|
Seen all▲▼
|
Rating▲▼
|
Comment▲▼
|
| 009-1 (TV) |
Decent |
I thought the basic concept of 009-1 was great but the execution was poor. The main characters' designs were fine; the animation is reminiscent of the older styles (which is fine and, honestly, it worked...at times). Unfortunately, there were also times when the designs of background/minor/one scene characters were so bad that my attention was completely drawn away from the action (really...how difficult is it to not make a character look idiotic, even if they're on screen for 2 minutes??) The story was very disjointed, kind of a femme fatale bad-guy-of-the-week show. While it was entertaining, I couldn't help but wonder what the show might have been like if they had expanded the plot, created a few true villians (not just the amorphous Western Bloc versus Eastern Bloc butting of heads), and considered the notion of attaining freedom that drove 9-1 to action. All in all, 009-1 is an entertaining show but has no value for repeat viewing. |
| Afro Ken (OAV) |
Not really good |
It's a cute show for little kids and the different Kens can be pretty cool (I like the one with the thunderstorm) but, well, yeah...it's for little kids. |
| Afro Samurai (TV) |
Not really good |
I saw the entire show when Spike TV was airing it...and while the first episode seemed interesting, the remaining four eps couldn't hold my attention. I really didn't care for the show and, honestly, I can't understand its hype (yes, it's Sammy J, post-SoaP Sammy, too...but he couldn't save the show). |
| Ah My Buddha (TV) |
Weak |
...Ok...lemme get this straight...you want to set a harem-ish ecchi at a Buddhist temple, have the main character be a priest in training who, when flashed by any of the rather attractive novice nuns, releases uncontrollable power (*snicker*...is that what they call it?) that ends up saving the day? |
| Ah! My Goddess (TV) |
Good |
|
| Ah! My Goddess: Flights of Fancy (TV) |
Good |
...man, do I feel bad for Keiichi. 50 episodes, multiple OVAs, and a movie...and...nothing? He should have picked Urd. |
| Amaenaide yo!! Katsu!! (TV) |
Weak |
...Oh, and you want to make a second season? And introduce another novice nun? Brilliant! (...or not.) |
| Angel Sanctuary (OAV) |
Very good |
|
| (The) Animatrix (OAV) |
Very good |
|
| Ar Tonelico (OAV) |
|
|
| Armitage III: Poly-Matrix (movie) |
Good |
About 10 years ago, I happened to turn on SciFi Channel on a Saturday afternoon...and stumbled upon Polymatrix. For someone who had never seen violence, nudity, adult themes, etc., in animated form, it was an enlightening experience. Unfortunately, I didn't know what I was viewing until much later... |
| Armitage: Dual-Matrix (movie) |
Good |
I have a soft-spot for the Armitage series of movies...they aren't fantastic, I wouldn't call them classics (for the most part...maybe Armitage III breaks that mould), but my introduction to anime began with them. That's gotta count for something. |
| Azumanga Daioh (TV) |
Excellent |
|
| Barefoot Gen (movie) |
Excellent |
|
| Black Lagoon (TV) |
Very good |
Good story, animation is done well, and it's just pure, unadulterated fun. What I appreciated most, though, was the fact that the storylines were actually interesting and not just mindless shoot-'em-up fodder. |
| Black Lagoon: The Second Barrage (TV) |
Very good |
How can you not like Balalaika? An ex-Soviet sniper who now runs her own Russian mafia racket in Southeast Asia? And don't even get me started on the Church of Violence...nuns with guns and all that. |
| Blade of the Phantom Master (movie) |
Decent |
Interesting story...until the damn thing abruptly ends. I wish there had been at least one more movie to clarify a few things. After all, I'm a fan of series/movies/OVAs where not everything is neat and tidy at the end, plot-wise (there are some stories where this is necessary...closure would take a fantastic story arc and destroy everything)...but this was pretty ridiculous. |
| Blood: The Last Vampire (movie) |
Good |
