Sohma_Curse's Anime
What I'm currently watching:
***WARNING: SOME COMMENTS MAY CONTAIN MINOR SPOILERS***
(I don't usually comment on OVAs or movies unless there is something worth noting)
| Seen all▲▼ | Rating▲▼ |
| 009 Re:Cyborg (movie) | So-so |
| 009-1 (TV) | Decent Pros: Cool spy-thriller vibe, a few good action scenes and twists, ‘Calendar of the Past’ episode Cons: Ugly character designs, stories are often dull and have vague conclusions |
| 5 Centimeters Per Second (movie) | Good Pros: Nice style and artistry, has a genuine and real feel to it Cons: Rushed pacing doesn't allow for a proper emotional impact |
| Air (TV) | Very good Pros: Great character development, just the right amount of emotion Cons: Jumps from arc to arc too dramatically, doesn't flesh out some key events |
| Akira (movie) | Decent Pros: Has the right kind of atmosphere that many future-set titles lack, never boring, nice backgrounds Cons: Odd moments of silence where noises should be occurring, soundtrack is love it or hate it, some story/character elements not clearly explained |
| Angel Beats! (TV) | Excellent Pros: Vibrant colors and animation, compelling story, great music Cons: Somewhat cheap answers to important questions |
| anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day (TV) | |
| Another (TV) | Very good Pros: Quality animation, grotesque death scenes, wonderfully eerie atmosphere Cons: Logical flaws, rather disappointing ending |
| Attack on Titan (TV) | Excellent Pros: Supremely epic, unique art styling, intriguing story flows fluidly and never lags, good main character development Cons: Female Titan arc goes on too long and consumes much of the time that could have been spent on explaining more important plot details |
| Azumanga Daioh (TV) | Excellent Pros: Packed with laughs, heartfelt, memorable characters, great dub Cons: Can feel repetitive at times, music is hit or miss, animation is just average |
| B Gata H Kei - Yamada’s First Time (TV) | Very good Pros: Incredibly funny, not overly perverted considering the plot, excellent dub, nice art and animation, story is actually really sweet and honest Cons: Can feel redundant, other characters’ Eros deities are underused |
| Baccano! (TV) | Decent Pros: Nasty and violent, interesting concept Cons: Too many sub-plots going on all at once, random timeline shifts designed to clarify backstories disrupt the show's flow and pace, a few illogical conclusions make the way things tie together feel forced, some characters are really annoying *Rewatch Update* Even knowing what happens doesn't help make the story layout any less chaotic. In fact, it actually makes you realize just how much is being thrown at you from the get-go without any solid structure or background information. Is it easier to follow now? Sure, somewhat. But that doesn't mean it's suddenly more coherent (and, more importantly, enjoyable). |
| Baka and Test - Summon the Beasts (TV) | Good Pros: Great animation, lighthearted and funny, fun cast of characters Cons: Plotless, battles aren't really entertaining |
| Baka and Test - Summon the Beasts 2 (TV) | Very good Pros: Same level of laughs and animation quality, tighter story Cons: Too much time spent on pointless sub-plots, music is underwhelming |
| Baka and Test: Summon the Beasts OVA | Decent |
| Bamboo Blade (TV) | Excellent Pros: Good pacing, avoids most cliches of the genre, lovable characters Cons: Some minor animation issues |
| Basilisk (TV) | Excellent Pros: Engaging interpretation of a classic tale, violent beyond belief, great visuals Cons: Slow to get things going, and once it does, the pacing stutters a bit |
| Ben-To (TV) | Good Pros: Great dub and character interactions, smooth animation (especially during battles), good music, last few episodes Cons: A little repetitive through the first 10 or so episodes, skimps on some character backgrounds |
| Best Student Council (TV) | Good Pros: The right combination of funny, sweet, and cute Cons: The wrong combination of clichés, stupidity, and progressively stranger stories |
| BioHunter (OAV) | So-so |
| Birdy the Mighty Decode: The Cipher (OAV) | Good |
| Birdy the Mighty Decode:02 (TV) | Good Pros: Good attention to continuity, keeps you interested Cons: Weaker plot than the first season, gets a little tedious towards the end |
| Birdy the Mighty: Decode (TV) | Very good Pros: Fun and amusing take on body switching, humorous, some nice animation here and there Cons: Too talky in spots, some payoffs don't feel worth it |
| Black Blood Brothers (TV) | Decent Pros: Starts off strong, funny Cons: Gets strangely serious (and pretty boring) midway through, could have explained some things better |
| Black Butler (TV) | Good Pros: Good animation, above-average dub, Grell is hysterical Cons: Has trouble deciding what kind of show it wants to be, shifts gears too suddenly and erratically |
| Black Butler II (TV) | Good Pros: Dark mood that still maintains a sense of humor, strong dub and animation Cons: Tone may be a little too underwhelming for some, hit-or-miss new characters, OVA is pointless and unamusing filler |
| Black Butler II (OAV) | Weak Pros: One or two laughs Cons: Boring filler that is an unfortunate sour note to leave off on after two strong seasons |
| Black Butler: His Butler, Performer (OAV) | Decent |
| Black Cat (TV) | Decent Pros: Good action sequences Cons: Story, animation, music, and characters are all just average and barely amusing enough to stay interested |
| Black Lagoon (TV) | Very good Pros: Great story, excellent dub, unique and complex characters Cons: Too talky sometimes, some characters underused |
| Black Lagoon: Roberta's Blood Trail (OAV) | Excellent Pros: All the characters you love and some great new ones, maximum violence, great animation and music Cons: Remy and Rock need more screen time, too short! |
| Black Lagoon: The Second Barrage (TV) | Very good Pros: Top-notch dub, story, and animation Cons: Leaves you wanting more |
| Blade of the Immortal (TV) | Decent Pros: Good artistic work, interesting characters Cons: Familiar-feeling story with standard revenge tropes, a lot of buildup for an inconclusive ending |
| Blade of the Phantom Master (movie) | So-so Pros: Great action and CGI sequences, nice animation overall, each story is interesting on their own Cons: Basically two completely different stories jammed together with no narrative bridgework, ending fails to answer anything about the main story, main story itself remains vague throughout, the phantom master doesn't even use a blade... |
| Blassreiter (TV) | Very good Pros: Character arcs are well balanced, incredible CGI and sound effects editing, story is thorough and concise Cons: Gerd’s emotional fits are a little over the top, Snow's character is given little relevence, a few nagging plot holes |
| Blood+ (TV) | Very good Pros: Violent without being OVERLY gory, interesting premise, wide range of characters Cons: Animation quality varies, story gets too bloated, Saya's moods shift very erratically, multiple points where a few consecutive episodes are boring |
| Blood-C (TV) | Very good Pros: Intense action, crisp animation, great soundtrack, cool monster designs, gore-tastic Cons: Some may find the hyperviolence and gore to be a little too gratuitous, first few episodes are boring and follow the same repetitive structuring, love it or hate it plot twist will either enhance or destroy the experience, HOW DO SAYA’S GLASSES STAY ON?!? |
| Blood-C: The Last Dark (movie) | Very good Pros: Exceptional animation, intense action scenes, good flow, eerie and well-fitting soundtrack Cons: Ending feels kinda garbled and leaves a bit to be desired |
| Blood: The Last Vampire (movie) | Decent Pros: Brilliant animation, understated colors heighten the mood, fans of the franchise will enjoy it Cons: Pretty much nothing is explained about who Saya is or why she's fighting, way too short and rushed to develop past anything beyond entertaining filler for those unfamiliar with the story |
| Bludgeoning Angel Dokuro-chan (TV) | Decent Pros: Nice color palette, funny in spots, hilariously over-the-top violence Cons: Completely pointless and unmemorable |
