rm2kmidi's Anime
take a look at rm2kmidi's MangaI am a harsh critic. Not because I love being harsh, but because I think the top spots should be reserved for truly special shows. So with that said, even a show that does everything right may only get Very Good.
For Excellent, the show must be above and beyond expectations and leave a lasting impact. For Masterpiece it has to be Excellent and be "life changing"; it makes you think differently or instills new beliefs, the soundtrack must be perfect. A Masterpiece or excellent will usually evoke real emotions, you will feel invested in the characters, you will at times forget that you're watching a show.
| Seen all▲▼ | Rating▲▼ | Comment▲▼ |
| 5 Centimeters Per Second (movie) | Very good | This show was beautiful. |
| Aa Megami-sama (OAV 2011) | Good | |
| Aa Megami-sama: Tatakau Tsubasa (special) | Good | |
| Ah! My Goddess (TV) | Good | This show is very episodic and has a pretty simple premise. Keiichi is a college student who's life is so pathetic that he's granted one wish from the godess Belldandy. However, when he blurts out that wishes to be with her forever, his whole life is turned upside down. They find a place to live together and are later joined by her two sisters. This premise doesn't sound all that great, the way I described it. But I promise it's really fun! |
| Ah! My Goddess: Flights of Fancy (TV) | Good | Was sad to see this show wrap up. It's been a staple of our anime nights for a while and while the show is very episodic and predictable, these characters are so fun. I had some genuine laugh out loud moments. A lot of this show is pretty silly, but if you aren't looking for anything serious, this is a pretty good show. |
| Ai Yori Aoshi (TV) | Good | I don't know why I started watching the series, but I got hooked after the first few episodes. This is another one of those girly animes. Its a romantic story about two childhood friends falling in love. Of course, being anime, he has to have a harem follow him around. |
| Ai Yori Aoshi ~Enishi~ (TV) | I have this on DVD, it was one of the first anime series I watched. May as well see it eventually... even though its technically a harem. | |
| Air (TV) | So-so | This is by far the weakest of the Key shows I've seen. It's not a bad show, it has the expected Moe cliches that seem to have been toned-down in the later series. I guess it's to be expected that the creator's story-telling ability would improve over time - the ending to this show makes no sense. In fact, most of the main plot arc is mind-boggling and incoherent. In the final hour, the show jumps back 1000 years to feudal Japan. Although that's not in itself a bad thing, the past plot resolves itself poorly. Some last minute conflict is thrown in and that burden is shifted to their descendants - who just happen to be the characters in the main arc. No only does this not illuminate any of the conflicts in the main plot, but it obscures it more by offering solutions that are both ineffective and nonsensical. I guess you could say there's a bad ending with some twist to make a happy face at the end - but you really don't know what you saw and nothing really makes sense. Although I enjoyed most of the series, the fact that the ending was so muddled means that I cannot give this a good review. Hopefully the movie or the game will clear up the ending. |
| Akira (movie) | Good | This was probably groundbreaking when it came out, but now the plot of this just seems annoyingly trippy. As an addendum, I have since come to realize the significance of this show and what it represents to Japanese culture, unfortunately during my last viewing I was not educated or immersed enough in the culture to understand it. I should watch it again. |
| Angel Beats! (TV) | Very good | This show is an oddball to be sure. It's not what I would call *weird* but it's so different from anything out there that you really can't compare it to other shows. The best thing I can say is, that for a 13-episode series, you really get to know these characters. The opening theme is really good. Pretty much if you liked other Key shows like Clannad or Kanon, you'll definitely want to check this out. |
| Angel Links (TV) | Decent | This was a very interesting Sci-Fi show. It is a sequel to Outlaw Star, but I saw this one first in order to watch them according to their plot chronology. |
| Animal Crossing (movie) | Good | I had low expectations for this movie. I was pleasantly surprised with a very accurate and entertaining story revolving around the general plot and gameplay of Animal Crossing DS. It got me to pick up the game again after 4 months off! |
| anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day (TV) | Very good | From the creators of Toradora!, they once again manage to tell a story about high schoolers without following any of the standard conventions. This show follows a group of friends who broke apart when their friend Menma had an fatal accident. Menma suddenly appears to the protagonist Jinta, who is the only one who can see her. I felt this show was well paced and had good character development. Like Toradora! they don't waste any time in telling their story. If you're interested in a quality 11-episode drama with a supernatural twist, this is your show! |
| Armitage III (OAV) | Good | Kiefer Sutherland plays one of the main characters. Need I say more? |
| Bakemonogatari (TV) | Very good | This is a smart show about a high school kid around whom lots of supernatural things are happening. Excellent character design and development, fun dialog and entertaining plot. |
| Berserk (TV 2016) | Good | A very well-animated and well acted adaptation of Berserk. Doesn't drop you into the major stories that the previous adaptations have covered. Well worth your time if you like fantasy, and best of all: no filler. |
| Berserk (TV 2017) | Continues right after Berserk 2016. This story is a bit more directed and takes a more serious tone. I'm told this was one of the more important arcs in the manga that had yet to be covered in any previous adaptation. | |
| Berserk: The Golden Age Arc I - The Egg of the King (movie) | Excellent | This was a very high quality anime movie. I was drawn in immediately and it held my attention right to the end. I highly recommend this. |
| Berserk: The Golden Age Arc II - The Battle for Doldrey (movie) | Very good | This takes what was established in the last movie and continues with it, but tone starts to shift in an uncomfortable direction that continues through the third movie. Quality of animation and music is still top notch. |
| Berserk: The Golden Age Arc III - The Advent (movie) | Decent | This third movie has all the same quality of the previous two, but about a third of the way in, it departs into a severe mind-fuck territory and has some rather offensive and disturbing scenes throughout the rest of the movie. The rating is only as high as it is because of the high quality of production, acting, and the sense that this was put together with care, regardless of how misguided it was. |
| Beyond the Boundary (TV) | Good | Fairly generic high-school anime where a few of the main characters moonlight as Ghost Hunters a la Kekeishi and Yu Yu Hakusho. It has the same character designer as K-On (one of the main female characters resembles Mio). Female lead is interesting in that her power requires her to form weapons from her blood, which afterwards makes her anemic and hungry - also interesting in that she's not super confident, which is different. This show runs a single season with one major arc occupying the last few episodes. The ending was a bit generic, which wasn't a surprise for this show, but I still give it points for some originality and fun characters. |
| (The) Big O (TV) | Good | This apparently was made by the same animation studio that did the great Batman cartoons of my youth. It has a great story and excellent voice work. |
| Black Bullet (TV) | Weak | Magic children are used to fight some threat that once nearly wiped out humanity. I don't know what to make of this one yet. |
| Blame! (movie) | Very good | An excellent slice of one story arc from the manga Blame! Same high quality design and animation that we saw in Knights of Sidonia, but possibly a bigger budget this time as it's a sort feature instead of a series. |
| Blood: The Last Vampire (movie) | Good | This was a good movie. It wasn't too long, but had enough there to make it interesting. It's pretty much an action movie, taking place sometime in the 70's at an American Air Force base in Japan. What was particularly impressive was the voice acting - it wasn't so much that it was really good, it was average; but that most of the cast was bi-lingual. Because it is set on an Air Force base, the script frequently switched languages where appropriate. The intrigue is pretty good and there's a nice action payoff at the end. I recommend this, even to people that aren't super into vampire movies. |
| Bocchi the Rock! (TV) | Excellent | After seeing a couple episodes, I had to keep watching until the end. I connected to this show, both as a musician and as someone who struggles with social anxiety. The main character's social anxiety might be a little on the extreme side, but there were so many scenes that hit home. More importantly, I could feel these character's passion for music and creativity. This review doesn't really do the show justice. Let's just say I'll probably watch it again. It's like K-On! if the characters actually cared about their band and became professionals. |
| Bokurano (TV) | Very good | This is a solid full-season show. It's well written and despite having many characters, the show gets very personal with each of their stories. It's unpredictable and leaves you on edge of your seat. I also liked that each short story-arc was not confined to a one-episode format. That is, if they felt like they covered the story in 10 min, they left it at that. If they needed more than one episode, they accommodated it. It was really well done and unique. Not a typical mech-oriented show, probably a lot closer to a war-genre if anything. |
