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Seen all▲▼
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Rating▲▼
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Comment▲▼
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| 5 Centimeters Per Second (movie) |
Good |
I really wanted to like this more, if only it had more of a story. If all you want is something to pull at your strings, then this is it, but ultimately it just left a feeling of emptiness without actually accomplishing anything. Not unlike Voices of a Distant Star which in many ways is a similar movie that told more of a story. |
| A.D. Police (TV) |
So-so |
As a fan of the Bubblegum Crisis franchise (one of my earliest introductions into proper anime) I was extremely disappointed with this series. It had none of the weight of the original 8 episode OAV series, none of the shocking impact of the 3 episode AD Police Files, and none of the polish of the BGC 2040 TV series. It almost felt like an afterthough, as though they had a little budget left over from producing 2040 and decided to try to spin off a 12 episode series. Perhaps if they only made it a six episode run they could have made a decent series with better animation (instead of a 12 episode slide show) but this was just disappointing. |
| Abnormal Physiology Seminar (TV) |
Decent |
Reminds me of Ebichu, but only more perverse. The series is quickly watchable, but that doesn't necessarily make it easy to watch. A lot of it is aiming to be as twisted as possible and I did like the fresh take on the "onsen" episode. Rather than the location, it was the journey that makes the story. In any case it was an oddball series, take it or leave it. There's nothing here particularly interesting to watch but it did have a few sophomoric laughs. |
| AD Police (OAV) |
Very good |
Philosophical and ethical questions are presented here about a future where man and machine are joined. At what point does the line between a human and a robot blur? Definitely not for the kids as it takes on a harder edge than the already somewhat mature Bubblegum Crisis. |
| Advancer Tina (OAV) |
So-so |
I don't feel it successfully melded a good story with the tentacle sex. Is it even possible for that to happen? Both came off as somewhat mediocre, but not as bad as the wretched English dubbing. My how Times have improved. |
| Afro Samurai (TV) |
Decent |
Never really gets off the ground beyond showing a few bare glimpses and buckets of blood. Really wish they could have done more with this series. |
| Afro Samurai: Resurrection (movie) |
Good |
A bit more coherent than the original series, but it still continues its theme of style over substance. Not saying it wasn't fun to watch, but much of it makes no sense plot-wise. Not that it makes a lot of difference though as Afro Samurai chops his way to bloody vengeance. |
| Aho-Girl (TV) |
Decent |
It's stupid fun, emphasis on stupid. And a bit mean spirited. Not really my thing but I can see some of the appeal of the physical humor, which honestly seems more appropriate in something like The Three Stooges than in 2017. Actually there are a few brief moments where it seems that the stupid girl is actually more like an idiot savant than simply possessing abnormally low IQ (The sandcastle in the playground springs to mind). But I doubt that the show has such a glimpse of intelligence hidden inside of it, it's probably just done as a gag routine. Too bad. |
| Air (TV) |
Very good |
There's little that bears repeating that isn't already written about under the two Clannad comments I already made. I will say that this one did feel a bit more disjointed and rushed, which can certainly be expected given its much shorter run Time than later efforts. That also means there's less room for moments of levity to break up the otherwise unrelenting emotional assault. However Key's track record is solid and getting better, given the Kanon -> Air -> Kanon remake -> Clannad anime chain. If I had one real criticism I had some issues with (and the same applies for all of Key's works) is that the female protagonist eyes are just waaaay too damn big. I realize that the eyes are what are best used to convey emotion, but I'm absolutely certain they did not need to give them all eyes that give tarsiers a run for their money. Anyway it's a personal taste thing and it wasn't a major detractor from an overall great series. |
| Alien Nine (special) |
Good |
And where's the rest of it. The story is strange enough by itself, but without more exposition we are left to assume everything about the larger conspiracy. Who is involved? What is their motivation for the alien incidents? Why induct someone with apparently so little potential based on a seemingly random vote? There are any number of completely nonsensical story points, leaving one with too many unanswered questions. There is a lot of potential here, but the execution is left seriously wanting. It's this story potential that gives this series its rating, certainly not due to how it's implemented, because if I had to focus on its execution it would get one point lower. |
| Angel Beats! (TV) |
Very good |
Not my favorite Key series, but still a good one. They do not resort to giant alien eyes which is something I truly appreciated (Kanon was the previous Key series I saw and I was just fed up with the use of overly large eyes.). Strong points of the series included its comedy and some of its emotional moments and its music. Yes, very good music. Weak points also included some emotional moments and some completely nonsensical ones and pacing issues. The episode with the big exposition was just a muddled mess that didn't really make the series any clearer. Yes, as with all Key animes there is an element of forced melodrama. All in all it was enjoyable for me and a refreshing departure from much of that big eye art. |
| Angel Densetsu (OAV) |
Good |
A partial adaptation of the manga series, the anime tells only an early slice of the books. It is still fun to see some of the art come to life, but admittedly its lack of development somewhat stunt this title's potential. Overall fun, but one is better off just reading the manga. |
| (The) Animatrix (OAV) |
Good |
A collection of animated short clips that range from very interesting to bland and dull. Overall it is a decent watch and helps to expand the Matrix universe, if you're into that. |
| anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day (TV) |
Very good |
This is an interesting short series with many positives, but it also had quite a few surprising moments unbecoming of the overall presentation. To be sure there were quite a few genuine moments, but the majority of drama could be described as angst and guilt. Wow, what a collection of truly broken people. Over the course of the series it can be difficult to tell if they are trying to unite them or merely a final implosion before they supernova apart. I suppose the ending was as good as it could be, and honestly it was a pretty satisfying one. I did walk away from the series feeling better for having watched it, but I didn't feel it quite was at the level that other people felt about it. A strong title to be sure, but not quite the epic waterworks generator of some other titles out there (don't want to name them lest I too lose it and begin flooding my room). |
| Another (TV) |
Very good |
It's an interesting psychic thriller. Its premise is not heavily explored, but this may or may not be necessary. The story does build slowly however. Very slowly. It may bother some people and quite understandably so. At the end the payoff was pretty satisfying, but also not entirely. As the series is ultimately about an unban legend come true, don't expect a true ending to the story, only an end to this chapter. |
| Another Lady Innocent (OAV) |
Bad |
Some things I'm ashamed to admit I've watched due to its total lameness or occasionally the subject matter. This one definitely falls under the first category. |
| Appleseed: Ex Machina (movie) |
Good |
About as stereotypical and cliched as a mainstream anime can be. However the action was pretty fast paced and the overall short commitment of Time (as compared to a TV series) made it worth the effort to watch. |
| Aquarion (TV) |
Decent |
It doesn't know whether it wants to be silly or serious. Perhaps it would have been better if they had stuck to one or the other. Yet another giant robot series that suffers from Evangelion syndrome. Giant robot anime that tries to have some nonsensical deeper meaning about angels and mankind. As usual the mix is not quite successful. |
| Arakawa Under the Bridge (TV) |
Good |
Wow, how to rate this series. It's a really oddball, irreverent series with a wacky cast of characters. But perhaps it tries too hard to be oddball and irreverent. While I did enjoy a lot of the elements of the series, I found a few of them a bit strained and without purpose. In the end however it was fun, but it did take a bit of effort to go through the whole thing. |
| Arakawa under the Bridge × Bridge (TV) |
Good |
More of the same, which isn't bad, but given that the anime is based on a manga, clearly they couldn't actually resolve any ongoing storylines, which is a real shame as the series is left far too open the way it is. Had there been some way to tie up some of the lingering issues it would have made for a better watch. |
| Armitage III: Poly-Matrix (movie) |
So-so |
Started off somewhat interesting, but didn't seem like the story could sustain itself for too long and frankly it didn't. |
| Assassination Classroom (TV) |
Very good |
Feels incomplete without its second half. The show is clever and inventive with its rather unique premise. |
| Assassination Classroom (TV 2) |
Very good |
A fitting and satisfying end to the series, answering all necessary questions and leaving no threads needlessly loose. |
| Astarotte no Omocha! (OAV) |
Not really good |
Not going to rate the OAV separately from the TV series. And not going to comment additionally neither. Nope. |
| Astarotte's Toy (TV) |
Not really good |
Creepy. Seriously. There's *just* enough to keep it from being a cesspool, and indeed it's possible to spot a few actually positive elements. But it's like calling John Wayne Gacy a decent artist. Ok, bad example and a bit extreme, but there's just so many things wrong with the series, it's hard to justify what's right because of it. Ok, the music was actually pretty good, and did a good job of enhancing those sad moments that are just plain WRONG, dear god. Don't watch this series. It's not horrible, but best steer clear. |
| Attack on Titan (TV) |
Very good |
Epic series of the past two anime seasons. Intensity seems to be the show's hallmark, with every bombastic episode ending in a major cliffhanger of testosterone and MANLY ENERGY!!! As the story progresses there are hints of a greater conspiracy and plot beyond what is simply presented as man vs monsters and how the show is ultimately rated will hinge very carefully on how this plot element is acted upon. The series ends as it should, in preparation for a second season. STAY TUNED!!!!!@#%!@#% |
| Attack on Titan (TV 2/2017) |
Very good |
An interesting second act following the bombastic first. Wisely did not attempt to merely turn things into a spectacle, instead chose to dwell on more horror over action. It would be unwise to let so many years lapse before bringing this series to a conclusion. |
| Azumanga Daioh (TV) |
Very good |
Got suckered into watching this even though it has none of the elements I would normally look for (action, plot, or cheesecake). It's heavy on the comedy which I normally don't care for, but it was well executed and enjoyable. |
| B Gata H Kei - Yamada’s First Time (TV) |
Decent |
So the show managed to not make a complete mockery of the subject but did managed to keep it light enough to enjoy some of the comedy moments. I suppose with clever enough writing it's possible to make just about any subject palatable, but to some extent you have to ask why. There are better shows out there with equally "edgy" or worse subjects, but truthfully not many as the purpose of the show is to titillate for a season, sell some DVDs, and then cash out. |
| Baby Blue (movie) |
Very good |
With a 15 minute run time, how much development can there really be? It does have its payoff though, and it is certainly bittersweet but satisfying. Maybe that's its strength, that it doesn't dawdle or waste time with unnecessary elements, but it still does hurt the weight of the emotions being played here. |
| Baccano! (TV) |
Good |
This show fatigued me. All dialogue references items, people, and events as "this" or "that." There are far too many characters to easily keep track of and too many plot threads, so forget watching this casually. My desire to follow through and finish was sorely tested. I couldn't give two shits about the train, I just want to hear the punch line to this joke and not deal with the long drawn out setup. Eventually knowing every character right off the bat wasn't nearly as important as I would have thought but it still left one too many plot points muddled, almost forcing one to re-watch the series. I think the gimmick of Time skips was somewhat clever but they laid it on way too thick and unnecessarily so to make up for any inconsistencies in the plot or elements lacking in the story overall. Not to say that the show wasn't reasonably entertaining, as some of the characters were pretty unique. But for me anyway it's not a show I care to revisit. |
| Bakemonogatari (TV) |
Very good |
A quirky series, not at all what I expected. The style is strongly reminiscent of Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei. A real shining moment for me was in episode 3 when our protagonist speaks proudly about winning a one-on-one street fight. Spectacular. Overall a strong series with its quirky, witty style, but possibly could have done without some of the fan service. Our hero comes off as being noble, but also a real pervert. Is that even possible? In this series, it's a distinct possibility. |
| Basquash! (TV) |
Decent |
Like watching anime on meth. It moves fast, is loud, but looks very good with its unique style. And lots of bouncing fan service glorified. Still there's a glimmer of some deeper plot hidden behind the trendy, popular music and apparent Nike commercial. In the end, however, the listless plot and almost directionless story almost killed the series, only barely making the series passable. |
| Battle Angel (OAV) |
Good |
A good story with graphic violence about wanting to reach for the sky but not quite getting there. Not a feel-good anime but worth watching. |
| Ben-To (TV) |
Very good |
Silly premise, outlandish action. Only a splash of fan service, which is used rather sparingly but effectively, if that's even possible. It's not high art, nor is it an epic story but it is entertaining to watch. The episodes are loosely tied together with story arcs lasting 2-3 episodes each. The series ends abruptly with the close of a story arc, thus setting up the series for a second season if they desire. Will there be one? I think there should be, to help fill in some background story and go into depth with several of the characters. But even if there isn't I'm ok with it, as the show helped fill the gap for this season and I was very entertained by it and it's all I can ask for. As a comedy/action piece it does quite well and is worth watching. |
| Berserk (TV 1997) |
Excellent |
If there is any series that demands a sequel, this is it. Not just because it's good, but it's just plain incomplete as-is. Keep the kiddies locked up though, unless you don't mind them watching buckets of blood flowing like so much water. |
| Berserk: The Golden Age Arc I - The Egg of the King (movie) |
Very good |
Ahh yes, the movies are finally coming out. The first is as you would expect from an adaptation of the manga. It's brutal, violent, and pretty damn mean spirited, but that's what we're after. While the movie only covers part of the original TV series up into episode 10, the plan is for several more movies which should tell the tale of Guts to a point past the rise of Femto. And I for one am really looking forward to it. By itself the movie feels incomplete but I still feel it's well worth watching. |
| Berserk: The Golden Age Arc II - The Battle for Doldrey (movie) |
Very good |
The Berserk trilogy is rapidly building steam toward the third movie. The use of cell shaded animation is still a bit off putting because it makes it feel kind of cheap but still wasn't a huge distraction. |
| Berserk: The Golden Age Arc III - The Advent (movie) |
Very good |
And there's the money shot. Almost pornographic in its reveal, the movie is glorious in its loving detail to horror. Not completely thrilled with the overuse of CGI and as fan service it depicts certain scenes not animated in the original TV series, scenes not entirely appropriate for even a late night TV show but ok for a movie release. Strictly necessary? No, but it does make a reasonable companion to supplement the original TV series. |
| Bible Black (OAV) |
Good |
Animated sex doesn't get more graphic or as exquisitely detailed. At least without resorting to tentacles or farm animals. Plus the characters are really well animated, clothed or otherwise. Oh yea, there's also some story about an evil book and cults or some such. |
| Bible Black Origins (OAV) |
Good |
Follows the fine standards set by Bible Black even though it's a prequel. The whole magic spells and satanic bit is just an excuse for people to have lots and lots of gratuitous sex. |
| Bikini Warriors (TV) |
Weak |
.... seriously there's no point. Wasn't even that titillating if that's what you're looking for. But every season I have to pick a bad one. |
| Black Lagoon (TV) |
Excellent |
While the series lacks a real ending (after all, they're already working on a second season) the show itself is quirky and fun to watch with plenty of mercenary action and lots of character development that needs exploring. |
| Black Lagoon: Roberta's Blood Trail (OAV) |
Very good |
For fans of the series, this is a no brainer. But to be perfectly honest, this one rambled a bit too much. At least it's an improvement over the manga, which was not only far too long, but it was far too ambitious and ended with more of a whimper than a bang. The anime improves on that a little, but given the source material it was at an inherent disadvantage. Overall definitely not the place to start the series, and honestly, not the best way to end it either. |
| Black Lagoon: The Second Barrage (TV) |
Excellent |
The series settles into telling compact 3 part stories which are satisfying and give you more of what the series is about. However the first 3 parter may not appeal to everybody with its very dark tone. |
| Black Rock Shooter (OAV) |
Decent |
It was unfortunately rather nonsensical. Aside from the expected elements of female angst during those difficult teenage years, the shifts to the alternate universe of fighting weren't explained with nearly enough information. |
| Bleach (TV) |
Good |
It's all over, folks. And what to say... It's a fairly straightforward "shonen" action series. Get past the early comedic 13 or so episodes and you get into the meat of the story. And what a rush it is, up until about episode 62 or so (the closing of the first main arc). If after that you call it quits, you've effectively gotten the best out of the series. If you continue soldiering forward, you get a lot of filler story arcs, some decent some awful, before the story finally concludes with what also feels like a filler arc, but it's not. 366 episodes in total, with what I guess to be about 40% filler. And towards the end even the main story stuff felt like a letdown. It almost feels unfair to judge all the episodes as a single whole, but that's what I did. If it was just the first 62 or so, it would rate higher. As a whole though, I'm actually being a bit generous. |
| Bleach the Movie: Fade to Black (movie 3) |
Good |
Felt like it was too similar to the second movie in general feel, so much of it felt like a rehash. Still decent, but not as good as the one that came before it. |
| Bleach the Movie: Memories of Nobody |