| Boogiepop Phantom (TV) | Decent Pros: Conceptually ambitious, chilling and dark, great sound editing Cons: Flaws in presentation, dub performances are lacking, might be too weird and dreary for some |
| Bottle Fairy (TV) | Good Pros: Fun and mood-lightening filler, adorable characters, nice art and color palette Cons: Zero background info (not like it needs it, though), unmemorable music |
| Btooom! (TV) | Decent Pros: Different spin on the 'real video game' angle, some tense moments, good animation Cons: Flat and unlikable characters, almost nothing is explained or resolved, infuriating non-ending |
| C – Control – The Money and Soul of Possibility (TV) | Decent Pros: Animation is above average, fighting sequences are fun to watch Cons: Unnecessarily complicated plotting, boring subject matter, uninteresting characters |
| Campione! (TV) | So-so Pros: Nice action scenes, decent animation, a few entertaining characters Cons: Most characters are pretty lame though, unoriginal premise has no unique spin on it, overly thorough with pointless info while not thorough enough on important details |
| CANAAN (TV) | Good Pros: Refreshing spin the female assassin concept, great visuals, good soundtrack/effects Cons: Confusing in spots, action and story ebb and flow inconsistently |
| Case Closed (TV) | Very good ***Seen all available licensed episodes*** Pros: Fun mystery solving, good main and supporting cast, never gets old despite its repetitiveness Cons: A lot of episodes end abruptly, some crimes unfold WAY too elaborately, English dub does too much Americanizing |
| Case Closed Movie: The Time Bombed Skyscraper (movie 1) | Very good |
| Case Closed: Captured in Her Eyes (movie 4) | Good |
| Case Closed: Countdown to Heaven (movie 5) | Decent |
| Case Closed: The Fourteenth Target (movie 2) | Good |
| Case Closed: The Last Wizard of the Century (movie 3) | Very good |
| Case Closed: The Phantom of Baker Street (movie 6) | Good |
| Cat Planet Cuties (TV) | Good Pros: Nice visuals/art styling, easy to get into, Assistroids are cute Cons: Story is all over the place, boring male lead, action scenes end too quickly, Ichika shows up out of nowhere and nothing is explained about her |
| Cat Planet Cuties (OAV) | Decent |
| A Certain Magical Index (TV) | Very good Pros: Nice action sequences and animation, fun when it wants to be, surprisingly thought provoking Cons: ‘Angelfall’ arc is confusing, some main characters undeveloped, erratic layout of stories |
| A Certain Scientific Railgun (TV) | Very good Pros: Great core cast, a few really strong arcs, great action sequences, well-used Index cameos Cons: Some arcs work better than others, could have benefited greatly from a blu ray release |
| Chaos;HEAd (TV) | Not really good Pros: Interesting premise (at first), characters have their positive qualities Cons: Needlessly complicates things by pulling out one unnecessary twist after another, techno-babble dialogue isn’t stated clearly, character backgrounds never fully explained, animation quality is lacking |
| (Le) Chevalier D'Eon (TV) | Very good Pros: Intriguing story pulls you in, historical details are a nice plus, great background art, helpful episode notes Cons: Some animation quirks, story starts to unravel towards the end |
| Chobits (TV) | Very good Pros: Sweet and charming characters, nice story Cons: Animation is a little plain, some filler and recap episodes scattered into the mix |
| Chobits (OAV) | Good |
| Chrome Shelled Regios (TV) | Decent Pros: Fun for the most part, doesn't get too out of hand considering the subject matter Cons: Predictable and boring towards the end, loses focus, doesn't explain much of what happens |
| Chrono Crusade (TV) | Good Pros: Nice animation, funny, great character interactions, pulls off serious moments well Cons: Starts to drag midway through, gets a little too serious towards the end |
| Clannad (TV) | Excellent Pros: Animation quality, feels genuine, effective supernatural elements cleanly woven in Cons: Some arcs go on for too long |
| Clannad After Story (TV) | Masterpiece Pros: Everything - animation, story, music, characters, dub track... Cons: Gut-punchingly sad at times |
| Claymore (TV) | Very good Pros: Awesome fighting scenes, visually appealing, engaging story Cons: Weak cop-out ending, music can feel out of place, wastes time that could have been spent on a better conclusion, zero replay value |
| Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion (TV) | Very good Pros: Top-tier animation, great music, above-average story Cons: A little too grandiose for its own good, can become unintentionally corny in spots |
| Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2 (TV) | Excellent Pros: Great art and animation, action sequences beautifully rendered, good attention to continuity, well-paced story Cons: Fanservice feels tacked on, Lelouch can be a bit overly dramatic |
| Colorful (movie) | Very good Pros: Vibrant colors, story keeps you engaged, good dub Cons: Kind of predictable, certain characters' behaviors don't make sense and aren't really explained |
| Combustible (movie) | Good |
| Corpse Princess: Aka (TV) | Good |
| Corpse Princess: Kuro (TV) | Decent Pros: Dark and mysterious atmosphere, some good twists, decent action Cons: Enragingly inconclusive ending, cheap answers to the questions it actually addresses, pretty boring most of the time, Ouri's dub voice is terribly ineffective |
| D.N.Angel (TV) | Good Pros: Entertaining story, enjoyable stand-alone episodes, thorough storytelling Cons: Choppy animation, plot has its ups and downs, Daisuke's dub voice is laughable |
| Darker than Black (TV) | Excellent Pros: Engaging episodes keep you guessing, music is nice, characters are unique Cons: The way everything finally ties in feels forced |
| Darker than Black - Kuro no Keiyakusha: Gaiden (OAV) | Very good |
| Darker than Black: Gemini of the Meteor (TV) | Very good Pros: Great flow, action sequences are well done, story remains focused throughout Cons: Some contractors’ payments are pretty ridiculous, underwhelming conclusion |
| Date A Live (TV) | Decent Pros: Nice animation (especially in battle sequences), pretty funny at times Cons: Story isn’t all that cohesive, some generic characters, weak ending |
| Dead Girls (OAV) | Worst ever Pros: It's only 45 minutes long Cons: It's as if someone threw a grenade at Red Garden's storyboards and the random pieces of narrative shrapnel that the explosion created were stitched together to form the most incoherent and nonsensical mess imaginable |
| Deadman Wonderland (TV) | Good Pros: Entertaining as hell, creative violence, great visuals Cons: Messy story that desperately needs a sequel, predictable twists |
| Death Note (TV) | Excellent Pros: Incredibly suspenseful and thought provoking, good character development, thorough in detail, one of the most unique and original premises in anime/manga Cons: Music can be overbearing at times, final arc not as strong as what precedes it, Near comes off as an annoying brat compared to L |
| Demon King Daimao (TV) | Bad Pros: Colorful animation Cons: Adds/changes/disregards certain plot elements as it progresses, characters randomly deviate from their established motives for no reason, story becomes incoherent and confusing as inane happenings repeatedly occur |
| Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (TV) | Excellent Pros: Great character building and exposition makes you care about protagonists and empathize with antagonists, art and animation are well above average, Nezuko Cons: Some of that character building for antagonists goes overboard and makes arcs drag on as their backstories are played out over multiple episodes, Zenitsu's (and, to a lesser extent, Inosuke's) constant screaming gets overbearing after a while |
| Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Entertainment District Arc (TV) | Excellent |
| Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Mugen Train Arc (TV) | Very good |
| Devil May Cry (TV) | So-so Pros: Some stories are interesting, core cast has some good interactions Cons: Booooring, repetitive and formulaic stand-alone episodes, audio defect on blu ray causes random volume drop off during action scenes/background dialog |