In a relatively short amount of time, you're allowed to be a passive viewer of the action. You know scarce little about Saya, her motives, or any back history. What intrigues me about this movie is how well the ambiguity plays out, how well the loose-ends ending works, and how I really wasn't wanting for more. Well done...but I know there are many who feel the exact opposite for the same reasons. |
| Bludgeoning Angel Dokuro-chan (TV) |
Good |
|
| Blue Submarine No.6 (OAV) |
Good |
|
| Boku wa Imōto ni Koi o Suru: Secret Sweethearts - Kono Koi wa Himitsu (OAV) |
So-so |
|
| Burst Angel (TV) |
Good |
Not great but not terrible, either...I think this show's biggest problem was that it had a great deal of potential but never truly followed through. |
| Burst Angel: Infinity (OAV) |
Decent |
Ok...I was waiting for this OVA to see if maybe they would use it to discuss more backstory to Meg and Jo and how they joined forces with Sei and Amy (because, uh, wasn't that how BakuTen: Infinity was described?). Instead I get an episode that could just have easily come from the series itself that discusses little of Meg and Jo's past and was, truth be told, kinda disappointing. Way overhyped for a 1 episode (1 episode?!) OVA of a relatively good show. |
| Canvas - Sepia-iro no Motif (OAV) |
Decent |
|
| Chrono Crusade (TV) |
Very good |
While the first half of the show drags a bit (there are moments of interest...but those tend to be dragged down by fanservice and Azmaria*), the second half makes up for it in spades...and the ending, wow. It'll rip your heart out.
*Azmaria is on my list as being one of the most annoying anime characters ever. She's easily top three. |
| (The) Cockpit (OAV) |
Good |
|
| Comedy (OAV) |
Masterpiece |
OVAs, especially short OVAs and those unrelated to any series, are oft times overlooked, primarily because of a lack of distribution. In 10 minutes, Comedy does what many full series can't: convey emotion, create intrigue, and tell a story that leaves you wanting more. Sheer brilliance from Studio 4C. |
| (The) Cosmopolitan Prayers (TV) |
Weak |
|
| Cowboy Bebop (TV) |
Masterpiece |
|
| Cowboy Bebop: The Movie |
Very good |
While the series was spectacular, Knockin' on Heaven's Door was both the perfect story to be told in a Bebop movie...and also a rather extraneous add-on to the show. I understand that the story of Vincent Volaju was too big to be covered in the show (and, given that the movie falls between episodes 22 and 23, it probably wouldn't have fit into the emotional crescendo that had begun building towards the end of the series) but I just felt like the movie was a series of two episodes that they couldn't fit into the 26 episode run of the show. It's not that the movie was bad (it was actually pretty good)…it just felt unnecessary because it didn't really have any palpable effect on the series. |
| Coyote Ragtime Show (TV) |
Weak |
Although the show was weak at best, I can't help but love Marciano and the 12 sisters...probably the most kickass concept/design for bad guys that I've seen in a while (...I want a gashapon set of the sisters now). |
| Daicon films (special) |
Excellent |
If you consider yourself a hardcore otaku and you haven't seen the Daicon films, go find them (especially Daicon IV...). Here's why: in 1983, Daicon IV's film was put out by a little group called Daicon films. They're better known now as Gainax. Yep, that Gainax. The short 4 1/2 minute special contains an absolute treasure-trove of scifi and anime references and, maybe more importantly, has been referenced numerous times [by Gainax] since its creation (in everything from Otaku no Video, FLCL, and Abenobashi, among others). Plus...how can you not love the use of ELO songs in Daicon III and IV?!? |
| Damekko Dōbutsu (TV) |
Good |
|
| Darker than Black (TV) |
Excellent |
I loved the concept of the obeisance: superpowers/special abilities come at a price for once! The story was interesting and will suck you in, the plot is solid, but I will admit to being a little let down by the ending (a little too tidy for me but still good). I'm very interested in seeing where they go with the new series...I'd love to see a 13 or 26 episode prequel discussing why the Gates appeared, what happened during the war Hei and Bai were involved in, what the Contractors and Dolls are, etc. I think there's plenty of material for a second series...just not necessarily as a sequel series. |