Good |
Standalone movie, but best watched once the main story arc is completed that leads into the Bount filler arc because this introduces pretty much all of the characters from Soul Society. The movie as a whole was enjoyable, but the primary focus of the show, the character Senna, could often be rather annoying and not all that sympathetic. |
| Bleach: The DiamondDust Rebellion (movie 2) |
Very good |
This, yet anther standalone movie, was in some ways better than the one that came before it. The story felt more compelling and the focus was on an existing character rather than making up a new one. |
| Blood+ (TV) |
Very good |
Far superior to the original OAV, this 50 episode series has great drama and action although it is a tad slow in parts while establishing the story. Might be a touch melodramatic for some people but still a great series to get through. |
| Blood-C (TV) |
Decent |
Reminds me of a girl you keep on speed dial for a booty call. Aside from that occasional romp, she's really not all that interesting. Just when you're about to completely call it quits with her, you find out she played a few minor parts in a couple of decent movies. That's the issue I had with this series, which dragged way too much before there was actually any progress in the storyline. By that point I was almost beyond caring about this and only the last episode or two with the promise of a movie managed to salvage anything interesting out of this relationship. Admittedly the action scenes were worth watching for their intensity and music. |
| Blood-C: The Last Dark (movie) |
Decent |
Decent movie, but sadly devolves into stereotypes. Unfortunately doesn't do a great job of answering the questions from the TV series it's supposed to be a sequel of, and frankly being hobbled by having to carry the burden of an already flawed TV show, the end result was pretty fun, but not great. It wasn't even as over the top shocking and gory as the TV show. |
| Blood: The Last Vampire (movie) |
Decent |
Start reading a book by skipping to chapter 4. That's what this feels like. You get pick up the backstory as the blood is spilled (and quite liberally) but you can never give up the sense that you're only getting an imcomplete peek at the events. |
| Bludgeoning Angel Dokuro-chan (TV) |
Good |
Had a few laugh-out-loud moments of exaggerated comedy. It was overall cheeky good fun with plenty of fan service and lots of outrageousness. The ending was a bit confusing and not altogether satisfying. Not that surprising and I suppose normal for a typical Japanese love triangle story. |
| (La) Blue Girl (OAV) |
Decent |
The granddady of the graphic tentacle sex genre. A few attempts at trying to be funny really weren't (mainly crude sex jokes anyway). Not too bad if you're ONLY after the tentacle sex, but there are better titles out there. |
| Blue Seed (TV) |
Decent |
Hard to comment as it is not really my type of anime and didn't really grab me. However it was a decent watch with good moments. |
| Bodacious Space Pirates (TV) |
Very good |
A suprisingly intelligent series about the girl who would be Pirate. There's no fan service to speak of, and the show is played very straight and unfolds the story at its own languid pace. That's quite ok by me, as I am enjoying the pace, like a sailboat out for a leisurely cruise in pirate infested waters. |
| Bokusatsu Tenshi Dokuro-chan Second (OAV) |
Good |
More of the same. Which is to say, it's no better or worse. But that also means that the style has pretty much played itself out. But someone being turned into a blood fountain is always good clean fun. |
| (The) Book of Bantorra (TV) |
Very good |
It carries with it the promise of a very deep and rewarding storyline with ambiguously motivated characters. In the end the lines of black and white are blurred extremely gray and renders the matter of good versus evil characters somewhat meaningless. It is at Times hard to follow but overall worth watching if you can get past the somewhat overly complex history. |
| Bubblegum Crash (OAV) |
Good |
A good 3-part effort to try and continue immediately after the first "Crisis." Unfortunately the series lost a bit of its edge here. |
| Bubblegum Crisis (OAV) |
Very good |
One of the original near-future cyberpunk animes where man and machine work alongside each other. The episodes felt a little disjointed and lots of possible stories felt unexplored. |
| Bubblegum Crisis: Tokyo 2040 (TV) |
Very good |
A fresh re-interpretation of a groundbreaking series. Unlike the OAV, the series has a nice pacing and the characters have much greater depth even though it felt a little slow getting going. |
| Bunny Drop (TV) |
Very good |
A sweet little series. It really tugs at your heart without wrenching or breaking it. It does feel rather unresolved primarily because the anime only covers the first 4 or so volumes of a 9 or so volume series. Despite that it's hard to fault it for its kind hearted nature although perhaps the cynical may not care for it without a major event or two changing everything. |
| Cage (OAV) |
So-so |
Typical explicit hentai. Nothing unique or particularly interesting in this one, not even over the top. |
| Capeta (TV) |
Good |
Takes a while for the series to get interesting. A somewhat odd show aimed at younger boys. |
| Casshern Sins (TV) |
Very good |
An interesting style combined with fast action and a somewhat philosophical and contemplative story. The series was slow during many moments and ultimately the story lacked some clarity or direction but made up for a lot of it with its visuals. |
| Castle in the Sky (movie) |
Good |
Studio Ghibli is very capable of fine animation, but for one reason or another this one felt too long and wasn't able to keep my attention as well as some others. Perhaps I expected more since this was one I saw after some of the ones that were released later. |
| A Certain Magical Index (TV) |
Decent |
Not sure ultimately what about this show didn't do much for me, but it felt very lackluster and without much of a direction. I had to watch this over a span of many months and several attempts to pick it up even after the show had long been over and I could have marathon watched it all at once. |
| A Certain Scientific Railgun (TV) |
Good |
A more likable series than Toaru Majiutsu no Index. Doesn't feel as directionless as the first and even has an overarching story to tell that ties in some of the more episodic parts. Naturally this being popularized Japanese anime you have your moments of fan service, which can be a shame or a bonus depending on your point of view. Still worth watching in any case, even if many of the episodes turned out to be filler. |
| A Certain Scientific Railgun S (TV) |
Very good |
Friendship power! While on occasion the differences in power level seem rather inconsistent, this second series is overall darker feeling than the original. Overall though it is still a fun series despite its lack of any real unique plot developments. It plays upon the cute angle heavily and there is decidedly less fan service, which overall is not a bad thing at all. The ending was rather predictably obvious, but still fun to see everyone put on their best faces forward even if it all wrapped up a bit too conveniently. And this series is still better than its parent "Index." |
| Chihayafuru (TV) |
Excellent |
In terms of formulaic stories, Chihayafuru is relatively in line with them so far. It's really the execution and the genuinely earnest Chihaya that makes the series worth watching. I'll spare additional hyperbole, but let's just say I want to see a second season right now. It's a story about a kid's card game but damn is it compelling! |
| Chihayafuru 2 (TV) |
Very good |
The series ends how you expect, mostly. Not quite finished, but at a satisfying stopping point. Perhaps story and character development are sacrificed in favor of all of the tournament playing, but the second season still ends well at this juncture. No, not everything has been resolved, and we do not get to see things go "all the way" (no, not in a sexual manner... duh...) but things are left as well as they can be expected to. Just watch it and enjoy. |
| Chobits (TV) |
Very good |
Surprisingly touching series with a Pinocchio theme. It took a while for the title female character to start developing, but still a good watch. |
| Chobits (OAV) |
Good |
Not sure why this is even separately rated from 'Chobits (TV)' as it's nothing more than a recap of the series plus maybe three minutes of additional animation. You can certainly skip this one although it gives you a little more story about what happens after the series. |
| Chu-Bra!! (TV) |
Decent |
Borders on the utterly ridiculous and is everything that critics complain about the hypersexualization of youth. It does everything it can short of appearing on an adult cable station, or possibly the DVD release. But admittedly in episode one... Talking breasts? Ok that was pretty damn funny. In the end it never quite delivers anything satisfying or meaningful, and for those looking for it, doesn't even much deliver on the fan service. Ok, except for a moment in the public bath. Hilarity ensues, sort of. It's kind of creepy if you think about it, so don't bother. Just switch off the brain and find yourself with.... frankly a slightly better than average series. |
| Clannad (TV) |
Very good |
The story-mancers at Key are powerful wizards capable of high level voodoo. Having not yet seen their prior two works Air and Kanon (my understanding is that it is a trifecta of tears) I have to assume that their third effort is probably their best in terms of craftsmanship. This is pretty heady stuff but with some humor thrown in to keep things from turning into a complete wrist cutting fest. A fine story, although somewhat predictable. Even so, knowing that you're about to get run over by a car moments before you do doesn't make the boo-boo hurt any less once you've been struck. You can't just say 'Walk it off, it's just a flesh wound.' |
| Clannad After Story (TV) |
Very good |
Much like its predecessor, but only more so. Now distilling the story down to a single relationship arc and only extracting the purest lachrymose element possible, the story can hit like some unexpected dragon punch to the kidneys and liver. Despite the great deal of storyline predictability in this arc, it still manages to provide a bit of a surprise or two when the train to inevitable suicide appears to have reached its station. Only then does it manage to ease up a touch from its Grave of the Fireflies level of despair. The jaded or soulless might find this treatment a bit overly melodramatic and that opinion is certainly understandable... If they're emotionless robots. I jest. Only one friend of mine can possibly qualify as a truly emotionless robot. Ok, on second thought, maybe two or three. |
| Claymore (TV) |
Very good |
I wanted to like this series more. But the ending felt somewhat rushed. The anime series deviance from the manga seems to reinforce this feeling, as though at the last moment they decided they needed something more decisive to finish the series rather than looking ahead to another season. |
| Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion (TV) |
Excellent |
In terms of gripping drama and tension, it doesn't get much higher than this in an anime series. More twists than a pretzel shop. The only real drawback to this series (if you can call it that) is that watching R2 is mandatory if you have any interest in this.
Calling this a mecha series though seems out of place. While yes, there are robots a-plenty in this series, the robots themselves are not really a major focus of the show. Frankly they could have been tanks, jeeps, or pedal cars instead of robots and there wouldn't be a major impact on the show. |
| Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2 (TV) |
Excellent |
About as good as anime gets in terms of action, story, and characters. If I had a knock against the series, I would say that the character designs were not much to my liking. Also in the middle part of R2 there we a lot of sections that seemed rushed and almost haphazardly spliced together. And how many episode feel like a preposterous game of one-upmanship. However in the end it all worked out and while not exactly wrapped up with a pretty bow, the series is most certainly a fantastic ride and worth a fair watching. |
| Cool Devices (OAV) |
Decent |
An interesting mindjob into the darker aspects of sexuality, realistic or otherwise. Like most hentai it's hard to judge it based on the strength of its story, but each separate episode ranged from pretty good to dull. |
| Cowboy Bebop (TV) |
Excellent |
My only gripe is that a large part of the series felt far too episodic and that the plot episodes were sort of squeezed in between the fully self-contained ones. Watch them all though, as almost every episode had at least one or two moments to move along the plot or flesh out the Bebop universe. |
| Cowboy Bebop: The Movie |
Good |
Felt like they tried to stretch a single episode out to a full movie without complete success. It's pretty entertaining to watch but feels almost an unnecessary effort other than to give fans more Bebop. |
| Coyote Ragtime Show (TV) |
Decent |
Finally finished the series. It was loud, and full of explosions. Sadly it didn't leave much in the way of lasting impressions. At least after four or so years of waiting, I finally finished the final several episodes. It wasn't the worst show, and I still think the first episode was a fine dandy one to watch. Just the rest of the series didn't deliver what the first one promised. I suppose in some ways it did, with lots of shooting and blowing things up. But it lacked much else. A decent watch I suppose. |
| Cross Game (TV) |
Excellent |
I don't even like baseball. But here I am. Some of the finest storytelling I've witnessed in quite a while. This is one of the few Times in anime where I remember the artist by name due to the strength of their work. If I had to nitpick I'd say that the art style is not for everyone due to its simplistic lines (everyone's ears look like half-doughnuts). But otherwise it's a clean story devoid of unnecessary melodrama and even makes the baseball exciting. |
| Daily Lives of High School Boys (TV) |
Decent |
A decently fun, quirky series while it lasted. Entertaining to be sure, with some of the gags getting some laughs, but overall it's a fairly throwaway series. Worth watching, but you can easily pass on it as well. |
| Dance in the Vampire Bund (TV) |
Good |
Vampires, werewolves, political intrigue, and a prepubescent queen with a penchance for stripping. Pretty close to ideal justification for ogling what appears to be an approximately ten year old female who tends to be disrobed for much of the series, never mind that she's probably at least 100 years old, likely much older. The story did seem to promise a much deeper well of intrigue and story, but with the short series length there wasn't much room except for some of the shallower elements and several unexplained plot threads. Set aside the "ick" factor (She does have a "true" form. The series Witchblade comes to mind.) and you're left with a decent story and a decent series... completely overshadowed by a naked adolescent. Did they shoot themselves in the foot doing so, appealing to the hardcore fanbase and not allowing themselves better reception? There actually *is* a reason for her appearance which is actually logical, but in most people's opinions I suppose they didn't need to go there and then dwell on it, even if it is a significant plot point. You can argue for it logically, but as it stands, you can't argue for it emotionally or morally for the vast majority of people. |
| Deadman Wonderland (TV) |
Good |
Woefully inadequate runtime really hurts the story. Far too many open threads when the series ends leaves you feeling frustraed. The series itself can be far too dark even when something isn't being censored, plus the censoring itself can be uneven and somewhat jarring at times. Effectively it is the first act of a multi-act play that we perhaps will never get to see and ends with massive story threads open that we as the audience know, but the characters don't. It cries for a second part but will we ev..... |
| Death Parade (TV) |
Good |
After all of the hype received by this series I decided to have a look and I'm glad I did. Thankfully it did not try to be too episodic like Hell Girl was in the beginning, so quickly there is the establishment of a plot that occurs behind the scenes. The behind the scenes activity isn't a power struggle, but still brings a few moments of tension due to a degree of philosophical differences of opinion that seem to be escalating. The payoff from the plot isn't as good as the emotional payoff, however, and the climax of the series is reasonably satisfactory but sadly somewhat brief and still a touch unfulfilling. Worth the watch? Sure. But I think a viewing with a bit more of an objective lens will soften its current blush of extremely high praise. |
| Demon King Daimao (TV) |
Decent |
What to say... It was an entertaining romp through about the first half of the series, but became less entertaining as it tried to take itself seriously. About the last third or so was an attempt at dramatic shounen stuff, but the occasional panty flashes at that point felt out of place, making this series a fractured, schizoid mess without a comprehensible story. At the very end is an attempt to "reset" things, but by then the damage is done and what's the point... Did I just ruin the plot? You have to have a plot to begin with to ruin it. Watch the first half and enjoy. You can pretty much skip anything past episode 7 or so and not be cheated out of anything. Except maybe a ridiculous storyline. |
| Denpa teki na Kanojo (OAV) |
Very good |
There's something I really appreciate in this two episode series that I can't quite put my finger on. It definitely touches upon the themes that are listed for this title, but it's not what I enjoyed most about it. I'm no reviewer, so I don't need to put the reasons why I liked this into words, but I really wish there was more to this as I really liked some of the supporting characters a lot and wish they could have explored some of them more deeply. |
| Desert Punk (TV) |
Very good |
The series got better with age despite its initially shallow story. The ending was a pleasant (or unpleasant, some may say) surprise, which helped to elevate this series at the final push. |
| (The) Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya (movie) |
Very good |
More of the same. But a full movie of it is definitely a good thing. Unlike some movies which just feel like a tired, drawn out single TV episode (sadly Cowboy Bebop fits this description), that is not the case with this movie. |
| (The) Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan (TV) |
Good |
A somewhat slow, uneven series. The comedy didn't work a great deal for me, although the dramatic arc did a lot better. Sadly much of the weight that it brought felt like it was squandered to some degree, but it was still a good watch. |
| Dog & Scissors (TV) |
So-so |
This is a pretty pointless series. Not sure how else to describe it. The characters are fairly random and you get the sense that they're all somehow interrelated, but overall the presentation is very uneven and nothing is really resolved in the end. The show feels like it's completely open ended for another season, but there isn't enough there to justify another because you never really get the sense that there was any forward movement in the incongruous plot. In the end you're just left with a random collection of "stuff happened" but no sense of "stuff is happening." In the end you don't really care about anybody because you really don't know anything about any of them, so why bother? |
| (The) Dragon Dentist (specials) |
Good |