| Dog & Scissors (TV) | Good Pros: Zany and fun, great dub, looks nice, some well-done arcs Cons: Goes nowhere, does nothing |
| Dream Eater Merry (TV) | Good Pros: Interesting concept, some really cool artistry, animation is solid Cons: Inconsistent soundtrack, a few stereotypical characters, story is shaky in spots, underwhelming ending |
| Dusk maiden of Amnesia (TV) | Very good Pros: Great to look at, moody and dark atmosphere, funny when it wants to be Cons: Moves too swiftly, small cast only really interacts with themselves for the most part |
| Eden of the East (TV) | Very good Pros: Original and entertaining story, enjoyable characters, top-notch animation Cons: Can be confusing at times, some details left unexplained |
| Eden of the East: The King of Eden (movie) | Decent |
| Edens Zero (TV) | Very good Pros: Great cast of characters, art and animation are well done, good pacing, draws enough influence from Fairy Tail without being a total rehash Cons: Musical score contains a lot of re-styled public domain classical pieces, antagonists are kind of one-dimensional, might feel a little too familiar |
| ef: a tale of melodies (TV) | Masterpiece Pros: Incredible artistry and animation style with deep and vibrant colors, moving character interactions, ties up a few loose ends from 'Memories' Cons: Narrative layout is awkward at first |
| ef: a tale of memories (TV) | Very good Pros: Visually marvelous, compelling story and characters, great soundtrack Cons: Much left unexplained |
| Elfen Lied (TV) | Excellent Pros: Frenetically violent, captivating story, serious emotional impact Cons: Animation is spotty, dub track has its weak performances, emotionally draining |
| Ergo Proxy (TV) | Very good Pros: Nice visuals and slick animation, suspenseful and engaging, excellent dub, Pino Cons: Some things seem to happen without explanation, dark visuals make it difficult to see in spots, middle episodes are boring |
| Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone (movie) | Good Pros: Strong and unique visual ideas, good soundtrack Cons: Emotional moments are lost due to the swift pace, doesn't explain important subject matter (most notably who/what the angels are and why they attack), 'humorous' scene at Katsuragi's apartment feels out of place |
| (The) Familiar of Zero (TV) | Good Pros: Fun characters, easy to get into, never overbearing story-wise Cons: Bland action scenes, average animation, nothing really captivating until the last few episodes |
| A Farewell to Weapons (movie) | Very good |
| Fate/stay night (TV) | Not really good Pros: A few good action sequences, animation is consistent, Illya Cons: Lengthy info-dumping dialog exchanges turn most episodes into tedious and boring lectures (even during action/high-tension scenes) - and the plot STILL manages to be confusing, odd music choices for some fight scenes, basically just goes through the motions without much attention-getting substance |
| Fractale (TV) | Very good Pros: Gorgeous visuals and background art, nice musical score, fairly satisfying (if somewhat uneven) conclusion, Nessa is adorable Cons: Doesn’t explain itself very well on some key issues, could have done more as far as world building |
| Freezing (TV) | Decent Pros: Great looking action scenes, good sound effects editing, slick animation Cons: Story is pretty boring and poorly plotted, fanservice goes a bit overboard |
| From the New World (TV) | Decent Pros: Intriguing premise, wonderful animation details, relatively satisfying ending Cons: Some parts don’t make much sense, casts a little too wide of a net, dull characters |
| Fruits Basket (TV 1/2001) | Excellent Pros: Truly lovable lead, unique story, really funny at times Cons: Animation quirks, can feel really sappy, ends without resolving some important issues |
| Fruits Basket (TV 2/2019) | Excellent |
| Full Metal Panic! (TV) | Good Pros: Above average animation, some story elements are interesting Cons: Typical action/mech stuff otherwise |
| Full Metal Panic! The Second Raid (TV) | Very good Pros: Great action sequence animation, very well written/executed in key spots Cons: Story is a little jumpy and doesn't blend in school life moments as well (or as much) as the first season did, some things left inconclusive |
| Full Metal Panic! The Second Raid (OAV) | Very good Pros: This single episode is funnier than anything in the Fumoffu season Cons: No Chidori |
| Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu (TV) | Good Pros: Nice change of pace, animation is still quality Cons: Not at all like it predecessor, some episodes are just plain unfunny |
| Fullmetal Alchemist (TV) | Very good Pros: Great story, main characters are thoroughly evolved, awesome action sequences Cons: Useless filler episodes, some annoying supporting characters, boring in spots |
| Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (TV) | Masterpiece Pros: Incredibly vast and constantly evolving story, wonderful art and animation, great character development, equal parts humor, drama, and action Cons: Occasionally drags but never feels like filler |
| Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (OAV) | Good |
| Fullmetal Alchemist: Premium Collection (OAV) | So-so |
| Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos (movie) | Very good |
| (The) Future Diary (TV) | Very good Pros: Never feels dull or boring, good dub, a few cool twists, Murmur Cons: Starts to lose itself with each subsequent twist, some background art looks sloppy, rushes through disposal of antagonists in the first half |
| Ga-Rei-Zero (TV) | Very good Pros: Interesting manner of storytelling, some really nice visual elements, great action Cons: Some things left un(der)resolved, fake-out opening episode |
| Gambo (movie) | Good |
| Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo (TV) | Masterpiece Pros: Fascinating visuals, well paced and engaging story, excellent musical score Cons: Animation style may not be for everyone, dub has a few weak performances |
| Gantz (TV) | Good Pros: Unique story, keeps things moving while also creating suspense between episodes Cons: Animation quality is up and down throughout, constant profanity gets tiresome, ultimately goes out with a whimper |
| (The) Garden of Words (movie) | Masterpiece Pros: Exceptional animation and artistic detail, doesn't feel rushed despite it's short length, heartfelt and genuine Cons: None, really |
| Genshiken (TV) | Very good Pros: Loveably realistic characters, down to earth story, fun character interactions Cons: Some pacing issues, would probably be intolerable if you can't relate to the subject matter |
| Ghost Hound (TV) | Decent Pros: Cool visuals, ambitious story, a few intriguing plot elements Cons: Sloooooow moving and doesn't pick up until more than halfway through, story is all over the place, odd character designs, sound effects replace music (which there is virtually none of), vague conclusions |
| Ghost Hunt (TV) | Very good Pros: Creates a nice atmosphere complemented by hauntingly perfect music, entertaining characters, truly spine-tingling in some parts, great dub cast Cons: Some stories work better than others |
| Ghost in the Shell (movie) | Very good |
| Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (movie) | Good |
| Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 (ONA) | Good |
| Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (TV) | Excellent Pros: Excellent story, captivating characters, great animation, tachikomas! Cons: Some episodes are giant infodumps |
| Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd GIG (TV) | Very good Pros: Great dub, awesome visuals, music and sound effects are top notch Cons: Way too dialogue-heavy/infodump-y, stand alone episodes not as strong as first season’s, some characters' motives not stated clearly, one main sub plot is given a pretty deflating conclusion |
| Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex: Solid State Society (movie) | Very good |
| Ghost Stories (TV) | Decent Pros: Outlandishly funny dub, actually kind of spooky in some spots, decent animation Cons: Would be complete garbage if not for the off-script dub, repetitive after a few episodes, opening and closing themes do not fit the show at all, no DVD extras |
