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Seen all▲▼
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Rating▲▼
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Comment▲▼
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| Akira (movie) |
Excellent |
I have seen this film twice, and both times have simply been blown away by the greatness of the images. Its a movie that I could enjoy even if I didn't speak any Japanese and had no translation. |
| Baby Blue (movie) |
Very good |
I can't recall hardly anything that uses mood quite so well, and yet stays so firmly in the bounds of naturalism. Nice stuff. I think I might have to revisit this when I'm older and more nostalgic though. |
| Blue Submarine No.6 (OAV) |
Decent |
It's a dumb sorta thing, and boy did Gonzo really not know how to use CG back then. Enjoyable. Not much more than that. |
| Bodacious Space Pirates (TV) |
Decent |
It began with a promising start, with some very intriguing world building and characterization. This lasted for a few episodes, and then...it stopped. The characterization stopped, the world building stopped, the attention to detail stopped, and the show fell into unrelenting mediocrity that made me want to drop it. It took me several months to get through the majority. Then, the last few episodes, when you'd think most shows would start to fall apart, Pirates actually picked back up. It managed to make a compelling and somewhat interesting thematic end to what would have been totally forgettable otherwise. |
| Casshern Sins (TV) |
Good |
Okay, this is true for everything on my list, but ignore my given rating, because it's a very incomplete picture. I really enjoyed watching this series, and I just couldn't help but by respect it for doing some of the stuff it does with art and direction and subject matter. It rises far above a "good" in terms of that. It's just, the show has some pretty big structural issues which undermine it at every step, and what it's trying to say about life and death isn't nearly as intelligent as it seems to think it is. It undercut its emotional effectiveness for me. It doesn't really go for emotional realism, but it can't seem to function without it. |
| Cowboy Bebop (TV) |
Excellent |
You know that thing that everyone likes? Everyone likes it for a really, really good reason. It has its flaws and off moments, but an anime need not be flawless to be a masterpiece. |
| Cowboy Bebop: The Movie |
Very good |
A really great movie with all the things that were good about BeBop. It's about 30 minutes too long, and it kinda shows that Nobumoto is less good at pacing for films than for TV, but it's still a great thing to put on for halloween. |
| Daicon films (special) |
Masterpiece |
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| Deadman Wonderland (TV) |
Decent |
One of the dumbest shows I've ever seen. It's not quite bad enough at a technical directorial level to be M.D. Geist level so-bad-it's-good, but it has that same sort of charm. But make no mistake, it's pretty bad. |
| (The) Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya (movie) |
Very good |
Suzumiya Haruhi was pretty great for a couple of reasons, but not for being a drama. This film takes all the elements built up in that first season and turns it into an excellent study in atmosphere and character. It's also significantly longer than it needs to be, and unfortunately suffers for this.
On the other hand, to its credit, I am not a moe fan, but thanks to Yuki, I definitely understand what it is now. |
| Dracula: Sovereign Of The Damned (special) |
Awful |
Plenty of anime are bizarre in a sort of ironic way, but this film is probably the most bizarre, and is completely un-ironic. Nothing anyone does makes sense, the dialog is terrible, the dubbing is terrible, the animation is terrible, the direction is terrible, the editing is terrible, and it overall makes for one of the most entertaining bad anime I've ever watched. It's less boring than Garzey's Wing, anyway. |
| Eden of the East (TV) |
Very good |
I had a lot more fun watching it than I think I do remembering it. Whether or not it leaves as much of a lasting impression as I thought it would, it's a really well paced and gripping show. |
| Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone (movie) |
Good |
The first few episodes of Evangelion, reworked, reanimated, and paced poorly. Eh. |
| Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance (movie) |
Excellent |
I really need to rewatch this. It was such a blur, but what a great and memorable blur it was. |
| Fractale (TV) |
Good |
In the words of one of this site's editors, "well, this sure was a thing." A shame, really. The first few episodes seemed so promising in a literary sci-fi sort of way. |
| Garzey's Wing (OAV) |
Awful |
One of the funniest movies you'll ever see. Provided you bring friends to help you through. |
| Ghost in the Shell (movie) |
Masterpiece |
Gunfights, mostly naked chicks, and the philosophy of transhumanism? Directed by Mamoru Oshii? Can I, like, live in this movie? Because I want to live in this movie. |
| Grave of the Fireflies (movie) |
Very good |
No, I didn't cry, but it's still a really great film about a really important subject. It deserves almost all the praise it gets. |
| Hetalia - Axis Powers (TV) |
So-so |
Good when it's making historical jokes. Not so great when it's not. Which is most of the time. Best in small doses and with Funi's dub. |
| Hetalia Axis Powers: Paint it, White! (movie) |
Decent |
Badly directed and badly animated, but enjoyable with Funi's dub and an actual Hetalia fan to watch it with. |
| Inferno Cop (ONA) |
Masterpiece |
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| INTERSTELLA 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem (movie) |
Masterpiece |
One of the big things that got me into anime. It's simple, but it's just so perfect. It helps that I'm a huge Daft Punk fan. |
| Jormungand (TV) |
Very good |
Not consistently outstanding, but when it's firing on all cylinders, it runs like a stallion, man. I found this one of the most downright enjoyable things to come out of Japan for a while. Feels perfect for Toonami. |
| Kids on the Slope (TV) |
Very good |
