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Seen all Rating Comment
5 Centimeters Per Second (movie) Very good A gorgeous and moving film, but perhaps a little on the boring side. However, the short length along with the fantastic artwork makes this a film worth watching, but I feel that unless you can appreciate the artistic merit then you won't enjoy this.
Afro Samurai (TV) Excellent An awesome, stark, brutal and refreshing series that any fan of dark anime/action should watch (seeing as it's so short, you don't really have an excuse not to).
Afro Samurai: Resurrection (movie) Excellent This is essentially just a continuation of the series, and is every bit as good. Dark, visceral and sexy.
Akira (movie) Very good So much head, so little face. An epic, strange and shocking movie that holds no punches throughout.
(The) Animatrix (OAV) Excellent A stellar production based on one of the greatest movies of all time. I love how this manages to also be a showcase of animation history at the same time as being a beautiful, philosophical grand opus. However, not recommended to watch if you haven't seen the film, but then again if you haven't seen the film then I don't really know why there is anything else you are doing right now. Some might be annoyed by the lack of a driving plot line, but if you can sit back and appreciate this and the universe that the Wachowski Brothers invented, then it simply breathtaking.
anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day (TV) Very good A nice, uplifting and emotional short series. Makes you think a lot about love, loss and friendship. The characters were all nicely varied and interesting, and the whole thing was very well made and thought out.
Azumanga Daioh (TV) Masterpiece The most honest show I have ever seen; simple, very funny and extremely lighthearted, an absolute joy to watch all the way through. No over-the-top fighting girls, nothing paranormal, no mechas, swords, etc. (all the anime clichés), just wonderful characters being themselves, producing an absolute gem of a series.
Azumanga Daioh - The Very Short Movie Good Entertaining, but really doesn't do the series justice.
Azumanga Web Daioh (ONA) Decent The voices are weird and it's not as good as a normal episode of the main series, but it was still alright to watch.
BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad (TV) Decent Wasn't amazed by any part of this, the animation is actually pretty poor and the English voice acting is appalling, but the story are characters are both good. I like the ongoing romance aspect and the show feels pretty genuine. This ends pretty loosely and doesn't really wrap anything up, but I have been told that the manga goes much further than the anime.
Bunny Drop (TV) Excellent This was lovely all the way through, and the relationship between Daikichi and Rin felt extremely genuine. To give some idea of how addictively lovely it is, I watched the whole thing in one day. Art, acting, story and characters were all great. I would have liked it to have been a bit longer, but I suppose where it ended was as good a point as any without stretching the story. The original manga goes on after the anime to 10 years later, but I think that having Rin all grown up ruins the point, and I'm glad the anime ended with her staying a child.
Castle in the Sky (movie) Masterpiece This is probably the most plot-driven of any Miyazaki film, and easily one of my favourites. The detailing on Laputa is completely mind-blowing. The story is great, the characters are adorable, and the entire thing is prettier than a supermodel lesbian sandwich. Cannot recommend this enough.
Chobits (TV) Not really good Not really worth seeing (unless you have a particular like for robot girls), but well made enough for me to at least finish. Chii.
Clannad (TV) Good A little ridiculous at times, but overall good. The main characters are well defined and the show can be extremely funny, the story itself is a little ropey but it's still enjoyable to watch.
Clannad After Story (TV) Very good Better than the first series. Still, the story isn't amazing, with many parts that don't really make sense, and no attempt is made to justify them. There are some extremely emotional parts one the series gets going, which I must admit I found quite touching, but I was left a bit confused and fairly unsatisfied by the end. There is however, some extremely good character development on the part of Okazaki, I found myself completely hating the guy at times and really liking him at others.
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion (TV) Good At first, I was far from impressed by this. Freakishly thin characters (seemingly all of them), uninteresting mech battles and uninteresting characters. However, it grew on me as I watched more, the characters developed (although really the only interesting ones are C.C., Euphemia and Lelouch) and the story unraveled to reveal something both deep and interesting. The show peaked around episodes 18 onwards, but annoyingly the last episode was far from an ending in any sense, essentially forcing you to watch the second series if you care at all about finishing the story. Fortunately, I liked this enough to do so.