| (The) Girl Who Leapt Through Time (movie) | Very good |
| Girls und Panzer (TV) | Very good Pros: Incredibly thorough on tank details and design, likeable cast of characters, fun and upbeat, great visuals Cons: Incredibly skimpy on character exposition, some characters and events come and go without any narrative substance, not much of an actual story beyond the tank battles |
| Golgo 13 (TV) | Good Pros: Hits all the right spots for an action/thriller Cons: Animation quality varies, gets really repetitive really quickly |
| Good Luck Girl! (TV) | Very good Pros: Great sight gags, surprising amount of depth, excellent dub work Cons: A few cliché elements work their way in, misses some opportunities to develop other characters |
| Grave of the Fireflies (movie) | Masterpiece Pros: Incredibly powerful and moving Cons: Makes you suicidal |
| Guilty Crown (TV) | Good Pros: Incredible visuals, unique ideas, story flows fairly well, great dub work Cons: Characters grasp dire situations a little too easily, some shaky story elements, weak ending |
| Gungrave (TV) | Masterpiece Pros: Excellent and well-paced storytelling, great character depth and development, shifts thematic tone seamlessly and flows from past to present without stuttering Cons: Some male character designs are blocky/bulky, animation isn’t the best |
| Gunslinger Girl (TV) | Good Pros: Interesting subject matter, wonderful backgrounds of Italian countryside, some really affecting material Cons: Character designs are very basic |
| Gunslinger Girl: Il Teatrino (TV) | Very good Pros: More cohesive story this time around Cons: Same ol basic character designs |
| Haganai (TV) | Good Pros: Nice visuals, funny background moments, characters are cute Cons: Pretty much no plot and little/no character exposition until the very end |
| Haganai NEXT (TV) | Very good Pros: Consistently humorous, great art and animation, smooth and natural dub work Cons: Suffers from the same lack of plot focus as its first season, some minor characters' arcs not fleshed out |
| Haibane Renmei (TV) | Excellent Pros: Incredibly touching story, atmospheric Cons: Animation quality varies, conclusion leaves things sort of open ended |
| Hal (movie) | Very good |
| Heat Guy J (TV) | Decent Pros: Good second half, great opening and closing song, some strong stand-alone episodes Cons: Art and animation are pretty rough at times, characters’ motives aren’t made clear, story gets more complex than it needs to |
| Heaven's Lost Property (TV) | Good Pros: Cute and funny characters, some tender moments, visuals are pleasing for the most part Cons: Juvenile and stupid most of the time, many episodes don't advance the plot at all, plot itself is unappealing |
| Heaven's Lost Property Forte (TV) | Good Pros: Good animation, easy to get into and fun to watch for the most part Cons: Plot points are relegated to a few minutes’ worth of each episode while the rest is random filler that has nothing to do with anything, new characters are hit or miss |
| Heaven's Lost Property: Project Pink (OAV) | Decent |
| Heaven's Memo Pad (TV) | Very good Pros: Entertaining mysteries, eclectic characters, surprisingly strong emotional impact Cons: Nothing about Alice is ever revealed, a few dub/mouth movement issues |
| Heaven’s Lost Property the Movie: The Angeloid of Clockwork | Decent Pros: Occasional bits of rather humorous material, new and likeable character Cons: First 45 minutes are basically just clips of the first two seasons from an alternate perspective, ending is rushed and unsatisfying |
| Hell Girl (TV) | Very good Pros: Interesting premise, central plot is engaging (though it takes time to get going), music complements the action well, excellent main cast dub performances Cons: Episodic and formulaic structure makes things redundant real quick, animation quality is a mixed bag, a few laughable one-off dub spots |
| Hellsing (TV) | Very good Pros: Cool and atmospheric style, keeps things exciting, dark humor nicely woven in Cons: Rough animation and character designs, unresolved story elements, cheap ending |
| Hellsing Ultimate (OAV) | Excellent Pros: Unrelentingly violent and gory, innovative ideas bring a stagnant genre to new extremes, decent story underneath it all Cons: Inconsistent animation quality, comedic bits (while funny) come out of nowhere and kill the atmosphere, some parts are too dialogue heavy when they could be using that time to massacre each other |
| High School DxD (TV) | Good Pros: More cohesive and entertaining than similar action/magic/ecchi shows, great action scenes, delightfully tawdry without being entirely debasing Cons: Nothing relevant really occurs until the last few episodes, scant on storytelling details, final battle is cluttered and doesn’t give enemy characters time to settle in (let alone develop) before they’re defeated |
| High School of the Dead (TV) | Decent Pros: Plenty of cheap fanservice and vulgarity, gory to the max, very nicely animated Cons: Plenty of cheap fanservice and vulgarity, underdeveloped characters, unresolved ending |
| Highschool of the Dead: Drifters of the Dead (OAV) | Not really good Pros: A taste of more HOTD, one or two laughs Cons: More like a tease though, only about 13 minutes of actual new content, no zombies or action |
| His and Her Circumstances (TV) | Very good Pros: Good balance of themes, raucously funny when it wants to be, well written, upbeat music Cons: Terrible animation, hit-or-miss dub performances, needs a modern reboot |
| Infinite Stratos (TV) | Good Pros: Awesome and well-animated action sequences, nice color schemes and character designs Cons: Stereotypical character setup, fairly anticlimactic, nothing is explained about those unmanned IS units |
| Infinite Stratos Encore: Sextet of Burning Love (OAV) | Good |
| Inu X Boku Secret Service (TV) | Good Pros: Nice art touches, some funny character interactions, doesn’t try to do too much, Roromiya Cons: Nothing ever really happens, underlying romance is kinda weak, ending is meh |
| Is This a Zombie? (TV) | Very good Pros: Fun and entertaining throughout, vibrant colors Cons: Doesn't start to focus on a main plot until the last few episodes, deflating ending after much buildup |
| Is This a Zombie? (OAV) | Good |
| Is This a Zombie? of the Dead (TV) | Good Pros: Humorous, cute, and well animated Cons: Scattered plot constantly changes and never settles down to follow one main path, ending makes no sense and doesn't resolve anything |
| Jormungand (TV) | Good Pros: Fast-paced action that's well-animated, intriguing without being confusing, some characters are unique Cons: Standard mercenary stuff, fails to establish a cohesive underlying story, some characters are clichés |
| K (TV) | Good Pros: Striking visuals, good plotting and twist execution(s), well-used music, awesome action Cons: ‘Kings’ and 'Swords' system somewhat unclear, story gets a little congested at the end, no backstories or expositional information given for many major characters |
| K-ON! (TV) | Good Pros: Nice instrument detail touches, cute cast of characters, good visuals Cons: More slice of life filler than one might expect, doesn’t really detail the girls’ progress as a band, characters are all school-life stereotypes |
| Kamichu! (TV) | Excellent Pros: Incredibly adorable lead character, gorgeous art and vibrant colors, fun and unique stories Cons: Lazy pace may not appeal to everyone |
| Kamisama Dolls (TV) | Decent Pros: Balances out the underlying dark tone with light humor, unique ideas Cons: Dub dialogue is poorly integrated and often doesn’t match up with mouth movements, jumps from sub-plot to sub-plot without explaining much of anything, feels too self-contained, emotional events lack depth and don’t come off as genuine |
| Kamisama Kiss (TV) | Very good Pros: Cheery and colorful, likeable characters, lies somewhere between Fruits Basket and XXXholic with a more comedic vibe Cons: Nothing is explained about Mikage (who he is/why he left the shrine/what his relationship to Otohokio is/etc), Nanami can be a little overemotional |
