Anime/Manga Reviews

[Mewtwo-D2]

Well, here's a place to post any reviews you want. I'll leave all other review topics open, but here's just a general place to do that. However there are some rules:

1) No writing anything along the lines of 'Insert Random Anime Title sucks because I hate it' or Insert Random Anime Title rules/ownz/whatever it is you kids say nowadays because I say so.' Provide reasons.
2) No personal insults. If you disagree with someone's review, say why.
3) More than one review of each series and/or more movie is allowed, to give a comparison.
4) This is meant to be a sort-of shopping/renting guide. Please provide something in the way of a plot summary.
5) Any and all spoilers must be clearly marked. No random "And then the main character of Insert Random Anime Title beats all the villians, kills his archrival, and then dies himself in a freak grapefruit accident." Spoilers are not summary.

Everybody got it? Okay! I'll start with one of my all-time favorites: Arc the Lad!

Plot Summary: Arc the Lad is actually the story of a boy named Elk, who is blessed by the Spirit of Flame. Namely, that means he has pyrokinetic powers. This power caused him to get taken away to an organization known as White House, but not before he saw his entire family die at their hands. However, one of his only memories of the night his village was destroyed was the image of the airship "Silver Noah".
At White House, he and other gifted children were experimented on, turning them into Chimera, or artificial monsters. Elk and his friends Gene and Meril attempted to escape, but Elk was the only one who made it. Scarring him even more, he had to leave Meril behind, when she fell and injured her leg. Lost and traumatized, he collapsed in the desert surrounding the area, only to be found by a bounty hunter named Shu. Shu took the boy in, and raised him to become a bounty hunter. He was quite a good bounty hunter by the time he turned 15, but his life was changed when he ran across a girl who could talk to monsters while he was chasing a bounty. The bounty turned out to be a Chimera, and the girl an integral part of the future plans of White House. So if Elk is ever to save his friends, and figure out his past, he needs the girl, Leiza.
How Arc figures into all of this is that the "Silver Noah" is his ship. And he's the famous bandit who assassinated the King of Smeria. So it had to have been him who destroyed Elk's village...

Art: The art is pretty, though very shounen. Plenty of blood and burning things. It slips occasionally, such as a memorable shot in the fourth DVD when Arc's face seems to be sliding off his head. Action shots are generally good and smooth, especially shots of ships flying. It's very good for a TV show.

Music: Great music, with a tendency towards epic. The opening is a stirring, march-type affair, with a trumpet fanfare and everything. The first ending is a cheerful, upbeat piece, sung in English. It seems somewhat out of place though... the song is titled 'Happy Tomorrow' and the singers are going on about how wonderful everything will be over pictures of the main cast with the hell beaten out of them. They're smiling, but they all look like they've been through the ringer. The second end song starts with a bunch of talking, then a little bit of singing, then some more talking. Kind of blues/J-pop type stuff.

Characters: Excellent, although characters have a tendency to remain static. The antihero, Clive, is wonderfully complex, and his motivations remain mysterious. Elk is a well-developed angry young man, even his reasons for being angry. Arc is a completely sympathetic character, though it would be major spoilers to say why. Most of the characters are likable, or at least interesting. My only problem is that Leiza can be a little flat at times. She's shy and hesitant about her growing feelings for Elk, but every once in awhile, you just get this overwhelming urge to shake her and scream "Get on with it!". But overall, she's very sweet and cute.

Dub: The dub is, honestly, pretty bad. Leiza's voice is an obnoxious approximation of cute and innocent. Arc's voice is nice, but it doesn't come off sounding like he's been through a lot. More like he's just an idealist who doesn't know what he's talking about. Clive's is all right, but doesn't have that edge that lets you know that he's the smartest character, and he knows exactly what's going on. Elk's and Shu's voices do a fine job of it, but the dub has already been killed by Leiza. Get the sub.

DVD extras: Nothing really. There's some previews, and the backgrounds are pretty nice, but the main attraction of the DVD is that it has the sub version, which is very hard to find otherwise.

Overall: Well worth it for shounen action fans. However, if you're in it to see naked women and sex, you've picked the wrong anime. You see one girl naked, in a non-sexual context. There's one sex scene, but it's very easy to miss. As in, you don't even see figures under a blanket. You are just given a hint that it's happening. Romance is handled fairly well in my opinion: it's there, but it's not overbearing. You don't hear any of the three sets of lovers randomly saying each others names and staring off into space, which is a refreshing change after an interlude of shoujo.

[RedStarWarrior]

M-D2, you should make this a sticky. Also, my NGE: PC DVDs had previews of Arc the Lad on them. It looks pretty good so I am going to go out and buy it.

I might post a review of NGE after I watch the entire series...plus
'Death and Rebirth' and 'End of Evangelion'.

EDIT: You beat me to the punch.

[Roarkiller]

Ooh, good thing i posted my review before this was up. Or i wouldve gotten big trashing.

Btw, if reviews go here, where do summaries go?

[Mewtwo-D2]

Summaries are part of reviews. First you summarize, then you review ^^; I'm trying to make this an easy reference to find animes and/or manga that appeal to you. Most summary places will give a few reviews, but they're all by one or two people with fairly similar taste. It's almost impossible to figure out whether you'd enjoy it or not.

[RedStarWarrior]

I don't want to do a complete summery. I am going to copy and paste my review here from my Evangelion topic though.


Okay. I just finished watching the Neon Genesis Evangelion: Perfect Collection. I could see how some people were unsatisfied with the ending. It wasn't a clear-cut ending that we are used to seeing. I still find it to be quite enjoyable. On one side, we have the story of the Angels and the Evas, and on the other, a boy's questioning of his own existence. I think that we see that the Shinji saves the world from the Third Impact by destroying the Fifth Child, or Seventeenth Angel, but we don't see the aftermath on all of the people. Instead we are taken to the mind of Shinji who is trying to determine his own worth, identity, and reality. I think the last episodes try to make you question your own purpose as Shinji questions his. I found it different, but quite excellent regardless.
Note: the below review is being done before I have had a chance to see 'Death and Rebirth' and 'End of Evangelion'. The review may change after seeing these two.

Animation:
Spectacular....vivid, colorful, and highly detailed. During the final episodes the switching between different animation types: final cells, preliminary cells, and rough sketches; allowed for one to actually feel the sense of confusion that Shinji felt.
9.5/10

Music:
Great choice! The opening song is stuck in my head and the ending rendition of "Fly Me to the Moon" (I don't know the real name....also this may only be in the English version) is very lovely despite my initial reluctance to it.
8/10

Plot:
Different but still rather well done. It caused me to ponder my own existence and my purpose on this planet as well as my own self-worth and my value to others. Also, the ideas of Angels, Evangelions, the Dead Sea Scrolls, SEELE, the Magi Systems and NERV, they all seem to fit together to me. They did make sense. Although not everyone will agree with me...I find this to be an awsome animé and I would recommend it to anyone.
9/10

Overall:
I found this to be excellent in storyline and media. It is truly a worthwhile animé. One of my favorites so far.
8.8/10

[RedStarWarrior]

Here is another review I just completed. I do not like posting summeries because I feel that they may spoil the animés for some who do not want to know how the story ends. Spoilers may be present in my reviews though...but not detailed ones.


I just purchased and watched Metropolis. It is a story, written by Katsuhiro Otomo (Akira), that is based on the Metropolis comic created by Osamu Tezuke (Astroboy).

Animation:
Spectacular backgrounds and props. Some characters have unproportional parts of their body (i.e. some have large noses, etc. that are not realistic) but that is part of the ingenius design of the characters and does not take away from the quality of the animation. Absolutely stunning in many scenes where it appears that CGI has been utilized.
10/10

Music:
The music is barely noticable and merely adds to the scenery rather than being distracting. The only song that stuck out was the last (or next to last...when Tima is still alive) one during the movie (before the credits). I believe that this was done on purpose because it causes you to pay attention to the words in the song which relate to the scene and thus add to the emotional atmosphere of it.
9.5/10

Plot:
No slow parts or confusing parts. To sum the plot up (in my opinion): 'Mankind should not be greedy and try to exceed its own bounds.' Brilliantly developed throughout and the ending is sad and happy at the same time...very pleasing.
10/10

Overall:
Nicely done. Three cheers to Katsuhiro Otomo on another animé masterpiece. I recommend this.
9.8/10

[Red Angel]

Yes, I know the series is kind of old, but I just finished watching it... so there...
Note: I watched the fansubbed version, not the official English release
Note2: this review can also be found on my site

Visuals: 9/10
Very nicely drawn and animated, and the ocasional CG scenes are merged into the animation very nicely.

Sound: 8/10
The First Stage (season) has great music (the theme song is STILL my favorite anime song) and the Second Stage’s music is almost as good, except the theme song, which is almost painfull to hear.

Plot: 9.5/10
Shades of Evangelion abound, but the story is nicely written and coherent. The ending for the First Stage is very poor, but at least the Second Stage ties it all up nicely.

Stuff to watch out for:
A few panty shots, and occasional violent scenes, but it’s mostly clean, unlike some other anime series *coughkiddygradecough*.

What did you peeps think?

[SygmaXE]

What are you're guys opinions on Princess Mononoke?

[yami]

I liked Mononoke Hime, but Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi (Spirited Away, as it's known here) was better in my opinion.

[Mewtwo-D2]

Well, the short summaries are just supposed to be there to provide an idea of what the anime/movie/manga is about. Like someone who heard that, say, Chobits was great, but had no idea what it was about is less likely to find and enjoy it then someone who had some idea. I'm trying to prevent people from making the mistake I made several times and getting something I hated because I'd heard it was good, but had no idea what it was about.


My review for today is a manga: Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne


Summary: Hundreds of years ago, Joan of Arc was burned as a witch. However, with demons overrunning the planet, possessing beautiful works of art and corrupting the owners, she was reborn is the body of Maron Kusakabe. Maron, as Jeanne, seals away the demons, but she is treated as an art theif, because the picture inhabited by the demon disappears and turns into a picture of an angel. To make things worse, Maron's best friend is determined to catch Jeanne.
Then, to complicate matters even more, a mysterious young man shows up and also begins capturing demons. Fin, Maron's guiding angel, warns that the mysterious Sindbad may have been sent by Satan to be her rival. But with the fate of the world in the balance, who can win?

Art: Beautiful, and very distinctive. The eyes take up about three-quarters of the face (see attachment) but it looks oddly pretty. The bodies are willowy and the costumes elegant, giving a refined feel to the artwork. The moments of SD are extremely cute, and very funny. It looks very different, though the shoujo prettiness is very obvious.

Characters: Wonderfully well developed. This is certainly not your everyday Magical Girl show. It's heavily philosophical on religious ideas, and on such subjects as broken homes. Maron is much more varied then most girls of her genre: she's cheerful, but not everything goes well for her. She drops the happy-peppy thing every once in awhile, and you see a very human character underneath. Chiaki, the rival and romantic interest, is wonderfully entertaining, and can be very sweet when the moment calls for it. The best friend, Miyako, is smart and fun, and just as well developed. The guiding angels, Fin and Access are simply wonderful; they could have a manga of just the two of them. And the "other guy", that every shoujo needs to hang around being in love with the main girl, is a surprisingly cute character called Minazuki. The not-so-good guys are just as endearing. This is a mainly character driven series, and with the cast line-up, it works wonderfully.

Overall: A very clever take on the whole Magical Girl genre. Don't expect copies in the U.S. too soon, some of the religious issues may be considered offensive. But if you can read Japanese, or find scanlations on line, I encourage you to read them, even if you're not a shoujo fan. As a confirmed shoujo hater, I found the series incredibly interesting. Also has the added plus of having dynamic characters and no boring sets of lovers.

[attachment deleted by admin]

[EngiMatikul]

I read up to Vol. 12 of LH, got Vol. 13, and soon to get Vol. 14. But then, that doesn't mean I can't review it, does it?

Title: Love Hina
Author: Ken Akamatsu
Date Released: Around 1999 in Japan and China; Summer of 2002 in America; American manga up to Vol. 8, I believe.
Genre: Romance/Comedy
Plot Summary: Kid wants to goto college. Kid fails College Entrance Exams. Kid gets kicked out of parent's house and is forced to live in his grandmother's house which unknowingly to him has turned into a female hot spring place. Kid is a boy. Kid has much conflicts with the girls. Kid's name is Keitaro, by the way. ^-^
Plot Analysis: Although the theme of trying to get into a college (as I found out) is actually quite common in Anime these days, Love Hina was the first sort of Anime I've seen that had the college struggle issue. This is what I found interesting, and appealing to me since at that time (and still right now) I was studying for tests such as the SATs... yes, me and Keitaro are SO similar T_T except for the fact that I don't exactly fail my tests...
Art: I quite admire the art of the Love Hina Manga. A bit of ecchi, as a warning; however, girls are drawn fairly reasonable and nothing is exaggerated (Well... in the way he drew the girls' bodies, anyway, a one ton anvil falling off COULD be a slight exaggeration ;)). I should mention, however, that I dislike the Anime's art compared to the Manga; the eyes JUST don't look right...
Characters: Although the characters have some unrealistic traits, they ALL have reasonable human emotions and can easily be compared to people from real life. Everyone could account as Keitaro, that person who's just striving to get into that University no matter how many times he failed; Reminds me of how I continue to play the piano despite time constraints and me not being a prodigy that I wish I were. However, I can't compare to his constant bad luck at being at the worst (well, best for some of you guys XP) moment to meet some of the girls... I cannot imagine anyone, male or female, with a stronger punch than Naru, but I can imagine some girls with the same reluctancy to hide her feelings to someone she loves. Naru, just as some people do, covers her feelings with denial towards Keitaro (As in most anime/manga, the boy is completely oblivious to the girl until very late in the story; shows that anime ppl are sexist!! jk). However, Naru, who is still giving out hints about her feelings, may still be considered moderate compared to the Samurai Girl Motoko, who practically punishes herself for ever having any feeling towards that "baka". Yet this is still realistic; haven't you ever tried to completely deny loving someone even if you know you do? Meh, I'll plead the fifth :P. There is also Shinobu, the shy young girl who's basically too shy rather than too proud to admit her love to Keitaro; Kitsune reminds me of those darn popular girls who wants to be a little over friendly with everyone; and Kaoola, who looks up to Keitaro with more of a sibling sort of relationship (speaking of sibling relationship, try out Sister Princess ppls!!!). I would go into more characters, but this Character section is already too long and besides it would be considered "spoiler" if I do so; I will tell you, though, that Tama Tama can be considered as the strangest yet most loved pet in the world.
Anime or Manga?: MANGA IF YOU HAVE AN OPTION YOU MUST GO WITH THE MANGA. Although I only watched several episodes of teh Anime, IMHO the plotline was COMPLETELY screwed up; They were hopping things everywhere. But then, that could just mean that I'm accustomed to the Manga... however, the Manga does have a more concrete plotline and not as many "extras" such as episodes which seem to have no revelence, as the Anime has several episodes in which you wonder why the heck they put it in.
Music (Anime): Even though I don't like Anime too much, I have to say the music is great. Very... unique, and as I always say about Sakura Saku, "The most dischordant yet Melodic song ever." Love Hina Again's intro is also very appealing to me.
----
There's also one more thing I'd like to comment about:

A few panty shots, and occasional violent scenes, but it’s mostly clean, unlike some other anime series *coughkiddygradecough*.
First of all, YAY! I'm surprised, I thought no one on this board knew about Kiddy Grade! Second, I think this anime is underrated because of the character Eclair. Whenever talking about Kiddy Grade, its always about Eclair; People are either worshipping her or condemning her. And personally, I'm on the critic's side; Eclair is WAY overrated IMO. However, when concerning the anime, I think if you put Eclair aside, you'd find it very appealing (I use this word too much :P). Its a space adventure anime much like Outlaw Star, so people who like Outlaw Star (And don't mind a few... unappropriate scenes) would most likely be quite interested in this series. I also find other characters and their abilities very curious and impressive (We all know TweedleDee and TweedleDum should be the main characters, or at least Viola ^-^) and the artwork is quite ok for my taste.