| Buso Renkin (TV) | So-so | I watched some of this because I like the manga and want to support Watsuki's works. Unfortunately, this anime didn't seem to capture the same ethos of the manga, for whatever reason. It was ok, but not what I was hoping for. |
| Clannad (TV) | Excellent | This series along with the game have found a special place in my heart. I wish there were shows like this when I was a teenager, depicting good healthy relationships both romantic and platonic. When I first showed this to my friend, he thought this was going to be one of those dorky sexually awkward harem animes, but after a couple episodes this show really showed its depth. All the characters in this show are deeply developed, you don't need to play the game to enjoy this show. It's a real slice-of-life, and you laugh with them, cry with them, and miss them when the season's over. For anyone who enjoys a good drama or romance, this is your anime. |
| Clannad After Story (TV) | Excellent | This show is probably one of the most beautiful and complete stories I've ever seen. Most high school slice-of-life dramas never get past high school. In Clannad you follow Tomoya from high school all the way into adulthood. It has some very relevant and touching scenes that will be with me for a long time. I recommend playing the PC game to if you can get a hold of it. |
| Claymore (TV) | Good | This was an interesting show. It takes place in a primarily medieval setting with a the central protagonist belonging to mysterious organization that hunts monsters. Unfortunately, this one one of those shows that was force to end because it was based on an on-going manga series. While the final plot arc wraps up some major ideas, the show leaves a lot of loose ends. |
| Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion (TV) | Decent | I enjoyed this when I was watching it, until one point where the plot was about to be resolved, and the writers unnaturally brought out the McGuffin to necessitate the conflict, rather than allowing it to arrive at a natural end. This show had some interesting ideas, but in the end became quite contrived. |
| Cowboy Bebop (TV) | Masterpiece | I'd originally assumed that my rating for Bebop was over-inflated. That because I saw it very early in my exploration of anime and because I saw it while I was still in my teen years, that my appreciation for the show might have been more due to its novelty than anything else. But I was wrong. This viewing was kicked off when I was having my annual tradition of watching the Cowboy Bebop Movie on Halloween. This time, I began to pick up on a whole new layer of cinematic and symbolic language that being used in the movie that I'd completely overlooked the last five or six viewings. Continuing this into the series, I saw how these points connected to the plot as a whole and how virtually everything in the series was connected some way; even some of the "next time" promos after the credits. Now a viewer can see this show and enjoy it as a good action show, it certainly fills that niche - but for the detail-oriented viewer, you're treated with all sorts of meaning that is not clearly evident until you piece everything together. As before, I commend this show for its well-drawn characters, perfect soundtrack by Yoko Kanno and its ability to portray a wide range of human emotions. Comedy, despair, drama, romance and even the more existential questions of life are all present here. For all these reasons, the show has moved to Masterpiece. |
| Cowboy Bebop: The Movie | Masterpiece | So I've had sleep issues that have plagued me up until recently. With my head now clear, I took a fresh look at this movie. While I knew it was a pretty fun movie, I didn't realize how intricate the symbolism was in this movie. Something as simple as a game of Shougi or Chinese checkers are way more important than just props that people play with as they're talking. Themes are brought up by one character, than picked up elsewhere by another. American reviewers didn't get this, the viewed it as pretentious and uninteresting; but if you've seen the show and you know what they're doing with the dialog, you will see the big picture and it's marvelous. The dialog has the right mix of serious and snappy, the pacing is perfect and it ends on a real climax. This is often lifted up as an example of what the anime movie should be, and I'm inclined to agree. This is a true masterpiece, Watanabe at his best. I recommend this be watched along with the TV series, this should be treated as a long episode, fitting in right before the episode Brain Scratch. |
| Cromartie High School (TV) | Very good | Hilarious series. I got the first episode with the first manga. The author is a great comedian, and this series is almost a direct copy from the manga. Excellent show. |
| (The) Dangers in My Heart (TV) | Very good | This show subverted my expectations. It bills itself as this creepy middle school kid who's into reading about serial killers and other violent stuff, how he hates this one girl who's a model and fantasizes about killing her. But what really happens is that the two of them meet and form a friendship which slowly blossoms into a relationship. The creator of this show kind of frames this show as if the main character is a patient who is being treated, and each episode he starts to "put away childish things" as it were. You see him grow up. |
| (The) Dangers in My Heart (TV 2) | Very good | The second season continues the story without any break in tone. The relationship continues to grow and they learn about each other. I think this is a very well told romance story with just the right amount of drama and humor. I'm looking forward to a third season if that happens (the manga is ongoing). If not, season 2 ends well, so that's fine. |
| Death Note (TV) | Good | This show is full of cliffhanger episodes. Fortunately the show is very very entertaining. Sort of trails off toward the end, but resolves the plot sufficiently. I would also recommend the live action movie. |
| DEVILMAN crybaby (ONA) | Good | This was one of the first Netflix shows I've seen. The plot was very serious and dark, but the story was interesting and kept me watching though, this show is pretty heavy on the violence and nudity. |
| Disgaea (TV) | Good | Based off the the Disgaea games, this show is about a young prince Laharl trying to take his rightful place as the king of hell. I quite enjoyed it. The characters are very unique and the plot is also very unique. I enjoyed the ending, however my friend who played the game says they used the "bad ending". |
| Don't Toy with Me, Miss Nagatoro (TV) | Decent | I initially saw this because I saw a screenshot somewhere and thought the character designs were good. I was unprepared for the opening of this show. *minor spoiler from the first episode* Basically this girl bullies the main character so hard that he starts crying. She continues abusing him for several episodes before their form a sort of friendship. This show eventually becomes lighthearted and turns into a proper romcom. but it was kind of hard to watch the first couple episodes. I would otherwise recommend the show. |
| Don't Toy with Me, Miss Nagatoro 2nd Attack (TV 2) | Decent | They do a good job in this show of letting the character's relationship develop as a natural pace. They don't forcibly return to the status quo, the characters actually experience growth and they tell some interesting stories. I would be up for another season of this. |
| Drifters (TV) | Lots of historical figures and regular people get dragged into an alternate world where they're fighting a war. Kind of interesting ideas but this show doesn't seem to be getting another season. | |
| Eden of the East (TV) | Good | This was a really interesting mystery. It has a realistic modern setting and the characters are all very real (not all pretty or idealistic, just normal people). I really enjoyed the opening and ending too, the opening has a song by Oasis with some interesting animation, the ending is this really cool paper-animation. This was a good show, I look forward to the movie. |
| Elfen Lied (TV) | Good | Elfen Lied is a very violent and shocking show. The first episode especially was aimed to shock and disgust the audience. And while there is more violence and nudity throughout the show, it is never quite as bad as the first episode. It's not one of those sadist shows like the Saw movies. There is a cohesive plot and some interesting sci-fi elements as well. But if you'll have to overlook the graphic nature of this show and the slight harem-anime tendencies. |
| Elfen Lied (OAV) | Decent | This oav is kind of interesting, but not really related to the plot. Sort of an Omake theater sort of thing. |
| Ergo Proxy (TV) | Very good | This is a really good series. I appreciate the depth of character development, the amazing artwork, and the beautiful opening. The plot is a little confusing, especially toward the end. I'm probably going to have to watch the whole thing over again to get everything. |
| Eureka Seven (TV) | Excellent | ☼ I truly appreciate the characters in this series. While their clothes and the setting might be a little strange, all the relationships between the characters are realistic. The characters are dealing with serious issues, but again like normal people have their leasure time and aren't serious all the time. This show's pace is perfect for watching an episode or two a week, it would probably be ruined by trying to watch it quickly or half-attentively. Give this show a try, I'm sure you will like it immediately. |
