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Caliban0310's Anime

Seen all▲▼ Rating▲▼ Comment▲▼
Aggressive Retsuko (TV) Very good This show will speak to anyone living the post-college work life and struggling to keep true to themselves while also earning enough money to stay alive. This shows simplistic and cutsey style belies its very well developed themes of identity and self actualization. Worth watching, especially for the millenial crowd.
Akudama Drive (TV) Excellent The animation and over the top action will grip you from episode one and keep the gas pedal touching metal the entire 12 episode run. Never a dull moment, beautiful art design, and some top tier fight scenes that will make you see RED. If you've ever played Shadowrun with a good group of friends, this show fully embodies that feeling of barely restrained insanity and outside the box lunacy. A real underappreciated gem during its season and definitely worth a watch!
Aldnoah.Zero (TV) Good It was fun, solid mecha, space battle fun. Ending was a bit underwhelming, but all in all an enjoyable show.
Angel Beats! (TV) Very good The only thing dragging this show down is the ending. It was rushed, and we didn't get to see half of what we should have from the cast. If it had been a 24 or 26 episode series, it could be up there with the greats.
Attack on Titan (TV) Very good Very true to the manga, rollercoaster ride of awesome. It's just a good, epic, action show.
Attack on Titan (TV 2/2017)
Attack on Titan (TV 3/2018)
Baccano! (TV) Masterpiece One of the rare cases where the dub is better than the sub. Despite a large cast of characters and short running time, the show is very well rounded, ranging from edge-of-your-seat action and winding mysteries to laugh out loud comedy. Can't recommend this highly enough, everyone should see this show at some point.
BEASTARS (TV) Good I was touch and go on this series. Typically I cannot stand 3D animation, but Beastars pulled it off surprisingly well. I also do not typically watch drama/slice of life shows, but this one was just odd enough to keep me invested. Zootopia for adults where predator and prey live in a state of constant uneasy coexistance that could collapse at any moment, this romance/drama/mystery is a unique experience that won't be a waste of your time.
Bludgeoning Angel Dokuro-chan (TV) Decent Panty and Stocking on crack. Watched it in middle school out of some macabre curiosity akin to craning my neck at a car wreck. Now it just gives me a headache.
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion (TV) Excellent What can I say that hasn't been said before? The show is brilliant, combining the mental chess games of Light Yagami with giant robots, mystical powers, and British imperialism. Unlike Light, however, you'll find yourself rooting for Lelouch more than you find yourself hating him. A show of truly epic proportions, provided you watch the second season. That confusing cliffhanger ending makes it certain that you will, however.
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2 (TV) Excellent They took everything good about season 1 and took it up a notch. Then took it up another notch. And then another. And kept going. At times it becomes a tad unbelievable due to its rapid increase in scale, but the ending is worth it. It's so rare to find a show that ends on a strong note, and none end it quite as strongly as Code Geass. Watch it, watch it, watch it.
CROSS ANGE Rondo of Angel and Dragon (TV) Weak What to say about Cross Ange except "wasted potential". The plot was interesting, and it kept me watching despite the gratuitous fan service. Fan service that started out laughable, then became tired, before finally crossing the line into creepy. There were episodes that entered the realm of fetishistic, and not in a good way. Much like Elfen Lied, Cross Ange went for shock value and was made all the weaker for it. Coupled with a convoluted plot that rapidly stopped making sense in favor of adding additional rape content, characters with shark jumping plot armor, and a blatant recycling of footage in the final episodes all served to ruin what could have been a very decent show. The real travesty is that the show isn't all bad, the shining gems for me lay in the characters themselves. Overall they were very well written and evolved organically throughout the series (the heroine in particular). On the whole, the show would have been better served if the writers had focused more on developing a coherent narrative to support the characters, rather than creating new ways to sexually dominate them.
Darker than Black (TV) Good Interesting universe that will grab your interest and keep you watching through the very (VERY) slow start. Such a slow start that you don't even learn the protagonist's name until about 10 episodes in. And that's my main complaint about the show, they take far too long to /explain/ this interesting universe, and by the time the end rolls around you'll find yourself in the dark (pun intended) as to what exactly is happening.