KG, btw, is NOT hentai, though some may consider it close to it. :P

EDIT: If you want me to comment on how I grade it, I think I'd give Love Hina as 9.5/10.
Also, if anyone once an instant review on something about any anime, goto www.animenfo.com Great source with reviews from all sorts of people (including the dumb ones, so beware) on every anime I can think of as so far.

[Red Angel]

I haven't actually watched much KG, EngiMatikul... just heard a lot from my friend... and I wanted to know what it was, since Gonzo did it... YAY Vandread :wave:

Yes, I know KG isn't hentai... it's more fan-service and what-not... silly stuff, actually...

[EngiMatikul]

Gonzo... from what I heard, people either love them or hate them... I don't have much opinion on them though, since KG is the only anime I've seen from them...:\

/me wonders if anyone else knows about Kiddy Grade...

[EVme15]

I got Akira for Christmas! Yey!

Plot (spoiler-less): Kaneda's motorcycle gang get into a fight with a rival gang, when his best friend Tetsuo gets separated from the group. Tetsuo runs into an escaped military expiriment, and gets badly injured by the enounter. Kaneda and the gang show up for Tetsuo just as the military shows up for their subject. They take Tetsuo back to their headquarters for expirimentation. His psychic powers get unleashed through the tests, and he begins to get unruly. Eventually he finds out about Akira (I won't spoil who that is!) and goes out to find "him."
RATINGS (1-10):
Plot: 8.5 Kind of fast-moving, due to the fact it's like 6 manga volumes crammed into one 124 minute movie, but it's still good.
Animation: 10 One word: sweet. This is done awesome, and has near-perfect animation. I could go into every little detail about this, but I won't. That would be too long.
Believability: 9.5 I have to take off points, but only because of one thing: the mouth movements aren't like most animes- closed, partially open, and open. They actually move like a regular human mouth would. The translators made the mouth movements match the voices (open and closed), but the actual way the mouth forms words is off a bit. Still a 9.5, though, beacuse this isn't another one of those "people stand still while they talk with maybe a bit of movement". It's great.
Average: 9.333
Would You Watch Again?: Yes
Would You Recommend It?: Yes
Rated: R (Brief nudity, swears, violence, and blood blood blood blood blood.)
My Rated: R

I like it, can you tell? ;)

[Shadow-Fox]

One of the more recent Animè series I've found myself enjoying thoroughly is Ayashi no Ceres. It's a Watase work, and I love the Watse works! Let me see if I can do a full-scale review...

Plot Summary: (Trying not to spoil it) Ayashi no Ceres focuses on a girl named Aya. Aya Mikage and her twin brother Aki are brought to their grandfather's house for their sixteenth birthday. Upon arrival, they are given their present: a mummified hand of a lady who had tried to destroy the Mikage family long ago, called Ceres. That same woman has been reincarnated as Aya. Aya manages to escape through pure luck, and the help of the Aogiris: Suzumi, Yuuhi, and their maid, named Oda Kyû. Aya's family is bent on killing her to protect the Mikages. Aki, Aya's brother, is the reincarnate of the Progenitor, the on who had killed Ceres. Ceres is bent on killing Aki, although Aya wants nothing to do with it. Meanwhile, Aya is forced to keep her love life with a Mikage ally, Töya, secret.

I personally think the plot is somewhat unique. Aya is put through so much. She couldn't trust her family, and in the beginning, she couldn't even trust Ceres, for fear Ceres would kill Aki. The title is somewhat of a pun (Ayashi no Ceres), but in America, they've managed to call it Ceres: Celestial Legend. The plot is deep. It involves possession and many other things. Many things are very mature (some a bit too mature for me), and lessen my score for it. But the whole thing just seems to scream, "WATCH THIS!" by the way it always seems to leave each episode at a horrible cliffhanger. Plot rating: 9.6 out of 10.

Art: The artwork is fantastic. Just plain WOW! The facial expressions are just perfect. The eyes are just right for the occasion (lust, fear, surprise, joy), and there is not a single detail left out. The one thing I have a problem with is the coloring. The coloring on the posters puts the coloring in the Animè look so horrible. It's still decent but it looks second-rate. Even more a more recent Animè. Artwork score: 8.3 out of 10.

Music: I'll admit it, Ayashi no Ceres music is some of the best I've heard. I've found myself enjoying ONE and Cross My Heart the most. Not only that, but Aya is a fantastic singer. In episode one, she's doing karaoke. Hearing her voice forced me to hunt for singles. One J-Pop singer is even a voice actor for Ceres. And I mean that literally. The J-Pop singer is the actual Ceres. Anyway, back on track, the music for the show is just perfect, too. It's suspenseful and joyful, and it always seems to be cut off at just the right parts. It's so much better for the plot. Music score: 9.9 out of 10.

Characters: Ahh... I find the characters very enjoyable. My personal favorites are Aki, the male twin who is forced to play on the bad guy side, and Alec, the 'IQ-of-260-who-just-happens-to-be-an-Animè-Otaku-and-gaming-expert' guy on the bad side. Chidori's really cute, too. Other characters are not so great. I don't like Töya, since he doesn't seem to show any emotion. Miori doesn't appeal to me, but a few others like her. Oda Kyû seems to be stuck in everlasting-chibi mode, thereby destroying the mood of the current position. And a certain man named Kagami is very icky. Overall chacter score: 8.4 out of 10.

Dub: Yuck. Like every other dub, yuck. (Well, Vampire Hunter D had a good dub, but that's not the point.) The voices are just horrible, too soft, or too emotionless for some of the characters. It has all of the plot intact, which is a first for the more recent Animè shows, but the voices are the worst, along with the dialogue. The ever-so-perfect Yühi voice became too deep. Töya's deep and silky voice became annoying. I got scared to think about Oda Kyû's voice, so I turned off my DVD in shame. And the dialogue is not at ALL fitting. Aya and Yühi actually have a conversation in faux-French when they are talking about what Yühi has to make for lunch. There are unecessary pauses all over the place. At least they show more than what any other dubbing station would. But that's Pioneer for you. Horrible voices, but the plot's intact. Dub score: 6 out of 10.

DVD extras: Average. There's a gallery, choice between English and Japanese, with Subtitles available. And Previews for other Animè shows. And the animated menu isn't that great. But they did good on the other parts. 7.5 out of 10.

Overall: Not a show for kids. There is Incest, and quite a bit of it! There are very mature scenes. Heck, Töya's proof of his love for Aya includes a hickey. And there is attempted sex between Aya and Yühi. I believe Aya really does go all the way with Töya. Yühi walks in on Aya in the shower in Manga 1. (And vice versa in the same Manga.) And it's very dark and bloody. (Especially the scene when *SPOILER!*) But, like any Watase work, there are very cute parts, including Yühi's obsession with cooking and throwing a fit when his food isn't eaten. And adorable Chibi people, as always. So I rate this series a 9.2 out of 10.

Watch Again?: Gladly. I watch the less-serious parts for a chuckler, the more serious parts when I feel it fits the mood, and the final credits when my sister stole the stereo from me, just to hear 'ONE' at least one more time. I love the characters, and my voice-actor God, Tomokazu Seki, does Alec, one of the coolest guys on the bad guy side EVER.

Recomend?: I recemmend this for anybody who will like dark action. Some parts of it may seem corny, like Ceres really flying (but they do that a lot in DBZ, so I don't see much of a problem), and perhaps a lot of people might not appreciate Oda Kyû's ability to shatter a mood with her flouder-like face. But it's still a great Animè. Watch it if you're tolerant of a lot of the features I've mentioned beforehand.

My Rating (Movie-wise): R, for implied sex, brief nudity (which isn't so bad, actually), Incest, blood, and death.

That should do it for Ayashi. Expect some other Animè thing soon, probably for the Fushigi Yûgi OVA 3. (Yes, another Watase. Watase-sama is GOD!)

[PlatinumHawke]

YESH! Another Ceres fan. This was my first ever series I saw on fansub from end to end. It's Dark Shoujo, two of my fave genres mixed together, what more can you ask for?


Originally posted by Shadow-Fox
Music: I'll admit it, Ayashi no Ceres music is some of the best I've heard. I've found myself enjoying ONE and Cross My Heart the most. Not only that, but Aya is a fantastic singer. In episode one, she's doing karaoke. Hearing her voice forced me to hunt for singles. One J-Pop singer is even a voice actor for Ceres. And I mean that literally. The J-Pop singer is the actual Ceres. Anyway, back on track, the music for the show is just perfect, too. It's suspenseful and joyful, and it always seems to be cut off at just the right parts. It's so much better for the plot. Music score: 9.9 out of 10.

Iwao Junko, who did Ceres' voice, is a seiyuu, not a Jpop singer (alot of seiyuus, like Hayashibara, put out CDs inbetween voice roles). She's done other roles that include Key (Key the metal Idol) and Tomoyo (CCS).

[Roarkiller]

My review for Jin-Roh, which i watched late yesterday night (on a school night, yeesh). Spoilers ahead.

----------

Summary
At the end of WW2, Japan was struggling to rebuild itself. During these turbulant times, terrorists and officials constantly battle. (lots of talking in 1st few minutes by narrator). Forward to battle between police and protestors. Terrorists groups were seen supplying special molotov cocktails. A girl, unseen in the crowd, was sent to deliver a bomb, after which she returned into the safety of the underground tunnels, during which she was cornered by armored soldiers. However, the one she met did not shoot her; instead, he questioned her on her acts. The girl, like a true terrorists, activated a bomb she was carrying, killing her and injuring a few of the soldiers, saved on by their armor.

The soldier's name was Fuse and was soon to be caught between an entanglement between the police and the special forces, using a woman acting as the previous girl's sister he met as bait, who was also a terrorist.

Good points
The first thing i noticed was that there was no out-of-the-ordinary characters or scenes. Everythng seem like it really happened in history. Animation was superb, humans features drawn with extreme details (most noticeable was the nose and ears). Gripping storyline, fitting music, good pacing.

To be frank, its my first deep and dark movie, so it really grabbed my attention. Not much action really, the story grabs its audience using more of psychological means than visual means. A BIG plus point was how they interweaved the story or red riding hood into the story itself.

Bad points
None for me, but like i said, its VERY deep and VERY dark. Gruesome scenes were prolly censored by the local censorboard, but i knew they were there by the way the scenes progressed. Violence is plentiful. So if u dislike any of these things, the movie aint for u. Adding salt to the wound would be the fact that there's more talking than action. Okay for me since i understand the director's point of view, but i aint sure of others.

Oh wait, there IS a bad point. The ending (how surprising *sarcasm*). After Fuse killed the girl, there was an extra scene where the police i.e. ppl on Fuse's side were hiding with weapons drawn. One of them looked further ahead and put down his gun. The End. I think the intention was to let the audience figure out that Fuse was returning as an 'animal' and if he did not, they would shoot him, but it didnt fit into the story at all, and it was very unclear. I spent some time trying to figure it out, and im still not sure of its meaning.

Overall
I'l give it 9.8/10 VERY good movie, definitely worth watching, best if u watch it alone on a dark rainy day for max effects. Girls would prolly cry, it aint a happy movie, i can tell u that. I dont think i'll buy the CD anytime soon though, watching this movie multiple times will kill the effect its supposed to give.

Can't wait for BlackJack next week :D

[Toon Dragon]

This is a great idea :)! I'll post up a review of one my favorite manga that I haven't seen any other fans of around here....

Title:Kodomo no Omocha (Child's Toy) [Called Kodocha:Sana's Stage in the US]

Author:Miho Obana

Genre:Shoujo, Comedy

Plot Summary: Meet hyperactive eleven-year-old Sana Kurata, who has the crazy life of a child TV star. She is the daughter of well-known author Mariko Kurata, also known for having her pet chipmunk, Maro, in her hair :P. Of course, being a TV star has its perks. Sana has her own "gigglo" Rei (well, at least she thinks so).
Her class at school is very unruly and refuses to work. At least, the boys are. Sana's class group of "monkeys" is lead by tough guy Akito Hayama. Sana's really fed up with never having class and seeing the teacher cry, so she tries her best to bring Hayama down. In the process of this, she discovers that he is hated by his sister and mostly ignored by his father since Hayama's mother died giving birth to him. Sana's got a good heart, so she tries to cheer Hayama up while bringing his group of bullies down. This is when things get crazy :D.
As the story goes along, we get some interesting back stories on the characters and some really kooky scenes. Every book is so different than the last. Also, Obana-san comments in her special
"section" along the stories. For people who want background in the creator and their thought process, this is great.

Who would this series be for?: Since this is a shoujo story, this is obiviously geared toward girls and lacks fighting. But you're someone who doesn't care for romance stories and just wants something to laugh at, take a look at this. And trust me, you'll laugh hard :D. This would probably be one of the few school drama shoujo stories that some guys may actually enjoy.
Content-wise, this series has a bit of swearing and adult situations. It is more like a young-adult novel. Most likely 11 and up, while Tokyopop rates it "Teen".

Why do I like this?: I like shoujo manga art, but am not too much into "girly" romance stories. Also, I find Sana easy to relate to.
Her class is very "boys versus girls", just like my sixth grade class was. I prefer child storytellers than adults. They're just more
imaginitive and less serious than grown-ups. I usually prefer fantasy/sci fi manga, but Sana's world is so upside-down it's kinda a "fantasy", in a way.

Artwork: Very interesting. The children have such beautiful eyes and great expressions. I like shoujo for its hyperactive presentation, and this is very hyper!

Good time to read this: After reading a Neon Genesis Evangelion novel that got you down :). (I'm a newbie Eva fan, I've read book one and a bit of book two. Very interesting portrayal of the world's armegeddon, but too dark to be one of my true favorites.
At least Pen-Pen makes things a little lighthearted :D.)

[kalad1]

I shall do Rockman.EXE, or Megaman Battle Network

Plot: Net Hikari has an enthusiasm for netbattles, but doesn't have a custom Navi,one day, he gets home and his father, who is a world famous scientist who is almost never at home, has sent him a program, he puts it in and over night, Rockman.EXE his new Navi is there in his PET(sort of a combo palmtop and cellphone) Net and Rockman end up in various adventures where they fight net-crime.

Art:kinda simple, but they have VERY good merging with the CG, it is pretty good. 9/10

Music:very nice, can really emphasize the situation. 8/10

Characters:a good spread of character types each one has something unique about them, I give this a 9.5

Dub:not dubbed yet, but if they change Enzan's name to Chaud, I will give it a Zero out of Ten

overall: It IS mainly a kiddish show, but has elements that can appeal to anyone I'd give it a 9/10 overall

[Emotional Faun Chiko-sai]

Lalala...

Rurouni Kenshin Meiji Kenkaku Romantan, aka Samurai X
Manga/Anime

Original Mangaka: Watsuki Nobuhiro *ALL HAIL*

Length of Manga: In Japan it was serialized in Shonen Jump from 1994 to 2000. 28 volumes, translated into many many other languages including Chinese, Malay and French but apparently they haven't gotten around to doing it up in English yet. -_-

Length of Anime: Three seasons, from 1996 (?) to 1997/8 in Japan. I think there was 95 episodes. I watched it on local TV so I don't know how many DVD's it's split up into, or when they were released in America ^_^;; There are also two OVA's, Tsuioko Hen and Seisou Hen.

People Who Turned it Into an Anime: I believe it was Sony...

