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Last edit: 2021-12-27
I try to add enlightening commentary, but let's face it:
I'm far from perfect.

For cartoons that are not listed in the encyclopedia please click here.
    EDIT: 2020-12-31
    I have seen two three videos that examine the concept of "classics" from distinctly different perspectives:
  1. Gigguk | Garnt Maneetapho

  2. Mother's Basement | Geoff Thew

  3. Bonsai Pop | Mike ?
EDIT: 2020-04-11
In this video YouTube user Gigguk (Garnt Maneetapho) talks about SAO in the context of gateway anime.
    2 Videos That Share a Common Theme:
  1. "The Greatest Thing Anime Has Done"|Gigguk (Garnt Maneetapho)
  2. "A Love Letter to a Place Further than the Universe" | Isla McTear (Line/link added 2020-06-24)
EDIT: 2020-06-10
3 Different Perspectives On the Importance of The Ending EDIT: 2021-05-10
Geoff Thew ("Mother's Basement") has a fascinating video essay on the concept of "sakuga".
EDIT: 2021-12-27
10 Anime That Are Fantastic But Hard To Recommend
Anime only continues to get more and more mainstream, but these are 10 anime we wouldn't want to recommend even though they're great.
By Jacob Buchalter
(posted on cbr.com on 2020, Mar 30)
Seen/Read All (public list) Rating
Video Girl Ai (OAV) Excellent
This OAV just cries out to be remade into a 13-episode series.
Reminder to self: Check out the manga.....
Violet Evergarden (TV) Masterpiece (dub & sub)
    FYI:
  1. Episodes 2 through 5 are anime-only.
  2. Episode #7 is where Violet realizes that Claudia is correct and that she has been mistaken about herself vis-à-vis Gilbert Bougainvillea. ("I am on fire.")
  3. Episode #9: At the end Violet begins to come to terms with her past by realizing that her actions today are creating connections with people who are grateful for what she has done for them.

  • For me, what makes something a Masterpiece (11/11) is that I continue to rate it as such in spite of any serious mistakes/inconsistencies that occur. (see Sword of the Stranger and Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid, both of which are in this list)
    For example, when Violet's arms literally get blown off of her, she does not bleed out and die. This is an example of Hollywood biology/physics.


Violet Evergarden Claudia Hodgins Gilbert Bougainvillea
Dietfried Bougainvillea Cattleya Baudelaire Iris Cannary Erica Brown Benedict Blue RolandRoland

Reviews:

  • Kim Morrissy wrote:
    When I watched Violet Evergarden's Asian premiere in Singapore last year, the audience was completely floored by it. On a big screen, every lush detail in the animation stood out prominently. In those final moments of the first episode, when Gilbert tells Violet that he loves her in a moment of perfect cinematic beauty, I held my breath. One thought ran through my mind: “This show is on a different level.”
    [...]
    By the end of episode one, Violet has already decided that she wants to become an Auto Memories Doll in order to understand why Gilbert said “I love you” to her. We have already learned that Gilbert is dead, so when Violet finally learns the nature of love, we know that she will also learn grief for the first time. That initial rush of emotion cannot be replicated to the same effect again when the entire premise has already been laid out. So where can the narrative go from there?
    [...]
    However, Violet Evergarden's anime adaptation has been able to consistently breathe life into the setting and side characters that didn't exist in the original novel. The story's setting has never been quite clear in terms of specific time period or location. The flowers and dresses suggest a Victorian aesthetic, while the war scenes suggest World War I, and the town itself looks as if it's situated in the Mediterranean. (It also has palm trees). As anachronistic as it seems on paper, this world feels like a place that people could really live in. The attention to detail in this show is astonishing, with each establishing shot bursting with vibrant details and movement.
  • Nick Creamer wrote:
    From its articulation of the lingering effects of war to its vividly realized illustration of how our emotions reach out to others, Violet Evergarden is a poignant and brilliantly realized vision. From its gorgeous animation and art design to its consistently thoughtful application of those strengths, Violet Evergarden is a visual wonder. And from her own beginnings as a discarded tool to her final emergence as an abundantly compassionate hero, Violet is a terrific protagonist. Violet Evergarden stumbles in ways I rarely felt diminished the whole and succeeds in ways that brought me to tears again and again. I loved this show, and I look forward to revisiting it for many years to come.
  • Tristan "Arkada" Gallant review

  • Geoff Thew ("Mother's Basement") review

  • AniNews review

  • Chibi Reviews (ep.s 1, 2, 3, etc., 13)

  • Aaox's review

  • Is turned off by the 1st 3 episodes; says that slow pacing can be a turnoff.
    Does it Live up to HYPE? (Violet Evergarden Review) by Wannabe Reviewer
Commentary:

AMVs/OST/music:

Violet Evergarden (OAV) Masterpiece
Violet Evergarden I: Eternity and the Auto Memory Doll (movie) Masterpiece (dub & sub)
The lives of the lead protagonists parallel each other. In order to understand all of the symbolism and references in the film a full exposure to the TV series is a necessity.
Voices of a Distant Star (OAV) Not really good (dub), Masterpiece (sub)
Waka Okami wa Shōgakusei! (TV) Excellent

