On a scale of 1-10, rate the animes you've seen recently [Archive] - Page 7

L-sama

07-30-2006, 09:57 AM

Shin Tenchi Muyo! - 5.7
Wow...was this ever a disappointment. This one's arguably the worst of any of the TM! series. The animation style was just too different and poorly executed, and the story, especially in the first half, is way too episodic and predictable. Worst of all, just about every major character is completely different from their TU! and TM! counterparts. At least the second half tries to redeem itself.

Saber Marionette J to X - 9
Wow...but this time for a very good reason. After seeing SMJ, I was a little pensive about its TV sequel. I was worried that J to X would be a huge letdown from its successful predecessor. Sure, animation took a hit. However, the story was very well writted. Ignore J Again (the OVA series) and pick this up instead.

jetfire

07-30-2006, 06:36 PM

Full Metal Panic!: 7.5/10

I really wanted this series to be one of my favourites. From the first episode, I was captivated. Each episode got continuously better until around the 14th episode where Souske and the others go to an air/military show and take part in the festivities. After that, the series completely fell on it's face, until the last 5 or 6 episodes. The parts that I did love, had great character interaction, especially between Souske and Chidori. There were absolutely hilarious moments (like Souske jumping off of the subway train, claiming that it's just coincidence that he wanted off), great action packed scenes, and that movie type feel that keeps getting more intense as the plot gets deeper. However, the middle episodes just turn the show into your typical war buddy/random mission deal, and the humour (or whats left of it) is just not funny. At the end, it does pick up. Not so much humour-wise, but the plot picks up, and the action gets intense again.

So in the end, the show didnt take place in my top 10, but it was still worth seeing. If you can bear with the middle section of this anime, there are some good moments to be found.

animanic_critic

07-30-2006, 07:30 PM

BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad - 8.5 out of 10

Hmm, not bad for a music-themed anime. Very slow development, as soundchazer once said in his review, but the main factor that captivated me throughout the series was how the characters interacted and grew on each other.

The creme of the crop was how Koyuki's relationship with Maho developed steadily and realistically till the end. He first started out as this pathetic worthless crybaby to a matured confident lad by joining the band and learning the words of wisdom from the people around him. Also, the series highlighted the mundane matters in life (in this case, Koyuki's); from school gang issues and love rivals to the band's odds of getting fans and catching recorders' attention.

One of the best music-themed anime yet, which is bogged down with its rather shoddy artwork and animation. I'd just wish the crew dedicated the artwork and animation more on the overall aspect of the series itself rather than the guitars featured in it instead; plus the Engrish used can be good at one time and unintentionally amusing in another. Anyway, I enjoyed watching it very much though...:rolleyes2

Saya-biki

07-30-2006, 11:17 PM

*ahem*

I don't know how long it's been but I'll keep it to about 5 or so...

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni eps 1-5
10/10
I seriously regret not downloading this earlier. Suspense and mystery with a supernatural twist at it's finest in my opinion. But my opinion means nothing because this is the only series of this genre I've watched and watching. I love the gut churning, spine-tingling suspense feeling(or maybe I'm reacting to the brutal murders or Possessed Rena(and Mion's) actions and statements...)

This series is based off a visual novel of a fate/stay Night calibur. The visual novel has 8 different story arcs that, remarkably, are all being animated in this 26 episode series. The first four episodes are the Onikakushi-hen, the first story arc, and if you're curious about something
Keiichi, Mion, and Rena(essentially the main characters for now) die at the end of ep 4

Episode 1 was very light and if you ignored the beginning, the op, and the talk of murder it'd just be another harem or school comedy, but the series pulls you in using the beginning scene and the murder. You really end up wanting to see what it's all about.
Episode 5 did the exact same thing episode 1 did only, well, it's definately not the same. (Episode 5 starts the Watanagashi-hen...)

I enjoy the characters quite a bit. Keiichi is actually likable, he's a regular kid, not overly perverted or stupid. I don't forsee any "people die if they're killed" from him. Rena seems to be the cute-thing loving, bubbly girl who's cheerful and nice etc. Of course she's essentially possessed, I absolutely love possessed Rena. Mion is a cute character, the leader type, carries a gun, 'course she's possessed too. Then there's Satoko and Rika, they haven't have a major part yet (well Satoko more than Rika, and theres no need to get spoiler happy for those who haven't seen) but they're the loli for now.

I've been pulled in, honestly this series jumped very high up on my favorites list very quickly. The chracter designs are nothing extravegant but that adds to the effect in my opinion. The setting is, of course, perfect for this anime. The opening is awesome, an excellent song and visuals to go with it. The ed...is filled with Engrish.

Galaxy Angel (eps 1-...I got the whole first season...)
8.5/10
I've always liked the manga, despite it essentially being harem. I've always found the art appealing and the jokes amusing. So I jumped at the anime, knowing it would be a comedy. Some episodes were awesome, with good jokes and amusing situations. Others were...not. But I have an attachment to the characters. On a random note, I was actually shocked the first time I found out Forte's seiyuu was a woman, but I grew to love Forte's voice :XD:

If you have 30 bucks to spare I'd recommend giving it a try ^^

...on second thought I only have time for 2...oh well

Sae

07-30-2006, 11:26 PM

I, My, Me Strawberry Eggs - 7/10

I truly loved this anime. I really enjoyed it because, for some odd reason, I just Love predictable, Shoujo animes lol. I just get completely consumed in the overall cuteness (no that isn't a word. get over it) of the series that I forget that it had no real plot. Only a starting dream of "I wanna be a Kyoshi!" (I think that was what he called the PE teacher job). No real, determined and focused plot. Plus, VERY VERY predictable ending. Even if I truly love Shoujo, I wanted it to have an unpredicted, happy ending. Yet none the less, it was overall a good anime for "boredom in the afternoon" lol.

Futari Wa Pretty Cure *We Are Pretty Cure; Precure* - 4/10

A very adorable "Monster Of The Week" anime for children of all ages. Though, for some odd reason (my favorite phrase), only episodes 1-2 are available. Perhaps it was discontinued...Anyways! No real plot to fall back on, Precure is a start towards the basics of anime.

Sae

Rove

07-31-2006, 07:31 AM

BTW, I give NANA an 8.7 out of 10 for the excellent blending of drama and comedy, the witty dialogue, fleshed out characters and well-thought storyline. I just hope the plot doesn't falter towards the end, like some anime I've seen...
Err, do you realise how funnily you pwned yourself? According to this (http://www.animeacademy.com/forums/showpost.php?p=510448&postcount=27) post of yours at the 'How far did you go' thread you don't watch ongoing anime, and put Nana as an example, so, what are you reviewing then? What other people have said about it or just made up something?

(Quote from the other thread linked in the previous paragraph)
Another method is applicable for anime that's currently ongoing in terms of fansubbing. Since I can't have all the episodes of a series at this moment (ie NANA since they're still currently being fansubbed), I will only watch once I have all the episodes, even though it may be next year or meaning I'm lagging behind my other anime peers with the watching.

Now, I'm not in a crusade for love, truth and justice, but come on, you just walked into that one. :/

animanic_critic

07-31-2006, 09:49 AM

Err, do you realise how funnily you pwned yourself? According to this (http://www.animeacademy.com/forums/showpost.php?p=510448&postcount=27) post of yours at the 'How far did you go' thread you don't watch ongoing anime, and put Nana as an example, so, what are you reviewing then? What other people have said about it or just made up something?
Guess I need to clarify on this to show I'm not an a** by nature... I didn't really watch NANA on a full note, I merely skimmed through the episodes and miss the big chunks of the episodes. Don't take my grading seriously on this case, this one's just based on intuition. Technically, I haven't even watch an episode full-length.

I still stand by my method, but sometimes I'm compelled to take peeks on the episodes downloaded so far, since I'm only human. I'll one day give my final grading after I've fully watched the series. All I know about the series is how the two Nanas got to know each, how they are getting along with each other and Nana Komatsu is seemingly being cheated on, I think. THAT'S ALL I KNOW ABOUT NANA.

*Please don't spoil me on what really went on in NANA. Plus, I've edited the previous post to avoid confusion.

iRock

07-31-2006, 11:07 PM

s-CRY-ed 9/10 good episode, but 2 ppl die

jetfire

08-01-2006, 11:35 AM

Howl's Moving Castle - 8.8/10

This wasnt the best Ghibli movie I have seen, but it was still pretty damn good. Studio Ghibli never ceases to amaze me with the original ideas that they can come up with. The main character, who's a young woman being turned into an old lady? A giant mechanical castle that has portals to the different ends of the earth? The keeper of the health literally turns absolutely ugly and slimey when he thinks he's ugly? A fire demon which is literally a flame that sounds like Jay Leno (or maybe it really is. I havent seen the credits)? A bouncing scarecrow that helps out our heroine from time to time? So many original concepts are thrown into the anime, and not one of them felt like they served no purpose at all.

The animation and art were stunning. When I saw Sophie walking up that large hill near the start of the film, and saw and heard the wind blowing past her, it literally felt like I was outside. The town at the start of the movie felt fresh and alive. The movie had a great sense of atmosphere, where sound, art, and animation are all mixed together so well, you feel like you're right there. My only complaints with the movie, are that there are a few plot holes that are never clearly resolved, and the movie drags on a little longer than it should. Other than that, it's a fantastic Ghibli movie, and I reccomend it to anyone that is looking for another film from this same studio to watch.

Kitsurai

08-01-2006, 08:23 PM

Hehe why the hell not..

Loveless - 8.3/10
Why'd I watch it you ask? Well don't. Very pretty anime, intriguing plot and plot devices, and music that's out there. Wish it wasn't so unfinished.

sohryu

08-01-2006, 08:29 PM

Wings of Honneamise - 4/10

I saw the first half... blargh. I WILL finish the movie. Hopefully it gets better. DH says I have rape to look forward to. >_>

Marth

08-01-2006, 08:33 PM

Millenium Actress: 8.5/10. I was confused for awhile by the art style, but overall it was a really good movie. The ending wrapped it up nicely.

Laputa: 9/10: Spectacular movie. Very enjoyable to watch.

Lupin III: Castle of Caligostro: 9/10: Awesome movie. I enjoyed the series, but this just blows it out of the water.

Porco Rosso: 7.5/10. It was enertaining, although nothing special.

Major Tom

08-01-2006, 09:00 PM

Outlaw Star: 8 Another decent series from Sunrise.