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2 (TV) Good There was a point about halfway through this where I wasn't even sure if I was going to bother finishing this. However, I soldiered on and was greatly rewarded. I think this had the potential to be a masterpiece, if all the bad things were taken out. Sadly, these things are most certainly there and most definitely apparent. The overall story is great, and I was very pleased with the ending, but all the bits in-between the actual story development I found contrived and irritating. It's almost as if there was some utter crap quota that had to be filled for the show, so the makers were forced to put in fanservice and annoying hijinks. I could also never get to grips with how all the characters seemed to be having a conversation with each other during a battle. Perhaps the UN forces Skype to be enabled in all battles in the future, or maybe this is more to contribute to the utter crap quota. Or maybe soldiers argue instead of fight now, I don't know. I am currently confused as to how this is currently on the top 10 on ANN, there are far more than 10 shows that are better than this. Overall, good and worth a watch if you have the time (both series combined is a fairly long watch), but don't expect it to be without its bad parts.
Cowboy Bebop (TV) Masterpiece The single classiest thing I have ever seen. Fantastic characters, production and atmosphere, solid all the way through, finishing fabulously. This was the show that really got me in to anime, it's far better made than almost every TV show I've seen and has certainly stood the test of time.
Cowboy Bebop: The Movie Excellent Amazing movie, full of everything that made the anime series great.
Death Note (TV) Masterpiece Incredibly clever, dark, honest, and surprisingly relatable despite the plot being rooted in the supernatural. Quite possibly the most intense and elaborate detective stories of all time, rife with twists and utter mindf**ks. One of the few anime I would recommend anyone to watch, even if they have seen none or very little before.
Death Note Relight - Visions of a God (special) So-so Mostly pointless, although I can't really say that it's bad. This is about 95% recycled from the main series, and is essentially just a cut-down retelling of the first half of the story, with a few snippets of new content here and there. However, it did reveal something at the end that confirmed something I had thought would happen from near the start of the anime, so I did at least get something out of watching it. Unfortunately it was mostly 2 hours of seeing what I'd already seen again. Certainly don't watch this unless you're a real fan of Death Note.
Detroit Metal City (OAV) Good Utterly, utterly stupid, but that is its appeal. So stupid that it's worth watching. Very funny, and even more so if you are a metal fan.
Devil May Cry (TV) Good I only really watched this as I am a fan of the games, but I was pleasantly surprised by a decent series with few downfalls. I would only really recommend it if you are a fan or like the genre that it's in, but if so then it's probably worth your time.
(The) Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya (movie) Excellent This absolutely needs to be watched after the series, otherwise much of the film will be lost on you, and if you do then it's marvellous. A wonderful addition to the series, but sadly does no more to conclude the underlying story as I hoped it might have. Disregarding that, and taking the movie for what it is, it's a brilliant exploration into the world that the series created, with some utterly precious moments.
Eden of the East (TV) Excellent I enjoyed this so much from that start that I actually ended up watching the whole thing in one day! An incredible series devoid of all the cliché that often bogs down anime, great characters, story and animation. The only thing that made it short of a masterpiece for me was the brevity, I feel like much more time could have been taken to draw out the story and develop the obvious romance between the two main characters. Despite that, this is definitely a must-watch, especially as it'll take you no time at all.
Eden of the East: Paradise Lost (movie) Decent Some very good bits, and answers a lot of questions still remaining from the series and first movie, but ultimately still leaves a lot of the story wide open. Not worth watching unless you've seen both the series and the first film and enjoyed them.
Eden of the East: The King of Eden (movie) So-so Pretty weak as a film on its own, but progresses the story of Eden of the East. It's really just more of the series, although I felt like it was far less enjoyable than the main series. Not worth watching unless you've seen the main series and enjoyed it.
Elfen Lied (TV) Good Incredibly dark and gory, unsettling and macabre, blended in with cuteness (which helps to reinforce the darker parts). A little far-fetched, but if that doesn't bother you (and you can deal with the violence) then you should love this.
Ergo Proxy (TV) Very good A dark and bleak anime, yet one of the most beautiful I have seen. Interesting, novel story and great characters make for a good watch, although it is far from light viewing.
FLCL (OAV) Very good WTF AM I WATCHING. I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IS EVEN BUT IT'S AWESOME.
Full Metal Panic! (TV) Decent Decent show, nothing particularly bad about it in any way, but nothing especially good about it either. Not a waste of time but I wouldn't prioritise it over much else. Also big mechas.
Fullmetal Alchemist (TV) Excellent Astoundingly powerful, emotional and gripping show that encompassed most of the anime spectrum, pulling off most settings beautifully. It sways from heartwarming to intense to utterly bleak without showing any seams, along with great characters and a fantastic story that is sure to please almost anyone.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (TV) Excellent A fantastic expansion of the already great first series, this time with a greater depth of story and characters, and overall more enjoyable to watch. Didn't think the first series could have been improved much; seems I was wrong.