Deadman Wonderland (TV) Good Fun, fun, fun. Come on down to Deadman Wonderland, purchase your ticket and prepare for a rollercoaster ride of murder and mayhem! Unfortunately, the ride lasts for only 13 episodes, cutting off a promising story before it really had a change to flourish. If you're hungry for more, I suggest reading the manga. A second season does not seem forthcoming :(
Death Parade (TV) Very good I was hot and cold with this show at first, but in the end it all paid off. Right in the heart with a feels payload of unimaginable proportions, I was moved to tears. This show embodies everything that Angel Beats wanted to accomplish but fell short of actually doing. Very good, highly recommended.
(The) Devil Is a Part-Timer! (TV) Good It's a silly little comedy with a fun premise. Worth a watch if you want some chuckle worthy junk food, but don't expect anything too deep out of this one.
DEVILMAN crybaby (ONA) Good This is a divisive show. One the one hand, it's a decent modernization of a time tested classic that certainly did the originals justice. On the other hand, the animation is vomit inducing. There's no other way to say it, the animation swing wildly between good and absolute garbage. The worst part is that it was almost certainly a stylistic choice, but I fail to see how it helped the story in any way shape or form. If you can get past the tragic animation style, then it's worth watching. And the opening theme is an absolute banger!
Dorohedoro (TV) Good This one confused me. The story was unique, as was the animation style. A sort of 2.5D that utilized flat and 3D elements in a way that actually complemented each other quite well. The art style helped to minimize what could have otherwise been a jarring shift in animation; dark tones, creative shading, and unqiue character designs served to incorporate the 2.5D style well. The story gripped me, I was incredibly interested to see where this odd little tale would end up. Unfortunately, we are not given much closure at all in the 12 episode run, and at times the story telling felt rushed. I want more, but I want the show to be given a little room to breathe if Netflix goes for a season 2.
Dororo (TV 2019) Good I am disappointed with Dororo. While not familair with the original, I am led to believe this was a faithful adaptation of a well loved classsic. The show is certainly entertaining, the story is dark and compelling. Like Demon Slayer with more depth, Dororo hits all the right narrative marks. Which makes it so much harder to say that the animation was a massive problem. It started out fine, great even! But after the mid season break, there was a noticeable drop in quality. Overuse of close cropped face shots, off screen action, static scenes of motionless talking... I felt like I was watching Evangelion in some of the latter episodes. It ended on a strong note, but midseason will irritate you with the blatant corner cuts that have no place in a modern show.
Durarara!! (TV) Good Ehhhhhh bland. It was fun, but overall just bland. I would have much preferred to focus on the headless biker rather than a love triangle with Shakespearean levels of miscommunication.
Elfen Lied (TV) Awful If there was ever an overrated show, this is it. The cast is stupid, and I mean absolutely moronic. The decisions they make to kick off the plot make little to no sense, which caused me to be unable to reconcile anything that happened later. When the characters aren't being dumb as rocks, they're being cruel to the point of sociopathy. I know the moral of the story is that monsters aren't born, they're made; but then what made all of these humans into psychotic tormentors? Then there's the excessive gore and nudity which, while admittedly cool, was obviously there to distract you from the gaping character inconsistencies and plot holes. What makes me hate it all the more is that the premise was cool, and they fucked it up. They took a promising, X-men-like story of human evolution and turned it into a gore fest filled with brain dead teenagers. In short, if you want a show that 90% of the time features a moronic love triangle between two cousins and a girl with amnesia (which for some reason reduced her vocabulary to simply "Nya"), and 10% of the time is just a gore fest with a dash of nudity, by all means watch Elfen Lied.
Ergo Proxy (TV) Good Dark, mostly low key, and complex. Almost a little too convoluted, which isn't helped by the vague explanations that we actually /are/ given. Despite that, if you pay attention, and maybe watch the final episode a second time, you should be able to follow the plot fairly well. As far as ScFi series' go, this is a solid example and is worth a watch.
Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone (movie) Very good It's Eva done better. Need I say more?
Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance (movie) Very good It's Eva done better. Need I say more?
Fire Force (TV) Decent It's popcorn. Something right out of a weekly shonen mag that will entertain, but fail to go further than that. Rampant fan service and nerfing of femal characters was also a problem for me. That being said, the action scenes are well animated and the world they've built is interesting. This will likely appeal to a younger male audience more so than other viewers.
Fire Force (TV 2) Weak Season 1 was okay for what it was, and say what you will but it got me to watch season 2. Which I regret. All the things I disliked about season 1 got worse in season 2. Annoyting fanservice, sidelined female characters, inconsistent rules and powers all served to make me say 'what the fuck was that' far too frequently. Watch season 1 for some light fun, skip season 2 because it isn't.
FLCL (OAV) Very good FLCL is.... an experience. At only 6 LSD fueled episodes long, it's not too much of a time investment and is definitely worth a look. If you want an example of exactly what GAINAX is capable of, look no further than FLCL.
From the New World (TV) Excellent Just a beautiful show. From the art to the message, it was just overall beautiful. Most certainly /not/ an epic action adventure, the mood is mostly kept somber and pensive, which fits the plot to a T. A tale where the question of the hour is whether or not the ends justify the means, and where the feels sneak up behind you to deliver a donkey punch to the back of your head. Highly recommended.
Fullmetal Alchemist (TV) Very good It's a classic, plain and simple. Only criticism is that they finished the anime before the manga, meaning the end was.... incomplete. I hear they fixed this in Brotherhood, but I have yet to watch it.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (TV) Excellent They fixed it! They took the original series and fixed it, providing a much more coherent story that was more faithful to the manga. My only complaint is that they rushed a lot of the stuff we had "already seen" in the original series to save on running time. If you hadn't seen the original, you might have been a little confused about where people like Yoki and Barry the Chopper actually came from. Also, the dub was fantastic. Vic Mignogna does just as good of a job as Ed as he did in the original, and the acting is overall very solid.
(The) Future Diary (TV) Good The thing I love most about this show is, without a doubt, Yuno. Honestly, she has to be one of my favorite characters in anime simply because she scared the living hell out of me. What would you do if you had a stalker that knew your every move before you even made it? A stalker willing to cut down hordes of people just for a kiss on the cheek? You can't fight her, all you can do is walk that fine line between love and insanity, praying that you don't say something wrong. The show as a whole is a mix between Death Note and Highlander, and will really get your pulse pounding. Definitely worth a look.
Garzey's Wing (OAV) Masterpiece Garzey's Wing is bad. Poorly animated, terribly acted, and confusingly written, Garzey's Wing is simply terrible from every conceivable angle. Why then have I rated this shambling monstrosity as a 'Masterpiece'? Because it is a masterpiece in its own way. Garzey's Wing travels so far BELOW the level of mere mediocrity that it becomes the epitome of the bottom. The apex of lowliness. The maximum low. It truly is the anime equivalent of 'The Room'; so utterly, horrendously ill conceived and executed that it becomes impressive in it's complete ineptitude. So would I recommend watching this sideshow? Yes, I would. With copious alcohol and friends. Take a drink every time the show incorporates a nonsense word you are never given context for. Double over in laughter when the characters try in vain to deliver their lines. Enjoy this show as one would enjoy a root canal: heavily intoxicated and watching from a distance.
Ghost Stories (TV) Masterpiece The dub. Oh lord in heaven, the dub. The best way to describe it is to tell you to picture TeamFourStar actually getting the go ahead to dub actual Dragonball Z episodes HOWEVER THEY WANTED TO. This show had me on the floor in stitches, and anyone who hasn't seen this show needs to watch it ASAP.