| Eureka Seven - good night, sleep tight, young lovers (movie) | Good | I saw this in a movie theater tonight. I was expecting an "event movie" as the producer put it, but was pleasantly surprised by a fresh re-imagined story that was good for both fans and those who hadn't seen the TV series. I was uneasy about the new plotline and how much of the details were rearranged to fit a new story, but it all gelled together nicely. Also the entire english dub cast was brought back for this movie. Kudos to Johnny Young Bouche (Renton), Stephanie Sheh (Eureka) and Crispin Freeman (Holland). |
| Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone (movie) | Very good | For anyone who had problems with the way Eva ended or the general bitchyness of the characters, Evangelion 1.0 is the perfect fix. It condenses the plot of the series into short OVA's (this being the first). I'm told that the manga had big impact on the way the characters are portrayed in this movie. Big improvement! |
| Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance (movie) | Excellent | The first of these Eva remake movies not directly handled by the original creator. This movie was superb and blended a bit of the manga and anime source material while making some changes that are unique to this retelling. This film is recommended to anyone who has seen the original series and 1.0. I don't recommend it as a replacement for the original. |
| Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children (movie) | So-so | Seriously, this is CG, this isn't manga-style. I've heard some people complaining that they don't like this because it's anime. This isn't really anime in the traditional sense. One more thing: If you saw this, but didn't play FFVII, then you really don't know what you saw. Don't pertend to understand what happened, because I've played FFVII three times, and I still don't understand the movie after seeing it twice. |
| Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (US CG movie) | Good | The news media pretty much killed this one before it came out. Everyone assumed that this was "another one of those lame video game movies" and dismissed it outright. That said, the plot was still pretty weak. I loved the CG, but it really had no relation to final fantasy other than the name. It's pretty sad that Square had to waste all that money. |
| (The) Final Flight of the Osiris (OAV) | So-so | Part of the Animatrix collection that takes place in between Matrix movies. It was alright, but not particularly memorable. For Matrix nerds, this story tells a piece of the background story and is referenced in the main movies. |
| FLCL (OAV) | Very good | This show is crazy but good. |
| Fruits Basket (TV 1/2001) | Excellent | I think Fruits Basket was my first real departure from Shonnen. The first series that didn't depend on action and fighting to carry the plot. I laughed, I cried, and I was depressed when I was done with it. Although we may never see another season of this, Fruits Basket is well worth the price of admission. |
| Full Metal Panic! (TV) | Good | This was a really good show. Although it does has the classic giant robot theme, it does it in a way that isn't obnoxious. (most) The chracters in this show are unique and the combination of domestic and military stories is genious. |
| Full Metal Panic! The Second Raid (TV) | Good | A fun romantic comedy about a jar-head protecting a high school girl and all the antics that causes. The bigger plot arc was pretty good as well. |
| Fullmetal Alchemist (TV) | Excellent | ☼ This show is about the relationship between the two main characters Ed and Al. The show is very dark and addresses many subjects that are uncomfortable. As twisted as the show is, its main characters, sound track, and animation are very well done. I especially liked the ending which was satisfying while making room for a movie. |
| Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (TV) | Excellent | I was worried that this was just the director selling us the same series again. I was wrong. FMA Brotherhood tells the story in a different way, emphasizes different characters and then at a certain point completely diverges from the other animated series. This is supposed to be more true to the manga plot, and although I wouldn't recommend this as a replacement for the original; this should be seen by any true FMA fan. |
| Fullmetal Alchemist: The Movie - Conqueror of Shamballa | Good | This movie did a really good job of drawing the series to a conclusion, but I do see what people mean about plot holes. Well, they werent so much plot holes as they were illogical decisions made by the characters. But this was a good movie. |
| Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos (movie) | Good | Like its cousin, Conquerors of Shambala, the movie doesn't deal with any of the greater story-lines but presents a self-contained plot. And while all the main characters behaved as they would in the series, no real character development is achieved. Several times they had to resort to Dues Ex Machina to resolve situations where the main character's live was in peril and the main antagonists were predictable and unintimidating. Regardless, I had fun watching this and the fight scenes were fairly memorable. I just wish anime movies had a little more help from the series creator so they could provide more depth to the story at large. Worth watching, but you lose nothing by not seeing it. |
| (The) Future Diary (TV) | Good | Interesting premise, the main character thinks the god of space and time is his imaginary friend; but it turns out he's real. After making some offhand comment, the god creates some kind of deadly contest using the contestant's diaries. The diaries show the future and update as players deviate from what's written. |
| Gantz (TV) | Very good | This show is weird, it was supposedly "banned in japan" and I would say that this show should be rated NC17 if it were to be given a movie rating. Although there are only 2 episodes on each DVD, the show is worth watching... uncut. If you see it on TV, you will see it horribly butchered; the first TV episode combines the first 4-5 episodes into one, removes any violence, and basically removes any plot, the character's thoughts and background, and anything interesting this show had to offer. Warning, the violence and nudity are rampant. If you are younger than seventeen, you probably shouldn't watch this show. The plot and character development were superb, and the ideological message of the series was very strong and clear. |
| Gantz (live-action movie) | Good | I enjoyed this movie. They made several major changes were made to the setting. They made the characters college-aged which allowed them to use older, more experienced actors. They cut a lot of extraneous dialog and side-plots and kept it simple. It was visually faithful to the original and overall a good adaptation. |
| Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet (TV) | So-so | Interersting premise about a human from deep space acidentally re-discovering earth (long thought to have been destroyed) and finding it to be populated, though much like Waterworld. Positive: Cool characters, the "mobile suit" is really advanced and has an impressive AI. They did a good job of showing how the languages would drift apart after being isolated for so long, he slowly is learning their language, but there are moments where they show it from eachother's perspectives. Negative: This show has a bit too much moe and fanservice, but it's not to the point of being annoying. Addendum: about halfway into the show, the fanservice is still present and somewhat annoying. The female lead is starting to seem like a Mary Sue. Not a whole lot of depth to her character, she's good at everything and loved by everyone. |
| Ghost in the Shell (movie) | Very good | A little too much nudity. Granted she's a cyborg, but still it was just fan service. The plot was interesting and it has spawned several good sequels. |
| Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (movie) | Very good | Decent plot punctuated by the dialog of the two of the main characters debating eachother with quotes and proverbs. Pretty interesting, but I prefer the TV series. |
| Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex: Solid State Society (movie) | Good | I love the quotation battles going on throughout this movie. Unfortunately I didn't realize this was a sequel to the television series, so I was a bit confused about what happened here. I'll try again once I've finished GITS: SEC |
| (The) Girl Who Leapt Through Time (movie) | Excellent | Ever wondered what you would do if you suddenly had the ability to time travel? This show, as it's title indicates, show exactly what a teenager would do with said powers. Let me first say, that this is a show that does time-travel right. Things are not overly-complicated, there aren't brain-numbing paradoxes or blatant contradictions. The animation in this is top-notch, exactly what you'd expect from a top budget animated feature. The music was thematic and well done. And the star of the show Emily Hirst (English dub) does an outstanding performance here. I would highly recommend this movie - even to non-anime fans. With one exception, this is sort-of a high school anime - so if you're averse to that, then you may or may not enjoy this. |
| Girls und Panzer (TV) | This goofy show kind of falls into the typical sports-anime format, except instead of a normal sport, it's cute girls having tank battles. I enjoyed this for what it was, it was a fun 13-episode run. Unique setting, but otherwise generic. Worth seeing. | |
| Goblin Slayer (TV) | Very good | This was high quality fantasy, solidly directed, animated and acted. I will definitely be seeing season 2. |
| Goku Sayonara Zetsubou-sensei (OAV) | Good | As said on the previous series, this show derives a lot of its humor from Japanese culture (and not just the otaku stuff, everything!). The uninitiated Western viewer will be at a loss as to what's going on, though they might enjoy it a little. For people like me that know way more than I should about Japan, this is great stuff. |
