viewer to establish any sense of orientation with in this world. I really wish the Wikipedia description of the plot and characters were more fleshed out because it does indeed seem REALLY interesting and I would have loved to have seen it more coherently done in the anime, but alas it was not meant to be as apparently the producers and directors seem to not understand how lost viewers become based on their chosen sequences of events. Edit - 3 days later: I have watched almost the entirety of both seasons of Tokyo Majin, save the last "bonus" episode of Act 2. I will say at least one positive thing now about this series, its only redeeming feature: it does manage to pull a "slightly" (read: very slightly) more cohesive story together, relative to its previously chaotic first 4 episodes. Other than that, there is poor character development; with every episode I kept waiting for the characters to grow or develop more than their plain old tenuous at best relationships, but nothing changes....ever. The fight scenes leave me puzzled, probably because this is a game adaptation so I can understand that (see Tales of the Abyss's adaptation to anime, they don't do it well there either). The soundtrack doesn't stand out for me at all. And how I mentioned earlier, about wishing the Wikipedia entry would be fleshed out as I watched more episodes....yeah...the Wikipedia entry is pretty much dead-on about what happens in the anime. Basically nothing gets fleshed out at all through the 25 episodes. Which is very sad, the story had potential I think even if it was based in very archetypical characters and standard super-powered teenager plot. The simple mindedness of the philosophy of good vs. evil in this series also bugs the crap out of me. (Read: Aoi...please your philosophy is stupid. Get over it.) Ah well, too bad. I'll just suffer in silence about how I never got to see my favorite pairing in the show never happen (Aoi and Hiyuu!!!). |
Not really good |
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Toradora! (TV) I didn't have any expectations going into this one. So I was pleasantly surprised when I found myself a few episodes in and my cheeks and sides were aching from all the silly grins and laughter that had plagued me while watching this series. The characters are stereotypical and so is the plot in many ways, but for some reason I couldn't help but enjoy how the creators and writers brought this one altogether. Although I did enjoy this series very much through the first half of the episodes, I found myself liking it less and less through the remaining half as it started to get emo and so childish. Maybe it's because I'm an adult viewer (22 at the time of this review) that I think most of what they're doing and feeling is immature and ridiculous, I suppose I can try to put myself in their shoes and forgive them some for what are decidedly stupid actions. However, even then, the ending and the downward spiral of the show does not redeem itself enough for me to give it anything higher than a tentative "Excellent" rating at the best. The ending and final arc left a bad taste in my mouth. I know, people will continue to rage over the pairings in this anime, but in all honesty, I don't understand why Ami wasn't given more airtime. I think she was the most shortchanged character in the series, which is sad because she had so much potential and was such a smart character. My biggest gripe with this series is how rushed the ending was. It felt like the story was trying too hard and breaking relationships left and right just to fit a pre-conceived idea. Relationships that had been beautifully crafted up to this point were suddenly scrapped or ruined in favor of some set ending in mind. The progression of events didn't make sense. If something's not broken, why fix it?! In any case, animation quality dropped after the first few episodes and started to fluctuate more towards the end of the series, but nothing to the point where it made the series un-watchable. I may be putting myself further into the minority seeing as how I disliked the ending, but I also preferred the first OP/ED to the second ones. Though to be completely fair, both sets suited the tone of the first and second halves of the series respectively. A word about the seiyuus: I thought everyone was fairly fantastic as their characters. I could find no fault in their portrayals and their talents as a cast as a whole really came through very strongly. I don't think there was any one weak seiyuu's work in this entire anime, which I've never seen before, or if I have I certainly don't remember it, which means it wasn't worthwhile. In any case, this series is something I would still recommend for people who are looking for a romantic comedy to enjoy in their free time. Character development is done well and though I personally dislike the way the plot moved towards the end, it wasn't a bad ride overall. |
Excellent |