Fullmetal Alchemist: The Movie - Conqueror of Shamballa Excellent Astoundingly brilliant film; epic, beautiful and extremely clever. This is the ending that all fans wanted at the end of the series. Don't watch this unless you've seen the main series, otherwise it won't make proper sense and will ruin it.
(The) Girl Who Leapt Through Time (movie) Excellent Don't really know what to add other than this is most excellent in every way.
Grave of the Fireflies (movie) Excellent Sadder than a sad pie baked at gas mark sad until nothing else really seems sad. Also rather beautiful. This film showcases the true stupidity of war and just how hard life can be.
Howl's Moving Castle (movie) Masterpiece A true masterpiece. I felt that the characters really came through in this more than any other Ghibli film, they really shone through. Stunningly beautiful, with a great story and characters. The animation on the Castle itself was particularly amazing.
Ikki Tousen (TV) Weak A series almost entirely based upon fan-service and anime cliché (fighting girls, panty flashes, enormous breasts, implied incest), lacking in story and development. Although, it was a little fun to watch. Don't expect anything special though.
Ikki Tousen: Dragon Destiny (TV) Not really good More of the same from the first series, but this time a little more serious/driven and less fooling around.
K-ON! (TV) Good It's a show about girls in a band. That is all. The characters are great (not just the standard cookie-cutter moe types), the animation is excellent, but while I found it extremely enjoyable to watch it really wasn't anything special. If you're looking for some light watching, you can't really go wrong with this, I expect you'll grow to love at least one of the characters, but again, don't expect anything amazing.
K-ON!! (TV 2) Very good More of the same as the first series, but seemed a little bit more together to me. A great (if again, nothing revolutionary) series that I was really sad to finish, and the soundtrack will stick with me for a long time. :)
Kiki's Delivery Service (movie) Good Good, but pretty disappointing by Miyazaki standards. I'm not sure really why I like this less than the consensus, but I didn't feel the Miyazaki magic that has definitely been there in many others of his films.
(The) Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (TV) Very good I was a bit disappointed with this, for the sole reason that what could have easily been one of my favourite shows of all time was ruined by the complete and utter lack of an ending or explanation. The premise was fantastic, the bulk of the show was great, but the complete lack of an explanation or resolution really frustrated me. So much potential gone to waste. However, what there is of it I thought was utterly brilliant, and definitely worth watching.
(The) Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (TV 2009 renewal) Decent I'm going to treat this as just the extra episodes that weren't in the original, and rate accordingly. The extra episodes basically consist of 2 extra story arcs, one of which is terrible and the other very good. I would really not bother watching the "Endless Eight" arc, it spoiled for me what was an otherwise great show. The concept I thought was very good, but I cannot understand why they made it so unnecessarily long and repetitive. 2 episodes rather than 8 would have got the point across and not have been too annoying. The second arc is very funny, although a bit too ecchi-Mikuru-fanservice for my taste.
Midori Days (TV) Good An utterly bizarre story that unfolds into a pleasant series, worth watching if you're into romance or cutesy stuff.
My Neighbor Totoro (movie) Excellent I'm sure this needs no introduction, so I will simply say this: :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (movie) Masterpiece I don't really know what else to say other than this is utterly exquisite in every way. Powerful, beautiful stuff. Not completely sure about the retro music, but it is so completely overshadowed by the rest of it (especially the main theme, which is brilliant), that I really just don't care.
Nichijou - My Ordinary Life (TV) Masterpiece I was actually quite shocked about how much more I enjoyed this than I actually thought I would. The characters develop from seemingly very standard stereotypes to really quite interesting individuals (especially Mio and Mai). The humour is great throughout; simple, clean (mostly!) humour that anyone can appreciate. It struck me as something that would be more suited to an ongoing series type deal rather than a standalone show, but what's there is truly spectacular. In essence, a well-made slice-of-life show with surprisingly deep subtleties that you discover as you keep watching. The art is used very effectively to portray emotion, putting in video what goes on inside a young person's mind, with stark contrast between simplicity and extreme detail as situations differ. Also Hakase is just too freaking adorable.
Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea (movie) Masterpiece Ham! :D This is the cutest thing in existence. Everything about this is utterly wonderful.