Interesting concept and execution but polarizing ending and full of plot holes as though it was trying to say something profound but instead just sounds muddled. It truly feels like a series that had a lot of great ideas but ran out of budget trying to execute them (I'm looking at you, Evangelion.). There is a ton of lore here that never gets explained and feels squandered. Yes, yes, life doesn't come with easy to consume answers all wrapped up in bows, but this isn't real life, it's supposed to be entertaining, not infuriating. It's unfortunate as I really enjoyed approximately 90% of this anime, but the ending left me high and dry with a significant lack of clues. I won't completely trash the series for its distinct plot flaws and lackluster ending, but those faults are significant and can't be completely ignored. It's a two parter I really wanted to like for its atmosphere, but its failings can't be ignored. |
| Durarara!! (TV) |
Very good |
Brought to you by the same major players who brought Baccano, Durarara was much less tiresome than the other show. Much less Time skipping made for a smoother narrative. The characters were all interesting (possibly far too much character for every character, so to speak) but much like Baccano, this show is a Time slice rather than a complete story. What does that mean? Basically there is no real beginning or ending, you're just stepping in at some point in the lives of the characters, and that's possibly what people like so much about a series like this. In any case I think just about every element is superior to Baccano in every way and despite the longer episode count it was emminently more watchable. |
| Eden of the East (TV) |
Very good |
There's some deep political intrigue buried in there somewhere and I will root it out, along with the lady serial killer who walks around in see through lingerie. |
| Eden of the East: Paradise Lost (movie) |
Very good |
The series ends at last. Most questions are answered reasonably enough but the ending was a bit unsatisfying to me. Overall it's still a great series with a lot of intrigue. All hail Juiz, the ultimate concierge. |
| Eden of the East: The King of Eden (movie) |
Very good |
The plot thickens in this first of two movies. Tensions rise as the competition intensifies in the race to be the savior. A lot of material is presented, almost feeling like a second movie won't be enough to tie everything up. It took several efforts to get through the first few minutes though but the end result was worth it. |
| Elfen Laid (OAV) |
Decent |
The usual brutal virgin raping scenario. Gotta feel bad for the female leads in this one. |
| Elfen Lied (TV) |
Very good |
Good series if you enjoy bloody violence and gratuitous fan service of the uncensored kind. However somewhere inside all this is a decent story about a bunch of people having a really, really bad day and calling the show a fan service fest really does it a disservice. Dark, depressing themes abound and everybody seems to be carrying emotional baggage, often of the worst kind. This is by no means a happy story where the good guy wins and the bad guy gets their just rewards. But that's just fine with me since I will return to this in the years to come. |
| Elfen Lied (OAV) |
Good |
This side story of Elfen Lied is almost all cutesy, rather uncharacteristic of the harshness of the main series. Perhaps it's ok to welcome a break from the otherwise unrelenting depressive sensation brought about by the rest of the series and it was certainly interesting to see some origin scenes. |
| Elven Bride (OAV) |
So-so |
Feels somewhat like a console video game. Has a few nice moments but pretty much anything has that. |
| Ergo Proxy (TV) |
Very good |
What can I say about this series... It's an odd series, not as action packed as you are led to believe at the start. Yet the story has a compelling feel that urges you to continue even despite some of its very oddball moments. |
| Eromanga Sensei (TV) |
Good |
This anime is trash and so am I. Cute, despite its rather awkward subject matter. The fan pandering and sex jokes are par for the course and it's hard to deny the work that the author has done in his other notorious series (with the obvious "same universe" tie-in cameos). Nonetheless, the show did have its heart warming moments for a bit, that weren't completely stomped out by the bigger overarching problems of the series. |
| Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone (movie) |
Good |
Enjoyable first half of a reimagining of this popular series. As it stands alone it was fine but I did not care for the ending at all so it remains to be seen if the second half will be a disappointment. |
| Eyeshield 21 (TV) |
Good |
Entertaining for a series spanning 145 episodes, but I wish it would have been closer to 160 as it does leave a few interesting threads and plot points unanswered. Does a fine job of explaining the rules of football for the most part. Actually I wish it could have been closer to 100 episodes as a lot of parts sort of dragged along when they could have been more concise. |
| F3 (OAV) |
Decent |
Funny excuse to present some rather preposterous situations. Oh wait, this is a hentai title so I suppose plausibility wasn't a big consideration. Still, it had some funny moments. |
| Fastest Finger First (TV) |
Decent |
An anime about high school competitions playing games of speed trivia. I did ask myself how this could possibly make for compelling drama in comparison to, say, Chihayafuru, which share an outwardly similar appearance. However there's no comparison as this never quite achieves that show's level of tension, drama, or writing. |
| Fatal Fury: The Motion Picture |
Decent |
Lots of hand to hand fighting action and one character to provide lots of fan service. The action sequences were pretty good but like most of the animes in this genre (tournament fighting game turned into anime) it takes itself far too seriously. |
| FLCL (OAV) |
Decent |
Sadly I'm one of those people who didn't get it. I tried, I really did. But to me the story meandered listlessly, with just a bunch of random stuff happening. |
| Flowers of Evil (TV) |
Very good |
One can only imagine what depths of the heart this series could sink to if ever allowed to conclude. Unfortunately that is not likely to happen. It's an excellent series, but admittedly not for everybody and there is something to be said about some of its pacing issues. Also one has to question whether some of the characters' actions are even remotely realistic in a "real" sense, and whether the lead character could so easily allow himself to be bullied into so many compromising situations. But then again, we are talking about adolescence, and perhaps his submissive nature is merely a reflection of his darkness despite his open claims to the opposite. But perhaps we will never know. |
| Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma (TV) |
Very good |
Foodgasms galore! It's a good thing that the show brings so much fun and energy to the table, yet still managing to squeeze in fan service without being TOO out of place (although just a little... bit... much...). |
| Food Wars! The Second Plate (TV) |
Very good |
TOURNAMENT ARC! Lots of intense cooking competitions drive the narrative forward and fit well with the already established story. |
| Freezing (TV) |
Good |
Reminded me in ways of Claymore, only with infinitely more fan service. The premise and story are even harder to swallow, as it has a hard time making sense of its own story. It was fun and certainly worth a watch as occasionally I did find myself rooting for one cause or another despite how absolutely ludicrous the scene may have been. |
| From the New World (TV) |
Good |
How to rate this series. I had a difficult Time getting through this, honestly. Until I got into the final third or so, when things got very interesting after the stakes were at a very high level. The beginning was actually somewhat dreary but it always had a looming, lingering sense of dread you can't quite shake, which is what kept me going until the final act. There are issues of humanity and explorations of sociology here, but it seems a lot of it is just ignored even though it was always right there, in your face. So in the end the payoff is great if somewhat slow to get there and also a bit clouded over. |
| From Up On Poppy Hill (movie) |
Very good |
A young romance story taking place in 1963. Nothing terribly special but charming in its own little way. Like most Ghibli movies there is a touch of melancholy and introspection in the movie. Not an outstanding example of the studio's work, but falls in line with some of their more subdued pictures. |
| Fullmetal Alchemist (TV) |
Very good |
Good series. Felt they didn't spend enough Time getting to the point but was worth the trip for most part. Sadly a lot of elements seemed rather random and the ultimate demise of a lot of characters seemed rather meaningless. But perhaps that's the point, there isn't always a great meaning to death, it's just a natural part of life. |
| Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (TV) |
Very good |
Finally the proper story of FMA. I think the story works brilliantly as a masterpiece in the eyes of the target audience (males in their teens and maybe early 20's) but falls a little flat in its uneven storytelling for an older audience. Many of the story beats feel like conveniences to keep things moving, but don't necessarily feel natural or unforced. Unfortunately we are also to accept that there is no difference in power levels between regular people and alchemists if it gets in the way of making certain characters look good. And we are merely supposed to accept that guilt and punishment can be ignored as long as it's offset by good deeds, although that's just not how things work, breaking their world's own rules. But it does ultimately make for the happiest ending possible for what's left behind, even if illogical. Despite that we are still left with a pleasant story that took its Time getting to the end |
| Ga-Rei-Zero (TV) |
Very good |
Surprisingly entertaining despite some of its cliched trappings. I did enjoy the story through its twists and turns, but its position as a prequel to an existing manga series means that much of it feels somewhat unfinished. It can't be helped, but at least it makes for a short but entertaining series. |
| Gakuen Utopia Manabi Straight! (TV) |
Good |
This is a cute series on the same vein as K-On, with a few key differences. One of the first issues I noted which I considered really jarring is that the characters are overly "moe" in style. These are supposed to be high school girls but look to be drawn much, much younger. At one point I thought they were sixth graders. To make things worse, a girl from another school (who appears to be the same grade) is physically taller than all the main cast (she's giant compared to them) but also has clearly older features more consistent with someone in high school. I found this effect really really strange, and somewhat distracting. Overall a pleasant series though with a nice conflict resolution, but nothing exceptional or very memorable. |
| Gamers! (TV) |
Good |
More fun that I ever expected it to be with all of its misunderstandings and mixed up relationships. Latter episodes didn't quite hold up as well but overall it was a good watch. |
| (The) Garden of Sinners (movie series) |
Very good |
A slow, simmering series that eventually comes to a... slightly more intense simmer. Yes, the finale does explain some things in the end, but some threads are left hanging open which would have felt more satisfying had they at least pointed toward some conclusion. Is the payoff worth the trouble of following the story almost blind? Well it's not heavily action packed, but I felt most of the drama and thrills stood alone pretty well, even if it did take a longish amount of time to build momentum. Worth watching, possibly worth owning. But don't expect most of your friends to tolerate this very easily. |
| (The) Garden of Words (movie) |
Very good |
A refined Shinkai movie heavy with with atmosphere and unspoken emotions leading to melancholy and longing. Interesting lighting choices but absolutely gorgeously animated. Not sure how I feel about the ending song either, as it doesn't feel like it matches the tone of the ending catharsis. Still worth the watching, especially given its fairly short run time. |
| Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet (TV) |
Good |
Overall a good show, but several middle episodes were detractions and didn't do much to elevate the series aside from injecting some unnecessary fan service. It was good, but didn't blow me away. The start was certainly a very promising one, and the ending was solid if not a bit predictable. But yes, the middle part was a bit of a letdown since it will be known more for flashing some skin rather than its little bit of character development. |
| Gatchaman Crowds (TV) |
Very good |
A rollercoaster ride can end in an epic abrupt stop or a slow crawl. Gatchaman Crowds is definitely the latter. Right up to the start of the final episode the build-up is tremendous and then.... Huh... Yes, Hajime is the love it or hate it character who truly stands out among a veritable ocean of characters. And it was certainly an interesting ride. But the ending was just a bit disappointing and rather than elevating the series it just sort of coasts to a finale. Was it worth the ride? I think so. But there are a lot of unanswered questions (some of them HUGE questions) which the series does nothing to address or even hint at, in some cases. And frankly that kind of sucks. There's supposed to be a future OVA or something that will hopefully explain some things, but as-is, the ending was a bit weak sauce. Despite that it's hard to hold it against Gatchaman too much since the ride was pretty thrilling which ultimately helped influence my rating. |
| Gatchaman Crowds insight (TV) |
Good |
The sequel is an interesting followup of the first series by turning its world into a social experiment about people and their self interests. While the premise itself is good and the series enjoyable, I was not completely riveted by it and the novelty of the first series kind of wore off by the second. |
| Ghost in the Shell (movie) |
Good |
A great addition to the future cyberpunk genre and presents some philosophical questions. |
| (The) Girl Who Leapt Through Time (movie) |
Very good |
Fun movie with an increasingly serious tone. Time travel movies always contain technical loopholes and paradoxes by their nature but I was mostly able to forget those and just enjoy the ride. |
| Girl's High (TV) |
Decent |
It's not high art. It doesn't carry a deep message or feature deep characters. However it does feature comedy and lots of fan service so it's worth a watch for cheap laughs. |
| Girls und Panzer (TV) |
Good |
The premise is just utterly bizarre. Tank battling as a girl's after school club? Whaaaa? The series is also utterly predictable in its direction. You can see how things will end halfway through the series, so honestly there was little point in delaying the show for as long as it was. Due to the huge ensemble cast and its short episode run, character development is also practically nonexistent for the vast majority of characters. Bizarre or not, this is the first anime I've seen making multiple references to Kelly's Heroes and this warms the cockles of my heart. |
| Girls und Panzer: This is the Real Anzio Battle! (OAV) |
Good |
I'm a sucker for this series. And while this side story is not strictly necessary to the main story, it is still nevertheless entertaining. |
| Golden Boy (OAV) |
Good |
Surprisingly entertaining despite its sophomoric humor. I did like that the episodes all somewhat tied together, even if it was pretty loosely and with a very unlikely premise. Study! |
| Good Luck Girl! (TV) |
Good |
Fun, goofy, physical comedy. Not super memorable but made for a good watch. |
| Gosick (TV) |
Very good |
Much like how the story of Gosick spans many years and suffers trials and tribulations, so did my attempt to finally finish watching this series. Was it worth the time and effort? Yes, and no. I think the core of the series here is a strong love story, but one must suffer through a lot of uneven storytelling and weak characters to get to the end. And while many elements that didn't make a lot of sense ultimately get reasonably conclusive endings, it's not always the case and some things feel like a lot of wasted potential with throwaways. Did the end justify the means? Well mostly, but it was costly, so I'm really on the fence on whether I gave it a 7 or 8, but for rating's sake I give it an 8. |
| Grave of the Fireflies (movie) |
Excellent |
Tough to rate this one lower, although it's not quite perfect. There's a real good sense of desperation here even when you know how it's going to end. |
| Grenadier (TV) |
Good |
A short, light series with a predictable twist or two. It's not high art but it's pretty entertaining. With a bit of a perverted twist. Bullets out of bosoms indeed... |
| Gungrave (TV) |
Good |
A good solid series and fun to watch with its multitude of characters, even if a bit cliched. |
| Gunslinger Girl (TV) |
Good |
A bit too sedate for a series about girls with guns, but entertaining nonetheless with interesting characters. Could have been rated higher had the gunplay been a bit more technically accurate, given its dearth of good action. |
| Gunsmith Cats (OAV) |
Good |
A fun anime with very well depicted guns and cars. |
| Gurren Lagann (TV) |
Excellent |
It's big, loud, and somewhat obnoxious. It should not have really appealed to me. Yet somehow it really worked and for some reason something's telling me it might be the best series I've seen in years. |
| Haibane Renmei (TV) |
Good |
A contemplative series about guilt, grief, and redemption. There are heavier mysteries here that go unanswered which felt a bit unsatisfying, but ultimately don't really need explanation. This is a small, simple story done at its own pace. |
| Hajime no Ippo (TV) |
Very good |
A perfect shonen series recipe. Ippo is an earnest young lad who puts his all into his new chosen life and does quite handily. The series is endlessly predictable and lacks any meaningful plot, but the primary entertainment value comes from watching the intense fights and the joyful (if not slightly homoerotic) interplay among the main characters. |
| Hajime no Ippo - Champion Road (special) |
Very good |
See the description for Fighting Spirit. Since this an immediate single battle sequel it's pretty much a 'must watch" part of the series. Disappointingly he makes no progress with his love interest, if anything it's a step back. |
| Hajime no Ippo - Mashiba vs. Kimura (OAV) |
Very good |
Another title in the series, this one too features an intense fight but among secondary characters. The story is still tightly tied to the main one, so it's hard to rate this separately. |
| Hajime no Ippo Rising (TV) |
Very good |
New continuation of Hajime no Ippo, and more of what's expected. The animation of course looks cleaner than ever, and the fights are suitably dramatic, if not completely unrealistic (What do you expect, it's anime...). If you're a fan of the show, you've already bought into this hook line and sinker. If you're looking to jump into Hajime No Ippo, this is definitely not the place to do it. |
| Hajime no Ippo: New Challenger (TV) |
Very good |
This series features a lot more comedy than the parts that came before it. Whether this reliance on more humor is better or worse is hard to tell, as the series was still enjoyable. As expected in a shonen title, Ippo's love life makes barely any progress. |
| Hanamonogatari (TV) |
Very good |
I will not speak further about the monogatari series. My earlier comments stand. |
| Hanasaku Iroha - Blossoms for Tomorrow (TV) |
Very good |
I've never enjoyed a series so much that ended with nothing being resolved. I hated the ending as much as I loved it, and maybe it's because I genuinely cared for the characters that I did not want to see things end the way it did. And while Iroha shows growth through the progress of the series, many of the supporting cast never quite seem to be able to break from their too-frequently unlikable shells. It's quite unfortunate since I was really rooting for everyone to improve, which makes me hard to feel really truly good about this series. And perhaps that itself is what makes this one great, but can't get myself to rate it higher. |