| Kanon (TV 2/2006) | Excellent Pros: Great character relationships, solid soundtrack, nice blend of genres, powerfully emotional in some spots Cons: Animation is nothing special, drags a bit here and there |
| Kaze no Stigma (TV) | Very good Pros: Funny, lighthearted, nice art and animation Cons: Boring male lead, filler episodes that have nothing to do with the plot are more enjoyable than the story-based ones |
| KenIchi the Mightiest Disciple (TV) | Very good Pros: Funny stuff, great characters, some nifty action scenes Cons: Animation isn't so hot, sheer number of episodes causes the story to get repetitive and uninteresting after a while |
| Kiddy Grade (TV) | Decent Pros: Good chemistry between main characters, surprising amount of depth, some interesting future concepts Cons: More than a handful of uninteresting episodes, second half gets a little bloated, arbitrary plot twists have little impact |
| Kill Me Baby (TV) | Good Pros: Hysterical dub, fun back and forth between characters, Yasuna is delightfully clueless Cons: Repetitive, essentially plotless, can’t watch more than one episode per sitting |
| King of Thorn (movie) | Very good Pros: Spectacular visuals, interesting take on the Sleeping Beauty story, great dub cast Cons: Lots left unexplained and underdeveloped, loses focus towards the end |
| Kino's Journey (TV) | Excellent Pros: Beautifully animated, endearing lead character(s), great storytelling Cons: Feels unresolved, too short |
| Kino's Travels: Life Goes On (movie) | Excellent |
| Kokoro Connect (TV) | Very good Pros: Ambitious concept with some unique ideas, easy on the eyes, feels genuine in its intentions Cons: Resolves too simplistically and without any explanations, not enough background information on some characters, stuttered pacing |
| Kotaro Lives Alone (ONA) | Very good Pros: Heartwarming, easy to get into and keep watching, a few good character evolutions, some surprisingly emotional moments Cons: Probably best not to think about how a five year old is more wise and intuitive than everyone else, narrative shortcuts (every adult seems to have conveniently suffered one of Kotaro's traumas), artwork quality varies |
| Kujibiki Unbalance (OAV) | Decent |
| Kurau: Phantom Memory (TV) | Very good Pros: Good character relationships, interesting idea of the future, some neat story elements, satisfying conclusion, Christmas Cons: Animation is a mixed bag, action scenes are kinda bland, some minor characters come and go arbitrarily despite being set up as important players, could have explained Rynax a little better |
| Last Exile (TV) | Excellent Pros: Breathtaking visuals, well paced, good music Cons: Not enough background info on some characters/sub-plots, Dio is annoying |
| A Letter to Momo (movie) | Very good |
| Little Busters! (TV) | Very good Pros: Bright and soft colors, nice moe elements, good emotional impact Cons: Character arcs transition roughly and some feel shoehorned in, action putters around a lot and never settles into a main story |
| Little Busters! Refrain (TV) | Excellent Pros: Pleasing aesthetic style, effective musical score, affecting material, ties up most loose ends from season one Cons: Story is woven together a little haphazardly, supporting characters underutilized |
| A Little Snow Fairy Sugar (TV) | Very good Pros: Super cute, wonderful background art, nice music, surprisingly emotional at times Cons: Super cheesy |
| Love Hina (TV) | Good Pros: Funny sight gags, decent animation, good character exposition, easy to get into and fun to watch for the most part Cons: Episodes steadily become more and more insane and unrealistic, some characters are initially irksome, story isn't very substantive |
| Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions! (TV) | Excellent Pros: Fun character interactions, relatable material feels more involving than similar titles, very nice visuals, good soundtrack Cons: Still has many clichéd elements, a few pacing issues |
| Lucky Star (TV) | Excellent Pros: Endearing characters, fun little vignettes, some really funny stuff Cons: Some may not get a lot of the inside/industry jokes, pacing and style requires some getting used to, lucky channel segments get old fast |
| Lucky Star OVA | Very good |
| A Lull in the Sea (TV) | Excellent Pros: Great-looking and visually appealing settings, intriguing premise, likable cast, main story arcs transition effectively, cuts a good pace that never drags, excellent soundtrack Cons: Utilizes typical coming-of-age character tropes, love polygon means not everyone gets their happy ending, animation quality takes a slight dip towards the end |
| Lunar Legend Tsukihime (TV) | Decent Pros: Good mystery elements, story is interesting enough Cons: Doesn’t really break any new ground, most characters are flat and uninteresting, art and animation are somewhat below average |
| Magikano (TV) | Good Pros: Cute, funny, and delightfully irreverent Cons: Also clichéd, generic, and ultimately irrelevant |
| Majikoi - Oh! Samurai Girls (TV) | Not really good Pros: Manages a few interesting moments, good animation overall, characters (while stereotypical) are likeable Cons: Boring and random drivel most of the time, main story arc is lame, ending resolves nothing, a few downright terrible dub performances |
| Mardock Scramble: The First Compression (movie) | Very good Pros: Awesome action and visuals, appealing female lead, mysterious enough to keep you coming back Cons: Pacing issues, story can be a little confusing due to lack of background info for the sake of keeping things moving |
| Mardock Scramble: The Second Combustion (movie) | Good Pros: Marvelous attention to visual detail, brighter colored and livelier feeling than the first movie, some good background info revealed Cons: Limited action, some scenes can drag on with hefty doses of dialog |
| Maria Holic (TV) | Good Pros: Different spin on clichéd themes, creative artistic stylings, great dub Cons: Doesn’t avoid all clichés though, intriguing main plot becomes secondary to typical school life antics, Kanako can be a little overbearing, Touichiro IS overbearing |
| Mayo Chiki! (TV) | So-so Pros: Art and animation have a nice look (even if the character designs and scenery are a tad generic), has its share of fun and genuine moments Cons: Disjointed plot flows poorly and often gets off-track, not much of anything feels resolved in the end, mindless harem scenarios, one-dimensional characters |
| Medaka Box (TV) | Not really good Pros: A few moments of entertainment, Shiranui Cons: Often boring, brings nothing new to the table, animation has a bothersome light haze to it, goes way over the top at the end, Medaka isn’t all that likable |
| (The) Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (TV) | So-so Pros: Looks good, great dub cast Cons: Spastic plotting/pacing, doesn't play out what it introduces, trite and stereotypical characters, that pointless 3-minute still shot of Yuki reading a magazine and listening to the radio |
| (The) Melancholy of Haruhi-chan Suzumiya (ONA) | Very good Pros: Great comedic timing, way more fun and entertaining than its source anime, CUUUUTE! Cons: 5 minute episodes are a tease (though it works for the format) |
| Mezzo (TV) | Good Pros: Fun little show considering it's spun off of a porno, funny characters, some nice story elements Cons: Most story elements are cliched and predictable though, animation is dreadful, plot is unfocused |
| Michiko & Hatchin (TV) | Very good Pros: Fresh concept, slick artistic style, great and fitting music, nice dynamic between main characters Cons: Most characters are awful human beings, some character motives are understated |
| MM! (TV) | Good Pros: High-spirited, fun character interactions, enjoyable episodes, good dub Cons: Same old school life/club/harem antics beneath the quirky main plot, aesthetically average |
| Momo: The Girl God of Death (TV) | Good Pros: Good emotional impact despite each story’s brevity, keeps things on the lighter side Cons: Some stories work better than others, moves too swiftly to connect with characters, music doesn’t quite fit the moment in a few spots |
| Moonlight Mile (TV) | Very good Pros: Beautifully rendered space sequences, suspenseful moments, great soundtrack Cons: Some really lousy character designs, poorly executed pacing and plotting moves things along too swiftly, Lostman’s character/arc feels shoehorned in, inconclusive without a licensed follow-up season |
| MoonPhase (TV) | Good Pros: Great relationship between main characters that creates many memorable moments, good combination of story elements, pretty funny when it wants to be Cons: Main story/plot isn't paced well, changes up its dynamic tone too much from episode to episode |
| Murder Princess (OAV) | Decent Pros: Quick little show with enough going for it that it doesn't feel like a waste Cons: No character background information provided, plot details sacrificed due to time constraints, difficult to emotionally invest in |
| Mushi-Shi (TV) | Masterpiece Pros: Gorgeous, great dub, excellent writing, one of the best soundtracks Cons: Lack of a continuous main plot may deter some (though individual episodes are great on their own regardless) |
| My Bride is a Mermaid (TV) | Very good Pros: Incredibly funny, cute story, memorable characters Cons: Plot gets off track here and there, some gags get old |
| My Neighbor Totoro (movie) | Very good Pros: Whimsical and lighthearted, beautiful artwork, nice music, perfect for a rainy day stuck in the house Cons: Feels rushed, Totoro's lack of actual on-screen time, not much really develops beyond basic exposition (though, as a children's movie, its simplicity works) |
| Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok (TV) | Good Pros: Some really nice artwork and animation here and there, good mix of entertaining characters, a fun show that doesn’t take itself too seriously Cons: Vague story/character details and plot development, not as much mystery as one might expect, static-image action scenes are a let-down |
| Nabari no Ou (TV) | Decent Pros: Blends multiple genres with good balance, some neat action, nice character relationships Cons: Too many sub-plots and minor characters makes things cluttered, colors feel dull and muted, loses some oomph and slows to a crawl at the halfway point |
| NAKAIMO - My Little Sister Is Among Them! (TV) | Decent Pros: Good animation, lighthearted tone, occasionally really funny, gets watchable towards the end Cons: Pointless perversion for the sake of perversion, story is pretty dumb, some dub performances are a little stiff |
| Nanaka 6/17 (TV) | Very good Pros: A fun show with a decent amount of insight, manages an original idea or two, Nanaka and Kuriko's interactions, Nanaka's dad Cons: Plenty of generic material, underlying romance elements aren't fleshed out, 17-year-ol Nanaka is a pretty awful person |
| Negima!? (TV) | Good Pros: A harem-type comedy that doesn't rely on perversion and pantie shots, cool visual effects and pleasing colors, good dub, characters are very funny in their own ways Cons: Weak and meandering plot forces things to be held together solely by characters’ quirky charms, enormous cast is a chore to keep track of, becomes really bizarre and random about midway through |
| Negima!? Spring OVA | Decent |
| Negima!? Summer OVA | Decent |
| Neon Genesis Evangelion (TV) | Good Pros: Great mix of characters, good action scenes, groundbreaking work overall Cons: Has trouble deciding on a narrative tone, fast-moving first half creates gaps in information, muddled conclusion |
| Night Raid 1931 (TV) | Decent Pros: Nice animation, good historical detail, well-done musical score, thorough character exposition Cons: Some episodes are uninteresting, can get too talky in spots, story is a little jumbled |
| Ninja Scroll (movie) | Good Pros: Surprisingly less hyperviolent and more plot focused than expected, great art and animation considering when it was made, sweet action Cons: Not nearly as hyperviolent as it's made out to be, a few animation blips here and there, 5.1 dub audio sounds like garbage if you don't have a 5.1 system |
| Ninja Scroll (TV) | Good Pros: Looks good for the most part, well done fight sequences, awesome monster designs, some decent music, cheesy fun Cons: Not so awesome human character designs, story and characters lack ample background information, doesn't clarify some important details |
| No. 6 (TV) | Not really good Pros: Good character relationships Cons: Characters themselves are boring, poorly executed, important parts of the story are not elaborated on, ultimately doesn't make much sense (especially for a show that spends most of its time on dialogue) |
| Noir (TV) | Good Pros: Awesome soundtrack, nice background art, well-paced story Cons: Dated animation, too many flashbacks, drags in the final few episodes, virtually no blood despite numerous deaths per episode |
| Nyan Koi! (TV) | Good Pros: Some pretty funny moments, lively cast of characters, looks nice Cons: Riddled with clichés, plot elements go nowhere |
| Ōkami-san & Her Seven Companions (TV) | Good Pros: Vivid and bright color palette, fun characters Cons: Feels rushed, plot issues |
| Origin ~Spirits of the Past~ (movie) | Decent Pros: Great visuals Cons: Lack of storytelling details creates a disconnect with the characters and setting, environmental message falls flat, would've worked better as a short series |
| Ouran High School Host Club (TV) | Excellent Pros: Hysterical, beautiful visuals, character development and interactions are excellent, dub track is one of the best Cons: Tends to get off track, rushes back on track for a somewhat unsatisfying ending |
| Paprika (movie) | Decent Pros: Visually stunning, creative ideas, great dub Cons: Too much symbolism may make things confusing for some, rushed first half/sluggish second half, music is dull |
| Penguindrum (TV) | Good Pros: Wonderful animation, thorough storytelling detail, deep and symbolic, penguins! Cons: Story loses focus and becomes too cluttered towards the end - crossing the threshold from intriguingly surreal to chaotically abstract, transitions between arcs are a little rough, a few things are given vague explanations |
| Perfect Blue (movie) | Very good |
| Pet Shop of Horrors (TV) | Good |
| Please Teacher! (TV) | Decent Pros: Nice mixture of comedy and romance, fun and lighthearted Cons: Animation is choppy, ‘coincidental’ happenings feel forced, characters aren’t too appealing, conclusion is clichéd and predictable |
| Please Twins! (TV) | Good Pros: Manages to feel fun and substantive despite its abundant clichés, colors and backgrounds are nice, character cameos from Teacher! are well integrated without being overbearing Cons: Aforementioned clichés, constantly reiterates information, poorly explained revelations |
| Please Twins! (OAV) | Decent |
| Possessions (movie) | Good |
| Princess Jellyfish (TV) | Good Pros: Unique story, good emotional material, appealing visuals, most characters are fun Cons: Characters who aren't fun are insufferable, builds towards conclusions that never materialize, ultimately ends up feeling like the story got in over its head and rushed to wrap it up |
| Princess Resurrection (TV) | Decent Pros: Some funny moments, cool old-school monster vibe, OVAs Cons: Pretty boring most of the time, uninteresting characters, spotty animation, some episodes are total duds |
| Problem children are coming from another world, aren't they? (TV) | Decent Pros: Interesting premise, great looking, a few genuinely entertaining scenes Cons: Too straightforward in most aspects, could have done a lot more in terms of world building, lacks style and flair considering the subject matter, zero character background info |
| (The) Promised Neverland (TV) | Very good Pros: Excellent use of color and lighting to convey mood, engaging story, directing is top-notch Cons: Younger kids are depicted as being smarter and more adaptive than they should be for their age, might be too self-contained for some viewers |
| Psycho-Pass (TV) | Excellent Pros: Interesting and well-executed concept, thrilling and suspenseful sense of urgency, splendid visuals, one of the best shows of its kind in recent years Cons: Flaws in logic, some characters are too one-dimensional, a few elements and ideas are lifted directly from Ghost in the Shell (among other series), animation quality has its lacking moments |
| Puella Magi Madoka Magica (TV) | Excellent Pros: Deeply moving, excellent story, wonderful music, some of the best visuals to behold Cons: Underachieving lead character |
| Red Garden (TV) | Very good Pros: Story has plenty of intrigue, unique character designs, good character evolution, some neat twists, accurate and detailed rendering of New York City Cons: Grainy animation, some story elements could have been explained better, random musical numbers are awkward and out of place |
| Redline (movie) | Good Pros: Intense action that keeps things moving the whole way through, unique animation style and character designs Cons: Bare minimum character exposition, linear plot just goes from A to B, forced romantic element is shoehorned in and doesn't feel genuine |
| RIN - Daughters of Mnemosyne (TV) | Very good Pros: Good blend of characters that rotates with each episode, nice visuals, cool music Cons: Vague on details, strong sexual content may deter some viewers |
| Robotics;Notes (TV) | Good Pros: Great characters and interactions, wonderful art and animation, good story underneath it all Cons: Pacing and arc transitions are a little inconsistent, some plot elements aren’t as coherent as they could be |
| Rosario + Vampire (TV) | Good Pros: Funny, great dub Cons: Plot is a dumb mess |
| Rosario + Vampire Capu2 (TV) | Good Pros: Still relatively funny Cons: Plot is even more of a dumb mess, stale jokes, animation declines a bit |
| Rozen Maiden (TV) | Very good Pros: Nice mixture of comedy and dark drama, doll designs look great, fun character interactions Cons: Supernatural element isn’t explained all that well, Jun can be a little bastard, some character names are awkward to continuously repeat |
| Rozen Maiden: Ouvertüre (special) | Very good |
| Rozen Maiden: Träumend (TV) | Very good Pros: Wonderful character designs, fun when it wants to be, can get pretty emotional at times Cons: Still fails to explain its supernatural elements clearly, some musical selections re-used too often |
| Rumbling Hearts (TV) | Excellent Pros: Great coming-of-age moments, touching, good music Cons: Animation is below average |
| Rune Soldier (TV) | Good Pros: Funny and off-beat, good character development, has its own unique charms Cons: Animation looks cheap in spots (especially background characters), simple narrative doesn’t take many risks |
| S.A (TV) | Very good Pros: Animation is nice, good dub, genuine and funny once it hits its stride… Cons: …Though it does take a little while to get there, nothing new content wise, characters all look the same |
| (The) Sacred Blacksmith (TV) | Good Pros: Good looking and fluid animation, nice character evolution, good dub, decent story elements Cons: Story elements never quite come together and some things aren't given enough explanation, inconclusive non-ending leaves one feeling unfulfilled |
| Saiyuki Gaiden (OAV) | So-so Pros: Flashes of nice animation and emotional material Cons: Jumps into things with zero context or background info, events seem to occur out of order, if you don't know the source material (like me) you'll have no idea what's going on 90% of the time |
| Samurai Champloo (TV) | Very good Pros: Great dub cast, appealing visuals, story is engaging Cons: Style might take some getting used to, filler episodes are pointless |
| Sands of Destruction (TV) | Decent Pros: Fun central cast, some nice world building Cons: Pretty standard fare all around |
| Sankarea: Undying Love (TV) | Very good Pros: Nice animation touches, fresh take on the zombie angle, good balance of moods and themes Cons: Breaks its flow by inserting stand-alone episodes amid cliffhangers, ends abruptly with many loose ends left untied (and even introduces a new character and sub-plot in the final minute of the series which, needless to say, goes nowhere) |
| School Rumble (TV) | Excellent Pros: Utterly hilarious, cleverly written, one of the best dubs out there Cons: Some humor may not appeal to everyone, random vignettes here and there can feel like filler |
| School Rumble Sangakki (OAV) | Very good |
| School Rumble: 2nd Semester (TV) | Very good Pros: Still hilarious, fun new characters Cons: Plot is all over the place, some gags get old |
| School Rumble: Extra Class (OAV) | Very good |
| Sekirei (TV) | Good Pros: Great visuals, memorable characters, fun and funny Cons: Story is garbage, over-the-top fanservice |
| Sekirei: Pure Engagement (TV) | Decent Pros: Pretty much the same as the first season Cons: Story is still garbage, some characters underused, leaves things hanging and hints at a sequel (that, up to this point, hasn't even been announced as in the works) |
| Serial Experiments Lain (TV) | Decent Pros: Eerie mood about it, somewhat accurately predicts many future technological advancements, engaging and suspenseful once it hits its stride, ends on a high note Cons: Not much happens most of the time, confusing presentation, may be a little too cerebral for some |
| Shakugan no Shana (TV) | Good Pros: Slice of life/school-based episodes are good, well-animated action scenes, good music Cons: Information is conveyed in sort of a clunky manner, uses specialized terminology without explaining it well, fight sequences are too drawn out and sometimes boring, character designs are pretty generic |
| Shakugan no Shana (movie) | Good |
| Shakugan no Shana Second (TV) | So-so Pros: Great action sequence animation, good soundtrack, a few fun school-based moments Cons: Kinda boring and repetitive most of the time, not so great at explaining itself, school and action arcs have rough transitions between them |
| Shigurui: Death Frenzy (TV) | Good Pros: Gripping and engrossing story keeps you coming back, fascinating artwork, unbelievably (and realistically) gory and violent Cons: Can be overly stylized at times, highly confusing narrative, abrupt ending resolves very little (including why Fujiki has only one arm in the present time) |
| Shiki (TV) | Masterpiece Pros: Fresh take on a tired genre, some really affecting material, keeps you interested and in suspense, wonderful and fitting soundtrack/effects, neat cinematography techniques Cons: Takes a little while to get moving, not much actual action most of the time, too many ancillary characters |
| Short Peace (movie) | Very good |
| Shuffle! (TV) | Very good Pros: Wide range of characters, good balance of themes, story evolves nicely Cons: Average animation, stale harem antics, feels like everyone is just going through the motions most of the time |
| Soul Eater (TV) | Very good Pros: Great animation, characters are unique and entertaining Cons: Wastes time on needless events, lots left unexplained, can start to drag after a while |
| Speed Grapher (TV) | Good Pros: Different from the norm, main characters are interesting, story is well paced and given proper closure Cons: Bad animation, plot is a little...out there, some characters are annoying, music gets repetitive |
| Spice and Wolf (TV) | Good Pros: Interesting subject matter, unique story, nice animation, good back-and-forth between main characters, Holo Cons: Can feel like a tedious economics lesson, some things could be better explained |
| Spice and Wolf II (TV) | Very good Pros: One of the most unique series out there, tighter story this season, gorgeous backgrounds, well-written, great character interactions Cons: Knowledge of economics is required to understand some scenes, pretty dialog heavy, ending leaves a lot on the table |
| Spiral (TV) | Good Pros: Nice mystery elements, some pretty suspenseful scenes, abundant extras on each DVD, Hiyono Cons: Lazy animation in spots, dub actors’ accents are awful, main plot takes forever to develop, puzzles and the logic used to solve them get a little crazy after a while, conclusion fails to resolve the show’s big mysteries (who are the blade children, why were the hunters after them, what happened to Kiyotaka and what's his connection to everything, etc.) |
| Spirited Away (movie) | Masterpiece |
| Squid Girl (TV) | Excellent Pros: Unexpectedly funny, slick animation, good dub Cons: Ocean puns get annoying quickly, not much of a plot |
| Steins;Gate (TV) | Excellent Pros: Fantastically original and multi-leveled story, beautiful animation, eccentric characters, gripping sense of urgency and suspense Cons: Requires a combination of paying careful attention and disregarding the minor plot holes/paradoxes that are inherent in time travel |
| Strait Jacket (OAV) | Decent |
| Strike Witches (TV) | Good Pros: Fun characters, great animation and visuals Cons: Plot isn't all that substantive, fanservice feels forced at times |
| Strike Witches 2 (TV) | Very good Pros: Great cast chemistry, awesome fight sequences/visuals, fan service (while still overwhelming) doesn't feel as forced as in the first season Cons: Nothing is ever explained about the Neuroi, too much filler |
| Summer Wars (movie) | Decent Pros: Incredible animation, some nice family moments, good dub Cons: Different than expected (went in hoping for a comedic love story, instead got a mish-mosh of cyber terrorism and family bonding), character exposition/development takes a back seat to the overbearing subject matter, thinly-veiled social commentary falls flat |
| Sword of the Stranger (movie) | Excellent Pros: Among the best animated action sequences and visuals overall, cohesive story, great music Cons: Little character exposition |
| Tales of Vesperia: The First Strike (movie) | So-so |
| Terror in Resonance (TV) | Very good Pros: Excellent animation overall, plot makes sense, characters have believable emotion Cons: Takes some shortcuts and logical missteps in order to rush through certain plot elements, character designs are just okay, background character animation dips in quality towards the end |
| Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 (TV) | Excellent Pros: Grounded and realistic, great visuals, likeable characters Cons: Sluggish pacing, not much music to accompany the story (though it's not really needed) |
| Toradora SOS! Hurray for Gourmands (OAV) | Very good |
| Toradora! (TV) | Excellent Pros: One of the more well-thought-out school/slice of life comedies, nice animation, great characters and interactions Cons: Still bases most of its action around clichéd scenarios |
| Toradora!: The True Meaning of Bento (OAV) | Very good |
| (The) Tower of Druaga: The Aegis of Uruk (TV) | Very good Pros: Self-deprecating hilarity, good visuals, fun characters, excellent dub Cons: Some jokes/bits don’t land as well as others, clichés-a-plenty, pretty lame story |
| (The) Tower of Druaga: the Sword of Uruk (TV) | So-so Pros: Some good dramatic elements this time around Cons: Wastes time re-establishing characters and past events, not nearly as fun and engaging as the first season, some characters and events remain obscure throughout |
| Trigun (TV) | Very good Pros: Excellent character development, well-written, good pacing, memorable characters Cons: Animation is below average (even for its time), Vash’s moral dilemmas get a little tiresome |
| Trigun: Badlands Rumble (movie) | Good |
| Trinity Blood (TV) | Good Pros: Fantastic animation and character designs, good action sequences Cons: Story feels a bit stale, loses steam towards the end, weak ending doesn't tie up some loose ends, ion is profoundly annoying |
| Tsubasa RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE the Movie: The Princess in the Birdcage Kingdom | Decent |
| Tsubasa Tokyo Revelations (OAV) | Decent |
| Tsubasa: RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE (TV) | Good Pros: Wonderful character development/relationships, great soundtrack, good action sequences Cons: Gets really repetitive after the first season, animation quality declines steadily, some key characters’ motives and major events are never really explained, a few sets of episodes are completely inane and don’t further the story at all |
| Tsubasa: Spring Thunder (OAV) | Decent |
| Un-Go (TV) | Good Pros: Nice style, art and animation are crisp, good mystery elements Cons: Episodes are rushed to the point where there's no time for clues to settle in before the mysteries are solved, not much background information on main characters |
| Upotte!! (ONA) | Decent Pros: Thorough firearm information that’s actually quite interesting, good sight gags Cons: Secondary character designs look better than the main characters’, pointless and anticlimactic ending, pretty pointless overall as well |
| Upotte!! (OAV) | Decent |
| Utawarerumono (TV) | Good Pros: Well-paced, CGI is nicely integrated, good world building Cons: Story is shakily put together, formulaeic and repetitive battling, ending is rather insane compared to the journey it took to get there |
| Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust (movie) | Decent |
| Vampire Knight (TV) | Very good Pros: Great character designs, splendid art and animation, solid story and musical accompaniment Cons: Tacky school drama tropes at every turn, some supporting characters given little background info |
| (The) Wallflower (TV) | Good Pros: Very funny, good character development, some touching moments Cons: Animation shortcuts, Sunako is in SD form too often, story often gets off track |
| WATAMOTE (TV) | Very good Pros: Tomoko’s facial expressions, nice stylistic touches, eclectic soundtrack, great main dub performance Cons: Repetitive story goes nowhere, Tomoko’s psychological and social issues are pretty severe underneath the humor |
| We Without Wings - Under the Innocent Sky (TV) | Bad Pros: A cool twist or two, good gag humor Cons: Illogical layout and poor writing makes it feel like utter nonsense most of the time, incoherent story has way too many arcs going on all at once (and not one of them is even remotely interesting), characters are annoyingly idiotic and unrealistic |
| When They Cry - Higurashi (TV) | Very good Pros: Maniacal and twisted spin on moe cutesiness, suspenseful and intriguing, truly chilling in spots Cons: Episode format is confusing at first, then it gets repetitive, conclusion leaves more questions than answers |
| Witch Hunter Robin (TV) | Good Pros: Moody and atmospheric, draws influence from its predecessors without ripping them off, second half is tighter and more cohesive Cons: Stand-alone episodes often have vague and rushed conclusions, dub lacks emotion and dynamics, ending is a little tedious |
| Wolf Children (movie) | Masterpiece Pros: Incredible storytelling, good devices used to illustrate passage of time, some really gorgeous artwork Cons: Rushes through some story elements for the sake of time conservation, one minor let-down of a conclusion |
| (The) World God Only Knows (TV) | Very good Pros: Colorful and well-animated, easy to get into, Elsie Cons: Filler episodes are terrible, clichéd concept, using the same voice actors for different supporting characters makes them all sound the same |
| (The) World God Only Knows Season Two (TV) | Good Pros: Elsie is still the best part of the show, a few new characters are fun, can be really funny Cons: Doesn’t flesh out arcs as substantially as it could have, arcs themselves aren’t as fun or interesting as in the first season, animation looks cheap in some spots |
| X (TV) | Good Pros: Starts out intriguing, awesome soundtrack, satisfying (if somewhat predictable) conclusion Cons: Loses much of its focus by constantly introducing new characters and dedicating entire episodes to their backstories, some information can be tediously dragged out |
| X OAV | Decent |
| xxxHOLiC (TV) | Excellent Pros: Interesting stories with plenty of intrigue, eerie and engaging atmosphere, humorous bits are nicely mixed in Cons: Art and character designs take some getting used to |
| xxxHOLiC the Movie: A Midsummer Night's Dream | Excellent |
| Yugo the Negotiator (TV) | Very good Pros: Engaging and suspenseful, good attention to culture and customs, different from the usual action/thrillers Cons: Could have condensed both stories a bit (especially Russia) to make room for a third one, animation is just average |
| Zetman (TV) | Good Pros: Cool concept, slick action, effectively moralizes the superhero trope Cons: Realistic character designs aren’t all that appealing, serious moments come off as cheesy, not enough background on some important issues |