Goblin Slayer (TV) Good Edgy for edgy-ness sake at times, this show is not for the faint of heart. VERY graphic, this show paints the picture of a DnD game gone wrong. The main character is by far the best reason for watching the show. A taciturn goblin slaying machine, you're going to love watching him exterminate the goblin plauge that infests his world! Unfortunately, the show will use 3D animation for no discernable reason. Simple walk cycles will suddenly be in (poorly) rendered 3D, and it's incredibly jarring. I assume it was to save on cost, but it really pulls you out of the story when it happens.
Gurren Lagann (TV) Masterpiece ROW ROW FIGHT THE POWER Go and watch this show. JUST WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK I AM
Hellsing Ultimate (OAV) Excellent A redux of the much older classic, Ultimate is a wonderfully dark story of a real fuck mothering vampire. The best vampire story in anime, and one of the best vampire stories PERIOD. It's a show that everyone should experience.
High School of the Dead (TV) Not really good Oh it's trash, but you knew that. If you're watching this show, it's to laugh at some poorly written, fan service addled garbage. And that's just fine! MATRIX BOOB DODGE.
Inferno Cop (ONA) Good INFERNO COP ARU
Interspecies Reviewers (TV) Good I-Can't-Believe-It's-Not-Hentai is exactly that. It wasn't particularly funny, but it deserves something for being so brazen with its content. Not respect, but something. Maybe an exasperated sigh and a trip to horny jail.
Inugami-san to Nekoyama-san (TV) Decent It's dumb, but in a cute way.
Inuyashiki Last Hero (TV) Good This one was weird. A story about becoming who you want to be, realizing dreams, and embracing the hero in us all, but told in a frankly strange manner. This one was another example of a show that suffered from budget-friendly shifts to 3D, and it badly breaks your immersion. It's also a slow burn, there are episodes that go by with not much happening outside some character progress. While this isn't a bad thing, it drags down the pacing at times.
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure (TV) Very good Over the top posing and stylized muscle men crying manly tears of honor and vengeance. This show is manly. Like holding your dying father in the rain as he passes along his final technique manly. It doesn't really get good until around episode 10, after the time skip, but as a whole the show was pure and utter fun. Also featured one of the evilest villains of all time. I swear to god, I'm talking incinerating puppies caliber of evil.
Jujutsu Kaisen (TV) Excellent
Kill la Kill (TV) Excellent Trigger made name for themselves with this one. A creative concept that continually pushed the limits of just how much the censors would let slip through the cracks, Kill La Kill was a truly fun ride. Full of memorable characters from the villains to the supporting cast, hilarious comedy, over the top action, and a delightful level of insanity that will leave you wondering how they could possibly top themselves in the next episode!
Kiznaiver (TV) Good A show that explores the concept of opening oneself to others and the complexity of relationships. I felt it was a bit heavy handed at times, but overall I think it made a good point and conveyed it well. The art style was phenomenal, Trigger just knows how to make things look good.
KonoSuba – God’s blessing on this wonderful world!! (TV) Excellent I haven't laughed so hard (and so consistently) in a very long time! This show perfectly captures what it's like to play D&D with a bunch of goofy friends, creating a hilarious narrative that will have you in stitches. I think my favorite element of the show is the lack of a romantic subplot. Sex jokes are common, don't get me wrong, but they're the kind of sex jokes made between friends. The show never felt bogged down with sexual tension, which was incredibly refreshing. It's just a story of a group of bumbling adventurers having fun and causing havoc simply by being who they are!
Land of the Lustrous (TV) Masterpiece Change. Everything changes, but how do we know if it's better? You grow, become a stronger person, gain responsibility, learn about hardship. When you become an adult, pieces of you get left behind. Have you become something better, or lost something you can never get back? All you can do is keep moving forward with what you still have. Forge new pieces to replace the old, becoming both more and less than what you once were. Traumas shape our lives, pervade our bodies and can give us strength we never knew we had. Traumas can cause us to crumble under the immense strain and weight they place on your soul, or wielded as deadly blades against those who may further harm you. What matters is whether the pressure and strain will cause you to crack, or if you will emerge as a diamond. Also the animation is beautiful.