I think everyone was expecting a little more out of this show than it had in it. We were expecting more Yoko Kanno jazz, and more Cowboy BeBop visual panache. What we got wasn't bad by any means. In fact, it's a very well made and realistic character drama of the sort that we need more of out of Japan. The attention to detail in the direction is obvious, and Shinichiro Watanabe always brings something interesting to the table in terms of style. It's just that the love story, while ultimately effective and satisfying, really didn't have too much to it. It does not have that special sort of charisma. Unlike the jazz, it does not swing. But it does invest you, by the end. |
| (The) Legend of the Galactic Heroes (OAV) |
Excellent |
Such a sprawling, meaningful, and consistently excellent series, I don't know where I should even begin. |
| M.D. Geist (OAV) |
Bad |
So dumb and badly made that it actually loops back on itself and becomes awesome again. I must disagree with Mr. Sevakis - this is eminently watchable, even to a film student. |
| Macross Zero (OAV) |
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One of the first anime I saw. Fansubbed and without sound, on youtube. I can't judge it, since it's been too long. |
| (The) Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (TV) |
Very good |
I feel like the first few episodes are extraneous (except the student film - that was hilarious), but the rest of the show is really well made, and has some surprising depths. One of the things that got me into anime. |
| (The) Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (TV 2009 renewal) |
Good |
Yeah, yeah, Endless Eight and all that, but that arc right at the end was very well done. You can't ignore Endless Eight when judging the season as a whole, but you can't ignore the parts it got right either. |
| (The) Melancholy of Haruhi-chan Suzumiya (ONA) |
Weak |
Didn't work. |
| Neo-Tokyo (movie) |
Excellent |
Such great filmmaking throughout. I don't want to evaluate this as a whole, but all three films are worth your while, and for different reasons. |
| Neon Genesis Evangelion (TV) |
Masterpiece |
I'm the half that loves Evangelion. I don't find any of the characters annoying, I can deal with the unintentional obscurantism, and in the end, I am so utterly in love with it that its very real shortcomings don't even matter to me. |
| Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death & Rebirth (movie) |
Decent |
It's a clip show. A well done clip show, but a clip show. Eh. |
| Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion (movie) |
Excellent |
First two times I saw this, it didn't work for me. Third time I watched it, I loved it. All three times, I recognized how awesome the imagery was. |
| (The) Order to Stop Construction (movie) |
Excellent |
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| Patlabor 2: The Movie (movie 2) |
Excellent |
Birds have feathers, clouds are fluffy, and Mamoru Oshii is an incredible filmmaker. |
| Planetes (TV) |
Very good |
It's a consistently great show, but it did have a lot of off moments for me personally. Fun stuff. Deserves more recognition than it gets. |
| Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea (movie) |
Weak |
Look. Just because it's for kids does not mean it has to be bereft of, like, all the elements a movie really should have. Like plot. And characters. And meaning. |
| Princess Mononoke (movie) |
Very good |
You know how people say that this movie should have gotten the Academy Award instead of Spirited Away?
This movie should have gotten the Academy Award instead of Spirited Away. |
| Puella Magi Madoka Magica (TV) |
Masterpiece |
Madoka Magica is the result of many talented people coming together for the singular purpose of expressing an idea in a 12 episode anime as perfectly as they possibly can. All the cylinders are firing on this show, and it's absolutely incredible, from...well, episode one was kinda redundant...but almost from start to finish. Few shows are as simultaneously meaningful and effective as Madoka Magica. |
| Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie Part 1: Beginnings |
Masterpiece |
Madoka Magica with better animation and pacing. See Part 2. |
| Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie Part 2: Eternal |
Masterpiece |
Madoka Magica with better animation and pacing. It seems like some weight is taken away from Mami's arc, but placed in Kyoko's (who definitely needed it). Her character makes a lot more sense now. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend these films above the TV show. |
| Running Man (movie) |
Excellent |
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| Short Peace (movie) |
Very good |
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| (The) Sky Crawlers (movie) |
Excellent |
Of all the Oshii films I've seen, this is probably his most distant and cold feeling one. In terms of pure effectiveness, he's had much better days, but his visual flare is still strong, and the ideas at the film's core are very interesting. Also, cool planes. |
| Spirited Away (movie) |
So-so |
I don't quite understand why this movie is as popular as it is. I mean, visually it's masterful, but there's not really anything...there. I don't really care much about any of the characters, the story is not especially well told, and there's no real higher meaning to it all. It just looks really great for two hours and then goes on its merry way. |
| Starship Operators (TV) |
Good |
It was episode ten before I could actually remember who each of the characters were. Not a good sign. Still, I did enjoy the tactical-quandary-of-the-week format. I'm a sucker for this sort of hard sci-fi war and tactics sort of thing. It's just not particularly good otherwise. |
| (The) Super Dimension Fortress Macross (TV) |
Good |
Ishiguro is a good director, and this show has some great moments. But they're generally the exception. As a rule, when the show is doing its "culture and war" thing, it's good. When its doing its cheesy love triangle thing, it mostly falls flat. Also, more cool planes. |
| Trigun (TV) |
Very good |
A very good show. Not a masterpiece in any quantifiable way, not as far as I can see, but still very good. I'm one of the outspoken few who thought it handled the transition from farce to drama very well. |
| Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou (OAV) |
So-so |
Look, there's a difference between a sedately, atmospheric, contemplative piece like the manga was, and just having thirty minutes of nothing. I really wanted to like this, but...eh. |
| Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou: Quiet Country Cafe (OAV) |
Not really good |
Slightly more nothing than the first part. |