Also, see Okko's Inn (sub & dub)
    12 min.s/ep.
  1. series setup
  2. Okko is goaded into declaring that she will take over from her grandmother.
  3. Okko makes mistakes, but she does learn from them.
  4. Okko wins honorable mention in a dessert contest.
  5. Matsuki Akino brings over an important customer.....
  6. Okko invites a ghost with an unusual past to live at the inn.....
  7. Okko manages to pacify a rebellious guest and gets a beautiful write-up!
  8. Pt. 1: A student conducting covert market research arrives at the inn!
  9. Pt. 2: Said student connives to have a difficult guest stay at the Inn.....
  10. Pt. 3: Said student leaves ─ after causing a temporary heartbreak.
  11. Exorcism (Pt. 1)
  12. Exorcism (Pt. 2)
    A demon is discovered and tamed.
  13. Taiwan Trip (Pt. 1)
    The 2nd ED animation is a remarkable contrast to the 1st ED animation.....
  14. Taiwan Trip (Pt. 2)
    The very end is like a story-within-a-story.
  15. The runaway child actress. (Pt. 1)
  16. The runaway child actress. (Pt. 2)
    Rapprochement between mother and daughter.
  17. "A lookalike!" (Pt. 1)
  18. "In a slump?!" (Pt. 2)
  19. "Premonition of love?!" (Pt. 3)
    07:30 The humor is surprisingly effective!
  20. "The young mistress' true feelings!" (Pt. 4)
  21. "The young mistress and the haunted inn!" (Pt. 1)
    Okko goes to another inn for training.
  22. "The young innkeeper and budget training!" (Pt. 2)
  23. "Desperate Situation!" (Pt. 3)
  24. "Okko is a young innkeeper after all!" (Pt. 4)
Wakako-zake (TV) Masterpiece
There are 12 two-minute shorts -- just watch them to see if you like them!
Wandering Witch - The Journey of Elaina (TV) Very good (dub), Excellent (sub)
rated episode 1
disagree with Nicholas Dupree about ep.#4: Mirarose is quite obviously insane -- psychotic, if you will
  1. Royal Celesteria
    • slice of life episode
    • The animation is terrific. 11/11
  2. The Land of Truth Tellers
    My, oh my; Nicholas Dupree is such a good writer that it's a shame that I end up disagreeing with him over entertainment value. 11/11
  3. The Wall Etched by Travelers & The Grape-Stomping Girl
    A city divided into two and two rural towns that compete for wine sales; both sides of each eventually overcome their differences. 11/11
  4. The Ripper
    Significant misdirection in this episode. 10/11
  5. A Deep Sorrow from the Past
    • Symbolism of the clock.
    • Symbolism of the cherry blossoms.
    • Symbolism of the birds.
    • Blood as tears.
    • Elaina's monologue is heartbreaking.
    • The animation is still gorgeous.
    • 11/11 (and Nicholas Dupree's writing is drop-dead gorgeous. Yes, it's that spectacular. It evokes such emotions in me. It resonates within me. It's such a joy to experience. Nothing in the This Week in Anime columns ever prepared me for this wondrous work of art. I think that I'm in love with his writing.)
  6. The Two Teachers (Part I of II)
    Fran and Sheila reminisce about how they ended up bonding with each other while apprenticing under Victorica, who became Elaina's mother. 10/11.
  7. The Two Apprentices (Part II of II)
    There's a break in the internal logic of the story. How did the leader of the Curio Company know that the box was going to be delivered to the Island? 8/11
  8. The Everyday Tale of Every Ashen Witch
    Well, that's one way of ending the series; but if there's no sequel, then this whole series has been one extended commercial for the light novels. I think that 9/11 is generous.
I'm rating this at 10/11 because it's not quite good enough for an 11/11 rating.
Wasurenagumo (movie) Excellent
25 minutes long
intriguing OST
nice, subdued graphics
Weathering With You (movie) Excellent (dub & sub)

Kim Morrissy review

Grant Jones review

Tristan "Arkada" Gallant (Glass Reflection)

Alana Tarrant

    Rewatch for the foreshadowing.
    Questions
  1. Is that motorbike supposed to be a FLCL reference?
  2. Does that cat -- especially after they become fat -- reference any anime?
    Pros:
  • OST (not just RADWIMPS)
  • animation
Con: The ending is paramount.

"Grand Escape | A Weathering With You AMV"

A Well-Ordered Restaurant (movie) Masterpiece
It's only ~19 minutes long -- just see if you like it!
When Marnie Was There (movie) Masterpiece (dub & sub)
I'm a sucker for this kind of film; see Rebecca Silverman's review as well as the comments.
Voice Direction: Jamie Simone
Whisper of the Heart (movie) Excellent (dub & sub)
The reason that I rated this movie as being 10/11 is that the protagonist is a self-possessed girl, and I find that to be endearing.
Also, see The Cat Returns
Witch Craft Works (TV) Good
Witchblade (TV) Excellent (dub & sub)
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