| Hanasaku Iroha: Home Sweet Home (movie) |
Very good |
Because the story fits in somewhere inside the existing series, the movie feels more like some sort of filler episode because it doesn't advance the plot. It does help reveal a little more background about the characters, especially Iroha's mother and her interaction with the grandmother. It's certainly a worthwhile watch for fans of the series looking for more, but it can certainly be considered a pass otherwise and certainly doesn't stand alone without the TV series. |
| Hand Maid May (TV) |
Good |
Cute story. Perhaps overly so. The usual dilemmas associated with owning something you can't afford but struggle to hang on to. |
| Hatsukoi Limited (TV) |
Very good |
Cleverly written intertwining characters made for an entertaining series. I wish there wasn't quite so much panty flashing, but I could overlook that for its overall story. There's nothing terribly remarkable about this show, but it does its best to pull the emotional heartstrings without trying to completely mire you in a melodramatic whirlpool. Overall the show was satisfying to watch but it does make me wish that it was possible to rate a series out of 20 points or even a percentage. But to give the series the benefit of the doubt I settled on the slightly higher score. |
| He Is My Master (TV) |
Decent |
Nothing really special. Was an entertaining series and not sexual at all as the title might imply. A little cheesecake and implied kinkiness is all. |
| Hell Girl (TV) |
Good |
An interesting concept that is somewhat repetitive at the start. It eventually gains a plot of sorts and has some interesting moments but the overall concept doesn't carry well to 26 episodes. |
| Hell Girl: Three Vessels (TV) |
Good |
I would have thought that the formula would get pretty stale by now. However the show has been able to maintain a level of interest by changing things up which helps the series maintain its consistent rating even after 3 runs. |
| Hell Girl: Two Mirrors (TV) |
Good |
More of the same but showing more interaction between the "victims" and the supporting players for Jigoku Shoujo. |
| Hellsing (TV) |
Good |
Good, but somewhat overhyped. The ending felt somewhat rushed and hectic, without being really satisfying. |
| Hellsing Ultimate (OAV) |
Very good |
Hellsing Ultimate promises over the top action and it delivers that in spades. The story overall isn't all that great, but it's more than enough to help flesh out the framework of this fun, action packed, bloody series. It's not trying for high art here, it's just trying to be fun with its various cliched elements. Zombie Nazis in gigantic war zeppelins? Bloodthirsty religious zealots hellbent on an annihilation crusade? Immensely powerful, almost immortal vampire henchmen? Sign me up! |
| (The ")Hentai" Prince and the Stony Cat. (TV) |
Good |
I enjoyed this series much more than I expected to, but then again my expectations for the series were pretty low to start with. There are many little plot twists throughout and some things left unresolved, but overall still fun and deeper than you might imagine given its very shallow initial appearance. The ending few episodes are surprisgingly touching too, despite its initial cheese-fest trappings. But don't try to over-think the plot either, which is admittedly confusing, but overall it's still relatively satisfying. |
| High School of the Dead (TV) |
Good |
Talk about a series with wasted potential. Not that I don't appreciate the fan service (actually, I rather don't) but there is a point where saying "zombies + jiggling boobs = ultimate win!" is an incorrect statement. It's more like "zombies + jiggling boobs != ultimate win" Bear with me, it's a programming joke. Anyway the series is bleak. Very bleak. I rather expected that and appreciated it. But the series was also somewhat abrupt. However the abruptness didn't really affect its score, which I am generously giving a touch higher, but the heavy fan service really did wreck what could have been a really great series. |
| Honey and Clover (TV) |
Very good |
I realize that not everything has a happy ending or even a resolution, but knowing this did not diminish the complex introspective look into the minds of various people and their relationships. |
| Honey and Clover II (TV) |
Very good |
Perhaps finally deciding the paths of the various characters made for a more satisfying series. In any case if you intend to watch the series make sure it happens from the start and not the middle. |
| Howl's Moving Castle (movie) |
Good |
Excellent as usual but did not grab me as much as some of the others. |
| I Don't Like You At All, Big Brother!! (TV) |
So-so |
So I slogged through this. And regretted most of it. I'll leave aside the very crass older brother complex storyline. At *least* they're not blood related, a la Kiss X Sis. Nor will I bring up the take-it-or-leave-it art style which not everyone can appreciate, a la NANA. No, what ultimately put the nail in the coffin on this series was the completely disjointed story which feels more like a mish mash of multiple manga plotlines thrown together without any attempts at cohesion. If anything this feels more like an advertisement for the manga (or the upcoming unaired episode on disc), which is a cheap ploy. It feels like a series that's been given up on 1/3 of the way through, and the mish mash of characters and sad attempt at a story reflect this. |
| Ichigo 100% (TV) |
Good |
The usual "one boy and lots of girls" dilemma with plenty of fan service. No real resolution with the series however. You pretty much have to watch the OAVs for any sense of closure. It's rather light and funny with a few moments of "do SOMETHING you wishy-washy bastard!" |
| Ichigo 100% (special) |
Good |
Takes up where the TV series leaves off. But still, don't expect any real closure. Sorry. Still worth the ride though. |
| Ichigo 100% (OAV) |
Good |
More of the same for the Ichigo crew. Nothing is resolved but you can lump it all in with the rest of the series. |
| Ikki Tousen (TV) |
Decent |
So much fan service in terms of extended crotch shots, nude lesbians, and late episode nip slips. You really can't get much more fan service without dipping into the "hentai" category. Oh wait, I think there's a history lesson in there somewhere too. |
| Immoral Sisters (OAV) |
Decent |
Implausible and unrealistic story, but it's an excuse to present lots of gratuitous scenes. |
| Initial D (TV) |
Very good |
While the main character's development doesn't seem particularly plausible, the situations he gets himself into and their resolution seem that way. Nice build-up of tension before most of the encounters. |
| Initial D: Battle Stage 2 (OAV) |
Decent |
Just a recap of the 4th stage. It's not bad to see it all in condensed format, but you do lose a lot of the immersion and flavor of watching the battles in their entirety. |
| Initial D: Extra Stage 2: Tabidachi no Green (OAV) |
Good |
A spinoff story involving two supporting characters from the show who had a budding love interest. But this show isn't about romance as it has been clearly demonstrated, so while the ending is pretty predictable it still had the ability to deliver a few tense moments about what would happen. |
| Initial D: Fifth Stage (TV) |
Good |
Raise Up and get the blood pumping! M.O.V.E. and Initial D are inseperable and the new series really starts off with energy. At least the music does. The series has always suffered from some pacing issues and the series ends in a major cliffhanger, as would be expected since the remainder will be presented in the future. Yet somehow the show has lost a bit of its magic, much of it being same-same throughout. Ryosuke's encounter with the "grim reaper" is certainly a departure, but it's still a bit of a toss-up whether it's an interesting dramatic moment or too much telepathic conversation. eh? Watch it and judge for yourself. The series has definitely lost a step however, going into its grand finale. Next year. ugh. |
| Initial D: Final Stage (TV) |
Good |
Sigh. The series ends. It finishes appropriately enough, but without enough closure, and a few too many loose ends. I don't know what I was expecting, but I was honestly hoping things to be a bit more satisfying, and the ending here was a bit of a let-down. I was hoping for a little more intensity and proper drama in the final battle, not quite so much teenage angst. |
| Initial D: Fourth Stage (TV) |
Very good |
A fine followup to the great street racing series. Naturally it's still very much a "shounen" series so the "lonely driver" theme carries on despite plenty of opportunities for a little character development beyond the dedication to street racing. Despite that, the characters are becoming better drivers as their challenges increase in difficulty. I really enjoyed this and hope against reality that the future will have more. |
| Initial D: Second Stage (TV) |
Very good |
A direct continuation of the original story with more plot development and the same excellent attention to techincal details. |
| Initial D: Third Stage (movie) |
Very good |
It's more of the same. Which is to say, it's a good show. There is some closure with the settling of several minor story threads here and the beginning of the next big act, Stage 4. |
| Iron Man (TV) |
Decent |
No way around it. There's not a single original bone in this body. Everything is exactly to formula once you've figured out the threat of the day. Once you get past that and get to the main story arc, even that pretty much goes as you expect it. Any new plot twists that bubble up to the surface are equally predictable. The series is decently paced though and mercifully not too long, so just sit back and enjoy some action. |
| Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? (TV) |
Good |
Entertaining with surprisingly more depth than the artwork and title would suggest. Ultimately while still just a harem series, a lot of the characters showed some depth and even the fan service was relatively tame. Some issues that detracted from having a higher rating were its pacing problems and uneven storytelling. Still, it possessed some great comedic and action moments and was well worth watching and I look forward to any future seasons. And for the record, the blue string is pretty ridiculous, but I barely noticed it after a while. |
| Izetta: The Last Witch (TV) |
Good |
An interesting work about a fictional WW2 era conflict. And witches. The story is rather predictable but still well executed, although the choice to emphasize Izetta's cup size all the time did more to detract than to improve the series as a whole. Still worth the watch. |
| Jin-Roh - The Wolf Brigade (movie) |
Very good |
A re-watch after many years and a re-rate 1 point higher. The story is a fairly simple one, a story about a power struggle between different organizations. Caught in the middle of this political tug-of-war is the main character who is dealing with his own internal demons. It's not a terribly complicated story if you take a moment to think about what's going on, and in the end I was left satisfied with movie and its allegorical retelling of a classic fairy tale. A tale that has been told and retold and twisted and retwisted into many versions, which suits this movie just fine. A tiger can't always change its stripes, even if it may pretend to for a while. |
| Jinki:Extend (TV) |
So-so |
Didn't really grab me. Only kept going due to its short length. |
| K-ON! (TV) |
Very good |
Moe, moe, kyun! This was a real guilty pleasure. Something I'd not want to admit to people I know, yet strangely I have few issues about making statements like this for people on the internet to read... Oh the irony. |
| K-ON! (movie) |
Very good |
Cute and cuddly as one would expect. I was hoping for more music, or more of the girls wandering around town. But what was there was still a satisfying dose of K-On!, no more or less than what we've already seen. |
| K-ON!! (TV 2) |
Very good |
Moe of the same (:P). The second series actually has a few key differences aside from more episodes. The primary focus of the first run had been about getting Yui good enough to play in events. In this series... well there's even less plot devices driving things forward. The series does have a few more moments of emotion, especially following the episode which was almost entirely devoted to their concert at school. Overall not much better or worse than the first series but at least the ending feels appropriate. Pointless or not, I really did enjoy the series as an entertaining light watch and most of the music is quirky and catchy. |
| Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress (TV) |
Good |
Started strong, slowed down, and then stumbled across the finish line. Despite a lot of wasted potential, the show was overall entertainingly "Attack on Titan"-ish for its obvious parallels. If there was a second season and the series could be rated as a whole, perhaps the rating would improve, but when standing on its own merit, the series falls just a wee bit short of what it could have been. |
| Kanamemo (TV) |
Good |
At Times silly yet tinged with sadness, it was a mostly effective mix of various atmospheres although it lacked teh substance to be truly (Kana)memo-rable. Hah! I kill me ! |
| KanColle (TV) |
Decent |
Makes less sense than the Eternal War on Pants anime, less explanation of the silliness. But more pants, except when they take heavy damage their clothes are slowly torn off. It's almost like they're not even trying to offer a quasi-plausible explanation. Ultimately this isn't really a show for someone not familiar with the game, because the watcher is thrown right in the middle of everything. As someone unfamiliar with the game, the effect was fairly jarring. |
| Kanokon: The Girl Who Cried Fox (TV) |
So-so |
Wow. So the story is about a female spirit who is head over heels over some wimpish bag of gutless wonder. She's literaly covering him with her pheromones but he doesn't have the sack to do anything about it out of some bizarre sense of propriety. This reminds me of the newer Ladies Vs Butlers, but with less polish on the art. Is this a good thing? Well it's not something you watch for its marvelous storyline, that's for sure. If all you want is a dozen episodes of titillation but don't give a crap about story, just watch Ladies Vs Butlers instead. Unless you have a tail and fox ears fetish, in which case dig in and enjoy. |
| Kanokon: The Girl Who Cried Fox (OAV) |
So-so |
Read my comment about the main story. |
| Kanon (TV 2/2006) |
Good |
I struggled with the rating for this series relative to the other two I have seen (Air, Clannad) and ultimately I chose to be true to myself. While the show does carry with it a lot of the same elements as the others, what it lacks is proper focus and suffers from too many disparate storylines. I spent the first half a dozen episodes thinking to myself "get on with it" and ultimately the minor artistic choices I nitpicked about in the others became full blown annoyances. The eyes are HUGE O_O and it was something that became a complete distraction given how slow paced the story was. At the end I didn't care about the characters nearly as much as in Air or Clannad, on several occasions thinking "wait, who is that again?" which is always a bad thing. Yes, if you truly loved Air and Clannad you may love this as well, but personally I probably should not have made it the final series I watched. Possibly the second, but certainly not the first or the third. |
| Karakuri Ninja Girl (OAV) |
Decent |
Funny hentai title that was actually pretty enjoyable without needing to be very graphic. |
| Kasimasi - Girl Meets Girl (TV) |
Good |
Just about a typical love triangle story except for the sick joke played on the protagonist, which makes the situation a wee bit awkward. Not too deep or involving but provides enough emotional pull but still skirts the line of being overly melodramatic. |
| Kasimasi - Girl Meets Girl (OAV) |
Good |
Can it be? An actual proper resolution to a story? Doth mine eyes deceiveth me?? Ok, maybe not. Or am I lying? To be sure, this oav, which is really nothing more than "episode 13," does a pretty fine job of ending things. |
| Katanagatari (TV) |
Very good |
I really enjoyed this series in many ways, but also found myself wishing that it really was more. There's a certain detachment you get watching the series, almost as detached as when the main character dispatches his first female opponent, and that idea makes me sadder than the pivotal scene that should have had me floored. Katanagatari is outright cruel in many ways, holding back no punches, but because of this detachment it was hard to truly feel connected to the events. This sterile lack of empathy may actually be a good thing though, because as I said, the series is cruel. The ending may certainly leave some people sad or angry. I was certainly more of the latter, but had the series allowed itself to be empathized more, it would have been rage. Would enraging me have improved or worsened the rating I gave Katanagatari? As the narrator might say, that's a story for another day. |
| Keijo!!!!!!!! (TV) |
Very good |
That was more action packed and stupid fun than a fan service anime has any right to be. It's a real shame that there will likely be no more from this franchise. Honestly as preposterous as the premise for the anime might be, I can't believe how much I enjoyed it. I really appreciated the lack of malice or even overt raunchiness in the series despite being so ripe for abuse. |
| Kemeko Deluxe! (TV) |
Not really good |
Tiresome. A lack of any exposition to move the plot forward. And speaking of the plot, aside from introducing more characters from the first episode through the end, there was essentially nothing accomplished by the cast. The more I think about the story the angrier I get, honestly. If you're signing on board for the comedy, most of it is completely flat or lacking. If it's the fan service, do yourself a favor and watch a series where they actually reward you for that. I guess if you enjoy the various small voice acting parts you might get something out of this (Eri Kitamura plays the male lead??? Is that really her???) but aside from that you would do far better to check out something else like To Love Ru, which coincidentally uses the same voice actress as the lead female role. |
| Kemono Friends (TV) |
Good |
What is this hype all about? The hype is understantable, and when taken in context with everything that happened OUTSIDE of the show, the rating would go up. But this is for the anime series by itself. It was fun and did a decent job skirting the line between a kid's show and also making something for adults. The animation as expected was poor and the dialogue simplistic. The story was ok, but a lot of the episodes played out a bit slow but the show ended well and in a satisfying manner. |
| KenIchi the Mightiest Disciple (TV) |
Good |
Entertaining, cheesy, with decent fan service and not particularly memorable. It's silly but fun. |
| Kiki's Delivery Service (movie) |
Excellent |
Miyazaki is the master of making a rather uneventful movie seem full of life and rich with flavor despite a practically nonexistent plot, just a premise. Despite this, it was still quite enjoyable. |
| Kill la Kill (TV) |
Very good |
Kill la Kill is a spectacle. Like Gurren Lagann before, but turned up to 11, yet strangely more approachable. It's pure anime joy for the sake of anime joy, laughing at itself and not giving a care, yet still manages to pull off an interesting story once you get past all of its bluster and bombast. I'm a little torn rating this, as I found it really enjoyable yet I don't know if it's something I would feel compelled to own for myself and honestly it's a little too fan-servicey than it needs to be (but occasionally appreciated). |
| Kininaru Kimochi (OAV) |
Weak |
Dull. The only scene worth remembering was the first (of three) scenarios where an unsuspecting woman is duped into being the victim of a sick fantasy, with dozens of floors to go... That's gotta suck. |
| Kiss×sis (OAV) |
So-so |
... this for real? |
| Kiss×sis (TV) |
So-so |