Little Witch Academia (movie) Very good Trigger's anime debut was better than I could have hoped, and they kept up the momentum with Kill La Kill. I expect great things from this studio, and a full LWA series would be a magnificent next step!
Made in Abyss (TV) Masterpiece Stunning, heart wrenching, and absolutely enthralling. I was captured by this world, the beauty and terror of it all, and dragged down into its abyss never to return. The cutesy character style hides a grim story that will take you down a dark and winding path from which there can be no coming back. The score is phenomenal and serves to suck you even deeper into this world and its ethereal aura of equal parts mystery, wonder, and horror. Absolutely do not miss this one, it will be a future classic guaranteed!
Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic (TV) Decent It was alright, and a nice change of pace. An Arabian Nights themed anime? Now THAT'S something new! However, I found the show dragged BADLY in places, and could have benefited from picking up the pace a little. The characters overall were pretty bland or trope-y, except for Morgiana. She was by far the standout character of the show, and I always found myself looking forward to episodes centered around her.
Monster (TV) Excellent It IS a very good mystery with well developed characters and a compelling story, however it wasn't entirely what I hoped it would be. For me, it was a tad too predictable. I felt as though the show was building towards some big reveal, some shocking twist that would blow my mind and leave me drained and questioning my very existence. But it never did. Don't get me wrong, it's a good show in its own right... I just felt like it missed a big opportunity to be AMAZING.
Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation (TV 1)
My Hero Academia (TV) Good The concept is fun, and the powers are creative. However, the show dragged in places and was prone to cliches (we're back in high school again, folks)! By far my favorite part was All Might. Their take on the classic Superman persona was fantastic, and the English Voice Actor did a wonderful job. With season 2 shaping up to turn into a "let's make these two characters fight now" sort of plot, I don't expect it to blow my mind any time soon. That being said, I didn't feel like I wasted my time and could confidently recommend it to someone looking for a decent show to binge.
My Hero Academia (TV 2) Very good Worth seeing if you enjoy the Shonen style, definitely a step above its peers. The pacing in season 2 was much better than season 1, progressing at a good pace without feeling rushed and still hitting all the sweet spots you'd expect from a good brain-off-watch-the-punches type show.
Neon Genesis Evangelion (TV) Weak I don't get it. I just don't get it. Maybe it was revolutionary back in the 90s, but it just does not hold up. The story was nonexistant, characters made no progression, nothing was ever explained, and the final episodes spent so much time getting high on its own fumes that show just forgot to end! Some may say the movie fixes the show, but it was just more of the same. If you feel the need to cross it off your list as I did, then by all means. But you will be disappointed.
One Punch Man (TV) Masterpiece A true masterpiece that somehow manages to be a hilarious parody of action/shonen anime while simultaneously BEING and amazing action/shonen show! Standout characters, stellar music and animation, what can I say other than just watch it watch it watch it.
Overlord (TV) Very good The concept of a player stranded in a video game world has been done before, but not quite like this. Maybe it was a reflection of my own personal video game experience, but this show hit all the right buttons. My only complaint was that it stopped just as it was getting started! This should have been a 24 ep season, and deserves a season 2 more than anything!
Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt (TV) Very good FLCL wasn't enough for GAINAX, so they made a whole show. Crude, vulgar, and entertaining as hell; P&SG is definitely not for everyone, but no matter what it's a show you won't forget any time soon.
Paranoia Agent (TV) Good An interesting look into group psychosis and a mind bending trip through the insanity of society. The art is wonderful, and the tone is very creepy, but it suffers from the same problems that Ergo Proxy had. It's a little too vague, a little too nebulous. Watch it and judge for yourself.
Parasyte -the maxim- (TV) Excellent A 20 year old classic that was finally given the anime treatment, and all I can say is color me impressed. They stayed so true to the source material, I could find absolutely nothing to complain about. Kudos for doing such a beloved tale justice.