Plot Summary: There was once a legendary assassin known as the Hitokiri Battousai, who worked for the Ishinshishi during the fall of the Tokugawa (I'm not too clear on what this era should be called *big sweatdrop*). He was renowned for his ruthlessness and effectiveness in eliminating enemies of the Ishinshishi. However, after the Meiji government rose to power, he seemed to have disappeared into thin air...

Ten years later, a mysterious vagabond with an X-scar on his face and carrying a sakabatou (reverse-edge sword) shows up in Tokyo. His name is Himura Kenshin, he has vowed never to kill again, and he is taken in by Kamiya Kaoru of the Kamiya dojo. What is his connection to Hitokiri Battousai? (Apart from the *cough*coincidence*cough* that they both have long red hair, are short, cute, and that incriminating X-scar on the left cheek... hehe) Predictably, old enemies surface with their evil plans and he has to go stop them with a bunch of friends.

In the manga, the story goes along in order of three 'story arcs': Tokyo Arc, Kyoto Arc, and Jinchuu Arc. The first two are mainly about stopping baddies, and while the third arc is also about stopping baddies, it also deals with Kenshin's family issues. The historical figures mentioned in RK, and some of the main characters, either really existed or are based on people that really existed. I find this point interesting, especially since Watsuki-sensei managed to make his characters both believable and not out-of-context with the timeline of any history book. (Although, after seeing their handsome faces in the series, if you looked at their original faces *eg. Saitou Hajime or Okita Souji* you might get a heart attack ^_^;.)

Weirdly (and happily) enough, the anime seems to follow the manga *almost* faithfully up until the end of the second season. After that, it's mostly (lame) filler episodes. In this respect, I totally recommend the manga over the anime... (plus, the so-called bad guy in the Jinchuu 'Earthly Judgement' arc of the manga, Enishi, is really good eye-candy! *_*)

Art: The art for RK is quite shounen, although that doesn't stop all the dazed fangirls from swooning over certain characters. ^^; The anime's art in the first half of season one leaves much to be desired; it picks up considerably in the end of it and the second season (the swordfighting scenes are very very pretty! Glowing lightsaber katanas xD), and in the third season it takes a plunge for the worse again. The OVA's are pretty well animated, though the art style is more realistic and different from the anime.

Music: The anime is totally J-pop (not necessarily a bad thing, the OP's and ED's are very good to headbang to ^^). The OVA music is darker and subtler, and I like it better for some reason.

Characters: Himura Kenshin is THE perfect good-natured kawaii hero with the deep dark past. (plus he's short... and skinny... and he still can do all the funky sword techniques...) My favourite blatantly good guys are Kaoru (except when she gets weepy over Kenshin), and Aoshi. Otherwise, I would have to say my overall favourite is Saitou. The baddies for the beginning bits are rather cardboard cutout, but if you can stomach that till Shishio (and Enishi, if you manage to grab copies of the manga) makes an appearance, all well and good. My favourite baddies were Chou (big mouth with broom hair), Soujiro (a cute smiley-face!) and Enishi (psycho... demented... etc). And Saitou as the 'antihero' is great, he seems to veer between helping Kenshin out 'because it coincides with my purposes' and looking down on his pacifist principles xD

Dub: GETITAWAYGETITAWAYGETITAWAY!!!! It is EVIL! *hides behind a table* The person who cast Misao's English voice actress must have been drunk or on crack. Oh, the horribleness of the deep, uncharacteristically GUYISH voice!! And the dialogue.... WHAT HAPPENED TO ORO, EH?! I miss Ken-nii's chibi Oro's!! *twitch*

Would I watch the anime again?: HELL YES.... well... until the third season... hehe...

Manga or Anime?: I would have to go for the manga. There is a more concrete plot, and it suddenly seems to turn darker towards the end during the Jinchuu Arc (books 18-28). The art is more consistent, and the characters met in the Kyoto Arc show up very much more often.

Overall: Anyone can watch this show (or read the manga). No, really. Some of the deeper themes will go right over kiddies' heads, though. There's also a lot of Japanese cultural references, for example, girls getting married at a young age. (Kaoru is considered an old maid at 17.... XD!!) Although I am this hater of canon-couples, I managed to take the Kenshin+Kaoru syndrome pretty well (I personally prefer Tomoe with Kenshin pairing...) since they didn't cling all over each other and do naughty things before marriage like in shoujo animes.

My Rating: For the anime, PG-13, at most. There is virtually no male-female close physical contact (except in OVA1, and unless you count Kaoru smacking various male characters over the head or one scene where Kenshin does the obligatory romantic embrace with Kaoru...). The fight scenes are a leetle more graphic, with blood dripping and all, but the real bloodbaths are in the OVA1, so there's not much to fear in the TV series.

[SygmaXE]

Is it out in the USA? Where?! ON TV!?? I MUST KNOW!!!

I love this anime and I've never watched it!

[EngiMatikul]

Originally posted by SygmaXE
Is it out in the USA? Where?! ON TV!?? I MUST KNOW!!!

I love this anime and I've never watched it!

No, its not out on TV and no its not out in the US yet; heck, it isn't even licensed. However, I have heard of some news of a company preparing to license the series. :/

Meanwhile, if you're really interested in it, dl it before the series gets licensed. I particularily didn't find it to my tastes.

[Mako]

lol...living in Taiwan for quite a while i've gotten aquinted with many different types of japanese animation and manga. Kodomo no Omocha will always be one of my top favorites along with Yu Yu Hakusho and Rurouni Kenshin (Samurai X). Come to think of it, Rurouni Kenshin and Yu Yu Hakusho are all already airing in America supposingly on channel 72 (for me) or many may know it as the Cartoon Network channel (or whatever channel that has the program Toonami).

[Hexastylis]

I can have a critical approach sometimes. If you can't take negative comments about you favourite review, please do not complain to me about it. Learn to respect peoples opinions.


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Inuyasha

A half (dog) demon Inuyasha is released from 50 years sleep by Kagome, a modern day student, when she steps back in time to feudal Japan. This era is packed with an endless pick of demons and they all want the Shikon no Tama (a crystal ball with lotsa power). Because of Kagome the Shikon no Tama becomes shattered and dispersed all over the country, and that begins their quest to re-collect them. 3 more allies (Miroku, Shippo & Sango) have joined them thus far.

Inuyasha is a series that got me glued to the screen for a while. It had a good adventuring pace, and the demons destined for Inuyasha's sword spiced things up once in a while. Then we also had Naraku who is basically everyone's enemy in our travelling group minus Shippo. The other two characters I find more interesting but are given pitiful appearences Sesshoumaru and Kikyo. Yeah, I do tend to like the less "nice" characters. Kikyo is a particularly cold ***** but I still prefer her over Kagome. It's not often that anime series have love triangles where one guy sincerely loves both the other two equally. It's quite interesting how Inuyasha cannot decide between the two (it's gonna be Kagome though, she's the star after all).

About 60+ episodes of Inuyasha however, I begin to see that all the juicy parts of the storyline have been used up. The bickering between members of the group are the same, as is falling into Naraku's traps and I'm sick of seeing the same old flashbacks of Inuyasha and Kikyou's past. I can't see a conclusion anytime soon since some episodes waste time with a focus on Miroku, Sango, Shippo. I happen to find Sango an extremely dull character too, which dosen't help. So at present 90+ I'm getting the sense that everything is continually being recycled, and the story progression remaining static. I do find it a little sad that I'm not as drawn to this series the way I was a year ago, and I hope they manage to break from this tedious pace.

Rating: **** Very good adventure series with an interesting plot even if it is a little stretched. I think this series is equally attractive to both genders and across a wide age range. Sometimes it can get a little gory for little kids though.

Length: Over 90 episodes, continuing.
2 Movies

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Sailor Moon

Most famous magic girl series to date, this has also had the unfortunate american dub treatment. I am really not against dubbing, sometimes I'm too lazy to always read subs, but I'd just wished the english speaking learned. The movies are the only dubbed ones that I have though, which is fortunate. Actually everyone else sounded decent enough, but Serena/Usagi (main character pictured middle) and Luna sounded like old ladies (Luna being also simultaneously snooty). Don't know why they decided to select the worst voice for the main character (dub not sub).

Anyway, although this is undoubtly the most famous of magical girl animes, I certainly wouldn't say it leads over all the rest. Aspects such as transformation sequences and monster fights which define this genre very soon become extremely repetitive. Maybe kids like repeating stuff (I know my brother has watched my Slayers movie 10 times +), and indeed this series is designed for the younger generation. Identifying the fact that they rely on sickening girly wands, brooches, makeup cases and such to transform, you'll notice that it's also shoujo (made for little girls).

Transformation sequences and monster of the episode exists all throughout the 200 episodes of Sailormoon, occupying approximately half the length. You will definately be snickering at most, if not all of the monster designs. The other half, when not leading into the baddie's conspiracies reflect upon a fair bit of character development (albeit mostly for Usagi/Serena; it can't be helped since shes the main role). Understandably I usually enjoyed these halves more and was quite content to doze off when they were ready to fight.

In the picture above the main characters from the first of the series are illustrated. Sailormoon is divided into the: Sailormoon, Sailormoon R, Sailormoon Super, Sailormoon SuperS and Sailormoon Star. Of course, having so many parts, more are introduced. One of them from Super being my favourite from the series. I must admit, before I watched more than the first part, Usagi was my favourite. They did sometimes overdo her cry-baby acts, but most of the time I found her too funny to ignore. Onwards throughout the series however, I grew to get irritated of her. She still is very funny, especially in the Stars series and she even is more mature and less likely to have unprovoked bouts of wailing. However her maturity has the side effect of making her not fighting, but loving her enemies to death. It was such a looooooong agonizing last battle in Stars.

The storyline loses it's original flavour as it progresses. Starting off with a normal teenage girl Usagi who befriends a strange looking cat, Luna, who happens to talk and do not much else. Well.....she has the brooches and stuff that helps the girls she recruits to transform into warriors of justice. Usagi is the first appointed, although a klutz like her is hardly going to accomplish many successful battles by herself. Thus we have sauve Tuxedo Karmen coming to the rescue almost every episode (yep, repetitive it is) and also the later senshis Luna finds. The conclusive battle starts very abruptly in my opinion, although it is much more watchable and memorable than the final battle in later series (which was pure boredom).

Sailormoon R is a much needed continuation of the first sailormoon. It is split into two parts. The first dealing with meddling aliens Ali and Ann which most seem not to like. I actually enjoyed the romantic feel of this saga. Both Ali and Ann are uncontrollable flirts, yet they are jealous because they pay attention to others of the opposite sex (they're supposed to be together). I don't understand why most like the black moon saga. This part of the series introduces the nightmare of Sailormoon called Chibi-usa. The stupid stinking brat that begs to be loathed. And you taste her full power in the SuperS series as she is made into the main focus. Thats all I'm going to mention about that series because only obligation made me sit through all that crap.

But I'm digressing, because between the SailormoonR and SuperS was Super. I'm not saying theres an excel in plot (and the attack scenes are just full of cheese), but my favourite character Haruka is introduced. Her and her partner, Michiri's involvement in Super makes it just about enough to tolerate Chibi-usi (what shes still in it?); I guess the makers loved her, or maybe there really are alot of sick souls out there who are sad enough to become a fan. Sorry for going on, but you cannot begin to understand the extent to which she annoyed me. But thanks to god, she goes away in Stars.

The Stars part of sailormoon was quite short compared to the other series and rushed things a little. It was strange how they completely removed Usagi's best (normal, i.e not senshi) friend Naru. I don't recall them mentionning her throughout the entire series. Extremely rude, since she was always around in the previous episodes. Apart from the limited length and the worst final battle of all Sailormoon, Stars was quite an enjoyable addition. Of course some may find the gender-confusing aspects of the Starlights far from impressive. Although with the inclusion of weird characters like the Starlights, there is also the return of Haruka and Michiri and departure of Mamoru and Chibiusa, which I'm definately not complaining about. However there was sadly, *sigh*, a substitute - another (smaller) brat Chibi-Chibi. - I knew it was too good to be true.

Maybe I should have mentionned Mamoru more, since he is Usagi's romantic focus. However I just don't find his character particularly inspiring. Talking of romance, it was also disappointing to find that Usagi was the only one with a real boyfriend even though the other girls are always yapping on about love. It would have been nice seeing at least one of them hook up with someone. Rei had an admirer all the way through but he wasn't even mentionned towards the end. Amy had a separate chapter discussing her love, except he never even showed his face the entire chapter.

Sailormoon generally did not provide me with as much interest as I originally hoped it would. The storyline and plot were always a standard "collect certain somethings, be it energy or crystallised hearts" from innocent citizens affair. Characteristic of Sailormoon, but definately nothing to boast about. However, the character interaction is rich and theres a fair dosage of comedy. Sailormoon definately lacks in a great many areas, but it has enough to make it a memorable experience for some.

Rating: *** Too much flaws and Chibi-Moon for it to be of better rating. It sometimes made me want to continue, but sometimes just bored me out of my mind with the monster-of-the-day routine.
Comment by Heavenscent: The Series is probably one of the most girly animes that I've seen, basically I agree with the comments made by Sweetcream, however, there are also many good points about it, hence, being so long.
One thing I particularly liked about it was the strong focus that it shows on friendship - ok, it is pretty corny, but watching it at a younger age gives different insight. Another thing was the relationship between Michiri and Haruka (Neptune and Uranus) which is further on in the series - very usual but something that I would call a 'perfect' relationship.

The series does seem to drag on too much later on, maybe it should have ended a bit earlier, the characters got abit weary and ideas went down the drain.
It was due to to the length that brought about so many bad comments, I wont say much, but the focus on Chibi Moon is the worst, I suggest you skip that part altogether. It is essential though that you watch right through to the end (bar chibi moon bits) as the characters at the end are much more interesting i.e. The Sailors Stars, I adore them.

[I]Length: 200 Tv episodes
3 Movies

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Rurouni Kenshin TV

Review provided by my sister, Herajeng Gustiayu

The main reason I watched this in the first place was because I was forced into it by my sis. It was only till much later on that I realised I liked it much more than she did.

The story of Ruroni Kenshin is based on a 'Wanderer' (Kenshin) with super upmost elaborate skills in swordplay. It would be advisable to watch the OVA's first which is full of gore (nice) as this clearly presents his past and what his life was like before he becomes a wanderer. (He also looks much more attractive ^^ - that's from a girls point of view)

Kenshin swears an oath only to use his skills to protect people in order to atone for his previous sins, this leads him to the use of a sword call a Sakaba - a sword with a reversed blade. He later meets up with a group of people whom he becomes friends with and sticks to throughout the series.

Although the series involves a lot of politics which I found quite boring, it is all essential to the story-line. A lot of the 'enemies' that Kenshin has to fight off later are mostly a result of his previous identity, and it is for that reason I came to accept it more.

Rurouni Kenshin is most interesting when concerning the overall feel of the Anime. Because the majority of episodes are based mainly 'outside', it gives quite a lively feel. Furthermore the characters from Kenshin all possess quite bubbly personalities which quickly bars out the depressive feel that other Animes may give (although they also have a serious side during battle).

I would certainly recommend this series as it possesses lots of action and lots of fiddling with swords and techniques. The existence of relationships are also pleasantly mild unlike other animes where Love is the main focus, this suited me quite well as I personally hate Animes which such a base. I would probably complain that the contents is sometimes overly predictable and certain parts of this anime is quite dragged out. I would also have preferred it more if Kenshin had displayed more of his evil side...

Rating: **** 1/2
Sweetcream: ** 1/2 This is definately one to pass the time with. Not because it's not interesting, but because this factor is unevenly distributed. One chapter I'm all perked up and absorbed, the next my concerntration is floating everywhere. Theres always this routine too. Enemy enters the scene which Kenshin dosen't seem able to fight (unless he gets dangerous). We're supposed to be in suspense thinking "Ooh is he going to reverse his sakaba and kill someone?" But really we know that he gets the job done without going against his No Killing rule at the last minute. I prefer this genre more with the extra magical additions like Recca or Hakusho. It's definately not a bad series though.