| DearS (TV) |
Not really good |
Kind of an interest concept but with a skanky execution. |
| Destiny of the Shrine Maiden (TV) |
Very good |
In the shoujo-ai realm, this one's more of an emotional trainwreck (as opposed to Marimite's staid sensibilities) but that doesn't mean it's a bad show. There were times when I wished there was more back story/more details but nothing to be done there. ...worth the time if you like shoujo-ai/yuri (plus it's better than the manga). |
| Detroit Metal City (OAV) |
Excellent |
Wow. I love how the show is like Gyagu Manga Biyori for adults.... I was laughing through out the entire show. |
| Digital Juice (OAV) |
Good |
|
| Dragon Half (OAV) |
Very good |
|
| El Cazador de la Bruja (TV) |
Good |
|
| Elfen Lied (TV) |
Excellent |
|
| Elfen Lied (OAV) |
Bad |
There have been a few instances in which an add-on OVA has detracted so much from the original story that I've tried to strike the mini-story from my mind. The Elfen Lied OAV, disappointingly, is one such instance. The series was amazing...and yet the OAV couldn't have been more dichotomous. Sad, really. |
| (The) Familiar of Zero (TV) |
Very good |
Fun story, fun characters, entertaining plot, and a story that doesn't have to resolve itself in one season because it can overflow into Futatsuki no Kishi. Altogether quite fun...I'm looking forward to the next two series!
I also liked how the story didn't find the need to bog itself down with Saito's life in Tokyo. It allowed the story to progress without the need for two completely different story arcs; I would've been concerned that the writers would've come up with some cockamamie plotline to connect both stories into one (more likely than not) disturbingly disjointed whole. |
| Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children (movie) |
Excellent |
There is no plot...but that doesn't mean I'll give such an amazing piece of Square Enix eye candy a poor rating just because of that. The movie's cg is GORGEOUS. That alone should be reason enough to give it high marks. Square has proven time and again that they are the studio for shiny pretty cg...FFVII:AC just solidifies this claim. |
| FLCL (OAV) |
Masterpiece |
I don't know...maybe it's the bizarre nature of the plot, the loveable characters, the fact that backstory is at a premium (and when it shows up it's a tiny gem that elucidates and enlightens) but pop culture references abound...or maybe it's ridiculously hip soundtrack (the show just wouldn't work without The Pillows), the slick cut-edge use of multiple animation techniques, and the way everything, despite the insanity of the story, fits together so well at the end of 6 episodes. Whatever it is, FLCL is worth watching at least once. |
| Franz Kafka's A Country Doctor (movie) |
Excellent |
I suppose my rating of 'excellent' for this is deceiving...I loved this work in the same way that I love films like Hour of the Wolf; it's artistic, bleak, and wonderfully surreal. The animation style, though odd, works beautifully to enhance the story and I love how the dialogue, taken from Kafka's story, is sparse but enlightening. |
| Full Metal Panic! (TV) |
Very good |
|
| Full Metal Panic! The Second Raid (TV) |
Very good |
If you loved the original FMP series or Fumoffu...uh, TSR is not the same. Where FMP is a nice, relatively even-keeled action story with dashes of comedy and romance and Fumoffu is basically just a light-hearted comedic sequel, TSR is something else entirely. Focusing a great deal on the Sousuke/Kaname dynamic, the show takes a darker turn when both protagonists are split up and forced to deal with a new (and very, very depraved) threat individually. The character development for both Sousuke and Kaname is fantastic (I especially appreciated the fact that Kaname isn't portrayed as helpless when she has to defend herself) and the story, though far darker than traditional FMP fare, adds a great deal to FMP canon. |
| Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu (TV) |
Good |
|
| Fullmetal Alchemist (TV) |
Excellent |
|
| Gag Manga Biyori (TV) |
Excellent |