(The) Promised Neverland (TV) Good
Psycho-Pass (TV) Good A solid SciFi show by the same sadistic fucker behind Madoka Magica, so you can expect some level of quality. An entertaining show, but completely spoiled for you if you've seen Minority Report, since it's really just a retelling of that story. Not a waste of time, but nothing revolutionary. Watch it if you get around to it. I AM interested in the new season coming up this October, however.
Puella Magi Madoka Magica (TV) Masterpiece If ever there was an example of "Masterpiece" anime, it's Madoka Magica. Beautiful art, gripping music, touching story, wonderful characters, this show has it all. Don't let the beginning fool you, though; this show is NOT some trashy magical girl crap. This is DARK. This is the magical girl genre turned upside down, then shoved in front of a mirror and told to take a long hard look at itself. Honestly and truly, do NOT judge this book by its cover.
Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- (TV) Very good Edge of Tomorrow meets Elder Scrolls, the premise for this show was certainly engaging. What I wasn't expecting, however, was the wonderfully complex protagonist. For once when the character is transported to a fantasy world, he doesn't gain extraordinary powers, become a tactical genius, or be revealed to be the lost heir to the throne. Subaru is a average human being with his own very pronounced flaws and weaknesses that he tries in vain to cover up. Even he expected to become the hero trope in the beginning: save the kingdom, slay the dragon, win the girl. In actuality, he is forced to come to terms with his own realistic flaws, and in turn use them to his advantage. His existential crisis is incredibly visceral and will leave you genuinely surprised at what this show had to offer. As of right now, this show is "Very Good", but it NEEDS a second season. It feels like we're just barely getting to the meat of this story, and I predict a second season will elevate this show even higher.
Saga of Tanya the Evil (TV) Very good The concept of this show is pretty laughable; an average r/theredpill user is locked in a power struggle with god while trapped in the body of a 10 year old girl in the middle of magical WWI Germany. That being said, the show is surprisingly serious, not falling prey to fanservice or other typical tropes that usually follow the loli protagonist. I actually found myself forgetting how young she was as the show progressed, much like the rest of the cast. The fact that Tanya is a child isn't the focus of the show, merely a result of the plot. As for said plot, we get a grim tale about war, tactics, and patriotic fervor peppered with magic and an overall atheist malaise. At times I feel the show got too heavy handed with the anti-god agenda, but to be fair the god in this world is an utter douche canoe. Tanya herself stands above the rest of the cast, being by far the most memorable character. The character designs and overall art style are also very nice, Tanya having some of the absolute best facial expressions I have ever seen. tldr; the show is more serious than it appears, but it works. I look forward to a second season!
(The) Seven Deadly Sins (TV) Excellent A solid fantasy adventure with a memorable cast and engaging plot. However, if you're looking for something with layers and hidden meanings, this is not for you. It is a straightforward action fantasy adventure, and I love it for that. Honestly, haven't had this much fun with a show for a while!
SHIMONETA: A Boring World Where the Concept of Dirty Jokes Doesn’t Exist (TV) Very good Shimoneta brings you dirty jokes HARD and FAST, this newCUMer providing some STIFF compeTITion in the CUMedy genre. Preaching freedom of SEXpression and sexual liBRAration, Shimoneta manages to not PUSSY out or COCK it up, delivering a SEXperience you won't soon WHORget. Unfortunately, the show is a one-pump-chump and finishes before the foreplay is even CUMpleted. If Shimoneta can get it up for a second CUMMING, then it will truly cause me to blow my load. COCK-A-DOODLE-PUSSY
Soul Eater (TV) Good This show made me sad, and I'll tell you why. It made me sad because it was SO GOOD until the ending crashed and burned. I later found out that it suffered from the same problem the original FMA suffered from: they finished the anime before the manga and had to bullshit an ending. The manga recently concluded, so I'm hoping beyond hope that someone will come along and give Soul Eater the FMA: Brotherhood treatment.
Space Patrol Luluco (TV) Good "Others don't get to dictate what's normal and what isn't. It's something we decide for ourselves." This was very much a fun side project for Trigger and was never meant to be anything else. Makes little sense, and is classic Trigger absurdist humor. If you're a fan of their shows, you'll love the little moments of Meta in this tongue-in-cheek trainwreck.