| Gosick (TV) | Good | An historically themed piece set in 1920's at a school in Italy. A Japanese student meets a doll-like genius girl that solves crimes to help her detective brother. A lot of anachronisms, but very pretty designs and well drawn scenery. Fun and engaging plot and interesting characters and mysteries. I was pretty disappointing with the end of the story. The plot felt pretty thin in the last six episodes or so, but the climax didn't involve solving mysteries and didn't even involve the main characters. The other major problem was that they had World War II starting in the mid 20's and ending in 1929. It just baffles me that someone could spend this much money on a production and not get basic historical facts right. The show was alright though, and I didn't feel like I lost my time. |
| Gungrave (TV) | Good | This show tells the full story of two men's life as they join a Mafia-like organization and rise to the top. This series was composed by the same person who worked on Trigun and the animation and characters designs are also reminiscent of that. |
| Gurren Lagann (TV) | Good | I have to admit that I wasn't too excited to watch this. The character designs, while detailed, are very strange and the plot is paced weirdly. Everything in this show is extreme and over-the-top. But once you get through the first six episodes or so you start to see an interesting plot and a world that bears resemblance to some RPG's I've played. It's aesthetic also bears a striking resemblance to Advance Wars. This show is a mixed bag; if you can get over the strangeness of the characters then you will enjoy it. After watching 60% of so, I can say that the show does have its moments. |
| .hack//Intermezzo (OAV) | Decent | |
| .hack//Legend of the Twilight (TV) | Decent | A spinoff of the .hack series While the manga was better, this has a decent plot and cute music. I could have sworn I saw all of this. |
| .hack//Roots (TV) | Very good | This mysterious continuation of the .hack series continues in the footsteps of .hack//sign with a dialog-driven plot, wonderful music, and interesting characters. The series is a precursor to the .hack//gu games (which I found out have already come out in japan). This series will ties into the game and exhibits the high quality of the previous 3 .hack animes. |
| .hack//SIGN (TV) | Very good | ☼ .hack//SIGN is a strange show. Either people love it or hate it. The reason I liked it was because of the strong character development. As a player of MMOrpg's I can relate to much of the philosophy and ideas being espoused by some of the older characters in the show. I think that even if you never pick up the games, you should watch this anime. If you like action, this isn't your anime. But if you want an intelligently written show with good dialog and an excellent plot, watch it! |
| Hanasaku Iroha - Blossoms for Tomorrow (TV) | Good | Just getting started with this one. The main character's irresponsible mother up and leaves with her new boyfriend and she's forced to move out to the country inn that her grandmother runs; not as a granddaughter, but as an employee. Interesting so far. |
| Honey and Clover (TV) | Very good | This was a great slice of life anime about young art students and their time together. As is common in series like this, a lot of the plot revolves around relationships... or in their case, potential relationships. There are some interesting philosophical points made throughout the show and some pretty emotional moments. All the characters are deep and realistic. I had a lot of fun with this series, and the last few episodes really cinched it for me. I look forward to part II. |
| Honey and Clover II (TV) | Very good | The first third of this second season is spent wrapping up unfinished stories from the first season. Then the rest of is a solid build-up to a satisfying, yet realistic ending. |
| Howl's Moving Castle (movie) | Excellent | This is the best Miyazaki film I have seen to date. Great voice cast for the english dub, entertaining through and through. Beautiful scenery, excellent score. A++ |
| I Can't Understand What My Husband Is Saying (TV) | Good | This is a light-hearted short-episode series of two seasons about a relationship between an Otaku and his normal wife. They're really economical with their time and tell a decent range of stories throughout the series. Well worth seeing. |
| I Can't Understand What My Husband is Saying: 2nd Thread (TV 2) | This continues the series of 5 min episodes about this husband and wife duo. Same level of quality and humor as before. Worth seeing. | |
| I couldn't become a hero, so I reluctantly decided to get a job. (TV) | Decent | The main thing I liked about this show was the setting. This takes place in a classic RPG world after the Demon Lord has been slain and the realm is at peace. This show has tons of generic rpg references and is generally pretty funny. My only complaint is that they go a little overboard on the fanservice. The plot's pretty predictable, but I still had fun, and with only 12 episode you don't have to invest very much time. |
| InuYasha the Movie 2: The Castle Beyond the Looking Glass | So-so | I accidentally watched this. |
| (The) irregular at magic high school (TV) | Weak | The main character is highly talented but doesn't test well in magic, so he's placed into a lower tier at this school, whereas his sister who is in the same year tests into the upper tier. Conflicts mainly center around the conflict between the two tiers of students. Interesting so far, and different from other high school anime I've seen. |
| Is This a Zombie? (TV) | Decent | While this show is heavy on the fan service, I enjoy the characters. The English dub, while a bit embellished, captures the humor in the dialog. Conflict in the show centers around the supernatural, particularly Lady Helsythe who is the necromancer that resurrected the main character. This season kind of leaves off with a rather weak resolution of the major conflicts, then the entire show is ruined by two terrible filler episodes, the first was a dreaded hotsprings episode which has since become the worst hotsprings episode I've ever seen. I'll describe the other on the comment for the OAV. |
| Is This a Zombie? (OAV) | So-so | The the second filler story, which is a typical Japanese summer festival where somehow, in an effort to drum up interest, they end up jokingly offering up two of the girls, and then we spend the entire episode watching horny guys compete with eachother trying to get to the girls, with really really bad gags and sex jokes, liberally thrown in. These last two episodes, while not relevant to the plot, have managed to drag this show down one rating. |
| Jungle de Ikou! (OAV) | Decent | If this wasn't a three episode series, the rating would've likely been much lower, but for three episodes I was willing to put up with some of the more ridiculous fanservice and poor production value. Viewing this show as a comedy, it's actually pretty amusing. The English dub is alright, Michelle Fahn does a solid performance as the main character. Again, the premise is completely ridiculous and wouldn't fly as a longer series, but is entertaining in small doses. Most of this show just gets one big WTF, but I had fun. |
| K-ON! (TV) | Good | As the fansubber CoalGuy said, if you don't like K-On then you didn't have any friends growing up. This show is about high school girls who form a band and their progress throughout their school years. It avoids most of the high-school anime cliches and as a musician, it strikes a chord with with me. |
| K-ON!! (TV 2) | So-so | Continues the spirit of the first series. I feel I relate to them because I was into music activities in high school like they are. |
| Kanon (TV 2/2006) | Good | This is another adaptation of a Key visual novel; as such it attempt to weave a story out of all the various endings in the game. While some of the stories were a bit bland, I thought they had some unique characters. The music was top-notch and I felt emotionally invested in the characters. I could've lived without the Mokoto arc, but I guess they had to keep it in there to be true to the story. |
| Kekkaishi (TV) | Good | I didn't think I would like this, but Kekkaishi keeps things simple and avoids falling into the "monster of the week" trap. It reminds me a lot of several other series with the Shinigami theme, but this one has a light-hearted approach while maintaining a serious plot. It is episodic while keeping an overall series plot arc. Update: 34 episodes in. I've heard others grumbling about the plot "not going anywhere". I'm still satisfied with the pace. It's not about the destination, its about the journey. As long as I don't feel they're wasting my time, they have my attention. Final thoughts: This series kept the same pace the whole way through with no noticeable decline in quality or content. I feel like they may have been leaving it open for a sequel, but they can safely leave it here without doing any damage to the series. This show was decent. |
| Kids on the Slope (TV) | Very good | Haven't seen any real work from Watanabe since Samurai Champloo, I presume he's been working on this and the live action Bebop movie that keeps getting pushed back. This show looks good so far. It's far from the usual high-school anime fair. Although there's barely any music in the first episode - this show is about Jazz music and they have Yoko Kanno and the Seatbelts. This is going to be awesome! |
| Kiki's Delivery Service (movie) | Very good | As expected from Miyazaki, he quickly develops relatable characters in a short period of time and tells a compelling story while wowing you with amazing artistry. The DVD version I saw was remastered so the DVD up-scaled nicely. The cast was top notch, I was surprised to find that the late Phil Hartman play Gigi, Kiki's talking cat; and the old-school airship scenes were definitely a plus for me. Don't miss it! |
