×
  • remind me tomorrow
  • remind me next week
  • never remind me
Subscribe to the ANN Newsletter • Wake up every Sunday to a curated list of ANN's most interesting posts of the week. read more
Last edit: 2021-12-27
I try to add enlightening commentary, but let's face it:
I'm far from perfect.

For cartoons that are not listed in the encyclopedia please click here.
    EDIT: 2020-12-31
    I have seen two three videos that examine the concept of "classics" from distinctly different perspectives:
  1. Gigguk | Garnt Maneetapho

  2. Mother's Basement | Geoff Thew

  3. Bonsai Pop | Mike ?
EDIT: 2020-04-11
In this video YouTube user Gigguk (Garnt Maneetapho) talks about SAO in the context of gateway anime.
    2 Videos That Share a Common Theme:
  1. "The Greatest Thing Anime Has Done"|Gigguk (Garnt Maneetapho)
  2. "A Love Letter to a Place Further than the Universe" | Isla McTear (Line/link added 2020-06-24)
EDIT: 2020-06-10
3 Different Perspectives On the Importance of The Ending EDIT: 2021-05-10
Geoff Thew ("Mother's Basement") has a fascinating video essay on the concept of "sakuga".
EDIT: 2021-12-27
10 Anime That Are Fantastic But Hard To Recommend
Anime only continues to get more and more mainstream, but these are 10 anime we wouldn't want to recommend even though they're great.
By Jacob Buchalter
(posted on cbr.com on 2020, Mar 30)
Seen/Read All (public list) Rating
Spirited Away (movie) Excellent (dub & sub)
Starlight Promises (ONA) Very good

The samurai element of the plot is utterly unnecessary. [CON]
The purpose of the festival is emotionally moving -- they should have devoted more time to it. [PRO]
I find the OST to be memorable. [PRO]
https://www.milkcananime.com/2018/08/starlight-promises.html
Shoma Mihara gets a text, and call, from his old friend Fujii Atsushi, who he hasn't heard from in over three years. When he goes where he's directed to for the meetup, somehow he winds up in a village where people are preparing a medieval-style Tanabata Festival (though with oddly high-tech direction.) He meets a girl named Shiori Senozawa, who's also there to meet someone. He also encounters the director of the whole affair, an apparently younger girl named Ai Kana, who turns out to be a bit unusual. Shiori and Ai try to gently correct Shoma's mistaken view about what's going on here, a somewhat difficult task since he's a bit slow to take their hints.

"Aren't you forgetting something important?" - Shiori, to Shoma.

--THEM Anime Reviews

Steamboy (movie) So-so
Stink Bomb (movie) Good
A dark comedy. Part of the Memories anthology. Art house film.
(La) storia della Arcana Famiglia (TV) Very good (dub & sub)
There are 2 reviews.....
  1. The setup is given;
    Felicitá is the one-and-only daughter of the Papa of the organization, maybe even mafia, known as the Arcana Famiglia. The Famiglia is made up of people who have made contracts with the Arcane cards, and have received special abilities due to this. The Papa has decided it's time for him to retire and give up his seat to a new male who has control over an Arcane. To decide who in the "family" gets this seat, he calls for a tournament between Arcane users. To the winner, he promises the "Papa" seat, a wish of the winner's choice...and his daughter's hand in marriage. Refusing to accept this, Felicitá decides to fight to choose her own path, with her friends Liberta and Nova fighting for her freedom by her side. [From Encyclopedia entry]
  2. White kitten?
    Filler episode?
  3. So, there's this annual children's festival.....
    There's a relationship between Jolly and "Elmo".
  4. The history of Dante and Libertà.
  5. The history between Nova and his parents' attempt to betray Mondo.
  6. A test of the Arcana powers of Nova, Libertà and Felicitá.
  7. Luca, Pace and Debito hike to harvest a herb garden.
    "Gli Amanti" -Felicitá
    Filler?
  8. Jolly explains to Nova, Libertà and Felicitá that Elmo is a humunculus.
  9. Felicitá decides to heal Mondo even though she will lose her memories.
  10. Felicitá regains her memories, yet Mondo is still in peril.
  11. The 3 make their own decisions -- and get closer, as a result.
  12. The very end of this episode negates all of the taut drama that occurred leading up to and through most of this episode [CON].
Strain: Strategic Armored Infantry (TV) Decent
Strait Jacket (OAV) Very good (edit.dub), Masterpiece (sub)
I must confess that I disagree with the reviewer; oh, well, viva la differance! One person's coolness is another's mediocrity.
Strawberry Panic! (TV) Excellent