Yup. I sat through this. It wasn't the worst thing I've seen, not by far. But it rides mediocrity pretty exactly. I guess there are elements that some people might find entertaining. Its plot is razor thin, particularly intended just to set the stage for perverted behavior and the inevitably less censored DVD release. Ok admittedly listening to K-On!'s Azu-Nyan as one of the two sisters was quite amusing (in the same way Yui in Seikon No Qwaser amuses) but there really isn't much here to enjoy. |
| Kite (OAV) |
Good |
Good extreme violence punctuated by a few scenes of graphic sex and a pretty good story. |
| Kite Liberator (OAV) |
Decent |
The mother of all cliffhanger endings. Or rather, shall I say, anger and fury inducing endings. Did they leave the last two minutes on the cutting room floor? It's a serious pisser if you are not a devoted fan. I did enjoy the show up until that last moment. Wait, let me check the DVD again in case my machine skipped the last chapter. Nope. No final chapter. |
| Kizumonogatari Part 1: Tekketsu (movie) |
Very good |
I will not speak further about the monogatari series. My earlier comments stand. |
| Kizumonogatari Part 2: Nekketsu (movie) |
Very good |
I will not speak further about the monogatari series. My earlier comments stand. |
| Kizumonogatari Part 3: Reiketsu (movie) |
Very good |
I will not speak further about the monogatari series. My earlier comments stand. |
| Kodomo no Jikan (TV) |
Good |
There's a surprisingly touching story in there somewhere inside of its very hard-to-swallow exterior. No matter how you slice it, sexualization of girls this young is at best controversial and polarizing and at worst a blatant attempt to desensitize exploitation of children, even if it's in animated form. |
| Kodomo no Jikan Nigakki (OAV) |
Good |
It seems like some plot is being sacrificed for the sake of keeping the OAV releases condensed. The story still has its moments but it feels somewhat disjointed. Ultimately clocking in at 4 total half hour episodes, it doesn't give the series Time to show much at all. Which is not necessarily a bad thing... Given the content of the manga though it's probably a good idea to stop the anime now. The DVD-only release scheme allowed for slightly racier content but we're talking about fractions here since the series has already made itself into a pariah of sorts for various activist groups. |
| Kodomo no Jikan: Anata ga Watashi ni Kureta Mono (OAV) |
Good |
Not as good as a standalone episode without the rest of the series. It takes place roughly around episode 7 or so but feels somewhat weak on its own. |
| Kodomo no Jikan: Kodomo no Natsu Jikan (OAV) |
Decent |
For fans of the show this is certainly a must watch. Unfortunately in terms of story development it's pretty light. The events in this OVA actually occur during a significant story development period for the other major teachers (Shirai and Oyajima-sensei) along with a significant plot point for Reiji. Unfortunately given the now widely diverging nature of the manga (every character has now received a fairly extensive number of pages, but ironically not Houin) it would be too much to include in a one-shot OVA title like this. Does this herald the coming of more anime episodes that will tell more of the story? Only Time will tell but I am pessimistic that this will ever happen. Fans of the anime will just have to be satisfied with this, which skips a large chunk of the ongoing story and instead focuses on a bit more background on Daisuke Aoki, which while interesting, is ultimately just fluff. Rating this is somewhat difficult, as it is a part of a whole yet narrates itself as a separate piece. And like the rest of KnJ the obvious fan service is tempered with a genuine emotional touch often lacking in pure fan service shows. |
| Koihime (OAV) |
Good |
A surprisingly graphic hentai title with a surprisingly decent moral dilemma to end the two parter. |
| Koyomimonogatari (ONA) |
Very good |
I will not speak further about the monogatari series. My earlier comments stand. |
| Kumamiko - Girl meets Bear (TV) |
Not really good |
Meandering, directionless anime with no real growth for the main characters, which is unfortunate given that it only ends up being a somewhat sadistic story. Quite disappointed. |
| Kure-nai (OAV) |
Good |
The OAV follows the manga series strictly, which the anime does not. Unfortunately because the OAV's events come after the TV series, the effect is fairly jarring, as there is some degree of familiarity necessary with the source material if one is to fully appreciate some of the characters that are suddenly playing prominence but without any sort of introduction. Can you blame the original series for not following its source material more closely? Or is it the flaw of the OAV to suddenly "get it right" when it should have instead been a better sequel of the TV show? Hard to say. But given the fairly "empty" nature of the OAV, it's hard to see it as anything necessary and certainly does nothing to add to the characters. |
| Kurenai (TV) |
Very good |
An interesting show playing on the border between reality and supernatural. The story departs significantly from its manga origins apparently, trying to play a more straight story about a clash between old traditions and modern thinking. This conflict is played out in an interesting way, and the show certainly isn't afraid to experiment (a whole "filler"-feeling episode devoted to bad singing no less!). It is a little jarring though to see some of the changes in the main character, primarily because it's rather unexpected yet not fully explored. |
| Ladies versus Butlers! (TV) |
Decent |
It's your typical harem comedy (Mostly a love triangle) with a heavy duty industrial grade level of fan service only topped by a few select other shows. In any case there is some humor and a few charming bits, like Tomomi's sudden expression changes representing her devious ulterior motives. However at the end of the day this is intended to sell overpriced BluRays at the usual target audience, using the usual gimmicks to do so. |
| (The) Legend of the Galactic Heroes (OAV) |
Excellent |
This is epic. EPIC. A very solid story spread out over 110 episodes. It's a daunting watch and not for those lacking an attention span. It does seem a bit contrived at points and certainly leaves a lot open. But it's expected when telling such a grand story spanning millennia but only a small five year or so slice is shown. |
| Listen to Me, Girls. I Am Your Father! (TV) |
Good |
Treads the fine line between being a creepy fan service show involving lolicon fetish elements to being a serious show about coping with complex family circumstances. Unfortunately it does neither of them particularly well, which I guess is a good thing from one perspective, but it truly does waste its potential for a very human story. What a shame. |
| Love Hina (TV) |
Good |
Typical formulaic comedy about one male and many females, but still pretty entertaining. |
| Love Live! School idol project (TV) |
Good |
This is different. Yes, on the surface it seems like hardcore fanboy pandering fodder (uh, AKB48?) but what is this? Her MOM actually features prominently? The show is really cute and earnest, making it hard to hate. Maybe a little formulaic, yes, but hard to hate. The feel of the show can be somewhat like a long music video commercial for a product, but at the end there's enough substance there to at least entertain without trying to be more than what it is. Light, sugary and fun, but earnest with a mostly positive message about accomplishing your goals with hard work. |
| Lucky Star (TV) |
Very good |
Surprising how entertaining a show about nothing can be. Chock full of both obvious and obscure references. |
| Lucky Star OVA |
Very good |
More of what you'd expect from the Lucky Star girls. |
| Macross 7 (TV) |
Bad |
Listen to my song! Went from being just so-so and not really good to being bad simply because it took so long to fully appreciate how lamely the Macross line always devolves into singing and a cheesy love triangle. For chrissakes he controls a FIGHTER PLANE with a GUITAR... |
| Macross 7 the Movie: The Galaxy's Calling Me! |
Weak |
Taken by itself it's a tolerable pill to swallow if you like eating razor blades. At least it was mercifully just a single episode (more of Macross 7) but honestly it might as well be rated "bad" along with the rest of it. |
| Macross Delta (TV) |
Good |
What a busy series with a chaotic mess of ideas. As expected from recent productions, Delta delivers on the polish, but the story was frankly rather aggravating compared to the more refined series that came before, Macross Frontier. Though not as strong it still provided some good music and was entertaining, just not quite as enduring. |
| Macross Frontier (TV) |
Very good |
This most recent series has restored my previously almost nonexistent faith in this franchise. Truth be told, I never cared for any Macross series much, yet I still watched every one, hoping beyond hope that Kawamori-san would finally hit one out of the park. Looks like he's about as close to that as he will get with this very polished series. |
| Macross Plus (OAV) |
Good |
This had the most interesting potential of all of the various Macross serieses and actually wasn't half bad with its fast pacing and darker tone. |
| Macross Zero (OAV) |
Not really good |
I rate the first two episodes as 8 or 9. The third gets a solid 7 or 8. Four and five I give a 4 and a 2 respectively. I had high hopes for what finally seemed like a really strong Macross series and was frankly really pissed at what I saw as a complete sellout "deus ex machina" ending, like they ran out of Time/money and didn't want to commit to one more episode to finish it the right way. Jerks. |
| Made in Abyss (TV) |
Excellent |
A roguelike dungeon crawl realized in anime form. MiA ticks all the right boxes with interesting characters, an intriguing setting, and dangers aplenty. Expect an emotional rollercoaster As the characters delve deeper into the unknown and risk it all. Easily one of my favorite shows of the past year or two for its overall experience. |
| Magician's Academy (TV) |
So-so |
This series will probably join the other ones that were just aching for a DVD release just so they could reveal the naughty bits otherwise covered up for broadcast. Yup. That would be the case, yo. There's very little else to redeem this series. There was one unique moment in a later episode that dealt with a professor's robot assistant falling in love with a rocket, which I honestly found touching. But it took me at least half a dozen failed attempts to get through the whole series before I did, and each Time I'd find myself saying "wait, didn't I watch this episode already?" |
| Magikano (TV) |
Decent |
Another typical one schoolboy and many schoolgirls comedy with a magic twist. And plenty of fan service. With a weak ending. |
| MAOYU (TV) |
Good |
What started as a unique and refreshing show about economic principles to end wars ultimately turned out fairly unexceptional. Up until about episode 9 or 10 I was willing to buy into the premise, but eventually its strange brand of time skipping (oh, six months have passed) with very little growth between the main couple and only a smattering of appearances by characters who seemed to be important eventually meant that I was just glad to see the show end so I could review it. Unfortunately I have to give a single all encompassing review for a very fractured series and that seems unfair, but at the end of it I was not terribly happy that the show had to simply end the way it did and was left wanting for better resolutions. Watch it for its interesting elements, and stick around at least through episode 9 for an interesting, if not melodramatic, turn of events. After that you can pretty much take it or leave it as very little actually happens of any real consequence. Oh yea, the Demon King has a lapse in judgement and is evil for about half an episode. That's about it. Too bad. |
| Maria the Virgin Witch (TV) |
Very good |
With a title that insinuates a lurid series, I was pleasantly surprised by its storytelling despite the fairly common but not overt use of sexual innuendo jokes. Worth the watch. |
| (The) Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (TV) |
Very good |
A fun, oddball series about someone who is more than they appear but doesn't know it. Snappy dialogue by the narrator is very witty with its deadpan approach. It's entertaining and all, but it's far, far overrated for so many solid 10's in its score. It is much closer to maybe an 8.5 or so. |
| (The) Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (TV 2009 renewal) |
Very good |
In many ways the infinite loop story arc was a brilliant piece of work. But in many other ways it was a real piece of work. But I can see the really hardcore fans either defending the repetition or completely turning their backs on the franchise. Just look at the ratings for this series! |
| Mezzo (TV) |
Good |
I like the characters and their quirks, but they could have done more with the overarching plot of the series. It's an oddball mixed bag of adventure and comedy. And ghosts. And space aliens. And hypnotic computer viruses. And... |
| Mezzo Forte (OAV) |
Good |
Similar to Kite, this one is less dark and faster paced with its graphic violence and moments of obligatory graphic sex. Honestly though, this title would have done better had they not bothered with the hentai parts and just kept in the few "fan service" flashes. |
| Millennium Actress (movie) |
Excellent |
I really appreciated the seamless blending of the flashbacks with the people involved in the interview. The approach had a lot of humor and drama and at the end I came away very satisfied with the story and the way it was told. I seriously feel that my eyes have been reopened to the possibilities of anime as an art form. It is truly unfortunately that my appreciation for Satoshi Kon has come too little, too late. |
| Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid (TV) |
Very good |
A mostly charming and sweet series that only hints at a little bit of ecchi but never hits you over the head with it. Mostly likeable lead characters with a mish-mash of supporting ones but overall still good. I did wish it had less fan service elements which bordered on crass, but thankfully it did not really involve the leads. How well worth watching it is will highly depend on whether you can tune out the rather dissonant sex elements and instead focus on the good stuff, but this is another series that flirted between the edges of two scores and only barely getting the higher one. |
| Moetan (TV) |
Bad |
Buh wha? Where to begin... Aside from the art which dwells far too much on the young girl form, which will instantly turn off the vast majority of people (and enthrall a small number), the series is just a complete mess. As the series nears its end it becomes more nonsensical and truly a complete disaster, a real mash-up of genres that make absolutely no sense. However it's in this ending that there is a nugget of brilliance to be found, or is it idiocy? It's hard to tell exactly what it is. Actually it's fairly easy to tell what it is, it's a horrid show, trying to use a lot of easter egg homages to try and salvage its many awful scenes. Yet somehow buried among this insipid stewpot of garbage there is an occasional laugh or two that is genuinely funny, and it's *almost* possible to forgive the series of its many crimes against humanity. But almost doesn't count except with the proverbial horseshoes and hand grenades, and while this series is a bomb (and not a hand grenade), it's hard not to be a tad impressed. Ok that's a lie. It's easy to be not impressed. But I did genuinely laugh once or twice at some of its absurd humor moments, so I won't consider it a complete write-off. |
| Momo: The Girl God of Death (TV) |
Good |
A pleasant short series that doesn't actually go anywhere. How could it, it's only six episodes long. Still reasonably entertaining. |
| Monogatari Series Second Season (TV) |
Very good |
I will not speak further about the monogatari series. My earlier comments stand. |
| Mushi-Shi (TV) |
Very good |
Deep and contemplative. Almost a snoozefest yet is compelling. No real plot here, each episode is almost completely self contained as the story sheds a little light on the background of the mysterious Ginko. |
| My Fair Masseuse (OAV) |
Good |
A funny romp following the adventures of a sex crazed prostitute who enjoys what she does. A nice change of pace from the usual hentai. |
| My First Girlfriend is a Gal (TV) |
So-so |
Series does JUST enough to not get completely dumped on. Our main hero is not a complete milquetoast loser surrounded by women throwing themselves at him. The females too avoid being completely one dimensional caricatures of stereotypical templates who fall for our "hero" for no good reason. There is ultimately just enough character progression in a predictable fashion but at least there's growth, which keeps things at least moving forward. The artwork is inconsistent and in the case of the childhood friend, in some cases kind of gross in its over-exaggeration of the anatomy. Seriously, in one late episode scene she looks pregnant rather than just being overly endowed, which is just ridiculous. Pass on this unless you really have nothing better. You'd be better off re-watching something good. |
| My Girlfriend is Shobitch (TV) |
So-so |
Except for a few funny moments, this series was mostly trash and flat jokes. What a disappointment. |
| My Neighbor Totoro (movie) |
Very good |
More excellent work from the master himself. Story is again mainly just a premise, but the execution of that premise is what carries the day. |
| Mystery of the Necronomicon (OAV) |
Good |
A graphic hentai series with an actually good "whodunit?" murder mystery plot. |
| NANA (live-action movie) |
Very good |
Yes, even I'm susceptible to being taken in by a well done chick-flick. |
| NANA (TV) |
Very good |
Not sure why I find this female oriented melodrama so compelling. It's almost shameful. But the characters are deep and many equally flawed, making for some excellent moments. The drab styling is very appropriate for the series, as any more cutesy would have only detracted from the story. I liked it more than I care to admit, but it is not something with great re-watch potential for me, which ultimately made me decide on its score. Hachi(ko). |
| Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (movie) |
Very good |
Princess Mononoke feels almost like a remake of this title with a few key differences. Still an excellent anime even though Mononoke Hime seems better executed. |
| Nekomonogatari (Black) (TV) |
Good |
Perhaps the formula is getting old, perhaps the witty dialogue no longer has that newness to it, perhaps the series feels incomplete after only telling a segment of its story. Whatever it is, this arc feels unfinished and unpolished without the rest of the series to hold it up, and therefore feels a little weak on its own. |
| Neon Genesis Evangelion (TV) |
Not really good |
Never felt like it got off the ground and what some people call a "deep" ending I call a cop-out. Armageddon scenarios are fine, but you have to know how to pull it off. The lead character's whining and moping just got tiresome. |
| Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion (movie) |
Decent |
Just a recap of sorts of the TV series but adds several minutes of new scenes to better explain the dire situation the world is in. It too has an attempt at a deep ending but at least it's not as bad as the series and helps shed a little light on what happens. |
| Netsuzou Trap -NTR- (TV) |
Decent |
What a creepy series. There is some compelling potential in there, but much of it is done for the lurid possibilities instead of being a serious study of flawed adolescence. Unfortunate. |
| New Angel (OAV) |
Decent |
Just another entry into the "guy gets lots of tail but not the one he really wants to nail" category of soft core hentai. However it wasn't poorly done and not a bad one overall. |
| Night Shift Nurses (OAV) |
Decent |
Starts off somewhat slow and builds momentum along with the misogyny and perversion.