The show does have some of the more staple characters we tend to see in sci-fi anime, like the kid genius, the perverted rogue who deep down is a nice guy and such, but the show does do some interesting things with them, but at times they can be very predictable.

The mechanical designs are more of your classic sci-fi creations, the smooth lines and aerodynamic shapes that come out of the 70's and 80's, but that's not altogether a bad thing. The designs for the larger ships are pretty good, but the small ships don't come off too well. The stills that show at the end credits are pretty impressive as well.

The story runs along at a nice pace, and come the end, most of everything is nicely wrapped up and nothing feels rushed, even with more than a few filler episodes dotted throughout.

At times the animation quality does drop noticably, and the colours were a bit garish for my tastes. Other than that, an entertaining series to watch.

animanic_critic

08-01-2006, 09:52 PM

Witch Hunter Robin - 6.8 out of 10 :suspiciou

Wow uhh, this is one of those series I find hard to put into words. Let's see... the pros first: I love the consistent artwork and beautiful animation. The idea itself is already interesting/intriguing on its own merit (Witchcraft), plus good atmosphere and character designs are quite interesting admittingly...

... which later on prove absolutely futile (here come the cons), because NO such chemistry between them whatsoever. Humor is downright lame throughout the series, plus the characters never developed whatsoever. The fight scenes are nice, but lacks grit for me. The ending twist didn't even surprised due to poor buildup and the first half are all random episodes where each episodes actually add nothing to STN-J emotionally.

It started out very promisingly, but later on falls flat on its face. I wanted to be more lenient to it, but after looking back at it, I just can't. Really could've done better... a lot better.

blazinghell

08-02-2006, 06:01 AM

Ranma 1/2 : 7.5/10
I got about 1/2 way though season 5 of this series and I had to stop watching it =( Its not because I dont like it but its because I was watching it at an extream rate and it just boring really fast. Over time though I would say Its a good series to watch. You can just go and grabe any dvd and pop it in and have a good time with it. Not so much in story here as the characters dont really develope much as the series gose on. Someday I will get around to finishing this series but as of now im just going to say its something I will keep with me, but is not something I take as a serious story base show.

Perios

08-02-2006, 12:35 PM

Some days ago I watched Hotori: Tada Saiwai wo Koinegau and I really liked the mix of drama, tradegy and science fiction. (8/10)
Today I watched Shinesman and yeh it's okay although I don't really like Power Ranger like anime titles or other series. (7/10)

ant

08-07-2006, 06:36 AM

Card Captor Sakura (series)-8.5 the first season was a bit tedious as it went by at a snail's pace, but I found myself liking the characters more and more, even Meilin was missed when she went back to Hong Kong. By the second season the animation and romance developed. By the third season I was glued as everything came together, card of the week took a back story to character and plot developement yet still felt episodic. By far the third season packed more emotion than the other two but you would have to watch the whole series to feel its impact.
Card Captor Sakura the movie-8 the movie dragged here and there but the animation was great and the music was fantastic.
Card Captor Sakura the Sealed Card-9.3 the big payoff after watching 70 episodes could have felt more impact if I gave the series a bit of time to settle in, but I found myself wanting more after the movie in a good way. Pretty much everything was tied up and the animation was fantastic but even more the theme of lonliness and hope was truly something as this was the main theme of the series too.
Noein-10 Great plot, story and characters, even the character designs matched well with the story. As Noein progresses the animation changes to match mood beautifully this to all the naysayers that didn't find the animation up to par, though it did go back and forth from good to mediocre. The plot was well paced IMO, story and charcters kept my attention to the bitter end, and I mean bitter as in waiting a month for the last episode.
Hoshizora Kiseki-6 Really can't find anything redeeming about this, just a waste, although it tries to be a happier Voices of a Distant Star it fails and its attempts at drama and romance comes off as being corny.
Full Metal Panic-9 for some reason I just really enjoyed this series. I liked every character and found the villian to be very funny in a dark humor kind of way. I agree that there could have been more character background but it didn't hurt the overall mood for me. An excellent blend of comedy and action.
Full Metal Panic Fumoffu-9 I never thought I would laugh so much from this. The last episode also was so well choregraphed. The use of repetition was an effective comedy device. The only bad episode I would say would be the recycling of the same plot from Sousuke training the rugby team and the yakuza, but I found it funny that they made a self reference to that as well. Also parodies of anime and American films were histarical.

kobi666

08-07-2006, 09:10 AM

ganktsou - 9
azumanga daioh - 8.5
fullmetal alchemist - 8.5
honey & clover - 9.5

animanic_critic

08-07-2006, 09:42 AM

Voices Of A Distant Star/Hoshi No Koe - 9.0 out of 10

WOW!

For an OVA that clocked under a mere 25 minutes, it portrayed so much emotional aspect and effort that it really put other mediocre sci-fi romance anime to shame. The true highlight for this anime is the groundbreaking concept of separation and aspect of love & memories transcending distance & time.

The Archilles' heels for this anime is apparently the dismal animation and artwork, but you can't complain it since Makoto Shinkai did almost everything by himself just by using his iMac. Though the anime features awkward sci-fi action battle scenes, the creme of the crop is how the couple are willing to wait and remember through time for each other... no matter what it takes. "Are you willing to wait for a message for 8 long years from someone who's time is actually at a standstill since mid-school?"... that question lingers in my mind until now.

If you can somehow see through the dismaying animation & artwork, this can easily be one of the best OVA of its time... no exaggeration at all!

Major Tom

08-13-2006, 08:22 PM

Madlax: 7

Madlax seems to be made in the mold Beetrain set for Noir, and while it does do some things better, on the whole it isn't as good as it's predecessor.

On the good things first, the animation quality has a high standard throughout the entire series, there are no noticalbe drops anywhere. Beetrain's attention to detail is amazing as ever, with each vehicle and firearm modelling very neaty after their real life counterparts.

The storytelling technique is well paced, well, maybe a tad slow. Just enough for me to say 'hurry up' every once in a while, but nothing to get very frustrated about. The story flows in a nicely linear fashion, with scenarios nicely set up.

However, the plot the story follows ends up rather convoluted and confusing. Some of the plot twists just did not make sense, and some of that had to do with the characters personalities. The character designs were....uninspired, and their personalities weren't anything special.

Anyways, despite it's flaws, it wasn't a bad show, and I would perhaps make it suggested viewing for fans of Noir.

jetfire

08-13-2006, 08:35 PM

Voices of a Distant Star - 9/10

For one OVA, I didnt think that the creator would be able to fit enough content to make a coherent story with a good ending. Boy, was I wrong. It's a simple story, about two people in love that keep getting separated more and more over time, and conveys a good message about always remembering the people you care about, no matter how far away they are, and how long it's been. My only gripes are some art inconsistancies, but when the OVA was basically created by one person, I can hardly complain. A great anime to watch, that I can recommend to everyone. If you watch it and hate it, oh well. You've only lost 20 mins of your life.

The Vision of Escaflowne - 9.3/10

It's about time I saw this whole show. Everything about it is captivating. The characters, the plot, the messages, the action, and most importantly, the world of Gaea itself. I've never seen an anime that incorporates two different themes so well (mecha and medievil), where you can't imagine what the series would be like without the other. Character development is rich, but Hitomi continuously annoyed me throughout the series (she was always way too overdramatic in my opinion), the music is beautiful (Curse of the Dragon is the best track), and even though the art is a bit dated, it's still easy on the eyes. If you havent seen this series yet, do so now.

Lupin the 3rd

08-15-2006, 05:58 PM

High School girls: 8 /10

Although it was a fun little anime to watch. It had its funny moments, i kinda felt that it needed to be longer (12 eps isn't long enough for this type of show). I hope that there will be another season soon.

animanic_critic

08-15-2006, 09:16 PM

Azumanga Daioh - 7.4 out of 10 :hapbounce

I know AzuDai die-hards will wanna trample on me for this... So far, I've seen 9 episodes and I'll continue watching it 'till the end. There are alot of pauses in the show, which I find quite... dumbfounding? The characters are quirky, which I like, and I feel like I'm slowly becoming into a Chiyo-groupie 'coz she's unresistably cute.

The show still have some psychologically-adverse effects on me - Osaka's simple-mindedness seem to make me day-dream more often these days. Maybe the show doesn't click with me because I'm more on "Cromartie High School" style of comedy, and both are pole opposites of each other as far as comedy is concerned. I'll watch the rest and see how the series progresses towards the end.

BTW, Chiyo-chan's traumatic after-effects from Yukari-sensei's erratic driving in episode #5 is one of the funniest moments of all the anime I've seen.

jetfire

08-16-2006, 06:10 AM

Porco Rosso - 8.5/10

I finally got around to watching this Ghibli movie, and it's good, vibrant fun. By vibrant, I mean the movie is very colourful, which makes it immediately easy on the eyes. The concept was a little strange. I still don't know WHY Porco was transformed into a pig (or maybe I didnt pay enough attention at some point). Even though the concept was a bit weird, it's presentation was excellent. The movie is funny, action packed, and gives a few good messages in it for the younger audiences. The best parts in the movie had to be the beginning scene, and when the captain of the "pirates" knocks everyone out of the picture when he's getting his picture taken.

Kiki's Delivery Service - 7.8/10

I couldn't really get into this movie as much as all of the other Ghibli movies that I have seen. Perhaps it's because it was a bit too childish (yet, I understand why it is because it's intended for a much younger audience). Still, it wasn't that bad. It's story was easy to understand, and the experience felt similar to when I watched Saturday morning cartoons as a kid. The movie didn't have to make me really think, or provide die hard action. It just had to have some interesting, yet simple characters, a simple theme (which seems original to me since I havnt seen any other anime tackle this theme), and a simple, entertaining story. Sometimes simple is the best thing every once in a while.