Length: 95 Tv episodes
4 Ova (Came out after Tv but storyline precedes TV events)
Movie (After Tv events)
3(?) Ova (Conclusion to storyline)

---

[KaptainSarcasm]

Now I'm going to spend infinite time reviewing Tenkuu no Escaflowne, which I just finished watching.

Title: Tenkuu no Escaflowne (Vision of Escaflowne)

Director: Kazuki Akane

Plot: 15-year-old Kanzaki Hitomi is just your average track-running, tarot-card reading girl when everything begins. She even has a crush on her track coach, "Amano-sempai." But one day, a mysterious boy appears on the track, followed shortly by a HUGE DRAGON. Hitomi helps the boy slay the dragon with a strange vision, and then is transported to a different world where the earth and the moon hang in the sky. The world is "Gaea." The boy is Van Fanel, new King of Fanelia. It is with him, and his large robot Escaflowne, that Hitomi's journey begins.

Basically, Hitomi helps Van in his fight against the empire, Zaibach. Along the way she meets interesting people, in particular Allen Schezar, who reminds her so strongly of Amano-sempai that she falls for him.

It's a good plot. I didn't really give it justice. I give it an 8/10 because Hitomi got on my nerves sometimes. ^^;

Music: With a musical score by Yoko Kanno, the the same genious who worked on Cowboy Bebop, you just can't go wrong. 10/10. The ending theme song was super-good.

Looks: Very pretty. It's a relatively old anime, though, so it still has that kind of dusty 80's look about it. It's still awesome-looking though, and the creators draw sunsets really well. ^^ 9/10.

Charecters: Hitomi was okay, but sometimes she annoyed me. She was avoidable though. Van was cool, Allen was a playa, most of the girls were sappy, and Dryden was cool as ice. However, the charecter that really takes the cake and made the show great was, of course, Dilandau. How could you not love Dilandau? His favourite expression is "Burn! Burn!!!!" Yay! 10/10 on this one.

Voice acting: Super-good! Some of the best! Dilandau's voice actress, Minami Takayama (who was also Mokuro from Yu Yu Hakusho. Scary. o_0 ) did a first-class job. I was impressed by all the voice actors, in fact. The voice actress for Hitomi, Maaya Sakamoto, also sang all of the main songs for the anime. 10/10 on this one.

Overall: One of the best animes I've seen in a while, Escaflowne stole my heart for a good week while I watched it. I own it on three DVDs, and I felt dreaded watching the final DVD even after I had only seen two episodes. I never wanted it to end. I'de give this anime an overall 9/10, and I only took away the one point because, y'know, all the sappy girls. I'm not a sappy girl fan.

Phew! Finished!

[Toon Dragon]

Title: Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind

Author: Hayao Miyazaki (Now you can see why I read this :D).)

Genre:Sci/Fi-Fantasy

Plot Summary: This story takes place in a far-off future left in the deserted ruins of a huge nuclear war. The remaining humans try to regain whatever technology is left and live amongst a huge deadly mist coming from what is known as the "Sea of Corruption", which technically isn't a "sea" but a forest whose only inhabtitants are mutanted insects arising from the polluted ground. The lead is compassionate young Nausicaa, who is amazed by all creatures, including the rampaging Ohmu, who are dismissed by all others as "disgusting". She is a talented pilot from the small secluded kingdom called the Valley of the Wind.

Without warning, their fellow kingdom of Peijitei is taken over by Torumekian troops, even though they were bound by treaties!
Nausicaa vollunteers to go off to a challenged battle, but truthfully wants to stay back, as she hates the killing of all living things. On the way to the battlefield, she finds the Peijiteian princess in her last hours. She gives Nausicaa a stone and requests to have it returned to her brother. What Nausicaa doesn't know is that the stone is the key to one of the great "God Warriors" from the world-ending battle. Her story goes into deeper twists.....

Who would this be for? Anyone, pretty much. Despite the bloody battle shots, those are only used to show the evil side of battle and not glamourize it. The basic opinion of the novel is that the world is beautiful, but human mistakes have made it ugly. A lot of this is pretty grim, but there are some funny shots, like the expressions on Kurutowa's face :D. Even though he's one of the most devious characters, he's also the funniest.

Artwork: Stunning! I particularly love the flying shots of Nausicaa on her Mehve, with Teto. Lots of interesting flying machines, since that's one of Miyazaki's specialities. Same look and feel as the characters from Studio Ghibili films, and the vast backgrounds, too.

Overall: This series is interesting and unique, where the hero isn't the "good guy" in battle, but merely a peacekeeper trying to find an end to this and experiences things on both sides of war.
Even though I find it sometimes long and confusing, I just love it :). Anyone who liked Princess Mononoke in the slightest will be interested in Nausicaa. I do hope the film gets to the US...[and not the butchered "Warriors of the Wind" :P]...

[Shadow Trainer Ash]

Title: Wolf's Rain
Studio: BONES
Genre: Drama/Fantasy


This is an animé I have recently really gotten into. I just couldn't stand not seeing a review up here for such a great anime, so I decided to just go ahead and post my own. ^_^


Story
At the end of the world is "Paradise"... a place where the Lunar Flowers grow to the light of the moon. When the world begins to die, the wolves will smell the flowers and go to the Paradise. Kiba, a lone wolf stumbles into a shoddy city upon smelling the flowers-- where he discovers Cheza, the Flower Maiden produced by the genes of the Lunar flowers. Wolf blood calls to her, and it seems Kiba even affects her emotions. The city is run by a group of rich people called "nobles", and a group of deliquents lead by Tsume are often seen stealing their cargo.
Wolves have been thought to be extinct for over 200 years, and their search for Paradise has been concluded as a fairy tale. But strangely one has been sighted again and is on the move. (As far as Kiba is concerned) It has seemed that the wolves had adapted to human nature and have learned to live along side them as humans...
Kiba is determined to find Paradise, as he even says, "The same road will continue on... but even so... why do I get caught up in such a urge..."
There are three other main wolf characters which shine through the story. Toboe, Hige, and Tsume-- all with their own personalities and reasons for finding Paradise. And it seems that they're the only ones left willing to take the path...

My rating: 9/10

Animation
This animation is astounding. Though not at all bright due to the story's dark concept and characters, it's fantastic and very well drawn. Emotions are put in brilliantly, and sometimes everything looks in watercolor to give it a more distant effect. The wolves are what I saw to be the best work of the series. The beauty of the wolf art work is something I really idolize. ^.^ What I also noticed is the creativity of the work. I thought it was quite cool the way the wolf characters still had the silhouettes of a wolf while in human form.

My rating: 10/10

Music
Being that this is Yoko Kanno's work, of course the music is breath taking. Though I'm not quite sure it'd be to everybody's liking. The opening is Stray sung by Steve Conte (Which I really like), and the ending Gravity is sung by the notorious Maaya Sakamoto. Personally I love the tracks and will be purchasing the soundtrack quite soon, although I lowered the grade due to what others might think.

My rating: 8/10

Voice acting
The voices are great. ^_~ Kiba's voice is very sexy... but I could just be being biased. Hehe

My rating: 9/10


Overall rating: 9/10
I adore this anime and if I could, would hug it until it burst apart. Just a warning that if you are to watch this anime, that it is a bit mature due to death, depression and blood. (Yeah, it isn't very lovely to see wolves biting people by the neck and nearly ripping other packs apart) But if you thought Mononoke Hime was a "no sweat" to the blood, this should be nothing. So far the series is on episode 11, I think (which I'm downloading right now), and is only available in Japan.

[Mew Master]

Okay time for the reveiw of some of my favorite anime/manga.

Gundam Wing: This was the first Gundam show I've ever seen and it is by far my most favorite. The animation is excuisite and the diologue and voices set the tone very well. The characters development is very nicely done as well as how fast or slow the plot goes. Many people know about this, as well as several others that appear on Toonami.

Tenchi Muyo! OAV: The first 12 episodes they aired on Cartoon Network are the original OAV about Tenchi and company. The hilarious rivalry between Ayeka, Ryoko, as well as everyone else add to why I love this anime. The characters are nicely done and the poor Tenchi is so oblivious to the five girls all wanting his affection.

Outlaw Star: I like this one because of the imaginative world and universe where it takes place. It has a nice mix of magic and science effects that make it wonderful to watch. That and to see how low Gene Starwind will go to get a date...

Love Hina: OMG! Anyone who hasn't seen this Manga should go to Waldenbooks and get it. Or else I shall haunt you forever!! Seriously, the story is about Keitaro, a two year Ronin (someone who failed the college enterance exams, not the warriors) who is finally kicked out of his house by his parents and seeks to reside at the Hinata House, a hotel where his Grandmother is the manager. When he gets there he finds out the Hinata House has been transformed into a Girl's Dorm and he can't stay there! He goes to leave but his aunt gives him a fax from his now globetrotting Grandmother that he now owns Hinata House as the new landlord.

The girls, Naru, Kitsuine, Motoko, Shiboru, and Suu, try and get him to quit and leave but eventually warm up to Keitaro's clumsy ness and good hearted ness and leave him alone (for the most part). He teams up with Naru to get into Tokyo U and they both learn their true feelings down the road (even I haven't gotten that far!!)

Over all rating (1-10): I currently have the manga so this is a Manga review not an anime one. I only have 1-7 out of 14 so I'm almost halfway through the story. I really hope Naru and Keitaro hit it off.

Characters: (9) Every character has a small quirk or trait that makes them seem more human. Keitaro is a clumsy oaf and worries too much, Naru can't decide what to do, Kitsuine drinks, Suu is hyperactive, Motoko can't deal with being a woman, Shinobu can't express her feelings very well, Seta is absent minded, Sarah is crule, and Mitsuki is anemic and can't seem to notice what's going on. All of them combined makes for a less than perfect relationship

Art: (8.5) Very nice use of Tones and angles to show off emotions and very "special" moments.

Story: (10) You have to feel sorry for Keitaro and realize there's a bit of him in everyone. He isn't willing to stop and will do anything to get into Tokyo U to fufill a promise he made when he was 5 years old to.... now I can't tell you that!!!

Overall: 9.5 Very nice and one of my favorite Mangas. Now if only I could get them on DVD.....

Magic Knight Rayearth: Another Manga review. Three girls are transported to Chipiro in order to save the princess trapped by Zagato. I find this one fun because it was really the first full Manga series I ever bought because I couldn't afford the DVD or VHS titles. My GF gave me some grief because Most of what I have are mangas with a lot of girls in them... Well I like this one, so what?

Slayers: Very good I really like this one. Lina Inverse is a 15 year-old scorceress who only wants money, money, and more money.... as well as power. She has a dumb-as-a-door swordsman who is smarter than he lets on. Very funny and Lina has a good heart although she's greedy most of the time.

I have more but I can't think of them yet... -_-U

~ Mew Master

[Pokemaster Ash]

Time for me to shed a better light on things from (what was once) a good anime.

Anime: Battle Network Rockman.EXE (full title), Mega Man NT Warrior (dub name)
Plot summary: In a world where almost everything is linked up to the Internet (even ovens and traffic lights), things are looking pretty nice. To take care of the rapidly appearing problem of viruses (which take the form of common enemies found in past Mega Man games, even down to the Metools/Mettaurs and some...unique designs) and to better travel the Net and communicate with others, just about everyone has a Personal Terminal (or PET). And in that is everyone's NetNavigator, or Navi for short. However not everyone uses them for good. Two criminal groups, World Three (WWW) and later the Gospel Mafia, use their Navis to spread chaos throughout the Net. This is where our heroes come in... Netto/Lan Hikari was feeling bad after losing to his friend Dekao/Dex and his custom Navi Guts Man.EXE. The Navi he had was a mass-production model, and not a strong one at that. Upon returning home, he finds a program sent to him by his often absent dad. After its complete, Rockman.EXE/Mega Man.EXE is born, and just in time to help take care of a large fire in the oven of their house caused by viruses and Fire Man.EXE. The two then go on to have many interesting adventures along with their friends.

Art: Rockman.EXE is drawn very smoothly, blending normal art with computer graphics flawlessly. Very nice job.

Music: The original music for the series is just awesome. It fits the mood of the scenes perfectly.

Characters: The series has a nice variety of characters. There's the typical dense hero Netto/Lan, his rival Enzan/Chaud, his rather annoying friend Dekao/Dex (who loses to Lan every battle after he gets Mega Man), the clumsy chip fanatic Higsby, fortune teller Miyuki (who has only been wrong once in her predictions, at least to my knowledge), nature-lover Saloma, and...the very interesting Masa, who does not hesitate in promoting fish and calcium.

Dub: NT Warrior.....is pretty bad. The music isn't so good, the voices are meh compared to the originals, and some perfectly good names have been changed. (Am I missing something? What was wrong with Fire Man, Color Man, and Bomb Man? Why are they now Torch Man, Wacko Man, and Blaster Man?) Other than that, it isn't too bad.

Overall: I would recommend seeing this anime, but you're better off finding subtitled versions of Rockman.EXE than watching NT Warrior. It will probably be more enjoyable. And while the anime does not follow the storyline of the Mega Man Battle Network games, it's still very good.




And slightly off-topic, but relevent to this anime, the guy in the avatar is Forte.EXE/Bass.EXE. He's a hidden enemy in the games, but a chaotic neutral wanderer in the anime.

EDIT: Fixed some typos. Note to self: Don't type anything while half-asleep.

[Azura Stardust]

Originally posted by Shadow-Fox
Art: The artwork is fantastic. Just plain WOW! The facial expressions are just perfect. The eyes are just right for the occasion (lust, fear, surprise, joy), and there is not a single detail left out. The one thing I have a problem with is the coloring. The coloring on the posters puts the coloring in the Animè look so horrible. It's still decent but it looks second-rate. Even more a more recent Animè. Artwork score: 8.3 out of 10.

I think it was pretty good too, except sometimes the hair was stuck, the colouring was weird, and a lot of times the eyes seemed to be above the hair though the hair was actually in front of the eye. Ah well. Watase's style is beautiful anyway. Unreal but beautiful.

Music: I'll admit it, Ayashi no Ceres music is some of the best I've heard. I've found myself enjoying ONE and Cross My Heart the most. Not only that, but Aya is a fantastic singer. In episode one, she's doing karaoke. Hearing her voice forced me to hunt for singles. One J-Pop singer is even a voice actor for Ceres. And I mean that literally. The J-Pop singer is the actual Ceres. Anyway, back on track, the music for the show is just perfect, too. It's suspenseful and joyful, and it always seems to be cut off at just the right parts. It's so much better for the plot. Music score: 9.9 out of 10.

This can't be more correct, I will testify to this wholly. Whoever the sound director was, he kicks major ***. For quite a lot of episodes, a little bit of the episode is shown first, then the opening song (which is VERY VERY VERY NICE. Iwao Junko, who did the roles as PH said along with Yukishiro Tomoe in the RK OVA, and is Ceres, sings Scarlet - a MUST DOWNLOAD. Such a beautiful song...)... and the ending songs One and Cross My Heart are classic examples of J-pop, and they're really nice.. Very addictive. I like the way they do the softer intro part of One when the episode is starting to end, and then as soon as it ends it breaks into the main song.