[RN's Revenge]
The nasty things you've heard about this series are true. And I thought Bible Black was bad. o_o -> o_O -> >_< |
| Ninja Scroll (movie) |
Good |
A great example of the magicla ninja genre. The apathetic anti-hero lead role is well suited to this macho anime with lots of bloody violence and brief graphic titillation. |
| No Game, No Life (TV) |
Good |
It's dumb, outlandish fun. Very over the top but a good popcorn series. |
| Noein - to your other self (TV) |
Very good |
A surprisingly well thought out series about multiple universe convergence and a reasonable explanation about quantum theory. Epic in scope without resorting to some needlessly vague and "open to interpretation" ending like some other big name series (*cough* Eva *cough*). |
| Now and Then, Here and There (TV) |
Very good |
Deserving of a higher rating than an 8, but it's hard to recommend such a downbeat series with characters who really take it in the chin the whole way. It does have complex characters though with a few surprises thrown, in mostly unpleasant ones for the characters. However if you're not discouraged by the depressing story then by all means check it out. |
| Occult Academy (TV) |
Good |
Quirky fun. Odd meandering plot with some purpose, but tends to shoot off in many tangents. Is that a bad thing? Not necessarily, but it does feel like they're playing for the short game of having fun rather than the long game of leaving behind a lasting mark as a prominent series. Maya's character and her facial expressions though are priceless. In the end the series was left feeling somewhat lazy and listless despite being entertaining for the short run. It was fun while it lasted, but didn't leave a lasting impression. |
| Ogenki Clinic Adventures (OAV) |
Decent |
A very odd entry into the hentai category. Not sure how I feel about it but it's a decent change of pace from the usual "cry, rape, cry" routine so very common to Japanese animated porn. |
| Oh My Goddess! (OAV) |
Good |
Another "one guy, many girls" story with lots of titillating moments and funny bits. Well drawn and good pacing. |
| One Punch Man (TV) |
Excellent |
Sharp dialogue. Smart story. Massive appeal across a wide spectrum of people, even non-anime fans. |
| OniAi (TV) |
So-so |
Every season I pick a title I expect to be utter drek. This is it. Saving grace? Perhaps one. The male lead's deadpan refusal to accept any dealings or propositions of the love hungry females around him are at least a shade entertaining. There really isn't much of a point to this series, other than being a cheesecake filler show for the season, as nothing gets resolved and there aren't any real crises to deal with. It's not complete garbage, but like other very similar titles, you can really discard this one without feeling like you're missing anything. |
| Only Yesterday (movie) |
Good |
A sweet nostalgic story about dreaming of a simpler life. |
| Oreimo (TV) |
Very good |
A pleasant surprise in that it wasn't a simple pandering to otaku culture. Indeed, it was somewhat opposite of that. Yes, it has its fan service-like moments, but the story had a surprising amount of depth to it. I really wish there had been more Time to explore the lives of the secondary characters, but alas the show is over. I feel that the extra episodes did nothing to bring the show to a satisfying conclusion though, only doing more to make me want to see more, even if there is no more. Damn. |
| Oreimo 2 (TV) |
Weak |
This series upsets me greatly. I wish I had never picked it up from the beginning and it would never have let me down so much at the end. After being such an emotional rollercoaster for 1.75 seasons, the last quarter was like watching a beloved pet dieing in the worst possible way imaginable and I hate the author for it. The disappointment was worse than Evangelion because I actually enjoyed most of this series. Truly nobody wins here, everybody who matters loses. Thanks, jerk. Up yours. |
| Oruchuban Ebichu (TV) |
Decent |
An interesting look into Japanese slang. Doesn't really go anywhere and is completely episodic, so missing some episodes doesn't make any difference. |
| Outlaw Star (TV) |
Good |
Feels a little dated now, many years since its release. Still a pretty entertaining series but eclipsed by many other classics. |
| Owarimonogatari (TV) |
Very good |
I will not speak further about the monogatari series. My earlier comments stand. |
| Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt (TV) |
Decent |
A somewhat bizarre series that seems to do as much as possible to be crass, crude, and generally offend as many people as possible with its vulgarity. The show is mostly episodic but most do tie together somewhat. A few episodes later in the series were... odd... Overall a reasonable series, if not a bit too thick with the grossouts. |
| Paprika (movie) |
Excellent |
Tripping balls watching anime. That's how I felt. And I loved every minute of it. And music by Susumu Hirasawa? Hell yes. The frosting on the cake. I don't know if I was sucked in by the absolutely insane visuals or the plot that was simple enough to follow yet still featured enough twists to make for a satisfying story. But at first blush I am really in love with this Satoshi Kon movie. Truthfully it's not a terribly deep story but I still found myself with a weird "did I just experience that?" grin on my face. And I'm not sure why. Not a lot of movies cause that kind of reaction. Right now, I can only think of one that ever has. |
| Patlabor 2: The Movie (movie 2) |
Good |
A solid, if not somewhat confusing, drama. Not quite as giant robot heavy as I was hoping it would be, but plenty of tension filled the air watching a country implode in upon itself. While watching the first movie is not a prerequisite for watching this one, it does help to establish the characters in a way that this movie somewhat glosses over. There are a lot of unclear or confusing elements, although eventually it seems clear that knowing all of the factions involved in the turmoil is not critical in the enjoyment of the movie. It does help though and for a while I was rather frustrated with the name dropping. At this point I think I'd have to watch it again to have a true review of the movie, but my first flush impression was that there was too much going on to easily follow and could have used a little more clarity. It's a testament to the film however that I do consider a second eventual watching to be mandatory to gain a full appreciation for the spectacle, as light in hot robot action was it was. |
| Patlabor: The Movie (movie 1) |
Good |
After many years I finally rewatched this. I still wouldn't go so far as to consider this an epic movie, but it was considerably better than what I gave it credit for. While the robot action is pretty light, the story is actually fairly interesting and robots are used simply to patch up holes in the plot. Definitely better than what I originally gave it credit for. |
| Penguindrum (TV) |
Excellent |
Penguindrum is a pretty unique series. It's full of interesting symbolism and metaphors. The plot is complex enough that even 3/4 of the way through the series I still could not clearly discern where the show was going. It was difficult to follow along at certain points, not because the story was muddled, but because trying to keep pace with all of the metaphors could be difficult. It is definitely a show needing a second watch to fully grasp and appreciate its clever narrative. Worth watching again, yes, but it is a pretty heavy watch dressed up with lots of frills, color, and pretty wrapping. It makes the otherwise very heavy story go down a little easier. |
| Perfect Blue (movie) |
Very good |
A really interesting entry into the category of animated mystery thriller. The twists and turns of the plot are mostly successful and will leave you guessing until the end. I think it took a few years for me to gain a proper appreciation for this, I'm not sure why... |
| Photo Kano (TV) |
Weak |
Forget all the speculation you've heard about this series. It's not nearly as icky as you've heard. But it is pretty boring and stupid. Do things get better? Not really. The second half devolves into a series of one episode "what if?" branching episodes, just like you expect from a dating sim, bouncing between the various female characters. It's a waste of time to watch, honestly, not even being particularly fun. And the final "branching" episode? Just had to go there, I suppose, to make sure all the bases were covered. It was even telegraphed early on, with the one drop of water going into his mouth. Yea, I knew I should have stopped there, but then again, I had no feelings for this dull series anyway other than the relentless drive to finish what I start. Ugh. |
| Pigeon Blood (OAV) |
Decent |
Wow. The things that some people are willing to subject themselves to. It's a pretty brutal series although not quite reaching the epic scope that is Night Shift Nurses. |
| (The) Place Promised in Our Early Days (movie) |
Very good |
It all started with Voices of a Distant Star. The themes have a lot of similarity but this is certainly the genre that the creator is good at. |
| Planetes (TV) |
Very good |
This series was truly on the cusp of breaking into the 9's. The issues that this show delves into are deep and the characters are for the most part interesting and complex. However it felt as though too often the story itself was somehow left as a secondary element to character angst, of which there was plenty of. Don't get me wrong, this was still overall an excellent series and a pleasant surprise when I recognized that the ending song of the final episode was sung by the same artist who did the final song in the final episode of Code Geass R2. There is a lot to appreciate in this series despite its somewhat humble vestiges. I just really wish I could have appreciated it a bit more. It was well worth watching. |
| Please tell me! Galko-chan (TV) |
Very good |
A frank, funny, yet fairly meaningful short form comedy about breaking stereotypes and friendships. Lots of toilet humor incoming, but nothing exploitive or mean spirited. Might even be useful as a way to provide answers to some of the embarassing questions some people would like to have answers for. |
| Pom Poko (movie) |
Good |
An interesting animated telling of Japanese folklore about raccoon-like creatures with the ability to shapeshift and their inevitable decline with the encroachment of man. |
| Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea (movie) |
Good |
Another fine movie from Studio Ghibli. But like most recent efforts, they feel like a single viewing is enough. |
| Porco Rosso (movie) |
Excellent |
A simple love story about a mercenary pilot is told very richly in another engaging Miyazaki movie. Probably my personal favorite Studio Ghibli picture even if Grave of the Fireflies has a higher rating as I find this one I can watch again and again. |
| Princess Mononoke (movie) |
Excellent |
This movie excels in every way in presenting its multidimensional story about several factions all struggling to survive and coming to terms with others who have the same goal but with conflicting means. |
| Puella Magi Madoka Magica (TV) |
Excellent |
The Magical Girl genre and I have never met eye to eye. This series has definitely won me over though (but not the genre itself). As the story unfolds, what is at stake is slowly revealed and the true depth of the series presents itself despite the short format. What is there is deeply satisfying even for a grumpy gus like myself and I did not find myself wanting much more from a story about middle school girls (mind out of the gutter, you sick freaks). This is not really for the kids, however, as the subject matter can be troubling for some. There's no real gore nor overt sexualizing of the girls, although there are some scenes of "barbie doll" nudity but not done for titillation purposes. I really appreciated that and I really appreciated the overall series. Well done. |
| Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie Part 1: Beginnings |
Excellent |
Not much to say, really. Effectively a direct compilation of the TV series with a little additional footage. Since it is a movie format rather than an episodic series, the presentation is smooth throughout. There are little quirks which betray its TV series roots occasionally, inserting what are seemingly opening and closing themes in the middle, it is still a little better given that it explains certain scenes a little more clearly than in the previous format. Overall though it is certainly a take it or leave it affair and if the TV series format is what you prefer, then more power to you. It is of course still Madoka and a fantastic example of the media. |
| Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie Part 2: Eternal |
Excellent |
Not much to say, really. Effectively a direct compilation of the TV series with a little additional footage. Since it is a movie format rather than an episodic series, the presentation is smooth throughout. There are little quirks which betray its TV series roots occasionally, inserting what are seemingly opening and closing themes in the middle, it is still a little better given that it explains certain scenes a little more clearly than in the previous format. Overall though it is certainly a take it or leave it affair and if the TV series format is what you prefer, then more power to you. It is of course still Madoka and a fantastic example of the media. |
| Puella Magi Madoka Magica The Movie Part 3: Rebellion |
Very good |
I am completely torn about how to rate this installment of the franchise. On the one hand it was a very confusing mess, trying to info-dump excessively at key moments because of the difficulty trying to otherwise show what exactly the stakes are for the characters and for the very plot itself. I do see what was being attempted, but I'm not sure the execution of the message was particularly skillful. There are also some elements, especially in the beginning, that are clearly pandering to some particular audiences which I didn't feel were truly necessary, especially some of the scenes of Tomoe Mami. Yet despite all this I was still pulled into what they were trying to accomplish, even if I didn't fully understand it even after a second viewing. |
| Pupa (TV) |
Not really good |
Disappointed that the short story series never made any real progress and devolved mostly into a euphemism for sibling eroticism. |
| Queen's Blade 2: The Evil Eye (TV) |
Decent |
I originally gave the first Queen's Blade a 3. So why did I bother watching the second season? It goes back to me being an obsessive person and a completist. As the first "season" felt wholly incomplete and with the promise of a proper ending with season two, I was compelled to watch this in its entirety. Season two brings more tension, story, and emotion to the table and actually makes the show palatable overall, if you can churn past the first season. So finally it's all over. It wasn't a complete waste of Time but much of it was pretty ridiculous. |
| Queen's Blade: The Exiled Virgin (TV) |
So-so |
>_< SRSLY? This series reminded me of a movie directed by Uwe Boll. A mediocre (at best) effort with weak acting and pointless plot yet it somehow manages to draw named talent. Seriously, did Haruhi Suzumiya and Alphonse Elric really need this paycheck? Or was blackmail involved? Its only redeeming quality was the abundance of DVD/Cable level fan service. Focus on that and it makes you feel like a pervent. Focus on any other reason to watch this and it makes you feel like an idiot. Lose-lose scenario for sure. Damn it, I lost! |
| R-15 (TV) |
Bad |
Pretty lousy. Sure it has the obligatory fan service, but What's there is just all over the place and just poorly arranged. Seriously, pretty ugh by most standards and mediocre even by otaku bait standards. |
| RahXephon (TV) |
Decent |
A slowly developing story similar to Evangelion but with a superior ending. The biggest argument against might be that there isn't a lot of action, but it's the double edged sword of this genre, that it doesn't devolve into a simple "enemy of the week" series. |
| Re:CREATORS (TV) |
Good |
Great half! GREAT recap episode!!!! And then, eh, ok, crazy stuff has to happen for the climax, which felt a bit long winded ending with unsatisfying closure. Great potential here which felt a bit squandered. |
| Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- (TV) |
Very good |
Very good series, but had a few key flaws, such as an unlikable main character and unrelatable motivation. It still pulled off a fine series overall, but occasionally the antics got distracting instead of adding. |
| Read or Die (OAV) |
Decent |
An interesting premise with less than succssful results. Seriously, how can anybody take a hero named "The Paper" seriously (more like "Za Peh-pah")? I sure had a tough Time doing so. |
| Recently, my sister is unusual. (TV) |
Weak |
This is finally the show that is breaking me of the bad habit of watching crummy shows on the basis of the philosophy, "How bad can it be?" Yea, I think this finally did it. Is it completely wretched? No. But it's just bad enough that I think I've lost a taste for the tasteless. I don't have enough life left to watch this stuff. If I'm after the cheesecake I may as well just watch porn and steer clear of this stuff. |
| Recorder and Randsell (TV) |
Weak |
Pretty much dead. The 3 minute segments may seem like easy viewing, but it also makes them easy to bypass. |
| Red Data Girl (TV) |
Weak |
Tedious. My patience was being sorely tested. There's very little to actually like here, not the characters, not the atmosphere. In the end I felt unrewarded for my patience. Things just tend to happen, relying on either keeping the audience in the dark or events lacking proper explanation. Lack of explanation meant that I hardly understood the gravity of various events in the show, reducing enjoyment even further. In the end the pretty visuals did nothing to keep me involved and presented as-is the story is so lacking in details (likely because the anime was just a small slice of the larger light novel series) that it did very little for me and left me rather cold. |