Shinomori

08-16-2006, 08:46 PM

Grave of the Fireflies - 9.3/10. Absolutely superb but singularly the most depressing movie I've ever seen, I had to watch Anchorman to cheer myself up afterwards :D

ant

08-21-2006, 09:46 AM

Yomigaeru Sora, Rescue Wings-8.8 If it weren't for some chopping animation and obtrusive CG this would have been higher. Gripping suspenseful action sequences and no holds bar drama. Interesting themes of sacrifice to save others and giving ones life for something that they believe in is inspiring to open anyones own sky. Never expected Bandai to come out with something so rich, but then again they did Noein too!

jetfire

08-21-2006, 04:32 PM

Spiral - 75%

How we had such an interesting premise for an anime here (a detective-like anime, that has very clever cases to be sloved). If only it had been executed with more detail. First, I'll get down to the problems of the show. The first few episodes were kind of boring, and looked like they lead to the typical "mystery of the week" formula (however, after this until around the 17th or 18th episode, the mysteries were much more clever, and some the twisted games with the characters' lives on the line were very interesting). Another problem is that the mysteries begin to all look alike after the 18th episode or so). Almost all of these mysteries involve games to find clues to a bomb in which Narumi must disarm. It felt like the movie Speed, except that it had been dragged on too long. One other point to note on, is how the characters come up with theories to counteract an opponent's strategy, based on nothing at all, such as "Oh, I believe so and so is going to attack you at this certain place and at this certain time and in this certain way". Finally, the ending was terrible. We don't get any answers to some of the most crucial and commonly used questions in the series, leaving you baffled as to what the whole point of the whole series was.

While I did list a ton of problems, what is there is true gold: The mysteries past the first few episodes, up until somewhere between the 16th and 18th episode, where the series runs repetitive. The mysteries are usually very cleverly put together, getting more intense and interesting the more you dive into each one, ending with satisfying results. The character designs were pretty unique, and some of the character development for certain characters was handled quite nicely. I know I havent added many things onto the positive side, but the good mysteries count for a huge chunk of the anime itself, and truly make the anime worth viewing.

Basically, I'm giving this 75% because the anime was a good overall anime to watch, but it has some flaws that stand right out in the open. Of course, the flaws don't completely ruin the experience, as the anime offers enough content to make it more interesting than most of the anime I've seen this year. If only they executed it with more time, effort and detail, it could have been awesome.

Lupin the 3rd

08-21-2006, 05:08 PM

Green Green - 7.5

The show was hysterical although alot of the characters in Green Green were stereotypical, the anime was not to be very deep. But what made the show was the humor in it, and i died laughing at what the 3 baka trio were doing. The whole going back in time thing with midori wasn't well explained and felt like it was thrown in there to be more dramatic. The ending was alright, it concludes it pretty decently.

Green Green: Erolutions - 6.5

While it did provide a little more closure to the series, i felt the 2 hentai scenes (while not graphic) were kinda out of place. Although the aftermath of the last hentai scene was actually pretty funny. I feel that Green Green franchise could possibly make another tv show.

Inuhearts

08-21-2006, 08:01 PM

Here are mine rated 1-10:
anime series:
Inuyasha-10(just had to!)
S-Cry-Ed-7.5
Fullmetal Alchemist-8.5
Cowboy Bebop-9.5
Wolf's Rain-9
FLCL-7(kinda didn't understand it, but it was still hillarious!)
Samurai Champloo-9

anime movies:
Metropolis-9.8
Porco Rosso-8
Nausica and the valley of the wind-6.8

Ghostmaster

08-22-2006, 08:08 AM

Black Lagoon - 9/10
What a great show. I really hope they make a second season for this show, cause it went by so quickly. It's only 12 episodes, but all action packed with interesting characters and storylines. And also Revy kicks some major ass.

ant

08-22-2006, 10:12 AM

Mind Game-10 this was a real delight to watch, there might not have been much of a plot but then again Studio4C pulled it of just fine. Some scenarios reminded me of 4C's shorts and am wondering if some of them were really that important or were just there for the eye candy, or both.

Grasshopper

08-22-2006, 10:52 AM

Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu - 9.5

A very unique show that I couldn't take my eyes off of. The show really took me by surprise and I didn't know what to think of it at first. I grew to love the characters and story after the first few episodes however. This show isn't for everyone though. It's either love it or hate it from what I've seen. I think everyone should at least look into the show and decide for themselves because it's a show that was able to deviate from the norm. That is always a plus in my book.

Devotion

08-23-2006, 09:28 AM

She, the Ultimate Weapon: 4

Regardless of of whether the characters' reactions to the events in the show are naturally, they are caused by too obviously unnatural stimuli to ignore. Every episode contains at least one important revelation that demands too much from my ability to suspend disbelief. They are too obviously contrived to introduce further angst to the series to serve much good. Even if the events were more natural, the thoroughly unsympathetic male lead and the over the top female lead work against any emotional reaction. At the end, it's not the plot of the series that induces the depression it obviously tried to create by the colors and sounds used. The gorgeous artwork and lighting effects do not make it worthwhile to endure all the other shortcomings.

NausicaaBoy

08-23-2006, 11:40 AM

Those Who Hunt Elves - 7/10
Its really slap-stick in some parts, however, it is really enjoyable to watch - easy on the eyes and mind. A great addition to any collection - - not a very deep or emotional series.

Chobits - 8.5/10
I love this series, but I can see why some do not. Its the normal anime about an undeserving Ronin who find himself in a situation with a dream girl.

Revolutionary Girl Utena Rose Collection - 8.5/10
I love the art, awsome style -- good story about the usual overly-powerful student council. Some really nice symbolism keeps you in awe of the art.

Rose of Versailles - 9/10
So I finally got my hands on this ancient anime (circa 1979) and It was an awsome series, with maybe a few to many eppies. Super sad story but loved it none the less.

Wolfs Rain - 6/10
ughh.... waste of money.

Shinomori

08-23-2006, 07:37 PM

Fruits Basket - 8.9. A great show overall but a couple more episodes/a more conclusive ending wouldn't have gone amiss

jetfire

08-23-2006, 07:55 PM

Rahxephon - 85%

This is certainly one of the most confusing animes I have ever seen. There's plenty of symbolism and messages scattered throughout the series, and while I don't understand the whole thing from viewing it my first time, the stuff that I did get was amazing. And it gives me a reason to watch through it again to catch and think about all of the stuff that I didn't get the first time around. The art and animation are great, the music is genius (especially the opening theme, Hemisphere), and the character development never feels rushed or forced. There was plenty of surprises involving Ayato and a few others that I would have never expected, but the aspects of their pasts all fall into place so well. Also, I gotta say that these are the weirdest enemy mech designs I have ever seen in an anime. They're kind of creepy but original. Another great creation by Bones.

Dark Lord

08-23-2006, 09:42 PM

Ouran High School Host Club- 9/10

I like it a lot... It has humor and depth both at appropriate levels... the animation is superb... But, there's always room for improvement...

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya- 9/10

Its very funny... It also covers some interesting perspectives in life... I also love the opening and ending songs...

Two-twenty

09-06-2006, 08:48 AM

Haven't posted here in a while!

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya: 8.9/10

I've said it once, I'll say it again: What I look for in an anime is innovation, and this anime has it by te bucketfulls. The combination of a fantastic cast of characters, crazy-good art and animation, a refreshing story with some intriguing philosophy behind it and the right mix of comedy and drama have made this one of the most entertaining anime I've seen in a while. In the centre of all this, of course, is Haruhi. She's definetly on of recent anime's most loveable heroines. Everything about her, from her facial expressions to sarcastic tone (thank you seiyuu) just screams awesome.

The epsisode order, while a little jarring at first, is for the best. By muddling up the story's discourse it kept things fresh. If this anime was shown in the 'correct' order, it wouldn't have been nearly as interesting.

While a downside to this anime does exist, it really isn't all that much. Firstly, I got bored with Mikuru. Yes, she's meant to be the a-typical meek, moe anime character, but that's the exact reason why I ended up frustrated with her: you could predict how she would act every single time. I also really hate the opening and ending themes. When everything else is of such a high standard, why go for the run-o-the-mill Jpop song? It just sounded so anime.

This anime has everything: Time travellers, aliens, espers, baseball, a murder mystery, a knife fight, a love story (of sorts), a space battle, a battle with a giant monster, an apocalypse, even wailing on guitars!

Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. Awesome.

Planetes: 9.5/10

Holy shit.

This is such a fantastic anime in almost very single aspect. Firstly I want to know how the hell Sunrise got their budget because, juding by the art and animation, the production values for this show must've been enormous. Props to whoever did the research as well. It's good to see a show that actually takes into account real science. Storywise, it tackles many issues from a personal to a global level, giving equal importance to each and without ever being preachy or blatent; Hell, this anime makes you feel for terrorists. Above everything though, Planetes wins for sheer character growth. You are only shown bits and pieces of the characters as the show progresses and so it gradually and subtley builds up a picture of who they are. It's also good to see characters who you think will only be making a one-off filler appearence having an effect on the story/characters later on.

The thing that strikes me most about Planetes is it has a progressive intensity. It starts out pretty laid back the build up to the ending makes Infinite Ryvius look like Barney the Dinosaur. The later episodes were some of the most excrutiatingly edge-of-your-seat I have ever seen in any TV show, this scene in particular:

Where Tanabe goes a crazy, runs out of 02, then rolls around on the lunar surface, grasping hopelessly at her suit as she almost suffocates to death. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v486/Twotwenty/gonk.gif http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v486/Twotwenty/crying.gif http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v486/Twotwenty/gonk.gif http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v486/Twotwenty/crying.gif

I do have two minor quibbles though. Firstly, the humour was a little tentative at first and seemed inappropriate at times, but it found its feet soon enough and turned out to be quite the asset to the series. Also, bar the OP, the music for this seemed a little odd. It's not as if it were bad, it just seemed like it was ill-placed or didn't match the emotion of some scenes. Then there's the ending theme. The crappy, poppy tune killed off any emotion at the end of an episode. No matter what it was.

As I said, these are only minor quibbles though and as it stands, I think Planetes is one of the best anime out there.

ant

09-06-2006, 09:20 AM

Noiseman Sound Insect- 8.5 this was visually one of my favorites from studio 4degrees C unfortunatly the story and pacing was off
Glassy Ocean-9 if you can deal with the slow pace and animation style then you will be in for a treat as it is like watching a dream.

Major Tom

09-06-2006, 05:28 PM

Infinite Ryvius: 9

I was kind of expecting this to be more like 'Lord of the Flies', but apart from the children abandoned and left in charge aspect of the show, the parallels end there. This is simply one awesome show, full of emotional turmoil and political intrigue.

Each main character is nicely developed, one can understand their motivations and feel some sympathy for them, even when they are acting like total tossers. The same applies to the, well I call him the 'main villian'. Just as amusing are all the little side stories of the survivors, watching them go about their business is often amusing and at times a neat distraction.

The story progresses in an orderly manner, and is totally engrossing as we watch everything prance to hell in a handbasket. Even though the show didn't elicit any tears out of me, like a certain episode of RahXephon or Haibane Renmei, I felt myself caring and feeling shocked at all that was happening on the Ryvius.