    1st OP song
  • I like shoujo and I dislike shounen.
  • Also, this is definitely "inspired" (if that's the appropriate term) by Maria-sama ga Miteru. See: https://fast.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/compare.php?anime_list=6176-3150
  • Having now watched the 26th episode, I can now say that the main difference between Maria-sama ga Miteru and Strawberry Panic! is that the former revolves around platonic soeuers while the latter focuses on romantic love.
  • I like the internal monologues!
  • I find it strange that Madhouse did the primary animation on this series because the animation is quite limited. Because of the minimal animation I was never going to rate this at 11/11; I was wondering if I was going to rate it at 10/11 or at 9/11. I have decided to rate it at 10/11 (Excellent) because of the last episode.
    The animation budget is obviously quite limited......
  1. ep.#8| "Hydrangeas" is pretty funny! It's rather unfortunate that some of the animation is disjointed.
  1. #11| "Meteor Shower" The girls look up at the night sky; some with close friends and others who are lonely.
  2. #12| "Summertime" The month-long summer break has started, and most of the students residing in the Strawberry Dorms are going home. This leaves Nagisa, Shizuma and a few others left behind. Without the interference of other students, Shizuma makes her move on Nagisa.
  3. "The Roar of the Waves"| Hikari finally gets a chance to be on a "date" with Amane. However, Kaname and Momomi again try to tear apart the new bond between them for the sake of Spica's bid at the Étoile position. In the midst of all this, Yaya's feelings for Hikari grow even stronger, and she eventually vents them by suddenly kissing a shocked Hikari. (Lots of Sturm und Drang here.....)
  4. "More Than Best Friends"| Yaya's incident with Hikari causes her to fear that she has lost Hikari forever. An effort by Nagisa and Tamao allows them a reconciliation--and another chance at being best friends forever.
  5. "Heroine"| The students are excited as the get ready to stage two plays in the Drama Festival. The main play, Carmen, is the focus of everyone's attention as everyone awaits the announcement of who is to be cast in the lead roles. The second play will be Romeo and Juliet, prompting a furious competition among the second-years for the role of Romeo.
  6. "Behind the Scenes"| While everyone is still preparing for the Festival, there seems to be some internal struggling concerning Kaname and Momomi with the others. Later, after suffering two show-stopping events, all the students involved with the play band together and put on a show the other students will never forget.
  7. "Secret"| While all three schools eagerly await the election of a new Étoile couple, Nagisa learns the truth behind this tradition and receives an unexpected invitation from Shizuma in order to find out more information about Shizuma's late partner-the deceased Étoile.
  8. "Storm of Love"| During a rainy night in Shizuma's villa, Nagisa finally learns about Kaori Sakuragi, the Étoile that died. However, she also makes a painful discovery of exactly how close the two Étoile were, and how their shared past is still far from being a mere memory.
  9. "Refrain"| Miyuki recounts for Nagisa the events of the past few years, filling in details of the relationship between Shizuma and the now-deceased Kaori, whom they have both grieved for, over the past three years. As she tells her story, she discusses the impact that Kaori's passing has had on the two of them, and reflects, as well, on the effect that Nagisa's arrival has also had on them.
  10. "Confession"| Nagisa falls into a state of depression and wonders if coming to Miator was a good idea, which prompts Tamao to recount just why Nagisa is so important to her. Meanwhile, Nagisa's first- and second-year friends, concerned over her mood, decide to band together to cheer her up. The episode ends with Tamao talking to a sleeping Nagisa, and confessing her love.
  11. "Like a Flower"| A final message from Kaori forces Shizuma to reconsider her life's choices, as well as her behavior towards other people.
  12. "Duel"| During a tennis match, Kaname admits that she both hates and loves Amane, because of her inability to ever surpass her at anything. Kaname's lover, Momomi, overhears this and after the match, they break up. Amane becomes persuaded to join the Étoile election, with Hikari as her partner.
    • The puppet scene with the three girls had me smiling.....
    • The kissing scene is dramatic.
    "Maze"| To counter Amane's plans of attending the Étoile election, Miyuki makes Tamao and Nagisa an offer not to be refused: enter the game together and repeat Miator's victorious history. Both Nagisa and Shizuma end up in an internal conflict as to how they truly feel. Tragedy strikes when Amane falls off her horse just as she is about to tell Hikari about her feelings.
  13. "Wheel of Fate"| Amane awakens after her accident, but has suffered partial memory loss-and among the lost memories is her relationship with Hikari, which leaves Hikari heartbroken. In the meantime, Nagisa and Tamao enter training for the Étoile election and get an unexpected tutor: Shizuma.
  14. "Waltz"| Nagisa and Tamao continue practicing for the dance in preparation of the Étoile election, but it will take some more of Shizuma's help to improve Nagisa's chances of becoming one of the next Étoiles. Meanwhile, Amane recovers her memory when Hikari sings the song she sang when they first met.
  15. "A Beginning"| The Étoile elections have started. Shizuma makes her final decision about her relationship with Nagisa when she tells Nagisa she loves her in the middle of the ceremony, and the two end up 'eloping' just before the announcement of the winner of the election. While Amane and Hikari go forward together as the new Étoiles, Shizuma and Nagisa finally embrace their love.
Street Fighter Alpha (OAV) Not really good
Street Fighter Alpha: Generations (OAV) Decent
Strike the Blood (TV) Excellent
Strike Witches (TV) Decent
Summer Wars (movie) Excellent (dub & sub)
(The) Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross (TV) Good
Really liked the ED.

Also liked the OP.

(The) Super Dimension Fortress Macross (TV) Excellent (dub & sub)
Go to: