For each lecture in our continuing series on the Art of Reviewing Anime, the Anime Academy Professors have shared with you the necessary components of anime, including characters, music, art and more. All of these ingredients are combined with one goal in mind: to successfully tell a story. Today's class will focus on the heart of anime, the story, and the elements of plot, theme and symbolism that contribute to the story.

1) Story. The story is the reason you are watching the anime. Something about it had to interest you or catch your attention, or else you wouldn't be investing the time. The story is often a situation that prompts one or two questions, which you will often see at the end of many summaries in the Anime Academy library. Some of the more popular questions are asked by multiple series. Can this person save the world (Neon Genesis Evangelion, Sailor Moon)? Will a love-stricken protagonist confess to the object of his or her affections (Kimagure Orange Road, Maison Ikkoku)? Will this person reach his or her personal goals (Hajime no Ippo, Hikaru no Go)?

To review an anime, you must understand the story and be able to accurately relay it to your readers. This is one reason why a summary of the story is a necessary part of the review; however, always take care not to reveal too much so that important elements of the plot stay unspoiled. Leave those for your reader to discover. Instead, put into words the premise of the story, usually shown in the first episode of a series or the first scenes of a film.

2) Plot. Although plot and story are similar, the plot is the sequence of the events that answers the larger questions of the story at hand. Good plots are well-structured and consist of a beginning, middle and end. Each of those sections in turn also follows a certain structure. The beginning must start at the appropriate time (not weeks before the story starts, for example) and provide sufficient background information. The middle, usually the longest portion of the plot, develops the characters while the events and actions of the story occur. Usually, the protagonist must meet and overcome obstacles, and the conflict rises until it reaches a climax.

Pacing is the speed at which the events occur, the majority of which happen in the middle. How smoothly these events happen can affect the overall story. If there is overly long dialogue or too much time spent on irrelevant characters or events, the pacing slows down and runs the risk of losing the viewer's interest in the story. Episodes that take a detour from the plot are commonly referred to as "filler" and are considered to be flaws for just that reason. Conversely, trying to cram too many events and characters into a short amount of time can leave the viewers confused, or worse, cause some of the questions asked by the story to remain unanswered.

The end of the plot includes the climax and must satisfactorily answer those questions by offering a resolution. Leaving major questions unanswered at the end will leave a sour taste in the mouths of many viewers, something Berserk fans can attest to. Also, merely answering the question without mentioning the consequences won't always provide satisfaction to the audience. Let's look back at one of our example story questions. Did the protagonist confess? If so, what was the response? While the consequences of every ending won't always be spelled out for the viewer, he or she should at least have a feeling of what is to come for the characters of the story.

It is possible to have a story with no plot, although the results vary. Character-driven stories can succeed with having no plot, but the characters must be very well developed or endearing to the audience. One of the most popular examples of an anime with no plot that does succeed is Azumanga Daioh. By telling the simple story of girls in their high school years, there are no events that create an actual plot... yet the quirky cast of characters and comedic moments hold the audience's interest and emotions.

3) Theme and Symbolism. For all the components of plot, there is one very simple question that is answered by the theme: what is the story about? Not in terms of the plot, but rather, what idea should viewers get from watching this anime? Anime with a well-defined theme have a clear focus. Often times the theme is not a message or moral that the creators are trying to preach but merely the unifying idea of the story. Miyazaki Hayao, for example, often explores the same themes over many different films: the power of nature and the innocence of childhood. Understanding the theme of an anime and how successfully that idea is carried throughout the story can shape a reviewer's judgment.

Symbolism is present in a story to reinforce that theme. A symbol is an object in the story that represents both itself and some other idea, usually abstract. Many stories in anime (but not all) add symbols by using repeated and recognizable imagery.

Symbolism does not require a certain amount of intelligence to infer the meaning of the symbols in the story. Nor does an anime have to be as complex as FLCL or Revolutionary Girl Utena: The Movie to include symbolism. Luffy's straw hat in One Piece, for example, is a repeated image in the series. It makes an appearance on his pirate flag, his crew is referred to as the "Straw Hat Pirates" and he often removes it to keep it safe or reacts violently when another person damages it. The hat stands for the feelings he has for the person who gave it to him. This is a simple example of a symbol in an uncomplicated story that most viewers can recognize through instinct and comments from the characters within the anime itself. Symbolism merely exists to adorn a story by supporting the themes; in the case of One Piece, the bond of friendship is one such theme that the symbol of the hat supports.

Plot, theme and symbolism are all parts of the story. The story should be one of the first factors you consider when writing or reading a review. By being aware of those parts and how they contribute to the anime as a whole, you will be a better reviewer and, as a reader, understand how those elements can influence a reviewer's opinion.