Only some minor quibbles. At times the animation quality seems a bit naff, and whilst on the whole the show adheres to scientific prinicples (outside of the science fiction stuff, like gravity control), there are times when it's forgotten and slightly odd things happen.

And personally, I found the epilogue to be a little too happy, considering all that's gone before.

Overall, a well recommended series.

2-20, you do realise that I am going to have to get Planetes, now, don't you.

Jaime Astorga

09-07-2006, 04:08 AM

Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket - 8.5

I had been looking for a fun, short Gundam series to watch, and the reviews at the Anime Academy directed me to this one. As it begins, it utilizes an awesome attention grabber, consisting of a small battle scene, which was nevertheless as action packed as many a bigger battles I've seen, and an early casualty.

I consider it good it started with such a thing to keep my attention, because the next few scenes, quite frankly, bored me. Don't get me wrong; I am not an "action action action!" kind of guy, but I don't exactly find anything too interesting in the day to day life of a little brat in elementary school, either. However, this was just the set up, and when the next battle comes along and the next character introduced, that's when the story starts to pick up.

I decided to watch the 6 episodes in one sitting, and in retrosprect that may have been a mistake, as I was tried and my eyes dropping by the last episode. However, I still manged to be enthralled by it, and there was little which I coult critize. I won't tell much more of it not to spoil it for anybody who has watched, but, in reality, I was expecting a much more sad ending. Everything was orchestrated to led up to it, but I feel it wasn't played right. Maybe it was the lack of emotional music. ^_^; In either case, I expected to be left in tears, and I wasn't, so I was dissapointed.

Dark Lord

09-09-2006, 06:42 AM

Paradise Kiss- 8/10
Well... I just watched the first episode, so consider this rating a first-impression rating... So I liked the art... It was beautiful... The characters are also lovely... especially the main character(I forgot her name)... She's soooo pretty... On the downside, the chibi moments seemed somewhat out of place... Just a feeling... I also forgot to mention the opening... I just loved it...

Apolyion

09-09-2006, 11:14 AM

Renkin 3-kyuu Magical Pokaan (MagiPoka) - 7.3/10. There's nothing deep about this show, little background is given on the characters, there's no main plot and practically no action senquences... but it had me in stitches on a regular basis. This is an example of a show that knows what it is, and just is what it is - a vehicle to deliver laughs to the audience. It works well in that regard, but relies heavily on puns and parodies that some audiences might not get as well as a number of low-brow jokes. The visual/audio production values are good and the seiyuu cast performed well. A fun timekiller of a show with a great OP song.

CRASH

09-10-2006, 11:56 AM

Last Exile-8
Blue Gender-9
FMP-8
GTO-10
Hellsing-7
love Hina-10

jetfire

09-11-2006, 06:37 PM

Hajime No Ippo - 98%

It's weird how such a simple concept can blow my mind. Hajime No Ippo doesn't contain the most complex plot I've ever seen, but it doesn't need to. It achieves everything through it's simple story: A guy who gets constantly beat up, and turns to boxing to build up his confidence, discovering his dream and goals in life. This anime hits the nail on the head perfectly with just about every aspect, such as the characters. All of them contain oodles of development that will have you rooting for both boxers to do their best during the intense fights. And the main characters can be downright hilarious (Gotta love the episode where Takamura faces the bear).

There's never that much of a slouch in the animation department, as the boxers are always moving, and a great attention to detail is shown on each character's fighting styles. The music was decent, but I wasn't expecting many incredible tracks in such a simplistic anime. However, the opening themes were amazing, and it was especially amazing for me to hear the Inner Light opening during some of the fights, to get my blood boiling.

As a whole, the anime follows a simple premise. Ippo trains (and learns about his opponents to make sure he's using his training time wisely), interacts with his opponents, friends and family between the matches, goes into the match, fights them to the best of his ability, deals with the outcome, and the process repeats iteself. However, the anime just never feels repetitive, since it's so interesting to see the interaction between all of the characters outside of the ring, as well as learning about the great (and realistic) training methods and strategies to box with inside the ring.

Overall, Hajime No Ippo takes the number 2 slot on my Top 5 anime list, just a hair below Full Metal Alchemist. If you need a fresh take on a good action series, Ippo is definately the way to go.

Oh yeah, and the OVA Boxer's Fist, Mashiba vs Kimura and the movie Champion Road all contain the same great Ippo goodness for all the same reasons. It was great to see Takamura's background, showing more of Kimura's character, and seeing what Ippo did after the 75th episode. Great stuff.

Apolyion

09-13-2006, 12:36 PM

Kaleido Star - Good da yo! Gooooood! 8.8/10. This is an energetic and fun little OVA where the cast of Kaleido Star is rendered in chibi (super-deformed) designs as they put on various acts. It's just one 27-minute OVA, with three short acts and an extended OP sequence, and it's aimed squarely at existing fans of Kaleido Star - people who haven't seen the show won't have a clue who the characters are or why it's good. However, for fans of the show, it's a very enjoyable treat. It loses points mainly because the second and third acts just aren't as fun or as funny as the OP sequence (which I love) or the first segment (which is downright hilarious). If you're a fan of Kaleido Star, then this OVA is good da yo, gooooood.

ant

09-16-2006, 08:14 AM

Black Lagoon- Interesting characters that have deep backgrounds and stories that i would have loved to have seen developement more. Unfortunately 12 episodes did not do it. There is a romantic element thrown in not to be developed, but the grittiness of the series makes up for it. I love the John Woo homage and issues of survival, the underworld, and ideals. I will be looking forward to the second season to see somethings that should be more developed, develope, but until then 7.5
Tales of a Streetcorner- 7, this style works better when it runs under 10 minutes. At almost 40 this was a chore. As an anti communist piece it does nothing new. Then again it was made in 1962 so maybe it was revolutionary then.

Zelkiiro

09-16-2006, 12:22 PM

Narutaru - 7/10: What...the...HELL?!? ;__;

L-sama

09-16-2006, 04:33 PM

All-Purpose Cultural Cat Girl Nuku Nuku TV: 7.0
This was a fun series overall. Loved the opening theme. A little too childish at time, but still made me laugh more often than not. Besides, Nuku Nuku looks better with pink hair. Come on, So-Chan!!

Kiki's Delivery Service: 9.5
I could watch this movie everyday and I'd still love it as much as I did when I first saw it. The characters, the art, the story, everything about it is fantastic. My personal favorite Ghibli movie, right here.

Major Tom

09-18-2006, 10:59 PM

Binbou Shimai Monogatari: 6 Well, I believe it's finished. The last episode I watched had 'final' tagged on the end of the filename.

Anyways, this is a cute series, but it doesn't really rise above that. For a show about 2 sisters who are practically orphans living month to month, I didn't expect it to be so happy.

It is very episodic, with everything wrapped up by the end of each episode. In the end, the series meanders around without really going anywhere, we don't get a sense of how hard life is for these girls so when things turn serious it comes off more as cheesy melodrama.

Still, it's not all bad. The artwork is rather nice, aesthetically pleasing to the eyes, and the animation quality is consistant. Whilst the stories don't really connect together, they are interesting to watch.

Overall, this is a cute little show to watch if you have a few spare hours, but it's one of those show that could have been more.

Emeraldas

09-19-2006, 06:24 AM

Whisper of the Heart - 8.5/10
I had suspected that this would become one of my favorite Miyazaki movies and I was right. Usually I hate the way romance is done in anime, but in this movie it was charming, down-to-earth and adorable. A few things, I felt, made it drag a little, but overall it was extremely enjoyable.

Sae

09-19-2006, 02:39 PM

Ocean Waves - 4.5/10

Great Storyline! That is what I would have said if they had cut to the chase and not put an about 40 minute lag between the beginning to when they actually got to the plot! Sad, but true, they f-.......screwed up big time on the timing and the overall flow of things and the end was a little disappointing but oh! what the hell! It was a total mess but i liked it!

Wedding Peach - 7.5/10

Okay! Right off the bat, they lose 5 points for originality! This being the BIGGEST knockoff of Sailor Moon and all. However, Wonderful storyline! What, with the Saint Something Four and the evil devil witch! The ROMANCE however was soooooo totally Mamoru and Usagi! (Darien and Serena) The did however beat around the bush, unlike the destined soulmates of SM! Great yet THE corniest thing I have EVER seen! But in the end, so adorable if you're just lookin for something for laughs and something to watch with YOUR soulmate, you found it! I loved it till the very end! ^-^ :love:

Sae-chan

Perrin

09-20-2006, 07:55 PM

Jigoku Shoujo 7/10. despite the almost monster of a week approach of the series, its creepy atmosphere kept me intrigued the entire time. I also found the ending to be very satisfying. All in all not a bad show, a 7 may be a little high but I was entertained throughout so what the heck.

Living_Legend

09-20-2006, 10:01 PM

Mindgame - 10

Anime of the year, easily.

Side note: Wow, I can't believe this thread I created is still going! Sweet.

jetfire

09-23-2006, 02:33 PM

Haibane Renmei - 85%

I'm glad that my tastes have shifted lately from seeing action animes to dramas. Otherwise, I would have missed this spectacular series. It doesn't really have any action, but it's story and character development are top notch. In about every episode, something you didn't know about the Haibane are revealed, characters flesh out even more, and the art is always consistant and breathtaking (and it always gives out this warm, cozy vibe, even though the colours can be kind of dull). The soundtrack is always calm sounding, and never seems out of place. Just a warning: The show doesn't really gain a ton of speed until episode 6 or 7, so be patient in the meantime. On a final note, the story has perfect closure. Sure, there are a few loose ends, but it doesn't really ruin the story. I guess the only real flaw of this anime, is that a few of the haibane aren't fleshed out that well (Kuu and the blonde haired girl with the glasses). However, I did really enjoy the relationship between Reki and Rakka. Still, it's a great watch for only 13 episodes.