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(The) Twelve Kingdoms (TV) Twelve Kingdoms was a wonderful anime...until apparently for some reason I assume that the production team lost whatever source of money they had and abruptly cut out the last of the episodes. If you watch this anime, you'll understand what I'm talking about. The ending drops off to oblivion and you're left sitting there wondering "What-the-heck...". If you can deal with this eventually horrible aspect to this series, I highly, highly recommend that you watch this series. The Twelve Kingdoms, like the Story of Saiunkoku, explores a large amount of internal, mental conflict within its heroine in her place to find the appropriate role for herself in a completely foreign world that she has suddenly been transported to. There are lots of political elements, which may make this series more appropriate for someone who enjoys this (aka a more mature audience, than the younger generation which is easily appeased with the battles of Naruto/Bleach/simple straightforward story-lines) kind of stuff. There aren't many fighting sequences in this series, and even when there are they certainly aren't the highlight of the series. The art is relatively unique, and the cast is very well chosen for the Japanese (English subtitled) version. The strongest part of this series though, by-far, is the unique plot, which though at first may seem simple, and sometimes very annoying because of how obvious it is to the viewer, but not to the character, it is very, very well told because it explores a lot of the emotions and conflicts involved in developing the characters. In any case, this series has my recommendations, if you can stomach the terribly abrupt ending that you will face at the very end. |
Masterpiece |
| Witchblade (TV) | Good |
| X (TV) | So-so |
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Xam'd: Lost Memories (ONA) Even though I still don't completely understand all the details of the story of Xam'd: Lost Memories, even after having watched the entire series, I still think this series deserves at least an "Excellent" rating in my book. Why, you might ask? Well for starters let's take a look at the animation and art-style. The artwork is very unique and well-drawn. The animation is top-notch as expected of the BONES production studio. The frames move very smoothly from one to another and the angles from which all the scenes are shot from are very well chosen. I usually skip openings and endings for anime series unless if they have some especially remarkable music accompanying it. While Xam'd: Lost Memories, certainly fulfilled that "requirement" of mine, the opening and ending scenes were really, really well choreographed not just as a "fit" for the series, but also as standalone pieces. I have only once, in the entire series, skipped watching the opening AND ending sequences, and that was when I was in too much of a rush anticipating the last episode's contents. The only thing I very mildly disliked about this series was the setup of the plot and how it is portrayed through the entire series. There are a lot (and I mean a LOT) of elements woven into this story, which include politics, religion, war, interpretations of life and death, ethnic diversity and conflicts just to name a few in addition to the typical coming-of-age and slightly romantic themes typical of a shounen-type of anime. There are plenty of action scenes, and a lot of characters are introduced in this show as well. All of them play a significant role in the development of each theme. I liked all of the characters, even the "baddies" because this anime is so good at portraying point-of-view and therefore making the line very much grey between good and evil. But, that's also where I think the weakest part of this series is: its enigmatic nature. I very much enjoy unique stories that aren't straightforward, as I'm sure you know if you read my other reviews of anime series. I love it when its up to the viewer to figure things out for herself, or to have an "Ah!" moment and see part of the anime relate to their life, because that's what these shows are - they are stories that are someone's imagination on a particular aspect of life. However, while Xam'd does lead you on through the series on a rollercoaster ride of emotions (and I mean it when the story really lets you feel just about the whole spectrum of emotions) it never fully explains itself. Which is frustrating at best to the viewer. Though, now, even looking back, I may be able to unravel some more of the plot, it is still not a 100% clear to me what the ending entails and what certain elements of the world really are/were. In any case, Xam'd has my recommendations as a must watch for probably a more mature/seinen audience who is interested in an anime that while it packs its punch with animation and fight-scenes that normally fit the shounen crowd, also carries a lot of baggage in terms of thematic elements that reflect the politics/warfare/cultural conflicts that we see in the real world every day. This show is enjoyable to watch because the characters do develop very well in the context of themselves in addition to their roles as a part of the larger cast. The only warning I have to give about this show is that the viewer should be prepared to be actively thinking every second while watching the series. |
Excellent |