Aya is not that much of a Mary Sue like my friend implied to me... :\

[Dark-San]

Title: Gundam Seeds

Anime Junkies Summary: Gundam SEED is one of the latest additions to the Gundam universe that was started over twenty years ago. For over a year after SEED was announced to be in production, fans on both sides of the Pacific eagerly awaited its Japanese television debut. Most anticipated a title that would go as far as to set a new par for the Gundam universe. Unfortunately, the final product they would actually be presented with turned out to surprise even the most die-hard of Gundam aficionados.
One of the first things anybody who watches Gundam SEED will notice is the number of similarities to past Gundam titles. The original Mobile Suit Gundam centered around the crew of the White Base, a newly developed warship of the Federation. Seeing a ship in SEED of a very similar design and perhaps even in a very similar role in comparison to the original White Base would not be surprising if Gundam SEED were a Universal Century (the original timeline of Gundam titles) Gundam title. But because Gundam SEED is a title belonging in an alternative universe (titles which do not take place in the Universal Century Gundam timeline) the existence of such a similarity can be somewhat disturbing, particularly to those viewers watching the first few episodes of SEED for the first time. None the less this similarity and others even more striking have managed to find acceptance with most fans as they continue to watch the series past its early episodes.

One of SEED's great strengths that help to off-set its downfalls is its animation style. While some of the scenes are easily identifiable as being CGI based, there are a number of other scenes where the animation just comes off the screen (basically reference any battle between the mobile suits/armors and you will see what I am saying) with an organic and very lively feel to them. SEED also has easy to like characters that don't stir up any particular doubts of character quality in the mind of the viewer. Gundam SEED is essentially an easy to watch and easy to enjoy anime title, but those of us who are strongly familiar with the Universal Century side of the Gundam universe as well as the alternate universe titles are proving to be strong hold outs to liking Gundam SEED. The series is slated to run for a total of two seasons so there is easily room for the series to improve from its early unstable footings. The end result of how Gundam SEED will be remembered by anime fans is easily something of interest to many including myself.

Anime Junkies rating: 3/5

Latest episode released: 40

My rating: 4/5

Basically its the story rather than the animation that interests me. The story is not as complicated as Gundam Wing. A simple story yet meaningful story. Worth watching...

Title: Onegai Twins

Summary: The leading actor of this story is Maiku Kamishiro who lost parents. He assumed the high school entrance to be a turning point, and started living alone. Miina Miyafuji and Karen Onodera who are the student in the same high school show up there. Miina is a bright, active girl. In contrast, Karen is a lovely, obedient girl. What is their purposes?

The theme of this series is near relatives. But the outline isn't still so clear. Because characters' uniforms are the same as 1st series, Onegai Twins is guessed to be a story in the same high school as Onegai Teacher. But, it is uncertain how characters of 1st series are related. At least, Haruko Shido who is Matagu Shido's younger sister appears.

My rating: 3/5

latest episode released: 1

Onegai Teacher is my kind of flawless love drama. Tears, anger, love everything. I wondered how would it's sequel be like...

[Last Exile]

http://www.pokemasters.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=20097

I did reviews of 7 animes in this topic abotu anime conventions.

But I'll rate them here:

Full Metal Panic - 8/10
Read or Die - 9.5/10
Noir - 9.5/10
Nadesico - 9.5/10
Onegai Teacher - 9/10
Excel Saga - 9.5/10
Fruits Basket - 9/10

[Dark-San]

You probably give too much nines -_-"

To be fair I think only a couple of them deserve a nine

Onegai Teacher: 9/10

Comments: Back then I posted a topic abt onegai teacher and nobody here seems to know abt it. Looks like downloading it from the net is a wise thing you get to look and enjoy the anime a few months ahead of others...

Full Metal Panic: 7.5/10

Comments: Arms Slave... The story somehow reminds me of gundam lolz. Good to watch but I think the anime ended a bit too abrupt. Man it ended on them just fishing... *Disappointed*

Fruit Basket: 7/10

Comments: Stupid story but an enjoyable one. Who would change into an animal when a female touches that person heh?

Chobits: 8/10

Comments: You should really hav seen this anime at the convention. Another anime that would really rock the house.

[Last Exile]

Maybe, but that's my personal opinion. I really did love those animes!

In comparison, I'd downgrade Pokemon to a 2-3/10, DBZ to a 0.5/10, Digimon to 0.5/10, keep Card Captor Sakura at 9/10, give Zoids about 7/10 and Yu-Gi-Oh! about 9/10.

[Dark-San]

U dun need to be so mean to old time anime!

Pokemon will probably carry a 3/10
Digimon a 3.5/10
DBZ a 6/10
Yu gi oh 7/10
Card Captor Sakura at 8/10 (9 is too high abt ;P)
Zoids 6.5/10

[Last Exile]

Would you be offended if I gave Beyblades 0/10?! :D

Anyway, i went to an anime club last night, and saw 7 more animes I'd never seen before.

I'll review them now:

1. hack//SIGN - Okay, jumping in a bit into the serious was intimidating. But it actually kind of made sense and had its appeal. If only it wasn't so damn slow! It seems to take 20 years for anything to happen, which is annoying since most of the characters are actually pretty appealing and have wicked costumes in 'The World.' Subaru is definitely way hot, Bear is cool. The drawings are okay but could be better. And there doesn't seem to be enough action for what is an action anime. Overall, it isn't bad, but it could definitely be better.

Rating - 6/10


2. Wolf's Rain. Young kids that can turn into wolves are hunted like crazy by the army and a psycho old guy. Interesting. There were some funny scenes in this one, but the drawing quality let me down here. And that old guy eventually got on my nerves. It seems slow moving itself, and that never really goes down well with me. Maybe I need to see more, but I expected better from what I'd read about this.

Rating - 6/10


3. Earth Defender Mao-Chan. Oh my god! This anime is so kawaii, I can't help but smile and laugh every few seconds! :D I love it! The whole innuendo with Kagome's secret love for the general except he always gets the wrong idea and how Mao and her friends are the cutest defenders ever, yet always seem to make a big mess of everything! Honestly, they blew up an entire building with their barrier yet couldn't stop the kangaroo?! :D Thank god they did, or Kagome would have been forced into that contract marriage with that sleaze! Wow, the way Kagome goes every time she sees the general! XD Kagome is defintely hot and her students are way cute. It's exceptionally well drawn, the plot is funny, the subtitles have the funkiest font ever. Ah, I could go on for ages! This one is one my 'to buy' list for sure!

Rating - 9.5/10


4. Witch Hunter Robin. This anime is very cold and steely, but it actually has a pretty decent plot, and though you resent the characters for being thespian-like, you actually do want to know what happens to them and about the whole tragedy of Aki & Saki. Scenes involving magic were cool, the symbolism of the magic ceremony Saki was using to kill Aramure was insightful, and even though the drawing style is quite different, it was still a farily good one. But the lack of feeling in this series was the major for me. I like to be able to get into the feelings in order to really appreciate an anime. This one didn't let me do that. Still, it's not that bad in the end.

Rating - 7/10


5. Someday's Dreamers. Okay, I really don't know why this anime was made. Thankfully I was told the episode I saw was the last one. Because aside from Yume, I didn't care about the characters. They seemed to shallow to be anywhere near realistic and that they brought their misfortunes on themselves! But Yume's struggle to be able to comprehend her magicial abilities and to channel them through her heart to bring out the good in herself and everyone else was inspiring. But that didn't quite make up for the sub-standard drawing quality, the lifeless plot, the slow pace, the overall paleness of everything in this anime. It was nice to see Yume achieve her dream, but that's all I cared about. It's not the worst out there, but this really wasn't that much worth raving on about. The classical soundtrack seemed kind of awkward against the anime too.

Rating - 5/10


6. Samurai Deeper Kyo. Okay, it was episode 15, but I got the main idea of what's going on. Except it kept jumpinmg back and forth between three sets of characters whose motives were about as clear as mud. Still, the fight scenes were pretty good, the drawing quality was good, and the plot seems decent. Setting it in ancient Japan is a nice change of pace and a nice background, but the 'disposable' nature of most characters was off-putting. That and the fact that Kyo's intentions seem to be equally good and bad, yet he killed that girl's brother and hurt her so badly as a result. It's an interesting one, but it seemed to be too cold for me to be properly engaged with it.

Rating - 7/10


7. Chobits. At last, I finally get to see this one! And I wasn't disappointed! Chii is way cute, even if a little ditsy! :D Motosuwa is an intriguing character, caring very deeply for Chii, despite her being a persocon, while incredibly desperate to unearth why Chii was suddenly disposed of and what her true purpose is. I forget the name of his computer geek friend, but he was likeable, and his persocon, Yuzuki, was quite inspiring, how she wanted to help him out so bad in order to make up for the loss of his sister and to help Motosuwa find out more about the Chobits series of persocons. Admittedly, I saw episode 23, which left a lot for to have to go back and learn about now, but this anime is super! It's incredibly well drawn, has great Japanese voicings, a good plot, deals with current moral issues well, has very likeable characters and good character development. Those little mini-robots were way funny too! :D how they kept playing with Chii and paying everyone else out! This one's also on the 'to buy' list as well!

Rating - 9/10


I'll definitely be a regualr at the anime club now, even if just for Earth Defender Mao-Chan and Chobits! Apparently they'll now be screening Ghost Shell in place of Someday's Dreamers. I think I've seen a bit of Ghost Shell before, and I think I liked it, so it should be interesting. My journey into the anime world continues to amaze me! :D

[EngiMatikul]

Mmm... watch as I type for hours and absolutely no one will read my review. Yup that's you over there, just scrolling right past me... just go right along then... O well. I watched 52 episodes of this and I feel I wanna say something. hmph.

Name: Full Moon Wo Saga****e (Searching for a Full Moon)
Category: Drama, Music, Fantasy
Japanese Studio: Deen Studio
U.S. License: None
Category: TV (52 episodes)
Plotline: Mitsuki, a 12 year old girl, made a promise to the one she loves that she will one day achieve her dream of becoming a singer. She hopes that one day she will achieve her dream along with the one she loves, named Eichi-kun. Eichi-kun had moved to America two years ago and Mitsuki longs to see him again.
However, Mitsuki has a throat cancer, and nearly everyone she knows advises her not to sing as long as she retains the tumor. Unfortunately, the only method of removing the tumor from her throat would result in the loss of her voice, so she refuses to have surgery on her tumor no matter what.
The story is further complicated by the arrival of two Shinigami, or "gods of death". Don't let the name fool you; If you watch FMWS, you'll completely understand what I'm talking about. In any case, she is somehow able to see the two gods (who are supposedly not visible to humans) and the gods accidentally tell her that she will die in a year. Hearing this, she runs away to a singing audition she had signed up for earlier. Her doctor had advised her not to take the audition, at least not at her current state, but seeing that she only has one more year to live, she decides to take the chance. But, there is a problem: she's not old enough to audition. One of the gods, named Takuto, takes pity on her and transforms her into her 16 year old state so she can audition. Of course, she makes it through the audition, and thus the story begins.
Animation: 10/10
The Animation is one of two things that kept me watching this anime during the beginning of the seemingly endless series of FMWS. Its bright and colorful, but what else can you expect from a young shoujo anime? The characters are intricately drawn, especially with the hair and outfits. The backdrops are a nice, common, everyday setting, something any of us...eer... any Japanese person would be familiar with.

Plot: 8/10
The plot is slow to start at first. Indeed, with 52 episodes you have to expect some fillers and no doubt there are some episodes where you wonder why they bothered putting them in. HOWEVER, the plot becomes extremely advanced and emotional as it progresses (mostly near the end of each season, whereas 26 episodes = 1 season). The story is very touching, and as a person who usually holds back tears if watching anything that emotional, I could not hold them back for this anime. The mere fact of watching a 12 year old girl grow and have various experiences in life can be both joyous and doleful, as indicated by this series.

Characters: 7/10
The characters are not superbly created, but they are good nonetheless. Mitsuki is impossibly pure even for 12 year old girl, but for some reason I find this very attractive... the Seiyuu, in any case, does an exceptional job as a rather overly naive 12 year old girl even though it seems as if this was her first voice acting. Takuto is someone I can relate with as an older brother, since he tends to bully around Mitsuki yet in heart actually admires her. Meroko (the other Shinigami) is annoying. Eichi-kun is one of those ideal boys that all young girls dream about. Everyone else, however, are realistically portrayed, and I particularly admire the doctor Wakaouji-sensei in the way he cares for Mitsuki and his basic personality.
The only thing truly unrealistic (character wise) are 16 year old boys falling for 10 year old girls.
...

Music: 12/10
#2 reason why I continued watching this anime. The music is just lovely. The instrumental is deeply moving and almost translates to the audience what the singer is saying, even if they don't understand japanese. The use of rather simplistic instruments such as chimes, harps, and the piano gives it a sort of pure feeling, something you usually don't hear with modern pop songs. And of course the singer. The singer herself (named Myco) is actually the voice actor for Mitsuki, and hence she sings all of the songs Mitsuki debuts as a JPop singer. I must admit that at first I didn't find her voice very catchy since her voice is of a deeper quality than other singers I have heard. But I found out that this deepness gives a good emotional portrayal through her music. Indeed, if everything was only mediocre, I would still only watch it to see what sort of music Mitsuki debuts, because the music is just fantastic.
O yea, and the intro is not sung by Myco, but rather another group called the Scanty. They're average, however their overly-happy intros become extremely annoying especially during the more emotional parts of the series.
Manga or Anime?: Attempting to get Chinese FMWS manga. ^-^;; As soon as yesasia restocks on Volume one... >.<
Other: Yes, this series is unlicensed, meaning you can only get it by fansub or ordering off a japanese website w/o english subtitles. And yes, there are 52 episodes. And yes, this translates to 8 to 9 gigabytes of anime files. However, if you take my advice, I would be happy to send over a couple of episodes, or all of the episodes, for you. I have all except for episode 1. Convenient, isn't it? :P

Average: 9.25/10

Oh, and CCC, be nice to the anime which started you off in your anime craze. Don't turn on them so suddenly. Also keep in mind that these anime that you suddenly dislike are aimed at younger children with rather simple minds themselves. O yea... FMWS is one of those anime aimed at younger girls. Go figure.

EDIT: -_-;; man... what stupid sensors. The last word is sa-ga-shi-te, pronounciationwise.

[Azura Stardust]

I just finished watching Tenkuu no Shiro Laputa (oh the spanish can go and die about the name its not intentional ~_~) and IMO... I think it deserves a 9.5/10 at the very least :)

The animation was to be expected for a 1980's film, in fact it's pretty good, some modern anime have animation at the same level as that (and I'm just talking about the basic cels, some of the animation was really quite nice like the thunderstorm part ^^)

I loved the background music... it was nicer than in Kiki's which was the last Miyazaki film I watched (yesterday, in fact XD)... I thought the part when they were seeing the bottom part of Laputa being destroyed had really really good music. Damn. @_@

Let's see... I thought the background art was really quite impressive, almost all of it was painted if I am not wrong? Kakkoi... and I liked just about all of the art. I felt right at home. ^^

The story was ok, I'm a sucker for those kinds of stories as I say in other forums... it was quite touching really, and there was a nice message behind Muska (was that his name? Or was it Musko? Oh no I'm thinking of ranma 1/2 [Muko-dono!!..]) and that fat general and the whole thing... It was quite nicely displayed, just like in Spirited Away when the big monster thing was eating up all the greedy people...

And I didn't have many problems with the characters. ^_^ I thought the pirates were really cool characters, especially the leader (WHY do I keep forgetting names??). At first I thought Sheeta (OMG I remembered a name!) was a bit weak and whiny, but actually she really is quite ok, looking back she was pretty brave... Though Pazu is almost unrealistically devoted to Sheeta. LOL.

Anyway all in all I thought it was a really good movie, I shoudl have watched this when I was young I would have loved it... heck I love it anyway, so :P

I reccommend this to many of you unless you like lots of violence, sex, guns, etc (You wouldn't be reading a miyazaki film review if you were one of those people imo :)) and don't mind 80s animation. (It really is quite ok!)

[Dark-San]

Originally posted by Citrus Crush Chikorita
Would you be offended if I gave Beyblades 0/10?! :D

I'll review them now:

1. hack//SIGN - Okay, jumping in a bit into the serious was intimidating. But it actually kind of made sense and had its appeal. If only it wasn't so damn slow! It seems to take 20 years for anything to happen, which is annoying since most of the characters are actually pretty appealing and have wicked costumes in 'The World.' Subaru is definitely way hot, Bear is cool. The drawings are okay but could be better. And there doesn't seem to be enough action for what is an action anime. Overall, it isn't bad, but it could definitely be better.

Rating - 6/10

7. Chobits. At last, I finally get to see this one! And I wasn't disappointed! Chii is way cute, even if a little ditsy! :D Motosuwa is an intriguing character, caring very deeply for Chii, despite her being a persocon, while incredibly desperate to unearth why Chii was suddenly disposed of and what her true purpose is. I forget the name of his computer geek friend, but he was likeable, and his persocon, Yuzuki, was quite inspiring, how she wanted to help him out so bad in order to make up for the loss of his sister and to help Motosuwa find out more about the Chobits series of persocons. Admittedly, I saw episode 23, which left a lot for to have to go back and learn about now, but this anime is super! It's incredibly well drawn, has great Japanese voicings, a good plot, deals with current moral issues well, has very likeable characters and good character development. Those little mini-robots were way funny too! :D how they kept playing with Chii and paying everyone else out! This one's also on the 'to buy' list as well!

Rating - 9/10

-Meh anime club -_-" At least today I agree with you on one thing! Hack sign really deserves a 6/10 rating. I basically don't get wat the plot of the anime is... how pathetic of me :D

Beyblade? Hmm a bit too low brother.... Maybe a 3.5/10 will do ;P

Chobits indeed deserved your nine but to me the story ended a bit too fast and wheres the OVA?? -_-" I had been waiting for its OVA to come out for at least a year already ;_;. A 8/10 rating for me!

[Darkmaster Kagemusha]

Spiffy.

Record of Lodoss War!!!!!!

Rating: 10/10--This animé is great from beginning to end. The beginning theme, "Kiseki no Umi", is a stirring song and goes well with the clips from the show that are seen. The storyline is great, and works with many characters. The first person you meet is the frightening Ashram, the bad guy. He's tall, long black hair, wears black and gold clothes, and has a big sword called the Soul Crusher--he's basically, the most evil being on Lodoss. The next people you meet are Orson, a man who has no emotions except anger and has a very interesting story behind that, a flirty redhead named Shiris, who are both mercenaries. Then you meet Cecil, a human sorcerer, Parn, a free knight, and Deedlet, Parn's girlfriend--she's also a high elf. Other characters are King Kashue, Slayn, a sorcerer, Leylia, a shaman, and of course, some biiiig dragons. It's got excitement and intrigue, and at the end of each episode there is a spoofy cartoon which promises to be hilarious.

[Dark-San]

Havn't been on lately.... Too much animes to watch...

Title: Shaman King

Rating: 7.5/10

Comments: Its basically a good anime to watch but however for those who are a little impatient, you might find the later episodes a bit boring...

Background: Shaman King's story takes place in a world where anything is possible , where spirits and ghosts live together with humans . Asakura Yoh is not a common person : he is a shaman who can connect the dead world and the living world. He has the ability to see spirits. A shaman usually use his spirit(s) to fight. A tournament , the shaman fight , who occurs every 500 years is set to know who is the strongest shaman in the world. The winner , the Shaman king , can have The Great Spirit (known as the best spirit in the world).

*Adapted from http://www.shamanking.ht.st *

Title: Psychic Academy

Rating: 7/10

Comments: Attention to all perverts out there lolz... Everything you need to know from high school love triangle to gang fights... Warning *Not suitable for childrens under the age of 13 ;P *

Background: Ai Shiomi is a young man who's attending a new school. Like the title implies, the people who attend this school are uniquely gifted. Even though he's never had a hint of psychic power, Ai's brother does. His shadow looms heavily over Ai. The one thing that makes Ai want to go to this school is the fact that his childhood Sweetheart, Orina, is also a student. Once at the school, however, he makes the aquaintance of Myuu, a beautiful, but quiet girl with firey emotions and firey powers.

*Adapted from http://www.furinkan.net/display.php?pageid=104 *

[Azura Stardust]

If Chobits were to have an OVA, it would have to be unoriginal extra stuff, because the manga ended where the anime did, IIRC. It was a shortish manga, 7 books of 10 chapters (or was it 9 in some?) each...

Unless CLAMP did a continuation later. ^^

I thought Chobits was average, to be honest... I liked the stuff about whether Hideki should really fall in love with a Persocon, but Chii got annoyingly cute sometimes, and there was quite a bit of unnecessary ecchi at least in the manga... Nice art... I don't usually mind plots, but the ending was kind of................... I don't know if cliche is the right word, but yeah....

[Last Exile]

Anime: Ghost In The Shell


Intriguing! Set about 100 years in the future, humanity is 50% humans and 50% cyborgs. And there's a mega nasty terrorist group called 'The Brigade' that's out to mess stuff up. And as usual, we have a secret army organisation set up to stop them.

From just 1 episode, I like it. It's well drawn, has way wicked action scenes, and doesn't shy off from showing bloody deaths. And that robot they have with that chirpy voice yet kiddie attitude yet mega-psycho weapons arsenal is priceless! Ah, you just can't knock comic relief in anime! :D The plot is confusing at the moment, but hopefully things become clearer in later episodes.

Rating: 8/10.

[Dark-San]

Originally posted by Azura Stardust
If Chobits were to have an OVA, it would have to be unoriginal extra stuff, because the manga ended where the anime did, IIRC. It was a shortish manga, 7 books of 10 chapters (or was it 9 in some?) each...

Unless CLAMP did a continuation later. ^^

I thought Chobits was average, to be honest... I liked the stuff about whether Hideki should really fall in love with a Persocon, but Chii got annoyingly cute sometimes, and there was quite a bit of unnecessary ecchi at least in the manga... Nice art... I don't usually mind plots, but the ending was kind of................... I don't know if cliche is the right word, but yeah....

8 books... not 9 -_-" Anyway I am currently viewing Happy Lessons and Happy Lessons Advanced. So look out doods for those reviews :D

[Dark-San]

Title: Intial D

Comments: This anime tells of a story about the main character Takumi Fujiwara. He was never interested in car races watever... A sort of quiet boy, the 18 yr old had no idea that his father was a former racer had been unknowning training his son since the age of 13.

Soon when he was forced to race, he soon understand the passion of car racing and the adreline rush behind it. In fact he won almost all the race with an old fashion car better known as 86 or Trueno *To the main character*

The whole series 1 shows how he manages to overcome his nemisis and how his love for a girl develops.

The sequel shows his first defeat and also how his relationship fails. Lastly the movie shows huis graduation from high school and how he begin train to become a pro racer.

Rating: 6.5/10

A bit better than hack sign because of its action pack in all those car racings... For those car freaks out there, this anime is definely for you doods. *Somehow this anime reminds me of 2 fast 2 furious*

[Last Exile]

Anime: Magical Nurse Kogumi Chan

Review: Way psycho! It's Excel Saga meets Sailor Moon, with a bit of Digichat and Card Captor Sakura thrown in. But it's most like Excel Saga, for sure.

Kogumi, a very talented cosplayer, but not attractive, is trying to make it in the entertainment business. One day a little fluffball from outer space comes and tells her she must protect Earth from psycho viruses with the Magical Syringe. Episode 1 focused on her saving Tokyo from being turned into a bunch of nutty cute kittys by a really stupid robot. Seeing her use the Magical Syringe was very reminiscent of Injection Fairy Lily from Yu-Gi-Oh! She's very feisty when it comes to rivals in the entertainment business (in particular, a very big-breasted airhead by the name of Kegumi), and her best friend is one of the head honchos for the bad guys! Except neither of them know the other's true identity! The dummy spits, the language, the continual overdramaticness, the stupidity of it all, and because it's damn funny...ah, goddamn it was good!

Rating - 8.5/10. Not quite as good as Excel Saga, but well worth a look.

[Dark-San]

Title: Happy Lesson and Happy Lesson Advanced

Comments: The story surrounds a boy better known as Chito-san in the anime. He is an orphan. And the only thing that his parents left him with is a house. After years spending in the orphanage, he left the place to survive on his own.

Chito-san moved to a town where he attended school for a few months. His inability in coping with his studies caught the eyes of 5 teachers. Knowing that he is lacking of mother's love, they all decides to move into his house to be his 'mothers' unknowingly to Chito-san!

So the fun events starts to come in when conflicts starts to happen... He also have a little sister whom he met at the orphanage known as Mina.

The advanced is actually the sequel of Happy Lesson. This time a girl who is always in disguse as a boy appears from nowwhere and wants to snatch one of Chito-san's mother away from him~

Rating: Quite fun so 7.5/10 for it

Current episode release for advanced: 4

[Dark Scizor]

Title: Z.O.E Idolo

Story: This part of the Z.O.E anime focuses around the first of the orbital frames made using a living mineral called metatron. Martians hav created a prototype beta Frame known as Idolo to be used as a test for a wepon that could free mars from the grip of the USNF (Earth people). The orbital frame is under the control of its runner Second Lt Radium Lavans something i forget -__-;; who, with this power at his fingertips has the ability to do anything or soo he believes. As the USF find out about this new weapon designed by the martians they are keen to obtain it from the martians giving their grip on mars a large boost and making sure that the martians will never be free from their opressors.

Since from what little i know of the anime series, there is this OAV which focuses solely on the first orbital fram created, and there is a 26 episode series in the Z.O.E Universe but i have not seen that yet.

With the inclusion of characters from the games this could tie in well with fans of the video games. Expands the Z.O.E universe which is nice :yes: Not Enough time in Idolo to create a good character development with the program being only a one parter and 55mins long, so i cant comment on this.

Music: Was not paying attention to it :/

Cant be bothered to do reat of it since i'm tired and its 4:50 in the morning. I'd give this something like a 7 or an 8/10.

Yeah, second opinion on it....not brilliant, i give it a modest 4 or 5 so 4.5/10 lol

[KaptainSarcasm]

You can read my reviews of Martian Succesor Nadesico (http://animeworld.com/readerreviews/nadesico.html) and The Vision of Escaflowne Movie (http://animeworld.com/readerreviews/escaflownemovie.html) at Akemi's Anime World. Those two reviews helped me snag a job at Anime Insider. ;)

[Last Exile]

Anime - Scrapped Princess

Review: (forgive me for forgetting the characters' names!)

In a, say 15th century Japan, three people wander through the countryside. Yet they have a terrible propechy hanging over them all. The region's princess was born healthy and happily, yet a prediction to doom them all was made. It was predicted that when the princess reached her 16th year, fire would rain down on Earth and wipe out all life.

The princess, spoilt yet earnest and heavily weighed down by the propehcy, is leaned upon and protected by her only two friends in the whole world. Her fiery yet charismatic brother and the ultra cool female mage whose powers you have to see to believe! :yes:

Basically the first episode introduces them to us, shows them fight off a couple of bandits out for bounties, the princess gets betrayed by her childhoos carer and is almost killed, but only lives because the female mage kicked butt and blew away everyone. (No, she didn't kill them, okay?! She literally did blow them away! :D ) Thery escape but barely.

Also, we are introduced to a major nemesis of the trio. The local prince, a charming yet slick and intriguing character by the name of Chris, who has sworn to kill the princess before disaster strikes. He will have a major part to play, but since I've only seen 1 episode and will see episode 2 tomorrow night, I can't say any more because I don't know! ;)

Rating - 9/10. It's exceptionally well drawn, the rustic Japan countryside is absolutely gorgeous. Characters are dreamy, the plot is interesting and there is plenty of humour in an anime you might have thoguht to have been darker. Oh well, if everything became as dark as Witch Hunter Robin, we'd have problems, hey?! ;)

Do try it. It really excels. The music is amusing yet catchy. Watch out for that.

[EngiMatikul]

1. The Ax weilding dude named Chris is NOT the prince. I don't want to give away lots of info, yet I don't want false information being spread around either.

2. The music is appealing only if it is to your taste. For me, I did not find the music very catchy at all. However, like I said, the music is only an opinion. I do think people who would like American country music to find this music very familiar and likable. :P

3. Scrapped Princess is overwhelmingly popular in the underground unlicensed fansub community. X_x

4. It actually has very intricate and decent plot that advances significantly each episode you watch. New things to expected at every turn.

5. If you are having troubles getting episodes and/or are frustrated at BT because its the lousiest way of downloading anime, refer to the chatrooms at mIRC for the latest episodes at fastest speeds. #anime-keep is a good one. (ok ya, sorry, that was advertising)

6. It is not located in Japan... I doubt this place is even earth. In fact, I kind of do know what it is... but it would reveal too much information and no one likes that.

7. Peacemakers are the most hypocritical things I've ever seen.

8. The Silencer owns all. No arguments period. :P

[Razola]

This week, the dub defender reviews his favorite:

Series: FLCL (also goes by Furi Kuri or Fooly Cooly)
Running Time: Three hours (six 30 minute episodes)
Review Translation: Both Dubbed and then with Subtitles.
Happens All the Time: Robots coming out of people's heads.

Animes have been getting stale. You can take your cliche stock characters and put them into the overkilled enivroments (the future, medieval times, hell even another dimension). Good anime breaks from this by either doing something different (Like Trigun's Pacifist Cowboy) or by doing it with kick *** style (Cowboy Bebop, which doesn't have a pacifist cowboy).

FLCL does it by being weird.

Deranged is more like it.

FLCL's core plot is simple enough to explain: it's boy meets girl. Of course, girl first runs over said boy with a Vespa, then boy has robots flying out of his head. And did I mention that the characters have no issues with breaking the 4th wall? FLCL isn't really a love story as more of a mystery. Or is it action? FLCL goes in so many direction it's hard to tell.

And that's why it's so much fun to watch. After seeing the dub about 10 times, I then saw the Japanese orginal once or twice through. Yes, it's so good that even the grand Dub Defender would sit through a sub-titled version. It's all about watching each episode and trying to figure out what's going on.

The series has a grand background history, and you only get to see a little bit of it. Characters don't give lengthy monolouges on what is going on or what has happened or why X happened to Y. You are given bits and pieces and have to make your conclusions about who is really the villain or protagonist. For those who are still clueless, you still get that cool robot-on-robot action.

Character design are awesome. Kanchi the robot is my favorite robot now (sorry Optimus Prime...). The characters can go from wacky to serious in a hearbeat. Surreal to real in a flash. It's fun watching such fluid and excellent animation, and you'll never tire of the short but sweet fight sequences.

The Pillows provides an equally excellent sound track. With the very popular "Ride on Shooting Star" during the ending credits to the "Little Busters" played towards the end of each episode, the songs rock. They fit perfectly with the show and yet are excellent on their own.

And then there are voices. Maybe I haven't developed an "ear" for japanese, but the voices just didn't vary enough to me in sub. Naota sounded like his school mates and a lot of the females sounded similar too. Haruko stands out a lot better in the dub, and the commander also sounds better with the deeper voice. With several voice actors from Cowboy Bebop, this is an excellent dub.

This is 3 hours of excellence. Sub or dub, it earns the highest marks.

To sum it up: "...sweet. Super sweet if you know what I mean."