Metropolis - 77%

I've been getting into seeing anime movies as well lately, so I decided to give this a watch to kill a few hours, despite the mediocre reviews. I'm really glad I ignored those reviews, since this movie was an enjoyable experience. Sure it's got Astroboy-ish character designs (along with some Popeye inspired arms), but I found the character designs to be kind of cute and enjoyable. It was nice to see a different style used, apart from the typical anime character designs and proportions. The plot wasn't exactly the most complex, but on the whole, it worked. The only dissapointing thing about the plot is that it doesn't answer a few questions regarding humanity. The characters themselves were very likeable. Particularily, the main character, since he gave off that Shu (Now and Then, Here and There) essence of helping out a person in need regardless of the risk. The music was pretty jazzy throughout the movie, which gave off a great film noir type feeling. I especially liked the use of Ray Charles' "I can't stop loving you" song at the end. Oh, and did I mention that the city feels massive, and incredibly futuristic? I guess you could have figured that out by the title, but does it ever do it well. My only real beefs with this movie, is that it drags on a bit too long. The creators could have afforded to throw in a few more plots twists, or gave us more time to really know some of the characters (instead of showing one too many chase scenes). Otherwise, it's a good movie overall, and worth a rental at the very least.

Johanen

09-23-2006, 03:40 PM

GTO - 8/10
Samurai Champloo - 6/10
Full Metal Alchemist - 8/10
Naruto - 8/10 in parts - 5/10 in others

Johanen

09-23-2006, 03:43 PM

oh and I've watched a couple of Bleach episodes and so far - 8 to 9/10

Yurika Star

09-25-2006, 12:24 PM

Paradise Kiss - 9/10. Wished it had gone on for longer. Wish it had done the proper ending. Still bloody brilliant, albeit too short. One of my top 5 anime.

Two-twenty

09-26-2006, 11:10 PM

Arashi no yoru ni (Stormy Night): 5/10

For those who don't know, it's about a goat and a wolf who become friends (I don't think any gay undertones were intended, but boy howdy...). Their respective packs find out and try to use their friendship for their benifit.

The director wanted this to be a movie for all ages, but seriously, it's a kids film through and through. The first thrid you pretty much just sit there watching the goat and the wolf hang out together, it gets a little bit more interesting in the middle when their friendship is found out, but then it concludes in a way that even Disney would say is too feel-good. The art and animation is kinda nice but it's just too dull for me.

Unless you are aged between 4-7, avoid.

Datsun

09-27-2006, 03:39 AM

Gasaraki - 1

Oh god! I can't actually believe I wasted close to eight hours of my life watching this mind-numbingly boring piece of trash. I WANT THAT TIME BACK DAMMIT! It is actually a test of endurance, with the small consolation that I started to feel dilerious when the end was nearing.

The plot may have had potential to be interesting, but with the slow pace, dull characters, uninteresting mecha battles, and boring dialogue (which believe it or not is used as filler when the plot isn't advancing), the whole thing just comes off as wooden and impersonal.

Looking back I still have no idea why I decided to watch the whole thing... there's probably a good reason there's no official AA review on the site.

jetfire

10-01-2006, 06:25 PM

Blood+ - 85%

This anime basically started out amazing, and then lost some steam around the mid-thirty episodes. The story was still good afterwards, but nowhere near as amazing as the earlier part of the show. After that point, a few characters got more interesting, but some key characters got less interesting. Still, I thought the show had a great ending. It pretty much tied every single loose end, even though it was a tab bit predictable. To put it bluntly, the show has an amazing plot and loads of character development. If the show had never lost any steam by that part in the story, I would have probably given it a 95%. All in all, it's definately worth the watch.

Apolyion

10-01-2006, 09:39 PM

Zero no Tsukaima: 8.4 of 10. This show holds very few surprises, doing little or nothing to push boundaries or break molds. However, its execution is superb within those limitations - there wasn't a single episode that I didn't enjoy quite well, and there's little, if any, "wasted time" in the entire show. Points are gained because of the show's comedic sense - few of the jokes are new, but all of them are used in exactly the right ways: you know they're coming, but you still laugh. Points are lost however, because the final three episodes are rather rushed and compressed, with a lot happening plot-wise that leaves little time for laughs.

sweetnightmares

10-02-2006, 10:36 AM

Samurai 7: 9/10 I really got into the series. I can't wait to see what other anime the IFC channel will play

ant

10-02-2006, 10:57 AM

Honey and Clover season 2-10
Ouran High School Host Club-9.5

L-sama

10-02-2006, 11:12 AM

Revolutionary Girl Utena: The Movie - 7.2
...what just happened here? And I though FLCL was a mind-trip and a half. The animation is amazingly great, but the story and symbolism were confusing as hell.

Dragonball Z Movie XII - 7
Surprisingly enough, this was actually enjoyable. The comedy worked more often than not, and the animation was definitely on par with a movie of its time. The fights were good, but totally unimaginative (Then again, I wasn't expecting much anyway). Still, this was one of the better DBZ movies.

Perrin

10-02-2006, 01:20 PM

Castle of Cagliostro, gets a 7/10 I liked it but just don't think it is as good as some of Miyazaki's other films. For some reason I couldn't shake the feeling that even though they are completely different Laputa Castle in the Sky was the same film only better.

Ghostmaster

10-02-2006, 01:23 PM

Blood+ - 9/10
I agree with Jetfire. This series started out amazing. There were some dry and boring parts to the show that made it drag on. I think the last saga turned out really well. Overall I thought it was a really well made show, the last episode was kind of dull for the last episode of a 50 episode show, but a great show nonetheless.

Baka Senpai

10-04-2006, 10:35 AM

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya - 8.2/10
School Rumble S1 - 7.7/10

jetfire

10-04-2006, 11:27 AM

MONSTER - 92%

I've been watching some amazing +70 episode series lately. First Hajime no Ippo (Which contained a simple plot, yet a great emphasis on characters), and now MONSTER (Which has a complex plot, and a great emphasis on characters). The series had me on my toes the whole way through, as it's a long mystery to unlock the motives and plans of a psychopath/serial killer. It gives an amazing take on Johan and Nina's past, which the story will feed you little by little over the course of the anime. Another element that I loved about this show was that characters may come and go, but they will always get plenty of screentime to give them time to develop, and a lot of them will make a return that is in some way relevant to the story. The series hits just about every element that makes a good series just right. The only small problem that I had were that some of the sceneries (and colour schemes) were very dull, and there was too much of an emphasis on male characters. It just seemed like 80% of the characters that Tenma met were male (or middle aged). By the time you get halfway through the series, you see that a lot of characters resemble each other (however, there are also plenty of well designed characters. I've never seen many animes that could make each character's face that different from one another at times). All in all, if you're looking for a good thriller anime (and don't need constant fighting in every episode to keep you interested), MONSTER may be the right show for you.

loner

10-04-2006, 03:19 PM

Sae

10-04-2006, 03:22 PM

Ouran High School Host Club - 9.5

Great series but the ending was too cut and dry. It should have been longer and more in depth.

Lupin the 3rd

10-04-2006, 03:33 PM

Ouran High School Host Club - 9/10

Its a cute series, thought i feel that the ending could have been better.

Honey and Clover II - 8.5/ 10

Great show with intresting characters. All the characters mature alot in this season and the ending was great.

jetfire

10-04-2006, 06:38 PM

I know this is not really the right thread to mention this, but on the apparent "sexism" of Monster, I never considered this before, and don't really know how you developed that impression. Though when you consider it, in 80s-90s Germany, most top doctors, government officials, police detectives/officers, psychologists and social dignataries were male, and these are mainly the type of people Tenma would deal with. I mean, this isn't Love Hina, and you don't expect to find harems of giggling school girls. Nevertheless, two female characters, Nina and Eva, are main characters, and they are two of the best characters I've seen in anime ever. I as for middle-aged, yeah, you'd also expect most people from the above professions I mentioned to be around that age range too. Still, Monster has a significant cast of children. Maybe quantitatively there were more middle-aged characters that had lines compared with children, but I think these children played a much more important role than most of the adult characters. After all, the major theme of Monster is education and nurture of children. Indeed, many of these middle-aged characters reminisce about their childhood and it affected their growth.

Oh, believe me, I'm not complaining about the QUALITY of the female characters. Nina was great, and Eva was developed well (even though she was pretty annoying). It was just something that I noticed throughout the show, and made me think that it would be a bit more interesting and different if there were a few more female leads that were shown for more than a few episodes. And yes, there were plenty of children characters (however, the only one who really lasted more than a few episodes was Dieter). And I do know that there were plenty of middle aged male people in that point in time that worked in the higher-up jobs. I dunno, it just irked me a bit. It doesn't take down my score, but it was just a general observation.

And no, I've never watched Love Hina, and I never want to. Personally, I can't stand giggling schoolgirls, so don't get that sort of impression just because I said that there was a bit of a lack of female leads.

loner

10-04-2006, 07:22 PM

jetfire

10-04-2006, 08:57 PM

Well it's like in shows like say, Green Green, you aren't likely to find any middle-aged man there, or many scantily clad female in a yaoi show. You're just recognizing this from Monster because, well, not many anime have a lot of middle-aged men in the cast. Which I actually found very refreshing, but I digress. And while yes, not many of the children last more than a few episodes, they play pretty important role. And recall what I said about how the childhood of many main characters feature very prominently, especially Johan and Nina.
Grimmer and Roberto, and how they turned out, also shows a very interesting contrast.

I actually found the middle aged cast pretty interesting too, since most animes that I've seen are composed of teenaged characters. However, so many of the characters ended up looking the same, that it got a bit uninteresting at times. I guess that's why I was hoping for a few more female leads (or even more children leads would be refreshing). And I do agree on the huge role that the children played throughout the anime. Johan's and Nina's pasts were done so well. Anyways, I'll add one more anime to my ratings:

Whisper of the Heart - 74%

So far, this has been my least favourite Ghibli movie. It just seems to have the least amount of action going on, and the characters weren't incredibly interesting. However, it does give a nice "slice of life" concept, still gives off that warm Ghibli movie type feeling, and has the song "Country Roads" in it (a pretty neat idea of incorporating some western culture into the movie). It was still a good movie, but certainly not groundbreaking.

Major Tom

10-04-2006, 09:13 PM

Ouran High School Host Club: 8.5 Possibly one of the best shows to come out of last season, Ouran makes good work of the high school romance genre, whilst parodying the said genre at the same time.

Possibly the most outstanding part of the series is the cast of characters. On the surface they look like standard shoujo cookie cutter characters, but Ouran adds sprinkles. Sprinkles! Each character has a background story, and most are quite well expanded on and turn out to be something unique compared to their cliché counterparts, with the possible exception of Honinozouka.

It's not entirely perfect, though. Haruhi never quite gets the same treatment as the others, which is a bit of a shame as she is rather important to the series, and the ending is somewhat predictable and cliché.

Overall, pretty damn good.

Honey and Clover II: 9 A fitting end to the Honey & Clover story, H&C II wraps up the loose ends left at the conclusion to the first series. Hagu in particular gets more treatment than she did before.

There is one story element that is sprung on us though, with no warning beforehand. This particular bit probably would have been more effective if elements of it had been introduced earlier in the story.

A must watch for H&C fans.

Air: 6.5 An interesting little series, Air provides some interesting scenarios. Initially, the characters and their problems provide for some good drama, and I actually felt for them.

However, after episode 8 or so, things start to get a little strange, and I felt it hard to follow what was going on, and some points left me with that distinct 'WTF?' feeling. What was good drama turned into melodrama, and emotions were extracted out of sheer force of will.

I still did enjoy the series, but it could have been better.

focker919

10-04-2006, 09:30 PM

Noir - 6.5
Elven Lied - 8
Gunslinger Girls - 8.5
Evangelion - 9
Fruits Basket - 4
GTO-9.5
FLCL - 8
Trinity Blood - 6
FMP - 8
FMP 2nd Raid - 6
FMP fumoffu - 9

L-sama

10-07-2006, 06:22 PM

Rurouni Kenshin: Tsuiokuhen - 9
This anime is truly a masterpiece both visually and to the ears, and the story to be told can be matched by few other anime if any. However, two things struck me as off. First, the live action shots didn't blend well with the traditional animation. Second, as the AA reviews have already said, this is a very bloody anime...maybe too bloody. I still highly recommend this for any Kenshin fan or for one who likes a tragic romance.

ant

10-08-2006, 09:16 AM

Hajime no Ippo-10

Baka Senpai

10-11-2006, 11:25 PM

Ouran High School Host Club - 7.9/10

Apolyion

10-12-2006, 01:04 AM

Super Dimension Fortress Macross - 6.6/10 objectively; 8.6/10 on curve.

I have a soft spot for SDF Macross, as the American adaptation - Robotech - was one of the best cartoons on television when I was a child. I loved the transforming planes, and the big space battles, and the fact that it had way more depth than the other cartoons of the era, which were generally just merchandising ploys. So when I got the chance to watch SDF Macross subtitled and without the editing that was done to Robotech, I jumped on it.

I'm giving this two grades because I believe it deserves a curve, but don't want to deceive anyone about its objective quality. Macross was produced in 1980 and there's just no way it's going to look or sound as good as modern anime. In fact, its animation and sound effects have aged horribly, and the art quality isn't that much better. So objectively speaking, it gets a 6.6, but if I judge the production values in light of its production date, then on that curve it would be an 8.6.

Why? Because this is one of the shows that defined the mecha, space opera, and war epic genres, and for darn good reason. It showed both sides of the conflict, provided background, characterization, and humanization for the enemies, had very human and believeable characters and kept them and their relationships developing for the entire show. While the production values aren't that great, the actual combat choreography was good and the scope of the battles was epic and intense. When they come, the plot twists are believable and acceptable, and keep the story from being too predictable.

In short, everything a war drama needs to get right, Macross gets right and does so in spades... except for those darn production values. If you're someone who needs your anime to look and sound great at all times, then you'll want to look at my 6.6 grade. If you can remember the 80s and what cartoons looked like back then, however, you might want to consider it closer to the 8.6 that it gets in my heart.

ant

10-12-2006, 07:12 AM

GunBuster 2- 8 not as good as the original but highly entertaining and the animation saves the weak points in story and plot. At least for me. Lots of fan service which raised a questons or morality in fanservice ehich I thought was interesting.

Ghostmaster

10-15-2006, 08:20 PM

Honey and Clover II - 8.7/10
A really great sequal to a really great show. I don't really know about the ending. Some things are left unresolved. But as a whole it was a really great show to watch. What happened to Mayama's friends I'm blanking on their names. Nomiya and the two others.

focker919

10-15-2006, 10:23 PM

Ergo Proxy - 8.5
the show gets better the more you think about. At first, its entertaining but nothing stellar. Then you realize (or as in my case, straight out told of) all of the tiny details that drove the series without you ever noticing. And for the first time in recent memory, the finale actually answers all of the questions that need to be answered. It takes a while and a lot of thought to figure them all out, but the information is there.
The animation quality was amazing too.
All in all, a great series so long as you are willing to pay close attention and think about it. Not for a viewer looking for a brainless exercise in anime.

Major Tom

10-17-2006, 12:54 AM

Burn Up Scramble: 4 It is possible to have fun with this series. You need to do 2 things first. You need to to turn off your brain, and activate your ecchi humour appreciation software. I still had some laughs out of this otherwise mediocre series.

We will start with a comparison with it's predecessors. Those who have watched any others of the Burn Up franchise will notice that this series has brand spanking new character designs. I liked Rio's new design, and the other desings aren't oo bad. But the changes made to the team and characters don't work as well. They are even more shallow than the other Burn Up series, and these Warriors are vastly different from the Warriors of old.

Granted, this incarnation of Burn Up does not link with the old ones, continuity wise, so some might consider that point moot.

On to other points. The animation throughout is inconsistant. Sometimes it's silky smooth, at others it's jerky. The show is episodic, but there is a story intoduced in the final episodes. Unfortunatley, since 8 episodes was spent farting around the story we have is very thin, devoid of most things interesting.

Still, some of the humour can be funny, and if you appreciate all things ecchi, there are plenty of panties to be seen. Fans of the action genre will probably love this, as it has everything. Guns, bombs, things that explode from the tiniest bit of damage, and big melons that jiggle.

Overall, if you are looking for a some mindless fun, give Burn Up Scramble a look. If you are looking for depth and interesting characters, stay away. Far away.

Ghostmaster

10-18-2006, 04:34 PM

Ouran High School Host Club - 9/10
Another great BONES show. Great characters that you really get attatched to. I still don't know about the ending but I like everything worked out for Haruhi, Tamaki and all the other characters. Some things were left unresolved or were pretty much pointless like Bossa Nova's two little episodes that just stalled for time, but other than that a very enjoyable show.

Panwolf

10-18-2006, 04:50 PM

Cyborg 009: 8.6/10
Hunter x Hunter: 9.7/10
Death Note: 10/10
Princess Tutu: 9.4/10
Shakugan no Shana: 8.6/10
Excel Saga: 10/10

Wh00t. I'll bring in why when I feel like it.. xD;

ant

10-21-2006, 08:08 AM

Mushishi-10, simply one of the most beautiful anime to have been made. Imaginative, and even though episodic, it works for the series. No real solid ending for the series as the manga is still ongoing yet it still fits the series. As it leaves it off for us to assume Ginko is still traveling Japan in search of mushi.
XXXHolic-9, this is something that jsut grew on me as the episodes progressed. Where I was left wanting more to watch after the 24th episode. Just like Mushishi it is episodic which works for the series, and leaves things open ended.

Ghostmaster

10-21-2006, 09:14 AM

Giniro no Kami no Agito - 8.3/10
First of all I have to say the animation is astonishing. The story is interesting and I liked the feel to the movie very well done I'm glad I finally got to see it.

laborpilot86

10-24-2006, 02:34 PM

Basilisk 7/10

Eureka 7 8/10

Zipang 9/10

Macross 10/10

zarahf

10-26-2006, 05:35 PM

Wolf’s Rain- 6.5
Steamboy-5
Ghost In the Shell-Stand Alone Complex-9.5
--2nd Gig-5
Last Exlie-7
Full Metal Panic-7
--Full Metal Panic-fumoffu-3
FLCL-7

xxholic

11-10-2006, 01:22 PM

Gundam Seed/GS Destiny - 9/10
Jigoku Shoujo/JS Futakomori - 9.5/10
Ichigo 100% - 8/10
Tsubasa Chronicles I & II - 10/10
Midori no Hibi - 8/10
Chobits - 9/10
D.N Angel - 9/10
Chrno Chrusade - 8/10
xxHolic - 9.5/10
GTO - 8.5/10

ant

11-11-2006, 10:17 PM

Kemonozume-10, not a conventional anime, not for everyone but themes and story are very strong. It was a wonderful 13 episode acid trip....without taking acid!

Apolyion

11-11-2006, 10:37 PM

Tactial Roar - 6.9 of 10. Take a solid intrigue/war plot with an interesting and fairly original alternate earth for its setting... then ruin it by smothering it with fanservice, making a harem romance out of it, and adding several completely pointless and unnecessary yuri scenes.

Production values are at or above the average for a 2006 show. The action can be intense and fastpaced, and is choreographed well, and it gets off to a strong start. The atmosphere of being on a fighting ship is conveyed well for most of the show. Really, if the director had cut the crap (fanservice/harem/bad yuri) and taken the show more seriously, I'd be giving this at least a high 8, maybe even a low 9.

L-sama

11-13-2006, 07:40 PM

Violinist of Hamelin: The Movie - 8.7
This was a very welcome change to the darker TV series (though I'm only through three episodes of the TV series at this time). The comedy here is comparable to Slayers...and that's saying something. Overall, a very nice way to spend half an hour!

ant

11-14-2006, 04:56 AM

Kiddy Grade-7 as bad as Eek thought of this I still thought it entertaining enough. Potential for something deeper was there however this series fell into sterotypes and clitches that are common. All in all not as bad as Eek's review IMGHO!!!

zarahf

11-14-2006, 05:53 AM

Soultaker 4.5-doesn't seem to do anything for me.
Speed Grapher 6.5-might be higher if I could get my hands on the last disk, 'cause by all accounts it has a pretty good ending I hear.
Gunslinger Girl 7.5- rather enjoying this slow little anime

JigokuHime

11-14-2006, 04:29 PM

Jigoku Shoujo Fukamori- 8/10
Wallflower-10/10
Kenshin-8/10

L-sama

11-14-2006, 08:17 PM

Psychic Academy - 4.6
This series could've been so much more. Sure, there was an occasional nice moment and a chuckle here and there, but the uber fan service, grab-bag animation, and little attention to what was suppose to be the plot doomed this anime. *Sigh* Wasted potential

Azurael

11-17-2006, 08:44 PM

Full Metal Alchemist - 10
GS Destiny - 10
Gundam Seed - 9
Inu Yasha - 9
Girl From Hell - 8
Ghosts at School - 9

Datsun

11-21-2006, 01:23 AM

Wings of Honneamise (english dub) - 7.5

I must say this was generally quite a disappointment given the rave reviews on this site. However, I can see why it may have been a landmark film at the time, with it's landmark animation. The detail it also provides in this alternative universe with the political and technological make-up is very good and nicely understated, but unfortunately my main gripe that detracts from absolutely everything is that it is painfully slow throughout, and some of the events that happen enroute don't seem to meld well with the ending either.