| Redline (movie) |
Very good |
Visually stunning, if you don't mind the style. The story was frankly rather cookie cutter, but was still enough of a framework to let the art play freely. In a sense it was like the movie Avatar. Sure every element of story has been done before countless Times, but the treatment of the work was done well and it paid dividends. |
| Restaurant to Another World (TV) |
Good |
Stay for the food and the pleasant atmosphere. Only an inkling of plot. I do want to see more, hoping that story actually develops, but even if there is no more it's still worth a watch. |
| Riding Bean (OAV) |
Good |
Simple plot gives a reason for car chases involving accurately drawn vehicles. Makes you want to find a fast car and try to ditch po-po. Gan-batte! |
| RIN - Daughters of Mnemosyne (TV) |
Good |
There is a point in a series where the profound can devolve into the ludicrous. This series hits that point around the fourth-fifth episode. That's when I stopped caring so much about the plot and more about just waiting for the series to get as nonsensical as possible before it ended. Despite that the series still manages to entertain even though much of it is just sex-death-lesbian scene-sex-death-(lather, rinse, repeat). I actually liked the two titular characters and somehow despite the incomprehensible ending (seriously, don't try to think too deeply into it or you realize just how utterly ridiculous the plot device is), the show still managed to keep me entertained enough. Pass the butter. |
| Robotech (U.S. TV) |
Good |
Its rating comes mainly from its execution, as it successfully melded three separate anime serieses into one relatively contiguous storyline. The voice acting was pretty well done for English, especially considering how immature the field was back in the 80's and is still somewhat inferior today compared to Japanese talent. |
| Rosario + Vampire (TV) |
So-so |
This title is almost entirely without merit. Virtually no entertainment value either. Only starting with episode 9 is there any glimmer of heart to the series, but it's otherwise buried in its endless parade of pointless panty shots. It's the only thing the series devolves into. |
| Rosario + Vampire Capu2 (TV) |
So-so |
A continuation of the same, tired theme. This Time you have to wait until episode 11 before it shows any meaning. Even then if you think clearly about what exactly the main character is trying to accomplish, then you realize just how empty this series really is. Really the motivation for his determination is entirely for the wrong reasons, at least in the context of the anime. Perhaps the manga that inspired this mess can clear things up some, but seriously it's not worth the effort to find out. |
| Rurouni Kenshin (TV 1996) |
Very good |
The first 14 DVDs of the series epitomize the idea of epic storytelling and really demonstrate what good anime is. Unfortunately the remaining 8 DVDs are somewhat of a mixed bag that steadily declines in quality. The last major story arc before the final episode was just insulting. |
| Rurouni Kenshin: Trust & Betrayal (OAV) |
Excellent |
A fantastic series that only lacked a little fleshing out with a bit more story. I think you get more out of it if you watch the TV series first, through the well known "Kyoto" arc. |
| Saga of Tanya the Evil (TV) |
Very good |
I did not expect to enjoy this series as much as I did. The character of Tanya herself was something of a plot twist as was her every attempt to weasel out of the hard work resulting in more work. Subdued hilarity always ensued after witnessing the fruits of her labor. The story is not over and I did have a quibble about one or two character designs being ill fitting for the show (Namely her most trusted aide) but I am left looking forward to another season. |
| Saki (TV) |
Good |
A reasonably enjoyable series. Virtually every character is female and virtually all of them have lesbian tendencies. No, nothing is ever truly depicted, but all of the earmarks of budding romantic relationships are there. And while there are no upskirt panty shots anywhere (technically swimsuits are not underwear) I found it laughable how close they got to showing something or making it appear that they don't have underwear to begin with. Oh yea, there was some over-the-top mahjong playing in the bulk of the middle episodes that was actually riveting and intense even for someone like me with no interest in the game. So was it the girl love and near panty shots that kept me going? It wasn't. It was the mahjong. I'm not kidding. Really. |
| Saki - The Nationals (TV) |
Good |
Though I am something of a sucker for this quirky series which has nothing (ok, VERY very little) to do with the apparent lack of underpants (???), it is certainly full of a lot of oddball flaws. Despite that I did enjoy myself watching this "other side" of the tournament bracket which will have its eventual conclusion, in, what, twenty years maybe? |
| Saki Episode of Side A (TV) |
Good |
Sad to say that this series doesn't hold up very well at all without the original Saki. The story feels incredibly rushed and pieced together, only finding its own pace after several episodes have concluded. Perhaps the lack of real character development also hurt, because I often found myself trying to remember who was who among the large parade of players. I certainly enjoyed the original series more, but this spinoff wasn't too bad. |
| Samurai 7 (TV) |
Very good |
I was wondering how they would end this series, being that it was a partial reimagining of the original movie. of course it would have been difficult to stick faithfully to the original given its very different setting. It was still done pretty well and the ending was satisfyingly Japanese. |
| Samurai Champloo (TV) |
Very good |
Very stylish and hip for an anime series. I enjoyed watching it, but felt it lacked just a little something to propel the series to greatness. Hmm not much else to say other than it's worth the viewing for its hip style. Wait, I think I already said that... |
| Sasameki Koto (TV) |
Very good |
Another series with strong potential that's wasted due to an ongoing manga. You can't tell the whole story because the manga is still being written, so a really proper ending can't be done unless you want to break from the canon story and make enemies of your fans. Compared to Aoi Hana it's less melodramatic and more fun, but it does have its emotional moments. Unfortunately again, the lack of any real resolution means you have to be satisfied with the part of the story that's been told, which while very good on its own, it can't help but leave you hungry for more. |
| Sayonara Zetsubou-sensei (TV) |
Good |
Tough Time rating this one. I was hoping that the story would be a little bit more coherent and have a point. But I suppose that's expecting far too much for a series that is almost entirely about misunderstanding and the tons of "easter egg" style jokes sprinkled throughout. I was really hoping that there would be more gags involving Kafuka unintentionally trying to kill the sensei or more references to "momoiro kakaricho" but I guess it was asking for too much from a series that almost doesn't know what to do with itself. I'm glad that the first season was only 12 episodes as it's a good Time for me to step off this really crazy train. Maybe I'll get back on eventually, but not for quite a while. |
| Scum's Wish (TV) |
Very good |
Adolescent emotions are intense, confusing, and often overwhelming. The leads are on a road of discovering their emotional and sexual identities and it's little wonder that drama is the result of the fractured, damaged lives of the lead and supporting characters. In a sense this series makes for an interesting counterpoint to the more recent series Tsukigakirei as they both deal with similar themes but with very different approaches on the subject. Love is hard; relationships, complex. Dealing with all of it when you're an adolescent just barely coming into understanding can be overwhelming. And it makes for a very watchable series. |
| (The) Secret World of Arrietty (movie) |
Very good |
Just because it ends the way it should doesn't mean it ends the way you want it to. It's a Miyazaki movie that doesn't have really heavy conflict or tension, but it does have that enough of it to keep it interesting. Some might call it a very Japanese ending. In any case I enjoyed it more than a few of the more recent offerings by the master. |
| Sekirei (TV) |
Good |
Let's get this out of the way. Sekirei is filled with bare breasts and frequent panty closeups (but nothing beats Rosario + Vampire for pure panty shots...). Despite that I still found myself enjoying much of the series, and I even enjoyed much of the (mostly udderly [bad pun] ridiculously exaggerated) fan service, which for a change isn't super creepy because for once it does seem like the people involved are actually consenting adults. Go figure! Oh yea, and the story revolving around 108 warriors with various powers and whatnot is actually not that bad either, with enough story and a touch of heart that one can actually (almost) justify owning this series without having to be apologetic about tit. Yes, I made a bad pun again. |
| Sekirei: Pure Engagement (TV) |
Good |
Starts exactly where season 1 ends. And it's more of the same. Actually the tone might be a bit more serious but there is fan service a-plenty if that's what you want. The main character still annoys the shit out of me, but the series still manages to skirt the edge of Serious and Moral Dilemma enough to keep the story interesting. Sure, some of the leaps of logic their own logic are just ridiculous, but that's expected I suppose. There is enough here where I will follow a third season, if they ever produce one, which I wouldn't expect until 2013. |
| Shakugan no Shana (TV) |
Good |
A somewhat loli fan service series that's still entertaining. Tries to tell a really deep story but isn't very effective in doing so. |
| She, The Ultimate Weapon (TV) |
Very good |
The series kind of reminded me of a cross between Red Dawn and On The Beach with an impossible love story at its core. It's simply not a happy story here. It seems that more than half the screen Time is dominated by sadness and tears. Ouch. That'll leave a mark. There's too much dust in here as I chop these onions. In a sandstorm. |
| Shigurui: Death Frenzy (TV) |
Good |
Blood drenched and gore galore. This is a cruel, sadistic series. Not for the squeamish. While Sword of the Stranger had death and dismemberment, Shigurui takes things up a few notches. Its pacing is also very languid, which may bore some people but it didn't bother me much. However the story is not fully explained and several elements are left out, which may leave some watchers unsatisfied with the ending. |
| SHIMONETA: A Boring World Where the Concept of Dirty Jokes Doesn’t Exist (TV) |
Good |
Ehh it was fun. Lots of crude jokes and a bit of cheesecake. The fan service borders on gross at Times, yet they don't actually show any naughty bits. Everything is covered up with small edits. Not one nipple to be seen, even in the Blu-Rays. So in that sense it's clever, given that it's about dirty jokes and not specifically about naked body parts. Ultimately though it's good for a few chuckles but not much more than that. But if you're looking for heavy fan service beyond some skin and panties, look elsewhere. |
| Shirobako (TV) |
Very good |
A great series about making of anime and all of its challenges. Despite the often pseudo-documentary feel of many parts and the very many people who go into anime production, it's still a human story and is filled with great moments. |
| Solty Rei (TV) |
Good |
Unfocused series with various characters going in seemingly odd directions and driven by mysterious motivations. It takes a while to figure out what direction the series is going and by then it may lose some of its appeal. However it does a reasonable job of wrapping up everything in the end but still leaves a few threads loose as is expected from a Japanese series. The series does speak of the quality of patience and not just demanding it from the viewer to finish. |
| Sound of the Sky (TV) |
Very good |
A cute series with a good mix of sweetness and sadness. I really wanted to like this series more but given the 12 episode format and the Time spent on episodes that didn't exactly move the plot forward, the ending felt somewhat rushed and lacked some impact. Not to say it wasn't enjoyable, but I think the opening music promised a bit more than the series actually delivered. What you get is a reasonable blend of emotions but a bit better use of air Time and willingness to make a sacrifice or two could have made the series truly memorable. Forsooth, the waste of potential really rankled me. |
| Spice and Wolf (TV) |
Very good |
It would be an unfair injustice to rate this series as two different parts rather than as a single whole. After watching all episodes I came to two different understandings. 1) I have no head for economics. 2) The series is infuriatingly inconclusive. It took several rewindings of key dialogue points to get an idea of what economic principle was being described, and often I'd get lost in the little details which make or break truly understanding the device that is driving forward any given story arc. Just as I began to understand the economic principle the monkeywrench thrown into the idea (usually in the form of human treachery) would upset the apple cart, so to speak, and having to understand the reason why the treachery made economic sense was on occasion difficult to follow. |
| Spice and Wolf II (TV) |
Very good |
In a way my understanding of the dynamic between the two leads was similar to my confusion with the economy driven story arcs. While ultimately the story is entirely about the blossoming relationship between them, trying to understand every reaction to any given piece of dialogue was often confusing for me. Perhaps it points to a flaw in my own character, being unable to realize certain things (I chalk much of that up to my sin of being a male) but on occasions (Embarassingly more than I care to admit) I either had to rewatch a scene or just gloss over what took place, hoping that I would "get it" a little later, more often than not being left in confusion. To that effect even the final events somewhat confused me. Which ultimately led me to my final conclusion. While I got most of it, clearly I missed quite a bit, and even though I really enjoyed the play between Holo and Lawrence, there was still the 10% which I *think* I saw, but wasn't sure I understood. And it really felt like ending a book with an ambiguous ending and no epilogue. Infuriatingly inconclusive. But still a good watch. |
| Spirited Away (movie) |
Very good |
A richly drawn world of Japanese folklore that might be somewhat incomprehensible to non-natives. Still enjoyable to watch the title character try to make things normal once again. Like with most Miyazaki movies I feel that the movie was overrated, although only by a small bit. |
| Squid Girl (TV) |
Very good |
Boy I really liked this. I mean come on, it's a squid girl! In terms of cutesy and oddball anime, this one hit my sweet spot. And no cheap fan service in sight. Sure the ending was somewhat predictable and you knew what was coming in the final episode. But despite the obvious it was still fun and made me feel all good in the tummy and I don't mean the steak and spicy sausage I had for dinner. I would rate this one very close to a 9, however the short length and the simple emotional plot element at the end of the run meant that I couldn't quite justify it as an Excellent series. However it will definitely be one I will be revisiting in the future. |
| Squid Girl Season 2 (TV) |
Very good |
More of the usual nonsense, which is definitely a good thing for the most part. The formula is the same as before, but that's where it runs into problems a little. The show has lost a bit of its impact with the jokes and sight gags. Since there's no real overarching plot, any given episode can be skipped as necessary, except perhaps the final episode of either series. The show is still certainly entertaining and I would love to see another season, but this could possibly use an actual storyline. Or perhaps part of its charm would be lost if that happened. However if a third season is made and nothing changes, it's hard to believe that it will be as good or better than what has already been shown. |
| Star Blazers 2199 (TV) |
Very good |
An epic story painted in lovely, modern strokes of art. The show looks and feels big budget and doesn't shy away from the many different characters, both protagonist and antagonist, and often blurs the line. It's a worthwhile retelling worth watching. If there are any knocks against it, the series is fairly straightforward and formulaic. And without exception every female is extremely nicely proportioned and details of their bodies are very well depicted, even though attention is not specifically called to the figures, except that the uniforms practically look painted on. Despite this there's no overt fan service, which makes things a bit weird. In any case the story is still overall a solid piece of manly fiction and worth a consideration. |
| Starship Operators (TV) |
Very good |
A rather short series, which naturally results in minimal character development. With such a large cast however it would be difficult to have any proper development even in a longer series. Another large flaw was with how much character deaths were telegraphed. Despite this and other flaws I still really enjoyed the series but still can't get myself to rate this higher than the rating I've given it. I really did enjoy the "wooden ships and iron men in space" feel of the series when the focus was on the space combat. |
| Steins;Gate (TV) |
Very good |
Largely a good show, but I'm still puzzled as to why it got such a high rating on ANN. A middling 8 at best. |
| (The) Story of Little Monica (OAV) |
Decent |
A decent plot as far as hentai titles go, which makes it rather thin and contrived but it does move the story along. Characters are well drawn though and attractive. And ohhhh yes, Miss Meow, drink up allll the milk... |