It's a weird animation style, a strange brand of humor, and not so much a series as a set of (generally) random vignettes. And it had me in stitches the entire time. If you watch it, make sure to take note of the lyrics for the OP & ED...absolute ridiculous fun. |
| Ghost in the Shell (movie) |
Masterpiece |
|
| Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (movie) |
|
|
| Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (TV) |
Excellent |
|
| Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd GIG (TV) |
Excellent |
|
| Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex: Solid State Society (movie) |
|
|
| (The) Girl Who Leapt Through Time (movie) |
Excellent |
This is the kind of movie where I had to debate whether to give it an 'Excellent' rating or bump it up to 'Masterpiece'. Really, it's that good. |
| Girls Bravo (TV) |
Weak |
Yet another show I've ended up watching on double speed during an ecchi marathon. |
| Green Green (TV) |
Weak |
Yet another show I've ended up watching on double speed during an ecchi marathon. |
| Grenadier (TV) |
Weak |
Meh. Every so often I go on these binges of terrible ecchi...I watched Grenadier (on double speed) in the middle of one such bout of animated debauchery. Oh, and Mikan is one of the most annoying characters I've ever come across. |
| Gunslinger Girl (TV) |
Very good |
Hmm...ok, here's a really brief synopsis of how the show starts: A young girl (Henrietta) is in the hospital because of a brutal home invasion in which she witnesses her entire family murdered and then endures being raped multiple times. She receives cybernetic parts that allow her to recover from her injuries and (mercifully...or not) forget about what has happened to her in her past and is recruited (read "brainwashed") to become part of the muscle of a special ops group...and then you learn that there are other girls who have come from other terrible circumstances and been similarly brainwashed...
If this show doesn't rip your heart out, you're either oblivious to plot points or you're a cold-hearted bastard. |
| Haibane Renmei (TV) |
Masterpiece |
|
| He Is My Master (TV) |
Not really good |
|
| Hellsing (TV) |
Very good |
|
| Higan (OAV) |
|
|
| Hit o Nerae! (TV) |
Weak |
|
| Ichigeki Sacchu!! HoiHoi-san (special) |
Very good |
Well worth seeing and, clocking in at a mere 11 minutes, you haven't wasted much time if you don't like it. HoiHoi-san is, at it's core, an interesting take on the cuteness culture of Japan...and a damn amusing story to boot. |
| Ikki Tousen (TV) |
Not really good |
Ok...getting past the obtusely gratuitous bare breasts and panty shots, this show could have been fantastic. It had all sorts of plot elements going for it...but instead it goes for the cheap fan service. |
| Ikki Tousen: Dragon Destiny (TV) |
Not really good |
Like it's prequel, Dragon Destiny had a lot going for it with regard to plot and story (maybe even more than the original) but ignored that in favor of more over-the-top nudity. |
| INTERSTELLA 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem (movie) |
Very good |
Daft Punk + Leiji Matsumoto = OMGLOLBBQ. No, seriously. It's not just that Daft Punk's 'Discovery' Album was fit over an existing work by Matsumoto, they worked together to make it. And, for the most part it works beautifully. My only issue is with the final track (it's just too long). Definitely worth the time both for a great story and a great album. |
| Iria - Zeiram the Animation (OAV) |
Very good |
|
| Itsudatte My Santa! (OAV) |
Not really good |
Cute but shallow. |
| Jin-Roh - The Wolf Brigade (movie) |
Masterpiece |
|
| Kai Doh Maru (OAV) |
Not really good |
|
| Kasimasi - Girl Meets Girl (TV) |
Good |
|
| Kiddy Grade (TV) |
Very good |
|
| Kiki's Delivery Service (movie) |
Very good |
|
| Kill Bill Chapter 3: The Origin of O-Ren (movie segment) |
Good |
Not the greatest anime cut-scene...definitely over-stylized (probably on purpose) but it added to the first movie and wasn't out of place. |
| Kino no Tabi: The Beautiful World (movie) |
Masterpiece |
|
| Kino's Journey (TV) |
Masterpiece |
|
| Kino's Travels: Life Goes On (movie) |
Excellent |
|
| Knight of the Iron Dragon (OAV) |
Decent |
Part three of The Cockpit. I could take it or leave it. |
| Love Love? (TV) |
Weak |
|
| Lunar Legend Tsukihime (TV) |