| Kill Bill Chapter 3: The Origin of O-Ren (movie segment) | Good | Animated segment in Kill Bill. Was decently handled, but somewhat forgettable. |
| Knights of Sidonia (TV) | Good | Young pilot has lived underground his whole life and passed his days in a mech simulator. His grandpa dies and he's forced to return to the surface. Being related to a famous pilot and having considerable skill, he's drafted into piloting. I'm unclear if it's an academy or just an extracurricular activity. Interesting so far (2 eps in) |
| Listen to Me, Girls. I Am Your Father! (TV) | Decent | This show is borderline on the lolicon scale. However, I'm not certain if this is appealing to this demographic or mocking them. The core plot is interesting, a college student takes in his dead sister's children so the family isn't split up. It gives a fairly realistic portrayal about how this would go. Hits: Cute little three-year-old who actually acts like one. Potential girlfriend played my Yui Horie has a really interesting personality. Overall family dynamic is good and the plot is engaging. Misses: His 14-year old niece has a crush on him. Cringe humor is used way too much. One of his friends is an overt pedophile. Bottom line: This is not for most people. Take it or leave it. |
| Lucky Star (TV) | Very good | This is a fun, slice-of-life show about cute high school girls. I'd say it's similar to Asumaga-Dioh and pretty on point with its humor. I laughed out loud a number of times and it kept my attention all the way through. |
| Lucky Star OVA | Good | As much as enjoyed the series, this was as good if not better! I've actually gone back and watched this OVA several times. It's like a long episode of Lucky Star. |
| Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro (movie) | Very good | One of the few voice acting roles of David Hayter. I was presently surprised by this movie and had a good enough experience that I'd consider watching other Lupin shows, even though they wont have Hayter in them. |
| Macross 7 (TV) | Very good | First of all, I'd recommend this to anyone who has seen the original Macross; it will be a bit more confusing if you don't have the background; and just reading a summary wont really help. That point aside, this show was amazing. I honestly didn't think the idea of a band being the central characters of a sci-fi mecha anime would actually work, but amazingly it has. (Though on a side-note, I think this idea would only work in the Macross universe because of the Protoculture concept). The central protagonist, Nekki Basara is truly a man of his craft. While he may at first seem stuck up and arrogant, you eventually come to understand his passion for music, and how to him, everything else is secondary to that passion (hint: pay attention to what he sings about). As far as the main plot goes, the main villains are a bit generic and while they provide a solid adversary for Macross 7, with the exception of Sivil and Gigil, you never really feel like these enemies are real people with real motivations. So just in terms of the macro-level plot, I'd give this a Decent; but because of the strong characters, the interesting micro-level plot arcs and the wonderful music this show ranks as a Very Good. |
| Macross 7 Encore (OAV) | Not really good | This is an unbroadcasted short plot arc that takes place sometime during the later half of the series. It had its moments, but resolved nothing and at times sank pretty low. |
| Macross 7 the Movie: The Galaxy's Calling Me! | Decent | Interesting, but not really necessary for the main storyline. |
| Macross Dynamite 7 (OAV) | Good | This short series parallels Moby dick, where Captain Ahab is a Zentradi who wants to avenge his wife's death but killing the million-year-old space whale. Basara crash lands on their planet and he injures himself and the daughter of whale-hunting-Zentradi nurses him back to health. This is mostly physical comedy, and a couple good songs with very little dialog. I didn't waste my time, but this OAV can can be skipped without consequence to the larger universe. |
| Macross FB7: Ore no Uta o Kike! (movie) | Weak | This is basically a macross 7 clip show with a few added scenes. Was really a waste of time.... BEAUTY!!!!! |
| Macross Frontier (TV) | Awful | I wrote an extensive review of this on my blog. But to put it bluntly this not only is the worst entry in the series, it's almost the worst anime I've ever seen. This mockery of a macross takes serious themes of the franchise and makes them cheap tools for the furtherance of some pea-brained plot that I wouldn't even accuse fanfic writers of coming up with. Shallow characters, unrelatable villains, implausable events constantly interrupted by the ever-present Dues-Ex Machina, and most of all a love-triangle that is central to the plot but is never resolved. The only good things I can say about the show are that as always, Yoko Kanno gives a world-class soundtrack. The pop sequences were fun, although horribly abused by the plot, they managed to recapture some of that musician spirit that is ever-present in this franchise. The other good point was that the set designs and the main character designs were well done. But because of the point addressed above, I can honestly say that watching this was worse that watching Naruto filler and this show was a huge disappointment. |
| Macross Plus (OAV) | Good | A collaboration between Shinichiro Watanabe and Yoko Kano; it's hard to believe this came out about the same time as Macross 7. Macross plus has very modern production values; Watanabe takes his time with his storyboards; and as a result, it keeps a good momentum going throughout the four episodes. This series an be enjoyed whether or not you saw the original Macross; though I think it would be enhanced by knowing the background. |
| Macross Zero (OAV) | Good | This is a prequel to the original Super Dimension Fortress Macross - and is an OVA in the same vein as Macross Plus. A pilot crash lands on an island in the South Pacific and spends some time with some people in a very isolated part of the world. He is rescued in the second episode and is asked to pilot the new Valkyrie prototypes. Several other interesting plot strands are going at the same time, but haven't been fully developed. I was impressed that though there were some scenes reminiscent of the Thin Red Line, this soldier keeps it together and doesn't wander off into some idealistic diatribe. Unfortunately, at the end, I'm left scratching my head and wondering how this fits into any of the Macross universe. Though it was a good series, it didn't feel like Macross. |
| Madlax (TV) | Weak | This series had a great start and some fun characters. While this isn't Yuki Kaijira's best soundtrack, it's always fun to hear her work. But what I can't accept is the ending... A bad ending can ruin a good series and that's certainly true here. Unless you are a masochist or haven't seen Evangelion, then don't bother watching this series. You'll only be disappointed. |
| Magi: Adventure of Sinbad (TV) | Another Netflix-funded show. This was a fun re-telling of the old Sinbad the Sailor legend.... well not really. It's just show about an anime protagonist who has some vague similarities to him. But it's fun seeing an adventure show in a middle-eastern setting. This is a solid show and doesn't drag on. | |
| (The) Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (TV) | Excellent | It is amazing how much they were able to do in 14 episodes. The characters in this show were fantastic, and the plot was fascinating and unpredictable. Haruhi is amazing! |
| Mobile Suit Gundam (TV) | Excellent | So after seeing several small-scale Gundam series, we took the plunge into the heart of the franchise. Now about 30 episodes into the series, I have to say that there is a reason why this is a classic. Great characters, well-paced story telling and real human drama. People of all ages can enjoy this series. |
| Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket (OAV) | Good | I was hesitant to keep watching more Gundam series, but I've been pleasantly surprised that these short series have turned out to be well-written war stories. This one focuses on a specific colony, which is a microcosm for the entire peace situation. |
| Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory (OAV) | Good | This show has some of the best characters I've seen in anime. As always, the Gundam series doesn't paint either side as good or bad; rather they show the characters as people, each with their own motivations. If you're looking for a good war story, again Gundam delivers. As far as the sci-fi setting, I've been impressed every time at their attention to physics and internal consistency. I solidly recommend Stardust Memory. |
| Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ (TV) | Awful | Quite a letdown from the previous two series. This plot gets going about halfway through the series but doesn't go anywhere. There are some interesting character designs, but they don't really do anything with them. Same obvious cliches repeated over and over - characters are killed in a poor attempt to emotionally manipulate the audience, several poorly constructed romances start and end. In the end the political and philosophical motivations for both the antagonists (more like villains) and the protagonists are muddled and poorly explained. Having seen the sequel Char's counterattack, I can safely say that people should skip this series. You'll lose nothing plot-wise and save yourself a headache. |
| Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack (movie) | Good | I watched this after seeing Gundam ZZ (which was terrible). This was decent and adds to the Universal Century lore, but I can't say it was very memorable. |
| Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team (OAV) | Good | I never once felt like I was watching a mecha series. This short series was done by Sunrise and the focus was always on the characters and the story. They never have meaningless battles or pointless expositions on the technology that really doesn't matter. I would rank this up there with any live-action war movie I've seen. |
| Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam (TV) | Very good | A true space opera and inspiration to all that is Mecha in the world. This show has managed to hold my attention through nearly 50 episodes. Seeing the Captain Bright team up with the Char is a trip. They both are true soldiers and eventually this series' protagonist is too. All mecha cliches can be forgiven here as this show was likely the origin of many of them. I wont say the plots are great, they certainly are contrived at times - but this show has heart and can keep you watching. Like many earlier animes, the end of the series is a bit abrupt and spans a normal 30 min episode; but I suppose this might be because they fully intended to continue the big-picture story in Gundam ZZ. |
| Mushi-Shi (TV) | Masterpiece | This is quite possibly the best anime I have ever seen. We've been ending our anime nights with one episode of this. Every episode: beautiful, original, fascinating, peaceful. This is a masterpiece. |
| Naruto (TV) | Good | ☼ I love this show, unfortunately they decided to go past the plot of the manga and were forced to make filler episodes for a good 70% of the show. Still they created a great number of interesting ideas and settings. The characters are amazingly well designed, and it really has a wonderful choice of opening/ending themes, all of which I still listen to. A top budget show, and one of my favorites. |
| Naruto Special: Battle at Hidden Falls. I Am the Hero! (OAV) | Decent | Believe it or not, this was a decent OAV. It was about 44 minutes long and it had a pretty well developed plot. The only problem is trying to figure out where it fits into the Naruto universe. |
| Naruto the Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow | Not really good | Not only was the plot predictable, but my friend and I were able to predict the dialog up to 15 minutes ahead of time. Just one big filler plot. Really lame. |
| Naruto: Akaki Yotsuba no Clover o Sagase (OAV) | So-so | This was an interesting diversion with Konohamaru, but I didn't really find it to be particulary important. Thankfully it was only 22 minutes long. |
| Neon Genesis Evangelion (TV) | Good | This show would have been good, except for the fact that the guy who made it was writing it when he had a mental breakdown and was institutionalized. It has very strange and symbolic themes. The last few episodes, inside shinji's mind are particularly wierd. The plot is never resolved, but the main character's struggles are. This thing screwed with my mind too much to give it a good rating. |
| Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death & Rebirth (movie) | Not really good | This was just a recap of the series. Not too interesting. |
| Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion (movie) | Worst ever | This movie takes everything that Eva the TV series accomplished, and ruined it. This not only didn't resolve any plot, it just screwed everything over. Worst ever..... (GIANT NAKED REI IN SPACE!) |
| No Game, No Life (TV) | Very good | Guy and his kid sister are gaming addicts. They're whisked away to a land that revolves around playing games and placing bets. Smartly written, though the Loli jokes are kind of getting old. |
| Nodame Cantabile (TV) | Very good | This series reignited my love of classical music. The characters are believable and well written. The story is fun, not too slow not too fast. This show is worth seeing! |
| Nodame Cantabile: Finale (TV) | Decent | This seems to have been the slowest moving of the three seasons. With most the real conflicts resolved, the writers had to manufacture more conflict which really amounts to Nodame being irrational, highly emotional and reactionary. I enjoyed the fact that these characters got to live a bit longer, but I don't feel this really adds anything to the story. |
| Nodame Cantabile: Paris (TV) | Good | Though it seems to be losing its momentum. This sequel continues on the spirit and story of the previous season. Though this really is a middle series and the plot is in no way uniform; it still does a good job of showing developing relationships and careers of the characters. Each episode stands alone, yet contributes to the larger narrative. More funny-looking motion capture musicians and great classical music. |
| Noein - to your other self (TV) | Excellent | This show sat on my Want to See list for a long time. When I finally started watching, I almost quit. The show starts off pretty slow and it's hard to see where this is all leading. But if you give it a chance, it really pays off. Melissa Fahn of Cowboy Bebop fame performs well as the central protagonist Haruka and there is also a strong performance from Crispin Freeman (Kurasu). The art and soundtrack are top quality. It was well-paced and episode felt like it was worth watching, but left you wanting to keep watching. However what I liked the best about this show was the sci-fi backstory. This show explores the theories of multidimensionality and many-worlds theory which takes quite a while to wrap your brain around. While at first you think everything that is occurring is supernatural, everything has a rational explanation. Of course there they take a lot of liberties with this idea for story-telling sake, but I felt like this was both educational and entertaining. This also happens to be the first time in fiction I've ever seen a practical application for the Schrodinger's Cat scenario. But this isn't all technical, there's real drama here and they explore lots of complicated interpersonal issues as well. I recommend this to anyone that appreciates sci-fi. |
| Noir (TV) | Good | Thrilling right to the end. Like other Bee Train animes, this one is very dialog driven, however the action is also very well done. My only problem was the premise for the plot, the whole knights templar/mob type connection and there were several WTF scenes in the last episodes. Other then that, the show was pretty good. |
| Oreimo (TV) | Very good | I feel like I the reviews I've left here for this show have made it sound like a really weird show, since everyone I've recommended it to hasn't show the remotest interest in watching it after reading this blurb. So I'm going to try this again. This is a show about a brother who discovers his sister is hiding an obsession with visual novels. The plot revolves around the older brother helping her seek out like minded friends, then dealing with the fallout when her "normal" friends find out about her hobby. This is a really well done drama that is both humorous at times but also makes some good points about underground otaku culture. A bit of cultural knowledge is needed to fully appreciate this show. Specifically the Japanese fan terms involving manga, anime and visual novels. This show did a great job of developing these characters in such a short period of time. And unlike some other series, the bonus episodes actually make sense and advance the plot a bit more. One interesting note, the seiyuu for Kirino (the sister) also played Azuza on K-On!, and Kyou (the brother) is played by the same seiyuu who played Tomoya from Clannad. I guess it makes sense that someone who played the helpful male protagonist for Clannad would take on another visual novel-like role once more. This is a great show and I recommend it to serious anime fans. |
| Oreimo 2 (TV) | Decent | I really really liked this series, but the last five episodes of this second season were creepy and pissed on everything they'd built in this series. At the start of season two there were some excellent story arcs and it really fleshed out the characters. Kyosuke finally gets into a relationship and the story seems to be settling down - it really seems to be working out for him. They suddenly break that and every girl in this show seems to be throwing themselves at him. ====SPOILER==== Then they decide this show is really about incest, not just dancing around it, but actual serious incest. Everything short of actual sex. ===MORE SPOILERS=== And it doesn't stop til the very end, when they've ruined their friendships with almost everyone in this show. ===SPOILERS GALORE=== Then and only then, do they go for the damn Shamalan twist. ===SPOILERS=== A completely crappy ending to what was an otherwise interesting and off-beat slice-of-live. AGGHHH, so pissed off right now. |
| Oshi no Ko (TV) | This show got me hooked. The first episode is almost 90 minutes long. I didn't even realize until about the sixty minute mark that the episode had gone on that long. It's hard to summarize what this show is about without spoiling stuff. Suffice to say it's a fairly unique setting and premise. As of episode 4, really good. But I know they're going to end on a cliffhanger and make me wait for a second season. | |
| Other Worlds (movie) | Good | This was a pretty short OVA. Not much to say. |
| Outlaw Star (TV) | Very good | This show was amazing, it had the sci-fi mystique of cowboy bebop with an entirely different cast of characters and plots. I wish this had been shown on Saturday mornings rather than having been relegated to some late night program. See Angel Links first, it was a lesser spinoff which deserves to be seen, but isn't as good. Chronologically this comes after Angel Links. #6 on my Top-10 list. |
| Peacemaker (TV) | Good | Wow, this plot was dark and had the right mix of light and serious moments.8 |