The english dub itself is actually pretty good, so I don't think watching it in the original Japanese dub unless of course they're different versions.

Donutboyy

11-21-2006, 02:45 AM

Bleach 7/10
Naruto 9/10

Major Tom

11-21-2006, 06:26 PM

Yukikaze: 7

Finally, after 3 years I can give a score to this 5 episode OVA. Overall, it was decent. It wasn't mind blowing, but enjoyable. Aviation nuts like me would probably spend too much time drooling over the absolutley marvellous aerial combat sequences and the sweet, sweet aircraft designs.

The story itself is rather interesting, and for the most part flows quite well. It's in the final episode that things start to come unravelled. The first part of ep.5 is rather wierd, even after mulling on it overnight I still don't get it or what exactly happened.

We leave the series without really exploring the JAM. I wasn't expecting a line for line explanation, but I felt they ended with only a couple of musings about theories on what the JAM are and their objectives. We do get a nice explanation as to why the humans are on Fairy, which makes up for that slightly.

Our main character, Fukai is rather uninteresting. Yukikaze itself is more interesting than Lt. Fukai, but that's in part because we see almost no background information on him, or any of the other characters for that matter, bar the Journalist, who has a bit part.

Overall, a decent little OVA that's let down by a confusing end and dull characters.

Teengamefan

11-22-2006, 02:18 AM

To be honest I have been on a I want to watch anime but screw it mood for quiet some time now. All I have watched in about a month that wasn't on adult swim is Karin.

Karin 6.5/10 I like how it's approach on the whole vampire thing but the main character was just to ditsy for my taste in anime.

hakiaruxkaoru

11-24-2006, 07:03 PM

well im new here so i would say that
angelic layer 8.5
rayearth 7
naruto 5
and
something host club 10

[...adrien...]

11-25-2006, 08:25 PM

narutaru - 8/10
Utena (first season, rewatched) - 9.5/10

laborpilot86

11-25-2006, 11:37 PM

Ghost in the Shell:Stand Alone Complex Second Gig 8/10

ant

11-29-2006, 07:04 AM

Black Blood Brothers-7 light vampire fun, easy going plot, a bit choppy, but a unresolved ending is what hurt this anime for me. I can see how they want to leave it open for a sequel but still left is wide open, however charactors do find a resolution to their respected arcs.

Kimura-san

11-30-2006, 07:59 AM

Ouran High School Host Club - 8/10. Everyone watch this is you love quirky school-based comedy. Tamaki is another legendary character.

School Rumble (1st Season) - 6.5/10. Everyone watch this if you want another good-natured gangster and zaniness to ensue. Going to watch second series soon if that suggests anything.

Jigoku Shoujo - 6.5/10. Similar to AA review but they a good to watch one by one if you want the scariness but no progression. I personally thought the art and terror made up for the lack of story.

Samurai Champloo - 7/10. Stylish and very beautiful. However I wasnt as close to the characters as I'd have liked.

Hajime no Ippo - 9/10. Totally worth every AA reviewers score. It is much more than a boxing anime and has episode after episode of pure gold. I do hope they carry it on when the ninja/samurai phase dwindles.

Irresponsible Captain Tylor - 8/10. If you like Golden Boy, then watch this. Tylor is an awesome character and the feel is almost like an anime 'Red Dwarf'. Highly recommended

EroBennin

11-30-2006, 08:09 AM

Ouran High School Host Club is a great anime, characters are good, animation is great and story is absorbing. Comedy is second to none too with Tamaki-senpai mon ami! Bravo! 8.5/10

Hajime No Ippo is my favourite all time anime! Characters and seiyuu are awesome, build up to fights is engrossing and the comedy is unrivalled! 9.5/10

Azumanga Daioh is addictive. You watch the first couple and just get totally absorbed in the day to day school life of one of the best groups of chracters ever in an anime. 9/10

Night Head Genesis i defo wanted to be good. Watched first one and thought it may get engrossing, but by the end of the second episode i stopped the remaining eps dling. Dumbass characters. 3/10

Death Note is not anywhere near finished, but one ep of this is much more fulfilling that 20 eps of Bleach or Naruto filler! Defo will be a 10/10 at the end of ep 37.

Grappler Baki The first season is not too bad, pretty good fights and stuff but by the start of the second series just gets poor. You can tell its going to be crap by the rubbish 3d CGI OP in Season 2. 4/10

laborpilot86

11-30-2006, 06:49 PM

Crest of the Stars 8.5/10

Vision of Escaflowne 9/10

Patlabor 2: the Movie 8.5/10

Two-twenty

12-03-2006, 06:42 AM

Dead Leaves: 6/10

Dead Leaves is supposed to be the type of anime that bores into your brain with a LSD-laced drill to wreak havoc five ways til sunday, but for me it I just seemed to become detached from it. I will admit that there were a few moments that got me smiling and thinking "Well, that was pretty damn awesome" but overall it just came across as an anime that had just been thrown together for the hell of it. I'm well aware that it pretty much was and that all it's meant to be is 50 minutes of mind-f*cking, but for the most part all I thought to myself was "Ya-huh, I guess this is the part where I'm meant to freak out... yeop..."

Ouran High School Host Club: 8/10

(As it seems, I never posted this in this thread)

I must say, Ouran was one of the funniest most original anime to come out in a long while. A reverse-harem that unashamedly ripped into stock shoujo cliches was just what was needed to shake things up a bit. The cast of characters were incredibly entertaining and for the most part well-rounded (bar Mori). It managed balance drama and comedy perfectly, a feat that few anime can do. The artwork and music were nothing short of brilliant.

However, apart from a few below-par episodes, there is one glaring fault to this anime: the ending. As with most anime based on manga, it catches up, and as such, there is no real conclusion. There were plenty of loose ends left untied, plenty of amazing secondary characters marginalized and a goldmine of themes left unexplored (Haruhi's low value on gender identity anyone?). I would've been more than happy if the creators would've branched off and made up their own ending, even if it wasn't 100% cannon. It really was a bit of a kick in the teeth to be strung along all season and only to be given no closure.

I remember reading an interview with Satoshi Kon saying that in Japan the animation industry has to start making anime for anime's sake and not just to sell manga. Ouran is a case in point. As funny and as original as it is, without a conclusion, it's nothing more than an extended commercial.

Oh, and on one last note:

Renge>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>all.

Truten

12-03-2006, 03:37 PM

[B]Hajime No Ippo- 9/10[B]- It's an anime filled with intense emotion, real comical situations, and the character devolpment is just awesome. Throughout the anime the main character Ippo strives to find out an answer to a question that has been bugging him ever since he wanted to become a boxer. What was that question, did he ever find his answer? To find out you should watch the anime and enjoy a real entertaining show. You'll be on the edge of your seat the whole time, no doubt about it. The only drawback is the lack of a romantic relationship with a certain female character in the story.

L-sama

12-04-2006, 08:13 PM

Z-Mind : 7

It's no Nadesico, but Z-Mind stills holds its own with some humorous mecha parodies of its own. A nice way to shoot off 3 hours...though there is better to be had.

Datsun

12-05-2006, 01:01 AM

School Rumble 2nd Semester - 6.0

Honestly, I don't know another show that has punished it's fans as badly as this one, in terms of hinting that something's going to develop, only to have it not. For some reason they decided to introduce numerous side characters to the ones they already had in season one, and it must be said not a single one of them managed to be either funny or interesting. Still a few laughs to be had with some good paradies and situations, but this had a helluva lot more potential.

Ouran High School Host Club - 9.0

It's all about the characters, and I must say that although the other Haruhi will be one of the best characters of all time, this Haruhi runs her damn close which is quite an achievement. Great supporting cast as well, though I'd have to agree that Mori gets put on the backburner, with one of his potential episodes being noticeably hijacked part way through.

There are certainly a few weak episodes, but this is otherwise a brilliantly self-aware, self-ironic mock-shoujo show that manages to be funny through out.

Two-twenty

12-05-2006, 08:35 AM

RahXephon: 8.9/10

I'm happy to say that Rahxephon is definetly one of the better mecha anime out there. Firstly, on the aesthetic side, Bones seemed to have the budget to put effort into the art, music and animation (unlike, oh say, Evangelion). Secondly, the content itself was, for the most part, miles ahead of the rest of the pack. Not because it was staggeringly original (lets face it, there are a shit load of similarities to Evangelion) but because of it's exectuion. Throughout the series, the world of RahXephon, the characters within it, and thier interactions are built up and given incredible depth. As such, this anime is filled to the brim with shining moments, the best being episode 19 in it's entierty: the one centred around Ayato and Asahina. It remains one of the best episodes of any anime I've ever seen. (Also, I found it very frustrating how pooer Megumi just could never seem to get a break!).

It's been said before, but it's biggest downfall is it's ending. Given the similarities between Evangelion and the fact that it was written by Chiaki J. Konaka (Lain, Texhnolyze) I was really hoping that it wouldn't have the introspective ending that seems to always come with anime like this, but it seems it was not to be. It was all too much in too little time, anti-climactic, and pretty much left me scratching my head.

X~Alchemist

12-05-2006, 01:37 PM

Hellsing= 9/10

Naruto= 8/10

Bleach= 9.5/10 the last cuple of episodes were awesome but some of the other ones were kinda creepy.

Trinity Blood= 10/10 fraking awesome!

Trigun= 8.6/10

Apolyion

12-05-2006, 02:22 PM

GetBackers - 7.8 of 10. This is a fun show that puts an interesting spin on the "buddy cop" action-comedy - sort of like anime doing a Lethal Weapon series. And for the most part it pulls it off - most of the action is good, most of the comedy is hilarious. Unfortunately, in its 49 episodes it recycles a bit too much, and it ends with an unresolved whimper, rather than a decisive bang.

The recurring secondary characters recur a little too often, and can't always carry the show when they do. It even recycles the same major plot - a trip into Mugenjou (which is a superb setting) and by extension into Ginji's past.

And lots of questions are just left unanswered, and the ending is nothing short of a total disappointment.

But it's a good time, so it doesn't get a terrible score.

Two-twenty

12-07-2006, 07:27 AM

Earth Girl Arjuna: 7.8/10

That story had all the makings to be absolutly epic, if only the creators didn't ram their message down my throat so much.