GRADE: 10/10

[Outlaw JT]

Anime: Boogiepop Phantom
Running Time: 260 minutes, 12 episodes @ 25 minutes each
Review: As Raz said it before me, anime has gotten a little stale. Some shows like Cowboy Bebop or FLCL stand out with either downright weirdness or with grit and style. Most others, however, just fade into the background as barely modified copies of the shows that came before them. Boogiepop Phantom is one of those shows that will stand out. It took a path somewhere to the middle of FLCL and Bebop as it blends a twisted sense of weirdness with a dark and defining stylistic mood.
Boogiepop Phantom is set around a series of strange, unusual, twisted and at first seemingly unrelated events that take place in an unnamed city somewhere in Japan. The story kicks off with a strange beam of light rocketing into the skies. As this beam knocks out power in the entire town no one has any idea what it means or signifies but what is evident is that whether they know it or not, most of the characters lives would never be the same again.
The series does a perfect job of developing several characters very quickly and very well. As the series unfolds you'll be exposed to increasingly strange and dark events that at first seem to make little sense. Boogiepop Phantom is like a giant morbidly beautiful jigsaw puzzle. You spend the entire time trying to pick out the pieces of the dark mystery of it and place them in order to explain what is really going on.
It is one of the most engaging anime I have ever seen and I highly recomend it to anyone with a mature view of things that is looking for something different. Boogiepop offers an edgy and dark mystery unlike any other I have seen in anime. It's what someone might expect if a genius like Alfred Hitchcock had ever done an anime about genetic manipulation. To anyone looking to buy it, I also recomend they invest in the ultimate edition box set as it includes some beautiful shiny art and two soundtracks for the series for only a few dollars more than the regular box.
The Verdict: 10 out of 10

[Last Exile]

Anime: Last Exile.

Review: 5 episodes in and I'm mesmerised. If you can get past the weirdness of the opening theme the first time you hear it, you will be well rewarded.

The setting for Last Exile is very complex. It seems to be set somewhere in between the 23rd and 25th century, but time seems to have no relevance in this anime. The mix of several vastly different timeframes makes Last Exile even more intriuging, with its mix of amazing futuristic sky battles, air ships designed like something out of the Industrial Revolution with all the coal and smog that continually billows out and smothers the sky, and war tactics from the 19th century. It is one of a kind, and it's a winner for being so.

The plot of Last Exile, however, is quite easy to follow. In this futuristic world where sky wars are fought for eternity, we follow events through the eyes of two young pilots, Claus and Lavi, who would only be 11 or 12, tops. They are top of the range and pilot a 'vanship', a small yet incredibly fast plane yet has no combat capabilities, looking very much like a fighter plane out of World War 2. Claus and Lavi are very spirited, and they have to be in this harsh world. They barely get by on meager supplies, and they have to take dangerous jobs of being couriers to one of the two main countries fighting it out in for supremacy of the skies, and they consequently get caught in the political and physical fighting. Claus and Lavi hate war to no end, but unfortunately, they have no choice but to continually risk life and limb just to secure another paycheck, to bolster the capablities of their plane and to maybe, for once, eat a half decent meal.

Drawing-wise, Last Exile is miles ahead. Every episode is presented in a widescreen format, all battle scenes are 3-D and fully computerised, making even high-cost movies look pathetic. Every episode is like a mini-film, and clearly no expense has been spared. Claus and Lavi are well drawn as well. Their youthful spirit shines through, yet in their eyes and in their partially dimmed faces, you can see the strain of war and death slowly weighing down on them, and for 12 year olds to be exposed to all the is the worst about humanity ultimately makes you care for them deeply.

Musically, the show is weird yet catchy in the end. The opening theme is a combination of Scottish bagpipes, earthly tribal sounds, New Age beats and etheral Japanese vocals that take you a million miles away and gives you 90 seconds of something that is virtually impossible to describe. The ending is definitely New Age to the extreme, featuring a heavenly yet solemn guitar, random piano chords that rip your heart out as they sound like ghosts of past crying out in sorrow, and the serene yet mesmerising vocals of a Japanese female taking you somewhere beyond the madness of this world and to something that is beautiful and pure, ultimately filling you with hope. Both themes do their job well, sending you way into the skies, the opening sending your mind racing and into extreme panic and confusion, with the smell of death snapping at you heels, while the ending resolves all conflict and gives you the peace you're looking for.

Produced by Studio GONZO for their 10th anniversary, this is certainly one of the finds of 2003. Anime continues to be original, and Last Exile is certainly one that has to be seen no matter what. If you have a small list of essentials to get from 2003, make sure Last Exile is on your list. Yours truly will eb getting the majority of the series very soon, and hoepfully the rest soon after! ;)

Rating - 9.5/10. This is an anime you have to give some time for in order to appreciate what it is really like. Don't judge it until you've seen at least 5 episodes, because episodes 1 and 2 can be very deceptive as to the true plot and meaning of the anime. Patience will be richly rewarded in this anime loaded with action while it rips your heart out. If you ever want something to permanently instill the horrors of war into without lashings of gore, Last Exile is an essential.

[Toxicity]

I guess I shall do a review over one of my personal favorites: .hack//Sign

Series: .hack//Sign
Studio: Bee Train(I think...) and Bandai
Running Time: 25 minute episodes, not sure how many episodes anymore....
Review:
.hack//Sign takes place at least 5-10 years into the future, but we mainly focus this show on 'The World', a Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game, which is medieval Europe crossed over with The Matrix in a way. Our main character is Tsukasa, a player who cannot log out of 'The World' because of the fact he/she is within a coma in the real world. Tsukasa is tracked down by the administration in the form of the 'Crimson Knights' bacause he has connections to Maja(?sp), a player who used illegal modifications to his or her character which in end, appears in the form of a cat. After meeting up with two other players, Mimiru and Bear, they begin their search for the Key of the Twilight...which is also targeted by many other players.
Ratings:
Animation- Remarkable! The use of shading and tinting brings the background and characters to seem to stand out away from each other, and the use of clothing style is also great on the characters.

Music- Awesome! The opening is great compared to the opening themes for most shows, the background music gives it a more dramatic feel, and the ending is somewhat exotic.

Final result: *drumrolls*....10/10! ^^

[kalad1]

GL: It's Maho.

Anime:NightWalker
Review:seen 6/12 epispdes, and it's great so far.
Synopsis
Shido is a vampire, but he isn't an evil kind of vampire, instead, he fights for humanity by fighting against the Night Breed, a kind of demon. This anime is the tale of Shido and the lives of those around him.

Ratings:
Animation:real nice, the coloring and everything is good and helps convey the scene to the viewer.
Music:magnificent, almost every piece is well suited to it's scene.
Dub:It's Accurate.


Overall rating is 9/10 It Is one of the best Vampire anime I've seen.

[Razola]

It's Raz...reviewing Anime so you don't have to!

Series: .hack//Sign
Episode Length: 30 minutes
Review Translation: Dubbed
Mi Casa: Tsukasa

Sign (as I'll be calling it here on out) is an exercise in wasted potential. Anime generally falls between two settings: either a futuristic sci-fi one or a more feudal/medieval world. Sign doesn't totally buck the trend but still offers something new: it's an anime about a Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game (MMORPG) that is a lot more hi-tech than the ones we have today (players have little Virtual Reality Headsets and whatnot). So technically it's in "the future," yet ironically the game itself takes place in a somehwat medieval setting.

Sadly, without the occasional talk or isolated event, you can barely tell that the characters are in a game. They are like some breed of uber-nerd, always staying in character and never lightening up and goofing around (as if this was like, you know, a game). They act like the World is an actual real place. I'm all for role-playing, but the cast here has a serious case of Stick Up the Butt. When one character is PKed (killed by another player-character) she has a tender moment with Tsukasa, a player who oddly cannot log out. She cries in the real world. Wow. I'm a huge geek, but I don't recall crying over a game. Is this a MMORPG or an early version of the Matrix?

Sign doesn't take advantage of its setting. It's a setting where you can do silly things, like have players die. But you rarely even see battles in the world of Sign. It's mostly stupid talk from our overly dramatic cast. I really dislike the whole "Boy who cannot log out" issue, since it makes what should be a light-hearted storyline turn into an melodramtic peice of crap. Is everyone in "The World" this serious about the game, or is just our misfotunate that we got stuck with Tsukasa and the gang?

Animation is very pretty though. It's very colorful and does have a touch of surrealism to at least try to let us know this is a game. Voice acting isn't too bad either...it seems the voice actors are held back though. It's just seems like the plot holds back some really suited voice actors from giving a good performance, and instead make them act like a video game is the most serious business in the world.

Do not watch Sign. It's not a completely bad anime if you ignore the wasted potential of the setting, but that was very hard for me to do. I just kept thinking "Man, they could have really done something with this." When I hear video game, I do not think "Deep Drama." Sign could have been a very good comedy or light adventure series. Now it's just a barely interesting show that rarely uses it setting. And even when it does use it, it's not even used well.

Uninstall .hack//Sign as soon as you can.

GRADE: 4/10

[Red Angel]

This anime review brought to you by a Siege Tank in Seige Mode. F34R!

Anime: Noir
Running Time: 25 minutes per episode, 26 episodes.
Dub or sub? Subtitled.
Kills: A man at ten paces.

Yes, Noir's mysterious, overworked story is about as deep as a teaspoon and twice as silly. But that's not why you want to watch this anime. You want to watch it because it oozes style. Here we have a pair of assassins, brought together for unknown reasons, based in the scenic locales of southern Europe, doing what assassins do best: killing everything that moves and looking good doing it. In the very first episode, the title character, Noir, does a spectacular running jump over a generic Mafia hitman, grabs him by his tie, and vaults over the side of the building, one hand still on the bad guy’s tie. And this is all performed while dodging bullets fired by the unfortunate bad guy’s accomplices. And it just gets better. Take the Matrix, remove silly love scenes, and you have Noir’s action sequences. Oddly enough, there’s no blood. We have someone encountering a machine gun at point-blank range... and there’s no blood. Unfortunately, as with that other stylish flick, once you get past the eye candy, you’ll discover that it’s like one of those cheap chocolate Easter Bunnies: there’s nothing inside. The story, without spoiling too much, goes something like this: trained assassin meets mysterious, nameless girl, who is also a trained assassin. Long story short, they band together to find out about Noir’s forgotten past. Of course, the have to kill many, many generic bad dudes on the way, thus setting the stage for more combat. Let’s just say that the story is very, very cliché, although it does have it’s high points. An additional side note: the people responsible must have gotten a buy one, get five free deal on flashback scenes. They occur at least once and episode, usually more. I believe the record id five times. In one episode. And without revealing much new material. Let’s just say it’s irritating, if nothing else. On a final note, the music is very nice, usually corresponding very well to the action on-screen.

Final rating: 7.5/10 - junk food, but yummy junk food.

[Mewtwo-D2]

Okay, kids, here are all my reviews from anime.mikomi.org.

Rurouni Kenshin OAV 1: Trust and Betrayal.
Alternate titles: Samurai X, Rurouni Kenshin OVA, Rurouni Kenshin - Tsuiokuhen, Rurouni Kenshin - Reminisence, Rurouni Kenshin - Remembrance
Art- 9
Animation- 8
Character Design- 10
Music- 9
Story- 10
Dub or sub? Sub, definitely.

Let me start off by saying if you have not bought it yet, buy the Director's Cut, which is basically the movie version.
There is little to say that has not already been said... Rurouni Kenshin: Trust & Betrayal is an awesome piece of work. It's beautifully done, and really makes you care about the characters you're watching. I love the TV series but Kaoru always struck me as selfish and immature. Tomoe is a real lady, and outshines Kaoru in every way I can think of.
Young Kenshin is quiet and slightly creepy, like you'd expect of an assassin, but even so, you don't need him talking to explain things to you.
This movie embodies some of the best principals of Japanese cinema, and is worth seeing simply as an example of that, if not as one of the best anime movies out there.

Escaflowne: A Girl in Gaea
Alternate titles: A Girl in Gaea, Escaflowne the Movie
Art- 9
Animation- 9
Character Design- 9
Music- 9
Story- 7
Dub or sub? Sub. The dub on this one is terrible.

I'll start out by saying that I love Escaflowne the series, especially Dilandau. I also loved the movie. The character designs were different, but I like the rounded noses and figures. I liked the darkness, as the one major dislike I had of the series was the shoujo-y elements.
As a writer, the movie is more exciting than the show for me, as it leaves open more possibilities and is much more open to personal interpretation. The show is better, yes, but I think if they had taken the movie and stretched it into a full season, I would have liked Dark Escaflowne better. That's just my style: I like the darker elements of stories, I like villians over heros 9 time out of 10, and I don't like seeing good getting an easy victory. If you do, then you probably won't like the Escaflowne movie. If you like characterization given to you by the writer, then you also probably won't like it. I enjoyed taking the little hints from lines to try to add more depth and interest, and it worked beautifully.

Concerning Dilandau, he's just a little different. He's still quite beautiful, although he's a lot more feminine-looking. I adore Dilandau, but even in the series, he's cursed with going in between being extremely beautiful or looking very strange and somewhat comical. I didn't mind that the Celena subplot was scrapped- that worked for the series, but with the whole feel of the movie, it just wouldn't. Besides, with everyone complaining about how crowded the movie was with trying to fit in only the main points, where would Celena have fit in?
I liked most of the new costumes: Allen looked sexy. He was pretty in the show, but he looked like a man in the movie. Dilandau and the DragonSlayers looked pretty cool in their new bulky armor (Although of all the things for Dil to be wearing underneath, green briefs?) Hitomi's school uniform actually looked nice for once, and she and Yukari were much prettier than they were in the series.

Designs I didn't really enjoy were Folken Bowie, Dryden Stern, Jajuka the Beaver, and Van the Barbarian: if you're going to wear a kilt, fine. But don't wear shorts underneath, that just looks funny. Then there was Millerna the Princess of Barbie's Bardello. It was a kind of cool design, but... yeah. Not in magenta. Merle's hair looked kinda funky, and I don't see what the swirlies on the Mole Man were supposed to represent, but it could have been worse. A lot worse. Even worse than the tadpole of Shesta's forehead.

The psychic powers I thought were interesting. (Since Folken mentioned that Dilandau's blood is impure, does that perhaps mean he has black wings?) They didn't go overboard with it, which a lot of movies with psychics do. The thing that really got me was Andrew Francis' voice going all smarmy when he's taunting Van before attacking. He sounded like he was flirting, and that threw me off the scene. Then again, I never was a big fan of the dub anyway *shrug*

Overall, the movie was interesting and very enjoyable to look at. If you like the darker side of anime, then I suggest you get it. But if you watch the movie with the series in mind, you're in for a big disappointment.

Special Duty Combat Unit Shinesman
Alternate titles: Shinesman
Art- 8
Animation- 8
Character Design- 8
Music- 6
Story- 7
Dub or sub? Dub, surprisingly. The dub is a lot funnier then the sub.

For anyone who misses the glory days of Power Rangers, salivated over the suits in Bubblegum Crisis, and wanted to be one of the Gatchaman, you simply can't miss this series. The Shinesman: Gray, Salmon Pink, Moss Green, Sepia, and their new leader, Red, are sworn to protect the Earth from the evil aliens of Planet Voice. Things aren't often smooth for the members of the corporate superhero world, with Princess Shina showing up to wreak havoc, but falling for Shinesman Red, Gray's Montauge being taken away for an inspection, Sepia's daughter having chicken pox, Salmon Pink being treated as an office gopher, and Moss Green missing his date with Turkish twins.

The dub is excellent and will probably be funnier for English-speakers. The voice actors work well with the characters and the lip flaps are synchronized exceptionally well. All dubs should be this good.
The characterization isn't great, considering this is a two-episode long OAV, but it's still hilarious.
The music is all right... the opening theme is funny, but it can get old after awhile. The end theme is nice, but unmemorable. The animation is very good, bright and cute. There's very mild action, no questionable language or themes. This is one you can pop in the DVD player for when you want to or have to watch something with little kids or easily shocked people.

The DVD doesn't have many extras, just an art gallery, some previews, and textless opening and ending. But even if you do get the DVD, I still recommend the dub.