| Penguindrum (TV) | Decent | Very surreal storyline about three siblings who's parents disappeared a while ago. I don't really know what to make of this story. It'd say it's a horrid mess, but it was very well done and I know the story was told this way for a reason. I just can't make heads or tails of it. If you like confusing stories and heavy metaphysical plots, then this is your show. |
| Perfect Blue (movie) | So-so | WTF |
| Persona 4: The Animation (TV) | Good | Almost done with this one, waiting on the final episode which will be released with the DVD. I haven't played the game, but I'm assured that this is an accurate retelling of the game. The plot and characters where unique and each one got developed. This show is a true whodunnit and made you think. But it also takes the time to be silly from time to time. If you like the Persona series of games, you should definitely check this out. Also recommended for mystery fans. |
| A Place Further Than the Universe (TV) | Good | A cute show about a group of high school girls who make it their goal to go on an expedition to Antarctica. After seeing this, I half wanted to go down there myself. It has the typical high-school girl anime tropes, but has a pretty unique story. |
| (The) Place Promised in Our Early Days (movie) | Good | This show was beautiful visually. I thought the plot was a bit contrived, but I didn't feel like I wasted my time. |
| Polar Bear's Café (TV) | Excellent | I can't say enough good things about this show. It's slow paced story and understated comedy were a real joy to watch and i was sad when it ended. Yes, it's a show about a Polar Bear running a cafe and the animals the frequent it. I get it, the concept sounds goofy. It's really good. It's not a kids show. Give it a chance! |
| Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea (movie) | Good | This was a nice surprise. Like most Miyazaki films, the central protagonist is a little kid. I thought this was a fun movie and had some great visuals. In retrospect, I think this is a retelling of the little mermaid. Disney did the English adaptation for Ponyo so there are some actors that you normally don't hear in anime, which is a nice change of pace. All-in-all, not my favorite Miyazaki film, but I would solidly recommend it. |
| Princess Mononoke (movie) | Very good | I saw this movie right when I was getting into anime. I really didn't track with the plot and probably should re-watch it now that I'm more familiar with Japanese storytelling conventions. Its current rating was just off of my gut reaction when I first signed up at ANN years ago. |
| Psycho-Pass (TV) | Very good | Surprisingly original sci-fi/cyberpunk police show in the vein of Ghost in the Shell. Deep character development occurred in the first few episodes, impressive story and dialog. |
| Ranma ½ (live-action special) | So-so | This was actually pretty funny. This was very low budget and was horribly campy, but they brought in some pretty prominent Japanese actors. Not exactly the most faithful recreation (I've read the manga and seen some of the anime), but if you like Ranma, it's worth watching. |
| Read or Die (OAV) | Decent | Saw this on Adult Swim one night, back when Adult Swim still showed quite a bit of Anime. Was interesting, but nothing to write home about. |
| Rent-A-Girlfriend (TV) | Very good | The plot was semi-predictable. Guy "rents" a girlfriend to help him get over a breakup and ends up starting to fall for her. Then things get more complicated as friends and family start to believe they really are dating. What sells this series isn't the kind of conventional plot, but the characters. I think they're all well designed and have a good amount of screentime. My one complaint about this series is the use of "cringe humor", I basically had to pause the show at least once an episode to sit there and cringe, |
| Rent-A-Girlfriend (TV 2) | Good | As I said in my review of season 1, what really sells this show is the characters. Season two continues as adds a few more characters. Some of the episodes are kind of rehashes of things that happened in Season 1, but they really do a good job developing the main characters and furthering a plot. There were a few moments I found really touching and besides the cringe humor, I had a good time. |
| Rent-A-Girlfriend (TV 3) | ||
| Restaurant to Another World (TV) | This show takes the right blend of a food anime and a fantasy anime. Stories are told centering around a magical restaurant that only appears in the fantasy world once per week. The characters, who are mostly use to medieval fare are blown away by modern "western" food. It's also fun seeing Western food as viewed by Japanese people. | |
| Restaurant to Another World (TV 2) | This continues where the previous season left off. There are some moments of character development that are quite satisfying and they get creative with the way the characters in the fantasy world interact with one another at the restaurant. I kind of felt like I needed to ration this show because I liked it so much. But all good things must come to an end. I would be very pleased to see a third season. | |
| Rurouni Kenshin (TV 1996) | Decent | ☼ While the show launched into filler episodes for the last 30% of the series, the themes and setting of this anime are quite good. I particularly appreciate Kenshin's pacifist ideology; he is willing to protect people but not to use violence to achieve his goals. I have moved it higher on the list because it had good stuff in it, even if it petered out. |
| Rurouni Kenshin: Reflection (OAV) | Very good | This wasn't as good as Trust and Betrayal, however this was really really good and put a good end to the Kenshin plot. |
| Rurouni Kenshin: Trust & Betrayal (OAV) | Masterpiece | This is my first anime to rate as a masterpiece. I had reservations on doing so, however I'm going to say that series are in a different catagory than OAV's. This is the best anime movie I have ever seen. It completely redeemed the Kenshin plot and not only served as an effective prequel, but told one of the most amazing stories I've ever seen in an anime. I recommend this to anyone, not just those who have seen the Kenshin series. |
| Samurai Champloo (TV) | Very good | ☼ Shinichrio Watanabe, director of Cowboy Bebop did this show. It is a great series, with good action, a good plot, interesting hip-hop style music, deeply developed themes and characters. I recommend this series. |
| Sayonara Zetsubou-sensei (TV) | Very good | This is comedy! The art style is very unique. What drew me in initially is that the animation team for the opening and endings did a Phoenix Wright tribute. Each episode is usually divided into two related plots. Each episode takes a topic related to Japanese or world culture and critiques it in a humorous and often over-the-top manner. A word of warning, this isn't for people that don't know much about anime or Japanese culture; this is very Japanese. |
| (The) Secret World of Arrietty (movie) | Excellent | This isn't exactly a Miyazaki film, but he did the storyboard so it definitely has the feel of one of his movies. The story is based on the children's book The Borrowers which I happened to have read growing up (not sure exactly when). This was a good adaptation. Amazingly detailed animation and artwork. Good for all ages and well worth seeing. It has a Disney cast, but they're very professional and everything comes across the way it's supposed to. I shouldn't really bring this up, but the only complaint was that the US release interrupts a really awesome Celtic piece in the ending credits to debut one of their flash-in-the-pan Disney Princesses; not only that, but the song wasn't very good and I haven't heard anything from this artist since then. The credits are pretty so I switched the audio to Japanese and avoided the the problem, but it sure was annoying. |
| Serial Experiments Lain (TV) | Good | I wasn't expecting much when I started this series. While I'm not exactly a big fan of the psychedelic mind trip (a la Evangelion), the plot was interesting and the characters were designed well. This show raises a lot of questions about where technology and the internet are heading; although it a bit outdated, it still has some relevant points for today's audiences. |
| (The) Seven Deadly Sins (TV) | Decent | The first season was a relatively straightforward fantasy plot and the characters are pretty fun. The second season kind of spins its wheels a bit. I expected that a little bit because of the climax the first season ended on, but now about a 1/3rd of the way into the second season and the plot still really hasn't picked up. |
| Shadow Skill (TV) | Good | I saw this show on a recommendation from Comcast's monthly DVD Dojo a while back. I have to say that the show is hilarious and very interesting to watch. I really enjoyed the music, setting and characters; however the ending left me wanting more. This may have been another case of an anime running out of manga material to work with and having to force an end. |
| Space Dandy (TV) | Good | From the creator of Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo. Watanabe and his team have done it again with a smartly written comedy that is both varied and light-hearted. I'm enjoying it so far. |
| Space Dandy Season 2 (TV) | This is just more of the same Space Dandy. He's a dandy guy..... in space. Pretty fun. | |
| Spice and Wolf (TV) | Very good | I love this show. It is set in some vaguely European setting right before or during the Renaissance. The show follows the Merchant Kraft Lawrence who encounters a Wolf God who wants to travel with him back to her homeland. The show is well researched and deals largely with the intricacies of business and mercantilism. Not only is it fascinating watching the two go at it, but you feel smarter after watching it. This is a dialog-driven story, so don't expect lots of action. But if you like a more laid-back show, this one is great. The English cast is excellent here and the dialog is well written. You wont be disappointed. |