Steins;Gate (TV) Masterpiece Without a doubt one of my all time favorite shows. I have never, NEVER, seen a piece of media handle time travel as well as Steins;Gate. The plot is nearly airtight, and actually takes the time to focus on each individual character, ensuring each of them is well developed and thoroughly fleshed out. It has a prefect blend of drama, comedy, and tragedy, making for a gripping story that had me in tears by the ending. If you watch nothing else on my list, watch Steins;Gate. It's worth noting that the sub is leagues above the dub. The voice actor for Okabe is a brilliant, brilliant man.
Survival Game Club! (TV) Decent It's goofy, over the top, and earns a chuckle or two. I feel like it didn't go quite far enough to be memorable, though.
Terror in Resonance (TV) Good Solid, somber, and satisfying. There's nothing really wrong with the show, and the art and music are particularly fantastic. However, it never really grabbed me as I hoped it would. The tone was very subdued, and worked very well. It just didn't send me head over heels.
+Tic Elder Sister (ONA) Good Hilarious, short, worth the 30 minutes needed to watch the whole thing.
Tokyo Ghoul (TV) Good The intro really grabbed my interest, which is almost always my motivation for starting a new show. I had heard nothing about this story before then, so I was going in completely blind. I liked it, the concept was fresh and handled very well, and the characters were well developed and engaging. The faults with this show lie squarely on Funimation. At 12 episodes long, it rushed to shoehorn the final conflict into the last three episodes, but up until that point had been paced fairly well. The show almost felt like it had been cut short. The other major distraction was the excessive censorship. The DVD release will be uncensored, but they REALLY cut it up for the initial release. In a show about people eating other people, gore is expected. The censorship was pointless and distracting. The saving grace for this show is the fact that it's getting a second season. If it were done as it is right now, I'd be pretty irate. However, a 24 episode long second season could very well save the series, and I'm excited to see it. I have also heard the manga is very well done, and will be checking it out soon.
Tokyo Ghoul √A (TV) So-so The word for this series is disappointment. While the first season started strong and ended on a rushed, weak note; season two does just the opposite. Events from the manga are jumbled into an order that makes far less sense, the animation quality dropped inexplicably for a couple episodes mid season, and the censorship has continued to be an issue. It's only as the season draws to a close that they've started to bring it around again, but by now it's too little too late. Rather than watching the anime, I suggest reading the manga. They did not adapt it very well at all.
Valvrave the Liberator (TV) Very good At only 12 episodes each, I hesitate to call Valvrave two separate seasons, but whatever, here it goes. From the writer who brought you Code Geass comes a story about space, robots, vampires, and warring super powers. The music is amazing, the art is breathtaking, and the story is.... predictable. Maybe not to someone who hasn't seen Code Geass, however. There are HEAVY parallels between the two shows, but I mean that in a good way. I was wholly entertained, and would recommend this show for someone coming down from watching Geass and needing something to fill the void.
Valvrave the Liberator (TV 2) Very good While the first season was mostly exposition and setting up the plot, the second season brought forth the conflict in full force. Again, this progression is very similar to how Code Geass amped up in R2, but again in a good way. The ending I wouldn't call surprising, but it pulled at the heartstrings nevertheless.
WATAMOTE (TV) So-so Tomoko is the embodiment of every kid who has ever felt awkward, unsure, or stuck on the fringe, and the show does well getting that across. The problem is that she actually POSSESSES the cumulative awkwardness of every single awkward kid in the history of existence. You'll pity her, be disgusted with her, want to give her a hug, and want to push her into traffic. I finally came back and finished the show, and I have to say that it hurt. The biggest problem is that a lot of the situations she finds herself in speak to me on a personal level, yet how she chooses to handle them makes me physically ill. I know the show is meant to be a comedy, but for someone who has experienced these scenarios, the show becomes a depressing catalogue of the worst possible outcomes imaginable.
Wolf's Rain (TV) Weak
Zombie Land Saga (TV) Good