"What's wrong with gray? Gray is a regal, manly color. My Montauge is gray..." Shinesman Gray.

Bastard!!
Alternate Titles: None
Art- 7
Animation- 8
Character Design- 7
Music- 6
Story- 6
Dub or sub? Either or. Both are quite good.

Bastard!! is a thoroughly entertaining anime, if you like that sort of thing. It draws a lot from heavy metal and from what appears to be a D&D campaign gone horribly, but hilariously, wrong. The humor is off-beat at best, but for those who appreciate quirky humor, grandiose dialogue, and outreageously stupid motivation, you can't get much better than Bastard!!

The main character, Dark Schneider, wants to rule the world, his motivation being that he can kill all the men and have every beautiful woman in the world all to himself. DS is a big jerk and a pervert, but I have seldom seen a character with so much charisma. Bastard!! is fairly disjointed, I'll admit, being based off a very long running manga series (worth the reading if you don't mind the ocassional semi-detailed full frontal and the fact that DS will sleep with just about any breathing female) Although the majority of it is hilarious (and well dubbed, for a shocker), some elements of the story are out of place, and the tragedy doesn't always work well with the screwball comedy. But, it could have been much worse, and is still quite enjoyable, if it's to your taste.

Shin Tenchi Muyo
Alternate titles: Tenchi in Tokyo
Art- 5
Animation- 4
Character Design- 5
Music- 5
Story- 5
Dub or sub? Dub. On TV That way you won't have to spend any money on it.

The main thing I remember about this series is it was mediocre. Nothing really popped, unless you count unattractive character designs and lack of depth.
The main thing that bugged me while watching it was that it wasn't funny. I laughed maybe five times during the series and three of those were startled chuckles of disbelief. I liked that they were trying to give more emotion to a normally wacky series, but they failed. Ryoko and Tenchi's date was great, but Tenchi spent the before and after acting like a jerk. Except for a few brief scenes, you have to wonder why all these girls were in love with him.
Sakuya was pushy and annoying, kind of like an insane deriative of all the Tenchi girls mashed into one, with a splash of Shampoo, Akane, Kodachi, and Ukyo from Ranma 1/2. Washu was made to be an incompetent idiot, Sasami was still cute, but she really didn't do anything... Mihoshi was shudder-inducing and Kiyone wasn't much better. Ayeka was a lot scarier and louder than ever before... and Ryoko just seemed off. Her whole foray back into piratehood with a guy she had just met didn't seem a Ryoko thing to do, even though Tenchi had broken her heart. The villians were uninspired, and it plays like a bad fanfic.
Overall, I'd say avoid unless you have time to burn watching it on TV. It's not worth paying for.

I hope that was helpful. And Azura, Chobits does have an OAV. It's called Chibits, and all it is is Sumono and one of the other mini-personcoms running around being cute.

[Rambunctious Jamirus]

I've checked this entire topic and have found no reviews for the one I'm about to do.

Mononoke Hime or Princess Mononoke
Anime Type: Movie
Length: 134 minutes/2 hours 14 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for violence and language
Creator/Screenplay by: Hayao Miyazaki
Languages: French w/ subtitles, English, Japanese w/ subtitles
Review Translation: Japanese and English (not as good)
Art - 9
Music/Sound - 8
Character Development/Design - 9.5
Storyline - 9
Animation - 8.5

An outstanding film by none other than Hayao Miyazaki, Princess Mononoke captures the struggle of animals and humans in the old times of Japan, when guns were hand cannons and Gods walked the earth. The colouring of the backgrounds is realistic enough to touch, the blasts of fire and flashbacks of battle in detailed colour. Gore is evident as the war takes place and not for little kids to watch as people literally lose their heads. Characters as not as detailed as their surroundings but in vivid colour.
From here on will be Japanese names as the English really doesn't do justice for it. San is a bit cross between the two voices in my opinion and A****aka's voice is a bit more loud than it should be since he's very soft spoken.
Since I went overboard with a summary at first, I'll shorten it entirely. Basically, our main character, A****aka (which will be censored), is cursed by a turned evil Boar God, Nago, after saving his village from destruction by the angry and avengeful beast. The curse will kill him if he doesn't act soon and so he and his faithful steed, Yakkul, and released from the village though our young warrior is a prince. He soons finds out that the curse is more poweful than he could imagine as it can take over his arm and aim with bow and arrow and gives him more strength than any man could muster by himself. After a scene in which we meet Lady Eboshi and Moro, the two-tailed wolf God with a mean streak against humans a mile long, A****aka and Yakkul come upon the wreckage after the rice train was attacked by said God. He finds two men still alive and drags them out of the flooded area and then catches a glimpse of San, Princess Mononoke to humans. She yells at him to leave when he asks of a cure and prompty disappears into the forest with Moro and the wolf's two sons. The prince then meets back up with one of the men who is now conscious and discovers that the girl he has seen was the Princess of the Spirits and Gods. We then meet the Kodama, friendly tree spirits, who click as communication and serve under the greatest of all Gods, the Deer God who can give life and take it away. A****aka then learns of Iron Town and its struggles with Lord Asano who wants Iron Town for himself and the Emperor. The battle is three way, nature versus humans and Iron Town versus Lord Asano with the Gods of the Deer God forest after them.
One of the most amazing thing I found about this film was the idea that neither side was right or wrong and that neither side was evil. Each had the strongest beliefs and you can feel drawn to either side, either because of Moro's ideas that destroying the forest that kept everything alive was wrong, or that Lady Eboshi's generous nature of buying brothel contracts for women and keeping them alive was right. The transformation of the characters happened through several layers as A****aka learns from either side, choosing to fight on both as he struggles to stay alive with his curse. Betrayal, loyalty, anger, and other emotions swirled in this movie that had you hating one character for a moment and then loving them the next.
Another was the voiceless scene of the Deer God as it went from Life Taker to Life Giver after its stroll as the Night Walker in which the Kodama welcome it every night with clicking and a cute roller coaster ride in which it's hard not to think they're adorable.
The ending has a small surprise which I won't tell since it gives away everything from the last third of the movie.
All in all, I suggest people at least the English version if they can but it would be better to see the Japanese w/ subtitles on DVD. It is a bit difficult to follow without understanding what the characters are saying since some of character development dealt with dialogue.

EDIT - I remember someone asking what Mononoke meant and why it wasn't in the movie. The Japanese title, 'Mononoke Hime' literally means Princess of the Ghosts/Spirits. So, Princess Mononoke is Spirit/Ghost Princess

[Sheila Rae]

Oh Raz, it's funny that you put "Mi casa: Tsukasa" I actually answer to the name Tsukasa for some reason, so in Spanish class whenever any says "su casa" I look up alertly and sometimes say "yes?" I'm actually not kidding, sadly... [/random anecdote] Anyhow...

Saint Tail
Ok...tis been a while since I read this...
It's by Megumi Tachikawa, and is one of the first mangas in "shoujo" genre. It's about Meimei (who's in 8th grade, IIRC) who is Saint Tail. Her father is a magician and her mother was a former theif, but they both want their daughter to carry on their job. So, at night, she masquerades as ST, using magic to steal item for the good of others. She finds out about her missions from her best friend, who is a nun-in-training. Oh, she goes to a Catholic school, which I think is cool, since Christianity is rare in anime and manga. Anyhow, people go in the confessionals and talk to her best friend with their problems, where she then passes it on to Meimei.

The story heats up when Asuka Jr, a detective, is put on the case to capture Saint Tail. The only problem is, Meimei falls in love with him. Oh, and the only one who knows Saint Tail's true identity is her best friend.

The art is nice, and I like to see Tachikawa's comments at the end of each chapter. It's a nice light read, fun to see all the things Meimei has to steal and the reasoning behind it. I love the shippy parts too, if you're a romantic it'll leave you on the edge of your seat (if that makes any sense whatsoever). Yes, another manga that I didn't get to finish...leave me alone, ok? :(

Shadow Star
This should so be made into an anime. Story and Art by Morito Kitoh (not sure about given name). It's about Shiina, a girl of 12 years who finds a star-like creature that she can fly on, and names it Hoshimaru. The plot moves pretty quickly so I'm not going to explain much about it, but rather critique more. It's definitely sci-fi, if you like that.

My first warnings is that there's much stuff about airplanes and flying and the air force, which can be confusing at first. There's also a lot of Japanese culture references, which shouldn't be a problem, because they are explained nicely. There's this part in book 3 I like that has to do with Katakana and Kanji differences, and that can be confusing if you have no idea about Japanese characters. But it made perfect sense to me, it just depends on your level. It's definitely a page-turner if there ever was one, very interesting plot. I'm sad because my library doesn't have vol 4 and I can't find out what happens... You can really feel for the characters, good and bad, thoughout the story. I won't say specifically, but there was one part where my wrist physically hurt. There are a lot of minor characters in certain parts which can be confusing, but stick with it and it will come together. The main characters are so young yet all these mature things happen to them...it's kinda scary but a very great story and as of now my second favorite manga. I would give it a try, and if you don't like it, no one's forcing you to read it ;)

If any else has read Shadow Star, please let me know, I think it'd be really interesting to discuss!

I'll bring you more reviews from meh house tomorrow! =D

[PlatinumHawke]

Shadow Star is otherwise known Narutaru, fansubbed by the Triad, if you want to see the first part of the series in anime form. Got some quick and dirty first episode previews of three series I torrented down tonight.

Madlax
- You may as well call this Noir -Ver2.0- because of the amount of similarities. Done by BeeTrain, female assissians, Kajiura done OST complete with "battle music" (that I'm sure to DWI in the near future), stylish film noir. However, seems to have it's own flare to it, somewhat different than Noir's first episode. Probably gonna take a few episodes to get going in. I'm in for the long haul anyway. ^^

Mars Daybreak
- Take one part Vandread, one part Cowboy Bebop, one part RahXephon, and one part Submarine No.9. This roughly gets you Mars Daybreak. Starts off strange (can we say, convenient plot device?), but hell, so did the original Gundam. The idea of underwater mecha battles makes me a very happy Bit-Torrenter. I hope this turns out good, if not, it'll tide me over inbetween Macross Zero episodes.

Aishiteruze Baby
- This was a bit of a suprise. I initially thought this was gonna be the usual shoujo romance: cherry blossoms, bishies, and angst by the gallon. Meet Kippei, playboy extraordinare (just think Touga from Utena, with short blonde hair, and there you go). One day he comes home, to news that his aunt mysteriously vanished, after her husband left her... meaning he now has to look after his 5 year old niece. I see another Full Moon developing soon.

[Sheila Rae]

As promised, more reviews....

Alien Nine: Manga
by Hitoshi Tomizawa
The story is set in Japan about ten to fifteen years in the future. Aliens invade Elementary School 9 at least weekly, and it's up to the three-member alien party of 6th graders to capture them; not kill them, because every life, even alien life, is precious. The story begins with Yuri Otani, a shy girl who hates nothing more than aliens. Her classmates elected her to the Alien Party, much to her dismay and disappointment, so she joins Kumi Kawamura and Kasumi Tomine. The "alien party advisor," Megumi Hisakawa, holds some dark secrets of her past and present. This will eventually affect the girls as they capture the alien trustpassers and care for them. Oh yes, the girls also receive borgs when they join the alien party, symbiotic aliens that they wear on their heads to assist them in catching aliens.

I've only finished the fist three volumes of this manga, and I'm not sure if I want to continue. The girls are so young, yet frightening and sometimes disturbing things happen to them. Alien Nine becomes so scary. I mean, it's like a horror story. The first volume is spectacular. There's tons of action, nothing too cold and scary happens, and the characters are introduced really well. There's lots of sound effects, all well translated on the page so you don't have to go looking them up. The end of the first volume leaves you wanting the next one, but I wish I didn't read it. Book two on, heart-ripping things happens, it left my hands feeling cold. The backgrounds get more empty, sound effects are scarce, and the decreasing action gets more confusing. I definitely recommend book one, it's excellent. Although a lot of people don't really like Tomizawa's drawing style, but I didn't notice the imperfections until people pointed then out to me. Maybe some other people will join the other volumes of Alien Nine more than I did.

Yu Yu Hakusho: anime
Hint: don't waste you time with the manga. The anime is much better, and has wide availabilty (sp). The story starts with Yuusuke Urameshi, a 14-year-old deliquent who skips school and has never lost one of hundreds of fights. One day, a little boy's ball rolls into a busy intersection, and Yuusuke pushes him out of the way, but gets killed in the process. Because the Makai aka Spirit World was not expecting his death, he is given a second chance if he goes through an ordeal.

The plot expands quickly, adding lots better characters than Yuusuke. There's not much to say unless you watch it...I find YYH really funny, but that's probably because I'm easily amused and I have a lot of inside jokes about it. People who like Inuyasha will probably also like YYH. When I first saw it, I hated it, but that's because I was ignorant. YYH is actually really in-depth, even past the fighting, lots of strategy. Recommended, give it a chance. There's bond to be three characters you like for each one you don't.

Tomorrow....Real 'Bout High School and Sonic X!!

[Dark-San]

Anime Title: Tenjou Tenge
Year Published: 2004
Studio: Madhouse Production
Anime Type: Ecchi, Martial Arts, Action
Darkyouth's Rating: 3.5/5

Anime Review: Nagi Souichirou and Bob Makihara, better known as the Knuckle brothers, are 1st year students of Toudo Gakuen. Their aim was to dominate the school and upon arrival at the school, they started beating up students from the third year. Little did they know that they are courting trouble.

During the Edo era, along with the breakdown of the feudal system was created for the revival of martial arts. And the school, Toudo Gakuen, is still like this today. Their first serious encounter was against Natsume Maya, a 17 year old 3rd year female student.

Maya has the ability of preserving her 'ki' energy which in the case kept her in the form of a primary school toddler. Their second encounter was against 2nd senpai Takayanagi Masataka. Both Maya and Takayanagi belonged to the martial arts club and the Knuckles brothers, especially Nagi, lost badly in both encounters.

However the beating up of third year students did not go well with the governing student council, The Enforcers. The Knuckle brothers was totally beaten up by like a pulp the 1st punisher sent by the Enforcers to force them to quit the school. However the Knuckle brothers didn't quit school and instead the join forces with the martial arts club which is also at odds with the Enforcers.

The Knuckles brothers and martial club together with Aya Natsume, Maya's younger sister, are forced to go on an all-out-war against the Enforcers.

Comments: The story plot is not really very interesting. But believe me if you had seen the fighting scenes as well as the occasional comedial plot, you will defintely give this anime a go. For an ordinary story plot, I gave it a 3. the 0.5 extra point is because of its fabulous fighting scenes. ;P

[Razola]

Quick Reviews, because I'm far too lazy to write up a review:

BoogiePop Phantom
3/10
WHY: Art is overly dark, and I cannot sympathize in any way with the characters. Personalities are stiff and overly dramatic. Dub is horribly generic.

Last Exile
8/10
WHY: Solid plot (if a bit oddly paced early on), and the art is good except for the low-detail computer graphics (which stick out like a sore thumb). Dub is well above average.

Inuyasha
9/10
WHY: Best dub I have ever heard. Plot is fairly original even if it does derail every so often. Animation is good, but art's a bit too generic in some episodes.

Trigun
8/10
WHY: Interesting characters, successfully mixes comedy, action, and drama. Sometimes goes bit overboard on philsophy and Vash's morals are a bit heavy-handed. Dub is pretty damn good considering the show's jump back and forth between humor and seriousness.

[Dark-San]

There isn't a need to have this topic on. If you dudes want, you dudes can post an individual topic and give a full review of the animes that you have finished watching. Other than that if you havn't finish with the anime, you can feel free to post your anime input on a weekly basis in the sticky topic '(Continual topic) What anime have you watched this week? *Warning: Spoilers!*'. So have a nice day, guys!