Arjuna had moments of pure gold by the boat load; every episode had at least one element in it that impressed me. One particular scene where Cindy explained her "powers" to Arjuna was particularly horrifying and it showed me that at least the creators weren't at all spineless in the message they wanted to give. While not all the characters were given as much screen time as the others, the relationship between Tokio and Arjuna was done right. It's definetly the most sincere I've seen since His and Her Circumstances. In other areas, the visuals were mind-blowing and the score was perfect in everyway.

However! I consider myself to be somewhat of a greenie with a tendency to lean a little bit to the left, but even so, it seemed the writers were making claims about issues that they didn't have an authority on. Many times, a scene or an entire episode was ruined for me because they forced me to throw up the argumentum ad verecundiam flag too many times. Also, throughout the series, the story would just get bogged down by the message it was trying to get across. In quite a few instances, it was done with no subltey whatsoever (I'm mean, who talks about people turning off their air-conditioner in the middle of a freaking meltdown. Jesus.).

All in all though, if you can bare a bit of LIBERAL ASS PROPAGANDA every now and again, it's still a worthwhile series to check out.

laborpilot86

12-10-2006, 07:57 AM

Last Exile...........8/10

Gallery Fake.......7.5/10

Two-twenty

12-17-2006, 04:17 AM

RahXephon: Pluralitis Concentio (the movie)- 8.9/10

I was expecting this to be rushed and awful, but it actually turned out to be pretty good. I originally watched the Rahxephon tv series over a long period of time so I got a little lost along the way. Because it's so brief this movie only focused on what's important and what could be understood in only a short period of time, and so it cleared up a few misunderstandings I had with the original series. Also, the ending was far less artsy fartsy and far less of an anti-climax. On the down side, although it may make sense to the first-time viewer, only people who have watched the series can get full enjoyment out of it. Also, given it's legnth, there's a fair few interesting characters, scenes and sub-plots that had to be marginalized/excluded, but that's to be expected.

laborpilot86

12-17-2006, 09:02 AM

Hungry Heart, Wild Striker..........7.5/10

Major Tom

12-17-2006, 06:24 PM

Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex 2nd Gig: 9

Much better than it's predecessor, and miles better than both the movies, 2nd Gig was quite well worth the watch. The characters were much more interesting than SAC, mostly because we finally get some background information on who they are and how they came to be in Section 9.

The artwork is very impressive, some rather original mechanical designs there. The animation maintains a high standard throughout, and the CG components mesh very well with the cell animation, something done better than SAC as well. the CG was very good in SAC, but there were some spots that did stick out.

The plot is good and interesting, but it is somewhat convoluted, so it is easy to get lost if you're not paying attention. I'm still not entirely sure exactly what happened, but I know enough to make sense of it. Apart from some passing references to the laughing man incident, 2nd Gig can be watched independantly of SAC. The dialogue is typically wordy, and that can sometimes get in the way of the point of the conversation.

Highly recommended.

Chr0nic_STDs

12-17-2006, 08:31 PM

this is just recently right?
Wolf's Rain 9.2
Cowboy Bebop 9.5
FLCL 9.0
Trigun 9.5
Witch Hunter Robin 9.2
Blue Gender 8.5
Princess Mononoke 8.9
Dragon Ball Z: Return of Cooler 8.0 (yea i know but what can i say, i find it entertaining)
Rurouni Kenshin: Legends of Kyoto 9.5
Samurai X: Trust and Betrayal 10
Yu Yu Hakusho: Chapter Black 8.7

zarahf

12-18-2006, 04:04 PM

Desert Punk- 3.5 I have only actually seen about 12 episodes, but as that is about all I can take I'll go ahead and rate it.
Ceres, Celestial Legend-7 I liked it well enough.
Kite-5.5 all was going so well and then ....
Kaena: The Prophecy-5 does this really even count as an anime? I'm not so sure. But it was alright all the same. Nothing to get too excited about, but ok.

Panwolf

12-18-2006, 08:01 PM

Yakitate! Japan - 7.8/10 - Brilliant while it lasted, but truthfully, it should have ended after episode 28.. And even then, possibly stuck a bit of KazumaTsukino into the mix.

Karin - 8.5/10 - It's a really cute series, but I find I might enjoy the manga better. The artists really took liberties with the series, particularly in the opening theme. While I recall there being hardly any nudity with the exception of a flashback, the series sports quite a bit of it. But this does not take from the overal story, which I enjoy. I find it rather sweet. And the idea of the main character was original, to me at least.

laborpilot86

12-18-2006, 10:01 PM

Space Battleship Yamato..................9/10

What can be said about the most seminal sci-fi anime of all time:icon_danc

Lupin the 3rd

12-19-2006, 02:23 PM

Rec 7.8/10

Cute series but could have been longer

laborpilot86

12-19-2006, 04:58 PM

Macross Zero...........7.5/10

Sephiroth-777

12-20-2006, 09:38 AM

Ergo Proxy 8.5

Bleach (ep 1-100) 9.5

Pani Poni Dash 9.0

Rumble Hearts 8.0

Major Tom

12-24-2006, 12:57 AM

Noein: 8.5

I usually watch these things in 3-4 episode blocks, but I'd have to say I watched 1-4, and then was so hooked by 5-24 I watched it in one sitting.

This is a highly interesting show, rather original in it's execution, and the attempts to keep it grounded in real science as much as possible are rather interesting.

I found the plot to be very interesting, and that was helped along by a majority of the characters. Karasu didn't change much, but I was kind of expecting that from his kind of character.

The animation style wasn't as....consistant as it could have been. There were probably 3 slightly different styles in play there. It didn't actually break anything, but it was noticeable. The character designs were rather interesting, more abstract than what you'd normally expect from anime.

The dialogue did get very science-big-wordy heavy at times, so it can be very easy to get lost if you're not paying attention. That didn't present (much of) a problem for me, but some might not appreciate the difficult concepts put forward.

So if you like highly interesting plots with oodles of science thrown in, definately check this out.

ant

12-24-2006, 06:05 AM

Welcome to NHK- 9.3 This might not be for everyone as it can be boring and mundane. What makes it interesting is that the boring and mundane comes pretty close to normal people's boring and mundane lives. Which would make it a critic of life. Even the ending solves nothing but emphases its theme of life being boring and mundane yet something precious that should be appreciated.

laborpilot86

12-24-2006, 08:53 AM

Eureka 7..................................8.5/10

ParakissNoda

12-24-2006, 10:05 AM

Eureka 7---- 8

MAR(Marchen Awakens Romance)---- 5

Prince of Tennis---- 10

Ouran Highschool Host Club---- 10

Paradise Kiss----- 9

Pachinko

12-25-2006, 09:10 AM

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (episodes 1 - 1/2 of 4) = 8.5

Despite all my questions, this series is really interesting and I find myself constantly wanting more.

Zelkiiro

12-25-2006, 08:41 PM

Whisper of the Heart - 9/10: The ending was a tad quick and unsatisfactory, but hell...any anime whose main theme is Country Roads deserves a win in my book.

Datsun

12-25-2006, 11:12 PM

Gungrave - 9.5

Though the first episode is quite poor (with a few lines of dialogue not even making sense after you 'catch up' with past events)
The portrayal of Harry and Brandons friendship and how it changes is one of the best crafted stories I've seen. Ever. As a protaganist, Brandon doesn't talk much, but he is probably one of the best examples of how to develop a protaganist through what other characters say about them. Best scene: When Harry and Brandon are in the elevator scene. Watch out for it.

Chr0nic_STDs

12-26-2006, 11:04 PM

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya 9.7 (that show was awesome :D )

L-sama

12-27-2006, 08:55 PM

Vision of Escaflowne - 9.6
VoE definitely goes down as one of, if not, the best series of the 90's in my book. Merle (sp?) just got plain annoying after a while and the ending was 'Meh...', but other than that, this anime is just about as close to flawless as you can get.

Ghostmaster

01-05-2007, 09:30 AM

The Place Promised in Our Early Days - 7.8
Visually it's great, the story is ok. I was really impressed by Shinkai Makoto's Voices of a Distant Star so I finally watched this. I did enjoy it, but It really is an eye candy piece. I am excited for his new 5 Cm Per Second film that looks good.

laborpilot86

01-05-2007, 09:37 AM

Giant Robo OVA 8.5/10..........fist-pumping action bombast, with nifty Batman the Animated Series-esque designs

Gunbuster 8/10.............great sci-fi mecha let down by pointless fan-service

zarahf

01-05-2007, 03:34 PM

Ninja Scroll--7
Parallel Duel--6
Read or Die--7.5
ROD the TV--8

I have been quite pleased with my anime of late. I have no complaints. Hellsing is next on ly list.

Major Tom

01-06-2007, 12:16 AM

Welcome to the NHK!: 7.5 A rather entertaining show about losers and nutcases.

It has a particular brand of dark humour that I found appealing, and the characters themselves were interesting.

The show is let down a little by some disappointing music choices (the OP was awesome until they ripped out the trumpet. Interesting how 1 instrument can make such a difference). The producers did choose to take the show to a more happily-ever-after type ending to several of the story arcs, so it does disapoint a little considering the initial set up of the show.

Still, for fans of black comedy and weirdness, this is a must.

Ghostmaster

01-07-2007, 10:58 AM

Black Lagoon Second Barrage - 9.5/10
High paced second season of this awesome show and it definately shows. I think this season was even better than the first. i really hope they make a third season but I havent heard anything yet.

LadySage

01-08-2007, 02:17 PM

Black Magic M-66: 6

Very meh. It's very...bare bones. The plot makes sense, and the characters serve their purpose, but it's not too interested in anything but action. The action is decent enough to justify its existence, but hasn't aged very well.

Pachinko

01-08-2007, 05:15 PM

Afro Samurai - I mean. WTF. Seriously?

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (all 14 episodes) - I can see what all the hype was about. It was stupendous, I loved it. Some parts were sheer brilliance. I was overly pleased.

Major Tom

01-08-2007, 06:22 PM

Rozen Maiden ~Ouvertüre~: 6.5

THe Rozen Maiden OVA, something I had awaited with baited breath, pretty much fails to deliver much. We don't get any more story on the Alice Game, who Father is and what is his purpose, and no conclusion to the holes left at the end of Trăumend.

It does give us some much needed backstory on the story between Shinku and Suigintou, and a rather interesting one at that, but frankly that is something that really should have been in the TV show.

It does look pretty, though, so props to the art department, and the animation is fluid.

So while I would recommend this to Rozen Maiden fans, it probably won't be so impressive to those who aren't, and possibly even slightly confusing to those who haven't seen the series.