Very good |
|
| Madlax (TV) |
|
|
| Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi (TV) |
Good |
|
| Maria Watches Over Us (TV) |
Very good |
|
| (The) Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (TV) |
Very good |
I'm not a Harutard (in fact, I found Haruhi to be rather annoying) but I can appreciate the show's quality and amusement. |
| Metropolis (movie) |
Very good |
There's one scene (and, for the sake of not spoiling for others, I'll leave it at that) in which Ray Charles' "I Can't Stop Loving You" is used in favor of a score...it's easily one of my favorite stand-alone scenes in any anime. |
| Millennium Actress (movie) |
Masterpiece |
Unrequited devotion, innocence, a life unfulfilled, the beauty and enjoyment of the chase...even if it's unsuccessful. The story of one Chiyoko Fujiwara, as only Satoshi Kon could tell it, takes the viewer on a beautifully emotional roller coaster where it's impossible not to enjoy becoming a voyeur. |
| Mouse (TV) |
Awful |
Ok...this show...I feel dirty knowing that I've seen the entire show. Sad panda. |
| Murder Princess (OAV) |
Decent |
I really didn't have any problem with Murder Princess's story or plot; the show was amusing. I just thought there was a great deal that could have been expanded upon with regard to the backstory of characters and such...I don't think 6 eps did the story justice. |
| My-HiME (TV) |
Excellent |
I have to give Mai HiME high marks for a number of reasons (and, no, the fact that this is one of my all-time favorite shows doesn't affect my marks)...the ability to juggle a large ensemble cast of characters and still build a great deal of back story for each, an interesting plot and a story that was told well, and (most importantly of all) realistic emotional motivations with regard to each of the HiME. While the first [little less than half] of the show suffers from fan-servicey stupidity, once the HiME Festival starts up, the show displays its true colors and wows with its unexpected depth. |
| My-Otome (TV) |
Very good |
Not as good as Mai HiME but still very enjoyable. |
| My-Otome 0~S.ifr~ (OAV) |
Good |
I just saw the first episode and I'm excited to for the rest of this next piece of the Mai series. There's a great deal of potential (and a lot of it stems from the fact that you don't really know any of the characters except for Maria Graceburt, Lena Sayers, and John Smith), the character and costume designs are [once again] a lot of fun, and the story itself looks pretty good. Hopefully it'll be better than Zwei was. |
| My-Otome Zwei (OAV) |
Good |
Meh, it started out strong and faded away with each successive episode. Disappointing for a hardcore Mai-series fan. |
| Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (movie) |
Masterpiece |
|
| Neon Genesis Evangelion (TV) |
Masterpiece |
Easily one of the most psychologically messed up shows of all time...while at the same time being one of the most important and best anime series of all time. |
| Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion (movie) |
Very good |
|
| Noir (TV) |
Excellent |
|
| Oku-sama wa Joshi Kōsei (TV) |
Weak |
|
| Origin ~Spirits of the Past~ (movie) |
Decent |
Absolutely gorgeous animation but the plot seems to be too much of a rehashed, remixed, bizarro world Mononokehime. |
| Otaku no Video (OAV) |
Masterpiece |
|
| Pani Poni Dash! (TV) |
Excellent |
|
| Paranoia Agent (TV) |
Excellent |
|
| Perfect Blue (movie) |
Masterpiece |
This is not a film for everyone but it's brilliance lies in it's ability to darken and distort reality...think David Lynch meets anime. |
| Please Teacher! (TV) |
Very good |
|
| Please Teacher! (OAV) |
Good |
|
| Please Twins! (TV) |
Good |
|
| Please Twins! (OAV) |
Good |
Another instance of an OAV/OVA detracting from a good series instead of adding to it. Sad, really. |
| Princess Mononoke (movie) |
Masterpiece |
I wrote a 50+ page senior thesis on this..."Reestablishing the Feminine: Female Archetypes in Princess Mononoke". There's a lot more to this film than meets the eye (not that the story, the score, and the animation aren't gorgeous on their own ;-) ). |
| Pumpkin Scissors (TV) |
So-so |
Ooooh, pumpkins! Ooooh, scissors! ...Uh, wtf?