| Street Fighter Alpha (OAV) |
Decent |
Nicely drawn characters was about the biggest highlight in this disjointed story. Even the fighting was rather lackluster. |
| Street Fighter II V (TV) |
Decent |
A somewhat slow moving series that could easily have been distilled down to well under 20 episodes. Not a bad entry into the fighting game turned animation genre. |
| Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie |
Good |
Probably the best entry into the fighting game -> anime genre. The fights are mostly all lenghty, dynamic, and fun to watch. |
| Strike Witches (TV) |
Decent |
Shallow, generic characters. One dimensional enemy. Nonsensical plot twists. Completely lacking in sufficient explanation of events. And with an extreme level of fan service on several occasions bordering on... well it's pretty extreme. Yet the show is cute enough to be reasonably watchable despite its many flaws. |
| Strike Witches (movie) |
Decent |
The war on pants continues! I've asked myself why I bothered to watch the movie. Within a few minutes the completely predictable plot is obvious with essentially no twists. The enemy is still as senseless as ever and the outcome is inevitable. Maybe it's something about cutesy girls engaging in warfare using small arms where battleships with 16 inch guns can't get the job done that holds some sort of ridiculous fascination for me. Or maybe it's how the details of the weaponry the girls use is impressively spot-on. It's hard to say. I swear it's not the constant crotch shots. |
| Strike Witches 2 (TV) |
Decent |
>_< Once again the price I pay for being a completist. This series is wrong on so many levels. Virtually everything in this series is merely a sinister plot to show more crotch shots. The few remaining elements that could make this palatable to a wider audience are at best thin or utterly predictable. This series isn't even one I can show to my less than moral friends. Yet despite my laments and protestations, I still did enjoy it on some small level as the message it's trying to convey is still a positive and good one. Tightly wrapped in undergarments. Showing camel toe. Why oh why... >_< |
| Summer Wars (movie) |
Very good |
A fun story but I'm not really clear as to why it received so many higher marks. |
| (The) Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Do You Remember Love? (movie) |
Very good |
Ai oboite imasuka? I had forgotten but this brought back some of the magic. Considering the era it was made in the visuals are quite stunning and making a two hour feature really helps to tighten up the story to the important elements in this reimagining of the series. |
| (The) Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Flash Back 2012 (OAV) |
So-so |
It's a music video. With very little actual new footage, which is at best, irrelevant. |
| Suzuka (TV) |
Good |
Do love triangles ever end well except maybe in a porno? Like an 8+ hour chick flick. Still quite entertaining and emotionally driven even if somewhat implausible. But then again, aren't they always? Women... pshhh... |
| Sweet Blue Flowers (TV) |
Very good |
A well handled drama about human emotions. The fact that pretty much all relationships were of the same-sex female kind made it that much more complex, given that it had to hold people's interest based on the strength of storytelling and not panty shots. |
| Sword Art Online (TV) |
Good |
Interesting premise, uneven execution. Overall it was an enjoyable series but some part of it bothered me. Maybe it was some fo the relationship dynamics. Or how people from one world didn't overlap into the second game (you watch it, you'll understand) but in the end are mashed together. Hard to say. But for what it was, a game about being inside a virtual world MMO, it was pretty solid and worth the watch. |
| Sword Art Online II (TV) |
Good |
A much better follow-up than the second arc of the first half of the series. Some of the melodramatic parts were a bit heavy handed but life does follow art and vice versa, so it was still overall an entertaining series. |
| Sword of the Stranger (movie) |
Very good |
Feels like a big budget extravaganza, full of hairy chested testosterone laden manliness. Because it is! Watch the BluRay disc on a proper 1080p with its lush sound effects and sweeping musical score and likely you will be moved too. But the truth is, as excellent as all the elements are, there's absolutely nothing new presented here, even if they are presented about as well as they ever will be. Do yourself a favor and watch this if you get a chance and decide for yourself. |
| Tamako Love Story (movie) |
Good |
... And not much of anything happens in the continuation of the TV series, which also had almost nothing happen. But that's not a bad thing. It's sweet and cute in a good spirited way. There's not a deeper meaning behind things, and there's almost no supernatural talking bird with projectors for eyes like in the TV series. Ok, he's around for a bit, but in a completely irrelevant way. This story is about Tamako and Mochizou and all about what (little) transpires between the two of them. But in a good way. If anything I feel bad for the third wheel in all of this, as much of that character development is left by the wayside since it's not the main thrust of this tale. Does it sound like I'm rambling? Yes, because I am. Much like this movie. But there is a point to be made.The story is bittersweet but in a good way, in the way that we all grow to appreciate the bitters more as we mature. |
| Tamako Market (TV) |
Good |
This show is completely bizarre... Full of interesting elements, but ultimately goes nowhere. Was it entertaining? Sure. But rather valueless, with cute girls doing cute things but not amounting to much at the end. Similar in feel to Sound of the Sky but not anywhere near as meaningful. I was hoping for a bit more depth, a bit more complexity, but got almost nothing. Even the lightest series usually have at least one attempt at a dramatic story element near the end, but this hardly even attempts that. Did I feel let down? A little, but maybe I was just expecting a bit more than what I got. Was it bad? Not at all, but yea, really was hoping for a little more substance. |
| Thunderbolt Fantasy (puppet TV) |
Good |
Well done puppet theater! How it's in an anime site.... It's definitely a stretch of the criteria but it was still entertaining and worth the watch, even if the story was relatively straight forward and derivative. |
| Time of Eve (ONA) |
Very good |
Overall a short series which packs in a lot of story into a compact space. The writing is thought provoking and entertaining, but as-is a bit on the unsatisfying side. Like going to a fancy restaurant that serves portions only fit for six year old chidren, not for grown adults. |
| To Love-Ru (TV) |
Decent |
Finally finished the series. It is as expected. Lots of cheesecake and censored nudity wrapped up with mostly silly and light hearted fun. Nothing terribly memorable but it does cater to a segment that enjoys the fan service. Is it compelling enough to acquire more of the series from this franchise, since the anthology manga apparently contain the uncensored naughty bits? I suppose for the hardcore fans. |
| Tokyo Godfathers (movie) |
Very good |
The master at work. While the movie isn't as intricately woven together as his other major works, the story is still clean and told well. It is fine entertainment and may make a few people misty eyed. Not his best work but a fine addition that doesn't need to make any apologies. |
| Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 (TV) |
Very good |
A series that's well grounded in reality while focusing on the lives of a tiny group of survivors just trying to make it home. Can you call such a depressing series "entertaining?" Not in the league of, say, Grave of the Fireflies but you can certainly make a case for it belonging in a similar genre (the "box o' tissue" genre). |
| Toradora! (TV) |
Excellent |
This series really brought the full range of emotions to the table with great mastery. It's a breath of fresh air from among a sea of generic teen romances. It really does stand head and shoulders above other shows that rely on gimmickry or overused plot devices. |
| Tournament of the Gods (OAV) |
Awful |
Terrible, fractured series. Not very interesting. I don't know what compelled me to watch the first episoe years ago and say "that looks decent enough to watch the rest." Big mistake. There are no pacing issues with the series because there's no pace at all. Things just "happen." It feels like the series is following some game, because there are 15 second segments all over the place feature various random encounters that might mean something to someone who followed the other work, but in an anime, even in a hentai one, the elements just make absolutely no sense. Why did I waste my time... |
| Trigun (TV) |
Very good |
A rather schizophrenic series that doesn't know whether to be a comedy or a drama, yet somehow manages to balance the two in the end. The main character's apparently ridiculous behavior becomes clear and adds to the overall story rather than detracts. |
| Trigun: Badlands Rumble (movie) |
Very good |
Who knew that 1080p could look so retro. It is refreshing to see Vash the Stampede again with so much better art. It was also comforting to see all the old familiar faces again, even if the movie just slots in between several of the standalone episodes. Ultimately it was more of the usual, which was fine by me. |
| Tsukigakirei (TV) |
Very good |
It's a tender love story with winners and losers. The core story with its ups and downs was very good, and I won't say any more lest I risk giving away too much. The buildup is slow and really does well illustrating the many frustrations and difficulties of young love. |
| Tsukimonogatari (TV) |
Very good |
I will not speak further about the monogatari series. My earlier comments stand. |
| Tsuredure Children (TV) |
Good |
Fun, mostly light hearted series with some good laughs. A less heavy yet fairly realistic perspective of the adolescent experience. |
| Upotte!! (ONA) |
Good |
What a strange series. The idea that girls are literally incarnations of modern combat arms, yet still have to CARRY said arms, is goofy at best and it's best not to start asking logical questions because it takes all the fun out of watching the series. The premise really is utter horseshit but the series is not completely without fun. |
| Upotte!! (OAV) |
Decent |
More of the same, but as an OAV it did have few moments of bare breasts. Was this really necessary? Overall it's a throwaway swimsuit episode with a bit of fan bait, but really rather pointless. |
| Valvrave the Liberator (TV) |
Good |
Merely a Season 1 of the series. Everything ends on a major cliffhanger. There is a very controversial event in episode 10, which I think is a bit overhyped but admit that it could have been put in there deliberately for just such a reaction. Will the series get stronger or let itself be distracted with needless sensationalism? The over-the-top productions detract somewhat from the otherwise thin story, and the "Lelouch"-like primary anti-protagonist may enhance the series for some, detract for others (he's pretty... unrealistic?). How things shake out will have to wait and see. |
| Valvrave the Liberator (TV 2) |
Very good |
You can't carve out a new nation without plenty of sacrifice. Valvrave's second season demonstrates this in spades. A high price is paid by many throughout this run of episodes. Occasionally the plot twists are something of a stretch and unrealistic, unrealistic from the sense of human action or reaction, and not because it's about blood sucking giant robots. The ending however was relatively satisfactory, although it could seem a bit confusing. Certainly a lot of people will find the ending a bitter pill to swallow and could benefit from an OVA clearing up some of the remaining questions. Overall I give it slightly higher marks than the season that came before it. |
| Vampire Hunter D (OAV) |
Decent |
Decent story about, well, a vampire hunter. Good action and plenty of violence. |
| Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust (movie) |
Good |
A better second effort with good character development and personal dilemmas presented. |
| Viper GTS (OAV) |
Decent |
Fun series for the most part. Nothing spectacular or memorable but better than a lot that is out there. |
| Voices of a Distant Star (OAV) |
Excellent |
The touching story of two lovers separated by Time and space. Voices is certainly not without its flaws, yet it's easy to overlook its faults and somewhat thin story and see the human story overwhelmed by circumstances. |
| Wangan Midnight (TV) |
Good |
It's hard to believe that some of these people take themselves so seriously in the dialogue, but their ardent belief in what they do helps to make the show more palatable despite the subject matter of the series. Regardless it was still enjoyable. |
| Welcome to the NHK (TV) |
Very good |
I really wanted to like this series more. It comes close to being really great but falls just a bit short. It's still a great show however and a worthy addition to a lot of people's collections. |
| Whisper of the Heart (movie) |
Good |
A sweet story about young love and aspirations for the future. |
| Wicked City (movie) |
Decent |
Lots of sex and violence in this rather bland story about the supernatural. |
| (The) Wind Rises (movie) |
Good |
It's a Miyazaki, which carries with it inherent weight behind the work. Even leaving aside that much of the semi-biographical work was fictionalized for the sake of the story, I was frustrated in some ways by its meandering nature and the lead's nearly blind devotion to his work. Overall worth a watch, but not one I feel a need to revisit repeatedly. |
| Witchblade (TV) |
Good |
Where to begin... The series starts out pretty cheesy with the obvious sexualization of the main character. As the series evolves and plot twists are introduced the storyline starts getting better fleshed out and it's almost possible to look past the ridiculous costuming after transformation. When everything finally comes to a head you begin wondering how everything will get wrapped up. Fortunately the ending is satisfying, even if somewhat abrupt, which helps to elevate the series above mediocrity. I really wanted to rate this an 8 or so, but the deeper, more substantial qualities explored in this series are unexplored and pretty well covered up in gaudy window dressing. |
| Wizard Barristers: Benmashi Cecil (TV) |
Decent |
I haven't seen an episode animated as poorly as episode 11 in a very long time. |
| Wolf's Rain (TV) |
Good |
Trying to tie together various storylines can be difficult and this anime does a pretty good job of it, even though it all felt a little unfocused. Still a good watch however and pretty much a prerequisite if your goal is to see the four part OAV (disc 7 of the DVD release in the US). You can skip disc 4 however. Every single episode is a recap and a waste of 1.66 hours if you're marathon watching the series. |
| Wolf's Rain (OAV) |
Very good |
The show properly ends with this four part sequence (disc 7 of the US release DVDs). Extraneous storylines are cut down to the core of the show in dramatic fashion. No aimless simple meandering for the principles as they focus on the final goal to the bitter end even in the face of bleak odds. |
| World Conquest Zvezda Plot (TV) |
Decent |
So there's a vaguely coherent plot mixed up in this mess. Somewhere, I'm sure, there's a point that's being made and a backstory to be told. However it's not found here. Not knowing what to make of this series, I don't even know what to rate it. |
| X-Men (TV) |
Good |
Formulaic but with a flashy style. There are no hidden mysteries here, as everything is either telegraphed very quickly or explained without any subtlety. Naturally since this is an anime they had to insert a more Japanese-friendly character in the form of a compassionate middle school girl who manifests power armor out of energy. Yea, tell me you didn't see that coming, so don't complain about a spoiler. It's Japan, you expect schoolchildren to manifest power armor, right? Anyway, save the world, blah blah blah. All formula. They certainly look good doing it at least. |
| Your Lie in April (TV) |
Very good |
A bit melodramatic, cliched, and uneven in a lot of parts, with a bit of a fractured story. But still an undeniably lovely series with a satisfying conclusion. |
| your name. (movie) |
Very good |
Maybe I've seen too many Shinkai movies. Maybe I expected too much from this one given all of its exceptional hype. Or maybe, just like with Garden of Words, I found the music style a bit too loud and in your face which broke my immersion. Consequently after having watched it I'm somewhat miffed that the movie has been so highly rated by a band of fiercely loyal supporters. I was rooting for the protagonists, and I'm all for suspending disbelief for the power of love to transcend time and space. And even though this is definitely Shinkai at his best, maybe I'm just worn out from having the same formula repeated again and again. Despite that, I still would recommend a watch of the movie. It has its funny moments and its touching ones too (figuratively and literally). |
| Yuki Yuna Is a Hero (TV) |
Very good |
What will happen to the Magical Girl genre post Madoka? The stakes are high but not as high. The reveals are world shaking (quite literally) but still manageable. The sacrifices are significant but not soul crushing. In other words this is one answer, which would seem to be, "don't try to one-up it." Which I'm fine with. Not every series has to be a tragedy porn, and occasionally doing a good deed should be rewarded. So no, it didn't try to be better (by being "worse") than Madoka and that's fine by me. But it does mean that as a genre, I can rule out the Magical Girl one as something I will follow. I've seen the magnum opus, everything else that comes doesn't need to follow in Madoka's footsteps. But since the genre was never really for me, I'm ok taking my exit here, on a high note. |