| Spice and Wolf II (TV) | Good | This was a much slower continuation of the previous series (season?). While it still had the great voice acting (english dub) and rich dialog, the plot seemed to be intentionally stretched out to cover for a lack of material. They leave this season wide open for another season but it's been four years as of this writing and no series is forthcoming. Disappointing to have spent so much time on it, only to be left hanging. |
| Spirited Away (movie) | Very good | After watching part of this a second time, I've come to the realisation that this is a very very japanese anime. Really, it was incredibly popular in japan, but I really don't understand it. Any American who thinks that they do understand it is lieing to themselves... unless they're japanese. |
| Stars Align (TV) | Very good | |
| Steins;Gate (TV) | Very good | Might be the best show I've seen this year. While it starts off as a typical slice-of-life visual novel adaptation, this plot turns into hard science fiction and becomes increasingly intense. Only complaints are some additions to the script in the English dub, but the great performance by the English VA's more than makes up for that. |
| (The) Super Dimension Fortress Macross (TV) | Very good | I picked up the ADV English dub of Macross and was a bit skeptical at first. I was pleasantly surprised by a really solid story and great music. I now know why it's a classic. |
| (The) Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Do You Remember Love? (movie) | Good | A retelling of the original SDF Macross series. It was interesting to see this, because they reference it in Macross 7. It's pretty much the events and characters being explained by people twenty years later, with much embellishment and oversimplification. It's worth a watch if you're a fan of the franchise. |
| Sword Art Online (TV) | Good | This is a two-part show. Without revealing too much, I'll say the the first half was excellent, the second half was just ok. The ending was well done and wrapped up all the lose ends. I was worried that this would re-tread ground already covered by .hack but it was surprisingly original. Some moments were predictable, but it had enough to keep me coming back for another episode. The soundtrack, done by one of my favorite composers: Yuki Kajiura was a bit too subtle, wasn't quite as satisfying as some of her earlier work: .hack//SIGN, Noir and Madlax. |
| (The) Tatami Galaxy (TV) | Excellent | While I'm sure people of all ages can watch this and enjoy it. I feel like I related to this show because I'm roughly the same demographic. At times I felt like the show was reading my mind - the words on the screen were words I'd spoken, or thought. While I don't want to give too much away, this show is very existential. The main character, who is never named, finds himself repeating various possibilities of his college years, looking for the ideal rose-colored experience. The characters are designed by the artist who does the cover art for Asian Kung Fu Generation (and AKFG provides the opening theme). While this was trending at a Very Good rating, the show had a very satisfying ending which bumps it to Excellent. I would recommend this to anyone who, like the main character, is a 20-something who is still finding their way in the world, and likely hasn't had any kind of success with the opposite sex. |
| Terror in Resonance (TV) | Good | This was a rather serious show about a pair of terrorists in Japan. Directed by Shinichiro Watanabe of Cowboy Bebop fame and his legendary colleague Yoko Kanno doing the music. A solid effort by both. |
| That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime (TV) | Very good | I picked this up right when the isekai genre really started picking up. At the time, fantasy anime was few and far between. This one is kind of a slow build where the main character eventually builds his own nation with all the lesser monster races. This makes him a target of various forces. I feel like this one doesn't overdo the premise that he's from our world, and after a while he just kind of accepts where he is and what he's doing. |
| That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime (TV 2) | Very good | If you enjoyed the first season, this will be just as satisfying. My only complaint is that they start to take longer on their story arcs, it doesn't feel like it covered as much ground as season 1. But still worth watching. |
| Tokyo Godfathers (movie) | Decent | Three homeless people find an abandoned baby and try to return it to its mother. I'm told this is significant, because Japanese culture is even less likely to acknowledge the homeless than western cultures. Unlike a lot of Japanese animation, this feels like a cartoon rather than an animated depiction of realistic drama. Nevertheless, it was a fun ride. |
| Toradora! (TV) | Very good | Refreshingly original characters and a high school drama that plays to some of the old standby themes without repeating the tired cliche plots. Toradora is about relationships. Excellent character development and storytelling. |
| Trigun (TV) | Very good | ☼ Awesome show. The main theme addressed in the series is Pacifism. Vash strives to stop the senseless bloodshed, and pays for it with his injured body. This may be a really strange show, but Vash's philosophy has stuck with me. |
| Two Car (TV) | Decent | This was a fun short series about high school girls that have all gathered on this island for a motorcycle race. For the most part, this series does a good job developing the cast and telling a decent story. I have to say I don't care for the ending, and I feel like this is one of those series where the supporting cast is more interesting than the protagonists. |
| Uzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out! (TV) | Good | I'll admit, I watched this one because it's popular. This kind of got me into watching anime romcom, which I didn't think would be a genre I'd enjoy. These two college students, who's friendship started in high school, are constantly teasing each other and hanging out. Neither of them are honest with their feelings, which is somewhat frustrating. Nevertheless the relationship does progress somewhat. |
| Uzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out! (TV 2) | Good | This continues directly from season 1. I watched this simulcast, once a week was a good pace. Enjoyable romcom. This season you get to meet the characters families which is interesting. Fun to watch, but don't expect anything really deep. Both seasons had moments where I laughed out loud, and that is good enough for me! |
| Virus Buster Serge (TV) | Weak | Bland as bland can be. Terrible acting. Forgettable story. Not even really bad, just bland. |
| WATAMOTE (TV) | Good | This show was so different! Plot centers on a teen girl who is looking to be poplar and sociable in high school. Unfortunately she has no social skills and is isolated from her peers. While it was somewhat disturbing at times, I felt like this show did its subject justice. |
| Welcome to the NHK (TV) | Very good | The journey of a Hikkikomori conquering his fears and becoming somewhat self-reliant. While many of the scenarios are over the top and a bit contrived; this show hits home. As a single man who has yet to really establish himself - I can relate to many of the experiences of Sato. The animation isn't consistent here, but the dialog and story content more than make up for it. I would recommend this for any single person. |
| Witch Hunter Robin (TV) | Good | This was an excellent show. I enjoyed it thoroughly. The music was a bit repetive, but it was well done and spaced out enough not to get on my nerves. The characters, dialog, and plot were very well designed and I also have to give kudos to Crispin Freeman for the english script and voice casting. |
| Wolf's Rain (TV) | Excellent | This is a good series. The music was done by Yoko Kano, and I listen to the soundtrack often. This is another dark series. This one makes you almost depressed, but there is a constant hopefulness. Wonderful characters and plot. |
| Wolf's Rain (OAV) | Good | Ok, I didn't know these were in a separate catagory, since they're listed as regular episodes. I didn't really like the ending to wolf's rain. It was depressing, and it leaves a very bitter taste in your mouth. I don't mind sad anime, but this one could have ended better. |
| Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches (TV) | Good | This was an interesting short series. The premise is that girls at this school are given special powers that they pass down when they graduate. The main character has a "copy" power that allows him to take on and pass powers by kissing (yeah, kind of fanservicy). The main power they use at the start is a crazy body-swap power. They did a good job with this show of coming up with a serviceable plot and playing it out in a short number of episodes. The show doesn't overstay it's welcome and wraps things up nicely at the end. |
| Zan Sayonara Zetsubō Sensei (TV) | Very good | As said on the previous series, this show derives a lot of its humor from Japanese culture (and not just the otaku stuff, everything!). The uninitiated Western viewer will be at a loss as to what's going on, though they might enjoy it a little. For people like me that know way more than I should about Japan, this is great stuff. |
| Zan Sayonara Zetsubō Sensei Bangai-chi (OAV) | Good | This is more of the same over-the-top dark comedy. If you get most the Japanese references, this can be pretty fun. |
| Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou-sensei (TV) | Very good | As said on the previous series, this show derives a lot of its humor from Japanese culture (and not just the otaku stuff, everything!). The uninitiated Western viewer will be at a loss as to what's going on, though they might enjoy it a little. For people like me that know way more than I should about Japan, this is great stuff. |