Porco Rosso (movie) Very good Very enjoyable to watch, but devoid of any real conclusion or explanation. I do think this film secretly had something to say about what it portrayed, I really doubt that having the main character as a pig wasn't meant to mean anything.
Princess Mononoke (movie) Good I didn't like this anywhere near as much as it was hyped up to be. It was still good, but for me the Miyazaki magic just wasn't there. I can't think of anything specifically bad about it, and it was extremely beautiful. However, I was far from amazed.
Samurai Champloo (TV) Excellent As expected of Shinchiro Watanabe. This probably has the best fighting animation I've seen in anything ever, and coupled with great characters, oozing with class and a unique approach to historical setting and story-telling, and beautiful art makes for one of the best series you'll ever see.
(The) Secret World of Arrietty (movie) Excellent Trust Miyazaki to essentially take a boring movie and turn it into something wonderful. Arrietty is so adorable! A lovely film that anyone should see.
Spirited Away (movie) Masterpiece A film-size tincture of pure, unadulterated genius. I don't think any other film I've seen has so successfully given life to surreal characters, every single part of this is indescribably charming and beautiful. I feel this is one of those films that everyone should have seen, regardless of, well, anything. It completely deserves its ranking on this site.
Steins;Gate (TV) Excellent A really well thought out story that doesn't outlast its welcome. Interesting characters, and lots of contemporary references makes this enjoyable to watch. Takes a little while to really get into the good parts thought, but it is well worth it, and the beginning parts are a very necessary setup for the rest of the series.
Summer Wars (movie) Masterpiece I don't really know what to say about this other than I can't find a single thing to fault with it. The story, animation, acting and characters are all flawless. Not your average feelgood movie.
Tales of Symphonia the Animation (OAV) Good I only watched this as a fan, but was greeted with an absolutely beautiful adaptation of an incredible game. The main problem (especially if you are a fan) is that the show tries to cram about 30 hours of gameplay into 4 episodes, so it feels a bit insubstantial. Definitely worth watching if you played the game, however.
Tales of Symphonia the Animation: Tethe'alla Episode (OAV) Decent Again, suffering from trying to cram to much in to too little space. I didn't enjoy this as much as the first set, but it was still decent.
Time of Eve (ONA) Excellent Not sure why this wasn't just released as a film in the first place. Regardless, it's very unique and definitely worth watching if you like anything character-oriented and cerebral. Some good humour mixed in to break up the generally intellectual storytelling, giving it a nice pace.
Trigun (TV) Very good Different, classy, but its age shows in the animation. Still a great watch, and has a nice bipolarity to it that breaks it up a bit and makes it easier to watch.
When They Cry - Higurashi (TV) Very good This show is insane. One moment it's disgustingly cute, the next it's just disgusting (in a good way). A great story that shatters the almost Utopian outset to every story arc in extremely clever and brutal ways, leaving you utterly shocked but ultimately wanting more. This show can be quite hard to keep up with at times, as the story is presented as fragments which are only tied up at the end of the sequel series, but if you can keep your head around it it's a great watch.
When They Cry - Kai (TV) Excellent Absolutely no point in seeing this if you haven't seen the first series. It is a nice improvement on an already good show, leading to a completely baffling and intense ending that leaves a sense of satisfaction.
When They Cry - Rei (OAV) Weak The first and last out of 5 episodes of this are absolutely awful as well as utterly pointless, and spoil what it an otherwise great anime. The middle three episodes are decent, and do give a nice afterthought, although overall it is a bit off, as it seems quite unrealistic how everyone reacts to what is happening so naturally. Only bother watching if you're a real fan of the main series, and even then avoid the first and last episodes like the plague.
Wolf's Rain (TV) Excellent An exquisitely unique and beautiful series, not that I'd expect anything less from the writer of Cowboy Bebop. The artwork and music really grabbed my attention while watching this, which is unusual, the music always seems to fit exactly what's happening, and isn't recycled like in most animes. Fantastic, epic scenes are littered throughout, especially the battles, and at times it almost feels like watching a movie due to the sheer awesomeness of the action.
Wolf's Rain (OAV) Excellent Not sure why this is separate, it just feels like the proper ending to the series. It's just as good as the main series.
Yuruyuri - Happy Go Lily (TV) Weak Watched this hoping for an actually interesting/refreshing portrayal of young lesbians in modern culture. What I got was a sorely average slice-of-life show where a bunch of girls get upset about having small crushes on each other. Nothing happens. Disappointing.