(And what's up with the German/Nazi/SS connections? The rifles they use are very definitely based on the Mauser, the logo itself [and, granted, this may be a stretch] is vaguely similar to the SS deaths head insignia, and the uniform designs are also similar to those of wartime Germany...creepy.) |
| Puni Puni Poemy (OAV) |
Not really good |
|
| Ragnarok The Animation (TV) |
So-so |
|
| Read or Die (OAV) |
Very good |
|
| RIN - Daughters of Mnemosyne (TV) |
Decent |
I started out really liking this OAV but, after watching the final episode, I'm not sure quite how I feel. I think it might have been better if the story had been told with greater detail over 13 episodes...the ending felt rushed and felt kinda contrived. I mean, I know the whole Apos v. Rin thing was going to have to be resolved but I don't understand why Rin went from the confident heroine she had been for the past 5 episodes (excepting, of course, the first half of the fifth episode) to being an easily ruffled damsel-in-distress. I almost feel as if I missed an episode between the fifth and the sixth. |
| Samurai 7 (TV) |
Weak |
This show just dragged...and it wasn't even very good. It might have been better in a 13 episode format. |
| Samurai Champloo (TV) |
Masterpiece |
|
| School Days (TV) |
Very good |
Wow...I don't think I've ever come across a set of more reprehensible characters. Makoto is an emotionally ambivalent playboy who appears ignorant of the pain he's causing. The four girls who always bully Kotonoha (Otome, Kumi, Natsumi, and Minami)...they win the prize for emotional torment. Kotonoha and Sekai were the only two whose actions I could [somewhat] condone (...except for that whole, uh, yeah...I won't spoil the ending...). |
| Scrapped Princess (TV) |
Good |
|
| Serial Experiments Lain (TV) |
Masterpiece |
|
| Shakugan no Shana (TV) |
|
|
| Shamanic Princess (OAV) |
Good |
|
| Slipstream (OAV) |
Very good |
Part one of The Cockpit. The best work of the three...sadly that's not saying much. |
| Sonic Boom Squadron (OAV) |
Very good |
Part two of The Cockpit. An interesting concept but, like Knight of the Iron Dragon, it wasn't attention grabbing. |
| Spirited Away (movie) |
Masterpiece |
|
| Starship Operators (TV) |
Good |
I had watched up to about episode 9 and then it took about a year and a half until it got licensed so I could watch the rest. I thought the ending was building up to be something spectacular...man, was I disappointed. |
| Strawberry Panic! (TV) |
|
|
| Take the X Train (OAV) |
|
|
| TANK S.W.A.T. 01 (OAV) |
So-so |
Meh. Not one of the best stories for Masamune Shirow by any stretch. |
| Tenjho Tenge (TV) |
Very good |
I know there are a lot of people who are going to disagree with me on this one but I thought that Tenjou Tenge was actually pretty decent. It restrained itself in many instances (don't believe me? read the manga and you'll understand what I mean), the story was interesting, and the battles were entertaining. My 'very good' rating isn't so much about it being a fine, upstanding example of anime...it's more a description of it being good, not so clean fun. |
| Tenjho Tenge: Ultimate Fight (OAV) |
Decent |
|
| This Ugly Yet Beautiful World (TV) |
Not really good |
Yes, it's ecchi. Yes, there's gratuitous fan service like whoa. That doesn't preclude me from saying that I lost brain cells while watching this...especially when it tried so desperately to have some semblance of a plot. |
| Tokyo Godfathers (movie) |
Masterpiece |
|
| (The) Transformers: The Movie (U.S. movie) |
|
|
| Trigun (TV) |
Excellent |
|
| Trinity Blood (TV) |
|
|
| Tristia of the Deep Blue Sea (OAV) |
|
|
| Ultimate Girls (TV) |
|
|
| Welcome to the NHK (TV) |
Masterpiece |
|
| Yotoden (OAV) |
Decent |
|
| Zombie-Loan (TV) |
Decent |
|
